shall not haue the custodie of the heire that holdeth of the king by free soccage of another by Knights seruice Hen. 3. an 9. Mag. chart c. 27. Ward 13.14 15. The King shall haue the ward and mariage of all that hold of him in chiefe Ed. 2. ann 17. praerogatiu reg c. 1.2.6 11 Women 2. That widowes of them that hold of the King in chiefe shall not marrie without the Kings licence praerogat reg c. 4. ann 17. Ed. 2. 12 Wreck 2. The King shall haue the wrecke of the sea throughout the realme praerogat reg c. 11. ann 17. Edward 2. Thus it is euident that these lawes by this pettifogger alleaged do not serue his turne at all neither is there to be found so much as one syllable sounding that way that these priuileges and graunts were for that reason and intent giuen vnto the Kings of England as he saith for the defence of the Popish faith so that he is euidētlie conuinced of so many vntruths as he hath here quoted lawes And beside let it be considered that all these prerogatiues were graunted in the raignes of Hen. 3. and Edw. 2. who impugned the iurisdiction of the Romane Bishop and therefore are reckned vp in the number of Kings of vnhappie successe by this Popes Register p. 77. How then is it like that these priuiledges were graunted them for defence of the papall seignorie to the which they so much opposed themselues 3 But concerning the dignities of the Church of England founded as he saith by their Catholike Kings we do possesse them with better right then the Popish Clergie did For 1. whereas they erected them to the honor of God which was the principall end of their deuotion though they fayled in the meanes we doubt not but that these erections are now better employed to Gods glorie then euer they were in time of Poperie and that they not we vsed those franke gifts contra formam collationis against the forme of collation and mind of the founder employing them to superstitious and idolatrous and riotous vses not pious and religious and therefore did forfeit their state according to the equitie of the lawe 2 Beside this is consonant to the lawes Imperiall that edificies abused to heresie and superstition should be added vnto the true Church and the reason of the lawe is yeelded Certum est quicquid à fide Christianorū discrepat legi Christianae esse contrarium It is certaine what soeuer differeth from the Christian faith is contrarie to the Christian lawe Such things then as were abused against true religion were out of the lawes protection 3 These ecclesiasticall dignities were first erected for the preaching of the word as the Apostle saith If wee haue sowen vnto you spirituall things is it a great thing if we reape your carnall things Therefore an vnpreaching Clergie such as the Popish Hierarchie is hath no right vnto them they were but vsurpers no true owners Therefore ye Popish Masse-priests and Baals shauelings are the miserable people spoken of worthie with Elie his posteritie to beg a morsell of bread and a piece of siluer rather then to beare the Priests office To whom that saying of Ambrose may fitlie be applied Nomen inane crimen immane honor sublimis vita deformis ne sit religiosus amictus irreligiosus profectus Let not your name be vaine your crimes certaine your honor hie your life awrie your habit holie but your hearts and works vnholie Such as Alexander said Antipater was He did weare white garments without and was all purple within Such is the Popish Clergie outwardlie clothed with sanctitie inwardlie full of hypocrisie The Apologie 1 NO place of error was left for those Kings pa. 66. li. 7. Ergo their religion is to be receiued that it is not likely that those auncient Catholike Kings could erre he would proue 1. by the confession of the Protestants That it doth appertaine to the title and iurisdiction of Christian Kings to determine matters and questions of religion pag. 64. lin 10. 2 Because of the zeale and deuotion of those Kings c. there is no comparison but rather Protestant Princes should erre then they pag. 64. lin 32. 3 Because of the number learning and pietie of them by whom they were counsayled pag 64. lin 30. as Cedde Anselme Dunstane Thomas Becket Lanfranke pa. 65. li. 30. 4 There was no place of error left for those Kings c. because no decree of faith without generall consent of the whole Christian word generall Councels c. except God would permit the whole world to be deluded c. pag. 66. lin 6.10 c. The Antilogie 1 TO proue the former Catholike Kings not to haue erred he beginneth himselfe with an error and fiction of his owne that Protestants referre the deciding and determination of questions of religion vnto Princes as though the resolution of all such doubts were layd vp and locked in the Princes breast We do attribute vnto our Christian Princes no absolute power to determine what they will nor priuiledge them from error as they do their Pope The allegations in the margent affixed are friuolous for neither did the Conuocation ann 1562. referre the deciding the questions of religion to her Maiestie but they were first agreed vpon by the Archbishops Bishops and the rest of the Clergie by the word of God whereunto her Maiestie afterward gaue her royall assent Neither can any such thing be shewed out of any acte of Parliament ann 1. ann 5. ann 13. Elizab. as he cunninglie according to his fraudulent manner foisteth into the margent only the chiefe gouernment of all estates and in all causes is giuen to her Maiestie and that they ought not to be subiect to any forraine iurisdiction artic 37. The author of Synopsis is also in this behalfe sclaundered for he speaketh not where that question is handled of deciding of questions of religion but of the constituting of Ecclesiasticall lawes the authoritie whereof is shewed to belong to the Prince with three limitations 1. The Prince is not to prescribe any lawes but such as require the true worship of God 2. He is to consult in these cases with the learned and godlie of his realme 3. Such canons and ordinances the execution whereof properlie belong vnto the Ministers of the Church are excepted and so it is concluded that no lawes ought to be made without the authoritie of the Prince which the Prince is bound to execute Now sir doth it follow hereupon that Christian Princes are absolutely to be obeyed in all ecclesiasticall lawes whatsoeuer vnlesse you could shew this by the confession of Protestants which you shall neuer do your reason is not worth a rush 2 Neither doth it follow because some of them were men of great sanctimonie as instance is giuen in King Alured of his deuout prayers godlie exercises charitable works pa. 64. whose singular vertues
