Christ in heauen then to any one of our brethren militant on earth But therein he lyeth notoriously For commonly they call the virgine Mary mother of mercy and desire her to protect them and to do away their sinnes Likewise they pray to be saued by the blood of Thomas by the merites of other saints which I trow is more then they will giue to euery one of their brethren in earth Bellarmine saith that it is not lawful to ask glorie or grace Lib. 1. de sa◠beatit c. 17. or other meanes tending to blessednesse of saints as authors of Gods benefites But this is contradicted as well by the doctrine as by the practise of the Romish church Sotus in confess cath saith that saints in heauen are our coadiutors and fellow-workers in the worke of our saluation Saltzger writing vpon this argument affirmeth that we pray to saints for two benefites the first is to the end they may pray for vs the second is that either visibly or inuisibly they may bestow their helpe vpon vs. Clichtouey teacheth that saints haue seuerall graces to bestow on them that call vpon them Alexander Hales sayth Sanctos oramus vt mediatores per quos impetramus We call vpon saints as mediators by whom we obtaine Thomas sayth we receiue benefites from God by the meanes of saints Beneficia Dei sumimus mediantibus sanctis Antoninus part 3. sum Tit. 3. sayth that Gods benefites descend downe to vs by the mediation of Angels and holy soules And againe p. 4. Tit. 15. Maria ita aduocat interpellat vt Deum patrem placet conuersos in gloriam inducat Mary is so our aduocate and intercessor that she doth pacifie the Father and bring repentant sinners into glory Bernardine in his booke of Mary sayth that no grace commeth from heauen vnto the earth but by Mary and vnlesse the same passe by the hands of Mary for that all graces do enter into Mary and from her are cōmunicated to vs and for that she is the mediatrix of saluation of coniunction of intercession of communication Commonly they pray to the virgin Mary in this forme Giue vs peace protect me To S. George they addresse themselues saying this same let him saue vs from our sinnes that we may rest in heauen with blessed soules Hic nos saluet say they à peccatis vt in coelo cum beatis possimus quiescere And if they did only intercede for vs not bestow vpon vs the things we pray for why do some beg of S. Anthony the health of their swine and of S. Winnoc the good standing of their sheepe Why do they pray to S. Luis for their horses and to S. Nicolas for good passage at the sea Why do Painters call on S. Luke and Phisitions on Cosmas and Damianus and Shoo-makers on S. Crespin Finally why do they tell vs in their legends of the apparitions of diuers saints in time of warre pestilence and other sicknesses and working diuers feates For if they did onely intercede for vs then one saint might serue for al purposes and then should they onely appeare as suppliants to God and not as bestowers of graces and workers of wonders Finally then should we not say helpe me heale me defend me but pray to God that I may be holpen healed and defended Are not the Paists then in miserable state that forgetting for the most part their onely Mediator and Redéemer run to saints and Angels nay runne to such as are no saints nor euer were in the world as George that killed the Dragon Catherin the daughter of Costus Christopher that bore Christ and such like Are they not mad to pray vnto such as they know not whether they heare them or not And do not some say that they are euery where present to heare our praiers Others that they heare such prayers as God reuealeth vnto them Others that they sée all things in Gods face Others that they vnderstand by relation of Angels It cannot be denied For Bellarmine confesseth it lib. 1. de Beatitudine sanct ca. 20. and that which he affirmeth that saints do sée all in God from the first beginning of their blessed estate is most absurd For what is seeing to hearing Againe how can things temporarie be imprinted in the essence of God or can Saints sée some things and not all if they comprehend that which is in the incomprehensible essence of the Deity Most wretchedly also they do worship dumbe images knéeling vnto them kissing them and burning incense vnto them saying to the crosse O crux aue spes vnica auge pijs iustitiam reisque dona veniam All haile ô Crosse my only hope increase iustice in the godly and grant pardon to sinners And crying to the Crucifixe Thou hast redeemed vs Bellar de imagin c. 23. thou hast reconciled vs to thy Father and calling a blocke mother of mercie and saying before stockes and stones Our Father and Aue Maria and knocking their breasts and whipping themselues before Images as the idolatrous Priests did before their idols The Apostle when he laid before the Corinthians the miserable state they stood in while they were yet Gentils he vseth no other tearmes then these Ye know that ye were Gentiles and were caried away vnto dumbe Idols as ye were led Which is as much as if he should say You were miserable and blind when ye were caried away vnto dumbe Idols Why then may we not say the same to Papists They may percase deny the case to be like But in my challenge I haue by many arguments proued them to be grosse Idolaters haue clearely shewed that they haue no better excuse for their worship of Images then the idolatrous Gentiles had for their worship of idoles Are they not then likewise blind and miserable Thinking to thrust others out of their societie which they call the Church they haue flatly excluded themselues from the societie and communion of the Catholike Church For if their Church be a companie of men professing the same faith and participating the same Sacraments vnder the rule of lawfull pastors and especially of the Pope as Bellarmine saith lib. 2. de Eccl. milit cap. 2. then are they not the catholike Church For that Church was long before either Pope or Bishop of Rome Beside that false it is that either the Apostles or whole Apostolike Church was subiect to the Bishop of Rome or that Iohn the Euangelist that liued long after Peter was subiect to Linus Cletus or Clement in whose time he liued Finally false it is that God appointed the church to be gouerned by the Bishops of Rome there is nothing thereof in Scriptures The Fathers shew that the chiefe authoritie in externall matters was in generall Councels and Emperors And Bellarmines idle disputes concerning his Pope are long since ouerthrowne That they are not the true Church it appeareth also for that they heare not the voice of Christ but follow a stranger for that
out most of their prayer bookes in Latine and closely forbid the common seruice and liturgie of the Church to be said in vulgar languages In the 22. session of the Conuenticle of Trent where they anathematise them that hold that the Masse should be celebrated in vulgar tongues their meaning is to establish the rites of the Romish Church and the Latine seruice and to prohibit the vse of vulgar tongues in publike liturgies And this is also proued by the practise of the synagogue of Rome that alloweth the prayers of such as pray in Latine albeit like Parrots they vnderstand not what they prattle and by the testimonie of Hosius Bellarmine and others writing vpon that argument But this practise is most barbarous fruitlesse and contrary to the custome of Christ his Church in auncient time Si nesciero virtutem vocis saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 14. ero ei cui loquor barbarus qui loquitur mihi barbarus that is If I vnderstand not the meaning of the words I vtter I shall be to him to whom I speake barbarous and he that speaketh shal be barbarous vnto me And againe If I pray in a strange tongue my spirit prayeth but mine vnderstanding is without fruite And a little after I will pray with the spirit but I will pray with the vnderstanding also I wil sing with the spirit but I wil sing with the vnderstanding also Else when thou blessest with the spirit how shall he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen to thy blessing when he knoweth not what thou sayest These words are most direct against the Latine seruice of the Papists shewing first that the priest speaking in Latine when the people vnderstandeth nothing taketh a barbarous course Secondly that songs and prayers without vnderstanding profit nothing And lastly that it is ridiculous for the people to say Amen to the priest when they vnderstand not his prayer or blessing Vt quid loquatur saith S. Ambrose in 1. Cor. 14. quem nemo intelligit Why should he speake whom no man can vnderstand And againe What profite can he reape that vnderstandeth not what he speaketh And afterward An vnlearned man saith he hearing but not vnderstanding knoweth not the end of the prayer nor answereth Amen that is true that the blessing may be confirmed And finally Si ad edificandam Ecclesiam conuenistis ea dici debent quae intelligant audientes that is if ye be come together to edifie the church then must such things be spoken as the hearers vnderstand Omnis sermo qui non intelligitur saith S. Hierome in 1. Cor. 14. barbarus est that is Euery language that is not vnderstood is barbarous And againe If any speake with tongues not vnderstood of others his vnderstanding is made without fruite if not to himselfe yet to others And lastly Sic est loquendum vt intelligant alij We must so speake that others vnderstand Saint Augustine expounding these words of the Psalmist Beatus populus sciens iubilationem nullo modo beatus es saith he nisi intelligas iubilationem that is thou art no way blessed vnlesse thou vnderstand thy song of reioycing or iubilation And againe in Psal 99. he misliketh that our voice should only sing a song of reioycing or iubilation and not our heart Vt vox nostra sola iubilet cor non iubilet which is iust the case of Papists chanting with a loud voice and not vnderstanding what they chaunt or pray This place our aduersary encont 1. c. 9. nu 8. would take from vs by saying that S. Augustine doth not speake of any corporall singing psalmes but rather of inward iubilation But S. Augustine mentioning our voice and speaking of those that sing and exhorting men in this and such like psalmes to praise God doth refute the fellowes foolery Beside that if iubilation be with vnderstanding of the hart then by S. Augustines iudgement those cannot reioyce or vse iubilation that vnderstand not what they say as the Papists do in their iubilations and iubilies chanting like pies and parrots they know not what and not conceiuing any inward ioy of any thing is spoken by the priest that is as well vnderstood as a Monkie chattering with his téeth and squealing out an indistinct voice Theophylact also and Oecumemus writing vpon the first to the Corinthians c. 14. confirme our cause and ouerthrow the aduersaries Dicit quod expediat saith Oecumenius eum qui alia lingna loquitur siue in psalmodia siue in oratione siue in doctrina aut ipsum interpretari intelligere quid dicat ad vtilitatem auditorum aut aliū hoc facere conuenit He saith that it behoueth him that vseth a strange tongue either in singing praier or teaching either to interprete himselfe and to vnderstand what he saith for the profit of the hearers or that it is fitting another should do it Theophylact saith that the Apostle in the whole course of his speech doth shew that he that speaketh with a tongue not vnderstood profiteth himselfe nothing Iustine in his apologie and Dionysius in his Ecclesiastical hierarchie describing the practise of the Primitiue Church do plainely shew that the people vnderstood the Bishop answered him and concurred with him Hierome in prolog 2. in Epist ad Galat. and Gregorie Nazianzene in orat in laudem Basilij do testifie that the people did answer Amen to the priests prayer But how could they say Amen to his prayer not vnderstanding what he said Ephrem made diuers praiers and songs in the Syriake tongue which were frequently vsed in the Churches of Syria Iustinian the Emperor made a law that the prayers vsed at the celebration of the sacrament should be pronounced with an audible voice But to what purpose if it were sufficient that the people should be present onely and not vnderstand what is said or praid This practise is clearely testified by Nicholas Lyra writing vpon the fourtéenth Chapter of the first to the Corinthians In the primitiue Church blessings and other common things viz. in the Liturgie were in the vulgar tongues saith he The aduersaries also enforced by the euidence of truth confesse it were more profitable to haue prayers and the publike Liturgie of the Church in tongues vnderstood of the people rather then otherwise as may be gathered out of the words of Strabus Lyra Caietane and others writing vpon the first to the Corinthians chap. 14. Finally reason maketh against the vse of a tongue not vnderstood in publike prayers For if such are condemned as come neare to God with their lippes hauing their hearts farre from him then are not they to be allowed that in their prayers ioyne not their heart with their words Secondly the Apostle sheweth 1. Cor. 14. that it is a curse laid vpon infidels when God speaketh to them in other tongues Thirdly the tongue seruing to vtter our conceipts it is a most ridiculous thing for men to vtter things neither conceiued nor meant Lastly if the
Praescript aduers Haeret. disputeth against the heresies of the Valentinians and Marcionites drawing arguments from the Apostles preaching and tradition But that was because they denyed and corrupted Scriptures For no man can deny but that their heresies are clearely conuinced by Scriptures Quod sumus hoc sunt That we are that they are saith Tertullian speaking of Scriptures That is likewise the meaning of Vincentius Lirinensis de Haeres cap. 27. for that depost of which he talketh is nothing but the Christian faith contained in scriptures But if Parsons will prooue his rule of faith he must shew a faith grounded vpon tradition that is not deduced out of Scriptures Nay if he will not be contrarie to himselfe he must shew that not the Apostles tradition as he saith in his Warn-word 1. Encoun cap. 15. but the Catholike church is the rule of faith as he holdeth Ward-word Encontr pag. 6. He doth also obiect against vs diuers alterations of religion in England in king Henry the eight his raigne Warn-word Encontr c. 16. and in king Edwards dayes and then asketh by what authoritie our rule of faith was established But first he might as well haue spoken of the alteration made in Q. Maries dayes when the impieties of Popish religiō were established by act of Parliament Secondly the alterations in religion made in England of late time make no variation in the rule of faith that is alwayes one but in the application and vse of it Thirdly albeit by act of Parliament the articles of religion were confirmed wherein the canon of scriptures and the substance of our confession is set downe yet was that rather a declaration of our acceptance then a confirmation of the rule of faith that in it selfe is alwayes immoueable Our rule of faith therefore is certaine albeit not alwaies in one sort approued or receiued by men But the rule of Popish faith neither in it self nor in the approbatiō of Parliaments or Churches is certaine or immoueable Finally he asketh a question of Sir Francis in his Ward-word p. 5. how he knoweth his religion to be true And saith he hath only two meanes to guide himselfe in this case and that is either Scriptures or the preaching of our Ministers But this question as I haue shewed toucheth himselfe that busideth his faith vpon the Pope nearer then Sir Francis who groundeth himselfe his faith only vpon the holy Scriptures and is assured of his faith not by these two meanes onely but by diuers others For beside Scriptures he hath the help of the Sacraments of the Church of Gods spirit working within him of miracles recorded in scriptures of auncient Fathers of the practise of the Church of the consent of nations of the confession of the aduersaries of the suffering of Martyrs and testimonies of learned men and such like arguments In this question therefore Robert Parsons shewed himselfe to be a silly Frier and to haue had more malice then might In time past also we were as shéepe going astray and out of the vnion of the Catholike and Apostolike Church Diuers of our auncestors worshipped the crosse and the images of the Trinitie with diuine worship Some like bruite beasts fell downe before Idols crept to the crosse and kissed wood and stone Others worshipped Angels the blessed Virgin and Saints praying vnto them in all their necessities trusting in them saying Masses in their honour and offering incense and prayers to their pictures and images For so they were taught or rather mistaught by popish Priests The Romish synagogue in the very foundations of religion was departed from the Apostolike and Catholike Church The schoolemen brought their proofes out of the Popes Decretals and Aristotles Metaphysickes Est Petri sedes saith Bellarmine in Praefat. ante lib. de Pont. Rom. lapis probatus angularis pretiosus in fundamento fundatus The See of Peter is an approued corner stone precious and laid in the foundation The same man lib. 2. de Pont. Rom. cap. 31. calleth the Pope the foundation of the Church Sanders calleth him the Rocke Alij nunc à Christo saith Stapleton relect princip doctr in Praef. eorúmue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locū habebūt That is Others now beside Christ and their doctrine preaching and determination shall be esteemed of me as a foundation This he saith where he talketh of the foundation of religion and the Church But the catholike Church had no foundation beside Christ Iesus and his holy word and Gospell taught by the Prophets and Apostles The Apostle Gal. 1. denounced him accursed that taught any other Gospell then that which he had preached The holy Fathers proued the faith by holy Scriptures and not by popish Decretals and philosophicall Principles Concerning Christs bodie the Romanists taught that the same is both in heauen and in the Sacrament albeit we neither could see it there nor féele it But the scriptures teach vs that his bodie is both palpable and visible Luk. 24. Mar. vlt. and is now taken vp into heauen So likewise teach the Fathers Vigilius in his fourth booke against Eutyches speaking of Christs bodie When it was on earth saith he surely it was not in heauen and now because it is in heauen certainely it is not on earth They haue also brought in new doctrine concerning Purgatorie and indulgences and which is no more like to the auncient catholike faith then heresie and noueltie to Christian religion They teach that whosoeuer doth not satisfie in this life for the temporall punishment of mortall sinnes committed after baptisme and remitted concerning the guiltinesse must satisfie for the same in Purgatorie vnlesse it please the Pope by his indulgences to release him Of the tormentors of soules in Purgatorie and of the nature qualitie and effect of indulgences they talke idlely and vnlike to the schollers of Catholikes The Catholicke doctrine concerning the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords supper they haue quite changed in Baptisme adding salt spittle hallowed water exorcismes blowings annointings light and other strange ceremonies In the Lords supper taking away the cup from the communicants and not deliuering but hanging vp or carying about the Sacrament and worshipping it as God and finally beléeuing holding transubstantiation They haue also deuised other sacraments and taught that they containe grace and iustifie They were wont to kisse the Popes toe and to receiue his dunghill decretals worshipping Antichrist and intitling him Christs Vicar All which nouelties superstitions and heresies by her Maiesties godly reformation are abolished who hath restored the auncient Catholike and Apostolike faith which the Popes of Rome for the most part had altered suppressed She hath also by her authoritie brought vs to the vnitie of the Catholike faith and by good lawes confirmed true Christian religion Before our times there was no settlement in matters of Religion Durand denieth Diuinitie to be Scientia Thomas and Richard Middleton hold that it is Writing vpon the
