of Antichrist should be by the working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying wonders Wonders then Antichrist shall worke but they are lying wonders both in forme because many of them are but counterfait and in the end because the end of all is to draw men from the truth to lies falsehood For what was the end of these miracles was it not to draw men to Idolatry to the worship of the relicks of dead men to shrine their bones in gold and siluer and precious stones as this Becket was vsed was it not to drawe men to Canturburie with their vowes and offerings by heapes out of which the Couent sucked no small aduantage Of this dangerous temptatiō by miracles to draw vs away from Christ to Antichrist our Sauiour Christ hath likewise graciously forwarned vs saying That there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue the verie elect The miracles therefore which the munkish generation hath wrought by the power of Sathan to draw men to Idolatrie and to enrich themselues I hope shall not much moue vs being forewarned of this temptation and therefore well armed against it especially if we remember that the Lord willeth the people of Israel not to credit the Prophets though they worke miracles if thereby they seeke to draw them to Idolatrie because the Lord doth this to proue them whether they will loue the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soule Or else thirdly they were neuer wrought neither indeed nor in apparance but were deuised by men of leaden hearts brasen faces as one termeth the author of your Golden legend for the infinite inriching of their purses and so are they onely the shameles inuentions of the Munkes idle braines and this seemeth most true in the miracles ascribed to Becket which as by the number they discredit themselues amounting to the number of 270. said to be wrought by him after his death who neuer wrought any one in all his life so likewise by the qualitie of them being farre off from all truth and reason some ridiculous some monstrous vaine absurd some also blasphemous and some so impudent that not only they deserue no credit altogether sauouring of meere forgerie but also for very shame wil abash an honest pen to write of them As namely that three daies after his death he appeared at the Altar in his pontificalibus cōmaunding the Quire not to sing but to say this office of his Masse Exurge quare obdormis domine c. Againe that it was shewed a Munke in a vision that Becket had his place appointed in heauen with the Apostles aboue Steuen Laurence c. Also that a Knights sonne being two daies dead was reuiued againe so soone as he had a little of the water of Canturburie put into his mouth and had by his parents foure peeces of siluer bended to be offred at Canturbury in the childs behalf And further most blasphemously that Becket in a vision did appeare and say that his bloud did crie out of the earth to God more then the bloud of righteous Abel as also that Becket appearing to a Priest named Thomas told him that he had so brought to passe that all the names of the Munkes of the Church of Canturburie with the names of the Priestes and Clerkes and with the families belonging to that Citie and Church of Canturburie were written in the booke of life These and many more absurd then these are the miracles ascribed to him to proue him a Saint dying in so holy a quarrell and to fill the purses and fat the panches of idle Monkes But miracles are not rare at Rome the thing which may iustly bee thought most vntrue shall bee confirmed with a miracle Aquinas Diuinitie rules in all their schooles will you doubt of the truth of it and trie it by Scripture that shall not need it is confirmed by a miracle and that a sound one When hee was once praying to the Image of Christ crucified the Image spake to him Benè scripsisti de me Thoma quā ergo mercedem accipies You haue written well of me Thomas what reward wil you haue for your labour of which that no man may doubt it was testified by the oath of a deuout man which hid himself there of purpose belike the Image had spoken to him before to be present secretly to bearewitnes of the matter Hiacinthus a Polonian who dyed in the yeare 1257. was lately canonised for a Saint doe ye doubt whether the Pope did well therein or not consider the miracles hee wrought A young man that brake his necke from his horse being carried to Hiacinthus Tombe presently reuiued and was restored whole and sound Againe a mayde hauing a calfe suddenly dead runneth to his graue and prayeth him to reuiue her calfe againe when shee came home and found the Butcher skinning of it the calfe mouing the leg that was fleyed lifted vp the head and was by and by as whole as a fish And that ye may know it is no