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
vobis vtile Ecclesiae dignum posteris But here one thing I cannot pretermit to celebrate the great ioy of your Maiesties subiects for your princely acceptance of poore mens complaints and the readie accesse to your royall person It hath pleased your Maiesty to signifie herein that it is your gracious pleasure and minde in giuing accesse to be so open and affable to euery ranke of honest persons as that they may make their owne sutes to you them selues and not to employ others to be their intercessors Therfore the King is said to go out and in before the people that they may haue free accesse vnto him in time place conuenient that though it be not for the safetie of the Prince to be so open as the Romane Tribunes whose doores night and day were open to all suters nor yet fit to be locked vp and retired as the Persian kings or as Clearchus of Pontus that did hide himselfe and sleepe in a chest or Aristodemus king of the Argiues that did clime vp into his hanging bed by a ladder that no man should come vnto him yet is it honorable as your Maiestie well knoweth and we hope will practise for the Prince often to shew himselfe to his people that they may flocke vnto him tanquam ad salutare sydus as to a comfortable starre as one saith and to be free for all to come vnto as the altar We shall not neede then especially the Ministers of the Gospell to complaine with Ambrose who suing to the Emperour for one Higmus an ancient Bishop adiudged to exile ne sine veste plumario pateretur extrudi extrusus est ipse that he should not be thrust out without his bed and clothes was thrust out himselfe But we praise God for your Maiestie as the same father doth for the good Emperour Gratian of whom he saith Scripsisti tua totam Epistolam manu You wrote an Epistle with your owne hand whom he compareth to Abraham which killed a calfe with his owne hands to entertaine the Angels Nec in ministerio religioso aliorum adiumenta quaesiuit And in a religious worke sought not anothers helpe For the like mercifull disposition in your Maiestie in vouchsafing your selfe to attend the causes of your subiects we say with S. Paul to Onesiphorus The Lord grant that you may find mercie with the Lord in that day Now lastly I craue pardon for my boldnesse and plainenesse of speech not doubting but that your Maiestie approueth that saying of Ambrose vttered of noble Theodosius Neque imperiale est libertatem dicendi negare neque sacerdotale quod sentit non dicere It is nether princelike to denie liberty of speech nor ministerlike not to speake what he thinketh And we are not ignorant of your royall disposition herein to loue those best that are plainest with you which emboldneth me to say with Hierome Mallem apud te verecundia parumper quà m causa periclitari I had rather hazard my credite then the cause but I trust I shall hazard neither by any thing which out of a single heart and loyall affection I haue vttered I haue deliuered my conscience discharged my dutie and I hope not written otherwise then became me I leaue the rest to your princely consideration according to that saying in the Prouerbes Da sapienti occasionem sapiet amplius Thus I end with heartie prayer vnto God so to strengthen your Maiestie with his grace that you may be constant in all goodnesse to the end zealous of his glorie to amend what is amisse to supply what is wanting to cherish the good suppresse the euill relieue the oppressed so shall your Highnesse do that which shall be acceptable vnto God honourable to your selfe profitable to his Church comfortable and ioyous to your owne soule in the end Go forward then noble King in your wel-begun course follow your owne Christian iudgement to practise as you haue prescribed to performe as you haue purposed consider that all the people of this land are your sheepe the Lord hath made you the chiefe ouerseer and Steward according to your princely name both of Church and Common-wealth Of this Stewardship you must one day render account vnto God prouide then O Christian Prince that you may do it with ioy The Persian Kings alwayes appointed one in the morning to call vnto them Arise O King and take care of these things which Oromasdes biddeth thee be carefull of But your Maiesties owne thankfull remembrance of Gods mercies will suffice within to put you in mind and sing as it were in your eares what God requireth and you haue promised and to thinke of Mordecay his speech to Queene Esther Who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdome for such a time As for vs we trust by Gods grace to see so happie a chaunge by this chaunge that whereas we had thought our selues vndone we may truly say as Themistocles did who being exiled his countrey was better entertained in the Persian court We had perished if we had not perished God graunt to your Maiestie a long and prosperous raigne to your noble Queene happie continuance with you and length of dayes to your honourable sonne Prince Henrie encrease