among themselues Nay the contention betwéene Caluin and Luther is not so great but that popish doctors haue greater As for our selues all of vs professe the doctrine of Christ Iesus according to that rule that was established by common consent of the church of England from which if any digresse he is no more to be accounted of our societie then the papists that are of the popes retinue Lastly where he calleth our religion Parliament religion hée speaketh like himselfe that is falsely and slanderously For albeit the same be receiued by authoritie of the prince and state yet is it Christs religion and not the princes The a Lâ—unctos Cod. de summ Trin. sid Cath. emperors Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius decréed That all people of their gouernment should hold the doctrine of Peter the apostle taught by Damasus bishop of Rome and Peter bishop of Alexandria and that they should beleeue one God three persons and yet I hope this Noddie will not call the faith of the Trinitie An imperiall faith And thus much in answere of his obiection of parliameÌ„t faith and of supposed diuisions amongst vs. But if hée had considered how that all the authoritie of their Romish faith as it differeth from ours standeth vpon the authoritie of late popes and of the late conuenticle of Trent and that both the grounds and positions of it are either nouelties or old condemned heresies and was in Quéene Maries times established more by parliament then by authoritie of the apostles and how many and diuers sectes they haue among their monkes and friers and b About the matter of the sacrament of the Lords supper they haue not so few as 200. diuers opinions diuers opinions among their schoolemen and how their late writers dissent both from fathers and schoolemen and among themselues I thinke hée woulde haue spared either to haue obiected vnto vs our dissensions or to haue talked of the authoritie of our religion To discredite the report of spirituall blessings bestowed on vs he a P. 5.6 saith further That before this change we beleeued the catholike faith of Christendome deliuered by the vniuersal church grounded vpon that rocke that cannot faile now beleeue onely either other mens opinioÌ„s or our owne fancies which choice is properly called heresie and héere hée thinketh to haue argued like a great doctor But first as his doctrine is strange so his stile is new and fantasticall For although hée sweate hard in séeking yet shall hee not finde that any one doctor saith That the vniuersall church doth deliuer to euerie priuate man the catholike faith for as schoolemen might teach him Actiones sunt suppositorum and it is not the whole kind but some one or other that doth this or that action Secondly most vntrue it is That either poperie is the catholike faith of Christendome or that the apostles or their catholike successors taught those errors of poperie which wee condemne Thirdly he doth vs wrong where he saith That our doctrine is diuers from the catholike faith of Christendome For whatsoeuer Christ or his apostles taught or is deliuered in the confessions of faith or créedes generally receiued of Christs Catholike church that wée beléeue and receiue refusing no point of catholike doctrine and all priuate fancies opinions heresies whether of popes or other heretikes and false teachers we renounce condemne and anathematize Héereof it followeth that the doctrine and faith of the church of England is most catholike and certaine being grounded vpon the apostles and prophets Christ Iesus being the corner stone which is a firme rocke against which the gates of hell cannot preuaile Grounded it is I say vpon the writings of the apostles and prophets endited by Gods holie spirite and thereunto not onely Councels and fathers but also the aduersaries themselues for the most part giue testimonie But the blinde papists haue deuised and receiued both new grounds of their religion and new doctrine which standeth onely vpon the authoritie of this pope and that pope whose fancie and opinion is all the certeintie they haue This is that rocke or rather banke of sand whereon the miserable papists faith is built For what the pope determineth that they hold to be the determination of the vniuersal church vpon his credite they receiue the scriptures Nay without his determination a Stapletonde author eccles they denie the scriptures to be authenticall b Princip doct lib. 9. c. 12. Stapleton teacheth that the church that is the pope at all times hath power to approue and taxe and consigne the bookes of holy scriptures In another place he c Ibidem lib. 11. c. 4. holdeth that vniuersall tradition is the most certaine interpreter of scriptures Generallie they hold that the pope is supreme iudge in all controuersies of faith and manners and that he is the iudge that cannot erre Hereof that followeth which this noddie obiecteth to vs That the faith of papists is built vpon the popes fancie and opinion which altering from time to time the faith of the Romish church is variable like the moone and vnstable as the sea Trusting to the popes determination from the Angelickes they haue receiued the worship of angels from the Collyridians the worship of the holy virgin Marie from the Carpocratians and Simon Magus and their disciples the worship of images from the Manichées and other heretikes prohibition of meates and dislike of mariage of priests and from other heretikes other damnable opinions So that their faith is not the catholike faith of Christendome but méere heresie grounded vpon the fancie and opinion of most wicked and vnlearned popes But d P. 6. saith this Noddie Why should you beleeue more your owne opinions then Caluin concerning the Queenes supremacie Luther concerning the reall presence and Beza in the church gouernment I answere first that these mens priuate opinions concerne not fundamentall points of faith And therefore that they are not to bée brought foorth for instance in this cause where we talke of the foundations reasons of Christian faith Secondly I deny that Caluin did deny the Quéenes supremacie in ecclesiasticall matters as we hold it For neither did he subiect princes to popes or priests in matter of their royall gouernment nor did hee denie princes power to establish ecclesiasticall lawes nor to command for Gods truth or to prouide for the setting foorth of true religion or redressing of disorders in churches or priests which are the principall points of supreme gouernment of princes in their realmes and dominions Neither do I thinke that any ancient father of the church did euer denie this power to princes Sure I am that many haue allowed it The reason why Caluin did once mislike the title of king Henry the eight was because hée was perswaded that hee had challenged all that power which the pope arrogateth to himselfe as head of the church wherein after that he was better informed he changed his stile and
contrary in diuers maine points to the doctrine of the apostles Seuenthly they do neither retaine vnion with Christ Iesus nor with the ancient Church nor among themselues Eightly their decretaline doctrine is neither sound nor holy nor hath any efficacie in it nor hath other fountain then the popes fancie Ninthly their legendary miracles and prophecies whereupon a great part of the credit of the Romish faith dependeth are nothing but lies and forgerie and those ofttimes very ridiculous Tenthly their strange nouelties and heresies haue béene by many both olde late writers reproued and condemned Lastly as the authours of it haue liued vnhappily and died miserably for the most part so those that haue gone about to restore true religion and to roote out Romish idolatrie and heresie haue for this onely cause felt Gods great fauour towardes them both in their liues and ends 44 The Church of Rome is also conuicted not to be the true Church by the confession of a Relect. doct princip cont 1. q. 5. Stapleton For if the true Church began at Hierusalem and is vniuersally dispersed and hath continued in all ages and hath a true succession of bishops from the apostles and disagreeth not about matters of faith nor dissenteth from the head of the church and which hath planted christian religion 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 intire and which also sheweth the true way of saluation and keepeth the scriptures sound and pure frō corruption and finally which holdeth the decrees of all generall councels as blundering Stapleton not only confesseth but after his most odious and tedious fashion with multitude of words goeth about to proue 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 affirm that Rome now is like to old Rome Our aduersarie should do vs great fauour to shew that the glorie and fulnesse of power that the pope challengeth together with his cardinals dumbe bishops masse-priests idle monks lying fryars and all the popes decretals and ceremonies are come from Hierusalem He may doe also well to proue that the latter scholasticall and decretaline doctrine was vniuersally receiued throughout the world either in the apostles times or in the times of the ancient Fathers of the Church The rocke of succession vpon which they build so huge conclusions we haue shewed to be nothing but a banke of sand We haue shewed also that their doctrine is not only diuers but contrarie to the doctrine of Christ the head of the Church and of his apostles And how great contentions haue béene in the Romish church not onely the schismes and warres betwixt popes and princes but also the differences about all points of religion which is apparant both in the disputes of schoolmen and also in the writings of Bellarmine and his consorts do declare That the Romanists haue corrupted the faith not onely with nouelties but also with diuers heresies and haue changed both the ancient forme of apostolike gouernement and also the principles and grounds of faith established both by Fathers and councels and by the apostles themselues and haue yéelded to heresies and béene ouercome of the gates of hell I thinke no man can doubt that readeth this discourse and compareth the late procéedings of the Romish church to the rule deliuered vnto vs by Christ Iesus 45 Finally the testimony of a In his motiues Bristow doth vtterly ouerthrow the Church of Rome and declareth it not to be the true church For he commendeth that for the true church that is catholike and apostolike and which abhorreth all nouelties and heresies and idolatrie and whose doctrine is confirmed by scriptures most certaine traditions councels fathers and practise of the ancient church and which teacheth the narrow way and maketh subiects obedient and hath infallible iudges and is sure to continue But the Romish church is neither catholike nor apostolike neither doth it abhorre either heresie or idolatrie nor shun profane nouelties The doctrine of that church hath neither ground of scripture ancient councels nor fathers neither can the Romish doctors bring any certaine proofe of their traditions It teacheth a broad way and maketh rebellious subiects In iudgemēt it hath no other certaintie then the popes determination Finally already that tower of Babel which is built so high doth begin to totter and as we trust cānot long stand Further he saith that euerie church that is risen after the first planting of religion and gone out of the catholike church and from the apostolike doctrine and is not the communion of saintes nor euer visible and lastly that is not the teacher of all diuine truth and the vndoubted mother of Christs children is not the true church of Christ But the Church of Rome as it is now visible in the pope and cardinals and officers of the popes chamber in popish prelates sacrificing priests monkes friers and nunnes and their officers and adherents rose out of the earth long after the apostles times and went out of the catholike apostolike church and hath for the popes quarrell opposed it selfe against Christ and his true doctrine The same is also departed from the ancient faith and is no more to bée tearmed Christs Church which is a communion of saints linked together in the profession of Christs true faith but rather the combination of antichrist and the synagogue of Satan Such a church as is now to be séene at Rome and in the prouinces adhering to it was not visible many ages after Christ neither was any such church for a long time extant in the world neither when the same began to shew her selfe in great ruffe did she either teach all truth or refuse all heresie false doctrine or beare or bring forth children to Christ but to antichrist And therfore we may safely conclude that the Romish church of these times is the synagogue of Satan and not the true church of Christ Iesus The nature and propertie of the true and vnspotted spouse of Christ the inseparable qualities of true faith and such as truly professe the same and finally the confession and doctrine of the aduersaries themselues when they speake of the true church and true faith and true professours and matters incident vnto them in generall do declare it to be so CHAP. V. That no papists haue beene executed in England since her Maiesties comming to the crowne for meere matter of religion but for their treasons or other capitall offences HItherto wée haue spoken in the defence of our religion and Christian profession It resteth therefore nowe séeing our aduersary doth not onely calumniate our religion but our lawes also and gouernment that wée speake somwhat in defence of iustice especially so farre foorth as it
now there is but one faith as there is but one baptisme and one God as the c Ephes 4. apostle teacheth vs. And this is the faith which the apostles and prophets haue taught and which wée in the church of England do professe Remember I say that true faith is Christes faith and apostolike faith It is not the popes faith nor his determinations nor vncertaine traditions It hath no other foundation but the doctrine of Christ and his apostles and holy prophets Beware therefore of the pretended cacolike Romish faith that hath no grounde but in the popes determinations nor support but lies fraude and violence If the doctrine and traditions of popish priests come not from Christ Iesus which is the foundation of our religion but is drawne out of vncertaine legendes and resteth on the popes determination remember what the apostle teacheth in this point If any man saith a Galat. 1. hée preach vnto you otherwise then that you haue receiued let him bee accursed Beléeue not euery spirite For many deceiuers are gone out into the worlde If any bring any doctrine not deduced out of holy Scripture suspect him and examine him and thou shalt finde him faultie And aboue all thinges beware of new doctrines For wée haue but one faith which hath his originall from Christ the fountaine of truth life Profanas vocum nouitates saith the b 1. Tim. 6. apostle deuita And if wée may not vse new termes or words in matters of faith then may we not receiue any newe articles of religion It is the part of true catholikes to adhere to holy fathers and to auoide nouelties as saith c Aduers haeres c. 36. Vincentius Lirinensis Nowe what fathers more holy then the prophets and apostles that are the fathers of fathers and the foundation of the church If the doctrine of poperie be for the most part a packe of old and newe heresies as hath bin shewed thée why shouldst thou bée abused by false teachers Why shouldst thou bée desirous as distempered stomackes are to feed vpon vnholesome doctrine Graues sunt haereticorum morsus saith Saint d In Euangel Luc. lib. 7. c. 10. Ambrose qui ipsis grauiores rapaciores bestijs nullum abaritiae finem impietatÃsque nouerunt They looke faire vpon thée but bite déepely They promise true religion and catholike faith but teach heresies and damnable opinions They come vnto thée with shéepes clothing and pretend sauing of soules but inwardly they are rauening woolues and séeke to destroie both thy body soule They giue thée honie but it is deliuered thée vpon a swordes point that when thou thinkest to licke honie thy hart may bée pearced with a sharpe pointed sword If the synagogue of Romanistes bée not the true church why takest thou delight to heare her teachers or to embrace her erronious doctrine Why doest thou not come out of Babylon Wilt thou remaine in her confusion and be partaker of her plagues Why shouldest thou go vp to Bethauen or delight in the congregation of wicked idolaters e Hoseae 4. Go not vp I say to Bethauen f 1. Cor. 10. flie Idolatrie g Apocal. 18. Come out of Babylon It is not I onely but Christ Iesus that calleth thée out of this confusion If thou wilt not heare him nor know him bée assured hée will not knowe thée nor heare thée It is not the pope that can saue thée nor his decretals that can warrant thee Leaue therefore the synagogue of satan and resort to Gods true church Forsake antichrist and adhere to Christ Quisquis saith Saint h Epist 152. Augustine ab ecclesia catholica abfuerit quantumuis laudabiliter se viuere existimet hoc solo scelere quòd à Christi vnitate disiunctus est non habebit vitam sed ira Dei manet super eum As without Noes arke in time past all flesh was drowned so there is no safetie out of Christes church And bée not lightly deceiued with the name of the church For antichrist as the i 2. Thes 2. apostle telleth vs shall sit in Christes church And with his followers as Saint Augustine teacheth vs shall bée accounted to bée the true church viz. by such as are abused The synagogue of satan in time past did take on them the name of Iewes and falshood is often set out with a faire lustre and shew of truth All Christians haue an interest in true religion Why then shoulde any suffer the damnable doctrine of poperie that is so full of heresies and erronious opinions Why shoulde any suffer the Scriptures to bée taken from the people of God so that they shall no more bée suffered to read them and in lieu thereof receiue the popes determinations and the synagogues of Romes traditions Can any true Christian indure the abominable idole of the masse where the bread and cup is adored for God or the idolatrous worship of Romish Babylon Those that honour God those hée will honour and such as are luke-warme and care not what religion they haue those God will cast out of his mouth as a lothsome race of atheistes and wicked men If religion mooue not euerie man yet if hée remember the slauerie of popish gouernment and how preiudiciall it is to princes to the nobilitie to the commons and all sortes of people hée will not much bée enamored of it The magistrate may not suffer either his authoritie to bée disputed of or doubted of or denied And yet the Iesuites and priestes and their adherents are suffred to teach and to do all this as appéereth by their answeres to the sixe Interrogatories by their cases of conscience and by their doctrine and actions Nay most boldly albeit secretly they practise against the life and state of her Maiestie as many particulars do shewe Happie are they that they haue encountred with such a prince and yet let them beware they abuse not her clemencie too farre For no state can stande where such contumacious and rebellious mates liue in open contempt of authoritie and lawes It behooueth also all them that carrie the sworde to looke that not onely Christ his shéepe bée defended from woolues but also that the state bée defended and maintained against professed traytors and rebels that lurke in all corners They haue not a sworde committed to them for naught But to the ende they may defende the quiet and peaceable subiect and roote out the wicked rebellious traytor Treason and notorious coÌ„tumacie against lawes cannot long be endured in any common-wealth Neither can magistrates in this case bée too watchfull God hath detected many secret conspiracies and attempts against her Maiestie and the state yet let vs not presume too farre vpon his goodnesse The way to settle peace to confirme the state to preuent all such trecherous attempts is to stop the head of rebellion and treason and to roote out all seditious priestes and Iebusites from whence all our troubles for this 43. yéeres