great noueltie with these fellowes to haue stockes and stones to speake◠when this Hiacinthus was aliue and at the sudden irruption of the Tartarians was readie to flie out of the Church the Image of the Virgine Marie being an huge one and of Alablaster called to him O sonne Hiacinthus dost thou flie from the hands of the Tartarians and leauest me with my sonne to be torne in peeces and trampled vnder their feete therefore take me with thee At which he being somewhat amazed answered O glorious Virgin this Image of yours is too heauie how can I carrie it with me But she replied take it for my sonne shal lighten the burden Whereupon he tooke it and carried it in one hand as if it had been as light as a reede through the great riuer Borysthenes on drie foote Here is a tast of your strange miracles of Rome but it is most strange that men should bee so bereft of reason and iudgement to beleeue them If Calphurnius were liuing of whom the Poet writeth Pleno ridet Calphurnius ore and should reade the wonderfull miracles to the Popes Saints attributed I suppose he would not onely laugh with open mouth but euen breake his bellie with laughing at these their ridiculous follies The Lord giue vnto vs grace to loue the truth that we may be saued least otherwise in his iust iudgement he send vs strong delusions to beleeue such loude and lewde lyes And so I leaue Becket with all his miracles as in stories I finde him recorded the Kings rebell and the Popes Saint The residue of the exceptions in this Encounter against me are altogether to false and friuolous as I might well spare the labour in giuing any answere thereto but that this foule-mouthed fellow who sayleth in a Sea of words painteth
Heauen and not in the Pix was counted heresie and for that cause men were called before your Clergie and branded to the slaughter Our stories are full of examples out of your owne Registers that reading of Scriptures was accounted heresie not to stand vpon many vnder Longland Bishop of Lincolne Agnes Welles was conuented and amongst other things examined whether Thurstan did euer teach her the Epistle of S. Iames or the Epistles of S. Peter and S. Paul in English Thomas Earle was likewise chaeged for hearing the Epistle of S. Same 's read in English Agnes Ashford of Chesham for teaching Iames Norden certaine sentences of Scripture as Teend ye not a candle and put it vnder a bushell but set it on a candlesticke that it may giue light to all in the house such like To Robert Pope Iohn Morden and his wife was obiected that they recited the tenne commandements in English To Iohn Phips was obiected that he was very ripe in the Scriptures Ienkin Butler appeached Iohn Butler his owne brother for reading to him in a certaine booke of the Scripture and perswading him to hearken to the same what should I stand to number vp any more which vnder this one Bishopâ— for reading them selues or hearing read some part of the Gospels Acts or any the Epistles or Reuelation were called into question of life The like proceeding was vsed by other Bishops and namely by Tunstall then Bishop of London before whom many were conuented for that holy heresy of reading the Scriptures In number of whom one going to be burned for an heretike and seeing the booke of the Reuelation bound to the stake to be burnt with him which happely he had diligently read being thereto moued with that sentence Blessed is he that readeth and they that heare the words of this prophecie spake with a lowde voice these words O blessed Reuelation how well is it with mee that I shall be burnt with thee Infinite such examples might be shewed not onely in our owne countrie but in forraine kingdomes I will alleadge onely one example of a godly Bookeseller of Auignion in France The Bishop of Aix with other Prelates passing through the streets euerie one leading his Minion vpon his arme and buying vp such filthie pictures and rimes as were then to be sold they came where there was a Bookeseller setting out French and Latine Bibles to saile at which sight they being much moued said to the Booke-seller darest thou be so hardie to set out such marchandise to sell here in this Towne Dost thou not know that such bookes are forbidden To whom the Booke-seller answered is not the holy Bible as good as these goodly pictures that ye haue bought for these Gentlewomen Which speech so offended the Bishop of Aix that he brast forth into these words I renounce my part of Paradice if this be not a Lutheran So commaunding him to be apprehended he was by the Prelates attendants most despitefully handled some crying out a Lutheran a Lutheran to the fire with him to the fire with him some beating him with their fistes some pulling him by the beard others by the haire that