of all princely graces with growth of yeares and to your royall posteritie to raigne ouer this land if it be Gods will vnto the worlds end and vnto you all an endlesse reward in heauen for your faithfull seruice to Christ here on earth And so I conclude with Ambrose Ipse me citiùs quà m vos obliuiscar si vnquam sermo tacebit loquetur affectus Iacobe Henrice in vestris nominibus adhaerere iuuat delectat in vestri commemoratione requiescere Your Maiesties most humble subiect Andrew Willet The Preface to the Christian Reader THE wise man in the Prouerbes sayth He that medleth with a strife that belongeth not vnto him is as one that taketh a dog by the eares Prou. 26.17 Theagenes was laughed to scorne of all because he would be medling in euery matter and trying maisteries with euerie one in running wrastling fencing as though it were not lawfull for any to haue the victory where he was present Lest therefore I might be thought to be busie in other mens matters and to intermeddle where I need not to speake in a cause where I was not retained and to defend a wrong where I was not iniured first mine answer is this that the defence of the truth belongeth to all as an iniurie offered to the bodie euery member is readie to propulse and an enemie inuading the countrey it is euery mans part to resist Hierome wel saith Feci vt hostes ecclesiae mei quoque hostes fierent I alwaies endeuored that the enemies of the Church should also become mine enemies Augustine also saith Incomparabiliter pulchrior est veritas Christianorum quà m Helena Graecorum The veritie of the Christians is
in Christ by this Frierly glosse it is not enough vnlesse he also beleeue the Pope to be Christs Vicar Euen like as these Romanists would haue all Churches depend vpon Rome in the West so the Donatists being caried with the like humour did contend for the South that the Church of God was onely to be found in Africa thereto abusing that text Cantic 1.6 Vbi pascis vbi cubas meridie Where feedest thou and liâ—st at noone or in the South as they interpreted By the same reason saith Augustine Marcion vpon that text Psal. 48.2 Mons Sion latera Aquilonis Mount Sion the sides of the North might also chalenge a priuiledge for the North quia ponticus dicitur fuisse quae partes ad Aquilonem sunt Because he is said to haue been of Pontus which is toward the North. As these Heretikes did striue for the South and North so the Luciferians would haue the Church of God onely at Sardis in the East vnto whom Hierome saith Non ob Sardorum tantum mastrucam filium Dei descendisse That the sonne of God did not only descend for a Sardish mantill that is to saue onely the Sardians Euen so did hee not onely die to redeeme the Romanes Yea if any sect among Christians haue diuided and cut themselues off from Christ the Papists that chalenge most to be priuiledged are most like to be excluded 1. Idolaters shall not inherit the kingdome of heauen 1. Cor. 6.9 such are Papists notoriously knowne to be 2. Heresies also doe shut men out from the kingdome of God Galath 5.20.21 But the Church of Rome holdeth and professeth many apparant heresies as euen now shall be shewed 3. The Apostle saith Ye are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the lawe Galath 5.4 But the Papists do seeke to be iustified by the righteousnes of the lawe for these are their owne words True iustice is by keeping the lawe Rhemist in 2. Rom. sect 5.4 The scripture saith If any man shall adde vnto these things I will adde vnto him the plagues written in this booke Reuel 21.18 They which adde vnto the scriptures can not be saued Such are the Papists that beside the written word do receiue many traditions which they call verbum Dei non scriptum the word not written By these and sundrie other reasons which might be produced the pope-catholike is found to haue the least part in Christ vnlesse they do reuoke their errors and repent them of their misbeliefe 3 True it is that Christ will so preserue his Church and euery faithfull member thereof from error as that they shall not fayle in the foundation but as to infirmities of life so to errors of doctrine which are not fundamentall euen the true Church of Christ is subiect till God by his word do otherwise teach them as the Apostle saith if ye be otherwise minded God shall reueale the same vnto you But concerning any particular visible Church such as the Romane and the Latine Church is it is vntrue that it is absolutely preserued froÌ„ error but so long only and so farre-forth as it doth yeeld and submit it selfe to be guided by the direction of Gods word For what priuiledge hath one locall Church more then an other What can Rome challenge more for it selfe then Ephesus Sardis Smyrna and the other Churches of Asia to whom our Sauiour directed his Epistles Reuel 2.3 whose candlesticks are now remoued The earthlie Ierusalem had greater assurance for their continuance and more ample promises then euer Rome had for the Psalme testifieth thus the Lord hath chosen Sion and loueth to dwell in it saying this is my rest for euer yet is Sion now forsaken and Ierusalem become desolate for the promise is conditionall if thy sonnes keepe my couenants c. v. 12. Let not reachles Rome therefore presume before Ierusalem euen vnto the Romanes doth the Apostle speake if God spared not the naturall branches take heed least he also spare not thee Let the Romanists therefore take heed least it happen vnto them as vnto the Iewes as Origene saith alapa Christum caedentes alapam aeternam receperunt ab omni prophetia percussi priuati for giuing Christ a blow they receiued an euerlasting blow being shaken from and depriued of all prophesie The like deadlie stroke proud Rome must expect to be depriued of all propheticall spirite and true iudgement for striking and persecuting Christ in his members 