the greatest number were Italians they deserued for the most part rather to bee accounted a heard of swine than a Councell of learned men His reason that the principall points of Poperie cannot bee against the grounds of the Catechisme because the same is expounded by the decree and order of that Councell maketh as much for vs as it doth for them For the Catechisme is by order expounded and taught by vs wee open to the people the Creed the ten Commandements the Lords Praier the doctrine of Sacraments M. Bishop therefore doth amisse to say that our religion is opposite to those old grounds of true religion If this argument auaile not for vs then neither shall it auaile for him but wee are still at libertie to conceiue that notwithstanding their expounding of those grounds they teach points of doctrine contrary thereunto And indeed that expounding of theirs was no otherwise begun but in emulation of our doings in that kinde for vntill it pleased God to stirre vp the spirits of some of our men to endeuour the reformation of the Church and to that end to bring the people so much as in them lay out of the thraldome of blindnesse and ignorance wherein they were then holden the vse of Catechisme was quite abolished out of the Church the people knew neither the Creed nor the Lords praier but onely that they spake them like a charme in a strange and vnknowen tongue But when they saw vs recalling them to the ancient order of Catechising and thereby training them to the knowledge of God and of faith towards him they held it necessarie for the satisfaction of the world that they themselues should make some shew of doing the like and thereupon in the Councell of Trent tooke order for a Catechisme to bee published though they neuer meant to make any great vse of it but onely where necessitie should enforce them for the countermining of our labours and the staying of manie whom otherwise the desire of learning and of the knowledge of God would haue caried away from them Into that Catechisme and the rest of theirs how they haue foisted in matters of faith and doctrine which the old expositours of the Catechisme neuer knew nor haue deliuered wee shall somewhat perceiue by examining the processe and particulars of this booke In the meane time we answer M. Bishop that it is verie credible and ready enough to be beleeued of them that are carefull to vnderstand it that the church of Rome albeit while it continued sound in the faith all ancient Churches and holy Fathers did desire to agree with it yet since being gon out of her * The church of Rome hath swaiued from the tradition of the Apostles ancient way doth indeed crosse and destroy those principles of religion which formerly haue beene agreed vpon by all Churches For whereas hee saith that that church hath been euer most diligent to obserue all Apostolical traditions it is a stale iest Bellarmine himselfe perforce acknowledgeth it to bee a lie For it being manifest by the testimonie of Anacletus an ancient Bishop of Rome that c De consecrat dist 2. cap. Peracta Peracta consecratione communicent omnes qui nolin◠eccleasisticis carere liminibus sic enim Apostoli statuerunt sancta Romana tenet ecclesia the Apostles decreed and the church of Rome then obserued that they should be excommunicate whosoeuer were present after consecration and did not receiue the Communion Bellarmine in the behalfe of the now-church of Rome reiecteth the same as a thing d Bellarm. de Missa lib. 2. ca. 10. Cortum est decreta ista quae sine dubio non diuini sed humani iuris erant si ad populum pertinebant progressis temporis abrogata fuisse in processe of time abrogated by the church being but a matter of humane only constitutiō decree So likewise we see in the Councel of Cōstance acknowledging that e Concil Const sess 13. Licèt Christus post coenam instituerit discipulis suis administranerit sub vtraque specie panis vini hoc venerabile Sacramentum tamen hoc non obstante c. Et similitèr quòd licèt in primitiua ecclesia huiusmodi Sacramentum à fidelibus reciperetur sub vtraque specie tamen haec consuetudo ad euitandum aliqua scandala pericula est rationabilitèr introducta quòd à laicis tantummodo sub specie panis suscipiatur c. vnde pro lege habenda est c. Christ administred the holy Sacrament to his disciples vnder both kindes and that in the Primitiue Church it was so receiued of the faithfull and yet this notwithstanding they decree it for a law that lay men shall receiuc only in one kinde Now when thus with our eies we see and they themselues tell vs the contrary will M. Bishop notwithstanding tell vs that the Church of Rome hath been euer most diligent to obserue all Apostolicall traditions Surely if they had failed but in these two they had not obserued al but now how many other things are there wherein they haue apparantly swarued from the example of the Apostles How then can we beleeue M. Bishop any further who doubteth not heere to affirme so grosse and manifest vntruth And to this vntruth he addeth another when hee saith that we slander all churches since the time of the Apostles with some corruption or other It is true that we note the corruptions of some churches and of some men accordingly as the history of the Church and the monuments of antiquity doe lay the same foorth vnto vs but wee cannot say that al Churches or al the Fathers of those times were guiltie of those corruptions For many Churches were there and many Bishops and Pastours of Churches of whom no memoriall is come vnto vs many whom we finde otherwise reported of than was true by the corrupting of those writings which they left vnto the Church and suborning other counterfets in their stead many who haue deliuered some exorbitant opinions of which notwithstanding it appeareth not that they had publike approbation in the Church many who haue left so little in record as touching points of faith as that it is hard by them to esteeme what the doctrine of the Church was As for the corruptions whereof we speake there are many of them such as that I doe not thinke M. Bishop to be so impudent but that hee will acknowledge the same as well as we there are none of them but that either by the word of God or by like warrant of antiquity we prooue them to be such as we report them His other tale that we hold no kinde of Apostolicall traditions to be necessary he himselfe knoweth to be vntrue because he knoweth that we receiue the Creede as necessarie which he saith came by tradition from the Apostles It hath beene also f Of Traditions sect 4. before giuen him to vnderstand that we reiect
not Apostolical traditions which appeare certainely so to be and yet woorthily we reiect those vnwritten doctrines and counterfet traditions of the Papists which are falsely fathered vpon the Apostles It is by these vnwritten doctrines and counterfet traditions that the grounds of our faith are impeached and shaken We therefore cannot be said to shake the grounds of faith who retaine the meere simplicity of those grounds and refuse all other strange and bastard stuffe but they shake the grounds of faith who become patrons of such tradition coloured with the names of the Apostles when notwithstanding they plainely crosse the written doctrine of the Apostles 2. W. BISHOP But let vs descend to the particulars wherein the truth will appeare more plainely Thus beginneth Master PERKINS with the Creede First of all it must be considered that some of the principall doctrines beleeued in the Church of Rome are that the Bishop of Rome is the Vicar of Christ and head of the Catholike Church that there is a fire of Purgatory that Images of God and Saints are to be placed in the Church and worshipped that Praier is to be made to Saints departed that there is a propitiatory sacrifice daily offered in the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead These points are of that moment that without them the Roman religion cannot stand c. And yet marke the Apostles Creed which hath beene thought to containe all necessary points of religion to be beleeued and hath therefore beene called the key and rule of faith This Creede I say hath not any of these points nor the expositions made thereof by the ancient Fathers nor any other Creed or confession of faith made by any Councell or Church for the space of many hundred yeeres This is a plaine proofe to any indifferent man that these bee new articles of faith neuer knowen in the Apostolike Church and that the Fathers and Councels could not finde any such articles of faith in the bookes of the old and new Testament Answer is made that all these points of doctrine are beleeued vnder the article I beleeue the Catholike Church the meaning whereof they will haue to be this I beleeue all things which the Catholike Church holdeth and teacheth to be beleeued If this bee as they say wee must beleeue in the Church that is put our confidence in the Church for the manifestation and the certainety of all doctrine necessary to saluation And thus the eternall truth of God the Creatour shall depend vpon the determination of the creature And the written word of God in this respect is made insufficient as though it had not plainely reuealed all points of doctrine pertaining to saluation And the ancient Churches haue beene farre ouer-secene that did not propound the former points to be beleeued as articles of faith but left them to these latter times Thus farre Master PERKINS Wherein are hudled vp many things confusedly I will answere briefly and distinctly to euery point The first is that in the Apostles Creede are contained all points of religion necessary to be beleeued which is most apparantly false as the Protestants themselues must needes confesse or else grant that it is not necessary to beleeue the King to be Supreame-head of the Church or that the Church is to be gouerned by Bishops or that we are iustified by Christs iustice imputed to vs or that there be but two Sacraments or that the Church seruice must be said in the vulgar tongue or that all things necessary to be beleeued to saluation are contained in the Scriptures To be short not one article of their religion which is contrary to ours is conteined in this Creede of the Apostles therefore to affirme as he doth all necessary points of religion to be contained in this Creede is to cast their owne religion flat to the ground and to teach that not one point of it is to be beleeued this Creede may neuerthelesse be called the key and rule of faith because it containeth the principall points of the Christian religion and doth open as it were the doore vnto all the rest and guide a man certainely vnto the knowledge of them by teaching vs to beleeue the Catholike Church which being the pillar and ground of truth 1. Tim. 3.15 Ioh. 16.13 directed and guided by the spirit of truth will alwaies instruct her obedient children in all truth necessary to saluation Then saith M. PERKINS The eternall truth of God the Creatour shall depend on the determination of the creature Nothing lesse for Gods truth is most sincere and certaine in it selfe before any declaration of the church but we poore creatures that are subiect to mistaking and error should not so certainely vnderstand and know that truth of God vnlesse hee had ordained and appointed such a skilfull and faithfull Mistris and interpreter to assure vs both what is his word and what is the true meaning of it Like as pure gold is not made perfect in it self by the Gold-smithes touch-stone but other men are thereby assured