Canterburys Doom, Branch 1 · Evidence 2 · Section 2
2 Paſſages expunged out of bookes tendred to licenſe, againſt the Papacy, Rome, the Popes Supremacy, Pride, Tyranny, Cruelty, Treaſons, murthering and depoſing Princes: Popes vicious lives, practiſes, and being Antichriſt, that man of ſinne, &c.
Doctor Jones in his Comentary on the Hebrewes, had inſerted theſe ſeverall paſſages againſt the Pope in his written copy, which the Licenſer expunged as inſufferable, and thereupon they are quite omitted in the printed book, page 179. 251. 309. 377. 396. 406.
Page 206. in the written copy; Our Saviour Chriſt was as wiſe a man as the Pope, furniſhed with guifts for both affices as well as he, yet he would not meddle with civill matters, Luke 12. 14. of the extraordinary example of Melcheſedeck, no ordinary rule can be made. Page 266. All papists kiſſe the Pope's feet, yea Kings, Princes and Emperours (ſaith the copy) yea in ſo doing they make an Idol of him, as the idolaters kiſſed Baal. Page 284. Antichriſt hath been diſcovered, every man may ſee what he is, unleſſe the God of the world blind their eyes, naught is wanting, unleſſe it be the open converſion of the Jewes. Page 301. Nay the Pope himſelfe he muſt be carried on mens ſhoulders.
Page 308. The holy Ghoſt thinks it ſufficient to call Chriſt the great Prieſt; that will not content the Pope, he muſt be Sacerdos maximus: Chriſt hath the poſitive, he muſt have the ſuperlative; a proud prelat, that Antichriſt that exalteth himſelfe above God. Page 130. As for the calling of Luther, Calvin and Beza, and of the Ministers of the Gospel, it is warrantable by the Word, we can ſhew our Letters of Orders from Jeſus Chriſt, the great Biſhop of our ſoules: Are we not true Ministers, becauſe we are not created by the Pope and his Biſhops? The Apoſtles were not made by the Phariſees, or any prieſtes of that time yet good Ministers; and ſo may we though not made by the Biſhop of Rome: it is ſucceſſion foreign, not foreign, as Nazianzen ſpeakes; that is, a good, lawfull ſucceſſion. Good God! that ſuch paſsages as theſe ſhould ever be expunged by ſuch who profeſſe themſelves proteſtant prelats or Miniſters! certainly they had a Pope in their hearts, whatever good words we find in their mouths.
Maſter Ward in his Comentary upon Matthew, had an Index expurgatorius paſsed on theſe enſuing clauſes, againſt the Pope his pardons, power and uſurped authority; fol. 224. The Pope is called the Adverſary, or he who oppoſeth himſelfe againſt Chriſt, 2 Theſ. 2 11. and is justly ſo called, becauſe he and his admirers doe maintaine aſſertions directly contrary to the word of Chriſt; one example whereof we have in this verſe; Whoſoever ſhall put away his Wife. Fol. 314. Queſt. 7. We have no need of a ſecond purging. How derogatory then are the Papists to the ſufferings of Chriſt, who aſcribe more to the Popes pardons then to Chriſt's pangs: Antichriſt by his indulgencies, can both deliver and preſerve from purgatory, and ſend the ſoule ſtreight into Heaven, but they will dye in the quarrell before they will grant ſuch or ſo much power and efficacy to be in the death blood-ſhed and merits of Chriſt, fol. 160. Queſt. 2. who are like unto the Phariſees? &c. Anſw. The Church of Rome, whoſe commandements are more obſerved then the commandements of God; as appeare, by this; it is there taught, &c. II. That to eat fleſh upon a good Friday, is a greater ſinne then to commit murther, or adultery, and yet that is the Friday on which Chriſt did ordinarily eat the paſchall Lambe. III. To blaſpheme the name of God in this world is a ſmall offence, but to ſpeak ill of the Pope (eſpecially in Italy and Spaine) is an unpardonable and damnable offence. IV. The Jewes have a Religion whereby they affirme Chriſt to