no more eare to these hispaniolized English combined with traytors for the destruction of the country For he canne hardly séeme honest whome such rinegued traytors so highly do praise In the end of this chapter he goeth about to teach his disciples the recusantes how farre they are to yéelde obedience to their prince But if his teaching be no better in schooles then in these encounters I doubt he will make but few good schollers First he doth not shew vs whome he taketh for a lawfull prince which for determination of this controuersie would certainly be knowne For if he do not beléeue that a prince excommunicate by the pope and by him deposed is to be reputed lawfull and to be obeyed notwithstanding the popes spite then whatsoeuer he talketh here of obedience to princes concerneth her Maiestie nothing a P. 88. Secondly he would haue recusantes to serue their prince With body goods and life Where we are to note that he neither mentioneth the heart nor the inward affection Do we not then thinke that the recusantes will do her Maiestie good seruice that are deliuered vnto her without soule hart or harty affection Thirdly least vpon his promise they might perhaps be too forward in seruice he draweth them backe with a limitation and teacheth that their seruice and obedience is to stretch no further Then to iust causes of which he maketh eyther the recusantes themselues or the pope their holy father to be iudge So that her Maiestie if the pope procéede against her is to looke for no seruice at the recusantes handes Nay Allen in his traytorous exhortation to the nobility and people of England and Ireland hopeth to draw them to assiste forreine enemies against her Behould I pray you this goodly doctrine Fourthly he teacheth That Christian princes haue no more commaund nor authority in ecclesiasticall causes then heathen magistrates for that Christ altered nothing at all in temporall gouernement But that is a position contrary to the law of God to the practise of Gods church and most absurd sencelesse The law of God referreth ambiguous matters aswell to the iudge or prince as to the priests or leuites For in the Sanedrin of which that law is the foundation the soueraine magistrate was chiefe b Deut. 17. and the king was commanded To read in the law that he might kéepe it by his authority restraining offendors In auncient time vnder the law the kinges and soueraigne magistrates gaue lawes to priests leuites and not contrarywise In the church of Christ for a thousand yéeres or more there were no lawes obserued but those of princes Bellarmine would fetch it higher but his proofes faile him In their Bullary which containeth a summe of the popes lawes they begin with Gregorie the seuenth but in truth Gregorie the ninth was the first that gaue authoritie of lawe to the popes constitutions and gathered them into the booke of decretals Before this time bishops priests deacons and the whole church was a Cod. de sum trin fid â—ath tit sequentib gouerned by the lawes of Christian princes as appéereth by the lawes of Constantinus Magnus ValentiniaÌ„ Gratian Theodosius Arcadius b Ansegisus de leg ib. Caroli Ludouic Charles the great Ludouicus Pius and diuers others And certes very absurd it were if heathen princes that are strangers from Gods church shoulde haue as much authoritie as Christian magistrates that are principall parts thereof and to whom the execution of Gods law is committed Neither is it materiall that Christ altered nothing in the office of magistrates for it did alwaies belong to the magistrate that was of the church to gouerne the church in externall matters and to sée true doctrine published and the sacraments sincerely administred by those to whose office it appertained So we sée that by this false position he would exclude her Maiestie from all gouernement in ecclesiasticall causes and that notwithstanding his pretence of teaching obedience he teacheth flat disobedience to princes ecclesiasticall lawes and their commaundements Fiftly he c P. 88. teacheth That ecclesiasticall and temporall gouernment is so distinguished that he that ruleth in the one ought not to rule in the other The which doth vtterly ouerthrow the popes temporall kingdome which our aduersary would so willingly maintaine For why should he gouerne a kingdome pretending to be a bishop rather then a king gouerne a particular church of one nation in externall causes especially Secondly we do deny this distinction of authority vpon which our aduersaries fancies are founded And our reason is for that in Christian common wealthes where the same persons are members both of the church and common-welth there the chéefe gouernours ought to haue care both of church and common-welth and most absurd it were if the prince which is a principall member of Gods church shoulde haue no gouernment therein and that inferior persons shoulde haue supreme command ouer the prince Sixtly hée doth insinuate that the pope is Christs vicar the apostles successor in supreme gouernment of the church And this hée teacheth is Recusant schollers least percase they shoulde faile to obey him But this is nothing else but to draw her Maiesties subiects from their due allegiance and to perswade them to listen to the pope as pretending to bée Christs vicar and the apostles successor and supreme gouernour and head of the vniuersall church of Christ which is quite contrarie to his faire pretenses and purpose in this place where hee shoulde perswade the Recusants to obedience towarde their prince Beside that it is so false as nothing more Let this Noddy if he canne shew foorth the popes commission eyther for his vicegerentship or for his pretended apostolicke office and supreme gouernement let him prooue it vnto vs or else forbeare impudently to assume it and to affirme it wée doe shew that bishops are the apostles successors and yet that is no preiudice to the princes supreme authority nor neuer was What then is that which hée bableth of the pope that is neither bishop nor the apostles successor Finally hée affirmeth That ecclesiasticall gouernment stood distinct from ciuill 300. yeeres after Christ and that euery emperour and mortall prince conuerted to the faith and entring into the church submitted themselues to this ecclesiasticall gouernment and so continued vntill certaine heretikes confounded all And so still cunningly hée speaketh for the popes authoritie and secretly disableth not onely her Maiesties power in ecclesiasticall matters but her title also to the crowne standing as shée doth excommunicate by the pope He doth also abuse his reader with the ambiguitie of ecclesiasticall gouernment For if by ecclesiasticall gouernment he meaneth the power of the keies consisting in the censures of the church and power of priestly function which is properly ecclesiastical we grant that such ecclesiastical gouernment belongeth not to princes so that they are to execute the same in their owne persons But if by
reconcile them to God They beleeue also that their priestes are after the order of Melchizedeck and do offer sacrifices propitiatorie for quicke and dead But the apostle teacheth vs that Christ is onely able to reconcile vs and that hee is our onely Mediatour and Redéemer and is a Hebr. 7. A priest after the order of Melchizedeck and hath offered vp one most perfect sacrifice which is no more to bee renued Saint b Lib. 10. de Ciuit. Dei c. 20. Augustine saith That Christ is a priest that is both the sacrificer and the sacrifice it selfe of which the sacrifice of the church is but a Sacramenâ— Such a priest neuer was any but hée And this is that which catholikes beléeue of Christes priesthoode and which papists beléeue not 15. The papists haue altered the forme of praier vsed in the catholike church Christ taught vs to pray to the father in his name and so did all true catholikes But they pray to Christ in the name of our Lady and of saintes and pray to angels to our Lady and saintes and of these prayers they haue infinite formes neither practised nor allowed by true catholikes They c In Hortul animae breuiar begin their confession thus I confesse to God almighty to the blessed virgin Mary to the blessed Archangell Michael to saint Iohn Baptist c. That I haue offended in thought word and worke To the virgin Mary d Jn the office of our Lady They commend their soules and bodies And flie to her in all their néede In their Litanies they call her The gate of heauen the refuge of sinners the Queene of Angels the comforter of the afflicted the arke of the couenant And as euery one doeth fancy so he chooseth to himselfe a peculiar saint beleeuing to obteine things more easily by the intercession of saintes then of Christ Iesus Further they say masses and prayers for the soules departed and for the dead haue appointed speciall offices which our aduersary shall neuer prooue to haue béene frequented or vsed by true catholikes Neither shall he be able to shew where catholikes had any rosaries consisting of 63. Aue Mariaes nor where they prayed in languages which they vnderstood not Nay the e 1. Cor. 14. apostle saith That such praiers are without fruit and that we f Rom. 10. cannot call but vpon those vpon Whome we beleeue How shall they call on him saith the apostle on whom they haue not beleeued 16. The papistes haue corrupted the true worship of God For not onely haue they published new worships according to their owne deuises which our a Matth. 15. sauior condemneth as vaine but also haue deuised formes of worship contrary to Gods commaundement Contrary to the second commandement they make the images of God and worship the same with diuine worship They do likewise worship the crosse and crucifixe They worship saintes departed their images and reliques And of late time haue deuised masses and offices in honor of the crosse of the virgin Mary of saint Francis Dominike and other saintes Vnto these images they burne incense they offer their praiers and deuotions Nay they I say fall downe before stockes and stones they kisse them and worship them and yet will be accounted the onely catholikes But our aduersary will be much puzzeled when he goeth about to prooue that true catholikes haue doone the like Nay be shall find that true catholikes haue condemned this manner of popish deuotion for plaine idolatry Helena crucem Christi inuenit saith b De obitu Theodosij Ambrose Et Christum adorauit non crucem is enim est error gentills impiorum He saith that it is heathenish to worship the crosse In the first commaundement saith c Epist 119. Augustine the image of God is forbidden to be worshiped with mens deuises d Lib. 2. in Ioan. c. 92. Cyrill saith That God is not to be worshipped with any corruptible matter In ancient liturgies of the church there are no offices for the dead nor any praiers to angels and saintes to be found 17. The missales and breuiaries and offices and psalters of our Lady and all the rituall bookes which now by order of the Councell of Trent they vse are nothing catholike Nay they conteine matters erronious blasphemous which all catholikes abhorre They detort the Scriptures to the honour of our Lady saint Francis saint Dominike saint Clare and other Romish saints They containe many fabulous and lying narrations Diuers of their masses and offices are deuised in the honour of saints and sauour of noueltie 18 True catholikes do serue one God with spirite and truth The papists haue as many gods as saints and worship God with their lips for the most part not knowing what they say They read Scriptures and praie in toongs vnknowne which not onely by the apostle but also by the practise of all ancient churcâ—es is condemned 19. Among catholikes antichrist hath no place For albeit hée shall sit in the temple of God yet after hée hath once begun to sit and reigne there hée shall make it of the house of God the house of vanitie of Gods church the synagogue of satan Likewise they shall not worship the man of sinne nor kisse his féete nor admit his lawes But the papists acknowledge the pope to bée their head they kisse his feete they fall downe before him a Potestatem suam bestiae tradâ—nt Apoc. 17. Kinges giue their power vnto him they acknowledge him to be their soueraigne iudge and law giuer and take it to bee mortall sinne to breake his lawes 20. Among true catholikes the cheefe gouernment in matters Ecclesiasticall is in generall Councels Vntill generall Councels haue decided such controuersies as arise prouinciall councels and christian magistrates haue principall authoritie in setling and determining of matters They make lawes determine controuersies establish gouernors according to apostolicall orders And this by actes of councels and lawes of princes is sâ—fficiently testified But the papists acknowledge no other head beside the pope to whom they giue power to make lawes to appoint bishops and ecclesiasticall officers and to determine all controuersies throughout the whole worlde 21. Among catholikes the gouernment of the church was committed to apostles prophets euangelistes pastors and teachers and bishops and pastors euery one taught the stocke committed to him There were no glorious cardinalls nor idle and dumbe bishops nor pratling and busie friers among them But among the papistes the whole gouernment dependeth on the pope and his agentes The cardinalles counsell him the prelates and inquisitors are made his executioners to murder all that repugne against his lawes the bishops are dumbe and feede not the friers enter without calling and like locustes crept out of the bottomlesse pit deuour the blossomes of true doctrine Illi mendicantes peruersi saith a certaine b Onus eccles c. 22. popish bishop designantur per locustas de puteo abyssi
the murderers and massacrers of Gods saints these are they which haue occasioned the ruine of diuers noble houses personages In England the erles of Westmerland and Northumberland harkening to the seditious motions of the pope ruined themselues their houses By the same occasion the house of Desmond and other houses in Ireland were ouerthrowne Why the ruine of these houses and men should be imputed to religion there is not any colour In Scotland the houses and linages of the Hamiltons Douglasses and Stuardes do yet stand and if any of these houses haue runne headlong into their owne destruction it is no fault of ours The Quéene Douager of Scotland that was sister to the Duke of Guise died of sicknesse How the last Quéene came to her end I report me to publike actes and histories Her husband was not slaine by men of our side but of theirs not for matter of religion but for other causes Our aduersary therefore dealeth absurdly and like himselfe that imputeth the faults of Popish religion that teacheth murder of christians deposing of princes subuersion of states and kingdomes and all manner of perfidious and cruell dealing to vs. But suppose some error had béene committed in France and the lowe countries why is the same mentioned here where we dispute about matters in England can he not content himselfe to vtter vntruthes but he must also speake impertinently and so far from the purpose To amend the matter he deuideth all blessings into spirituall and temporall and denyeth that by change of religion we haue receiued either the one or the other For before this alteration saith he one God was adored not onely in England but also throughout all Christendome and after one manner He saith further That there was one faith one beleefe one forme of seruice one number of sacraments one tongue in celebration one sacrifice one head of the church one obedience one iudgement in time past and that now all is altered the people of England being diuided not onely from the rest of catholikes but also from Lutherans Zuinglians Caluinists abroad and among themselues at home But dealing with an aduersarie and in matter so controuersious if hée had beene wise hée woulde haue brought either better proofes or more modestie To lie notoriously must néedes worke discredite to his cause First most vntrue it is that before this alteration one God was worshipped throughout all Christendome and after one manner For to speake truely the most part of those that called themselues Christians liued without all knowledge of God or of Christ Iesus hauing nothing of Christianitie but the very name and the outwarde Sacrament of Baptisme The rest some fewe onely excepted whom God enlightened with more knowledge for God worshipped angels and saints and the blessed virgine Nay they worshipped crosses and crucifixes with diuine worship and fell down before stockes and stones and rotten reliques some worshipped the pope as God and by him hoped to haue plenarie indulgence of their sinnes Their manner of worship was so diuers that euery parish almost had their peculiar saintes seruices festiuall daies and ceremonies Secondly ridiculously hée doth distinguish faith from beléefe and most vntruely surmiseth That there was in time past but one faith and beleefe and that euery Christian held that faith For in some ages before Luthers time the common people knew not what to beléeue nor vnderstood any one article of the faith And as for the doctors of schooles they differed in infinite points one from another and all of them from the Gréeke churches but especially from the true faith of Christendome taught by Christ and his apostles Thirdly it is a palpable vntruth to say That before this alteration there was one forme of seruice one number of Sacraments one toong one sacrifice one head of the church throughout all Christendome wherein so many vaine vntruthes are conteined that it is not possible to vtter them redilie with one toong For not onely the Gréeke liturgie doth much differ from the Latin but also the Latin liturgies doe much differ from themselues and were so full of abuses that the Councell of Trent abolishing a number of old missals and portuises was constrained to make new and yet all naught being nothing like the liturgies of the apostolike church described by Iustin martyr Dionyse of Athens and diuers other fathers For those of S. Iames S. Basill and Chrysostome are plainly counterfeited The number of 7. sacramēts was not certainly established nor receiued before the late councell of Trent In the a C. firmiter de sum trin side cath Councell of Lateran vnder pope Innocent there is mention made onely of two Sacraments which we reteine In no ancient father that treateth of Sacraments can this number of seuen be found The apostles deliuered vs but onely two Sacraments that is of Baptisme and the Lords supper In ancient time it was neuer thought vnlawfull to celebrate diuine seruice in any toong vnderstoode of the people The Greekes euen to this day reteine the Gréeke toong The b 1. Cor. 14. apostle doth directly condemne toongs vsed in diuine praiers or praises if they be not vnderstood of the people The popish sacrifice of the masse and all that abomination was not knowne of the ancient fathers nor instituted by Christ Then all Christians did communicate and receiue both kindes and were otherwise taught then now they are The Gréeke churches also much differ from the church of Rome and diuers formes of sacrifices haue beene vsed in this church vntil of late the Councell of Trent went about to establish an vniformitie or rather difformitie of religion Finally as the popes headship is now denied of the easterne churches and so was for many ages so was the ancient church vtterly ignorant of the matter If this Noddy will persist in his error and mainteine the contrarie let him shew if he can that in ancient time the bishops of Rome made lawes to binde the whole church and were supreme iudges and not iudged of others and made bishops throughout the world and had that authoritie to dispense and pardon which now the pope craueth Fourthly where he saith Wee are diuided not onely from the generall body of catholikes in Christendome but also from our selues hée telleth vs his owne dreames and fancies fléeting in his idle braine without any grounde of truth First it shall not bée prooued that we haue diuided our selues from the catholike church or any catholike societie Nay wée offer to prooue that the papists haue by their nouelties and heresies deuided themselues from the catholike church and say that therefore wée haue left them that wée may returne to the ancient apostolike and catholike church and catholike faith of Christ Secondly the churches of Zuizzerland Germanie France and England do neither holde of Zuinglius Caluin nor Luther nor pope of Rome as do the blind papists but of Christ Iesus and of the apostles and prophets Neither do they disagrée
