Church though no man deny but that is needfull for the shewing and teaching of the rule to all that shall be saued expounding the said teaching of the ministerie wherby the faithfull are directed in the Church But he hath not proued the Church to be alway visible to the world nor those foure to be the Notes of the Church He hath said it but not proued it as appeareth by my answer 2 All which being considered his demands are soone and shortly answered that the Protestants admit the authority and doctrine of the Church though they thinke not the Papacie to be it nor the authoritie thereof to be aboue the Scripture And the grounds wherupon they perswade themselues to haue the sauing faith are so infallible that all the Papists in the world cannot cōfute them And our title to the true Church is sound when our aduersaries haue smattered and wrangled against it what they can for the doctrine of the Scripture which in all points we professe beleeue proue it And albeit those foure One Holy Catholicke and Apostolicke be not the markes of the Church but certaine qualities therein yet we haue them at least for anie thing the Iesuite hath said to the contrarie all whose discourse against vs pretending the want of these things among vs I haue fully answered in their proper places and retorted vpon himselfe whereby the iudicious reader may be satisfied And therefore when we say ours is the true faith we brag not but maintaine and auouch our lawfull title since as S. Austin saith the same is not to be found but in the bellie of the true Church which we are Whereupon we aduise all Papists whatsoeuer to renounce the Papacie if they will hold the truth and be saued For according to the saying of the same Austin afore-cited whosoeuer is separated from this bellie of the Church must needs speake false because out of the true Church there is neither true preaching nor lawfull sending such as should preach and I haue manifestly shewed that the Papacie is not the true Church but a disease that by the faction of some grew vnto it 3 Thus the whole discourse of this Section is briefly answered But where he saith our religion sprang vp of late the first founder being Martin Luther an apostata Frier a man knowne by his writings words deeds and death to haue bene a notable euill liuer this must be a little more stood vpon because it is the burden of euery song among the Papists And first it is to no purpose to say our religion sprang vp of late in Luther vnlesse our euidence whereby we shew it to agree with the Scripture and to haue bene taught in the Church of Rome it selfe many hundred yeares afore Luther was borne can be disproued Next we graunt Luther was a Frier and obtaining the knowledge of the truth renounced the profession which was no other apostasie or fault in him then it was in S. Paule when he renounced the profession of a Pharisee and became an Apostle both the professions being hypocrisie saue that of the Frier was of a deeper tincture as I haue shewed Digress 45. Then concerning his writings the Iesuite is no competent iudge For woe to him and all his Church if Luthers writings be good And therefore let them be examined by the Scripture the touchstone of all mens writings not by the witles preiudice of idle companions that neuer read them And if they containe some particular things that deserue reproofe yet what disgrace is that to the substance of his writings What fathers writing is so pure but it containeth some error Yea I challenge the Iesuit let him name if he can one writer of his owne side old or new Schooleman or Iesuite but some or other in the Church of Rome will except against something he writ Thomas Caietan Bellarmine and Baronius are controlled yea in the later editions the Councell of Trent hath purged in a manner all writers which maketh it cleare that some errors in Luthers bookes disaduantage vs no more then the errors purged and espied in their owne books disaduantage the Papists And yet the things that are most excepted against are no errors but the ancient truth maintained against Popish innouation And let the words of Erasmus a man able to iudge by a Antididag p. 58. Sur. cōment p. 288. Staplet discours p. 159. the Papists owne confession determine this matter b Epist ad Cardin Mogent He saith It is obserued of a truth that these men the Papists condemne many things in Luthers bookes as hereticall which in Austin and Bernard are read for godly and good Diuinity and he addeth That he seeth this the best men are least offended at his writings The which is most true it being their ordinary practise for the hatred of our persons to raile vpon that which by their owne confession the ancient fathers held before vs. So c Hosiand hist eccl cent 16. p. 837 Andreas Masius in the company of diuers acknowledged there was more Diuinitie in one page of Luther then sometimes in a whole booke of some father Let his writing therefore rest and come to