be a cozener; but to ſay that there is no other purgatory but the blood of Jeſus Chriſt, is a crime deſerving the inquiſition. V. Every Biſhop of France may give abſolution for faults committed againſt the law of God) but they cannot abſolve men of ſin… committed againſt the Pope and his Sea. Secondly, in the Roman church they teach things contrary to the Word of God; for firſt, God ſaith, &c. II. God ſaith in his Law, ſix dayes ſhalt thou labour, but the Pope ſaith, thou ſhalt not labour ſix dayes, but ſhalt obſerve the Feaſts commanded by the Pope to be obſerved. IV. God's commands by his Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 10. That when we are invited to the houſe of Infidels, we ſhould eat of that which is ſet before us, making no ſcruple: On the contrary, the Church of Rome commands, when we are invited to the houſe of Hereticks, not to eat of all that which is ſet before us in Lent, or on Good-Friday, and faſting dayes. Fol. 163. Anſw. 2. Let us avoyd all Popiſh errors. Anſw. 3. Thirdly, they are to blame alſo, who bind themſelves by a Vow, not to eat fleſh upon ſome certaine dayes, and upon ſuch dayes have no other care then to abſtaine from fleſh onelyonly.
Ibid. On Mat. 15. 9. theſe paſſages are oblitered: In vaine doe they worſhip me.
Theſe words being urged by us againſt the Popes power in making lawes, which binds the conſcience, Bellarmine anſwers three things thereunto, namely:
Firſt, by the Commandements of men, are underſtood Commandements which are contrary to the law of God, but the Popes precepts are not ſo: To this we anſwer.
I. All the commandements of men, in whoſe obſervation the worſhip of God is placed, is expreſly and directly condemned; for God is to be worſhipped as himſelfe preſcribes.
II. All ſuch commandements are contrary to the law of God, which ſaith, Thou ſhalt not adde to the word which I command thee; namely, in ſubſtantiall things, or which are impoſed as eſſentiall parts of God's worſhip.
III. There is no myſticall ceremony introduced or brought into the Church by the Popes or Popiſh Clergy, which was leſſe contrary to the laws of God, then was that tradition of waſhing hands before meat, which was ordained by the Elders of the Jewes.
Secondly, the Jeſuit anſwers, that our Saviour blames here onelyonly unprofitable and frivolous ceremonies, onelyonly invented by a humane braine or ſpirit; but the precepts of the Pope are no ſuch: To this we anſwer,
I. If all the Jewes, both Prieſts and people, did uſe ſuch fooliſh and frivolous ceremonies, as Bellarmine here ſaith are condemned, then why may not the Pope and Papists uſe ſuch, or be guilty of the ſame error.
II. All ſuch myſticall ceremonies which are brought now into the Church of Rome without the warrant of God's Word, were invented by a humane ſpirit, for the bleſſed Spirit of God never taught any other worſhip to the Church, then that which Chriſt inſtituted, John 14. 26.
III. If many, yea moſt of their ceremonies be not frivolous, fooliſh and ridiculous, I know not what is; but (as a work or ſubject not worth the inſiſting upon) I paſſe it by.
Thirdly, the Jewes (ſaith Bellarmine) were taxed by Chriſt, becauſe they eſteemed more highly of ſome humane lawes then they did of the law of God, as Mat. 23. 23. but the Papiſts doe not ſo. To this I anſwer: that this was never more ſeen in the Jewes then in the Papiſts, as was cleerly ſhewed and proved in the laſt Qeſtion of the former verſe.
Many ſuch like paſſages are purged out of this Author, which we pretermit.
But the groſſeſt purgations of all the reſt, were made by Doctor Bray in Doctor Clarke's Sermons upon the fifth of November, and upon other occaſions, as will appeare by theſe enſuing purgations, at which every zealous Proteſtant may wel ſtand amazed.