that it is true and pure gold euen so the word of God doth not borrow his truth from the Church but the true children of God are by the holy Church assured which is the same his word If we did hold as we do not that the written word containeth all points of doctrine necessary to saluation yet were it most necessary to relie vpoÌ„ the Catholike churches declaration both to be assured which books of scriptures be Canonicall which not whereupon Saint Augustine a man of far better iudgement than any of these daies said Con. Epist. Iud. cap. 5. that he would not beleeue the Gospel vnlesse the authority of the church mooued him therunto as also to vnderstand them truly because the words of holy Scripture without the true meaning and sense of them do but deceiue men and lead them into error and to that end haue alwaies beene and yet are by Heretikes abused to draw others after them into destruction The like may be said of other ancient Creeds and confessions of faith which holding the Apostles Creed did adde some few points vnto it namely such as were in those daies called into question by Heretikes of greater fame and who were followed of many not touching in particular diuers other articles generally beleeued of all true Christians or else by soâ—e fewe and obscure men onely questioned Wherefore to argue that no other points of faith are to be beleeued but such as are expressed in ancient Creeds is to cut off a great part of our faith Lastly it is most vntrue to say that those ancient Fathers and Councels knew not of these articles of faith by him mentioned for they haue most plainely taught them in their writings yea and expresly condemned of heresie most of the contrary positions now againe reuiued and holden by the Protestants as in those seuerall questions I haue before prooued R. ABBOT How M. Pirkins vnderstood that all necessary
seede of Abraham t cap. 9.28 We be Moses disciples u vers 41. We see x Ier. 8 8. We are wise and the law of the Lord is with vs y ca. 18.18 The law shall not perish from the Priest nor counsell from the wise nor the word from the Prophet and yet they persecuted Christ the sonne of God who only is the Truth How then may we now be assured that the Church of Rome is not the same to the church of Christ as they then were to Christ himselfe How may we poore creatures certainely vnderstand that those rich creatures are not subiect to error and mistaking as well as we Well if we will not beleeue it we may chuse but assurance M. Bishop can yeeld none He can tell vs a discourse what Christ said to Peter but that Christ euer spake either of Pope or Cardinall he can shew vs nothing And yet as if this matter were cleere he telleth vs of this church of theirs that whereas we are subiect to mistaking and errour God hath ordained and appointed the same to be a skilfull and faithfull mistresse and interpreter to assure vs both what is his word and what is the true meaning of it But againe we aske him where hath God so ordained and appointed in what Scripture hath he written it or by what words hath he expressed it that the church which he meaneth should bee our mistresse to tell vs what is Gods word what is the true meaning of it If he haue euidence authority for it let him shew it if he haue not what shall we thinke of him that dareth thus to bely the maiesty of God But if he considered the matter aright he would conceiue that those rich creatures of his haue no other or better meanes to assure what is Gods word and what is the meaning of it than other poore creatures haue By what touchstone they can make triall thereof by the same can we also as well as they Which comparison of the gold-smith and the touchstone which he himselfe vseth if it be rightly explicated serueth notably to set foorth the fraud and falshood of that church for which he pleadeth True it is that the church in this behalfe may rightly bee compared to the Goldsmith Now the Gold-smith for the discerning of true and perfect gold doth not take his owne fingers ends but goeth to the touch-stone and no otherwise can hee either make triall himselfe or giue assurance thereof to other men In like sort therefore the church which is the Gold-smith must vse a touch-stone for the assuring of that which it propoundeth to bee receiued and beleeued Now then whereas M. Bishop saith that we must rely vpon the churches declaration to be assured which bookes of Scripture be Canonicall I answer him that we cannot be assured thereof by the churches declaration vnlesse the church declare it and manifest it by the touch-stone The touch-stone whereby we are to take assurance heereof is the constant and perpetuall tradition and testimony of the former church And this testimony we first deriue from the church of the Iewes z Rom. 3.2 to whom the words of God were committed and to whose Scriptures a Luk. 24.44 the law and the Prophets and the Psalmes and to no other b Aug. cont Gaudent lib. 2. cap. 23. quibus dominus testimonium perhibet tanquam testibus suis Christ himselfe hath giuen testimony as witnesses of himselfe reckoning them for c Luk. 24.27 all the Scriptures and wherof the Iewes in their dispersion giue acknowledgment vntill this day God so prouiding that d Aust in Psa 58. Per omnes gentes dispersi sunt ludaei testes iniquitatis suae veritatis nostrae ipsi habent codices de quibus prophetatus est Chrislus in Ps 56. Codicem portat Iudaeus vnde credat Christianus Christian faith should be prooued out of those bookes which are acknowledged for true by them that are enemies thereto This testimony the Christian church receiued of the Apostles and hath continued the same together with the acknowledgment of those other bookes of the new testament which by the Apostles and Euangelists were added to the former What bookes then haue had this generall and vndoubted auerment and witnesse of the church continued from time to time those and no other are to be holden for Canonicall bookes and this is the true touch-stone for trial of certaine and vndoubted scriptures By which touchstone the church of Rome is found to bee not a faithfull Mistresse but a false harlot bringing her bastards into the Church and forcing men to take them for lawfully begotten And whereas it is the tradition and declaration of the former church which hath beene from the beginning by which both they and we are to be instructed as touching the true bookes of Canonicall Scripture they force vpon vs the tradition of their owne church now deliuered vpon their owne word howsoeuer contrary to that which the church formerly hath declared If we follow the declaration of the ancient church then are no other bookes to be taken for Canonicall but what are now accknowledged and approoued in our Church the same onely being testified concerning the old testament by the Church of the Iewes concerning both new and old by the whole Christian church both the Greeke and Latine the Easterne and Westerne churches as e Of Traditions sect 17. before hath been declared But the church of Rome perceiuing the authorising of some other writings to be likely to gaine credit to some broken wares whence her thrift and gaine ariseth hath taken vpon her very presumptuously as a Mistresse or rather a goddesse to giue diuine authority to those bookes reiecting the testimony of that church which in this behalfe should bee mistresse both to her and vs. In a word whatsoeuer is to be attributed to the church in this respect it is idlely by M. Bishop referred to the church of Rome as if all other churches must rely vpon her declaration we our selues being able by the touchstone to make triall of true Scriptures as well as the church of Rome and therefore there being no cause why we should rely vpon them more than they vpon vs. And as vainely doth he apply to his purpose the saying of Saint Austin that he should not beleeue the Gospell except the authority of the church mooued him thereunto there being nothing therein meant but what may bee applied to the church England as well as to the church of Rome Saint Austin speaking generally of the vniuersall church thorowout the world without any maner speciall intendment of the church of Rome But how leudly they abuse those words of Austin wholly against his meaning and purpose I haue f Of Traditions sect 22. before sufficiently declared and neede not heere to repeat againe As for the churches declaration for vnderstanding the Scripture that is also to be tried and made
from the very grace of God but let that be granted what kinde of Atheisme or denying of God were this or how followeth it thereof that the grace of God which is the principall agent and farre more potent than the other must thereby needs be cast to the ground and foyled this is so silly simple that I know not what to tearme it for he doth vntruely slander our doctrine and that to no end and purpose To this second cauill I answer in a word that we teach as he knoweth right well the infinite iustice of God to be appeased no other way than by the infinite satisfaction of Christs passion And that our satisfactions are onely to pay for the temporall pains remaining yet due after the infinite are paid for by Christ Now whether any such temporall paâ—ne remaine or no after the sinne is remitted is a question betweene vs but to say as M. PER. doth that we be Atheists and do denie God to be God for that we hold some temporall punishment of man to be due after pardon granted of his greater paine is most apparantly a very sencelesse assertion As wide from all reason is his third instance That Gods mercy cannot be infinite when by our owne satisfactions wee adde a supply to the satisfaction of Christ For if Christs most perfect and full satisfaction can well stand with Gods infinite mercy farre more easely may mans satisfactions agree with it which are infinitely lesse than Christs But the infinite riches of Gods mercy appeareth especially in that it pleased him freely to giue vnto vs so meane creatures and wretched sinners his owne onely deare Son to be our Redeemer and Sauiour and both Christs satisfaction and ours are rather to bee referred vnto Gods iustice than to his mercy wherefore very vnskilfully doth M. PERK compare them with Gods mercy Neither is it possible to distill any quintessence of Atheisme out of it more than out of the former nay they both vprightly weighed are so farre off from Atheisme or derogating any thing from Gods glory that they doe much magnifie and aduance the same For albeit we hold our good works to be both meritorious and satisfactory yet doe we teach the vertue value and estimation of them to proceed wholly from the grace of God in vs whereby we be enabled and holpen to doe them and not any part of the dignitie and worthinesse of the workes to issue from the naturall facultie or industrie of the man that doth them So that when we maintaine the merit or satisfaction of good works we extoll not the nature of man but doe onely defend and vphold the dignitie and vertue of Gods grace which Protestants doe greatly debase extenuate and vilifie not allowing it to bee sufficient to helpe the best minded man in the world to doe any worke that doth not offend God mortally Thus much concerning our supposed Atheisme against God now of those that be as he imagineth against Christ the Sonne of God R. ABBOT MAster Bishop here promiseth vs a serious discourse but it prooueth in fine to a leud and slanderous libell which though he court it not as he trimly and finely telleth vs with the