his life and death Digression 54. Containing a briefe narration touching the life and death of Martin Luther with the incredible reports thereof made by his aduersaries And shewing how sundry Popes in the Church of Rome haue liued and died worse then he supposing all reports were true 4 In speaking of this matter that standeth altogether vpon witnesses I must put the reader in mind of a speech of Bellarmines d Not. eecl c. 14. §. Sed respondeamus That it is the part of a foole rather to beleeue Caluin and Illyricus touching ancient histories whereat they were not present then Bernard Bonauenture and Antonine that were present Let this law be kept then that Surius Lindan Pontacus and other railing Papists that were not present at Luthers life and death be not credited against them that liued with him saw him die and if any will beleeue them let him be the Iesuites foole Now touching his life Melancthon that was his companion and liued with him hath written it and commended it to say no more And Erasmus that was familiar with him e L. 11. Ep. 1. ad Card. Eborac in a certain Epistle to Cardinall Wolsey giueth testimony that his life was approued with great consent of all men And this saith he is no small preiudice that the integritie of his manners is so great that his verie enemies can finde nothing which they may calumniate As indeed to this day nothing can be produced against him that is substantiall They clamour of his doctrine because it was against them and produce some vehement speeches which his aduersaries by their iniuries prouoked him vnto as Saint Hierome often times vseth the like vehemency but what is that to his conuersation Let them shew his life to haue bene led otherwise then became
a Preacher of the Gospell what murthers riots whoredomes periuries scandalous courses did he liue in as many Popes haue done and the top-gallant of the Romish clergy 5 They say he married a Nun after he and she had vowed to the contrary But this is a silly accusation for the Pope hath dispensed with many to do the like and it is a ruled case in the Schooles that the solemne vow of continencie may be dispensed with And therefore in this point they offended no further but in marrying without the Popes licence supposing the libertie of marriage depended on his permission which licence if he had purchased then the fault should haue bene none although he had married his owne sister by the dispensation of Martin the fift And so all the rest of his faults if they be inquired into will proue to be nothing else but certaine trespasses against the Popes corrupt canons 6 Touching his death you see the Iesuite speaketh suspitiously reade prodigious tales in the bookes of our aduersaries which I will set downe by and by but they which saw him die and accompanied him to his graâ—e thus report it from whose mouths we haue it f Sleida comment l. 16. Lonicer theat hâ—st pag. 244. written Being ill at case yet nowtwithstanding the last day of his life he came out to dinner and also to supper what time he had much comfortable speech concerning the life to come and this among other that as â—ldam in Paradise when the woman was brought vnto him did not aske who she was or whence she came but presently knew her to be flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone by reason he was filled with the holy Ghost and indued with the true knowledge of God So we in the next life being renued by Christ shall know our parents wiues and children much more perfectly then Adam at that time knew wife After supper he prayed as his custome was priuately by himselfâ— in which time the paine of his brest that had long troubled him began to increase but â—â—ting laid on his bed and hauing taken some of an Vnicorns horne in wine he slept soundly by the space of two houres and being awaked he was had into his owne chamber saying as he went into thy hands ô God do I commend my spirit for thou ô God of truth hast redeemed me Soone after he gaue himselfe to rest but first saluted his friends that were present saying also to them Pray God that he will preserue vnto vs the doctrine of his Gospell for the Pope and Trent Councell are in hand with grieuous things And when he had said this he began to sleepe but the force of his disease awakening him something after midnight he began to complaine of the stopping in his brest and to feele death coming vpon him Whereupon he fell to prayer vsing these words Heauenly Father who art God and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and the God of all comfort I giue thee thanks for that thou hast reuealed thy Sonne Christ vnto me in whom I haue beleeued whom I haue professed loued and preached and whom the Bishop of Rome and the rest of the wicked persecute and reproach I beseech thee my Lord Iesus Christ receiue my poore soule And heauenly Father though I be taken out of this life and shall lay downe this my body yet I beleeue assuredly