The Bee Hive of the Romish Church, Part 1 · Chapter 6
The vi. Chapter. VVherin is concluded, out of that vvhichwhich is aforesayd, that the benefite and profite of the Church of Rome, is the onelyonly rule and direction of all scriptures, decrees and Councels.
HErevpon may wee boldly conclude, and out of that which is sayde before make a most true and infallible generall rule,The holy Church of Rome the verie knot of all writings decrees & coū cels. That neither the holy Scripture of the olde and newe Testaments, nor the writings and doctrine of the olde fathers, nor Councels, nor Decrees, nor any other institution or ordinance in the world, can be specially holden for the certein rule of fayth, wherevnto the Church is bounde: nor yet for the traditions and institutions of the holy Church, which all Catholike men are bound to beleeue, vponupon paine of damnation. But the estimation and benefite of the holy Church of Rome, is the only principal & most sure rule & directiō whereby all Scriptures, councels, ordinances and decrees must bee guided and gouerned. Yea, it is the verie pricke, the white and the but, wh…reat all good Catholike christē people must shoot al their arrowes, and lay their iust leuel. Therfore, whensoeuer the holy Scripture will serue, the turne of our deare mother the Churche of Rome, shee may accordingly vse it: and wherein so euer the Councels can doe her any seruice, she may commaunde them: and when the olde Fathers say any thing, that can further her cause, shee may allowe it and let the rest goe.
Also, wherein soeuer the decrees may further her purpose, she may hauehave them in reputation, and make them equall with Gods worde. But whensoeuer the Scripture doth make against her, she may finde a glose, or an Allegorie vponupon it, and so couer the matter with a blewe mantle. And when the olde Fathers write any thing, which soundes against her holines, she may thrust them out of the doores, and send them packing. And wherein soeuer she doeth mislike of the Councels, she may admit & approue other councels against them, and so driue one thunder away with another. And when soeuer the decrees tend any thing against ye maintenāce of her honorable state, she may boldly deface thē, & set an earmarke on thē, which shee calles Palea, yt is to say, Chaffe, or Strawe: or else she may sau…e them with something, & adde vntounto them a glose of Accursius ▪ or Panormitanus: or of Iohn Andraeas, which will bring ye matter in frame.
As for example: Whereas almightie God doth by his holy worde commaunde, That no man shall make anie image or likenesse, This is so set forth in the coūcell of Nice in actione 4. and is likewise set out by Eckius in his Man.that is spoken onelyonly for the Iewes. And as the Councel of Africa (only because of the ambition of the Popes of Rome, who would hauehave questions & suites to come before them, and there be determined) did ordeine, bThis forbidding stā deth in the first booke of the …ouncelles Con. Afric. can. …2 and the letters of the popes whiche had procured to hauehave all appeales sent to Rome, are set out in the end of the coūcels.That no man shoulde transport anie matter ouer Sea, by appellation, and such like. Therevpon shall her cCa. Plac. vt Pres. 2.4.6.Gratianus gratiouslie glosse, excepting onelyonly, such as shall appeale to Rome. And whereas Pope dCa. Comperimus de con. dist. 2. & the glosse vppon the worde aut integra.Gelasius doth command, that euerie one (which will not shamefullie separate the Sacrament of Christe) shall minister the supper of the Lord, vnderunder both kindes, to witte, of breade and wine. That must be vnderstoode onelyonly, vponupon al priests: and so like vponupon all other.
And when as they can finde no good glose to couer the matter withall, then it is sufficient to say,eEuen so doth the glosse answere vponupon the demaunde in the Cap. Constitutionis, dist. 10. whereas is saide, That no Decrees are of value, which dissent from the good seede. Non credo: I do not beleue it: or, These bytextes doth the glosse bring vponupon the decrees, That eueryevery man shall receiue the Lords supper incontinent as the consecratiō is done, cap. peracta de consecratione. dist. ….Hoc antiquum est, This is ancient, & happened In illo tēpore, In that time, &c. In summe, she will vse the matter so handsomely, as shal make most for her own aduantage. Then you may perceiue well ynough, that she is like the honie Bee, which wil sit vponupon eueryevery flowre, and fetch out of euerie one of them yt which serues her turne, to fill her hiue with pleasant and sweete honie: and what soeuer is not appliable or agreeing to her purpose, that she leaues vntouched. Therefore, the foundation of the holy Church of Rome may very wel be called, A Bee hiue, hauing the propertie of a tubbe, wherein al maner of pleasant things are put.