he sayth that the vniuersal Church was the direct rule and squire which we ought to follow and in the Warnw. Enc. 1. c. 15. nu 10. he teacheth that it is the summe and corpes of Christian doctrine deliuered at the beginning by the miracles and preachings of the Apostles Where I omit to tell Robert Parsons that it is absurd to make the same thing to be a rule and a squire the rule being direct and the squire being square It is also ridiculous though I do not tell him of it to say that Christs doctrine was deliuered by miracles for it was deliuered by writing and preaching and confirmed by miracles But I cannot forbeare to tell him that there is great difference betwéene the Catholike Church and the Catholike doctrine How then can these two make one rule Next he taketh exception to my words where I say that the Church of England hath a certaine rule to follow in matters of faith as if the canon of scriptures and those conclusions which are to be drawne out of them were no certaine rule or else as if traditions that are no where certainly described or set downe were a more certaine and authenticall rule then scriptures and necessary deductions out of them Fourthly he giueth out Warnw. 1. encont cap. 17. that we despaire of all certaine rule or meane to trie the truth which is a most desperate and impudent kind of dealing For directly I told him before and now I tell him againe that our rule is most certaine being nothing else but the canonicall Scriptures and the conclusions necessary drawne out of them Nay this rule may in part be confirmed by Parsons his owne confession For if the corps of Christian doctrine preached by the Apostles be the rule of faith as he saith VVarnw 1. encont c. 15. where are we to find it but in holy Scriptures He holdeth percase that it is to be found in the Popes bosome But if he say so in schooles he shal not want a greater plaudit then he had when hauing ended his comicall dealings in Bayliol colledge he was rung and hissed out of the house For who knoweth not that scabs and villany are rather to be found in the Popes bosome then any corpes of Apostolicall doctrine for that is very rife with them With the corpes of Apostolicall doctrine the Italian atheisticall Popes are litle acquainted We tel him further that for trial of any point of doctrine we are not to run to the Popes sea which is as much able to resolue vs as his close stoole but to the word of God reuealed in Scriptures and if there be any difference about a place of Scriptures we are then to compare the same with other places to search the resolutions of Councels of auncient and later Fathers of the Church of England and learned men Prouided alwayes that nothing be receiued as a ground of faith which is not to be deduced out of the word of God Whether then S. Augustine or Hierome or Ambrose or Luther or Caluin or any preacher among vs bring vs the word of God it is to be receiued But if they teach without that we are not necessarily to credit them nor to beléeue them in grounds of faith Out of the Scriptures we learne that Christ hath giuen some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some pastors and teachers albeit all particular matters are not precisely set downe So likewise we are taught that these words this is my body are most true that the sacramēt is Christs body in a mysterie or sacramentally albeit how the Sacrament is called Christs body there may be some differences Likewise out of Scripture we are taught that the King is the most principall man in his Realme and not to be subiect to any other in externall gouernement albeit euery one percase vnderstandeth not the seuerall points of his supreme authority These differences therefore notwithstanding our rule of faith is most certaine Fiftly he would insinuate that as vertue houskéeping true dealing is much decayed since her Maiesty came to the crowne so pride in apparel gluttony drunkennes lechery swearing and other vices are much increased But the man should shew that these vertues are decayed and vices increased in men that are truly of our Religion If he say so then let him name the men that are guiltie of these faults If the men that are guilty be Papists that for the most part are knowne to be carnall and cruel and most vitious he striketh himselfe and not vs. If they be Atheists or hypocrites then his allegation maketh not to purpose This I will speake to his téeth that if our Ministery be no more honest and vertuous then the Popes Cardinals Friers and Masse-priests and our true professors then zelous Papists it were pitie they should liue on the face of the earth Some proofes I haue brought before and more I shall alleage herafter Let Parsons do the like against vs and leaue his hypocriticall ostentation and generall declamation that maketh men rather to wonder at his impudency then to beléeue that he dealeth truly or sincerely Wardw. p. 3. Warnw. 1. encoutr cap. 18. Sixthly he very impudently imputeth all the troubles wars and calamities that haue happened in Scotland Ireland Flanders France to alteration in Religion and wold lay the blame wholy vpon vs. But if he looke into their immediate causes he shall find that the mint of this money was the Popes consistorie and that he and his agents are the onely firebrands of all mischiefe In Ireland Gregorie the thirtéenth stirred vp rebellion by the traitor Saunders his legate in England Pius Quintus by his agent Ridolphi and by Morton his messenger moued the two Earles to rise in the North Anno 1569. The same Pope animated the Spanish King to make warres against the Quéene of England and against them of the Low countries The same Pope sent not onely his agents to stirre the French but ayded them both with men and mony Gregorie the thirtéenth likewise sent ayde to Irish rebels The wars of Germanie were enflamed by that butcherly Pope Paule the third To make short all massacres trecheries warres and troubles haue wholy procéeded from their malice against the truth If the Pope and his adherents therfore haue bene troubled so was Herode and all Ierusalem with him at the birth of Christ If they blame vs for their troubles so did the Pagans impute all their troubles to Christians and their religion But the true cause was not religion but the hatred of impious Papists against religion Finally he saith that if her Maiestie had not altered religion then her kingdome had bene flourishing and secure and that she would haue had issue and her succession certaine and continued in friendship with the Pope and auncient confederates and neither had wars abroad nor treason at home and insinuateth that by reason of alteration of religion al is fallen out contrarie But if Wil Sommer had
Popes agents and countrimen Bonner in his preface before Stephen Gardiners booke De vera obedientia sayth that the Popes prey in England was so great that it amounted to as much almost as the reuenues of the Crowne The English nation complained to the Pope in the synod at Lyon in the dayes of king Henry the third Math. Paris in Hen. 3. of diuers enormous pillages and exactions made by him and his officers but could find no remedy The Emperour Ibid. as Mathew Paris testifieth found fault with the King of England for that he suffered his countrey to be impouerished so shamefully by the Pope Imperator reprehendit regem Angliae saith Mathew Paris quod permitteret terram suam tam impudenter per Papam depauperari If we account the tenths first fruites rents comming of dispensations about Ecclesiasticall benefices for mariages and vowes money for licences to eate flesh and white meates to kéepe concubines to erect new societies and orders of Friers money for indulgences and pardons canonizations of saints erecting of Churches for rescripts of iustice for absolution from othes for sale of Masses and such like Babylonish merchandize we shall find that the summe doth farre excéed Bonners accompt So iniurious was the Pope in extorting and so patient was this land in bearing all burdens that worthily it deserued to be called the Popes asse Nay such corruption was entred into the Romish church that no act of religion could be executed without paying somewhat At christening they paid a chrisme cloth at buriall a herse cloth Neither could any be maried or housled or absolued but somewhat was paid At Candlemasse they offered candles at another day bread and because bread would not downe without drinke they offered also good ale in some places By these meanes the priests of Baal liued vpon the poore mans labour and got the husbandmans cow the artificers instruments and what euery man had from the owners and pressed the very marrow out of the common peoples bones To all these pillages from which king Henry the eight of famous memorie and his sonne king Edward had fréed vs Quéene Mary did make her people subiect She also put her people vnder the bloodie hands of the butcherly Romish inquisitors Bonner Gardiner Storie and their fellowes which contrary to iustice and all good forme of proceeding caused foure or fiue hundred to be put to most cruell death in a short space and were the occasion of the death of many hundreds more that either for want or by diseases died being driuen to leaue their houses and to shift for themselues Some also died in prison before they came to their triall Whosoeuer would not forsake the truth was driuen to forsake his countrey kinred friends and to flie into strange countries for succor So we sée murder tortures banishments bands and persecution of Gods saints were the monuments of her raigne Therefore it pleased God to afflict this countrey with a great penury and dearth the like was not heard of for many yeares before nor since Our histories say that wheate was for foure markes the quarter and mault for 44. shillings which considering the rate of things is twise or thrise so much as that summe amounteth vnto now Hereupon it came to passe that the people were constrained to make bread of acornes that had refused the bread of Gods word and that many died for extreme want and penury and yet was not the country halfe so populous as now Finally to her perpetuall dishonor and the shame of all Papists she lost Calice Ghines whatsoeuer by the kings of England was left her in France King Edward the third that most victorious prince wanne Calice and she like a most disastrous Quéene lost it neither did any thing prosper that she tooke in hand In the beginning of her raigne she was driuen to flie into Suffolke disguised and had by all likelihood lost both her life crowne and hope if the professors of the Gospell of Norfolke and Suffolke had not resorted vnto her and defended her against those that pursued her for the which she promised them liberally but performed nothing They deliuered her from danger and she contrary to her promise deliuered them vp to the bloudy executioners to be pursued with fire and fagot She maried with a stranger to the great dislike of all true hearted Englishmen But well was she requited For her husband neuer did well like her and in the end he went from her and did in a manner forsake her Great hope she had to leaue vs a king of her owne body to raigne after her but her expectation was turned into a mockerie and all the Masses said and prayers deuised and offerings to Saints relikes for her safe deliuerie tooke no effect The saying of the Prophet Psal 7. was fulfilled in her She conceiued griefe and brought foorth iniquitie Concepit dolorem peperit iniquitatem Salomon for that he was a iust Prince had a sonne giuen him to sit vpon his throne after him as we reade 1. King 3. Was not then this mercilesse Quéene iustly punished with barrennesse for making so many childlesse Without cause she fell at variance with the French entring into her husbands quarrell But she spent her labour and treasure in vaine left the state in debt and lost all she did aduenture for At the sea she was most vnhappie losing a goodly shippe called The great Harrie by fire and hauing no successe in any thing And so it appeareth that she liued and died disgracefully leauing no memorie behind her but of cruell persecution of Spanish slauerie and of disgrace dishonor and losse to our nation Neither doth any accompt otherwise of her then as of a woman vnhappie in her mariage cruell in persecuting Gods Saints vngratefull to those that were her best friends vnkind to her subiects disastrons in all her enterprises The like successe had those kings of England that were most forward in the Popes seruice Before king Henry the seconds time the Popes agents had litle to do in England He was the first that gaue them grace But sée his reward The Pope maintained Becket and other his rebellious subiects against him and forced him to most disgracefull and base conditions of agréement Furthermore the Popes agents in his time found such fauour that vntill the raigne of king Henry the eight this Land could neuer be ridde of them King Richard the first for the Popes pleasure crossed him selfe for the holy land and went thither with great forces of men and royall prouisions But nothing he gained beside a vaine name of a valiant man On the other side his losses and disgraces were excéeding great For first he lost most of his fléete then he lost the best part of his men Thirdly he lost diuers good townes in France where his enemies tooke aduantage of his absence Fourthly he was taken prisoner in his returne Fiftly he impouerished himselfe and his countrie in leauying money for