the poore man was all embrued in blood before he came to the prison The next morning being brought before the Iudges in the presence of the Prelats the selling of bibles in French was laide to his charge he was asked whether he knew not the Bible to be forbidden in all christendome saue onely in Latine To which he answered that he knew the contrarie and that he had sold many Bibles in the French tongue with the Emperors Priuiledge with other words reprouing their forbidding of Gods most holy bookes which he ordained for the instructing of the ignorant and for the reducing againe into the way such as haue gone astray the charitable Prelates cried out haue him to the fire without any more words the Iudge yet paused willing him to acknowledge those Prelates to be true Pastors of the Church which he denying that he could doe with a good conscience sith they reiected the holy bookes of God he was immediatly condemned to be burned and the selfe same day executed and for a signe and token of the cause of his condemnation he carried to the place of his execution two Bibles hanged about his necke and so exhorting the people to read the Scriptures he was for this cause onely cruelly put to death Who then can doubt but that the Romish Clergie are the true heires and successors of those cruell Tyrants Antiochus Dioclesian Maximinus c. Who like them haue burned in the fire not only the Scriptures of God but also the bodies of them that read therein and that to them it may be applied that which is written in the Machabees The bookes of the law which they found they burnt in the fire and cut in peeces Whosoeuer had a booke of the Testament found by him or who soeuer consented vnto the law the kings commandement the Bishops may we say was they should put him to death by their authoritie I had thought this gentleman had runne himselfe out of breath in charging me with lies and fictions but now follow foure more saith he but I say his loude quadruple lye shall cleare and discharge me of all The first is that I say Ignorance was held by them to be the Mother of Deuotion a strange accusation and grieuous slaunder no doubt to charge those men with nourishing the people in ignorance whom all the world knoweth to haue vsed strange meanes to bring them to knowledge For what meant they by the costly setting vp of many faire and well guilded Images in Churches Was it not that they might be laye mens bookes and by reading on them they might attaine knowledge What Pius the fift goodman was he not most carefull the people might be edified when as it is written in his high commendation in a procession he was not carried on mens shoulders as Popes vsed to be but he went on foote to the great edifying of the people Now if the Pope will vouchsafe to goe on foote to the end to edifie the people thereby how can it be thought he would haue them bread in ignorance But Sir if you will not forceablie writhe and wrest my proposition to extend it to ignorance absolutely but vnderstand it as it is euident to be meant of the ignorance of the Scriptures yourselfe I hope will free me from any fiction herein and will acknowledge that Doctor Fulke doth iustly charge your Rhemists who setting forth the new Testament in English if that which is pestered with so many obscure words may be called an English translation and yet excusing themselues for being of that erronious opinion that the Scriptures should be alwaies in our mother tongue or that they ought or were ordeyned by God to be read indifferently of all That Doctor Fulke I say doth iustly charge them that they are afraide
of which curse you will not incurre and such is the force of your Catholike Religion and Spanish Crownes as you will rather worship Dagon then serue the liuing God and giue your faith to an vsurping stranger then keepe yours giuen and due to your lawfull Soueraigne Yet for all this you doubt not to tender a remission of your whole answere to the iudgement of the Lords of her Maiesties Councell by which your answere and remission if it bee well scanned in matter and manner you will bee found iustlie to deserue all the titles contained in this one verse Vafer detractor mendax elatus iniquus A subtile railing lying proud treacherous man And thus much haue I aduentured to offer to the view of my Christian Countrymen in defence of my former Watch-word collected by me out of my Christian affection to them for their benefite that they may know I stand still constant and confident to defend the truth of my God against Poperie and all other heresies to performe my Loialtie to my Soueraigne against all Popish Espaniolized Traytours and treason and to stand for the libertie of my Countrie against Rome and Spaine and all forraine Potentates whatsoeuer