the murderers and massacrers of Gods saints these are they which haue occasioned the ruine of diuers noble houses personages In England the erles of Westmerland and Northumberland harkening to the seditious motions of the pope ruined themselues their houses By the same occasion the house of Desmond and other houses in Ireland were ouerthrowne Why the ruine of these houses and men should be imputed to religion there is not any colour In Scotland the houses and linages of the Hamiltons Douglasses and Stuardes do yet stand and if any of these houses haue runne headlong into their owne destruction it is no fault of ours The Quéene Douager of Scotland that was sister to the Duke of Guise died of sicknesse How the last Quéene came to her end I report me to publike actes and histories Her husband was not slaine by men of our side but of theirs not for matter of religion but for other causes Our aduersary therefore dealeth absurdly and like himselfe that imputeth the faults of Popish religion that teacheth murder of christians deposing of princes subuersion of states and kingdomes and all manner of perfidious and cruell dealing to vs. But suppose some error had béene committed in France and the lowe countries why is the same mentioned here where we dispute about matters in England can he not content himselfe to vtter vntruthes but he must also speake impertinently and so far from the purpose To amend the matter he deuideth all blessings into spirituall and temporall and denyeth that by change of religion we haue receiued either the one or the other For before this alteration saith he one God was adored not onely in England but also throughout all Christendome and after one manner He saith further That there was one faith one beleefe one forme of seruice one number of sacraments one tongue in celebration one sacrifice one head of the church one obedience one iudgement in time past and that now all is altered the people of England being diuided not onely from the rest of catholikes but also from Lutherans Zuinglians Caluinists abroad and among themselues at home But dealing with an aduersarie and in matter so controuersious if hée had beene wise hée woulde haue brought either better proofes or more modestie To lie notoriously must néedes worke discredite to his cause First most vntrue it is that before this alteration one God was worshipped throughout all Christendome and after one manner For to speake truely the most part of those that called themselues Christians liued without all knowledge of God or of Christ Iesus hauing nothing of Christianitie but the very name and the outwarde Sacrament of Baptisme The rest some fewe onely excepted whom God enlightened with more knowledge for God worshipped angels and saints and the blessed virgine Nay they worshipped crosses and crucifixes with diuine worship and fell down before stockes and stones and rotten reliques some worshipped the pope as God and by him hoped to haue plenarie indulgence of their sinnes Their manner of worship was so diuers that euery parish almost had their peculiar saintes seruices festiuall daies and ceremonies Secondly ridiculously hée doth distinguish faith from beléefe and most vntruely surmiseth That there was in time past but one faith and beleefe and that euery Christian held that faith For in some ages before Luthers time the common people knew not what to beléeue nor vnderstood any one article of the faith And as for the doctors of schooles they differed in infinite points one from another and all of them from the Gréeke churches but especially from the true faith of Christendome taught by Christ and his apostles Thirdly it is a palpable vntruth to say That before this alteration there was one forme of seruice one number of Sacraments one toong one sacrifice one head of the church throughout all Christendome wherein so many vaine vntruthes are conteined that it is not possible to vtter them redilie with one toong For not onely the Gréeke liturgie doth much differ from the Latin but also the Latin liturgies doe much differ from themselues and were so full of abuses that the Councell of Trent abolishing a number of old missals and portuises was constrained to make new and yet all naught being nothing like the liturgies of the apostolike church described by Iustin martyr Dionyse of Athens and diuers other fathers For those of S. Iames S. Basill and Chrysostome are plainly counterfeited The number of 7. sacramēts was not certainly established nor receiued before the late councell of Trent In the a C. firmiter de sum trin side cath Councell of Lateran vnder pope Innocent there is mention made onely of two Sacraments which we reteine In no ancient father that treateth of Sacraments can this number of seuen be found The apostles deliuered vs but onely two Sacraments that is of Baptisme and the Lords supper In ancient time it was neuer thought vnlawfull to celebrate diuine seruice in any toong vnderstoode of the people The Greekes euen to this day reteine the Gréeke toong The b 1. Cor. 14. apostle doth directly condemne toongs vsed in diuine praiers or praises if they be not vnderstood of the people The popish sacrifice of the masse and all that abomination was not knowne of the ancient fathers nor instituted by Christ Then all Christians did communicate and receiue both kindes and were otherwise taught then now they are The Gréeke churches also much differ from the church of Rome and diuers formes of sacrifices haue beene vsed in this church vntil of late the Councell of Trent went about to establish an vniformitie or rather difformitie of religion Finally as the popes headship is now denied of the easterne churches and so was for many ages so was the ancient church vtterly ignorant of the matter If this Noddy will persist in his error and mainteine the contrarie let him shew if he can that in ancient time the bishops of Rome made lawes to binde the whole church and were supreme iudges and not iudged of others and made bishops throughout the world and had that authoritie to dispense and pardon which now the pope craueth Fourthly where he saith Wee are diuided not onely from the generall body of catholikes in Christendome but also from our selues hée telleth vs his owne dreames and fancies fléeting in his idle braine without any grounde of truth First it shall not bée prooued that we haue diuided our selues from the catholike church or any catholike societie Nay wée offer to prooue that the papists haue by their nouelties and heresies deuided themselues from the catholike church and say that therefore wée haue left them that wée may returne to the ancient apostolike and catholike church and catholike faith of Christ Secondly the churches of Zuizzerland Germanie France and England do neither holde of Zuinglius Caluin nor Luther nor pope of Rome as do the blind papists but of Christ Iesus and of the apostles and prophets Neither do they disagrée
religion and the state Let vs seaze these whelpes of wolues that if they be suffered to grow strong and multiply will deuoure vs. Let vs strangle this brood of vipers that séeke to destroy their mother that gaue them life I haue as you sée giuen euerie one of you warning Now he that heareth the sound of the trumpet and hath no care of himselfe when the sword commeth and taketh him away that mans blood shall be vpon his owne head as the prophet a Ezech. c. 33. Ezechiel saith I haue discharged my conscience it is your part to looke to the rest And I hope you wil giue your selues no rest vntill such time as order be taken with those that if they may haue their wils will trouble the rest and peace both of Church and state Laus Deo A BRIEFE REFVTATION OF A CERTAINE CALVMNIOVS relation of the conference passed betwixt the Lord of PLESSIS MARLI and I. PERON calling himselfe bishop of Eureux the fourth of May last sent from Rome into England and deuised by some idle Iesuite to the slaunder of that noble and vertuous Gentleman and of true religion which he professeth Therein also the relators cogging glosses and commentaries are examined and his petition is answered Prouerb 27. The wounds of a louer are better then the fraudulent kisses of an enemie Matth. 7. Hypocrita eijce primùm trahem de oculo tuo tunc videbis eijcere festucam de oculo fratris tui Imprinted at London by Arn. Hatfield 1600. The Preface to the Reader SCarcely had I finished the former discourses in answere of N. D. his Ward-word but there came to my handes a pamphlet of the same Authour and entitled A relation of the triall made before the king of France about some matters of religion c. made in disgrace not onely of the Lord of Plessis my honourable friend whom I loue but also of true religion which iointly with him I doe professe In his former treatise N. D. playeth the fencer here his maship playeth the scribe in Dolmans dialogue he professeth himselfe a statist His owne friendes charge him with Turkeied machiauelisme whereby it appeareth that among other parts he playeth now and then Machiauel or Mahomet In his discourses against the Lord of Leicester and the L. Treasurer late deceased and others he playeth the libeller And as one saith of Pasquin he is put to play all parts For as Pasquin taketh vpon him diuers persons and speaketh now like an Angell now like a diuell now like a king and presently like a begger now like a pope and eftsoones like a poore parasite now like a merchant and by and by like a man of warre yea and abhorreth not to play the part of a poet a curtisan or a Iebusite so our friend Robert Parsons transformeth himself into all shapes and playeth all parts saue the part of an honest man As a Plato in Ioue Plato saith in like case of one he turneth himselfe like to Proteus into all formes turning vp down without order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is also like to Empusa whom b. In ranis Aristophanes doth thus describe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He saith that Empusa sheweth her self somtime like a great beast sometime like an oxe sometime like a mule sometime like a dog So likewise our aduersarie sometime barketh and fauneth like a dog sometime pusheth like an oxe sometime he hath no more vnderstanding then a mule But men of iudgement suppose that he is of nearest alliance to Pasquin and not vnlike him both in shape maners and language as his great practise skill in Pasquinadoes do declare Wherefore as before I haue encountred this furious fencer in his challenge made to Sir Fr. Hastings in the Wardword so here I purpose to meete with his turning deuises in this Relation sent from Rome to his consorts in England with a purpose to disgrace vs. neither do I meane to leaue him into what forme soeuer he shal turne himself a Horace Effugiet nunquam haec sceleratus vincula Proteus Vnlesse it would please God to giue him grace to turne from his wicked wayes and treasons to returne to himselfe and to a due consideration of his dutie You may thinke him a strange and variable fellow that taketh paines to signifie as farre as from Rome into England what had passed hard by our dores wherof we cannot chuse but haue more certaine and speedy intelligence then himselfe or others residing at Rome But such is his noble pleasure From a fencer and a Iesuite a great Rabbin of the Romish synagogue he is now turned into a base scribe and relator of Romish newes and beleeueth that his report wil be the rather receiued especially comming thus turned disguised from Rome which is the fountain from whence the popish sect receiue all their traditions It may be also that he hopeth to draw a great hand vpō vs by his triūphing relatiō cōcerning the trial passed betwixt the L. of Plessis the pretended B. of Eureux which in Rome was heard with great applause and well liked by his holy father But if he had better considered of the matter could haue imagined that his relatiō shold haue receiued opposition his collections answere I beleeue he would haue spared his labor or rather spent it in some other libelling discourse wherin his skil is greater then in disputing of religion For first no man can haue lesse reason to exclaime vpon falsifications corruptions of ancient authors then the popish sect Neither can it proue but a matter very dangerous to the pope to haue this point wel examined whose authoritie and doctrine doth for the most part depend vpon false legends forged acts of councels counterfeit writings set out vnder the name of fathers and notorious falsifications It will also be a meanes to detect the falshood of the Romish synagogue that long since by Petrarch was called Fucina d'inganni or the mint of falshood and iugling tricks of the whore of Babylon that is most famous for her illusions deceits and false dealings and finally the kingdom of antichrist that is so powerfull in prodigious a 2. Thess ◠lies and all deceiueablenesse of iniquitie Secondly it wil appeare by examination of particulars that the L. of Plessis was most vniustly charged with falsifications in his booke published against the masse and that Iames Peron pretended bishop of Eureux notwithstāding all his aduantages which the kings fauor and partialitie of the auditorie and other circumstances could affoord him was not able to iustifie his challenge Thirdly we will plainly proue that the popish sect haue gained nothing by this conference but shame confusion For if a Gentleman that maketh not profession of diuinitie were able in so vnequall termes to stand against so proud an aduersarie so mightily supported by the princes fauour
not with armes and to iustifie first our accusation against Romish religion then against the pope the Spaniard the Iesuites Cardinall Allen the recusantes and all enemies traytors and malcontentes whatsoeuer And forasmuch as vnder colour of religion our aduersary would slily defend all attemptes and practises against this state I haue with my answere vnto this Noddy conioyned a breife discourse and in certaine new encounters drawing him foorth into a new combat prooued that popish religion whereon he so much standeth as if it were catholike and the old religion of Christs church Is neither catholike nor ancient nor true religion and finally that neither the church of Rome is the true church of Christ nor the popes agents and adherents that haue beene executed for traytors true subiectes or martyrs Which treatise if it profit not obstinate papists yet shall it greatly strengthen the hands of good subiects and of all men well affected and stay others that they be not easily carried either into opinions sauoring of heresie or else tending to disloyalty and treachery I shall not neede to tell you what manner of man this N.D. is against whome we deale He declareth himselfe so plainely that I cannot more euidently prooue him either a malicious enemy or a disloyall traytor then he doth himselfe For what greater signe of an enemy then to pleade the cause of publike enemies and to enuy that any commendation should be giuen or any blessing happen to this state What more plaine conuiction of his trecherous intentions then that he extolleth the prayses of traytors and is very sory that forreine enemies and wicked rebells haue not preuailed against vs It is an old saying that eagles loue eagles and beares well sort with beares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as saith Theocritus There cannot be deuised any thing more malicious then the pope and Spaniard to the English nation neither can any speake more spitefully of his country of this state and of religion then this rinegued English and Hispaniolized fugitiue And doe wee maruell if they be friendes and ioyne together Onely this is much to be maruelled that any sober minded papist should allow such a proctor to speake for him or that this Noddy would be so presumptuous as to present his fooleries to the councell or so foolish to thinke that such notorious enemies and traytors can grace the cause of papists or procure them fauour whom his patronage maketh much more suspect then before This we may boldly conclude that whatsoeuer such enemies perswade or offer that it cannot be for the good of our state It is an old b Sophocles in Aâ—ace mastig saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The gifts of enemies tend not to our good The Greekes as is said in time past would present Minerua of Troy with a horse but in the bellie there lurked treason So this Sinon N. D. if such a Noddie may be compared to Sinon would perswade vs to receiue the horse-religion of papistes and horse-friendship of Spaniards But if he should preuaile then might we say of him as the olde man in c Plautus in Pseudolo Plautus said of Pseudolus Superauit dolum Troianum atque vicit Pseudolus But I hope I haue discouered all the trecherie of this Sinon or Pseudolus or false traitor or whatsoeuer his malice deserueth to be called It may be some will mislike that I should so roughly handle our countrie papistes and their religion But they must consider what rebellions haue beene raised arâ— what practises haue beene attempted against her Maiestie this state and all true Christians by this faction I doe not meddle with olde men that are abused with ancient errours and liue quietly but with factious papistes and such as aide them and receiue them and either haue correspondence with forreine enemies or receiue their agents Now what termes can be too bitter against these that seeke to bring in strangers to oppresse all honest men to ruinate their countrie to murder their prince and all that shall adhere to her As for the religion of papists whereby I vnderstand all those corruptions which vnder the popes authoritie they haue brought into the church of God and which the church of England refuseth it is nothing but a packe of nouelties superstitious vanities and heresies as we both haue and alwaies shall be readie to maintaine either against Parsons or the cardinall Iesuite Bellarmine or the proudest of that sect and faction This religion of poperie therefore being not that seede which Christ did sowe in his field the church but the cockle and weedes sowne and set by the malitious man while the gouernours of the church were asleepe what termes could I vse more gentle then I haue done This I may boldly say that I haue not followed the aduersaries veine in scurrilous scoffing nor his vanitie in ruffianlike bragging nor his sharpnesse in plaine rayling But why should I goe about to excuse my selfe before the faultes be prooued Percase it is no fault to write as I haue done And were it a fault yet I trust thou wilt beare with my weakenesse seeing as the d Iacob 3. apostle saith All of vs offend in many things This I speake in the presence of God that my intention was not to wrong any but onely to lay downe the truth plainly that we may knowe not onely who be friends who be traitors but also who they be that contend for religion and iustice and who not Reade with indifferencie and weigh my allegations and compare diligently my defence with the Noddies challenge and then vse thy libertie in iudgement and respect not me but the cause and the proofes CHAP. I. That God by meanes of her Maiesties gouernment hath bestowed many benefits vpon the realme of England as well in establishing true religion as otherwise and that our aduersarie in his first encounter sheweth himselfe both shamelesse in denying it and vngratefull in refusing and not acknowledging the same ALbeit the malice of papists is great in defacing her Maiesties actions and slandering her gouernment yet who so listeth to consider the same with indifferencie cannot choose but acknowledge her to bée an excellent and singular woman to bée parangoned with the famous women of ancient time if not preferred before them Osorius albeit for his religion opposite to her yet could not choose but highly commend her both for her manly constancy mature wisedome and singular modestie Quid admirabilius a In prafat ante lib. 3. de religione saith he quà m in foemina virilem constantiam in virgine senilem prudentiam in summa opum affluentia summam modestiae laudem eminere Hée praiseth also her witte her learning and her clemencie Es singulari ingenio praedita b Ibidem saith he magnarum artium disciplinis erudita laudibus mansuetudinis lenitatis quae cum istius formae venustate consentiunt excellis nec eas laudes quae ex
colour lay vpon them So that nowe notwithstanding the riches of the Indies the people of Spain for the most part are brought to beggerie Secondly by the abolishing of the popes vsurped power his extreme exactions ceased and the publike treasure of the kingdome which by his meanes was woont to be exhausted began to encrease at the least it was kept within the kingdome Thirdly her Maiestie restored peace vnto vs which Quéene Marie intricating her-selfe in her husbands quarrell did exchange for warres and lost Calice and all the remainder of her ancestors possessions in France This peace but that the papists haue gone about by diuers attempts at home and abroade to trouble it hath now continued two and fortie yeeres and vpward So it appéereth what troubles wants warres rebellions losses or disgraces haue hapned now this many yéeres to this nation or else are intended against vs that the same haue wholy procéeded from the popish faction and their abominable and cursed idolatrie and superstition as all blessings that haue béene bestowed vpon vs haue issued from the fountaine of Gods fauour for the maintenance of his truth by meanes of her Maiesties gracious gouernment and of her fathers and her brothers noble purposes and deseignements Neither did her Maiestie restore peace to vs onely with forreine enimies but restraine the cruell rage of popish butchers that murdered Gods saints at home made warres vpon them shée I say restored peace and gaue rest to Gods church Lastly by meanes of her Maiesties gouernement the strength of this land is growne great Neuer were there more valiant men of warre nor better men at sea then now Her Nauie is excéedingly encreased her munitions and furniture for the war is exceeding Neuer was there in England greater store of learned men nor more cunning artificers in al trades There is no countrey better peopled nor was euer prince more reuerenced or beloued of her subiects These blessings God hath bestowed on her people by meanes of her gouernment It hath pleased him also singularly to blesse her both with spirituall and temporall graces and to make her reigne farre longer then of most of her progenitors to multiplie her daies aboue ordinarie Shee hath also seene the miserable endes of most of her enimies and of such traitors as haue sought her hurt and long may shée continue and see the confusion of the rest to the comfort of all her louing subiects and griefe of her wicked enimies As for those that haue either by open force or priuate practise sought to destroie her they are all perished and come to confusion euen so Lord let them all perish and come to confusion that hate thée and thy truth and the maintainers and professors thereof At this happinesse of the English nation by the happie change of religion made by her Maiestie at her first entrance into her kingdome it is no maruell if this our aduersarie and his consorts be repine for that is the nature of enuie to bée sorie if shée see no cause of others sorrow Vixque tenet lachrymas as the Poet a Ouid. Metamorph 2. saith quia nil lachrymabile cernit It is the propertie also of busie fellowes to be quarrelling and accusing of others they feede on accusations as daintie meate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as saith Pindarus They looke not into their owne myseries and calamities but curiously looke into other countries not vnlike hungrie Grammarians that are descanting still of the calamities of Troie and yet sée not their owne domesticall miseries that more néerely concerne them But it is true as one saith That he that is curious in other mens causes is also malitious Which appéereth true in this our aduersarie for gladly woulde he by ripping vp our estate make the worlde beleeue that we haue receiued no blessing nor benefite by change of religion but he demonstrateth nothing but his owne folly ignorance and malice He b P. 1. beginneth with a long tale of flatterie and the harmes ensuing thereof and at his first setting out entreth into a common place as it were into a common Inne pleasing and resting himselfe but tyring and harrying his reader with his néedelesse fooleries For what skilleth it I pray you to know what a dangerous beast a flatterer is Againe who denieth but that flatterie is an odious thing But what is this to vs Can he shew that sir Francis is a flatterer no nay he doth not so much as go about to prooue any such matter nor doth he applie his common place to his purpose but leaueth it as a fragment borrowed out of some frierlike declamation without any coherence to the rest of his long speake Wherefore to helpe him foorth where he faileth we confesse that flatterie is a foule fault and are content that he should speake his pleasure against flatterers For whatsoeuer he saith against them falleth right vpon him and his consorts who albeit they raile starkely against honest men yet are still clawing the pope and the king of Spaine and their adherents shewing themselues to be clawbackes parasites and flatterers what the pope saith that they say all what he denieth they denie They are of néere kinred to Gnatho of whom c In eunucho imperaui egomet mihi omnia assentari Terence speaketh That had no power to gainsay any thing which his master said so saith d In praes in relect princip doctrin Sapleton That the popes determination is the foundation of his religion They are also like the parasite in Plautus whose belly taught him to speake strange thinges for these good fellowes for their bellies sake speake raile holde their peace write faune flatter and vnto the popes pleasure turne their stile and their teaching Mutato iudicio ecclesiae saith the a Epist 2. ad Loâ—emos Cardinall of Cusa mutatum est dei iudicium Now by the church he vnderstaÌ„deth his holy father the pope who as b De princip doctrin passim Stapleton holdeth is the principall subiect of Ecclesiasticall authoritie him a multitude of parasites doth most palpablie flatter Augustin Steuchus doth honour him as a God audis saith c Contr. Donat. Constantini he Pontificem deum appellatum habitum pro deo Gomesius writing vpon the rules of the popes chancerie saith That the pope is a certaine visible God Papa saith he est quoddam numen quasi visibilem quendam deum prae se ferens Stapleton like a shamelesse parasite doth d In Epist dedicat ante princip doctrin worship him as his souereigne God on the earth Tanquam supremum in terris numen Iohn Andreas in c. quanto de translat episcopi and Abbas Panormitanus in c. licet de electione saie That he and Christ haue but one tribunall seate betweene them e In breuiloquio e In praef an t lib. de pontif Rom. Bonauenture calleth the pope The onely spouse of the church Christs vicar generall Robert Bellarmine who