ordinary complements of a curious preamble yet he foully corrupteth with the ordinarie Popish complements of foolish malice and wilfull fraud A man may here see in him the true Image and picture of a Popish Doctor who seeing himselfe vnable to contend further by sound argument to make his part good betaketh himselfe to this impudencie and importunity of lying and slandering Albeit in the first part thereof as touching his maine drift I will not at all repugne him the same seruing to cleere them of an imputation of Atheisme charged vpon them by M. Perkins but indeed amisse as I cannot but ingeniously and freely confesse because it is conceiued and drawen from forced and impertinent grounds and therefore breedeth rather cauillation against him than accusation against them The crime of Atheisme belongeth properly to them with whom God is either not at all acknowledged Atheisme in what sort to be imputed to Popery or not regarded and either wholly denied to be or accordingly esteemed as if he were not But where there is a Rom. 10.2 the zeale of God though not according to knowledge howsoeuer by want of knowledge there may be misconceits of God and godlinesse yet Atheisme is not to be vpbraided there It is true indeed as M. Perkins saith that Atheisme is either open or coloured but coloured Atheisme must be the same in the heart that professed Atheisme is in the mouth so to be affected as if there were no God And this couert and coloured Atheisme is it which the Scripture for the most part speaketh of whereby b Psal 14.1 the foole saith not with his tongue but in his heart There is no God it being a thing very rare that any man so professeth with the mouth but very common with men c Tit. 1.16 to professe that they know God but by their deeds to deny him d Cyprian de dupl martyr Quemadmodum bona opera profitentur deum ita mala quâ—dammodo loquuntur Non est deus nee est Scientia in excelso for naughtie doings as Cyprian teacheth doe after a sort say There is no God nor any knowledge in the most high Now in Poperie we cannot doubt but that many there are who in simplicity professing the errors and superstitions alleged by M. Perkins haue notwithstanding in that ignorance a zeale of God and an intendment of deuotion to Iesus Christ and are so far from denying God as that in dread of the Maiesty of God and in expectation of the iudgement to come they are carefull according to their maner religiously to serue him To these men then to impute Atheisme by a consequence so far fetched as bringeth all misdeeming of religion within the compasse thereof I confesse stood not with that aduisednesse and due consideration which had been requisite in a matter of so great moment and effect Much rather should M. Perkins haue sought for Atheisme in the practise and policy of them who haue been and are the maintainers of that Romane Hierarchy who making gaine and aduantage of the superstitions wherewith they haue intangled the soules of men and resoluing by all meanes to vphold their trade haue in this emploiment quenched in themselues all inward light and sense of religion somtimes openly professing and somtimes couertly dissembling their deniall and contempt of God and impious conceipt of the nullity of all the seruice and deuotion that is done vnto him Whereof we haue notable example in their e See the Bee-hiue of the Romish Church the sixt book the third Chapter Popes of which diuers haue openly shewed themselues to be meer Atheists as Boniface the eight and Iohn the three and twentith who both denied the immortality of the soule as Clement the seuenth who lying at the point of
bloud of our redeemer IESVS Christ Secondly of seauen Sacraments instituted by our Sauiour both to exhibite honour to God and to sanctifie our soules they doe flatly reiect fiue of them And do further as much as in them lieth extinguish the vertue and efficacy of the other two For they hold Baptisme not to be the true instrument all cause of remission of our sinnes and of the infusion of grace in our soules but only to bee the signe and seale thereof And in steade of Christs sacred body really giuen to all Catholikes in the Sacrament of the Altar to their exceeding comfort and dignity the Protestants must be content to take vp with a bitte of bread and with a sup of wine a most pittifull exchange for so heauenly a banquet They doe daily feele and I would to God they had grace to vnderstand what a want they haue of the Sacrament of Confession which is the most soueraigne salue of the world to cure all the deadly and dangerous woundes of the soule Ah how carelesly doe they daily heape sinne vpon sin and suffer them to lie festring in their breasts euen till death for lacke of launcing them inseason by true and due confession Besides at the point of death when the Diuell is most busie to assault vs labouring then to make vs his owne for euer there is amongst them no anointing of the sicke with holy oile in the name of our Lord as S. Cap. 5. vers 14. Iames prescribeth joyned with the Priests praier which should saue the sicke and by meanes whereof his sinnes should be forgiuen and he lifted vp by our Lord and inwardly both greatly comforted and strengthned these heauenly helpes I say many others which our Catholike religion affords vnto all persons and by which rightly administred God is highly magnified are quite banished out of the Protestant territories and consequently their religion for want of them is mightily maymed They haue yet remaining some poore short praiers to be said twise a weeke for fearing belike to make their Ministers surfet of ouer much praying they will not tie them to any daily praiers Mattins Euensong and other set houres they leaue to the Priests sauing that on the Sabboath they solemnely meet together at the Church to say their seruice which is a certain mingle-mangle translated out of the old portaise and Masse booke patched vp together with some few of their owne inuention And though it be but short yet it is the Lord he knowes performed by most of them so slightly that an indifferent beholder would rather iudge them to come thither to gaze one vpon another or to common of worldly businesse than reuerently there to serue God Now as concerning the place where their diuine seruice is said if goodly stately Churches had not beene by men of our religion built to their handes in what simple cotes trow you would their key-cold deuotion haue beene content to serue their Lord if one Church or great steeple by any mishap fall into vtter ruine a collection throughout all England for many yeeres together will not serue to build it vp againe which maketh men of iudgement to perceiue that their religion is exceeding cold in the setting forward of good workes and that it rather tendeth to destruction than to edification Againe whereas our Churches are furnished with many goodly Altars trimmed vp decently and garnished with sundry faire and religious pictures to strike into the beholders a reuerent respect of that place and to draw them to heauenly meditations theirs haue ordinarily bare wals hanged with cob-webs except some of the better sort which are daubed like Ale-houses which some broken sentences of Scripture Besides the ancient custom of Christās being to pray with their faces toward the Sunne-rising to shew the hope they haue of a good resurrection and that by tradition receiued euen from the Apostles as witnesseth Saint Basil their Ministers in their highest mysteries De Spiritu sancto 27. looke ouer their Communiontable into the South to signifie perhaps that their spirituall estate is now at the highest and that in their religion there is no hope of rising towards heauen but assurance of declining R. ABBOT Our Diuine seruice and worship of God is not such as the Church of Rome and the followers thereof would haue it but it is sufficient for vs that it is such as God himselfe hath commanded Of true reall and externall sacrifice I haue answered him before both in the confutation of his a Sect. 27. Epistle more at large and briefly heere in the b Sect. 3. answer of this Preface Here I answer him againe in a word with the words of Iustin Martyr that c Iustin Mart. Dialog cum Tryph. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayers and thanksgiuings are the onely perfect and acceptable sacrifices to God and that Christians haue learned to doe these onely euen in the memoriall of their dry and moist foode the bread of the Eucharist and the cup of the Eucharist as hee hath before called it in which is the remembrance of the passion which God by God himselfe suffered for vs. So then we doe not denie all sacrifice but we say as we haue beene taught by the Apostle S. Peter according to the ancient doctrine of the Church of Rome d 1. Pet. 2 5. We are made a spirituall house a holy priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices the sacrifice e Psal 4.5 of righteousnesse the sacrifice f Ps 50.14.23 Heb. 13.15 of praise and thankesgiuing the sacrifice g Psal 51.17 of a broken and contrite heart the sacrifice h Phil. 4.18 of almes the sacrifice i Rom. 12.1 of our own bodies acceptable to God by Iesus Christ By these sacrifices we doe all loialtie and seruice to God and we doe not doubt but that we please God therein If we please not that wiser sort of which M. Bishop speaketh the reason is because they take vpon them to bee wiser than God For that propitiatory sacrifice which he driueth at is beyond Gods deuice God neuer taught it Christ neuer ordeined it the Primitiue Church neuer intended it there is no reason at al for it because the bloud of Christ once shed for vs is a sufficient propitiation and attonement for all our sinnes And because by k Heb. 1.3 10.14 once offering of himselfe hee hath purged our sinnes and made vs perfect for euer therefore it is no despight to Gods true worship but a iust assertion thereof to hold that the pretence of any further sacrifice for sinne is an impious and blasphemous derogation to the crosse of Christ As for his seuen Sacraments Seuen Sacraments a late deuice if he can prooue them to bee as he saith instituted by our Sauiour we are very readie to acknowledge the same But it is worthy to be noted that l Bellarm. de effect sacram cap. 25. Bellarmine standing vpon the proofe thereof