that Doctor Story spoke these wordes and that this was consulted vpon in councell in Quéene Maries daies Secondly it appeareth by the story of Doctor Stories triall and arraignment that he was not called in question for these wordes but for high treason and that most iustly For first he ranne ouer to the D. of Alua and other the Quéenes enemies and sought how to stir them vp to make warre against his prince and country Secondly he practised with one Preston Paine how to make some insurrection in England Thirdly he entertained intelligence with fugitiue rebels and knowne enemies of this state Beside treasons there was obiected to him that he had by vertue of his inquisitors office in Flanders brought diuers of his countrymen in danger and made great spoile of their goods And so euident and plaine were the matters obiected against him that he had no other shift but to denie himselfe to be a subiect and to refuse to be iusticed by the lawes of this land which pleading I thinke his aduocate here will confesse to be most ridiculous Thirdly it cannot be denyed but the wordes were spoken not onely in Quéene Maries time but also in this Quéenes time For he was not charged with saying If you shall follow but if you had followed mine aduise Lamenting that when they might they had not followed his aduise in destroying the Quéene Lastly albeit he had béene charged onely with those words which by his enditement by the euidence then giuen and by diuers witnesses yet liuing is refuted yet to imagine or conspire the princes death is treason by all lawes This our aduersarie therefore that saith doctor Storie was condemned by shoutes and clamors as Christ was before Pilate blasphemeth in comparing a notorious traitor and a bloudie persecuter of Christs flocke to the most méeke and innocent lambe of God Christ Iesus And where he confesseth that The papists thinke that Storie for his zeale in Queene Maries time is to receiue a great crowne of glorie and fame vpon earth he sheweth both his owne and other papists most cruell and bloodie minde that allow of doctor Stories murdrous and cruell intentions both against her Maiestie and other godly men and declareth what fauour we are to looke for at his hands if once hée and his consorts coulde haue but a finger in gouernment As for doctor Storie hée hath now receiued his rewarde but not of glorie vnlesse hée did repent himselfe of his heresie and crueltie of which he gaue small tokens at his death After doctor Stories matter he toucheth the cause of Pius quintus his presumptuous excommunication denounced most iniuriously against her Maiestie but very daintily and nicely not daring to mislike it for offending his holy father the pope nor daring to allow it least hée shoulde séeme to concurre with those publike enimies that séeke to take away her honour crowne and life Gladly hée woulde excuse the papists his clients but his pleading is so fonde and foolish that their enimies cannot desire plainer euidence to accuse them conuict them First he sheweth and woulde if hée coulde tell howe complaine That the bull of Pius quintus the pope is made a common bugge against papists euery where as if they were guiltie in allowing his fact And so hée thinketh to shift off a foule matter with a fewe faire wordes and with a finta or fained shew of a downe right blowe to bobbe or rather abuse his Reader that looketh for sound reason But hée may not thinke séeing hée is come into the fielde to make a challenge that hée shall so escape our fingers First hée saith That papists albeit they admit the popes iurisdiction yet are not participant of the offence giuen by the pope But howe doth hée prooue that Forsooth you must take it of his owne bare word For other law or reason he alleageth none So ridiculous an aduocate doth hée shew himselfe in the greatest heat of his clients cause Hée confesseth that papists allow the popes iurisdiction and néedes must hée so do or else they shoulde not bée papists Héereof wée say that it is necessarily inferred that they are as farre guiltie as the pope and no lesse to be reputed enimies of the prince and state then the pope himselfe Pope Pius as the world knoweth disabled her right pronounced her excommunicate depriued her of her kingdome exhorted not onely forreine princes to make warres but all her subiects to rebell against her finally all such as should obey her lawes or helpe her hée doth no lesse anathematize then the Quéene herselfe Praecipinus interdicimus a In Bulla aduers Elizab. saith hée vniuersis singulis proceribus subditis populis alijs praedictis ne illi einsue monitis mandatis legibus audeant obedire qui secus egerint eos simili anathematis sententia innodamus Neither did hée onely giue sentence against her but also practise to depriue her For this cause hée practised both with French and Spanish and sent Vincent Lauro bishop of Mondeui into Scotland and Robert Ridolphi to make some stirre in England Hée raised men and sent money into England and other places for this purpose So it appéereth that the papists must necessarily allow yea further the popes hostile act if they ment to acknowledge his authoritie For otherwise themselues were excommunicate Besides they must necessarily obey the popes commandement Neither is it to bée doubted but that diuers principall papists haue entertained intelligence with the pope and his agents Lastly it is folly to dispute what papists do meane when wée sée euidently what they do Vpon euery occasion they are ready to rebell against their princes when the pope commandeth They haue shewed it in Ireland in Scotland and in England In France they rose against king Henrie the third that was a man of their owne religion They professe they are members of the Romish church which doth necessarily include obedience to the pope And to conclude this Noddie confesseth they allow of the popes authoritie in depriuing of princes of their kingdomes Wherefore not onely all lawes of nations but also all reasons of state condemne such for enimies and traitors to the state And strange it is that any prince or state can suffer such as either adhere to forreine enimies or else beléeue that a forreine enimie hath power to dispossesse the supreme magistrate of his crowne He scorneth Sir Francis Hastings for saying That no child of mortall man hath power to dispose of kingdomes or to depose princes or to dispence with subiectes for not obeying their prince And maketh shew of pleading for the popes authoritie in deposing princes But first we do not here reason what the popes power is but whether the papists that allow his iurisdiction are traitors Secondly admitte that were the question héere yet I say that the saying of sir Francis as he ment it is most true For his meaning is that the pope that is not onely the
childe of mortal man but a childe of perdition the aduersarie of Christ Iesus hath no such power as papists pretend to depose princes And the same may bée prooued euen by the examples alleaged in this place by the Noddie himselfe For neither did Peter nor Paul which notwithstanding had a farre greater authoritie then any pope of Rome depose Tiberius Caligula or Nero nor is it founde in holy Scriptures that any high priest of the Iewes deposed any king or discharged any subiects from their obedience If hée knew anie such matter done why doth hée not alleage his author and the names of the parties Nay it is not to bée prooued that anie mortall man can dissolue the bond of a lawfull oath or disannull that obligation that is mutuall betwixt princes and subiects Neither is the knight to bée condemned for a prince-idolater for so saying But the knaue his aduersarie and his consorts are iustly to bée condemned as pope-idolaters For not onely they a C. satis dist 96. call him in expresse termes God and giue vnto him diuine power in translating of kingdomes but also they acknowledge his iudgements to bée infallible and say that the pope and Christ haue but one Consistorie and the same authoritie and power At Rome the people and priests like beastes fall downe and worship him euen as the idolatrous Israelites worshipped the golden calfe in the wildernesse Do you then thinke this man to bée wise that so slenderly and barely toucheth so great a matter which the grand masters of the Romish synagogue with all their learning are not able to prooue Or may hée bée thought very sober where hée taketh on him to shew that papists are her Maiesties good friends and neuer sought her destruction euen there to iustifie pope Pius his hostile actes that not onely sought to depriue her of her state but also to destroy her and to confesse that they are the popes adherents and allow his iurisdiction howsoeuer wée are to thinke of others this assuredly is most apparant that the author of this railing treatise is a professed enimie of the state For hée doth not onely disallow all courses taken for her Maiesties safetie and the safetie of this kingdome but taketh on him to iustifie rebels and to defend publike enimies Do you not then take this fellow to bée a woorthie mediator to obtaine grace for Recusants and papists But to leaue to shewe his malice and treason that euery where is apparent and to procéede in our discourse after hée had in a sleight manner touched the popes act hee denieth that English papists so soone as her Maiestie was in full possession of the crowne began to fret and chafe and consequently to practise against her And his reason is For that it was twelue yeeres ere the excommunication of Pius Quintus came out against her But his defence is voide of truth his conclusion voide of reason The first is apparent not onely by the writings of the papists oppugning her gouernment by their flight ouer seas but also by the obstinacie of the prelates all refusing to crowne her but one and by their secret conferences packings both amongst themselues and also with the pope and other forreine princes Neither may wée thinke that the Quéene of Scots did then claime the crowne of England or that the French sent ouer forces into Scotland without their priuitie But of this wée haue alreadie spoken The second is prooued for that the excōmunicatiō of that impious pope was not the first cause but the extremitie of the rancor malice of papists Neither was the same procured but by great sute and labour when all other practises failed Lastly it is certaine that the rebellion that after broke foorth in the north was long before plotted diuers consultations had how to dispossesse her Maiestie of the crowne and to alter the estate Sanders in his slanderous and lying treatise of Schisme a Lib. 3. de schism confesseth that the popish prelates vpon the first alteration of religion Had determined to excommunicate the Queene and enterdite the land and that afterward misliking that course they referred the matter to the pope who vpon their solicitation procéeded to excommunication and open hostilitie To prooue that the papists were not cause of the popes hatred against England he is not ashamed to say That the Queene began with the pope and not he with her and that the pope was incited by English protestants not by papists to proceed against her He affirmeth also That hee had great reason to take this course against the Queene and this land and that first for that not onely the body of religion was changed that had endured a 1000. yeeres before and that contrarie to expectation promise but also diuers statutes made against him in opprobrious termes and the catholike body of England forced to sweare against him and secondly for that the prelates adhering to the pope were therefore all depriued and some of them imprisoned And Thirdly for that papists were inhibited to flie the realme and these that remained were enforced to participate not onely these othes but also to eate new sacrament-bread against their consciences And Fourthly for that the pope was traduced in pulpits and schooles as antichrist and scoffed at in plaies as author of many ridiculous fooleries And last of all For that this change was an example to countries round about vs to attempt the like In which discourse there are many weake reasons and diuers strong and impudent leasings For first albeit some occasion had béene giuen by vs to mooue the cholericke popes to anger yet doth it not follow that they had iust cause of anger nor that the papists did not stirre vp the coles and enflame their wrath against vs. Secondly admit princes shoulde offende either against Religion or iustice yet neither hath the pope nor any bishop any authoritie to depose them from their kingdomes Christ gaue his apostles no such power Nay himselfe challenged no earthly kingdome The apostles taught no such doctrine Nor did the holy bishops of the ancient church euer claime any such iurisdiction Nay the popes themselues before Gregory the seuenth did not presume either to depriue princes or to meddle with their kingdoms But if the tyrāny impietie of princes grew vnsufferable thē was the same either redressed in the parliament assembly of the estates of the realme or else by some that had lawful power by the custome of the countrey As for the popes claime it is not onely contrary to all antiquitie but to rules of state and so absurd that men in greatest blindnes of antichrists kingdome could not endure it For what can be deuised more absurd thē that a ribald frier or a humorous Italian should take on him to depose princes of other countries Thirdly what reasons soeuer forreine tyrrants pretend to offer violence to christian princes yet that is no excuse for the subiects either
and murder Christes lambes Our aduersary he passeth this ouer without touch and onely telleth vs That the popes power hath beene acknowledged in all Christendome for many yeeres and ages But he lyeth and forgeth in this also For the easterne churches neuer acknowledged this power nor could the pope euer sell his commodities in those countries for any mony The churches of Africke likewise resisted the popes vsurpations and forbad their people to runne to Rome eyther for fauour or iustice The Frenchmen neuer would receiue the sixt booke of decretalles His prouisions the kinges of England would neuer admitte his pilling legates were odious generally to all Christendome Finally albeit his tyranny preuailed much in latter times yet haue a Petr. de Alliac de refor eccl Conciâ— Basil grauam Gâ—â—man honest men declared the discontentement which they haue receiued by his burdensome lawes iniurious excommunications and most shameful exactions and pillages He telleth vs moreouer How Christ said to his Apostles Luk. 10. He that heareth you heareth me and he that contemneth you contemneth me But first he is mistaken in the persons to whome these wordes were spoken For these wordes were deliuered to the seuentie disciples and not to the twelue Beside were these wordes to be vnderstood of the apostles and their successors yet they concerne the pope nothing For he is no apostle béeing neither called immediately of God nor sent into al the world nor ledde into all truth nor being able to make his decretals of authenticall credite Hée is not the apostles successor for hée féedeth not nor preacheth nor doth anie part of apostolicall function Nay hee doth contrary to the apostles fashion murder Gods saints trouble Christian people and resist Christes doctrine The apostles taught such things as Christ gaue theÌ„ in instructions The popes publish nothing but fond decretals and strange doctrine not onely diuers but also in manie points contrarie to Christes Gospell and holy Scriptures But saith N. D. The bishops of Rome be successors in the apostle Saint Peters seat Which I do not altogether deny if he meane the first bishops of Rome which were indéede true bishops and succéeded Peter and other apostles teaching apostolicall doctrine So all other true and godly bishops also were successors of Peter albeit they claymed not this vniuersality and fulnesse of power which the pope pretendeth to belong to him But whatsoeuer the first bishops of Rome were yet this concerneth the pope nothing for he is no bishop nor teacher nor successor in Peters chaire but rather Simon Magus his successor buing and selling not onely sacraments and benefices but also mens soules He succéedeth also the Angelicks in worshipping angels the Carpocratians in dissolutenesse and worshipping images the Collyridians in worshipping the virgin Mary the Manichées in his halfe communions and forbidding of mariage to priests the Pelagians in extolling the force of nature and merit of works and infinite other heretickes in seuerall points of leud doctrine He succéedeth also Nero in the Empire of Rome rather then Peter that was subiect to Neroes gouernement He alleadgeth also the example of the scribes and pharisées and saith That Christ commaunded his disciples to obserue and do whatsoeuer the scribes and pharisees that sate in Moses chayre said to them And to speake truth he hath more reason to compare the pope to scribes and pharisers corrupters of the law then to the successors of Christes Apostles But yet will not this serue his purpose for our Sauiors meaning was to shew that such as sate in Moses seat and taught his law were to be heard albeit otherwise bad men But the popes do not sit in Peters seat nor in Moses chaire nor teach apostolicall or true doctrine Hée telleth vs further That railers shall not inherite Christes kingdome especially such as raile against Magistrates All which wee admitte For it is a sentence condemnatorie against the pope of Rome and his faction that of late time haue taken to themselues infinite libertie in all their writings to raile against christiaÌ„ princes and others not sparing any that is contrarie to their procéedings For witnesse proofe héereof I referre my selfe to the railing buls of Paule the third against Henrie the 8. of Pius quintus and Sixtus 5. against Elizabeth his daughter of Sixtus 5. and Gregorie the 14. against Henrie the third and fourth of France and of Sixtus 5. against the prince of Condey To Sanders Ribadineiraes Rishtons Anniball Scotus the author of the commentarie of the popes late constitutions and other most slanderous and railing libels against Quéene Elizabeth The wise fellow doth also condemne his owne scurrilous railing against sir Francis Hastings Against vs it maketh nothing that onely in plaine termes declare our aduersaries leud dealings sparing all euill termes as much as we can Neither doth this concerne the pope that is neither Magistrate nor good Christian For that which this Noddy writeth How the pope is a spirituall Magistrate and hath a higher degree of authoritie then temporall magistrates and that he doth represent immediately the person of Christ Iesus is nothing but a péece of his frierlike folly and ignorance in spirituall and temporall matters For if such high authoritie had béene giuen him no doubt but wée shoulde long ere this haue séene authenticall writings of this donation and haue heard of the particulars Now wée must take these words as procéeding from a writer of antichristes marke that for Christ woulde commend vnto vs antichrist He telleth vs That all ancient diuines and doctors for aboue a thousand yeeres togither haue taught that it is blasphemie to raile at the bishop of Rome appointed by Christ to gouerne in his place and damnation not to acknowledge his authoritie And yet he is not able to shew either one sound diuine or doctor that hath so taught Nay he is not able to name many canonistes no nor schoolemen that haue so written or spoken Thomas Aquinas a 2.2 q. 13. teacheth him That blasphemie is against God Syluester Prierius b Summa in verb. blasphemia saith Blasphemy is a sinne against God properly which he prooueth by the authoritie of Saint Ambrose and improperly against saints But the pope is neither God nor saint Nay if it bée blasphemy to attribute to man that which is proper to God as the foresaide schoolemen teach then do the papists blaspheme that giue to the pope Christs power to remit sins sticke not to call him a god on earth All ancient fathers of the church had the bishop of Rome in no other estéeme then they had other godlie bishops neither did euer any one suppose that it was damnation not to acknowledge his authoritie Nay his vniuersall authoritie ouer all the church and infinite power in deposing princes not Caluin and Luther but all ancient writers doe gainsay and denie So that vnlesse the Reader haue great patience in this place hée will hardly endure to read so shamelesse and
