black and euill conditions So I trust we are sufficientlie taught to beware of these crouching friers lewd and vngodlie practises The 11. Perswasion I Defend a religion c. where there is no festiuitie no office or part of diuine seruice c. but representeth vnto vs one benefite or other no ceremonie is vsed in the holie sacrifice of the Masse no action of the Priest no ornament or attire he weareth no benediction he giueth no signe of the crosse he maketh but hath his religious signification and preacheth vnto vs his introite to the Altare his actions there his returne from thence the verie vestments wherewith he is adorned his putting of them on his putting them off his Amice Albe Girdle Maniple Stole Vestment speake nothing but Christ crucified c. The Disswasion 1 INdeede such Church such preaching this superstitious insinuation by crossings turnings comming going putting off putting on copes vestments is fit instruction for such blind worshippers But Christ is otherwise preached in his true Church then by dumbe ceremonies Moses was read and preached in the synagogues Act. 15.21 Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.17 not by shewing shadowing or signifying What hypocrites are these to thrust out of the Church the plaine reading of scripture to the peoples vnderstanding and to supplie it with mute and maymed shewes and ceremonies in which respect the Prophets words may be vsed against them who required these things at your hands Isay 1.12 2 But that it may better appeare what a goodlie kind of preaching this is by signes and circumstances I will brieflie bring in view some of their pope-edifying significations which by great ouersight the Frier belike ashamed thereof hath omitted and to begin with his owne trumperie First the shauing of Monks and Friers is very rich in sense and signification 1. It betokeneth the reuelation of the mysteries of our redemption by Christ. 2. It expresseth the similitude of Christs crowne of thornes 3. It insinuateth the amputation and cutting away of carnall desires 4. The circle of haire which is left representeth the fashion of a crowne because to be deuoted to Gods seruice is to raigne 5. The baring and making naked of the head implieth an apert and naked life and an open and free heart for celestiall meditations Likewise they vse diuers Magicall enchantments in the dedication of Churches 1. They make 12. crosses vpon the walles and set twelue burning lamps ouer against them signifying thereby that the 12. Apostles by their preaching brought light to the world 2. They burne incense set vp taper-light annoynt the altar and vessels with oyle to shew that the place is consecrate to holie vses 3. They sprinkle ashes ouer all the Church therein writing the Greeke and Latine Alphabet thereby setting forth the preaching of the faith which was first taught in those toongs 4. They beate vpon the Church dore with an hammer to driue Sathan from thence In Baptisme they vse many interpretatiue toyes 1. They touch the eares and nostrels with spittle that the eares may be ready to heare and the nostrels to discerne betweene the smell of good and euill 2. All the senses are signed with the crosse thereby to be defended 3. Salt is put into their mouth that they may be kept from putrifying in sinne 4. They are annoynted with oyle in the breast to be safe frō suggestions 5. They are annoynted with chrisme in the top of the head and thereby become Christians 6. A white garment is put vpon them that are baptized to betoken their regeneration 7. A vaile is put vpon their head in signe that they are now crowned with a royall diademe 8. A burning taper is put into their hand to fulfill that saying in the Gospell Let your light so shine before men c. Math. 5. In Matrimonie the like toyes are obserued as to couer the parties with a vaile to ioyne them together with a partie-coloured scarfe of white and purple to mutter certaine words ouer the ring to hallow it Thus haue they pestered the Church with a multitude of idle vnprofitable and vnedifying ceremonies which the Apostle calleth a yoke of bondage Galath 5.1 And as Augustine sayth Ipsam religionem quam Deus paucissimis sacramentis liberam esse voluit onerib premunt vt tolerabilior sit conditio Iudaeorum c. They cumber or oppresse religion with burdenous ceremonies which God would haue free with few sacraments And these friuolous obseruations and superstitious types do tend to instruction and bring religious lessons as this expounder of riddles telleth vs like as the Pharisees phylacteries and fringes of their garments tended to keeping of the lawe They writ the lawe in parchments and scroules and tied them to their frontlets and bound them vpon their armes whereas they should haue kept them in their harts Thus the Papists keepe the memorie of Christs death in crosses vestures pictures and such like which should be reuiued by the preaching of the word whereby Christ is described in our sight and among vs crucified as S. Paule to the Galathians and graft in mens hearts by a liuely faith 3 Now further as these papall Romanes do boast of their preaching and significant rites and ceremonies so the Pagane Romanes can pretend the like for their religion whose hieroglyphicall toyes are very consonant and suteable to these new histrionicall tricks of Christned Romanists 1. They sacrificed to Saturne bareheaded because all things are naked and open to God for the which cause also popish Priests were shauen to betoken their open and free harts c. 2. Their women in mourning vsed white garments to betoken innocencie and simplicitie so doth the white garment vsed in popish baptizing as we haue seene before 3. It was a great offence to vtter the name of their Deus tutelaris their God of defense so the Masse-priest mumbleth his mysticall enchaunting words in secret 4. When they tooke vp the table they alwayes left somewhat remayning because no holie thing such as they counted the table should be left emptie so the Masse-priests do reserue some part of the sacrament vpon the altare and hang it vp in the pixe 4 They did burne lamps in their temples and at the graues of the dead and consecrate wax candles to their Gods to signifie the euerlasting light so do the Papists 5 The auncient Romanes married not in May because it was an holie time vsed for solemne expiations so the Church of Rome inhibiteth mariage at certaine seasons for the holines of the time 6 They vsed not to marrie their Cosins that by mariage they might increase kinred In the Papall seignorie for the same cause mariage is forbidden betweene Godfathers and Godmothers and their Godchildren as they are called because they are alreadie of a spirituall kinred 7 The Paganes vsed a kind of shauing which betokened a crowne and thereof
of iustification sacraments originall sinne predestination of faith of the law of the Gospell of the nature of Christ his descending to hell c. p. 7. Ans. First these dissensions giuen in instance are betweene those which are called Lutheranes and vs who wherein they differ and dissent from vs come neerer to the Papists then Protestants as in the opinions of the corporall presence in the Eucharist of the vbiquitie or omnipresence of Christes bodie of free will vniuersall grace hypotheticall election faith of infants and such like but among the Protestants that purely professe the Gospell of Christ and especially in England there is no difference or dissent in any of these points or those before obiected or in any other substantiall point of faith If it shall be obiected that among vs some question there is concerning the descent into hell it is not of the truth and substance of the article which no Protestant denieth but of the manner onely wherein there is as great a difference in the popish Church for Durand a principall Doctor of that side maintaineth contrarie to the opinion of the rest that Christ did not descend into hell secundum substantiam suam sed per effectus quosdam not in the substance of his soule but onely by certaine effects whom Bellarmine of purpose confuteth Secondly neither needeth the aduersarie to obiect against Protestants this diuision betweene them and the Lutheranes seeing there is as great a rent in the Papall Church for the whole Church of France dissenteth from the common opinion of the Romanists in very principall points they to this day do not acknowledge the Pope to be aboue generall Councels and for this cause they do not submit themselues to the decrees of the late Tridentiâ—e Synode neither take it for a generall Councell They refuse also the sixt booke of the Decretals and of late by a publike Edict they haue expelled the whole order of Iesuites out of the kingdome of France who are in other places of the Popes dominion of greatest credite and estimation Thirdly though the intemperate heate of some Lutheran writers can not be excused against the Ministers of the reformed Churches as fayling both in the cause which they handle and in the manner of handling for among our selues such bitter inuectiues are not vsed yet of all other the rayling of popish sectaries one against another most exceedeth as may plentifullie appeare in the late writings and bookes of the Popish Priests and Iesuites set forth against themselues The Priests call their Iesuited Arch-priest traiterous a vassall parasite idoll of the Iesuites a puppie dauncing after the Iesuites pipe Manifestat p. 25. a. The Iesuites they call knaues conspiring companions Man p. 32. b. They charge them with traiterous blasphemous words Mans. p. 35 a. with coggerie blasphemie Manifes 53. b. with erroneous and hereticall doctrine Manif p. 106. a. damned for heretikes p. 105. a. progenie of vipers blasphemous wretches proud pharisees Man 108. a. traiterous positions hatched in hell Replie p. 67. a. Against Frier Robert Parsons in particular the Priests thus bestirre them they compare him to Robin Goodfellow Rep. p. 79. b. they call him the foxed father Rep. 67. a. a diabolicall vnnaturall wicked fellow Man p. 107. a. cursed be the houre wherein he was borne this child of sinne of sacriledge of iniquitie of the deuill ib. b. he hath shaped the declaration of the spirit of Sathan Rep. p. 102. a. And of all the Iesuites in generall they thus speake and write the Iesuiticall ghosts and such wicked spirits as traÌ„sforming theÌ„selues into angels of light do leade more soules to hell then the feends of most vglie shape appearing in their owne proper colours Man p. 81. b. Now on the other side let vs see how Frier Parsons requiteth their kindnes he chargeth them with follie phrenzie Maâ— fol. 11. with erroneous hereticall positions f. 13. perfidious sycophants f. â—7 with lyes false calumniations little conscience f. 41. He further saith they lye notoriouslie against their conscience f. 46. egregious foolerie Man f. 65. wicked companions consciencelesse rayling people f. 90. franticke possessed mad insolent f. 94. Apostata in heart traiterous and Iudas like natures f. 98. vsed of the deuill f. 83. diuelish detraction f. 94. diuelish hatred f. 98. assault of Sathan vnder Priests coates c. f. 99. So I trust that the saying of Christ will shortly be verified vpon this Sathanicall broode as it beginneth thanks be to God to be in part fulfilled in England alreadie that because Sathan maketh insurrection against Sathan his kingdome is at an end Mark 3.26 Now I hope by this it is euident who they are that condemne each other to hell not Protestants but Papists for thus as we see they hew one at another and one whet an other as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one yron sharpneth an other as Salomon sayth Prou. 27.17 and though their toongs be also whet against the truth yet shall they not preuaile the more they hewe at it the more shall it flourish like as the plant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being cut doth sprout and contendeth with yron But because they brag in their talke and swords are in their lips Psal. 59.7 this reward they shall haue which we see now come to passe their owne toong shall fall vpon them Psal. 64.8 And as Origen saith surget gens contra gentem i. haeresis contra haeresin one nation shall rise against another that is one heresie against another as the heresie of the Iesuites against the Priests The fift probation is from a particular induction of diuers sects among the Germanes to the number of 37. and affirmed by the computation of Caspar Vlenbergius to be 260. knowne sects by Oecolampadius 77. diuisions are confessed and Luther is produced a witnesse affirming as many religions to be among them as men p. 7. Ans. 1. If all this were admitted without contradiction that so many diuisions were among the Protestants it were no sufficient argument to condemne our religion for then by the same rule the Idolatrous Paganes might haue disproued the Christians faith because they were diuided into so many sundrie sects Simonians Menandrians Basilidians Nicolaites Gnostickes Carpocratians Corinthians Nazarites Ebionites Valentinians and diuers others to the number of fourescore and tenne rehearsed by Augustine 2. These sects by him noted hauing their beginning in Germanie disgrace not the Protestancie of England that is not so distracted And whereas the freedome of that countrey and of many chiefe cities there forcing no mans conscience but tolerating diuers religions might seeme to giue way to this diuersitie therein the fault is rather to be imputed to the politike state then to the Religion professed 3. It is vntrue that Vlenbergius Caus. 22. numbreth 260. diuisions among Protestants for in that place he treateth of no such thing And Caus. 9. where he professedly setteth
