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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
in these Iohn 21. Feede my lambes feede my sheepe In the wordes written by Matthew he telleth vs That the principalitie of the church is promised to Peter as the words themselues do shew and the consent of ancient fathers both Greeke and Latine doth expound In the latter hée saith Peter was made pastor generall of all Christes flocke as both the words themselues do import and all antiquitie with one consent hath euer taken the sense to be And this is the commission these are the recordes these the proofes which he vanteth of But if hée acquit not himselfe the better he will be taken and conuicted for a forger of false patents and commissions for a falsifier of recordes and for a corrupter of fathers and a vaine pretender of antiquitie And all that read his vaine writings with iudgement will condemne him woorthie if not to haue his eares clipped because our procéeding is not before the tribunall of iudges yet to haue his coxcombe pared for crowing and crying so loude and so proudly vpon so little cause For first the wordes of Christ are not Thou art Peter or a Rocke As hée forgeth changing a proper name into a noune appellatiue but simply Thou art Peter Secondly he confesseth himselfe that Christ in the first place giueth nothing but onely promiseth Now it is no warrant for any to alledge a promise of a commission vnlesse he canne prooue an act passed or else exhibite the commission it selfe Thirdly nothing is here promised to Peter but the keyes of the church But those keyes are common not onely to the apostles but also to all true pastors and successors of the apostles and therefore cannot signifie any sole monarchicall or supreme gouernement of the whole church Fourthly suppose that Peter were in this place promised to be made the rocke and foundation of the church which as the fathers expound it was onely in respect of his confession or of Christ the rocke which he confessed yet that is no priuiledge nor matter properly belonging to Peter but a common graunt made to all the apostles who in respect of their doctrine and after a sort may be termed the a Ephes 2. Apoc. 21. foundation of the church Fiftly it cannot be shewed that any gréeke or latin fathers do so expound the wordes Matth. 16. as if Christ meant to giue to Peter the sole monarchicall gouernement of the church Let them speake in their owne wordes and he shall perceiue it to be as I say Nay it appeareth by Bellarmine himselfe that no such matter canne be prooued by the fathers Sixtly Christ saying to Peter feed my sheepe and redoubling his charge thrée times gaue him not any new authority but rather stirred him vp to the execution of his office and sought to draw from him a thréefould confession to answere his former thréefould deniall And so saith Nazianzen in Orat. in sanct epiph lumina and Cyrill vpon Iohn Lib. 12. c. 44. and Augustin tract 123. in Ioan. de vtilit poenit c. 1. serm 149. de tempore Seuenthly the charge of féeding was as well committed to all the apostles Matth 28. as to Peter Iohn 21. Lastly not one of the fathers doth by these wordes prooue that Peter was ordeined the monarchicall and sole supreme gouernour of the church Saint b In c. vlt. Luc. Ambrose saith That Peter was preferred before all the apostles but he speaketh not of his office or function but of loue affection For speaking of all the apostles he saith c Ibidem Similiter praedicandi his per totum orbem mandat officium Saint d In c. Ioan. vlt. Augustine saith onely That Christ committed his sheepe to be fedde of Peter But so hée did also commit them to be fedde of the rest of the apostles when he gaue them authoritie to teach all nations e In c. 21. Ioan. Chrysostome saith That Christ committed to Peter the care of his brethren but we may not imagine that other apostles were carelesse or had no care committed to them neither may we imagine that all are supreme and sole gouernors that haue care committed to them Epiphanius doth a In Anchirat testifie That Christ committed his sheepefold to Peter So do the holy scriptures testifie that the apostles had all commission to féede Christes shéepe and to gouerne his folde But saith our wise aduersarie b P. 101. These wordes Pasce ouesmeas were spoken to Peter in preeminence and highest degree But Saint c De simplic Praelat Cyprian and d C. In nouo dist 21. Anacletus that were wiser then he make all the apostles equall in power and apostolicall dignitie and the common commission giuen to all doth prooue them equall And least any might surmise that the apostles receiued any power from Peter the apostle e Gal. 1. 