Iohn Baptist and as it followeth in the common confessiō But if they did not beléeue that Angels and Saints can forgiue sinnes they would not so pray vnto them Fourthly they make their vowes to saints as appeareth by the common formes of vowes of such as enter into Religion Bellarmine also lib. 3. de cult sanctor c. 9. confesseth that vowes may be well made to saints But the scriptures teach vs that this is an honor due vnto God Pay thy vows to the most high saith the prophet Psalm 50. and Deuter. 23. when thou shalt vow a vow to the Lord thy God Finally they pray to the crosse saying Auge pijs iustitiam reisque dona veniam that is increase iustice in the godly and graunt pardon to sinners as if a stocke could encrease iustice or pardon sinners We are therefore herein to acknowledge Gods fauour and continually to praise him for his goodnes who gaue vs such a Queen as with al her heart sought to pul downe the altars and groues of Baal to root out idolatry and superstition and to restore Gods true worship In the beginning of her reigne the holy scriptures were restored to the people in their mother tongue and Gods true worship established in the Church according to that rule God was serued in spirit and truth and the seruice of the Church brought back to the auncient forme of Christs primitiue Church CHAP. V. Of the translations of Scriptures into vulgar tongues and reading them publikely in tongues vnderstood HE that doth euill hateth the light No maruel then Ioh. 3. if the Pope his crue of Masse-priests shun the scriptures their workes and doctrine being euill and the scriptures being compared to light Psalm 119. and to a candle shining in a darke place 2. Pet. 1. they would if they durst plainely prohibite scriptures as appéereth by the practise of the begging Fryers in the time of William de sanct amore who hauing brought all their fancies and traditions into one volume Doctores Paris de penc nouis temp and calling the same the eternal Gospel preached that the Gospel of Christ should cease and that their eternal Gospel should be preached and receiued to the end of the world The Pope also could hardly be enduced to condemne this blasphemous booke of the Fryers In the end I confesse he was forced for shame to abolish it yet he conceiued infinite displeasure against the Doctors of Paris and fauored the Fryers as much as he could And now albeit he hath not simply prohibited the translation of scriptures and reading them in vulgar tongues yet he hath so limited the same as in effect they are as good as prohibited For first he will not permit that scriptures translated into vulgar tongues shall be read publikely in the Church as both the Trent conuenticle and the practise of the Romish Church declareth Secondly Regulae Ind. lib. prohib Pope Pius the fourth doth simply forbid all translations of scriptures into vulgar tongues such onely except as are made by his adherents and followers which are not onely false and absurd in diuers points but also corrupted with diuers false and wicked annotations as the Rhemish annotations vpon the new testament being examined do manifestly declare Thirdly we do not find that the Papists are hastie in setting forth translations of scriptures in vulgar tongues nor can I learne that the Bible is hitherto translated into the Spanish Italian and Dutch tongue by them Fourthly they will haue no Booke-sellers sel Bibles though translated into vulgar tongues by them selues without leaue Fiftly they wil not permit any man to read Bibles so translated by themselues without leaue Sixtly they graunt leaue to none to reade scriptures in vulgar tongues albeit allowed by themselues but to such onely as they suppose to be resolued or rather drowned in the dregges of Popish errors and to lay men seldome or neuer do they grant the same I do not beleeue that Robert Parsons albeit well acquainted in Spaine and Italie can name a doosen lay men of either nation that haue licence to reade Scriptures in vulgar tongues or that had licence in England in Quéene Maries time to reade Scriptures translated into their mother tongue If he know any such he may do well to name them If he name them not his silence wil bréed suspition if it be not taken for a plaine confession Finally if any among the Papists be taken with other translations then such as themselues allow or not hauing himselfe obtained licence according to the foresaid rule he is presently taken for suspect of heresie and seuerely punished if he acquite not himselfe the better So we sée that among them it is lawfull to reade all prophane bookes if they fall not within the compasse of their prohibition and to tumble ouer the lying legends of Saints and the fabulous booke of Conformities of Saint Francis with Christ and that without leaue But Scriptures translated into vulgar tongues no man may reade without leaue Now how contrarie this course is to the word of God to the practise of Gods Church and to all reason we may easily perceiue by these particulars God would haue the words of the law not onely a continuall subiect of our talke and meditations Deut. 6. but also to be written at the entrances and doores of our houses Our Sauiour Christ preaching to the Iewes willed them to search the Scriptures But how can this be done if Scriptures be not translated into tongs which we vnderstand and if no man may reade them without leaue In the primitiue Church they were publikely read in the Syrian Egyptian Punicke other vulgar tongues By the testimonie of Bede hist Angl. lib. 1. it appeareth they were translated into the British tongue and into other vulgar tongues the mysteries of religion being made common to diuers nations by the meditation of Scriptures Lib. 2. aduers haeres cap. 46 Irenaeus speaking of all the Scriptures saith They may be heard alike of all Hierome in an Epistle to Laeta and in another to Celantia exhorteth them to reade Scriptures But how can they be heard alike if they may not be translated nor read publikely in vulgar toungs And why should it be more lawfull for Laeta and Celantia to reade Scriptures then for other men and women In his Commentaries likewise vpon the 86. Psalme he saith that Scriptures are read to all that all may vnderstand Scriptura populis omnibus legitur vt omnes intelligant But how can the common people vnderstand a strange toung Chrysostome homil 9. in Epist ad Coloss teacheth that the Apostle commandeth lay men to reade scriptures and that with great diligence The Apostle teacheth vs that the word of God is the sword of the spirit And before I haue shewed that it is light Our Sauiour saith that the word of God is food to our soule Basil homil 29. saith That the old and new Testament are the treasure of the Church
Romaines and Greekes in auncient time might vse vulgar tongues in their publike Liturgies why is not the same both lawfull and commendable now Friar Robert Encont 1. cap. 8. endeuoureth to shew reason to the contrarie But his reason is weak and friuolous Comparing prayers with Scriptures he saith there is much lesse necessitie of publike seruice in vulgar tongues But if he had meant to defend the Popes cause and his owne and to propound the state of the controuersie betwixt vs aright he should haue said that there is no profit or vse at all of vulgar tongues in the publike seruice in the Church and that it is rather inconuenient and hurtfull then otherwise For if it be profitable and no way inconuenient why should not the publike Liturgie of the Church be in vulgar tongues Notwithstanding let vs sée how he proueth that Warn-word Encentr 1. cap. 8. which himselfe propoundeth albeit not the point in question First he saith that publike seruice is appointed to be said or sung to the praise of God and in the name of all the people by publike Priests and other ecclesiasticall officers appointed thereunto But if publike seruice be appointed to be said or song to the praise of God then vnlesse he exclude the people from the praises of God the people also is to concurre with the Priests in praysing of God which they cannot do vnlesse they vnderstand the language of the seruice But I trow he will not denie but that the people ought to ioyne in singing Psalmes and giuing thankes to God in the open congregation And therefore the Psalme 95. Come let vs sing vnto the Lord is commonly vsed in the beginning of Gods seruice and the people in auncient Liturgies were wont oftentimes to answer the Priest Againe it is false that publike seruice was appointed to be said and sung onely by ecclesiasticall officers and that the people did not as well pray for things necessarie as praise God for benefites receiued But how could they do this not knowing what they sayd or prayed If a man should present himselfe before the Pope and speake ghibrish or a language not vnderstood by the partie would he not thinke himselfe mocked He addeth further that it is not needfull for the people to be alwaies present at publike seruice but onely in spirit and consent of heart But the fellow doth plainely contradict himselfe For how can a man be present in spirit and consent of heart when he is absent with his vnderstanding and knoweth not what is done or said Beside that he ouerthroweth that which he would proue For if consent of spirit and heart be requisite in publike seruice then is it requisite the people should vnderstand what is said without which vnderstanding he cannot consent Lastly if it be profitable that the people be present in the congregation where God is serued that is sufficient for vs to proue our assertion For why should not the people méete to celebrate the praises of God being commaunded to kéepe his Sabboths And why should they rather be enioyned to heare Masse which is a profanation of Gods seruice then to come to the Church to praise God and to pray vnto him and to heare his holy word And if the people ought to do this then is it not sufficient that in time of seruice they should gape on the Priest or patter their Pater nosters or Aue Mariaes or rattle their beades as the ignorant Papistes vse to do Thirdly he supposeth he can proue seruice in an vnknowne tongue out of the ceremoniall law of Moyses For because it is said Luk. 1. That all the multitude of the people was praying without at the houre of incense while Zacharie offered incense within he would inferre very willingly that it is not necessarie the people should pray with the Priest in a tongue vnderstood But if this might be applyed to the Masse then would it also follow that the Priest might offer the sacrifice of the Masse without a Clerke and the people attend without in the church yard It would also follow that the people might not heare nor sée Masse For that the people might not enter within nor sée what was done in the sanctuarie Against vs this example fitteth not For neither can any strong argument be drawne from the ceremonies of the law that are now abrogated nor can Frier Robert shew that the Priests of the law prayed in a tongue not vnderstood or that they vsed any publike prayer which the people heard not Fourthly he alleageth that the three learned languages of Hebrew Greeke and Latine were sanctified by Christ in the title of his crosse But neither is he able to shew why these thrée languages should be called learned rather then others nor doth it follow that in publike seruice we should vse only these thrée languages because they were vsed in the title of the crosse vnlesse our aduersarie will graunt that it also followeth because Christ rode vpon an asse that he and his consorts are onely to ride vpon asses Fiftly he telleth vs that auncient Fathers testifie that it is not conuenient that all things that are handled in Church seruice praesertim in sacris mysterijs should be vnderstood by all vnlearned people in their owne vulgar languages And to prooue this he citeth Dionysius Origen S. Basil Chrysostome and Gregorie But herein he sheweth himselfe a shamelesse fellow albeit all men knew it before For none of these speaketh one word against vulgar languages Nay all of them shew that the people vnderstood the language of publike Liturgies Againe they deny not that it is conuenient that the people should vnderstand the mysteries of Christian religion but rather shew the difficultie of it But what is that to vulgar languages when the Priests themselues vnderstand not the mysteries of Christian religion A sixth argument he draweth from the practise of the Iewes supposing that in Iurie and Ierusalem the publike seruice was in Hebrew and that Hebrew was not vnderstood of the common people But neither was publike seruice in all Syria in Hebrew as appeareth by the songs and prayers of Ephrem in the Syrian tongue nor is it likely that the Iewes did not vnderstand Hebrew in Christs time seeing now all the Iewes as it is said teach their children Hebrew In Esdras lib. 2. cap. 8. it appeareth they vnderstood Hebrew Intellexerunt verba quae docuerat eos They vnderstood the words which he taught them That therefore which is spoken of interpretation is meant of the meaning and not of the words as very simply our aduersaries suppose His seuenth argument is taken from the example of the Apostles that as he saith appointed the order of seruice But this ouerthroweth our aduersaries cause For if the Apostles neuer appointed the Masse or the canon or that seruice should be said in a tongue not vnderstood but rather ordained another forme of celebration of Sacraments as I haue shewed in my bookes de Missa against
Bellarmine and if it be a matter cleare that all should be done decently in the Church and to edification then is it not likely that they would allow or did appoint the seruice of God to be said in a tongue not vnderstood of the people and very hardly vnderstood of most Priests Here also he denyeth That it can be shewed out of any author of antiquitie whatsoeuer that any christian Catholike countrie since the Apostles time had publike seruice in any language but in one of these three viz. Hebrew Gréeke or Latine except by some speciall dispensation from the Pope and vpon some speciall consideration for some limited time But first it maketh nothing for him or against vs if any nation had their seruice in Greek Latine or Hebrew if the same vnderstood the language of the publike Liturgie For we onely say that seruice ought not to be said in a language not vnderstood Secondly where he denyeth the vse of all other tongues beside these thrée he sheweth himselfe either very ignorant or very impudent If he haue not read auncient Fathers and histories concerning the languages of publike Liturgies he is but an ignorant nouice in this cause If he know the practise of the Church and denie it he wanteth shame That other tongues haue bene vsed in publike Liturgies beside the thrée mentioned it may be proued by diuers testimonies Hierome in the funerall Sermon of Paula saith that Psalmes were sung not onely in Hebrew Gréeke and Latine but also in the Syrian language In his Epistle to Heliodorus he saith that the languages and writings of all nations do sound foorth Christ his passion and resurrection Nunc passionem Christi resurrectionem eius cunctarum gentium voces literae sonant And againe in his Epistle to Marcella Vox quidem dissona sed vna religio tot penè psallentium chori quot gentium diuersitates The tongue is diuers but one religion there be so many quires of singers as there be diuersities of nations S. Ambrose writing vpon the first Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 14. speaking of Iewes conuerted to Christ Hi ex Hebraeis erant saith he qui aliquando Syria lingua plerunque Hebraea in tractatibus oblationibus vtebantur These were Iewes which in their Sermons and oblations vsed sometime the Syrian tongue and oftentimes the Hebrew Theodoret lib. 4. cap. 29. saith Ephrem made Hymnes and Psalmes in the Syrian tongue And Sozomen saith they were sung in Churches Chrysostome in 2. ad Corinth homil 18. saith that in celebration of the eucharist all ought to be common because the whole people and not the priest alone giueth thankes Et cum spiritu tuo nihil aliud est saith he quà m ea quae sunt eucharistiae communia sunt omnia neque enim ille solus gratias agit sed populus omnis Saint Augustine expos 2. in psal 18. saith we ought to vnderstand what we say or sing that like men and not like parrots or ousels we may sing It appeareth by Iustinians 123. nouel constitution and by Isidore Ecclesiast offic lib. 1. ca. 10. and by the ninth chapter of S. Augustine de catechisand rudib that the people in time past did vnderstand Church seruice In Britaine the Romaine musicke was not in vse before the time of Iames the Deacon of Yorke about the yeare of the Lord 640. Bede lib. 1. hist Anglic. cap. 1. signifieth that the knowledge of diuine mysteries was made common to diuers nations inhabiting Britanie by meditation of scriptures Auentinus annal Boior li. 4. saith The priests of Liburnia are ignorant of the Latine tongue and in their mother tongue offer the sacrifice of the Eucharist Adhuc saith he ignari sunt Romanae linguae sacrificia patrio more nempe Slauorum procurant The Aethiopian canon of the Masse which they call vniuersall is in the Aethiopian language as the translation witnesseth that is published in Biblioth patr tom 6. à Bignio edit Sigismundus Baro in his commentaries of the Muscouiticall affaires telleth vs how that nation doth celebrate Masse in their mother tongue Totum sacrum seu missa sayth he gentili ac vernacula lingua apud illos peragi solet The aduersaries themselues also testifie for vs. Thomas Aquinas in 1. Cor. 14. speaking of the vse of strange languages in the Church sayth it was accounted madnesse in the primitiue Church because Christians were not then instructed in Ecclesiasticall rites Ideò erat insania in Primitiua Ecclesia quia erant rudes in ritu Ecclesiastico In Primitiua Ecclesia saith Lyra in 1. Cor. 14. benedictiones cetera communia fiebant in vulgari that is in the primitiue church blessings and other common oraysons were made in vulgar tongues Iohn Billet in his summe de diuin offic in prolog confesseth that in the Primitiue Church Christians were forbidden to speake with tongues vnlesse there were some by to interprete He saith also that it profiteth vs nothing to heare vnlesse we vnderstand lamenting that in his time there were so few that vnderstood either what they heard or what they read And thus much to refel Robert Parsons his notorious impudencie that would néeds affirme that it cannot be shewed out of any author of antiquitie that any Catholike country had publike seruice in vulgar tongues His eight argument is deduced from the vse of the Hebrew Greeke and Latine tongues in Asia Africke and the Westerne countries But vnlesse he can shew that these tongues were not vnderstood of those people that had their publike seruice in them all this maketh for vs and not for him For we do not deny the vse of these tongues to those that vnderstand them but onely thinke it madnesse to vse them where they are not vnderstood In Asia the Greeke tongue was common to most nations Therfore the seruice was in Greeke and not in Latine albeit Parsons suppose Latine to be a sanctified tongue In Africke and diuerse Westerne countries Latine was a common language in time past and therefore they had their liturgies in Latine and not in Greeke It appeareth by S. Augustine retract lib. 1. c. 20 that diuers vnderstood Latine better then the Punike tong and Cicero pro Archia sayth that the Greeke tongue was a common language in his time Although therefore the publicke seruice of the Church was in Greeke and Latine when those tongues were best vnderstood yet it followeth not that the same should be still vsed when no man of the vulgar sort vnderstandeth them or that the Catholicke Church did generally or euer practise this or that S. Augustine lib 4. cont Donatist cap. 24. doth intend to speake for the vse of vnknowne languages as Fryer Robert vnlearnedly and blockishly pretendeth Finally he alleageth that euery man lightly vnderstandeth somewhat of the Latine But lightly he telleth vs a loud lie as experience may teach euery man that is not obstinate Beside that if it be profitable for some men to vnderstand some
few words then reason will inferre that it were far more profitable if the publike seruice were in a tongue that might of all the hearers be vnderstood It is therefore a great blessing that we may heare God speaking vnto vs in scriptures in our owne mother tongue and praise and honor him with heart and voyce in the publike congregation If then Robert Parsons meane to confirme his owne opinion and to ouerthrow our cause he must bring better arguments answer these testimonies and not fight with his owne shadow or cauill with some words or allegations that are not materiall CHAP. VII Of the great deliuerance of Christians out of the bloudie hands of wooluish Papistes wrought by Queene Elizabeth No man can wel esteeme what fauor God hath done the Church of England by deliuering the same from the cruell persecution of the bloudie and mercilesse Papists but such as either themselues suffered or else knew the sufferings and vexations of their brethren in Quéene Maries time Neither do any so well apprehend Gods mercie in deliuering them from the dangers of the sea as those that haue either passed great stormes or escaped after shipwracke séeing their fellowes swallowed in the sea But those that liued in the dayes of Quéene Mary and escaped the crueltie of those times or else by report know the desperate resolution of the wooluish persecutors both well know the fauor of God to the Church and English nation and can not choose but shew them selues thankefull for the same The bloudy inquisitors neither spared old nor yong noble nor base learned nor simple man nor womā if he were supposed to be contrary to their procéedings The records of Marian Bishops offices are so many testimonials of their extreme crueltie Neither was any free from danger if any quarrell could be picked to him for religion Those that were suspected were imprisoned and hardly handled such as recanted were put to penance those that confessed the faith constantly lost life and all they had As S. Augustine lib. 22. de ciuit Dei cap. 6. saith of the Primitiue Church so may we say of the Christian Martyrs of our time Ligabantur includebantur caedebantur torquebantur vrebantur they were bound put in prison beaten racked and burnt The brother deliuered vp his brother and a mans domesticals were his enemies Eusebius lib. 2. de vita Constan cap. 51. saith That without respect of age all manner of torments were inflicted vpon the bodies of Christians Quae incendij flamma fuit saith he quis cruciatus quod tormentorum genus quod non fuerit omnium sanctorum corporibus nulla aetatis ratione habita irrogatum The like may we say of the holy Martyrs of Queene Maries dayes For neither hard dealing torment nor fire was spared to draw men from the confession of the true faith Neither did the cruell aduersarie respect the reuerend Prelates nor the tendernesse of young age nor the modestie of matrons But Quéene Elizabeth coming to the crowne the fires were quenched the swords were wrested out of the cruell executioners hands and true Christians were not onely deliuered out of prison and banishment but also fréed from feare of persecution Therefore we say with the Prophet Psal 139. Blessed be God that hath not giuen vs as a prey into their teeth Our soule is escaped as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowler The grinne is broken and we are deliuered And as Eusebius said sometimes of the benefite Eccles hist 10. cap. 1. which the Church enioyed by Constantine the Great so we may also most