good by the touchstone because no exposition or sense of Scripture is to be admitted the doctrine whereof is not to be iustified by other Scripture and they that bring other senses and meanings do but deceiue men and leade them into errour as other heretikes formerly haue done and as the Papists now doe abusing the Scriptures to draw others after them into destruction Heereof also enough hath beene said g Of Traditions sect 21. before whereof I wish the Reader duely to consider for his satisfaction in this point That which he saith of other ancient Creeds and Confessions of faith that they containe not all points of Christian doctrine I eaily admit but yet let him vnderstand that it is a maine preiudice against them that neither any ancient Creed nor any exposition of the Creed or confession of faith conteineth sundry pointes which they now make to be matters of the meaning of the Creede Let him shew that euer any ancient Creed or expositour of the Creed did vnderstand or deliuer that the name of the Catholike church in the Creed hath any speciall reference to the Church of Rome that the Catholike church is to be defined as they now define it by being subiect to the bishop of Rome that the certaine declaration of the Canonicall bookes and of the true sense of Scripture is alwaies infallibly to be expected from the sentence of that Church that all Christians are fully to beleeue and wholly to relie vpon that Church for resolution of all points of faith necessarie to saluation Which and such other points made by them matters of the Creed because neuer any ancient writer hath found to be conteined or intended in the Creed therefore we iustly affirme them to be new Creed-makers coiners of new articles of faith and thereby peruerters and corrupters of the true Christian faith As concerning the Articles mentioned by M. Perkins now holden by the Romish Church that the Pope is Christs Vicar and head of the Catholike Church that there is a purgatorie fire after this life that images of God and of Saints are to be worshipped that praier is to be made to Saints departed and their intercession to bee required that there is a propitiatorie sacrifice daily offered in the Masse for the sinnes of quicke and dead M. Bishop answereth that the Fathers haue most plainly taught them in their writings and expresly condemned of heresie most of the contrary positions But what Fathers are they and in what writings haue they so done Surely if the Bishop of Rome in the ancient Church had beene taken to bee the Vicar of Christ and head of the Catholike church it cannot be but that we should haue very currant and frequent and memorable testimonie thereof as a matter vniuersally receiued and euery where practised But now let M. Bishop shew vs one let him shew so much as one that for diuers hundreds of yeeres after Christ did euer dreame of any such thing Which though indeed he cannot doe yet hee telleth vs of that and the rest that in those seuerall questions he hath before prooued what he saith whereas hee hath not spoken of any more of these points saue onely one and in that one point cannot be said to haue prooued any thing because whatsoeuer hee hath said standeth hitherto reprooued And surely if he haue no better proofes than hitherto he hath brought in all the questions that hee hath handled the Protestants will but scorne him as a very vnproouing disputer and aduise him to bestow his time a while longer in the Schooles to know what it is to prooue 3. W. BISHOP Touching beleeuing in the Church which he thrusteth in by the way we vse not that phrase as the very Creed sheweth following therein S. Augustine with others who hold that to beleeue in a thing is to make it our Creatour by giuing our whole heart vnto it in which sense we beleeue not in Saints nor in the Church albeit some other ancient Doctors take the words to beleeue in not so precisely but say that we may beleeue in the Church and in Saints that is beleeue certainly that the Catholike church is the onely true company of Christians and that to the lawfull gouernours thereof it appeâ—taineth to declare both which bookes be Canonicall and what is the true meaning of all doubtfull places in them so we beleeue the Saints in heauen to heare our prayers to be carefull to pray for vs and to bee able to obtaine by intreaty much at Gods hands in whose high fauour they liue Thus much in answer vnto that which M. PERKINS obiecteth in generall Now to that he saith in particular R. ABBOT a Greg. Nazia de sp sancto orat 6. Sâ—â—reatuÌ„ est quo pacto in ipsum eredimu c. Non enim idem est in aliquem credere de eo credere nam illud diuimt atis est hoc cuiusuis rei It is one thing saith Gregory Nazianzene to beleeue in any one another to beleeue of or concerning him the one belongeth to the Godhead the other is vsed of euery thing And heereby hee prooueth that the holy Ghost is God because wee beleeue in the holy Ghost By which argument our Sauiour Christ also teacheth vs to acknowledge him to be God when he saith b Ioh. 14.1 Yee beleeue in God beleeue also in me where c Hilar. de Trin. lib. 9. Vniens se fidei dei naturae eius vniuit c. deumse per id docens cum in eum credendum sit ab his qui in deum credant vniting himselfe to the beleefe of God saith Hilarie he vniteth himselfe also to his nature thereby teaching that he himselfe is God for that they who beleeue in God must beleeue in him I might further enlarge this point by the testimonies and expositions of d Aug. in Ioan. tract 29. de ciu dei l. 18. ca. 54. Euseb Emissen Ruffin Venant in symbol Apost Austin Eusebius Emissenus Ruffinus Venantius and others who all acknowledge that that phrase belongeth to God and is not to bee applied to any creature But it shall not neede because the Elucidatour of the Romane Catechisme according to the doctrine of the Catechisme it self as he pretendeth though quite contrary both to their doctrine and practise otherwise doth tell vs that e Elucidat Catech Roman c. 9. q. 5. Cùm dicimus nos credere in deum patrem in filium in sp sanctum phrasis haec loquendi significat nos ita credere deum patrem filium spiritu sanctuÌ„ vt etiam in eis omnem fiduciam nostram collocemus quam in deo solo non autem in creaturis ponere possumus ex quibus tamen ecclesia composita est when wee say wee beleeue in God the Father in the Sonne in the holy Ghost this phrase of speaking doth signifie that wee so beleeue God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost as that also we place all
our confidence in them which we are to put in God onely and not increatures of which notwithstanding the Church consisteth Which exposition wee acknowledge conteineth the very trueth agreeable to Gods word and doe wish that they would alwaies continue constant therein But they doe heerein as their vsuall maner is what by euidence of truth they are forced to say in one place for the maintenance of their owne traditions and superstitions they vnsay it or qualifie it in another And in this sort M. Bishop heere dealeth who first inclining somewhat to that construction alreadie mentioned and telling vs that to beleeue in a thing is to make it our Creatour by giuing our whole heart vnto it alleageth notwithstanding that some ancient Doctours take the words to beleeue in not so precisely but say that wee may beleeue in the church and in Saints heereby to make way to his absurd conceits which none of the ancient Doctours dreamed of it is true indeed that Epiphanius and Cyril haue vsed that maner of speech by adding the preposition in to the rest of the articles I beleeue in one holy Catholike church in one Baptisme in the remission of sinnes in the resurrection of the body in the life eternal but yet making thereof no other construction than we do as if the article were away To beleeue in the church was with them as M. Bishop saith to beleeue certainly in the Catholike church to be the onely true company of Christians and thereof we contend not wee beleeue the same as well as they though not in M. Bishops meaning which neuer was any part of their meaning that the Catholike church should be meant in any speciall maner of the church of Rome But whereas he addeth it is another part of their construction that to the lawfull gouernours thereof that is as he intendeth to the Pope and his Cardinals and Bishops it appertaineth to declare both which bookes be Canonicall and what is the true meaning of all doubtfull places in them he verie shamefully abuseth the ancient Doctours of whom there is not one that hath noted any such matter to be conteined in the Creed If hee know any let him acquaint vs therewith if hee know none let him confesse to his Reader as he must that he hath sought to deceiue him with a lie The same I say of beleeuing in Saints for which of the ancient Doctours hath taught vs out of our Creed that we are to beleeue in them He telleth vs what they meant by it that wee beleeue the Saints in heauen to heare our praiers to be carefull to pray for vs and to be able to obteine by intreatie much at Gods hands But what a strange man is he that will tell vs what men meant by words which they neuer spake Surely to beleeue in Saints is no antiquitie but nouelty and the deuice of him who by beleeuing in Saints seeketh to draw men away from beleefe in God The Apostle telleth vs that f Rom. 10 17. Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God Thereupon Basil gathereth thus g Basil Ethit reg 80. Si quicquid ex fide non est peccatum est fides verò ex auditu auditus autem pâ—r verbum Dei est ergo quicquid extra diuinam Scripturam est cùm ex fide non sit peccatum est If whatsoeuer is not of faith bee sinne and faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God surely whatsoeuer is beside the Scripture of God because it is not of faith is sinne Let M. Bishop then shew vs some word of God some warrant of Scripture that it is one point of faith to beleeue in Saints or if hee cannot so doe we must rest perswaded as we are that to beleeue in Saints is to sinne against God And if we may not beleeue in Saints then neither may we pray vnto them for h Rom. 10.14 how shall they call vpon him saith the Apostle in whom they haue not beleeued And seeing praier is i Grego Moral lib. 22. cap. 13. Vera postulatio non in oris est vocibus sed in cogitationibus cordis not a matter of the lippes but of the heart how can wee beleeue that the Saints in heauen heare our praiers when as the word of God telleth vs that k 1. King 8.39 it is God only which knoweth the hearts of all the children of men Againe seeing God hath himselfe named vnto vs the Mediator by whose intrety l Mat. 3.17 Ephe. 3.12 for whose sake he wil accept vs and in whom he will be m Iohn 14.13 glorified for the granting of our requests who n Rom. 8.34 sitteth at the right hand of God and o Heb. 7.25 euer liueth to make intercession for vs how can we call it faith and not rather impudent presumption that we of our owne heads should set vp euery Saint in heauen to be a Master of requests and disturbe that order which God himselfe hath appointed for our accesse to him Admit that in generality they pray for the consummation of their brethren they pray in fellowship of loue not by authority of mediation as ioined in affection with vs not as by specialtie of fauour appointed to be patrons for vs for in that respect it is true which Saint Austin telleth vs that p August in Psam 64. Solus ibi ex his qui carnem gustaverunt interpellat pro nobis of all that haue beene partakers of flesh it is Christ onely in heauen that maketh intercession for vs. To conclude we haue heard before out of the Catechisme that our beleeuing in God requireth all our confidence and trust to be placed in God onely Accordingly Cyprian saith that q Cyprian de dupl martyr Non credit in deum qui non in eo solo collocat totius felicitatis suae fidutiam he beleeueth not in God that placeth not the confidence of all his happinesse in God onely But beleeuing in Saints cannot be vnderstood but to import putting of trust and confidence in them Therefore we cannot beleeue in Saints but with the ouerthrow of our beleefe and trust in God And that the Popish beleeuing in Saints importeth the putting of their trust and confidence in them it plainly appeareth as by other their offices of deuotion so specially by their Ladies Psalter wherein they blasphemously vse to the Virgin Marie those words whereby Dauid professed his trust in God r Psalter Mariae Psal 7. Domina in te speraui de inimicis meis libera animam meam Psal 10. In domina confido propter dulcedinem misericordiae nominis sui psal 21. Quia ego speraui in gratia tua sempiternum a me opprobrium abstulisti Psal 45. Domina refugium nostrum tu es in omni necessitate nostra Psal 53 Domina in nomine tuo saluum me fac O Lady in thee haue I hoped deliuer my soule from mine enemies I
