forgotten that these are Christs words Fol. 81. he maketh sport with words of Scripture comparing Cadburie to the ruines of Hierusalem and yet this fellow is estéemed a worthy patron of poperie such a patron such a cause Fol. 101. he denyeth scriptures to be the rule offaith which is as much as if he meant either impiously to ouerthrow the canon of scriptures or else to preferre vncertaine traditions before them 2. enconter c. 5. fol. 32. 6. he compareth reading of scriptures to excesse of apparrell spending much and playing at dice like a cheating companion drawing similitudes from his owne practise to disgrace the word of God Chap. 6. encontr 2. he will not confesse his errour that sayd before Wardw. p. 14. that the words of the Apostle 1. Cor. 3. make against reading of scriptures Who can denie saith he but Saint Paul talking of scriptures as they were in the learned tongues saith of them litera occidit But to accuse men for reading of scriptures is impious and sauoreth of the error of the Origenists and Swenchfeldians errour that condemne the letter of the Scriptures Neither can he excuse himselfe saying that he meant rash reading For the Apostle where he saith that the letter killeth talketh not of reading but of the effect that the scriptures worke in mens harts shewing that the letter condemneth those which by grace are not moued effectually to embrace the word Chap. 11. encontr 2. most blasphemously he compareth Christs miracles to the miracles of Thomas Becket and his lying legend to the scriptures For which he deserueth to be marked as a miraculous blasphemer In the same place he saith that materiall honour in worshipping saints hurteth not the deuout nor diminisheth their merit Which is as much as if he should say that those that worship theeues and malefactors as saints offend not but rather merit with God And that men may worship they know not whom nor what Fol. 99. he maintaineth a blasphemous prayer wherein papists desire to come to heauen by the blood of Thomas Becket And to mend the matter saith it is no more then the Prophets did mentioning Abraham Isac and Iacob And yet no Prophet or godly man euer prayed to come to heauen by their blood 2. encontr c. 14. he defendeth those blasphemous verses Hîc des deuotè caelestibus associo te mentes aegrotae per munera sunt tibi lotae Whereby the papists teach that mens sinnes are washed by almes which is derogatory to the blood of Christ wherein our sinnes onely are washed away and wée cleansed Fol 114. 2. encontr c. 14. cauilling with Sir Francis Hastings about his inference made out of the words of Durand that saith How that indulgences are not found in scriptures he affirmeth that the illation of those that dispute against the doctrine of the Trinity and the consubstantialitie of the sonne of God with his father and baptisme of infants is as good as that of Sir Francis against indulgences But it is most blasphemous to compare the doctrine of the highest mysteries of our religion which the ancient fathers proued and we doubt not but to proue out of scriptures with the trash and 〈◊〉 of indulgences that haue neither ground in scriptures nor fathers nor reason As at large I haue proued in my booke De indulgentijs against Bellannine Our doctrine of faith iustifying without works Parsons calleth an idle deuice and a mathematicall illusion the which toucheth the Apostle as well as vs. For he saith That by the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified It toucheth also the fathers that say workes go not before but follow after righteousnesse The same also toucheth the papists themselues which confesse that our first iustice is not of works But whatsoeuer Christians are to think of works Parsons hath no reason to put any confidence in his owne workes vnlesse he hope to be saued by iugling lying cogging rayling cousening committing treason and villanie Neither hath he cause to talke of mathematicall illusions hauing himselfe egregiously deluded all those with whom he hath dealt and beléeuing as it séemeth no heauen but mathematicall If he hope to go thither by the Popes pardons tyed about his necke like necklaces and flying vpward like a yong dragō he is far deceiued That is no place for such dragons nor are pardons wings to flie so high withall We hope rather to sée him sent flying to 〈◊〉 holy father with an 〈◊〉 halter about his necke and led 〈◊〉 in a dongcart to the gallowes as a due reward for his leud workes and treasons Is it not then strange that such an atheist should talke of religion The heathen Philosopher laugh edat Epicurus discoursing of God whose prouidence he denied and no man had euer reason to endure to heare the atheist Diagoras disputing of diuine matters How then can papists esteeme of this mans idle Directories and discourses in religion that is declared an atheist and a man all voyd of pietie and religion And yet is he not more impious then ridiculous ignorant and malicious CHAP. V. Of diuers ridiculous and childish errors and mistakings of the supposed great doctour Parsons IT is the part of hypocrites to espie a mote in another mans eye but they sée not the beames that are in their owne eyes This we may sée verified in our captious aduersary For albeit curious in espying faults in others yet could he not auoyd grosse errors in himselfe