2. Saint Paule saith hée had his authoritie from God and not from man and Receiued nothing from the rest of the apostles Most vaine therefore and foolish is all this our aduersaries discourse concerning the supposed monarchie of Peter But whatsoeuer is to be supposed of Peter yet that concerneth the pope of Rome that is more like to Nero and Heliogabalus then Peter iust nothing For he is not the Rocke of which Christ speaketh he hath not the keies of heauen deliuered vnto him hée féedeth not Christes shéepe nor liueth in poore estate and contempt nor suffereth persecution as did the holie apostle saint Peter But saith the woordy Warder our aduersarie All the christian worlde hath made euer this most certaine and infallible deduction that Christ gaue not Saint Peter these eminent prerogatiues for himselfe alone but for his posteritie and successors also that should ensue him in his seat to the worlds end As if whatsoeuer Saint Peter had must necessarily descend to his counterfect successors the popes of Rome Beside that the vanitie of this bragge of all the christian worlde and of the infallibilitie of this collection may appéere in diuers particulars First it is cléere that diuers of Peters prerogatiues were personall as to haue his name changed to bée called Cephas to worke miracles to speake with toongs to confesse Christ thrée times and such other like And therefore strange it is that this ignorant fellow durst either talke of all the christian worlde wherein he is but a stranger or woulde say that all the christian world beléeued these prerogatiues of Peter to belong to the popes of Rome Secondly it can neuer be prooued that Peter had or that the worlde beléeued that hée had power to depose kings to translate kingdomes to dispence with othes to grant pardons to release out of purgatorie to heare appeales out of all the worlde and such like points of the popes power Thirdly admit Peter had apostolicall power ouer the whole worlde yet neither was that proper to Peter nor did any sounde doctor of the church or true Christian imagine that whatsoeuer belonged to
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
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
e Matth. 28. gaue them in charge To teach what he had commaunded them The f Gal. 1. apostle pronounceth him Accursed that should teach otherwise then the Galatians had receiued By the law of Moses the Sanedrin or chiefe tribunal in Hierusalem had soueraigne authority in iudgement yet might not those iudges pronounce sentence g Deut. 17. But according to the law of God The which doth argue that popish religion is built vpon groundes most absurd and contrarie to religion Finally some do stand much vpon ancient fathers and councelles and the first churches practise and haue not doubted to attribute much vnto them But now finding by experience that these do not much make for them and that the fathers themselues do wholy relie vpon the scriptures they flie wholie to the authority of the pope and to the late church of Rome and perceiue that vnlesse they may sit iudges in their owne cause the same cannot stand But héerein it may plainly appeare that they are no catholikes For ancient catholikes attributed most to scriptures and vsed the testimony of fathers and of the ancient church to declare the true sence and meaning of scriptures But a Sâ—ss 4. conciâ— Trâ—d these admit no sence But that of holy church as they call it which is nothing but the priuate fancy of soâ—e foolish pope Fourthly as in the foundations of Christian religion so likewise in diuers points of faith the papists do plainly declare themselues to bée no catholikes For first in the obiect of faith they mainly differ true catholikes beléeue in God onely Faith saith the b Rom. 10. apostle is by hearing and hearing by the worde of God c De diuin nomin c. 7. Dionyse saith That faith hath for his obiect the most pure and alwaies being truth that is God And euery Christian rehearsing his faith confesseth That he beleeueth in God the father the sonne and the holy ghost and in no creature But the papists beléeue in angels and in saints and call vpon them For as the d Rom. 10. apostle saith How shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued To them also they make confession of their sinnes and from them they looke for helpe and all things necessary as may bée shewed by infinite particulars Further they beléeue the determinations of the pope to be true and trust in him as in the rocke of the church e In opusc contra error Graecor Thomas Aquinas saith that it is a matter of faith to beleeue the determination of the pope Ad fidem pertinet saith he inhaerere determinationi pontificis summi in his quae sunt fidei imò in his quae spectant ad bonos more 's And this is also the opinion of f Summa Siluest in verb. fides Siluester Prierius They beléeue also whatsoeuer is taught by the church of Rome Ad fidem pertinent omnia quae sunt in doctrina ecclesiae saith g Ibidem Siluester Prierius and hée gathereth the same out of h 2.2 q. 5. art 3. Thomas Aquinas and that is their common opinion holding the traditions of the church in equal estimation with the worde of God all which can neuer bée prooued to haue béene beléeued by true catholikes For neither can it bée shewed that in publike liturgies they haue called on saints and on angels as the church of Rome teacheth or confessed their sinnes to them or beléeued in the pope or church of Rome Againe true catholikes beléeue that Christ Iesus was true man and had a body like to ours in height bredth thicknesse and that he filled the place where hée was as do our bodies We must beleeue saith a De essentia diuinitatis Augustine that the sonne of God according to his deitie is inuisible incorporeall and incircumscriptible but according to his humane nature that he is visible corporeall and locall b Contra Eutych lib. 4. c. 4. Vigilius saith That Christ is contained in a place according to his humane nature and that this is the catholike faith Illud corpus saith c Dialog 2. Theodoret habet priorem formaÌ„ figuram circumscriptioneÌ„ vt semel dicam corporis substantiam So likewise saith d Ad Thrasimund li. 2. c. 5. Fulgentius SiveruÌ„ est corpus Christi loco potest vtique contineri But the papists do assigne him a body inuisible impalpable and such a one as is incircum scriptible and without the dimensions of height bredth depth A bodie that may be conteined in infinite places at once yet not continued to it selfe as is the nature of Continua quantitas Finally a mans whole body that is without all qualities of a body may be contained in euery little part of a consecrate hoste increasing and diminishing at the priestes pleasure Further euery catholike Christian beléeueth that our Sauiour Christes true body is ascended into heauen and there remaineth e Ioan. 16. Hée tolde his disciples before his passion That he must leaue the worlde and go to the father And in another place f Iohn 12. That they should not alwaies haue him with theÌ„ In the first of the Acts we learne That hee is taken vp from vs into heauen And the apostle S. g Act. 3. Peter doth plainely declare That the heauens must conteine him vntill the time that all things be restored And this also the fathers plainely teach vs According to his diuine nature saith h In Matth. tractat 33. Origen he is not absent froÌ„ vs but he is absent according to the dispensatioÌ„ of his body which he tooke i Lib. 10. super Luc. 24. S. Ambrose saith That neither on the earth nor in the earth nor after the flesh we ought to seeke Christ if we will finde him Saint Augustine saith k Tractat. 50. in Ioan. Hee hath caried his bodie into heauen although he hath not withdawne his maiestie from the worlde l Homil. 21. in euangel Gregory the first doth plainly affirme That Christ is not heere by the presence of his flesh The flesh of Christ saith Vigilius writing against Eutyches lib. 4. c. 4. when it was in earth surely was not in heauen and now because it is in heauen certainly it is not in earth Neither did euer any ancient father teach otherwise But the papists do teach that Christes true body and flesh is both in heauen and earth and vpon euery altar at one time and that hee is touched and receiued not of men onely but also of mise and dogs and other beasts which to true catholikes séemeth not onely absurd but also abominable All true catholikes firmely beléeue that thâ—â—r sinnes are forgiuen them for Christ his sake and that they shall atteine eternall life according to these two articles of the créed which euery one professeth saying Credo remissionem peccatorum vitam aeternam God he Hath promised and sworne as the a Heb. 6.
