Confutation of the Popes Bull, Part 20
¶ Here be recited other articles of accusation, which the Bull mentioneth concerning the Queenes abolishing of the masse, and hir taking away of many other superstitions and abuses. Also here is expounded, what catholikenesse is, and who be catholike.
THe Bull knitteth héerunto also other articles of accusation agaynst the Quéene. She hath also (sayth the bull) abolished prayers, fastinges, choyce of meates, single life, & catholike ceremonies. As concerning the sacrifice of the masse, the Quéene not vniustly, but for many and most iust causes hath abolished it,The abolishing of the sacrifice of the masse. like as King Edward had abolished it afore. In the Syuode of London, whereof we hauehave made mention now once or twise already, thus remayneth in writing concerning the masse: Christes oblatiō once made for all, is a ful redemption, attonement, and satisfaction for all the sinnes of the whole world,Heb. 9.10. as well originall as actuall. Neither is there any other satisfaction for sinnes,Rom. 3. sauing onelyonly that one.1. Iohn. 2. Wherfore the sacrifices of masses, wherein the priest was commonly sayd to offer Christ, for release of penaltie and fault, for the quicke and the dead, are but forgeries, and hurtfull deceites. Thus much is written there. But it is the dutie of kinges to abolish and banish, yea and to punish noysome deceites and deceyuers. Worthely therfore hauehave the Kinges of England abolished the masse, neyther hauehave they trespassed at all in that behalfe, against God or against their owne office.
The masse corrupteth the Lordes supper.Moreouer by the Masse, the holy institution of the Lords supper hath bene ouerwhelmed with mans inuentions & additiōs, vtterly peruerted, made of publike priuate, & also dismembred. For the Lord gaue it to all his faythfull, in both kindes as they terme it. Also wheras the massemū ger taketh vponupon him in his masse, as a mediator betwéene God and men: he committeth such an horrible offence, as is neuer able to be purged by no satisfaction. For there is no mo priesthodes but the priesthode of Christ,Read Austen against ye epistle of Parmenian. lib. 2. cap. 8. and that is according to the order of Melchisedecke, and so vnremoueable, as it cannot passe vntounto any other by succession. Againe they offred or solemnized the masse, in remembraunce and honor of saintes departed, which now liue in heauen. But the Lord had sayd, do it in remembraunce (not of saintes, but) of me. And S. Paule would in no wise hauehave garlands and oxen offered vntounto him.Act. 14. Who then can thinke it likely, that he would hauehave the Sonne of God offred in honour of him in a masse? Shall the Lord of Lordes being now in glory, do seruice still as a seruaunt to hys owne seruaunts? These are frenzies and furies of men that be out of theyr wittes. I could alleage many other abhominations of the masse like vntounto these: but I will adde no more but onelyonly thys to all the rest. That Christ our Lord instituted his holy supper without pompe or superfluitie, simple, moderate, without ceremonies, but yet commendable for the simplicitie, and honourable for the authoritie of the founder.
But the Masse is most ceremonious, most pompous, most sumptuous, and set out wt persian furniture, which in processe of time hath so encreases with hir abuses, that in some thinges it could not be abated or purged, but it must néedes be taken quite away. Truly the common sorte made more accoūt of their Chapleines Masses, & aduaunced them more, then the very sacrifice of Christ, which few of them either knew or estéemed as became thē;1. Cor. 11. And for asmuch as the Apostle Paule, when the Lordes Supper began in his time to grow into abuse, taught how to call it backe & to reforme it accordyng to the Lordes institution.Lib. Epist. 2. Epist. 3. Like as Christes Martyr S. Cryprian also beyng taught by the same Apostles example, counselleth and commaundeth vsus, that in repayring or setting vp agayne the true vse of the Supper, we should go to the wells head and séeke out the originall, and not do any other thing in this behalfe, then that which he hath done which is before all men, and alonely is to be heard: Seing that the Quéenes Maiestie hath done so in abolishing the Masse and setting vp the Lordes Supper agayne in the place of it: Surely she hath not sinned at all, but is falsly accused by the Bishop in his Bull.
Most false also is this that the Bull auoucheth ye Quéene to hauehave abolished prayer and fastyng.Not prayer but the abuse of prayer is abolished. For she hath abolilished the abuses and superstitions in them and not the good thynges themselues which God hath commended vntounto vsus. Which thing the matter it selfe doth openly auouch. It can not be denyed but prayer and fastyng are couered with abuses and superstitions, yea and with Idolatries almost innumerable, among the Papistes. Among them prayer is not made to God alone, neither beleue they that God heareth vsus for the intercession of Christ alone. For they call vppon innumerable creatures as well as the creatures, yea and vponupon them more earnestly then vponupon him. And they hauehave in such wife commended the intercession and defense of Saintes to the wretched people, that they know litle or nothyng of Christes intercession to God the father, which is the onelyonly acceptable and effectuall intercession. Furthermore they serue and worship God and Baal together.
The Popish fastynges are not wynges and helpes of prayer nor an humbling of our selues wherby our amendement is declared,Fastyng. but meritorious workes and playne hipocrisie. And if they be compared with the fastyngs of the auncient Church, they shalbe found to be nothyng lesse than fastings. But it wéerieth me to rehearse the fondnesse of these men in this behalfe. This onelyonly do I say or rather repete at this presēt, (which I hauehave said already) That the vertuous princesse Quéene Elizabeth & Kyng Edward, hauehave abolished the abuses and superstitions of prayer and fastyng, and not the true praying and true fastyng it selfe.
Choyse of meates.And it is straunge that the Bull alledgeth also the choise of meates. If he know not how diuersly, yea and also with how great libertie they were vsed in old tyme without any blame at all: Let him read Socrates in the fifth booke and xxij. chapter of his Ecclesiasticall history, or the ix. booke and xxxviij. chap. of the Tripartite historie. Among other things these are left in writyng. And for asmuch as noman is able to shew any commaundement written concernyng this thyng: it is apparant that the Apostles left it frée to eueryevery mans will and choyse, to the intent that no man should do the thyng that is good, for feare or by compulsion. Thus much is there. We simply folow the thinges which we know to be deliuered to the faythfull by the Lord and hys holy Apostle. The Lord sayth. what soeuer entereth in at ye mouth, goeth down into the belly, & is cast out into the priuie. But the things that come out of the mouth procede out of the hart,Coloss. 2. & be those thyngs that defile a man &c. Math. 15. And the Apostle sayth.… 1. Let noman iudge you in meate or drinke &c. Also, all thynges are cleane to the cleane, but vntounto the vncleane and the faithlesse all thynges are vncleane. Moreouer as for the choyse of meates the Apiciusses or masters of gluttonie which are appointed and interteyned for the nonce, hauehave a greater regard or speciall care at this day to come by the finest meates in the Court of Rome, in Byshops palaces, and in the dennes or Cloysters of Monkes, than is had any where els in the vniuersal world. And therfore we leaue them this fattie discourse vntouched. Let belly Gods intreate of belly matters.
Single lyfe.But I maruell more with what face these men beyng most vncleane and stinkyng of filthynesse, the bondslaues of lustes and vnreasonable lecheries, can make any mention of single lyfe. What maner of single lyfe was in the religious houses of England, and why the noble Prince Kyng Henry the viij. emptyed them and ouerthrew them eueryevery chone:Cunturia: 8. folio. 665. truly I had leuer it should be knowen by the Centuries of the reuerend Byshop of Ossoria in Ireland, then by my declaration.Heb. 13. For I willingly spare chast eares. Finally I say with the Apostle: Honorable among all men is wedlocke and the vndefiled bed.1. Cor. 7. And agayne, It is better to mary then to burne and for auoyding of fornication, let eueryevery man hauehave his wife. Also, if thou mary a wife thou sinnest not:1. Cor. 9. and if a mayden mary she sinneth not. For it was lawfull euen for the Apostles who were busied in the ministerie, to leade their Christian wiues about with them. And all antiquitie auoucheth that many of the Lordes Apostles,1. Tim. 3. and specially Peter,Titus. 1. were maryed men. And Paule more then once expresly sayth, Let a Bishop be the husband of one wife,1. Tim. 4. hauyng faythfull children. Yea and he calleth their doctrine a doctrine of deuils, which forbid mariage, like as also which forbid meates. I know that our aduersaries wrest this place from themselues to the old heretickes, Tatian, Montane, and others. But the Prophet speakyng most effectually, sayth Forbiddyng, & not Condemnyng. The old heretickes condēned meates & mariage vniuersally. But our aduersaries condēne not meates & mariage, but restreine the frée vse of thē, bynding men from them by wicked lawes. Properly therfore the Apostle spake of them.