that I shall remaine for euer with thee and that none shall be able to plucke me out of thy hands Hauing ended this praier he repeated the 16. verse of the 3. chapter of Saint Iohn So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life And then the 20. verse of the 68. Psalme Our God is the God that saueth vs euen the Lord God that deliuereth from death And not long after this he commended his soule into the hands of God two or three times ouer with shew of much comfort vntill as a man falling asleepe by little and little he departed this life the standers by perceiuing no paine to vexe him This was the end of that good man whose memory shall be precious in the Church for euer and there kept greene and florishing as the rod of Aaron laid vp in the tabernacle the same time being present by him the Earle of Mansfield and other noble men Iustus Ionas Michael Coelius Ioannes Aurifaber and many more who haue testified these things to be true and accompanied his body to Wittenberge where by the appointment of the Prince Elector he was honourably buried in the Tower Church and with great lamentation of many Bugenhagius making the funerall Sermon and Melancthon the Oration 7 This the Iesuite is bound to beleeue because it is testified by such as were present and not the malicious reports of his deadly enemies that made them on their fingers ends wherein there is not so much as common likelihood to maintain them For let it be tried whether the talesensuing be probable g Cocl vit Lutheri Pontac Burde an 1544. Lindan fuga idol p. 80. c. 8. Caluinotur cism pag. 957. Defence of the Cens p. 66. Bel. c. That going to bed merry and drunke he was found the next morning dead in his bed his body being blacke and his tong hanging forth as if he had bene strangled which some thinke was done by the diuell some by his wife And that as they bare him to the Church to bury him his body so smelt that they were faine to throw it in a ditch and go their waies For these things sauour of the mint Thyrraeus the Iesuite h De Daemo niac part 1. Thes 99. telleth how the same day Luther died many that were possessed of diuels in a towne of Brabant were on a sodaine deliuered and not long after possessed againe And when it was demanded of the diuels where they had bene they answered that by the appointment of their Prince they were called forth to the funerall of Luther And this was proued to be true because a seruant of Luthers that was in the chamber when he died opening a casement to take in the aire saw neare vnto him a great number of blacke spirits hopping and dancing The which is a mery tale saue that it was made betweene the diuell and the exorcist and crosseth the former for if Luthers seruant was in the chamber by him when he died then he was not strangled suddenly by his wife in the night and if the spirits departed out of the possessed to go to his buriall then belike he was buried and not left in a ditch 8 But the furie of his enemies was so great against him that not able to conceale these tales made against him till he was dead they published them in print in his life time which notably conuinceth them of slander and malice The copy of which newes I heare set downe that such as haue read the
brake touching the proceeding of the holy Ghost depeÌ„ded but vpon two prepositions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The monstrous heresie of Nestoâ—â—â—s lay but in the change of e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one poore letter and f Concil Ephesin Graec. p. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril would haue him euen in that to gratifie the Church and when he would not g Dalmat apolog in Concil Ephesin six thousand Bishops rose vp against him for it so religious were they that had religion that THEY VVOVLD NOT EXCHANGE h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil apud Theodorit l. 4. c. 19. A LETTER OR A SYLLABLE OF THE FAITH VVHEREVVITH OVR SAVIOVR HAD â—VT THEM IN TRVST Which is our iust defence that write in the controuersies against all our censurers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i Epist ad Cleric Constantinopol in Concil Ephes p. 72. saith Cyril 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Are we enemies to peace no we rather wil pul it to vs with violence so that the true faith withal may be confessed But when it cannot be obtained we cleare the truth and by expelling their errors labour to plucke the seduced out of the fire and bring them to knowledge that their soules may be saued and their life reformed and the State secured wherein they liue 9 And this my poore endeuour in this kind I humbly present to your Lordships vnder whose iurisdiction I exercise my ministery not in affiance of any thing therein worthy your reading whom our Church hath long since knowne to be the same that Eunapius saith of two other in his time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor in hope to escape the disgracefull censures of intermedlers but in zeale to my countrey and assurance that it may do good therein going vnder so HONORABLE protection I am so meane a man and obscure euery way that I feared the truth would sustaine losse and be contemned for my obscuritie if some extraordinary fauor did not leade it forth And let it go forward indeed and shew it selfe abroad hauing THE TRVTH to support it and so acceptable an inscription to go before and the name of so VVORTHY PATRONS to leade it forth And so desiring pardon for this my boldnesse I humbly commit your Lordships to the mercifull protection of Almightie God who long continue your prosperous estate and make you happie instruments of much good vnto his CHVRCH Octob. 29. 1608. Your Lordships in all dutie IOHN WHITE THE PREFACE TO THE READER TOVCHING THE present controuersies betweene vs and the Romish Church IT is not as some thinke touching the questions between the Church of Rome and vs that there is no reall difference Would to God it were so But they that examine the points shall find it farre otherwise 1. Concerning the Scriptures the Church of Rome teacheth that a Can. loc pag. 251. Manie things appertaine to faith and Christian doctrine which neither openly nor obscurely are contained in holy writ b Totalis enim adaequata regula est Scriptura Traditio simul Deinde Traditio parem authoritatem habet cum Scriptura Becan circul Caluin p. 278. For the totall and full rule of our faith is Scripture and Tradition both together Tradition being of equall authoritie with the Scripture This assertion is directly against the doctrine of our Church and leadeth men into pernicious errors pretended to be deliuered by Tradition and withdraweth them from the obedience of onely Scripture to the following of vncertaine authoritie 2. Concerning the iustification of a sinner c Viguer Institut theol p. 286 whereby of a wicked vniust and vncleane person he is made cleane holy and simply iust it teacheth that this is done by the habite of our owne inherent righteousnesse and not by Christs Bellarmine expounding the Councell of Trent saith d De Iustif l. 2. p. 1032. c. Our owne inherent iustice is the formall cause of absolute iustification not the iustice of Christ imputed to vs and e Pag. 1071. d. besides the merits of Christ imputed to vs for our satisfaction there is in vs an inherent iustice which is the true and absolute righteousnesse whereunto by the iust iudgement of God not punishment but glorie is due This opinion containeth so reall a difference from the truth that S. Paule f Gal. 5.4 saith of it Ye are abolished from Christ ye are fallen from grace whosoeuer are iustified by the Law 3. Concerning the merite of our workes it holdeth g Mich. Bai. de merit oper p. 12 that when men hauing conuersed godlily and righteously in this mortall life to the end obtaine eternall life this is not to be deputed to the purpose of Gods grace but to the ordinance of nature appointed presently in the beginning when man was created Neither in this retribution of good things is it looked to the merite of Christ but onely to the first institution of mankind wherein by a naturall law it was set downe that by the iust iudgement of God the keeping of the commandements should be rewarded with life as the breaking of them is punished with eternall death Whereby we see that there is a plaine difference betweene the Church of Rome and vs in the principall article of our faith touching the saluation of our soules we beleeuing stedfastly that it is to be ascribed to the merits of Christ they expecting it for the merite also of their owne works 4. Concerning Images h Concil Trid. sess 25 it practiseth the hauing and worshipping of them yea i Azor. Instit tom 1. p. 737. the Diuines of that Church hold that euery Image is to be honoured with the same honour wherewith they worship the samplar No man can be so simple but he may see a substantiall difference in these points and the like may be shewed in aboue two hundred questions controuerted betweene vs though I will not denie that in many things the heate of the contenders hath deuised differences where there are none and to discredit one another they haue wrested that which might be well vnderstood 2 Besides the Church of Rome not onely requireth vs to professe her faith but also to do it k Bell. de laic c 19. p. 19 9 c. with subiection to the Pope and teacheth l Turrecr quaest ex S. Tho. q. 13. that this is absolutely necessarie to saluation A point so fully opposite to the gouernment of our Church that it can no way be reconciled forsomuch as we know the same to be a meere pretence to hide their tyrannie 3 And as the difference is reall and of long continuance so is there no hope to reconcile it The Papacie that standeth in opposition against vs was brought in by Satan at the first and is still continued onely to seduce the world and m 2. Cor. 6.14 what fellowship hath righteousnesse with