Page 228. 229. 230. &c. the Licenſer hath expunged this which followeth: Such another woman ſaw the Prophet Zachary, her name was Wickedneſſe; Kinſ-woman to this, nay was not this ſhee? for the Prophet ſayes, ſhee was carried into Babylon. And they ſay, Rome is Babylon; we ſay it, themſelves ſay it. But I will diſcharge the Pope ſo, to make his Holineſſe this Wickedneſſe. Now what this viſion meanes, and who this woman is, an Angel expounds in the reſt of the chapter; looke at the laſt verſe; the woman is ſaid there to be the great City that uſurps ſoveraignty over the whole earth; by which that Rome is meant, is ſuperfluous to prove, Romaniſts acknowledge it; and Rome too in a Metonimy; not the ſtreets and wals of Rome, but the power and policy and government of Rome; they yeeld that alſo, but with caution, that we meane of Heathen Rome, not Chriſtian Rome, as it was the ſeat of Caeſars, not the ſeat of Popes, the throne of Antichriſt; they grant that too, but the Pagan Emperours muſt be that Antichriſt, not their Biſhops. But I find it (with their favours) to be the Church of Rome, and therefore this woman I expound to be the Papacy: I prove it not, it is needleſſe unto you, and bootleſſe unto them; if their learned labours who daily write of it, cannot perſwade them, what am I to hope it? and yet ſome of their Jeſuits, Vega and Ribera, doe now at length acknowledge it. The woman then is Rome, not onelyonly Neronizing under Emperours, but alſo tyrannizing under Popes; who ſhee was in John's time doth not skill us much, we are to conſider what ſhee is now: It is not the Empire but the Church of Rome; it was the Empire once that being converted, cheriſhed the church: But filia devoravit Matrem, the Church hath choaked the Empire, and is her ſelfe become this woman: Now this bloody woman, drunken with the blood of Saints. In the third chapter (whereof this chapter is a comentary) there is not one onelyonly, but two Beaſts, the firſt is the Empire, the latter is the Papacy, which therefore had two hornes, which are the Popes two ſwords, as in whom are met both powe…, Patriarchall and Emperiall. Pope Boniface profeſt it at the publique Jubilee, riding one day in the Habit of a Pope, and the next of an Emperour, commanding to be cryed, Ecce duo gladij hic; behold he had two ſwords. Nay, why ſhould I grant it was the Empire once? I meane this woman; what though the blood of Saints were ſhed by Roman Emperours? yet this is not meant here; the Article is relative, it referres us to the firſt verſe, to the woman there; there ſhe is called a Whore; that title is proper onelyonly to the Papacy, ſuperstition, and Idolatry, and prodigious impiety, hath caſt the appellation of an Harlot upon it. I am not worthy to hold the light to them that have written on this Propheſie; but me thinks they need not yeeld that this viſion concernes the Empire, but meerly the Pope, for this whoriſh woman is ſaid at the ſecond verſe, to have made drunke all Kings with her abominations, that is, with her idolatry; ſhall I ſay all Nations had their idolatry from Rome, I meane the Empire? where read we it? where prove we it? nay but Rome had rather her idolatry from them: It worſhipped all the gods of all the countries that it conquered. That I read both in prophane and Eccleſiaſticall Hiſtory; What needed the Empire to teach the Empire that they had before? it learned of them, it taught them not, being tyed to ſo ſhort a time. I cannot argue any point; that to prove the Pope this woman, the title of Antichriſt is intayl'd to him, and the number of the beaſt fals fit to him: What need I when ſo many and ſo learned books proves them both; yea, as the high Prieſt propheſied of Chriſt unwillingly; ſo hath a learned Biſhop of our Land obſerved, that one of the Popes men hath inſcribed a book to him, and in his ſimplicity, hath put the beaſts name on him, Paulo quinto vice-Deo, To Paul the fifth Vice-God: In the numerall letters of theſe words is juſt contained the number of the beaſts, 666. Nay, but the Pope will none of it, if the date be not out and expired in the Empire; but we will needs