was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such is the shauing of Monks and for the like signification of a crowne as hath bene shewed before 8 The Priest of the Sunne among the Phenicians did weare a vestment of purple wrought with gold to shew the dignitie and excellencie of that priesthoode for the same cause haue Masse-priests their rich and costlie copes of diuers colours 9 In Boeotia they vsed to couer the Bride with a vaile and crowne her with flowers which vse is yet retayned in Poperie 10 The heathen vsed to cleanse themselues with sprinkling of water thinking thereby to be purified Thus in Poperie they thinke to purifie their houses the people with casting of holie-water vpon them Is not this now a goodlie religion that retaineth still the idolatrous and superstitious vsages of the heathen that instructeth the people by signes and figures euen as the Paganes preached to theirs May we not iustly returne vpon them the rebuke of the Apostle to the Galathians Seeing you know God how turne yee againe vnto impotent and beggerlie rudiments whereunto as from the beginning you will be in bondage againe Hierome sayth Ego libera voce reclamante mundo pronuntio ceremonias Iudaeorum perniciosas esse mortiferas Christianis quicunque eas obseruauerit in barathrum diaboli deuolutum I do freelie pronounce though the world say nay that the ceremonies of the Iewes are pernicious and deadlie to Christians and whosoeuer obserueth them to be throwne downe to hell much more are they in danger which obserue Pagane ceremonies and inuentions Therefore we take no great care to answere them for this matter resting vpon the words of our Sauiour Let them alone they are blind leaders of the blind Their owne blindnes and grossenes in their superstitious corruptions doth sufficiently bewray the badnes of their cause and madnes of their religion to whom that saying of Plutarch may fitlie be applied You neede not draw a superstitious man out of the temple for there is his punishment and torment So that which this figurecaster hath taken for an argument of their profession is found to be but a torment to their conscience and a punishment of their superstition The twelfth Perswasion 1 I Defend not that religion which denieth all things c. as their opinions all negatiue do witnesse 2 That hath taken away and conuerted from spirituall religious vses to priuate and temporall pleasures and preferments all monuments and foundations of deuotion c. 3 Vsing nothing necessarie to saluation 4 But that religion whose opinions are all affirmatiue 5 That hath founded Churches Schooles Colledges Monasteries 6 That obserueth all things that wanteth or omitteth nothing belonging or that can be required to true religion The Disswasion 1 NEither doth that religion which I defend denie any thing much lesse all things as it is falselie sclaundered that are found to be agreeable to the scriptures neither doth it consist of all negatiues affirming the scriptures to be sufficient and to conteyne all things necessarie to saluation that the Church and generall Councels may erre that the Pope is Antichrist that the scriptures ought to be read in the vulgar toong that Magistrates haue authoritie in spirituall causes that all sinnes in their owne nature are mortall that faith only iustifieth that Christ onely is our alone sufficient mediator that there are onely two sacraments of the new testament an hundred more opinions it holdeth affirmatiuely and the negatiues to these doctrines it refuseth And if our religion should be condemned because it holdeth some negatiues exception likewise might be taken against the Decalogue wherein of ten two commaundements only are affirmatiue the fourth in the first table and the first in the second all the rest are negatiuely propounded 2 An impudent sclaunder it is that the religion of Protestants hath taken away all foundations of deuotion 1. Seeing that Bishoprickes Cathedrall Churches all Colledges in the Vniuersities Hospitals parish Churches erected for maintenance of learning reliefe of the poore for the edifying of the people are yet standing and flourishing among vs. 2. Only those vncleane Cels of Monks the seminaries both of spirituall and corporall fornication are remoued though I denie not but they might better haue beene disposed of as was intended by example and warrant of vertuous Princes As Iosias ouerthrew the foundation of the Chemarims an idolatrous order of Priests erected by his superstitious predecessors Iehu destroyed the house of Baal and made a draught-house of it And things abused to idolatrie are iustlie confiscate to the Prince as Ambrose defendeth the taking away of the lands which were giuen to the maintenance of Pagane idolatrie Sublata sunt praedia quia non religiose vtebantur ijs quae religionis iure defenderent Their lands and manors were taken away because they did not religiouslie vse them which they defended vnder colour of religion 3. Neither were all Abbey-lands conuerted to temporall pleasures and preferments though we graunt too many were but diuers were giuen to Hospitals and Colledges and to other good vses And this is warranted by the imperiall lawes that things abused by false worshippers should be giuen to the vse of the Orthodoxall Church as may appeare by that lawe of the Emperours Valentinian and Martian Domum vel possessionem c. That house or possession which belongeth to heretikes Orthodoxae ecclesiae addici iubemus We will to be annexed to the orthodoxall Church 4. These lands and possessions were surrendred into the Kings hands by the voluntarie act of the owners thereof thereto not forced or constrained as is extant in the publike acts of Parliament and at such a time wherein the popish religion was not altered sauing in the Popes supremacie and therefore this is a false imputation to the Gospell And yet as is before shewed possessions abused by men of false religion by the Imperiall lawes are confiscate to the Prince as it was decreed by Anastasius Praedia possessiones quae in haereticas personas quocunque modo collata vel translata fuerunt fisci nostri iurib decernimus vendicari Lands and manors howsoeuer conferred or translated vpon hereticall parsons we decree to be forfeited to vs. 3 A foule slaunder is vttered of our Religion in the next place for nothing necessarie to saluation is wanting in the profession of the Gospell There is Baptisme for infants catechising for children preaching to beget faith the law to perswade repentance the Gospell for comfort the reading of scripture to increase knowledge the Sacraments to confirme it prayer prescribed if any be afflicted singing of Psalmes for those that are merrie in the Lord godly visitation for the sicke with assurance of remission of sinnes vpon their repentance comfort ouer the dead in the hope of the present rest of
obiection of pride riches wine and women was vnfittest to proceed from this Ignatian Friers mouth For doth he with his fellows thinke to dance in a net haue we not bene certified from their companions copesmates the Masse priests that some of the Iesuites vse to reade Lectures by night to the auditories of women while their husbands scratch their heads at home They tell vs of their rich apparell their riding in coaches their stables of geldings their expences after 500. pounds by the yeare as hath bin before shewed more thē once Is not this now a prety vow of pouerty and chastity which these new vpstart Friers are entred into I say therefore with Hierome Ignominia est Ihesum esurientem fartis praedicare corporibus ieiuniorum doctrinam per rubentes buccas tumentiaque ora proferre It is a shame to preach of Christs fasting with a pampred body and to commend abstinence with red cheekes and swolne face Of all other of the Popish profession it may be worst sayd of them which Thucydides vttered of the Corinthians That they were worthy to reproue others 2. Neither can he shew vs twenty generall Councels in all Bellarmine can find but eighteene and some of them not extant neither is he able to produce a thousand prouinciall Councels nor halfe so many and both generall and prouinciall Synodes are more against them then with them as I haue else where declared Popes we yeeld them and heretikes the one their fathers the other their brethren The auncient Fathers that liued within sixe hundreth yeares after Christ are against them All schooles and Vniuersities neuer approued their doctrine The Vniuersitie of Oxford cleared Wickliffe of heresie The Vniuersity of Prage fauoured Iohn Husse The most famous Academies in Europe gaue sentence with king Henry concerning his mariage against the Pope And at this time Protestants neither in number nor in fame of schooles of learning will giue place to the Romanists 3. What safe conduct you vse to graunt to the learned Protestants to come to disputation is euident by the example of Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prage the first notwithstanding his safe conduct graunted by the Emperour Sigismund was vniustly put to death at the Councell of Constance the other could get none at all 4. True it is that Bishop Cranmer was entertained by the young students very rudely with hissing and clapping of hands but that shewed their impudency rather then his impotency That he deserued not to be hissed his learned writings to this day do sufficiently declare But they disputed with him as the high Priests and Scribes did with Stephen they gaue a shout and stopped their eares and as the Stoikes and Epicures disputed with Paul at Athens railing vpon him and mocking him Thus the Donatists conferred with Augustine and other Catholike Bishops they with their outcries and exclamations made such a noise that the other could not proceed And no other course do the Iesuites take at this day in their disputations seeking by their turbulent behauior and Stouterlike voice to countenance their cause as this last yeare Anno 1602. appeared in a colloquie at Ratisbone betweene Hunnius with other ministers and Tannerus with other Iesuites So that we may say of such disputers as Cicero of Orators That they which vse to exclaime do betake them to clamorous outcries for want of skill as a lame man to his horse euen so hissing and clapping of hands in a disputor bewrayeth want of matter 4. Our Chronicles indeed will tell how litle that disputation in the time of the first Parliament was to the glory of the popish sort how peruerse and forward they were and contemptuous to authority that being appointed to dispute in English they would haue it in Latine wheras they were to begin they vtterly refused so through their wilfulnes the disputation brake off The conference in the Tower to whose disgrace it tended the report thereof in print will sufficiētly testifie They say it is good beating of a proud man but to dispute with a froward spirit that will neuer yeeld nor confesse himself ouercome is a wearisome labour Thus these bragging Friers if we wil beleeue them are alwayes conquerours whereas poore soules they haue bene put to vnreasonable and shamefull foiles but that they set a good face vpon it as Thucydides sayd of Pericles when he was asked of Archidamus king of the Spartanes which of them wrastled best A man sayth he can hardly tell for when I cast him downe he by saying he had no fall perswadeth the beholders and so ouercommeth Such Hierome speaketh of Nihil impudentius arrogantia rusticorum qui garrulitatem authoritatem putant in subiectum sibi gregem tumidis sermonibus tonant Nothing is more impudent then certaine arrogant Rustikes which by brabling striue to haue great authority and thunder out swelling words among their disciples and flocke And thus do these bragging Friers boast of their disputations in corners among their simple and credulous schollers The third Inducement 1. I Will pleade by time as Daniel did it is the seuentieth yeare of our desolation since king Henry the eight began to impose this heauie burden vpon vs. The yeare of Iubile is begun when all exiles are to returne c. p. 129. 2. Your Honors know what a generall amitie Pope Clement the eight hath concluded c. that which maketh peace and vnitie with God and man is true religion that bindeth them together p. 130. there is no religion wherein England can agree with any because the religion thereof is different from all neither can any two protestant nations haue this peace together because no two of them be of one religion p. 131. 3. If we will agree in this point with Catholike nations we shall agree with God with Angels for the same is approued by them with all glorious soules in heauen with patient Christians in Purgatorie we shall haue peace with our selues We shall disagree with none but diuels and damned spirits p. 131. 4. If it be in your power to procure this attonement and perfourme it you shall effect the most honorable thing this age hath seene c. If you can performe it neglect it though ye be no formall persecutors yet because you suffer others to do it c. except you will recall your minds you are like to tast of the same vengeance c. What is to be done your Honors know what you will do I cōmit to your honorable prudent considerations and craue leaue to giue my lawfull charge vpon those impious and irreligious enemies of Christ and rebellious traitors to the holy Catholike Church c. The Aduertisement 1. YOu must haue Daniels cause before you can haue assurance of Daniels deliuerance And you are somwhat too forward in your account for the Papists had no great captiuitie in Henry the eights time while the Masse the
their seruice craftily to build the temple It is not for you but for vs to build the house vnto our God And as Valentinian made answer to the Romaine Embassadors that made petition for the restoring of the idoll temples That which my brother Gratian taketh away how can you thinke I should restore In so doing I should both hurt religion and do my brother wrong Postulet parens Roma alia quaecunque desideret Let our mother citie Rome aske any thing else which she desireth This good Emperour Valentinian being yet but young was so resolute to continue the puritie of religion that notwithstanding the instance of the Romaine Orators and the counsell of all his Senatours that approued their petition he would not graunt any libertie to Romaine idolatrie Lycurgus answer was very fit to one that perswaded that the gouernement might be committed to the people Do thou first make triall in thy house giuing thy seruants the rule So these that would haue diuerse religions in the CoÌ„mon-weale yet mislike that there should be any but their owne profession in their houses and families their children and seruants being for the most part if they may haue their desires like affected to themselues We thanke God for your Maiesties firmenesse and constancie herein praying heartily for the encrease of Christian zeale strength and corage in your princely heart But as your excellent resolution is to haue the state of the Church and Commonwealth no worse so we reioyce to heare of your princely consultation to make them both better Alwaies the noble Princes Reformers haue added somewhat to their predecessors worke and where the other left they began Dauid brought the Priests and Leuits to order Salomon built the Temple Asa tooke away Idolatrie Iehosaphat remoued the high places Hezekiah brake downe the brasen Serpent Iosias restored the feast of the Passeouer to his first integritie vnder Nehemiah the feast of Tabernacles was reuiued So in England Henrie the eight expelled the Pope and abolished Idolatrie King Edward proceeded and abrogated the Masse Queen Elizabeth weÌ„t yet further took order for recusants seminary seducing Priests Iudasits and somewhat it may be is yet remaining either to be amended or added by your Maiestie for we doubt not but that you haue set your heart to seeke the Lord and with Hezekiah to do that which is good in his sight That saying of Alexander doth well fit a Christian Prince It profiteth not to possesse all things and to do nothing As we ioy to see you a possessor of the Crowne so we desire to behold you an agent in Christs Church we ioy from our hearts to see what reformation your Mâ—â—estie hath begun in the Common-wealth in staying of monopolies redressing of oppression and extortion by officers restraining vnlawfull games vpon the Lords day We do also as much reioyce to thinke of your princely resolution for matters Ecclesiasticall In restoring the reuenues of the Church and misliking the law of Annexation in maintaining the three estates of Parliament in seeing that all Churches in your dominions be planted with good Pastors And that euery Church may be thus planted with a good Pastor one should no longer be suffered to haue many nor he that is no good Pastor nor able to teach any and if the Pastor must be planted in his Church then to be plucked and pulled from thence by long absence is not fit Thus so many hundred Churches that want teachers shall be supplied and diuers hundred Preachers not yet called abroade shall be employed