as also that my silence should not cause them to conceiue that this masked Champions rayling tongue hath any way distempered me or his threatning brauadoes any whit dismaied me the first whereof I passe ouer with little regard according to the Counsell of wise Salomon It is the glorie of a man to passe by offences the second I scorne being sent out by a cowardlie Companion that speakes big and dares not shew his face To conclude I delight not in warre and hostilitie betweene Princes I wish peace in all States and Common-wealths from my heart so farre forth as may stand with the glorie of almightie God who is the supreame author of all authoritie and gouernment and is onely to bee serued both by Prince and people as his word prescribeth For I confesse Dulce est nomen pacis res verò ipsa tum iucunda tum salutaris And yet can I not subscribe to this blinde Peace-makers desire that longeth for a Peace to the dishonour of God and laboureth by a Peace to bring in his Idoll worship againe amongst vs but I heartelie pray to my God to preserue vs from such a Peace and with Erasmus I affirme Melior est talis pugna quae Deo proximum facit quà m pux illa quae à Deo separat But if such a Peace may be had as may not preiudice a good Conscience in the truth of Religion we now holde nor impeach the safetie of our deare Queene nor hazard bondage to our Countrie by the gouernment of forrainers and strangers blessed bee that Peace-maker and God almightie graunt vs such a Peace all our daies And this haue I presumed to say in answere to this Champions Peace prayed for in the Conclusion of these his Encounters with a minde rather to raise vp the power and pride of Rome and Spaine then for any good minde or meaning he hath to our Queene Elizabeth or England And now to knit vp this my Resistance to euery of your rayling Encounters Sir N.D. I assure my selfe you shall finde all the Protestants and Professors of Gods truth in England as also many of those that are infected with the Romish Religion so well resolued from your owne pen of your want of ciuilitie in rayling beyond measure and your want of a found heart to your Soueraigne and Countrie in so highly extolling your two greatest Monarches of Rome and Spaine to the preiudice and touch both of Queene and Countrie so farre forth as the power of your wicked wit and words can deuise and perswade as your glosing shall gaine little credite to worke my condemnation in any of their iudgements either for any thing that was in my former booke or for any thing contained in this latter For I meane none other in all that is said but a desire of confirmation to the one in a holy profession and a reformation to the other of their being any longer seduced and misled by Romes inchantments and a care in both to stand firmelie and faithfullie to defend their Soueraigne and Countrey against forraine malice and home Treason whereunto if way should bee giuen God should be dishonoured our Queene endaungered our Countrie depriued of it auncient and most comfortable liberties and then what can either one or other looke for but miserie and desolation For what befell both to Guelphes and Gibellines when the Gibellines brought in a friend of theirs called Facinus Canis who was to haue the goods of the Guelphes for his paie He was no sooner gotten in but that without sparing of either both sides were spoyled whereof when the Gibellines complained saying that their goods were spoyled contrarie to agreement this their friend by them brought in answered That themselues were Gibellines and they should bee safe but their goods were Guelphes and they must pay for it Your selues can make the application and so to your wisdomes I leaue it beseeching God to continue his wonted mercie towards our Queene and land and to giue to this my aduersarie and all of his faction a better minde if it stand with his good will and pleasure Amen FINIS The scope of this Apologie Flatterie falsely charged vpon me What flatterie is Arch flatterers at Rome About the blessings of this land No contrarietie betwixt our present daungers and our former blessings Eccle. 49. Encounter 3. pag. 39. Our Christan Religion no cause of tumults A short view of blessings spirituall and temporall from God by her Maiestie powred on this land 1 Vnitie in veritie A scornefull reproach The termes of Puritanes and Protestants Vnitie vntruly vaunted of by the Papists De Idol Ecc. Ro. lib. 1. ca. 1. Lact. li. 1. ca. 19. 2. King 17. Matth. 28. Reuel 1. 2 Libertie to reade Scriptures Hom. 3. de Laâ—â— Reuel 1. 3 Publike prayer with vnderstanding Hier. in prolo 2. in comment in Gal. Aug. in Psa. 99. 4 Exercise in true holines Esay 1. Erasmus Two extremities in our good works to be auoided 1 2 Luk. 18. Phil. 2. 