alleadgeth the Doctours most is most praysed of the audience as you vvell know which is a pittifull thing in thē and ridiculous in the Preacher vvho cannot but know if he haue read any of them himselfe that the Fathers detest vtterly that Doctrine which hee wresteth them to confirme and in the meane time the pore audience thinketh that they were of this new Religion vvhose simplicitie therein is most pittifullie abused by the Preacher THE XI REASON Triall of Trueth IT is manifest by the Holye Scriptures that it appertaineth to the Church to try to discerne spirits as also to determine to decide doubts And agreeably therunto shee hath in all ages mastered ouer-ruled captiuated the vnderstanding of euerye one were hee neuer so wise neuer so learned or had he neuer so extraordinary giftes except he obstinatly defended an errour which if he did hee was condemned for an heretike so came to nothing The Chatholike Church I saye directed by the Holye Ghost hath euer separated from the trueth all moales all singular opinions al errours and corruptions in euerie mans workes and writings in such sorte as that easilie and securelye euerie one maie knowe the trueth And certainelie the Protestantes although they saye that they giue no credite to the CHVRCH but so farre forth as they finde in their Scriptures doe can not otherwise but receaue the same Scriptures vppon the Catholike Romane Churches credit also the three Creedes of the Apostles of Athanasius and of Nice and some Articles of beleefe as the Holy Ghost to proceed from both the Father the Sonne yet as from one beginning and many tearmes as Person Trinitie Consubstantiall Sacraments c. which none coulde euer haue inuented but onely the Catholike Church Neyther is it possible for any man to know whether this Bible which is vsed amongest Christians be the true word of God indeede or some fained thing but onely vppon the Catholike Romane Churches credit And Saint Augustine confesseth plainely that he would not beleeue the Ghospell but that the authoritie of the Catholike Church moued him thereunto Con. Epist Manich. c. 5. lib. 2. de doct Chr. cap. 8. And by the same Churches authoritie hee was mooued to beleeue the bookes of Tobie Iudith Canticles Wisedome Ecclesiasticus Machabees c. as he himself sincerelie affirmeth And surely it is wōderfull to see how the Church of God receauing the Olde Testament from the Iewes and manifesting to the world the Canon of the Holy bookes of the new Testamēt hath in al times in so many alterations and chaunges kept from the destruction corruption of Heretikes Iewes and Panims the whole authenticall corps of Holy Scripture in such maner as no Heretike in the world can charge her with adding or diminishing the least iote thereof Iudge you here whether the madnes of these new fellowes be worthie to be wondred at or no who doe credit and beleeue the Church in this point and will not doe the same in others Why should they rather trust the Church in this thē in other things And I would euery man would here consider the wonderfull integritie of the Catholike Romane Church in keeping the Holy Bible so entire and vncorrupted these fifteene hundred yeares together at the least and the atheisticall treacherie of these of the the new Religion who occupying no Bible nor hauing to doe with the holy scriptures for a thousand yeares togeather as they themselues confesse haue after the vniust vvresting it out of the handes of the iust possessors thereof robbed the Church of so many whole bookes besides of so manie partes and particles of the same What these fellowes would bring the Holy Bible vnto in time if they shuld hold on they may easily gesse vvho know their manifold corruption therof in so few yeares And yet forsooth they vvill haue all controuersies to be tried by only scriptures which if they were not by them corrupted falselie translated yet could theye neuer finde out any secure truth by them only for that none of them alloweth anie other mans exposition but his owne and in so dealing they can but haue a gesse or an opinion or fantasie but no faith at all Which thing to declare more plainely I aske the Protestant how he relying vpon only scripture can shew mee certainely vvhich bookes be Scripture and which not And if hee be vnlearned how knoweth hee that the translation which hee vseth is truely made out of Hebrew Greeke Latine And then how is hee sure of the sence exposition And if he be neuer so learned haue neuer so many helps all that hee can search and finde out is but a priuate mans opinion and consequentlie his Faith which hee seemeth to haue is grounded vpon his owne particular iudgement and so indeed is no faith at all but an opinion onely as I said before for faith must haue Gods expresse authoritie for her foundation Here you may consider the miserable state and condition of your newe Ghospellers in that forsaking the Catholike and vniuersall faith of Christendome deliuered to thē by the vniuersal Church as founded vppon Scripture vvhich Church Christ and his Apostles gaue thē expresse Commission to beleeue which was properly Faith founded vpon a rocke which could not faile in that forsaking I say that fortres they cast themselues into the waues of new opinions whereby they haue no certaintie at all but euery one chuseth vvhat hee liketh to himselfe vvhich choise is properly called Heresie and so the word signifieth And let anie Protestant in our Countrie of England tell mee why he doth rather beleeue his owne iudgement in points of Religion then the iudgement of Luther Caluin and Beza whome he thinketh were so excellent men for euery one that hath any learning knoweth that they taught otherwise then now is taught in England This you may plainely see the only touchstone of truth to be the Catholike Church which cannot faile and that they who cleaue to her iudgement haue most vndoubtedly the truth whereas on the other side they who ground only vpon Scriptures expounding them according to their owne fantasie and braine playing the Maisters and Pilots and Boat-swaines themselues admitting no iudge no interpreter no antiquitie nor any other manner of tryall which is the greatest madnesse and malediction that can be must needes be destitute of all certaintie and of all Religion and of all stay and of all foundation and of all rule and of all order and must needes wrangle and iangle without end and without meanes to make an end and must needes cause Nouelties without number and libertie of life without feare or force of Ecclesiasticall Discipline to restraine them and to conclude they haue no meanes to rest vntill the end in Atheisme THE XII REASON The vse and custome of the Church THE vse custome and practise of the Church hath as it vvas in the prime thereof beene alvvaies an infallible rule to
suchlike good fellowes that by shew of Scriptures impugne it you can not but know see vvith your eyes Neyther can it be aunswered that the Sectes heere rehearsed differ one from another onlie in matters of small moment for they differ and disagree in vveightie pointes of our Saluation as might heere easilie be declared but that it vvould not benifit this mine intended breuitie so to doe This Vnitie of CATHOLICKES and discorde of PROTESTANTES most manifestlie sheweth that as the Apostles vvere they for whome our SAVIOVR prayed to his FATHER and vvas heard of him Holie Father keepe them in thy name whome thou haste giuen mee that they may be one as wee also be one Iohn seauenteene so they of the CATHOLIKE ROMAN Religion be they for vvhome in the vvordes following hee prayed and vvas heard Not for them doe I aske onely but also for them which shall beleeue by theyr preaching in mee that all may be one as thou Father in mee and I in thee that also they in vs may be one and hereof it necessarilie followeth that they be of the true CHVRCH for that none but they obserue and keepe the Vnitie vvhich hee obtained for them of his Heauenlie FATHER Aug. l. 18. de ciuit dei C. 41. And surelie it can not proceede but from the HOLIE GHOST that all Sacred vvriters of the CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH although being men of diuers Nations Times and Languages yet haue so vvonderfullie consented and agreed amongest themselues as wee see they haue done And lastlie it is wonderfull to behold how all decrees of lawfull Councels and of Popes doe agree in all points of Doctrine one with another although they were made by diuers men in diuers places at sundrie times vpon diuers occasions against Heresies not only most different but oftentimes contrarie one to another This no doubt is the finger of God THE IIII. REASON Conuersion of Countries IT is most plaine and manifest that all Countries which euer beleeued in Christ were first conuerted to his faith by such as eyther were precisely sent or at the least-wise had their authoritie from the Pope which liued in the time in which they were conuerted This thing is so openly set downe in the Historie of the first conuersion of euery Countrie as no Protestant were he neuer so impudent can without blushing denie it True it is that Heretiks haue corrupted such as were Catholikes before but that they euer conuerted any Heathen Nation to Christianitie can neuer be shewed I know very well that Iohn Caluin to get glorie sent certaine of his Ministers into new-found landes but I neuer could heare that any of them euer cōuerted so much as one sillie woman to their Ghospell in those partes The truth is their agreement in doctrine was so great that one destroying anothers buildings they became laughing stocks to the Heathens so were glad to depart with shame But who knoweth not that the Catholikes as they haue conuerted all to Christianitie that euer were Christians so in this age they haue brought infinite numbers to the Christian faith in the East and West Indies by the meanes and labours of the most happie holy Fathers of the holy Order of S. Frauncis of S. Dominick of the blessed Society of IESVS which blessed Religious men in our owne Countrie there of