The Anatomy of the Mass, Book 1 · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII. That the Roman Religion is a new Religion, and forged for the Popes profit and of the Clergie.
AFter that our Adverſaries have utterly changed and wholly disfigured the Chriſtian Religion, it becomes them very ill to accuſe us of noveltie. For indeed the Roman Religion is a garment patched with new peeces, and a heap or pile of doctrines invented and added from age to age, beaten upon the anvile of Ambition and covetouſneſſe. We are ready to undergoe all kinds of puniſhments, if in the five hundred years after Chriſt, (and we might deſcend lower) one man be found, that had and profeſſed a Religion comming any thing neere to the Roman Religion as it is at this day. Can they finde one Church in all the Antiquity, wherein the*Concilij Conſtā. ſeſſ. XIII. Quod in primitiva Eccleſia hujuſmodi Sacramenrum recipiretur à ſidelibus ſub utraque ſpecie. people was deprived of the communion of the Cup? Hath the Ancient Church forbidden unto the people the reading of the holy Scriptures? Did he beleeve the fire of Purgatory? Was there then any ſpeech of Roman *Gabriel Biel, lect. 57 in can. Miſſae: Dicendum quod ante tempora beati Greg. modicus vel nullus fuit uſus indulgen tiarum. Vid. Caiet. tract. de Indulgent. cap. 2. & Navarrum Tom. 3. Comment. de Jubil. & Indulg. ſeptimo Notabili, Art. 5. & 6.Indulgences, and of the Treaſure of the Church, in which the Pope gathers up the Superabundance of Satisfactions and penall workes of Saints and Monk…, and diſtributes them to others by his Indulgences? Did they make in thoſe days any Images of God and of the Trinity, in ſtone or in painting? Did men worſhip the Images of Saints? Was there then any Penitents that whipt themſelves in publick, not onelyonly for their owne ſinnes, but alſo to ſatisfie for the ſinnes of other men? Did the Biſhops of Aſia, Aegypt, Africk, &c. ſweare allegiance to the Biſhop of Rome, or did they take from him their Letters of Inveſture?
Was the publick Service read in an unknowne tongue to the people? Did the Biſhop of Rome then call himſelfe a God? Did hee cauſe himſelfe to bee worſhipped? Did he give Pardons of two or three hundred thouſand yeares? Did he depoſe Kings, and brag of his power to give and take away their Kingdomes? Had he power to diſpenſe of Oathes and Vowes? And to disjoyne Marriages lawfully contracted, under colour of Monachall… profeſſion? Did they then ſpeake of Beades, Roſaries, bleſſed Graines, Agnus Dei? &c. The like I ſay of the title they give to the Virgin Mary, of Queene of Heaven and Lady of the World: and of the ſeverall Offices they give unto Saints, to the one the charge over ſuch a Countrey, to the other over ſuch a Diſeaſe, to another over ſuch and ſuch a trade. As alſo the power that Prieſts take upon them to give the abſolution, and forgive ſinnes in the quality of Judges, is a new thing, and of the dregges of the latter ages. Item Privat Maſſes without Communicants and without aſſiſtants, ſaid at the Intention of thoſe that pay for them, are a thing whereof no trace is to be found in all Antiquitie. As alſo the taxe of the Papall Chauncerie, wherein the Abſolutions for*Cap. de abſolut ōibus. Abſolutio pro co qui interfecit patrem, matrem, groſ. 7 Abſolut io pro eo qui falſificavit litteras Apoſtolicas, groſſos 15. Murther, for Parricide, Inceſte, Perjury, are taxed at a certaine rate of money. So many groats, or ſo many Ducats for a man that hath killed his Father: ſo much for him that hath lyen with his Mother. A Roman Jeſuit called Silveſter Petra ſancta wrote lately a Booke againſt me, wherein he teaches us a thing which we knew not before. He ſaith in the thirteenth Chapter, that during the time of Advent and Lent, the Pope permits not a man in Rome to paſſe the whole night in a bawdy houſe: that would be thought … violating of the holyneſſe of Lent. Wherefore in thoſe dayes of devotion, it is onelyonly permitted to paſſe the whole day and a part of the night in the Bawdy-houſe. Can ſuch Lawes be found in the Ancient Church? Briefly, it is a very new Religion, and a heape of doctrines and Lawes, unheard off in all Antiquitie, expresſly invented for gain, and for the raiſing of the Popes Empire, and building up that Monarchie which was not in the firſt ages of the Church: And for to keepe the People in ignorance, leaſt they ſhould diſcover theſe Myſteries.
