body was taken vp into heauen the apostle Peter also Act. 3. declareth that the heauens must conteine him vntill the time that all things be restored and this the ancient fathers which the aduersaries will not denie to haue béene good catholikes doe cléerely expresse according to his diuine nature saith i Tractat. 33. in Matth. Origen he is not absent from vs but he is absent according to the dispensation of his body which he tooke Saint k Lib. 10. in Luc. 24. Ambrose saith that we are not to seeke Christ either on the earth or in the earth or after the flesh if we meane to finde him Saint l Tractat. 50. in Ioan. Augustine saith he hath caried his body into heaueÌ„ although he hath not withdrawne his maiesty from the world m Homil. 21. in euangel Gregory the first also doeth plainely affirme that Christ is not heere on earth according to the presence of his flesh the flesh of Christ saith n Lib. 4. contr Eutych Vigilius writing against Eutyches when it was on earth surely was not in heauen and now because it is in heauen certeinly it is not on earth neither did euer any catholike father teach otherwise are the papists then catholikes trow you that contrary to the catholike fathers and catholike faith teach that Christes true bodie is both in heauen and in earth and vpon euery altar at one time and doe you call them catholikes that affime that Christs true body properly may not onely be touched and receiued into mens mouthes but also deuoured of dogges and mise and other beasts that eate consecrated hostes argument 18 All true catholikes firmely beléeue that their sinnes are forgiuen them for Christes sake and that they shall obteine eternall life according to these two articles of the Créed I beleeue the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting for as the apostle saith Heb. 6. God hath promised and sworne that we should haue firme comfort and saint o 1 Iohn 5. Iohn saith these things I write vnto you that beleeue in the name of God that you may know that you haue eternall life and whosoeuer beléeueth not this as p Ibidem he testified maketh God a liar The apostle q Rom. 5. Paule saith that he that is iustified by faith hath peace with God but what peace can we haue vnlesse we beléeue that our sinnes are forgiuen and that assuredly we shall obteine eternall life the sacraments also that are deliuered to euerie Christian are seales of remission of sinnes and of the promise of eternall life for by Baptisme we put on Christ that is we are made members of his body and partakers of his merits and in the Lords supper our Sauiour teacheth vs that the cup is the new Testament in his blood and that Christs body was broken for euery one that is a woorthy receiuer this doctrine is also confirmed by the examples of Abraham and the apostle Paule of Abraham we r Rom. 4. reade that he doubted not of the promise of God and that the same was imputed to him for righteousnesse the apostle Å¿ Rom. 8. saith that he was perswaded that nothing should separate him from the loue of God and this assurance of remission of sinnes and eternall life the catholike fathers teach vs. Si iustus es fide viuis saith t Serm. 4. de mortalit Cyprian si verè in Christum credis cur non cum Christo futurus de domini pollicitatione securus amplecteris u Ibidem againe he saith that we are not to wauer or doubt for that God hath promised vs immortality Saint x Serm. 2â—… de verb. dom Augustine writing vpon these words thy sinnes are forgiuen thee saith it is faith and not pride to acknowledge what we haue receiued y Serm. 2. de annoâ—… Bernard saith that we haue no promise but by Gods fauour and that the spirit of God worketh this in vs that we beleeue remission of sinnes and this doe all true catholikes beléeue how then can the papists be catholikes that will haue men onely to hope for remission of sinnes and eternall life and that not without doubting or what are we to hope of the z Sess 6. doctors of Trent that prouounce them accursed that shall say that a man must certeinly beleeue that his sinnes are forgiuen him finally how shall we beléeue that those are true beléeuers that teach Christians not to beleeue remission of sinnes or eternall life but to doubt of both argument 19 All true catholikes beléeue that the faithfull presently vpon their departure out of this life are happy and enter into ioies that neuer shall haue end as the wicked and vnbeléeuers are presently to enter into euerlasting fire and begin to suffer endlesse paines these shall goe into euerlasting paine and the righteous shall presently possesse the kingdome of heauen prepared for them as may appeare by the sentence of our sauior Matth. 25. the a Rom. 8. apostle doth also plainly testifie that there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Iesus the spirit of God doth likewise b Apocal. 14. pronounce them blessed that die in the Lord. and the reason is added for that they rest from their labours and this likewise is the faith of the catholicke fathers c Ecclesiast hierarch c. 7. Dionyse saith that the godly when they come to the end of their liues shall rest in Abrahams bosome and signifieth that there shall be no griefe nor sadnesse nor sighing d Quaest 75. Iustine Martyr holdeth that the soules of good men shall presently be caried into paradise both e Lib. 1. aduers haeres c. 2. Irenaeus and f Serm. de mortalit Cyprian likewise make onely two sorts of soules departed whereof the first are in blisse the second in paines and endlesse misery and that is also confirmed by the confession of our aduersaries in the canon of the masse where they pray for those that sleepe in a sleepe of peace but the papists teach that all that haue not satisfied here for temporall punishments must be plonged in the vnspeakable paines of purgatory and so after a time passe to heauen argument 20 All catholicks beléeue that Christ hath reconciled vs to his father and that he hath satisfied for our sinnes fully and perfectly the g Isay 53. prophet saith that we are healed by his stripes ipse volneratus est saith he propter iniquitates nostras attritus est propter scelera nostra disciplina pacis nostrae super eum we may therefore well accounpt them no catholicks that h Bellar. lib. 1. de purgat teach that Christians are to satisfie for the temporall punnishment of their owne sinnes either here or in purgatory the which is no where deliuered by the fathers of the church argument 21 True catholicks neuer made the image of God the father or the holy ghost nor did euer the godly
of the virgin Mary of angels and saints and giue latriam or souereigne worship not to God onely but also to the images of God the Father God the Sonne and God the Holy ghost to the images also of the holy Trinitie and of the crosse Of their Agnus Dei they b Caerem lib. 1. c. 7. say Peccatum frangit vt Christi sanguis angit and when they consecrate a crosse they pray that as the world was deliuered from the guilt of sinne by the crosse of Christ so those that offer to the new made crosse by the merit of the same may be acquited from all sinne argument 56 The true church neuer vsed the mediation of others then of our Lord and sauiour Christ Iesus the c 1. Tim. 2. apostle teacheth vs that there is but one mediator betwixt God and man the man Christ Iesus but the Romish church hath gotten to it selfe a packe of mediators and doubteth not to entitle the blessed virgin the mediatrix betwixt God and man d Hist p. 3. Tit. 23. c. 3. Antoninus writeth that on a certaine time Christ sitting at the right hand of his father rose vp in fury purposing to destroy all sinners from the earth but that he was intreated by his mother to stay vntill such time as she had sent forth Dominicke and Francis to preach in the world neither can that trite and absurd distinction of some sophisters excuse the papistes that they accknowledge one onely mediatour of redemtion and vse to pray to saintes as mediatours of intercession for first the scriptures and fathers allow no mediators but such as are mediators of redemption and not onely of intercession and therefore that title of mediator the scriptures giue onely to our Sauiour as appeareth by the words of the apostle 1. Tim. 2. and Hebr. 9. 12. where our sauiour is called the mediator of the new testamnet and Saint e Lib. 2. contra parmen c. 8. Augustine where he dissallowed the title of mediator in Parmenian doth not deny that the pastor may intercede and pray for his flocke but that he may be called a mediator and his f Ibidem reason is quia vnus verusque mediator est which excludeth all men whether aliue or dead from this title of mediator secondly the papistes in their blasphemous canon doe make priestes mediators not onely of intercession but also of redemtion where they say qui tibi offerunt hoc sacrificium landis pro se suisque omnibus pro redemptione animarum suarum thirdly they so pray to angels and saintes as if we could not come to Christ but by them but our sauior doth immediatly call men to himselfe and teacheth vs to pray to the father in his name and Saint g In Rom. 1. Ambrose saith that to obtaine Gods fauour we need no spokesman but a deuout minde Chrysostome likewise homines saith h De poenit homil 4. he vtuntur atriensibus in deo nihil tale est sine mediatore exorabilis est and in another place i De profectu enang nihil tibi patronis opus est apud deum neque enim tam facilè deus audit si alij pro nobis orent qùam si ipsi pro nobis oremus etsi pleni simus omnibus malis fourthly they so pray to angels and saintes as they giue men to understand that they are present in all places for to Saint Francis Saint Dominicke and other saintes they pray in Italy Spaine France and other countries they also signifie that they vnderstand their heartes and deuotions but this is proper to God onely to be in all places and to search mens heartes and the same belongeth to no creature vnlesse we will ascribe diuinity vnto them fiftly they in their litanies to saintes and angels haue such formes of praiers as in the ancient church of Christ was no time vsed in the masse they pray to God that by the merites and praiers of saintes in all thinges they may be protected by Gods helpe at other times they pray to saintes not onely to pray for them but to defend them and helpe them finally they call vpon such persons as we haue iust cause to doubt whether they be saintes as for example traitors executed for their offences and friers and monkes odious for their superstitions in the first ranke commeth Thomas Becket and Campion and his fellowes in the second Francis dominicke Clare Rocke Catharine of Siena and such like vnlesse therefore Robert Parsons and his consortes can proue these formes of intercession to haue bene vsed in the church of Christ it is a great hazard but he will proue himselfe and his fellowes not to be of the church argument 57 In the true church of Christ we neuer read nor heard that christians vsed to scourge themselues before crucifixes and other images publikely or in their chambers of meditations priuatly or that they cried out before their images and crucifixes but we read that the priestes of Baal cut themselues so that the blood followed and that they cried mainly vpon Baal we read also that the priestes of Cybele in honor of their goddesse were wont to cut themselues they say also that in the Indiaes there are certaine priestes that lash themselues before their idoles are not then the papistes that scourge themselues before their images and in their chambers of meditations liker to Baals priestes and ethnikes then to the children of God argument 58 In the church of Christ sinners doe penance in their owne persons in the Romish church they thinke it sufficient to scourge themselues and to doe other offices of penance by deputies argument 59 In the true church of Christ the bishops of Rome gaue forth no indulgences nor iubelies nor did take on them to dispence Christs and the saints merits by publike charters nor gaue pardons of hundreds of daies or yéeres is it not then the false church that taketh this power vnto her argument 60 The true church is a societie of faithfull people vnder lawfull pastors for as the k Ephes 4. apostle saith our Sauiour Christ hath giuen pastors and teachers for the worke of the mynistery for the aedification of his body vntill we all meet together in the vnitie of faith and acknowledging of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man l Lib. 4. epist 9 Cyprian saith that the church is a people vnited to their bishop and a flocke adhering to their pastor est ecclesia saith he plebs episcopo adunata pastori suo grex adhaerens so likewise saith m In dial aduers Luciferianos Hierome quod ecclesia non est quae non habet sacerdotes and this we are taught by reason that there ordinarily can be no church where there is no ministery to gather a church nor a family of Gods children where there are no pastoral fathers to beget sons to God But the Romish church hath long wanted true bishops priests and
founders falsification 2 Gregorie the fourth saith that all bishops causes and the discussing of matters of religion belōgeth to the apostolike Romane See as the head of all Churches the place frō whence the Church tooke her beginning cum nulli dubium sit saith hée quod non solum pontificalis causatio C. praeceptis dist 12. sed omnis sanctae religionis relatio ad sedem apostolicam quasi ad caput ecclesiarum debeat referri inde normam sumere vnde sumpsit exordiū Anatorious lye For the law went out of Sion and not from Rome and bishops causes were handled in times past in councels and not before the bishops of Rome There also were matters of faith decided and not by the Romish bishops as this lying Pope affirmeth Nay the causes of the bishop of Rome himselfe as wel as of all other bishops were handled in councels falsification 3 Vnder the name of Athanasius the Church of Rome c. Septuaginta dist 17. teacheth that the counsell of Nice published 80. canons which were reduced afterward to the number of 70. according to the number of 70. disciples and that the copie brought to Alexandria was burnt by heretikes But authenticall stories doe refute this lye and shew that there were onely 20. Canons established in that councell Beside that Luke 10. Luke saith that Christ sent 72. disciples As the old latin transtation hath Thirdly if the canons were 80. it were a méere falsity to cut of or reduce 80. to 70. Finally of the burning of the canons of the Nicene counsell there is no recorde in any authenticall writer falsification 4 Marcellus saith that these words Psal 81. ego dixi dij estis are spoken of Preestes And thereby would proue them to bée aboue magistrates Si seculares in publicis iudicijs saith he C. synodum dist 17. libellis vtuntur appellatorijs quanto magis sacerdotibus haec eadem agere licet de qubus dictum est ego dixi dij estis The Pope therefore may bee conuinced of notorious lying and forging by all interpreters and not only by the text it selfe falsification 5 Vnder the name of Leo. c. ita dominus dist 19. They teach that Peter was assumed into an inseperable bond of vnitie with Christ hunc in consortium indiuiduae vnitatis assumptum id quod ipse erat voluit nominari a matter vntrue and blasphemous and vnworthy to be vttred by Leo. For albeit Christ consist of two natures yet no man euer yet sayed beside this counterfect◠Leo that Christ and Peter made one person falsification 6 Anacletus saith that Peter was made bishop when Christ sayd to him thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will builde my Church and the gates of hell shal not preuaile against it C. innouo dist 21. and I will giue thee the keys of the kindome of