4 Vntrue also it is that the Church of Rome hath condemned and extirped 400. heresies seeing that it may easily be proued that it doth maintaine at this present one hundred at the least of those auncient heresies which haue bene in former time condemned by Irenaeus Tertullian Hierome Augustine Epiphanius Damascene and other of the Fathers From Marcellina the companion of Carpocrates they haue receiued the adoration of Images of the Heracleonites extreame vnction with the Tatians they condemne mariage with the Pepuzians they allow women to be priests in that they authorise them to baptize with the Catharists that some are so iust that they neede no repentance with the Angelici they worship Angels with the Apostolici they admit none to orders as they did not to their communion that had wiues with the Hierarchites they haue brought in Monks and Nunnes with the Euchites canonicall houres with the Priscillianists they make Apocryphall writings equall to the scriptures with the Anthropomorphites they picture God the Father like an old man from the Pelagians they haue borrowed free-will from the Manichees the prohibiting of the eating of flesh Many such heresies are without any wresting or forcing fastned vpon the Romish professors as a learned writer of our Church hath alreadie challenged and charged them with fiftie heresies and another hath proued them guiltie of fortie more and so many as want of an hundred shall be supplied shortlie and the number made vp in the enlarging of the last recited worke as God shall giue strength and abilitie thereunto 5 Neither is it true that diuers generall Councels where the whole Christian world was assembled haue anathematized and condemned the religion of Protestants for whereas in the margent he referreth vs to the Concil Constant. Concil Florentin in Vnion Concil Trident. the first of these by our aduersaries confession was not a generall Councell for whereas Sess. 4. of the Councell of Constance it was decreed that the Pope ought to be subiect vnto the authoritie of a generall Councell Bellarmine telleth vs Non erat tum generale Concilium c. It was not then a generall Councell when as the third part only of the Church was present only those prelates which were vnder the obedience of Pope Iohn if it were not generall in the 4. session neither was it in the 8. session wherein the opinions of Wickliffe and Hus were condemned As for the Florentine
Antilogie 1 HE that should reade Cardinall Wolseys stile thus writing Ego Rex meus I and my King would thinke that this vaine craker trode in his steps saying here and in other places My Catholike Queene c. And whether for this or other of their proud tricks the secular Masse-priests haue well matched them together these are their words Neuer shall the Catholike Church or commonwealth of England find so wicked a member as a Wolsey a Parsons a Creswell a Garnet a Blackwell But if this suger-toonged fellow would haue had her Highnes then and his Maiestie now thinke that he wisheth so well vnto them let him tell vs whether he were not brought vp in the Ignatian schoole of treacherie and if he be not of Parsons mind that it is treason if the Pope should inuade England to beare armes against him or agreeth he not with the Ignatian brood of Salamanca that resolued it was no rebellion for the Queenes subiects to fight against her in Ireland or what thinketh he of Parsons Walpooles Giffords Allens attempts against their countrie and their suborning and exciting of trayterous Parry Lopez Squire Sauage Yorke with the rest of those detected parricides for all these wicked conspiracies were forged in the Ignatian ignited and fierie shops These were the actors but they the inuentors as it was sayd of Laelius that he was the deuiser and Scipio the performer of diuers actions And yet for all this we must beleeue this dissembling Frier that is by all likelihood consorted and confederate with the rest of that crue that he wisheth her Highnes then and his Maiestie now as well as if they were of his religion 2 Concerning the vow made in baptisme I haue answered before that the vow is made to Christ not to the Pope and therefore baptisme receiued in poperie doth not bind the partie baptised to maintaine and receiue poperie It was the heresie of Petilian the Donatist whom Augustine confuteth that Conscientia dantis attenditur quae abluat accipientis That the conscience of him that giueth baptisme doth cleanse him that receiueth it Against whom Augustine sheweth that it is the baptisme of Christ if it be giuen in his name whosoeuer is the minister thereof Baptismum Christi nemo Apostolorum ita ministrauit vt auderet dicere suum The baptisme of Christ none of the Apostles so ministred that he durst call it his much lesse may the Pope or popish Priest challenge the baptisme which he giueth in the name of the Trinitie to be his It was Cyprians error confuted by Augustine that Baptisme and the Church could not be separated Si baptisma saith he in baptizato inseparabiliter manet quomodo baptizatus separari ab ecclesia potest baptisma non potest If baptisme remaine inseparable in the baptized how can he that is baptized be separated from the Church and not baptisme with him Concerning the Princes stile to be called Defender of the faith I haue likewise said enough before Now because he doth so often inculcate the Princes oath that all men may see his false dealing I will set downe the same before omitted as it is in Magna charta expressed This oath then is prescribed to be taken by the Prince at the Coronation and to be ministred by the Metropolitane or other Bishop Seruabis ecclesiae dei Clero populo pacem ex integro concordiam in deo c. You shall keepe peace and concord in God to the Church of God the Clergie and people according to your power he shall answere I will You