5 Freedome from persecution 6 DeliueraÌ„ce from intollerable exactions To Pope Innocent .4 in the Counsell at Lyons c. 1245. 7 Long peacâ— 8 Power in forraine countries 9 Wealth of the land 10 Multitude of subiects Lamenta 1. Prou. 14. Psal. 107. Lying falsely imputed to me Friers and Papists braue liers Poperie iustly charged with darknes Scripture neither at home nor at Church permitted to the people in a knowne tongue Preaching what it was in Poperie 2. King 6. Preaching how rare Boner Matth. â—â— Act. and Monuments vol. 2 pag. 862. D. Bassinets Oration O blindnes O blasphemie This Land liued not in former times in such darkenes as lately vnder Poperie A fond Argument Rom. 1. Arnobius Another Argument of the Papists peerelesse learning examined 1. Cor. 14. Papists
to giue ouer their olde impudent proposition That ignorance of the Scriptures is the mother of Popish deuotion For what meant the so strict forbidding to laye men the reading of the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue but that their deuotion should not growe of the knowledge but of the ignorance of the Scriptures flat contrarie to our Sauiours commandement giuen to the vnlearned multitude of the Iewes Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall life and they are they that testifie of me where the reason annexed to the Commandement sheweth to whom the Commaundement appertaineth euen to as many as it concerneth to seeke after eternall life and to know Iesus Christ and him crucified which is the laytie no lesse then the Cleargie contrarie also to the Apostles exhortation to the Colossians being laye men Let the word of Christ dwell plenteously in you Whereupon Chrisostome noteth Audite seculares omnes comparate vobis biblia animae Pharmaca c. Heare you secular or laye men euery one get vnto you Bibles the Phisicke of your Soule if you will nothing else at the least get you Testaments the epistles of Paul the Gospels the Actes to be daily and diligent instructors to you In a word contrarie to the spirite of the same Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes who reproueth them that they were like vnto Children and vnexpert in the word of righteousnes whereas they ought to haue their wits exercised therein But ignorance of the Scriptures better pleaseth you in the people and shall leade them to such deuotion as maketh more for your aduantage Hence hath growne your deuice of fides Implicita a faith wrapped and folded vnder the obedience of the Church namely that it is sufficient though they knowe not distinctly what they ought to beleeue but obediently submit their vnderstanding to the Church beleeuing as the Church beleeueth though what the Church beleeueth they knowe not This Carbonaria fides is highly commended by Cardinall Hossius who farther teacheth the simple laye man that he should thinke it went very well with him if he could say by heart the Lords praier the Articles of beliefe and the ten Commaundements though he knew not the meaning of the words As for other knowledge if any asked him a question hee should answere that hee did beleeue the Catholike Church And this ignorance of the Scriptures as a fruitfull mother hath brought forth many a blinde daughter of gainfull deuotion to your kitchin what greater deuotion was either then esteemed to be or indeed what acte more for your aduantage then the building of Monasteries and Nunneries and the endowing them with great lands and reuenues And this deuoute daughter mother Ignorance of the Scriptures brought forth which as for the most part they were builded by Kings and great States vpon some great murder either by wane in the field or priuately committed at home so the cause was as in stories may be seene Pro remedio animae meae pro remissione redemptione peccatorum meorum c. For the reliefe of my soule for the redemption and forgiuenes of my sinnes c. Which blasphemous derogation to the death and passion of Christ Iesus the knowledge of the Scriptures would haue quicklie discouered Yea how Deuotion hath been separated from knowledge not in your laye people alone but in your Priests too whilest deuotion hath been so tyed to their daily saying of their Maâ—tins and euensong which without deadly sinne they may not leaue vnsayd whiles in the meane time they vtterly cast aside the Apostles commaundement Giue attendance to reading exhortation and doctrine in the answer of Iohn Lambert to the 25. Article to him obiected may partly appeare I will onely adde this one testimonie that by the confession of some of your owne coate which haue made any conscience of their carriageâ— may appeare how carefullie your deuoutest Fryers haue been to couple knowledge with their imagined deuotion Franciscus Sampson generall of