Heathen persecutors Iewes Turkes and Heretikes in perpetuall tormentes for persecuting and striuing against the Catholicke ROMAN CHVRCH To this Constantine the great brought peace and quietnesse In this Church there hath beene continuall succession of Bishops without any interruption All Bishopps and Pastours of particular Churches in what land or country soeuer they were in vnder the cope of heauen were mēbers of this Church As for example S. Ignatius at Antioch Peter Alexander Athanasius Theophilus at Alexandria Macharius and Cyrillus at Ierusalem Proclus at Constantinople Gregory and Basil in Cappadocia Thaumaturgus in Pontus Polycarpas at Smyrna Iustinus at Athens Dyonisius at Corinth Gregory at Nysa Methodius at Tyrus Ephreem in Syria Cyprian Optatus Austin in Africke Epiphanius in Cyprus Ambrose Paulinus Gaudentius Prosper Faustus Vigilius in Italy Irenaeus Martine Hylarius Eucherius Gregory Saluianus in Fraunce Vincentius Orotius Hildefonsus Leander Isidorus in Spayne Fugatius Damianus Iustus Melytus Beda in England were Bishoppes and Pastours of this Church In briefe whatsoeuer deedes or works signes or monuments fragments or reliques remaine yet in anie land or countrie of them who planted the Christian Faith there doe testifie the Catholike Roman Religion All Princes Kings Emperors all States and commonweales which euer were christened the Theodosians in the east the Charles in the west the Edwards in Englande the Lewesses in Fraunce the Hermigildes in Spaine the Henries in Saxony the Wenceslaes in Boeme-Lande the Leopoldes in Austria the Steeuens in Hungary the Iosophates in India professed and protected the Roman Religion they builded Churches founded religious houses erected many other Monuments of pietie not for Protestants Iwis but for the professours of the Catholike Roman Religion which Faith and Religion S. Pattricke brought first into Ireland Palladius into Scotland S. Augustine into England and other Apostles into other countries witnesses of this Religion are al Vniuersities Colledges Hospitals Monasteries Churches Chappels and innumerable other monumentes Witnesses their foundations their ordinances yea and the very buildings themselues witnesses all Reuestryes Chauncels with steppes vp Aultars Rood lofts Cross-buildings al Crosses in Church and Church-yeardes Market-places and High-waies witnesses all Bishoprickes Deaneries Arch-deaconries Prebendes Parsonages Vicariages such like ordained trow you for women children to make them gentles Witnesses all tithes and other liuely-hoods so religiously lotted out not for ministers wenches their brats but for Sacred anoynted Priests Good Lord what would the founders of all these premisses say if they might come but to see how their lands and goods which they so religiouslie bestowed to honor God withall are by Protestants employed Witnesses spirituall Courtes Visitations Conuocations Excommunications Suspensions witnesses probations of dead mens wils witnesses bidding and forbidding of banes witnesses partitions of Diocese parishes all ordeyned and instituted by Papists Witnesses auncient lawes and customes witnesses the vulgar manners of people the Election and Inauguration of Emperours the rites of annoynting crowning of kings the dubbing of knights c. witnesses coynes windows towne-gates town-houses all rules and to conclude all things in the world witnes the Catholike Roman Religion Thus haue I briefelie my deare frendes set downe some plaine reasons of the religion which I professe for the enioying of which I am content to forgoe my natiue soyle my deare Parents you my dearest friends with all the rest and all those commodities and pleasures which you account in your letter I wish you not to thinke euill of mee for so doing for it is the religion wherein I was borne baptized and confirmed it is the religion which from time to time hath bin vniuersallie receaued throughout all Christēdome it is the religion which there in our own countrie of al others is the first the auncientest the moste benificiall of all the rest the mother and begetter of the others the religion of all our Christian Predecessours and therefore beare with me I pray you in that I will not yeelde vp my title and interest of that which I haue receaued from myne Elders by lineall and lawful discent no man for these thousand yeares at the least seeking to put mee or any of my predecessors out of it Yet if any Protestant or other whatsoeuer can shew me any good euidence why I should not possesse the same I am readie to giue it vp but hitherto they promising and vaunting to shew good euidence haue brought forth nothing but words and forgerie And therefore by Gods grace I purpose to hold the same euen vntill my dying day except such euidence come against my title as is not to be shewed no not by an Angell if he should come from heauen God blesse you in the aboundance of his mercie who sende vs ioyfull meeting eyther in this world or in the next or in both A COPIE OF ANOTHER LETTER WHICH THE TWO Cittizens of London wrote to theyr friende beyond the Seas shortlie after that the other was sent DEARE