shall cause to be done in all your iudgements right and equall iustice and discretion in mercie and truth according to your strength he shall answere I will You shall graunt iust lawes and customes to be held and promise them to be protected by you and confirmed to the honor of God which the people shall choose according to your strength he shall answere I do graunt and promise All these things pronounced let him confirme that he will keepe them all Sacramento super altare protinus praestito c. By an oth presentlie taken vpon the altare c. What is there now in this oath that bindeth the Prince to the defence of the Popish religion there is not so much as one word tending to any such thing conteyned in the oath it selfe only mention is made of the altare which was so called in time past though it were made of wood because it represented the true altar which was Christs bodie for so Hesychius interpreteth the Altar And Augustine speaking of the violent outrages of the Donatists saith Effractis altaris lignis Hauing broken the boords of the Altar Their Altars which were no other but Communion Tables were then of wood the making them of stone is but a late deuice as Beatus Rhenanus testifieth Araerum superaddititia structura nouitatem prae se fert This building of Altars added to the rest doth shew noueltie And it is most euident that when the name of altar was first vsed as in Augustines time there was no opinion in the Church of the carnall presence or of the sacrificing of Christs bodie but onely spiritually as it is euident by these sayings of Augustine Christ is our priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech which offered himselfe a sacrifice for our sinnes and hath commended the similitude of that sacrifice to be celebrated in remembrance of his passion that the same thing which Melchisedech offered to God now wee see to be offered in the Church of Christ through the whole world But Melchisedech offered not Christs flesh but onely bread and wine Againe he saith The flesh and bloud of this sacrifice before the comming of Christ was promised by sacrifices of similitudes in the passion of Christ it was giuen by the truth it self after the ascension of Christ it is celebrated by the sacrament of remembrance therefore now Christs bodie is not sacrificed verily and truly but only sacramentally non rei veritate sed significante mysterio not in veritie but in mysterie And I pray you what kinde of argument is this the Prince at the Coronation taking his oath laieth his hand vpon the Altar Ergo she sweareth to maintaine the Popish sacrifice of the Altar as though hee that prayeth or taketh his oath in the Churches which haue been consecrate to idolatrie thereby giueth consent to maintaine idolatrie Naaman though hee kneeled with his master the King leaning vpon his hand in the house of Rimmon yet gaue not consent to that idolatrous worship yet this example is very vnlike and not to be imitated onely I alleadge it to shew the weaknes of this argument 3. As for the signe of the crosse wherewith you say her Maiestie vsed to signe her selfe or women with child c. as you speake here but vpon hearesay so if it should be true as
you say you haue not gained much by it For neither our Prince then nor Church did ascribe any vertue to the signe it selfe or adore and worship it as Papists do The signe of the crosse may be vsed in banners and streamers and set into the Diademe of Princes as a ciuill signe of honour as Ambrose if that oration be his writeth of Helena Sapienter Helena egit quae crucem in capite regum leuauit Helena did wisely in rearing vp the crosse in the head of Kings And though this signe is not any waies to be adored neither yet doe we thinke it ought to be contemned As that law of Honorius was commendable wherein the Iewes are prohibited speciem crucis incendere to burne the fashion of the crosse And that of Theodosius which decreeth a great punishment to him qui in solo vel scilice crucem depinxerit which painteth the crosse in the ground or pauement to trample and tread vpon it Or if any should vse the signe of the crosse which notwithstanding wee allow not as in Basils time not with a superstitious opinion of it or confidence in it but as an outward testimonie of their inward faith as Basile saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they which trusted in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ were marked with the signe of the crosse Whosoeuer shall vse the signe of the crosse in any of these manners is yet farre off from Popish superstition And I am verily perswaded that if his Maiestie or the Church of England did thinke that the ciuill reuerent significant vsing of the crosse without a superstitious opinion of it were in deede or could iustly be taken as a badge or cognisance of Poperie as it hath bin an offence to many good Christians it should bee more sparingly vsed and may in time if it seeme so good to his Maiestie without preiudice of the truâ—h or religion be wholy remoued that there might not be the least exception taken against our Church But this quarrell picker according to the saying will play at small game before he will sit out and so doth he here by fastning his hold of so small an occasion Her Highnes then and his Maiestie now and the Church of England holdeth a reall and true presence of Christs bodie to the faith of the worthy receiuer in the Sacrament but her Highnes was not perswaded of any grosse carnall presence as is euident by her royall assent to the articles of religion therefore herein her Maiestie was much abused and slaundered 4. Lastly whereas the Romane profession is altogether repugnant to Princes prerogatiues as in that it alloweth the Pope to excommunicate Princes to depose them to transferre their Crownes appeales to bee made to the Pope from