iustly say Nos haec beneficia maiora quà m vitae nostrae conditio fert confitentes sicut egregiam Dei eorumdem authoris magnificentiam obstupescimus sic illum optimo iure totius animae viribus colentes summè celebramus c. We confessing these benefites to be greater then the condition of our life may beare as we wonder at the singular bountie of God the author of them so we do highly praise him deseruedly with all the might of our soule and do testifie the holy predictions of Prophets in Scriptures to be true in which it is said Come and see the workes of the Lord and what wonders he hath done vpon the earth ceassing warres vnto the end of the world He shall breake the bow and teare armes and burne the shields with fire Impijs hominibus è medio sublatis potestate tyrannica deleta mundus de reliquo velut solis claritate collustratus fuit This saith Eusebius of Constantine but the same was also verified of our late Quéenes raigne For wicked men being put out of place and tyrannicall power ceassing the world afterward séemed to reioyce as lightened with the brightnes of the Sunne Against this discourse Robert Parsons opposeth himselfe in his first Enconter chap. 10. num 11. and belcheth out a great deale of malice out of his distempered stomacke being sorie as it séemeth that any escaped his consorts handes But all his spite is spent in two idle questions First he asketh whether this freedome for persecution be common to al or to some onely as if because seditious Masse-priests and their traiterous consorts and other malefactors are punished this were no publike benefite that all Christians may fréely professe religion Secondly he asketh whether we be free from persecution passiue or actiue meaning because murderers and traitors suborned to trouble the state passe the triall of iustice that we are persecutors But his exceptions do rather shew malice then wit For first albeit all men be not fréed from punishment yet is it a great blessing that true Christians may professe religion without feare or danger For in Constantine the Great his time murderers and rebels other notorious offendors were punished and yet doth Eusebius accompt the deliuerance of Christians from persecution a great benefite If there had bene also then any Assassins or traiterous Masse-priests suborned to kill Princes or to raise sedition they should haue bene executed and yet could no man haue called Constantine a persecutor Let Parsons therefore if he haue any shame cease to talke of persecution considering the bloodie massacres and executions committed by his consorts vpon Christians for méere matter of religion and forbeare to tell vs either of Penrie or an hundred Priests put to death For they were not called in question for religion but for adhering to the Pope and Spaniard that went about to take the Crowne from her Maiesties head and for going about by colour of their idolatrous Priesthood to make a partie for the ayde of forraine enemies as by diuers arguments I haue declared in my challenge and Robert Parsons as a fugitiue disputer and not onely a fugitiue traitor answereth nothing CHAP. VIII Of the deliuerance of the realme of England from the Popes exactions THe Pope of Rome and his greasie crew of pol-shorne Priests although they challenge power of binding and loosing yet as experience hath taught vs
do rather bind heauie burthens on mens shoulders then bind their consciences and rather séeke to loose and emptie their purses then to loose them from their sinnes A man will hardly beléeue what summes of money they haue extorted from all sorts of men But if we consider the hookes engines and diuers practises which they haue vsed to abuse the world we néed not make question but their dealings are very intolerable The Popes haue made mony of licences to marrie to eate flesh or whit-meate of dispensations concerning benefices of indulgences of releasing of Church censures of delegating of causes of collation of benefices of deuolutions of reseruations of prouisions of procurations of the intricate rules of the Popes Chancerie of granting priuiledges of licences to kéepe concubines of common whores of annates of contributions of tenths of erection of Churches of canonization of Saints of cases reserued Neither had they any law or passed any act but it was a meanes to make money Likewise Masse-priests and Friars learning of their holy Father sold Masses Absolutions and such licences and faculties as lay in their hand to grant Neither would they do any thing without money Monkes and Friars beside buying and selling had a most gainefull trade of begging And such was their shamelesse dealing that of the house of God they made a shoppe of merchandize or rather a denne of théeues In England the Popes had a contribution called Peter pence and yet not content therewith or with the ordinarie gaine of their faculties annates contributions they imposed extraordinarie subsidies as oft as themselues listed The English did make a grieuous complaint against the Popes court in a certaine Synode at Lyon in the dayes of Henry the third as Matth. of Paris testifieth The same man affirmeth that the Romish Court did swallow vp like a gulfe euery mans reuenues and tooke almost all that Bishops or Abbots possessed Quae curia saith he instar barathri potestatem habet consuetudinem omnium reditus absorbendi imo ferè omnia quaecunque Episcopi possident Abbates Bonner in his Preface before Stephen Gardiners booke de vera obedientia speaking of the spoile made in England by the Pope saith it did almost amount to as much as the kings reuenues Prouentus regios ferè aequabat saith he In pragmat sanct In Fraunce king Lewis the ninth complaineth that his kingdome was miserably brought to pouertie by the Popes exactions and therefore he expresly forbiddeth them Exactiones saith he onera grauissima pecuniarum per Curiam Rom. Ecclesiae regni nostri impositas vel imposita quibus regnum nostrum miserabiliter depauperatum existit siue etiam imponendas vel imponenda leuari aut colligi nullatenus volumus In Spaine euery one of any qualitie is inforced to pay for two ordinarie pardons whereof the one is for the dead the other for the liuing Beside this the Pope vpon diuers occasions sendeth cruciataes and general pardons by which he procureth great commoditie Iosephus Angles in 4. sent cap. de indulgentijs signifieth that the king sometime payeth an hundred thousand duckats for one pardon and afterward remburseth himselfe playing the Popes broker Adde then vnto this reckening whatsoeuer the Pope getteth out of Spaine by dispensations licences priuiledges contributions and other trickes and the summe of his collections will appeare a very great matter In Conclu grauam The Germaines in their complaints exhibited to the Popes Legate affirme that the burthens laid on them by the Romish Church were most vrgent intolerable and not to be borne Vrgentissima atque intolerabilia penitusque non ferenda onera Generally all Christians complaine of them Matth. Paris in Hen. 3. speaking of the times of Gregory the 9. and of the couetousnesse of the Romish Church saith That like an impudent and common whore she was exposed and set to sale to al men accounting vsury for a litle fault symony for none Permittente vel procurante Papa Gregorio adeo inualuit Ecclesiae Romanae insatiabilis cupiditas confundens fas nefasque quod deposito rubore velut meretrix vulgaris effrons omnibus venalis exposita vsuram pro paruo symoniam pro nullo inconuenienti reputauit Theodoric à Niem nemor vnion tract 6. ca. 37. speaking of the Popes Exchequer sayth It is like a sea into the which all flouds run and yet it floweth not ouer He sayth further that his officers do scourge poore Christians like Turkes or Tartarians Ipse Romanus pontifex saith Ioannes Sarisburiensis lib. 6. Polycrat cap. 24. omnibus ferè est intolerabilis Laetatur spolijs Ecclesiarum quaestum omnem reputat pietatem prouinciarum diripit spolia ac si thesauros Croesi studeat reparare The Pope to all men is almost become intolerable he delighteth in the spoyles of the Church he esteemeth gaine to be godlinesse he spoyleth countries as if he meant to repaire Croesus his treasures Ioannes Andreas in 6. de elect elect potest c. fundamenta in Glossa saith that Rome was built by robbers and yet retaineth a tack of her first originall Baptista of Mantua sheweth that in Rome Churches priests altars and al monuments of Religion are sold And yet he forgot to tell of the great reuenue the Pope getteth by common whores It is shame to consider how many benefices the Pope bestoweth on one man Qua vtique abominatio saith Gerson tractat de statu Ecclesiae quod vnus ducenta alius trecenta beneficia occupat What an abominatiō is this that one should possesse 200. another 300. benefices We may imagine what spoiles are committed in other things when the Pope selleth so many benefices to one and one man spoyleth so many Churches Therefore saith the Bishop of Chems oner eccles cap. 19. that as in the Romaine Empire so in the Church of Rome there is a gulfe of riches and that couetousnes is encreased and the law perished from the priest and seeing frō the Prophet Heu saith he sicut olim in Rom. Imperio sic hodie in Romana curia est vorago diuitiarum turpissima Creuit auaritia perijt lex à sacerdote visio à Propheta Petrarch calleth Rome couetous Babylon L'auara Babylonia ha colmo il sacco de l ira de Dio. And this is the common crie of all men that are subiect to the synagogue of Romes tyrannie Is it not then a great fauor of God that by the gouernment of Quéene Elizabeth we were so happily deliuered from the Popes manifold exactions against which so many haue complained and exclaimed and yet neuer could find conuenient remedie Is it not an ease to be deliuered from intolerable burthens and a great contentment to be fréed from such vniust pillages Robert Parsons Encont 1. cap. 11. would gladly haue the world to say not as hauing some share in the spoile and like a begging Fryer liuing on the labors of others But his exceptions are such as may greatly confirme ou◠yea
abrogated Christs institution in the celebration of the Lords supper not onely taking away the cuppe from the communicants but making a priuate action of that which should be a communion Is not this as much as the Pharisies did Mat 15. that transgressed Gods commaundement for their owne tradition And do not the Papists ordaine that vnwritten traditions should be receiued with equall affection to the holy Scriptures Againe what reason haue they to curse and anathematise Iam. 4. nay to put to cruell death such as obey not their ordinances and vniust decrees S. Iames saith We haue but one Law-giuer that is able to saue and destroy And no where do we reade that the Church of Christ did persecute Christians and put them death for matters of their conscience and religion much lesse for matter of ceremonies or such obseruances Neither can the aduersarie shew that bishops excommunicated Christians that would not rebell and take armes against their Liege Soueraignes Which of vs saith Optatus lib. 2. contra Parmenian did persecute any man The Apostle he commaundeth euery soule to be subiect to higher powers and not to rebell How vntolerable then are the Romish decretals and rescripts that not onely bind mens consciences in things frée otherwise but also in things that may not be done without impietie Likewise haue diuers complained of the abuse of popish excommunications That which our Sauior Christ saith If he heare not the Church let him be to thee as a heathen man or Publican that the popish faction translateth to the ridiculous censure of the Pope And therefore excommunicateth al that place not the Churches vnwritten traditions in equall rancke with diuine Scriptures or that beléeue not that Christians can performe the lawe perfectly and are iustified before God by the workes of the law or that hold not the doctrine of the Romish Church concerning their seuen Sacraments or that do not worship Images or that receiue not their doctrine of indulgences and purgatorie and all the heresies and abhominations of the Pope or that submit not themselues to his tyrannie or that refuse to pay his annates or taxes or whatsoeuer he and his suppostes require Nay they excommunicate the subiects that rebell not against their lawfull Kings After that Pius the fifth that wicked and cruell hypocrite had commanded that neither the Lords nor people of England should obey Quéene Elizabeths commandements or lawes it followeth In Bulla contra Elizabetham Qui secus egerint eos anathematis sententia innodamus That is Those which shall do otherwise we pronounce accursed or anathema Neither did the Pope onely in time past thunder out those curses but also gaue leaue to euery base companion and for euery small trifling cause to inflict most grieuous censures Petrus de Alliaco speaking of the Pope and his excommunications complaineth that he gaue leaue to his Collectors to thunder out excommunications to the offence of many and that other Prelates for debts and light causes did cruelly excommunicate poore men De reform Eccles Saepè saith he per suos Collectores in multorum scandalum fulminauit alij Praelati leuiter pro leuibus causis vt pro debitis huiusmodi pauperes excommunicatione crudeliter percutiunt The Germaines complaine Grauam 34. that many Christians were excommunicated at Rome for prophane causes and for gaine to the trouble of diuers mens consciences Romae say they caeterisque in locis per Archiepiscopos ac Episcopos aut saltem eorum ecclesiasticos iudices multi Christianorum ob causas prophanas ob pecuniae denique ac turpis quaestus amorem excommunicantur multorumque sed eorum in fide infirmorum conscientiae per hoc aggrauantur in desperationem pertrahuntur Scotus in 4. sent dist 19. complaineth De reform Eccles that the Church did too often strike with this sword and Petrus de Alliaco saith that by this abuse the sword of the Church was in his time growne into great contempt Of late time the Popes of Rome haue excommunicated Emperours and kings if they would not depart with their townes countries and crownes and yeeld to their legats what they demaunded How intolerable this abuse was we may perceiue if we consider the heauinesse of this censure being rightly inflicted by the true Church Our Sauiour sheweth that the partie excommunicate is to be holden for a heathen man and a Publican Tertullian Apolo 39. doth call it the highest fore-iudgement of the future iudgement Lib 1. Epist 11. ad Pomp. Summum futuri iudicij praeiudicium Cyprian doth esteeme them as killed with the spirituall sword Superbi contumaces saith he spirituali gladio necantur dum de Ecclesia eijciuntur Commonly excommunication is called Anathema and Chrysostome homil 70. ad populum Antioch calleth it the bond of the Church We are therefore no lesse to be thankfull for our deliuerance from the Popes vniust lawes then the auncient Christians for their exemption from the yoke of the Pharisies and from humane traditions from which by the preaching of the Gospell they were freed Neither may we think it a simple fauour that we are made to vnderstand that the crackes of the Popes thundring excommunications are no more to be feared then the ratling of Salmoneus that impious fellow that with certaine engines went about to counterfeit the noise of thunder We knew alwaies that a man vniustly excommunicated and by a Iudge vnlawfull was no way preiudiced Origen in Leuit. homil 48. speaking of a person excommunicate saith that he is not hurt at all being by wrongfull iudgement expelled out of the congregation Nihil laeditur in eo quod non recto iudicio ab hominibus videtur expulsus And the aduersaries confesse that excommunication pronounced vniustly and by him that is not our Iudge bindeth not C. nullus 9. q. 2. and C. nullus primus 9. q. 2. and C. sententia 11. q. 3. But few vnderstood the iniustice and nullitie of the Popes lawes and that he neither was nor is a competent iudge vntill such time as by true preaching of the Gospell which by Queene Elizabeth was restored vnto vs the man of sinne beganne to be reuealed CHAP. X. Of our deliuerance from heresie schisme superstition and Idolatrie THese things therefore considered it cannot be denied but that her Maiesties godly reformation brought great profite to the Church of England Yet if we please to looke backe to the heresies of the Papists and to remember how they liued in heresie schisme superstition and idolatry we shall the rather praise God for that great deliuerance of his Church which he wrought by the meanes of our late Quéene For heresie and false doctrine is the bane and canker of the Church The Apostle Paul If an Angel from heauen should teach vs any other Gospel or doctrine beside that whith himselfe had taught the Galathians Gal. 1. doth pronounce him accursed S. Iohn in his second Epistle forbiddeth vs
to receiue into our houses Gal. 5. or to salute such as bring not his doctrine Heresie schisme and idolatrie are reckoned among the workes of the flesh the workers whereof shall not inherit the kingdome of God Flie saith Ignatius those that cause heresie and schisme Epist ad Smyrnens as the principall cause of mischiefe Quod maius potest esse delictū saith Cyprian lib. 2. Epist 11. aut quae macula deformior quà m aduersus Christum stetisse quà m Ecclesiam eius quà m ille sanguine suo parauit dissipasse What offence can be greater or what blot more vgly then to haue stood against Christ then to haue scattered his church which he hath purchased with his blood Those which do perseuere in discord of schisme saith S. Augustine lib. 1. de bapt contra Donatist c. 15. do pertaine to the lot of Ismael Superstition is the corruption of true Religion and although coloured with a shew of wisedom yet is condemned by the Apostle Lib. 1. Instit diuin c. 21. Col. 2. Lactantius speaking of the superstition of the Gentiles doth call it An incurable madnesse Dementiam incurabilem and afterward vanitie Ibid. c. 22 Iustine in ser exhort ad Gentes sayth that idolatry is not only iniurious vnto God but also voide of reason Principale crimen generis humani saith Tertullian Lib. de idolol summus seculi reatus tota causa iudicij idololatria That is Idolatrie is the principall crime of mankind the chiefe guiltines of the world and the whole cause of iudgement 1. Ioh. 5. No maruell then if Iohn the Apostle exhort all men To keepe themselues from idols this sinne being direct against the honor of God and nothing else but spirituall fornication Let vs therfore see whether the Papists may not be touched with the aforesaid crimes of teaching hereticall and false doctrine and of long continuance in schisme superstition and idolatry That the Papists teach false doctrine and heresie the acts of the conuenticle of Trent of Florence and Constance compared with the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles and faith of the auncient fathers will plainely declare For as Tertullian said of old heretikes so may we say of them That their doctrine compared with the Apostolicke doctrine doth by the diuersitie and contrarietie thereof declare that it proceedeth from no Apostle or Apostolicke man Ipsa doctrina eorum cum Apostolica comparata ex diuersitate contrarietate sua pronunciabit neque Apostoli alicuius autoris esse neque Apostolici De praescrip aduers haeret 2. Tim. 3. saith he The Apostle teacheth vs That the Scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect They say that the Scriptures are but a péece of the rule of faith and very imperfect without traditions S. Peter 2. Pet. 1. compareth the scriptures of the Prophets to a candle shining in a dark place they teach that scriptures are darke and obscure God commaundeth vs to heare his beloued Sonne Mat. 3. they commaund vs not to heare Christ speaking in scriptures to vs but to heare the Pope and his cacolike crue which they endue with the name of the Church 1. Cor. 3. The Apostle saith That no other foundation could be laid beside that which is alreadie layd which is Christ Iesus These fellowes say the Church is built vpon the Pope and that he is the foundation of the Church although we find plainely that there was no such Pope for many ages in the Church Christ said Reade the Scriptures these say directly to the vulgar sort reade not Scriptures in vulgar tongs without licence S. Iohn teacheth vs that sinne is whatsoeuer is contrary to the law these teach that many sins there are not repugnant to Gods law viz. such things as are contrary to the Popes law The Apostle Paul saith that concupiscence is sinne these affirme the contrary He saith originall sinne passed ouer al they deny it He saith no man is iustified by the workes of the law they teach flat contrary The law directly prohibiteth the making of grauen images to the end to bow down to them and to worship them These notwithstanding make the images of the holy Trinitie bow downe to them and worship them The Apostle Coloss 2. speaketh against the worship of Angels They regard him not but in humblenesse of mind inuocate and worship Angels notwithstanding Our Sauior instituting the holy Sacrament of his body and bloud sayd Accipite manducate take and eate and drink ye all of this They say sacrifice and worship and drink not all of this To rehearse all their contradictions to the word of God and to the Apostles doctrine were too long for this short discourse let these therefore serue for an introduction Of their heresies I haue before spoken Pius the fourth hath set forth a new forme of faith of which that may be said which Hilarie speaketh to Constantius Contra Constantium Quicquid apud te praeter fidem vnā est perfidia non fides est Whatsoeuer this wicked Pope hath set forth beside the faith of Christ the same is perfidiousnes and not faith Of this qualitie is his doctrine of Romish tradictions of superstitious ceremonies of the blasphemous Masse of purgatorie of indulgences of the fiue new deuised sacraments and such like doctrines That the Papists are by schisme rent from the Catholike and vniuersal Church of Christ it may be proued by diuers particulars First Christs Church hath but one head that is Christ Iesus But the Romish Church hath as many heads as Popes and heads that teach doctrine both diuers and contrary to Christ our sole head Secondly Christ his Church hath no other spouse but Christ Iesus But the adulterous Romish synagogue acknowledgeth the Pope to be her spouse and therefore must needes haue as many spouses as Popes and be not Virgo but Polygama that is one that hath many husbands or spouses Thirdly the Catholike Church is built vpon the foundations of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the corner stone and hath beside this no other foundation But the Romish Church acknowledgeth the Pope to be her foundation Whereupon it followeth that she is sometime without foundation at least during the vacancie of the popedome and hath as many diuers foundations as Popes Fourthly the synagogue of Rome doth acknowledge the Pope to be her law-giuer and iudge that he hath power not onely to bind mens consciences but also to saue and destroy which doth shew that she deuideth her selfe from Christes Catholicke Church which for many ages after Christs time had no such conceit Fifthly the same doth rely no lesse vpon traditions not written and vpon the Popes determinations in matters of faith then vpon the written word of God which the Catholike Church doeth not Sixthly this synagogue consisteth of a Pope and his Cardinals together with a rabble of Monkes Fryers and sacrificing priests But in the prime Catholicke Church there was no such