first warres murder those of the true religion and shut out the rest Did they not in all other places as oft as they were the stronger séeke to murder them The matter is apparent and recorded in many histories Neither may wée thinke wée shall better agrée with them héere then others haue done in other places Light and darkenesse shéepe and woolues cānot agree togither And albeit our doctrine will not suffer vs to persecute papists yet their doctrine teacheth them to kill vs. And that is their continuall practise Finally this petition is most vnreasonable in respect of the petitioners themselues They will not grant or procure our brethren libertie in Spaine and Italy and yet they are so shamelesse to aske that which they will not grant vs or procure for vs otherwhere Againe they desire to liue vnder her Maiestie and yet they will not renounce her sworne enimie and his vsurped authoritie nor acknowledge her to bée lawfull Quéene although the pope do depose her Nay they giue her enimie power ouer her which by lawes of state is not sufferable Thirdly they haue héeretofore shewed themselues rebellious and factious How shoulde wée then secure our selues that they will behaue themselues more loyally héereafter Why shoulde wée thinke that they will do otherwise then the Irish rebels that haue shaken off her Maiesties gouernement They say they will behaue themselues peaciblie nay percase they will not sticke to sweare it But how shoulde wée beléeue either oathes or promises when they depend vpon the pope that will suffer them to kéepe neither I conclude therefore that to aske a toleration of the masse and of popish religiō is a matter impious vnsafe for her Maiestie and her people and most vnreasonable For it is contrarie to the a Exod. 20. Deut. 13. law of God that forbiddeth all idolatrie to the doctrine of Christ b Matth. 15. That excludeth all humane deuises in gods worship to the doctrine of the c Ephes 4. apostle that teacheth vs That there is but one Lord one faith and one baptisme to the practise of ancient Christians d Ioan. epist 2. That would not receiue those into their house or bid them god speede that brought not with them Christes true doctrine to the authoritie of fathers holy emperors and princes that by no meanes could endure any idolatrous worship or hereticall doctrine to the custome of the Romish synagogue and the traditions of the pope and his e Posseuini bibliotheca selecta lib. 1. c. 26. Iebusites and Cananites and finally to the lawes of the church and kingdome of England which without great consideration are not to be dissolued or suspended Neither can the same bée allowed by any good Christian or loyall subiect séeing it bringeth with it first an vncertaintie of faith and religion secondly a confusion in Gods worship thirdly a dissolution of ecclesiasticall gouernment discipline fourthly an ouerthrow of lawes and ciuill pollicie fiftly an entrance for seditious priests and Iesuites not tolerated euery where among the papists sixtly an easie meanes to practise against the prince and state seuenthly a coldnesse in religion eightly sedition trouble and rebellion Lastly the wrath of God and most spéedie destruction And that this is true the very f Ibidem aduersaries will not denie within the sphere of their actiuitie and in their owne gouernment Why then shoulde they looke for that at our hands which they will not yéeld vnto themselues Or with what face can they desire thinges so impious and vnlawfull First saith our aduersary Great princes and monarchies round about vs that had greater difficulties and differences then we haue He should haue said Monarkes and Neere vnto vs. For not monarchies but monarkes do treate of peace And the kings of France and Spaine dwell not round about vs but néere vnto vs. But we must beare with our great aduersary if talking of princes and states he forgot to vse fit wordes or make good sence Beside that he is much deceiued where he saith That they had greater differences difficulties in concluding of a peace then we haue For all ciuil causes may be compounded But no composition can be made with false religion or idolatry Againe kinges may agrée concerning temporall titles but we cannot agrée with the pope or his faction vnlesse we meane to forsake God and the true Christian faith Well let vs sée notwithstanding what These great princes and monarchies round about vs haue doone They haue saith hee concluded a most honourable peace and friendship And I will not deny but it may be so albeit diuers small accidentes may much alter the case But what maketh that for this purpose where it is debated whether the idolatrous masse is to be tolerated or any other course to be takē with English fugitiues and home-bred papistes If we might haue an honorable profitable and most assured peace it is the thing that we do much affect and desire neuer prosequuting warres but for our owne defence and safety But what is this peace héere spoken of to the toleration of seditious priests and Iesuites and such rebels and traytors Can wée haue no peace but by suffering of exiled and banished rebels and traytors to returne Why that is the extremest calamity that a ruined common wealth canne suffer Perditae ciuitates saith a Lib. 5. in Verrem Tully desperatis omnibus rebus hos solent exitus exitiales habere vt damnati in integrum restituantur vincti soluantur exules reducantur Againe we are not at warre with recusantes or papistes Why then should he talke of peace and friendship héere Therefore he telleth further How the French king is returned to the sea of Rome and that her Maiesty is courteously inuited to the same And is this the onely meanes of peace Sure then any warre is better then such a peace For if wée respect onely temporall matters yet to yéeld to a tyrant is the last and most extreme calamity that happeneth to a natiō vanquished and subdued and no prince can put himselfe vnder another but he giueth ouer his soueraignty Beside that suppose her Maiesty should yéeld to the pope which without indignation cannot be spoken nor yéelded vnto by any true English man how is she sure that she shall either reteine or recouer her crowne he hauing disabled her and dispossessed her of it Shall she begge a crowne at his handes Shall she do penance at his pleasure Will she abandon her selfe and her subiectes to such a base fellow Fye fye that any should be suffered once to motion such a shamefull and an abominable matter But if we respect religion truth and conscience we cannot submitte our selues vnto him we cannot acknowledge his authority we may not embrace his abominable doctrine and heresies whatsoeuer may ensue of it Hée is the head of antichristes kingdome and the synagogue of Rome is the purple whoore mentioned in the seuentéenth of the Reuelation
auncient Manuscript bookes which is also testified by Å¿ Parerg. lib. 5. c. 23. Alciat Secondly for that it is an old fashion for the popes of Rome to foyst in false canons false acts and false lawes for establishing their authoritie Thirdly for that it contayneth diuers points repugnant to the t L. cognoscere Cod. de sum Trinit fid cath epistle and law next precedent For here the emperour is made to signifie that now he first published this confession and sent it to be allowed or disallowed by Iohn bishop of Rome where it is notoriously apparent that he had published the same confession sent it to Epiphanius bishop of Constantinople a yéere before and diuers other churches as may appeere by the dates of both epistles and by his u L. cum saluatorem Cod. eod edicts sent to the Churches of Constantinople Ephesus Cesarea Trapezuntium Cyzicus Amida Apamea and others Fourthly this epistle doth here constitute the bishop of Rome head of the church wheras Ado of Vienna in his Chronicle and Iuo in his Chronicle and Platina in the life of Boniface the third do testifie that this title was first giuen to Boniface the third almost seuentie yéeres after Fiftly the same is confuted by Gregorie the first his epistles that alwaies disalloweth this vniuersall power in a bishop and condemneth him that would be accounted vniuersall bishop and acknowledgeth the Emperours power ouer him Sixtly this epistle is refuted by two imperiall constitutions l. 24. Cod. de sacrosanctis ecclesijs Et l. decernimus eod tit that giue superioritie to the church of Constantinople and make her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and call her matrem pietatis Christianorum orthodoxae religionis omnium Seuenthly it is also conâ—radicted by diuers other lawes of the emperour For here he promiseth that he will doe nothing in matters of religion but first he will make the bishop of Rome acquainted withall to haue his iudgement and yet after that of his absolute authoritie he made many ecclesiasticall lawes x Nouel 6.11 123. concerning the creation and consecration of Bishops the number of patriarkes and archbishops their iurisdictions and priuiledges y Nouel 3. concerning the remoouing of clerkes from one church to another and their ordination z Nouel 16. concerning supplying the number of the clergie concerning the a Nouel 5. mariage of clerkes and not marying of monkes b Nouel 5. 133. concerning monkes and nunnes c Nouel 58. concerning the holy communion d Nouel 137. concerning the forme of diuine seruice and diuers such like matters Nay he made lawes that bound the bishop of Rome aswell as other bishops as may euidently be gathered out of the Nouel constit 123. Iubemus saith he Archiepiscopes patriarchas veteris Romae Constantinopolis Alexandrâ—ae Theopolis c. And out of the seuenth Nouel constitution where it is by him ordained vt nulla ecclesia quae sub Romana est ditione sicentiam habeat alienandâ—res immobiles Finally there is a more flattering and vndecent forme of assentation vsed in this epistle then euer Iustinian vsed and here he termeth the bishop of Romes See Apostolicam sedem which stile is no lesse due to other churches and vseth a stile different from other his epistles Semper saith he nobis in voto fuit est vt decet honorare vt patrem vestram beatitudinem And againe petimus vestrum paternum affectum vt vestras ad nos destinetis literas And suscipit vestra sanctitas And afterward petimus vestram beatitudinem Dei nobis acquirere prouidentiam Properamus omnes sacerdotes orieÌ„tis vestrae subijcere sedi Properamus per omnia honorem crescere vestrae sedis Patriarcha Constantinopolitanus festinat in omnibus sequisedem apostolicam beatitudinis vestrae And in the ende Deitas te conseruet per multos annos sancte ac religiosistime pater Which stile as it is monkish and soppish so it is far from Iustinians veine And to thinke that Iustinian wrote in Gréeke to the Romain bishop is absurd albeit to colour the matter some hungrie Greeke hath translated this epistle out of Latine into Greeke To come néerer to matters of our times there is no christian kingdome but the popes haue forged writings to prooue the sâ—me either fâ—udatarie or tributarie to the Sée of Rome In the Å¿ Augustin Steuch de donat CoÌ„stant in registro Alexandr 3. register of Alexander the third chalenge is made to the kingdome of England Nouit prouidentia tua saith Alexander the third Anglorum regnum ex quo Christi nomen ibi glorificatum est sub apostolorum principis manu tutela extitisse t Vbi supra Augustine Steuchus doth also tell vs that there are instruments in the popes archiues to be exhibited to prooue the kingdomes of Aragon Croatia Dalmatia Denmarke Spaine Hungarie Poland Ruscia yea and the empire of Rome it selfe to be subiect to the Sée of Rome Bonifacius the eight u Nicolas Gillius Annal. Gal. writing to the king of France saith scire te volumus quod in spiritualibus temporalibus nobis subes Pius the fift to prooue his right to inuest Cosmus with the title of great Duke of Tuscane ex certa scientia saith x In vita Cosmi edit an 1569. apud Aldum Maâ—ut he maturáque deliberatione nostris ac de supremae nostrae apostolicae potestatis plenitudine tam dictorum praedecessorum quà m etiam Alexandri tertij Innocentij pariter tertij ac Pauli quarti similiter praedecessorum nostrorum qui Portugalliae ac Bulgarorum ac Blachorum necnon Hiberniae reges vt tunc Dux Bohemiae rex in suis literis nominari possit respectiuè crearunt constituerunt concesserunt c. whereby it appéereth that of certaine knowledge full deliberation he alleageth false instruments and is a most notorious falsarie and that for no lesse matters then for whole kingdomes 7. they haue with their martyrologies and impudent lying legends and false and forged traditions corrupted not onely the historie of the church but also a great part of their religion And to make these forgeries more pleasing they haue suborned and hired Caesar Baronius with his lying Annales to alledge proofes for them 8. they haue also set the babling Iesuites and their consorts on worke to iustifie all the corruptions of the Romish synagogue and to make good the popes decretales Whose writings who list to peruse he shall finde millions of falsifications as the writings of Fryer Bellarmine Gregorie de Valentia and Suares and their consorts of Harding Stapleton Allen and others doe testifie And this the treatises of diuers learned men daily set out against their falsifications and corruptions do plainely demonstrate The same also if fryer Parsons will continue his chalenge shall be iustified by infinit particulars Finally they haue neither left scriptures fathers councels stories old nor new writers
statute of Edward the third it is adiudged high treason To imagine the death of the prince or to stirre vp warre against her or to be adhaerent to her enimies But there is no one of these but is adherent to the pope the publike enimie of her Maiestie and this state all receiue authoritie and instructions from him and sticke not to defend his authoritie Most of them are his salaried schollers or agents Manie of them haue receiued stipends of the Spanish king and some were emploied in his nauie anno 1588. and sent against England All of them desired warres to be raised against England and some of them were agents to enduce the Spaniard to make warre vpon vs. That the pope is enimie to her Maiestie and this lande I thinke no man will make question séeing he séeketh to depriue her of the crowne raised the rebellion of the north and in Ireland and stirred vp the Spaniard to take armes against vs and himselfe armed ships and soldiers to fight against vs and sought in plaine termes to depose the prince and as they a In vita Pij 5. terme it L' abbattimento di quella reina That this is treason and a capitall crime by rules of state and lawes of all nations it is apparant by diuers arguments Maiestatis crimen est saith b l. Proximam ad l. Iul. Maiestatis Vlpian quod aduersus populum Rom. aut eius securitatem committitur And hee pronounceth them guiltie by whose procurement Either forreine enimies are stirred to take armes or seditious persons caused to rise or by whom any attempt is made against the prince or that shall c l. Lex vbi supra runne to the enimies or that shall sweare men to attempt against the prince or state or that shall d L. quisquis Cod. ad l. Iul. Maiest take on him a note of faction The same lawes are also practised both in France and Spaine other countries Alfonso the 9. king of Spaine in his first booke Del fuero real tit 2. by strict lawes prouideth for the safetie of the prince And most strāge it were séeing lawes prouide for the securitie of particulars that the law shoulde not take holde of those that practise against the whole state If then these yoong men had béene of such wit and learning and other good parts as this fellow pretendeth they woulde neuer haue suffred themselues to be drawne into a faction against their prince and countrie and others héereafter if they be wise wil take héed how they abuse the princes clemencie In Ireland sufferance and impunitie of such fellowes hath wrought euill effects He that is not blinde may also sée what they entend in England and if he be wise will not suffer such vipers to gnaw their mothers bowels So then it appéereth that no great incommoditie but rather great blessings haue hapned to this lande by the abolishing of poperie and superstition But suppose some temporall discommodities had ensued of this abolition of the masse and of restoring of christian religion yet most absurd it were for temporall commodities to forsake our christian profession He that taketh not vp his crosse and followeth me saith our sauiour e Matt. 10. Christ is not woorthy to be my disciple and not onely externall temporall commodities but our kindred and néerest bloud is to be forsaken for Christes sake He that loueth father or mother more then me is not woorthy of me a Ibidem saith our sauiour b Daniel 3. Sidrac Misach and Abednago chose rather to be throwne into the fierie furnace then to worship an idoll And shall we for any presupposed feares forsake our God and his truth and fall downe before idoles and yéelde our selues slaues to Antichrist a glorious thing it is to attaine wealth and honour in this world and to be made generals and heads of societies of friers and monkes and to be made cardinals but what shall it auaile a man to winne the whole world if he loose his soule Whatsoeuer therefore may happen let vs cleaue to the truth of Christ Iesus and hold on our profession vnto the end No man is crowned but that striueth vntill he haue obtained victorie If wée loose goods landes wife children father or mother or friend God can restore them to vs againe Nay if wée die in this quarrell God can giue vnto vs a farre better life Wherefore then should we doubt or feare Suppose I say the woorst yet haue we no cause to doubt But if we will rightly consider the present state of things we shall finde that wée haue great cause to reioice and hope the best Our cause is iust and honest For we stande for our religion our prince our countrey our reputation our wiues our children friends and whatsoeuer else is deere to vs. Neuer had this countrey more men nor better meanes either to defend or offend The cause is not ours alone but of manie others The enimie neuer was weaker then at this instant Onely this wanteth that we deale boldly and resolutely in so honest and godly a cause and neither feare the vaine brags of forreine enimies nor trust the smooth gloses of trecherous friers popish priests and rinegued English Now her Maiestie is surely possessed of the crowne and so well beloued of her subiects as shée can desire Take away the practising priests and malcontent traitors and at home shée hath no cause of feare In time past the popes of Rome had a strong faction within the land and diuided halfe of the regall authoritie with the prince The clergie and people for the most part were his vassals The countrey paide a great tribute to him The treasure of the lande was caried out at his pleasure Many ranne to him both for preferments and iustice now all this vsurped power is abolished and the people wholy dependeth next vnder God on the prince so that her authoritie and force now is farre greater then in time past Shée wanteth neither men nor ships nor ordinance nor munitions of warre If then her Maiestie would be pleased to make an establishment for the warres and seriously to consider how to resist these that now séeke her hurt and the destruction of her people we shoulde soone cause such rinegued enimies of the countrey to change the note of their song concerning dangers and feares and force forreine enimies to thinke more howe to defende themselues then to offende and offer violence to others Such is the state of our countrey and such are our meanes Great cause therefore haue we to giue God thanks that hath bestowed vpon vs so many spirituall and temporall graces And if we do not vse them to his glorie in exterminating the wicked reliques of Antichristianitie and defending that truth which we professe we shall shew our selues vnwoorthie of both and hazard that which now we quietly possesse CHAP. II. That the papists as they are charged by sir Francis Hastings do hold diuers