his ransome And lastly was vnnobly slaine before a litle castle in France by a base fellow So litle did the Popes pardons and blessings auaile him Neuer did any king of England more for the Pope then king Iohn For he resigned his Crowne into his Legates hands and indeuoured also as much as in him lay to make his kingdome tributarie to the Pope Let vs then sée what fruite he reaped of his deuotion to the Pope First he liued in continuall iarre with his subiects Secondly he lost Normandie and diuers townes of great moment to the French Thirdly in his dayes the French made warre vpon him in England and bid him base at his owne doores Fourthly he suffered his kingdome to be pillaged by the Pope Finally he died of poyson ministred to him by a Monke of Swinsted Abbey as Caxtons Chronicle reporteth King Henry the third was flatly cousened by Innocent the fourth and deluded with a promise of the kingdome of Naples for his sonne Edmond But for this vaine title he payed full deare not onely suffering the Pope to spoile his countrie but also paying himselfe great summes to the Pope King Henry the eight for the deliuerance of Clement the seuenth spent infinit treasure vainely And that was the successe of all the kings of England that did seruice to the Pope Generally all those that liue vnder the Popes iurisdiction liue most miserably being neither secured for their goods nor liues nor liberties either from their neighbour princes or from the Pope First they serue two kings wheresoeuer they liue that is their King or Duke and the Pope If they offend the Pope they are proclaimed heretickes and are déemed worthie of death yea albeit the controuersie be no matter of Religion Lewis of Bauier and his followers were reputed heretikes he for taking on him the Empire without the Popes allowance these for yéelding obedience to their lawfull prince The like censure was giuen against all that followed the Emperour Henry the fourth and Fredericke the second If they offend their Princes either in word or act the penaltie is death Poggio sheweth that a rich man being accused of treason answered that he had not offended but if his goods had offended he would not consent with them And thus by renouncing that which he had he escaped The lawes are very rigorous both of Pope and popish princes the executions very cruell and barbarous Onuphrius speaking of the times of Alexander the sixt saith that there was neuer more outrages committed by Spadassins and cut throates that the people of Rome had neuer lesse freedome that there was a great number of priuie promoters and that euery euill word was punished with death But this is common to all Italian princes Murthers and spoiles are litle regarded euery word nay euery thought against them if it be knowne is punished most rigorously The Spanish inquisitors in crueltie passe most sauage beastes Vpon euery light surmise they procéed against most innocent persons and some they racke some they famish some they burne some they cut péecemeale The very Papistes themselues could neuer endure it nor would suffer it Natal com hist lib. 2. but by force The Venetians will none of it The Neapolitans refusing the same yéeld this reason quia per simplicem alicuius maleuoli accusationem nullis requisitis probationibus nullisque defensionibus acceptis posset quisque in carceres detrudi vita honore facultatibus priuari Because by the single accusation of one malitious fellow neither proofes being sought nor exceptions receiued any man might be thrust into prison and depriued of his honors goods and life Are they not then miserable Meteran lib. 2. hist Bel. that liue vnder the danger of the cruell inquisition The people of the Low countries do affirme that the Inquisition was the originall ground of the troubles and tumults of the Low countries and that the Cardinal Granuelle endeuouring to bring in the same was the ruine of his countrie At the first the same was practised principally against Turkes and Moores Who then doth not detest the Spaniards and Italians that practising the same against Christians do plainly declare that they hold them to be no better then Turkes and Moores The common forme also of inquisition against Christians is very cruell odious and intolerable considering first that the Romanists take all for heretikes that reproue them for their villanies superstitions and heresies and next for that they neither obserue forme nor order of iustice nor respect young nor old Cap. accusatus de Haeret. in 6. Cap. ad abolendam de haeret men aliue nor dead oftentimes torturing mens bodies most cruelly and spoiling their goods most gréedily and punishing any that dissent from the synagogue of Rome in matter of the Sacraments as if they had conspired the destruction of their prince and countrie By this cruel procéeding in the raigne of Charles the fift the bloudie popish tormentors in the low countries put to death fiftie thousands as the Histories of the Low countries testifie Meteran hist Belg. lib. 2. In England like sauage wolues they spoiled the flocke during the raigne of Queene Marie How many haue bene executed in Spaine Italie France and Germanie by these Inquisitors it is hard to recount Of late because the executioners were not sufficient to satisfie their cruelty they haue caused many thousands without all order to be massacred Paul the 4. that first brought the inquisition into Rome brought himselfe and his house into perpetual hatred of the Romanes Onuphrius in Paulo 4. insomuch that vpon his death the people ran furiously together broke his statue threw downe the armes of his house burnt the inquisition court and were hardly restrained from doing further violence to the inquisitors The Popes exactions in all countries are very grieuous Polycrat lib. 6. c. 24. Ipse Romanus Pontifex saith Iohn of Salisbury omnibus grauis ferè intolerabilis est The Pope is become grieuous and vntolerable vnto all men Againe speaking of the Church of Rome he saith She sheweth her selfe rather a steppe-mother then a mother and that Scribes and Pharises sit in her which lay importable burdens on mens shoulders which they wil not once touch with their fingers Petrus de Alliaco speaking against the multitude and greatnesse of the Popes exactions De reform Eccles busieth himselfe to find a remedie by diminishing the excessiue charges of the Pope the number of Cardinals and disorders of inferior prelats but al in vain He proueth by the testimonie of Humbertus Ibidem that the cause that disposed the Greekes to reuolt from the Church of Rome was the grieuance of that Church in exactions excommunications and lawes Speaking of the orders of Friers he saith that their state is burdensome to all men and hurtfull to hospitals and lazar-houses and preiudiciall to all states of the Church Bernard of Clugny describeth the qualities of Rome fitly In Saryrd Roma
well the former reasons and examples and look into their owne danger and slippery estate For albeit now the Pope hath his hands full and cannot or dare not offer them wrong yet many occasions may be offered of falling out betwixt them and the Pope And in that case either they must confesse as we do that the Pope is a false prophet and Antichrist or else yéeld vp their Crowne at his pleasure or else defend their right without lawful title and that both against rebels and forreine enemies which will be a matter hard for them to do CHAP. IX That no King or Prince can secure his person against the attempts of traitors if he suffer any in his kingdome that teach or hold the Popes doctrine concerning the deposing and killing of Kings THis corollary or conclusion is necessarily deduced frō the doctrine of Papists concerning the Popes power in deposing of Kings and Princes For if it be lawfull for the Pope to depose a Prince frō his royall throne then is it lawfull for the Pope to command any assassin or cutthrote to murder him séeing it is not likely that a magnanimous King wil yéeld to so base a companion as the Pope nor giue vp his Crowne without force and compulsion The same is also proued by the general practise of Popes by the wordes of the Popes bulles by the doctrine of their principall followers and by diuers particular facts and attempts both of Popes and their wicked instruments and agents For first we find that those Popes that haue gone about to depose Kings haue also vsed all meanes to destroy thē to cut their throtes The which may be verified by the procéeding of Gregory the seuenth against Henry the Emperor of Paschalis and Vrban against his sonne of Alexander against Fridericke Barbarossa of Innocent the third against Philip and Otho of Gregory the ninth and Innocent the fourth against Fridericke the second of Clement the fift against Henry of Lucembourg whom he caused to be poysoned in the sacrament Of Iohn the 22. and Clement the sixth against Lewis of Bauier of Paul the third against Henrie the 8. King of England of Pius the fift Gregory the 13. and Sixtus Quintus against Quéene Elizabeth and finally of the Popes that fauored the rebellious leaguers of France against the French Kings Henry the third and fourth and diuers others For why did they raise rebellion moue warres and suborne secret traitors to attempt against the persons of Kings but that they meant to giue leaue to desperate cutthrotes to kill them Secondly the words of the Popes buls and the doctrine of their wicked agents doth notoriously manifest their leud and damnable purposes touching this point Platina in Greg. 7. Gregory the 7 doth first depriue Henry the Emperor of his Empire and forbiddeth his subiects to obey him Next he commaundeth all to accept of Rodolph as their King and to obey him But neither could he be deposed without armes nor might Rodolph be suffered to raigne during the life of the Emperour Henrie Paul the third in his seditious bull against Henry the 8. king of England commaunded the Nobles and other principall men of the countrey to oppose themselues with force and armes against him and to cast him out of his kingdome But armes are taken in hand for no other purpose then to kil such as resist and a weake conceit it is to thinke that king Henry could be thrust out of his kingdome vnlesse he were also depriued of his life That impious Pope Pius the fift also that sent Nicholas Norton to moue an insurrection against Queene Elizabeth in England and his legate Sanders to do the like in Ireland did intend no lesse then the destruction of her person if the rebels had preuailed In his bull against her he declared that he had authoritie to pull vp and to destroy and forbiddeth her subiects to obey her which could not be executed without her destruction Sixtus the 5. in his declaration anno 1588. against the same Quéene hauing at large rayled with his foule and filthy mouth against the Lords annointed exhorteth all her people to lay hands on her to arrest her and to concurre to her punishment That is also the end of that traitor Cardinall Allen his seditious exhortation to the Nobilitie and people of England and Ireland But because the Papists had no better successe an 1588. therefore they suppressed this discourse for very shame least their dealings for the destructiō of princes should be made manifest and least the mysteries of Romish Babylon should be reuealed Parsons that bastardly English renegate Parsons an abbettor of cutthrotes King-killers in his booke of succession part 1. cap. 3. alloweth the deposition of K. Iohn of King Edward the second King Richard the second King Henry the sixth and of diuers violent attempts made by subiects against their lawfull Kings Thereby it appeareth also that he approueth warres and rebellions made to depose Kings and to destroy them Nay allowing the violent death of Caesar in the Senate he seemeth directly to perswade the murder of princes which is the rather to be beléeued for that he was an agent in the printing and as his consorts the Masse-priests say in making the libell set out by Allen against Queene Elizabeth proclaiming reward to all that could lay hold vpon her nay that could kill her Now least any man should doubt of the doctrine of the infernall Iebusites in this point In verbo Tyrann Emanuel Sa in his apherismes for confessaries doth thus instruct all Masse priests Tyrannicè gubernans iustè acquisitum dominium non potest spolias sine publico iudicio lata verò sententia potest quisque fieri executor That is he that gouerneth tyrannically his state which he hath gotten iustly cannot be spoyled of it without publicke sentence of the Pope but sentence being passed euery man may execute the sentence he meaneth that he may kill the King He sayth also that the people haue power to depose the prince He doth further vnderstand the Pope to be euery Kings lawfull Iudge Is it then to be maruelled if the Masse-priests and their followers grounding themselues vpon these resolutions attempt against princes persons Iohn Ghineard one of the sect of the Iebusites did publikely acknowledge in the parliament of Paris anno 1594. that he had written these words The cruell Nero that is Henry the third was slaine by one Clement and the counterfet Monke by the hand of a true Monke Againe the heroicall act done by Iames Clement as a grace of Gods holy spirit and called by that name by our diuines the Iebusites was iustly commended by Bourgoin late prior of the Iacobins a confessor and martyr Talking of the king now raigning he wrote that he would haue him shut into a cloister and deposed But if he cannot be deposed without warre then sayth he let warre be made against him And if there be no meanes to preuaile by