scilicet vxores subagitare masculorum ac pecudum amplexus non reformidare Petrarch doth call Rome the slaue of gluttonie lecherie and saith that luxuriousnesse is come to extremitie in her Sonnetto 106 Di vin serua di letti è di viuande in cui lussuria fa l'vltima proua In his nintéenth Epistle he doth not onely charge the court of Rome with incontinencie and vnbridled lusts but with all impieties and villanies Quicquid vspiam saith he perfidiae doli quicquid inclementiae superbiaeque quicquid impudicitiae effrenataeque libidinis audisti aut legisti quicquid denique impietatis morum pessimorum sparsim habet aut habuit orbis terrae totum istic cumulatim videas aceruatimque reperias Vguetinus in his visions doth exclaime against the sinne of Sodomie Iterum atque iterum saith the reporter de scelere Sodomitico verbum intulit Speaking of Romish priests he saith they giue themselues to follow harlots and luxuriousnesse and suppose gaine to be godlinesse And if any man suppose that these were the sinnes of old time and that now such abuses are reformed he sheweth himselfe ignorant of the manners of Italie and other popish countries Io. Casa wrote verses in commendation of Sodomitrie and a Florentine vnder the name of Grappa hath written a Treatise called Cicalamento del Grappa of the same argument In the visitation of Abbeys in England the Monkes and Friars were in diuers places detected for that abhomination In the contention between the Iesuites and scholers of the Romish Seminarie one Harward a Iesuite gaue out he could detect seuen for that sinne In Rome and other places of Italie this abhomination is common At Gant anno 1578. foure Franciscans and one Augustinian Friar were burnt for Sodomie and diuers scourged for like filthinesse Robert Parsons if he list may search the acts He doth also remember why not long since he sent for Fisher from Doway and why Edward Weston was put out of the Colledge and from his Lecture in Diuinitie Assuredly it was not for his chastitie Of the Pope that now is and of his late predecessors and the Romish Cardinals I shall haue occasion to speake hereafter if Parsons will néede stand in contention about honestie of life betwixt his conforts and vs. In the meane while he may remember what fruites come of forced single life Anselme as Huntington lib. 5. and Roger of Chester reporteth in one Synode forbad lawfull mariage to Priests but in the next he was constrained to make lawes against Sodomites and therein condemned eight Abbots beside other inferiour Priests and Friars In the Church of Rome adultery and fornication haue alwayes bene accounted smaller offences as is set downe euidently in the chapter At si clerici de iudicijs I néede not therefore stand much vpon that and the rather for because it is notorious that the Pope tolerateth common bordels Yet lest Baals priests should stand too much either vpon their virginitie or chastitie I would haue them to remember not onely the liues of late Popes Cardinals priests Monkes and Friers but also what old histories and other records say against them when they liued better then now Let them reade Boccace nouel 2. and diuers discourses of Monkes and Friers honesties Petrarch epist 19. and others His 106. 107. 108. sonets Theodoricke a Niem tract 6. nemoris vnionis cap. 34. where Gregory the Pope testifieth that in two and twenty Monasteries the Monks and Nunnes liued most filthily and dishonestly Pene omnis religio obseruantis dicti ordinis ac Dei timor abscessit libido ac corruptio carnis inter ipsos mares moniales nec non alia multa mala excessus vitia quae pudor est effari per singula succreuerunt The Pope himselfe was ashamed to speake all Let them also peruse the treatise called Onus Ecclesiae cap. 22. who sayth that Monkes and Friers are worse then diuels Aretin lib. de hypocritis Baptist Mantuan lib. 3. calamit Palingenius in Leone and that which I haue cited out of diuers authors lib. de Monach. cap. 8. If they desire to heare some mens reports of them let them listen to that which followeth Lateranense palatium saith Luithprandus lib. 6. cap. 6. sanctorum hospitium nunc est prostibulum meretricum The pallace of Lateran saith he that was wont to be a harbor of holy men is now become a bordell for whores Petrarch in his 16. epistle speaking of the Popes court sayth thus Nulla ibi pietas nulla charitas nulla fides nulla Dei reuerentia nullus timor There is no godlinesse no charitie no faith no reuerence or feare of God In his fiftéenth Epistle he calleth it a den of theeues Mantuan li. 2. fastor willeth chastitie to be packing into villages if that they did not also suffer the same diseases for that Rome was become a publike stewes I pudor in villas si non patiuntur easdem villae vomicas vrbs est iam tota lupauar 4. Brig 49. Cardinals sayth Brigit giue themselues without restraint to all pride couetousnesse and delights of the flesh And afterward I am nunc in maiori veneratione habetur lupauar quà m vera Dei Ecclesia Now the stewes are in more esteeme then the true Church of God Bishops and priests should build the Church 1. Brig 10. but as Brigit saith they build the diuell two cities to wit the labor of the body and trouble of the mind Catherina of Siena c. 125. sayth Religious men should resemble Angels but are worse then diuels Platina writing of Iohn the thirtéenth sayth He was a man from his youth contaminated with all filthinesse and dishonestie In vita Greg. 6 Writing of thrée Popes he calleth them three foule monsters By the articles and proofes exhibited against Iohn the thrée and twentith in the Councell of Constance as it is called it appeareth he was wholy giuen to vices and carnall desires and was conuicted to be an incestuous person a Sodomite Vrspergensis testifieth against Clement the fifth that he was a notorious fornicator Matthew Villani hist lib. 3. ca. 39. speaking of Clement the sixth and his continencie sayth that being Archbishop he could not keepe himselfe from women and being Pope neither could contain nor hide his fault Innocent the eight and Alexander the sixth had diuers bastards as Guicciardine and diuers others report Paul the second Iulius the second Leo the tenth Clement the seuenth Paul the third Iulius the third are all noted for their loosenesse of life and diuers of them conuinced thereof by their bastards Symony and vsury among the Romanists is so common that as Matth. Paris sayth they account the first no sin the second a smal sin Felin in c. ex partè de offic pot iudicis delegat sayth that without the rent of symonie the Popes sea would grow contemptible Priests in time past were wont to exclaime much of this abuse Heu Symon
the ignorance of Papists in matters of Religion the falshood and absurdities of their doctrine the burthensome and grieuous tyrannie of the Pope and then iudge without partialitie whether the same be not like the captiuitie of Babylon and darknesse of Aegypt out of which all true Christians ought to desire to be deliuered God graunt all men grace to see it and auoyde it CHAP. I. Of the ignorance both of the Clergie and Laitie of England in matters of Religion in Q. Maries time and generally of Masse priests and their followers at all times and in all places BEfore I enter to discourse of Religion first I am to shew the misery of Papists that for the most part liued in time past and yet liue without the knowledge of Religion Nay diuers of the Masse-priests and common people were ignorant and deuoyd of all good learning and knowledge The ignorance of priests and people in the dayes of Iohn Peccham Archbishop of Canterbury may appeare in that he beginneth his prouinciall constitution with ignorantia Sacerdotum C. ignorantia de sum Trin. and teacheth them the articles of the Créed and how to handle the sacrament of the altar shewing them that the wine giuen to the communicants in lesser churches was not consecrate and that they were not too much to break the sacrament with their teeth percase for hurtiing of it but to sup it vp Instruant eosdem saith he c. altissimus constit de sum trinit sumptum ore sacramentum non nimis dentibus comminuere sed tritum â—adicè sorbere perfectè O miserable men that were taught to sup the sacrament like an oyster And why might they not aswell be taught to eate wine as to sup bread Note that this is a common text among the Papists The same man in the chapter Ignorantia sacerdotum de officio Archipresbyteri thinketh it sufficient for priests to teach by themselues or by others and that once euery quarter the articles of the Creed the ten commaundements the two commaundements of the Gospell for this fellow scarce beléeued that the loue of God or his neighbor was commaunded in the morall law the seuen workes of mercie the seuen deadly sinnes the seuen principall vertues and seuen sacraments And what was this quarter teaching forsooth nothing else but the construing or expounding of these things in English as the text saith Absque cuiuslibet subtilitatis textura fantastica without any fantasticall patcherie of scholasticall subtilties For â—hat ordinarily these fellowes were wont to talke of logicall and philosophicall questions tending rather to the subuersion then the edification of the hearers Now what learning I pray you was required to turne the Créed and ten commaundements into English Bishop Walter also in his prouinciall constitutions teacheth his priests what to beléeue of confirmation and extreame vnction which argueth great rudenesse in his disciples In Quéene Maries dayes it was thought sufficient for priests to reade Latine not one among twentie vnderstood Latine Bonner in the first conuocation in Quéene Maries dayes in his oration in praise of priesthood told the priests that they were creators of their Maker yet few of them could construe the canon and few of them vnderstood it Their grosse ignorance is yet fresh in memorie The Germaines complaine Grauam 47. that Bishops aduanced vnlearned idiots vnfit vile and ridiculous fellowes to the function of priesthood Episcopi say they saepenumero indoctos idiotas inhabiles vilesque ac ludicras personas ad sacerdotij functionem ordinant Neither may we thinke they spoke this of malice Onus Eccles cap. 23. The Bishop of Chems saith the people is seduced by blind guides which are ignorant idiots presumptuous couetous hypocrits symoniacall and luxurious persons Againe he saith Ibidem that Bishops admit men vnworthy to charges without all choise or due examination Indignos beneficiatos admittunt absque omni delectu debita examinatione instituunt Venalitate curiae Romanae saith one inaniter praeficiuntur lenones coqui stabularij aequorum pueri AureuÌ„ speculuÌ„ in Antilog Through the briberie of the court of Rome bawdes cookes horsekeepers and children are preferred to gouernement in the Church Aluarus Pelagius lib. 2. de planct eccles art 20. sheweth that the Bishops of Spaine deale no better then others ordaining men vnlearned and vnworthy and indiscreetly committing charge of soules to men vnsufficient Episcopi alicui nepotulo suo saith he committunt multa millia animarum cui non committerent duo pira Bishops commit many thousand soules to some litle nephew or bastard of theirs to whom if they did right they would not commit two peares Hew learned the priests were we may imagine when few of them could well say their Masse and few vnderstand it We may sée in the cap. retulerunt dist 4. de consecrat that some could not rehearse the words of baptisme but said In nomine patria filia spirita sancta Platina wondreth at the ignorance of the priests in matters of Religion Speaking of priests in Marcellino Quanta ignoratio saith he cum snijpsius tum doctrine Christianae Neither may we maruell at the ignorance of meane priests when the Popes themselues are vtterly vnlearned Laziardus writing of Gregory the sixth Epit. cap. 183. hath these words Vt dictum est alium cum esset rudis literarum secum consecrari fecit He made another to be consecrated with him being himselfe voide of learning Constat plures Papas saith Alphonsus à castro lib. 1. aduer haeres adeo illiteratos esse vt grammaticam penitus ignorent He confesseth that some Popes are so vnlearned that they are vtterly ignorant of grammar And that may be exemplified by Iulius the second that for fiat said fiatur and by other Popes Paul the second and Iulius the third and diuers others are by their owne friends reported to haue bin but simple clerks Felin in c. si quando de rescriptis saith that the Pope cannot be deposed for want of learning Papa propter defectum literaturae non potest deponi But were they learned yet vnlesse they be learned in holy Scriptures and teach their flockes committed vnto them their learning is to the people vnprofitable For like idole shepheards they do nothing but possesse the roome and places of shepheards The Popes albeit they claime the title of vniuersall Bishops teach none hauing contrary to the example of Peter and other Bishops of Rome giuen ouer the office of féeding and teaching and now onely famishing and destroying the Lambes of Christ Rapis depraedaris à me innumerabiles animas saith Christ to the Pope in Brigits reuelations nam quasi omnes qui veniunt ad curiam tuam mittis in gehennam ignis ex eo quod non diligenter attendis ea quae pertinent ad curiam meam Quia tu es Praelatus Pastor ouium mearum ideo culpa tua est quod non discretè consideras ea quae ad
if the people pray in Latine Which as it is blasphemous making Saints present in all places so it is an argument that he requireth litle vnderstanding in the people Hosius commendeth the Coliars faith In confess Petrik that could not tell one article of his beléefe but onely answered that he beleeued as the Church beleeueth which is an argument first of the commendation of ignorance among the Papists next of Hosius his blasphemie that would haue a man saued beléeuing as doth the Catholike church albeit he beléeued or knew nothing of Christ Iesus Seeing then the Papists require so litle knowledge in the people and will not suffer them either to pray or to haue Scriptures read publikely in vulgar tongues and preach so seldome and so leudly is it likely that they should prooue great clearkes Furthermore the Priests in England were commaunded to teach the people the worship of the crosse of images of reliques and how farre the same reacheth as appeareth by B. Arundels prouinciall constitution beginning nullus de haereticis They were also taught what manner of men were S. Austin of Canterburie S. Bernac S. Dunstane and such good fellowes And were wont to heare many good tales of the miracles of S. Audrey and S. Cuthburge and other she Saints But all this tended litle to instruction in faith or reformation in manners Finally in stead of true doctrine they were taught the traditions of men concerning worship of Saints crosses images reliques fasting on Saints Vigils pilgrimages indulgences purgatorie and such like Petrus de Alliac lib. de reform Ecclesiae wisheth That Apocryphall Scriptures and new hymnes and prayers and other voluntarie nouelties should not be read in churches Quòd in huiusmodi festis Scripturae Apocryphae aut hymni noui vel orationes seu aliae voluntariae nouitates non legerentur but he preuailed not Nay further they do not onely teach false doctrines and Apocryphall nouelties but also most wickedly rehearsing the commaundements they haue left out the second commaundement that concerneth worship of images albeit S. Augustine quaest ex vet test 7. do set it downe for a distinct commandement from the first Being then taught very litle truth and much falshood it must néeds follow that the Papists were in time past very ignorant and that Iohn Billet in prolog de diuin off plainely confesseth Experience also teacheth the same and manifestly sheweth that they scarce vnderstood any article of the Créed A certaine Italian being asked not many yeares since by his confessor in Rome whether he beléeued the holy Trinitie answered yea Being further demaunded what the Trinitie was VVhat said he but our Lord God and our Lady and you our masters the priests and Friers They are so brutish that they verily beléeue that images walke and talke Poggio and haue life Certaine parishioners of a village not farre from Florence coming to the citie to bespeake a Crucifixe the caruer séeing the simplicitie of the men asked them whether they would haue one aliue or dead The parties after some deliberation answered they wold haue a crucifixe aliue For said they if the parish like him not we will kill him and so ridde our hands of him Most of them beléeue the lyes and fables that Priests tell them out of their legends And those are the best part of their knowledge A poore countrie man of ours beleeued that S. Tinnoc of Portlemouth in Deuon was a good guardian of shéepe and therefore offered euery yeare a fléece On a time passing ouer the water at Salcomb with his offering and being in danger vowed if he escaped to offer his horse which he did and the Saint with good glée and a becke accepted him But not being able well to returne on foote he prayed he might buy his horse of the Saint The priest was the broker and made the bargaine but it was so hard that the poore man said he was a good kéeper of sheepe but a cut-throate Saint to deale withall in buying and selling Commonly they neither vnderstood what they prayed nor what was said in the Church neither do they now vnderstand much more albeit the Priests in their new and false Catechismes endeuour to teach them somewhat If men will not beléeue experience yet let them reade what Friars themselues in their Sermons and what others say in their writings Vincentius in his treatise De fine mundi speaking of the people of his time saith Praedicationes non audiunt articulos fidei nesciunt They heare not sermons they know not the articles of the faith Robertus Gallus in his 32. vision saith that all children except a few shall depart from their fathers leauing the examples and admonitions of their elders and that worldly minds shall remaine vnder counterfeit religion Apostatabunt filij omnes exceptis paucis à patribus suis relinquentesque vitas monita maiorum suorum sub palliata religione seculares animi permanebunt Brigit in her reuelations saith 3. Brigit 15. That the works and words of Christ were so neglected that few thought of them or remembred them Opera verba Christi sunt adeò neglecta vt iam pauci ea recolant De authorit Eccles Hosius disputing against Brentius telleth vs of a Coliar that could answer nothing of his faith but that he beléeued as the Church beléeued We may therefore assure our selues that the apostacie spoken of by the Apostle 1. Tim. 4. is plainely séene in the Romish church and that the smoke that ascended out of the bottomelesse pit like the smoke of a fornace and darkened the Sunne and the ayre as we may reade Apocalypse 9. was nothing else but the errors and ignorance of Papists that couered Christian religion and obscured the face of the Church Of this defection and darknesse Robertus Gallus doth speake in his visions ca. 3. shewing that the church should be ouerwhelmed with this darknesse and that the same should arise out of the Church Egressa est saith he caligo illa ab Ecclesia Onus Eccles cap. 19. Sol saith another qui est spiritualis potentatus factus est niger quia non serenum coelum sed tetrum infernum aperit Propterea peruersus Pontifex nuncupatur Angelus abyssi The Sunne which is the spirituall power was made blacke because he the Pope openeth not the cleare heauen but blacke hell Therefore a peruerse Pope is called the Angell of the bottomlesse pit And againe the seate of the beast that is the malignant Church is in the court of Rome whose kingdome is darke Francis Petrarch in his seuentéenth Epistle describing the court of Rome Nulla ibi lux saith he nullus dux nullus index anfractuum sed caligo vndique vbique confusio ne parum vera sit Babylon ac perplexitas mira vtque Lucani verbis vtar nox ingens scelerum tenebrosa inquam aeterna nox expers syderum aurorae nescia tum profunda iugis actuum opacitas