the order of the Friers Franciscans reprouing both their ignorance and carelesnes hath these words Pratres mei dilectissimi à primordio nostrae Religionis floruit conscientia c. My beloued brethren in the beginning of our Religion there flourished conscience but our beauty by little little sliding away the first sillable was taken away and there remained Scientia science or knowledge but now our sinnes so deseruing the first sillable is againe taken away and we remaine Pura entia stipites statuae meere things which haue a being euen very stockes and blockes To adde further proofe in a case so manifest were to light a candle at noone day yet this I will adde ex abundanti If publike praier in the Church and congregation of the faithfull be a chiefe and principall part of Deuotion made you not Ignorance the mother of their Deuotion when as ye would not allow their publike praiers in a tongue that the people vnderstoode Yea your Cardinall Hossius vseth this reason to proue that the Church seruice should be in the Latine tongue rather then the vulgar because saith he since some vsed the vulgar and knowne tongue in Church seruice Deuotion hath not onely not been increased but diminished And our Countrey man but the Popes Champion D. Stapleton in an English booke that he writeth against Bishop Iuel confidently affirmeth that Deuotion is not furthered but hindered by a tongue that is vnderstoode In a word D. Cole Deane of Paules and one chosen not onely to maintaine the Papists assertions against the Protestants in the disputation at Westminster but appointed by the Bishops and other his Colleagues to be the mouth for them all whose speech in the end they all being asked did auow to be the mind and saying of them all euen he in that honorable assemblie of the Councell and Nobles and frequent concourse of the Commons did with great vehemencie maintaine this proposition in these words I say Ignorance is the mother of Deuotion And so Sir Encounterer you must be forced to take it both for a maxime minime though minimè tibi placet to confesse a truth The second fayned position wherewith it pleaseth this deepe Clerke to charge me is because I say your Syde holdeth that it is not for lay men to meddle in matters of Religion c. And for this after your olde railing fashion you charge me with subtiltie and impudencie my subtiltie you say I shew in this word meddle which may either signifie that lay men must not determine or define of matters of Religion or else not to meddle or care for Religion at all And surely Sir though I may giue you good leaue to take it in which fence you will for in the former sence you will not deny but that euen Princes are restrained to doe any thing in causes of Religion within their own dominions without
the Worlde is nowe amended at Rome euen as sower Alemendeth in summer view the dealings of our moderne Popes and those onely which concerne our owne State First the Pope most iniuriouslie deposed her Maiestie from her Royall Crowne dismissed her Subiects from their obedience due to her yea cursed as many as did obey her further hee sendeth Murton into England to stirre vp Rebellion against her and consequentlie as much as in him lay to fill the land with dead corpses and to make our flouds run dyed with English bloud when this succeeded not hee sent Saunders with sundrie forces to inuade Ireland not onlie to increase Rebellion there but to winne it quite from her Maiestie if hee might The bloud by this occasion shed in Ireland could not yeelde his holines an heartie draught and therefore hee setteth on and abetteth the Spanish King in the yeare 1588. to make Inuasion for a full Conquest and to the ende he might throughlie speede and not faile he lendeth him all the helpe he could but especiallie as hee that writeth the Canonization of Didacus affirmeth because by diuine helpe he thought this Conquest might quickelie be atchieued Sixtus Quintus then Pope in that fittest opportunitie of time did Canonize Didacus a Spaniard and placed him in the number of Saints in whose merites the Spanish King did so greatlie trust And that no propertie of a bloudie monster might bee wanting in him hee suborned Parrey and armed him with full remission of all his sinnes besides other promises murtherouslie to kill her Maiestie and to shed her guiltles bloud If these euidences cannot make this popish Sycophant to see and abhor the Popes bloudie humour I can yeelde no other reason in his excuse but that which a Poet of their owne setteth downe AEthiopes vna quoniam nigredine sordent Ille color nulli vitio datur omnibus idem Vultus alterius si quis reprehenderet ora Et sua damnaret c. i. Blacknes for that it dyes each AEthiops face Blacknes with them is held for no disgrace