AND WEL-beloued friend after that we had sent the last Letter dated the 13. of September Anno. 1599. wee consulting and weighing the contents thereof with some what more deepe considerations then before wee had done it was thought good to write vnto you this second Letter to let you vnderstand that wee will not receaue nor medle with any grounds or reasons of your faith and religion therfore you neede not to trouble your selfe with writing any for wee assure our selues that you can bring forth none but such as Papistes vse to alleadge which are now growne verie stale out of request Onlie this is the desire of vs al that you would returne without delay but yet so as you may shew your selfe obedient to her Ma. lawes in comming to the Church as other good dutiful subiects doe for surelie what Religion soeuer you professe we thinke you may with safe conscience come to heare Diuine Seruice or a Sermon beeing no further vrged but that you may thinke and pray as you list And what Scripture authority or reason can you shew or pretend for refusing so to doe For we knowe the cōmon answere which women such sillie soules are accustomed to make in saying It is against my conscience I may not with a safe conscience so doe is too foolish for you who seeme to haue more knowledge Wee supposed at the first that your refusall proceeded of a timerous ouer scrupulous conscience but now wee beginne to suspect that because you haue gone so far in that course you thinke it would be some discredite as to be deemed vnconstant and a turne-coate if you should in any sort relent and come to conformitie and therefore you minde still to be obstinate but wee friendly aduise you to beware of such peeuishnes proceeding indeede from the roote of pride we wish you to submit your selfe to your gracious Princesse her honourable Coūcell to the lawes of your natiue Country and weigh with your selfe what you are to
hath yet a far greater sway in the world then any other religion euer had or hath And worthie it is to be noted that in no land nor countrie vnder Heauen euer was or is any persecution of any moment against Papists as you terme them or against the Priests of that religion in regard that they be Papists or Priests made by authoritie from the Sea of Rome but only in England And in verie deede the vvhole world doth wonder that little England dare and is not ashamed to doe that which neuer was seene in the world before for let a Seminary priest as they cal him keepe him out of England and hee is safe enough in any region vnder heauen This I say by the way for that it greeueth me at the very hart to heare that my deare country doth persecute that religion which all the world hath ioifully embraced or at the least doth willingly tolerate as though she were wiser then all the world besides is or euer hath beene or then al her Elders Or as though Englishe Protestantes knewe and sawe more than all the whole Learned men of Christendome haue done for so many ages together And I pray you tell me if an hearbe should be presented to you to eat that al learned Physitions for a thowsand yeeres together haue iudged to bee rācke poison only some one or two of later yeeres haue begun to teache the contrary without actuall experience whether it be so or no but onlie by discourse and newe arguments of their owne braine would you abstaine to eate it or no Or if an action should be offered you there in England which by all old Lawyers iudgement of former times hath beene taken for high-treason Ipso facto consequently losse of life and lands though some newer lawyers were of contrary opinion that nowe it is not woulde you not looke twise before you would leape except you were out of your wittes But in this other case although all auncient Diuines and Doctours for aboue a thowsand yeres together haue taught the Catholike Romane Religion to be true indeede and only Friar Luther a loose Apostata and Sir Iohn Caluin a seare-backt Priest for Sodomy haue begun in our daies to teache the contrary for feare of beeing punished by the Magistrates of the said Catholike Religion for wicked and badde life yet will they Protestants rushe out cast at all and will hazarde Hell and all Eternity of tormentes thereon depending Who will denie this to bee headlong and hare-braine dealing Surely this vniuersal consent of Christendome against two or three so contemptible authors of nouelties are more than sufficient to induce anye man of reason to looke about him and to consider what hee doth and whether he may aduenture his soule vpon such inequality of testimonies as this is betweene two or three Nouellants and twenty millions of holy graue auncientes and no doubt in Westminster hall this difference of witnesses woulde preuaile with anye equall and discreet iudge or iurie Neither may the Protestantes nowe at length glory in their great number as some of them haue donne for that their Religion is there in England in Scotlande and some thereof in Irelande Apol. Eccles Ang. and in the Lowe-countries in some parts of Germany and a fewe of them in Fraunce for they neuer yet passed into Asia nor into Affrica