In the Epistle to the reader he speaketh of the author of the Wardword in the third person praysing him as a Catholike man And yet presently after forgetting himselfe hée speaketh of him in the first person where he talketh of enlarging himselfe and of his reioynder In his answere to my Epistle fol. 3. b. he supposeth that these words non tam despectum quà m vexatum dimittam are taken out of Tullies second Philippicke But the oration being read ouer will discouer the truants error For in all that oration there are no such words It may be he had read some such like words in Tullies oration in Vatinium But the poore ideot could not hit vpon it Fol. 5. b. he saith that this word maxime the end of doing any thing is first in our intention and last in performance and execution is taken out of Aristotle But the great doctor cannot tell where to find it And when he seeketh it he shall find that he mistooke later writers for Aristotle Fol. 13. b. he telleth vs that Irenaeus lib. 2. c. 54. and lib. 4. c. 2. doth call heresie pandoram whereas he lib. 2. c. 54. doth not once name pandoram and lib. 2. c. 55. and lib. 4. c. 2. where he hath that word he doth not by pandora vnderstand heresie but matrem spiritualis conceptionis the mother of spirituall conception of whom and their Sauiour the Valentinians imagined spirituall creatures to haue their originall as may be gathered out of these words Ireney lib. 4. cap. 2.
how can they hope to be saued by the merites of S. Catherine and S. Nicholas And how can they deny them to be mediators of saluation by whose merits they suppose to be saued I will not ask them what Catherine and Nicholas haue to do with them but yet they may do wel to proue that there was euer any such virgin in the world being the daughter of king Costus as they giue out Upon S. Francis his day they vse this prayer O God which by the merites of blessed S. Francis doest amplifie thy Church with the birth of new children graunt that by his imitation we may despise earthly things and alwayes reioyce being made partakers of heauenly gifts through Christ our Lord. But the Apostle exhorteth vs to be followers of Christ Jesus and of others so far as they be followers of Christ and iustly we may doubt whether Francis followed Christ or no being the author of a rule diuers from that of Christ and of diuers strange fancies We may also well make a question whether his disciples be Christs true disciples seeing the doctors of Paris affirmed they were in the state of damnation Sure we are that by Christs merits and not by his merits or imitation we are made partakers of heauenly gifts Upon S. Bathildis day according to the order of Sarum Missai they prayed that her merites might obtaine that their sacrifices oblations might be accepted seeing she offered vp her self a liuing holy and welpleasing sacrifice vnto God as if Christs body and bloud were not to be accepted but by the merits of S. Bathildis or as if by her sacrifice our sins were done away Upon Thomas of Canterbury his day they prayed that by the blood of Thomas they might ascend to heauen And on S. Lucies day they pray O Lucie spouse of Christ thou didst hate the things of the world and shinest with Angels by thine owne blood thou hast ouercome thine enemie As if men were saued by the blood of Thomas as wel as Christs blood and as if Saints by their owne blood without Christ could ouercome their enemies So wicked and blasphemous these prayers are that the most ingenious Doctors of the popish schoole haue much a do to excuse them and do very badly agree either one with another or with the truth Hosius in confess petrik ca. 58. hath these words When a man commeth to saints he doth not desire 〈◊〉 of them but onely their intercession And again We giue no more vnto them saith he when we call vpon them triumphing with Christ in heauen then to any one of our brethren militant on earth But therein he lyeth notoriously For commonly they call the virgine Mary mother of mercy and desire her to protect them and to do away their 〈◊〉 Likewise they pray to be saued by the blood of Thomas by the merites of other saints which I trow is more then they will giue to euery one of their brethren in earth Bellarmine saith that it is not lawful to ask glorie or grace or other meanes tending to blessednesse of saints as authors of Gods benefites But this is contradicted as well by the doctrine as by the practise of the Romish church Sotus in confess cath saith that saints in heauen are our coadiutors and fellow-workers in the worke of our saluation Saltzger writing vpon this argument affirmeth that we pray to saints for two benefites the first is to the end they may pray for vs the second is that either visibly or inuisibly they may bestow their helpe vpon vs. Clichtouey teacheth that saints haue seuerall graces to bestow on them that call vpon them Alexander Hales sayth Sanctos oramus vt mediatores per quos impetramus We call vpon saints as mediators by whom we obtaine Thomas sayth we receiue benefites from God by the meanes of saints Beneficia Dei sumimus mediantibus sanctis Antoninus part 3. sum Tit. 3. sayth that Gods benefites descend downe to vs by the mediation of Angels and holy soules And againe p. 4. Tit. 15. Maria it a aduocat interpellat vt Deum patrem placet conuersos in gloriam inducat