of papists and telleth what monuments of learning they haue left behinde them and what vniuersities they haue built All which maketh nothing to the purpose For albeit there bée many learned men among them yet their common people may be very vnlearned and ignorant notwithstanding which is that whereabout we contend Againe if their learning be so great the greater shall bée their condemnation which in the knowledge of Christ Iesus are so ignorant themselues and suffer also the people to liue in ignorance Lastly albeit we will not deny them to be learned yet we doubt not but to match them with men of our profession and if we compare them with the ancient fathers they will be ouermatched But whatsoeuer their learning is good it were for them if they would vse it not to their owne but to Gods glory Likewise they teach That lay men may not meddle with matters of religion that is that Princes haue no power to reforme the church nor to make ecclesiasticall lawes And our aduersary confesseth That onely priests haue authority to define and determine matters of religion What reason then hath hée to quarrell with sir Francis Hastings séeing in effect he confesseth as much as hée laieth to his charge Forsooth saith he Because these words To meddle with matters of religion may haue a double sence But what if they might receiue a treble sence if the papists doe so remooue lay men from gouerment in ecclesiasticall causes that they néede not to care how God is serued then are they not wronged by him For hée doth not meane care in their owne behalfe but in respect of others And therefore his example of ministers wiues is very impertinent Neither hath hee reason to condemne lawfull mariage when he and his consorts wallow in all filthinesse to condemne I say the apostles doctrine which alloweth a bishop To be the husband of one wife when hée teacheth the doctrine of diuels that forbiddeth to marrie Finally Parsons the Iesuite hath no reason to condemne priests wiues when his true father as they say was a parson of a parish his mother also had béene more honest if shee had béene maried to the parson his father These iestes therefore if hée looke no better to his businesse may prooue him to bée irregular and vncapable of priesthood But what is that may hée say when a bastard maketh as good a Iesuite as hée that is well borne Where wée say that the papists stande more on externall complements and ceremonies then inwarde faith and other vertues onely requiring an outward profession and outward obseruations of going to masse to shrift and such like hee is much displeased with the matter and saith That his aduersary hath neither eies nor witte And yet this is the doctrine of the Romish church Vt aliquis absolutè dici possit pars verae ecclesiae saith a Lib. de ecclesia c. 3. Bellar. non putamus requiri vllam internam virtutem sed tantùm externam professionem fidei sacramentorum communionem quae sensu ipso percipitur And albeit he shoulde not so say yet it is apparent that those are accompted good Cacolickes that liue in obedience to the pope and obserue his lawes whatsoeuer they are otherwise Nay of late time they haue canonized murtherers traitors and rebels as for example Iames Clement that murthred Henry the thirde of France diuers of the rebels that rose with the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland in the north and such trecherous priests as came from the pope to betraie their countrey to strangers In times past also Thomas Becket was canonized for a saint albeit he was a traitor to his prince and countrey stirring vp forreine enimies against them moouing the pope to depriue his prince of his crowne running to professed enimies and consulting with them to the hurt of his prince causing the land to be enterdited and giuen as a spoile to forreine enimies which neither Iohn Baptist nor the holie fathers Athanasius Ambrose Hilary or Chrysostome either did or allowed to bée done And therefore as these examples fit not Thomas Beckets cause so Thomas Beckets example doth fitly shewe how loose men and disobedient subiects are enterteined by the pope and made saints in heauen albeit they deserue not to liue on earth Lipomanus and Surius and others I know tell many goodly tales of this saint but wée must remember that all the grounde they haue is their lying Legend and percase the popes sentence grounded vpon hearesaie Sir Francis saith further that Albeit the pope and his clergie commanded blasphemies and disloialties yet blind papists were made beleeue that the pope must be obeied vpon paine of damnation And his meaning is most true For although popes command matters impious against God and disloiall against princes yet their friers and flatterers do cōmend them for glorious merits woorthie of celestiall glorie Iames Clement the Dominican frier that murdred king Henry the third of France is estéemed a martyr of the popish synagogue Pope a The oration of Sixtus quint. la fulminante Sixtus quintus in the consistory of Cardinals commended this detestable act as A worke of God a miracle a rare exploit of Gods prouidence and compareth it to The most excellent mysteries of Christ his incarnation and resurrection Cardinall Como in his letter to Parry that went about to murder her Maiestie calleth the worke Meritorious Sanders doth greatly commend the rebels of the north that vpon the popes commandement went about to depriue their liege Souereigne of her crowne and kingdome And what hath either Parsons the Iesuite or this personate Noddy be hée what hée will to obiect against vs in this point Hée saith it is a shamelesse slander to say The pope commandeth either blasphemies against God or disloialties against princes And for the rest hée telleth vs That obedience to the pope is a commendation to catolike religion But the first is prooued by his decretales legends missals portuisses and other rituall bookes full of blasphemies The second is manifest by their practise There hath no such treason almost béene wrought against princes of late time but the same hath procéeded from the pope and béen managed by Iesuits and other friers and priests All the rebellions in England against Henrie the eight Edward the sixt Elizabeth now reigning had no other cause nor originall The late league or rather late rebellion of France against Henry the third and Henrie the fourth was made by the pope and enflamed by the vermine of friers his agents The Iesuites professe obedience to the pope as to Christ Boniface the eight maketh subiection to the pope to be a matter of saluation a De eccles milit c. 2. Bellarmine maketh it an essentiall part of a Cacolike or true member of the popes church And such trust haue papists in his iudgements concerning matters of faith that they thinke hée cannot be deceiued Nay if hée once either command or determine
that Doctor Story spoke these wordes and that this was consulted vpon in councell in Quéene Maries daies Secondly it appeareth by the story of Doctor Stories triall and arraignment that he was not called in question for these wordes but for high treason and that most iustly For first he ranne ouer to the D. of Alua and other the Quéenes enemies and sought how to stir them vp to make warre against his prince and country Secondly he practised with one Preston Paine how to make some insurrection in England Thirdly he entertained intelligence with fugitiue rebels and knowne enemies of this state Beside treasons there was obiected to him that he had by vertue of his inquisitors office in Flanders brought diuers of his countrymen in danger and made great spoile of their goods And so euident and plaine were the matters obiected against him that he had no other shift but to denie himselfe to be a subiect and to refuse to be iusticed by the lawes of this land which pleading I thinke his aduocate here will confesse to be most ridiculous Thirdly it cannot be denyed but the wordes were spoken not onely in Quéene Maries time but also in this Quéenes time For he was not charged with saying If you shall follow but if you had followed mine aduise Lamenting that when they might they had not followed his aduise in destroying the Quéene Lastly albeit he had béene charged onely with those words which by his enditement by the euidence then giuen and by diuers witnesses yet liuing is refuted yet to imagine or conspire the princes death is treason by all lawes This our aduersarie therefore that saith doctor Storie was condemned by shoutes and clamors as Christ was before Pilate blasphemeth in comparing a notorious traitor and a bloudie persecuter of Christs flocke to the most méeke and innocent lambe of God Christ Iesus And where he confesseth that The papists thinke that Storie for his zeale in Queene Maries time is to receiue a great crowne of glorie and fame vpon earth he sheweth both his owne and other papists most cruell and bloodie minde that allow of doctor Stories murdrous and cruell intentions both against her Maiestie and other godly men and declareth what fauour we are to looke for at his hands if once hée and his consorts coulde haue but a finger in gouernment As for doctor Storie hée hath now receiued his rewarde but not of glorie vnlesse hée did repent himselfe of his heresie and crueltie of which he gaue small tokens at his death After doctor Stories matter he toucheth the cause of Pius quintus his presumptuous excommunication denounced most iniuriously against her Maiestie but very daintily and nicely not daring to mislike it for offending his holy father the pope nor daring to allow it least hée shoulde séeme to concurre with those publike enimies that séeke to take away her honour crowne and life Gladly hée woulde excuse the papists his clients but his pleading is so fonde and foolish that their enimies cannot desire plainer euidence to accuse them conuict them First he sheweth and woulde if hée coulde tell howe complaine That the bull of Pius quintus the pope is made a common bugge against papists euery where as if they were guiltie in allowing his fact And so hée thinketh to shift off a foule matter with a fewe faire wordes and with a finta or fained shew of a downe right blowe to bobbe or rather abuse his Reader that looketh for sound reason But hée may not thinke séeing hée is come into the fielde to make a challenge that hée shall so escape our fingers First hée saith That papists albeit they admit the popes iurisdiction yet are not participant of the offence giuen by the pope But howe doth hée prooue that Forsooth you must take it of his owne bare word For other law or reason he alleageth none So ridiculous an aduocate doth hée shew himselfe in the greatest heat of his clients cause Hée confesseth that papists allow the popes iurisdiction and néedes must hée so do or else they shoulde not bée papists Héereof wée say that it is necessarily inferred that they are as farre guiltie as the pope and no lesse to be reputed enimies of the prince and state then the pope himselfe Pope Pius as the world knoweth disabled her right pronounced her excommunicate depriued her of her kingdome exhorted not onely forreine princes to make warres but all her subiects to rebell against her finally all such as should obey her lawes or helpe her hée doth no lesse anathematize then the Quéene herselfe Praecipinus interdicimus a In Bulla aduers Elizab. saith hée vniuersis singulis proceribus subditis populis alijs praedictis ne illi einsue monitis mandatis legibus audeant obedire qui secus egerint eos simili anathematis sententia innodamus Neither did hée onely giue sentence against her but also practise to depriue her For this cause hée practised both with French and Spanish and sent Vincent Lauro bishop of Mondeui into Scotland and Robert Ridolphi to make some stirre in England Hée raised men and sent money into England and other places for this purpose So it appéereth that the papists must necessarily allow yea further the popes hostile act if they ment to acknowledge his authoritie For otherwise themselues were excommunicate Besides they must necessarily obey the popes commandement Neither is it to bée doubted but that diuers principall papists haue entertained intelligence with the pope and his agents Lastly it is folly to dispute what papists do meane when wée sée euidently what they do Vpon euery occasion they are ready to rebell against their princes when the pope commandeth They haue shewed it in Ireland in Scotland and in England In France they rose against king Henrie the third that was a man of their owne religion They professe they are members of the Romish church which doth necessarily include obedience to the pope And to conclude this Noddie confesseth they allow of the popes authoritie in depriuing of princes of their kingdomes Wherefore not onely all lawes of nations but also all reasons of state condemne such for enimies and traitors to the state And strange it is that any prince or state can suffer such as either adhere to forreine enimies or else beléeue that a forreine enimie hath power to dispossesse the supreme magistrate of his crowne He scorneth Sir Francis Hastings for saying That no child of mortall man hath power to dispose of kingdomes or to depose princes or to dispence with subiectes for not obeying their prince And maketh shew of pleading for the popes authoritie in deposing princes But first we do not here reason what the popes power is but whether the papists that allow his iurisdiction are traitors Secondly admitte that were the question héere yet I say that the saying of sir Francis as he ment it is most true For his meaning is that the pope that is not onely the
woulde accuse her What likelyhood is there then if he sought witnesses against the lady and that most gréedily that he should conceale an euidence béeing happily found especially such a one as might reueale hidden mysteries Thus our aduersary groundeth his defence vpon vntruthes Besides that he rayseth his building vpon thinges very impertinent and which make little for Gardiners credite He saith He entreated for the life of the Lord Sturton the Lady Smith and the Duke of Northumberland As if Phalaris and Dionysius and the most bloudy and cruell tyrantes that euer yet liued did not spare some offenders to whome they bore affection euen wolues agrée with wolues and serpents do not sting one another If then Gardiner fauoured malefactors whoores and rebels and such like and without remission prosecuted true Christians it is apparent that he was extreamely cruell and that his cruelty was extended against the best men Sure if this discourser had béene wise he would not haue mentioned the Lord Sturton or the Lady Smith séeing no man béeing such as Gardiner was could with any honour speake for them the one hauing committed a most execrable murder vpon Harguil the other hauing killed her owne husband No doubt she was an honest woman that Winchester would speake for He saith that The Lady Elizabeth was then an obiect of loue and compashion rather then of enuy and hatred The which doth argue Gardiners extreame cruelty that had no remorse of conscience to shed so innocent a Ladies bloud forgetting all naturall pitty and compassion that was due to a woman of her yeeres and quality and in that case Where sir Francis saith That recusants cānot professe more loyaltie and loue to Queene Elizabeth and to the state then Gardiner did to king Henry and his sonne king Edward to the state then and yet in the daies of Queene Marie betraied the Queene and realme into the popes and Spaniards hands pulling off his vizor of loue and loyaltie and shewing himselfe in his naturall likenesse and qualities The wise N. D. taketh exceptions to his sayings and telleth him that either hée is ignorant of matters then passed or else willingly telleth vntruthes and so hée entreth into a long discourse concerning Gardiners fall as he calleth it and the matching of Quéene Mary with king Philip the comming in of the Spaniards excusing Gardiner for writing against the pope and flatly denying that hée consented to match the Quéene with the prince of Spaine but first this talke of Recusants is impertinent in this place and argueth nothing else but that this point charged vpon Recusants is a bone too hard for him to gnaw and a matter which had bin better concealed then mentioned in this place declaring plainly what we are to expect at their hands if time serue Secondly it is most false that either Gardiner did then fal or commit a fault when hée stoode for the princes supremacie against the pope or else that hée condemned his dooing therein during king Henries daies Nay when his Secretary Germaine Gardiner was executed he had like himselfe to haue passed the same way had he not confessed his fault to the king and desired pardon with promise of amendement Likewise in king Edwards daies being examined first Whether hee did not beleeue that the king was iustly and ought to bee the head of the church of England and of the synode or conuocation and secondly Whether hee had not authority to make ecclesiasticall lawes for church gouernment hée answered to both affirmatiuely Which sheweth that this Noddy was ignorant of matters of those times and not his aduersarie But if i◠writing against the pope he did euill sure in nothing did he well For this was the onely act for which he deserued commendation To write for the pope or to acknowledge the popes authoritie is nothing else but vnnaturally to subiect this countrey to a stranger and to acknowledge the vsurped power of a tyrant that is vndoubtedlie Antichrist In this place also the Noddy heapeth vp other lyes vpon the backe of the first adding lies to lies Hée saith That Gardiner was one of the chiefe of sixteene Counsellers that were appointed by king Henries testament and earnest charge of mouth at his last howre to gouerne his sonne and realme and that the king earnestly gaue charge that no alteration of religion shoulde be made during his sonnes minoritie But neither was hée one of the chiefe nor any gouernour at all For the king long before his death had dashed him out of his will as a turbulent fellow and not woorthy to haue such a charge committed vnto him Neither would he be induced at sir Anthony Brownes request to admit him againe to that place Secondly this Gardener was neither present when the king died nor many daies before being commanded out of his sight Thirdly it is most notorious that the king dealt most earnestly with Annibault the French kings ambassadour a little before his death to perswade his king to establish a reformation of religion in France And therefore this tale of forbidding alteration is a méere fiction Whatsoeuer the king commanded that certes was to Gardener vnknowne being forbidden the kings presence Fourthly how absurd is it to thinke that Gardiner durst plead the popes right to the king when for this onely suspition that he enclined to the pope hée had no doubt béene called in question had hée not submitted himselfe to the kings mercy That hée did so is a most shamelesse lie as also that hée denied the Kings supremacie in his sermon preached before king Edward which this Noddy affirmeth contrary to all truth And therefore doth farre better deserue the title of Steelebrow then his aduersary sure if he had not béene both stéelebrowed and béetilbrowed yea and béetilheaded hée woulde neuer haue béene so bolde in affirming so many vntruthes without grounde or witnesse nay contrarie to all record of storie and testification of witnesses Thirdly it is most true That Gardiner was a principall actor in matching Queene Mary with Philip of Spaine which our aduersarie denieth and most false that the Counsell was deuided about this matter some fauoring the earle of Deuonshire others the prince of Spaine which he affirmeth That is prooued for that hée wrote and receiued letters from Charles the emperour to this purpose and also in that he was a chiefe dealer about the articles agréed vpon at the time of the mariage and last of all for that the prince of Spaine came first to Winchester and was maried by the bishop as a man specially fauoring that match The second point is prooued first by the testimonie of a Lib. 2. de schism Sanders that saith that all the counsel liked this match in regard of bringing back the church of England to the church of Rome And secondly for that the Quéene made choice of the earle of Deuonshire herselfe and such was her affection that shée had maried him but that all her Counsell resisted it