extend it unto theſe times too, and make the woman, the Malignant church, then it is the church of England; we are this vvoman, vve proſecute, vve execute, vve ſhed the blood of Saints, even this very church of Canterbury, both ſhed the blood of Saints, Saint Thomas Beckets blood: 'tis not the Popes of Rome, but the Kings and Queens of England; King Henry was this vvoman, Queen Elizabeth, King James, all ſlaughterers of Saints; vvitneſſe Sir Thomas Moore's and Biſhop Fiſher's blood; witneſſe Saint Campions and Saint Gornets blood, a blood that vvrought miracles. If Canoniſts ſay truly, that if the Pope ſend troops of ſoules to hell, no man may oppoſe him: Domine cur ſic facis, ask him why he does ſo? ſhall I be unmannerly, if I liſt to loſe a little and belye our Kings, to cry Domine cur ſic dicis, ask him vvhy he ſayes ſo? the Pope hath power to alter ſubſtances & can he not change qualities, make Treaſon, Holineſſe, and Traitors, Saints? But it is Harlots manner to call honeſt vvomen Whores: This proves the Pope rather to be this whoriſh woman; conſtat de perſona, vve have the perſon: Pilate ſaid of Chriſt, behold the man; I may ſay of Chriſt's Vicar, behold the woman: We have her perſon, let us have her parts. The Woman is diſcribed, &c.
All Princes have become his Vaſſals, and I think he tyed them to pay tribute and blood; ſo pleaſing to the Pope's pallate, that howſoever they have differed in their luſts to meats, ſome to Peacock and ſome to Porke, all of them have liked one kind of drink, and that is blood: Let no man wrangle, &c.
What doth the Pope pop us in the mouth with Emperours? Julian the moſt malicious of them all, vexed the Chriſtians, but would ſhed no blood; but the Pope is all for blood; his Buls and Briefes like Dracoes lawes, writen not with Inke but blood. I plead not for the Hereticke, as if I held he might not ſuffer death, ſuch may be the Hereſie; but the Pope maintaines diſtinction between mortall ſinne and veniall, holds it towards God, and failes it to the Pope; are ſome veniall to Gods ſelfe, and all mortall to God's Vicar? pardons may be purchaſt for offenders againſt God, but he muſt dye the death that treſpaſſeth the Pope: The leaſt ill word, Pope Alexander puniſhed with death, their owne liege people write it; Onuphrius, &c.
Bona verba quaeſo; it is the Pope, the ſhamefuller his ſinne, the holy Father, to ſpill holy blood; belike as Parſons ſaid he had a holy Italy, ſo the Pope happily hath a holy thirſt; for why not? why not ſacra ſitis, as well as ſacra fames? or doth his Holineſſe miſtake the blood? he might if Popes could erre, but they cannot, and he doth not; but wittingly and willingly he ſheds the blood of Saints: Faine would he cover this impious blood thirſtineſſe, by calling them Hugonists, Lollards and Heretiques: For the two firſt of them, I know no harme in them; and for the third, what Harlot will not call an honeſt woman whore? The faith which they have ſuffered for and their holineſſe have Sainted them, without the Popes canonization: They may be Saints though not of his making and of a better order then the Popes, to wit, of the holy Ghoſts, he is the right Saint maker, &c.
So ſweet is blood to the throat, that he ſheds it where he finds it, be it of what rank, what ſex, what age ſoever, etiam in infantem (ſaith Tertullian) nullius hostem, nullius reum, &c. the harmleſſe Infant that hath done no hurt, that doth think no hurt, even his blood will this Herod have; what doe I call him Herod? a more inhumane blood-ſucker then ever Herod was, then ever Pharaoh was; both of them ſhed the blood of babes new borne, this monſter ſpils the blood of babes unborne; a Kid night not be ſod in the mothers milke, this beaſt ſpares not the babe in the mothers wombe, &c.
A woman that affects the title of Holineſſe, her head the Popes holineſſe, her ſelfe, holy Mother-church, can this holy woman murther holy men? ſhee that canonizeth Saints, the founder of their feaſts, the builder of their Temples, the adorner, the admirer, the adorer of Saints, can ſhee ſhed the blood of Saints? ſhee can, ſhee does, and that in ſuch abundance.