Mary is so our aduocate and intercessor that she doth pacifie the Father and bring repentant sinners into glory Bernardine in his booke of Mary sayth that no grace commeth from heauen vnto the earth but by Mary and vnlesse the same passe by the hands of Mary for that all graces do enter into Mary and from her are cōmunicated to vs and for that she is the mediatrix of saluation of coniunction of intercession of communication Commonly they pray to the virgin Mary in this 〈◊〉 Giue vs peace protect me To S. George they addresse themselues saying this saint let him saue vs from our sinnes that we may rest in heauen with blessed soules Hic nas saluet say they à peccatis vt in 〈◊〉 cum beat is possimus quiescere And if they did only intercede for vs not bestow vpon vs the things we pray for why do some beg of S. Anthony the health of their swine and of S. Winnoc the good standing of their sheepe Why do they pray to S. Luis for their horses and to S. Nicolas for good passage at the sea Why do Painters call on S. Luke and Phisitions on Cosmas and Damianus and Shoo makers on S. Crespin Finally why do they tell vs in their legends of the apparitions of diuers saints in time of warre pestilence and other 〈◊〉 and working diuers feates For if they did onely intercede for vs then one saint might serue for al purposes and then should they onely appeare as suppliants to God and not as bestowers of graces and workers of wonders Finally then should we not say helpe me heale me defend me but pray to God that I may be holpen healed and defended Are not the Papists thē in miserable state that forgetting for the most part their onely Mediator and Redéemer run to saints and Angels nay runne to such as are no saints nor euer were in the world as George that killed the Dragon Catherin the daughter of 〈◊〉 Christopher that bore Christ and such like Are they not mad to pray vnto such as they know not whether they 〈◊〉 them or not And do not some say that they are euery where present to heare our praiers Others that they heare such prayers as God reuealeth vnto them Others that they sée all things in Gods face Others that they vnderstand by relation of Angels It cannot be denied For Bellarmine confesseth it lib. 1. de 〈◊〉 sanct ca. 20. and that which he affirmeth that saints do sée all in God from the first beginning of their blessed estate is most absurd For what is séeing to hearing Againe how can things temporarie be imprinted in the essence of God or can Saints sée some things and not all if they comprehend that which is in the incomprehensible essence of the Deity Most wretchedly also they do worship dumbe
And furthermore they shall be restored to the honour dignity and possessions which heretofore they haue bene depriued of Moreouer euery one shall be rewarded according to the demonstrations and feates which shal be shewne in this godly enterprise And who shall proceed with most valour the more largely and amply shall be remunerated with the goods of obstinate heretikes Wherfore seeing almightie God doth present to his elect so good an occasion therfore I for the more security ordaine and command the captaines generall of horse and artilerie the master generall of the field generall captaines of squadrons as all other masters of the field the captaines of companies of horse and foote and all other officers greater and lesser and men of war the 〈◊〉 generall and the rest of the captaines and officers of the armie that as well at land as sea they vse well and receiue the Catholikes of those kingdomes who shall come to defend the Catholike cause with armes or without them For I commaund the Generall of the artilerie that he prouide them of weapons which shall bring none Also I ordaine and strcitly commaund that they haue particular respect vnto the houses and families of the sayd Catholikes not touching as much as may be any thing of theirs but onely of those that will obstinately follow the part of heretikes in doing of which they be altogether vnworthy of those fauours which be here granted vnto the good who will declare them selues for true Catholikes and such as shall take armes in hand or at least separate themselues from the heretikes against whom and their fauourers all this warre is directed in defence of the honor of God and good of those kingdomes trusting in Gods diuine mercy that they shall recouer againe the Catholike relgion so long agone lost and make them returne to their auncient quietnesse and felicitie and to the due obeience of the holy Primitiue church Moreouer these kingdomes shall enioy former immunities and priuiledges with encrease of many others for the time to come in great friendship confederacie and trafficke with the kingdome of his Catholike Maiestie which in times past they were wont to haue for the publike good of all Christianity And that this be put in executiō speedily I exhort al the faithful to the fulfilling of that which is here contained warranting them vpon my word which I giue in the name of the Catholike King my Lord and master that all shall be obserued which here is promised And thus I discharge my self of the losses and damages which shall fall vpon those which will follow the contrary way with the ruine of their owne soules the hurt of their owne country and that which is more the honor and glory of God And he