practise against her life and to make a strong partie against Religion and the State as your Maiestie very well knoweth For the same is lately broken out to the hazard of your royall person and the indangering of the State and God knoweth whether those that haue intended mischiefe against your royall Maiestie that neuer offended them did not worke mischiefe against her whom they tooke to be the obstacle of all their plots and desseines Your Maiestie I doubt not will wisely consider of these plotters and their abettors and all their practises Prouerb 20. A King saith Salomon that sitteth in the throne of iudgement chaseth away all euill with his eyes But his eyes must be in his head and he must sit in the throne of iudgement and execute his lawes He must not suffer them to escape vnpunished that maliciously seeke the bringing in of strangers and the subuersion of Religion and the State Ibidem A wise King saith a wise King scattereth the wicked and maketh the wheele to turne ouer them Who these plotters are I haue declared in the treatise following And that they excuse not themselues by Religion I haue discouered the deformities of their Religion as well as their wicked treasons All which I present to your Maiesties graue consideration beseeching him that is King of Kings to endue you with wisedome and all royall and heroicall vertues fit for the managing of so great kingdomes that you may both triumph ouer all your enemies and also long sit in the royall seate of these kingdomes to the honor of his diuine Maiestie and the comfort of all your louing subiects Your Maiesties most loyall and louing subiect Matthew Sutcliffe The Preface to all true Christians and loyall subiects HOw often the Spaniard and Pope and their agents haue attempted by secret practises to ruinate the Realme of England I doubt not my deare countrimen and friends but you haue heard The rebellion in the North-part of England an 1569. the pretence of the Duke of Guise an 1584. the diuers rebellions and troubles of Ireland the practises of Parrie Patrick Collein Williams and York to kil the Queen of Lopes Squire to impoyson her of Babington and Ballard and diuers other Masse-priests and Masse-louing Papists to subuert the State are yet fresh in memory And to forbeare to speake of such secret practises they haue endeuoured by open warres also to preuaile against the State In the yeare 1588. they prouided against England not onely great land-forces but also a great fleete in their owne conceit inuincible yet by Gods grace easily vanquished and dispersed Likewise anno 1597 and 1598. they made two attempts or rather offers of some enterprise against the State In the first one D. Stillington and other Masse-priests English and Spanish miscaried the Spanish fleete being wracked on the rockes of their owne country so that they could not come to sing Masse in England The other was disappointed by stormes and contrary winds so that no effect came of it The noise of these preparations and menaces comming into England and being bruited abroade partly by letters and partly by a proud proclamation set forth in print by the Adelantado of Spaine wherein he plainly discouereth that he meant no lesse then to cut all our throates if he could it is no maruell if the State and diuers men well affected to their countrey did prepare themselues to make resistance Among the rest Sir Francis Hastings a man of auncient nobilitie and one that hath adorned the honour of his parentage with excellent vertues and namely with true pietie loue of his countrey fortitude and magnanimitie scorning to heare that so base a rabble of Marranes and Bisognos as were assembled first at Lisbone and then at the Groyne should either talke or thinke of the conquest of England which the Adelantado in his bragging Rodomonts stile did threaten he armeth himselfe and prepareth his friends and countrimen to make resistance Perceiuing also the securitie of some and slacknesse of others especially such as were tainted with the pestilent infection of Italian atheisme or Spanish Marranisme but commonly titled Cacolike or popish religion he publisheth a little treatise called A watch-word giuing warning to the secure and stirring vp such as seemed euill affected to resist manfully and to withstand the Spanish incrochments and pretences This booke crossing the desseines of Robert Parsons and his consorts who by all meanes sought to set England in combustion that they might triumph in the ashes and sing Masse in the funerals of their natiue countrey we may perceiue by the sequele that it touched his cause and faction very nearely and therefore was taken by him very tenderly For presently he taketh pen in hand and writeth a most scornefull and bitter treatise against her Maiesties proceedings against Religion and all that professe it railing against Sir Francis and the professors of the truth and commending in the best sort he could both the professed enemies and the secret vnderminers of the State Wherein if we would but note the mans singular impudencie or rather his audacious foolerie it were argument sufficient to confound all his writings For at what time the Spaniard lay with forces at the Groyne and by a Proclamation set forth in print threatned fire and sword against the Realme Robert Parsons like a viperous traitor in his Ward-word talketh of nothing but peace and would make vs beleeue that both the Pope and Spaniards are our good friends Where Iesuites and Masse-priests and malcontent Papists were brewing of sedition and preparing themselues to ioyne with forreine forces this good fellow would make vs beleeue that traitors are good friends and that there was no hurt by them meant to the Queene or State Finally this babling Warder doth addresse all his discourse to the Lords of the Councell and chiefe dealers in matters of State albeit the same tended wholly to the destruction of the State And yet when I consider the practises of the enemies of the State I must cōfesse that he had great reason to enter into this shamelesse course For albeit there was no colour of truth in his discourse yet he supposed if the same were shewed to her Maiestie that it would make her stay her preparatiues He thought also it would proue a faire pretence to those that were loth to spend their money to forbeare to make resistance against the enemy Further he saw that the same would bleare mens eyes while both forreine enemies and secret traitors sought to cut our throates And finally the same being full of railing scorning and scurrilitie he doubted not but the same would deterre others or at least make them slow to take vpon them the defence of the common cause For what man considering the smal encouragement that forward men did find at the hands of friends and the rude entertainment they receiue at the hands of enemies would not leaue the patronage of the State to those that haue most interest
conformed according to the prime institution Many godly Emperors and Kings haue deserued praise in going about to reforme abuses crept into the administration of sacraments before their time but none more then our late most gracious Quéene that from extreme abuses brought all to a most excellent order CHAP. IIII. Of the true worship of God established in the Church of England HOw the worship of God was corrupted among the Papists before the late reformation wrought by her Maiesties authoritie in the Church of England it wil hardly be of posteritie beléeued but that there are monuments of like corruptions yet remaining in diuers other countries and good records and memorials yet remaining of their notorious abuses in this countrie The faithfull Ministers that were yet remaining vpon the comming in of Quéene Marie wept to sée the desolation of the Church Psal 137. as the people of God caried into captiuitie when they sate by the waters of Babylon and remembred Sion They that now liue wonder at the grossenesse of popish errors For first they erred in the rule of Gods worship In vaine sayth our Sauiour Mat. 15. do they worship me teaching for doctrines the precepts of men The Apostle Colos 2. doth condemne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is voluntarie or new deuised religion or as the old Latine interpreter hath translated that word superstition For so indéede humane deuises for the seruice of God without warrant of Gods word are for the most part to be called and estéemed God in expresse tearms refuseth such deuised seruices saying Who hath required these things at your hands But the founders of popish Religion as if God had appointed vs no certaine rule for these matters haue placed the perfection of their religion in voluntarie vowes of abstinence from mariage of pretended beggerie and of other Monkish and Friarlike obseruances and such like humane traditions Bellarmine de Monachis cap. 2. saith that Monkish religion is a state of men tending to Christian perfection by the vowes of pouertie continencie and obedience But if a man should aske him who taught men to aspire to perfection in this race he will be to séeke for an answer That God requireth or approueth such seruice it will neuer be proued They do also estéeme it a high peece of Gods seruice to kéep holidayes in honor of Saints created by the Pope in fasting vpon Saints vigils in eating stock-fish coleworts to adestooles and such like toyes in praying vpon beades in often repeating Aue Maria in worshipping of stones bones and rotten ragges they know not of whom in humbling themselues before Angels and Saints and the Sacrament of the altar in saying our Ladies Psalter in ringing bels in going barefoote and woolward and whipping themselues By saying ouer the Rosarie of our Ladie onely they report that diuers miracles haue bene wrought Diuers thousands of yeares of indulgences also are graunted to the company of the Rosarie or beades of our Ladie as is recorded in a booke intitled Miracoli della santissima vergine Maria printed at Venice by Bernard Giunti anno 1587. Matters which no man would admit but fellowes made of wood coleworts and stockfish Secondly they are deceiued in the manner of Gods worship and that in thrée sorts For first their worship is almost wholy externall consisting in outward ceremonies as namely in often rehearsall of Credo or Pater noster or Aue Maria or being present at the Masse albeit they vnderstand nothing or sprinkling themselues with holy water or often crossing themselues or going to Rome or Hierusalem or lighting of candles or ringing knocking or greasing or such like But our Sauiour reprehendeth thē that come neare to God with their lippes and haue their hearts farre from him and sheweth that true worshippers shall worship him in spirit and truth Next they offend grieuously in giuing too great honor to Angels Saints stocks stones and rotten bones Hierome in his Epistle to Riparius teacheth vs otherwise Nos non dico Martyrum reliquias c. We saith he worship not or adore either reliques of Martyrs or Sunne or Moone or Angels or Archangels or Cherubim or Seraphim or any