and deuised most slanderous letters in the emperors name against the yoong man And lastly for that the yoong earle was suspected for religion so giuen to his affectiōs that he did not himselfe desire any such matter nor if he had desired it could he haue bin liked by Winchester Neither skilleth it whether Winchester called him his spiritual childe or no. If he did then was hée an vnkinde spirituall father that gaue counsell to sende his childe away into Italy where by a most shamefull practise of this wicked generation he was poisoned and made away Resteth then that this practise of Winchester to bring in the authoritie of the pope and tyrannie of Spaniards was most dangerous to this state and ought to be most hatefull to this nation If he did not please the pope nor emperor neither as this our aduersarie pretendeth then was he odious to all the worlde His sermon certes preached at Paules crosse before the king and Quéene and popes legat declared that as in times past he had vsed his authority to persecute poore Christians so here he did abuse gods word to please the popes agent and those that fauoured his faction His text was Hora est iani nos de somno surgere which is taken out of Saint Paules epistle to the Romaines And out of this he went about to shew that since the church of England had departed from the subiection of the pope the people had continued as it were in a sléepe therefore did he conclude that euery man must awake and returne againe to the pope as if the apostle in those wordes had willed men to submit themselues and to returne to the obedience of the pope and to embrace his most vaine superstitions and his fantasticall and impious traditions which god wot was no part of the apostles meaning Nay he rather speaketh of the pope 2. Thes 2. where he mentioneth the man of sinne that shall sit in the temple of God and aduance himselfe aboue all that is called God And in this place he rather exhorteth worldlinges that are drowned in sensuality and pleasures and forget God while they follow the vanities of this world to awake and call themselues to a serious cogitation of spirituall matters For security and sencelesse stupidity is an image of sleepe or death rather And it may very well be applyed to those that eyther are besotted with popish ignorance not knowing any point of Christian faith or that walke in darkenesse of popish errors and will not awake out of their sencelesse sléepe and come to the light of Gods word that is offered to them For to speake truely the doctrine of popery is nothing but a doctrine of darkenesse of sleepe of death But let vs sée how our aduersary defendeth this noble sermon first saith he It was preached before the king and Queene the popes legat the embassadors of diuers princes and a great audience As if many great fooleries and vaine toyes had not béene declared before great princes and many auditors The more were present here the more witnesses there were of the mans great simplicity in mistaking and shamelesse impudency in peruerting the scriptures Secondly he telleth vs How Gardiners discourse was to shew how long the people of England had runne astray and beene in darkenesse of diuision and strife But first he séemed himselfe to be as it were in a sléepe when he talked of darkenesse and should haue spoken of sléepe For betwéene these two there is no small difference For many awake in the night and others sléepe at noone daye Secondly he committeth no smal error where he calleth the separation from popery Darknesse of diuision and strife For he that is ioyned to Christ walketh in light and they that liue vnder the pope continue in Egyptian darknesse Beside this darknesse doth rather worke confusion then diuision Thirdly he saith that Gardiner vttered two thinges that greatly mooued the whole auditory The first was the harty accusation of himselfe for his booke de vera obedientia Which he vttered wéeping like a great calfe and as our aduersary telleth vs With such vehemency as he was forced diuers times to make some pauses And that these teares were not feyned saith he It appeared in this that drawing to his end he said negaui cum Petro exiui cum Petro sed nendū amarè fleui cum Petro. The second was a relation how king Henry a litle before his death dealt with him secretly and seriously to go into Germany to a certaine diet and there to take some course that he might be reconciled to the pope But what maketh all this to the true expounding of this text Hora est iam nos de somno surgere Surely no more then if he should haue talked of clypping of goates or shearing of swine and such idle fancies as be represented to men in their sléepe Besides that here are many vntruthes conteined of which I haue great cause to doubt whether euer they were vttered in so famous and publike an auditory or no. First it is a most shamelesse vntruth to affirme that euer the king desired to be reconciled to the pope his words his actions yea all his procéedings tended to the contrarie and of this point he was so well resolued that rather he sought to perswade others to renounce the pope then determined himselfe to returne to the pope Finally what coulde be deuised more absurd then to feine that such a noble and magnanimous prince did voluntarily submit himselfe to a base enimie which by no force nor perswasion he coulde bée induced to do Secondly it is an absurd thing to thinke that if the king meant to do any such matter he would impose the charge vpon him that had written against the popes power and forsworne it and vntill the protectors death in king Edwards daies did acknowledge the princes supremacie Thirdly it is apparent that the king long time before his death suspected him for a secret traitor and coulde no way abide that he shoulde come in his presence as the Lord Paget and sir Anthonie Browne the Duke of Suffolke and diuers others testified And therefore if any such thing had béene in the kings head he woulde rather haue vsed any other then him At least he woulde haue declared his minde to some of his Counsails beside Gardiner Fourthly I cannot learne that euer the bishop of Winchester did speake these wordes at Paules crosse And therefore most like it is they haue béene forged since and fathered vpon him Lastly if the king woulde haue any such matter handled he woulde not haue sent into Germany but to Rome neither néeded hée to haue doubted but hée shoulde most willingly haue bin receiued if he had entended any such submission Al these points therefore séeme to haue bin deuised by some lying companion stand onely vpon the bare credite of this our wise aduersarie without proofe of any one witnes or record and therefore we may well conclude that the second
a carnall fellow and a méere politicke Hée kept certaine women and his bastardes in his time bore no small swaie in Rome One of them made loue to a mans wife of the house of Glorieri Of whom receiuing some indignitie he brought the Glorieri into hatred with his father Who picking a quarrell to them fined Caesar Glorieri him that set his hand to the sentence of excommunication against the Quéene 100000. ducates and another Glorieri that was clarke of the popes checker chamber he put out of his office and solde it for diuers thousands of duckats So you sée much money made of a baudie matter and you woulde woonder whether all this money went and I beléeue hardly coulde you gesse it I will therefore assure you that all this money went to the Iesuites and was most of it imploied in the building of their colledge at Rome O holie societie and thrise holy colledge erected for the most part by baudrie and maintained as pope Sixtus said by vsurie This may serue for a taste to shew that the best founders that Iesuites haue are carnall and sensuall men that rather then they will frie in purgatorie will giue the Iesuites most of that they haue The second fault of this enumeration is this that it is defectiue For not so many atheistes carnall worldlings and heretickes as christian and catholicke princes zelous and godly bishops and pastors and honest and religious Christians do detest and abhor this wicked generation Princes for the hazard that they haue incurred of their liues and states haue eyther expulsed them and banished them their countries as the French king the Transyluanian and those that professe true religion or had them in iealousie as the king of Poland and diuers papisticall princes Godly Christians haue reason to suspect them and detest them for their abominable doctrine and treacherous and murderous practises Fathers feare them in regard of their children whom they inueigle and steale away The Venetians dissolued a colledge in Padua where gentlemens sonnes were wont to be brought vp for that the Iesuites taking vpon them to teach there corrupted their youth with their vnnaturall lasciuiousnes and restrained them from teaching others then such as were of their own society Husbandes haue them in iealousie for their wiues wiues for their husbands For it is no rare matter for these subuerters of all humanity to draw wiues from husbandes and husbandes from wiues yea sometimes through too much familiarity with women they spoile the men A certaine Magnifico in Venice perceiuing his wiues iewels to be wanting in the end learned that the Iesuites had gotten them To conclude this point I thinke the Iesuites will not deny but that the Carmelites and Franciscanes and Dominicans and othe orders of fryers are as honest men as themselues yet all these do inwardly hate them At Vienna they thrust out the Carmelites at Mentz the Dominicans at Trier and Bransberg the Franciscās out of their houses which maketh these orders to hate them In Bauier the priests béeing brought to pouerty and shame by the Iesuites haue no reason to loue them And thus we sée that many honest men do eyther suspect or hate the Iesuites and some also which they themselues cannot take iust exception against Let vs therefore now consider whether the causes that haue mooued and occasioned this hatred against the Iesuites be iust or no. The discourser saith They are had in hatred and emulation eyther for their rule and profession or for their learning and doctrine or for their life and conuersation But first the parts of this diuision are imperfect next the same conteineth diuers vntruthes and more are added in the declaration of it Lastly the whole defence parted in this diuision is not sufficient to iustifie the course and actions of the Iesuites the imperfection may be prooued by diuers particulars For they are not onely hated for these thrée causes but for diuers others As namely for that they do many things both contrary to their owne rule and contrary to the rule of Gods law and Christian religion They professe obedience but they practise sedition and rebellion Claudius Matthew a Iesuite and king Henry the third of France his confessor was the most principall author and agent in the league of papists against him and the peace established a litle before Parsons and Campian were sent into England to make a faction for the papistes which appeared in this that they procured a faculty to suspend the bull of Pius as farre as it concerned papists no further then Rebus sic stantibus These fellowes are the principall agents and stirrers of the rebellion in Ireland Iames Gordon Creichton and Hayes Iesuites laide a plot not onely for a rebellion in Scotland but for an inuasion in England Neither hath any warre or tumult béene raysed of late in any part of Christendome wherein the Iesuites haue not borne a principall part They professe chastitie and the law of God forbiddeth all vncleannes but how these obserue this profession and law I report me to their owne consciences to the Iesuites of Rome and Padua and to their practise in allowing and now and then frequenting bordelles They talke much of voluntary pouerty and Christ saith all should be left for his sake But these good fellowes leaue Christ for the wealth and ease they find in the order of Iesuites They dwell in costly pallaces their dyet apparrell is more dainty and braue then ordinary The furniture of their houses and churches is gorgious and princely Their armes are placed aboue the armes of princes most couetously they scratch and scrape from the orphane widow and poore and put out their mony to interest their rule and outward profession is to gaine soules but their practise is to kill soules They promise to teach without reward but if a great man will giue them a million they take all Nay they pretend to begge for banished English but take most themselues and by all practises séeke to enrich themselues by bribes and rewardes They professe religion and the name of Iesus but they are the slaues of the pope and oppugne the faith of Iesus preferring the decretals before scriptures in certainty and make a scoffe at religion In Venice they painted the virgine Mary like a Lady in the city whome they loued as a Vita Pij Quinti Pius Quintus cast an Agnus dei into the riuer so these vse the same practise in their coniurations Nay they administer the sacrament to those that go about to murder princes as Walpoole did to Squire First then they are hated for dooing against Gods law and their owne written rules Secondly for their ignorance in true religion Thirdly for that they peruert others by their leud perswasions and euill example Fourthly for that they peruert youth and teach them euill manners Fiftly for that they are not ashamed to defend any old condemned heresie or grosse new error holden by the pope Lastly
your destruction Will you giue credence to those that are by the Italian and Spaniard hired to speake Behold your wiues and children and déerest friends that depend vpon the valor of your harts Will you giue them as a praie to the cruell enimies Represent to your selues the miserable estate of this lande if once the forreine enimie getteth footing Your lawes shall bée abolished your yoong men shall bée slaine the rest shall bée vsed as slaues to serue the conquerors pleasure Who then will not haue care to preuent these dangers Who will not beware of those false rinegued English fugitiues that séeke to bring these troubles vpon vs Who had not rather die then either suffer or see these calamities to happen to his country and nation In Iuliers and the borders of Germany not long since the Spanish soldiers entred as friendes yet such barbarous cruelties and outrages they committed that they excéeded all enemies How then do you thinke they would behaue themselues if they should set foote and beginne to dominéere in England that haue so rauaged countries that eyther were friendes or neutrales The onely way is to secure your selues of false harted Iesuites priestes and their consorts These Iesuites are vntollerable in states that professe popery much more therefore ought they to be suspect and odious to vs. The parliament of Paris by a solemne arrest or decrée did a Records of parliam of Paris banish the whole society or rather verminaille of Iesuites out of France As corrupters of youth perturbers of publike peace and enemies to the king and to the state The colledge of diuines in Paris by a solemne act of all the company did condemne this order as dangerous both to church and common wealth Haec societas say the doctors of Sorbone videtur in negotio fidei periculosa pacis ecclesiae perturbatiua magis in destructionem quà m aedificationem The reasons why they descended to pronounce this hard sentence against them deserue much to be considered The first reason was Because they admitted bastardes a matter much for Parsons his aduantage the second For that they obserued no rules of auncient religions nor canons of the church The third For that they yeelded no obedience to ordinaries the fourth For that they depriued as well ecclesiasticall Lords as temporall of their rightes and troubled both ecclesiasticall and ciuill pollicie The last For that they raysed diuers quarrels contentions and schismes among the people The senate also of Venice perceiuing their encrochements in Padua b The decree of the senate of Venice Forbad the Iesuites to read publikely commaunded them onely to read to their owne societie and that within the walles of their owne colleges Monsieur de Matignon perceiuing that the Iesuites vpon the rising of the league or rather rebelles that conspired against king Henry the third went about to stirre sedition and to deliuer vp Bourdeaux to the leaguers draue them like a packe of seditious rebelles out of the city For their seditious and mutinous behauiour they were lately expulsed out of Transyluania and had béene out of Poland had their side not béene stronger And yet all these that thus procéeded against them were men of the same religion and acknowledged the authority of the pope How seriously then ought we to procéede against them and their adherentes that do know not onely their treasons and seditious practises but also the manifold corruptions and abominations of their hereticall and false doctrine Shall their owne sort and companions driue them out of their states and shall any honest man make question whether it be lawfull to make lawes against them and to procéede against them Why do we not looke vpon Scotland and sée both the mischieuous plots of Iesuites there and their condigne punishments If that Iesuites and priests had not béene suffered to range vp and downe Ireland without punishment neither had this rebellion béene there raised nor woulde it so long haue continued And who doubteth but that this is their deseignement in England if they may be suffred to execute it This I doubt not but our superiors sée and consider and will remedie and therefore fewe wordes may serue This I thought good to speake to iustifie sir Francis Hastings his accusation and more shall bée said as occasion serueth Some priuate men percase thinke the Iesuites to be no such dangerous beasts and some sticke not to recount many fauors done by Parsons to English prisoners in Spaine But if wée consider that the Iesuites do not suffer any man of meane spirite to returne before they haue either entangled him in some trecherous practise or tainted him with the leuen of their heresies or both we shall easily perceiue that this milde course and enlargement of prisoners was rather to worke a correspondence with vs and a remissenesse in our soldiers and mariners that they shoulde not aduenture as in times past knowing that they should bée sent for England and also a maine mischiefe to the state then to do our people any fauor or kindnesse And thus much of the Iesuites crueltie and trecherie Of their false doctrine and heresie this Noddy shall heare sufficiently in some other place CHAP. VI. What is either to be expected or feared in Recusants and practising papists and what credite is to be giuen to the aduersaries sixt encounter ALthough true Christians finde small fauour when they come within the danger of our professed enimies the papists yet do wée not thinke it fitting to follow them in their bloodie crueltie Nay wée had rather learne of a Matth. 11. Christ that was most méeke and gentle as a lambe then of these sauage men that in their crueltie excéed woolues and shew themselues most vnlike to Christ or catholike Christians God forbid therefore that we should perswade or like any rigorous course to bée taken with such papists as offend onely of simplicitie neuer knew any other religion but poperie and neither practise against her Maiesty nor the state nor true religion nor adhere to those that doe it Howbeit if any abuse their libertie and this rare clemency of the state to maintaine a faction and either séeke to stirre vp sedition or to oppresse true religion and those that maintaine it or else adhere receit and fauour such it shoulde not onely not sauour of clemencie to fauour such but also worke a dissolution both of ecclesiasticall and ciuill gouernment to suffer them For to suffer gods worship to be abrogated and idolatrie and false religion to bée established and Christs people to bée seduced by false teachers is plaine impietie to giue way to rebellious and seditious practises against her Maiestie or the state or to winke at them or neglect them is plaine disloialty and vnnaturall trecherie to nourish in our bosomes such as either woulde bring in strangers vpon vs or else séeke opportunitie to cut our throtes themselues is brutish stupidity For the first point wée haue these