But seeing a great cause of an vnlearned Ministery is want of maintenance we thanke God for your Highnesse Christian care also herein that sufficient prouision be made for the sustentation of Ministers which may be fitly done if patrons were vrged to bestow their liuings freely and better order were taken for impropriations that such as are of the Churches fee be demised for the old rent to the incumbent Preacher such as belong to others be charged with some conuenient portion to issue forth for the maintenance of the Pastor But I presume not to prescribe a course but onely to giue my simple aduice To our great comfort also your Maiestie hath declared your princely care and desire that the doctrine and discipline be preserued according to Gods word whereas the first hath bin in this Church by some with vnsound teaching corrupted as I haue partly shewed in the Preface following the other by some much neglected by others not vsed well There are bookes abroade maintaining offensiue doctrine too much declining to poperie which haue done great hurt it might please your Maiestie that such dangerous bookes might be inhibited and because they are dispersed into many hands that they receiue some answer by publike allowance or sufficient satisfaction from the authors lest the infection spread further We also with thaÌ„ks to God take knowledge of your Highnesse Christian disposition to peace that no coÌ„tention shold be in the Church about ceremonies in your princely iudgement indifferent whereabout the Church of England hath bene much distracted Lycurgus is said to auoide drunkennesse to haue forbid the vse of vines Your Highnesse in good time may more easily remoue the iust occasions of offence or so indifferently moderate them that they breede no strife God giue your Maiestie strength in due time to reforme both those and what other abuses are in Church or Commonwealth Some perhaps would haue your Maiestie to minister no phisicke at all as though the Church ayled nothing which were nothing else but with Herodotus Selymbrianus in Plato to make a long and lingring sickenesse who falling into an incurable disease deuised how to prolong death where he could not preuent it Some would haue Heraclitus phisicke vsed to do nothing but purge who being sicke of a dropsie desired the Phisitian to purge him throughly to turne the abundance of showers into drought so they would haue all purged not the superfluous humors onely but some profitable parts as the very calling it selfe of reuerend Pastors and Bishops who while they attend the sincere preaching of the word and the vncorrupt administration of discipline may no doubt do the Church much good But the better sort desire neither with Heroditus nothing to be purged nor with Heraclitus all things to be euacuated and purged but rather approue Hippocrates method that what is euill may be purged the rest to be coÌ„forted strengthened This was Saint Pauls course to purge out the old leauen that there might be a new lumpe We would not the leauen lumpe of dough and all to be cast out but the lumpe to be renewed the old sower leauen to be reiected Thus shall your Maiestie shew your selfe as Hierome saith of one to be Hippocrates Christianorum A right Hippocrates of Christians indeed that you may say with the kingly Prophet Dauid The earth and the inhabitants
thereof are dissolued but I will establish the pillars of it Your Maiestie as another Moses can onely appease the strife betweene the Hebrewes and as another Constantine to reconcile the Church-ministers who wrote thus vnto them Let me enioy good daies and quiet nights without care if not my griefe will be the more When your Highnes hath wrought this cure you shal be no more troubled with petitions by day nor careful meditations by night Aristippus and Aeschines being fallen out one asked the first what was now become of their friendship he answered It was asleepe but he would awake it When your Highnesse hath awaked the peace of the Church you shal sleep more quietly your selfe and not be troubled any more with Constantines carefull nights You are our Salomon to iudge betweene vs they that loue diuision and to contend causlesse let them haue the least part Theodosius when Catholikes and Heretikes put vp their libels to him prayed God to direct him so your Maiestie well knoweth that your direction herein must come from God Diuerse complaints as lots are cast into your Princely lap but the disposition thereof is of the Lord. God we trust and for the same pray will so dispose your royall heart that the best cause may haue the first lot the most honest suite the happiest issue and the iustest quarrell the fairest triall Faile not their godly desire herein most gracious Prince that neuer would haue failed you who were resolued I speake herein of mine owne knowledge to haue aduentured their liues and states for your Maiesties iust title who waited for you as for the raine and for the consolation of Israell Faile not then O noble King the hope of Christs Church yea the expectation of Angels yea the trust that Christ hath committed vnto you to be a faithful seruant as Moses in his house so as one saith The eyes of men are not only cast vpon you and the whole land setled to behold your life but God and Angels expect your faithfull seruice God we verily trust will not faile you with his spirit but as the Prophet saith Whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued so your prayers and teares which you poure vnto God shall both saue you and your people as one said to Augustines mother Non potest perire tantarum lachrymarum filius the child of such prayers and teares cannot possibly perish or fall away Now as to our great comfort we enioy your Maiestie a norishing father of Christs Church at home so your Highnesse is expected to be a succour and comfort to other afflicted Churches abroad though you are not as a head to direct them yet you may be as a hand to helpe them though not a roote to giue them life and sap yet as a wall for the small branches to runne vpon to stay them vp as it is said of Ioseph It was Iosua his honour to ayde the Gibeonites their confederates against the combined Kings of Canaan Dauid was a captaine to all that were distressed and afflicted Hercules is honoured in heathen stories because he trauelled through the world to remoue cruell gouernours Noble Alexander is famous for the same who conquered a great part of the world reducing rude and barbarous people to ciuill life who charged all to esteeme the whole world as their countrey good men as their countrymen the bad as aliens and strangers Our English Chronicles do blame Henry the second for refusing to take the protection and defence of the distressed Christians in Ierusalem offered vnto him by Heraclius the Patriarke the troubles that befell him at home are ascribed to that cause But Ecclesiasticall stories make honourable mention of the Emperour Theodosius the younger whose loue was such to the afflicted people of God that being present to behold certaine publicke sights and shewes and there hearing of the death of one Ioannes a cruell rebell and tyrant presently left the playes and went to the Church to giue thankes to God Queene Elizabeth was a foster mother to all distressed Christians and I doubt not but all Protestants in the world shall receiue comfort in the cause of Religion from your Maiesties fauour in being a mediator for their peace or succour for their reliefe But of all other we the poore companie of schollers and students haue greatest cause to reioyce in your Maiestie whom now we haue obtained a learned and iudiciall patron of our labours and writings whereas before no gift or present was held to be more base nor lesse regarded of all hands Schollers bookes the trauaile of the soule the weakning of the bodie the care of the day and studie of the night were not not so welcome to the most as a Lawyers fee from the client or a tenants new-yeares gift to his Land-lord I your Maiesties poore subiect could speake herein by experience what small hartening I haue had in the world for my poore trauels in the Church but I will be sparing in mine owne cause And yet I speake not this as though we expected our reward from men though we be men and had need of terrene encouragement but I am bold a poore writer of this Church of England to poure forth the common griefe and complaint of students in this behalfe into your princely bosome Bookes were growne into such small request that many would scarce vouchsafe the reading of them but few beare in mind who presented them they were layed aside by the walles or set vp onely to make a shew as one saith Sacrorum opera ingeniorum in speciem cultum parietum comparantur The labours of sacred wits were vsed onely to beautifie the walles But now we trust as Homers Iliads were accepted of Alexander which he made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the furniture of his iourney Terence workes of Scipio Origens bookes of Ambrosius whom he called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because hee continually prouoked him to write and as Hieromes writings were esteemed of Damasus so I doubt not but scholers labours shall be as welcome to your Maiestie as any other subiects presents And in this confidence I haue bene bold againe to offer my seruice to your Maiestie For as he that made that harpe wherewith Thales appeased the tumult of the Lacedaemonians and he that built the ship wherewith Themistocles did defend Greece had cause more to reioice therein then in any worke beside so to none else we more willingly present our labours then to your sacred Maiestie a generall procurer of our peace and defender of Church and countrey whose vigilant heart careth for all whose diligent eye seeth for all whose liberal hand reacheth vnto all And not onely at this present but while I liue haue I purposed to consecrate my pen to the honor of your Maiestie if God will you please And I say with Hierome Quamdiu in hoc corpusculo sum scribam aliquid gratum
being conuinced by ecclesiasticall lawes condemne them or if they know them and can not by punishment bind them they do for the peace of the Church beare them 2 Whereas there are fiue Protestants brought in complaining of corruptions among thē fiue times fiue popish writers might be alleadged that with open mouth haue cried out against the filthie abuses of the Sea of Rome some of them let vs heare speake in their owne words Adrianus 6. confesseth In sancta sede aliquot annis multa abominanda fuisse omneque malum à culmine pontificis manare That many abominable euils haue been some diuers yeeres in the holie Sea and that all mischiefe hath flowed from the pontificall throne Gulielmus Holcot calleth them Sacerdotes Priapi Dagonis angelos abyssi The Priests of Priapus of Dagon the Angels of the bottomlesse pit Petrus de Aliaco Ad hunc statum venisse ecclesiam vt non sit digna regi nisi per reprobos That the Church is come to that passe that it is not worthie to be gouerned but by the reprobate Budaeus Pontifices Roman crapula luxu spurcissim libidinibus c. pessimum quemque superare That the Bishops of Rome in gluttonie riot filthie lusts doe exceede the worst men that are Luitprand Aulam pontificis factam esse prostibulum meretricum That the Popes Court is made a stewes of harlots Agrippa thus writeth of Sixtus 4. Lupanaria vtrique veneri erexit Cardinalique cuidam masculae veneris vsum certis mensib indulsit He erected brothell houses for both kinds of men and women and graunted to a certaine Cardinall the vse of masculine venerie for certaine moneths Huldericus Augustan Plures non tantum adulteria stupra fornicationes verum etiam incaestus peccata contra naturam commisisse That many haue committed not only adulteries whoredom fornications but also incest and sinnes against nature Ambros. Ausbertus Archidiaconi à presbyteris adulteris pretium accipiunt Archdeacons doe take a fee of adulterous Priests Lateranens sub Leon. 10. sess 11. In some places they which haue ecclesiasticall iurisdiction Pecuniarios quaestus à concubinarijs percipere non erubescunt Are not ashamed to make a money gaine of Priests keeping concubines Ann. 1565. After a view taken there were foūd 28. thousand Courtezās or strumpets in Rome and the Pope taketh a yeerely rent of them Marescallus Papae de facto exigit tributum à meretricibus The Popes Marshall doth exact tribute of the strumpets And what great holines is exercised in Rome these verses do testifie Roma vale satis est vidisse reuertar Cum leno aut meretrix scurra Cinaedus ero Now farewell Rome it is enough thee for to see I will returne when bawd or whore or buggerer I meane to bee And such as is the sanctitie of that Sea of the same disposition are the rest for in Italie this name Christian is a word of derision taken for a foole or idiot Such like prophanenes Hierome noteth of some in his time Vbicunque viderint Christianum statim illud de triui◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graecus impostor As soone as they see a Christian behold say they a Greeke deceiuer Now what familiaritie that Sea hath with Sathan and how neere they are to diuels incarnate themselues shall beare witnesse for thus the secular priests doe write of Parsons Now all Catholikes must depend vpon the Archpriest and the Archpriest vpon Fa. Garnet and Garnet vpon Parsons and Parsons vpon the Diuell So Parsons as summus pontifex or iudge paramont in earth vnder the diuell of hell The whole order of Iesuits they call the barbarous and sauage generation of Belials broode a most seditious infamous pragmaticall treacherous diabolicall faction Neither is Frier Parsons behinde with his part charging the Priests with hellish hatred serpentine tongues diuels enuie diuellish deuice What better testimonie then from their own lips what more pregnant witnesse then from themselues And now to make vp the Friers mouth I will conclude with a storie out of Christianus Massaeus who thus reporteth that anno 1491. the diuels began to inhabite and possesse the Monasterie Dominarum Quercetensium of the Quercetensian Nunnes whom foure yeeres and foure moneths they miserably vexed And thus wee see in part that prophecie in the Reuelation to be fulfilled that Babylon is become the habitation of Diuels and the hold of foule spirits How say you now Frier R. where are the Epicures Atheists adulterous and vncleane persons and diuels incarnate to be found in greater abundance then in the bosome and lap of your Babylonish Church the mother of fornications It is a simple part in an aduersarie to obiect that to another which reboundeth vpon the accuser as Aeschylus saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee might better haue bit his lip then vttered these words or forged this accusation But I will prooue saith he those which giue this euidence of the rest to be worst of all themselues pag. 27. lin 2. As though it were an hard matter to shew this Libeller which is supposed to be of the Ignatian order by the sentence of their secular Priests in Machiauillan practises to be well exercised vnlesse he be vnlike all the rest of that faction But as Augustine saith to Iulian Ista communia quae dici ex vtraque parte possunt quamuis veraciter ex vtraque parte dici non possunt de medio si placet auferamus Those common matters which may be obiected of either side though not truly of each part let vs take if you will out of the way And concerning the licentious life and euill manners of diuers in the reformed Churches which giue the enemie cause to blaspheme their holie profession though I doubt not but they are more wicked that herein vpbraide the Protestants I pray God giue grace to all degrees and sorts of men amongst vs that as the Apostle saith they may behaue themselues honestly toward those which are without that they which obey not the word without the word may be wonne by our conuersation And as Hierome well saith Nos modò id agamus vt male de nobis loqui nemo sine mendacio possit Let vs doe this that no man may speake euill of vs vnlesse he lie THE ANSWERE TO THE THIRD Section How neither errors nor abuses among Protestants proceed by disunion from the Pope Catholike Church SOcrates being demanded why he wrote nothing answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because I see the paper is worth more then the things I should write The same I may more truly say of this section that it is not so much worth as the paper which it hath blotted with many bold vaine and vntrue assertions and if I might be so bold as vse their owne words as many lies as lines 1. He calleth himselfe a Catholike subiect of England