Drunkenneſſe beſeems any ill, a Biſhop worſt; of all men Church-men ſhould be ſober; what a ſight is this? John ſees here a Biſhop drunken; the Univerſall Biſhop, the Prince, Patriarch, the Pope drunken; for we are bold under his benedicite, to make that man, this woman, not wine-drunke (though by their leave ſome of theſe are noted for that too, as Leo 10 and Nicholas 5.) but blood-drunken, &c.
Wherefore are the Jeſuits in France, and here, and every where, but to be his ſlaughtermen, to ſhed Kings blood? their feet ſwift to ſpill it, becauſe his throat luſts to ſwallow it; be wiſe now therefore O ye Kings, and be learned by France, O ye Princes of the earth; at leaſt let the Lyon learne by the Flower de luce, to watch not the Jeſuit onelyonly, whoſe fingers itch to ſpill his blood, but the Recuſant alſo, as very a Traitor in his heart as he; the Lord convert their perſons, and confound their plots, as many as look at Jacob with an Eſan-eye, &c. The woman that rid on a beaſt of hell, hammers her bloody plots from the forge of hell, the Pope, &c.
The wicked Antichriſt would purchaſe heaven by ſending us to hell: had the Romiſh Canibols thirſted for our blood, yet charity would they ſhould have wiſhed well to our ſoules; but the Pope like Satan, the ſonne like to the ſire, malices even our ſoules; he would have ſacrificed our blood, and our ſoules ſhould have aſcended into the flames of the Altar, not like Manoahs-Angel into heaven, but our ſoules and bodies too, into that part of the Ayre, where the prince of the Ayre and his angels have their reſidence, that is in votis, the Pope wiſhed it ſo, I will not ſay, &c.
Their Jupiter Latialis, their Lord God the Popel or their Jupiter Infernalis, their Lord God the Devil, ſhould have many Hecatombees, &c.
The Vicar of Chriſt, a ſticker of Christians, the ſucceſſor of Saint Peter, a worker with ſalt-peter; he that makes God's blood of Wine, to drinke mans blood as Wine.
In Doctor Clarkes ſecond Sermon on the fifth of November, page 237. the Licenſer hath obliterated three whole leaves together, againſt the tyranny, bloodineſſe and viciouſneſſe of Popes and their Inſtruments, ſo as they cannot be read; and in the ſame Sermon, page 234. 235. 237. he hath deleated theſe clauſes and phraſes. The ſpawne of Antichriſt; Romes Martyrs and canonized Saints, I hold them neither: All Martyrs are Chriſts, Martyrs of Jeſus. A diſcription of Antichriſt; the Romiſh Antichriſt: There are two Antichrists, Gog in the weſt, and Magog in the eaſt: Nay beſide Magog the Turke, Rome hath two at times: Firſt, the Empire, then the Papacy; this woman in the latter deſcribed here. Ariſtotle makes mention of one ſo inhumane, that ſhee would rip up womens wombs to eat the infants. Saint John's woman here hath been as ſavage; hath not ſpar'd a babe, ſpringing out of the wombe of the mother at the ſtake: Into the fire with it, 'tis a young Heretick.