any thing they accompt it no better then sacrilege to dispute of his dooing and b C. si papa dist 40. holde that if hée shoulde leade multitudes of soules to hell yet no man must say to him Domine cur ita facis that is Sir why do you so So generally the papists doe beléeue the pope and obey his commandements Which obedience and beléefe no man commendeth but those that embrace all his heresies and are readie to execute his treasons For although wée are to obey our superiors and that not for feare but for conscience sake and ought to harken to our pastors yet this is nothing to the pope that is not our superior nor a true pastour but a woolfe a hireling and antichrist or as some terme him The head of antichristes kingdome Beside that wée are not to beléeue euery thing that our pastors teach but as c Matth. 28. farre as they teach the doctrine of Christ Iesus Nor are wée absolutely to obey but when they command according to lawe O thrise vnhappie they that take these woolues for true pastors and beléeue their heresies and treasons to be true faith and obedience Finally it is most true that the papists when they haue committed most abominable offences and liued in all filthinesse are notwithstanding taught that the pope hath power to pardon them and absolue them Bellarmine d Lib. 1. de indulgent c. 10. faith That indulgences are profitable for all manner of persons and highly he extolleth the Iubiley and generall indulgences granted by the pope And for this cause many sillie soules with labour charge and danger trauell to Rome and all with great hope to haue their sinnes pardoned This therefore is no calumniation nor forgerie nor iugling tricke as this ingling companion telleth vs who himselfe hath many yéeres wandred vp and downe in forreine lands like the Egyptians or Cingari and hath in his time plaied many tricks of legierdemayne thinketh by his hopping skipping other apish trickes that he can make flesh and blood of a péece of bread and therefore imagineth others to bée like himselfe But saith hée The indulgence is not auaileable to remooue mortall sinnes but onely to take away the punishment either in this life or in the life to come And so the schoolemen commonly dispute But what is that to the purpose when the common people beléeueth otherwise and when in the indulgences they vse not so to distinguish Nay in the taxe of the popes indulgences it appéereth that for money they dispense with all sin For money they pardon Murder of children of men of women of wiues of neere kinred fornication adulterie incest and all vnnaturall abominations As for all irregularities they make small difficultie Nay they giue licence for Iewes to builde synagogues where Christ is blasphemed and pardon those that fall into Iudaisme and Turcisme Pro licentia erigendi de nouo publicam synagogam say a Taxa poenitent they taxa est Turon 60. ducat 15. Againe Marrania in amplissima forma componitur pro clerico Turon 15. ducat 15. pro laico Turon 4. ducat 10. So those that will not suffer Christians to liue and to breath giue priuileges and pardons to Iewes and dispense with apostataes maranoes and rinegued Turkes Neither do they distinguish so subtilly as our wise aduersarie woulde haue them Nor doe the papists respect more then that they may haue plenarie indulgence vnder seale But suppose that the pope shoulde onely take on him to remit the temporall punishment of mortall sinnes and to forgiue veniall sinnes yet that is contrarie to Christes doctrine to the apostles practise to the ancient orders of the bishops of Rome and of the catholike church and maketh carnall men more licentious in sinning when the penaltie is so easily redéemed and spoileth many poore Christians that giue al rather then they will endure the supposed extreme torments of purgatorie O miserable and simple papists that suffer your selues to be so deluded take paines trauaile far and powre out your money and all to get nothing but vaine wordes and bare lead and paper without any profite He telleth vs further That the popes pardons differ from absolution of priests by the keyes And therein taketh some paines to relate the schoolemens opinion as if it were materiall what such doting diuines and iangling friers do babble without all ground of scripture or allowance of fathers This is certaine that both the pope himselfe and all other priests do challenge their authority by one commission and by vertue of the keyes How then commeth it to passe that the popes power and authority is so ample and large and other inferior priestes so straite and restreintife both béeing ioyned in one patent héere the Noddy will be intricated if he shape not a better answere then any is héere declared Hée standeth also vpon this a P. 26. That it is not more capitall to transgresse the ordinances of the pope then to transgresse the lawes of God But what can impudent denialls auaile when the shamefull practise of the Romishe synagogue declareth the contrary doth not the whole faction hould that the popes lawes bind in conscience and is it not apparent that murders adulteries vnnaturall abominations yea Paganisme Iudaisme Turcisme and all atheismes are pardoned where such Christians as eate flesh on fasting daies and refuse to worship idoles and to fulfill other the popes lawes are declared a C. ad abolendam de haeretiâ—iâ— heretikes and burnt without remission Finally he saith It is a hard matter to frame his aduersaries ould head to vnderstand the depth of their catholicke religion Which I do beléeue séeing there is no bottome of their turning deuises But if he were wise he would rather séeke to defend himselfe then to teach his aduersaries We desire not to learne of any such ignorant masters He and his consortes flye to our Lady to Saintes to Angels to stockes and stones to rotten reliques to the pope and his pardons and trust by scourging themselues and by eating salt fish and playing vpon holy daies to be saued and this they learne out of the popes decretales Our onely hope is in Christ and his merits and all the doctrine of saluation we beléeue is contained in holy scriptures as not onely our Bishops and priestes but also all auncient bishops and fathers of the church haue taught vs. CHAP. III. That the Pope and his adhaerents both elsewhere abroad and also heere at home are most dangerous and malicious enimies to her Maiestie and this state and so haue alwaies declared themselues to be IF this aduersarie of ours had either bin a good Orator or a wise proctor he woulde haue taken great heed how he had touched any matter that béeing opened might haue hurt his Clientes cause especially where his aduersarie doth not greatly vrge him But what should we looke for better handling of so foule a cause sir Francis Hastings ayming at other matters
and therefore most woorthie to bée abolished and anathematized It is false also That the pope was by vs made a matter of scorne or that this proposition viz. That the pope is antichrist and such like are matters ridiculous For such propositions we take to be most true and dare alwaies maintaine them against more valiant disputers then this Noddy euer will be And therefore we do not thinke the pope a man to bée scorned but a tyrant to bée seriously shunned and abhorred of all christians Let this then make the eight lie This is also a lie most palpable and grosse That other princes fearing harme that might ensue of the alteration of religion in England complained heereof to the pope and that hee proceeded against the Queene vpon their complaints and instance Let him if hée can shew these pretended complaints If hée cannot shewe them let him at the least prooue them by some witnesse or record If not then do I not doubt but hée will prooue himselfe a vaine iangler Which appéereth also by this that Sanders a Lib. 3. de schism saith The pope proceeded at the instance of English prelates that referred the matter to him Beside that the pope is not so dull in working mischiefe that hée néedeth the solicitation of others to stirre him Nay it is cléere that pope Pius b Vita di Pio quinto stirred vp both Philip of Spaine and the French men against vs. And the like industrie did Paul the third vse in stirring vp warres and rebellions against Henrie the eight king of England and drawing troubles vpon the princes of Germanie No man therefore hencefoorth can iustly doubt but that all those practises which haue béene lately made against her Maiestie haue procéeded principally from the popes malice and rancor against true religion and the professors thereof and next from the malcontentment and trecherie of papists and their agents These are the two fountaines from whence all our warres rebellions treasons attempts to murder and poison princes and other great persons and other such like vilanous practises against the state haue flowed Now least any scruple might remaine in mens mindes hée endeuoureth to shewe how farre the excommunication of Pius quintus toucheth the papists in England and saith that They are not to discusse the question betwixt the Queene and the pope but to loue the one and the other But this resolutiō is so vnsufficient that it doth rather encrease then diminish our doubt For how can any good subiect loue him that seeketh the destruction of his prince How can a man serue not two masters but two masters so contrarie and adhere to a religious Quéene if hée bée a vassall to antichrist Beside this séeing papists make the pope the souereigne iudge of these matters what a ridiculous conceit is it to thinke that a papist can iudge otherwise then the pope iudgeth or sentenceth His reasons also are such as can satisfie none of any meane vnderstanding First saith hée This excommunication is an act of iurisdiction betwixt two superiors As if it were not méere foolerie to say that iurisdiction can bée exercised betwixt superiors or betwéene equals And if papists grant that the pope is superior to the Quéene then must they adhere to him and forsake her Which no doubt they will do and must doe if order bée not taken with them Besides wée deny that this excommunication is an act of iurisdiction or iustice Nay the worlde séeth it is a méere act of vilany and presumptuous tyrannie for a ribald like companion and a lousie frier to attempt to depose a prince and a most notorious foolerie to imagine that the popes of Rome who haue no right in that which they iniuriously possesse haue power to take away the right which belongeth to others Secondly hée saith That vpon the popes excommunication against a prince the subiects consent was neuer asked nor admitted Why then doth the pope excommunicate all those that after his excommunication adhere to her Maiestie Are not his a In bulla Pij ◠aduers Eliz. wordes plaine Howbeit I confesse that if rightly we will estéeme of matters the popes excommunication is no excommunication he being an vsurper and no iudge in this case And therefore all true subiects are to account of his excommunication as of a denuntiation of his malice and an argument of his shamefull dealing against Christian princes contrarie to all precedents of antiquitie and to estéeme them all not onely slaues of Antichrist but enimies of the estate that shall not plainly condemne it as wicked and vnlawfull But if the excommunication shoulde bée lawfull yet are Christians to know it and allow it for that it bindeth not before it bée published and allowed Thirdly he saith It is no new thing for popes to excommunicate princes And that the subiect is not to be troubled for his old receiued beleefe about the popes authoritie But hée is much deceiued in things new or old In faith and beléefe all is new that is not taught by Christ and his apostles Wherefore vnlesse hée can shewe this authoritie to be giuen from Christ hée must néedes confesse the Romish faith therein to be new Nay hée cannot shew that the popes either claimed or practised any such power as to excommunicate and depose princes before Gregory the seuenth that was therefore rightly called Hell-brand or the firebrand of the diuell to set discord betwixt Christian princes to the weakening and vtter ouerthrow of Christendome and enlarging of the Turkish empire Otho Frisingensis and Trithemius and hée that wrote the life of Henry the fourth emperour do all testifie that hee was the first that attempted to excommunicate princes and that at the first his excommunications were little regarded Fourthly hée telleth vs that The subiect is not to discusse whether the pope had iust cause to excommunicate the prince which altogither ouerthroweth his clients the papists cause declareth them to be vtter enimies to the prince excommunicate For if they may not discusse the popes procéeding but to beléeue that in his iudicial sentences hée cannot erre especially in matters of faith then must they of force beléeue that the pope hath done well to excommunicate their Queene and must aide him to execute it without further enquirie which teacheth vs without further enquirie also that all papists that allow the popes authoritie in excommunicating the Quéene are enimies if they bée forreiners and traitors if they be subiects Lastly he referreth his clients the papists of England to consider what the papists of France did of late when their kings were excommunicate and to English that liued in king Iohns time Which plainly argueth that though hée woulde haue them looke smoothly for the time yet when occasion serueth hée closely signifieth that they ought to rebell against their princes For so did they of the league in France and so did the subiects héere in England against king Iohn And generally all papists are bound
abhorred Thirdly he telleth vs and that in very tragicall termes Of armies campes battailes insurrections desolations caused in Germanie France Flanders she practise of the world he was thought not vnworthy to be emploied in publike causes His body was mishapen especially his toes féete which declared that he was ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 genere that is of the kinde of crooked clawed beastes but that was couered with his gowne and slippers His first step out of the vniuersity was into the Cardinals house where he learned the Cardinals pride and vanity His first employment was in the negotiation at Rome about the kinges mariage with the Lady Anne Bollen who sent him thither together with Edward Fox to solicite her cause For his wit and experience he was thought fit to be employed and specially named by the Quéene but his false and treacherous dealing in that cause did much hinder the kinges procéeding as afterward did manifestly appeare Notwithstanding because the Quéene thought he had taken paines and dealt faithfully with her she was the cause that he was nominated by the king and so preferred to be bishop of Winchester The which that he might seeme to deserue he did publikely defend the kinges supreme authority against the pope and by an oath whereof there is yet a publike act remayning he forswore and abiured the pope afterward taking the opportunity of the kinges humor he wrought an alienation of the kinges minde from the Quéene and neuer ceased vntill he brought that innocent Lady vnto her end and not content herewith he was a speciall instrument of that act of parliament that was made against her mariage and her issue Thus this viper rewarded that good Quéene by whome he was aduanced Nourish vp dogs and they will bite saue the life of a serpent and he will sting Now hitherto Gardiner in outward shew was a great oppugner of the popes authority but whether vpon hope of greater preferment by the pope or displeasure to some about the king afterward he began to harken to the pope Béeing sent with Sir Henry Kniuet to Ratisbone to a certaine diet holden by the Emperor there he was discouered to haue made a packe with Cardinall Contarene and from thence wrote letters to the pope Which the king tooke so offensiuely that in all pardons commonly granted in parliaments he excepted treasons done beyond the seas meaning no doubt this treason of Winchester Returning home now reconciled to the pope he proued a great persecutor of true christians He was the chéefe moouer of the king to set out the act of six articles which was the occasion of so many innocents death and in execution thereof this wolfe was alwaies most forward as contrarywise if the king was aduised to reforme any abuse he was alwaies most backeward In the latter time of the king he was so out of his fauour that he came not in his presence And where beforetime he was made one of the tutors to young king Edward and an ouerséer of king Henries will he was quite dashed out and by no meanes could bée admitted again either to his place in the kings fauour or in his will Which procéeded as may probablie bée coniectured for that hée was the cause of Quéene Annes death which the king toward his latter ende so much repented In the beginning of king Edwards daies hée hindred the iourney into Scotland and whatsoeuer might make for the honor of the yoong king as appéereth by his letters to the Lord Protector And yet in open termes acknowledged the kings supremacie and once more a The acts are extant denied the pope But vpon the Protectors death the man séeing a storme comming did obstinately resist the kinges procéedings and so was woorthily depriued of his bishopricke and committed to prison But béeing deliuered from thence by Quéene Marie hée raged against the flocke of Christ like a woolfe famished and long restrained And as before hée had caused Quéene Anne to loose her life so hée sought to bring the ladie Elizabeth her daughter to destruction Hée was the onely instrument to examine and entrap the innocent ladie and by diuers meanes sought to suborne false witnesses to accuse her as an abbettor of Wyats insurrection And so farre hée preuailed as a warrant was brought to Master Bridges then lieutenant of the tower for her execution Thus had the hope of her happie gouernment béene cut off if God had not stirred vp the lieutenant to make staie of executiō vntill the Quéenes pleasure was further knowne Hée was also the onely man that prosecuted bishop Ridley and bishop Latimer to death insomuch that expecting newes from Oxford of their execution hée woulde not dine before hée had heard that fire was set to them But sée Gods iudgements vpon the cruell tyrant euen that selfe same dinner in the midst of his meriment God so strooke him that hée was carried from the table to his bed and neuer rose vntill hée died So hée raged while hée liued and raued when hée died His actions in his life time were odious his body dying did stinke so odiously that his seruants could not endure it He woulde not suffer the holy martyrs to speake at their death and therefore God stroke him so in his toong with swelling that sometime before his death he was not able to vtter one word and this was the life and death of this monster Of other qualities I will not speake One of his men set out a treatise against the mariage of ministers wherein it seemeth his finger was But much more honestie it had béene for him to haue beene maried Hee wrote diuers things but hée wrote not onely contrary to himselfe but also both to papists and protestants which his workes now extant do shew refuting notoriously the vaine brags which our aduersarie maketh of his learning William Allen was borne I know not where but he was brought vp in the vniuersity of Oxford from whence either discontented with the present gouernmēt or else induced with hope of better preferment otherwhere he fled into the low countries and there became a reader of the popes broken diuinity Afterward beeing nouzled among rebels and traytors he began to teach positions of rebellion and treason to his countrymen that came ouer and so instructed them that diuers of his scholers prooued maisters in wilfull disobedience and treason against their prince and country himselfe a Jn his answere ad per seq Aug. c. 5. saith That it is not onely lawfull but glorious for subiectes to take armes against princes that will not admit popish religion He alloweth and commendeth not onelie the rebellion in England but also in Ireland that was raysed for that cause Neither should it séeme that any practise was made against her Maiestie by the papists but he eyther was a plotter of it or had vnderstanding of it When her Maiestie sent aide to the distressed people of the low countries he by his pestilent