Arausicane condemneth all those that say That grace or mercy is conferred on those that will seeke and endeuour and not by Gods spirite conferred on vs and which so doth cause vs to will seeke and endeuour And certes strange it were if men dead in trespasses and sinnes coulde worke or that a man could liue the life of grace without faith 23 The doctrine of doubting of remission of sinnes of Gods fauour and of our saluation was first established by the late a Sâ—ss 6. councell of Trent and is contrarie to the Scriptures and faith of ancient fathers and the nature of faith that worketh in vs not a doubting but a sure perswasion and finally it maketh faith a doctrine of vniuersal propositions without application Nay it doth not onely frustrate the truth of Gods promises and effect of the sacraments and powrefull working of the holy Ghost but doth take away all comfort from Christians 24. That there are iust seuen Sacraments and neither more nor lesse was first b In instruct Armen deliuered by the councell of Florence vnder Eugenius the fourth and afterward confirmed by the c Sâ—ss 7. councell of Trent about 40. yeeres agone then also was it d Ibid. determined that All these seuen sacraments were instituted by Christ Iesus and those pronounced accursed that should say contrary How falsly I haue before shewed how newly it may appéere by the aâ—uersaries silence that being vrged to shew testimony of antiquitie rest mute 25. That the forme of confirmation now vsed by the Romanistes is new the decrée of the e In Instruct Armen Florentine councell about the yéere 1423. that then established it may ascertaine vs. The papists themselues being vrged ad exhibendum cannot prooue this forme Signo te signo crucis confirmo te chrismate salutis to bée more ancient 26. That spirituall gossips might not entermarrie and that such mariages being contracted shoulde not bée of force and that mariages contracted may bée dissolued by entring into religion or that by consent the husband and wife may sunder themselues proceedeth onely from the new forge of popish inuention 27 From thence also procéede diuers greasings saltings spittings and other ceremonies in baptisme From the apostles certes or their next successors they cannot be deriued 28. The doctrine of transubstantiation was first f C. firmiter de summa Trin. fid Cath. established by Innocent the third about the yéere 1212. and after that renewed in the councell of Florence Trent Before that councell it was scarce named any where But were it by any named yet can it not either by scriptures or fathers be prooued as Scotus and Petrus de Alliaco and others writing vpon the sentences do seeme to confesse 29. Vrbane the fourth vpon a reuelation of a certaine Anachorete called Eue did first institute the feast of Corpus Christi and the same was reordeined by Clement the fift in the councell of Vienna about the yéere of our Lord 1311. Honorius the third about the yéere of our Lord 1220. did first ordeine that the sacrament shoulde be worshipped But this idolatrous adoration of the sacrament and the carying of it about in procession and kéeping it in pyxes sauoureth of noueltie 30. In ancient time it was neuer heard that dogs and mise and other brute beastes did receiue Christs glorified bodie Nay the schooles themselues are deuided about this question although the more blasphemous opinion bée nowe approoued and the woorst side hath gotten the victorie 31. In ancient time the Lords supper or eucharist was neuer receiued of one alone The auncient a Can. apost 9. canons of the church excommunicate all those which are present at the oblation do not communicate Our Sauiour Christ did institute it to bée deliuered and distributed to others and not to bée deuoured by the priest alone But in the masse the priest eateth and drinketh all alone 32. Among ancient Christians it was neuer taught nor beléeued that either the accidents of bread and wine did subsist without dependance on their substance or that Christes bodie was in the sacrament without all dimensions or properties of a naturall body which all authoritie of fathers notwithstanding of late time the schoolemen haue taught and the popes of Rome haue established and confirmed by their decretals 33. In the ancient fathers of the church Species sacramentales do neuer signifie accidents as the deceiued papistes take it Speciem pro veritate accipiendam legimus saith b de ijs qui initiantur mysterijs c. 4. Ambrose c Ibid. c. 9. Et ante benedictionem alia species nominatur where species doth signifie a substance Idem cibus illorum qui noster saith d In Psal 77. Augustine sed significatione idem non specie e Apud Bedam in 1. Cor. 11. Againe Vt sit visibilis species panis multa grana in vnum consperguntur And that is the signification of the Latine worde species 34. That the sacrament of the Lordes supper is also an externall and propitiatorie sacrifice auaileable for quicke and dead and to so many purposes as the papists pretend is also a late fantasie of priestes deuised for their owne gaine and receiued of the people of méere ignorance of Christes institution 35. Our Sauiour Christ did ordeine that as many as