heauen He saith also that the rest of the Apostles made Peter their prince ceteri vero apostoli cum eodem pari consortio honorem potestatem acceperunt ipsumque principem eorum esse voluerunt But this second poynt is refuted by the whole tenor of the euangelical history and the actes of the Apostles recorded by Saint Luke For in no place we finde where the Apostles did ordaine or make Peter their prince or gouernor Nay we rather finde where Christ made all the Apostles equall The first point is contradicted also by the words of Christ who in the future tence said Dabo tibi and not Do tibi Bellarmine also holdeth that Peter in this place receiued nothing but a promise quorum verborum saith he planus obuius sensus est lib. 1. de pontif Rom. 10. vt intelligamus sub duabus metaphoris promissum Petro totius ecclesiae principatum Hee speaketh of the sence of the words rehersed by Anacletus and by his exposition it appeareth that Anacletus sayd vntruely that Peter was made bishop by christs words vttred Mat. 16. which may also be proued by Turrecremata in his treatise de ecclesia Finally all the Popes agents hold that Peter receiued the primacy from Christ and not from the Apostles falsification 7 Gelasius saith that the Church of Rome obtained the primacie not by any ordinances of synodes C quamuis dist 21. but by Christes owne words in the Gospell A matter most vntrue For the scriptures speake no where of the primacy of the Romish Church neither can it be proued out of the wordes tu es Petrus alledged by Gelasius Neither doth euery prerogatiue of Peter belonge to the Church of Rome Nor had the apostle Peter any such high primacy As the Pope nowe claymeth and practiseth falsification 8 Pope Nicolas saith that Dioscorus was not condemned for matter of faith C. in tantum dist 21. but for denouncing an excommunication against Leo bishop of Rome But the actes of the 2. councell of Ephesus being in fauour of Eutyches and the councell of Chalcedon do reproue him and playnly conuince him of vntruth The same also may be gathered by the chapter Canones dist 15. And therefore the glosse to salue this lye saith we must so vnderstand Nicolas his words as if he had sayd that Dioscorus was not condemned for matter of faith onely which was no part of Nicolas his meaning falsification 9 Omnes siue patriarchij cuiuslibet apices siue metropoleon primatus aut episcopatuum Cathedras vel ecclesiarum cuiuslibet ordinis dignitates C. omnes dist 22. saith Nicolas the Pope instituit Romana ecclesia But he telleth a grosse vntruth for the scriptures tell vs that the Apostle Paule ordeined bishops in Crete Ephesus and diuers places both in Europe and Asia and ecclesiasticall histories tell vs that neither the Church of Ierusalem nor Antioch nor other easterne Churches nor their dignities were founded by the Church of Rome Finally the actes of councels tell vs that councelles did appoynt the seuerall limits of bishops diocesses did enlarge their dignityes according to diuers occasions and that emperours and the dignities of greate cityes did adde dignity to the bishops falsification 10 The same Nicolas also affirmeth that Christ gaue to Peter terreni simul caelestis imperii iura that is the right both of the kingdome of heauen and kingdome of earth Ibidem But our Sauiour Christs words shew that he gaue him no earthly kingdome but promised him onely the keyes of the kingdome of heauen Nay if he be Christes vicar then he must clayme no earthly kingdome For our Sauiour Christs kingdome was not of this world falsification 11 Anacletus affirmeth that Peter and Paule were both crowned with Martyrdome in one day and at the same time C. sacro sancta dist 22. a matter denyed by Prudentius peri steph hym 12. Arator in Act. Apost lib. 2. and the author of the 18. Sermon de sanctis that goeth vnder Saint Augustines name and diuers others falsification 11 Pope Nicholas saith that Constantine called the bishop of Rome God Constat à pio principe
and last resolution for matters of faith argument 15 The Church of Christ neuer burned the scriptures no albeit there were errors in the Gréeke translation of Theodosion and Symachus and the seuentie interpreters and in all the Latin translations the vulgar and olde edition not excepted z yet did the true church neuer burne the scriptures for that was practised by Dioclesian and other persecuters of the church and by heathen men rather than by any that carried the name of Christians but the church of Rome hath caused Gods holy word to be burnt vnder pretence of false translations which notwithstanding she was neuer able to prooue to be false she doth therefore plainly declare her selfe to be the synagogue of Satan and not of Christ argument 16 The true Church did neuer prohibit the scriptures to be publikely read in such tongues as the people of God were able to vnderstand nor did she euer condemne them and burne them for hereticks that read them in vulgar tongues for our sauior commanded his apostles to teach all nations and no question but it was lawfull to teach them as well by writing as by word In Psal 86. S. Hierome saith that scriptures do not only belong to priests but also to the people Non scripserunt saith he speaking of the holy apostles paucis sed vniuerso populo and our sauiour where he commanded his auditours to search the scriptures meant that it should be lawfull for all to read them finally what is more vnreasonable séeing the scriptures conteine Gods holy lawes and his eternall testament than that the lawes of God should not be red in a knowen tongue and that it should not be lawfull for children to vnderstand their heauenly fathers testament and last will but the Romish congregation prohibiteth the scriptures to be publikely read in vulgar tongues and i Index libr. prohib à Pio 9. prohibiteth all translations but such as themselues set forth which are most wicked peruerse The bloody inquisitors haue also burned diuers poore people for reading scriptures in English as appeareth by the Registers of Lincolne and London in king Henry the eighth his daies Finally Nauarrus a braue Romish doctor teacheth that it is mortall sinne for a lay man to dispute of religion Laicus disputans de fide saith k In primum praecept c. 11. Nauarrus peccat mortaliter argument 17 Our sauior Christ l Iohn 4. teacheth vs that all true worshippers do worship God in spirit and trueth Venit hora nunc est saith our sauior quando veri adoratores adorabant patrem in spiritu veritate And God by his prophet m Isay 29. Matth. 15. Isay doth condemne his people that honored him with their lips their hearts being farre from him The apostle also Coloss 2. would not haue Christians condemned in respect of meat drinke and holy daies and reprooueth those that make decrées concerning touching and tasting and such like ceremonies he doth also vtterly n 1. Cor. 14. condemne praiers in a strange language and not vnderstood of those that vse them but the worship of God which the papists vse and most commend doth wholly consist in externall ceremonies as knocking lifting vp of the Sacrament censing lights and such like they also rather honor God with their lips then their hearts not vnderstanding what they say thinking that to gaze on the masse is to serue God finally they haue many decrées concerning meats drinks saints daies and also concerning touching and tasting and such like is it not then apparent that they are no true worshippers argument 18 The Church of o Exod. 20. Christ doth worship but one God according to this commandement Thou shalt haue no other gods but me and according to the words of p Matth. 4. Christ Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serue but the papists worship the images of God as God himselfe and giue as much honor to the image as to the originall Cum Christus saith q P. 3. q. 25. art 3. Thomas Aquinas adoretur adoratione latriae consequens est quod eius imago sit adoratione latriae adoranda Séeing as Christ is honored with diuine worship saith he it followeth that his image is also to be worshipped with diuine worship and friers in their sermons speaking to the crucifix are wont to say to it Thou hast redeemed vs thou hast reconciled vs to thy father which r Bellar. de cult imag lib. 2. c. 23. Bellarmine himselfe can not deny he confesseth also that images may be worshipped with that honor that is due to the originall Admitti potest imagines posse col◠improprie vel per accidens eodem genere cultus quo exemplum ipsum colitur they also worship the Sacrament with diuine worship and fall downe before it but neither are images gods nor is the Sacrament God Finally they confesse that the worship of seruice or doulia is due to saints and this they wil not deny how then can they shew that they worship and serue one true God argument 19 The catholike church only saith ſ Instit 4. c. vlt. Lactantius doth reteine the true worship of God neither can any society be termed Gods church which reteineth not Gods true worship but the papists doe not reteine Gods true worship for first they worship God according to the doctrines and commandements of men which our Sauiour t Matth. 15. Christ condemneth secondly they giue diuine honor to creatures as we shewed in our last argument thirdly their worship consisteth principally in the sacrifice of the masse which is nothing els but a masse of many superstitions impieties and blasphemies as I haue shewed particularly and largely in my treatise of the masse against Bellarmine argument 20 The true church of Christ beléeueth that Iesus Christ is perfect God and perfect man and that Christ Iesus is ascended vp into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of his father for these two points are articles of our faith the first being in termes conteined in the créed of Athanasius the second being expressed in the apostles créed but the papists attributing to Christ in the sacrament such a body as is neither visible nor palpable and can neither sée nor féele nor helpe himselfe nor others being oftentimes deuoured by mise and other brute beasts cannot shew how these qualities can be in a perfect man neither can they shew that a perfect man is both in heauen and in earth and in many places at once or that the flesh of Christ can be properly in heauen and earth and not onely beléeued but also apprehended with mens hands and téeth u Cōtr. Eutyth lib. 4. c. 4. Vigilius saith that the flesh that is in heauen is not in earth Fulgentius writing to Thrasimundus saith that the bodie of Christ hath the properties of a true body x De resur carn Tertullian teacheth vs that the body of Christ
is in the pallace of heauen neither may we suspect that he supposed that Christs body might at the same time be in earth Saint y Lib. 10. in c. 24. Luc. Ambrose saith that we touch not Christ with corporall handling but by faith and that we are not to seeke him on the earth nor after the flesh if we will finde him finally the scriptures and fathers do teach vs that Christ is so ascended into heauen that we doe not enioy him héere on the earth according to his bodily presence as I haue declared at large in my treatise against Bellarmine concerning the reall supposed presence of his body in the sacrament argument 21 The true church beléeueth that we are iustified by faith in Christ Iesus and not by the works of the law arbitramur iustificari hominem saith the z Rom. 3. apostle per fidem sine operibus legis Rom. 4. si qui ex lege haeredes sunt exinanita est fides this is the faith likewise of the fathers a Dial. 1. contr Pelag. tunc ergo iusti sumus saith Hierome quando nos peccatores fatemur iustitia nostra non ex proprio merito sed ex dei consistit misericordia and that we are not iustified by charitie or by our works it may be prooued by the testimony of saint b Epist 29. ad Hieronymum Augustine plenissima charitas saith he quae iam non possit augeri quamdiu hîc homo viuit est in nemine quamdiu autem augeri potest profectò illud quod minus est quà m debet ex vitio est ex quo vitio non est qui faciat bonum non peccet neither may we suppose where the fathers doe speake of iustice of workes that they meane any other iustice but such as declareth vs iustified and which without remission of sinnes cannot stand before God but the papists both beléeue and teach contrary as appéereth by the c Sess 6. actes of the Trent councell and friuolous disputes of d Lib. 4. de iustific c. 10. seq Bellarmine who endeuoureth to shew that man is able to fulfill the law and that our works doe iustifie vs. whereupon it followeth that contrary to the apostles intention we are iustified by the law if he say truely argument 22 The true church also beleeueth that we are not to boast or glory of our works and that the reward of sinne is death and that eternall life 's the gift of God Si Abraham ex operibus iustificatus est saith the apostle Rom. 3. habet gloriam sed non apud deum and Rom. 6. stipendium peccati mors gratia autem dei vita aeterna in Christo Iesu domino nostro likewise the scriptures shew that when we haue done all we can we are to acknowledge our selues to be vnprofitable seruants and that our sufferings are not woorthy of the glory that is to be reuealed and this the church of Christ also beléeueth and hath from time to time beléeued tua peccata sunt saith Augustine in Psal 70. merita dei sunt supplicium tibi debetur cum praemium venerit sua dona coronabit non merita tua and Hilary in Psal 51. non illa ipsa iustitiae opera sufficenrent ad perfectae beatitudinis meritum nisi misericordia dei etiam in hac iustitiae voluntate humanarum demutationum motuum non reputet vitia but the papists hold that we may trust in our works as appeareth by Bellarmines dispute lib. 5. de iustific c. 7. and say that all sinnes doe not deserue death and that eternall life is due for our works argument 23 The true church doth acknowledge no head of the vniuersall church but Christ alone which is also the Sauiour of his body Christ saith the e Ephes 2. apostle is the head of the church he is sauior of his body neither is the title of head of the vniuersall church due to Peter Peter the apostle saith f Lib. 4. epist 38 ad Joan. Constantinop Gregory is the first member of the holy catholike church and Paul Andrew and Iohn what are they but heads of diuers parishes and yet all are members of the church vnder one head Saint g De agon Christ in Psal 9. Augustine saith that Christ Iesus that is the mediator betwixt God and man is head of the church but this title of mediatour onely belongeth to our sauiour Yet the Romish church doth acknowledge the pope to be her head and h In gloss in c. vnam de maior obed Bertrand blasphemously saith that Christ had not beene discreet if he had not left a vicar generall behind him and this doth i Praefat. in lib. de pontif Rom. lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 31. Bellarmine very well allow and prooue it to be due to the pope is that congregation then the true church that hath either two heads or a head beside Christ Iesus argument 24 The true church is not built vpon the pope for the church was before there was either pope of Rome or chiefe priest among the Iewes but the church of Rome doth acknowledge the pope to be her rocke and her foundation as appeareth by Bellarmines preface before his treatise de pontifice Rom. and doth take the pope to be her foundation k Lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 31. Bellarmine among other the popes titles doth reckon this for one that he is fundamentum aedificii ecclesiae that is the foundation of the building of the church argument 25 The true church is Christs faithfull spouse Oseae 2. God speaking to his church saith sponsabo te mihi in fide the church also being Christes spouse harkeneth to him alone and of him is most dearely beloued en dilectus meus saith the l Cantic 2. church loquitur mihi surge propera amica mea columba mea formosa mea veni Cyprian saith that the church cannot be drawne to like of an adulterer adulterari non potest saith m De vnit ecclesiae he Christi sponsa incorrupta est pudica but the n Turrecrem lib. 2. c. 28. Aquin. in 4. sent dist 38. church of Rome doth acknowledge the pope of Rome to be her spouse and o Lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 31. Bellarmine doth mainteine that the pope is iustly entituled the spouse of the church and that this is not without the allowance of the pope it may appeare by the popes owne p C. intercorporalia de translat episc c. quoniam de immunit ecclesiae wordes where he challengeth this title of spouse to be due vnto him and yet I hope he will not say of the church sponsabo te mihi in fide nor propera amica mea columba mea nor doth the true church say of the pope en dilectus meus what then resteth but that the church of Rome should be the whoore of Babylon Apocalyp