All are like faced who so doth others blame His proper visage he perforce must shame If this fellow were not an horseleach that is bloudie minded himselfe he would easilie acknowledge the bloudie humour of the Pope To shut vp this point whereas he saith that for my speech against the Pope which is both iust and true I am to be restrained and checked euen for the very honour of England it selfe and our nation I referre it to the honorable iudgement of the higher authority what checke and restraint is fit for this fellow who so stifly standeth for her Maiesties professed enemy and will not endure to haue him accused of a bloudy humour who hath pronounced her no Queene stirred rebellions in her Realme against her sent an Inuadour to conquer her and authorised bloudie traitors secretly to kill hir and that for the honour of England it selfe that it may be freed from the ignominie of breeding such vipers and of our Nation that the people of our Nation may not be so inchanted by the poysoned cup of this Cyrce as to degenerate from Christian loyaltie to Antichristian treacherie whereto the Antichrist of Rome this Encounterers halfe God doth call them Whether the Pope be that special Antichrist wherof Daniel our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles doe speake I will not stand here to dispute specially because all the notes set downe in the Scripture of Antichrist are by sundrie learned men fully prooued to concurre in the Pope and in none other and that by Babilon in the Reuelation is meant Rome not onely as it was when the heathen Emperours held it as the Papistes say but as now it is the Pope raigning in it The tenne reasons sillie ones as they be which you alleadge to proue the contrarie with three times tenne more set downe by your Captaine Saunders are by Doctor Whitakers throughly sifted and refelled as also whatsoeuer the great Iesuite Bellarmine could say for his master to free him from this imputation is by diuers notablie learned fully examined and confuted whose bookes with others of the same argument in English because they are extant and almost in euerie mans hand I refer the reader to them contenting my selfe with a cōpetencie of knowledge for the instruction of mine owne conscience and not presuming to take vpon me to be a teacher of others To conclude whereas this Romane aduocate saith that this lande ought to beare more reuerence to the sea of Rome then other Nations for that it hath receiued more singular benefits from thence namely that it was conuerted from Paganisme to Christian Religion by the speciall diligence labour and industry of the same Sea I answere first that it is apparant by sundrie testimonies that this land was conuerted to the faith long before the time by you specified and not by the Bishop of Rome Guildas testifieth that Britanie receiued the Gospell in the time of Tiberius the Emperour and that Ioseph of Arimathia was sent by Philip the Apostle from France hither where he remained till his death And Beda our countriman likewise doth testifie that in his time this land kept Easter after the manner of the East Church by which may be gathered that the first preachers came hither from the East parts of the world and not from Rome more proofes might be set downe but I spare them Secondly though it be granted that Elutherius sending hither preachers from Rome in king Lucius his time did first conuert this land to the Christian faith I say there is not now the same faith in Rome that was then there was then no Masses said the partes of it were not then found out no transubstantiation no setting vp of Images in Churches the communion was then in both kindes administred to the lay people no vniuersall Pope c. Elutherius writeth thus to King Lucius Yee haue receiued of late through Gods mercie in the Realme of Britanie the law and faith of Christ ye haue with you within the Realme both the parts of the Scriptures out of them by Gods grace with the counsaile of your Realme take ye a lawe and by that lawe through Gods sufferance rule your kingdome of Britanie for you be Gods Vicar in your kingdome according to the saying of the Prophet c. Thirdly the latter Popes haue been more beholding to this land for our money then the land for anie good receiued from them our kings haue often complained that the dropsie thirst of these late Romanists cannot be quenched The Priour of Winchester one Andrew being expulsed was faine to giue to the Pope 365. markes yeerely to be restored againe to his place this and manie such like were but slender gleanings in comparison of the mightie haruest that from this land they yeerelie gathered In a word the Apostle saith of the Thessalonians that they were examples to all that beleeue in Macedonia