receiued the Sacrament of the Lordes body shoulde also receiued the sacrament of his blood and that this was the true institution it appéereth by the a 1. Cor. 11. apostles doctrine that diligently setteth downe the wordes of the institution The same also was b Ignat. ad Philadelph Dionys eccles hierarch Chrys hom 18. in 2. Corinth continued in the church of Christ for many ages Neâ—ther was the contrarie established before the late councels of Constance and Trent 36. The partes of the masse were first formed by one scholasticus and encreased and altered by diuers popes and in diuers hundred yéeres coulde not bee brought to any perfection 37. In ancient time Scriptures were publikely read and praiers saide in toongs commonly vnderstoode of the people If I pray in a strange toong saith the c 1. Cor. 14. apostle my spirite praieth but my vnderstanding is without fruite Neither was there euer act made to the contrary but by the d Conc. Trent sess 22. Constit Thom. Arundel Romish synagogue of late time 38. In the apostolike churches neither were there masses nor praiers made in honour of angels of the blessed virgin and other saints Nor had the blessed Virgin a peculiar Psalter and office dedicated vnto her If wée search all antiquitie wée shall not finde where after the Lordes praier the salutation of the blessed virgin with a praier to her is placed Nor are there speciall Litanies to her and to saints in old liturgies to be found 39. The apostles and their successors neither taught vs to make the images of God and of the holy Trinitie nor to
worship the crosse with diuine worship or the images and reliques of saints with all deuotion and seruice Nay this worship is contrary to the second commandement and condemned by the councell of Eliberis by Epiphanius and all ancient fathers 40. The Romish missals breuiaries offices and psalters of our Lady primers and other rituall bookes wherein the whole worship of the Romish church is conteined receiue all their authoritie from Pius quintus Gregory the 13. corrected the Calendar and published the same after his owne fashion neither agréeing with truth nor with antiquitie 41. It is not long since the popes of Rome tooke vpon them to a De reliq venerat sanct c. 1. 2. in gloss canonise saints and after a heathen fashion to put them in the calendar of popish demy Gods Neither the apostles nor the auncient fathers did euer know anie such thing 42. The b Manual di Geronymo Campos rosaries and beades of our Lady conteining 63. Aue mariaes and .7 Pater nosters which are now much reckoned of in Spaine and Italy are but a new tricke of some late pope to get mony 43. The manner of the sanctifying of the paschall lambe as it is prescribed in the Romish missall is very strange in the church of Christ All ancient fathers condemne it as an odde tricke of Iudaisme 44. Ancient Christians had no mediators but Christ Iesus neither did they pray to our lady or to saintes or to angels but to God in the name of Christ Iesus 45. Neither had they any priests consecrated to sacrifice for quicke and dead as haue the papistes Nay as the apostle saith they beléeued that Christ was a priest after the order of Melchizedech without succession and that the sacrifice which he made was not to be reiterated 46. The doctrine of penance which the schoolemen first began to talke of was not setled before the councell of Florence and Trent If our aduersaries will néedes maintaine the contrary let them shew first where the ancient fathers teach that priuate penance consisteth of thrée parts to witte Contrition Confession and Satisfaction and how these are nothing without Absolution which they account to be the forme of penance Secondly let them shew that auriculer confession was receiued in the Westerne church before the c C. omnis vtriusque sexus de Poenit. remiss constitution of Innocent the third that first established that order Thirdly that certaine cases were specially reserued to the bishop of Romes absolution in time of the ancient fathers Fourthly that all Christians did make satisfaction to God for their actuall sinnes Lastly that in times past either contrition differed from satisfaction or absolution went before satisfaction or that noâ—e were reconciled to God but such as were confessed to priests and did satisfie according to their pleasures 47. The councell of Trent did likewise innouate diuers things iâ— the ordination of bishops and priests For the friers there determined that there were 7. orders and euery of these a sacrament and yet but all one sacrament which séemeth very enigmaticall They decréed That priests should be shauen and greazed that by the act of ordination there was a print made in their soules which they call An inuisible character matters very new and strange 48. In ancient time neither were monkes permitted to execute the office of priests nor were any ordeined bishops but such as did feede their flockes The dumbe bishops and boy-cardinalles and prelates of the Romish synagogue are but new creatures of the pope brought in onely to confirme and establish his new tyranny 49. Purgatory was not established before the late councels of Florence and Trent