and would he then thus like a micher steale away from all and leaue the chiefe and principall matters of his suggestion without succour or defense I had often said and he hath now verified it that either he would not reply at all or else would doe it in that patching sort as he hath now done And surely had not I my selfe ministred vnto him the matter whereupon hee hath framed his Reproofe without any necessity thereof arising out of his Epistle I should haue gone for this time without any reproofe at all Vpon mention made of the Catholike faith I tooke occasion further than I was compelled by him to insist vpon the name of Catholike and to shew their abuse thereof Vpon his appeale to the Romane Church when the same was in the best and most flourishing estate I tooke occasion of a comparison of the doctrine of the old and new Church of Rome by sundry sentences of the Bishops and other writers of that Church whereas it had beene sufficient for me to haue disprooued those instances whereby he tooke vpon him to prooue the same faith in both From these two points ariseth the whole substantiall part of his booke and had I omitted these in hard case had he beene for the writing of a booke for for defense of his owne allegations he had had nothing more to say Now gentle Reader to confesse to thee the truth I had determined so soone as time should serue by a speciall treatise to enlarge the said comparison and to remooue their exceptions which they haue to take against it and so more fully to describe The true ancient Romane Catholike What then hath M. Bishop in effect done by his Reproofe but onely giuen me further occasion to doe that that I had beforehand purposed to doe and to consider of sundry matters which happily otherwise not minding I might easily haue ouerpassed For the doing of this I must craue thy patience for a time because it is a matter that will require conuenient time but in the meane time to giue thee some satisfaction as touching that Reproofe I haue thought good by a short Aduerisement to make it appeare to thee that Foxes whelpes are all alike that M. Bishop is no changling but continueth in his proceeding the same man that he was in the beginning 3. And first I would haue thee to obserue what a terrible inscription he hath put in the forefront to fright owles and buzzards that they may keepe them in their corners and not come foorth to see the light A Reproofe saith he of M. Doct. Abbots Defence of the Catholike deformed by M. W. Perkins wherein his sundry abuses of Gods sacred word and most manifold misapplying and falsifying of the ancient Fathers sentences be so plainely discouered to the eie of euery indifferent Reader that whosoeuer hath any due care of his owne saluation can neuer heereafter giue him more credit in matter of faith and religion But not contented heerewith to bombast this skar-crow to the full and to cause the greater terrour taking occasion belike by my comparing him and his fellow Wright to Iannes and Iambres he vnderwriteth to that title the words of the Apostle d 2. Tim. 3.8 As Iannes and Iambres resisted Moses so these men also resist the truth men corrupted in minde reprobate concerning the faith but they shall prosper no further for their folly shall be manifest to all as theirs also was Now is not this a horrible coniuration Gentle Reader and sufficient to make any mans haire to stare Wouldest thou not imagine heereby that there should be cause to cry out vpon me yea to hang me vp for abusing Scriptures and fathers and beguiling the world in such sort as he pretendeth But stay I pray thee a while remember that losers must haue their words and they will crie lowdest that smart most neither doth any thing in being handled make so importunate a noise as the filthy swine doth Saint Austine saith rightly that e August de ciu dei lib. 5. cap. 27. Non ideò plus potest vanitas quà m veritas quia si voluerit etiam plus potest clamara quà m veritas vanity is not therefore stronger than truth because if it list it can cry louder than truth Thou knowest that naughty drabs when they are reprooued for their leaud and vnhonest life doe set themselues with all bitternesse and violence to deuise and frame words and termes to gall and disgrace them by whom they are reprooued Thou maiest well conceiue that the greatest occasion of suspicion lieth on his part who like the silly wood-cocke that thrusteth his head into a hole and leaueth his body to be beaten till both head and all be dead so after three yeeres space leauing the whole body of his Epistle vndefended thrusteth himselfe into one corner of a booke there for a time to shrowd himselfe till his head being crushed in that corner also he shall haue no place left further to yeeld him breath But that thou maiest see from what spirit that title of his booke hath proceeded I haue thought good heere to examine the whole matter of his preface wherein he taketh vpon him to iustifie the same and professeth to haue said so much therein f Page 11. as may suffice to discredit me with all indifferent men Marke well I pray thee the matters which he bringeth consider well the waight and the truth of them and then take knowledge of some other obseruations that I shall giue thee concerning the whole book 4. His Preface he beginneth artificially according to a precept of Rhetoricke which teacheth a man g Quintil. Orator institut lib. 5. cap. 13. Haec simulatio hucusque procedit vt quae dicendo refutare non possumus quasi fastidiendo calcemus a dissembling tricke that what he cannot confute he shall seeme scornefully to reiect and trample vpon He telleth his Reader concerning mine answer that h Pag. 3. he found so little substance in it that a long time he was vnwilling to reply vpon it and could not thinke the time well bestowed which should be spent in so friuolous and vaine altercation Aquil◠non capit muscas The Fox would none And in this veine the man much pleaseth himselfe hauing much in his mouth my i Pag. 45. vnlearned writings k Pag. 94. more meet to stop mustard-pots than likely to stop any meane scholars mouth He calleth me l Pag. 86. shallow and shuttle witted m Pag. 16. one of the most shallow and beggerliest writers of these daies n Pag. 52. one of the shallowest for substance of matter that euer he read and o Pag. 40. if saith he there lie more marrow and pith hidden in my writing than one at the first sight would perhaps suppose spectatum admissi risum teneatis then surely it doth require a man of more substance than he though of lesser shew yea p Pag. 47. if
obed cap. Vâ—am sanctam De ecclesiastica potestate verificatur vatietnium Ieremiae Ecce constitui te hodie c. Decretall of Boniface the eight and M. Bishop with a wile slily passeth by them and telleth me that I lie saying withall that the common opinion of all their Diuines is to the contrary whereas a number of their Diuines haue published it to the world that God hath setled the power of all kingdomes immediatly in the Pope and that the further disposing of them belongeth to him as is to be seene in the a Large Examination of M. Blackwell pag. 27. 28. c. examination of M. Blackwell the Arch-priest by many of their speeches to that effect some of the bookes being approoued and printed in Rome as containing nothing contrary to the Catholike faith The fift lie saith he that he maketh within the compasse of lesse than halfe a side is that the Pope saith By me Kings raigne whereas notwithstanding the Pope saith expresly concerning the Emperour b Auentin vt supra Per not imperat By me he raigneth and I further quoted the place where he doth say so in his booke of ceremonies which he suppresseth as shal appeare anon Now doest thou not thinke gentle Reader that this man hath a great facility in obiecting lies And this is his maner thorowout his whole booke whilest as the drunken man cried fire fire when he saw but the rednesse of his owne nose so doth he cry out euery while a lie a lie when the lie is no other but a giddy apprehension of his owne distempered braine being with anger growen so farre into melancholy that he thinketh euery straw that lieth in his way to be a lie And indeed we know by experience how the subtil thiefe when he is pursued crieth out with all his might stop the thiefe stop the thiefe that whilest he seemeth to cry after another he himselfe may not be taken to be the thiefe So it is with M. Bishop who in policy crieth out vpon me a lier a lier that he in the meane time may lie freely and no man may suspect him But who the lier is the processe shall declare and let him receiue the shame that belongeth therto In the meane time whereas for reprochfull words he hath applied to me those words of Saint Paul c Rom. 3.13 Their throat is an open sepulcher with their tongues they deale deceitfully the venime of serpents is vnder their lips their mouth is full of malediction and bitternesse c. I wish him to consider whether it touch him which is written d Rom. 2.21 Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe And againe e Luk. 19.22 Out of thine owne mouth will I iudge thee thou euill seruant Consider him I pray thee gentle Reader thorowout his whole booke and thinke with thy selfe whether he be not in this behalfe a sit master for me to be instructed by As touching that he saith that f Pag. 5. if I hold that course of scurrility I shall driue him to giue me ouer in the plaine field I wonder not thereat not for that I giue him cause by any scurrility of mine to leaue the field but for that hee seeth a necessity thereof by the badnesse and wretchednesse of a leaud and vnhonest cause which hee seeth himselfe vnable to defend 6. His next quarrell is that I cite for confirmation and proofe of any doubt our owne writers Bale Fox Iewel Humphrey Holinshed and such other Now if I doe so then I am a foole but if I doe not so then what is he Some of them whom he nameth haue compiled stories of former times collecting what they haue found recorded by others that were before them whose stories standing vncontrolled is it not as lawfull for me to cite as it is for Bellarmine and the rest of his fellowes to cite g Tert. Parsons Respo ad Apolog. pro iuram fidelit Baronius the Cardinall Blondus the Popes secretary Genebrard h Bellarmin de notis eccles cap. 14.15.16 c. Surius Cochleus Staphylus yea Bolsecke a very infamous runnagate and rakeshame and such other of the like stampe or for M. Higgons so often to cite i Motiues Pag. 44. 75. 78. Parsons his three Conuersions or for Parsons there to cite k Three Conuers pa. 2. cha 10. Examen of Fox his calendar chap. 16. passim Waldensis Antoninus Genebrad Surius Prateolus Sanders and such like yea to report what he list vpon hearesay from l Ibid chap. 12. sect 15. Sir Francis Inglefield or for M. Bishop to cite m Of Images sect 20. Bellarmine n Preface 2. part sect 13. Caluino-turcismus o Answer to the Aduer sect 10. Conrad p Ibid. sect 46. Ludolph q Of Traditions sect 16. Gregory Martin yea to report to vs a matter out of r Preface 2. part sect 8. a conference at Paris vpon his owne word yea to write vs a whole booke as he hath done vpon the credit of Bellarmine and some other of his owne side Surely we haue no cause to doubt but that those writers of ours in their relations are men of as great honesty and fidelity as any of theirs though I alledge from them matters of history and fact or doe perhaps cite a sentence of an author mentioned by one or other referring the Reader to the reporter because I haue not the prime authours workes at hand to search the original of it yet very childishly doth M. Bishop conclude heereof that I make their word a confirmation or proofe for any point of faith because I respect not at all what they say but what they haue said or done whose doings or sayings they report and their report I cannot but take to be true so long as I see M. Bishop can say nothing for the disproofe of it Thus haue I alledged out of Å¿ Answer to the epistl sect 4. pag. 26. Holinshed the epistle of Eleutherius Bishop of Rome to Lucius King of Britaine not to prooue any matter of question by Holinsheds word what wizard would so conceiue but to shew by Eleutherius what the duty of a King is towards the Church of God What a iest is this saith M. Bishop how knew this late writer what passed so long before his owne time But I pray thee gentle Reader put the like question to him He telleth thee in great sadnesse that t Reproofe Pag. 248. amongst many other pardons granted by S. Gregory whereof he cannot tell one there is to be seene vntill this day one altar by him erected in the Monastery of S. Andrews in Rome whereat whosoeuer saith Masse for a soule in Purgatory shall deliuer a soule from thence Say now to him What a iest is this how knoweth M. Bishop a new vpstart writer what passed so long before his owne time Would he not thinkest thou take pepper in the nose if a