In his 23. Sermon, page 463. this paſſage is deleated: Popes are free peradventure, nay it is paſt peradventure: my Text ſayes, every man, one Pope was free, he was a woman: nay all are free, for Popes are Gods; 'tis their own phraſe, Our Lord God the Pope, or if not God, yet not meere man, ſomething between both, their ſaying too; but by good chance, 'tis not here every man, but every one; who will ſcare that? yet as the Devil would not be belyed, ſo neither would the Pope be wrongd: Preaching againſt iniquity, let me doe none. 'Tis every one that cals on Christ's name: ſome Popes doe not; Julius the ſecond called on the Devils name. In nomino omnium diabolorum, in all the Devils names at his loſing of Rave…na: But take the paſſive ſenſe; all that are called by Chriſt's name, Christians: Popes are all ſo; not all ſo neither; Paul the III. was no Chriſtian it ſeems, for he doubted of hell, of the reſurrection and of God; ſurely Gregory the IX. was none, he called Chriſt an Imposter. Yet the Pope pretends Chriſt's name, titles himſelf by him, will be Chriſt's Vicar, beare Chriſt's name above all men, affect Chriſts titles above all men; his attribute of Holineſſe. Men on earth, Saints in Heaven, are but called holy; Peter is no more, his Predeceſſor ſanctus Petrus, Chriſt's Mother is no more, ſancta Maria; holy Peter, holy Mary; God's ſelfe reſts in it too, every perſon; holy Father ſayes Chriſt, John 17. The ſonne ſanctus Dei, God's holy one, Mark 1. the Spirit, the holy Ghoſt. The Pope likes not this poſitive degree, he will be ſtiled Sanctiſſimus, the moſt holy: 'tis not likely that iniquity is in this man, this moſt holy man: Lutherans and Calviniſts charge him with much, both his perſon and his doctrine, but they are lyars, hereticks all; Sacriledge and Symony, Inceſt and Adultery, ſetting of Subjects againſt Soveraignes, King againſt King, Murther and Maſſacre, infinite iniquities: ſic, that holy Father Pope ſhould doe ſuch things; they are not Calvin's calumnies, nor Luther's lyes, but confeſt by their owne Writers; nor doe Popes thus in perſon onelyonly; that craves ſome pardon: But 'tis their Doctrine too, their Churches Doctrine, That a Prieſt of Jeſuit may forſweare, deny his parents, defraud his friend, betray his country, kill his King; fie, that holy Mother Church ſhould teach ſuch things. This theame (ſome may ſay) ſits not this place neither; the Pope is not here, &c.
In his Sermon upon Quadrageſſima, page 122. line 10. & page 124. line 37. the Licenſer hath quite expunged theſe following lines. How then is the Popedome in the Devils gift, if Kingdomes be not? Satan gives it, and it is a kind of Kingdome, Regnum ſacerdotale, a prieſtly Kingdome: The Pope a Melcheſedeck, King and Prieſt, wears a Crowne, beares a ſword, both Regallities, three Crownes, multa diademata, Chriſt does, Revel. 19. and he is his Vicar: two ſwords, Ecce duo gladij hic: Popes are Kings betters, Cardinals Kings Peers; is the Pope the Devils creature and not Kings? But the Popedome is not Satans gift neither, Aeneas Sylvius himſelfe ſometimes a Pope, writes, that one got the Popedome fraude diabolica; we beleeve it, moe then one Silvester the Nccromancer, Boniface 7. Gregory 7. all fraude diabolica: by devilliſh machinations, that does not prove the Devill made them, or conſtrue it if you will, by the Devils meanes, it will not ſerve ſo neither, ſo Kings come often to their Crownes by devilliſh meanes, and yet God gives them; God may be the author of an act, whereof Satan may be in the meanes; God gave his Sonne to death for us, yet the Devill had his hand in it; John ſayes the Devill put in Iudas heart to betray Chriſt; God deſtroyes Ahaz, but the Devill was his meanes; a lying ſpirit in the mouth of all the Prophets: God would afflict Iob, the Devill was his inſtrument, 'tis plaine in the ſtory. For the poynt, as I would not belye, ſo I would not rob the Devill of his right; the Popedome is of God, but the Papacy is of Satan: To be a Prince and Biſhop, yea I will yeeld him higheſt Biſhop too, God gives him that; but his univerſall Prelacy and preſumption over Princes, the Devill gives him that: his power is from God, but his pride is from the Devill, Satan is yet more frank.
The Pope Patriſſall playes ſatan; ſome here craves not prostraction onelyonly, leaſt happily you ſay, that's but civill reverence; and yet ſaving his reverence, 'tis more then the greateſt Monarch craves in all our Weſterne Kingdome; I ſay, he craves not proſtraction onelyonly, but adoration too: Worſhip, divine worſhip, what elſe meant the cry of the Cicilian Ambaſſadours proſtrate before him, Tu tollis peccati mundi, miſereri noſtri; O thou that takeſt away the ſinnes of the world, have mercy upon us: &c.