scorneth al husbandry and honest trauaile So strange is their doctrine that they woulde alter not onely Christes religion but also rules of state and houshold Where sir Francis telleth vs That he knoweth by experience what hurt womens perswasions haue done in hardening their husbands harts in matters of religion and saith That the night crowes perswasion preuaileth much Hée gibeth at the terme of Night crowes and chargeth the knight with Playing the part either of Iudas to betray Recusants or of Pilate to condemne them or afflict them But first there is great oddes betwixt the recusants that haue nothing either of Christ or of good christians but the bare name Christ Iesus our sauior Hée refused not to come into the temple though abused nor sought to betray his nation into the hands of high priests and forreine enimies These refuse to come to Gods church and are the high priests of Romes seruants and many of them haue too great affection to forreine enimies Secondlie euill do our Iustices deserue these reprochfull termes of Iudas and Pilate for dealing against euill affected subiects a Iustices and other her Maiesties officers stirred vp to do their duties against priestes and recusants by the reproches of the aduersarie and woorse affected Christians and may learne to execute the lawes more exactly séeing for their remissenesse they are called carpet knights and for dooing nothing railed at as if they were as euill as Iudas or Pilate In the meane while wée giue this Noddy to vnderstand that his consorts may much better bée termed Pilates that murder Christ in his members and condemne infinite innocent Christians and therefore in the end they are to looke for the end of Pilate The Recusants likewise may rightly bée resembled to Iudas that woulde so willingly betraie their masters brethren and their owne friendes and countrimen And it is no new thing for sacrificing priests that continually betray kill or immolate Christ as they say to be called Iudasses b 4. Brig 133. onus eccles c. 23. Bridget saith they are woorse then Iudas Corpus meum saith Christ in Brigits prophesies speaking of priests amarius crucifigunt quam Iudaei And againe Maledicti sacerdotes ad me simulatoriè accedunt quafi proditores Thirdly most true it is that simple men are often misledde by the subtile perswasions of péeuish women And therefore may they wel be resembled to black night crowes that are still croking in their husbands eares and entising them both to opinions and workes of darknesse Beside this these nightcrowes are too familiar oftentimes with night walking priests Iesuites that teach them new fashions of shrift and draw them into euill opinions and dangerous practises In Venice they encroched so farre vpon the womens fauour that their husbands forbad them to come any more néere the Iesuites Like fauour haue the Iesuites obtained at the handes of the goodwiues of Milan By meanes of the wiues of Friburge the Iesuites attempted to set dissension betwixt the Cantons of Suizzerland We may not therefore thinke it strange if trecherous priestes worke their feates by the meanes of women Where it is saide that by the leud perswasions of Recusant women many fall away our aduersarie asketh Whether they fall to enormitie of sinne or wickednesse of life As if the Recusants were such saints that they coulde not fall to sinne or wickednesse Certes the common opinion is otherwise For commonly Recusants make lechery and ribaldrie to bée no great sinne And their women make it more nice to go to Gods church then to go to strangers beds It is well knowne that papists allow of bordels and a C. at si clerici De iudi ijs account adulterie and fornication small faults and easilie they dispence with them Heerein England the priests corrupted the Gailors daughter of Wisbich and another priest ranne away with one of Bellamies maides Nay there is a priest in England that confessed how hee shriued fewe women but hee lay with them And yet the simple Recusants neither feele their owne shame nor prouide remedie against these priests of Baal Beside that Recusants are often drawne into strange and disloial practises as appeereth by the examples of Arden Someruil Babington Tichborne and many others But to omit filthinesse of life and trecherie it is fall great inough that simple men oft by leud perswasions fall into the errors and heresies of poperie so many and so gréeuous that popery as it conteineth nouelties aboue the doctrine which wee professe is nothing but a packe of heresies as wee shall particularly shewe héereafter But saith the discourser They are catholikes and haue a scruple to go to the Protestants churches because they thinke their religion is naught And thereupon hée concludeth That religion and conscience is cause of their refusall and not euill will or rebellion But the poore idiots are much abused where they are perswaded that either their owne religion is catholike or that ours is not catholike This is a common song which the popish priests sing in their eares but the note is iarring and the dittie can neuer bée prooued Catholike religion was that which the apostles taught generally throughout the worlde and that is the religion which wée professe in our Créede and finde written in holy scriptures All which we holde and refuse all doctrine contrarie to the same But the papists in their schoolemens commentaries and popish decretals and wicked missals and portuises and such like bookes of Romish deuotion haue brought in not onely a faith diuers from the apostolike and catholike faith but also contrarie to the same Much therefore do we pittie the blindnesse of Recusants that not onely shut their eies against the light and condemne that for heresie which indéede is truely catholike but also embrace falshood and heresies for true religion worshipping angels saints and the virgine Marie yea stockes rotten bones and rags in stead of one true God and embracing antichrist in stead of Christ And all this they do building themselues and their religion either vpon lying legends or popish decretals or vncertaine customes neuer vsed in the catholike church So that heerein there is neither one scrpule of true religion nor any dramme of conscience but onelie blindnesse and wilfulnesse of which afterward ensueth vnnaturall vnkindnesse towards their prince and countrie and wicked practises hurtfull to themselues their déerest friends and countrimen Neither can it excuse them That they are so perswaded in their conscience For all conscience ought to bée grounded on right reason and not vpon this or that fancy Therefore the a Thomas aq 1. p. q. 79. art 12. Siluest in verb. conscientia schoolemen say Quod conscientia est actus synteresis But this synteresis is nothing but a facultie of the minde wherein are principles naturally knowne preserued Saint b Lib. 2. de lib. arb c. 10. Augustine saith Quod in naturali iudicatorio adsunt quaedam regulae
Fourthly after the decay of the Romaine empire for a while Christian religion began to flourish in Rome and that citie of a wicked citie became the church of God But after the desolation of Babylon or new Rome it shall be made The habitation of diuels and the hold of all foule spirits and a cage of vncleane and hatefull birdes Which must néedes be vnderstoode of the destruction of Rome vnder the pope Diuers other reasons also are alleaged in a late treatise a Lib. 5. de pontif Rom. siue eius apost c. 11. De apostasia Pontificis Rom. that most apparently shewe that Rome as it is the seate of the pope is that Babylon and that beast with seauen heades of which Saint Iohn speaketh in his Reuelation Hauing talked his pleasure of Rome and Babylon b P. 94. the Warder with many idle wordes returneth backe to talke of his déere father the pope which sheweth that Babylon and antichrist are of néere affinitie and cannot well bée sundred But what hath hée to say of the pope Forsooth it gréeueth him much that hée shoulde bée called The proud priest and arch-prelate of Rome And yet sir Francis hath therein done him great fauour For if wée will rightly estéeme hée neither deserueth the name of priest nor arch-prelate nor bishop hauing giuen ouer all priestly and bishoplike function and occupying himselfe about worldly affaires and his terrestriall kingdome which to erect hée ouerthrew the empire the whole strength of Christendome and gaue leisure to the Turke to rauage so many christian prouinces and to maintaine it hée hath caused the destruction of infinite Christian people And calling him Proud and Ambitious yet he doth him no wrong For hee taketh to himselfe diuine power and authoritie in his commandements and iudgements and aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is called God Hée taketh on him also power to canonize saints and to giue diuine honors to others and beareth himselfe as lord of the Calendar of saints Hée is borne high on mens shoulders and maketh great princes to attende on him like squires or pages giuing his toe to kisse for a speciall fauour Neither doth hee content himselfe to bée called lord of lordes and Christes Vicar but will néedes bée called c C. satis dist 96. God at the least honored as God on the earth Hée aduanceth himselfe high aboue all earthly princes and presumeth to depose them and take away their kingdomes at his pleasure Oh that Christian princes woulde open their eies and consider how by his pride he hath abused the honor of kinges and troden the maiestie of the emperor and other christian magistrates vnder féete Hée is also greatly offended that the pope is called Bloody monster and in great sadnesse telleth vs That wee must not speake euill of the prince of the people and alleageth the law that condemneth him to death that spoke euill of his father But the â—eely fellow shoulde haue remembred that wée haue shewed him to bee neither the prince of Gods people nor a friend of Gods people And hee himselfe hath declared howe vnwoorthie hée is of the name of father that seeketh to murder and ruinate his children Nay hée is the father of lies heresies wicked practises and of all that either by wicked doctrine or trecherous practise seeke the destruction either of the church or of this state When William the conquerour came against England the pope a Matth. Paris in Wâ—llelm conquest blessed his banners Another pope sent his blessing to the French that in king Iohns time inuaded this countrey Paule the third by all meanes hée could sought the ouerthrow of our nation in king Henrie the eights daies stirring vp forreine enimies abroad and wicked rebels at home to hurt vs and to destroy our countrey Of late time Pius Quintus Gregorie the thirtéenth and Sixtus Quintus haue not onely brought the Spaniards vpon vs but also wrought diuers rebellions in England séeking if they could vtterly to ruinate this state And as they haue done in England so haue they procéeded in France and in the Lowe countries and by their rebellions and practises haue brought to destruction diuers millions of Christians In summe if wée please to read histories we shall finde that the popes are the onely firebrands and enflamers of all the warres of Christendome which Machiauel in his b Lib. 1. Florentine historie doth in plaine termes confesse And haue not wée then reason to call the pope bloodie monster c In Gregorio 6. Platina calleth thrée popes for their cruelties shewed one to another and for their wickednesse Tria teterrima monstra And shall not wée that haue farre greater cause to doe so call them by their names But saith hée More bloud hath beene shedde in London for religion in one yeere then in all the popes territories this twentie It is also maruell that hée saith not that lambes are more cruell then woolues For hée is ashamed of nothing This which hée héere writeth is a most shamelesse and impudent slander For hée cannot shew that for popish religion any at all hath béene executed to death Papists I confesse to the number of some fiftie or thréescore haue béene executed but they were such as either practised treasons at home or came from forreine enimies abroad to the entent to worke mischiefe against the state Who albeit they were woorthily put to death for their offences yet the pope that sent them and set them on is to answere for their blood Compare then the number of those that haue béene massacred in France and executed in Flaunders and that haue by the crueltie of Inquisitors béene done to death in diuers places of Christendome and you shall sée that the pope and papacie is that bloodie purple whoore whose vestures are redde with the blood of saints and whose cruelties haue farre surmounted all other tyrants Now least he should séeme to speake without booke he layeth on his aduersary with textes of scriptures and saith That euery soule should be subiect to higher powers and that there is no power but of God and how he that resisteth power resisteth Gods ordinance And of this he would inferre that those stand in bad tearmes That resist and reuile the pope But all this maketh much against the pope that hath shaken off his princes yoke and stirreth vp rebelles to resist lawfull princes promising them his blessing for their wicked and cursed treasons For the pope this allegation is most fond and sencelesse For it canne neuer be prooued that the popes tyrannicall gouernement both in church and common wealth is of God Let any learned papist for our aduersary is but a séely Noddy shew that the popes gouernement and fulnesse of power which he claimeth ouer all churches is of God Let him also prooue that God hath giuen him an earthly kingdome and authority to depose princes to translate kingdoms to raise warres and rebellions and to cut the throte of Christians
and murder Christes lambes Our aduersary he passeth this ouer without touch and onely telleth vs That the popes power hath beene acknowledged in all Christendome for many yeeres and ages But he lyeth and forgeth in this also For the easterne churches neuer acknowledged this power nor could the pope euer sell his commodities in those countries for any mony The churches of Africke likewise resisted the popes vsurpations and forbad their people to runne to Rome eyther for fauour or iustice The Frenchmen neuer would receiue the sixt booke of decretalles His prouisions the kinges of England would neuer admitte his pilling legates were odious generally to all Christendome Finally albeit his tyranny preuailed much in latter times yet haue a Petr. de Alliac de refor eccl Conciâ— Basil grauam Gâ—â—man honest men declared the discontentement which they haue receiued by his burdensome lawes iniurious excommunications and most shameful exactions and pillages He telleth vs moreouer How Christ said to his Apostles Luk. 10. He that heareth you heareth me and he that contemneth you contemneth me But first he is mistaken in the persons to whome these wordes were spoken For these wordes were deliuered to the seuentie disciples and not to the twelue Beside were these wordes to be vnderstood of the apostles and their successors yet they concerne the pope nothing For he is no apostle béeing neither called immediately of God nor sent into al the world nor ledde into all truth nor being able to make his decretals of authenticall credite Hée is not the apostles successor for hée féedeth not nor preacheth nor doth anie part of apostolicall function Nay hee doth contrary to the apostles fashion murder Gods saints trouble Christian people and resist Christes doctrine The apostles taught such things as Christ gaue theÌ„ in instructions The popes publish nothing but fond decretals and strange doctrine not onely diuers but also in manie points contrarie to Christes Gospell and holy Scriptures But saith N. D. The bishops of Rome be successors in the apostle Saint Peters seat Which I do not altogether deny if he meane the first bishops of Rome which were indéede true bishops and succéeded Peter and other apostles teaching apostolicall doctrine So all other true and godly bishops also were successors of Peter albeit they claymed not this vniuersality and fulnesse of power which the pope pretendeth to belong to him But whatsoeuer the first bishops of Rome were yet this concerneth the pope nothing for he is no bishop nor teacher nor successor in Peters chaire but rather Simon Magus his successor buing and selling not onely sacraments and benefices but also mens soules He succéedeth also the Angelicks in worshipping angels the Carpocratians in dissolutenesse and worshipping images the Collyridians in worshipping the virgin Mary the Manichées in his halfe communions and forbidding of mariage to priests the Pelagians in extolling the force of nature and merit of works and infinite other heretickes in seuerall points of leud doctrine He succéedeth also Nero in the Empire of Rome rather then Peter that was subiect to Neroes gouernement He alleadgeth also the example of the scribes and pharisées and saith That Christ commaunded his disciples to obserue and do whatsoeuer the scribes and pharisees that sate in Moses chayre said to them And to speake truth he hath more reason to compare the pope to scribes and pharisers corrupters of the law then to the successors of Christes Apostles But yet will not this serue his purpose for our Sauiors meaning was to shew that such as sate in Moses seat and taught his law were to be heard albeit otherwise bad men But the popes do not sit in Peters seat nor in Moses chaire nor teach apostolicall or true doctrine Hée telleth vs further That railers shall not inherite Christes kingdome especially such as raile against Magistrates All which wee admitte For it is a sentence condemnatorie against the pope of Rome and his faction that of late time haue taken to themselues infinite libertie in all their writings to raile against christiaÌ„ princes and others not sparing any that is contrarie to their procéedings For witnesse proofe héereof I referre my selfe to the railing buls of Paule the third against Henrie the 8. of Pius quintus and Sixtus 5. against Elizabeth his daughter of Sixtus 5. and Gregorie the 14. against Henrie the third and fourth of France and of Sixtus 5. against the prince of Condey To Sanders Ribadineiraes Rishtons Anniball Scotus the author of the commentarie of the popes late constitutions and other most slanderous and railing libels against Quéene Elizabeth The wise fellow doth also condemne his owne scurrilous railing against sir Francis Hastings Against vs it maketh nothing that onely in plaine termes declare our aduersaries leud dealings sparing all euill termes as much as we can Neither doth this concerne the pope that is neither Magistrate nor good Christian For that which this Noddy writeth How the pope is a spirituall Magistrate and hath a higher degree of authoritie then temporall magistrates and that he doth represent immediately the person of Christ Iesus is nothing but a péece of his frierlike folly and ignorance in spirituall and temporall matters For if such high authoritie had béene giuen him no doubt but wée shoulde long ere this haue séene authenticall writings of this donation and haue heard of the particulars Now wée must take these words as procéeding from a writer of antichristes marke that for Christ woulde commend vnto vs antichrist He telleth vs That all ancient diuines and doctors for aboue a thousand yeeres togither haue taught that it is blasphemie to raile at the bishop of Rome appointed by Christ to gouerne in his place and damnation not to acknowledge his authoritie And yet he is not able to shew either one sound diuine or doctor that hath so taught Nay he is not able to name many canonistes no nor schoolemen that haue so written or spoken Thomas Aquinas a 2.2 q. 13. teacheth him That blasphemie is against God Syluester Prierius b Summa in verb. blasphemia saith Blasphemy is a sinne against God properly which he prooueth by the authoritie of Saint Ambrose and improperly against saints But the pope is neither God nor saint Nay if it bée blasphemy to attribute to man that which is proper to God as the foresaide schoolemen teach then do the papists blaspheme that giue to the pope Christs power to remit sins sticke not to call him a god on earth All ancient fathers of the church had the bishop of Rome in no other estéeme then they had other godlie bishops neither did euer any one suppose that it was damnation not to acknowledge his authoritie Nay his vniuersall authoritie ouer all the church and infinite power in deposing princes not Caluin and Luther but all ancient writers doe gainsay and denie So that vnlesse the Reader haue great patience in this place hée will hardly endure to read so shamelesse and
Peter descended to the pope of Rome Fourthly the aduersaries themselues cannot prooue this succession by any such infallible and certaine deduction as is pretended Wherefore vnlesse this Noddy can shew first that the pope hath succéeded Peter in the generall charge of apostolicall gouernment and teaching throughout the worlde and secondly that the pope is a true bishop pastor and successor of Peter and thirdly that neither the bishops of Antioch nor Caesarea nor Ioppe nor Lydda where Peter taught nor any saue the bishops of Rome succéeded in Peters seate and fourthly that the popes authoritie in giuing lawes in censures exactions dispensations iudgements was generally allowed and neuer contradicted and finally that he still holdeth the apostolike doctrine and faith intirely and admitteth no heresies nor false opinions in religion vnlesse I say he prooue all this he is at the end of his reckoning for the popes authoritie and sheweth himselfe to bée but a vaine babler and a foolish challenger that euen in the midst of danger conueieth himselfe out of the steccato And I do much woonder that all true Christians do not suspect this manner of procéeding and detest the pride and vanitie of this discourser that leaueth his miserable disciples more perplexed then before For he teacheth that vpon paine of damnation they must subiect themselues to the popes authoritie and yet when it commeth to the iumpe he is neither able to iustifie the popes authoritie in making and dissoluing lawes nor in ordering bishops throughout the worlde nor in iudging of controuersies nor authorizing the scriptures nor in dispensing in cases reserued nor in deposing princes nor in raising warres and handling both the swords and such like matters Nay he is not able to prooue that he is Peters true successour or a lawfull bishop He teacheth subiects to rebell and setteth princes to murder Christians and blinde papists blindely obey and yet no warrant can the popes proctor bring to iustifie the popes strange desseines and dooings Onely he endeuoureth in the last end of his pleading for the pope to shew That this land ought especially to respect the sea of Rome for beeing twise conuerted from paganisme to Christian religion and that first by Eleutherius then by Gregory the first which were both bishops of Rome And here he triumpeth and thinking that he hath satisfied his reader with an exquisite and delicate dish at the ending of his papall banquet he taketh away the table and biddeth all his guests Proface and à dieu But if his readers be not more wary while they thinke to be fed with holesome meat they are like to be gulled which googeons This gull certes in this his catastrophe séemeth to haue no other purpose For first it is a méere fable to say that this land was conuerted from paganisme either by the one or by the other of these two For Christianity was in England long before Eleutherius time and stories say he did onely and that by his deputies christen king Lucius And when Augustine the monke came to the Saxons the Britons long before that were Christians Secondly neither did Eleutherius nor Gregory preach the faith here nor giue much aide to the conuersion of the people of this land Onely Eleutherius sent Eluanus and Meduinus two Britons otherwise called Fugatius and Damianus to king Lucius and Gregory sent Austin the monke hither But the Saxons were conuerted by certaine Britons and French that could speake the Saxon language and not by Austin that could do nothing but hould the crosse like a crosier-clerke whiles others preached Thirdly albeit this land had béene conuerted by Eleutherius and Gregory yet this is but a personall fauour rather making vs beholding to those two then to those that succéeded them To prooue that we owe any obedience to the sea of Rome for that cause this argument is all too weake For the church of Rome was first conuerted by those that came from Ierusalem yet doth not Rome yéelde any obedience to the bishops of Ierusalem Nay they haue forgotten Saint Paul whome we are assured preached at Rome and do all depend of Peter Likewise the Phrysons and Germanes were conuerted by Saxons out of England yet do they not subiect themselues to the church of England Fourthly the late popes of Rome haue béene alwayes beholding to the kings and people of this country One king gaue the tribute of peter pence others gaue them great priuiledges and authority by which meanes they drew out infinite treasure out of England Bonner a In praefat in lib. de ver obed saith that the reuenues of the pope out of England were equall to the kings reuenues In requitall whereof the popes haue b Matth. Paris sent to our princes either glasses or feathers or rotten bones or paper lead and such like toies Adrian the fourth gaue to our princes a title to Ireland which he had no power to giue Innocent the fourth to king Henry the thirdes sonne gaue a bare title to the kingdome of Naples which cost infinite treasure in the end prooued a méere mockerie Other popes haue shewed theÌ„selues alwaies opposite to the English nation to the kings of this realme No sooner had the pope intelligence that William of Normandie was purposed to come with a puissant armie to conquer this lande which coulde not be done without great waste wracke and slaughter but hée c Matth. Paris caused his standard and ensignes to bée halowed and blessed So much did it please him to heare of an inuasion of our countrey and so holy a thing did warre and waste of this kingdome séeme vnto him Another pope did vpholde Thomas Becket and his rebellious consorts against king Henry the second fauored his professed enimies and in the end forced him to a most shamefull penance d Matth. Paris in Ioanne Innocent the thirde thundred out his excommunications against king Iohn and stirred vp forreine enimies against him Neither did he euer cease to pursue him vntill such time as he had made both the king himselfe and as much as in him lay all his people tributarie to forreiners At which when the Nobilitie and people of England repined the furious pope in great choler e Ibidem sent out his interdictions excommunications and curses against them and neuer ceased to pursue them as long as he had meanes to hurt them In the warres which the kings of England made in France for the obteining of their right in that kingdome the popes crossed them by all meanes possible and declared themselues vtter enimies to our nation being glad of any calamitie that hapned to vs and sorrowfull for our good successe But neuer did anie declare more malice against any of our kinges then Paule the third against king Henry the eight the Quéenes most noble father as appéereth by his most execrable a D. Sanders de schâ—sm lib. 1. bull which he published against him For therein hée doth not onely curse