For example, Indulgences, Priv… Maſſes, Maſſes and S…ffrage… … dead, are very lucrative … to the Pope and … Auricul… … the … Conſcien… … jection. … is not giv… … and ſatis… … Monkes, ſerve to fill up that Spirituall Treaſure of the Pope, whereof he carries the keyes, diſtributing theſe ſatiſfactions to the people by his Indulgences, ſo lucrative and profitable to the Pope and his Clergie. By Abſolutions the Prieſts make themſelves Judges of Soules, and Judges in Gods cauſe. In reſerving to themſelves and unto Kings the communion of the Cup, they make themſelves companions unto Kings, and exalt themſelves above the People. By the ſingle life of Biſhops, and other Clergie men, the Pope keepes the Eccleſiaſticall goods from being waſted and conſumed, and from being diverted and turned to the reliefe and enriching of the Children. In painting God the Father dreſſed like a Pope, they plant this opinion in the minde of the People, that the Pope is like unto God, and that God makes great account of the Pope, ſince he borrowes his habit. By Canonizing of Saints, the Pope makes the People to worſhip his groomes, and gives the title of Saint for a recompence of Services. By the Sacrament of Penance, the Pope and his Prieſts uſurpe the power of impoſing corporall and pecuniary puniſhments, *Thus cauſed he Henry the ſecond of England to be whipt by a troope of Monkes. As is to be ſeene in Matth. Paris, and in Weſt monaſterienſisſo farre as to cauſe Kings to …e whipt. By the Service in the Latin …ongue hee entertaines the People in …gnorance, and giving them his tongue, planteth in the midſt of them a marke of his Empire. He gives them the Roman Language for to came and inure …hem to the Roman Religion. The Popes power to unthrone Kings, makes him King of Kings, and exalts him on an Empire above all the Greatneſſe that is in the World. Images, which are called ignorant mens Books, accuſtome the People to forget, and be without the Scriptures, which in thoſe Countries where the inquiſition raignes, is a Booke altogether unknowne among the People. By Tranſubſtantiation, Prieſts make Chriſt, and have him in their owne power. By Holy-dayes that the Pope ordaines, he rules the Civill Government, cauſing the Shops to be ſhut up, and the Seates of Juſtice and of the Kings Counſell to ceaſe. When the Merchants ſhop ſhutteth, the Clergie-mens ſhop openeth. For then doe the People goe to gaine Pardons (as they tearme it) and viſit Reliques, and alwayes the Baſon is by. By the diſtinction of meates and faſting dayes, the Pope rules the Markets, and bellies, and Kitchins, and Kings and Peoples tables. And the more prohibitions there is, the oftner come they to the Pope and to the Prelates for to have diſpenſations. The Pope hath made of Matrimonie a Sacrament, that he might take away from the civill Magiſtrates and Judges Secular the right of judging of ſuch cauſes; for it belongs to the Church to judge of Sacraments.
By Diſpenſations in degrees of conſanguinity which in the Word of God hinders the Marriage, the Pope maketh that the Children of Princes (for ſuch diſpenſations are given but to Great ones) are obliged to defend the Popes Authority, if they will be held for legitimate. By Annates or firſt fruites of Benefices, and the ſale of Archiepiſcopall Cloakes, the Pope makes an incredible gaine. And there is ſuch a Cloake, for which he drawes above threeſcore thouſand Ducats. By the power which the Pope aſſumes to himſelfe to change the Commandements of God, and to diſpenſe of Vowes and Oathes made unto God, he exalts himſelfe above God. For hee that can free and exempt men from obeying God and being faithfull to him, muſt be greater than God.
The Invocation of Saints, the Adoration of Reliques, and the Miracles which are ſaid to be wrought at thoſe Reliques, ſerve to build up many Churches & Monaſteries, which are as ſo many props to the Papall Domination. In ſum, all the ſubtilty and policy in the World hath been brought therein. Never was there any Empire built with ſo much craft and cunning. The doctrine which teacheth that Chriſt Jeſus by his death hath delivered us from the guilt and puniſhment of ſinnes before Baptiſme: but as for the ſinnes committed after Baptiſme, that we muſt beare the puniſhment for them, either in this life, or in Purgatory: hath clipped Chriſts benefice for to make place unto their traffick, and for to give credit to their Indulgences, and Maſſes for the dead. In a word, they make profit of all: Death it ſelfe is tributary to the Roman Clergie.