name that is named either in this world or in the world to come lest we should serue the creature rather then the Creator which is blessed for euer Saint Augustine likewise lib. de vera relig cap. 55. speaking of Angels Honoramus eos saith he charitate non seruitute nec eis templa construimus We honor them with loue and not with seruice and build no temples vnto them Epiphanius haeres 79. speaking of Angels saith directly that he would not haue Angels worshipped But Papists kisse dumbe images pray before them burne incense vnto them They teach also that seruice is due to Saints and that we are to giue latriam or diuine honour to the crosse to the crucifixe to the sacrament of the altar and the images of the persons of the holy Trinitie which they indeuour to fashion in wood mettal and colours They offend thirdly in the forme of their prayers which are found in their Missals Breuiaries and rituall bookes and which cannot be denied to be both false and blasphemous Gaude Maria virgo say they cunctas haereses sola interemisti in vniuerso mundo that is reioyce virgin Marie thou alone hast killed al haeresies in al the world What then I pray you did Christ in the meane while and what did all other Saints And againe O Maria admitte preces nostras intra sacrarium tuae exauditionis reporta nobis antidotum reconciliationis c. O Marie admit our prayers within the holy place of your hearing and bring vnto vs the triacle of reconciliation And yet they say Saints departed do not sée nor know things below but by séeing them represented in the face of God as it were in a glasse In Missall Rom. On S. Andrewes day they pray in this forme Sanctifie ô Lord these gifts dedicated vnto thee and the blessed Martyr Saturninus interceding for vs by the selfe same being pleased intend vs by our Lord c. As if the Lords bodie which is the thing meant by those gifts néeded sanctification or else as if it were conuenient that God being reconciled to vs by Christ should no otherwise intend our prayers then by the intercession of Saturninus On S. Nicholas his day they say thus Deus qui B. Nicolaum innumeris decorasti miraculis tribue quaesumus vt eius meritis precibus a Gehennae incendijs liberemur That is O God which hast adorned S. Nicholas with innumerable miracles grant we beseech thee that by his merits and prayers we may be deliuered from hell fire Which implyeth that not onely the miracles reported in S. Nicholas his legend are true but also that by his mediation we are deliuered and saued from hell In the Portesse they pray thus Tu per Thomae sanguinem c. That is Thou ô Christ by the bloud of Thomas which
talke of experience For whosoeuer hath liued among those that are of our religion and among Papists also must néedes say that the liues of Romanists are abhominable offending in whoredome Sodomie periurie vsurie and all impieties and discharge vs deterring and abhorring those vices and punishing them seuerely Beside that if he meant to winne credit he would not talke of the whole world being not able to name one honest man that will iustifie that which he talketh Secondly he saith our best friends renounce our workes And then alleageth an Epistle of Erasmus mentioned by Surius a Postil of Luther and a testimonie out of Aurifaber But first Erasmus is none of our best friends being in most points an aduersarie and a professed Masse-priest And if he were our friend yet haue we no reason to beléeue Surius a malicious enemie and a base Monke hired to speake lyes Secondly it is a ridiculous foolerie where we dispute of the fruites of the Gospell in England in Queene Elizabeths dayes to bring testimonies of Luther and Aurifaber that were dead before her time and speake of some of their countrie people Thirdly they speake not of the whole reformed Church in Germanie but rather of some that albeit they disliked Poperie yet did not sincerely embrace the truth Finally neither Luther nor Aurifaber doth charge his countrie people with such faults as raigne among Papists He must therfore séek some witnesses that speake more to purpose and leaue his owne treasons filthinesse periurie lying gluttonie and drunkennesse before he talke of good workes Finally he pratleth much concerning the merit of workes But if he had bene vsed according to his merits then had the crowes long ere this eaten his carion flesh He misliketh also that we should giue a caueat to auoide hypocriticall ostentation albeit any man shold do good works But this caueat concerneth him but a litle whose workes are most wicked and odious his writings being nothing but either lying and rayling libels or fond and trifling discourses of points of Poperie and his practises tending all to murdering empoysoning sedition warre and bloudshed CHAP. XII Of temporall benefites enioyed by Queene Elizabeths most happie gouernment BEside great successe in affaires of the Church God hath also blessed the people of England in ciuil matters in regard that his name is truly called vpon by vs fulfilling that in England which he promised to the kéepers of his lawe by Moises Deut. 28. Benedictus eris saith Moises ingrediens egrediens Thou shalt be blessed in thy comming in and going out And againe Emittet Dominus benedictionem super cellaria tua super omnia opera manuum tuarum benedicetque tibi in terra quam acceperis That is the Lord shall send his blessings vpon thy store houses and vpon all the workes of thy hands and shall blesse thee in the land which thou shalt possesse First by her happie entrance we were deliuered from the yoke of the Spaniards and from subiection to forraine nations A blessing very great and which is promised to the obseruers of Gods holy lawes Deut. 28. The Lord saith Moyses shall appoint thee for the head and not for the taile and thou shalt be aboue and not vnder if so be thou wilt hearken to the commandements of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day That is God shall make thée commaund others and not to be commaunded by others Libertie is a gift litle estéemed because frée men know not the miseries of people subiect to forraine Lords But if men would consider the difference of men frée and subiect to strangers and tyrants Philippic 10. they would preferre nothing before it Pro libertate saith Tully vitae periculo decertandum est For libertie we are to contend Ibid. albeit we should hazard our liues And again Ita praeclara est recuperatio libertatis vt ne mors quidem sit in libertate repetenda fugienda So excellent is the recouerie of libertie that we are not to doubt to lose our liues for the regaining thereof Contrariwise it is an indignitie not to be suffered by any Englishman honorably minded the Spaniards should raigne ouer vs. The Spanish gouernment is very rigorous in Spaine but in Flanders Millan Naples and the Indiaes the same is most tyrannicall and intolerable Seing then that by the happie entrance of Quéene Elizabeth the Spaniards lost their footing in England which they had alreadie deuoured in their imagination and both perfidious Marans and the Popes bougerly Italians were turned out to séeke new countries wherein to practise their fraud and crueltie why do we not continually renew our thankesgiuing for so great deliuerance Her Maiestie was alwaies desirous of peace and neuer made warres against any but being prouoked and forced thereunto for the defence of her estate and people Yet neuer did she take armes in hand but she returned with victorie The French entring into Scotland and by that meanes intending to trouble England were forced to surrender Lieth and with scorne to returne from whence they came Vpon which great securitie ensued to both the countries When the Nobilitie and people of Fraunce were oppressed by the Popes faction that meant after they had atchieued their purpose there to assaile vs in England as in diuers Treatises they haue declared by her armes and mediation the Christians there obtained good conditions of peace if the aduersaries perfidiously had not broken them Both with forces in New-hauen and by other meanes she was alwaies willing to succour that distressed people By her support for the most part the states of the lowe countries being in danger to be depriued of their libertie priuiledges and lawes and to be tyrannized by the Spaniards haue long subsisted and maintained themselues against most cruell enemies Anno Dom. 1588. that fléete of Spaniards which proudly they called the inuincible Armada by her shippes through Gods fauour was chased dispersed and vanquished and all the bragges of Spaniards and their assistants brought to nothing Not long after when she saw that to resist the enemies malice it was necessarie for her to follow the warres she sent some forces to sea which albeit not great nor competently prouided yet did they possesse the harbor of Coronna take the base towne and defeat all the forces that were gathered against them at the bridge of Burgos The same also entred Portugal and had possessed it if there had bene good correspondence Sir Francis Drake with no great forces took S. Iago S. Domingo S. Augustine and Carthagena and laid a plot to take a great part of the Indiaes from the Spaniard but that he defended himselfe with bribes better then with shippes or armes corrupting some that alwaies ouerthrew most traiterously all attempts against him At Caliz her Maiesties souldiers burnt the kings fléete tooke the towne and had entred farther into the countrie had not the Spaniard some as good friends in our armie as the Quéene Not long since
the English together with the States souldiers ouerthrew the Cardinals armie betwéene Newport and Ostend to the vtter ouerthrow of the Cardinall and the Spaniards in that countrie if the victorie had bene pursued And now albeit coldly pursued yet hath it so broken his forces that he hath lien idlely euer since before Ostend hoping rather by treatie then by force to preuaile In Ireland the Lord Gray ouerthrew the Earle of Desmond and cut the Italians and Spaniards that kept the fort at Smerwike in péeces About the time also died Sanders the Popes Legate and other traitors stirred vp to rebellion by the Pope and his agents Neither could D. Iuan d'Aquila kéepe his footing in Kinsale albeit he had with him many good souldiers and great aduantages Diuers times hath the Pope troubled her both in England and Ireland stirring vp first the Earles of Westmerland and Northumberland and then certaine rebels in Norfolke and afterward procuring diuers seditious fellowes in Ireland in hope of his blessing to rebel But his blessings haue bene turned into cursings and all his trecherous deuises haue come to nothing Finally we find Gods promise to his people by Moyses Deut. 28. verified in her For where he sayth That God would make all his peoples enemies to fall down before them we sée that all the Quéenes enemies fel before her and that the more they maligned her the more God aduanced her Such reputation she wan both with Christians and with Infidels that al men had great respect vnto her except such as maliciously oppugned her The King of Poland and the Transiluanian haue receiued fauour of the Turk for her sake and her friends great comfort in all their distresses Before the Quéenes time the Pope claimed a great part in the gouernement of England challenging power to make Ecclesiastical lawes to send hither Legates to ordaine and appoint Bishops in diuers cases to dispose of Ecclesiasticall liuings and those that possessed them He did also leuis tenths and first fruites and by procurations licences and dispensations drew great summes of money out of the realme In some cases he tooke vpon him to iudge the king and to dispose of the crown of England Hereof it followeth first that the Kings of this land for some ages before King Henry the eight were but halfe Kings neither medling with the externall gouernement of the Church nor being authorized to rule their Cleargie or to dispose of their liuings Secondly that they held that poore halfe of their kingdome which remained at the Popes pleasure and no further as appeared by the insolent dealing of the Pope with King Henry the second and King Iohn out of whose hands the Pope had almost wrested the scepter of their royall authoritie But her Maiestie abolishing the vsurped power of the Pope fréed her selfe and her successors from his tyrannie and restored that power and iurisdiction to the Crown that was by his craft and fraudulent dealing long vsurped She found that it belonged to godly kings to make lawes for religion to rule their subiects to dispose of the affaires and goods of the Church according to right So did Constantine the great and other godly Emperors So did Charles the great and Lewes kings of