England onlie in regard of theyr Sacred function are executed as Traitors And haue not these I pray you theyr authoritie from ROME I will not here speake of the infinite number of Miracles vvrought by Catholikes in the conuersion of countries namely of those which are now done in both the Indies by the Holie Fathers aforesaid for that I reserue that matter for his proper place but I vvould aduise you here diligentlie to weigh the sequele of the Assertion of the Protestants how that if Papistes be not true Christians of the right religion then doth it necessarilie follow that neither Spaniards nor Portingales nor Sardinians nor Sicilians nor Italians nor Germanes nor Trāsyluanians nor Hungarians nor Polonians nor Danes nor Flemminges nor Scots nor Irish nor English no nor any Nation vnder Heauen had euer true Religion before Fryar Luther married Nonne Bore before Iohn Caluine runne away to Geneua before Peeter Martyr vvith his Fustelugges came to teach at Oxford and before a number of such like good companions ledde only by sensualitie carnall zeale dishodded themselues and became such spectacles to the worlde as euerie man knoweth Which thing to affirme is flatlie to denie Christ all Christianity as I shewed in my first Reason And surely I am greatly cōfirmed in the Catholike Religion beholding the Heauenly maner vsed by the professors thereof in gayning soules to Almightie GOD for that I see them neyther to spare goodes nor labours no nor theyr owne liues so that they may vvinne people to Heauen GREGORYE the thirteenth Pope of that name in these our dayes spent all the renennewes of the Popedome in founding SEMINARIES COLLEDGES in diuers Landes and Prouinces thereby to restore the Catholike religion Manie Holie and Religious Priests doe goe dayly into Germany into Hungary into Greece into Palestina into Aegypt into Syria into Aethiopia into Africa into Moscouia into Ireland into Scotland into England and into other heretical heathen countries yeelding themselues to all daungers by sea and land and to all worldly miseries hauing mortified all theyr carnall affections renounced all riches honors and kindred and hauing made themselues most ready for their graue and consequently for another world moued only by the zeale of sauing soules And it mooueth mee not a little to see vvhat patience mildnesse and quietnesse these men vse in all theyr dooinges And I see also on the other side that no protestant euer had so great zeale of his Religion as that he would for spreading abroade the same forgoe any worldly commodity either by founding Seminaries or Colleges in Countries or by going or sending where any difficulty or daunger was but as one wholly respecting this worlde he walloweth in wealth pleasures at home or if by any accident he be compelled to flie into forraine Countries hee may not trauaile except his preatie parnell goe vvith him but such a one to goe simplie as they say bona fide to conuert others was yet neuer seene And if by anie occasion offered vnto such they goe about to plant theyr Ghospell anie vvhere they doe it in such a turbulent and mutinous maner and not by Epistles after Saint Paules vse but by Pistols as Beza did as euerie one may see what spirit pricketh them forward Neyther doe they take anie other course in theyr proceedinges but to destroy States and Kingdomes to displace lawfull Monarchies and Magistrates as the Low-Countries Germany and Scotland can sufficientlie witnesse and euer theyr beginning is of Pride and Enuie as Luthers vvas or by abusing them-selues in theyr former estate as Sir Iohn Caluin did or by yeelding
Cirinth for the Apostles Lib. 3. c. 30 and their schollers as witnesseth Nicephorus vvere so warie in this case that they would not so much as once reason the matter with any of them that endeuoured by their leasinges to corrupt the truth And holy Ignatius boldly affirmeth that Epist 6. ad Philadelphenses vvho so flieth not from a false preacher shal be damned into Hell 13 I should be partaker of all their wickednes consequently in daunger of al the punishment mischiefe which may befal them especially being present with them at the deede wherein principally they offend God from vvhich thing I am discouraged by the terrible death of all thē which were in company with the Schismatikes Chore Num 16. Dathan and Abiron which example as saith Saint Cyprian ought to mooue vs not to assiste or further Hereticall oblations Cyp. Epist 76. praiers sermons and errours 14 I should contrary to the iudgements of the learned of all Religions for the Gentiles thought it not lawfull to enter into the Iewes Synagogues Lact lib. 4. 5. diuin instit cur Senec de hist mahom chronic Wolsang Drisl Eus lib. 3. 