nor into Greece nor into many places of Europe much lesse into the Indies But indeed if you rightly scanne their Doctrine you shall finde that your Religion Protestantine of Englande is no where in the worlde else that Englishe seruice contained in your boke of Common praier is vnknowen condemned of all other Nations and people vnder the cope of Heauen So that in very deed the doctrine of your Protestantes is taught or receaued no where but in Englande and the Puritane Doctrine of Scotlande the contrarietie thereof duelye considered is no where but in Scotlande the Lutherane Doctrine taught in Denmarke is no where but in Denmarke and in a fewe places of Germany the libertine Doctrine taught in the Low-countries is no where but in the Low-countries and the like may be said of other sectes Lastly I doe heere consider with my selfe if I should refuse the Catholike Romane Religion so vniuersallie taught receaued professed through out all the worlde so many ages together and embrace any of these newe silly sectes aduenturing my soul therupon what all my progenitours ancestours if they were here againe and sawe me doe so would say vnto me I gesse they would vse such speeches as these what doest thou condemne all our iudgementes and doings Doest thou maligne that Religion which we so highly esteemed and sought to aduaunce Doest thou sende vs al to hel and damnation Wilt thou iudge thy selfe wiser and more in Gods fauour than any of vs were And many such like speeches I thinke they would vse THE SIXT REASON Miracles True miracles were neuer wrought but by them who were of true religion for that they are donne only by the power of God Now it is so manifest that there hath beene almost an infinite number of myracles wrought by those who were of the Catholike Romane Religion and neuer any by them who were not of that Church since Christes time as he who shal deny it may be proued no lesse impudent and shamelesse than he who shal denie that euer there was any Masse saide in times past in England or that euer there were any warres betweene Turkes and Christians or that ther be any such countries as the East West Indies Which things if a man should deny would he not of all men be deemed not only impudent but madde drunken or a foole And surely the one is no lesse knowne by al approued writers and eie witnesses than the other For as in the Gospell and in the Actes the holy Scriptures witnesse that miracles were wrought by Christ and his Apostles so doe most approued authors of euery age vntil this day testifie and recorde the continuance of the working thereof in the Catholike Romane Church the which Authors for the most part were eie-witnesses of the saide miracles as for exāple In the second age were wrought those wonderful miracles by the Christian Souldiers in the armie of M. Antonius Tert. in lib ad Scap. in apol c. 5 Euseb lib. 5. hist c. 5. Oros lib. 7. hist c. 15 which Tertullian Eusebius Orosius the Emperoor himselfe haue recorded In the third age were the miracles of Gregorius Thaumaturgus witnesses S. Basil lib. de spiritu sancto Cap. 29. Gregory Nyssen in vita eius Hierom de viris illustrib Ruffinus lib. 7. hist cap. 25. In the fourth of S. Anthony Hilarion Martine Nicolas and of others In the fifte those which S. Augustine setteth downe lib. 22. de ciuit Cap. 8. In the sixt those which S. Gregory maketh mention of lib. 3. dial Cap. 2. 3. In the seauenth those
was and what a notable ring leader you haue in your Religion THE XX. REASON Keeping in memory Gods benefits GOd almighty hauing bestowed infinite benefits vpon man beginning euen at his creation demaunded chiefely at his hands as a signe token of gratitude and thankefulnesse that he woulde be mindefull of them and neuer by any meanes suffer them to depart out of his memory And this was the cause of so many Ceremonies of the Celebration of so manie Feates amongest the Israelites The like hath the Catholike ROMANE Church done by ordaining diuers sundry feasts for the due worshiping of God in yelding thankful liuely remebrance of special benefits receiued at his hands namely of the benefite of Redemption which without comparison surpasseth all the rest by calling yeerly to minde by setting before the eies of hir children in a most vniforme maner al that our Sauior did suffered for vs as his Conception his Aduent his Natiuity his Circumcision his Manifestation his Presentation his Baptisme his Fasting his Preaching his Miracles his Passion his Death his Burial his Resurrection his Ascention his sending down of the Holy Ghost his second Aduent c. The which are Celebrated Solemnized and recalled to memory in a most solmne and decent manner with lystories most apte fitte for euery sason and with exacte application of all Shadowes Figures Promises Prophecies and with such like out of the olde Testament as maye testifie and confirme the ChristiaÌ„ faith at Chrst-Masse at Candle-Masse at Shroâ—etide at Lent at Easter at Whitsontide and at other seasons of the yeere And I woulde to God that you were but once present here vpon Christ-Masse Eue at night and vpon Christ-Masse Day to beholde