And what speake they of Catholicke ceremonies, wheras if they did terme them aright,Catholikes rites and Ceremonies. they should call them superstitious and Idolatrous ceremonies. These men bewray their owne shamelesnesse matched with wickednesse, chiefly in this point, that they foully deceiue the simpler sort, by pretendyng the terme Catholike vntounto all their errours. They sticke to the terme, and imagine I wote not what a singular holynesse and truth in themselues, when in very déede they be not Catholikes but Cacolykes that is to say, mischieuous wolues or shéepebyters, settyng forth thinges particular and not vniuersall, that is to wit, burdenyng silly soules with the Decrées and deuises of certeine men both few in nomber and which were conspired to do mischief.The Catholik Church. The Church is called Catholike that is to say Uniuersall, bycause it is not onelyonly found in some one place: but also is spread abroad, both through the whole vniuersall world, and through all ages: and also bycause there be no mo Churches without this. For there is but one true Church, which is the Catholike Church. There is but onelyonly one body, vnderunder the one Christ, in whom onelyonly is saluation. Wherupon it foloweth that there is no saluation but onelyonly in the Church. Therfore the Church of Rome, lyke as also the Church of Antioche, or of Alexandria, or of any other place, is not the Catholike Church. For they be but members of that vniuersall body, if so be that they be by one faith and one doctrine knit into this vniuersalitie as in the body vnderunder the head Christ. The Catholike Church then comprehendeth the Church of the fathers before Christes comming, and our Church after his comming and consequently all the Saintes or faithful folkes of all places & tymes, and (to conclude in one word) of tymes past, tyme present, and tymes to come: all which are one Catholike or vniuersall body, vnderunder one Catholike or vniuersall head Christ.The Catholik fayth and doctrine. And so the Catholike faith & doctrine is that which is preached and heard in this Catholike Church, attributyng all thinges to Christ the onelyonly head of saluation, and depending wholly vponupon the word of God, and directing and gouerning all her matters by the same.Catholikes. Therefore those be Catholikes in déede, which in what place soeuer or in what tyme soeuer they be, are in the felowshyp of this one body, vnderunder the onelyonly head Christ, beyng all of one fayth and doctrine, attributing their whole saluation vntounto Christ alone, & dependyng wholly vponupon his holy and most soothfast word. These also are called Orthodoxi, Orthodoxi.or Rightbeleuing, that is to say, of right opinion or iudgemēt, and of sound doctrine accordyng to Gods word. But as for them that are not in the compasse of this body vnderunder the fore sayd onelyonly head Christ, that they may draw life out of him, and therfore are of a diuerse or rather of a contrarie doctrine and fayth, deuising to themselues a new fayth, a new doctrine, a new felowshyp, yea and also a new head:Cacodoxi. they be Cacodoxi that is to say, misbeleuing, or Kirtodoxi that is say ouerthwart beleuyng and not Rightbeleuyng and Catholike.
But now gentle reader wey me throughly within the compasse and vniuersalitie of what body,Whether the Romish sorte be Catholikes or no. or in what vnitie of doctrine and fayth, the Romish sort be, who (by reason of certeine peculiar and straunge opinions of theirs, which they professe and mainteine, and for their Popish Church set vp vnderunder the Pope as head of it) call themselues onelyonly Catholike. Let them say to vsus, whether the thynges which these men vrge so sore vponupon vsus, were knowen and generall to the Catholike and Apostolike primitiue Church, fayth, and doctrine? Let these Catholikes then, which (by their owne iudgement) are the onelyonly rightbeleuers vponupon earth, shew vsus whether ye aūcient Apostolike Church acknowledged Rome to be the head of all the Churches in the world? whether all the faythfull seruauntes of Christ must vppon payne of saluation and damnation be subiect to the Byshop of Rome, as who hath both the swordes in his hand, & iudgeth all men and is to be iudged of no man? Whether the primitiue and aunciēt Church, did pray vntounto dead Saintes? Whether it accounted them for patrons and spokesmen to God the father? Whether it worshypped them with sacrifices, holydayes, and such other kynd of seruices? Whether they builded them tēples, or set vp images to them? Whether the images of God and the Saintes he profitable and necessarie in the Churches of the Christians? whether the soules that be sindged, broyled, and rosted in the fire of Purgatory, be deliuered by yearemyndes and other satisfactions for the dead? Whether Christ be worshypped in the Masse, and whether it be to be beleued that Christ himselfe is offered there in sacrifice for the sinnes of the quicke & the dead? whether our owne workes deserue eternall lyfe, and whether they iustifie vsus also? whether the state of Mōkes be the state of perfection or no? And whether there were any cloysters of Monkes & Nunnes in the Church afore Paule the Heremite of Thebe, Antonie, and Benet? now if these and many other thynges like these were not séene nor knowen, as they were not in déede: tell vsus wherfore ye boast them to be Catholike? or how wil you be called Catholike of thē? will ye that I tell you? most falsly & most vniustly: sauyng in that your Antichristian kynd. For as for the rites and customes which you call and brag to be Catholicke, antiquitie hath registred them among Idolatries. Cease therefore to delude the simple with your gentle termes of Catholike and Rightbeleuyng. The faythfull know who you be. Amend therfore and liue lyke true Catholikes with vsus, not in the Popish Church of Rome, but in the true Catholike Church, vnderunder the head Christ, who onelyonly is our saluation. To him be glorie for euer. Amen.