woulde accuse her What likelyhood is there then if he sought witnesses against the lady and that most gréedily that he should conceale an euidence béeing happily found especially such a one as might reueale hidden mysteries Thus our aduersary groundeth his defence vpon vntruthes Besides that he rayseth his building vpon thinges very impertinent and which make little for Gardiners credite He saith He entreated for the life of the Lord Sturton the Lady Smith and the Duke of Northumberland As if Phalaris and Dionysius and the most bloudy and cruell tyrantes that euer yet liued did not spare some offenders to whome they bore affection euen wolues agrée with wolues and serpents do not sting one another If then Gardiner fauoured malefactors whoores and rebels and such like and without remission prosecuted true Christians it is apparent that he was extreamely cruell and that his cruelty was extended against the best men Sure if this discourser had béene wise he would not haue mentioned the Lord Sturton or the Lady Smith séeing no man béeing such as Gardiner was could with any honour speake for them the one hauing committed a most execrable murder vpon Harguil the other hauing killed her owne husband No doubt she was an honest woman that Winchester would speake for He saith that The Lady Elizabeth was then an obiect of loue and compashion rather then of enuy and hatred The which doth argue Gardiners extreame cruelty that had no remorse of conscience to shed so innocent a Ladies bloud forgetting all naturall pitty and compassion that was due to a woman of her yeeres and quality and in that case Where sir Francis saith That recusants cānot professe more loyaltie and loue to Queene Elizabeth and to the state then Gardiner did to king Henry and his sonne king Edward to the state then and yet in the daies of Queene Marie betraied the Queene and realme into the popes and Spaniards hands pulling off his vizor of loue and loyaltie and shewing himselfe in his naturall likenesse and qualities The wise N. D. taketh exceptions to his sayings and telleth him that either hée is ignorant of matters then passed or else willingly telleth vntruthes and so hée entreth into a long discourse concerning Gardiners fall as he calleth it and the matching of Quéene Mary with king Philip the comming in of the Spaniards excusing Gardiner for writing against the pope and flatly denying that hée consented to match the Quéene with the prince of Spaine but first this talke of Recusants is impertinent in this place and argueth nothing else but that this point charged vpon Recusants is a bone too hard for him to gnaw and a matter which had bin better concealed then mentioned in this place declaring plainly what we are to expect at their hands if time serue Secondly it is most false that either Gardiner did then fal or commit a fault when hée stoode for the princes supremacie against the pope or else that hée condemned his dooing therein during king Henries daies Nay when his Secretary Germaine Gardiner was executed he had like himselfe to haue passed the same way had he not confessed his fault to the king and desired pardon with promise of amendement Likewise in king Edwards daies being examined first Whether hee did not beleeue that the king was iustly and ought to bee the head of the church of England and of the synode or conuocation and secondly Whether hee had not authority to make ecclesiasticall lawes for church gouernment hée answered to both affirmatiuely Which sheweth that this Noddy was ignorant of matters of those times and not his aduersarie But if i◠writing against the pope he did euill sure in nothing did he well For this was the onely act for which he deserued commendation To write for the pope or to acknowledge the popes authoritie is nothing else but vnnaturally to subiect this countrey to a stranger and to acknowledge the vsurped power of a tyrant that is vndoubtedlie Antichrist In this place also the Noddy heapeth vp other lyes vpon the backe of the first adding lies to lies Hée saith That Gardiner was one of the chiefe of sixteene Counsellers that were appointed by king Henries testament and earnest charge of mouth at his last howre to gouerne his sonne and realme and that the king earnestly gaue charge that no alteration of religion shoulde be made during his sonnes minoritie But neither was hée one of the chiefe nor any gouernour at all For the king long before his death had dashed him out of his will as a turbulent fellow and not woorthy to haue such a charge committed vnto him Neither would he be induced at sir Anthony Brownes request to admit him againe to that place Secondly this Gardener was neither present when the king died nor many daies before being commanded out of his sight Thirdly it is most notorious that the king dealt most earnestly with Annibault the French kings ambassadour a little before his death to perswade his king to establish a reformation of religion in France And therefore this tale of forbidding alteration is a méere fiction Whatsoeuer the king commanded that certes was to Gardener vnknowne being forbidden the kings presence Fourthly how absurd is it to thinke that Gardiner durst plead the popes right to the king when for this onely suspition that he enclined to the pope hée had no doubt béene called in question had hée not submitted himselfe to the kings mercy That hée did so is a most shamelesse lie as also that hée denied the Kings supremacie in his sermon preached before king Edward which this Noddy affirmeth contrary to all truth And therefore doth farre better deserue the title of Steelebrow then his aduersary sure if he had not béene both stéelebrowed and béetilbrowed yea and béetilheaded hée woulde neuer haue béene so bolde in affirming so many vntruthes without grounde or witnesse nay contrarie to all record of storie and testification of witnesses Thirdly it is most true That Gardiner was a principall actor in matching Queene Mary with Philip of Spaine which our aduersarie denieth and most false that the Counsell was deuided about this matter some fauoring the earle of Deuonshire others the prince of Spaine which he affirmeth That is prooued for that hée wrote and receiued letters from Charles the emperour to this purpose and also in that he was a chiefe dealer about the articles agréed vpon at the time of the mariage and last of all for that the prince of Spaine came first to Winchester and was maried by the bishop as a man specially fauoring that match The second point is prooued first by the testimonie of a Lib. 2. de schism Sanders that saith that all the counsel liked this match in regard of bringing back the church of England to the church of Rome And secondly for that the Quéene made choice of the earle of Deuonshire herselfe and such was her affection that shée had maried him but that all her Counsell resisted it
sparing their holy God of the altar Deteriores sunt Iuda saith Christ in Saint a Onus ecclesiae c. 23. Brigits reuelations qui pro solis denarijsme vendidit illi autem pro omni mercimonio She speaketh of priests that trucke and barter masses for all manner of commodities yea to whoores for a nights lodging With the Angelicks they worship angels with the Staurolatrians they worship the crosse crucifixe giuing to the same diuine worship With the Collyridians they worship the virgin Marie With the Manichees they bring in halfe communions or communion in one kinde With the Carpocratians and Simonians and heathen idolaters they fall downe and offer incense and worship dumbe images With the Pelagians they beléeue merits and iustification by workes And almost out of euery heresie haue taken a peece as hath béene lately they say iustified against Giffords treatise intituled Caluinoturcismus Well therefore may it be saide that popish doctrine is full of poison and vnaduised was our aduersarie to charge vs with heresie or to mention any such matter séeing the blame must needes redounde vpon himselfe and vpon his consorts of the Romish synagogue Secondly he telleth vs That ecclesiasticall supremacy ouer all Christian nations is proper and essentiall to the popes office and that to his apostolicall authority is annexed the office of preaching But that should more properly and substantially haue béene prooued This beeing graunted doth shew that the pope doth faile in his apostolicall or rather apostaticall office For if preaching and féeding Christes flocke belong to the popes office why doth he not preach Why doth he not féede Nay why doth he famish Christes flocke by murdering all true preachers that come within his danger He answereth that The pope is obliged to preach by himselfe or by others But Saint Peter a farre greater apostle and greater man in apostolicall gouernment then the pope preached by himselfe and put not ouer his charge as the pope doth to Iesuites and Friers that preach more heresie and sedition then true doctrine The old bishops of Rome also which were honester men then these late popes put not ouer their charge but preached themselues and in their owne person executed all bishoplie functions Yea and saint Paule telleth vs that the office of a bishop is a good worke and not as the popish bishops make it a naked bare title To conclude this is also the iudgement of a In 1. Tim. 3. Ambrose Chrysostome Theodoret and all that write on the third of the first to Timothie from whence our authoritie is drawne He procéedeth notwithstanding further and professeth openly That when the pope leaueth his supremacy and embraceth that religion that is preached in England he ceaseth to be pope Which I do in part also confesse to be most true For antichrist shall in the church of God exalt himselfe and clayme not onely supreme but also diuine power He shall also defend manifold heresies and abhorre all true doctrine that may concerne his supreme title And if he should not so do he should not shew himselfe to be antichrist Herein therefore the Iesuites and he may be conioyned and march together hand in hand For all of them haue shut their eies and hardened their hartes against Christes true doctrine although it be to their shame in this life among all godly Christians and if they repent not shall be to their euerlasting confusion in the life to come Yet this hard faced Sycophant sticketh not to glory in his shame and to reioice that the pope and his children the Iesuites are matched togither At the length our aduersarie hauing highly extolled the father of heretikes and traitors the pope he descendeth to discourse of the popes darlinges begotten by him now in his declining state and decrepit age the Iesuites and saith They haue many enimies A matter true and by vs confessed and by them well deserued being a sect new vpstart and openly professing obedience to antichrist and enmitie to Apostolike and true catholike religion a societie conspiring mischiefe against al such as they hate practising diuision in priuate houses sedition and trouble in common-wealthes treason against godly princes and leauing the markes of their abominations and wicked actions behinde them wheresoeuer they come A generation stirred vp by Sathan to disturbe the peace of Christendome and to scourge all those that are not thankefull for the reformation of Gods church nor studious in seaâ—ching the truth nor zealous in rooting out of heresies and planting true religion What maruell then if they haue many enimies among those especially that beare good mindes either to true religion or to the state where they liue As for the example of Christian religion and of the first Christians and Christes disciples the holy apostles which were euery where spoken against and persecuted which the discourser our party pretendeth and alleageth to iustifie the generall opposition of al sorts of men against the Iesuits it fitteth his purpose nothing The example likewise of godly men that are often put to their trials is excéedingly euil applied to this sect of vngodly fellowes most absurdly doth he compare these Antijesuites to Christ Iesus that was as it were a marke set vp to be contradicted and was hated and persecuted of those that were of most eminent authoritie among his nation borrowing as it shoulde séeme a péece of some olde declamation vttered in the college of Iesuites or else where in praise of this sect and thrusting it in héere His defence I say is absurd and his comparisons most odious First Christ Iesus that I may beginne with him that is the beginning and fountaine of all spirituall graces and whom these Antijesuites do seeme in some things to counterfait and yet in most things oppugne came from God and did teach no doctrine but which he had receiued from his father humane traditions and pharisaicall boasting of workes of the law he disallowed and condemned These Antijesuites that I say no worse of them come from the pope and teach his decretalles and doctrine grounding themselues vpon mens traditions and vainely bragging of their owne merits and workes Christ Iesus loued his owne and was beloued of his owne These vsurpers of the name of Iesus loue none but theÌ„selues and were charged by their owne friends and were accused of heresie schisme and many grieuous crimes as witnesseth Ribadineira that wrote the legend of his father Ignatius Our sauiour â—or determining controuersies and finding out the truth sent vs to the law and the prophets these destroyers of soules send vs to the pope and his tribunall and most vaine decretalles Iesus Christ though Lord of heauen and earth taught obedience to Caesar and earthly princes these fellowes albeit neither lordes nor princes yet teach disobedience to princes and dissolue the bond of obedience that tyeth subiectes to their superiors Christ Iesus was the true shepheard and sought the saluation of his flocke and albeit iniuriously apprehended and
ecclesiasticall gouernment he meane power to direct cōmand in externall matters and to cause euery ecclesiastical person to do his function and to sée the church euery part thereof well ordred and abuses reformed it is most apparent that such gouernment appertaineth to princes and euer did both before Christs time and after and that no pope of Rome did euer meddle with any such matters before Gregorie the seuenth or Gregorie the ninth his time as before hath béene declared and shall against stronger aduersaries then this séely Noddy bée iustified Lastly they were no heretikes that giue to the prince this authoritie but those rather that giue power to popes to depose princes and discharge their subiects from their othes of allegiance as Sigebertus Gemblacensis speaking of the trecherous dealing of Gregorie the seuenth against Henry the fourth in expresse terms affirmeth and the Synode at Brixina assembled against Gregorie the seuenth determineth And thus wée see that this Noddy contrary to his intention hath intricated himselfe and his clients the Recusants in this cause Before this many men woulde haue thought that hee and his friendes the Recusants had béene of a better mind to her Maiestie and this state But now all the worlde may sée their whole purpose and intention verified by their owne masters doctrine and authoritie They serue the prince but not with hartie affection nor in all causes nor against euerie enimie They yéeld her no authoritie in ecclesiasticall causes nay they giue it cléere away to the pope Finally they make her subiect not onely to the popes excommunication but also to his sentence concerning her crowne and kingdome So it appéereth by their owne confession that they are but sory subiects and when the pope hath once gotten a side héere apparent enimies The same doth also appéere by their rebellions and practises against her Maiestie and the state and by their infamous libels set out by the pope by Sanders Allen Ribaldineira Rishton and diuers traytors which the Recusantes either approoue or do not disallow and lastly by the generall hatred that papists beare both against true religion and also against all that maintaine it or professe it Wherefore albeit I do not wish the punishments of papists aggrauated yet I say it is great weaknesse in vs either to suffer their insolency or not to secure our selues against their hatred and tyrannie But I need not vse many words to stir vp the magistrates to vigilancie They see these things and I doubt not will take a course not still to suffer their right to bée disputed or their actions disgraced and slandered and euery true patriot I hope I will concurre with their prince and not suffer the bowels of their countrey any longer by these vipers to bée gnawed The trecherous intention of this our aduersarie I haue opened so that I hope the quieter sort of Recusantes will not much trust him his malice against true religion is euery where apparent so that I trust honest men will héereafter learne to detest him and to prouide more carefullie against him and his consorts And so I dismisse him for this turne as a false traytor you may looke to his procéedings if you please as a false teacher CHAP. VII Of the pope of Rome and his vsurped authoritie and of N. D. his seuenth encountre IN the beginning of this seuenth encountre our aduersarie swelleth verie bigge and degorgeth very great words against sir Francis charging him With immodest rayling and calumniation and saying that he hath ouerlauished to the iniurie and slander of forreine potentates and nations abroad vsed opprobrious speeches against the sacred honors of annointed princes and the greatest monarkes of Christendome A man that readeth his loftie praeludium woulde haue imagined that some great matter had béene out of ioint that made him leape into this rage But when I saw that all this furie grew vpon some wordes vttred partly against the pope of Rome that is neither lawfull prince nor potentate nor honest man but onely a greasie priest or frier if so much and partly against the Spaniard who to serue the popes pleasure without desert of ours is become our enimie then I perceiued it was nothing else but a loftie tricke of iacke an apes that for feare of the whip leaped out of his little patience To storme against vs for defending our selues against the publike enimies of religion of the state of her Maiestie of our nation hée had no reason but that hée woulde shew himselfe enimie of religion the state Quéene and countrey Certes if hée had not declared himselfe an open enimie hée woulde neuer haue pleaded for publike enimies nor béene so much offended with those that speake in defence of his prince and countrey But let vs heare what slander it is that our accuser laieth to our charge First it gréeueth him excéedingly to heare that the pope should be called The man of sinne and that Antichrist of whom the apostle 2. Thes 2 speaketh And some reason he hath in regard of his owne particular to be offended For if the pope be Antichrist then is our aduersary a marked slaue of Antichrist a false prophet and an instrument of satan But how heinously the matter is taken it is not greatly materiall that the pope is very Antichrist we make no question neither should any doubt if they would well consider his procéedings For first the name of Antichrist importeth that taking the authority and place of Christ he should notwithstanding set him selfe against Christ Secondly the office of Antichrist is to set himselfe against Christ his kingdome Thirdly he shall excell in pride and arrogancy and take to himselfe diuine honors Fourthly notwithstanding his pretence of holinesse yet shall he excell in all impiety and wickednesse Fiftly he shall haue a face of brasse and pretend vnderstanding of all doubtes of religion Sixtly he shall appeare vpon the decay of the Romayne empire Seuenthly he shall rise out of the ruines of that state 8. Hée shall cause a great apostacie from the Christian faith and in his raigne there shall bee a generall corruption of mens manners 9. Although his kingdome shall be opposite to Christes kingdome yet shall he sit in Gods church and take on him the authority of the church 10. The seate of his empire shal be in Rome 11. His kingdome is represented by the purple whoore Apocalip 17. and by Babylon Apocalip 18. 12. Antichrist his impietie shall bée hidden and mysticall 13. Hée shall most gréeuously afflicte Christ his church 14. He shall rule in mens consciences 15. He shall make merchandise of mens soules 16. Hée shall bee like a lambe and yet speake like the Dragon 17. Hée shall take to himselfe the power of the Romayne Empire 18. Hée shall bring in a newe forme of Religion 19. Hée shall bée an authour and cause of many impieties and great corruption in manners 20. Hée shall in effect denie Christ Iesus 21. Hée shall pretend
Fourthly after the decay of the Romaine empire for a while Christian religion began to flourish in Rome and that citie of a wicked citie became the church of God But after the desolation of Babylon or new Rome it shall be made The habitation of diuels and the hold of all foule spirits and a cage of vncleane and hatefull birdes Which must néedes be vnderstoode of the destruction of Rome vnder the pope Diuers other reasons also are alleaged in a late treatise a Lib. 5. de pontif Rom. siue eius apost c. 11. De apostasia Pontificis Rom. that most apparently shewe that Rome as it is the seate of the pope is that Babylon and that beast with seauen heades of which Saint Iohn speaketh in his Reuelation Hauing talked his pleasure of Rome and Babylon b P. 94. the Warder with many idle wordes returneth backe to talke of his déere father the pope which sheweth that Babylon and antichrist are of néere affinitie and cannot well bée sundred But what hath hée to say of the pope Forsooth it gréeueth him much that hée shoulde bée called The proud priest and arch-prelate of Rome And yet sir Francis hath therein done him great fauour For if wée will rightly estéeme hée neither deserueth the name of priest nor arch-prelate nor bishop hauing giuen ouer all priestly and bishoplike function and occupying himselfe about worldly affaires and his terrestriall kingdome which to erect hée ouerthrew the empire the whole strength of Christendome and gaue leisure to the Turke to rauage so many christian prouinces and to maintaine it hée hath caused the destruction of infinite Christian people And calling him Proud and Ambitious yet he doth him no wrong For hee taketh to himselfe diuine power and authoritie in his commandements and iudgements and aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is called God Hée taketh on him also power to canonize saints and to giue diuine honors to others and beareth himselfe as lord of the Calendar of saints Hée is borne high on mens shoulders and maketh great princes to attende on him like squires or pages giuing his toe to kisse for a speciall fauour Neither doth hee content himselfe to bée called lord of lordes and Christes Vicar but will néedes bée called c C. satis dist 96. God at the least honored as God on the earth Hée aduanceth himselfe high aboue all earthly princes and presumeth to depose them and take away their kingdomes at his pleasure Oh that Christian princes woulde open their eies and consider how by his pride he hath abused the honor of kinges and troden the maiestie of the emperor and other christian magistrates vnder féete Hée is also greatly offended that the pope is called Bloody monster and in great sadnesse telleth vs That wee must not speake euill of the prince of the people and alleageth the law that condemneth him to death that spoke euill of his father But the â—eely fellow shoulde haue remembred that wée haue shewed him to bee neither the prince of Gods people nor a friend of Gods people And hee himselfe hath declared howe vnwoorthie hée is of the name of father that seeketh to murder and ruinate his children Nay hée is the father of lies heresies wicked practises and of all that either by wicked doctrine or trecherous practise seeke the destruction either of the church or of this state When William the conquerour came against England the pope a Matth. Paris in Wâ—llelm conquest blessed his banners Another pope sent his blessing to the French that in king Iohns time inuaded this countrey Paule the third by all meanes hée could sought the ouerthrow of our nation in king Henrie the eights daies stirring vp forreine enimies abroad and wicked rebels at home to hurt vs and to destroy our countrey Of late time Pius Quintus Gregorie the thirtéenth and Sixtus Quintus haue not onely brought the Spaniards vpon vs but also wrought diuers rebellions in England séeking if they could vtterly to ruinate this state And as they haue done in England so haue they procéeded in France and in the Lowe countries and by their rebellions and practises haue brought to destruction diuers millions of Christians In summe if wée please to read histories we shall finde that the popes are the onely firebrands and enflamers of all the warres of Christendome which Machiauel in his b Lib. 1. Florentine historie doth in plaine termes confesse And haue not wée then reason to call the pope bloodie monster c In Gregorio 6. Platina calleth thrée popes for their cruelties shewed one to another and for their wickednesse Tria teterrima monstra And shall not wée that haue farre greater cause to doe so call them by their names But saith hée More bloud hath beene shedde in London for religion in one yeere then in all the popes territories this twentie It is also maruell that hée saith not that lambes are more cruell then woolues For hée is ashamed of nothing This which hée héere writeth is a most shamelesse and impudent slander For hée cannot shew that for popish religion any at all hath béene executed to death Papists I confesse to the number of some fiftie or thréescore haue béene executed but they were such as either practised treasons at home or came from forreine enimies abroad to the entent to worke mischiefe against the state Who albeit they were woorthily put to death for their offences yet the pope that sent them and set them on is to answere for their blood Compare then the number of those that haue béene massacred in France and executed in Flaunders and that haue by the crueltie of Inquisitors béene done to death in diuers places of Christendome and you shall sée that the pope and papacie is that bloodie purple whoore whose vestures are redde with the blood of saints and whose cruelties haue farre surmounted all other tyrants Now least he should séeme to speake without booke he layeth on his aduersary with textes of scriptures and saith That euery soule should be subiect to higher powers and that there is no power but of God and how he that resisteth power resisteth Gods ordinance And of this he would inferre that those stand in bad tearmes That resist and reuile the pope But all this maketh much against the pope that hath shaken off his princes yoke and stirreth vp rebelles to resist lawfull princes promising them his blessing for their wicked and cursed treasons For the pope this allegation is most fond and sencelesse For it canne neuer be prooued that the popes tyrannicall gouernement both in church and common wealth is of God Let any learned papist for our aduersary is but a séely Noddy shew that the popes gouernement and fulnesse of power which he claimeth ouer all churches is of God Let him also prooue that God hath giuen him an earthly kingdome and authority to depose princes to translate kingdoms to raise warres and rebellions and to cut the throte of Christians