the Prince that the Pope may absolue subiects from their oath of fealtie that the Pope not the Prince in his owne kingdome is supreame in all Ecclesiasticall causes that the Pope inuading a kingdome by force vnder pretence to reforme religion is to be assisted against the Prince all which positions the Iesuites the Popes parasites doe hold as it may appeare in their seditious bookes and answeres to the Secular Masse-priests And these all being directly repugnant to the prerogatiue royall of the Crowne as it hath been adiudged by by publike acts of Parliament not of late onely since the reuiuing of the Gospell but euen while Poperie raigned and that by the expresse consent of the Popish Clergie How is not this man to be thought to be past all shame that perswading to Poperie saith hee will teach nothing contrarie to the Princely dignitie c. Wee may say truly to him which Petilian the Donatist vntruly obiected to Augustine that he had ingenium Carneadis Academici Carneades the Academikes wit who disputed Nigras niues esse cum albae sint nigrum argentum c. That snow was blacke and siluer blacke whereas they are both white so he goeth about to perswade things that are quite contrarie We need not here follow the counsell of Seneca Quaedam falsa veri speciem ferunt dandum semper est tempus veritatem dies aperit Some false things make a shew of true wee must giue some space for time trieth the truth But the falsenes of these improbable speeches appeareth at the first we neede no time to descrie them The second Apologie FRom pag. 55. to pag. 66. the Apologist runneth as it were in a maze now in and now out as though he had lost himselfe in a wood I will doe my best to trace him and finde him out I shall not neede to follow him in all his wandrings and turnings nor to answere all his tautologies and vaine repetitions but I will gainecope him and crosse him the next way and reduce his idle and superfluous speeches into some order and forme All these leaues containe but one argument which may be collected thus Her Maiestie and the state are bound to maintaine the religion of her famous noble Christian progenitors Kings and Queenes of this land But they were all knowne to be of the Romane religion and as he himselfe saith Papists pag. 59. lin 7. Ergo. First let vs see how he proueth the proposition or first part of this argument and then how the second 1. Many of them were holy Saints and miraculously witnessed of God to be in heauen euen by Protestants testimonie c. whom the Protestant Ministers must needes condemne to hell and damnation if they will leaue any little hope for themselues to be saued for one heauen cannot possesse them both The Antilogie 1. IF this were a good argument then Christians borne at their first conuersion of idolatrous parents in many ages succeeding together should neuer haue changed their religion but continued in Pagane idolatrie still for feare of condemning all their progenitors to hell neither Constantine the great in the Romane Empire nor Lucius in England should haue become Christened Kings If Idolatrous parents be in state of damnation shall the children tread in their steps to goe the same way The scripture teacheth otherwise that though the father dye in his iniquitie yet if he beget a sonne that seeth all his fathers sinnes which he hath done c. he hath not lift vp his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel nor defiled his neighbors wife c. he shall not dye in the iniquitie of his father but shall surely liue 2 If the sonne be bound to his fathers false religion as idolatrie superstition wherein he erred least he should thinke him to be condemned he were likewise obliged to imitate his auncesters vices and corruptions of life as adulterie oppression violence whereby they were polluted should a man certainely condemne himselfe to belieue that his predecessors are vncertainely saued Their sinnes being of ignorance might be pardoned whereas the sonnes seeing his fathers sinnes and not amending are more surely sealed 3 That
Albons gaue the Peter-pence to Rome and was a great benefactor to that See Sigebert King of West Saxons was a most cruell tyrant who caused the Earle Combranus to be most cruellie put to death because he admonished him to change his manners and was himselfe by the iust iudgement of God slaine by the Swineheard of the same Earle and yet this man is numbred among the Catholike Kings that wrought miracles Another Sigebert there was King of East Saxons who became a Christian but it is not like that this Legender meaneth him who was welnie 150. yeares before this Sigebert who is named after Offa in whose time he liued ann 748. he then putting these two together Offa Sigebertus may be thought rather to insinuate that Sigebert which liued in the time of Offa then the other who was almost 150. yeares before Thus verie skilfullie as we see he hath martialed and mustred his Mirabilists together 4 Concerning the cure of the Kings euill first obtained by King Edward 1. it is not to be imputed to the holines of his person but the efficacie of his prayers to the which that vertuous Prince was much giuen as Dauid by his godlie songs rather then his musicall instrument allayed Saules maladie 2. King Edward did not cure the woman brought vnto him so much by miracle as by ordinarie meanes as suppling and cleansing of the soare pressing out the corruption and bathing the flesh 3. He did not onely cure the woman of her disease but she became fruitfull being barren before He also healed a man that had been blind 19. yeares and caused him to see as the storie reporteth the credit whereof I referre to the Reader how commeth it to passe that these cures also are not hereditarie as well as the other 4. If this miraculous cure of this disease is to be ascribed to the Popish religion how