libros tam veteris quà m noui testamenti cùm vtriusque vnus Deus sit author nec non traditiones ipsas tum ad fidem tum ad mores pertinentes tanquam vel ore tenus à Christo vel à Spiritu Sancto dictatas continua successione in Ecclesia catholica conseruatus pari pietatis affectu ac reuerentia suscipit ac veneratur Those likewise among the Papists that procéede Doctors or take any degrée in schooles do professe that they most firmely admit and embrace the traditions of the Apostles and the Church and other ecclesiasticall obseruances and constitutions Apostolicas ecclesiasticas traditiones reliquasque eiusdem Ecclesiae obseruationes constitutiones firmissimè admitto saith euery one of them Bellarmine lib. 4. de verbo Dei cap. 1. beginning to speake of traditions hitherto saith he we haue disputed of the written word of God now we will begin to speake briefly of the word of God not written accompting traditions to be the word of God as well as holy scriptures Praefat ante relect princip doctrin Aliud hodie religionis Christianae fundamentum saith Stapleton habemus non quidem à Christo aliud sed ab ipsis literis Euangelicis Apostolicis aliud That is we haue now another foundation of Christian religion not diuers from Christ but diuers from the Euangelicall and Apostolical scriptures So either he excludeth scriptures from being the ground of Christian religion or else maketh vnwritten traditions equall vnto them Afterward in his Analysis prefixed before his Doctrinall principles deliuering to his disciples the grounds of Christian religion he vouchsafeth the scriptures no place among them But first if by the books of the old testament they vnderstand all the bookes contained in the old latine vulgar translation of the Bible then they admit the third and fourth bookes of Esdras and all additions to the originall text to be canoniall scriptures which contradicteth their owne decrées concerning the canon of Scriptures Secondly it is absurd to make vnwritten traditions equall with the holy Scriptures For these are certainly knowne to procéed from God But of vnwritten traditions the aduersaries can bring no proofe but from men Now who is so presumptuous as to match the testimonies of men with the word of God Augustine in his 48. epistle to Vincentius speaking of the fathers writings saith they are to be distinguished from the authoritie of the canon And in his eight epistle which is to Hierome he saith that vnto the Scriptures alone this prerogatiue is to be giuen that none of them containeth any errors All other authors he wold haue censured and examined by them being not free from errours The holy Scriptures are alwayes consonant and agréeable to themselues But traditions do not onely contradict one another but also are repugnant to holy Scriptures Polycrates as Eusebius lib. 5. Eccles hist c. 23. reporteth maintained the obseruance of the feast of Easter according to the practise of the Churches of Asia to be according to the Apostles traditions Victor and the Church of Rome thought contrary Some maintained the fast vpon the Sabbath others denied it and both held by tradition Siue hodiè Christus natus est c. whether Christ was borne or baptized as this day saith Hierome serm de nat to 3. there is a diuers opinion in the world and according to the diuersitie of traditions there are diuers iudgements The Romanists do found their communion vnder one kind and their Masses without communion and the externall propitiatory sacrifice of the Masse and the hanging vp the Sacrament in the Pixe and the diuine adoration giuen to it vpon tradition But all these obseruations are impious and contrary to Scriptures Some traditions are now abolished as the prohibition of Saterdayes fast the rite of standing when we pray betweene Easter and Whitsontide the formes of prayer in old time vsed in celebration of the sacrament of the Lords supper and diuers others whereof some are mentioned by Basil lib. de Spir. san c. 27. Bellarmine also lib. 4. de verbo Dei c. 2. confesseth that some traditions were temporarie But it is impious to say that the holy Scriptures are temporary or at any time to be abolished Diuers traditiōs are no where found but in the Legends Missals and Portesses and such books of smal account and credit as for example the ceremonies rites of the Masse the prayers of the canon the formall adoration of Saints and Angels the incredible narrations of S. Clement S. Nicholas S. Christopher S. George S. Catherine S. Dominicke S. Francis and infinite other Saints which no man may receiue with like affection as he receiueth holy Scriptures but he shall infinitly disgrace the Scriptures and shew him selfe to be no Catholike Furthermore if the Papists build their faith vpon traditions then is their faith humane as hauing no ground but the testimonie of this man and that man that speaketh of traditions Their faith is also most weake and fantasticall as being built vpon the lies reported in Legends and the fantasticall ceremonies contained in the Missall and Breuiary The holy Scriptures are called the old and new testament and the Apostle Ephes 6. calleth the word of God the sword of the Spirit 2. Tim 3. Writing to Timothy he saith holy scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect and absolute and wise vnto saluation But howsoeuer the blind Papists fauor their traditions yet I hope they will be ashamed to cal their fardle of traditions Gods eternal testament or the sword of the spirit or to say that traditions are able to make the man of God perfect or wise to saluation Finally no holy father did euer make Ecclesiastical traditions not written nor contained in Scriptures but only commended by the Church of Rome or kept by custome or taken vp by fancie and recorded only in humane writings of equall authoritie with canonicall scriptures Infidelitatis argumentum est c. In serm de fid confess saith Basil It is an argument of infidelity and a most certaine signe of pride if a man wil reiect any thing that is written or bring in any thing not written The like saying he hath Moral 72. c. 1. 86. 22. Neither is it like that he should speake of traditions repugnant to scriptures as some do answer For euery Christian man knoweth that nothing is to be receiued contrarie to Scriptures and to admonish men of that had bene superfluous Si quid dicatur absque scriptura saith Chrysostome hom in Psal 95. auditorum cogitatio claudicat nunc annuens nunc hastans If any thing be spoken without proofe of scripture the mind of the hearers resteth in suspence now yeelding now denying Neither doth he speake onely of a mans owne inuention but also of all other mens reports or deuises without ground of scripture In his thirteenth homily vpon the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians he calleth
quae se non traderet 2. Reg. 16.1 Clement hath vtre vtra Sixtus readeth duobus vtribus Ioan. 6.65 Clement readeth qui essent non credentes Sixtus qui essent credentes And so it may appeare by diligent collation that there are notable differences throughout the whole Bible Lastly if the Latine text were more authenticall then the Hebrew or Greeke why do not our aduersaries shew that the auncient Fathers or some learned men of late time at the least haue corrected the Hebrew and Greeke according to the Latine and not rather contrariwise The fourth foundation of Romish religion is the determination of the Pope in matters of faith Sess 4. The Conuenticle of Trent teacheth that it belongeth to the holy mother the Church to iudge of the true meaning of Scriptures Now for as much as no man knoweth more certainely what is the holy mother Churches meaning then the Papists holy Father the Pope therefore they do hereof conclude that the Pope is to determine principally of the true sence and meaning of Scriptures In the Rubrike of the decrées cap. in canonicis dist 19. we find that the Popes decretals are to be reckened among canonicall Scriptures Bellarmine lib. 3. de verbo Dei cap. 3. saith that the Spirit of God he should say of the diuell is in the Pope and that he together with a Councell is chiefe Iudge in matters of controuersie of religion And in the same booke cap. 4. he holdeth that no man may recede from his iudgement or determination Stapleton in his booke of doctrinall Principles or grounds of his religion goeth about to prooue that the Popes sentence and determination is infallible And so much do these good fellowes rely vpon their holy Mothers and holy Fathers interpretation that they receiue the same without any long inquisition though neuer so foolish and contrarie to Scriptures Our Sauiour in the institution of the holy Eucharist said Take eate but they beléeue the Pope that saith Gape and gaze but take not nor eate but rather hang vp the Sacrament He said Bibite ex hoc omnes that is Drinke ye all of this but the Pope saith Drinke not all of this and they beleeue the Pope The Apostle saith It is better to marrie then to burne and that mariage is honorable among all men But the Pope doth interpret these words so as if he had said It is better to burne then to marrie and that mariage is reprochfull and vnlawfull to Priests and Papists beléeue the Pope So do they likewise in infinit false interpretations But that the Popes interpretations and sentences shold be the foundation of religion is a matter contrarie to religion and reason The Apostle Ephes 2. saith that the Church is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the corner stone And therefore it is said to be built vpon them because both of them preach Christ Apostolos habemus authores c. we haue the Apostles for authors of our doctrine saith Tertullian lib. de praescript aduers haeret He saith also It lyeth not in mans power to determine any thing in matters of faith of his owne head Quamuis sanctus sit aliquis post Apostolos c. Howsoeuer holy or eloquent a man be saith Hierome in Psalm 86. yet comming after the Apostles he deserueth no authenticall credit The Lord declareth in Scriptures Augustine in his second Epistle to Hierome sheweth that no mans writings are comparable to holy Scriptures And this the Canonists themselues confesse in their glosses vpon the Chapter Noli meis and Ego solis dist 9. Are not the Papists then most miserable that build their faith vpon the Popes Decretals that are contrarie to Scriptures to Fathers one to another and oftentimes void of truth wit learning religion or honestie The last foundation of Romish faith is the preaching of Masse-priests and Friars Quomodo Christus eiusque doctrina saith Stapleton Christianae religionis fundamentum est Praetat ante relect princip doctrin sic alij nunc à Christo missi eorúmue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me vim locum habebunt As Christ and his doctrine is the foundation of Christian religion so others now sent of Christ and their doctrine preaching and determination shall in my opinion haue the force and place of a foundation saith he And afterward he declareth that those whom the Pope sendeth are sent by Christ and the men which he meaneth But if this be the foundation of their religion then is the same built vpon old wiues fables forged traditions lying legends philosophicall subtilties scholasticall disputes popish Decretals humane inuentions and such like principles For of thē consisteth the greatest part of these fellowes sermons as both experience diuers Friars idle Homilies which euery man may sée do plainely testifie Furthermore if these be the foundations of popish Religion then is the same built vpon man and not vpon God vpon humane deuises and not vpon the infallible word of God vpon sand and not vpon a rocke Such also as these foundations are such is the building that is weake false and erronious such is the Romish religion which the Pope and his adherents by force of armes treasons murthers empoysonments lyes glozing flatterie and all meanes possible would thrust vpon vs and such are the conclusions that are built on these foundations Finally séeing no man can be saued that buildeth his faith vpon men vpon vnwritten traditions vpon vncertaine grounds and lying reports let the Papists consider with themselues in what miserable state they stand and returne to the true faith in time lest like the foolish man in the Gospell Mat. 7. they build their house on sand and be ouerwhelmed with the fall thereof CHAP. IIII. Of diuers other blasphemous ridiculous and absurd points of popish Religion TRue Religion is most true venerable and respectiue of Gods true seruice If then popish Religion containe any vntrue or ridiculous vaine and blasphemous doctrine then is it not true or Apostolicall or Christian nor can it stand with Christian Religion séeing no man can serue God and Baal nor Dagon could stand before the arke of God But notorious it is that popish Religion containeth many blasphemous ridiculous and absurd points First concerning the flesh of our Lord and Sauior Christ Iesus they teach falsly and blasphemously and say that a mouse or dog or hog may eate the body of Christ Nay they are not ashamed to affirme that his most holy body may be cast out vpon a dunghill or into any vncleane place Prima opinio saith Alexander Hales part 4. sum q. 53. m. 2. quae dicit quod corpus Christi defertur quocunque species deferunt vt in ventrem canis vel suis vel in alia lo ca immunda videtur vera And again p. 4. sum q. 45. m. 1. si canis aut porcus deglutiat hostiam consecratam non video quare corpus Christi non
they haue receiued diuers heresies and deuised new Sacraments relinquishing Christ his institution in the celebration of the Lords supper for that they haue other foundations of their religion then were laid by Christ or his Apostles for that they persecute true Christians murther them and massacre them and by all meanes persecute them and for diuers other reasons laid downe in mine answer to Bellarmines booke De Eccles militante If then it be not possible to be saued without the Church in what case are they that running after the Pope which is that Antichrist of which the Apostle speaketh 2. Thess 2. are run out of the Church And whither are they runne forsooth into the confusion of Babylon where the Pope Cardinals Masse priests De Eccles milit cap. 2. Friars make merchandize of mens soules Bellarmine saith that neither faith hope nor charitie nor other internall vertue is required that a man absolutely may be said to be a part of the Church but onely an externall profession of the faith and communion of the Sacraments Who then will not leaue that societie which for ought that we know may be a packe of Turkes and infidels without all vertue religion and honestie especially if they professe the Romish faith externally Further as they haue excluded themselues from the Church so they haue put themselues vnder the subiection of Antichrist that is the head of the malignant Church and to his Cardinals Masse-priests and Friars which rabblement are fitly resembled to the maister Cooke of hell his scalders the blacke-guard and all the scullerie of Satan Whatsoeuer the Pope decreeth that they receiue C. sic omâ—â—â— dist 19. Agatho the Pope hath told them in good earnest that all sanctions of the Apostolike see are to be receiued as if they were confirmed by the diuine voice of Peter Be the Pope neuer so vnlearned or foolish or peruerse yet if he say the word sitting on his close chaire it must stand His voice they take to be infallible his sentence is honoured like a diuine Oracle Likewise his Cardinals Masse priests and Friars albeit they be the false Prophets spoken of by S. Peter 2. Pet. 2. and diuersly detected by S. Iohn in his Reuelation to be limbs of Antichrist yet are they followed These leade and their simple hearers follow them the way that leadeth to destruction Their teachers bring to themselues swift damnation as the Apostle S. Peter saith and they cannot escape beléeuing their damnable heresies and running after them in their wicked wayes Pius Quintus that helhound that first barked against Queene Elizabeth our late Soueraign In Bulla contra Eliz. saith that Christ committed his Church to Peter alone vni soli But that is most false The Apostle Ephes 4. saith He gaue some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and teachers Likewise Mat. 28. he said to all the Apostles Go and teach Beside that what doth the authoritie of Peter belong to the Pope S. Peter had neither such rubie Cardinals nor such a parti-coloured guard of Switzers nor such a hellish rabble of Masse-priests and Friars as the Pope hath Contrariwise he preached and suffered as the Pope doth not Others say that Masse-priests and Friars are the Apostles successors But we find them to be the locustes that as S. Iohn foretold came out of the bottomelesse pit mentioned Apocalyps 9. If they were the Apostles successors then would they teach the Apostles doctrine and not the Popes decretals scholasticall inuentions philosophicall subtilties and such fooleries Againe they would not lead their miserable disciples from Christ to Antichrist They haue also declined from the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles concerning the Sacraments Our Sauiour onely instituted two that properly deserue the name of Sacraments to wit Baptisme and the Eucharist as the writings of the Apostles beare witnesse The Fathers also confirme vnto vs two onely Sacraments of the new Testament Cyprian lib. 2. Epist 1. Tunc demum plane sanctificari esse silij Dei possunt si vtroque Sacramento nascantur Then may they be sanctified and made the sonnes of God saith he if they be regenerate by both the Sacraments Augustine de symb ad Catechum saith Haec sunt Ecclesiae gemina Sacramenta these are the two Sacraments of the Church Neither doth any Father name more Sacraments then two where he speaketh properly as may be proued by the testimonie of Iustines second Apologie of Tertullian lib. 1. 4. contr Marcion Of Clement recognit lib. 1. Of Ambrose lib. de Sacrament Of Cyril of Ierusalem in his catechisticall Sermons of Augustine lib. 3. de doctr Christ cap. 9 of Gregorie cap. multi secularium 1. q. 1. who although he name Baptisme Chrisme and the bodie and bloud of our Lord yet Chrisme was nothing but an addition to Baptisme De corp sang Christi Of Paschasius and others Sunt Sacramenta Christi saith Paschasius in Ecclesia catholica Baptismus corpus quoque Domini sanguis The Sacraments of Christ in the catholike Church are Baptisme and the bodie and bloud of our Lord. And so manifest a matter it is that Bessarion writing vpon the Sacrament confesseth that there are two Sacraments onely deliuered in the Gospell But the Papists haue added other fiue Sacraments vnto these two giuing like vertue vnto confirmation mariage order penance and extreame vnction as vnto Baptisme and the Lords Supper and teaching that Sacraments containe grace and iustifie the receiuer So that if we will beleeue them as well he is iustified that is confirmed maried ordered or annoynted as he that is baptised or made partaker of the Lords body and bloud Where Christ distributed the Sacrament of his bodie and bloud and gaue both the kinds to all communicants they seldome distribute the sacrament and take the cup from all but the priest In confirmation and extreame vnction they vse other signes and formes then euer Christ ordained They teach that Christians are able to satisfie for their sinnes and that the Pope by indulgences hath power to remit satisfaction and to do away the temporall punishment of sinne Are they not then most miserable that haue corrupted the sacraments and seales of Gods eternall testament and as it were broken the couenants betwixt God and vs and despised the pledges of his loue Of Christian faith they thinke so basely that they make it nothing but a bare assent to Gods word as well in fearing the threatnings of the law as beléeuing the promises of the Gospell teach that not only reprobate men but also the diuels also may haue true faith Bellarmine lib. de iustif 1. c. 15. speaking of the faith of wicked men and diuels sayth that both is true and right and catholike faith and comparable to S. Peters faith concerning the obiect Grace that maketh vs acceptable to God saith Bellarmine cannot really be distinguished from the habite of charitie Lib. 1. de gratia cap. 6. But if this