the rocke of Christ and his faith c In Mat. 16. Lyra of whom d L. 4. Biblioth sanct they say that for expounding the Scriptures he had not his match and e In Mat. 16. the interlineary Glosse and f Ibid. Burgensis do all thus g Concord l. 2. c. 18. 13. Cusanus followeth Saint Austins exposition set downe immediatly before h In d. 19 ita Dom. § â—t super hanc petram The Glosse vpon Gratian saith He cannot thinke that by the rocke our Lord pointed at any other thing then the words which Peter answered him when he said Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God because vpon that article of faith the Church is built therfore God founded the Church vpon himselfe Marsilius i Defens pacis part 2. ca. 28. saith Vpon this rocke that is vpon Christ in whom thou beleeuest for Peter as long as he liued might erre and sinne by the libertie of his will and such a one could not be the foundation of the Church Petrus de Alliaco Chancellour of Paris and a Cardinall k RecoÌ„mendat sacrâ—â— Scripturae pag 269. writeth thus We must enquire what is the rocke whereupon the Church of Christ was to be built notwithstanding it seemeth not that by the rocke Peter should be vnderstood but Christ for who may establish the firmitie of the Church in Peters infirmitie whereof aske the maide that kept the doore and let her answer at whose speech as Gregorie saith while he feared death he denied the life Therefore seeing Peter had wauered and his Vicar is not firmely grounded l Cumque iam discrepent de summo Petri sacerdotio Pontifices litigeÌ„t de summo Pontificio sacerdotes seeing the Popes differ about Peters high priesthood and the Priests agree not about the Popes high bishopricke who dareth presume to say that any man of what holinesse or worthinesse soeuer whether Priest or high Bishop whether Peter or Peters Vicar or any other but Christ himselfe is the foundation of the Christian Church Christ therefore vpon himselfe as vpon a most steadie foundation established his Church against the Church of the diuell and vpon this firme rock he steadily confirmed Peter himselfe saying of him the sentence premised Vpon this rocke will I build 17 Thus it appeareth that our Sauiour saying Vpon this rock I will build my Church meant thereby no more but that he would ground it vpon the true faith of Christ that whosoeuer would desire to be ioyned to this Church should beleeue the same things that Peter then professed or else perish for euer And the words are thus to be expounded Thou art Peter thy name is Stone and thou hast professed a profession like thy name answering the nature of that whereby thou art called and therefore thy name is stone or rocke and the profession thou hast made is like it for thereupon I will build my Church and they which hold it shall neuer be moued This is farre from giuing Peter and the Pope any primacie and yet this is all the fathers obserued and as much we see as the discreeter sort of Papists haue collected And it is no matter though in the language that Christ spake the same word be vsed for Peter and the Rocke thus Thou art Cephah and vpon this Cephah I will build or if in the Greeke vsed by the Euangelist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie one thing to wit a rocke or stone as if Christ should say thou art rocke and vpon this rocke I will build for in the first place the word is vsed properly to signifie Peters name in the second appellatiuely to lay downe the nature of his profession which the Papists might haue obserued from m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phauor Lexic Phauorinus Camers their owne Bishop out of whose Lexicon they borrowed their speculation concerning the synonymie of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 18 To the other part of the text concerning the keyes I answer that neither do they proue Saint Peter or the Pope to be chiefe Pastor to whose definitiue sentence all the Church must be subiect but that he had the ministery of the Gospell committed to him with the other Apostles which ministery is signified by the keyes in this respect because mankind through the fall of our first parents lay plunged in the miserable bondage of sinne and Satan vtterly shut out of heauen vntill it pleased our merciful God to reueale the Gospel by preaching whereof the mind of man being enlightned the fetters of spiritual darknesse begin to fall from him and he riseth into the knowledge of Gods will so that by beleeuing in Christ he is set at libertie from the prison of sinne and condemnation and the doore of grace and life is opened to him This is done by the ministerie of the Gospell n Esa 49.9 whose nature is to say to the prisoners go forth and to them that sit in darknesse shew your selues and as o Esa 61.1 a key to open the prison doore to them that are bound and to bring liberty to captiues or if men loue darknesse better then light then