be but q Answer to the Epistle sect 12. pag. 103. 104. a fable of mine that Gregory the Bishop of Rome commended the zeale of Serenus Bishop of Massilia who could not endure that any thing should be worshiped that is made with hands or did tell him that he should forbid the people the worshipping of them But what will M. Bishop say that Gregory did Marry r Preface to the Reproofe pag. 8 he did not commend but reprehend the vndiscreet zeale of that Bishop who did breake some pictures set in the Church because some late conuerted heathens not yet well instructed in the Christian religion did adore them as if they had beene Gods Well let Gregory tell his owne tale and then doe thou gentle Reader iudge thereof Å¿ Greg. li. 7. ep 109. Indico dudum ad nos peruenisse quòd fraternità s vestra quosdam imaginum adoratores aspiciens easdem ecclesiae imagines confregit atque proiecit Et quidem zelum vos nequid manu factum adorari possit habuisse laudauimus sed frangere easdem imagines non debuisse iudicamus Iderirco enim pictura in ecclesiis adhibetur vt hi qui literas nesciunt saltem in parietibus videndo legant quae legere in codicibus non valent Tua ergò fraternitas illas seruare ab earum adoratu populum prohibere debuit quatenus literarum nescij haberent vnde scientiam historiae colligerent populus in picturae adoratione minimè peccaret I certifie you saith he to Serenus that it came of late to our hearing that your brotherhood beholding some worshipping images did breake the same Church-images and threw them away And surely I commended you that you had that zeale that nothing made with hands should be worshipped but yet I iudge that you should not haue broken those images for therefore is the picture vsed in the church that they who are not learned by booke may yet by sight read vpon the wals those things which they cannot read in bookes Therefore your brotherhood should both preserue the images and forbid the people the worshipping of them that both the ignorant may haue whence to gather the knowledge of the history and the people may not sinne in the worshipping of the picture In the other epistle written of the same matter he wisheth Serenus t Idem li. 9. ep 9. Conuocandi sunt dispersi ecclesiae filij eisque Scripturae sacrae est testimonijs ostendendum quia omne manufactum adorare non liceat quoniam scriptum est Dominum deum tuum adorabis illi soli seruies to gather together againe the Children of the Church who vpon offense of breaking those images had withdrawen themselues from him and to shew vnto them by testimonies of Scriptures that it is not lawfull to worship any thing that is made with hands because it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely thou shalt serue Now compare the words of my answer with these words of Gregory and see whether I say any thing but what he saith Consider where thou maist finde those skiruie shifts of late conuerted heathens and of worshipping images as Gods seeing Gregory saith nothing of worshipping them as Gods but meerely and only of worshipping them affirming that worship by the testimony of scripture belongeth to God only Yea it is to be noted that M. Bishop himselfe confirmeth the same by the words of Gregory which he citeth but that I know not how he is blind and seeth not his owne way u Gregor ibid. Frangi non debuit quod non adorandum in ecclesiis sed ad instruendas solummodò menteâ— fuit nescientium collocatum Gregory saith he telleth him plainly that that should not be broken which was not set vp in the Church to be adored but onely to instruct the ignorant Marke what he saith only to instruct the ignorant Surely if they be set there to be worshipped then not onely to instruct the ignorant if onely to instruct the ignorant then they are not to be worshipped Therfore he absolutely opposeth the one to the other not to be adored but only to instruct the ignorant which cannot stand if it be true which M. Bishop saith that in any maner or meaning they be to be adored Yet he telleth vs that though S. Gregory forbid images to be adored as Gods yet doth he teach them to be worshipped as representations of most holy personages But how may this appeare Marry by his letters saith he to Secundinus to whom he sent the images of our Sauiour of the blessed Virgin Mary and of Peter and Paul It is true indeed that Secundinus sent to Gregory for the picture of Christ and Gregory sent it him signifying to him that his request did greatly please him because saith he thou louest him with all thy heart and whole intention whose image thou desirest to haue before thine eies Withall hee sent him those other pictures which M. Bishop speaketh of So then heere we haue pictures and images and thereof we make no scruple but we haue yet nothing for the worshipping of them For the affirming wherof M. Bishop heere very impudently abuseth his Reader by false translation For the words of Gregory are thus x Greg. lib. 7. ep 54 Scio quidem quòd imaginem saluatoris nostri non ideò petis vt quasi deum colas sed ob recordationem filij dei vt in eius amore recalescas cuius te imaginem videre consideras Et nos quidem non quasi ante diuinitatem ante illam prosternimur sed illuÌ„ adoramus quem per imaginem aut natum aut passum sed in throno sedentem recordamur dum nobis ipsa pictura quasi scriptura ad memoriam silium dei reducit animuÌ„ nostrum aut de resurrectione latificat aut de passione demulâ—et I know verily that thou doest not therefore desire the image of our Sauiour that thou maiest worship it as God but for a remembrance of the sonne of God that thou maiest become feruent in his loue whose image thou considerest thy selfe to behold And we verily fall not downe before it as before the Godhead but we worship him whom by the image we remember either as borne or hauing suffered or now sitting vpon his throne And whilest the picture as it were a writing bringeth to our remembrance the Sonne of God either it reioyceth our minde as touching his resurrection or appeaseth it by his passion Now wheras Gregory saith We doe not fall downe or cast downe our selues before it as before the Godhead M. Bishop readeth We doe cast downe our selues before the said Image not as before a Godhead And so he vnderstandeth the former words Thou worshippest the image but thou doest not worship it as a God taking the particle as to import a distinction of the variety of worship which is onely an exemplification of the propriety thereof For Gregory hath no
Ben Beirdh the chiefest of the wisemen which seeme in all likely hood to tax Austin as a procurer of that slaughter For although he mention the said Taliessin as hauing beene a writer in the yeare 540. yet because there can be imagined no occasion of those words before Austins comming in I conceiue that either there is some errour in the notation of the time or that liuing perhaps to great yeeres as in those daies was no rare thing he wrot the Ode whence those verses are taken in his last time I will define nothing heereof but leaue it to the iudgement of the Reader to conceiue as he seeth cause The verses then he first setteth downe in the Welch tongue as they were written by him that made them a History of Wales by Doct. Powel Gwae'r offeriad byd Nys angreifftia gwyd Ac ny phregetha Gwae ny cheidw ye gail Ac efyn vigail Ac nys areilia Gwaeny theidw ei dheuaid Rhae bleidhi Rhufeniaid A'iffon gnwppa These he repeateth in English thus Wo be to that Priest yborne That will not cleanly weede his corne And preach his charge among Wo be to that shepheard I say That will not watch his fold alway As to his office doth belong Wo be to him that doth not keepe From Romish woolues his sheepe With staffe and weapon strong Where when he nameth Romishwolues we cannot doubt but that he alludeth to some cruelty caused or practised by some that came from Rome which because it can haue no application in those times but only to the slaughter of the Monkes aforesaid therefore I doubt not but that it hath reference to Austin the Monke who came then from Rome as the cause of that slaughter Now because we are in hand with falsifications and misconstructions I hold it not amisse to reduce hither two other taxations of his of the same nature as most properly belonging to this place The first by order of my booke is a place of Mathew Paris by whom I say it appeareth that a Answer to the epistle sect 3. pag. 20. for the space of twelue hundred yeeres after Christ the Popes authoritie could gaine no acknowledgement in Scotland for that in the time of King Henry the third the one and twentith of his raigne when the Popes Legate would haue entred into Scotland to visit the Churches there the King of Scots Alexander the second forbad him so to do alleaging that none of his predecessours had admitted any such neither would hee suffer it and therefore willed him at his owne perill to forbeare Concerning this allegation M. Bishop setteth downe a postscript in the end of his booke when all the rest was finished in this curteous maner Curteous Reader I must needs acquaint thee with a notable legerdemaine which by perusing the authour I found out after the rest was printed Now gentle Reader I know thou lookest for some speciall great matter which he was thus carefull to adde after all the rest was printed but what is it I pray M. Abbot saith he to prooue that the Pope had no authoritie in Scotland twelue hundred yeeres after Christ auerreth that Alexander the second vtterly forbad the Popes Legate to enter within his kingdome which is not true No is Surely then M. Abbot dealt very vndutifully with his Prince to delude him with a false tale But I pray you M. Bishop tell vs what the truth is For his authour Mathew Paris declareth saith hee that the King indeed did at the first oppose himselfe against that visitation of his kingdome to be made by the said Legate not for that he did not acknowledge the Popes supreme authoritie in those ecclesiasticall causes but because it was needlesse the matters