reclaymed that all creatures haue done homage to them the sea and waters against nature supported them the rauening foules nourished them c. the deuils themselues with trembling obeyed them The Disswasion 1 THese stories being admitted which are reported by the forenamed authors of the miracles wrought by the Apostles holie Martyrs and Confessors of the Primitiue Church though we haue great cause to suspect that some of these stories haue been corrupted by their euill handling thorough whose fingers since they haue passed and that in many things the authors themselues might be too credulous yet what doth this aduantage the aduersaries cause Let him first proue that the Apostles and the holie Martyrs and Confessors were Papists before he seeke to winne grace by their miracles He might as well haue mustred on his side all the signes and miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles as these which were done by holie men continuing in the Apostolike faith and doctrine 2 But they can tell vs of miracles to take away this first answere which were effected by such men as were knowne to be great patrones of diuers popish superstitions such were Odo Dunstane Editha Bernake Bartlemew a Monke of Durrham Augustine the Monke Brendane with such others And that euery one may iudge of the truth herein I will produce the miracles ascribed to these Pope-saints and martiall them in their order Of Odo it is reported that he caused a sword to come flying into King Ethelstanes sheath when he had lost his owne as he should fight with Analanus that he kept the Church of Canterburie that no raine dropt vpon it while the roofe was in making that when he brake the hoast ouer the chalice being at Masse it dropped bloud Such like stuffe is fathered vpon Dunstane how being tempted with the cogitation of women he caught the diuel with a paire of tongs by the nose and held him fast how a Lute hanging vpon the wall did sing and play alone without any touch of finger how by making the signe of the crosse hee set a great beame of an house being displaced into his right roome againe How the Virgine Mary with her fellowes appeared visiblie to him singing and the Angels often talked familiarlie with him Of Editha this tale goeth that her bodie being taken vp by Dunstane all was found corrupted but onely her thombe wherewith she vsed to crosse and her bellie for her chastitie as she her selfe is said to haue expounded the mysterie appearing to Dunstane yet this chast Nun is detected in the truer histories to haue been King Edgars concubine by whom she had a base sonne whosoeuer worshipped the Tombe of this Editha if they were blind deafe halt mad were healed saith the Legend writer Bernacus went ouer the sea vpon a broad stone turned Oake leaues into loaues stones into fishes water into wine his Cow being cut in pieces he restored to life The same author saith that Christ appeared to Austine and talked familiarly with him that Bartilmew saluted a wooden Crucifixe and it bowed downe and resaluted him againe that Brendan caused a fountaine to rise out of a drie ground and was caried into Paradise A thousand such tales their Breuiaries Itineraries Legends containe 3. And that wee thinke it not strange that Poperie so aboundeth with miracles the Pagan Idolaters shall vie with them at this stake and the best cards take all For raising of the dead they will tell vs that Zamolxis in Scythia Pythagoras in Italie Ramsimitus in Egypt Protesilaus in Thessalia Hercules in Tenarus all went downe to hell that is were dead and raised vp againe But Celsus that Heathen scoffer doth deride these fables For strange transmutations and metamorphoses there shall we finde that Amphiaraus speare was chaunged into a Laurell tree being pricked downe in the ground of Smyrna chaunged into Myrrha by chaunging certes of the letters and not otherwise of Diomedes companions turned into birds Vlysses fellowes into beasts of the Arcadians into wolues Lucianus and Apuleius into Asses For miraculous passage vpon the seas they will report vnto vs how Arion the Musician and Enalus with the Virgine which he loued leaping into the sea were borne vp by the Delphines and caried safe to land What can now the Romane Iconolaters say more for themselues in this kind then the Pagan Idolaters If Religion should be tried by miracles the one as well as the other can tell vs tales enough if wee will beleeue them But what is to be thought of these lying and fained miracles Augustine will tell vs Remoueantur ista vel mendacia fallacium hominum vel portenta mendacium spirituum Remoue out of the way these lies of deceitfull men or strange deceits of lying spirits 4. I will further shew the vanitie of the forged and deuised miracles by these reasons following First it is euident by the testimonie of the ancient Fathers that miracles were not vsuall in their time Ambrose saith Quare nunc non ita fit vt habeant homines gratiam Dei qua operentur miracula Why haue not men now adaies grace giuen them to worke miracles Augustine saith Modò iam caeci non aperit oculos miraculo Domini c. Now the blind receiueth not his bodily sight by the miracle of our Lord but the blind heart receiueth sight by the oracle or word of the Lord now the dead bodie riseth not but the soule riseth that was dead in the liuing bodie now the deafe eares are not opened c. Bernard saith Licet nostra non habeamus miracula c. Although we haue no miracles of our owne yet the miracles of our patrone are a consolation to vs. Seeing then these Fathers thought that they had no power to worke miracles what impudencie is it against their owne iudgement to ascribe miracles vnto them As an Epistle goeth vnder Augustines name wherein he is fained to report that as he was about to write a letter to Hierome his soule being lately departed appeared vnto him and talked with him Likewise how Hierome after his death caused the soules of diuers to returne to their bodies and so they reuiued againe how hee deliuered one condemned to hell and how sixteene blind persons were restored to sight in the translation of his bodie Of Bernard it is auouched that after his death he healed eleuen blind tenne maimed and eighteene lame persons and all these miracles Bellarmine iustifieth to haue been so truly done How are they not ashamed to father such fables vpon the Fathers contrarie to their own iudgment Secondly this may be an euident argument that these Legends smell because they make miracles so common to flow from them in heapes as that Hierome healed sixteene blind at once Bernard in one day of all infirmities 39. persons Hilarion is affirmed to haue cured 200. possessed with diuels at Cyprus beside a
whole disordred crue calleth those assertions hereticall and traiterous yea those wicked Popish Iudasâ—â—ed Diuines at Salamanca in Spaine resolued vpon these diuellish conclusions That they sinned mortally which aided the English in Ireland that it was a meritorious act to assist Tyrone that the Catholikes in Ireland which did fight against the Queene were by no construction Rebels Beside these villanous positions which no estate in the world could endure the Iebusites and Masse Priests practises haue been most odious against the life of our Soueraigne the treasons are confessed by the secular Priests themselues Therefore if the state of France vpon one attempt of Iohn Chastel against the King of France suborned by the Iesuites expelled the whole order greater cause hath the state of England hauing experience of many wicked plots deuised and practised both by the secular and irregular Masse Priests to exile the whole societie of both to make their returne into the land of treason Haue not these miscreants now great cause to complaine of persecution and to glorie of such filthie martyrdome I say vnto them with Augustine against the Donatists Recte haec à vobis dicerentur quaerentibus martyrum gloriam si haberetis martyrum causam These things were well alleaged of you that seeke the glorie of Martyrs if you had the cause of Martyrs 2. Nay rather these vngodly and seditious practisers by their impietie obstinacie idolatrie doe persecute the state then are persecuted of the state as Augustine saith Grauius Saram ancilla per superbiam persecuta est quam eam Sara per debitam disciplinam The bondmaid did more persecute Sara by her obstinacie then Sara did her by due discipline and seueritie 3. Yea these froward persons that haue been so often by proclamation forewarned to be packing whereas the law is a sufficient monition it selfe and diuers of them whereas they had deserued death by the law were but exiled and banished as 21. at one time and 31. at another aduenturing notwithstanding to enter the land whether more of a superstitious minde to peruert soules or of an ambitious desire to gaine a kingdome to the Popes seignorie it is hard to say or which is more like of a treacherous resolution to destroy both and so rushing vpon the pikes are accessary to their owne death and cause of their trouble themselues Protestants in the late daies of persecution could not obtaine that fauour to be banished neither were they suffered to depart but Ports and Hauens were laid to keepe them in But this Seminarie broode may be gone if they will the passages are open for them and yet they will remaine among vs to their owne perill Wherefore we may here say againe vnto them as Augustine to the Donatists Patent â—ortae exire non vultis quam persecutionem paâ—â—â—ini nisi à vobis diligit vos persecutor vester persequitur vos furor vester ille vt fugiatis petit iste vt pereatis impellit The gates are wide open and ye will not goe out what persecution suffer you but from your selues your persecutor loueth you your owne furie persecuteth you he desireth you would be packing this forceth you to your owne perishing Wherefore it is euident that these clamorous mates suffer no persecution but punishment for their euill demerits and they suffer most iustly that no amends is requisite in this case vnlesse it be by the like But if they would be exempted from the daunger of the Princes lawes let them follow the Apostles counsell Wilt thou be without feare of the Prince doe well Rom. 13.3 And let them doe as Ambrose saith to the Emperour Ego in consistoria nisi pro te stare non didici extra palatium certare non possum qui palatij secreta nec quaero nec noui I haue learned not to stand in the imperiall consistorie but for thee neither can I striue in the Princes palace which neither know the secrets thereof nor desire So let them neither striue against the authoritie of Princes nor presse to know and knowing to bewray their secrets We desire not their companie neither haue neede of their phisicke And as Pausanias answered a Physition that said all was well with him Because saith he I vse not you for my Physition So I make no doubt but all would be well with vs if such Italianated Physitions would be packing The fourth motiue 1. You vowed it in Baptisme your promise to God to his Church to your countrie is to be performed 2. Many or most of you being of age and discretion in the time of Queene Mary haue practised and professed it 3. So many of your noble companie as are admitted to the honourable order of the Garter haue sworne it 4. You are all sworne Councellors to our Queene which by title of inheritance and at her coronation by the oath and fidelitie of a Christian Prince hath obliged her selfe to maintaine it c. The Remoue 1. They which were baptized vnder the Popish religion were baptized in the name of the Trinitie not into the name of the Pope they were entred into the profession of the Christian faith not of the Popish religion for then by this reason hee that is baptized by an heretike were bound to maintaine his heresie if baptisme in Poperie were a bond to professe that superstitious phantasie Wee denie not but that true Baptisme in substance is giuen in the Romane synagogue but that neither proueth it to be the true Church nor those baptized among them to be obliged to their religion For though we confesse with the Apostle that there is one Lord one faith one Baptisme yet are not these onely professed and had in the Church but onely fruitfully and truly professed in the Church In the which alone as Augustine saith God is not worshipped but in the which alone God is truly worshipped in the which alone faith is not kept but in the which alone faith with charitie is kept Nec in qua sola vnus baptismus habetur sed in qua sola vnus baptismus salubriter habetur Neither in the which alone is this one baptisme had but in which alone baptisme is holesomely had And this is the cause why we iterate not Baptisme giuen in Poperie because it was ministred in the name of Christ and so bindeth to the true Christian profession not to the Romane separation And therefore we say not to vse Augustines words Vt cum ad nos veneritis alterum accipiatis sed vt eum qui apud vos iam erat vtiliter accipiatis That when ye come to vs you should receiue another baptisme but that which they had with you they should hold it with profit He seemeth then erroniously to thinke that Baptisme and the Church cannot be separated that because wee renounce not Baptisme ministred in the Popish Church wee are bound together with their