which cannot take presently armes in hand nor declare himselfe by reason of the tyrannie of the heretikes shall be admitted from the enemies camp and 〈◊〉 passe to the catholike part in some skirmish or battell or if he cannot he shall flie before we come to the last encounter In testimonie of all which I haue commanded to dispatch these presents confirmed with my hand sealed with the seale of mine armes and refirmed by the secretary vnderwritten This being the Adelantadoes proclamation anno 1598. let the world iudge of the impudencie of Parsons that lyeth wittingly and saith the alarme was false Thereby it may appeare also what maner of man Parsons is that bringeth forreine enemies vpon his countrey and is consorted with them and yet faceth all downe that shall say the contrarie In his Epistle likewise he saith that the Ward word comming abroade the newes was in most mens mouthes that the Knight disauowed the Watchword attributing the same to certaine Ministers Where me thinkes I heare Thraso say Metuebant omnes me All stood in dread of me But that is not the fault that I meane here to touch For it is his egregious lying that we are here to talke of Let him therefore either name these most men that he mentioneth or at the least some honest man that gaue out this report as from sir Francis his mouth or else we must say that this lie came out of his owne foule mouth that is now become a fountaine of lies He must shew also how Sir Francis could disauow a treatise subscribed and published by himselfe or else it will be said that this report of Parsons is a lie without shew or probabilitie Afterward he affirmeth that a certaine Minister wrote in supply of the Knights defence And againe fol. 1. he telleth how I perusing the reply of Sir Francis thought in mine owne opinion to make a better defence But how can he proue that I perused the Knights answere or once saw it And whence doth he gather what opinion I had of mine owne doings If he proue nothing then will it be an easie matter to gather that he hath made two improbable lies The same is proued also for that my reply was made before the Knights Apologie was published or seene of me For if I had seene it first my labour might well haue bin spared the same being more then sufficient for the refutation of such a banglers babling discourse In his obseruations vpon my preface fol. 11. b. he sayth My proiect and purpose of writing is to irritate and stir vp her Maiesty and the Councel to ingulfe themselues in Catholikes bloud and to spoile their goods that I and my crew might come to haue a share But first it is most false that Papists are Catholikes Secondly no one word can he alleage out of my whole book wherby it may be gathered that I would haue any rigour vsed against such simple Papists that are not factious nor mutinous For all the harme I wish them is that they were wel instructed Thirdly if he meane those traitors that either came or meant to ioyne with the Adelantado against their prince and countrey then are they no Catholikes nor true subiects The same may be said also of Parsons his consorts Finally it is a shamelesse vntruth to say we desire either blood or spoile all our actions tending onely to resist forrein enemies and wicked traitors which séeke to shed their countrimens blood like water and to sacrifice it to the Pope and to giue the spoile of their country to the Spaniards as the factious Masse-priests and the Papists their consorts haue done diuers times and namely an 1588. and 1598. and since In his obseruations vpon Sir Francis his Epistle fol. 6. He obiecteth saith Parsons that I seeke the ruine both of church and common wealth by my exhortation to peace attonement and mitigation in religion A notorious lie refuted by reading of Sir Francis his Apology where there is no one word sounding that way Neither do we blame any honest man that talketh of peace but scorne that traitors that haue warre in their hearts should talke of peace
desperate folly to affirme That our religion leadeth to Atheisme for want of a Pope or for want of the Popish masse or sacrifice The contrary hereof rather is to be gathered against the Popish religion wherein as we may collect out of the aduersaries owne confession in c. si Papa dist 40. the Pope may lead with him thousands of soules into hell The masse also is a masse and sinke of superstition and idolatry Neither is any thing more repugnant to Christs only sacrifice then the priesthood and sacrifice of the masse Modesty he sheweth none with a face as hard as a lopster affirming That we teach that God is the author of sin That we despoyle Christ of his diuinitie That we wrong him in his office of redemption and bereaue him of his title of lawgiuer and priest And doubt not to say that Christ dispaired Now what greater impudency can be imagined then to ascribe that to vs which we vtterly deny and disclaime Nay we pronounce him accursed whosoeuer shall hold any of these points But the Papists in some things rub very néere vpō these rocks namely where they giue to euery man power to satisfie for the temporall paine of his sins and yéeld that others beside Christ may be called redéemers and make the Pope a law-giuer able to bind mens consciences and giue power to the priest to intercede for Christs body and blood that God would be pleased