France So did Alfred and S. Edward Kings of England as the lawes of the Code and Nouell constitutions the constitutions of Charles and Lewes and of the auncient Kings of England declare Neither before Pope Heldebrand or rather that firebrand of hell did any Pope take vpon him to giue out lawes or decretals for the gouernement either of the whole Church or the Churches of other kingdoms For this matter therfore Quéene Elizabeths name deserueth to be had in perpetuall remembrance for that she fréed her selfe and her subiects from the Popes wicked lawes and vsurpations and restored the auncient priuiledges and dignities to the Crowne The which had bene much in a man but in a woman was much more glorious With her also peace which by the practises of the Spaniards had bene exiled to our losse and shame returned again into this land For finding this land at variance with France and forsaken of Spaine she found meanes to compound with France and begā to settle matters at home According to the Prophets admonition Psal 34. she sought peace and followed it And such successe hath it pleased God to giue her that although the Pope by diuers practises hath sought to raise discord and rebellion within England yet maugre his head we haue enioyed peace this fiue and fortie yeares to the great contentment of her subiects and the wonderment of the world For who wondreth not that France and Flanders and other our neighbor countries being in a flame and the Pope desiring nothing more then to set our country on fire that the moderation of a woman should maintaine her State in peace when great Kings could not kéepe their state from being consumed with warres How great this benefite is both the commodities of peace and the miseries of warres may teach vs. Et nomen pacis dulce est saith Tully ipsa res salutaris Philippic 2. The name of peace is sweete and the thing it selfe safe and commodious De leg Agrar contra Rull Neither doth a people more desire any thing then peace as he saith in another place and in peace not onely those to whom nature hath giuen sence but also houses and fields seeme to reioyce Quid est tam populare ac pax qua non modo ij quibus natura sensum dedit sed etiam tecta atque agri laetari videntur Contrariwise warres worke destruction of men cities countries and as Tully saith Philippic 2. haue vncertaine euents and nothing is more execrable then ciuill warres Tully estéemeth him vnworthy to liue among men Philippic 3. that delighteth in ciuill discord and warre By meanes of long peace this land is also growne to great wealth The country is better cultiuated trade is much increased all arts and occupations growne to greater perfection then in time past Noblemen and Gentlemen haue doubled their reuenues Yeomen and Merchants aspire to the degrée of Gentlemen and diuers men of occupation do exceed men of their sort in former times Whosoeuer compareth the common people of England with men of their qualitie in Spaine Portugal and Italy must néedes confesse that in wealth and meanes our country men do farre excéed them Finally neuer was England so populous and strong in men as in our late Quéenes dayes Spaine and most places of Italy séeme desolate in comparison That these are great blessings it cannot be denied For God promiseth increase of substance and men to his people as a blessing Deut. 28. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body saith Moyses to the people of God and the fruite of thy land the fruite of thy cattell the flockes of kine and sheepe And the multiplication of Abrahams posteritie Gen. 17. and in diuers other places was
the hand of God vpon them when they heare scriptures read and prayers said publikely in a language which they vnderstand not and a thing to be wondred at that they chuse rather to liue in this blindnesse then to haue the word of God read in a toung which they are able to vnderstand and whereby they may learne to feare God Seuenthly the very heathen haue oft times chosen to die rather then to sée themselues oppressed by tyrants Yet such is the stupiditie of Papists that they suffer the Pope and his Priests to tyrannize ouer them loading their consciences with intolerable lawes and false doctrine and spoiling their goods by diuers kinds of exactions and endangering their liues by their Inquisitors and massacrers and such like executioners of their bloudie decrées 8. Most dangerous is euery diuision among those of one societie but most miserable it is when they which professe themselues to be of Gods Church are deuided one frō another For the Church is a house of vnitie and not of dissention But among Papists one holdeth of Benet another of Francis another of Dominicke another of Clare and in no point of doctrine do all their Doctors agree together Superstitiously also they obserue dayes times and distinction of meates and consecrate salt water bread candles and paschal Lambes Finally they leaue the Creator and serue our Ladie Angels and Saints and other creatures Nay for reliques of Saints they worship oft times the ashes relikes and bones of wicked men and reprobates nay of bruite beasts 9. It is an vnséemely thing for those that professe holinesse to shew themselues examples of all beastlinesse as the Popes and holiest men of the papists are wont to do Therefore séeing the dogs sorcerers whore-mongers murtherers idolaters and lyars shall be shut out of the kingdome of heauen they are not to looke to be admitted without spéedie reformation 10. No Prince liuing vnder the Pope can assure himselfe of his state nor can any subiect that liueth vnder such a prince assure himselfe either of his life or goods For if the Pope haue power to take away kingdomes and to bestow them vpon others how can any King or prince assure himselfe he will not attempt the same when occasion serueth considering his violent procéeding against Emperours and kings in time past and against our late noble Queene against Henry the third and fourth of Fraunce and diuers others And if euery one by him and his Inquisitors declared Hereticke is to lose life and goods who can assure himselfe of either if he acknowledge not his authoritie and refuse his religion 11. No man certes shall prosper that shall follow Antichrists sect or religion If any man worship the beast and his image saith the Angel Apocalyps 14. and receiue his marke in his forehead and in his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God of the pure wine that is powred into the cuppe of his wrath But that new Rome and the Popes gouernment is the image of the old Romaine Empire and that the Pope is Antichrist it plainely appeareth by diuers arguments which I haue declared in my fifth booke De pontif Rom. 12 Those Kings that liue vnder the Pope are but halfe kings For first their Cleargie in diuers cases is exempt from them and next they haue not to do with the rest of their subiects in ecclesiasticall causes O miserable kings that haue fallen downe to worship the beast and haue suffered such base bougerly Italians to take away more then halfe of their royall authoritie 13 We find that no kingdome can long liue in peace which is subiect to the Popes controlment For if the Pope do find himselfe aggréeued then doth he trouble the peace of the State if the same offend him not but pay what he requireth yet if he fall out with others then must that kingdome make warres at the Popes pleasure By the Popes solicitation both England France Flaunders Spaine and all Christian countries haue endured great troubles The Turkes liue farre more quietly vnder their Sultans then Papists vnder the Pope Finally considering the intolerable exactions of the Pope and his furious inclination to warre and bloudshed and the tyrannie both of the Pope and his adherents it is no maruell if the papisticall people be poore and much wasted Whether then we respect things of this life or of the life to come there is no creature more miserable then a Papist Do you not then wonder that any should like the popish gouernment It were certainely much to be wondred but that experience doth teach vs that the Cimmerians that dwell in darknesse care not for the light and that brutish beasts delight in brutishnesse and base people in seruitude and superstitious people in vanities and superstitions CHAP. VI. Of the contradictions of Popish Doctors in principall points of Religion OF the dissentions of popish Doctors in matters of religion I haue said somewhat before Yet because Papists make vnitie in matters of faith to be a marke of the Church and confidently deny that their Doctors dissent in any point of any moment I haue thought good to insist yet more vpon this point that the world may see not only their miserie that as men not resolued in most points of religion wauer betwixt contrarie opinions but also their notorious impudencie that deny it Therein also doth appeare some Papists wonderfull simplicitie that séeing the contention of their Doctors do not vnderstand their differences and séeeing their differences and vncertaintie of popish Religion do notwithstanding sticke fast in the filthy dregs and abhominable corruptions thereof Pighius lib. 1. Eccles hierarch cap. 2. saith That Scriptures are not aboue our faith but subiect vnto it Stapleton Princip doctrin lib. 12. cap. 15. holdeth that the Church and Scriptures are of equall authoritie Eckius in enchirid loc com cap. de Eccles saith That the Scriptures are not authenticall without the authoritie of the church Bellarmine thought best not to dispute this question Nicholas Lyra Hugo Dionysius Carthusianus Hugo Cardinalis Thomas de Vio and Sixtus Senensis lib. 1. Biblioth sanctae reiect the last seuen Chapters of the booke of Hester as not canonicall Scripture The Conuenticle of Trent Bellarmine and most popish Doctors of late time hold them to be canonicall and thinke hardly of those which teach contrarie Iohn Driedo lib. 1. de Scripturis dogmat Eccles denyeth the booke of Baruch to be canonicall Scripture Bellarmine lib. 1. de verb. Dei and most of his fellowes be of a contrarie opinion Caietan and Erasmus in their Commentaries vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes of Iames Iude the second of Peter the second and third of Iohn do dissent from the rest of their fellowes partly concerning the authors and partly concerning the authoritie of those Epistles Iames bishop of Christopolis in Praefat. in Psalm And Canus lib. 2. cap. 13. de locis theologicis affirme That the Iewes haue depraued and corrupted
dat omnibus omnia dantibus Rome giueth all things to all men saith he but prouided that they pay for it And again Omnia Romae cum praetio All things may be had at Rome if you will buy them Amongst vs saith Mantuan Churches priests altars masses crownes fire incense prayers yea heauen and God himselfe is set to sale Venalia nobis saith he Templa sacerdotes altaria sacra coronae Calamit lib. 3 Ignis thura preces coelum est venale Deusque Budaeus saith Annot. in Pandect that the Popes lawes serue not now so much for direction in manners as by bankers craft for so I may almost terme it to get money Sanctiones pontificae non moribus regendis vsui sunt sed propemodum dixerim argentariae faciendae authoritatem videntur accommodare In Hen 3. Mathew Paris affirmeth that the Church of Rome in the times of Henry the third coufounding right and iustice like a shamelesse and common whore was set to sale to all men accounting vsury for a small fault and symonie for none Eodem tempore saith he permittente vel procurante Papa Gregorio adeo inualuit Romanae Ecclesiae insatiabilis cupiditas confundens fas nefasque quod deposito rubore velut meretrix vulgaris effrons omnibus venalis exposita vsuram pro paruo symoniam pro nullo inconuenienti reputauit And this taking with the Pope is a matter so plaine and open that they count symony for no sinne in the Pope Papa non dicitur facere symoniam conferendo beneficia dignitates accepta pecunia saith Bartolus in l. Barbarius de offic prat 2. col And that as Theodoric a Niem in his booke of Schisme saith is the opinion of diuers Canonists Felin de offic potest iudic delegat in c. ex parte 1. nu 1. saith that moderne Doctors hold without distinction that the Pope is not obnoxious to the crime of symonie and that himselfe is of that opinion What by colour of law and what without law the Pope and his shauelings do spoyle the whole Christian common wealth The gaine of the Popes faculties and of popish pardons Masses and dirges and other such like papall wares and commodities amounteth to a great masse of money Therewith the Pope maketh warres the Masse-priests and Friers maintaine themselues and their baggages and all their pompous traine and brauery In the meane while