coÌ„meth it to passe that a Protestant Prince our late Soueraigne Qu. Elizabeth therein was comparable to any of her predecessors who yet did not ascribe it to any desert in her self or holines of her person or vertue of her crown but to Gods mercy inuocated by her prayers 5. It is not yet proued that the beginning of this strange cure was founded vpon any point of Popish profession but vpoÌ„ the confidence which that good Prince had in God whom the Protestants more trulie worship then Papists 6. Whatsoeuer is here alleaged for countenancing of the religion of these Christian Kings the Paganes also can produce the like for theirs Traianus the Emperour made a blind man see and a lame man go Among the Argiues the posteritie of Alexida Amphiraus daughter are thought to cure the falling sicknes and are called Elasiae from driuing away of that disease Therefore this is no sound argument to grace that religion though all the rest were euident which yet wanteth proofe that this gift was first bestowed for the merit and desert of the popish beliefe which is thought rather to remayne as a grace from God of that sacred calling and a signe of his speciall assistance and protection of Princes though in his strange cure the conceit and opinion of the diseased may somewhat help some other meanes medicine and diet more but godlie prayers most of all that we neede not altogether pretend a miraculous worke Ambrose sayth Moses non imperabat sed impetrabat Moses precabatur Christus operabatur Moses intreated not commanded he was the prayer Christ the worker Another sayth Elizeus cum spiritu magistri haereditario scindere tamen aquas nisi sub Dei inuocatione non potuit Helizaeus though heyring his maisters spirit could not deuide the water without calling vpon God so this gift howsoeuer to Princes hereditarie pretended can not be without prayer and works of pietie effectuallie practised The Apologie THe proposition of the argument proposed that Princes are bound to the religion of their predecessors hath been thus handsomely proued as we see now it followeth that I examine his proofes of the assumption that all these Catholike Kings were Papists 1 They builded Monasteries and graunted diuers priuiledges for praying to God and Saints for the soules of them and their posteritie pag. 58. lin penultim 2 They voluntarily forsooke their Kingdomes and professed Monasticall life Kingylsus Iue Câ—lulsus c. pag. 59. lin 17. 3 Thirdly Christian Kings of the Britons from Lucius to Cadwallader ann 150. Kings of the English or Saxon Danish and Norman nation embraced it with all zeale themselues and promulged the same by all lawes c. to their posteritie pag. 60. lin 12. c. 4 Her Maiesties father obserued it all his life and of denying the Romane iurisdiction repented at his death pag. 60. lin 24. c. 5 My Soueraigne that is in the time of her Sister Queene Mary professed it with much deuotion pag. 6. lin 29. 6 The King ought to take his oath vpon the Euangelists and blessed relicks of Saints c. to maintaine holie Church with all integritie and libertie according to the constitution of his auncestors pag. 64. lin 30. Vpon these euidences he inferreth thus So that no man can doubt of what faith they were except it be a question whether he that prayeth to Saints prayeth for the dead offereth sacrifice of the Masse graunteth Church liberties honoreth the Sea of Rome buildeth Altars Monasteries Nunries c. be a Papist or Protestant pag. 59. lin 1.2 The Antilogie ALthough I might safely insist in the proposition that a Christian Prince ought not absolutely to be addicted to the religion of his forefathers yet that the weakenes of the Apologists defense may appeare I will discouer his nakednes in this behalfe that he hath not gayned by his slender reasons that those Christian auncient Kings were of the now Romaine religion 1 Though some Monasteries were built by the founders for the remedie of their soule yet all were not speciallie those which were erected at the beginning betweene ann 600. and ann 700. when as yet superstition had not got such deepe footing afterward they which had committed any murther or grieuous sinne that troubled their conscience they were perswaded to found some Monasterie for the remission of their sinnes as Offa builded S. Albones for the murther of King Ethelbert Ethelstane the Abbey of Midleton for consenting to his brother Edwines death Queene Alfrith the Nunrie of Amesburie because of the death of King Edward the Martyr which she had procured Yea in processe of time as religion decayed they had a conceit by such works to redeeme their soules as King Henry 3. built the Monasterie of Conuerts pro redemptione animae suae Iohannis patris sui c. for the redemption of his soule and the soule of Iohn his father Is not this good geare thinke you and sound Catholike doctrine that men should play Christs part and by their owne works redeeme their soules 2 Though
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