4. Aug. li. de vnit Ecl. lib. 2. coa Petilian Ioh. Gard. in his Cat. art 86. or into Christiā Churches The Turks at this day refuse to doe the same the Arrians Donatists and such like would not one goe to anothers conuenticles nor to the Catholikes seruice nor the Catholikes to any of theirs The Anabaptistes will not goe to the Lutherans Churches nor the Lutheranes to the Trinitaries The Puritanes vvill hardlie be drawen to Protestantes seruice neither will the Protestantes in Catholike Countreis come to Catholike Seruice And the Iewes will not go to any Seruice but their own Those Protestantes which in Queene Maries dayes had anie conscience refused to go to Masse And therefore in reason you shoulde not mooue me much lesse vrge me to doe the thing vvhich the learned on your side in theyr owne case would not doe because they iudge it vnlawfull 15 I should doe euil to goe to your Seruice because I cannot but in mine own conscience iudge it to be dishonourable to God and consequentlie naught For to omit to speake how it is deuised by your selues and how your fellovv PVRITANES doe vtterlie condemne it I knowe your Translations of Holie Scriptures to be false shameles so as if my scholler should translate one of Tullyes Epistles in such corrupt maner I would soundlie breeche him for his labour Then your Ministers are no Priestes but meere Lay-men consequently haue no authoritie to deale in such things Besides you haue in your Seruice diuerse false and blasphemous things put them to the people for Scripture as in a Geneua Psal you pray to be defended frō Pope Turke Papistry c. And to speake what I thinke you haue left out all good thinges haue chosen to your selues iuste nothing of Catholike seruice although the people were made to beleeue that it was the old Seruice put into English 16 I shoulde goe to that Seruice which neuer was heard of in the world before these dayes nor yet is in anie place els in all the world but onelie there in England 17 I shoulde goe to that Seruice which you amongst your selues cannot agree vpō or decree to continue And it had by all likelihoode beene chaunged againe before this day if the grauer sorte had not made some stay for feare of incurring the note of inconstancy for how many bils I pray you haue there bin put vp in Parliaments about the chaunging of your Seruice Agree therefore amongest your selues first what seruice you will haue to continue and then I will aunswere you reasonablie to your demaund 18 In so doing my soule should goe one way and my body another which ought not to be for if they should goe two waies in this worlde they could not be ioyned togeather after the resurrection in the next life but the one should goe to heauen the other to hell which cannot be for if the bodie serue not God together with the soule in this life why should it enioy heauē in the next And if it be with Protestantes at their Seruice in this worlde why should it not be where the Protestants be in the next 19 I should loofe all the benefit of Catholike religion so either leaue off all conscience or els liue in continuall torment of mind and if I should die in that state I should be vtterlie cast away for euer Besides I shoulde loose the merite of all the good works that I euer did in all my life because I giue ouer working before euening so loose my pennie wages which otherwise would be truely paide mee Mat. 20 20 If I should so doe either to gratifie you other of my friends or by commaūdement of any power vnder her Maiestie neyther you nor they could take it well or account of mee better then of a trayterous caitiue for that you must needs think that I who will violate my faith to God almighty in doing contrarie to my cōscience iudgment for any worldly respect will easily breake my faith promise with man according to the iudgment of Constantius the Emperour Eus de vit canstant l. 1. cap. 11. for how can he be true vnto man that is conuicted of periurie to God verily such must needs be deemed of the wise to be flatterers turne-coates and great hypocrits 21 And now to come to the aunswere which you say women such sillie soules are accustomed to make I should do contrary to my conscience which thing in no case is lawfull to be done Yea if your seruice were good godly indeed the very true Seruice of God yet so long as I thinke otherwise of it I may in no case yeeld to go to it because an erroneous conscience bindeth a man to follow it neuer to doe any thing against it according to iudgement of all learned men of what sect or religion soeuer they be And therefore you may not request me much-lesse vrge me to go to your seruice before I be perswaded in my conscience that it is lawful so to doe Greatly therfore doe you offend God there in England in forcing people to goe to the Church contrary to their consciences and in imprisoning those who refuse so to do for no man is able to maister his own conscience knowledge and to doe against it he ought not therefore it is not in his power or will to goe to your Seruice without offence 22 I should do contrary to the Cānons custome of the Catholik church and against the examples of all Holie Saints learned Fathers Contrarie to the 63. Canon of the Apostles and against Concil Carth. 4. cap. 71. 72. Cōcil Antioch cap. 2. 5. Con. Laodicen c. 9. 32. 33. 37. Con. Mag. Later cap. 70. and against diuers