censured first this is the condition of warre it spareth none Secondly this notwithstanding the Citie after his death was taken Thirdly the Pope was forced afterward to absolue and release whom before he had cursed 8. The reason why so many Kings and Regents of the world preuailed not in their attempts and endeuours against the Sea of Rome is euident because they had before giuen their power and authoritie vnto the beast with one consent Reuel 17.13 and therefore Gods iustice required that they should be beaten with their owne rod and suffer vnder that power which another by their authoritie first vsurped But the time shall come that the same Kings and Nations which before gaue their kingdome to the beast shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked Reuel 17.17 But concerning the Indians if the Spanish tyranny had not preuailed more then Popish subtiltie and cruell violence obtained more then Monkish conscience they were like to haue had a cold suite of it and a simple haruest 9. Iulian was punished for Apostasie from the faith not for denying fealtie to the Pope and Valens iudged for his Arrian heresie not for gainsaying the Papall hierarchie The Grecians and Armenians were subdued to the Turkes not for resisting the iurisdiction of the Pope but for other graue and waightie causes which may be alleaged first because the Empire being diuided anno 101. when Leo the 3. proclaimed Charles the great Emperour of Rome was thereby weakened and so by little and little decayed till at the last it became a pray to the Turke The Pope then himselfe was the first occasion of this iudgement which befell them Secondly in that the Greekes began to haue small respect to the Romane Bishop the Pope himself was the cause for that he first forsooke the Greek Empire erecting another in the West as the author of the tripartite worke saith Schisma hoc fecit partitio imperij c. The partition of the Empire made this schisme because the Empire that was but one was made two Et hinc probabile est quod Graeci cum suo domino coeperunt rebellare ecclesiae Romanae And hence it was that the Greekes with their Lord began to rebell against the Romane Church The Pope therefore may for this thanke himselfe Thirdly but the greatest cause of all this diuision of the Empire and so consequently the confusion thereof was the idolatrie of the Greekes who in a generall Councel held at Nice confirmed and allowed the adoration of images about the time of Adrian the 1. by whose counsell Irene the Empresse tooke vp the bodie of Constantine her husband and burned it and cast the ashes into the sea because they disanulled images Immediatly vpon this inhumane fact of Irene and for their idolatrie followed the diuision of the Empire by Leo the 3. the next successor of this Adrian And for the same cause namely their idolatrie was the Citie of Constantinople surprized and sacked of the Turkes for after the Citie was taken the great Turke caused the image of the Crucifixe which was set vp in the great Church of Sophia to be taken downe and writing this superscription ouer the head Hic est Christianorum Deus This is the God of the Christians made it with sound of Trumpet to bee caried round about the Campe and euery man to spit at it ex Ioann Ram. lib. 2. rerum Turcicar This is more like to be the cause of the destruction of that citie Fourthly and as God hath punished the East Churches for their backsliding so must idolatrous Rome looke to haue her part which both in manners and doctrine is as corrupt as euer was the Greeke Church Many yeeres since it was said Latini licet ad ea quae sunt fidei verius adhaereant deo quam Graeci tamen quoad mores multo pluribus sceleribus implicati sunt The Latines although in matters of faith they cleaue more truly to God yet are in manners more corrupt But now the church of Rome is notoriously knowne both in faith and manners to bee much worse If the Greekes were iudged of God for failing in one the Latines cannot escape that come short in both 10. Lastly he telleth vs that in the Primitiue Church before Constantine almost an hundred Pagane Emperours either truly elected or reputed persecuted it and all them excepting tenne or eleuen died miserably when the persecuted Popes put to death by them came not to the third part of that number pag. 69. lin 3 4. c. 1. Vntrue it is that there were before Constantine almost 100. Pagane Emperours there were not many aboue halfe that number 2. Neither were then the Bishops of Rome called Popes by a peculiar stile as now they are 3. This maketh nothing for the present Papall Hierarchie for the Bishops of Rome are declined and fallen away from the faith doctrine of those first persecuted Bishops Martyrs 4. Whereas I confesse there was then great difference between the imperiall ecclesiasticall state both in the short raigne miserable end of the one the long continuance glorious death of the other the case is now altered for since the time of Gregorie the 1. when the Bishops of Rome began to fall away from the true faith the Popes both for their wretched end and short raigne may cōpare with either the Imperiall or any Episcopall seate and farre exceed them For the first Anastasius voided his entrals into the draught Siluerius died in banishment Vigilius drawne vp and downe by the neck in the streetes at Constantinople Sabinianus died being frighted in the night Agathon that condemned Ministers mariage died of the plague Constantin 2. condemned to prison and his eyes put out Leo. 3. cast from his horse and beaten to death Stephanus 8. wounded in a tumult and so battered that he neuer would shew himselfe afterward abroade Iohn 13. slaine in adulterie Bonifacius 7. died of an apoplexie his bodie was drawne through the streetes with ropes and striken through with speares Siluester 2. slaine of the Deuill being a Necromancer Benedictus 9. suffocated by the Deuill Lucius 2. beaten with stones to death Adrianus 4. choaked with a flie Innocentius 4 sodainely died in his bed Nicholaus 3. died sodainely and speechlesse Clement 6. died sodainely of an aposteme Iohn 15. had his eyes put out and died of the stinch of the prison Now sir what haue you gained by obiecting the miserable end of the Pagane Emperours I thinke your Popes may therein compare with them more wretched and desperate ends shall we not finde of any Princes or Prelates then of prophane Popes For shortnes of raigne Popes goe beyond all regents either temporall or ecclesiasticall that euer were in the world not to speake of the regiment of two or three yeares and not aboue of which sort many Popes may be numbred how many of them attayned not to a yeare how many not
and caue in that extremitie This victorious Prince greatly repented with teares at his death of all his outragious deedes commaunding all his treasure to be distributed vnto Churches poore folks and Ministers of God and made a large confession of his sinnes before his death with an eloquent exhortation to his sonnes and Nobles forgiuing all men and opening all prison doores to them which were there detained what reason then had this Popish pickthanke so ill to requite this Prince so great a benefactor to the Papall professors Concerning the punishments noted to haue befallen this Prince as the great famine in his daies and of the breaking of his entrailes and the deniall of buriall the first was a iudgement rather vpon the whole land being by conquest made desolate then vpon him that did conquer it the second is no rare thing for a man by the leaping of his horse ouer a ditch to breake the rimme of his bellie as this Prince did for the third true it is that a gentleman forbad his buriall because it was taken by violence from his father where the Duke had founded the house of S. Stephen This wrong was done not for any priuate gaine but for the erection of that Church which the Papists count a meritorious work and yet the gentleman was compounded with and the bodie peaceably interred These were neither such extraordinarie iudgements and whatsoeuer they were might be laid vpon him for his transgressions not for his disobedience to the Sea of Rome But hath not this Popes hireling shewed great thankfulnes to such a liberall benefactor and principall founder who augmented enlarged nine Abbeys of Monks and one of Nunnes in Normandie and in whose time 17. Monasteries and 6. Nunries were builded as he himselfe confessed vpon his death-bed whom the Bishop of Ebroike commended in his funerall sermon for his magnificence valour peace and iustice Among many other this brabler had least cause to take exception against this valiant Duke 2. Concerning William Rufus 1. his resisting against the Pope was iust and vpon good ground because of his vnsatiable exactions alleaging this reason Quod Petri non inhaerent vestigijs praemijs inhiantes c. That the Popes follow not Peters steps gaping for bribes neither haue they his authoritie not imitating his sanctitie 2. Whereas he would not suffer Anselme without his licence to goe or appeale to Rome but for his stubborne behauiour banished him the King therein alleageth the custome of the land from his fathers time and all the Bishops tooke part with the King against Anselme 3. The death of William Rufus being slaine by the glaunsing of an arrow shot by one Tyrell as the King was hunting in the new forrest is noted by historians as a iudgement of God vpon him for his oppression As Richard an other sonne of William the father was slaine in the same forrest which he had made plucking downe Churches and dis-peopling towneships 30. miles about It was not then the Kings restrayning of the Popes vsurping but his own vsurping vpon other mens possessions that might be thought to incense the diuine wrath against him 3. It is also vntrue as this dreamer surmiseth that Henry the first could not be quiet in conscience till he had restored the Ecclesiasticall he meaneth Papall libertie for he reformed the too great libertie and licentiousnes of the Clergie and seemed little to fauour the vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome neither would suffer any Legate to come from the Pope vnlesse by himselfe required Beside he obtained of Calixtus the 2. that he might vse all the customes vsed before of his forefathers in England 4. Whereas this fabler affirmeth That neuer any Gouernor before King Henry the 8. challenged any such prerogatiue of supremacie except in the inuestiture of Bishops pag. 74. lin 20. This is a notable fiction as may appeare by the words of William Rufus to Anselme The custome sayth he from my fathers time hath been in England that no person should appeale to the Pope without the Kings licence He that breaketh the customes of the realme violateth the Crowne and power of the Kingdome 5. Neither is it true that such troubles befell Henry the 2. for his disobedience to the Bishop of Rome as forreine warres and busines abroad and the rebellion of his owne children at home But these troubles are by the best historians imputed to other causes as some make the originall thereof to be his refusall to take the protection of Hierusalem against the infidels being humblie sued vnto by Heraclius the Patriarke who in his Oration to the King foretold of the plagues like to ensue Others affirme that the King was punished for his licentious life for he was a great wedlocke breaker keeping a famous concubine called Rosamond after whose death he deteyned the daughter of Lewes King of France married to his sonne Richard and kept Ellanor the Queene in prison twelue yeares Neither is it true that after 〈…〉 reconciled to the Church of Rome that 〈…〉 but they rather then began for the 〈…〉 vpon his oath of the death of Thomas 〈…〉 certaine conditions from the Pope 〈…〉 of his raigne and immediately after followed 〈…〉 with his sonne Henry ann 1173. and with the Flemings and Scots ann 1174. of his raigne ann 20. or after others ann 22. It is therefore vntrue that the same day of his reconciliation the Earle of Fâ—anders retyred and the next day after the King of Scots was taken prisoner Neither immediatly vpon this reconciliation of the King were his sonnes reconciled and he himselfe restored to his pristine tranquillitie of mind and bodie for his sonnes Henry and Geffrey raised warre against their father againe ann 30. of his raigne and shot at him pearcing his vppermost armour though some semblance there had been before of their submission to the King And afterward in the 35. yeare of Henries raigne his sonnes Richard and Iohn leuied an armie against their father who for sorrow thereof dyed whose dead corps at the comming of Richard bled abundantlie at the nose thereby strangely accusing his vnnaturall proceedings against his father 6. Neither was King Iohn punished because he had controuersie with the Sea of Rome as is pretended for after he was released of his excommunication and absolued which was in the 15. yeare of his raigne and the land released of the interdiction which had continued 6. yeares then began his cruell warres with the Barons and Lewes the French kings sonne ann 17. 18. notwithstanding that the Pope tooke part with the King and excommunicated the Nobles and last of all he was poisoned by a Monke of Swinsted The cause of this strife betweene the King and the Barons is alleadged for that he would not vse the lawes of S. Edward And some part of his trouble may well be imputed to his stubborne
pound at the last after he had raigned not many yeares nine and nine moneths he died of the stroke of a poysoned quarrell shot at him at the besieging of the Castle of Chalne Richard the 2. was a great factor for Pope Vrban whom he decreed by act of Parliament to be obeyed as head of the Church yet was he an vnhappie Prince in all his proceedings and at length was deposed and cruelly murdered in Pumfret Castle Henrie the 4. was a great agent for the Pope in persecuting of Christs members in the second yeere of whose raigne was made the statute ex officio wherein they are adiudged to be burned that should hold any thing contrarie to the determination of the Church by vertue of which statute many good men were put to death vnder the raigne of the three Henries one succeeding another But what followed the father and the sonne raigned not long not making much aboue 23. yeeres betweene them and Henrie the 6. holding on the same course against Christs members was deposed from his Crowne Richard the 3. much affecting and affected of the Popes ministers for whose sake the Archbishop of Yorke being Cardinall vndertooke to perswade the Queene to deliuer Richard Duke of Yorke to his vncle as a lambe into the lions mouth and preuailed therein his butcherly end is well knowne how his dead carcasse was caried naked behind a Pursiuant of Armes all be sprinkled with blood and mire and homely buried Queene Mary had both a short and an vnprosperous raigne she lost Calice deceiued in her childbirth left desolate and forsaken of King Phillip her husband before she died and ended her daies in griefe and sorrow But contrariwise as these Princes which yeelded themselues to be directed by the Pope were of all other most infortunate so those magnanimous Kings which maintained the libertie of the Crowne against the vsurped authoritie of the Bishop of Rome were prosperous in all their affaires Edward the 1. first made the statute of Mortmaine that no lands and possessions should be giuen to any religious house without the Kings licence the statute also of Premunire made against prouisions of Bishoprickes and other Benefices to bee purchased from Rome was then ordained King Edward the 3. also abridged and cut short the Popes iurisdiction prohibiting vnder great penalties that none should procure any such prouisions at Rome or prosecute any suites in the Popes Court the cognisance whereof appertained to the Kings Courts King Henrie the 7. would admit of no more Cardinals in England after he was rid of one King Henry the 8. abolished the Popes authoritie King Edward the 6. expelled the Masse and other Popish trumperie yet were all these victorious Kings Edward the 1. against the Welsh Edward the 3. against the French Henrie the 7. against that tyrant and vsurper Richard