the king and stirreth vp both his subiects and forreine enimies against him but also curseth and banneth all his friends subiectes and partakers Their goods hée giueth away for a spoile their persons hée will haue solde for slaues and the waste of the whole lande hée woulde haue remaine as a monument of his holinesses great displeasure Neither did it content him to prosecute the liuing onely vnlesse the dead also were throwne out into the fieldes as vnwoorthy of christian buriall Such is the charitie of his holinesse towards christians and his louing affection toward the English nation Neither was Paule the thirdes fact singular For in our times Pius quintus and Sixtus quintus haue published no lesse odious and scandalous excommunications against her most gracious Maiestie most bitterly cursing her and all her louing subiects then their predecessor did against Henry the eight and his people Further they haue not onely gone about to trouble this state by rebellions but also to subuert it by forreine b The plots were taken vpon Criton a Iesuite Throgmorton and others inuasions Haue wee not then great cause to honor and loue the popes holinesse that hath shewed himselfe so friendly to our princes and nation Wée may do well also to entertaine such priestes and friers as come from him séeing they wish vs no more harme then the destruction of the prince the ouerthrow of religion and the state the slaughter of our people Neither haue they any thing in their vowes but that all our throtes were cut by the Spaniard Nay when neither by open hostilitie nor secret treasons and practise they could preuaile against vs they haue encouraged certaine railing and scurrilous companions by infamous libels to defame her Maiestie to raile on her chéefe Counsellors and to dishonor all our nation and those especially that haue shewed themselues most forward in dooing God and their countrey seruice This prating companion sheweth himselfe verie spitefull albeit hée woulde dissemble it Sanders Rishton Allen Ribadineira and others haue published cart-lodes of slanders and lies against the Prince the Nobilitie and diuers other honest men Finally beside these wrongs and disgraces which concerne matters temporall the popes of Rome haue gone about to wrong vs in matters spirituall which concerne the saluation of our soules For they haue not onely sought to depriue vs of the worde of God in our mothers language of true faith and doctrine of the sincere administration of the Sacraments and of a true ministerie according to Christ his institution but also in lieu thereof to establish the idolatrous worship to stocke and stones of angels of saints departed and to bring into the church the abomination of the masse togither with manifold superstitions impieties and heresies And for this cause they haue secretly sent into this lande diuers a It is thought that aboue 400. of them are dispersed in diuers corners in England troopes of massing priestes and friers all marked with antichristes brand to seduce simple people and to draw them to superstition idolatrie and heresie Wherefore let all true christians and true harted Englishmen open their eies and beware that they be not oppressed both with spirituall and temporall bondage and slauerie This is it which the popes of Rome entend and haue by so many practises laboured this is also the drift of this glauering parasites discourse This the merchants of Babylon and slaues of antichrist which secretly lurke in diuers corners of this lande watching their oportunitie do wholie purpose But remember that you haue faire warning CHAP. VIII Of the Spanish nation and king Philip the second and his practises against England wherein also the eight encountre of our aduersarie N. D. is examined LOth I am and very vnwilling where the different betwixt vs and the Spaniard hath béene so long in deciding by blowes to begin any long contention about words termes It is a cōmon saying words are light as winde and men of action in wordes commonly vse least ostentation Beside that I holde it no good course to set out inuectiues against princes and especially such as are now departed this life and haue receiued their guerdon whether they haue done good or euill The popes and their parasites take to themselues libertie in infinite slanderous pamphlets to disgrace all men opposite to their faction neither sparing prince nor priuate person liuing nor dead but all honest men detest this frierlike fashion I thinke it also a vaine thing to recount matters formerly past that concerne vs little or nothing But yet seeing this pratling and busie felow our aduersarie will néedes haue the Spanyards and their late king the subiect of this encounter and like a fugitiue traytor sticketh not to aduance them aboue his owne nation and to pleade their cause against his owne prince and country I am content thus farre to reason of them as that men may learne how farre to trust them and vnderstand that we haue no reason either to feare their force or to yéelde them any superiority or to thinke better of the Spanyard then of our owne nation Lastly least any might suppose our aduersary to haue spoken wisely and learnedly I will briefely runne ouer his discourse and note the leudnesse and vnsufficiency of his pleading His vnnaturall and vnkind dealing against his prince and nation before which he taketh on him to preferre the Spaniard I néede not to note for it is too too apparent and sufficientlie knowne to any that will take paines to read ouer his idle discourse The time hath béene when the English and Spaniardes did well agrée as appeared not onely by mutuall trade and conuersation of both nations one with another but also by diuers publike contractes and leagues made betwixt them Sometime the kinges of England matched with the house of Spaine and sometime the Spanish kings haue had their wiues out of England and both of them estéemed much of the amity eache of other albeit the Spaniard hath béene more happy to receiue more profit of this coniunction with England then our nation by our matches and linking with the house of Spaine For by the aide of our archery the Spaniardes diuers times haue obteined victory against the Mores and Don Pedro king of Castile béeing expulsed by his subiects by the blacke prince and the English forces was restored to his kingdome Neither could Ferdinand king of Spaine so easily haue possessed the kingdome of Nauarre had not the forces of English sent for his aide by king Henry the seuenth distracted the French so that they could not come in time to succor their friends distressed Contrarywise king Edward the first matching with the house of Castile receiued smal aduancement as is declared in the chronicle of a In Henric. 3. Matthew of Paris and king Henry the seuenth matching with Catherine of Spaine presently lost his sonne and heire The same woman also béeing maried afterward to king Henry the eight was like to
that this should cost the Queene many a bitter teare Let the quarels be specified witnesses produced to prooue the Quéenes tendernesse more to Spaniards then her owne people Fiftly hée telleth a very pitifull case viz. That no Spaniard coulde walke in the night without danger of his life nor at other times without iniurious wordes and that they paide deere for all things especially if they were taken talking with a mans wife daughter or seruant and as a certaine Viceroy tolde him that some English would send their wiues daughters of purpose into the fieldes where Spaniards walked to allure them to talke with them and thereby to entrappe them and get money from them and that diuers of the Spaniardes had their purses taken from them that the Count Fuensalida was robbed as he was at supper with diuers of his countrymen All which long discourse is as farre from the purpose as Spaine from England For what doth this concerne king Philips vertues or the state of England which are the points which héere he taketh on him to handle Must the state of England consist now in the brabbles betwixt the scum of the kings traine and a fewe bandes and base fellowes about their Sen̄oras Further the same doth rather shewe the insolency of the Spaniards then deserue any commiseration for the losses or knockes they priuily receiued For why shoulde they be suffred to abuse honest women or to attempt maidens chastitie Will N. D. our Warder play the baud to make matches betwixt knaues and whoores and mislike that there was not a guard set while such lend fellowes went about their base affaires Againe it may be that it was not a Viceroy for what hath such a Noddy or vice as this to do with Viceroies or viceroies to do with such petite matters but some vice that purposed to delude him that tolde him the tale of these walking womē or walking knaues For how could he know that they were mens wiues or daughters if he were a stranger or else that they were sent for that purpose that he speaketh into the fields how knew he but that it was a quarrell betwixt knaues bauds how knew he that the Spaniards did not willingly bestow their mony vpon baggages being men that frequent the bordell as oft as the church As for the robbery of the Count Fuensalida if any such thing were it no more concerneth the honor of our nation then the robberies by Fuorusciti in Italy Naples the honor of the king of Spaine Robberies disorders wil euery where be committed but we praise them not we allow thē not Neither did Quéene Marie then allow this foresaid robberie And rather then the old Count should wéepe for his plate he shall haue a collection in part of recōpence for his losses All this great matter therefore being well considered is nothing neither hath our aduersarie any reason to exclaime and say That these were the fine fruites of our new Gospell then freshly planted among vs. For those that did these feates were papists and not men of our religion and these disorders were committed in Quéene Maries time when popery was publikely professed in England and not in the time of the Gospell Againe the Spaniards and not any of our profession vsed to haunt bordels and to make these baudy matches And if in states that professe the Gospell there be diuers outrages committed they cannot bée imputed to our profession but to the leudnesse of those that will not bée reformed and that liue among vs and are not of vs. Which kinde of people are both reprooued by their teachers and punished by the magistrates Hauing thus for his pleasure ranged farre from the matter in an idle discourse cōcerning certaine brabbles betwixt the English and Spanish in Quéene Maries daies he commeth to his purpose concerning king Philip and gladly would he purge him from all suspicion of euill meaning towards our nation contrary to a letter mentioned by Sir Francis and written out of Spaine when king Philip was yet in England The letter purported that notwithstanding the kings faire pretenses his purpose was to winne the fauour of the nobility and so to make himselfe absolute king and possessing the principall places with his owne souldiers to alter the lawes and to impose taxes and rule the country at his pleasure And this the warder by all meanes séeketh to shift off and to discredite and that first Because these plots and practises were neuer heard of before as he saith But he must néedes be deafe that liued in Quéene Maries daies in any eminent place in the state that heard not often of these practises and very dull and sencelesse if he suspected them not Neither is it likely that such a prince would desire to come hither if he should still be tied with conditions Secondly he saith That the name of the writer and receiuer of the letter would haue beene set downe But that might haue bred daunger the letter béeing written against Spaniardes that then ruled in England Neither is it the fashion for intelligencers to declare either their owne names or the names of such as they write vnto Thirdly he would auoide it by this shift That it was some flying report without ground and taken vp in some port-towne or tauerne by some factor or other wandring companion But the probability of the plot and procéeding of the Spanyard and the euent of thinges did shewe the contrarie Fourthly he would beare vs in hand That it was some deuise to make the Spaniards odious and perhaps to vphould the faction of the earle of Deuonshire that missing the mariage of Queene Mary began to practise But the ambition and malicious purpose of the Spaniardes against all that professed the truth and his procéedings in the gouernement did plainely declare that it was a truth and no fiction As for the earle of Deuonshire he neuer desired to marry the Quéene For if he had he might Such was her affection towards him Neither did he euer take any gréefe for not marrying her for his affection was no way enclined that way Neither could he poore gentleman entertaine any practise béeing destitute of friends and meanes watched by his enemies of no subtill reache to compasse any such matter I wonder the Noddy was not ashamed once to name this yong earle who albeit innocent and harmelesse yet was poysoned at Padua to content some mens humors But our aduersarie as if he were a smith and of Vulcans generation as his supposed father was canne forge twentie such deuises and shift off wicked practises with a number of loose wordes He saith It is a grieuous and heinous slander against a mightie munificent and bountifull monarke to say that he meant to make himselfe king As if mighty and munificent monarkes do not in their ambitious humors séeke to enlarge their dominions That this was no fiction it may appeare by the drift of Charles the fift entending this mariage
first warres murder those of the true religion and shut out the rest Did they not in all other places as oft as they were the stronger séeke to murder them The matter is apparent and recorded in many histories Neither may wée thinke wée shall better agrée with them héere then others haue done in other places Light and darkenesse shéepe and woolues cānot agree togither And albeit our doctrine will not suffer vs to persecute papists yet their doctrine teacheth them to kill vs. And that is their continuall practise Finally this petition is most vnreasonable in respect of the petitioners themselues They will not grant or procure our brethren libertie in Spaine and Italy and yet they are so shamelesse to aske that which they will not grant vs or procure for vs otherwhere Againe they desire to liue vnder her Maiestie and yet they will not renounce her sworne enimie and his vsurped authoritie nor acknowledge her to bée lawfull Quéene although the pope do depose her Nay they giue her enimie power ouer her which by lawes of state is not sufferable Thirdly they haue héeretofore shewed themselues rebellious and factious How shoulde wée then secure our selues that they will behaue themselues more loyally héereafter Why shoulde wée thinke that they will do otherwise then the Irish rebels that haue shaken off her Maiesties gouernement They say they will behaue themselues peaciblie nay percase they will not sticke to sweare it But how shoulde wée beléeue either oathes or promises when they depend vpon the pope that will suffer them to kéepe neither I conclude therefore that to aske a toleration of the masse and of popish religiō is a matter impious vnsafe for her Maiestie and her people and most vnreasonable For it is contrarie to the a Exod. 20. Deut. 13. law of God that forbiddeth all idolatrie to the doctrine of Christ b Matth. 15. That excludeth all humane deuises in gods worship to the doctrine of the c Ephes 4. apostle that teacheth vs That there is but one Lord one faith and one baptisme to the practise of ancient Christians d Ioan. epist 2. That would not receiue those into their house or bid them god speede that brought not with them Christes true doctrine to the authoritie of fathers holy emperors and princes that by no meanes could endure any idolatrous worship or hereticall doctrine to the custome of the Romish synagogue and the traditions of the pope and his e Posseuini bibliotheca selecta lib. 1. c. 26. Iebusites and Cananites and finally to the lawes of the church and kingdome of England which without great consideration are not to be dissolued or suspended Neither can the same bée allowed by any good Christian or loyall subiect séeing it bringeth with it first an vncertaintie of faith and religion secondly a confusion in Gods worship thirdly a dissolution of ecclesiasticall gouernment discipline fourthly an ouerthrow of lawes and ciuill pollicie fiftly an entrance for seditious priests and Iesuites not tolerated euery where among the papists sixtly an easie meanes to practise against the prince and state seuenthly a coldnesse in religion eightly sedition trouble and rebellion Lastly the wrath of God and most spéedie destruction And that this is true the very f Ibidem aduersaries will not denie within the sphere of their actiuitie and in their owne gouernment Why then shoulde they looke for that at our hands which they will not yéeld vnto themselues Or with what face can they desire thinges so impious and vnlawfull First saith our aduersary Great princes and monarchies round about vs that had greater difficulties and differences then we haue He should haue said Monarkes and Neere vnto vs. For not monarchies but monarkes do treate of peace And the kings of France and Spaine dwell not round about vs but néere vnto vs. But we must beare with our great aduersary if talking of princes and states he forgot to vse fit wordes or make good sence Beside that he is much deceiued where he saith That they had greater differences difficulties in concluding of a peace then we haue For all ciuil causes may be compounded But no composition can be made with false religion or idolatry Againe kinges may agrée concerning temporall titles but we cannot agrée with the pope or his faction vnlesse we meane to forsake God and the true Christian faith Well let vs sée notwithstanding what These great princes and monarchies round about vs haue doone They haue saith hee concluded a most honourable peace and friendship And I will not deny but it may be so albeit diuers small accidentes may much alter the case But what maketh that for this purpose where it is debated whether the idolatrous masse is to be tolerated or any other course to be takē with English fugitiues and home-bred papistes If we might haue an honorable profitable and most assured peace it is the thing that we do much affect and desire neuer prosequuting warres but for our owne defence and safety But what is this peace héere spoken of to the toleration of seditious priests and Iesuites and such rebels and traytors Can wée haue no peace but by suffering of exiled and banished rebels and traytors to returne Why that is the extremest calamity that a ruined common wealth canne suffer Perditae ciuitates saith a Lib. 5. in Verrem Tully desperatis omnibus rebus hos solent exitus exitiales habere vt damnati in integrum restituantur vincti soluantur exules reducantur Againe we are not at warre with recusantes or papistes Why then should he talke of peace and friendship héere Therefore he telleth further How the French king is returned to the sea of Rome and that her Maiesty is courteously inuited to the same And is this the onely meanes of peace Sure then any warre is better then such a peace For if wée respect onely temporall matters yet to yéeld to a tyrant is the last and most extreme calamity that happeneth to a natiō vanquished and subdued and no prince can put himselfe vnder another but he giueth ouer his soueraignty Beside that suppose her Maiesty should yéeld to the pope which without indignation cannot be spoken nor yéelded vnto by any true English man how is she sure that she shall either reteine or recouer her crowne he hauing disabled her and dispossessed her of it Shall she begge a crowne at his handes Shall she do penance at his pleasure Will she abandon her selfe and her subiectes to such a base fellow Fye fye that any should be suffered once to motion such a shamefull and an abominable matter But if we respect religion truth and conscience we cannot submitte our selues vnto him we cannot acknowledge his authority we may not embrace his abominable doctrine and heresies whatsoeuer may ensue of it Hée is the head of antichristes kingdome and the synagogue of Rome is the purple whoore mentioned in the seuentéenth of the Reuelation