Peter descended to the pope of Rome Fourthly the aduersaries themselues cannot prooue this succession by any such infallible and certaine deduction as is pretended Wherefore vnlesse this Noddy can shew first that the pope hath succéeded Peter in the generall charge of apostolicall gouernment and teaching throughout the worlde and secondly that the pope is a true bishop pastor and successor of Peter and thirdly that neither the bishops of Antioch nor Caesarea nor Ioppe nor Lydda where Peter taught nor any saue the bishops of Rome succéeded in Peters seate and fourthly that the popes authoritie in giuing lawes in censures exactions dispensations iudgements was generally allowed and neuer contradicted and finally that he still holdeth the apostolike doctrine and faith intirely and admitteth no heresies nor false opinions in religion vnlesse I say he prooue all this he is at the end of his reckoning for the popes authoritie and sheweth himselfe to bée but a vaine babler and a foolish challenger that euen in the midst of danger conueieth himselfe out of the steccato And I do much woonder that all true Christians do not suspect this manner of procéeding and detest the pride and vanitie of this discourser that leaueth his miserable disciples more perplexed then before For he teacheth that vpon paine of damnation they must subiect themselues to the popes authoritie and yet when it commeth to the iumpe he is neither able to iustifie the popes authoritie in making and dissoluing lawes nor in ordering bishops throughout the worlde nor in iudging of controuersies nor authorizing the scriptures nor in dispensing in cases reserued nor in deposing princes nor in raising warres and handling both the swords and such like matters Nay he is not able to prooue that he is Peters true successour or a lawfull bishop He teacheth subiects to rebell and setteth princes to murder Christians and blinde papists blindely obey and yet no warrant can the popes proctor bring to iustifie the popes strange desseines and dooings Onely he endeuoureth in the last end of his pleading for the pope to shew That this land ought especially to respect the sea of Rome for beeing twise conuerted from paganisme to Christian religion and that first by Eleutherius then by Gregory the first which were both bishops of Rome And here he triumpeth and thinking that he hath satisfied his reader with an exquisite and delicate dish at the ending of his papall banquet he taketh away the table and biddeth all his guests Proface and à dieu But if his readers be not more wary while they thinke to be fed with holesome meat they are like to be gulled which googeons This gull certes in this his catastrophe séemeth to haue no other purpose For first it is a méere fable to say that this land was conuerted from paganisme either by the one or by the other of these two For Christianity was in England long before Eleutherius time and stories say he did onely and that by his deputies christen king Lucius And when Augustine the monke came to the Saxons the Britons long before that were Christians Secondly neither did Eleutherius nor Gregory preach the faith here nor giue much aide to the conuersion of the people of this land Onely Eleutherius sent Eluanus and Meduinus two Britons otherwise called Fugatius and Damianus to king Lucius and Gregory sent Austin the monke hither But the Saxons were conuerted by certaine Britons and French that could speake the Saxon language and not by Austin that could do nothing but hould the crosse like a crosier-clerke whiles others preached Thirdly albeit this land had béene conuerted by Eleutherius and Gregory yet this is but a personall fauour rather making vs beholding to those two then to those that succéeded them To prooue that we owe any obedience to the sea of Rome for that cause this argument is all too weake For the church of Rome was first conuerted by those that came from Ierusalem yet doth not Rome yéelde any obedience to the bishops of Ierusalem Nay they haue forgotten Saint Paul whome we are assured preached at Rome and do all depend of Peter Likewise the Phrysons and Germanes were conuerted by Saxons out of England yet do they not subiect themselues to the church of England Fourthly the late popes of Rome haue béene alwayes beholding to the kings and people of this country One king gaue the tribute of peter pence others gaue them great priuiledges and authority by which meanes they drew out infinite treasure out of England Bonner a In praefat in lib. de ver obed saith that the reuenues of the pope out of England were equall to the kings reuenues In requitall whereof the popes haue b Matth. Paris sent to our princes either glasses or feathers or rotten bones or paper lead and such like toies Adrian the fourth gaue to our princes a title to Ireland which he had no power to giue Innocent the fourth to king Henry the thirdes sonne gaue a bare title to the kingdome of Naples which cost infinite treasure in the end prooued a méere mockerie Other popes haue shewed theÌ„selues alwaies opposite to the English nation to the kings of this realme No sooner had the pope intelligence that William of Normandie was purposed to come with a puissant armie to conquer this lande which coulde not be done without great waste wracke and slaughter but hée c Matth. Paris caused his standard and ensignes to bée halowed and blessed So much did it please him to heare of an inuasion of our countrey and so holy a thing did warre and waste of this kingdome séeme vnto him Another pope did vpholde Thomas Becket and his rebellious consorts against king Henry the second fauored his professed enimies and in the end forced him to a most shamefull penance d Matth. Paris in Ioanne Innocent the thirde thundred out his excommunications against king Iohn and stirred vp forreine enimies against him Neither did he euer cease to pursue him vntill such time as he had made both the king himselfe and as much as in him lay all his people tributarie to forreiners At which when the Nobilitie and people of England repined the furious pope in great choler e Ibidem sent out his interdictions excommunications and curses against them and neuer ceased to pursue them as long as he had meanes to hurt them In the warres which the kings of England made in France for the obteining of their right in that kingdome the popes crossed them by all meanes possible and declared themselues vtter enimies to our nation being glad of any calamitie that hapned to vs and sorrowfull for our good successe But neuer did anie declare more malice against any of our kinges then Paule the third against king Henry the eight the Quéenes most noble father as appéereth by his most execrable a D. Sanders de schâ—sm lib. 1. bull which he published against him For therein hée doth not onely curse
by the popes demandes to the king that could not be effected without greater authority by the propositions made by king Philip to the counsell to enlarge his power and release the rigour of the conditions whereto he was tyed by the kings secret working to draw ouer Spanish soldiers and his practises to possesse himselfe of the nauy and the principall portes and fortresses of this kingdome by wordes commonly giuen out by the testimony of Sir Francis Englefeld if he were aliue and would say truth and also of diuers others of the nobility by the ambitious humors of the Spaniard and finally for that otherwise his aduancement by this mariage would haue amounted to nothing And if in the low countries where he is but duke or earle he hath sought to be an absolute king we may not doubt of his purpose in England where he had the title of king and possessed the Quéene Where the letter saith That king Philip meant to haue altered the counsell to possesse the hauens to make new fortes to furnish them with his owne men to change the common lawes to bring in the Spanish inquisition and Spanish lawes and to impose strange taxes vpon vs after the fashion of Spaine he thinketh it sufficient to answere first That no such thing was attempted by him and secondly That all this was prouided for in the conditions of his mariage with the Queene But his slender surmises are all too weake to crosse such violent purposes For albeit béeing preuented by the hand of God that tooke away the Quéene he could not put matters in execution yet doth it not follow that he neuer had any such purpose or intention Againe it is a fond thing to imagine that the king could be tyed with wordes and conditions when experience teacheth vs that neither promises nor othes nor lawes of God nor lawes of nations could bridle his ambition He was a Guicciardin de paesi bassi precisely sworne to obserue the priuiledges and lawes of the low countries Yet did he obserue none but contrary to all order change the councell of estate bring in the inquisition and enlarge the authority of the ecclesiasticall state erect citadelles place garrisons and impose strange taxes vpon the people And if the Duke of Alua did this by his direction in the low countries no doubt but he would haue doone the same himselfe in England if he had atteined his purpose and had not béene crossed by the Quéenes death And that this was his full intention we haue already shewed by diuers argumentes beside the testimony of the letter These therefore are no bugges nor imaginations but true collections grounded vpon principles of state and the kings actions Héereby also we may gather that we were happily deliuered from the thraldome of the Spaniard more grieuous then the thraldome of Egypt as their rigorous dealing with them of the low countries may plainely enforme vs. Where among strange taxes imposed by the Spaniards one is mentioned most strange That the subiect payeth for euery chimney and others are noted as not common that some pay by the poll and all pay for their victuals so that a man cannot eat but the king must be paid as if he were a common host as indéede he kéepeth a common tauerne in his court after a base fashion that a man cannot drinke but the king will gaine somewhat our aduersarie wondreth That any should publish such childish toyes But the Spaniardes and the kings subiects in other places do find that the burthens are so heauy that neither children nor yet men are able to beare them And albeit there is percase some error in the particulars yet the sum is not much mistaken For throughout the kings dominions a tribute or taxe is paid for all things bought and sould in the market Neither is any marchandise exported or brought into the country or passed from place to place but there is a custome paid Of late there is a tribute exacted not onely for euery Hanega of corne ground at the mill but also for salt Neither are the countries of Biscay Arragon Nauarre Catalonia or Valentia so frée as our aduersary pretendeth In Flanders according to the Spanish stile the duke of Alua imposed a tenth and twentieth part vpon all the kings subiectes a tribute neuer exacted in the Turkish dominions Now then if the king exact such payments vpon his owne frée subiectes in what case are they like to be that he shall vanquish with his sword Where it is declared in the letter That the king purposed to roote out the nobility of England and to bring the commons to beggery and to sell all not aboue twentie yeeres ould for slaues our aduersary doth terme this narration sottish and impudent and asketh How this beeing contriued in England could be discouered by one in Spaine But whatsoeuer termes the relation doth deserue certaine it is that this manner of procéeding is most inhumane and barbarous and not so improbable as the warder would make it For first we may not thinke that the haughty minde of the Spaniard could either be content with a simple reuenge of wrongs or conteined within the boundes of common lawes and customes Secondly we know that the popes malice is so great against such as spurne at his authority that he stirreth vp all the world against them and Giueth them for slaues to those that canne take them as a Sander de schism lib. 1. Paule the third did giue the English in Henry the eight his daies Thirdly it is most notorious that in the Indiaes they haue practised all these barbarous cruelties so that they haue almost dispeopled diuers countries that were very ful of people at their first comming thither Fourthly the example of our neighbours of the low countries that liue vnder the Spanish yoke and haue their nobility eyther extinct or debased and their liberties abolished and liue in great slauery may shew vs some part of their purposes and as it were the plot of their gouernement Lastly in their fléete that came against vs anno 1588. beside store of halters and fetters prouided to bind our poore countrymen that should be taken prisoners and were already taken in conceit there were found in Don Pedro de valdez his ship diuers engines and irons to marke such as should be taken for slaues Adde héereunto the testimony of him that wrote the letter out of Spaine mentioned by Sir Francis and did vnderstand by good intelligence the resolution of the Spaniards in this point and wée shall not néede to make question but that this was indéed intended and resolued against our nation Neither coulde hée reueale this secret vnlesse it had come to his notice which might by diuers meanes come to passe For albeit the king hatched this purpose first within his owne brest yet was the same communicated to others and so made knowne in Spain to those that shoulde concurre in the execution of it Such abominable treasons God would
authenticall and preferred before the originall bookes of the old testament in Hebrew and of the new testament in Gréeke a matter very new and most vnreasonable and plainely contradictory to the ancient fathers In the same a Sess 4. councell because they would be sure of their groundes the doctors of the Romish Babylon decréed first that none should interpret Scriptures against that sence that the church of Rome holdeth and secondly that vnwritten traditions kept in the church by succession shoulde bee of equall value with canonicall Scriptures After this diuers friers and priests taking vpon them to plead the popes cause haue determined vnwritten traditions and customes of the church and the popes determinations and decretalles to be the foundations and principles of their popish faith b Loc. Theolog. Melchior Canus speaking of theologicall argumentes and Thomas Stapleton taking vpon him to declare which be vndoubted principles of popish doctrine do both principally relie vpoÌ„ these two They talke also of the church of councels fathers the latin translation and of rules of faith But when it commeth to the triall then whatsoeuer is not consonant to the popes doctrine and decretales that is reiected as of no value Now gladly would I haue any Iesuite that taketh himselfe to be learned for our aduersary is but a babler to prooue these groundes to be ancient Let him shew what those traditions are that are with equall reuerence to the canonicall scriptures to be receiued Let him iustifie by testimony of antiquitie that the popes decretalles are infallible rules of faith The apostle saith that the church is well and strongly built vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Iesus Christ béeing the corner stone and this foundation do all ancient fathers allow The testimony of Irenei and Athanasius I haue before alleadged Saluianus saith the church is best founded on scripture Videtur nostra ecclesia saith he c Lib. de prouid Dei 5. ex vna scriptura felicius instituta Aliae habent illam aut debilem aut conuulneratam Habent veterem magistrorum traditionem corruptam per hoc traditionem potius quà m scripturam habent Let him shew the like if he can of his decretals and traditions vnlesse he will haue his grounds to be condemned for new and naught Thirdly scriptures were neuer generally forbidden to be publikely read in vulgar toongs before the councell of Trent neither was it euer thought vnlawfull before that time for lay men to talke of matters of faith or to read scriptures priuately without the ordinaries licence Chrysostome and other ancient fathers were wont to exhort Christians to read scriptures and Christ our sauiour willed his hearers to search them and the apostle doth declare them to be very profitable which sheweth the practise of the Romish church in fraying men from scriptures to be of a late humour and inuention Fourthly the definition of the Romish church is new and of force made new to fit their new popish fancies a De eccles milit c. 2. Bellarmine defineth the church to be A company of men conioyned in one profession of faith and communion of sacraments vnder the gouernement of lawfull pastors and especially of the pope of Rome Which is neither to be shewed nor prooued out of any ancient authenticall writer For the easterne and Africane churches did neuer acknowledge this souereine authority of the pope Nor did our sauiour or his apostles teach vs any such obedience Nay they shew rather that the bishops of Rome are not to be obeyed For suppose Peter had béene bishop of Rome and the bishops of Rome his successors which will neuer be prooued in that sence as the aduersaries take it yet Paul resisted Peter and receiued no b Ibid. c. 9. authority nor grace from him which sheweth that other bishops haue no dependance or authority from the bishop of Rome albeit this proportion were granted Fiftly they make not the catholike church A communion of saintes as we professe in our créede but hâ—ld that all wicked men and c Ibid. c. 10. heretickes so they outwardly communicate with the church of Rome in faith and sacraments are true meÌ„bers of the church d Ibid. c. 2. Bellarmine saith That to make a man a part of the true church neither faith nor charitie nor any inward vertue is required Which is a méere new fancie and therefore receiued least they shoulde grant that the church in some respect shoulde be inuisible Sixtly the coÌ„fession of faith made by Pius quartus wherin al that take degrees in schoole professe a Confâ—t 28. That they firmely admit all ecclesiasticall traditions and constitutions and the Scriptures according to the Romish sence and beleeue that there are seuen sacraments and receiue the doctrine of the councell of Trent concerning originall sinne and beleeue the sacrifice of the masse and transubstantiation and the popes soueraine authority and other pointes of doctrine therein conteined is new and absurd This we shal other where declare that appeareth for that the papistes cannot produce any precedent of this confession or prooue the seuerall points of it by good argument 7. Where in our creede we beléeue the catholike church of late time the papistes haue added a word made it b Confess â—urdegaâ—ens The catholike Romaine church and in Canisius catechisme translated into Spanish by Hieronymo Campos they define him to be no catholike that beléeueth any thing beside that which the church of Rome beléeueth 8. They confesse their sinnes not to God almighty as do the ancient fathers but to the a Virgine Mary c Hortulus animae and to angels and saints 9. They haue of late b put out that commandement d Officium beatae Maria in catech that concerneth the making of grauen images like to God and worshipping them wherein they haue the worde of God and all antiquitie against them 10. In the doctrine of the law all those points wherein they shew theÌ„selues no catholikes of which wée haue spoken in the former chap. are meere nouelties as namely That all that is repugnant to the law of God is not sinne that it is mortall sinne to breake the popes lawes or commandements either concerning rites of the church or other matter which he doth vnder his curse will men to obserue that concupiscence in the regenerate is no sinne and yet that it is sinne not to faste the ember daies that the regenerate may be without sinne and that Christians may be iustified by the lawe of Moyses that the popes lawes binde in conscience and that he hath authoritie to make lawes and lastly that the law of God is not perfect but that wée are to obserue all the traditions of the church and the popes decretals 11. It is not long since they began to teach that othes do not so binde men but that the pope can dispence with them and that he is able to discharge children from