the 3. Henrie the 8. for his valiant battailes famous Edward the 6. in suppressing of Rebels and other enemies prosperous And concerning the raigne of our late noble Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth whom God in his mercie appointed to be a reformer of religion and a nourisher of his Church what Prince in the world I speake not of this age onely but of many hundred yeeres before can compare with her Maiesties time in any kind of outward blessing first in the yeeres of her life she went beyond al her progenitors Secondly in the length of her raigne she exceeded all but onely two Henrie the 3. and Edward the 3. Thirdly in peaceable gouernment for so many euen 44. yeeres none came neere her Fourthly in loue of the subiects at home Fiftly in honour and reputation among forraine Princes Sixtly in prosperous successe abroad in deliuerance from more then twentie conspiracies at home Queene Elizabeth had no peere Seuenthly adde hereunto the wealth of the kingdome Eightly the purenes of the coyne Ninthly but most of all the purenes of religion Tenthly the abundance of learned men such as no nation vnder heauen hath the like of graue Counsellers and Martiall Commaunders who can but confesse that in all these kindes the Gospell hath brought a rich blessing to this land And as Queene Elizabeth loued and liued in peace so she ended her daies in a good old age full of yeeres and which of all other may worthily be accounted the greatest blessing hath left the kingdom to a most worthie and noble successor a professor and protector of the same faith and religion our renowned King that now is by whose hands we doubt not but that the Lord will accomplish whatsoeuer he seeth needfull for his Church But because this Romish southsayer taketh vpon him to play the blind prophet What is like saith he to be the euent thereof hereafter I had rather others should write and shew their coniecture which I for reuerence to my Soueraigne will here omit And hereupon he hopeth that his prudent Princesse will imitate the examples of her noble predecessors Henrie the 1. and Henrie the 2. in recalling that which they did in their inconsiderate times c. pag. 79. Hereunto I briefly answere that his prognostication and exhortation are both alike they both shew a dreaming and phantasticall spirit His foolish hope we see is vaine and frustrate for her Maiestie left her happie raigne in the same faith wherein she began it and as she did nothing inconsiderately at her entrance but with great aduice so had she no cause to repent her in the end If her Maiesties predecessors were inconstant in pulling downe what before they had set vp she being appointed of God to be a wise builder was not therein to follow so simple a plot As is his hope and expectation such is his lying spirit of prophecying Indeed the Papists did promise themselues a great day at the next chaunge they did not mutter it in corners but clatter it in their vaine pāphlets Parsons made a booke of reformation against that time but blessed be God which hath disappointed their hope I nothing doubt but that righteous Abel shall offer still acceptable sacrifices vnto God in the Church of England when all hypocrites and Popish sacrificers shall hang downe their heads with Caine. Yea and I hold this to be no small miracle that God where such trouble was feared hath with such peace consent of harts and minds approbation of all good subiects acclamation and reioycing of the whole Church of God set the imperiall diademe vpon so godlie christian and vertuous a Prince his head such grace from God few expected all good men desired England I am sure hath not deserued yet God in his mercie hath granted So that we haue iust cause to say with the Prophet Dauid This is the Lords doing and it is maruailous in our eyes It is written of Sylla that after Italy was deliuered from the ciuill warres comming to Rome the first night hee could not sleepe for ioy But wee the Church and
as may witnesse that bloodie massacre of France and the continuall ciuill warres for many yeeres together wherein not so few Christian people as 100. thousand haue perished England thankes be to God hath no such flowers growing in her garden neither I trust euer shall Neither doe wee desire nay wee would not for all the kingdomes of the world chaunge our state with any of those flower countries Italie France Spaine which in deede are flowers and leaues without true fruite Though the Popes iurisdiction hath been large yet can hee not compare with the pontifices maximi among the Romans which was an office of such high authoritie and great commaund that the title was afterward annexed to the Empire and the Emperours tooke vpon them to be called the high Priests The other Patriarchall Seas also did equalize Rome in largenes of iurisdiction especially Alexandria to the which was subiect al Egypt Libya Pentapolis with all the Christian Churches of Africa The Pope hath no great cause to brag of his greatnes for his wings are well clipped and I doubt not but to see yet more of this proud birds feathers pulled Neither is largenes of dominion a good argument for religion for then Pagane idolatrie which was more vniuersally receiued at once in the 〈◊〉 then Christianitie should thrust out the Gospell of 〈◊〉 And as for the King of Spaine◠〈◊〉 he may thanke the poore Indians for it whose throates the Spaniards haue cut for their gold neither is it such but that hee knoweth how to spend it and for all his great treasure his coffers are often emptie enough But let it be remembred how these popelings measure religion by riches and outward glorie which if it were a good rule the rich Chaldeans Assyrians Persians should rather haue bin the people of God thē the poore Israelites the rich Scribes and Pharisies should be preferred before the Apostles 2. Popish religion denieth dutie to God making other Mediatours beside Christ teaching inuocation of Saints adoration of images which are peculiar to God neither doth it giue honour to Magistrates abridging them of their lawfull authoritie in matters ecclesiasticall and giuing the Pope authoritie to excommunicate and depose Princes and to absolue their subiects of their oath Concerning the particulars of Popish profession what little comfort is in them how derogatorie to God contrarie to Scriptures I haue shewed before in the answere to the 5. section 3. The Pope so well appeased the quarrels betweene Henry the 2. and his Nobles that after the King had reconciled himselfe to the Pope for the death of Thomas Becket and yeelded to doe penance his troubles began afresh betweene him and his sonnes Richard and Iohn that he died for griefe And the Pope by his Legates and factors in England and other countries hath been a mouer not a compounder of strife a raiser rather then layer of warre Did not Gregorie the 7. set vp Rodolphus against Henry the 4. the Emperour betweene whom many bloodie battels were fought Did not Pope Paschalis incite Henrie the sonne against the Emperor Henrie the father and dispossessed him of the Empire Vrban the 2. did put downe Hugo Earle of Italie discharging his subiects of their oth and obedience Gregorie the 9. did excommunicate Fredericke the 2. and raised vp the Venetians against him And in England Pope Innocent the 3. commaunded vnder paine of his great curse that no man should obey King Iohn he gaue definitiue sentence in his consistorie that he should be deposed from his Crowne and appointed Philip King of France to execute this sentence promising him full remission of his sins to kill or expell King Iohn Vrban the 4. set Henrie the 3. and his Nobles together by the eares absoluing the king of his oth made to performe certaine articles agreed vpon at Oxford whereupon the Barons warres were renewed Pope Boniface set variance betweene England and Scotland in the raigne of Edward the 1. challenging Scotland as proper to the Sea of Rome But in steed of easing the people of rigorous exactions imposed by Princes the Pope himself hath vsed vnreasonable extortions Rigandus de Asteri◠the Popes Legate in England in Edward the 2. his raigne demaunded of the Clergie 8. pence in the marke toward the Legates charges but they graunted only 4. pence in the marke He also laboured to bring in a new manner of collection of Peter pence but was resisted by the King The like did Henricus the 3. Repressit impetum Legati propter violentiam denariorum He restrained the attempts of the Popes Legate touching his violent exactions of money The Bishops of England after great and forcible intreatie agreed to pay to the Pope 11000. markes The King of England saith the same author made payment to Pope Alexander the 4. vpon a very friuolous and fond matter 950000. markes Bonner himselfe witnesseth that the Popes pray in England came almost to as much as the reuenewes of the Crowne The Pope had the first fruites of all the Bishopricks in England which came to a great summe Canterburie paied 10000. Florences and 5000. for his pall Yorke as much Winchester 12000. Elie 7000. The whole summe of all the first fruites in Europe which came to the Popes coffers amounted to 2460843. Florences which maketh well nie 6. hundred 15. thousand two hundred and ten pound starling Iudge by this now Christian Reader what an impudent man this is to make the Pope a mitigator of great exactions whereas he hath been the most cruell extortor and exactor in the world As is his credit in this so let him be beleeued in the rest 4. Popish confession is so farre from keeping subiects from deuising against their Prince as that it hath been the speciall engine and instrument to contriue treacherie against the state Simon the Monke was confessed and absolued of his Abbot when he enterprised to poyson King Iohn Frier Forrest in secret confession declared to diuers subiects that King Henry the 8. was not supreame head of the Church and so abused confession to sedition Peter Barriere was confessed in the Colledge of the Iesuites in Paris and tooke the Sacrament whē he intended to murder the french King that now is Iohn Chaestell also that conspired the like had been often schooled in the Iesuites chamber of meditations These are the fruites of popish confession deuising of treasons reuealing of secrets seeking occasion to do euill for by this opportunitie diuers lewd Priests sollicited the parties that came to be confessed vnto euill As mention is made in the papall rescripts of one qui cum alterius coniuge frequenter in ecclesia dormiuit which oftentimes in the Church slept with another mans wife And this should seeme to be so vsuall a practise that for restraint thereof they decreed against it non debet episcopus vel presbyter commisceri
Ethelburga wife to Edwine King of the Northumbers was not the daughter of Anna King of Eastangles but of Ethelbert King of Kent neither doe I finde that she became a Nunne so here are two vntruths couched together It may be he meaneth another Ethelburga the daughter of Offa which poisoned her husband Brighthricus K. of Westsaxons and fled into France where she was thrust into a Monastery from whence for playing the harlot with a Monke she was expulsed This belike is one of his sacred Nunnes Etheldred being maried to king Egfride refused to companie with him and hauing beene 12. yeares maried she forsooke her Lord and tooke the habit of a Nunne at the hands of Bishop Wilfride with whom she is thought to haue beene too familiar whom her husband had before deposed Was this one of your sacred Nunnes that contrarie to the Apostle the wife hath not power of her owne body but her husband 1. Cor. 7.4 refused to performe the duties of mariage and chose rather to be a Bishops virgin then a Kings wife Alfritha wife to K. Edgar was she that caused Edward the bastard sonne of Edgar being King to be murthered for which fact she built two Nunries and became herselfe a Nun This is another of his sacred Nunnes He telleth vs beside of one Kineswida or Kineswina one of that name there was wife to K. Offa by whose counsell and perswasion he caused Ethelbert K. of East-angles a learned and vertuous Prince to be slain Let her go also for another of his sacred Nunnes Are not our Ladies of England now much beholding to this Nunnes-Nouice to propound vnto them such examples to follow and I am out of doubt sayth he no Protestant Lady of England will or dareth to compare her self with the meanest c. What not to compare themselues with whores and murtherers such as some of these were you are like soone to perswade with such sweete motions 4. But more fearefull examples of the principall popish Ladies of England might be shewed then any can be produced of Protestant Ladies for the further euidence hereof I referre the reader to the 33. yeare of Henry the 8. And yet this is a simple argument to condemne the religion of Protestants because of afflictions for by this reason neither Moses law in the desert nor Christs Gospell in the time of Herod when nothing but tentations troubles and afflictions waited vpon Gods Church should find allowance 5 But it is yet a more absurd argumēt to moue our Protestant Ladies to embrace the Italian or Spanish religion because they follow their guise in apparell Is it not enough for them to trip but you would haue thē stumble and fall If a man chance to drinke a cup too much shall he not giue ouer till he be starke drunke because he is ouer the shoes must he be needes ouer the bootes They are not to be cōmended for the one but they might well be condemned for the other Indeede the Israelites first followed the East maners Isay. 2.6 and then also receiued their errors The land was full of Idols v. 8. But I trust that English religion shall sooner deuour Roman and Italian manners then these shall corrupt the other And it ought much to moue our English Ladies that they should not disguise themselues in the outward man after their fashions whom they are vnlike in their inward conditions not to imitate their conuersation seeing they abhor their religion as Hierome well saith Aut loquendum nobis est vt vestiti sumus aut vestiendum vt loquimur quid aliud pollicemur aliud ostendimus Let vs professe as our apparell is or be apparelled as our profession is why do we promise one thing and practise another with Italian and Romish religion let vs shake and cast off all other Italian toyes and fashions 6 And what if many honors and dignities haue bin confirmed by Popes Emperours c. doth that bind vs to be of their faith them must we also be Paganes for many Castles Cities townes honors priuiledges were founded and erected by them which Christians now inioy If from whom we receiue temporall benefites we should imitate in things spirituall neither should Iosias haue reformed religion comming of idolatrous parents both father and grandfather nor yet the Apostles haue embraced Christs doctrine being borne of parents obediēt to the Pharisaicall traditions nor yet K. Lucius in England descended of so many Pagane predecessors would haue receiued the Christian faith nor yet Constantine succeeding in the Empire so many vnchristned Emperours 7 Though Protestants make not Matrimonie a sacrament yet it is more honorable among Protestants then Papists Some of them call Mariage a profanation of orders they forbid mariage to be solemnized at certaine festiuall times in the yeare as not fit for such holie seasons they hold Mariage betweene Infidels not to be firme but that the mariage knot is dissolued if either of the parties become a Christian in these and diuers other such points they shew that they haue no great reuerent opinion of Mariage It is also a sclaunder that among Protestants Matrimonie is at the pleasure of the husband or diuorcements at their wils We only allow diuorce for fornication according to Christs rule not as the Church of Rome that allow separation between man and wife for the loue of Monasticall life sometime with consent sometime without as Etheldred did forsake her husbands companie and became a Nunne as was touched before They allow also separation of mariage for other causes as for infidelitie heresie the Protestants then allowing but one exception of fornication are freer from this accusation then the Papists are As for concubines and bastards though all Protestants in outward profession can not be excused yet they were both more vsuall in the popish Church Many of the Kings had their concubines Ethelbald his Iudith Edgar had his Elfleda Henry the 2. his Rosamund Edward the 3. his Alicia Edward the 4. Iane Shore And he might with shame enough haue concealed bastardie so much magnified in Poperie The Papall Bishops set vp Edward Edgars base sonne and for that time put by Egelredus the lawfull heire How many of their vnholie fathers the Popes haue been infamous for their concubines and bastards Sergius the 3. had a concubine called Marozia Iohn the 10. Theodora Gregor 7. Matilda Alexander the 6. had Iulia Farnesia Leo 10. Magdalena Paulus 3. Laura Sixtus the 4. did erect stewes for both sexes Paulus the third had 30. thousand harlots in Rome in a catalogue of whome was gathered to their ghostlie fathers vse a monthlie rent And as for bastards they abounded in that holie See Iohn the 10. was bastard sonne to Pope Landus Iohn the 11. the son of Sergius the 3. by the famous strumpet Marozia Innocentius the 8. had 16. bastards whom he openly acknowledged for his children whereas