of saint Iohn His whoorish allurements to idolatrie and heresie wée value not And if this bée meanes of peace and no other then welcome warres nay welcome rather death For who had not rather endure ten thousand deathes then die the second death and kill his owne soule Our aduersarie saith that her Maiestie hath béene inuited curteously to come to the pope But we thinke it strange curtesie to stirre vp rebels against her to curse her to hire desperate cutthrotes to murder her and empoison her But were shée inuited curteously yet simple are the birdes that suffer themselues to be taken at the foulers call Vlysses heard the Sirenes songs but hée would not come néere them As for the French kinges example it is not to purpose Hée to winne a kingdome might do as it pleased him but if her Maiestie shoulde so do shée shoulde hazard that kingdome which shée possesseth already quietly rather then winne one poore towne or hamlet Nay shée shoulde hazard her soule Beside that her Maiestie is rather to follow the examples of godly kinges that abolished idolatrie of godly emperours that woulde not admit heresies in their states of her noble father that ouerthrew the popes vsurped tyrannie in this land her owne former noble actions then others Of the French kings act wée dispute not Onely wée desire God to open his eies that hée may sée how he standeth Secondly hée telleth vs of the qualities of Clement the eight and the king of Spaine reporteth him to be A meeke milde sweete and holy man and calleth king Philip Salomon the peacible And certes euill shoulde hée deserue his hire if he did not set out these his two old masters with extrauagant praises But as in the fairest monuments and most glorious sepulchres there is ofttimes nothing but rotten bones so I thinke while men thinke in these two to finde treasure they shall finde nothing but rotten bones and corruption Clement the eight is a seuere persecutor of Christians and not very gentle to cacolykes as appéereth by the excommunication of Don Cesare Duke of Ferrara against whom hée thundred with fire and sworde and manie foule words Outwardly hée pretendeth to bée a shéepe but inwardly hée is a rauening woolfe a saint in shewe but indéede of a filthie and a When he was in Minoribus he was knowne to be a great hanter of bordels vncleane life A bishop in name but indéed antichrist King Philip is now dead and loth I am to rake into his ashes further then I néedes must especially hauing saide much of him alreadie But the name of Salomon no man can deserue woorse then hée being neither extraordinarily wise nor very studious of peace of which two his best friendes do testifie the first and the latter is prooued by his troublesome reigne that neuer was without warres either with French Dutch Italians Portugals or English But were the first neuer so milde yet his office is wicked his doctrine heretical his practises detestable and were hée not so yet what peace can bée honorable that bringeth with it slauerie or composition firme with him that kéepeth no faith nor promise Neither can wée looke either for honorable or sound dealing with the Spaniard so long as hée dependeth on the pope Hée may percase desire fauour for his faction but will yéelde no exemption from inquisitors to true Christians Hée will desire to trade with vs wée shall not I thinke trade into the Indies Finally hée will not yéelde vs and our associates either reasonable and equall conditions or firme assurance If hée please to doe it and can do it I knowe none but is most desirous of peace Thirdly hée saith There is no cause of doubt of dutifull behauiour of English cacolykes at home and abroad But his saying sheweth that he hath neither shame nor honestie in auouching thinges so false What Is there no cause for vs to doubt when wée sée how they are linked to the greatest enimies this kingdome hath and take themselues neither bounde by oath nor affection further then the pope giueth them leaue Do wée looke for more loialtie at their handes then wée haue already founde at the handes of their predecessors and consorts Do wée thinke that sodainly these serpents will cast off their skins or loose their stinges Do we not sée how vndutifully the papists haue behaued themselues in Ireland and how they haue reuolted from their liege soueraigne and that these warres were stirred by priestes and Iesuites Haue we not heard what massacres they haue committed in France and how they haue leagued and confederated themselues against their kinges Do wee not knowe howe in England they haue rebelled against their Souereigne Ladie and sought to murder her and empoison her and betray her and her countrey into the handes of Spaniards and forreine enimies What impudencie then or rather furie doth possesse this Noddy that he shoulde say that There is no feare of their dutifull behauiour He answereth that Their first and highest desire is that her Maiestie woulde returne to the sea of Rome and that by this act all difficulties and iealousies woulde be ended and taken away But hée may as well say that by yéelding to the Spaniards all controuersies woulde be ended Certes as well may the one be done as the other and yet neither without manifest impietie against religion without perpetuall dishonour to our nation and vtter destruction of the countrey This is the woorst that can happen to a nation shamed spoiled beaten vanquished and yet with these execrable rinegates it is the first and highest point that they desire as themselues confesse seeking nothing more then our hurt dishonor and destruction They studie to ruinate religion to bring her Maiestie their countrey into slauerie Nay and when they haue their desire they are nothing néerer For they may not thinke that all English men are so base that euer they will endure either the idolatrous masse or the tyrannie of the pope or the cōmand of strangers Neither can any true English endure to receiue conditions either from pope or Spaniard much lesse that they shall haue power to dispose of this crowne and gouernment If then this be their desire we are come to a full stoppe this as long as wée liue neither will nor can with honor or safetie or conscience be yéelded Their second desire is as their proctor telleth vs That they may haue the same libertie for their consciences in England that our brethren haue in France and Germany But wee haue answered alreadie that it were impious dishonorable dangerous and vnprofitable to grant any such matter Neither is the case of France and Germanie like to this countrey There religion was alwaies openly professed and that by grant of princes and consent of the people Héere poperie since her Maiesties gouernment was neuer permitted But if our aduersarie coulde assure vs that our brethren in Spaine and Italy might without danger professe the Gospell and that
consort of malicious traytors and an abbettor and nourisher of men euill affected in their malcontentment Nay albeit his colour were better cast yet were his pleading vnsufficient seeing true religion cannot stande with rebellion or disloyaltie nor may true catholikes be suffered to oppugne their prince and countrey to practise trecherie against the state and to nourish malcontent humours among subiects But if it appeere that the Romanistes are not the true church and that their religion is neither catholike nor ancient nor true then must it needes be granted that N. D. and his consorts are not onely malicious traytors but also impious heretikes It is also very plaine that all his wrangling encounters are built vpon fancies and supposals without grounde and foundation and are no better then malicious inuectiues degorged against good men and idle pretenses to colour the practises of enimies traytors and heretikes For euery traytor can pretend that he is a true patriot and Catiline and his consorts and all rebels vse to set a glosse of common good vpon their priuate wicked deseignements and treasons All societies also of heretikes will take vpon them as true Christians as saith a Lib. 4. institut cap. vlt. Lactantius and suppose themselues to be the catholike church Tertullian saith b Lib. 4. contr Marcion That as waspes make honycombes so the Marcionites pretend to make churches albeit indeed they were no true churches Nouatian like apes that counterfeit men saith c Epist 73. Cyprian woulde challenge to himselfe the authoritie and truth of the church albeit he be not of the church but a rebell and enimie set vp against the church Which fitteth our aduersary very well who if he had his yellow ierkin were a very ape or an apish Iebusite entitling himselfe and his companions with the name of the church But if he had beene a foxe as well as an ape and had but had a foxes wiles he would haue made bâ—tter proofe of his maine groundes which not being 〈◊〉 is a maine maime of his whole cause Now to the intent that thou maiest perceiue that all his building is either without foundation or vpon a marrish ground that will beare no such great worke I haue thought good for thy satisfaction to challenge him once more into the fielde and to make triall of his manhood in fiue new encounters which do much concerne his cause and credite For as before I haue shewed him and his consorts to be perfect traytors and Recusants and malcontent papists to be verie sorie and defectiue subiects so nowe God willing I purpose to shew first That papists are no true catholikes secondly That their religion as it differeth from that which we professe is a packe of nouelties thirdly That it is patched vp of many old heresies fourthly That the Romish church is not the true church and lastly that N. D. his consorts whether they were Iesuites or priests or their adhaerentes that haue beene executed to death according to the lawes of England are to be esteemed traytors and not martyrs And this in defence of her Maiesties iustice or rather clemencie For if she woulde do them iustice then woulde not she suffer them to liue as subiects that will not directly acknowledge her to be their Queene and lawfull souereigne especially where the pope saith contrarie If she did her-selfe right she woulde not tolerate a faction notoriously opposite to her gouernment If she did iustice she woulde not suffer such to enioy wealth and honors life that adhere to forreine enimies that seeke the destruction of the common-wealth the dishonour of this state the ruine and bloud of all that stande well affected to religion and the state And that Parsons and the priests that come out of Spaine and are sworne to maintaine the Infantaes title and are reconciled or adhering to the pope are all culpable of these treasons it is so cleered by the former discourse and by the last chapter of this that I thinke it may be felt of blinde men and not onelie discerned by those that haue eies to looke into the state The rest maketh for defence of our religion which no mâ—n can reprooue but such as haue drunke deepe of the cup of the purple harlot spoken of Apocalyp 17. and are sworne slaues to the pope and professed enimies not onely of religion and the state but also of their owne good in this worlde and of their eternall saluation in the worlde to come Beware therefore my good countryman for so I must account thee vntill I see thee declare thy selfe open friend to popish traytors and enimie to thy counrrey that harkening to the Sirens songs of Iebusites and priestes enimies to gods true religion not onely to their prince countrey thou be not swallowed vp in the gulfe of their heresies and treasons They lead thee not to the rocke Christ Iesus vpon which the church is built but to the a Bellar. praefat in lib. de pontif Rom. rocke the pope and the bankes of his sandie inuentions vpon which thou must needs wracke thy selfe if thou shun them not quickly True religion is grounded vpon Christs word reuealed to vs in the holy canonicall Scriptures all which we professe according to the rule of the true catholike church And for this truth we doubt not to giue our liues so assured we are of our profession where as thou as long as thou continuest a papist hast no warrant but the popes worde which to say no woorse is ignorant of true religion and apostolike faith and subiect to many errors and infirmities Read therefore indifferently and iudge syncerely and vprightly and the God of truth guide thee into the way of iustice and truth CHAP. I. That papists are no true Catholikes FRuitelesse it is and almost endlesse to contend much about names and titles but especially in causes of religion For as a In Apolog. Iustin Martyr saith b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true religion Consisteth in good workes rather then good termes and the c Ad Tit. 3. apostle exhorteth Titus and all true teachers to auoide contentions and quarrels about words of the lawe Yet forasmuch as manie simple people are abused by false teachers taking vpon them glorious names and titles and looke onely vpon the shéepes clothing that is outward and not on the wooluish nature of priestes and friers that is inward I thought it not amisse to shew what this name Catholike importeth and to whom the same truely belongeth and how dangerous it is to trust euery one that taketh to himselfe the name of a Catholike The Iewes d Ioan. 8. called themselues The children of Abraham and bragged much of the e Hierem. 7. Temple of God and of f Rom. 2. the lawe But the apostle teacheth vs that not euerie one that in name and outward shew was a Iew deserued so to be estéemed and taken g Epist 83. Leo speaking to certaine monkes saith Ecclesiae
exeuntes quia ipsi sunt scurriles leues volatiles rodentes sacras literas virides paganicae philosophiae sequaces quasi equi currentes sic illi in vanam disputationem 22. True catholikes haue alwaies shewed themselues obedient to their princes and performed their othes of allegiance They neither sought to murder them nor to depriue them of their crownes Dauid albeit he was gréeuously and vniustly persecuted by Saule yet did he not lay his hands vpon his prince albeit God had taken away the kingdome from Saul and giuen it to him The Israelites rebelled not against their kinges although they were wicked But papistes rebell against princes and neglect all promises and othes made to them as oft as the pope shall excommunicate them Nay the pope and his adherents excommunicate lawfull princes and pronounce sentence of deposition against them their associates make warres vpon them popish subiects are encouraged to rebell and are promised great rewardes and eternall blessednesse if they can kill the Lordes annointed as hath béene sufficiently alreadie declared by diuers examples In the rules or a Apud Ioseph Vestan de oscul ped pontif dictates of Gregorie the seuenth the twelft is That the pope hath power to depose the emperor The eight That hee may lawfully vse the ensignes of the emperour The 27. That hee hath power to absolue subiectes from their alleageance And this diuers late popes haue attempted and practised The which as it sheweth them to bée no catholikes so it prooueth them to be woorse then Turkes and Infidels which alwaies haue had a reuerend regard of their princes and superiors 23. True catholikes beléeued onely to haue remission of sinnes from Christ Iesus and neither trusted in indulgences nor Iubilies nor in pilgrimages to Rome or to other places But the Romanists without the popes pardons thinke themselues in no securitie and presuming of his fauour commit murthers and marie incestuously and do many outrages and villanies 24. True catholikes embrace all that doctrine which our Sauiour Christ commanded his apostles to preach to all nations throughout the worlde and refuse to heare those that preach otherwise and teach another kinde of doctrine But the papists haue not onely embraced diuers nouelties of which Christes apostles knew nothing but false heresiâ—s contrary to the doctrine of Christ and his apostles Which for that it is a principall argument to conuince them to bée no catholikes shall particularly God willing be demonstrated in the two chapters following Héeretofore wee haue shewed them to bée no catholikes for that their doctrine was neither generally taught nor receiued of al true catholikes now they shall bée prooued to bée no catholikes for that diuers points of their religion are either new deuises and fantasies not taught by the apostles nor receiued of the apostolicall and catholike church or else olde heresies condemned for such by the catholike church of ancient time CHAP. II. That diuers positions and principles of popish religion are meere nouelties and new deuises vnknowne to the most ancient and true catholike church of Christ IT may percase séeme strange especially to such papists as are but yoonglings and nouices in the Iesuites schoole that the religion of popes which is commonly called The olde religion shoulde now bée charged with noueltie and condemned by testimony of antiquitie Yet if wee please not onely to consider these later ages but also to looke backe to the apostles times and the ages next succeeding we shall assuredly finde by enumeration of many particulars that popish religion as it differeth from the religion now generally receiued and professed in the church of England is a new vpstart religion and full of nouelties and late receiued fancies For in religion that is onely to bée accounted ancient that is deriued from Christ and from his apostles Antiquitas mea saith a In epist. ad Philadelph Ignatius Christus est That is Christ is the originall from whence wée fetch our antiquitie b Lib. 4. contr Marcion Tertullian saith that the religion taught by the apostles is most ancient and from the beginning and most true Id vertus quod prius saith hée id prius quod ab initio id ab initio quod ab apostolis Saint c Epist 65. ad Pammach Ocean Hierome reiecteth all for newe that was not taught by the apostles Cur profers in medium saith hée quod Petrus Paulus edere noluerunt d Contra haeres c. 25. Vincentius Lirinensis calleth him a true catholike That doth onely beleeue and holde whatsoeuer the ancient catholike church did vniuersally beleeue Qui quicquid vniuersaliter antiquitùs ecclesiam catholicam tenuisse cognouerit id solum sibi tenendum credendumque decernit But the ancient church is not this late Romish church within this fiue or sixe hundred yeeres but the apostolike and primitiue church Now whatsoeuer commeth from late popes albeit the same hath had some hundreds of yéeres coÌ„tinuance yet is the same new and no part of the ancient catholike religion for that it hath no beginning from Christ nor from the apostles nor was vniuersally receiued of the most ancient church of Christ That corruption I say of poperie is new which the church of England refuseth as appéereth by diuers particular points First the very chéefe groundes and principles of popish religion and the lawes whereby they stande haue no greater antiquitie then from Iohn the 22. Clement the fift Boniface the eight Gregorie the ninth or to go to the highest from Hildebrand otherwise called Gregory the seuenth for from him doth a Bullarium hée that made a collection of all the popes buls and lawes fetch their first originall Before that it may be diuers bishops and popes wrote decretall epistles but vntill this time they had no force of law Nay before this time all histories do teach vs that the church was gouerned partly by the lawes of Emperors and partly by the canons of councels Now that the decretals of the popes being receiued and authorized for lawes are the foundation of popish religion it is apparent For therein all the nouelties of the Romish church are confirmed and established And b In praefat ante relect princip doctr Stapleton doth in plaine termes affirme so much In hac docentis hominis authoritate saith hée in qua deum loquentem audimus religionis nostrae cognoscendae fundamentum necessariò poni credimus And generally all papists confesse that the pope is the souereigne iudge in matters of religion Whereupon it followeth that his determinations and decretals are the chéefe groundes of popish religion Secondly the apocryphall Scriptures of Toby Iudith Wisdome Ecclesiasticus the two bookes of the Machabees and the additions extant in the Latine translation and not in the original bookes which are as second grounds of popery were not declared of equall authoritie with other canonicall scriptures before the councell of Trent At that time also was the Latin vulgar translation made