hath God put p Ioh. 15.22 2. Cor. 2.16 Apoc. 11.6 an effectuall power into it to shut vp against them the kingdome of heauen and to straine them harder q Pro. 5.22 with the cords of their sinnes that they might perish This ministery being executed partly by preaching and sacraments partly by Church censures is called the keyes by reason of the likenesse thereunto and described by binding and loosing in regard of the effect 19 This exposition must needs be granted first because it sufficiently expresseth the vse and effect of keyes which is onely to let in and out or at the least that is the proper vse thereof Next r Shewed before nu 12. this is all that is meant by binding and loosing and binding and loosing containeth whatsoeuer is signified by the keyes Thirdly the Papists that most stifly defend the primacie yet confesse that all the Apostles receiued the keyes equally with Peter The promise of Christ concerning the keyes appertained not onely to Peter but was transmitted to all the Apostles Å¿ Concil ColoÌ„ sub Adulph an 1549. § Sextum medium saith Adolfus the Archbishop of Colen and his Councell t Surius comment an 1547. a man so addicted to the popish religion and carefull to restore it that he was thought meet to succeed Hermannus whom the Pope thrust out Cusanus u Concord li. 2. c. 13. saith Nothing was spoken to Peter but that which was said to the rest for as it was said to Peter whatsouer thou shalt bind so was it said to the rest whatsoeuer ye shall bind and though it were said to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I wil build yet by the rocke we vnderstand Christ whom he confessed Thus they
reports of railing Papists touching him may be aduertised of the credit thereof when this was set abroad long before his death i Lonicer theatrum p. 246. A horrible miracle such as was neuer heard of before that God who for euer is to be praised in the fowle death of Martin Luther damned in body and soule shewed for the glory of Christ and the amendment and comfort of the godly When Martin Luther fell into his disease he desired the body of our Lord Iesus to be communicated to him which hauing receiued he died soone after And when he saw his end approch he desired that his bodie might be layd on the altar and worshipped with diuine honors But God willing at the length to make an end of horrible errors by a huge miracle warned the people to desist frō the impietie that Luther had brought in For his body being layed in the graue on the sudden such a tumult and terror arose as if the foundation of the earth had bene shaken Whereupon they that were present at the funerall grew amazed with feare and lifting vp their eyes saw the holy hoast hanging in the aire Wherefore with great deuotion they tooke it and layed it in a holy place which being done this hellish noise was heard no more The next night after was heard a noise and cracking about Luthers tombe much louder then before which waked all that were in the citie out of their sleepe trembling and almost dead for feare Wherefore in the morning opening the sepulcher where Luthers detestable body was layed they found neither body nor bones nor clothes but a stinke of brimstone coming out of the graue had welnigh killed all the standers by By the which miracle many being terrified reformed their liues to the honour of the Christian faith and the glory of Iesus Christ This merry conceit being spread ouer Italy at length a copie came to Luthers hands which hauing perused he writ these words vnder I Martin Luther by this my hand writing confesse testifie that vpon the 21. of March I receiued this fiction concerning my death as it was full of malice and madnes and I read it with a glad mind and a chearful countenance but yet detested this blasphemie whereby a stinking lie is fathered on the diuine maiestie of God As concerning the rest I cannot but reioyce and laugh at the diuels malice wherewith he and his rout the Pope and his complices pursue me And God conuert them from this diuellish malice But if this my prayer be for the sinne that is vnto death that it cannot be heard then God graunt they may fill vp the measure of their sinne and with such lying libels as this let them delight themselues one with another to the full Hitherto the libell with Luthers answer whereby it appeareth of how shall credit the Papists reports are touching Luther and what the practise of the Romane Church is against the persons of all that embrace not her errors and the Iesuite is admonished hereby that Luthers life and death reported by his enemies is no indifferent motiue why any man should mislike the Protestants religion the more for it For this report is made the more incredible because it walked abroade afore he was dead and the Reader may the easilier beleeue that I say because within our owne memory the like was done by Caluin and Beza in their life time 9 But what needed the Iesuite labour thus to