was the holinesse and meeknesse of these proud papal Archbishops 3. For their miracles they were meere forgeries such as are reported of Dunstane that he caused an Harpe to sing and play alone hanging on the wall how he held the diuel by the nose with a paire of tonges tempting him with women such were the fained miracles of Thomas Becket which were condemned by the great men of the land as fables Magnates interdixerunt ne quis martyrem Thomā nominaret ne quis miracula eius praedicaret the great men forbad that no man should call Thomas a martyr or speake of his miracles 4. Neither were many of them such learned Clarkes though some of them I confesse had more learning then true pietie or honestie as Lanfranke Anselme yet for the rest what were they Was not Augustine the founder of that Sea a great Diuine that must needs send to Gregory for resolution in these profound questions Whether a woman great with child may be baptized after how many dayes the infant ought to be receiued to baptizme and such like And it should seeme that learning in their Archbishops was not greatly requisite when Robert Burnell Bishop of Bath and Thomas Cobham two reuerend and learned men being elected were refused and Peccham a gray Frier and Reinald Bishop of Winchester an ambitious man better acquainted with suites of law being Chancellor then questions of Diuinity were appointed in their stead 5. But as I hold Bishop Cranmer in true learning and sound Diuinity to be equall to any his prodecessours so in godly constancie to go before them for he was the first and onely Martyr of that Sea that died for the truth Elphegus the 26. Archbishop was stoned to death for denying tribute to the Danes Simon Sudbury was beheaded of the rebels because he gaue counsell that the king should not come at them to heare their complaints But neither of these died in the cause of religion 6. Neither did the truth want witnesses from among these auncient Archbishops Cuthbertus the 11. Archbishop forbad all funerall exequies to be made for him after he was dead Elfricus the 26. did write certaine Sermons against transubstantiation the authenticals thereof are yet extant in the libraries of Exceter and Worcester Simon Islip forbad vpon paine of excommunication that no man should abstaine from bodily labours vpon certaine Saints dayes Therefore euen amongst them the Lord left not himselfe altogether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without witnesse as the Apostle sayth Wherefore he hath gained nothing by this mustering of his Popish Archbishops of whō we may say as our Sauiour of the Pharises They are blind leaders of the blind Math. 13.14 Hierome sayth well of such Quòd me damnant episcopi nō est ratio sed conspiratio quorum authoritas me opprimere potest docere non potest In that the Bishops condemne vs it is no reason but treason their authority may impeach me but not teach me Metellus because he was blind was forbidden among the Romaines to exercise his Priesthood and they had a law that no Augurs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hauing any soare or disease should execute their office As litle regard is to be had to these blind prelates lame and diseased in iudgement as in the same place it is expounded that it is not fit for them that are corrupted and diseased in their soules to handle Diuine things The third Inuectiue 1. IN the lawes of Henry the 8. Edward the 6. and Queene Elizabeth I will ouerthrow them 2. If they alleadge Vniuersities they are ouer-matched Oxford hath had in Catholike times thirty thousand students all euer of the same mind with vs. 3. For other Clergie men we haue had an hundred thousand more Synodes two to one in number two hundred to one p. 116. 4. If they vrge Scriptures by resorting to the Originall tongues the Greeke and Hebrew c. the victory is ours We vse more Scriptures for numbers of bookes more for diuersitie of tongues Our expositors of Scripture professed students in Diuinity c. excellent linguists many naturall borne Greekes and Hebrewes Their expositors of Scripture neuer were to be compared to those In the Parliament where their religion was decreed there was no person present that vnderstood either Greeke or Hebrew p. 117. The Defensatiue 1. THis is as like to be so as if I should say that by the Popes lawes now in force at Rome the faith of Protestants is maintained and yet I will shew twenty Canons amongst them that giue testimonie to our faith to one decree that he can alleadge amongst vs making for them this I haue already performed in Synopsis throughout Wherefore in this so shamelesse and vnreasonable assertion I will vouchsafe him no other answer but say with Augustine Non inuenio quomodo te refellerem nisi vt aut iocantem irriderem aut insanientem dolerem I know not how else to answer you then either as a iester to scorne you or as a mad man to pity you 2. The most famous Vniuersities in the world as of Herdelberge Magdobing Wittenberge Basile Geneua Vtricke Lepden Cambridge Oxford with manie more are with the Protestants King Henry for his diuorce had the consent of the most famous vniuersities in Europe Oxford was not wholly yours no not in the grossest times of popery for they cleared vnder their common seale Iohn Wickliffe and his doctrine of the suspition of heresie 3. We confesse Papists haue bene and yet are more in number so did the Pagans in multitude exceed the Christians but the Scripture hath taught vs not to follow a multitude to do euill Eccles. 23.2 Synodes both generall and prouinciall Protestants haue more on their side then Papists I referre the Reader for the truth hereof to Synopsis 4. If you would as ye say be tried by the originall Scriptures the controuersie would soone be at end but your sayings and doings agree not Why should ye be afraid to preferre the Hebrew and Greeke text before the vulgar Latine making this onely authentike in Sermons readings disputations as it was concluded in the Tridentine Chapter why did they not amend their vulgar Latine according to the originall reading still Genes 3.15 She shall breake thine head for he or it Genes 8.4 for seuenteene seuen and twenty Psal. 68.13 for liue among the pots sleepe betweene the lots and in diuerse hundred such places they swarue from the originall Ye vse indeed more Scriptures for number as all the Apocryphall workes which were neuer recorded of the Church of God vnder the law neither written by Prophets or approued by Christ and his Apostles but not for diuersitie of tongues For the Canonicall Scriptures are extant in the Hebrew Greeke and Latine the Apocripha some in the Greeke and Latine some in the Latine only You haue litle cause to brag of your popish expositors such as
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Sam. 16.3 2. Sam 11. Nehe. 6.10.14 Psal. 101.6 Obliuiscitur se regeÌ„ esse vbi DeuÌ„ omnium regem pertimescit mira res duÌ„ abiicit purpuram se regem hominum esse non meminit rex esse incipit iustitiae religiosus Princeps noÌ„ perdidit imperiuÌ„ sed mutauit Sam. 40. Gen. 49. v. 23 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ezra 4.3 Quod pius frater cripuit quomodo putatis à me reddendum cûm in eo religio frater laedatur in obit Valen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Chro. 14.3 2. Chro. 17.6 2. King 18.4 2. Chr. 35.18 Neh. 18.5 2. King 20.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 43. l. 1. p. 43. l. 10. vide l. 23. p. 44. l. 1. p. 43. l. 26. Prâ—s p. 11. â— 16 Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 5.7 Psal. 75.3 Date mihi dies tranquillos noctes cura expertes quod si minâ—s contingat necessum est ingemiscere Socr. 1.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socrat. 5.10 Prou. 16.33 Iob. 29.23 Heb. 3.2 In te vnuÌ„ puta cunctoruÌ„ oculos conuersos ad spectaculuÌ„ vitae totaÌ„ consedisse Angliam Deus ipse cum omni AngeloruÌ„ militia certamen tuum expectat Hier. ad Demetr August conf lib. 3. ca. 12. Gen. 49.22 Iosua 10.5 1. Sam. 22 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fox pag. 228. col 2. Socrat. 7.23 Senec. lib. 1. de tranquillitate vitae Prefat in Danielem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 46. l. 12. 1. King 3.7 Plutarc quaest Rom. 81. p. 12. l. 19. Seneca 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist. 27. Epist. 126. 2. Tim. 1.18 Epist. 29· 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 71. l. 3. Prou. 9.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esther 4.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratiane Valentiniane apud Ambr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 August Hier. Epist. 9. p. 63. l. 11. p. 88 l. 15. p. 119. l. 15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hieron ad Theoph. De 5. Haeres 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ambros. existit 30. ad Theodos. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 10. Medit. in 20. c. Reu. p. 3. ar 7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 7. Medita in 20. Reu. par 1. * 2. Cor. 3.5 Medita in â—0 Reu. par 2. Philip. 3 1â— Hieronym ad Ctesiphont 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hieronym ad Theophil Theodor. 33. In Ant. Valentinian Psal. 72.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heretical cunning to vtter some truth to make way for error Ad Damas. In Coloss. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tom. 3. lib. 4. de grat libr. arb c. 7. ar 6. Difference about freewill Lib. 5. de grat cap. 4. in fine Contradiction among the Papists The Latine text refused Difference about naturall corruption and infirmities Original sinne deriued both from Adam and Eue. Pag. 4. lin 8. All Christs suffrings needfull for mans redemption Pag. 4. lin 22. Christ only exempted from sinne The Virgin Mary not priuiledged from sinne De clamat lib. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secular priests reply to F. Parsons libell pag. 44. b. 1. Cor. 11.19 The reason why there are sects and heresies among Christians Iewes Mahometanes Pagans tolerated among Papists 1. Vntruth 1. Proofe Whether more heresies haue risen since the Gospell reuiued then in any age before 2. Proofe Iesuit catech lib. 1. cap. 10. Stow anno 2. of Queen Mary Fox p. 1055. Jsidor lib. 8. Etymologiar cap. 5. 3. Proofe Slaunder or vntruth 2. Papists come neerer ArriaÌ„s Nestorians Eutychians c. then Protestants * Par. 3. distin 5. c. 1. Vrbanus denieth that we are pleni Christiani full Christians without confirmation Papists one charge an other with Anabaptisme Atheisme Iesuit catechis lib. 3. c. 1. Lanquets Chronic. ann 1534. Preface to Iesuites catechisme fol. 6. a. in margin Manifestat pag. 112. a. pag. 86.2 Relat. p. 42. Replie to manifestat p. 91. a. Manifestat p. 32. b Replie p. 38. b. Luk. 19.22 Ad Ctesiphont 4. Proofe Vntruth 3. see the answere The article of Christs descension into Hell denied of no Protestant M. 3. dist 22. qu. 3. Bell. lib. 4. de Christo. c. 15. Dissension in the Church of Rome Decree of the Parliament of Paris an 1594 against the Iesuites Papists rayle one vpon an other Frier Parsons set out in his colours Tractat. 28. in Matth. 5. Proofe Vlenberg caus 22. Vntruth 4. Augustine de haeresibus ad Quod vult Deum Sects among Protestants neither many nor in matters of weight Vlenberg Caus. 9. p. 322. Oecolampad aequa respons ad Luther praefation Cod lib. 4. tit 20. l. 2. Valerian * Heidelbergens praefat ad colloqu Franckenthalens Mansfeildens tit de Antinom fol. 89. Mansfeildens tit de Osiandrin fol. 226. Lib. contra Tigurinos Vlenberg caus 9. sect Lutheran 5. Caspar Vlenberg caus 9. sect sacramenter Tetrastyl pill 4 part 4. Synops. Pap. in fine 2. table Lib. 7. de iustit qu. 1. art 3. De concord lib. 2. cap. 5. Peres de tradit par 3. Durand in 4. dist 11. q. 3. Lib. 3. de interpret scriptur cap. 3. In 2. distin 40. Alph. lib. 11. cont haeres 3. Cathar apolog cont Dominic à Soto Gab. lec 57. in can Miss Diuersitie of opinion in the Romane Church Fox p. 260. Diuisions in the Church of Rome Math. Paris fol. 167. Lib. 1. de fid cap. 4. A loose argument 1. Cor. 1.2 Religion not the cause of multiplicitie of suites amoÌ„g Protestants See M. Fox of this matter Monum Pa. 241. The broyles and turbulent stirres in the Romane Church Fox ibid. Vnnaturall strife in Poperie Fox p. 1276. P. 2050. P. 1986. col 1. P. 1277. col 1. P. 774. col 1. P. 838. col 1. Sleidan lib. 17. Prou. 26. v. 27. Hieron ad Rustic A loose argument Cod. Iustin. lib. 1. tit 5.6.7.8.9 deinceps Lib. 2. per omnes titulos and so in the rest The reason of many lawes in the time of protestancie Henry 8. an 32 ca. 10. Ann. 21. cap. 6. Ann. 21. cap. 5. Ann. 28. ca. 13. Ibid. Ann. 33. cap. 9. Ann. 37. cap. 9. Ann. 32. cap. 9. Corruption of manners in the Church of Rome Ephes. 5.12 Hieron ad Celant A loose argument 1. Cor. 15.32 Verse 34. 2. Cor. 12.21 Philipp 2.18 Contr. Gaudent lib. 3. Complaint of euill and corrupt manners among Papists In instruction ad Cheregaâ— Lect. 182. in lib. Sapient De reformat eccles Budaeus de asse Lib. 6. de imper gest cap. 6. De vanitat scient c. de lâ— nocin In epist. ad Nicolaum Jn Apoc. c. 18. Juel defens Apol. p. 436. Constit. Othon de concubin Clericâ—r remouend Pasquill Christ. Franch collat Iesuit in fine Hieron ad Furiam Quodlib p. 151 Pag 156. Pag. 83. Pag. 150. Manifest f. 89. a b. Lib. 20. histor Reuel 18.2 Lib.