Ibid. page 172. line 4. this is deleted by the Licenſer; Was not Iudas an Apoſtle? Origen ſayes he was, the Goſpell ſayes he was among the twelve Apoſtles; not Diſciples onelyonly, but Apoſtles. Saint Matthew reckons him; here is then a place put for the Papiſts, which they never yet obſerved, for their Apoſtolicall Traditions; here is Traditio Apoſtolica indeed. Here I obſerve it not, what doe they elſe foreign is their foreign, Trechery their occupation, Treaſon the Pope's trade; beſt they leave it, 'tis Iudas act, and brings a ſort of them to Iudas end, it will ſtrangle the Papacy it ſelfe at length.
In his ſecond Sermon upon ſeverall occaſions, page 293. l. 10. the Licenſer deletes: And theres a man in Rome, the Pope, will be as God the Sonne, for he is his Vicar.
Ibid. page 495. l. 22. Gods Peere, that's little, will be his ſuperior, will be worſhipt (Paul ſayes) above all that is called God: Who is that? even the Pope, &c. This Monſter, &c. Let every ſoule be ſubject to the higher Powers, Paul bids: be the Clergy exempt, they are not bound to the Lay barre; Thou ſhalt not make an Image, nor bow downe to it, thou ſhalt doe both, Gods lawes are ſtrait, the Pope will dispence with them, break thy Oath, marry thy wives ſiſter, thine owne ſiſter, thine Aunt, keep a Concubine, be a Catamite or Sodomite, kill a King, though a catholike, the Pope will abſolve thee. Hold we the Pope arrogant in the title of Chriſts Vicar; he is more, his power (it ſeems) is above Chriſts. Page 296. bids God a Biſhop, be the husband unius of one Wife; the Popes bids nullius, marry not at all; forbids the Cup at the Communion of the Lord, though Chriſt have ordained it; Scripture, Gods Word ſayes Sylu Perer: hath none authority, but from the Pope; I muſt end, the Pope is Omnipotent, Gods Attribute, yet one cals this Pope ſo: He can doe all things, yea he is all things; Gods peculiar too, ſo he is Gods Peere, behold the man is become like one of us. Idem: page 301. Theres a people in Affricke curſe the Sunne becauſe it fireth them, theres a Pope to curſe the Starres, Mars, Venus, Iupiter and Mercury, becauſe he loſt at dice, gameſters here curſe Cards and Dice, bite them, teare them, thats all, at moſt banne one another, tame Proteſtants and baſe ſpirited, learne of holy Father Pope to curſe the Heavens and God; why wrong I our brave ſpirits as hereticall as the Pope? was not Chriſt God? his paſſions, wounds, nayles, blood and death, yea heart and ſoule, black mouthed blaſphemy? what dares it not doe againſt Heaven in execrable Oathes? The Law, &c. page 338. The Popes Mint can coyne words too, to his Forge nothing comes amiſſe: in its Scriptures, Fathers, Counſels; yea, if it needs be, hee in a word writes too, In ſpite of all Gramarians, if the Pope ſay but. Fiatur: page 344. Balaak of Spaine, heires Balaam of Rome to curſe Iſrael, his brothers of France, to root out all the Religion in his Realme, or if Ieruſalem will needs be there, it ſhall not have peace there: The enemies, &c. page 346. Michael is Chriſts, his Angels are true Chriſtians, Rome now is that Synagogue, pretends Saint Peters chaire, Caiaphas ſits in it and convents Chriſt, and there is the Dragons Generall, the Popes, his captaine, Kings of his communion, all enemies to peace, &c. In the 13. Sermon, page 384. Tis now a proverbe in the Popes court, tis not for Princes, but for Merchants to keep oathes: of Popes and their partiſons; tis true which Zoſimus falſly ſaid of Constantine, that perjury was ordinary. Philip of Macedon, Pauſanias writes of him, that he brake all Leagues, all promiſes, all oaths; wee beare with him; 'twas the