of one onely massacre committed anno 1572. variis in locis per illud tempus trucidata fuisse dicta sunt in Gallia and so extraordinary was the fury of the papistes that they spared neither age sex nor quality vel puberes vel impuberes saith he trucidati sunt neque vllius sexus vel aetatis vel dignitatis habita est ratio neither may we thinke that they haue shewed lesse cruelty against christians in Spaine Italy or Germany as for the realme of England it hath sufficient experience of the aduersaries extreme rage and cruelty by the short and bloody raigne of Queene Mary And can any christian man notwithstanding endure to nourish vp yong wolues and tygers within our bosomes The r Apocal. 17. Romish harlot is drunke with the blood of the saintes and hath her garments made red with the slaughter of innocentes that therefore which Optatus lib. 2. contr Parmen saith of the Donatistes may with good reason be applied to papistes Iacerati sunt viri tractatae sunt matronae in fantes necati abacti partus ecce vestra ecclesia episcopis ducibus cruentis morsibus pasta est for by the Romanistes many innocent christians haue bene tormented and murdered women haue bene abused infantes haue bene cut in péeces women haue bene forced to loose their children and they haue fedde themselues with cruelty and the popes of Rome and their agentes haue bene ringleaders in these cruell executions they are therefore professed enimies rather then members of Christes church argument 53 The catholicke church neuer shewed more fauour to Iewes and infidels then to Christians that misliked the pompe tyranny and corrupt doctrine maners of the popes or bishops of Rome for with her children the church dealeth like a kinde mother most mildely she correcteth them if they offend genly and instructteth them carefully contrariwise she auoideth those that will not heare her admonitions and conuerseth not with them Christian emperors Å¿ Hac valitura C. de Iudaeis Caellâ—olis excluded the Iewes from all gouernment and authority in the common wealth t ibidem they did also restraine their insolencies with diuers sharpe lawes the like u Cod. de paganis sacrif templ course also they tooke with pagans and infidels shutting vp their impious temples and forbidding their sacrifices and idolatries but the Romish sinagogue doth procéede by a contrary course for she massacreth and murthreth christians resembling that vnnatural whore that before Salomon would haue the childe in controuersy cutte in peeces but the Iewes and wicked atheistes she nourisheth so they meddle not with the popes scuruinesse the popes by their inquisitors and executioners torment christians and receiue tribute of Iewes that dwell quietly in Rome x Onuphr in Alexandr 6. Alexander the sixt receiued Turks and Maranes into Rome when the Spaniardes could not endure them in Spaine and all popes shew more fauour to Turks than to such Christians as come within the reach of the Spanish or popish inquisition argument 54 The true church neuer sought either by forgery and falsification of mens writings or by lying and slandering to aduance the cause of religion for trueth is sufficient and strong enough of it selfe and néedeth not to be supported with falshood and lies Among ancient Christians false witnesses and slanderers were so fare from being estéemed in the church that they were quite excluded out of the church as appeareth by the acts of the councell of Agatha c. 27. and councell of Eliberis in Spaine c. 73. 74. but the church of Rome perceiuing that she cannot preuaile by plaine trueth and honest dealing goeth now about by suppressing of trueth and forging of counterfeit canons and false writings and by all maner of vntrueths and slanders to abuse the ignorant and simple multitude the scriptures as much as she can she suppresseth in vnknowen languages and corrupteth by making the olde Latin translation authenticall she deuiseth and spreadeth abroad false traditions and setteth out falshood vnder the names of false canons and constitutions vnder the name of the apostles false canons of councels counterfeit treatises set out vnder the name of Origen Athanasius Ambrose Nazianzene Hierome Chrysostome Augustine Epiphanius and other fathers forged decretale epistles vnder the names of Clement Anacletus Euaristus and other ancient bishops of Rome that were neuer acquainted either with such matters or such a stile Of late time most audaciously the Popes agents haue taken vnto them power to put out and to put in and to change what they list in mens writings of which forgery their expurgatorie indexes do plainly conuince them Bellarmine he with all his witte wresteth scriptures and fathers to serue his cause Caesar Baronius out of Simeon Metaphrastes Iacobus de Voragine Surius and such like fabulous legends hath sent vs from Rome whole cartlodes of lies To help him Alanus Copus or rather Harpsfield Alfonsus Ciacone and diuers popish companions haue set out diuers notorious and ridiculous fables finally to disgrace the trueth by slanderous accusations of such as haue shewed themselues forward in defence of it the popish faction hath hired Sanders Robert Parsons Creswel Cope or rather Harpesfield Genebrard Surius Cochleus Stapleton Allen Ribaldineira Bolsecus Laingius and other such like sycophants to raile aswell against princes as inferiour ministers can this company then be the true church that delighteth in lying slandering railing cogging and plaine forging argument 55 That cannot be the true church that offereth sacrifice to other then the true God that made heauen and earth qui sacrificat dijs eradicabitur praeterquam domino soli saith y Exod. 22. God to Moyses S. z De ciuit Dei lib. 10. c. 4. Augustine saith that God only is to be serued with sacrifices of praises and thankesgiuing and to haue the worship of Latria done to him Iohn Apocalyp 22. fell downe vt adoraret ante pedes angeli that is that he might worship before the feet of the angel but the angel forbad him and said vide ne feceris see thou do it not and afterward Deum adora The papists also confesse that the worship of sacrifices is due to God alone Sacrificium saith a Lib. 1. de missa c. 2. Bellar. est externa oblatio facta soli Deo he addeth superfluously the word externa for if we may not offer externall sacrifices to creatures much lesse may we offer our internal deuotions and sacrifices vnto them But the Romish church doth offer the sacrifices of incense of praiers and thanksgiuing not only to God but also to angels to the virgin Mary and to other saints In their Letanies they call vpon the virgin Mary vpon the angels vpon saints they confesse their sinnes to them and yéeld them thanks for benefits receiued neither do they offer incense only to saints but to their images either planted on the altar or néere vnto it finally they confesse that they say masses in the honour
alter his iudgement according to the iudgement of the church we sée also that the popes are still publishing decretales of faith and that one destroieth that which another buildeth and contrariwise 4. it were plaine impudency to affirme that the doctrine of the church of Rome concerning frée will and works sacraments and the popes authority and such like points was alwaies taught and receiued of all nations and in all places and that shall appeare by diuers perticulars where wée declare that the papists are no catholickes 5. that church hath no certaine nor continuall succession of bishops for neither doe the aduersaries know who succeded Peter nor what bishops from time to time succeded one another nor haue the popes bene true bishops a long time wanting due election and ordination and relinquishing vtterly the office of bishops to rule the temporall state of Rome nor can they deny but that the succession of that sée hath bene often interrupted by long vacations distraction by schisme intrusion of Dame Ioane into the popedome 6 we shall easily proue that the doctrine of that church agréeth not with the apostles doctrine for I doe not thinke that Bellar. can shew the decretales to consent with Paules epistles or to haue bene written with the same spirit 7. the papists haue not onely ouerthrowne Christs propheticall office in teaching new doctrine but also his regall and priestly function appointing a new gouernment neuer established by him and erecting a new priesthood and sacrifice contrary to Christes doctrine furthermore that church not onely hath bene oftentimes distracted by schisme but also is much distracted by contrary opinions of schoolemen monks and friers in euery point of doctrine as to goe no further appeareth both by Dionysus Carthusianus vpon the master of sentences Iosephus Angles his Flores doctorum and Bellarmines disputations wherein he alledgeth in euery point diuers opinions 8. their decretaline doctrine is neither sound nor holy standing more on temporall iurisdiction then pointes of faith and establishing the blasphemies of the masse the idolatrous worship of saints departed and of images and the tyranny of the pope 9. the same doctrine is without effect being vpholden with lies fables fraud fire and sword and not being otherwise able to stand 10. Gregory the 9. was a most wicked ambitious man of Boniface the 8. it is said that he sought rather to rule by force then religion Clement the 5. was a notorious adulterer as f Villani Vrsperg stories write Iohn the 22. was an hereticke an ambitious man yet were these the principall authors of Romish doctrine for as for friers and monkes they might prate their pleasure but the chiefe authority to allow or disallow was in the pope 11. the reportes of Romish miracles and prophecies are nothing but lies and fables and stand onely vpon the report of their legendes 12. Bellarmine shall neuer prooue that any of vs haue confessed the doctrine of popery to be true finally it appeareth that the popes of Rome and their agents in most of their attempts haue had no good successe Charles the fift and his sonne Philip the greatest protectors of the popish cause died discontent to say no more Henry the third the principall agent in the massacre of France was killed by a frier The duke of Guise and other massacrers came to violent ends contrariwise it hath pleased God to maintaine true Christians against all the forces and ambuscadaes of their enimies by small meanes if then Bellarmine say true the Romish church will prooue no true church argument 68 The church of Rome is also conuinced not to be the true church by the confession of g Relect. doct princip contron 1. q. 5. Stapleton for if the true church began at Hierusalem and is vniuersally dispersed ouer the whole earth and hath continued in all ages and hath a true and certeine succession continued from the apostles and disagreeth not about matters of faith nor dissenteth from the head of the church and hath planted christian religion and preserued the same throughout the world and hath kept the apostolike forme of gouernment and preuailed against all heresies and temptations keeping the rule of faith sound and intiere and also sheweth the true way of saluation and keepeth the scriptures sound pure from corruption and finally holdeth the decrees of general councels as blundring h Princip doctrinal relectis Stapleton not onely confesseth but after his rude and most odious and tedious fashion with multitude of words goeth about to prooue then is not the church of Rome that now is the true church of Christ Iesus for to say that the church of Rome began at Hierusalem is as absurd as to say that Rome is Hierusalem or to affirme that Rome now is like to old Rome Robert Parsous should do vs a speciall fauour to shew vnto vs that the glory and fulnesse of power that the pope challengeth with his glorious cardinals masse priests mitred prelats idle monks lying friers and all the popes doctrine concerning the law faith sacraments ceremonies and other matters came from Hierusalem he may do well also to prooue that the latter scholastical decretaline doctrine which the church of Rome mainteineth was vniuersally receiued throughout the world nay that it was receiued in any part of the world during the apostles times or the times of the ancient fathers of the church as for the rocke of succession of popes vpon which our aduersaries build so large conclusions i Lib. de pontif Rom. de notis ecclesiae we haue shewed it to be nothing but a banke of sand for neuer shall the popes agents be able to shew the same to haue beene certeine or continued without interruptiō it is also apparent that popish doctrine is not onely diuers from Christs doctrine but also contrarie to the same and that there are infinit contradictions and contrarieties in the opinions of the chiefe patrons of popery albeit all dissent from Christ the head of the church the church of Rome hath also béene torne in pieces by diuers schismes further we shall héereafter shew that the later popes haue not planted but rather rooted out Christian religion out of diuers places and in the rest haue corrupted it with diuers nouelties and heresies finally the church of Rome hath not onely abrogated ancient canons and changed the ancient forme of church gouernment but also corrupted the rule of faith by adding of vnwritten traditions determinations of popes and their fancies to the canonicall scriptures the gates of hell therefore preuailing against the church and popes of Rome it is easily to be inferred that the same is not the true church argument 69 Héere we will also adde the testimony of Bristow a man as the aduersaries imagine well séene in motiues and markes of the church He k Bristowes motiues commendeth that for the true church that is catholike and apostolike and which abhorreth all nouelties heresies and