f Iames 4. saith hée that is able to saue and to destroy But in the church of Rome the pope beareth himselfe as a soueraigne monarke and hée taketh on him power to bind and loose in heauen earth and purgatorie And his agents say That his lawes binde in conscience and that hée hath power to saue and destroy The Romish church is gouerned by his lawes and acknowledgeth him to bée the supreme iudge of controuersies 29. The true church of Christ contenteth herselfe with the religion first taught by the apostles For as g Lib. 4. contr Marcion Tertullian saith Id verius quod prius id prius quod ab apostolis And as h Aduers haeres c. 26. Vincentius Lirinensâ—â— saith it is the propertie of heretikes Not to content themselues with the ancient rule of faith but to seeke nouelties from day to day and to desire to adde to change to take away But the church of Rome doth not content herselfe with the doctrine of the apostles nor with the ancient rule of faith but is still adding changing taking away as may appéere by the popes decretals 30. The true church is dispersed euery where For our Sauiour f commanded his apostles To teach all nations i Matth. 28. And wée beléeue not a particular church but The catholike church that is the societie of Christians of all times and places but the Romish church neither conteineth the Gréekes nor Africans nor men of Asia that haue for many ages béene diuided froÌ„ that church Nor doth it reach to the people before Christ but onely a Bellar. de eccles milit c. 2. conteineth such as liue in obedience to the pope How then can the church of Rome bee the catholike church Shall the church of that citie bée as great as the church of the whole worlde 31. The true church of Christ conteineth neither lyons nor tygres nor woolues but consisteth onely of shéepe and lambes Nay it maketh milde Christians of sauage and wilde atheistes and miscreantes and as Paule of a fierce persecutor by christianity was made a constant professor so the mildenesse of this our christian mother the church changeth mens cruell natures They shall not hurt nor kill saith b Isai 11. God by his prophet in all my holy mountain The wolf shall dwel with the lambe and the Pard shall ly with the Kid. c De incarnat verbi Athanasius saith that nothing but Christes faith caused barbarous nations to become peaceable Quis coegit barbaros gentesque alias in suis sedibus saith he immanitatem deponere pacifica meditari nisi Christi fides crucis signaculum d Lib. 2. contr Parmen Optatus speaking of catholikes Which of vs saith he hath persequuted any man Can you shew or prooue that any of you hath beene persequuted by vs But the church of Rome hath of late yéeres and yet doth murder infinite numbers of men that would not adhere to her Romish faith Their e Extr. de haeret per tot lawes are bloody and cruell their executions are more cruell In the time of Charles the emperor the fift of that name it is found in f Meteran de Belgicis tumultibus record That aboue fiftie thousand persons were by sentence of iudges executed to death for the profession of their faith in the low countries In France as their owne stories report at one g Anno 1572. time thrée score thousand Christians without order of law were most shamefully massacred Circiter sexaginta hominum millia saith h Lib. 23. p. 508. Natalis Comes speaking of the massacre varijs in locis per illud tempus trucidata fuisse dicta sunt in Gallia And so extraordinary was the furie of papists that they spared neither age sexe nor qualitie Vel puberes vel impuberes saith i Ibid. p. 507. he trucidati sunt neque vllius sexus vel aetatis vel dignitatis habita est ratio Neither may wée thinke that they haue shewed lesse crueltie against Christians in Spaine Italie Germany England and other nations The Romish church hath died her garments in the blood of saints and the prelates haue shewed themselues leaders to the people in these barbarous executions Well therefore may that bée applied to them which a Lib. 2. con Parmen Optatus spoke of the cruell Donatistes Lacerati sunt viri tractatae sunt matronae infantes necati abacti partus ecce vestra ecclesia episcopis ducibus cruentis morsibus pasta est Men haue béene tormented women haue béene abused infants haue béene murdred women forced to loose their children behold your church is fedde with crueltie and your prelates haue béene captaines to the vulgar sort in their cruell executions 32. The catholike church neuer shewed more fauour to the Iewes and Infidels then to Christians that disliked the bishops of Rome The Christian emperors b L. hac valitura Cod. de Iudaeis Caelieolis excluded the Iewes from all gouernment and authoritie in the common-wealth and c Ibidem restreined their insolencies with diuers sharpe lawes The like course they d Cod. de Paganis sacrif templ tooke also with Pagans and Infidels shutting their temples and forbidding their sacrifices and Idolatries But the Romish synagogue doth indure the impieties of Iewes in the midst of Rome albeit they denie and blaspheme Christ Iesus tormenting and killing christians that shall but once offer to speake against the pope Likewise e Onuphr in Alexandro 6. Alexander the sixt receiued Turkes and Maranes into Rome being erpelled out of Spaine and the popes are content that their subiects shall trade with Turkes albeit they cannot endure any christian that shall mislike the popes authoritie 33. The true church of God neuer sought by forging and falsifying of mens writings and by lying and slandering to aduance Christes religion For truth is strong enough of it selfe and néedeth not to bée supported with falshood f Prouerb 12. and a Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. False witnesses and slanderers in ancient time were so farre from beeing estéemed in the church that they were b excluded out of the church g Concil Agath c. 27. Concil Elâ—bert c. 73. 74. But the church of Rome perceiuing that she cannot otherwise preuaile goeth to worke by plaine forging and falsifying leauing nothing sound that once passeth her fingers h Canones apostolor constiutioneâ— Somewhat she commendeth vnder the name of the a apostles and many thinges vnder the name of ancient fathers There is no ancient father but she hath ascribed vnto him many children which were neuer begotten by him as the workes of Cyprian Origen Athanasius Hierome Augustine Chrysostome Gregory and others do plainely testifie For who séeth not how many vnlearned and vnsound treatises are dayly published vnder the names of ancient fathers Nay the Romanistes are much offended with Erasmus and other learned mens censures that haue gone about
all saintes Nay sometimes they flie to their images and reliques Neither can the distinction of mediators of intercession helpe them For the true church in her liturgyes neuer vsed to call vpon any mediator or intercessor beside Christ Iesus Beside that the Romish church crauing of saints all thinges necessary and attributing to saintes the merite of remission of sinnes do make them more then mediators of intercession 36. In the church of Christ we neuer heard nor read that christians did vse to scourge themselues before crucifixes and other images But the priestes of Baal were woont to launce themselues before their idols And the priestes of Cybele in honour of their goddesse were woont to cut themselues So likewise the papists do scourge theÌ„selues and punish their bodies and are thereby declared to more bée like to Pagans heathen then to the people of God 37. The true church is a societie of faithfull people vnder lawfull pastors For a Ephes 4. Christ Iesus hath giuen them for The worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ vntill wee all meete togither in the vnitie of faith and acknowledging of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man b Lib. 4. epist 9. Cyprian saith That the church is a people vnited to their bishop and a flocke adhering to their pastor Est ecclesia saith hée plebs episcopo adunata pastori suo grex adhaerens So likewise saith c In Dial. aduers Lucifer Hierome Ecclesia non est quae non habet sacerdotes That is there is not the church where there are no priestes or bishops But the church of Rome hath long wanted true priestes and bishops For the Romish bishops haue no authoritie nor mission but from the pope to whom they also d C. ego N. de ureiurando sweare fealtie But he hath no authoritie to sende them or ordeine them being himselfe no bishop Secondly the Romish bishops neither teach nor féede nor do the worke of a bishop Neither do the priestes of that synagogue obserue their commission in teaching that which Christ hath commaunded Thirdly in ordination of bishops and priestes they neither kéepe the apostles rules 1. Tim. 3. and Tit. 1. nor the ancient canons but ordeine boies and men vnlearned and infamous and vnable to teach and neither duly examine them nor orderly choose them nor canonically ordaine them Fourthly they do not ordaine priestes to teach and gouerne their flocks but e Machab. in lib. de missis episcopor pro ordinib confe rendis To offer sacrifices and to say masses for quicke and dead Which forme neither did either Christ or his apostles prescribe or the ancient church euer practise or know Fiftly they are ordeined simoniacally and by excommunicate persons and by apostataes from Christes true faith Lastly they are all f C. ego N. de iureiurando sworne to antichrist and therefore no ministers of Christ Iesus nor true pastors That the pope hath no authoritie to sende foorth pastors to féede Christes flocke it is appaâ—ent for that hée is a hireling or rather a woolfe and no successor of Peter or of the apostles varying so much from their doctrine and liuing nor true bishop doing not the function of a bishop nor teaching of Christes flocke That he is antichrist and of the temple of God hath made a denne of idolatrie and théeuery is prooued in the former discourse Most apparant therefore it is that the bishops of the Romish synagogue are no true bishops nor pastors Which is also prooued by their manners and doctrine For they murder Christes lambes and féede them not if they teach at all or if their priests and fryers teach it is not Christe faith but heresie which they teach 38 The true church of Christ cannot adhere to antichrist Our sauiour Christ speaking of his shéepe a Ioan. 10. saith they will not follow a stranger but will fly froÌ„ him But the church of Rome doth manifestly adhere to antichrist that exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God and that sitteth in mens consciences that persecuteth all true Christians and yet pretendeth that he is Christs vicar That the Papists adhere to the pope they will not denie for they b C. Vnam ext de ma. obed make it a matter necessarie to saluation to be subiect to him That the pope is antichrist his pride his crueltie his doctrine the time of his rising the place of his kingdome and many arguments declare which we haue touched in the former discourse 39 As the true Church is figured by Ierusalem which was the holy citie of God so the malignant church is signified partly by Babylon Apocal. 18. and partly by the purple whore Apocal. 17. that had a cup of gold in her hand full of abomination and filthinesse If then the state of Rome vnder the popes be represented by this purple harlot then must it necessarily follow that the Church of Rome is not the citie of God but rather the city of Babylon and synagogue of Satan adhering to antichrist But that the state of new Rome as it is subiect to the pope and is the fountaine and metropolitane church of all idolatrie and heresie is meant by the purple whore and by Babylon Apocal. 17. 18. diuers arguments do teach vs. First the order of Saint Iohns historie doth shew it For after that in the 12. chapter and in the beginning of the thirtéenth he had described the state of olde Rome vnder the emperors and the decay of that empire it is not likely that he should returne againe to describe the flourishing state of the empire in the seuentéenth chapter and so to relate the same things confusedly Secondly he representeth vnto vs the rising of antichrist out of the earth and vpon the decay of the Romane empire in the end of the thirtéenth chapter and therefore whatsoeuer followeth may séeme better to belong to antichrists kingdome and new Rome than old Rome Thirdly after the destruction of the purple whore and of Babylon the Apostle describeth the end of the world and last iudgement as if the one were to follow the other But the end of the world doth not follow presently vpon the destruction of the empire but rather after the ouerthrow of Antichristes kingdome Fourthly the beast which Iohn saw and vpon which the purple whore did sit was not then as she should be Non adhuc erat a saith Saint Iohn ex abysso ascensura erat Apoc. 17. But the empire then did most flourish And therfore that beast must signifie another empire which in Rome was to be erected after the Romane empires decay Fiftly those tenne kinges which were signified by tenne hornes did not arise during the time of the olde empire but vpon the rising of antichrist neidid they giue their power to the Romane empire but to the pope and therefore this must néeds be a figure of the papacie and not of
sound neither haue they omitted any one tricke of falsification that any falsarie could deuise which they haue not practised First falshood is committed in writings Neither is it materiall whether they be publike or priuate whether testamentarie or belonging to any other contract And as well is forgerie committed by concealing a true writing as by forging or vsing false writings Falsum committitur saith y De crimine falsi Hostiensis aliquando cum scriptura siue scribat quis falsum siue deleat verum vt res id est rei veritas non appareat Nec discrepat vtrum fit testamentum instrumentumue publicum vel priuatum c. Secondly it is committed by vsing and producing of false instruments and writings Vtens falso instrumento dicitur falsum committere l. maiorem Cod. de falsis Especially if they be vsed wittingly Barbat lib. 3. consil 54. Numer 16. seq Thirdly that z Gloss in l. ex cautione ff de pactis notarie that shall in a true instrument write any materiall point false or in a testament set downe a legacy to his owne aduantage is taken adiudged a falsarie l. 1. § fin ad l. Corn. de falsis Et l. senatusconsulto Cod. de his qui sibi ascrib Fourthly falshood is committed either by witnesses deposing falsely l. 1. ff de falsis c. 1. de crim falsi or else by suborning or producing false witnesses or vsing the depositions of false witnesses as is the common opinion of lawyers in l. 1. de falsis c. 1. de crim falsi Fiftly it may be committed in deliuering counterfect money or counterfect measure or in supposing or fathering children vpon parents to whom they belong not or in professing himselfe to be a souldiour or a clerke that is not and by diuers other meanes as the Doctors teach in gloss in c. in memoriam dist 19. in c. vera iustitia dist 41. and in other places All which falshoodes and forging deuises our aduersaries do most cunningly and frequently practise They conceale the Scriptures from Gods people and hide from vs the originalles of Origen Basil Chrysostome and other Greeke fathers They make their traditions equall to the written word of God and take away the cup from the communicants which is a seale of Gods eternall testament defacing and corrupting both the diuine Scriptures with Apocryphall writings wicked interpretations peruerse translations and diuers other deuises of thâ—ir forging wits and as much as in them lyeth falsifying the seales of Gods promises In the name of Basil Amphilochius Abdias Clement and diuers fathers they haue forged diuers false treatises and albeit we continually call vpon them to leaue these conterfect writings yet cease they not to vse them By forged donations published vnder the name of Emperours and Princes and by diuers decretall epistles falsely ascribed to the ancient bishops of Rome they chalenge to themselues large kingdomes and an vniuersall authoritie ouer the world Not onely themselues speake and write most shamefull vntruthes and that both in matters of faith and policie but also they vse the counterfect writings of others set out vnder the names of their predecessors as their whole disputes with vs do witnesse They doe also deliuer to vs counterfect doctrine of another stamp and alley then that of the apostles and ancient fathers and a false rule of faith adding their traditions and the popes determinations to the true rule and conioyning them to the canonicall Scriptures of which vnruly rule antiquitie neuer had notice Neither are they ashamed to father their owne bastards and bastardly deuises vpon Origen Cyprian Athanasius Ambrose Hierome Chrysostome Augustine Gregorie and other ancient holy men who if they were aliue would wonder how these misbegotten deuises came to be ascribed to them and would vtterly renounce them In their relations narrations histories and testifications published of late time they neither vse religion nor truth nor common honestie Caesar Baronius doth smoothly tell infinite lyes and fables Staphilus Cochleus Lindanus Surius Genebrard Bolsecus and such like lying mates care not what lyes or false tales they write so they may publish any thing that may redound to the sclander of the professors of the truth The like shamelesse course hath Sanders Rishton Ribadineira Parsons Allen and other traytors and enimies of this state taken to disgrace her maiestie and her noble progenitors and all that stand well affected to religion and their countrey Parsons hath set out false titles to peruert the right of succession to the crowne in his damnable discourse of titles Such witnesses as these the popes of Rome and their adherents haue both suborned and hired to speake all manner of sclandrous vntruthes against honest men And these are the witnesses which our aduersaries ordinarily produce and whose false depositions they vse supplying the rest with false and lying fables set out by themselues Are not they then notorious falsaries Finally our aduersaries take on them to be bishops and priestes and euerie begging and base fryer is bold to vsurpe pastorall function Nay the popes of Rome vsurpe not onely the authoritie of bishops hauing nothing but the bare name of bishops but also the authoritie and prerogatiues of Christ Iesus falsely appropriating that to themselues that is onely due to Christ Iesus The popes of Rome therefore and their agents consorts and adherents are notorious falsificators and haue surpassed all the world in fraud forgerie and falshood and that shall Parsons the relator or rather delator and false accuser of his brethren well perceiue if he dare encounter these obiections As for his obiections either against the Lord of Plessis or against the reuerend fathers bishop Iewell Peter Martyr master Foxe master Fulke they are most vaine and friuolous and the falsifications imputed vnto them most falsely charged vpon them as first shall be shewed in the first which is the principall subiect of our aduersaries relation and consequently as occasion serueth in the rest Chap. II. That the Lord of Plessis hath beene most vniustly charged with false allegations in his booke published against the Masse I Am not ignorant that the Lord of Plessis hath not onely acquited himselfe of the calumnious imputations of his aduersaries but also hath beene sufficiently iustified against al their obiections by other learned men in discourses published both in French and English Neither néedeth he any further defence of mine Yet séeing this relator would néedes be scribling into England such vaine obiections as haue béene already answered I thought it not amisse to aduertise thée briefly what hath passed in this cause of which either our relator is ignorant or els dissembleth after his Machiauelian fashion The first place which Peron his aduersary in the conference at Fontainbleau pretended to be falsified by the Lord of Plesâ—is in his treatise against the masse was drawne out of Scotus and therefore was he charged with falshood for that he saith that Scotus durst call