Neither was any part of it knowne in ancient time Saint Augustine began first to talke of purgatory for veniall sinnes and after his time Gregory that made the dialogues beléeued that veniall sinnes were indéede remitted in purgatory The schoolemen added that satisfactions for penance inioyned and not accomplished in this life were there to be performed They also haue of late begun to talke much of the popes power and of the merites of masses in purgatory but as yet they are not agréed about the same nor about many other such like matters 50. The yéere of Iubiley was a Constit Pauli 2. ordeined first by Boniface the eight and afterward altered by Clement the fift and last of all brought to twentie fiue yéeres by Paul the second But not borrowed from Christians but either from the heathen that euery hundred yéere had Luâ—os seculares or from the Iewes that euery 50. yeeres celebrated a Iubiley and now agréeing neither with Iewes Gentiles nor christians 51. That the popes indulgences depend vpon the late popes authoritie without proofe out of Scriptures or fathers the patrons of them that are ingenuous do confesse b Artâ— 18. aduers assert Lutherâ— Fisher sometime bishop of Rochester saide That before purgatorie was feared no man sought for indulgences and that in the beginning of the church there was no vse of them Quamdiu saith hée nulla fuerat de purgatorio cura nemo quaesiuit indulgentias And afterward In initio nascentis ecclesiae nullus fuerat earum vsus Such indulgences as are mentioned in the booke of Pardons of Rome are meere forgeries and fooleries In the church of Saint Paule at Rome saith the booke Yee haue 48. thousand yeeres of pardon on the day of his conuersion a hundred yeeres of pardon on Childermasse daie fower thousand yeere of pardon For kissing two iron crosses at S. Peters church doore fiue hundred yeeres of pardon On the feast day of Saint Peter 1000. yeeres of pardon And for looking on one of the pence for which our Sauiour was solde 1400. yeeres of pardon In the church of Saint Marie maior yee haue fowerteene thousand yeeres of pardon And Blessed be the mother saith our author that beareth the childe that heareth masse on Saturday at Saint Iohn of Lateran For he deliuereth al them that he desireth out of purgatory to the number of 77. soules Hée saith further That on the tower of the church standeth a double crosse that was made of the sworde that Saint Iohn was beheaded with and that at euery time that a man beholdeth that crosse hee hath 14000. yeeres of pardon and as many karines of all penance And infinite such indulgences are granted by popes in that booke Pope Gregory the 13. a In Constit Gregor per Petr. Matth. sent ouer his indulgence of Iubiley into England and no doubt but that this pope either hath or will do the like O simple creatures that buie such trash and suffer themselues to be abused with such nouelties and fooleries as beséeme neither christian religion nor common reason 52. The popes penitentiaries taxe which conteineth the rates of absolutions For murders Parricides Rapines Periuries Adulteries Incests Sodomitry yea and Apostacy and Turkish blasphemies I thinke our aduersaries will not denie but that it is most new 53.
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
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
cacolike religion This a Ad persequut Anglos Allen told vs in a long discourse to that purpose This Campian and the priestes that came from Rome protested And this is the ground of all their declarations supplications and petitions made for moderation in executing the lawes against priestes and recusants And so credulous simple were some of vs poore soules that we beléeued their faire words and glosses and determined to shew them all possible fauour But now we sée they séeke the destruction of her Maiesty the bringing in of strangers the trouble of the kingdome by rebellion and the vtter desolation of their natiue countrey as we haue prooued by many particulars Parsons in his Ward-word taketh vpon him the defence of publike enimies and traytors séeking by all meanes to disgrace his owne nation and this state Being acquainted with Parries intention for the murthring of her Maiestie he reuealed it not nay he dissuaded one that went about to reueale it as he confesseth in a letter of his which will be prooued and I hope shewed if he will denie it By him and his consorts Holt Worthington Gifford Allen Walpoole and others diuers other assassinors haue béene persuaded hired and suborned to kil or empoyson the Quéene as wil be proued not only by the confessions of the parties that were employed but also by the depositions and writings of certaine popish priests that charge the Iesuiticall faction with this intended assassinat It is playne that they haue by all meanes sought to stirre vp rebellion at home and to bring vpon vs forrein enimies from abroad The rebellions in England and Ireland the practises of D. Storie Throkmorton Charles Paget Babington and Ballard and diuers doe prooue the first The second is prooued by the testimonie of Pius Quintus and Sixtus Quintus by Cardinall Allens and Parsons negotiation with the