by consent may depart asunder and enter into monasticall religion and that mariages contracted may be dissolued by putting on a monkes or friers coule and lastly that children may abandon their parents and follow Iebusites and other monkes and firiers where vnder pretence of religion they commit all abomination and serue for bardassaes and Ganimedes to this new race of sodomites that this doctrine is new it appeareth by Bellarmines weake dispute of monkes and in my treatise against the stinking orders of friers and monkes which because Cardinall Bellarmine is not now at laisure to answere I would pray Robert Parsons because he taketh on him to be learned or some other of his scholars to vndertake to refute argument 51 The apostles and ancient fathers did neither vse candle salt nor spittle nor that maner of blowing nor greasing that the papists now vse in baptisme and that a man may see without a candle and shall be proued godwilling hereafter when I come to gripe my aduersary that taketh exception to this point argument 52 The ancient church of Christ was neuer wont to coniure salt water nor to say y In missal Rom. c. benedict diuersae exorizo te creatura salis c. vt efficiaris sal exorcizatum in salutem credentium sis omnibus sumentibus te sanitas animae corporis neither did Christians in times past pray that holy water might serue to cast out diuels to driue away diseases and to clense mens houses from vncleane spirits could Robert Parsons be at leisure and leaue dreaming of Cardinals hats he might doe a great pleasure to shew vs this coniuration of salt and holy water out of some holy mens writings argument 53 It is also a mere nouelty if not foolery that the priest sprincles the altar and the whole assistance with water and z Ibidem saith asperges me domine hyssopo mundabor for the water sprinkle is not made of hyssop nor is the priest so honest a man as Dauid nor can drops of water clense his faults argument 54 It is also in Christian religion a nouelty to consecrate the flesh of paschal lambes and cannot be proued to haue bene long practised in the Romish church but now since the priests of Baal are proued shéepe stealers they to satisfie the owners losses consecrate the flesh of lambs argument 55 The a In ordinar missae blessing also of incense by the intercession of Michael the archangel as the papists vse it in their masse sauoreth not onely of superstition but also of nouelty argument 56 The swinging also of the chalice and host about the priests head and crossing of all sides of both as it is in the missall of Sarum and partly in the Romish missal is both superstitious and new argument 57 The ancient fathers neuer taught that either the body and blood of Christ were really vnder the accidents of bread and wine or that the accidents of bread and wine did subsist without a subiect for that was first decréed in the councell of Constance though idelly talked of before argument 58 Neither did they euer imagine that a dogge or a hogge or a mouse swallowing a consecrate host did also swallow Christ Iesus God and man and his very body as some of the schoolemen teach for that were not onely to cast precious stones before hogges but to blaspheme the most holy name of Iesus and to bring Christian religion into contempt argument 59 They neuer beléeued that Christs true body was inuisible and impalpable for well they remembred Christes words to his disciples Videte palpate but how can this be truely said if as the papists teach he were in the sacrament inuisible and impalble argument 60 In the fathers writings we neuer read where this word species doth signifie lightnesse roundnesse smoothnesse hardnesse swéetnesse relish and all other accidents of the sacramentall signes as the papists beléeue and teach argument 61 The doctrine of Transubstantiation was first established by b C. firmiter de sum trenit fide cath Innocent the third and his consorts about the yéere of our Lord 1212. this mystery therefore of transubstantiation is not so ancient argument 62 The ancient fathers did neuer beléeue that euery masse-priest did worke thrée seuerall miracles as oft as he did consecrate as the authors of the Tridentine catechisme do teach argument 63 Nor did they beléeue that the same humane body was in heauen in earth and euery altar all at one time as our papists that are more corporall than spirituall teach argument 64 In the ancient church those that receiued the sacrament of the Lords body receiued also the cup. neither is the prohibition of the cup more ancient than the wicked councell of Constance argument 65 Then also the priest neuer receiued alone nor did Christians looke on while the priest ate and dranke all for this was contrary to Christes institution and the nature of the sacrament that was instituted for a c 1. Cor. 10. signe of our mutuall coniunction one with another and the contrary custome is refuted by all ancient liturgies but now the priest eateth and drinketh all alone by himselfe and the rest depart fasting or at the least without the sacrament of the cup. argument 66 In ancient time the Lords supper was accounted no sacrifice for quicke and dead but a holy sacrament wherein a memoriall of Christes sacrifice on the crosse is celebrated as S. Augustine teacheth and I haue shewed at large in my treatise De missa against Bellarmine but now as if Christ had not said take eat drinke they offer it for those that can neither take nor eat nor drinke argument 67 The ancient church had no seuerall masses for warre for peace for bridegromes for mariners for hogges for the plague and for all times and occasions as now the d Missal Rom. Paris Sarum Romanists haue argument 68 There were no masses in the primitiue church made in honor of saints of angels of the virgine Mary nay in the old formulary of the church of Rome some seuen hundred or eight hundred yéeres agone there are no masses of this new cut argument 69 The parts of the masse were framed piecemeale long after the age of the learned fathers of the church as I haue prooued in my fift booke De missa against Bellarmine which I recommend to Robert Parsons for a cordiall or a scarlet stomacher to warme himselfe withall requesting him to shape vs an answere argument 70 The sacrament of the Lords supper in olde time was neuer administred in a tongue not vnderstood for that is the late pleasure of the trenchant fathers of Trent argument 71 The ancient fathers neuer praied to our Lady after the new Romish fashion nor said Sancta Maria ora pro nobis nunc in hora mortis nor thought it lawfull to say e Breuiar Rom. offic beatae Mariae Maria mater gratiae mater misericordiae
the law the prophet also doeth shew that our righteousnesse is like a defiled cloth of an vncleane woman neither can this distinction of first and second iustice or that wicked doctrine that followeth of it be found in all the fathers argument 41 In the sacraments also most fouly they haue digressed from the catholicke saith y Apolog. ad Antonin Iustin Martyr where he hath occasion to describe the sacraments and rites of the first church doth onely mention two sacraments this number also may be prooued by the testimony of Ireney Dionysius Tertullian lib. 1. 4. contr Marcionem Ambroses books of sacraments Cyrilles catechisticall instructions and all the fathers that in no place mention 7. sacraments nor compare any rite or sacrament to baptisme and the Lords supper Pauca pro multis saith z Lib. 3. de doctr Christ c. 9. Augustine eademque factu facillima intellectu augustissima conseruatione castissima ipse dominus apostolica tradidit disciplina sicut est baptismi sacramentum celebratio corporis sanguinis domini and this may be proued also by the weake dispute of Bellarmine for his 7. sacraments who is not able to bring either good argument or testimony for his opinion argument 42 The councell of a Sess 6. c. 1. Trent doth anathematize all that hold that the 7. sacraments of the Romish church were not all instituted by Christ Iesus or that there are either more or lesse then iust 7 which doctrine if Robert Parsons can proue to be catholicke let him take a cardinals hat which he hath so long desired for his labour his friends doe much doubt of his good successe in this matter for they finde that matrimony was instituted in paradise and that repentance hath alwaies béene in the church priesthood was either established by the law of Moyses or else then by lawes and rites adorned confirmation and extreme vnction were neither instituted by Christ nor déemed necessary or ordinany rites by the church as the silence of fathers that speake of the sacraments of the church may teach vs. argument 43 In the sacrament of baptisme the papists vse exorcismes blowings salt spitle hallowed water anointings light and diuers ceremonies neither vsed by the apostles nor practised by the ancient church now in the b C. Benedict fontis missales they pray that the font may be sanctified and made fruitfull with the oile of saluation to those that shall be regenerate by it to life then the priest powreth in oile and chrisme in forme of the crosse they also sprincle all the assistants with holy water out of the font and none of all these ceremonies they c Sess 7. c. 13. concil Trid. say may be omitted without sinne if then Robert Parsons cannot proue these ceremonies to haue bene either ancient or generally vsed he cannot deny but the papists are no catholicks argument 44 They denounce them acursed that shall not hold baptisme to be necessary to saluation which curse and doctrine cannot be sound in ancient catholicke fathers nay we read in ancient writers that not the want but the contempt of baptisme condemneth and the d Bellar. lib. 1. de baptis c. 6. papists to mollifie this hard sentence haue found diuers meanes to supply baptisme argument 45 They dissolue mariage contracted by entring into monkish religion although both the parties consent not and after mariage consummated they holde that maried couples may depart asunder and that it shall not be lawfull for them afterward as man and wife to company together which doctrine is neither catholicke nor true for e Matth. 19. what man can seperate them whom God hath ioined together againe what reason haue maried couples kéeping asunder for exercise of deuotion not to come together againe séeing the apostle commandeth such to returne and cohabite together least Satan should tempt them Iterum f 1. Cor. 7. saith he reuertimini in idipsum ne tentet vos Satanas argument 46 They seperate also mariages for spirituall kinred and force priests monks and friers to forsweare mariage yet can they not shew that catholicke religion forbiddeth spirituall gossips to entermary nor that monkish vowes and abiurations of mariages haue bene allowed in the ancient church and by catholicke doctors nay where God g Leuit. 18. appointeth limits and degrées within which it is not lawfull to marry there is no signification that spirituall gossips are forbidden to entermarry and the apostle signifieth that mariage is honorable among all sorts of men and the bed of maried folks vndefiled happie were popish priests and votaries if they were able to say that their beds and bodies were vndefiled argument 47 They beléeue that penance standeth vpon contrition confession and satisfaction and that these thrée are the parts of it and yet themselues say that absolution is the forme of penance and that confession is not alwaies necessary the catholicke church certes did neuer thinke either auricular confession or publicke satisfaction inioined by priests to be required necessarily in repentance argument 48 They h Sess 14. concil Trid. pronounce him anathema that beléeueth not that penance is properly a sacrament of the new law or that denieth auricular confession in the priests eares to haue béene instituted by Christ in the new testament and yet are they not able to shew that any catholike father saith that our Sauiour Christ in the new testament did institute the act of repentance nor can they denie that the people of God vnder the law vsed to repent themselues of their sinnes nor can they shew any place where Christians were commanded to confesse their sinnes to the priest and were otherwise excluded from all hope of pardon nay they cannot shew that any was tied to confession in the Romish church before Innocents decretale beginning omnis vtriusque sexus de poenit remiss and in the Gréeke church there was neuer any such course established as for the power which monkes and friers claim in hearing of confessions that dependeth wholly vpon the popes grant beneuolence and authority argument 49 They i Concil Trid. sess 13. c. 1. teach that our Sauiour Christes body that was borne of the virgine Mary and crucified on the crosse is properly and substantially present vnder the accidents of bread and likewise that his blood is conteined really and properly vnder the accidents of wine as may be séene in the acts of the conuenticle of Trent but true catholikes beléeue that his body is k Mâ—… vlt. act 1. taken vp into heauen and that concerning his bodily presence he hath left the earth and that his blood is in the veines of his body and not properly shedde foorth in the chalice further they know that when we are commanded to eat Christes flesh and to drinke his blood we are to vnderstand it and to doe it spiritually and not carnally as doe the Canibales and that Christ when he said this is my
In offic beat Mariae to a woodden crosse increase in the godly righteousnesse and pardon sinners and also crux Christi protege me crux Christi defende me ab omni malo and which before the printed face which they call Volto santo pray thus Salue sancta facies impresta panniculo nos ab omni macula purga vitiorum atque nos consortio iunge beatorum argument 62 Catholikes beléeue that their sacrifices of praise are accepted through Christ but papists beléeue that Christes bodie is accepted through the mediation of the priest and of saints the priest in the canon beséecheth God to looke fauourably vpon the body and blood of Christ Supra quae saith he propitio ac sereno vultu respicere digneris and in the missal of Sarum on Batildis day they pray that God would accept their sacrifice viz. of Christes body and blood through the merits of S. Batildis vt haec munera tibi Domine accepta sint say they sanctae Batildis obtineant merita quae seipsam tibi hostiam viuam sanctam bene placentem exhibuit argument 63 Catholikes beléeue that the apostles and their successours receiued the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and power to binde and loose onely vpon earth but the papists beléeue that the pope hath receiued the keyes of the kingdome of hell and purgatory Damascen and other authors of Romish legends tell vs that Gregory the first deliuered Traians soule out of hel and euery pety pope thinketh he is abused if any tell him that he can not let out of purgatory as many as he pleaseth Commonly all papists pray for the dead that they may haue a place of rest giuen them and that their sinnes may be pardoned them as if sinnes might be forgiuen after this life argument 64 Catholikes neither worshipped saints departed nor their images nor the crosse of Christ Hierome in an epistle to Ripatius denieth that any creature is to be worshipped or adored d Lib. 22. deciuit Dei c. 10. Augustine sheweth that Christians did not worship martyrs nor erect temples in honor of them and saith that they gaue thanks and praise vnto God onely at their monuments ecclesia catholica mater Christianorum verissima saith e De morib eccles lib. 1. c. 30. he solum ipsum deum cuius adeptio vita est beatissima purissimè atque castisimè colendum praedicat nullam nobis adorandam creaturam inducens cui seruire iubeamur whereby plainly he excludeth the worship of Doulia f De obitu Theodosij Ambrose declareth that Helene finding the crosse worshipped not the crosse but Christ but the papists worship not onely the saints but dumbe images they say masses in honor of S. Francis and S. Dominicke and diuers other saints they knéele to images and burne incense vnto them finally they giue Latriam that is due by their owne confession to God only to the crosse to the crucifix and to the images of the Trinity argument 65 True catholicks neuer made the images of God the father or the holy trinity nor did thinke it lawfull to worship them with diuine worship but the papists both make such images and allow such worship to be giuen to them argument 66 True catholicks neuer had any psalter in honor of our blessed Lady nor vsed to say a hundred and 50. Auemariaes and after euery fifty Auemariaes one Creed and after euery tenne Auemaries one Pater Noster nay our sauiour expressly forbad his desciples to vse battologies and odious repetitions in their praiers But papists put great religion in our Ladies psalter and in their rosaries and often repetitions of the name of Iesu and of their Auemariaes argument 67 True catholicks neuer coniured salt nor holy water nor oile nor chrisme nor superstitiously sanctified candles crosses and images in such sort as the papists vse to doe neither did they grease stone alters or describe the Gréeke alphabet on the pauement of churches to be consecrated or abuse the scriptures as the papists doe in that act as may appeare by the formulary commonly vsed in such cases that ancient catholicks neuer vsed any such ceremonies it may appeare by the writings of the fathers and also in old rituall books for in them such formes of consecrations exorcizations and such abuses are not to be found argument 68 True g Iohn 4. catholicks worship God in spirit and trueth but the papists place most of Gods worship in externall ceremonies and vse in their worship a tong not vnderstood so that their praiers cannot procéed from the spirit nor be true nor catholicke argument 69 True catholicks neuer worshipped angels h Coloss 2. the apostle Paule doth expressly condemne the worship of them as Chrysostome Theodoret Oecumenius writing vpon the 2. and 3. chap. of the epistle to the Colossians do testifie the councell of Laodicea doth also prohibit the worship of Angels and Saint i De hares c. 39. Augustine numbreth the worshippers of Angels among hereticks Neither may we thinke that they were therefore condemned because they atrtibuted the creation of the world to angels but because they worshipped angels and as Chrysostome homil 7. in coloss 2. affirmeth thought we were to come to God by the mediation of angels and yet papists k Horae ad vsum sacrum pray to angels that they would protect them and driue diuils from them and open their sight they say also masses in their honor set vp lights to them make confession of their sinns to them and all this contrary to the practise of the ancient catholicke church argument 70 Our l Matth. 