the poore people wring that beare most of this charge Further they are bound to prouide the furniture of altars images Churches and all that is required for Masses In a certaine visitation at Como by the Popes legate called Bonhomme so many particulars are commaunded to be prouided The Acts of that visitation were printed at Collein anno 1585. as could not in seauen leaues be comprehended In Spaine euery man of any sort is compelled to buy two indulgences the one for the quicke the other for the dead The common rate of a pardon they say is foure reals of plate If the executors wil not be at the charge of a funerall they vse to compell the parties The Pope to get money in his owne territorie beside all this raiseth new customes and impositions dayly maketh a monopoly of whores and hath ordinarie bankes of vsury as the world knoweth and popish writers confesse where they speake of their Monti di pieta The like do other popish Princes in so much that if a man do well consider all he must needs confesse that their gouernement is nothing else but a méere tyrannie odious to God and man Therefore God doth punish them often with warres sedition sicknesse and famine and other vsitations In Spaine it is an ordinary matter to see the people die of famine In Italy caterpillers haue often deuoured the corne and namely anno 1576. In the life of Pius the fift the people of Genua an 1572. do write that many of their people died of hunger and that few had meanes to satisfie themselues with bread The Iebusites in their annuall letters speake of a great famine in Italy and Sicily an 1592. and shew that diuers were constrained to eate dogs What successe the Popes souldiers and other idlolatrous Papists haue had of late yeares diuers may remember the histories are full Charles the fift seruing the Pope against the Germaines was in the end forced by D. Maurice to leaue the country to saue himself by flight The which he did with such spéed that diuers of his companie forgot to put on their bootes In his enterprise against Algier he lost a great part of his armie and fléete and returned laden rather with scorne then spoile In the end when he saw nothing succéed he crept contemptibly into a monastery and died as some say crazed in his braine and most ingloriously King Philip in his memorials to his sonne confesseth that he spent 5594. millions of duckets in 33. yeares and yet neuer reaped any thing for his labour but anguish and sorrow His noble actes by his sonne Charles were written in a blanke booke His first attempt was against the Mores in the I le of Zerbi But therein his fléete was taken and ouerthrowne by the Turkes and his whole armie slaine or discomfited Leauing the Turkes he thought to trie his manhood against Christians But in his warres he behaued himself so manfully that thinking to subdue the Low cuntries by force which yéelded vnto him for loue in the end he lost halfe of that which he possessed before Purposing to make a conquest of England he was himselfe conquered and ouercome by a woman Bragging of his inuincible fleete he found himselfe and his fléete vanquished by small forces In the end he aymed at the crowne of France promised vnto him by the traiterous Iebusites and their associates but his losse and scorne receiued in that countrey made an end of that old King In Hungary nothing hath succéeded of late yeares that hath bene enterprised by the Popes counsell Eugenius the fourth caused Ladislaus the King of Poland and Hungarie to breake with the Turke promising him great pardons and aides But his whole armie was defeated and himselfe slaine at the battell of Varna Francis the first that was confederate with Pope Clement the seuenth was taken prisoner at Pauia and promising to roote out religion out of France neuer prospered in any enterprise Henry his eldest sonne confederating himselfe with the Pope for the extirpation of such as forsooke the errors of poperie was slaine miserably at a tournament receiuing a wound in his eye with which he threained to sée Anne Bourg a holy Martyr executed His sonne Francis died yong of an aposteme in his eare being iustly punished for that he refused to heare the cries of the oppressed His brother Charles the ninth the author and contriuer of the bloody massacre of France anno 1572 wherin so much innocent blood was shed died bléeding at all the conduits of his body and wallowed in his owne blood after he
against honorable mariage and such as are knowne to be descended of worshipfull parentage Furthermore he giueth vs occasion to detest the filthie masse-priests monkes and Iebusites that abiuring lawfull marriage burne in vnlawfull lustes and are knowne to be adulterers fornicators sodomites and most beastly and swinish fellowes He shameth not also to affirme that I was forced to retire out of Ireland for certaine iniurious speeches against the Earle of Ormond and the Irish nation But what if the Earle of Ormond and the Irish nation will cleare me Is not he a busie fellow to meddle with their matters without fée Againe what if I came away with the leaue and liking both of the generall and others Wil it not appeare that he lieth like a shamelesse fellow without leaue or liking of any but himself who like a monky liketh best his own deformities But he may learne both if he list to informe himselfe either by English or Irish that knew those matters how they passed As for those whom he stileth witnesses Omni exceptione maiores they neuer receiued any greater disgrace then in medling with me and haue since declared themselues to be men rather to be lamented for their folly then credited for their dignitie But nothing is more ridiculous then that Robert Parsons should find fault with my intemperancy of spéech séeing I do but answer his intemperate and exorbitant inuectiues that in scurrility and rayling are superlatiue But if he will néeds find fault let him bring reason least his writing séeme to want both wit and reason His last charge against me in his answer to my Epistle concerneth discontentment and complaints against the State But it is like the rest that is fond false and friuolous For neither is it likely that I should be discontent with that present state or grieued with any ordinary charge when both in most honorable actions and in my publike writings I haue to the vttermost of my power defended the State and haue willingly put my self to extraordinary charge in all seruices for my countrey This resolution also is both in my selfe and others not onely to spend our goods but our liues also in defence of our country and of the truth against all malignant firebrands of sedition and miserable slaues of Antichrist that shall dare to assayle the Realme Finally if in any thing I haue shewed discontent it is in that I haue séene such notorious trechery as is discouered in Parsons and his leud consorts to escape vnpunished and sometimes vncontrolled Not content to accuse vs the ranging fellow runneth out in diuers places and rayleth with a wide and filthy mouth against the late noble Earle of Essex whose calamity all that knew him do much lamēt and whose blood I doubt not but God will require at all the hands of some of his consorts that sought to spill it as he hath already begun to reuenge it in some principal persons that eagerly followed the matter against him Well let vs sée notwithstanding what this Blackesmiths dog hath to say against that noble lord Fol. 6. b. First saith he the Earle of Essex was pitifully seduced by the puritanes But euery one that is not ignorant of the true causes of his discontentment knoweth well that his pretence was not for religion but rather for other causes It is also well knowne that sir Christopher Blunt and the popish faction was the cause of his ruine For vnderstanding his discontentment they set him forward with hope and promise of assistance in priuate quarels not doubting but either to trouble the state by his means or els to bring him into a snare whom they knew to be firme for religion It may be also that his enemies by their cunning drew him into this dangerous action by practise of traiterous companions that were about him Howsoeuer it was much it is to be lamented that refusing a pension offered him by the King of Spaine he could not also discouer this traine layed for him by the Popes agents And I cannot but much disdaine that so bastardly and base a swaine as this paltry Parsons is should insult ouer so noble and magnanimous an Earle a dog ouer a Lyon a bauling curre ouer a most famous and worthy man of warre He telleth vs further that he was stout against peace with forraine princes and that he had wrought such a troubled water vnder hand that if his streame had not bene turned against him he might chance to haue inhooked the greatest fish in England But this deuise of a great fish is nothing but a vaine surmise of a great conger-headed companion For neither did he nor could he pretend any title to the crowne And as for his stoutnesse against peace with Spaine it procéeded from the loue of his country and was occasioned vpon iust grounds for that he saw no sincere dealing on the behalfe of the Spaniard but rather a surceasing of hostility that in the meane while Masse-priests and Iebusites and their adherents might worke treason It may be also that he meant to shew the weaknesse of the Spaniard the power of the English nation which the Spaniards heretofore too much despised Neither he certes nor any man else misliketh an honorable profitable safe and durable peace Fol. 8. a. he doth againe talke vainely and telleth vs of the Essexian assault and sayth it may be presumed that it would haue abbreuiated the Queenes dayes especially in the intention of the puritanes But he is an absurd fellow to obiect that which his greatest enemies sought to proue and of which he cleared himself sufficiently at the barre And most shamelesse he sheweth himself to impute that to men of our profession which like a leud Laiolian he calleth puritanes which was continually desired of Papists and much feared of all that truly professed religion Againe fol. 13. he mentioneth the Earle of Essex his attempt and golden purposes and sayth that my Lord and young king Essex plotted her Maiesties ouerthrow vnder pretence of meeting at a puritane sermon But if all plotters of her Maiesties ouerthrow had bin rewarded according to their desert then had the crowes long ere this fed on Parsons his quarters the most notorious arch-plotter of treason that this age hath affoorded Likewise he and his consorts haue made many attempts against the State and in the destruction of their Quéen and country they hoped to haue a new world and therin placed their golden time As for the good Earle his purposes howsoeuer they were drawne to his destruction and disorderly managed yet could no man proue that he meant harme to the Quéene Séeing therefore this Patch obiecteth to the Earle an imaginatiō of that which the traiterous consorts of Parsons haue long desired I will here bestow on him a crowne of fox tayles and make him the King of al renegate traitors and doubt not if he come into England but to sée him crowned at Tiburne and his quarters enstalled at Newgate