king of Spaine the pope the Duke of Guise the Prince of Parma and diuers others testified in their owne actions writings and to be prooued by infinit letters and writings of their own consorts which as occasiō shal serue shal be produced against thē in part hath béene alreadie touched in the former discourse And I do not thinke that any priest will either directly condemne the popes hostile actiōs against vs or acknowledge the Quéenes right to her kingdome notwithstanding the popes declaratorie sentence or any thing hée can doe against her Most apparant it is therefore that they seeke the destruction and desolation of this state and are all combined with those that professe themselues our enimies Anno 1571. there was a plot layde by them to bring in the Duke of Guise with the French to surprise London and no doubt but they haue layde many other plots which are not come to our notice Neither were they euer more busie or in better hope then at this instant albeit we take our selues for the most part to be in a state most assured For first they make no question but they shall bring with them all the force that the pope Spaniard can make who are also interessed in this cause in regard of their seuerall pretenses Secondly the faction of the Iesuites haue attempted to cause all their adherents in England to make seuerall associations in euerie shire and mooued them to chuse a head in euerie diuision as shall be prooued by their letters Now what is this but the beginning of a rebellion Thirdly they haue gone about to fortifie themselues by diuers pretended titles which Parsons would haue presently to be set on foote Fourthly euerie seuerall priest hath his seuerall flocke and charge Let it then be estéemed what numbers 3. or 400. pastorall charges may affoord Fiftly of late they haue made a Prouinciall of Iesuites called Walley aliâs Garnet which sheweth that there are some numbers and colledges of Iesuits in England Neither do such gulles come vpon the shore but when gerat stormes are toward Sixtly the pope hath lately made one Blackwell archpresbyter or gouernor of all the papists in England to whom he hath adioyned 12. counsellors assistants It is no small faction therefore that néedeth such an authority so many assistants Seuenthly these fellowes do at the least monthly and sometimes oftener receiue from Rome letters and directions and accordingly make collections of money giue rules and orders distribute faculties graines and medalles and such like notes of faction Of one man I haue shewed that they receiued two thousand pounds that scarce euer bestowed 20. pounds in the Quéenes seruice Here also they lay their plots and set men on work not only to corrupt her Maiesties subiects with false religion but also with disloyall affection Eightly they do monethly if not oftener aduertise into Spaine and Rome what is done in England and disclose all the secrets both of court and countrey and from thence vpon any occasion they hope to draw ayd of men and money Ninthly as if there were in England no magistrates nor lawes but such as the pope and Spaniard doth giue them they are wholly ruled by their officers directions and lawes Nay they contemne her Maiesties lawes and authoritie as if there were no Quéene nor law in England From sorrainers they doe I say receiue law and to them they appeale when they haue wrong as appeareth by appellations letters instructions and orders of theirs which we haue to shew Tenthly in their cases of conscience they forbid their consorts to giue any thing to our vniuersities or to pay their due to the ministers further then law enforceth them which argueth that they worke closely against the ministery and the vniuersities And yet you my masters of the clergie and the vniuersities oppose not your selues against this vermine that séeketh to ouerthrow both the Church and vniuersitie and is dayly intending and working your ruine Eleuenthly they sticke not to declare how nothing standeth in their way but the Quéenes life It is not therefore to be doubted but that they are stil working against her as the treasons of Parsons other Iesuites do manifestly declare and some of their letters do testifie Finally they do perceiue so litle opposition made against them and make all matters so sure on their owne side that now the dispute is betwixt the Iesuites and priests who shall haue the glory of the conuersion of England and how they shall dispose of our liuings and landes and in what sort our throats must be cut and what forme of gouernement shall bée established in England No doubt it will be a braue countrey and gouernement where the Spaniards shall enter by conquest and the Iesuites be lawgiuers and chiefe gouernours Wherfore let vs my deare countrimen awake out of that dead sléepe of securitie into which the pleasant songs of peace and flattering tales of false traitors haue cast vs. Let vs open our eyes and looke into the depth of these dangerous deuises plotted by a faction plainly professed to be opposite to
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
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
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