15. sauiour Christ teacheth that those worship God in uaine which worship him according to the doctrines and commandements of men and therefore all true catholicks haue had principall respect herein to the commandements and lawes of God but the Romish church doth wholy depend vppon the decretales of popes and vaine fancies of men their missals breuiaries offices and whole seruice procéedeth from no other fountaine argument 71 The m Psal 32. prophet declareth that they are blessed whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinns are couered and the apostle saith that being instified by faith we haue peace with god and this is the hope of all catholicks that Christ hath reconciled vs to his father and washed away our sinnes and paid a ransome for them on the crosse but this comfort papists doe take from vs that teach and holde that after our sinnes forgiuen we are to satisfie for temporall paines due for our sinnes either here or in purgatory and that such are there to sustaine great torments in which paines and place none but mad men can place felicity argument 72 Catholicks beléeue that through faith we are made partakers of Christs satisfaction the papists beléeue that the pope can apply them by his bulles both in purgatory and in this life according to his lawes argument 73 Catholicks beléeue that no man can satisfie for his
saith i Lib hist 18. c. 52. Nicephorus patris spiritus sancti effigiant quod est perquam absurdum yet this absurdity is a high point of popish religion argument 24 The worshippers of the crosse which were termed Chazinzarij and Staurolatrae were for that point estéemed hereticks Nicephorus he woondreth at them as strange fellowes Crucem saith he adorare colere dicuntur k Lib. hist 18. c. 54. Is not then this a plaine conuiction of the papists which worship the crosse and say aue sancta crux and desire to be protected by it and giue to it latriam which I suppose the Staurolatrians were not so simple and stupid as to giue to their crosses argument 25 The Collyridian heretikes were condemned for worshipping the virgin Mary and that worthily for as l Haeres 78. Epiphanius saith she was a virgin and honorable but not to be adored and againe non dominabitur nobis antiquus error vt relinquamus viuentem adoremus ea quae ab ipso facta sunt all which notwithstanding the papists adore her and worship her and say many a masse in her honor and pray vnto her which I doubt whether the Collyridians did so grosly or no. Bonauenture to make her equall with God as Dauid made Psalmes in the praise of God so applied or rather distorted Psalmes to the virgin Mary turning God into the blessed virgine argument 26 The worshippers of images of saints by a certeine m Hist miscel Paul Diat lib. 21. councell of Constantinople whose actes are recorded and inserted in the sixt action of the second Nicene councell were noten as idolaters and condemned by the fathers as heretikes or woorse the synod of Francford did cōdemne the second Nicene councell that allowed the worship of images non nos imagines in basilicis positas n In lib. Carol. Magni contr Synod in partib Graeciae pro imaginibus adorandis say they idola nuncupamus sed ne idola nuncupentur adorare colere eas recusamus which is nothing but the iudgement of Gregory the first also that would not haue images worshipped Epiphanius haeres 79. saith that by worshipping of images the minde is turned from one only God to commit fornication with images all which notwithstanding the papists kisse them bow to them worship them light candles and burne incense vnto them or at the least before them argument 27 The barefooted brethren were condemned for their hereticall singularity in going barefoot Est alia haeresis saith Saint o De hares c. 68. Augustine nudis pedibus semper ambulantium yet this is accounted by the papists a part of their frierlike perfection who haue orders of men and women that go barefoot and beléeue it is meritorious to goe barefoot in pilgrimages and processions argument 28 The apostolikes notwithstanding their arrogant presumption in taking on them the name and profession of the apostles followers were condemned as heretiks for that they receiued none into their order that had wiues or possessed any thing in priuate Apostolici qui se isto nomine arrogantissimè vocauerunt saith Saint p De hares 40. Augustine eo quod non receperunt in suam communionem vtentes coniugibus res proprias possidentes quales habet ecclesia catholica monachos clericos plurimos where note I pray you how that Augustine saith that monks and clergy men had wiues and goods in property and how néere the papists come to this heresie condemning all monks and friers that possesse any goods in property and both monks and priests that match themselues in mariage though very honorable in the iudgement of the apostle argument 29 The Heraclites as saith Isidore were heretikes that receiued only monks and refused married folks to be of their company Monachos tantùm recipiunt saith q Orig. lib. 8. c. de hares he coniugia respuunt further they beleeue not that children dying yoong shall possesse the kingdome of heauen and doe not monks and friers and other sects among the papists beléeue the like do they not also exclude all infants dying before baptisme out of the kingdome of heauen albeit the parents did by all meanes endeuour to haue them baptized and doe they not place such in limbo puerorum which is either in hell or els the papists know not where it is argument 30 The Priscillianistes disioine married folks for religion sake Coniuges saith S. r Haeres 70. Augustine speaking of Priscillian quibus hoc malum potuerit persuadere disiungens viros à nolentibus foeminis foeminas à nolentibus viris likewise for hiding their wickednesse and filthinesse they made no account to forsweare themselues ſ Ibidem propter occultandas contaminatioens turpitudines suas habent in suis dogmatibus haec verba iura periura secretum prodere noli they doe also refuse to eat flesh as vncleane meat as S. Augustine testifieth And what do papists doe not they likewise separate married folks that vow monasticall religion and do they not holde that man or wife before marriage consummate may enter into a monasterie albeit the other party be most vnwilling Of othes also they make no account If thou be put to an oth say the t In annot in act 23. Rhemists to accuse catholikes for seruing God so they please to speake of papists worshipping idoles and hearing the idolatrous masse or to vtter any man to Gods enemies thus they call her Maiestie and the Iudges thou ought first to refuse such vnlawfull othes but if thou haue not constancy and courage so to doe yet know thou that such othes binde not in conscience and law of God but may and must be broken vnder paine of damnation where note that they aduise men to forsweare themselues vnder paine of damnation and that they call catholikes and Gods seruants such as are combined with the Pope and Spaniard and come with an intention to murder their dread Souereigne to raise rebellion or at least embrace the idolatrous religion of the pope this is also the resolution of the two traitors Allen and Parsons in their wicked resolutions of cases of conscience for the English nation through which they haue brought diuers yong men to the destruction both of bodie and soule Finally if papists did not account flesh vncleane why do the Carthusians forsweare flesh and why doe papists account it more holy to eat fish than flesh on fasting daies argument 31 The Helcesaits make Christ in heauen to differ from Christ on earth Christum saith u Haeret. fab lib. 2. c. de Helcesaeis Theodoret speaking of them non vnum dicunt sed hunc quidem infernè illum verò supernè eum olim in multis habitasse so likewise the papists beléeue and teach that Christ in heauen is visible and palpable and hath the fulnesse thicknesse and iust proportion of a body but their Christ on the altar they beléeue to be
neither visible nor palpable neither that he filleth a place or is conteined in one place nay they say he is substantially in euery one that receiueth the sacrament and not that onely but also in euery pixe and consecrated host argument 32 The Eutychianists deny that Christ after the vnion of the two natures had a true body but as x De ieiun 7. mens ser 6. Leo signifieth a bodie without shape dimensions or circumscription they said also that Christ was whole both in heauen and earth against whom Vigilius disputing y Lib 4. contr Eutych c. 4. saith that the flesh of Christ when it was in in earth was not in heauen and now being in heauen is not in earth and their chiefe ground was that Christes humane nature was abolished euen as the mysticall signes are changed into another nature after the consecration of the sacrament for this is plainly apparent in Theodorets second Dialogue Who then vnderstandeth not that the papists by their transubstantiation do bring in Eutychianisme holding that Christes body in the sacrament is without all shape and dimensions that may be perceiued and that his body is both in heauen and earth at one time also in as many altars and places as the sacrament is who doth not likewise perceiue that Christes humanitie is abolished if the substance of bread and wine be abolished in the sacrament especially if the vnion of the two natures in Christes person be fitly resembled by the fathers to the sacrament This certes is a matter very euident that both Theodoret dialog 1. and Gelasius writing against Eutyches doth confute his heresie by this reason for that the substance of the bread remaineth in the sacrament which being denied by papists is it not very plaine that they reduce and bring backe into the world the old decaied heresie of Eutyches argument 33 The papists also in many points conspire with the enemies of the grace of God the Pelagians z Augustin de haeres c. 88. Pelagius saith that without grace a man may doe all Gods commandements Voluit credi saith Augustine etiam si difficilius tamen posse homines sine gratia diuina facere iussa and a De grat lib. arb lib. 5. c. 5. c. 9. Bellar. saith Solis naturae viribus posse aliquem ad breuissimum tempus omnia seruare scilicit diuina mandata he shifteth off the matter with saying quoad substantiam operis but that no question but the Pelagians would also admit Pelagius said also that grace is infused according to merit The papists also teach that men doing quantum in se est God is present with his grace and this they call meritum congrui or preparations to iustification they do not deny also but after a man hath grace he may merit a greater measure of grace thirdly both Pelagians and papists agrée in the definition of sinne Propriè vocatur peccatum saith b Vid. August contra Iulian. de grat Pelagius quod libera voluntate à sciente committitur so also say the papists as appeareth by the censure of Coleine Againe the Pelagians teach that a iust man in this life may be without sinne Hoc Pelagiani audent dicere saith S. c De bono perseuerant lib. 2. c. 5. Augustine hominem iustum in hac vita omnino nullum habere peccatum and in his booke of heresies c. 88. he sheweth it is Pelagianisme to holde that the life of iust men in this life hath no sinne d Lib. 4. de iustif c. 11. Bellar. also holdeth that a man is able to performe the law perfectly of which it followeth that a man may be without all sinne for how can a man fulfill the law but he must be without all sinne All papists generally hold that all iust men are without mortall sinnes The Pelagians doe e Augustin contra Iulian. lib. 6. c. 6. teach that concupiscence by baptisme is sanctified and being before euill doth afterward begin not to be euill which doctrine S. Augustine calleth very absurd yet from this doctrine can not the papists cleare themselues when they teach that concupiscence after baptisme and in the regenerat is no sinne The Pelagians would not grant that the Gentiles sinned in all their actions nor that their actions were sinne as done without faith as S. f Contra Iulian lib. 4. c. 3. Augustine sheweth no more will the papists grant it as appeareth by Bellarmines disputes lib. 5. de grat lib. arb c. 5. 9. nay they sticke not to hold that they may do all good works according to the substance of the worke The g Contr. dua◠epist Pelag. c. 19. Pelagians were woont to say in omni bono opere hominem semper adiuuari à gratia and h Ibid. lib. 4. c. 6. againe gratiam adiuuare bonum cuiusque propositum and Bellar. likewise lib. 2. de grat lib. arb c. 5. disputeth that God according to time and place giueth grace sufficient to all men The i August lib. 1. de grat c. 28. Pelagians say nos forte firmum habere ad non peccandum liberum arbitrium and S. k Lib. 2. de baptismo Augustine teacheth vs that this doctrine is Pelagianisme yet doe the papists hold that sinne is subiect to our will as the censurers of Coleyn doe speake Bellarmine also lib. 5. de grat lib. arb in diuers places alloweth this power to frée will to be able to doe good and to absteine from sinne The Pelagians deny orignall sinne as saint Augustine lib. de haeres c. 88. teacheth and most papists now hold that the virgine Mary was conceiued without originall sinne as appereth by the testimony of Bellarmine lib. 4. de amissione grat c. 15. now to deny originall sinne to be in any is Pelagianisme as Bellarmine lib. de notis ecclesiae c. 9. disputeth Saint Augustinne l Contra. epist Pelag. lib. 4. c. 6. 8. de grat lib 1. c. 14. teacheth vs that it is Pelagianisme to hold that God is ready with his grace if he see a mans soule ready and prepared to receiue it and that a naturall man may desire his owne conuersion and yet the papists will not denie these propositions nor seeme to dislike them S. m In Hierem. 13. Hierome saith that the Pelagians did interpret these sentences our iustice is like a cloth of a menstruous woman and no man is good no not one in this sort as if the holie Ghost had ment that man in comparison of God is not iust or good which is also the sleight and cunning interpretation of papists Both Pelagians and Papists vse the same reasons to prooue the strength of fréewill as first that we are commanded to choose and next that God would not command vs things impossible magnum aliquid se scire putant Pelagiani saith saint n Degrat lib. arb c. 16. Augustine quando dicunt non iuberet deus quod