August lib. 3. cont Petilian c. 16. Pag. 55. l. 24. c. Pag. 55. lin 4 5. c. Vntruth 109. We doe not condemne them to hell Parents corrupt religion not to be followed Ezech. 18.14 Errors of simplicitie in times of ignorance by Gods mercie pardoned Iohn 9.41 Lib. 4. de baptism ca 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 56. Pag. 57. Pag. 58. Pag. 61. Pag. 62. How farre we are bound to our predecessors for benefites receiued by and from them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vntruth 110. Vntruth 111. Acts of Parliament examined falâ—ely alleaged by the Apologist Vntruth 112. Vntruth 113. Vntruth 114. Vntruth 115. Vntruth 116. Vntruth 117. Vntruth 118. Vntruth 119. Vntruth 120. Vntruth 121. Westmâ—n 2. ca. 41. Edw. 1. ann 13. Aedificia coruÌ„â—cclesiis vendicentur Cod. lib. 1. tit 12. l. 11. Honor. ☞ Theodos. Popish hierarchie vsurpeth places of the Church 1. Cor. 9.11 1. Sam. 2.35 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The third proofe What power Protestants yeeld to Princes in causes ecclesiasticall Vntruth 122. Vntruth 123. Vntruth 124. Synops. contr 7. qu. 1. par 3. Fox pag. 143. Princes ciuill and morall vertues do not iustifie their religion Sozomen lib. 4.15 Math. 15.14 The whole Christian world not deceiued Generall Councels may erre Bellar. lib. 1. de concil ca. 7. Iud. 9.48 Epistol 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The fourth proofe Answ. to sect 6. Fox pag. 122. ca. 1. Popish legend miracles Fox pag. 125. col 2. Fox ibid. Ex histor Iornalens Fox p. 129. Stow an 757. Sigebert a cruell tyrant Stow an â—16 Of the cure of the Queenes euill Stow in Edward Confessor Ex Suetonio Cure of straÌ„ge diseases amoÌ„g Paganes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch quaest Graec. 50. Serm. 18. in Psal. 119. Hieron de vir perfect Vntruth 125. Vntruth 126. Vntruth 127. Falsificat or vntruth 117. Ex histor Iornalens Fox pa. 159. Monasteries built for redemption of soules Fox pa. 279. Stow ann 179. Auncient Kings of England dissenting from the Church of Rome ann 664. Fox pa. 123. Fox ibid. col 2 lin 8.9 Ann. 880. Pag. 144. Ann. 996. Fox pa. 1142. Fox pa. 147. to pag. 151. Histor. Iornalens in vit Edgar Ann. Edw. 3.38 c. 1 2. Rich. 2. ann 13. stat 2. c. 2. Henr. 4. ann 9. c. 8. King Henries purpose to reforme religion Fox pag. 1291. Fox pag. 2091. Pag. 2092. Pag. 2093. Pag. 2095. Queene Elizabeths troubles and dangers in her sisters time Fox p. 166. c. 1. The King sweareth not by relickes at the Coronation Genes 24.2 Genes 31.53 Ambros. contr Symmach Homer Iliad â— Vntruth 128. Vntruth 129. Vntruth 130. Vntruth 131. Vntruth 132. Vntruth 133. Vntruth 134. Vntruth 135. Vntruth 136. De incarnat ca. 5. Psal. 132.14 Math. 4.19 De ciuitat Dei lib. 18. ca. 23. Lâ—â—quet Rome often taken and sacked since it was Christian The great miseries and calimities of Rome Hieron ad Principium SecuÌ„dum computationem Lanquet Cooperi 2. Thessal 2.8 Deâ—ad 1. lib. 2. Coâ—peri chrâ—ni anno 455. Blondus dec 1. lib. 10. Cooperi Chronic ann 738. Lanquet anno 414. Anno 460. Cooperi anno 701. Anno 755. Lanquet anno 769. Ann. 773. Anno 525. Ann. 6â—6 Ann. 963. Anno 966. Anno 995. Anno 1053. Cooperi Chronic ann 1009. Fox pag. 988. Why the Pope in times past so much preuailed Opâ—scul tripartit lib. 2. cap. 11. The causes of the ouerthrow of the Greeke Empire Cooperi anno 778. Opuscul tripartit lib. 1. cap. 2. Vntruth 137. The miserable end of Popes Ex Platinae Functio Balaeo de act Roman pontificum Ex Balâ—o Platina Functio c. The short raigne of Popes Fox pag. 134.170.394.675.778 edition 1583. Caranza Concilior sum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vntruth 138. Bucanan lib. 5. reg 54. Cooper an 646. Vntruth 139 Bucanane vntruly reported lib. 5. reg 52. Cooper an 630. Vntruth 140. Conestaggius lib. 3. de reb Portugall Munster lib. 4. c. 5. Vntruth 141. Munster lib. 4. c. 3. Vntruth 142. Lanquet chron ann 1060. Ann. 1098. Fox pag. 341. Fox pag. 343. Fox pag. 348. Vntruth 142. Vntruth 143. Chron. Cooper ann 920. Vntruth 144. Cooper an 995. Vntruth 145. Lanquet ann 1106. Ann. 1108. Hieronym Mâ—â—ius Petr. de vineis Platin. in Innocent 4. Lanquet ann 1254 Vntruth 146. The ruffling of Popes against Emperours Caus. 15. qu. 6. c. alius Caus. 15. qu. 6. c. 5. Naucler Vitae pontific Bull. Adrian Vntruth 147. Iudg. 9. 1. King 16.9 Vntruth 148. Demonst. 2. artic 9. Lib. 2. aduers. Iouinian Vntruth 149. a Ex Jllyric de vocabul fidei b Carion fol. 250. c Fox p. 2106. Vntruth 150. Fox pag. 2112. col 1. Vntruth 151. Bucanan lib. 13. Fox pa. 127â— col 1. Vntruth 152. Vntruth 153. Beda lib. 3. histor gent. Anglor c. 1. Beda lib. 2. c. 20 Lib. 3. c. 9. Lib. 3. c. 18. Vntruth 153. Fox pa. 119. Fox pag. 161. Vntruth 154. Fox pag. 152. col 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cod. lib. 4. tit 20. leg 9. Gratian Vntruth 155. Stow anno VVillel 20. Stow. A notable benefactor euill requiâ—ed Stowe Ex Math. Parisiens Fox pag. 185. Fox pag. 189. Stowe Vntruth 156. Fox pag. 191. col 1. Cooper Fox pag. 199. col 1. Vntruth 157. Fox pag. 185. col 1. Vntruth 158. Fox pag. 228. col 2. Histor. de regib Angl. Stowe Vntruth 159. Fox pag. 227. col 1. Stowe Cooper Ann. 1174. Vntruth 160. Vntruth 161. Stow in King Iohn Caxton lib. 7. Gisburâ—e Cooper in King Iohn Stow in Henry the second Vntruth 162. Stow in Henry the third Lanquet in Henry the 3. Vntruth 163. Stowe in Edward the 2. Lanquet anno 1320. annoâ—387 â—387 1397. Vntruth 164. Vntruth 165. The vnhappie end of Princes deuoted to the Pope Ex Aenea Siluio in histor Bohem. Fox pag. 741. col 1. Fox pag. 180. Lanquet anno 1080. Fox pag. 2112. Ex histor Iornalens Stowe Fox pag. 111. Stowe Fox pag. 132. Stowe ex Asserio Stowe Stovv Lanquet Rich. 2. ann 2. c. 7. Stovv Lanquet Fox pag. 523. col 1. Stovv Lanquet Stovv ex Thom. Mor. Fox pag. 29â— Ed. 1. anno 7. Kings of England prosperous that bent themselues against the Pope Ed. 1. ann 25. Ed. â— ann 25. Fox pag. 1071. col 1. ex orat Dom. Radulp. Saâ—ler The prosperitie of Queene Elizabeths raigne The vaine hope and expectations of Papists made frustrate Psal. 118 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Popish Bishops what learned Clarks Fox pag. 949. Fox pag. 1266. col 2. Fox pag. 1274. Lib. 7. in Lucam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 81. Pag. 82. Vntruth 165. The Lord Cromwell defended Stowe anno Henric. 32. Fox pag. 1069. col 1. Fox ibid. Vntruth 166. The good Duke of Sommerset defended Fox pag. 1372. col 2. Vntruth 167. Fox pag. 1408. col 1. Vntruth 168. Visions of Deuils not strange in Poperie Ioannes Stella Platina Ioann Baleus Math. Parisiens Flores histor Sleidan lib. 23. Vntruth 169. The commendation of worthie
people of England haue greater cause not one but many both nights and dayes to awake to giue thanks vnto God for our deliuerance from troubles not so much felt as feared And thus also I haue at length dispatched that tedious and friuolous section THE EIGHT SECTION HIS DEfense to the honorable Councell and all other men of Nobilitie THis Section being as the rest confusedlie shuffled vp and as a rude chaos tumbled together I will if I can bring it to some forme not vouchsafing an answere to all his idle words and vaine repetitions which are not to be regarded as Aristotle well answered a certaine brabler who sayd O Philosopher I am troublesome vnto you with my speech no sayth he for I marked thee not The first Defence SVppose ye might contend in politike gouernment with many c. let it be some might be admitted fellowes in armes c. yet to that which is most or onely materiall in this question and controuersie of learning religion c. are too wise to make so vnequall a comparison to balance your selues with so many Saints most holie learned professed Diuines and Bishops c. pag. 80. lin 12. The Answere 1 THeir honors are much beholding to this cunning Caruer that he will allow them in matters of policie and of martiall affaires to equalize those in the popish times employed in both but in learning and religion they must come farre short of popish Bishops c. 2 But herein also I doubt not for true religion and knowledge of God that our honorable Lords Nobles farre exceed most of that shauen crue for who knoweth not that in a popish Bishop learning and diuinitie is not of the greatest regard Was not the Bishop of Cauaillon a profound Clerke that said to the Merindolians that Iâ— was not requisite to saluation to vnderstand or expound the articles of faith for there were many Bishops Curates yea and Doctors of Diuinitie whom it would trouble to expound the Paternoster and the Creede Such another learned Prelate was the Bishop of Dunkelden in Scotland that said to Thomas Forret Martyr that it was too much to preach euery Sonday for in so doing you make the people thinke that we should preach likewise He said further I thanke God I neuer knew what the old and new Testament was whereof rose a prouerb in Scotland You are like the Bishop of Dunkelden that knew neither old nor new lawe Such religious and deuout Bishops were some other in Scotland much about that time which held that the Paternoster should be said to Saints whereupon it was vsed as a byword in Scotland To whom say you your Paternoster I appeale now to the indifferent Reader whether our learned Nobles of England may not be compared in true learning and sound diuinitie with such vnlearned popish Bishops But I pitie this poore mans case that could play the Orator no better then at the first dash to alienate their minds into whose bosome he sought to insinuate himselfe forgetting that rule of Ambrose Qui tractaet debet andientium considerare personas ne irrideatur prius quam audâ—atur He that treateth of any thing must consider to whom he speaketh least he be laughed at before he be harkned to for Like as they that drinke bitter potions do loath the very cups so they which accuse at the first win no grace with their heaâ—ers The second Defence NExt this bold lad braueth it out producing certaine examples of the hard haps of some Nobles among the Protestants as of the Lord Cromwell condemned by the law which he had prouided for others the Dukes of Somerset and Northumberland basely disgraced and put to death Robert Earle of Leicester miserablie died terrified with monstrous visions of Deuils Sir Frauncis Walsingham his miserable death despairing words filthie stinke of bodie basely buried in the night will be an eternall infamie against him The Answere 1 THe end of the Lord Cromwell was neither vnfortunate nor miserable making a vertuous and a godly end with confession of his sinnes and confidence in God and faithfull inuocation of his name he was attainted by Parliament misled and misinformed not condemned by any lawe of his owne making whome King Henry afterward wished to be aliue againe which he would not haue desired had he bene perswaded he was a traytor Thus wise Princes are sometime swayed with false reports and ouercome with flatterers and repent when it is too late But miserable indeede was the end of Bishop Fisher who was attainted by Parliament for practising with Elizabeth Barton called the holie mayd of Kent against the King who died in a bad cause giuing his life for the vsurped authoritie of the Pope against the lawfull calling of the King Such was the death of Sir Thomas Moore who dyed scoffingly and prophanely suffering for the like obstinacie and superstition How could he omit or forget these two notable examples of deserued miserie and obiect the much lamented case of that honorable Lord Cromwell dying in his innocencie 2 Concerning the death of the good Duke of Somerset it was no iudgement vpon him for his religion which as he had zealouslie maintained while he liued so therein he constantlie died But herein it might be that God chastised the ouersight of the Duke in condescending to the death of his brother the Lord Thomas Seymer wherein secretlie his owne ouerthrow was intended though he simply perceiued it not And again this is rather to be supposed a iudgement against that ambitious Duke of Northumberland who by his Machiauilian deuises cut off these two brothers the Kings Vncles to make a way for some of his to the Crowne as the euent of matters afterward shewed but he was ouertaken in his owne plots and suffered iustlie in the same place where the other good Duke by his meanes not two yeare before innocently ended his dayes 3 As for the Duke of Northumberland take him to your selfe for at his death he denyed the Gospell and in hope of fauour consented to the Popish religion and exhorted others to do the like whose recantation was presentlie published to the world Therefore let that Church challenge him in whose faith and communion he dyed his end full well declared that his religion was more for his owne aduantage then in conscience 4 That which is reported of the Earle of Leicester the credite thereof relying vpon this braggers bare word alleadging no author for it may with as great reason be by vs denyed as it is by him affirmed Yet admit it was so that he was in his sicknes troubled with fearefull visions that is not to be imputed to his religious profession but to his licentious conuersation wherein it is like enough he committed some things not beseeming a professor of the Gospell But he needed not to haue noted this if it were true as he saith for so strange a thing