not euill but to do it to worke sedition or rebellion is treason much more to obey wicked popes to wicked purposes All those therefore that adhere to this faction let them beware their actions come not to examination least they engage themselues too far and be found guiltie of high treason seeing the priests and others that worke in the popes businesse by many lawes are declared to be plaine traytors Martyres certes they cannot be estéemed vnlesse treason be religion and falshood truth and Antichrist be to be receiued for Christ Iesus For the Church of God holdeth them for Martyres that died for the profession and testimonie of Christ Iesus But such of the popish faction as haue béene executed in England died for mayntenance of the popes faction and his tyrannie taking on him to take away the crowne from lawfull Princes and séeking by armes and treason to murther them and all loyally affected to them And this is most apparantly approued by the enditements framed against them by the depositions of witnesses and the whole forme of their triall iudgement and execution As for points of faith they were not once mentioned in all the processe made against them neither was euer any papist among vs troubled for his leude opinion concerning the masse or any other point of Romish superstition True Martyres suffred for the truth wrongfully and therfore deserued commendation That is thanke-woorthy saith saint Å¿ 1. Pet. 2. Peter if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe suffering wrongfully These suffer not for their conscience vnlesse they make the popes will the rule of their conscience Neither are they punished wrongfully And therefore if any estéeme them Martyres they doe them great wrong For as r Epist 68. Augustine saith of the Donatistes viuebant vt latrones honorabantur vt Martyres so may we say of these popish Martyres they are called Martyres but are verie rebels and traytors They are also like Alexander the hereticke of whom Eusebius Å¿ Lib. 5. eccles hist. c. 17. saith he liued by robberie and was executed for villanie and yet was honoured by those of his sect as a Martyre True Martyres haue charitie For without it furious and Iebusitical zeale to promote the popes cause auayleth nothing If I giue my bodie to be burned saith the t 1 Cor. 13. apostle and haue not loue it profiteth nothing Now what charitie had they that were employed by publike enimies to the hurt and destruction of their liege Ladie and most déere countrey Charitie saith the u Ibidem apostle is patient gentle humble But these in their exile had no patience but by force and destruction of their countrey sought to returne they like fierce lions sought by conquest to subdue men to their opinions and dreame of nothing more then honour profit and authoritie Some of their owne companie tell that in â—nno 1588. they much contended about the lands and liuings of the nobilitie and clergie and that the Iebusites looked to rule all according to an olde prophesie found out forsooth by Parsons of rulers in long gownes Iesuiticall bonnets But since it hath béene told them that it is not good to fell the beares skin before he be killed and that Parsons is nothing but a false prophet It is said that Cottam an English Iesuite being condemned to die and séeing a great multitude of people round about him desirous to see what strange beast a Iebusite might be broke out into many bitter curses and x A discouerie of Campian and his consorts prayed God that he would send downe fire from heauen and consume them all And this is the gentlenesse and charitie of the Iesuites When Sixtus Quintus told the Iesuites that he wondred that none of their order was canonized for saints some y A discourse of a certaine priest aunswered that they sought honours in the Church triumphant and not in the militant meaning percase not to be beholding vnto him True Martyres are men of a peaceable disposition and no way desirous of tumults or troubles Si supra memoratos saith z Lib. 3. contr Parmen Optatus videri martyres vultis probate illos amasse pacem in qua prima sunt fundamenta martyrij aut dilexisse Deo placitam vnitatem aut habuisse cum fratribus vnitatem sine qua nullum vel nomine potest vel re esse martyrium Hée speaketh of the Donatistes but it fitteth well our popish pretended Martyres and their consorts that neither agrée with vs nor among themselues and are giuen to contention and séeme desirous of warres and hurlyburlyes and are the fire-brandes to rayse flames of contention in all the corners of Christendome as appéereth by their actions in England France Ireland Germanie the Low countries Swethland Poland Scotland and other places The Martyres of Christ Iesus die for the true faith and abide firme in his truth but the popish mastiues die for the popes pleasure and for defence of his most vniust and tyrannicall vsurpations and fight against Christ his Church Who then doth not maruell they should be accounted Martyres Cum Deo manere non possunt saith a De simplic pralat Cyprian qui esse in ecclesia Dei vnanimes noluerunt ardeant licèt flammis ignibus traditi obiecti bestijs animas suas ponant non erit illa fidei corona sed poena perfidiae Occidi talis potest coronari non potest If then these good fellowes haue forsaken the Church and linked themselues with enimies and traytors die they may for their treasons but as Martyres they cannot be crowned nay they cannot be estéemed Martyres No true martyr euer séemed more desirous of the applause and praise of men then of the good of Christes people Si ita martyrium fecerimus saith b In epist ad Galat. lib. 3. c. 5. Hierome vt nostras velimus ab hominibus reliquias venerari si opinionem vulgi sectantes intrepidi sanguinem fuderimus substantiam nostram vsque ad mendicitatem propriam dederimus huic operi non tam praemium quà m poena debetur perfidiae magis tormenta sunt quà m corona victoriae But the popish Martyres sought nothing more then their owne glorie and praise little caring for the good of Gods Church Nay while they sought to prefer the popes authoritie they sought to drawe vpon vs forrein enimies and to rayse sedition within the countrey It was not the fashion of Martyres in ancient time to renounce their kings and gouernors and not to acknowledge their authority Nay well they knew that Saint c Rom. 13. Paul taught them contrarie Omnis anima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit saith he Neither did they vse to set out most slandrous libels against men in authoritie or allow any such course Finally we doe not read that euer any godly Martyr did take armes against his prince or go about to depose him or murder him vpoÌ„ any bishops or other mans
coÌ„mandemeÌ„t But Campian his consorts did disclaime her Maiesties authority all priestes that come from Rome in their cases of conscience which they cannot denie d Resolutio casuum nationis Anglicanae hold her not for lawfull Queene They also themselues haue set out scandalous libels against men in authoritie and doe well like the sclandrous writings of Sanders Harpesfield Ribadineira Rishton Parsons Bristow and others When the armie of the king of Spaine was readie to come for England then was Parsons verie busie in printing pope Sixtus his scandalous declaration against the Quéene and Allens letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland A e In an answere to a libel set out by Parsons friend of his doth also charge him that his finger was in the making and dispersing of it And yet diuers traytors that haue béene executed allowed this libell and other his scurrilous writings Nay I doe not finde that any of them misliked any thing that might disgrace her Maiestie or their countrey Finally the Earle of Northumberland and the two Nortons and diuers priests whom they f Bristowes motiues celebrate for Martyres tooke vp armes against their Prince and countrey and I thinke none of them either heretofore did or hereafter will mislike their doing therein Wherefore albeit the pope put them in his calendar for Martyres yet he must not be offended albeit the hangman put them in his bookes for rebels and traytors No Martyre of Christ Iesus did euer thinke it lawfull to breake his oath of allegeance to his Prince vpon any bishops warrant g In Chronic. Auentin annal 7. Sigisbertus Gemblacensis saith It is a pernitious heresie to beleeue that the pope can discharge subiects froÌ„ the bond of their oath and from their allegeance But these Martyres or rather churlish mastiues did not onely take themselues â—o be discharged from their allegeance and ioyned with forrein enimies but also persuaded as many as they could to ioyne with them No true Martyr of Christ Iesus did euer denie his name qualitie country kindred and prince altogether nor did martyrs dissemble their religion goe apparelled like Spadacins ruffians but these popish martyrs do al this together nay they are resolued by their a Resolutiones quorundam casuum nationis Anglicanae superiours that it is very lawful for theÌ„ so to do A.P. that is Allen and Parsons as I take it the case being put vtrum sacerdos possit habitum mutare comaÌ„ nutrire nomen patriam parentes negare do b Cap. 1. casus 1. answere thus potest nec videtur in ea re dubium Potest enim quis veritatem tacere c Ibidem in resolutione casus 1. c. 1. vel dissimulare c. The same good fellows a Resolutiones quorundam casuum nationis Anglicanae determine quòd simulatio est licita and that it is pious to vse simulation and proue it for that it is lawfull to lay ambuscadoes for enemies whereby it appeareth they take vs for enemies and would if they could entrap vs by their ambuscadoes and this if we looke not to it they haue fully purposed and resolued Concerning the Quéene they d Ibidem say shee is no lawfull Quéene Regina haeretica say they non est legitimè regina and againe non gerit se vt reginam sed exercet tyrannidem Finally they are commanded to account their country for no countrey and not to respect their parents if they be not of the Romish religion It was not the fashion of the martyrs of Christ his Church to vse equiuocations and to forsweare themselues both in iudgement and elsewhere but the Schoolemaisters of our popish priests and pretended martyrs teach them to do both Sciant say e Ibidem c. 3. cas 3. they se vti posse aequiuocationibus iurare sine peccato Now by equiuocations they meane promises and othes made not according to the meaning of the iudge but according to a hidden meaning of the partie that taketh the oath They f Ididem teach also that a priest is no more to regard an oath to the Queenes officers then if he should sweare to pyrates or robbers for safegard of his life Finally no heretikes nor miscreants can iustly be reputed martyrs as diuers examples and testimonies of fathers teach vs. The Donatists suffered death couragiously and so likewise did the heretikes called Euphemitae which for the multitude of their supposed martyrs g Epiphan haeres 80. would néeds be called Martyriani Yet did not the church otherwise account of them then leud heretikes and not martyrs as appeareth by the testimonie of Eusebius Augustine and other fathers before alleaged We reade also in histories that Turkes Tartars and Mores both fight and die most resolutely for the blasphemous opinions of Mahomet and how the Assassins that were a sect of desperate cutthrotes like the Iebusites that desperately would aduenture to dispatch whomsoeuer their Generall would command them to murther died oftentimes most constantly and this they accounted a speciall point of religion Yet in truth no man can estéeme them martyrs Why then should the rebels traitors and Assassins which haue béene employed in the Popes businesse and for his cause haue béene drawne into treason be accounted martyrs If because they are put in the popes kalendar it may be answered that it is Christ and not the pope the cause of religion and not of faction that maketh martyrs Neither is it materiall that grace hath béene offered to some that haue béene executed for treason if they would haue renounced the pope and his treacherous doctrine and faction For we do not desire the death of all that through simplicitie haue béene drawne into treason Nor may the aduersaries thinke that these fellowes were therefore onely punished for religion but rather that they were obstinate traitors that like the Assassins made it a point of religion vpon the popes warrant to take armes and to practise against lawfull Magistrats and to murther them which indéede is treason To offer them life therefore if they would renounce the popes faction was thought a meanes fit to trie them whether they were setled in their trecherous resolutions or els would become honest men as diuers of them renouncing the pope haue done and not to examine them or punish them for religion which was neuer called in question in all the proceeding against them The Conclusion of the former Treatise IF then papists hold singular opinions and not the true catholike faith then are they deceiuers and cacolykes and woluish teachers and no true Catholikes or Christians and thou art carefully to beware of them to embrace that faith which is truly Catholike which vnlesse thou beleeue firmely thou canst not be saued as saith a In symbolo Athanasius It is impossible for Christians saith b In Numer homil 26. Origen to be saued without faith whether they seeme perfect or weak
put foorth the constitutions of the apostles vnder the name of Clement which sauour nothing of the apostles diuine spirite and are likely to be the deuises of heretikes Thirdly they haue most shamefully corrupted the councels and haue not onely forged diuers new actes and péeces of actes but also newe councels In the sixt councell of Carthage the popes agents exhibited a counterfeit canon of the councell of Nice and were conuicted k Acta synodi Carth. 6. of that falshoode by authenticall copies sent from other churches Pius Quintuâ— when the emperour repined for that hée had made Cosmus of Florence duke of Tuscane alleaged for himselfe a forged canon of the councell of Nice E sentenza saith he l Girol Caten in literis Pij quinti. di tutti theologi è canonisti determinatione di concilij massimamente del Niceno che ' l successor di San Pietro sia signore rettore di tutti i principi del nome Christiano de tutte le prouincie tutte le genti anathematizando chiunque cio ardisse contradire Parsons may do well to exhibite this canon where the pope is made Lorde of all princes and prouinces and all excommunicated that dare say contrarie vnlesse hée will haue his holy father condemned of impious forgerie Ruffine and other authors say there were but twentie canons made in that councel But these good fellowes by a counterfeit letter of Athanasius woulde bring in a great number more Carranza saith many more canons were there established Where the second councell of Constantinople a C. 36. decréed that the sea of Constantinople shoulde bée equall to the sea of old Rome as appeereth by the actes both in Greeke and Latine in their b C. Renouantes dist 22. c. antiqua extr de priuileg decrées the popes haue turned this canon quite contrarie as if that councell had decréed that the sea of Constantinople shoulde not bée equall to old Rome The councell of c Carthag 6. c. 105. Carthage decréed against the church of Rome Vt qui ad transmarma putauerit appellandum à nullo ad communionem intra Africam reciperetur But Gratian in the chap. Placuit 2. q. 6. addeth these wordes Nisi fortè Romanam sedem appellauerit out of a certaine councell of Carthage that woulde haue priestes to abstaine from their wiues in proprijs terminis in the chap. Placuit dist 32. they haue put out proprijs terminis In the d Can. 35. councell of Laodicea where the worship of angels is forbidden they haue turned angelos into angulos and so marred the whole sence To end this point vnder the name of Syluester Syricius Gelasius and other popes they haue forged whole councels whereof in authenticall writings there is neither prooâ—e nor memoriall to bée found Fourthly their manifolde corruptions of the writings of the fathers cannot in fewe wordes bée described First vnder the names of fathers they haue published most childish toies vaine fables and vnlearned patcheries as by their additions to the works of Cyprian Origen Athanasius Basill Ambrose Hierome Augustine Chrysostome Gregorie and diuers others is euidently testified For Caesar Baronius Bellarmine and others do in part confesse so much and if they shoulde not yet woulde the stile and doctrine diuers from that of the fathers to whom they are ascribed conuince these treatises to bee misbegotten and not to belong to the fathers whose name they beare yet are they offended with those that censure these counterfeit sermons orations and treatises and cease not to vse them Next they haue taken diuers wordes lines and sometimes whole chapters out of the fathers writings and vnder colour of correcting haue quite corrupted the fathers As appéereth by their Rubarbatif or as they cal them expurgatorie indexes that are daily increased and may bée prooued further by comparing the old bookes with the newe editions approoued by the Cananites and Iebusites that cannot endure either truth or the professors thereof Another practise also they haue to abuse and disgrace the fathers of the church that they adde wordes now and then and alter the text of their true writings as also comparison of bookes will â—asily shew Fiftly vnder the names of the ancient bishops of Rome they haue published méere fooleries and false constitutions refuted plainly by the stories of the times wherein they liued by the estate of that church in time of persecution and by the barbarousnesse of the Gothike language wherein they are written sauoring of otherages and authors then those whose names they beare Of this stampe are the epistles that carrie the names of Clement Anacletus Euaristus Alexander Telesphorus Hyginius Pius and such like Sixtly for the enlarging of their dominion and authoritie the popes haue set out l C. Constantinus dist 96. first a false donation surmised to bée made by Constantine and therein they say hée gaue them Rome Italy France Germany and all the west empire and also most ample priuileges authoritie A matter so false and vaine as it may bée woondred with what saâ—e the popes can alleage so manifest a forgery being contradicted by the m Socrat. hist lib. 3. c. vlt. Sâ—xt Aurel. Victor Zosimus emperour Constantines testament and by ancient histories by the state of the Romaine bishops for many yéeres after and by the brutish and barbarous fashion and frame of the instrument and therfore disallowed euen by the n Antonin 1. part hist tit 8. c. 1. Cusanus de concord cathol 3. aduersaries themselues that haue either modesty or learning They haue also set out another donation vnder the name of o Ego Ludouicus dist Ludouicus almost to the same purpose but yet not so large as the other That the same is forged it may appéere both for that it contradicteth Constantines donation and for that the two diuers copies that are p Volater Geograph lib. 3. extant do contradict one another For writings that are diuers and derogatorie one to another make no strong proofe Scripturae diuersae fidem sibi inuicem derogantes nihil habere firmitatis possunt as saith the q L. scripturae Cod. de fid instrument emperour Neither can two contrarie propositions bée taken for true as lawyers holde l. sâ—is qui. § vtrum ff de reb dub l. vbi pugnantia ff de regulis iuris To giue colour also to the counterfect clayme made by the popes of Rome for their vniuersall power euer the whole Church they haue r Cod. de sum trinit fide cath l. inter claras thrust a counterfect epistle of Iustinian the Emperour and an epistle of Iohn bishop of Rome among the imperiall lawes of the Code whereby they would prooue that the Emperour here did subiect himselfe and the church of Constantinople to the bishop of Rome and made him head of the church That these letters are forged it may appéere First for that they are not found in