apostles did not commit all things necessary to saluation to writing cum ex scripturis arguuntur saith e Aduers hares lib. 3. c. 2. Ireney in accusationem conuertuntur scripturarum quasi non rectè habeant neque sint ex authoritate quia varie sunt dictae quia non possit ex his inueniri veritas ab his qui nesciant traditionem norrenim per literas traditam illam sed per vinam vocem ob quam causam Paulum dixisse sapientiam loquimur inter perfectos Tertullian saith it is a tricke of heretikes either to falsifie or by false interpretations to peruert scriptures alius manu scripturas saith f De praescript aduers haeres he alius sensu expositiones interuertit he saith againe that hereticks cannot stand if they be brought to try their cause by scriptures aufer haereticis saith g De resurr caernis he quae cumque ethnici sapiunt vt de scripturis solis quaestiones suas sistant stare non possunt in these points therefore these two fathers haue stricken the papists albeit generally they speake of hereticks for first h Bellar. de verb. Dei non scripto they deny that the scriptures containe doctrine sufficient to saluation or that we can learne all trueth necessary out of them without their traditions secondly they speake euill of scriptures as before hath bene shewed thirdly they say that scriptures receiue authority from the church fourthly they accuse them of vncertenty Turrian aduers Sadeelem lib. 1. doth call them Delphicum gladium and others call them a nose of waxe fiftly they allow no sence but such as the synagogue of Rome authorizeth sixtly either Sixtus Quintus or Clement the 8. hath corrupted the scriptures for both pretending to set our the olde latine translation the one is in diuers places contrary to the other finally they will not haue the scriptures to decide controuersies about matters of faith argument 42 i Lib. 8. Orig. c de haeres Isidore doth declare them to be heretikes that doe otherwise vndeâ—stand the scriptures then the meaning of the holie Ghost requireth quicunque saith he aliter scripturam sacram intelligit quam sensus spiritus sancti flagitat a quo conscripta est licèt de ecclesia non recesserit tamen haereticus potest appellari if then we list to reade the popes decretales or the writings of the popish faction we need not doubt but they are tresgrand heretikes hauing so notoriously peruerted the Scriptures and turned them to sences neuer intended by the holy Ghost as for example these words of the k Isai 1. prophet à planta pedis vsque ad verticem non est in eo sanitas which he spoke of the people of Israel being then most sinfull Clement the sixt in the chap. vnigenitus extr de poenit remiss doeth turne to our Sauiour Christ as if our Sauiour had béene vnsound from the foot to the head or that the prophet had ment that our Sauiour had shed all his blood that the pope might make sale of the frute of it at his pleasure God by his prophet l Hierem. 1. saith I haue appointed thee ouer nations and kingdomes ergo saith m C. vnam sanctam ext de maior obed Boniface the 8. if earthly princes goe out of the way they must be iudged by the pope Againe out of these words of the apostle the spirituall man iudgeth all things he n Ibidem o Ibid. collecteth that the pope hath no superior iudge thirdly because Christ saith to Peter put vp thy sword into the sheath he concludeth that both Peter and his successors ought to haue a temporall sword fourthly of these words ecce duo gladij hic p Ibid. he inferreth that the pope is to command and exercise both the swords The q Isai 8 28. prophets and r Rom. 9. 1. Pet. 2. apostles by the corner stone placed in the foundation of the church doe vnderstand Christ Iesus but Bellarmine in his preface prefixed before his bookes de potifice Rom. draweth these words to the pope and forceth them to serue to make him to be a corner stone and a foundation also of the church he will also haue these words super hanc Petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam to be ment of the pope these words of our Sauiour drinke yee all of this the papists expound in such sort as if Christ had said drinke not all of this the words of our Sauiour to Peter when he said pasce oues meas they appropriate to the pope that féedeth not as if none were to féed but the pope The apostle saith mariage is honorable among all men yet will they not allow that mariage is honourable among nunnes and monks and friers and masse priests and the rest of the Romish clergy where our Sauiour Christ saith scrutamini scripturas they say contrary search not the scriptures the apostle saith they are profitable they Å¿ Index libror. prohibit regul 4 say they are pernicious our sauiour saith that those doe in vaine worship him that teach doctrines of men these doe teach humane traditions and yet doubt not but that God is well pleased with them The spirit of God commandeth that praiers be made for princes and willeth euery Christian man to submit himselfe to the magistrate and to higher powers but the papists doe so expound these words as if it were lawfull for the pope to curse Gods annointed to excommunicate kings and emperors to massacre them if they can to raise rebellion against them It were infinite to reherse all the false interpretations of Scriptures deuised by papists beside that in this place it is not necessarie séeing by these few which we haue alledged already it may in part appeare that neuer any heretikes alledged Scriptures more peruersly nor more direct contrarie to the meaning of the holy Ghost then they argument 43 As the t Damascene de haeres Herodians gaue the name and honour of Christ to Herode so the papists doe giue the names and honour of Christ to the pope allowing these words of Bernard to Eugenius vnctione Christus es they cal him the foundation rocke of the church the head and spouse of the church the monarke of the church and Christes vicar generall u In epist dedic ante princip doctrin Stapleton doth call him supremum numen in terris some teach that he and Christ haue but one consistory betwéene them x Lib. Caerem others saie that all power is giuen to the pope in heauen and earth which words our Sauiour Matth. 28. speaketh of himselfe if then the Herodians deserue for honouring Herod with Christs titles to be reputed heretikes who can cleare the papists from the note of heresie that farre more impudently and wickedly giue Christs honour to the pope argument 44 y De haeres c. beicetae Damascene numbreth those
to canonicall scripture Opinio ista saith he non est haeretica quia non est contra canonicam scripturam finally the councell of n Aen. Sylu. de gist concil Basil lib. 1. Basil doth determine him to be an heretike thatdoth reiect the catholike faith deduced out of canonicall scriptures and proued by fathers argument 56 They holde also that our sauiour Christ did passe out of his mothers wombe as the raies of the sunne do pierce thorow the substance of the glasse quomodo solis radij concretam vitri substantiam penetrant for these are the words of the Romane o Part. 1. in exposit 3. art fid catechisme but this sheweth that they giue no true flesh to our Sauior and that they ouerthrow the article of Christes natiuitie and a principall mystery of Christian religion argument 51 Peter p Lib. 1. sent dist 14. Lombard teacheth that there is a two fold proceeding of the holy Ghost the one temporal the other eternal but this point his own scholers do mislike as erronious non debet concedi saith Occham writing vpon this place quod spiritus sancti sit duplex processio ne duae spiritus sancti processiones videantur vt sunt duae filij generationes vna aeterna ex patre altera temporalis ex filio they also dislike his doctrine sentent lib. 1. dist 18. § 4. where he doth teach that the Holy Ghost is as properly said to be a gift as to proceed his words are aequè donum esse ac procedere argument 52 q Lib. 3. p. 290. Andradius saith that philosophers by naturall knowledge and by the works of the creation did after a sort know Christ crucified which I hope Robert Parsons will not denie to be erroneous argument 53 The conuenticle of r Sess 6. c. 9. Trent teacheth vs alwaies in this life to doubt of Gods fauour towards vs and of our owne saluation which is nothing els but a plaine demonstratiō that the same teacheth not true faith but rather a superstitious distrust and oppugneth these two articles of our Créed I beleeue remission of sinnes and aeternall life argument 54 Finally all those points of doctrine which before I haue declared to be neither ancient nor catholike and which do plainly declare that the papists are not the true church are also apparently erroneous which in part hath béene proued and shall further be declared at all times if either Robert Parsons or any man of note among the papists leauing off his vaine bangling about quotations dare vndertake particularly to answer my challenge or will aduenture hand to hand to encounter me CHAP. V. That all papists if they mainteine the doctrine of the pope and Romish church are plaine idolaters HOw odious and hainous a sinne idolatrie is the scriptures doe in many places declare Almighty God hauing published his law against idolatrie addeth a very seuere threatning against those that should transgresse it I am the Lord thy God saith a Exod. 20. he strong and jelous and visit the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation of those that hate mee and when the children of Israel departed from their God to worship a molten image Suffer me saith b Exod. 32. he to Moyses that my wrath may waxe hot against them and that I may consume them Idolatry in scriptures is called spirituall fornication but nothing can more displease a man than that his spouse shall forsake him and breaking the couenant of marriage run after strangers In this case therefore c Deuter. 13. God forbiddeth a brother to spare his brother or a father his sonne or a husband his wife if any of them arise and say come and let vs serue other gods Sit primum manus tua super eum saith Moyses neither are idolaters onely punished in this life but also in the life to come Without saith d Apocal. 22. Iohn shall be dogges coniurers vncleane persons murderers and such as serue idoles and in the 21. chapter of the Reuelation he saith that idolaters shall haue their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone If then popish religion do plainly mainteine most grosse idolatry as not onely by their practise is prooued but also by diuers godly mens writings verified not onely the magistrates are diligently and seriously to represse the priests of Baal and the mainteiners of idolatry but also all Christians are carefully to take héed of their damnable doctrine if not let them assure themselues that they shall neither auoid Gods iudgements in this life nor the lake of fire and brimstone prepared for idolaters in the life to come And lest any papist should complaine that I doe greatly wrong the Romanists and their religion charging them with idolatry I do now God willing purpose to make my charge good in this chapter What papists are not I declared in the thrée first chapters and I hope I haue made it plaine that they are neither true Christians nor catholikes it followed that I should shew what they are and that in part is performed for I haue declared them to be heretikes it resteth therefore now for a fuller description of their nature that I declare them to be idolaters in the last part we shall God willing examine the loialtie of Rob. Parsons and all the popes agents and adherents That the papists therefore are idolaters it shall be prooued by arguments first drawen out of scriptures secondly out of fathers thirdly out of the confession of some learned papists and lastly out of their owne common doctrine and practise argument 1 e That papists are idolaters arg 1. The first law of the decalogue doeth expresly forbid the hauing of other Gods non habebis deos alienos saith God coram me that is thou shalt haue no strange Gods before me or els thou shalt haue no other Gods but me out of these words I frame this argument whosoeuer doeth worship or serue any other God beside the Lord God that created heauen and earth is an idolater but the papists doe worship and serue other Gods beside the God of heauen and earth ergo the proposition is prooued first by the intention of the law that séemeth principally to be made against idolatry and not onely against worship of idols subiect to our sences but also against idoles which men frame to themselues in their owne imaginations and fancies secondly by the textes of Scriptures that account them idolaters not onely that worship idoles of colour or mettall or other matter but also that honor with religious honor such things as themselues fancie to haue diuine power so couetousnesse is called worshipping of idoles Eph. 5. and those are idolaters that serue f Matth. 6. Mammon or call a wedge of gold their god or that put trust or confidence in any creature visible or inuisible or that serue or worship any thing for God but onely the euerliuing and true God finally