the liuelye representation of our Lords Birthe Oh what Torches what Tapers what Lights what Singing what Sensing what Mirth what Melody what playing vpon Organes and other Instruments what praying vpon Bookes Beades what weeping for ioy and deuotion and what a number of goodlie Ceremonies should you see And as great solemnitie is at other times of the yeare befitting the season Wherby all that our Redeemer did for vs is most liuelie and most freshly renewed in the memorie of mankinde Besides all this there are also celebrated and that verie solemnely the birth dayes not into this world but into heauen of his Apostles Martyrs Confessours Virgins and the feastes of his blessed Mother By all which there is a kind of heauen vpon earth Christ with his Saints and Angels being continuallie seene here after a sort as he is there in face and fruition Thus is he honoured in himselfe thus is he worshiped in his Angels thus is he praised in his Saints And to al this may be added the Dedication of euery particular materiall Church which Feast in England you vsually call the Wakes being a moste solemne Feast to put the Parishioners in minde of that triumphant Church in heauen vvhich they daylie trauaile towardes to recal refresh in memory the day that their parish church was first dedicated to God or to some one of his Saintes vvho in particular sort hath the protection thereof declaring thereby their gratitude and thankefulnes to God for his benefitts of Redemption and calling All these Feastes and solemnities I say doe renew and retaine in the memorie of man the actes and benefittes of his Redeemer and doe mooue and stirre vppe his stonie heart to loue him prayse him and to serue him they doe sette before his eyes the holie liues and happie deaths of his blessed Saintes thereby to make vs to imitate them to honour GOD by them and to praie to them to be a meanes to him for vs that we maie hereafter enioy their blessed company for euer Manie other thinges hath the Catholicke Church ordayned thereby to keepe continuallie in the minde of man the matters afore-saide as Crucifixes Pictures Images and Crosses in euerie common place highwaie vvhich people beholding may presentlie conuerte theyr minde to some heauenlie misterie represented thereby And by these meanes the moste vnlearned amongest the people vvere they young Maidens or olde Wiues knew more of the Mysteries of Christian religion then manie of your Ministers daughters or their wiues yea or some of the Ministers them-selues doe knowe And no marueile when as they haue abolished and abrogated in a manner all Ceremonies and after a sorte all feasts and those who hold themselues the purest doe altogether lay away all Ceremonies Feastes in such sort as you may see theÌ„ doe all kind of work yea vpon Christmasse day it self to make no more account thereof then of anie worke day in the whole yeare And they all haue abolished generallie all Shrines Pictures Images Crucifixes Monumentes and euerie thinge vvhich might present to the minde of the beholder any Misterie or Document of Christian Faith or any good example to be followed they haue leaft their churches as fit to mooue people to pietie and deuotion as theyr barnes are when all the corne and hay is out of them and nothing left to be seene besides the roofes walles and silles Consider here with your selues whether Iewes Turks or Heathens if they had gotten any Catholike countries could haue made greater spoile in the churches or haue left them more bare then the Protestants haue done Or wheather Christians if they had vanquished Heathen countries could haue dealt otherwise with the churches of theyr Idols then the Protestantes haue done with Catholike Churches And besides this they haue defaced throwne down Crosses in Market places in high waies as though they would not suffer nor endure that people by beholding any such thing should remember and call to minde the Passion of their Sauiour This out of all doubt was no smal subtiltie of the Diuel to mooue them vnder some other pretence to make rid all away that should retaine and keepe in peoples mindes that which chieflie they ought euer to haue before the eyes of their minde And verie rediculous it is to see them keepe such a stirre about keeping Holie the Sabboth reiecting al other holy daies whereas they haue no more vvarrant for the solemnizing of the Sondaie then they haue for S. Laurence his day or for any other holy or festiuall daie in all the yeare for other reason or warrant they haue not but the authority of the Catholike Roman Church which instituted and ordained all Festiual dayes by the same Commission that it chaunged the Sabboth of the Iewes which was vpon Saturday into the Sabboth of the Christians vvhich it ordained to be vppon Sunday And in time I assure my self if they should proceede on the Diuell would bring them to lay away Sunday also as hee hath caused some to doe alreadie and consequently the Word and all and so driue them to plaine Atheisme to which many of their brethreÌ„ are driuen to alreadie THE XXI REASON The Protestantes beginning and proceeding against then