of the Church being as he said in good order and for feare of ouer-great charges And is this all M. Bishop that you could finde perusing the authour so diligently as you haue done But I pray you put on your spectacles once more and turne ouer your booke againe Thou shalt vnderstand gentle Reader that the impression of Mathew Paris which I follow is that b Tiguri in officina Froschoviana 1589. at Tigure in officina Froschouiana anno 1589. There in the one and twentieth yeere of Henrie the third being the yeere of our Lord 1237. pag. 431. which in the edition cited by M. Bishop I take by some notes of mine to be pag. 597. thou shalt finde Mathew Paris set downe this matter in these words c Math. Paris in Henrico 3. anno 1237. pa. 431. Volenti autem domino Legato intrare reguum Scotiae vt ibi de negotijs ecclesiasticis tractaret sicut in Anglia respondit rex Scotiae Non me memini Legatum in terra mea vidisse nec opus esse aliquē esse vocandum deo gratias nec adhuc opus est omnia benè se habent Nec etiā tempore patris mei vel alicuius antecessorū meorum visus est aliquis Legatus introitū habuisse nec ego dum mei compos fuero tolerabo Veruntamen quia fama te sanctum virum praedicat moneo te vt si fortè terram meam ingrediaris cau tè progrediaris nequid sinistri tibi contingat c. The Lord Legate being desirous to enter into the kingdome of Scotland there to deale in Ecclesiasticall matters as he had done in England the King of Scotland answered him I remember not that I haue seene any Legate in my countrey nor that there hath beene any need thanks be to God that any should be called neither is there yet any need all things are well No nor in the time of my Father or of any of my predecessours hath any Legate beene seene to haue had any entrance there neither wil I suffer any so long as I am in my right wits Notwithstāding because by report you are a holy man I warne you that if yee doe goe into my countrey yee goe warily lest any thing befall amisse to you For vnruly and sauage men are there dwelling which thirst after mens bloud whom I my selfe cannot tame nor hold them backe from me if they fall vpon you These are the words of Mathew Paris now aske M. Bishop I pray thee wherein standeth that notable legerdemaine which he would acquaint thee with Aske him what it is wherein I haue varied from my authour I said that the king forbad the Legate to enter so saieth the storie I said that the King alleaged that neuer any Legate in the time of any of his predecessours had beene admitted there the storie saith the same I said that this was twelue hundred yeeres after the time of Christ the story noteth it to haue beene in the yeere 1237. Wish him now to tell thee where the legerdemaine is or whether it be rather some policie of his thus to talke of legerdemaine But this place he would not see yet the latter place he saw he quoteth the page 667. iustly agreeing with the
noted of him and signified the reiecting of his story by the Church of Rome May they now thus at their pleasure reiect the ancient Historians of the Church and was it so hainous a matter for me to censure Eusebius being knowen to haue beene an Arian heretike for fathering vpon Constantine a superstition which it appeareth by himselfe he gaue him no occasion to conceiue of him 18. There followeth Chrysostome in the next place against whom Sixtus Senensis sticketh not to put in an exception that e Sixt. Senens Biblioth sanct l. 5. in Prafat Chrysostomus impetu disceptandicum Manichaeis Gentibus c. saeponumerò naturae nostrae vires plus aequo attollit by heat of reasoning against the Manicheeâ— and Heathens he doth often too much extoll the power of nature and Andradius condemning Origen of great errour for imputing sinne to the Virgin Mary saith that f Andrad Defens fidei Trident. l. 5. Neque ab hoc Origenis errato Chrysostomus plurimum abfuit c. Chrysostome was not farre from the same errour of Origen when he charged her with importunity and ambition for that shee interrupted her sonne as he was preaching Will they againe at their liberty thus tax Chrysostome and doe I offend in saying that g Answer to the epistle sect 25. pag. 175. as an Oratour hee apprehended a thing to speake according to present occasion which otherwise he approoued not when I giue plaine demonstration and proofe that it is so The place it selfe gentle Reader will satisfie thee neither need I to vse any defense of it So will the other also where I say of a speech of Chrysostome concerning Constantines sonne that h Ibid. pag. 176. howsoeuer it proceeded from him it is much different from the certaine story I show that it is so what a vaine brangler is hee to cauill at my words when as he is not able to controll the proofe 19. The next abuse that he noteth is to S. Austin wherin he plaieth Will Sommers part striking him that is next him but letting him alone by whom he himselfe is stricken My words are these i Answer to the Epistle sect 8. pa. 54. ex Erasm argument in lib. Hieronym aduers Ioninian Diuus Augustinâ—o errores quosdam confert in Iouinianum quos tamen illi non impingit Hieronymus vtique non dissimulaturus siquid tale docuisset c. Verùm apparet diuum Augustinum nec Iouiniani nec in hunc Hieronymi libros legisse tantum rumore populari didicisse quod nouerat de Iouiniano Erasmus obserueth truly that Austin chargeth Iouinian with some errours whereof Hierome maketh no mention who would not haue passed by them if Iouinian had taught them whereby it appeareth as he collecteth that Austin had neither read Iouinians bookes nor Hieromes bookes against Iouinian but onely by peoples rumours and talke had learned that that he knew concerning Iouinian I note what Erasmus collecteth Erasmus himselfe giueth reason of his so collecting and was not this a mortall abuse committed by me towards S. Austin that M. Bishop should say as he doth In like maner he slandereth S. Austin for writing against Iouinian whose opinions saith M. Abbot very audaciously S. Austin knew onely by hearesay and not of any certainty Doest thou not thinke he is well skilled in his art that can so well bombast such a quarrell as this is But there is forsooth another matter that I say Austin was deceiued where he said that no Priests imbraced Iouinians opinion And did I not prooue so much by Hierome himselfe that there were both Bishops Priests of the same minde Yea that the Clergy Monks of the church of Rome notwithstanding the sentence of Siricius then Bishop of Rome retained still their opinion that maried wiues are the same with God as Virgins are the thing is plaine and were M. Bishop so wise as he should be he would neuer trouble vs with such idle stuffe 20. I note Hierome k Ibid. pag. 54. for rude vndecent speeches against mariage He that will know whether he vsed any such or not let him read his epistle ad Gerontiam de Monogamia and his first booke against Iouinian in which his vsage is such in that behalfe as gaue occasion of great offence in Rome so as that the greatest part of his Apology to Pammachius is spent in excusing such speeches which notwithstanding to say the truth very slenderly hee doth That he wrot against Iouinian with l Pag. 57. all indignation and stomacke who doubteth that readeth what he wrot who seeth not that he laboured to the vttermost of his power to disgrace him against whom he wrot As for railing I mention it not by mine owne words but by the words of Erasmus who saith of him against Vigilantius m Answer to the epist sect 9. pag. 67. ex Erasm argum in lib. Hieron aduers Vigilantium In hunc ita conuicijs debacchatur Hieronymus vt plusculum in eo modestiae cogar desiderare Vtinam argumentu duntaxat egisset a conuicijs temperasset He doth so raile at him as that I cannot but wish that hee had shewed more modesty I would he had dealt by argument onely and had for borne railing speeches False doctrine I name not but if there be nothing false in Hierome how commeth it about that Bellarmine mentioning that n Bell. de Rom. Pont. lib. 1. c. 8. Videtur beatus Hieronymus inea sententia fuisse vt existimaret episcopoâ— esse presbyteris maiores iure ecclesiastico non diuino qua sententia falsa est suo loco refectetur Hierome seemeth to be of that opinion that Bishops by the law of God are not superiour to Priests saith that that opinion is false and he will afterwards refute it or how doth Alfonsus De Castro say that o Alphons de Castro aduers haeres l. 6. apud Sixt. Senens Biblioth sanct l. 6. annot 324. Non veretur fateri Hieronymum hac in parte errasse he doubteh not to confesse that Hierome in that behalfe erred as Sixtus Senenfis hath reported of him Thus it appeareth that I haue not taken exception against any father but that they themselues also except against the same as they doe also against the rest Of Iustinus Irenaeus Epiphanius Oecumenius Bellarmine saith p Bellarm. de sanct beatitud c. 6. Iustini Irenaei c. sententiam non video quo pacto possimus ab errore defendere I doe not see how we can defend their opinion from errour q Idem de Rom. Pont. l. 4. c. 7. Videtur mortalitèr peccasse cùm praecepto expresso Apostolico non paruerit Cyprian he saith seemeth to haue sinned mortally for that he obeied not the expresse commandement of the Bishop of Rome In another case he saith r Ibid. cap. 8. Respondeo non esse omninò fidem habendam Tertulliano in hac parte quandoquidem ipse Montanista erat Tertullian
men iust occasion to detest him crying out of falsifying and corrupting of cosenage and deceit when hee himselfe intendeth and practiseth nothing else Such as thou hast seene him heere gentle Reader such shalt thou finde him almost in all his answers throrowout his whole booke which when I shall haue stript out of those ragges wherewith he hath clothed them thou shalt see him a poore Doctour and shalt well perceiue that he was put to a cruell shift and streining of conscience for the writing of this booke 34. In the meane time I callenge him to giue an answer to this aduertisement He hath with wide mouth cried out vpon me for false and corrupt dealing I challenge him to make good his accusation against this briefe Defense I know he loueth not to meddle with the answering of long books and when I shall haue giuen checke to his Reproofe he will not be at leisure to giue me at large a countercheck I challenge him therfore to cleere himselfe if he can against those exceptions that I haue heere taken against him and setting downe plainly the authours words in their owne tongue as I haue done to make it appeare if it bee so that in charging me with falshood and lying hee hath done the part of a trusty and honest man being no further so to be taken if hauing made such a clamour against me of lying lying it now prooue to be but a cry of course not for any matter in me but onely of forme in him I pray thee gentle Reader to vrge him by all meanes thereunto Tell his friends and followers that if in these few matters hee cannot better acquit himselfe it shall be a shame for them to suffer themselues any longer to bee deluded by such a shamelesse man If he say he will doe it in his second part vnderstand that he doth but mocke thee The booke that he hath now published was comming foorth without any name of the first part The Presse being then surprised they haue since by some common aduice amongst them reuiewed and better furnished it and now for a colour haue called it The first part Thou hast beene three yeeres and more in the expectation of this little peece let him not hold thee three yeeres more in the expectation of another part But whether it be this peece or that part thou maiest now by thine owne experience iudge of both If God continue my health and strength and the vse of those eies at the distemper and sorenesse whereof hee so often sporteth himselfe I will by the assistance of his grace giue thee further experience of him in the rest Albeit I thinke thou wilt not wish that I either trouble thee or my selfe with all his wandring discourses his idle descants his fond surmises his imagined contradictions Much worke he maketh that I should say n Reproofe pag. 50. I would stop the aduersaries mouth and leaue him nothing to reply But let him remember that to that part whereof I said so he hath yet replied nothing and let him vnderstand withall that I take not euery dogs barking to be a reply He chargeth me with o Ibid. pag. 62. contradiction for that I say that in his dedication he had no hope to preuaile with his Maiestie and yet I say that in his booke he thought himselfe to haue performed some great exploit that is saith he to preuaile maruellous much with his Maiestie But his Commentarie fitteth not my text because his great exploit there intended was not in preuailing with his Maiesty but as I there declared in writing a famous and woorthy worke the marrow and pith of many large volumes contracted and drawen into a narrow roome Another contradiction he fancieth in that I p Ibid. pag 267. 