whatsoeuer a man doeth out of his owne fancy set vp for God that may by good construction well be termed an idole or a false God The assumption is prooued by diuers particulars for first it is plaine that the papists make the sacrament of the Lordes body and blood their Lord and God both in that they call it so and in that they g Rubric can Missae fall downe and worship it secondly they call vpon angels saints and specially vpon the virgine Marie thirdly they put their trust in them fourthly they make vowes vnto them fiftly they confesse their sinnes vnto them finally they bow downe their bodies before them and publikely worship them as is prooued by their common practise the Rubrickes also of their missals and breuiaries and ladies offices together with their blasphemous praiers made to angels saints and other creatures doe shew the same to bée most true but the scriptures doe h Hierem. 17. testifie first that we are to put our trust in God onely secondly that we are to call on him i Psal 50. Ioel. 2. Rom. 10. faithfully thirdly that we are to make our k Isai 19. vowes to him onely fourthly that we are religiously to serue him onely and finally that we are to confesse our sinnes to God onely l Matth. 4. and to giue religious worship to none but to him alone And this the practise of the ancient church most euidently confirmeth which neuer allowed receiued nor vsed to yéeld any such profane worship to angels saints or other creatures as the papists giue vnto them as in the first chapter of this discourse hath at large béene prooued superstitiosi sunt qui multos ac falsos deos colunt saith m Lib. 4. instit c. 28. Lactantius nos religiosi qui vni vero deo supplicamus those are superstitious which worship many and false gods we are religious which call vpon one true God the papists percase will answer that they worship not either false gods or many gods but séeing they giue the worship of God to many and call vpon creatures and make vowes vnto them and build churches and altars in their honour and doe ascribe to them that which is proper to God they cannot by any meanes auoid the charge of plurality of gods for euen the n Macrob. Saâ—…tnal Gentiles can answer that they draw all to one God yet because they attributed diuine power to creatures and inferiour persons therefore no man will deny but that they worshipped many gods therefore o Libr. 3. de cultu sanct c. 9. Bellarmine saith plainly quod votum non conuenit sanctis nisi quatenus sunt dij per participationem that is that vowes are not to be made to saints but as they are gods by participation may it not then be truely said that papists worship strange gods yes certes and if they deny it they are strange felowes argument 2 p Argu. 2. Almighty God doth also forbid his people to make any grauen image or likenesse of anything either in heauen aboue or in the earth below or in the water vnder the earth q Exod. 20. to the intent to bow downe to it and to worship it non facies tibi sculptile neque omnem similitudinem quae est in coelo desuper quae in terra deorsum nec eorum quae sunt in aquis sub terra non adorabis ea neque coles if then it be not lawfull to make sculptile or a grauen image to the end to worship it and if those that doe worship such grauen images be idolaters no question is to be made but that papists are grosse idolaters for they make the images of God in heauen of men that somtime liued on the earth and of some that percase now may be in hell they make also grauen and molten images of angels and other creatures and fall downe and worship them to the crosse they pray and r Breuiar Rom. â— say auge pijs iustitiam reisque dona veniam that is increase righteousnesse in the godly and grant pardon to sinners the schoolemen holde that what worship is due to the originall is due also to the picture or image so saith Alexander Hales part 3. q. 30. art vlt. Thomas Aquinas 3. p. q. 25. art 3. and Caietan in his commentaries vpon him so then by these mens doctrines the Crucifixe is to be worshipped with like worship as we doe worship Christ Iesus and the image of God is to be worshipped with the worship due to God himselfe and this is so plaine idolatry that Å¿ Lib. 2. de imaginib c. 22. Bellarmine is constrained to deny that Latria or diuine worship is due to images properly so albeit he would excuse himselfe yet in effect he maketh himselfe to be an idolater improperly all the ancient schoolemen and synagogue of Rome for this 2. or 3. hundred yeares properly for Hierome condemneth them for idolaters that worshipped the statues or images of Emperors albeit the same may séeme a ciuill ceremony iudices principes seculi saith t In cap. 3 Daniel he qui imperatorum statuas adorant imagines hoc se facere intelligaÌ„t quod tres pueri facere nolentes placuerunt deo how then can they escape his censure that fall downe before the statues and images of saints and there pray before them and offer incense to them argument 3 u Argu. 3. We are also forbidden expresly to make any similitude or likenesse of God and a reason is x Deut. 4. added for that God speaking to his people out of the fire in Mount Horeb yet they saw no likenesse of any thing and this God did least his people being deceiued should make an image of male or female or other thing and so adore and worship it if then it be against the commandement of God to represent him in any shape and to adore any creature whether male or female spirituall or corporall then are papists grosse idolaters that make images of God and worship both male and female saints as appeareth both by the canon of the masse and also by their doctrine and practise nay they doe not onely bow their bodies to them but also set vp lightes and offer vp spirituall sacrifices of praiers vnto them argument 4 In y Argu. 4. most plaine termes also z Leuit. 26. God prohibiteth the making of idols or grauen images and the erecting of monuments or titles or stones for signals to be worshipped non facietis vobis idolum sculptile saith the Lord nec titulos erigetis nec insignem lapidem ponetis in terra vestra vt adoretis eum neither was there any thing intended in this law then that the people of Israel should be restrained from idolatry is it not then plaine that such as make idols and grauen images and erect crosses and stocks and stones to be worshipped are idolaters it cannot well be denied but percase our
shewed sculptile conflatile reor saith r In Abacus 2. Hierome dogmata esse peruersa quae ab his quibus facta sunt adorantur but neuer did any sect more stifly defend their errors then papists for they holde the popes sentence to be infallible neither will they abandone any of his errors though neuer so plainly demonstrated argument 35 ſ Arg. 35. Neither can they excuse themselues that t C. satis dist 96. call the pope their god and worship him with more strange worship then that which Peter refused Act. 10. the canonists woonder at his excellency u In proaem Clement saying papa stupor mundi non deus non homo sed vtrunque that is the pope is the wonderment of the world not god not man but both for so saith Mosconius in his booke de maiestate ecclesiae lib. 1. part 1. c. 1. in the councell of Lateran one called Leo the tenth his sauiour But Hierome in his Commentaries vpon the third of Daniel estéemeth them to be idolaters that giue such worship to earthly princes argument 36 x Arg. 36. Furthermore God is a spirit and therefore he will bée worshipped not in externall images but in spirit he is a iealous God and therefore admitteth no copartners in his worship he is so one God that he will admit no other creature to haue any part of his worship giuen to him according to the law of God thou shalt haue no other gods but me and al this is signified to teach vs how much God detesteth idolatrie but the papists worship God as they say in his image they giue diuine worship to stockes stones and to the sacrament they make vowes to saints and angels and call vpon them they put their trust as much in saints as euer the Gentiles did in Hercules Aesculapius Apollo and other idoles they haue transformed the Psalmes vttered in praise of God to the praise of our lady how then can they excuse themselues from idolatry argument 37 y Arg. 37. Finally the law of God condemneth all images and similitudes of things both in heauen aboue and in the earth beneath and in the waters vnder the earth that are worshipped the same also z Rom. 1. reprooueth those that change the glory of the incorruptible God into the likenesse of an image of a corruptible man and that offer incense or spirituall sacrifices vnto any but God and all this tendeth to the abolishing of idolatry but the papists worship the likenesses and images of God and change his glory into the shape of a corruptible man they offer also to creatures their praiers and vowes manifest therefore it is that in diuers points they are guiltie of grosse idolatry Neither can they by any meanes excuse themselues if they say they doe not worship the image a Per se propriè for it selfe and properly with that worship that is due to the originall as b Lib. 2. de imaginib c. 24. Bellarmine teacheth the heathen could alledge so much for themselues for they did not worship the image as they worshipped their gods themselues nor did they sacrifice to the wood and stone but to the things represented If they alledge that they doe not worship images as gods as c Ibid. c. 5. de eccles triumph lib. 2. c. 24. Bellarmine and Gregory de Valentia doe oftentimes thinking by that meanes to shift off the blot of idolatrie from themselues and the church of Rome yet will not that serue for the very heathen could say that they tooke not their idoles for gods non ipsa inquiunt timemus saith d Instit diuin lib. 2. c. 2. Lactantius speaking of the excuse of idolaters sed eos ad quorum imaginem ficta quorum nominibus consecrata sunt that is we doe not feare or worship images say the heathen idolaters but those after whose likenesse they were made and to whose names they were consecrated likewise saint Augustine in Psal 113. sheweth that the heathen were woont to say that they did not worship that which was visible but onely the inuisible diuinitie that was represented and manifested in the image non hoc visibile colo sed numen quod illic inuisibiliter habitat and againe they said nec simulachrum nec daemonium colo sed per effigiem corporalem eius rei signum intueor quam colere debeo doe you not then plainly see that the idolaters spoke like the papists for they say also we worship not images with latria properly nor doe we worship diuels but by bodily shapes we are brought to sée and remember the things which we ought to worship If they deny that they worship creatures and change the trueth of God into a lie saint Augustine will tell them e In Psal 113. conc 2. that while they call their images by the names of the things represented as for example when they say to the crucifixe thou hast redeemed me and call the images or pictures our lady or S. Peter or Paule they change the trueth of God into a lie effigies à fabro factas saith saint Augustine appellando nominibus earum rerum quas fabricauit deus transmutant veritatem dei in mendacium If f Lib. 2. de imaginib c. 10. Bellarmine alledge that images are not only profitable as reporting matter of story but also effectuall to enflame vs to the loue of God and imitation of holy men and diuers other vses he must be told that Augustine teacheth vs farre otherwise ducit affectu quodam infirmo rapit infirma corda mortalium formae similitudo saith g In Psal 113. conc 2. Augustine membrorum imitata compago he saith againe that the outward forme of things doth bring foorth sordidissimum erroris affectum a most filthy affection to error he saith also that images doe effectually peruert vnhappy soules plus valent simulachra saith he ad curuandam infaelicem animam quod os habent c. If they say that their images are no idoles because they are representations of true things and not false representations as doeth Bellarmine lib. 2. de imaginib c. 5. saying quod idolum est falsa similitudo it may be answered that the Gentiles might answer so likewise and yet say nothing to purpose for the image of Romulus of the sonne of Hercules and Aesculapius were true representations and yet idoles for that they were worshipped by idolaters why then should we not iudge the like of the images of Peter and of our ladie If they say that idolaters are condemned because they put their trust in their idoles and images as the conuenticle of Trent h Sess 25. saith and hopeth thereby to put away the infamie of idolatry from the Romish church it may be replied that the Gentiles did neuer trust more in their god Iupiter and Iuno and Fortuna or in their idoles then the papists doe in our lady in saint Denis saint Iames and in
obseruation againe desire me to procure him a free conference but what shall that néede when I yéeld him more then is desired Notwithstanding if he thinke to winne any thing at my hands by conference let him procure me first a frée conference at Paris and Salamanca and I doe promise to procure him a frée conference at Cambridge and Oxford In the meane while I pray him I prouoke him I by all means vrge him to answere in writing such lies as I auerre his consorts to haue made and to cleare the Church of Rome and her principall proctors of such notorious falsifications as I say they haue committed If he be not able as indéede I take him to be altogither vnsufficient let Robert Parsons Frier Garnet or the Archpriest answere and maintaine the quarrell which this idle compagnion hath begun And let them set their names to their writings and come foorth with bare faces that wee may know what they are we deale with and not as hitherto fight with N.D.E.O. and such like hollowe fellowes and meere shadowes If not let them assure themselues I wil by publike writing discouer such a packe of impostures lies falsifications villanies and treasons committed by Rob. Parsons and his consorts that they shall wish Owlyglasse hanged that first prouoked me and beganne this quarrell I will also make it knowne that they are so guiltie that they cannot answere His second obseruation is that no credit is to bee giuen vnto me concerning matter of fact because in matters of faith and learning as he saith I make no scruple to corrupt and vse broad falsification But his collection is so childish and foppish that his owne clients if they list may sée that he knoweth not what concerneth fact and what concerneth faith and learning that distingusheth learning from matter of fact as if no learning were required of Ro. Parsons to discusse matters of fact and would make fâ—ith and learning both one as if his consorts that take themselues to be learned were also faithfull christians and teacheth that the controuersie concerning falsifications and vntruthes obiected by him toucheth faith and not fact as if we did not as well contend about matter of fact as faith in this idle quarell begonne by our aduersarie and wherein the state of the mayne controuersie is whether I haue spoken vntruth or not and whether I haue falsified any authors alledged by me or not Secondly if no credit be giuen to those that tell lyes and falsifie authors as Owlyglasse affirmeth then by his sentence we are not to beléeue either the pope of RoÌ„e or his agents the most notorius lyers falsifirrs that euer the world sustained Againe if no credit be to be giueÌ„ vnto my discourse concerning the packing trechery of his consorts why doth he not answere me and conuince mee of vntruth And what reason hath he to desire his readers not to beleeue that which himselfe is not able to controule Is not such a bald compagnion ashamed to take to him as much authority as the Pope that all the generation of antichriste is to beleeue vpon his owne bare word Thirdly if all his idle obiectioÌ„s concerning pretended corruptions and falsifications he so cleared as that I looke for no more answere of so nastie a disputer as this Owlyglasse is then it can be no credit for him to cry so loud or to vse these odious and slaundrous termes of corruptions and falsificatioÌ„s but he ought rather to looke downe vpon his owne and his consorts filthy factes then to pinche at others meÌ„s faultes Fourthly if the papistes his clients be so cleare as he maketh them why doth he not answere for them playnly and honestly refuting euery point of my charge If they be guiltie why doth he not rayle a spirt at Rob. Parsons that so foolishly brought them forth to this triall and there left them to speake for themselues Fifthly if he list not to excuse any Papist for the cariage of his life as he confesseth what reason hath he to blame me if I vpon so iust occasions giuen me by that rinegat and false traytor Rob Parsons haue toulde them some parte of their faultes Sixtly if he will not haue my verdict admitted against his clients though conuinced by playne euidence witnesse he hath no reason to require that the verdict of Robert Parsons a most notorious and infamous libeller and a knowne and professed traytor and an infamous person conuicted by his owne wicked and treasonable writings and by the testimony of his owne consorts or the accusations of such libellers as Owlyglasse and such worthlesse and namelesse fellowes should be admitted or receiued Againe if he wil haue nothing to be affirmed without authenticall testimony proofe then must he and his malicious mates forbeare to send forth so many vaine and fabulous pamphlets 7. Further if hee charge me hereafter with wilfull and witting falsification as he sticketh not very boldly and often to doe then must he proue first falsification then this quality of wilfull knowledge wherof hytherto he hath done neither againe if I obiect that to him which he cannot deny then modesty would require that he should confesse shame force him not to defend any more matters knowne notoriously to be false 8. If hee take to himselfe and his consorts the name of Catholike Church and will néedes charge me with a setled malice and desperat resolution against the Catholike Church he must proue two thinges First that Popish religion is the ancient catholike religion and next that I oppugne the catholike faith Vnles he doe this his reader will take him for a lewd begging compagnion that taketh that for granted that is in controuersie and we must accompt him for a paltry fellowe that is not able to answere our arguments whereby we proue that Popish religion which we refuse is neither catholike nor ancient 9. If boldly and falsely he will denie that our faith hath had continuance and succession from Christs time and challeng both to himselfe he must then deny that the faith taught in the Apostles créede and established in the fowre first general counsels and contained and grounded vpon the holy canonicall scriptures hath alwayes continued since Christs time and hath had continuall succession vntill our dayes And to prooue the Popish faith he must shew that the Apostles taught and that the holy fathers beléeued First that Christ had a body inuisible and impalpable and that might be in heauen and earth and many distant places all at one time secondly that Christs body did not fill the place wherein it was 3. That accidentes may subsist without foundation or subiect 4 that préestes may celebrate masse without communion 5 that the préestes may take away the cuppe of the newe testament from Gods people 6 that christians are to worship the crosse and the sacrament with Latria or diuine worship 7 that the préest doth offer vp the true body and bloud of Christ to God the