had shed so much of others Henry the third was slaine by a Dominican or rather a demonicall Friar hauing bestowed great charge and labour in killing of Gods saints And so the line of Francis de Valois and his sons failed and the kingdom is translated into the house of Bourbon which they persecuted The Leaguers of France which mutined for the maintenance of poperie are now ruined and the Duke of Guise and the chiefe leaders of those rebels come all to vnhappie ends Neither had those Christians that either in the holy land or elsewhere fought vnder the Popes banners better successe for the most part Rodolphus who at the request of Gregorie the seuenth rebelled against the Emperor Henry was by him ouerthrowne and slaine in battell Neither did Mathildis the Popes paramour and her souldiers spéede much better Mathew Paris rehearseth diuers attempts by Christians In Willel 2. set on by the Pope against the Sarracens but for the most part vnhappy Walter Sansauior that first went against thē lost his armie in Bulgaria Peter the heremit was defeated with all his forces before Nice Godescalcus a Dutch priest also would néedes leade an armie against the Turkes but he was likewise ouerthrowne with all his companie Godfray of Bullein albeit he wanne Hierusalem yet he lost diuers hundred thousands in the aduenture and his posteritie did not long hold that which they had wonne In this seruice Lewis the ninth of France was taken prisoner first and afterward lost his life In the same did the noble Fredericke Barbarossa perish and infinite other Christians The French men blasphemed against God Ibid. seeing they had no better successe in the holy land as he saith De diuina conquerebantur ingratitudine qui labores suos deuotionis sinceritatem non respiciebat sed quasi in alienum populum tradi in manus hostiū patiebatur Finally al that tooke the Popes part against the Emperors Henry the third fourth and fift Fridericke the first and second and others had euill successe Considering the premises therefore it is much to be wondred that any princes should serue the Pope that is so notoriously declared to be Antichrist and that they shold take his marke in their hands and foreheades especially seeing the euill successe that others haue had in his seruice and the plagues that are threatened against those that take his marke vpon them Much also it is to be lamented that Christians should continue vnder the grieuous yoke either of the Pope or popish religion Rome in time past was mistresse of the world the Church of Christ there most famous for pietie throughout the world But now she serueth Antichrist most basely and is infamous for her impieties Baldus speaking of Italie saith that she is of all other countries the most miserable as wanting one to redresse her wrongs Olim prouinciarum domina nunc omnium miserrime Lewis the 9. in his pragmaticall sanction confesseth that the kingdome of France was miserably impouerished by the Popes exactions Molinaeus in his booke de paruis datis calleth the Popes exactions barbarous Iulian a Cardinall in an Epistle to Eugenius the fourth who deluded the Germaines demanding reformation of certaine abuses told the Pope plainely that the ruine of the Papacie was at hand if order were not taken presently to satisfie the people Finis pro certo est saith he securis ad radicem posita est The Germaines in a certaine méeting at Nuremberg told the Popes Legate Grauam German that the burdens imposed by the Pope were so grieuous that they neither could nor would beare them any longer Praedicta vrgentissima atque intolerabilia penitusque non ferenda onera diutius se nec perferre velle nec tolerare posse Among these grieuances they recken prohibitions of mariages and certaine meates at certaine times and to certaine persons contrarie to Gods law pillages by pretence of pardons vnder colour of going to warre against Turkes or building of Churches and such like reseruation of absolution in certaine case cousinage of stationarie Friars or limitors the multitude of Friars drawing causes to the Popes cognition appointing of delegate Iudges and defenders of mens right as they are called exemptions reseruations and prouisions of liuings Ecclesiastical priuiledges rules of the Popes chancerie commendaes immunities of Monkes Friars and priests from payments and punishments vniust excommunications and interdicts multitude of holidayes lāds coming into mortmayne encroching vpon lay mens lands and goods pensions and charges laid vpon benefices superfluities and superstitions in honoring of Saints and such like What resteth then séeing as Christians do sée the miseries of the people that liue vnder the yoke of the Popes kingdome and his adherents but that they séeke all lawfull meanes to be fréed from this tyrannie and to shake off the yoke of this Antichristian gouernment CHAP. VIII That no king liuing vnder the Pope and receiuing his doctrine can assure himselfe of his kingdome THat the yoke of Antichristian and popish gouernment is grieuous and intolerable to all Christians we haue made it apparent by diuers particulars But could any Christian indure it yet Christian Kings and Princes haue least reason to do it For as their place is higher then others so the dishonor that is offered to them and the hazard which they incurre is of farre greater consideration then if the same should be offered to priuate persons And yet no man runneth into greater hazard nor receiueth greater wrongs at the Popes hands and by means of his doctrine and gouernment then Christian Kings and princes For first they are in no assurance of their state and secondly they runne in daunger to lose their liues if they receiue the Popes authoritie and doctrine within their kingdomes Of which two we will speake seuerally and in order That they stand in no assurance of their states it may be proued first by the Popes doctrine and secondly by their practise Their doctrine is cleare both by the Popes decretals and by the common opinions of their principall Doctors Clement the fift in the Chapter beginning Romani de iureiurando declareth that the Romane Emperours take an oath of fealtie and subiection to the Pope Romani principes saith he orthodoxae fidei professores c. That is the Emperours of Rome professing the faith with feruour of faith and readie deuotion honoring the holy church of Rome whose head is Christ our Redeemer and the Bishop of Rome our redeemers Vicar haue not thought it an indignitie to submit their heades and to bind themselues by oath from whom they haue receiued not onely the approbation of their person assumed vnto the imperiall dignitie but also vnction consecration and the crowne of the Empire But if the Emperor receiue his Empire from the Pope then may he be deposed by the Pope And if he take an eath of fealtie and obedience to the Pope then is he forsworne if he obey not his sentences and censures as
and released all clerkes from temporall Princes obedience Ad Scapulam Tertullian saith Christians honored the Emperour as the next man in honour to God and onely inferiour to God Colimus Imperatorem saith he sic quomodo nobis licet ipsi expedit vt hominem a Deo secundum quicquid est à Deo consequutum solo Deo minorem Chrysostome sheweth that the Apostles wordes Rom. 13. concerne clerkes and religious men as well as lay men The same is also contrarie to the practise of the Church vnder the Law and vnder the Gospell and derogatorie to the Kings authoritie For both vnder the Law and when Emperors began to professe Christian religion they made lawes for the Church and reformed Ecclesiasticall abuses as both Scriptures and the lawes of the Code and Nouelles testifie Thirdly this authoritie is plainly vsurped by the Pope and his followers For vntill Gregorie the seuenth his time who by force and armes preuailed more then by reason we find that the clergie and Church was gouerned by Christian princes and their lawes Finally the same is disgracefull to Kings and burdensome to subiects and most vnreasonable Disgracefull it is to Kings to loose their royalties and to be made subiect to forreiners Burdensome it is to good subiects vpon whom the whole burden is laid and they exempted which are best able to beare The Germaines in their grieuances Grauam 28. shew that the charge of the warre against the Turke is laid wholy on lay-mens shoulders Finally it is no reason that those should liue vnder the Kings protection that neither pay him tribute nor acknowledge his authoritie But of the vnreasonablenesse of these incrochments we shall haue occasion to dispute elswhere Here it is sufficient to shew that the Popes vsurpations exactions and whole authoritie is preiudiciall to Kings vntollerable to their subiectes Be wise therefore O ye Kings of the earth and serue Christ Iesus but beware that in stead of Christ ye serue not Antichrist And you that are fréed by the preaching of the Gospell from the bondage of the Popes traditions and exactions take héed that you suffer not your selues to be entangled againe in his snares brought againe into bondage The Popes agents tell you of many goodly actions of the Pope and set out the beautie of traditions with faire words But they séeke nothing but to bring you into a snare and to make merchandise of your soules and to blind you so that you shall not be able to sée the miserie of those that liue vnder him or the trash of his false doctrine and traditions God graunt you therfore the spirit of wisedome and discretion that you may stand fast in the liberty of true Christians and neuer be entangled againe with the yoke of Popish bondage The third Booke of the answer to Robert Parsons his supernodical Warn-word containing a list of his lies falsities fooleries impieties and other enormous faults and abuses therein and elsewhere by him committed The Preface to the third Booke THus hauing ended our defence of Queene Elizabeths godly reformation and noted the miserable estate of Papists liuing vnder the Popes tyrannie and deformation it will be no hard matter for vs to dispatch the rest of the Warne-word being nothing else but a bundle of patcheries and fooleries patched together with a number of idle and vaine words scarce worth the reading or rūning ouer Wherin notwithstāding that I may proceed with more perspicuity I wil first examine the qualities of the author of this Warne-word and that so much the rather that you may forbeare to wonder at this warning peece or peeced Warne-word considering the qualitie of the warme fellow that made vs this braue peece of fire-worke Next I shall enter vpon the title and front of the booke and let you see how neither the portall corespondeth with the rest of his building nor the worke with the inscription and that the same doth well resemble a clome portall set beside a straw thatched house or a pig-stie set before Robert Parsons his putatiues fathers forge Thirdly his personall accusations and slaundrous imputations both against my selfe and others shall be answered The fourth place is due to his impieties which require a sharpe censure After that his ridiculous errors impudent falsifications vaine allegations grosse lies saucie rayling termes and clamorous outcries poore shifts and sottish answers lamentable begging of things in controuersie insolent brags and such like fooleries shall seuerally be scanned and reproued A man would percase wonder that a man in so idle a worke should runne into so many inconueniences and absurdities But this our aduersary is a beast and a grosse pecoran and no man How should we looke for other stuffe out of such a malicious heart Do men gather figs of thornes or grapes of briars As Hierome saith of Heluidius so I may say of Parsons Loquacitatem facundiam existimat maledicere omnibus bonae conscientiae signum arbitratur He supposeth babling to be eloquence and that railing vpon all men is a signe of a good conscience Let him therfore haue patience to haue his owne coxcombe pared and let him bark still like a helhound if he take pleasure in barking I doubt not but we shall so breake his dogs teeth that he shall hurt none by his biting But to cut off all preambles let vs now see if we can bring the iade Parsons from his gallop to his ambles CHAP. I. A legend of No saint but of Robert Parsons his life calculated in fauour of that swarme of traitors which euery yeare he sendeth out of his seditious Seminaries BEfore I enter into this discourse I do protest that I was drawne into it more then halfe against my will by the importunitie of Robert Parsons who first began this course and albeit without commission went about to make enquiry what I am what I did at Caliz what in Ireland and what in other places and to obiect whatsoeuer he thought might moue either suspicion of crime or occasion of ieast But séeing I am forced to defend my self I professe and proclaime it openly that I will spare neither Iebusite nor Masse priest nor Archpriest nor prouinciall Iebusite nor Pope nor Cardinall that shall come in question Howbeit let all the rest sleepe for this turne Now we will talke onely of Robert Parsons and see what reason he had to aske a reason of other mens actions that is so obnoxious to so many accusations himselfe Math. 7. Our Sauiour Christ calleth him hypocrite that espieth a mote in another mans eye hauing a beame in his owne eye Accusat in Vetr lib. 3. Qui sibi hoc sumpsit saith Tully vt corrigat mores aliorū ac peccata reprehendat quis huic ignoscat si qua in re ipse ab religione officij declinarit Whosoeuer arrogantly taketh vpō him to correct other mens manners and to reprehend their faults who will pardon him if in any thing he
these words Ireney lib. 4. cap. 2. Quom patrem volunt nos audire Hi qui sunt pandorae peruersissimi sophistae vtrum ne bythum quem à semetipsis finxerunt an matrem eorum Fol. 14. b. he alleageth Ciceroes booke De Legibus not knowing that Cicero wrote thrée bookes De Legibus and not one booke onely as Parsons imagineth In the margent of the 15. leafe a. he alleageth part 29. of Augustines Enarration in psal 80. Wheras that expositiō is not diuided into parts He doth also cite Augustines Commentaries vpon the 27. chapter of Iosue where neither that booke hath more then 24. chapters nor Augustine euer wrote any Commentaries vpon Iosue He saith further fol. 15. a. That heretikes are the proper idolaters of the new testament and that all other externall idolatry is abolished by Christs coming Wherin he abuseth the termes of Gods testament vttering words as if idolaters were suffered by Gods testament and sheweth grosse ignorance For not onely Zigabenus in Sarracenicis but diuers other histories do testifie that the Sarracens are idolaters The same also is testified by Benzo and other writers of the Indians And no man can deny but that many hundred yeares after Christ idolaters liued in Italie and all other countries as the volumes of Baronius if he looke them will testifie Finally the papists that worship the sacrament the crosse the crucifixe and the images of the trinitie as God must needs be idolaters But were papists no idolaters yet had Parsons no reason to shew it by mentioning idolaters and heretikes so intempestiuely and speaking of them so ignorantly Fol. 17. he saith Iohn the first bishop of Rome wrote a letter to the Emperour Iustinian whose title is this Gloriosissimo clementissimo filio Iustiniano Ioannes episcopus vrbis Romae Likewise in other places he ascribeth this letter to Iohn the first and yet Platina testifieth that Iohn the first Bishop of Rome died before the raigne of Iustinian the Emperour And if he will not beleeue him let him reade the seuenth tome of Caesar Baronius his Annales others and he shall find that Iustinian did not begin his empire before the second yeare of Felix that was successour to Iohn the first Beside this I haue shewed in my last challenge that the law inter claras Cod. de sum trin fid cath is scarce authentical But were it so yet doth it rather ouerthrow the Popes authoritie then otherwise For the prerogatiue of the Romaine church is there deriued from Councels Emperors and not from Gods word and Iohn calleth himselfe Episcopum vrbis Romae Bishop of Rome and not vniuersall bishop Fol. 18. for Iustinianus he nameth Iustinus and for Eutyches Euthyches and for Circumcellions Circumcillians But these are small faults in comparison of that which followeth fol. 19. b. Where for Constantine Copronymus he writeth Constantine Capronius mindfull as it should séeme of his owne capricious trickes who as his friends say is Caper inter Capras I speake to him that knoweth the manners of Italians For this fault therefore in stead of N. D. let him haue a maske 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to couer his swynes snout for very shame and for Parsonius let him be called Capronius ◠Fol. 32. for swéete singing Sirens he writeth sweete singing Syrienes which maketh vs much suspect that some swéete singing Syrian or Italian woman or boy hath so bereaued him of his senses as he is able to name nothing right If he procéede on this fashion it is much to be feared that he will forget his owne name if we do not put him in mind of it Fol. 30. where the Canonists are charged with flattery for saying Our Lord God the Pope he sayth the words are not to be found Afterward for very compassion he saith he will adde a coniecture how sir Francis might be deceiued and that is in supposing that D.D. noster Papa did signifie Dominus Deus And like as if a man reading this superscription To the right honorable our good Lord the Lord Admiral should suppose the second L. to signifie Lady But in talking of D. D. he sheweth himselfe a double dolt and a leud Lozel sporting himselfe with his owne foolish bable For the place alleaged is extant in the glosse in c. cùm inter nonnullos extr Ioan. 22. de verb. signif the words are these Credere Dominum Deum nostrum Papam conditorem dictae decretalis istius sic non potuisse statuere haereticum censetur That is to beleeue that our Lord God the Pope the maker of the said decretall and this also could not so appoint it is accounted hereticall I doubt not therefore but Robert Parsons although a thicke skinned fellow when he readeth this will blush and his consorts take compassion of his ignorance Lesse certes they cannot do then call him NODE Fol. 35. he disioyneth as he sayth the harmes ensuing by change of religion from her Maiesties gouernement As if her Maiesties gouernement could be considered without religion or as if this traitor did not calumniate her gouernment that reproueth all her actions done for religion Fol. 45. he deuideth Paulus Alciatus into two Which errour he might haue corrected by Bellarmine in praefat in 2. controuers Fol. 47. he nameth Marspurge for Marpurge Fol. 71. he saith it is contrary to Sophistrie he would say Logicke for extremes to be in one subiect But this sheweth that Parsons head was neuer any subiect for Logick For els he might know that extremes that are not immediate may be in one as for example auarice in scraping and prodigalitie in giuing presumption and hypocrisie albeit properly these are not extremes in respect one of another but of their meane vertues Fol. 90. b. alledging Cyrill he citeth his catechisme and quoteth him thus Ciril Hierosol catechis 4. 5. mistach And so filing his mustaches he thinketh he hath spoken sprucely But his vnlearned quotation sheweth that he hath scarce euer seene that father who wrote not catechismes but catecheses and not mistachical but mystagogical The writing of Ci in Ciril with an i is but a light fault of a lout that vnderstandeth no Greeke for which for i Cardinals hat let him haue a mitre with two coxcombes Fol. 104. b. he sayth that Valentinian mentioned in the title of the law Cunctos populos was son to Gratian. A most lamentable error For histories do all testifie that Gratian and Valentinian the yonger were sons to Valentinian the elder And if he will not beleeue me let him looke Caesar Baronius tom 4. in the seuerall entrances of Gratian and Valentinian the yonger What a leud fellow then is this who not content to beget neuewes on his owne sister doth now make the brother to beget his brother Fol. 110. a. he saith when a man is chosen Pope his rudenesse is turned into wisedome his feeblenesse into fortitude his infirmitie into vertue And yet experience teacheth vs that ordinarily they are as ignorant as
And out of Tertullian de praescr contra haeret That lies hardly stand one with another Both which do excéedingly wel fit Rob. Parsons For neither hath the man shame nor honestie nor do his lies hang together as appeareth by this whole discourse Fol. 52. out of M. Knoxe he alledgeth as a dangerous position and so it is That princes may be deposed by the people And yet that is his owne traiterous assertion in his booke of Titles set out vnder the name of Dolman The title of the third chapter part 1. is of Kings lawfully chastised by their common wealths That is likewise his and Allens drift in their trecherous libell directed to the Nobility and people of England and Ireland where they perswade them to take armes against the Quéene of England Fol. 53. he condemneth in Buchanan that which he and Bellarmine and their crew of rebellious consorts hold viz. that if Christians deposed not Princes in the Apostles times it was for want of temporal forces and for that S. Paul wrote in the infancie of the church That is also in termes holden by Bellarmine lib. 5. de Pont. Rom. c. 7. In his first encounter chap. 10. he goeth about to proue that S. Bernard and S. Augustine iumpe with Papists in the doctrine of merits of good workes But vnlesse he shew out of them that workes are meritorious not by reason of couenant or promise or mercy but for the workes sake as Bellarm. lib. 5. de Iustif c. 17. holdeth and that there is a proportion or equality betweene the worke and reward merited and that workes are meritorious ex condigno and that charity differeth not really from grace as Bellarmine teacheth lib. 1. de libero arbit c. 6. and that men are able to prepare themselues to receiue grace and finally proue the distinction de congruo and condigno Parsons laboureth but in vaine But this is contrary both to scriptures and fathers He first loued vs sayth Ioh. 1. Ioh. 4. And the Apostle sayth We are saued by grace and not of workes Nullus saith Augustine in Psal 142. vnquam bonū opus fecit tanta charitate quanta potuit debuit No man did euer performe a good worke with so much loue as he could and ought And 1. Confess chap. 4. Qui reddis debita nulli debens Thou which restorest debt yet owest to no man Bernard lib. de grat lib. arb promissum quidem ex misericordia sed iam ex iustitia persoluendum Promised of mercy but to be payd according to iustice And in his first sermon de annunt Thou canst not sayth he merite eternall life by any workes vnlesse the same be also giuen freely or gratis And againe Mens merits are not such that eternall life should be due for them of right or that God should do wrong if he did not giue them eternall life Fol. 75. he saith theeues the worst sort of mē do not suffer persecution one of another which is verified by the example of Parsons and his consorts For albeit like wolues they teare and like théeues they steale and spoile Christs lambs yet they do not alway teare and spoyle one another Neither would the kingdome of Satan stand if it were diuided in it selfe The words of S. Augustine contra Iulian. lib. 1. c. 7. alleaged by Parsons fol. 77. b. fall right vpon his head For both his ignorance and boldnesse is intollerable Fol. 80. b. he saith Calis was lost by heretical treason which cannot be true vnlesse Quéen Mary and the Papists were heretikes For none but they did lose that towne Fol. 83. he talketh of the chastitie of Friers Monkes and priests which as he signifieth haue ghelt themselues for the kingdome of heauen And yet the Monk Heywood his true father was not very chast when he begot him Nor was Parsons ghelt for the kingdome of heauen when he begot children on his owne sister as A.C. sayth or when he got his hurts in Italy and Spaine which yet sticke to his rotten shins nor are the Popes and Cardinals and Massepriests that commonly kéepe concubines if not worse very holy eunuches Of D. Giffard and Weston I shall haue occasion to speake otherwhere Furthermore he is often talking of great heads alwayes forgetting the branched head of the blacke smith his putatiue father Fol. 84. and 85. he is not ashamed to talke of ciuil wars murders and other calamities in France Flanders and other countries when he cannot denie but that the Popes bloody buls and the Iebusites the firebrands of sedition and their agents haue bene the beginners of all these troubles and the principall massacrers of innocent men Was he then wel in his wits trow you to talk of his owne deare fathers cruelties and to accuse Christs sheepe as cause of the woluish Papists notorious murders and cruell executions Whereas Parsons asketh Sir Francis whether he hath certaintie of faith by his owne reading or by the credite of some others we may aske his friarship likewise or because he is but a doogeon dunce of the Pope who is as it were an oracle of Papists the same question And if he answer that he hath it by his owne reading then we shall much wonder at his impudencie For Parsons knoweth that Popes reade litle or nothing and for the most part are ignorant of schoole diuinitie If he say his Popeship hath it by the vertue of his close stool then is the same but filthy learning especially the Pope being laxatiue as was Gregory the fourteenth If he say he haue it from his Masse-priests and friars then are they more certaine oracles then he and this learning must come from the tayles of friars and not from the head of the church Parsons therefore to cleare this doubt fol. 110. saith That they do not depend on the Pope as a priuate man but as he is head and chiefe pastor of Christs vniuersal Church He saith also That his rudenesse is turned into wisedome But that the Pope is the head of Christs vniuersall Church is the thing in question That a man should be a sot as he is a priuate man and wise as he is a publike person is ridiculous That he is made wise and learned being made Pope is most false So it appeareth Parsons is ensnared in his owne question and must confesse that the faith of papists is nothing else but the Popes priuate fancie and grounded on the Popes chaire and most absurd and sottish which can not be obiected to vs séeing we ground our selues vpon the Apostles and Prophets who in matters of faith saluation speake plainely and alwayes the same things most constantly In his first encounter chap 15. he spendeth much talke about the rule of faith But most of his words are direct contrary both to himselfe and to his holy fathers profite For in the Wardword page 6. he said the vniuersal Church was the squire and pole-star which euery one was to follow confounding like an ideot