268. c. say that he reuealed a counsell and secret of his owne and his fellowes in saying God knoweth what that forcible weapon of necessitie will driue men vnto at length and yet I bid him be of good cheere and tell his fellowes that we knew their mind before I answer him that in their desire it is a secret which by all means they conceale and hide and which they would not haue vs by any means or in any sort to imagine of thē and yet by experience wee haue learned to iudge of them that they are as there I said trecherous false-hearted faithlesse waiting for time and opportunitie if power would serue to compell his Maiestie to their order Now to what end should I spend either time or paper for the examining of such dreames To the matter and question of religion or if there be any thing else materiall I will answer him if God will the rest which serueth onely for the lengthning of his booke I will passe by with contempt 35. Now then to leaue M. Bishop for the time I come to M. Higgons who hauing vpon meere discontentments lately reuolted from vs and being strangely become a proselyte of the Church of Rome to the great griefe of his father the vntimely death of his mother the wonder of all who haue knowen what formerly he was hath of figtree leaues like Adam made him a mantle to couer this nakednesse and shame deliuering vnder the name of motiues certaine fantasticall apprehensions whence as he pretendeth he tooke the occasion of this reuolt In these motiues taking vpon him to censure the state and proceedings of our church and to tax sundry of our men who by writing haue applied themselues for the defense thereof he picketh heere and there some petit quarels against me amongst the rest as if in writing against Doct. Bishop I had not dealt syncerely and vprightly in the report and allegation of some things The matters are but few and those such as that I shall not need to stand long vpon any of them The matter that chiefly troubled his head gaue him occasiō of this apostasie was as he pretendeth our deniall of Purgatorie and praier for the dead which he now vpon the sudden hath learned to be an Apostolicall tradition And amongst other reasons that haue induced him so to conceiue of it one is a proposition deliuered by Doct. Field that q First Motiue of T.H. book 1 part 1 ch 2. § 2. num 8. whatsoeuer all or the most famous in all ages or at least in diuers ages haue constantly deliuered as receiued from them that went before them no man doubting or contradicting it may be thought to be an Apostolicall tradition This he affirmeth to be true of praier for the dead that the most famous and renowmed in all ages haue constantly deliuered it as receiued from them that went before and none haue gainsaied it but damned heretikes and therefore that it must by Doct. Fields rule be taken to be an Apostolicall tradition Whence saith he I was compelled to inferre that Doct. Abbot doth willingly deceiue himselfe saying that praier for the dead is a tradition and ordinance of the Church to which
the confession of their faith exhibited to the French King as Sleidan hath recorded it shall be no disreputation to vs that we haue ioined with them neither shall it be to M. Higgons any reputation with God that he hath departed from them 40. I may not omit that mentioning elsewhere that Luther termeth their religion by the name of Popery though this were but a very small occasion yet his gall casting vpon the sudden he addeth u Book 2. p. 1. c. 1. ¶ 1. num 7. Whom I might more iustly call a foul-mouthed-dogge then D. Abbot bestoweth this homely courtesie vpon a very learned Priest meaning thereby T. Wright Let the Reader esteeme whether it were not a meet courtesie for him that was not ashamed to set it downe for an article x Certaine Articles or forcâ—ble reasons c. part 2. art 5. That the Protcestants make God the authour of sinne the only cause of sinne that man sinneth not that God is worse than the diuell If Luther haue any where in that leand and impious maner calumniated the Church of Rome I will not deny but that M. Higgons should haue cause to stile him afoul-mouthed dogge but if he haue not so done then is M. Higgons to blame to assigne to him that which of right belongeth to another man Whom indeed we thinke to be a man of some kind of learning whereby he can audaciously and impetuously wrangle where he may haue his way but he that would giue forth to the world for forcible reasons such misshapen stuffe as specially some of those are which he hath published is very far from the woorth where he is vprightly iudged to be accounted a very learned Priest 41. His last matter touching me concerneth a difference betwixt Doct. Field and me Doct. Field thinketh that the cause why Aerius was condemned of hereticall rashnes was for that he durst condemne the laudable custome of the commemoration of the dead by way of giuing thankes for them Against this opinion of Docter Field hee produceth mee amongst others for a witnesse though mangling and disordering my words to other purpose in some sort than I intended them But the summe of all is that I hold it to haue beene the cause why Aerius was taxed of heresie for that he reprehended and denied praiers and offerings for the dead Whereupon D. Field groundeth his opinion I cannot tell by Epiphanius and Austin I conceiue that it is right which I haue said But vpon this occasion M. Higgons because I had said that Austin and the Papists as touching the end of praier for the dead did agree like harpe and harrow returneth my phrase and saith Doe not these men agree like harpe and harrow Where I cannot but thinke that he was very idlely disposed and wanted matter that would so much trouble himselfe as hee hath done with a difference of so small effect If Doct. Field conceiue rightly of the opinion of Aerius then in the condemning of Aerius we al accord with him If we conceiue more truely of Aerius that it was praier for the dead which he impugned then in the approuing of Aerius Docter Field accordes with vs. And may we not thinke this to be a great matter to trouble M. Higgons minde Did he see no greater differences than this in the Church of Rome Had he not found in Bellarmine concerning sundry waighty points of faith a first opinion of such a one a second opinion of such a one a third yea a fourth opinion of such and such To let other matters goe did you not M. Higgons remember your two great Cardinals Baronius and Bellarmine standing in great difference the one that it is directly the other that it is indirectly that the Pope hath a power ouer Kings and Princes to depose them yea and another opinion regnant amongst many of your great Diuines that the Pope hath no such authority either way and that they are but Parasites and pickthankes that sooth him in so vniust and vndue a claime Goe M. Higgons goe and tell your owne Cardinals haec est mendaciorum natura vt probè cohaerere non possint for the third opinion prooueth them to bee liars on both sides As for your selfe you are now become one of those pedling merchants in the exercise of whose trade you shall indeed finde it true that they cannot thriue at all vnlesse they can lie much 42. I pity your folly M. Higgons and cannot but for your friends sake lament that miserable state whereinto you haue wilfully cast your selfe Surely it was a strong and a strange humour that possessed both your head and your heart that could driue you to this extremity for Purgatory and prayer for the dead Doubtlesse it was not Purgatory nor praier for the dead that you respected but when you had resolued to run into this ruine you thought these points most plausible and ready whence your wit might weaue some spiders webs for the hiding of your shame I doubt not M. Higgons but if you were heere as you would wish to be you are able your selfe to shew that all you haue said is no other but a spiders web God giue you grace to vnderstand what you haue done that if it be possible you may returne againe out of the snare of the diuell and out of that hell of inward terrours whereinto you haue desperately plunged your owne soule I know you are in the hands of Gryphes and Vultures that doe not easily let goe the prey that they haue once seazed vpon but I commend you to his mercy who is able to doe more than we can any way expect of you 43. And so for the time I leaue both M. Bishop and M. Higgons but with minde speedily to take M. Bishop in hand againe The meane while gentle Reader I haue giuen thee this Aduertisement for some satisfaction concerning his late booke that thou maiest with the more patience expect the full answer thereof And albeit I haue heere made it appeare that he hath prostituted his conscience and set himselfe to sale to say and face and outface any thing to serue the Popes and his owne turne so as that heereby he hath voided himselfe of that credit which hee would detract from me and his booke shall remaine for no other but the record of his owne shame yet I will not so leaue him but will goe forward if God will more thorowly to pull the vizard from his face and to make him appeare in those colours that doe belong vnto him Assist mee with thy praiers vnto God for the doing of the worke of God that it may be to his glory to the conuincing of the aduersarie and to the edification of the church of Christ Amen Some faults escaped to be corrected thus PAg. 126. line 5. roome read no roome p. 129. l. 3. in marg vitiosas r. vitiosus p. 139. l. 4. integrity truth r. integrity and truth p. 143. l. 2. visibly r. visible p. 175. l. 17. publike r. publick p. 190. l. 8. striue r. stirre p. 195. l. vit see in the r. see the. p. 201. l. 12. most ancient r. the ancient p. 214. l. 37. the article r. that particle p. 215. l. 2. certainly in the r. certainly the. p. 262. in marg l. 24. ipè r. sibi p. 368. l. 16. approoued r. reprooued Ibid. l. 26. the Church r. that the Church p. 380. in marg l. 5. obiurat r. obdurat Thus farre I saw the booke before it came foorth what faults shall follow I must pray thee by thine owne iudgment to amend