no mention of them in scriptures Finally the description of the tabernacle tents and orders of the Israelites which doe not import or giue any signification of such an order of women but rather the contrary doth cléerly refute this vaine fiction deuised without colour of reason or testimony of good authors falsification 20 He telleth vs further a tedious fable of the holy virgins vow of virginity but if he will make his report good Pag. 33. 34. hée must shew first that women among the Israelites did vowe virginity and the rather for that we reade that it was a reproach for women of that nation not to be mothers of children Secondly he must shew that young women before the age of fourtéene did make such vowes Thirdly he must answere and cleare those places of scripture that say she was betrothed to Ioseph for after solemne vowes Nunnes neither marry nor are betrothed Finally he must bring vs better proofes then supposals of Epiphanius and Augustine and a counterfeit tale vnder the name of Gregorye of Nyssa For S. Augustine or at least he that lurketh vnder that holy fathers name saith that vowes of virginity did not then stand with the fashions of the Israelites Lib. de virginit c. 4. He signifieth also that the holy virgin thought it impossible hauing once vowed her maidenhead to God that she should know a man But that sheweth that all the Romish Nunnes are most vnlike to this holy virgin for albeit they vow and sweare and are walled vp so that none come at them yet they neither think it a matter impossible nor difficult to know men as experience and diuers witnesses can testifie and the Romanistes know very well if they durst speake it falsification 21 Diuers auncient fathers testifie that Ioseph the spouse of the blessed virgin had by his first wife diuers children and namely Hyppolytus as witnesseth Nicephorus hist lib. 2. c. 3. Origenes in Matthaei c. 13. Eusebius hist lib. 2. c. 1. Epiphanius haeres 28. 51. 78. Nyssenus homil de resurrect Christi homil 2. Chrysostomus homil de annunt Virg. Euthymius in Matth. c. 2. Hilarius in Matth. can 1. Ambrosius in epist ad Galat. And yet all this notwithstanding Baronius saith this is but an apocryphall fable Why then should we beléeue his apocryphall fables testified by one or two witnesses only and that in writings very doubtfull séeing he will not beléeue this narration that is confirmed as himselfe confesseth by many fathers Further why should we beléeue him that Iohn Baptist was conceiued in September in the time of the solemne fast or in that forme which he reporteth And why should he desire any to giue credit to his narration concerning the city of Zachary S. Iohn Baptists father and the sanctification of S. Iohn Baptist in his mothers wombe for which he alleadgeth no proofe séeing he will not beléeue others that bring testimonies of fathers falsification 22 Saint Luke sheweth that Christ was baptized going vpon the thirtéeth yeare of his age Luc. 3. Iesus erat incipiens saith he quasi annorum triginta and so doe most fathers and other learned men expound Lukes words But Baronius to maintaine the credit of the Romish ordinall will haue Lukes wordes to be so expounded as if he were going vpon the age of one and thirty when he was baptized But if this were so then would Saint Luke haue said quasi annorum triginta vnius falsification 23 In the accompt of years from the beginning of the world vntill Christs time he followeth the tradition of the Romish church that séemeth to allow the translation of the seuenty interpreters rather then the Hebrew text But what is this else but to digresse from the canon of originall scriptures to follow either corrupt translations or vnwritten traditions falsification 24 The scriptures say that our Sauiour was borne in Bethlehem and in a stable and that he was laide in a manger and albeit the place was very meane for the king of heauen and earth to be borne in yet it is very much to be presumed that there was neither Oxe nor Asse in the roome for they are no fit compagnions for men and women especially for a woman being with childe But Baronius by vnwritten traditions issuing from that pure fountaine which Sixtus quintus speaketh of hath found that our Sauiour Christ was borne in spelunca that is in a caue within the ground Saint Matthew calleth it a house but he findeth it was no house but a denne or caue He findeth also that Christ was borne in this caue which is some prety way out of Bethlehem for so Burchard in his description of the holy land part 1. c. 7. testifieth He saith further that our Sauiour was laid in a manger cut out of the rocke and proueth it by the testimony of Hierome albeit we reade but of few mangers cut out of rockes and although afterward he saith it was of wood and so must he say vnlesse he will deny that to be the manger that is shewed in the Church of our Lady ad praesepe in Rome He alleadgeth Chrysostome also that saith the manger was of earth or clay Finally he beareth vs in hand that there was an Oxe and an Asse tyed in that stable and thinketh it sufficiently proued because Hierome alluding to the words of the prophet saith that when Christ was borne the Oxe knew his owner and the Asse his masters crybbe and this he alleadgeth out of the third of Abacuck where no such thing is to be found Of all which traditions the sole reason is this that he may maintaine the credit of the manger which together with hey they shew at Rome as a holy relique He endeuoureth also by these fables to vpholde the pilgrimage to the holy land where little is remaining to be séene but holes dennes rockes and mountaines But if he beléeue these traditions as well as the gospell a man of small learning may see that he is a man of a strange faith falsification 25 He telleth that the swadling clouts wherein our Sauiour was first wrapped are religiously kept and that a church was built in honour of them and a holyday assigned to keepe the memoriall of them But his best witnesse of them is Lipomanus a man whose lies a man may feele with his hands The Apostles certes neuer taught vs to kéepe such reliques or ragges rather neither doth any authenticall sâ—…ry report any such thing Nay whosoeuer will examine them narrowly shall soone sée the notorious impostures of the Romanists that deuise and maintaine these superstitions not for any other purpose then for their owne credit and gaine falsification 26 The wisemen that came from the East if we will beléeue him were three kings but he maketh kings without kingdomes and like his holy father the Pope by â—…is charter or testimony giueth kingdomes away at his pleasure Very vnlike it is certes that thrée kings should consort together and take such a iourney putting
those that haue beene destroyed by this change of religion A most shamelesse and palpable vntruth For not religion or any alteration therein but the malice of the Pope and wicked practises of Iesuites and there consorts haue caused most of these troubles The rest haue happened vpon other accidentes By the Popes secret practises and Charles the 9. his great disloyalty many thousandes of innocentes were massacred in France the yeare of our Lord 1572. by the working of Claude Matthieu a Iesuite and others his consortes that league was made which brought infinit calamities to the people and kingedome of France Paule the third stirred vp warres against the princes of Germany Pâ—us the fift was the firebrand that inflamed the Northren rebellion in England Sanders the Popes legat was the originall cause of the destruction of the earle of Desmond And happie had the late Quéene of Scots beene if shée had not béene to credulous to beléeue Sammier and other seditions Iesuites entisinge words and promises the attempt of Spaniardes against England anno 1588 was set forward by Frier Sixtus quintus at the solicitation of Robert Parsons and his fellowes albeit here he would gladly discharge himselfe and lay the fault vpon others the Iesuites were the causes of the destruction of the Duke of Guise of Henry the french King that was murdered by Iames Clement of the Duke of Parma of the discontentment of the Prince of Transiluania neither was the losse of Sebastian King of Portugal of his whole army his estate to be ascribed to any other theÌ„ to the wicked counsaile of the Iesuites which gouerned him wholy and drue him into that action they haue also brought the King to Poland in danger to loose his kingdome of Suethland and caused the ouerthrow of Ferdinand of Croatia by the Turkes and finally both haue they ruined as many as haue harkened to their turbulent counsels and will they ruine as many as will be guided by them And this is not only proued by experience but also testified by diuers records and bookes in England and France of late set out by men of their owne religion The diuisions certes which they haue caused in the emperors army in Hungary haue wrought many calamities to christendome falsification 5 In the same encounter he saith that before the late alteration of religion there was one forme of seruice one number of Sacraments one tongue one Sacrifice one heade of the Church throughout all christendome but in my reply pag. 19. I haue shewed that this shorte sentence containeth the truth haue respected temporal commodity or as if we did not vrge them with the truth of apostolicall doctrine and the ancient christian faith falsification 38 In the preface of his directory fol. 13. p. 2 he saith that S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Gregory S. Bernard perswade men by their examples to be afraid of purgatory A fourfold lye for neither did S. Ambrose nor any of the rest speake of a purgatory wherein christians did satisfie for the temporall punishment of sins remitted in earth nor did they beléeue any such purgatory Whatsoeuer they held of another purgatory viz. for veniall sinnes yet false it is that they perswaded men to be afraid of it by their examples falsification 39 In his directory lib. 1. p. 42. he saith that the world knoweth that Socrates was put to death for iâ—sting at the multitude of gods among the gentiles a matter which the world knoweth to be a lie and is refuted by Plato al that write of his death falsification 40 In the same place he saith Plato was wont to report of Zeno the stoike that he should say that either there was one God or no God but the record of the report will not be found Further if Plato liued before Zeno it was not like that he should prophecy what Zeno would say These lyes certes being the grounds of Parsons proofes where he goeth about to shew that there is a God are rather like to make a gentile or heathen maÌ„ obstinate then to make him beléeue in one God falsification 41 Pag. 174. he telleth that the number of infants slaine at Bethlehem was 14. thousand and this he goeth about to proue by the greeke calendar and the liturgy of the Aethiopians but such fables as he bringeth doe rather discredit christian religion then prooue it We beléeue that Herod killed the yoong children in Bethlehem and thereabouts but so many as 14. M. could not be found in that quarter as is very likely falsification 42 Pag. 269. he saith that Philo the Iew doth set forth strange things in the life and exercises of S. Marke and of his disciples that liued in Alexandria But if Philo in his booke de vit conteÌ„plat do neither speake of S. Marke nor his disciples in Alexandria I hope that Parsons disciples will be ashamed of their masters ignorance and confesse that he hath lyed It were an easie matter to set downe infinit lyes of this lying compagnion whoe without lying is not able to speak any thing as his consorts the seculer priests say but when he hath cleared himselfe of these he shall haue twise so many more obiected against him and drawne out of his simple writings In the meane while it may appeare that neither he nor his disciple Owlyglasse had any great reason to challenge the combat of vs for falsifications and lyes CHAP. XI That Owlyglasse himselfe hath falsified diuers authors and allegations in his little lewd Pamplet wherein he chargeth others with falsifications IS it possible thinke you to worke somewhat out of nothing certes no. Strange therefore it may seeme vnto you that I endeuour out of this small Pamphlet that is as nothing to make something Yet if you please to consider the particulers ensuing you shall finde that in this trifling discourse of the woodden detector wherein he hath shewed neither witte learning nor honesty nor any good thing that there are diuers points contained that may conuince him both to bee a falsary and a false lying compagnion falsification 1 Out of Origen pag. 11. c. 2. he citeth these words qui renascitur debet sale saliri Homil. 6. in Ezech. But the fathers words are these oportet ergo eum qui renascitur vtique in Christo renascentem rationabile sincerum lac desiderare prius quam rationabile sine dolo lac desideret debet sale saliri pannorum inuolucris colligari ne dicatur ad eum sale non es salitus pannis non es inuolutus So then by this it appeareth that he cutteth away the words in the midst and leaueth out the words in the end of the sentence and the maliciously to serue his purpose for otherwise it would haue appeared that Oregin spoke allegorically or that al children and others that are to be baptized must as well drinke milke and be lapped in cloutes as salted or touched with salt falsification 2 In his preface he abuseth