discredit vs by Luthers manner of death and euill life For supposing he were culpable in some things yet he might be a Saint in comparison of diuers Popes who are of greater regard in the Romish Church then he could be in ours For the world neuer bare such monsters as the Popes haue bin that were a man desirous to represent the most cōplete villanie that could be imagined his next way were to make the picture of a Pope whose transcendent wickednesse is not our report as Luthers life is theirs but the constant narration of his owne subiects the Papists themselues They write of Syluester the second that m Martin Polo an 1007. Platin. in Silu 2. Fasci temp ann 1004. being a Monk he forsooke his monastery and giuing himself to the diuell followed him and did homage to him that all things might prosper according to his mind which thing the diuell promised him And so by bribery he obtained the Archbishopricks of Rhemes and Rauenna and at last the Popedom also by the help of the diuel vpon this condition that after his death he should be his body and soule In the end as he was saying Masse by the noise of diuels about him he vnderstood he should die whereupon confessing his sinne before the people he desired all the members of his body wherewith he had serued the diuell to be cut off and the trunke of his bodie to be layd in a wagon and buried where the horse would draw it And Caesar Baronius that laboureth to excuse him n An 991. nu 7. yet confesseth that he forsooke his monastery and became a courtier and in talking babling slandering detracting flatterie and doublenesse of mind being made to deceiue he outwent all men Touching Boniface the seuenth o Baron anu 985. n. 1. they write that he was a very villaine and a church robber a sauage theefe the cruel murderer of two Popes the inuader of Peters chaire that had not so much as a haire of a Pope but were to be reckoned among the ransackers and spoilers of their countrey such as were Sylla and Catiline which were not comparable to this theefe that murdered two Popes Haue you heard a man thus set forth as the Pope is here by his owne Cardinall yet he is no body to Iohn the twelfth whom p Platin. in Ioā 13. Naucler an 956. the stories call a monster of a man q Platin. in Ioan. 13. one from his youth vp defiled with all vice and turpitude more giuen to hunting then praier when he could tend it for lechery r Sigon reg Ital l. 7. an 963. accused and detected before the Emperour in a Synode of Bishops of murthers adulteries incests periuries and other vices of all sorts ſ Onuph annot Plat. an Ioan 8. Luitpran d. l 6. c. 6. 7. quem refert Baron an 963. His whores that he kept are named Reynera a widow Stephana his fathers concubine and her sister Ioan Anne and diuers others He turned the Pallace of Lateran into a stewes He would forcibly rauish wiues widowes maids that came from other places to Rome on pilgrimage the fame whereof made them afraid to come He would giue them Saint Peters golden challices and crosses for a reward He vsed hunting openly and dicing and drinking At dice he would call vpon the diuell to helpe him drinke healths to the diuell set mens houses on fire reuell it vp and downe the citie in armour He ordained a Deacon in his stable among his
thence haue giuen testimony to vs who remain behinde that they are safely arriued there you I say are vnwise that will leaue this way to aduenture the liues not of your bodies but of your soules in a path found out by your selues neuer tracked before In which whosoeuer haue gone yet God knoweth what is become of them since we neuer had letter or miracle or euident token or any word from them to assure vs that they passed safely that way I may account you most vnwise men that will aduenture such a pretious iewell as your soule is to be transported by such an vncertaine and most dangerous way I must needs think that since there is but one way and that the way of the Catholike Church is a sure and approued way you are very vnwise that leaue it The Answer 1 They are vnwise that leaue the way of the Catholicke Church they are no wiser but the very same that follow the way of the Romane Church the reason is because the Roman is not the Catholick Church And therfore we that haue left it and the waies thereof that we might trauell towards the heauenly Ierusalem reioyce in the goodnesse of God that hath called vs to this mercy and daily craue of his heauenly maiestie that he will continue vs therein to our liues end though Papists cal vs to follow them Whose miracles as a Digress 44. I haue shewed giue no testimony that any man in the Popish religion euer came to heauen The miracles of Christ and of his Apostles and of the Primitiue Church belong not to them but vs in that our faith is the same that theirs was that did them The rest contained in the Legends and Indian Newes which are all that Papists can properly challenge are the delusions of Satan and forgeries