but consubstantiall Fol. 115. in the same chapter he quoteth Durand lib. 4. in sent dist 2. for dist 20. A litle after he cauilleth with me for saying that the Pope hath power to absolue and pardon men that haue liued most filthily and abhominably and sayth that absolution belongeth to the sacrament of penance and not to indulgences But therein the asse bewrayeth his owne grosse ignorance For as some Papists say indulgence is absolution others say it is absolutio solutio as Bellarmine disputeth lib. 1. de indulg ca. 5. and might haue taught the same to Parsons if he would haue looked on him The Pope therefore may do wel to lash this asse and to graunt him no pardon that knoweth not the grounds and first principles of his owne foole or as some call it school diuinitie Nay he remembreth not the common formes of pardons Gregory the 13. anno 1578. granting a pardon to those cutthrotes Meteran hist Belg. that came with D. Iuan d'Austria into the Low countries for to such are his indulgences granted giueth them indulgence and remission or absolution from their sins after confession and communion Confessione communione peracta sayth Gregory impotretis omnium peccatorum vestrorum indulgentiam O holy Pope that granteth pardons to such cutthrotes O patch Parsons that knoweth not the forme of his holy fathers blessings Wherefore as the Apostle sayth of the idolatrous Gentiles that when they professed themselues wise Rom. 1. they became fooles so we may say of the idolatrous hereticke Parsons that while he professed himselfe a teacher of others he hath shewed himself an ignorant dolt Likewise as the heretikes called Gnostici professed themselues great clerks Imperitiae suae nomen scientiae vendicantes that is challenging to their ignorance the name and title of knowledge as Hierome sayth in Isaiae c. 44. So the illuminate Iebusites professe arts and learning and Parsons is as arrogant as the best of them But if he looke downe vpon these so many and so grosse errors committed within one of his volumes whatsoeuer he thinketh of himselfe I hope hereafter he will not contemne others CHAP. VI. Parsons his singular patcheries and fooleries THis is but a base argument may some suppose to discourse of patcheries and fooleries But how can we do withall hauing to deale against a bastardly and base fellow who vrgeth vs to make a register of his fooleries Stultitia gaudium stulto that is Foolishnesse causeth a foole to reioyce sayth Salomon Prouerb 15. But séeing this Patch would néedes make a scorne of religion and the professors thereof it was necessary to lay his notorious fooleries open First then he sheweth himselfe a notorious sot to sée curiously into others and not at all to looke into his owne faults Tuscul 3. Est proprium stultitiae sayth Tully altorum vitia cernere suorum obliuisci But for men to accuse innocents when them selues are guiltie is not onely simplicitie but also madnes and impudency Cùm pro tuis erubescere debueras innocentes Catholicos accusas that is when thou shouldest blush in regard of thine owne fellowes thou accusest innocent Catholikes sayth Optatus to Parmenian lib. 2. In the Epistle to the reader he chargeth sir Francis Hastings with writing a most bitter and bloody pamphlet who onely stirreth vp his countrimen to defend themselues and their country against forreine traitors and home-borne traitors and yet himselfe published and as is said holpe to write that bloudy Exhortation to the Nobility and people of England and Ireland whereby Allen and he endeuour to perswade all Papists to take armes against their Prince and countrey and to ioyne with forreine enemies And this is the end of his own and his consorts writings and practises for the most part Neither can any write more moderately then Sir Francis or more immodestly and doggedly then himselfe Likewise he is not ashamed in diuers places to accuse me of malignity intemperate writing and bitternesse And yet himselfe like a gull casteth out nothing but gall and bitter reproches He chargeth vs both with flattery lying falshood and diuers other faults which are most rife in him and not any way to be forced vpon vs. Most singular folly it is also for any writer to vtter things that either make against himself or at least nothing for him Quae nihil attingunt ad rem nec sunt vsui Plauti Mercator ea saepe profert aduerso tempore sayth Plautus of a certain foolish fellow But this is a common fault of Parsons and committed in his discourses In his Wardword he endeuoreth to scrape a litle fauour of the late Quéene of the Lords of her Councell and of his countrimen And yet like a sot euery where he endeuoreth to disgrace her Maiesties procéedings and commendeth forreine enemies and traitors and that not without great reproch to the whole State and to the English nation In the Warneword his purpose is to speake of the church and state of England and yet is he still running out into by-matters of France Germany and other countries Nothing can be deuised more odious then the tyranny exactions and pillages of the Pope and his adherents and yet is Robert Parsons still braying out the canonists asmine commendations of the Popes kingdome Fooles haue their confidence in their tongues In Paenulo Stultis thesaurus in lingua situs est sayth Plautus So doth Parsons rely on his libels pamphlets and discourses and hopeth to pay vs all our debt with euill language But come to trie his words in the ballance they are as light as feathers In his Epistle to the Reader A Spanish inuasion saith he was then sayd to be vpon the seas for England But if he had not bene a puppy or at least such a one as could not speake English he would haue sayd that a fléete was sayd to be on the seas with forces to inuade England Certes he might as wel say that an inuasion was marching on the land as floting on the sea But his mind was so much vpon inuasions that he forgot both the loue and the language of his countrey In the same place he saith he wrote a Ward-word to a Watch-word Whereby a plaine Englishman would suppose that he meant to send this Ward-word as a letter to a gentleman called a VVatch-word Forasmuch as to a Watch-word in good English doth not signifie against a Ward-word Againe we Englishmen thinke strange to heare these strange words VVarne-word and Ward-word in our tongue and wonder that there should be an opposition betwixt watching and warding that are commonly ioyned together But this forging Friar forgeth new words as fast as his putatiue father was wont to forge horseshooe nayles His answer to my Epistle Talking of his braue bookes which if they were all bound together were not worth a léeke he nameth his Epistle of Persecution which seemeth to be some new cut and deuise contrary to all formes of former Epistles
say that nothing could be more fitly spoken against Robert Parsons then this which the Apostle here vttereth For what with his Wardword and his Warneword and his idle contention about words he hath abused and subuerted his simple and credulous followers that looked for better things at his hands And therefore leauing as much as we can his brabling words we answere that which is most materiall of his discourse In the same leafe he addeth another text out of the 26. of the Prouerbs where the wise man aduiseth vs to answere a foole according to his folly least he thinke himselfe wise According whereunto we haue shaped an answere to Robert Parsons his Warneword praying him very heartily to take it in good part and not to thinke himselfe ouer wise in his owne conceit seeing the author of that péece could neuer haue vttered such stuffe vnlesse he had bene a thrée piled foole and had attained to a higher degree then a Cardinall in the consistory of fooles Likewise these words out of Ciceroes oration in Vatinium which he like a dolt supposeth to be taken out of Tullies second Philppic viz. vt vexatum potiùs quà m despectum vellem dimittere doe fit vs as well against Parsons as may be deuised For albeit he be but a base bastardly and contemptible fellow and almost spent out in rayling and libelling and discrasied in plotting of treason and villany yet haue I thought it better to send him away well corrected then to passe by him as a worthlesse and despised companion Neither do I doubt but to returne him as large a measure of bastonadoes as he hath offered others and so to handle him that his friends shall say he is dressed like a calues head souced in veriuyce These words of our Sauiour Iohn 3. He that doth euill hateth the light and will not come to it least his workes should be reproued he applieth to me And why Forsooth because to answere Capt. Cowbuckes fencing Wardword set out vnder the name of N. D. I take the two next letters to make vp N.D. a full Noddy For this cause he sayth I entertaine my selfe in some darknesse for a time and expect my prey vnder a ciphred name And this obiection pleaseth him so well that not onely in the eleuenth and twelth leafe but also in diuers others places he doth inculcate the same But against me these obiections come all too late For albeit at the first I could haue bene content to haue bene vnknowne in this foolish brable betwixt Parsons and me and that not so much in regard of any thing sayd by me as in regard of the bastardly companion with whom I am matched being an aduersary of any learned man to be scorned And not least of all because such controuersies would rather be handled in Latin then in English yet being occasioned to renew my challenge I haue set my name vnto it and declared that I neither feare light nor the foules of darknesse nor néed to looke for spoyle as this rauinous Iebusite pretendeth Against Robert Parsons this text and obiection cometh both fitly and timely For albeit he obiecteth ciphring of names to others yet will he not discipher his owne name vnto vs. Nay albeit we know his name and qualitie very well yet will he not bewray himselfe albeit often admonished of his playing the owle He hath long bene plotting of treason and therefore hateth the light He hath for many yeares gone masked like a vagabond vp and downe England and in the day time hidden himselfe in corners He hath long looked to diuide the spoile of his country with strangers What then resteth seeing he will not be dismasked but that some of Buls progenie doe vnmaske him vncase him and trusse him Likewise fol. 12. he calleth me Owle and saith He will draw me to the light But this foule shold haue remembred that himselfe in a paltry pamphlet which he set forth to disswade men from coming to Church tooke on him the name of Iohn Houler as a fit name for such a night bird and that this is one of his owne proper titles Likewise fol. 14. b. he calleth me Owles eye because I borrow the two letters O.E. But if O.E. signifieth owles eye then doth N.D. signifie either a Nasty Dunse or a North Island dog or a notorious dolt by as good reason Fol. 18. to proue the Popes headship ouer the whole Church his noddiship alleageth the law inter claras Cod. de sum trin fid catho But like a forging fellow he bringeth in counterfeit stuffe For that is made apparent in my discourse of Popish falsities Beside that this law doth quite ouerthrow the Popes cause For whereas the Pope claimeth his authoritie by the law of God this law sayth That the Romish Church was declared to be head of all Churches by the rules of fathers by the statutes of Princes and the Emperors fauourable speeches Quam esse omnium ecclesiarum caput sayth the law patrum regulae principum statuta declarant pietatis vestrae reuerendissimi testantur affatus Let him therefore beware that the Pope do not find him a traitour aswell to himselfe as to his countrey Fol. 23. speaking of the blessings mentioned by Sir Francis Hastings he sayth They were freshly framed out of the forge of his owne inuention But he was not aware that this belongeth to Vulcane the blackesmithes putatiue sonne Parsons whom from his infancy might in his putatiue father Cowbuckes forge learne to forge frame and inuent nayles to tacke the Popes triple crowne to his bald head Fol. 25. b. you shall perceiue sayth he that saying of old Tertullian to be true c. that it was impossible for two heretikes to agree in all points But first this place is not found in Tertullians booke de praescript by him alleaged Secondly were it truly alleaged yet doth it not belong to any more properly then to popish heretikes For if all the bangling Iebusites were coupled together like hounds yet would they sooner hang together then agrée together And that may appeare both by the schoolemens disputes one against another in all questions almost and also by Bellarmines bookes of controuersies and Suares his tedious fraplements about schoole matters in which they are as much at variance with themselues as with others In the same place he taxeth vs for confused writing And yet if you séeke all the sinkes of the Popes libraries I do hardly beléeue that you shall find a more confused farrago of words and matters then the Warne-word set out by Robert Parsons For therein the man runneth as it were the wild goose chase and heapeth vp a fardle of foolery like to nothing vnlesse it be to a bundle of stolen tailors shreds wherein frise and carsey listes locrome cotton and soutage is bound together Fol. 43. out of Augustine lib. 4. contra Iulian. c. 3. he telleth vs that the forehead of heretikes is no forehead if we vnderstand thereby shamefastnesse