faſhion of his Countrey: not Cretians onelyonly, as Saint Paul ſayes, from the Poet, but Grecians, all were lyars; heathen Grecians: The Pope, &c. page 387. That rough handed Eſau, that thirſts for Iacobs blood, that ſends his aſſociates to murther Kings, ſweares them to murther them, aſſoiles men eaſily from all their oathes of Alleagiance whatſoever, let him practice. In the 17. Sermon, page 420. Iohn ſaw a woman drunken with the blood of Saints; that's not the Pope, his ſex ſaves him from that charge, he is a man, if you doubt, one was a woman; Paul is for him, cals him the man of ſinne. In the 20. Sermon, page 443. l. 3. The hope of the life to come; they hold an old wives tale, hell a fable too: the worlds end, the reſurrection and Chriſts comming unto judgement, Inter Naeniai habentur, they reckon them meere fallacies, Petrarch ſayes, one of their owne church; That blaſphemous ſpeeches came from a Popes mouth; Quantas nobis opes peperit illa fabula de Chriſto; It was Leo X. he reckoned even the Goſpell a legend of lyes.
Sermon 27. page 449. I thought Papiſts held Letchery one of the ſeven deadly ſins, it ſeems a veniall one, very veniall by the Pope, who grants Prieſts Concubines, licenſeth the Stewes, leaſes out Curtizans in Fee-farme: B. Jewel's phraſe. Joannes de Coſa Dean of the Catholike chamber, wrote a book in praiſe of the lewdeſt kind of luſt: they will ſhortly ſay, I think, as Hierom writes, that Vigilautius ſayd, that continency is hereſie; then happily all the letchers in the land will turne Catholikes, a Religion fit for them; the Whore of Babylon will favour Harlots, her ſonnes (it ſeemes) profeſſe it all, for they fleere a chaſte and honeſt man, call him an Eunuch: But Satan, Popes and Cardinals are lyars: all Gods, &c.
Above twenty more paſſages of this nature, concerning the Pope, Papacy, Rome, are obliterated in this Doctors Sermons, which for brevity we pretermit: onelyonly we ſhall conclude with one more, containing the good old Doctors hopes to ſee the Popes and Romes ſpeedy downfall, which this Arch-prelat with his confederates could no wayes patiently endure to heare of; and that is in his ſecond Sermon on the fifth of November, page 234. l. 3. The whole world will one day wonder, as he, at her drunkenneſſe, ſo it at her fall. Fals are incident to the drunken, and Saint John foretels that too, in two chapters; doubles the word in both, Cecidit, cecidit, ſhee is fallen, ſhee is fallen, ſay I one day. That day (I hope) is neer, and the Popes period at hand: My ſelfe am unlikely by my yeers, (but I hope) my ſucceſſours ſhall preach this womans funerall, and that many here preſent, ſhall ſee this propheſie of Saint Iohn fulfilled: cecidit, cecidit. This drunken woman is neerly fallen, ſhee reels already, and that foreleads a fall, ſhe hath reeled a long time, ſundry whole Kingdoms, beſides many parts of Germany and France, relinquiſht her a long time ſince; God will haſten the reſt: Pray we all that, and bleſſe we God for ſaving us; pray he will ſo ſtill, even for his Sonne our Saviours ſake, unto both which bleſſed perſons, with the holy Ghoſt, be all glory, &c. Amen.
Now we appeale to any intelligent mans conſcience, what the obliterating of all theſe paſſages againſt the Pope, Popery, Rome, &c. out of theſe new books, by the Arch-biſhop and his Chaplaines, portend and intimate, but a profeſſed confederacy in them to reduce us back to our ancient vaſſalage to the Pope and Sea of Rome, and the re-eſtabliſhing of the Popes authority, his Inſtruments, Agents and Popery among us in the higheſt degree; which the enſuing particulars will more fully demonſtrate.