to accept it as he accepted the sacrifice of Melchisedech Impudently also he belieth vs raileth vpon vs saying that we make euery priuate mans spirit supreme iudge of controuersies and that we 〈◊〉 Fathers auncient Councels and ouerthrow all religion and worship of God Neither doth he onely raile vpon vs but also vpon scriptures where he sayth that founding our selues only on scriptures we open a gate to all heretikes and heresies As if the Fathers and auncient Councels which founded their faith vpon holy scriptures only opened a gap to all heresies Or as if this could be spoken without disgrace to holy scriptures that he that relieth vpon the word of God deliuered in scriptures doth open a gate to all heresies Finally he taketh vpon him the title of the legate of the great monark of heauen being but a base fugitiue renegued companion set on by Antichrist and his supposts to raile at religion and the professors thereof and lying without rule or order His want of learning doeth euery where appeare throughout his whole Suruey The Scriptures he citeth very rarely The Fathers he mistaketh and misalleageth In Ecclesiasticall histories he is but a nouice Nay albeit he talketh much of our Religion yet he vnderstandeth not what we professe what we reiect Finally although the fellow be but a poore translator and collector of other mens slanders yet could he not well relate that which is translated out of others His principal witnesses are Staphilus Cochleus Bolser Nicol Borne Stapleton Surius and such like railing and base authors Was it then likely that he should shew learning that is wholly conuersant in these 〈◊〉 authors deuoyd either of learning or else of all religion and honestie And all this God willing shall by many particulars be verified by those who already haue vndertaken to controle his Suruey and to examine euery article of this leud libell Not that such an asses head deserueth any curious washing but because such a barking cur dog would be silenced with a sharpe censure It resteth now that I speak a word or two more of Walpool his cōfutatiō The man is a special friend of mine albeit vpō very smal acquaintance a cunning triacle seller also a 〈◊〉 a master empoisoner as before is declared This onely I forgot to tell you that his braine is full of 〈◊〉 his memory like an old leather budget his crowne like the posterior parts of an ape and his head like the knop of the handle of a gittern with two strings If you méete any such fellow in the kitchin of the Romish colledge of English boyes commend vs to him and tell him that we haue at leisure perused his 〈◊〉 all confutation and therfore now he may bestow it vpon the cook to stop his bottels The stile biteth like pepper and therfore may do some good seruice there Onely thus much I must tel him y e his words are too high for such a low subiect as he handleth Euery where he raileth like a man beside himselfe and calleth me mad man sycophant franticke fellow lunatike satanicall iugling minister dolt foole noddy foolman irreligious atheist ideot asse drowsie heretike and such like names and these are the common flowers of his dogged eloquence Yet I assure him that I am not offended with his rough stile For although he giue me very hard words and raileth like a tal fellow of his tongue yet I thanke him he is well content to passe by all my arguments in sober silence to confirme as much as I affirme by his cold deniall Now what greater argument I pray you can we bring to proue that Walpoole and his consorts are neither Catholikes nor members of the true church nor hold the ancient religiō of Christ Jesus but rather are a pack of heretikes idolaters and traitors then that our aduersary that taketh vpon him their defence hath nothing to answer in their behalfe It was not modesty certes that made him silent but méere imbecillity of his cause and want of iust defence Will it please you to take a tast of his insufficiency before we broach the whole barrell of his foolery In the preface of his booke he vanteth that he hath spent his time in exact studie of Diuinitie and with particular care read the Scriptures Councels and Fathers O happy youths that heare so exact a spender of his time in study of Diuinity O hard aduenture for vs that are to encounter this giant that hath deuoured so many Councels and Fathers But in the meane while Parsons was much too blame that put him to it thus impudently to praise himselfe We for our parts do admire his singular folly and arrogance who praiseth himselfe with such impudency His great reading to vs is inuisible his great ignorance in all maner of learning and not onely in theology is euery where apparant Fol. 2. he telleth vs how Heraclitus affirmed that the snow was blacke But vnlesse he produce his author his friends with Heraclitus may wéepe to sée his pittifull ignorance We haue heard such a thing of Anaxagoras but this of Heraclitus is ridiculously forged In the same place he writeth also how Zeno taught That it was impossible for any thing to moue A matter very stupendious But this he findeth that hath read exactly the fathers Would he name his author he will make a Stoicke to laugh Fol. 8. he sayth that Christs body hath a being in the sacrament like to a soule But our Sauiour Luke 24. sheweth a notorious difference betwixt a body and a spirit