very marrow of Poperie continued and the whole bodie of the Romane doctrine the opinion of the supremacie excepted And ye had beside a breathing time in Queene Maries raigne such as that of Saul who breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord. Act. 10.1 such a breathing as I trust ye shall neuer haue againe in England I hope this was no time of your captiuitie And againe you are somewhat too forward to looke for the reuiuing of the papall kingdome so soone after 70. years stay till you be equal to the captiuitie of protestants that 7. times 70. yeares endured the tyrannie of your terrene god the Pope as long as Israel soiourned in Canaan and AEgypt 430. yeares Exod. 12.40 and much longer and then after that time expired lift vp your heads if you can But because you plead prescription of 70. years you shall haue your mind yet they shall not be the seuenty yeares determined for Iudaes deliuerance but the 65. years which want not many of seuentie which were limited for Ephraims destruction Within fiue and threescore yeares Ephraim shall be destroyed from being a people Isa. 7.8 And we trust in God that the proud idolatrous Ephramites of Rome according to this time taking beginning from the first reformation in England shall haue Ephraims portion and their kingdome come to desolation Concerning your Popes Iubile enioy you the benefite thereof get you packing to Rome and solace your selues there England careth not for Iubile pardons nor for such paltrie pardoners as ye are Protestants haue enioyed through Gods mercie a full Iubile vnder the Gospell in King Edward and Queene Elizabeths happie raignes and now we trust beginneth another ioyfull Iubile vnder our noble King and so our hope is that the Church of God vnder his M. his royall posteritie shall enioy the profession of the truth frō Iubile to Iubile till we all come to celebrate an euerlasting Iubile in heauen The Pope hath lately solemnized his Iubile like as the Iewes kept their Iubile when Christ was put to death who brought deliuerance to his Church but destruction to the Iewes before the next Iubile came So this Popes Iubile wherein they haue confederate to persecute Christ and his members is like to be ominous to that blodie generatiō prosperous we hope to the church of God This Romish Iubile lately celebrated in new Babylon may fall out to be like Balthasars feast which he made in old Babylon the destruction of the citie followed the same night to whō fitly agreeth that verse of the Poet Namque vt supremam falsa inter gaudia noctem Egerimus nosti It was our last and onely night That we thus spent in false delight So may this happily be the last popish Iubile and this great solemnitie may end with a Sardonian laughter according to the saying of the wise man Pride goeth before destruction and an high mind before the fall Prou. 16.18 2. If religion be the bond of peace then can there be no sound peace betweene the Church of God and the synagogue of Rome which is declined and fallen away from the true religion and seruice of God The Popes peace we desire not as we feare not his curse if he loue quietnesse protestants will not offend him if he seeke trouble they can requite him But if Scotland be comprehended in this league and amitie as among other nations this Popes muster-maister hath numbred it I hope England shall haue a share that is now one with Scotland It is vntrue that England can agree with none in religiō it accordeth with Scotland Geneua Heluetia Belgia with the protestants of Fraunce some diuersitie in external right maketh no difference in religion And as vntrue it is that no two protestant Princes can haue this peace together seeing it is most manifest that for 45. yeares there was a firme peace betweene England and Scotland being vnited in religion such as for so long a time was not knowne for fiue hundred yeares while both these kingdomes professed poperie And indeed it is a rare thing to see one protestant Prince offend another with warre but it is very cōmon for Princes and States addicted to the popish profession to wage battel one with another France Spain Naples Millaine the Venetians Geanes Florentines Romaines haue often one with fierce war assaulted another As we shall reade among the Paganes how in Graecia the Spartans Athenians Corinthians Thebanes Argiues Megarensians with other cities did with cruell warre one afflict another so that as the Scripture saith In that time there was no peace to him that did go out and go in but great troubles were to all the inhabitants of the earth Such is the peace among the Romanists neither sound and in truth nor of any long continuance but like vnto Iudas kisse so is the Popes peace and amitie as Ambrose saith Amoris pignore scelus implet pacis instrumento odia serit By a token of loue he worketh mischiefe and by an instrument of peace soweth hatred So his vnholy Fatherhood faineth peace if it be for his aduantage and breaketh it at his pleasure if it may serue his turne better as Eugenius the fourth caused Ladislaus to breake the truce made with Amurathes the great Turke to the great losse and disaduantage of all Christendome Wherein the Pope very well resembleth Cleomenes the Spartane King who hauing made truce with the Argiues for certaine dayes set vpon them the third night after and slue them alleadging for himselfe that he had made truce for dayes not for nights 3. Popish religion can neither make vs at peace with God whom it robbeth of his due honour making other Mediators inuocating Saints worshipping idols nor with Angels who refuse to be worshipped Reu. 22.8 nor with Saints who while they liued refused that adoration which is now ascribed vnto them in poperie as Peter wold not suffer Cornelius to worship him Act. 10.26 To the soules imagined to be in purgatorie it offereth wrong keeping them in torment that by the Scriptures are to rest from their labours Reu. 14.13 Neither can popish professors haue peace in themselues seeing they deny iustification onely by faith by which we are at peace with God Rom. 5.1 That religion agreeth with none but diuels for it maintaineth lying wonders which are by the working of Sathan 2. Thess. 2.9 It forbiddeth to marie and to abstaine from meates which are the doctrine of diuels 1. Tim. 4.1.3 It persecuteth casteth into prison the seruants of Christ which is the worke of Sathan Reu. 2.10 Poperie therefore which derogateth so much from God cannot reconcile vs or make vs agree with God superstition doth not draw vs nearer to God but maketh vs further off Hierome well saith hoc nobis praestat Dei timor vt omnes alios contemnamus timores The feare of God doth make vs to cōtemne all other