themselues in Catholikes bloud and to spoile their goods that I and my crew might come to haue a share But first it is most false that Papists are Catholikes Secondly no one word can he alleage out of my whole book wherby it may be gathered that I would haue any rigour vsed against such simple Papists that are not factious nor mutinous For all the harme I wish them is that they were wel instructed Thirdly if he meane those traitors that either came or meant to ioyne with the Adelantado against their prince and countrey then are they no Catholikes nor true subiects The same may be said also of Parsons his consorts Finally it is a shamelesse vntruth to say we desire either blood or spoile all our actions tending onely to resist forrein enemies and wicked traitors which séeke to shed their countrimens blood like water and to sacrifice it to the Pope and to giue the spoile of their country to the Spaniards as the factious Masse-priests and the Papists their consorts haue done diuers times and namely an 1588. and 1598. and since In his obseruations vpon Sir Francis his Epistle fol. 6. He obiecteth saith Parsons that I seeke the ruine both of church and common wealth by my exhortation to peace attonement and mitigation in religion A notorious lie refuted by reading of Sir Francis his Apology where there is no one word sounding that way Neither do we blame any honest man that talketh of peace but scorne that traitors that haue warre in their hearts should talke of peace and that idolaters and heretikes should prate and talke of religion when they meane nothing but to erect idolatrie and to establish popish errors and superstition Fol. 16. speaking of me He blusheth not saith he to affirme that which all his fellowes haue denied And what is this trow you Forsooth that blasphemous and scandalous dogmatizing heretikes may be put to death But where he saith that all my fellows haue denied this he sheweth him selfe a shamelesse lying companion and the diuels fellow in forging lies For none of my fellowes euer denied that which I affirme but only wold not haue ignorant peaceable and simple heretikes that neither blaspheme nor dogmatise nor are offensiue to the State punished with death Likewise they condemne the cruell and bloody Papists that burne massacre men women and children for denying or contradicting any one point of their filthy abominable and erronious doctrine Fol. 18. he saith The Emperour in a certaine edict beginning reddentes Cod. de sum Trin. fid Cath. professeth his due subiection and of all his empire to the church of Rome which is a notorious and an impudently For in that law there is no one word to be found that importeth subiection either of the Emperour or of the Empire to the Church of Rome much lesse to the Pope of Rome Nay at that time the citie of Rome belonged to the Emperour which lately the Pope hath vsurped excluding the Emperour from thence But were there any thing contained in that law which may seeme spoken in fauour of the Romane Bishop yet is the same proued counterfet in my late treatise concerning falsities of the Romish synagogue Fol. 19. a. speaking of the Emperors They professed saith he the Bishops of Rome to be the heads and chiefe leaders of this vniuersall and visible Catholicke Church as before hath bene shewed by the examples of Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius to Pope Damasus and of Arcadius Honorius and Theodosius the second and of Saint Augustine to Pope Innocentius primus and of Iustinian to Pope Iohn the first This he saith boldly But in these few words a cluster of lies is packed vp close together For neither do Gratian Valentinian and Theodsius write to Damasus as the title of the law cunctos populos Cod. de sum trinit doth shew nor do they say that Damasus was head and leader of the vniuersall visible Church Nor do Arcadius Honorius and Theodosus the second talke of any such matter to be due to Innocentius the first Nor can it be proued out of Augustine or Iustinians decrée inter claras Cod. de sum trinit that this title was giuen to Innocentius the first or Iohn the first or second For beside that the law inter claras is counterfeit the interpreter doth corruptly translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the head of all priests the head of all Churches Nay hardly will Parsons be able to shew that any of these did speake of the vniuersall visible Church where they speake of the bishops of Romes authoritie These therefore are palpable if not visible lies And that which he saith of Iohn the first is a ridiculous lye For he was dead as Chronicles teach before Iustinians reigne He thinketh it lawfull to lie all manner of lies of Caluin And therefore boldly saith Fol. 20. a. He was a priest and that he sayd masse Both which are denyed by those which wrote his life which say he departed out of France before he receiued any orders The same may be proued for that his name is found in no bishops records and for that he begunne to write his Institutions before 24. yeares of age Of which we gather that he hated the popish priesthood before he was of yeares to be made priest Fol. 22. b. he maketh Sir Francis to say that we haue changed old religion into Protestancy not changing therein his old fashion of cogging and lying For neither doth he nor any of vs acknowledge popish religion to be auncient nor do we call our religion protestancy although his dealing giueth vs oft occasion to protest against his wicked and false dealing Fol. 23. a. he affirmeth that Sir Francis talketh of nothing but feares frights and terrors But he might doe well to cease talking if he tell nothing but lies In the place mentioned Sir Francis talketh neither of feares frights nor terrors Nor doth it follow because Parsons and his consorts are still packing vnderhand and dealing with the Spaniards that we are terrified For we haue neither cause to feare treason nor publike force vnlesse we will trust traytors and wilfully throw away our armes Neither haue Papists cause to begin to stirre vnlesse they be weary of their liues of peace of ease and of their natiue countrey Fol. 25. a. he boldly auoucheth that I count it a blessing to haue Catholike rites and seruice abolished whereas in truth I desire nothing more then that Catholike religion may be restored and speake onely against the filthy abominations of popish masse the idolatrous worship of saints and idols the tyranny of the Pope and such like which none but the slaues of Antichrist can endure and wil affirme to be Catholike That Iouinian and Vigilantius held some errors we will not deny But that Hierome called them heretikes for the same points that wee hold concerning virginitie prayers to saints and lights at martyrs tombes as Parsons fol. 27. affirmeth most falsly will
there were infinite opinions among them that denied the reall presence 4. That the Anabaptists rose out of Luthers doctrine 5. That there was a potent diuision betwixt Melancthon and Illyricus 6. That Caluin and Beza issued from Zuinglius 7. That Seruetus was Caluins collegue and that he and Valentinus Gentilis and other heretikes came from Caluin and Beza 8. That we admit no iudge of controuersies and laugh at Councels 9. That Zuinglius was condemned in a synod 10. That out of our synods at Marpurge Suabach and Smalcald we departed with lesse agreement then before as Lauater and Sleidan testifie 11. That Melancthon to proue the Zuinglians to be obstinate heretikes gathered together the sentences of the ancient fathers for the reall presence 12. That Zuinglius died in rebellion against his countrey 13. That Oecolampadius was found dead in bed by his wiues side strangled by the deuill as Luther holdeth lib. de priuata missa or killed by his wife 14. That great warres arose betweene Lutherans and Zuinglians as he calleth them 15. That Luther was the first father of our Gospell which he calleth new 16. That Stankare was a protestant as he calleth him 17. That Chemnitius in a letter to the Elector of Brandeburg doth censure the Queene of England and the religion here professed 18. That there are warres and dissentions in England in most principall points of religion He doth also rehearse diuers other points which are all vtterly false and vntrue For first Oecolampadius and Zuinglius were learned men aswell as Luther and taught truth before they knew him Carolstadius also taught matters neuer learned of him Secondly except in the exposition of the words of the Lords supper in which the Papists do differ more then any others all consented with Luther in most things and in this did modestly dissent from him Thirdly those imagined different opinions among them that dissallow the reall presence cannot be proued Let Parsons shew where they are now maintained and by whom 4. It is apparent that Luther taught alwayes contrary to the Anabaptists as his writings shew 5. It cannot be shewed that either Melancthon condemned Illyricus or contrariwise 6. Caluin and Beza had their doctrine from the Apostles and not from Zuinglius 7. Seruetus was a Spaniard and a Papist and an heretike and no collegue of Caluin Nay by his meanes his heresies were first detected and refuted and he punished 8. It is ridiculous to say that we admit no Iudge and laugh at generall Councels For we esteeme them highly and admit the censure of any iudge procéeding by the canon of scriptures 9. The condemnation of Zuinglius in a synode is a méere fiction The 10. lye is refuted by Lauater and Sleidan Sleidan saith they agréed at Marpurge Lib. 7. That seeing they consented in the chiefe points after that they should absteine from all contention Quandoquidem in praecipuis omnibus dogmatis idem sentirent abstinendum esse deinceps ab omni contentione The 11. lie is refuted by Melancthons whole workes where it is not found that euer he called his brethren heretikes or went about to proue them so Nay his principall study was vnitie and peace 12. Zuinglius died accompanying his countrimen of Zuricke in the battel against other Cantons of Suizzerland and standing for his country not against his countrey 13. Oecolampadius died in peace neither did Luther euer write of him that which the Papists haue reported 14. The names of Lutherans and Zuinglians we haue detested and if any contention were betwixt those that fauoured Luther or Zuinglius yet was it rather priuat then publike 15. Our religion we claime from the Apostles and not from Luther and so do other reformed Churches 16. Stankare we condemne as an heretike 17. The letter supposed to be written by Chemnitius against the Quéene is too ridiculous to procéed from him The same doth rather sauour of the blackesmiths forge of papists 18. In England there are no publike contentions nor do priuate men such specially as are reputed among vs as brethren contend about matters of saluation As for those contentions that haue bene about ceremonies they by the kings wisedome are ended to the great griefe of Parsons and other enemies of our peace Wherefore vnlesse Parsons can bring better proofes then Rescius Stancarus Staphylus and such like barking curres of his owne kennell both he and they will be taken for wicked and shamelesse forgers of lyes and slanders Hauing belyed vs before in the seuenth chapter of his first encounter he telleth lies also of himselfe and of his owne consorts First he saith If Papists were idolaters that this error was vniuersally receiued among them But that followeth not For all Papists haue not one opinion of Saints of relikes of images of Saints The second Nicene councell denieth That Latria is due to images or that the images of the godhead are to be made by Christians Some hold that not the image but the thing signified is to be worshipped many hold contrary All giue not diuine worship to the crosse nor pray to it in one sort Finally Bellarmine in his bookes de imaginibus and de Sanctis doth confesse that there are many different opinions among the worshippers of images Secondly Parsons denyeth that Papists are idolaters But Lactantius lib. 1. instit diuin c. 19. and other fathers shew that all are idolaters that giue the worship of God to creatures as the Papists do honoring the sacrament the crosse and images of the Trinitie with diuine worship This point is also fully proued against the Papists in my last challenge chap. 5. Thirdly he sayth most falsly That all Friers and Monkes professed one faith without any difference in any one article of beliefe The falshood of his assertion I haue shewed by diuerse instances heretofore Fourthly he sayth The Papists may haue a ministeriall head of the Church as well as we haue a woman for the head But it is a greater matter to be head of the vniuersall Church then of one Realme Againe we call the King supreme gouernour for no other cause then for that he is the chiefe man of his Realme and chiefe disposer of externall matters But they giue one consistory to Christ and the Pope Furthermore in matters of faith we say all princes ought to submit themselues to the Apostles and their doctrine The Pope will be equall to them if not aboue them and determine matters of faith as absolutely as Christ Iesus Finally he sayth Difference of habites or particular manner of life breaketh not vnitie of religion But the Apostle reproueth those that sayd I hold of Paul Aduers Lucifer I of Apollo I of Cephas And Hierome sayth If you shall heare at any time those which are called Christians to take their names of any but our Lord Iesus as for example the Marcionists Valentinians know that they are not the Church of Christ but the synagogue of Antichrist This therefore is
he crieth out of two apparant abuses calumniation and flattery And why Forsooth because Parsons is accused to reioyce that her Maiesties yeares grow on so fast and because Sir Francis doth pray for the prolongation of her daies to the holding out still of the Popes authoritie As if it were flattery to pray for her Maiesties long life and not lawfull so to do Or else as if all the world knew not that Parsons by publishing Sanders de schismate and diuers libels hath sought her disgrace and both by warres and treasons to the vttermost of his power procured her destruction But saith Parsons it may be presumed that the Essexian assault would haue abbreuiated this still Where I pray you note that besides the slaunder of this noble Earle he confesseth that if that action had taken effect the Popes authoritie would not haue bene still holden out By which it may appeare that by the trechery of some hollow hearted Papists this noble Earle was brought to destruction Fol. 9. most impudently he affirmeth that nothing is answered to his discourse of Emoluments of tolleration of popish religion and of the hurts that haue come of alteration of religion As if popish religion being proued false idolatrous and disastrous to all kingdomes all his discourse did not fal to the ground But this is the fashion of such combatants to crie victorie when they are beaten out of the field Likewise he crieth out manifest vntruths because Sir Francis saith he was first called into the field by Parsons But as wel may the théefe say that the peaceable traueller that giueth warning to all to beware of théeues prouoked the théefe to set vpon him The Spaniards were ready to come for England Sir Francis giueth the alarme Out commeth captain Cowbucke like a cutthrote and setteth vpon him in his Wardword Is it not he then that beginneth this braul And doth not he in fauour of publike enemies make himselfe ready to cut our throtes Fol. 11. he saith my Preface tendeth wholy to bloodshed But this grieuous accusation required some more proofe then he bringeth Notwithstanding let vs heare what he alleageth His first perswasion saith he is by extolling exceedingly her Maiesties extraordinary clemencie As if the praising of a Princes clemencie were a perswasion to crueltie Or as if Parsons commending Pope Clements clemencie perswaded him to rigour Who euer heard such a witlesse speake Another reason he imagineth me to haue drawne from the meanings of papists But like an vnskilful archer he neither hitteth my reason nor intentiō He is therfore to learne that my purpose was to arme her Maiesty against Parsons and his consorts treasons and rather to secure the State then to vse violence to any but such as by all means oppugned the State and sought by trechery to vndermine the State Where I shew that heretikes Fol. 14. idolaters traitors are to be punished therfore factious papists he saith thus to reason at randō is much like to boies argumēting in sophistry And yet he with all his logick shal neuer answer this argument considering that I haue proued Robert Parsons and his consorts to be heretikes idolaters and traitors Ibidem Nay W. R. in his cleere Confutation confesseth so much not answering any of my arguments But saith he shew me one example from the beginning of Christendom that euer man or woman in any age was punished as an heretike by the Christian common wealth for sticking to the religion of the Pope of Rome As if I had not shewed that Angelikes Carpocratians In my Challenge Marcionists Manicheys Prince-killing circumcellions and Assassins Pelagians Collyridians crosse-worshippers and diuers others holding the same points which now the Pope professeth haue bene condemned and punished for heretikes Fol. 15. he crieth out folly and impudency in prouing that idolaters and heretikes are by lawes to be repressed But he dissembleth cunningly whatsoeuer is otherwise brought by me to proue Papists to be idolaters and heretikes He passeth by also two Gréeke sentences taken out of Euripides and Aeschines for to him Gréeke is of hard digestion Finally whatsoeuer is said of the Papists for railing against the Quéene in the booke De schismate Anglicano set out vnder Sanders his name and in other libels Parsons doeth wholly omit and yet he maketh a shew as if he would answer all writhing his face like an old ape swallowing pilles In the same place he noteth as he sayth a contradiction betwixt Sir Francis and me But the contradiction was in his vnderstanding and not betwéen vs. For neither would I nor he haue simple Papists punished with death which is the opinion of S. Augustine concerning simple heretikes Nor doth Sir Francis denie but that factious dogmatizing and obstinate heretiks ought to be put to death which both S. Augustine and I my selfe affirme Fol. 16. b. he giueth out that the words of Paul Rom. 16. where he would haue such marked diligently as caused diuision and offences contrary to the doctrine which the Romanes had receiued make directly against vs and not against the Papists But then he must shew that we haue forsaken the doctrine preached to the Romanes and they not He must I say shew that S. Paul taught that Clement the eight is the spouse and rock of the Church that there are seuen sacraments that Christs body is corporally vnder the accidents of bread and wine and in as many places as is the sacrament that the accidents of bread and wine subsist without their substance that a Christian may liue without sinne that latria is due to the crosse that we are to pray to saints after the fashion of the Romish church and such like points of popish doctrine Or else he shall make a direct lie where he saith these words make directly against vs. Fol. 17. Hauing rehearsed the law Cunctos populos Cod. de summ Trin. fid Cath. he crieth out and willeth vs to tell him whether the same touch not vs. But if we tell him true it will make little for his comfort For we neither refuse to communicate with the Church of Rome nor the Church of Alexandria that was in Damasus his time Nor do we digresse from the faith mentioned in that law which Parsons like a falsary cut out seeing it made not for his purpose But séeing true Christians do not communicate with the Church and Bishop of Alexandria that now is why should Christians communicate with the Pope and his sect séeing they haue embraced a number of nouelties and heresies and published them in the Conuenticle of Trent which were vnknowne to Damasus and to the Church of Rome long after his time Fol. 20. he complaineth of iniuries offered by the Watch-word as a famous libell as well to great forreine princes and nations as to honourable worshipfull and honest subiects whereas whosoeuer readeth the book shal find that Sir Francis speaketh onely against forreine enemies and notorious traitors If then