the thing ruled with the rule In the Warneword fol. 100. he saith the summe and corpes of Christian doctrine deliuered at the beginning by the miracles preachings of the Apostles is the rule of faith Which is contrary to the Popes profit For if this be true then vnlesse the Popes determinations and traditions ecclesiastical were preached by the Apostles and confirmed by mracles they are to be excluded from being the rule of faith Psal 7. Parsons therefore is like to those which dig pits for others but fall into them themselues He hath prepared weapons for vs but like a mad sot hath hurt himselfe with the same Finally Captaine Cowbucke like a noble woodcocke is caught in his owne springes CHAP. IX A catalogue of certaine principall lies vttered by Robert Parsons in his late Warne-word 1. Tim. 4. THe Spirit of God as the Apostle sayth speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue heed vnto spirits of errour and doctrines of diuels which speake lyes through hypocrisie and haue their consciences burned with a hote yron Which prophecy as in other heretikes so especially in the Papists we may sée most plainely and euidently to be fulfilled For they departing from the auncient and Catholike faith taught by the holy Apostles and Prophets and recorded in holy Scriptures haue giuen héed to spirits of error and beléeued the trash of vnwritten traditions and lying legends and therupon haue founded their prohibitions of certaine meates and mariages and such like doctrines of diuels confirming their opinions with grosse lies vttered with seared consciences and brazen faces contrary to all shew of truth They take to themselues the name of doctors and fathers but are false teachers and vnkind traitors In 1. Tim. 4. And as Theodoret saith of certaine heretikes Christianorum sibi appellatione imposita apertè docent contraria Calling themselues Christians or Catholikes they openly teach contrary I could specifie it by Caesar Baronius and Bellarmine by Sanders Stapleton and diuers other principall authors of the popish sect But I will not match any man of note with so notorious a dolt and so base a swad as Robert Parsons is of whom we are now to speake though not much to his commendation The onely example of Parsons and that in one of his fardles of lies which we are now to rip vp shall shew them to be notorious and bold lyers The diuellish and erronious doctrine of friars we haue touched before and shall haue often occasion to mention In the front of his booke he promiseth the issue of three former treatises and in the second page talketh of eight encounters But he falsifieth his promise and lieth grossely For of the thrée former treatises he toucheth onely two chapters and of eight encounters entreth onely vpon two Further he declineth the true issue of matters and runneth bias like a warped bowle of dudgeon into impertinent idle questions Doth he not therfore as Hierom saith of one Hierō epist 6◠make shipwwracke in the port In his Epistle to the Reader taking vpon him to deliuer the summe of the controuersie betwixt him and vs he wracketh himselfe likewise thinking to wreake his malice vpon vs and beginneth with a grosse lie There hapned saith he some few yeares past he noteth 1599. in the margent as often also before a certaine false alarme of a Spanish inuasion then said to be vpon the seas towards England Where I néed not to note the idiotisme of Parsons speech that talketh of a Spanish inuasion vpon the sea towards England being elsewhere noted but only I wil touch his impudencie in lying and denying that about this time the Spaniards were ready with forces at the Groyne for the inuasion of England And the rather for that this was the occasion that moued Sir Francis Hastings to giue warning to his countrey and also because the same sheweth that Parsons is very sorie that any man is acquainted with the desseines of the Spanish King and that he could not take vs sléeping and so closely and priuiliy cut his countrimens throtes I say then it is a lie most notorious to affirme that the alarme giuen vpon occasion of the Spanish preparations anno 1598. for an inuasion of some part of England was false And proue it first by the words of the King who recouering out of a trance and comming to himself asked if the Adelantado were gone for England Secondly by the prouisions of ships and men made at the Groyne and Lisbone and which coming thence shaped their course for England albeit they were by wether beaten back Thirdly by the testimony of one Leake a Masse priest that was dealt withall to come for England Fourthly by the testimonie of the Secular priests in their reply to Parsons his libell fol. 65. sequent who directly charge Parsons to be a solicitor of these pretended attempts anno 1598. Fiftly by Parsons his letters from Rome to Fitzherbert wherein he desireth to vnderstand the successe of the fleete that anno 1598. was to go for England Finally by the Adelantadoes proclamation made at the Groyne and whereof diuers printed copies were to be dispersed in England vpon his arriuall here The which for that it discouereth the pride of the Spaniard and the malice of the English traitors I haue thought it not amisse to set downe the whole tenour of the proclamation with some animaduersions in the margent This seemeth to be Parsons his stile Considering saith the Adelantado the obligation which his catholike Maiestie my Lord and master hath receiued of God almightie to defend and protect his holy faith and the Apostolicall Romane church he hath procured by the best meanes he could for to reduce to the (a) Popish religiō is neither auncient nor true auncient and true religion the kingdomes of England and Ireland as much as possibly hath bin in his power And all hath not bene sufficient to take away the (b) Goodly pretences of leud ambitiō offence done against God in dommage of the selfesame kingdoms with scandale of whole christianity yea rather abusing the clemency and benignity of his (c) The Popes vassall Catholike Maiestie the heads and chiefe of the (d) True teachers heretikes which litle feare God haue taken courage to extend their euill doctrine with the oppressing of (e) These cacolikes were traitors Catholikes martyring them and by diuers wayes and meanes taking from them their liues and goods forcing them by (f) A manifest vntruth and calumniation against the truth violence to follow their damnable sects and errours which they haue hardly done to the losse of many soules Which considered his Catholike Maiesty is determined to fauour and protect these Catholikes which couragiously haue defended the Catholike faith and not onely those but (g) Lurking and dissembling Papists such also as by pusillanimity and humane respects haue consented vnto them forced thereunto through the hard
sée Christs true body lurking vnder the accidents of the Masse-cake his bloud by a necessary concomitance as they say being not farre off This fellow as a Masse-priest was thought a fit person to speake for the Masse and as a spie and renegate Englishmā to speake shame of his country and to defend traitors And yet the poore man is as fit to dispute of the massing religion and popish subtilties as an asse to play an antheme vpon a paire of organs The true author of the booke as his stile declareth and the dealers in the edition must néeds witnes is Robert Parsons an old hackster in missifical quarels and a great dealer in matter of conuersion of England and one that vseth at his pleasure to borrow other mens names now calling himselfe Captaine Cowbucke now Dolman now Iohn Houlet now N.D. or Noddy now T.F. or Tom Fop now Robert Parsons Vnder the name of Dolman he set out his traitorous seditious booke of succession in disgrace of the Kings title Vnder the name of Iohn Houlet he published certaine idle reasons of refusall himselfe neuer refusing to attempt any mischiefe against the State Vnder the title of N. D. he set out his VVardword and VVarneword stigmatizing his manship with the perpetual note of a Noddy implied by those two letters N. D. And this course he tooke in T.F. his Apologie The second is entitled A treatise of three conuersions of England and was set out by Robert Parsons also vnder the old stampe of N. D. whose signification euery child now knoweth to be Noddy But why he should write of the conuersion of his countrey to religion we can sée no reason séeing we haue knowne him alwaies more studious of the subuersion then of the conuersion of England and his consorts the Masse priests do testifie that he is a Machiauelian packing fellow voyd of religion and honesty The turnings of the Masse or turning of iackets had bene a more fit subiect for him to handle seeing he turneth skippeth so oft about the altar like an ape dauncing about a maypole and hath turned his coate so often from English to Romish from Scottish to Spanish from all to French that some of his friends feare vnlesse he turne Cardinall that he will turne Turke The third is called A Suruey of the new religion and was deuised by a renegued fugitiue Englishman who hath surueyed diuers other countries and yet neuer found any settlement in his braine or habitation Like Caine he hath bin long a vagrant fugitiue fellow Vagus profugus in terra and séeketh if not to kill yet to slander his countrimen and friends imputing vnto them most horrible opinions and crimes It resteth then that we set vpon him a mark as vpō Caine that euery man may know him for a suppost of Satan although herein we néed not much to trauell seeing the first letter of Kellisons name who fathereth this monstrous moonecalfe is K. and the man is noted among his companions for a great quareller about his commons The poore fellow is but a kettle doctor or rather a Tinker of broken schoole distinctions and a professor rather then a performer of any diuine learning The fellow talketh idly of new religion but neither doeth he know what is new nor what is old nor what belongeth to religion that taketh popery for religion and estéemeth the masse and decretaliue doctrine which this Church of England refuseth to be auncient and the apostolike faith which we professe to be new The fourth is termed A briefe and cleare confutation of a new vaine and vanting challenge and is directed against a treatise set out some two or thrée yeares agone by mee wherein is proued that the Masse-priests and their adherents are neither Catholikes nor good Christians But so learnedly and wisely hath the author of this braggard confutation handled the matter that his good friends are sory to sée so worthy a worke misnamed For if he had done me right he should haue called his pamphlet A confirmation of my challenge for so in truth it is the author answering nothing to the purpose and rather by silence consenting then by good answering contradicting our arguments The most of his discourse standeth vpon bitter railing vaine talking and childish trifling about serious matters If any man doubted whether popery were heresie before I doubt not but that this weake discourse that yéeldeth no satisfaction to any indifferent Reader may resolue him The author of this deuise as we are credibly informed is VValpoole the ruler of the kitchin or porredge pot of the colledge of yong English popish traitors in Rome In Italian they call him Padre ministro or padre de minestra or Lord chiefe steward of the schollers porredge The same man is that Walpoole that gaue poyson to Squire and corrupted him by promises of great rewards both in this life and the life to come if he would vndertake to empoyson Quéene Elizabeth the late Earle of Essex and hauing gained a promise at his hands swore him vpon the sacrament to performe the same The fellow is recorded in publike act bookes for these infamous stratagems and knowne to be a notorious traitor and an atheist We are not therfore much to maruell if this wicked Iebusites libel be ful of bitternes atheisme and poison procéeding from so impious an atheist and so cunning a master in the art of empoisoning If any thing wanted in Walpool whose wits are grosse muddy like a standing poole or sink of villany yet was the same bountifully supplied by Robert Parsons the Rector of the quire of Romish conspirators You may then imagine what a loade of leasings calumniations and fooleries such two coach horses were able to draw out of their miry inuentions Much are the simple papists to be pitied that listē to such wicked traitors and suffer themselues to be abused by such notorious and infamous impostors Vnto all these libels there are seueral answers in making If they be not presently answered maruel not They are of too large a blocke to be read ouer hastily My countrimen thinke if the whole impressions of these foure books might be had that they would wel serue to paue Shaftsbury causy There would onely be this difference that for cobble stones and rough slates we should haue cobbled bookes and rough hewne libels as fit to be troden vpon as read ouer Others think because they are in forme octagonall and for the most part as thick as long made like brick-bats that they would finely serue séeing the holy father is said to be the foundatiō of the Pope holy church to lay vpon him for the rearing vp of the wals of some Romish synagogue so it wold be like foundatiō like wals As soone as such huge thick volumes may be run ouer they shall God willing receiue an answer fitting such indiabolated authors and such wicked railing stuffe In the meane while receiue this censure of them al. First they