of men And so the diuell and the Frier playing the Carriers loded their packe-horse with such stuffe and because the Pope paied them well for the deuice they made silly Papists such as the Iesuite is beleeue they came from their friends in heauen This therefore is no sure way to finde the truth vnlesse it be certain that these miracles were sent indeed and then as certaine that they which sent them died in the present Popish religion 2 As for our selues we are not so destitute of letters and tokens as the Iesuite pretendeth sent vs not from men that are departed but from God that gaue them entertainment whose certificate to vs is b 2. Pet. 1 1◠more worth then all the miracles of the world because he sent it vs by his owne Sonne that best could tell who arriued in his fathers house And these letters are the Scriptures God our King c Hom. 39. saith Macarius hath sent the diuine Scriptures as it were letters vnto vs. And Saint Austin saith d Enarr Psal 90. conc 2. These are the letters which are come to vs frō that Citie whither like Pilgrims we are trauelling So that as long as by these Scriptures we can iustifie our faith we haue letters from heauen sufficient to assure vs that all which embrace and obey the faith we professe are safely arriued in the kingdome of heauen This is the reason why the Pope forbiddeth his people the reading of them lest thereby they should know so much and knowing it should forsake him and his lying miracles § 63. I must thinke that since the Catholicke Church is as I haue proued the light of the world and rule of faith the pillar and ground of the truth that you leauing it leaue the light and therefore walke in darkenesse forsaking the true faith and therefore are misled in the mist of incredulity into the wildernesse of misbeliefe Finally hauing lost the sure ground of truth fall into the ditch of many absurdities must needs be drowned in the pit of innumerable errors And erring thus from the way the veritie the life which is Christ residing according to his promise in the Catholicke Church must needs vnlesse you will returne to the secure way of the same Catholicke Church incurre your owne perdition death and endlesse damnation of body and soule from the which sweet Iesus deliuer vs all to the honour and perpetuall praise of his name Amen Laus Deo beatae virgini Mariae The Answer 1 The Church of Rome is not the Catholike Church but the seate of Antichrist and therfore what danger soeuer there be in forsaking the Catholicke yet there is none in refusing the Romane Church Nay t 2. Cor. 6.17 Apoc. 18.4 all such as will be saued must forsake it And they that will abide therein shall find by experience at the last that all the inconueniences which the Iesuite saith belong to such as leaue the Catholicke Church will fall vpon them And therefore blessed be God the Father of lights who hath restored among vs the publicke ministery of the Gospel for the calling of his people out of the damned errors of the Romane Sea into his owne Church And let the earth reioyce and euery child of God therein and giue him thankes who hath made the light of his Church to breake out when the tyranny of the Church of Rome had thought to haue smothered it in eternall darkenesse and with the innumerable errors that it bred to haue seduced misled and drowned it for euer wherby mankinde should haue incurred perdition death and endlesse damnation of body and soule And let my deare countrimen know among whom vnto whom I write these things and for whose sake I will expose my selfe to the vndiscreet fury of seducers and many seduced refusing no paines or dutie that may tend to the enlightning of their conscience and confirming of the vndoubted faith of Iesus Christ wherof I am called to be the meanest preacher that liueth among them LET THEM I SAY AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF OVR LAND WHOM THESE HAPPY DAIES HAVE RECLAIMED FROM THE CHVRCH OF ROME COVNT THIS THEIR CHIEFEST HAPPINES AND WE ARE IT AS THEIR CROWNE that God hath thus made them partakers of his Gospell when the other side euen vnder their eyes lie plunged in ignorance of mind error of faith and vilenesse of conuersation so horrible and prodigious that it needeth teares to bewaile it rather then a pen to report it In recompence wherof let them be CONSTANT AND FAITHFVLL to the end and continue in the things that they haue learned making no question but our faith which could bring so visible a reformation of manners into our countrey so certaine knowledge so vnspeakeable comfort into our minde which could bring the light of Gods owne word the maiesty of elder times the reuerent countenance of the first antiquitie and the perpetuall testimony of our aduersaries themselues for her iustification wil saue their soules if they will obey it For want of which obedience they may and shall perish eternally when the faith it selfe is in no fault And let them LABOVR WITH LOVE AND