because they take his iudgement to be infallible albeit the Neapolitans will not follow their Viceroy in his rebellions Likewise doeth he absurdly shift off the obiection concerning the absolute obedience required of Christians by Boniface the 8. He sayth also that it standeth with Gods prouidence to preserue the Church from error As if the Pope were the Church and not rather Antichrist and the enemy of Christ and his Church or as if the church could not stand if the Pope were dead and Parsons hanged by him to beare him company and to leade him through purgatory being not able to walke of himselfe being troubled with the gout Fol. 113. 2. encont c. 14. he saith That Parry in his letter to Gregory the thirteenth discouered no intentiō at all of any particular enterprise he had in hand and thereby would shift off our obiection concerning the intelligence the Pope had of his purpose to kill the Quéene But his shift is very simple For albeit he said nothing yet the letters of credit included frō some great man to whō he imparted the secret disclosed all Now it is euident by Cardinall Comoes letter that the Pope receiued Parries letter together with the letters of credit included La santitá di N.S. sayth Cardinall Como ha vedute le lettere di V.S. con la fede inclusa By this then it appeareth that the Pope granting a plenary indulgence to a murderer that went to kill an innocent Queene was also a most execrable murderer and no shepheard a limb of Satan that was a murderer from the begining and not the head of the Church a wolfe and no Christian Bishop Yea but saith Parsons this indulgence tooke effect if Parry were contrite and confessed of his sinnes As if these wicked murderers did not account it an act meritorious to kill a Prince excommunicated by the Pope So it appeareth that in this respect rather he obtained this indulgence Nay if Ch. P. say true Robert Parsons was also acquainted with Parries particular treason so that this will not onely remaine as a perpetuall blot of indulgences but also of the barbarous trechery both of the Pope and of his bastardly proctor that set on this cutthrote to murder an innocent Lady Doeth it not then plainly appeare howsoeuer closely Parsons wold séeme to cary matters that he doth confesse more in shifting and concealing then he doth deny disputing Ita opertus ac tectus incedis sayth Hierom to one epist 6. vt plus confitearis tacendo quà m renuas disputando This we may truly say of Parsons that his shifts and answers which he bringeth to couer the wounds of his cause do make the matter far more suspicious then before What then are we to think of such a shifting and iugling fellow Will you heare Parsons giue sentence in his owne cause If he do I hope you will say we do produce no witnesse that wil deale partially in fauor of our cause But he in his 2. encon c. 9. fol. 62. saith that he which vseth a trick of legierdemain but once of known and set malice to deceiue is neuer to be trusted againe What then remaineth now but that such a shifting trecherous companion be rather trussed then trusted haltred then harbored baffulled then beléeued CHAP. XIII Parsons his patcherie in begging things in controuersie discouered THe very name of an aduersary and often mention of controuersies if nothing else me thinkes might haue moued Robert Parsons to looke better to his proofes and to haue presumed lesse of his begging For albeit he be of the Ignatian sect and by profession a mendicant friar yet hath he no reason to beg of his aduersaries nor to take as granted things that hang in controuersie Nor haue we cause to maintaine of almes such vagarant sturdy roging beggars as the laws iudge worthy of hanging It may be he wil stand vpon termes and sweare like a hackster that he is no beggar Testified by the secular priests in diuers of their treatises bestowing many thousands of crownes vpon spies and cutthrotes But the truth will appeare by the sequele of his doings Fol. 1. b. he accuseth me of deportment against all kind of Catholike men though neuer so learned vertuous worshipful or honorable But he shold haue proued himself his traitorous consorts which are the men that I do meane to be both Catholikes and learned vertuous worshipfull and honorable We of the plainer and simpler sort could yet neuer learne that it was a thing either honorable or commendable to betray his prince or countrey or to take part with Italians or Spaniards against his owne nation Fol. 7. talking of priests put to death in England he calleth them and others seruants of Christ and sayth they suffered for auncient religion But we looked for proofes and not for bare and beggarly affirmations For the seruants of Christ came neuer to depose Princes from their thrones Nay our Sauior Christ saith plainely that his kingdome is not of this world But these Massepriests as appeareth by records and by their confessions and the Popes faculties granted to them came for that purpose Secondly we haue proued in our challenge that their religion as it differeth from the faith which we professe in England is neither Catholike nor anciēt Lastly we haue there also declared them to be culpable of treason and to haue died for that not for their religion though otherwise very louzy and beggarly vellacos and as beggarly defended by this begging and cousining companion In the same leafe also he affirmeth that Christ is the Masse-priests captaine and master and that he assureth them on his honour and power that no one haire of their head shall perish In the end he doubteth not to call thē martyrs But to proue his matters he alleageth neither testimony of scripture nor sentence of fathers Nay where the Romish Church teacheth that no man can be certaine of his saluation without speciall reuelation yet this disciple of Antichrist affirmeth that Christ vpon his honor hath assured Campian Ballard Babington and I thinke Lopez too that they shall not perish For of these I thinke he speaketh To shew them to be no martyrs I haue alleaged diuers reasons Reason then would that if he would haue wonne credit he should haue either answered our reasons or proued his owne cause by argument In his obseruations vpon my Preface and in diuers places of his book he giueth the name of Catholikes to papists And yet he knoweth that this is a maine controuersie betwixt vs. What punishment then doth he deserue that wittingly and wilfully wil beg or rather steale that which belongeth not vnto him Fol. 14. most impudently he giueth the title of the Catholike Christian church and the vniuersall body of Christs commonwealth vnto papists that are neither the whole church nor part of the Church Vnto vs he giueth the title of Protestants Puritanes and Lutherans which we renounce professing onely the faith of Christ
chaire Neither doeth he doubt but to proue his triple conuersion and that in honor of the Popes triple crowne But if we do well examine his grounds and allegations we shall find that vnder the title of S. Peters chaire and apostolical doctrine the man doth séek nothing else but to recommend vnto vs the Popes close stoole with a decoction of his decretaliue doctrine and most beastly abominations The grounds of the whole discourse are false and the inference made out of them most weake and euil concluding First most false it is that Britannie or as Parsons sayth England was thrise conuerted by preachers sent from Rome Of Peters preaching in Britaine whereupon the first supposed conuersion standeth the obliuious fellow is but lately aduised For in his Wardword wherein he maketh the best ward for Rome that he can he could not find any more then two conuersions and those he rather fancieth then proueth His proofes for S. Peters preaching in England stand wholy vpon the testimony of Simeon Metaphrastes a lying pedant full of fabulous narrations whereto the aduersaries themselues make conscience to giue credit of Surius a Carthusian Monke and a great eater of stockfish and a codshead parasite hired to speak for the Pope and vpon a forged lying decretal set out vnder the name of Innocent the first wherein notwithstanding we reade nothing specially of Britaines conuersion Those that were sent from Eleutherus bishop of Rome to the Christian King Lucius of Britannie séeme rather to haue bin Britans then Romanes as the names of them set downe by Galfridus by Caius and other writers of British histories do report Lucius certes had no reasō to craue baptisme at the hands of Eleutherus his mandataries vnlesse he had bin well instructed in Christian religion before Beside that the Romanes in these times ruling in most part of Britaine it may be a question how far the kingdome of Lucius did extend it selfe Suppose then that this historie is authentical which may well be doubted the same being onely found in legends and fabulous writers all the glory of this conuersion must néedes stand vpon weake surmises and fabulous legends As for the Monke Austine he could not speake one Saxon or British word but was faine to bring interpreters with him out of France then called Gallia How then could he conuert them which vnderstood not one word spoken by him We do not reade that he preached to the Saxons or Britans but only that he baptized And very likely it is that he holp onely to baptize those whom either the Britans alwayes remaining among the Saxons and submitting thē selues vnto them or the interpreters which Austin brought with him from Gallia which then had a tongue common to both Gaules and Britons had before conuerted But suppose that either himselfe speaking British or Saxon or by some interpreter should haue conuerted some few yet all that amounteth to nothing and is scarce worth the speaking of it Secondly suppose some Britans or Saxons had bene conuerted to Christian Religion by preachers sent from Rome in auncient time when religion was pure and sincere yet Parsons hath no reason to make any great clamor vpon so small aduantage For first all those that are conuerted to religion are not to subiect themselues to those churches frō whence those came that did conuert thē or else to the bishops that sent them The church of Rome acknowledgeth no subiection to the Church of Ierusalem or to the Bishop thereof Neither doth Friseland or Germany that was conuerted by Saxons that came out of England acknowledge our Church or Bishops to be their superiors But were Rome beholding to Ierusalem from whence her first preachers came yet do not the Romanists now turne Turkes because Turkes preside at Ierusalem Suppose then we were beholding to Christian Romanes yet what is that to Antichristian Romanes that haue declined almost into as grosse impieties as Turks and worship idols or as they call them images so grossely that the Turkes do condemne them and may iustly rise vp too against them in iudgement Againe suppose we had bene beholding to the auncient Romanes yet this maketh nothing for the moderne inhabitants of Rome that either are a race of Gothes and Lombards that were enemies to the Romanes or else a collection and Ramasse of other nations nothing like to the Romanes Finally if we ought to embrace that religion that was either taught by S. Peter Eleutherus Austin or by other Christian Bishops in their times then are we to renounce the decretaliue doctrine of Popes together with the philosophicall mixtures of schoole diuines both which haue bin brought into the Church long after the ages wherein they liued Furthermore the idolalatrous worship of the crosse with latria of the saints with dulia of the blessed virgine with hyperdulia the doctrine of Papists concerning the carnall eating of Christs bodie transsubstantion halfe Communions priuate Masses reseruation of the Sacrament purgatorie for temporall paines after the guilt remitted popish indulgences and other popish trash might be packing It would also be time for the Pope with his triple crowne two swords guard of Suizzers Cardinals Monkes Masse-priests and Friers to trusse vppe his trinkets and to make himselfe readie for his iourney into some farre countrey beyond all Christianitie For neuer shall Robert Parsons proue albeit he could conuert him selfe into all shapes that Britaine was conuerted to any such religion as this or that the Church then had such a forme as now wée see in Rome Page 103. hée alleageth two proofes whereof the first he calleth negatiue the second affirmatiue and thereby hopeth to shew that the moderne Romish Religion is all one with the auncient Christian Religion But his negatiue ridiculous proofe is denied His affirmatiue is rather a bare affirmation then a proofe For first against his negatiue we offer to proue that not onely the points of Romish doctrine which the Church of England refuseth are brought in long after the Apostles time but also that they are contrary to the Apostles doctrine But suppose we knew no originall of some of the Romish heresies are they therefore no heresies Is idolatry no idolatry because the first beginning thereof is not knowne Or are the Angelikes Archontikes Crosse-worpers Nudipedals Monothelites and diuers other heretikes true Catholikes because the Papists cannot shew who first broached these heresies Secondly albeit the Magdeburgians and some other learned men find fault with some termes vsed by the fathers as of sacrifice altar priest purgatorie free-will and some other yet that sheweth not either that all the fathers vsed these termes or that any of those that vsed them consented with the Papists which from new termes are growne to new and strange doctrine Beside that Parsons disputeth ridiculously which ascribeth the particular and priuate opinions or some one or few among vs to the whole Church He himselfe albeit he affirme many things desperately will not yéeld vs this point against his
owne consorts So we sée Parsons his whole treatise of three conuersions easily subuerted in thrée words and with the turning of a hand The second part of Parsons his treatise wherein he pretendeth to make search for the religion professed in England is wholly without the compasse of his title of thrée conuersions So simple was he in his choise that he could not choose a title to fit his fantasticall worke Beside that he seemeth to be blind that could not find our Religion in the auncient Church of Christ for a thousand yeares after Christ and long after For there is no point or article of faith taught by the Apostles receiued by the consent of the whole Church in any auncient and lawfull Councell but we receiue it and embrace it Nor do we professe any thing in the Creed of the Apostles or of the Nicene and other auncient Councels which the auncient fathers did not also together with vs receiue and professe While therefore the light-headed frier ranne poasting through all ages and pretended to enquire for newes of our Church which he might sée if he would in all places he resembleth much that wise fellow that could not see wood for trées Neither is it material that in auncient time he findeth no opposition made against the Popes primacy or vniuersall power or to the Masse or to the doctrine of transsubstantiation the carnall presence in the Eucharist the sacrifice of the masse the 7. sacraments purgatory indulgences such like For who seeth not that it is most ridiculous to make search for opposition against popish doctrine heresie before the same was extant in the world But as soone as any began to chalenge the name of Oecumenical or vniuersal Bishop Gregory the first challenged him for it as the fore-runner of Antichrist The worship of images allowed after a sort in the second Councell of Nice though not in such grosse maner as now was oppugned in the Councell of Francford in the time of Charlemaine The carnall presence of Christs body in the sacrament was not beleeued by Gregory the 7. as Beno reporteth and was both thē and afterward disliked by many Transsubstantiatiō was disputed against by the schoolmen All the Easterne Church spurned against the Popes headship his purgatory and indulgences Neither since the time of the first beginning of these corruptions did the Albigenses Valdenses Wiclephians and Bohemians as they are called together with diuers others cease to exclaime against these popish abuses But saith Parsons these did not in all things agrée with vs. Yet if he speake of matters of faith he wrongeth them and vs. If of ceremonies it is not necessary that al churches shold agrée in all points Furthermore if the aduersaries had not calmniously layed diuers imputations of heresies vpon them which they neuer held the variation wold not haue séemed so great as they pretend Wherfore if Robert Parsons séeke no better it is not like that he wil find a Cardinals hat which as his friends charge him he hath long sought This is the summe of that which is materiall in Robert Parsons his treatise of thrée conuersions The rest is nothing else but froth of the mans fury and foolery and containeth only certaine idle inuectiues against M. Fox that good man against M. Bale other honest Christians together with certaine fond tales of king Alphreds dreames S. Cutberts apparitions such like woodden popish stuffe drawne out of lying legends He forgot not also to raile against our noble Quéene lately deceased and to call her old persecutor and to lay an aspersion of slaunder vpon the State as if the same did persecute Papists for religion a matter of which the secular Masse-priests are ashamed and sticke not to cleare those whom this conuertible Proteus most vniustly chargeth Finally his fardle of wast papers containeth diuers corruptions and deprauations of holy Scriptures miss-allegations of Fathers weake collections grosse errors rebellious positions notorious lies and calumiations which in a large treatise herafter are to be discouered K. Kellisons Suruey if any man list to suruey and peruse a certaine slaunderous and railing companions libell entituled Caluinoturcismus and with hatred more then Turkish to christian religiō set out by Gifford of Lile wil be found to be wholy stolne out frō thence albeit he yéeldeth no thanks to those from whence he borowed or rather stole his inuention This Plagiary therefore néedeth no other answer then that which is already made to Giffords Turky worke called Caluinoturcismus It séemeth the man is at a stand For albeit Gifford hate religion like a Turk yet he answereth no more then if by vertue of Parsons his thrée conuersions he were turned into a mute Turbot This K. also of his owne hath added a glozing and flattering Epistle to the King a certaine preface concerning inanimate and vnreasonable creatures percase like the Arcadian beasts of Doway and certaine fragments old ends of diuers stale declamations made as it seemeth at the drinking out of a pot of Renish wine His schollers I heare gape and wonder at his horrible eloquence But yet the wisest of thē see that they haue no affinitie with his purpose and onely serue to fringe his chapters like as mustie ends of mockado serue to stitch his iacket of perpetuana All the whole amounteth to nothing saue to declare the man to be a perpetuall railer and a most sottish declaimer The idle fellow in all his scuruy collection which he like a surueyor without commission hath made to litle purpose doth neither shew wisedome nor modestie nor learning If the fellow had bene wise he would not haue touched any matter of noueltie or absurditie For therein he giueth his aduersaries iust occasion not onely to iustifie their religion to be most ancient and consonant to holy scriptures but also to declare his popish religion refused by vs to be a packe of nouelties and a masse of grosse absurdities For who knoweth not that the Romish Church consisting of a triple-crowned and crosse-slippard Pope with his guard of Suizzers a consistory of purple Cardinals that hath neare affinitie to the purple whore of Babylon a rabble of rakehellike masse-priests filthy monkes friars and nunnes with a people worshipping idols and beléeuing the decretaliue doctrine of Popes and the decrées of Trent is new and neuer séene before vntill of late Who doeth not vnderstand that both the grounds of popery the doctrine thereon built is new For neither can K. shew that the auncient Church was founded vpon the Pope and his decretals or vpon traditions allowed by the Church of Rome or that the Church was tied to such senses of scriptures as the Romish Church alloweth or bound to follow the old Latine translation of the Bible Neither can he proue either out of fathers or ancient writers that Christs true body is both in heauen and earth and in euery pixe at one and the same time or that his body