they beléeue as deliuered by the Romish church Yet are their traditions most false their legends most fabulous If frier Parsons will maintaine the contrary let him prooue to vs the ceremonies and parts of the masse to haue come from Christ Iesus that the legends of Dominike and Francis are true That b Legenda de Catharina di Siena Italic Catharine of Siena had her face transformed like to Christes face and that she was lifted vp into the aire and maried to Christ that Saint Francis was likewise made conformable to Christ and had his fiue woundes printed in his bodie and that all those miracles reported in the legendes are true Likewise hée must prooue that all the shamelesse writings which the popes and their agents haue published of late time are true or else all the world will condemne them for false teachers and wicked heretikes Thirdly their whole course of life and all their actions haue sufficiently declared them to be a faction opposite both to true religion now professed in England and also to her Maiestie and the estate And that they are opposite to our religion themselues professe albeit they deny it true which notwithstanding in diuers treatises wée haue iustified and shall alwaies bée ready to iustifie the same both in publike disputation and writing as oft as occasion shall serue The rest wée shall now declare I haue héeretofore brought proofes that the papists opposed themselues to her Maiestie both since and before her entrance into the kingdome This moreouer you shall vnderstand of Sanders or Rishton or both men hired to speake villany of their prince coūtry Saepe conata est Maria say c Sanders de schism lib. 3. they illam nempe Elizabetham ab omni successionis sorte c. excludere And no doubt whatsoeuer Quéene Maries meaning was it is certaine the popish faction had that intention And when it pleased God to frustrate their purposes and intentions yet woulde they not yeelde her any hartie obedience The popish prelates refused to consecrate her and hardly coulde one bée got amongst many to accomplish that ceremonie but rather they incited the French king Henry the second to proclaime Marie Quéene of Scots Quéene An impudent companion a L. Innocence de la Roine d'escoss doth I confesse impudently denie it But Sanders his owne consort doth conuince him of lying Mortua Maria b Lib. 3. de schism saith hée Henricus Galliarum rex c. nurum suam Scotorum reginam Henrici octaui proneptim Parisijs pro concione Angliae Hiberniae Reginam declarandam curauit Neither did this claime cease vntill the French by force being cōstrained to depart Scotland in the capitulation betwixt them and vs at Léeth it was agréed that the Scottish Quéene shoulde no more entitle herselfe Quéene of England nor beare the armes of England That this trouble was procured by papists it is no question They also c Ibidem determined to excommunicate the Quéene and when that séemed daungerous they complained to the pope and stirred vp forreine princes against the Quéene and state all which bée pointes of high treason for which if they had béene called in question law woulde haue adiudged them traytors That they were not so cléere as is pretended it appéereth for that their conscience accusing them some fledde beyond the seas others began to plot a rebellion which afterwarde broke out anno 1569. And to make the side the stronger Thomas Harding about the yéere 1567 was sent with faculties into England to reconcile the people to the pope and to draw them from the prince Not long after pope Pius the fift at the solicitation of diuers of them published his excommunication against her Maiestie depriuing her of her kingdome assoiling her subiectes from their obedience and by the meanes of Nicholas Morton a factious priest causing the earles of Northumberland and Westmerland and diuers other papists to take armes against her Being ouerthrowne in that rebellion and considering that all was for want of number and force they erect one Seminarie at Doway ann 1569. and another at Rome ann 1579. which by the yéere 1584. did f Sanders de schism lib. 3. sende some 300. priestes into England anno 1579. they sent Sanders and diuers priestes into Ireland where finding the people readie they presently enflamed a rebellion the which though suppressed for a time yet by the perswasions of Archer and other Iesuites and Owen Mac Teag and other seditious priests hath since flamed very bright brought all that countrey into trouble combustion Anno 1580. Parsons and Campian and their consorts came into England with large authoritie to make way for the execution of the popes bull Of which company Campian refused directly to acknowledge her Maiestie to bée his lawfull Quéene and woulde not disallow the trecherous writings of Sanders and Bristow as appéereth vnder his owne hande writing The rest applied their businesse in working discontentment in the common sort and setting on Somerfield Parry and diuers others to kill the Quéene Ballard a seditious priest was set on to drawe Babington Tichborne and their consorts to attempt that which other coulde not performe And that hath béene the continuall labour of Parsons Holt Creswell Walpoole Worthington Gifford and other Iebusites and priests Anno 1588. they brought vpon their countrey the Spanish nauy Neither haue they ceased at any time either to attempt against her Maiesties life or by rebellion or warres to oppugne the state But it cannot bée denied but such attempts by all lawes are treason And if they say they were neither priuy nor consenting vnto them they declare themselues to bée verie shamelesse For it is notorious to the world that Nicholas Morton Woodhouse and Plumtree and diuers other priestes were actors in the Northren rebellion So likewise Sanders diuers other priests were actors in the Irish rebellions Cardinall Allen diuers English priests came in person with the Spanish forces intended against their countrey Parsons and diuers other his consorts were also ready to come with the Spanish forces anno 1588. and to loose no time while matters were in preparing he holpe to make and print a trecherous and damnable libell against the Quéene and state Ballard was the principall in Babingtons conspiracie Againe those that were not actors either in the execution of the popes bull or in the rebellions and conspiracies dressed by their consorts in England and Ireland did notwithstanding allow them None of them dare open their mouthes once to mislike pope Pius his bull that vtterly disableth her Maiestie and depriueth her of her crowne They all do well like of Morton Sanders Allen Bristow and such like trumpets of sedition and allowe their writings and that to go no further appéereth by the seditious Ward-word Nay albeit diuers of thē might haue had fauor if they woulde haue condemned them and their writings yet coulde they not be induced thereunto as appéereth
the subiects from their oath of obedience and forbiddeth his adherents any longer to obey her And I thinke no papists dare refuse to obey him if he vrge them and commaund them vnder paine of his curse Secondly Campians and Parsons faculties do shew that whensoeuer the popes Bull can be put in execution then all papists are bound to concurre in the execution of it Thirdly Morton was sent to stirre a rebellion in England and effected his purpose The like was done in Ireland first by Nicholas Saunders and lately by Archer and other Priests Which sheweth that they will do the like in England whensoeuer occasion and meanes shall be offered Nay they apparantly professe in a treatise called aduertisment des catholiques Anglois that they committed a great fault in submitting themselues to her Maiestie pour s'estre soubsâ—â—is à vne princesse heretike and in that they did not take armes against her Fourthly Cardinall Allen as the Spaniards came by force so went about with his wicked letters and perswasions to worke a rebellioÌ„ in which act Parsons Holt other priests also coÌ„curred Fiftly Parson by setting forth first the Scottish title then entitling the Earle of Darbie last deceased and lastly in his Treatise set out in Dolâ—â—ans name for the Infantaes right endeuoureth nothing els but to worke sedition and rebellion as a a A discouerie of a counterfeit conference priest of his own side doth charge him calling his worke a bloody deuise and as his dealing with the yoong priests that come ouer into England doth plainly declare And albeit they be not acquainted with the particulars yet can they not be ignorant that some generall mischiefe is intended against the state being commanded so ofteÌ„ in their deuotions to say pater noster and aue Maria for the furthering of some good intention or rather treason of the recâ—or of the Romish colledge Nay b The discouery of Campian his fellowes Monday doth directly charge Parsons for preaching openly in the colledge seditiously against the Quéen and saith that their coÌ„mon argument is how mischief may be wrought against the state Sixtly the doctrine of Iesuites is notoriously knowne viz that it is lawfull for the Pope to depose princes and for subiects to rebell against them Lastly the rebellion of Leaguers in Fraunce much sharpened and furthered by English papists doth sufficiently teach vs c AduertismeÌ„t des catholiques Anglois A treatise tending to perswade the French to embrace the league what Iesuites and priests will do here if order be not taken Cardinall â—olet that well knew their purposes and was sometime a Iesuite said that Iesuites would set all Christendome in coÌ„bustion if they were not preuented But his libertie of spéech cost him his life as some popish priests sticke not to d In their discourses against the Iesuits affirme 9 It is also most notorious that they haue stirred vp forraine enemies against the prince and state Sixtus quintus in his declaration published against her Maiestie doth openly professe that at the earnest solicitation of certaine principall cacolike Englishmen he proceeded against her maiestie and had enioyned the Spanish king to execute his Bull and to come with great forces against England Allen also in his most traiterous letters to the Nobility and people of England and Ireland doth confesse so much Neither did the Spanish king any thing but at the motion of Englefeld Allen and Parsons and vpon the exclamations of their consorts To draw him on the rather a Testified by his owne consorts Parsons put him in mind that he was called Philip Norwey and how that according to a prophecie Betwixt Bostons bay and the pile of Foudray the blacke nauie of Norwey should come and doe wonders He confesseth also in a letter of his to a Nobleman in Scotland that he had beene with most princes in Europe to stirre them against vs. The Emperour likewise vpon their informations and solicitations hath shewed himselfe enemy to her Maiestie and our nation Anno 1586. and the yeare following Cardinall Allen and his consorts were verie busie with the Duke of Guise and other Frenchmen to induce them to concurre with the Pope and Spaniards in the warre against England And so seditiously did Morgan behaue himselfe that the king commanded him to be coÌ„mitted to the Bastil of Paris The English b Aduertissement des catholiques Anglois aux François catholiques papists that then were in Fraunce doe plainly tell the French that they were iustly plagued because they did not oppose themselues against the Quéene Le crime d'endurer Iezabel ta voysine say they Plonger au sang Chrestien te destruit peu à peu And of themselues they giue out that they are scorned of all nations for that they c Ibidem p. 89. suffered an hereticall Quéene to reigne Nous sommes c See heere a plain testimony of the loyalty of papists say they esclaues sous vne Izabel pire cent fois que Iezabel bref pour auoir souffert vne royne heretique nous sommes auiourdhuy le mespris la fable le iouet des heretiques Ad hereunto D. Stories practise with the D. of Alua the oration of Allen not yet Cardinall to Gregorie the 13. Saunders his perswasions to the same pope Parsons his negotiation with certaine princes néere adioyning to vs William Critons plots for inuasion and their clamorous and lying discourses dispersed throughout the Christian world and consider the summe of their practises with forraine nations and then thou néedest not doubt but that their principall deseignment was to stirre vp forraine nations to make warre vpon vs 10. Finally the whole scope of Seminarie priestes and their consorts is First to make a number in England to put the popes Bull in execution next to bring in the pope and Spaniardes which cannot bee done without the vtter desolation of the lande The first is prooued by experience For that their consortes began to attempt in England and haue in part effected in Ireland and for this purpose haue they erected Seminaries and sent into England Ireland whole troupes of priestes and deale both with forreine princes and domesticall malcontents Neither may wee doubt but that al these seditious fellows come with one purpose and resolution not daring to attempt any thing beyond their commission Secondly the facultie graunted to Parsons and Campian doth plainly shew that when the Bull can bée executed then all the Romanistes are bounde to do it Thirdly the popes wordes are plaine Hee l Bulla Pij 5. Sixti 5. commandeth all his adherents To execute his sentence vnder paine of excommunication Fourthly the doctrine of Iesuites doth plainly allow the popes power to depose princes and all that faction holdeth that his sentences are to bée obeied vnder paine of excommunication Fiftly neither woulde the pope nor Spaniard bestowe such charge in maintaining these fugitiues but that they hope againe to bée requited Finally the
not euill but to do it to worke sedition or rebellion is treason much more to obey wicked popes to wicked purposes All those therefore that adhere to this faction let them beware their actions come not to examination least they engage themselues too far and be found guiltie of high treason seeing the priests and others that worke in the popes businesse by many lawes are declared to be plaine traytors Martyres certes they cannot be estéemed vnlesse treason be religion and falshood truth and Antichrist be to be receiued for Christ Iesus For the Church of God holdeth them for Martyres that died for the profession and testimonie of Christ Iesus But such of the popish faction as haue béene executed in England died for mayntenance of the popes faction and his tyrannie taking on him to take away the crowne from lawfull Princes and séeking by armes and treason to murther them and all loyally affected to them And this is most apparantly approued by the enditements framed against them by the depositions of witnesses and the whole forme of their triall iudgement and execution As for points of faith they were not once mentioned in all the processe made against them neither was euer any papist among vs troubled for his leude opinion concerning the masse or any other point of Romish superstition True Martyres suffred for the truth wrongfully and therfore deserued commendation That is thanke-woorthy saith saint Å¿ 1. Pet. 2. Peter if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe suffering wrongfully These suffer not for their conscience vnlesse they make the popes will the rule of their conscience Neither are they punished wrongfully And therefore if any estéeme them Martyres they doe them great wrong For as r Epist 68. Augustine saith of the Donatistes viuebant vt latrones honorabantur vt Martyres so may we say of these popish Martyres they are called Martyres but are verie rebels and traytors They are also like Alexander the hereticke of whom Eusebius Å¿ Lib. 5. eccles hist. c. 17. saith he liued by robberie and was executed for villanie and yet was honoured by those of his sect as a Martyre True Martyres haue charitie For without it furious and Iebusitical zeale to promote the popes cause auayleth nothing If I giue my bodie to be burned saith the t 1 Cor. 13. apostle and haue not loue it profiteth nothing Now what charitie had they that were employed by publike enimies to the hurt and destruction of their liege Ladie and most déere countrey Charitie saith the u Ibidem apostle is patient gentle humble But these in their exile had no patience but by force and destruction of their countrey sought to returne they like fierce lions sought by conquest to subdue men to their opinions and dreame of nothing more then honour profit and authoritie Some of their owne companie tell that in â—nno 1588. they much contended about the lands and liuings of the nobilitie and clergie and that the Iebusites looked to rule all according to an olde prophesie found out forsooth by Parsons of rulers in long gownes Iesuiticall bonnets But since it hath béene told them that it is not good to fell the beares skin before he be killed and that Parsons is nothing but a false prophet It is said that Cottam an English Iesuite being condemned to die and séeing a great multitude of people round about him desirous to see what strange beast a Iebusite might be broke out into many bitter curses and x A discouerie of Campian and his consorts prayed God that he would send downe fire from heauen and consume them all And this is the gentlenesse and charitie of the Iesuites When Sixtus Quintus told the Iesuites that he wondred that none of their order was canonized for saints some y A discourse of a certaine priest aunswered that they sought honours in the Church triumphant and not in the militant meaning percase not to be beholding vnto him True Martyres are men of a peaceable disposition and no way desirous of tumults or troubles Si supra memoratos saith z Lib. 3. contr Parmen Optatus videri martyres vultis probate illos amasse pacem in qua prima sunt fundamenta martyrij aut dilexisse Deo placitam vnitatem aut habuisse cum fratribus vnitatem sine qua nullum vel nomine potest vel re esse martyrium Hée speaketh of the Donatistes but it fitteth well our popish pretended Martyres and their consorts that neither agrée with vs nor among themselues and are giuen to contention and séeme desirous of warres and hurlyburlyes and are the fire-brandes to rayse flames of contention in all the corners of Christendome as appéereth by their actions in England France Ireland Germanie the Low countries Swethland Poland Scotland and other places The Martyres of Christ Iesus die for the true faith and abide firme in his truth but the popish mastiues die for the popes pleasure and for defence of his most vniust and tyrannicall vsurpations and fight against Christ his Church Who then doth not maruell they should be accounted Martyres Cum Deo manere non possunt saith a De simplic pralat Cyprian qui esse in ecclesia Dei vnanimes noluerunt ardeant licèt flammis ignibus traditi obiecti bestijs animas suas ponant non erit illa fidei corona sed poena perfidiae Occidi talis potest coronari non potest If then these good fellowes haue forsaken the Church and linked themselues with enimies and traytors die they may for their treasons but as Martyres they cannot be crowned nay they cannot be estéemed Martyres No true martyr euer séemed more desirous of the applause and praise of men then of the good of Christes people Si ita martyrium fecerimus saith b In epist ad Galat. lib. 3. c. 5. Hierome vt nostras velimus ab hominibus reliquias venerari si opinionem vulgi sectantes intrepidi sanguinem fuderimus substantiam nostram vsque ad mendicitatem propriam dederimus huic operi non tam praemium quà m poena debetur perfidiae magis tormenta sunt quà m corona victoriae But the popish Martyres sought nothing more then their owne glorie and praise little caring for the good of Gods Church Nay while they sought to prefer the popes authoritie they sought to drawe vpon vs forrein enimies and to rayse sedition within the countrey It was not the fashion of Martyres in ancient time to renounce their kings and gouernors and not to acknowledge their authority Nay well they knew that Saint c Rom. 13. Paul taught them contrarie Omnis anima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit saith he Neither did they vse to set out most slandrous libels against men in authoritie or allow any such course Finally we doe not read that euer any godly Martyr did take armes against his prince or go about to depose him or murder him vpoÌ„ any bishops or other mans
pleade vnsufficiently But wée charge them with leud opinions held by all the papists and most wicked and abominable actions allowed by publike authoritie Further the papistes alleage the testimonies of Lindanus Staphylus Cochleus Rescius Reynoldes and their owne consorts fellowes to bée receiued as witnesses before no indifferent iudge for their basenesse leudnesse and partialitie But wée are able to conuince them by their owne recordes and by witnesses authenticall to be such as they woulde haue vs to bée and farre woorse too And if Parsons maintaine the contrary hée shall soone receiue his answere and perceiue his owne inabilitie and the weakenesse of his owne cause Further he obserueth in Luther That at the first hee contemned the fathers and that afterward when wee began to shew how the fathers did witnesse for our cause that we alleaged them falsly But neither did euer Luther contemne all the fathers but where they spoke contrary to the prophets and apostles nor shall this counterfeit relator shew that wée haue alleaged the fathers vntruly as I will bée alwaies readie to iustifie against him Hée noteth also That we make plaine demonstrations of distrust in maintaining our cause And that hée prooueth first For that diuers bookes written in English by papists were forbidden by proclamation Secondly For that by a statute it was made death to reconcile men or perswade them to the Romish faith Thirdly for that Streite orders were set downe to restraine the resort of people to the papistes that are prisoners in Wisbich But if these be arguments of distrust then are the papists most distrustfull and fearefull to haue their matters come in scanning For they forbid all our bookes to be solde among them And if any disswade from poperie or talk against it it is present death Neither may any talke with prisoners in the inquisition As for our selues we are but too confident in these causes For there is no bald lousie friers book commeth forth but it is commonly sold in Paules church yard and any learned man may buy any of their bookes publikely Yea diuers simple soules not being able to iudge are often times deceiued by them So that it were fitting more care were had in this point But the true reason why our superiours haue forbidden English bookes popish perswasions and common repaire to popish prisoners is for that diuers simple soules not being so well able to iudge haue by such meanes béene drawne not only into leud opinions but also dangerous practises of which we should not offend if we did take more care then we do Finally he noteth that we cannot abide confession satisfaction restitution or the like which is true if by confession he meane auricular coÌ„fession made in a priests eare and by satisfaction scourging a mans selfe or walking in pilgrimage with hope thereby to satisfie God for his sinnes and such like satisfactions and by restitution such summes of money as papists are enioyned in lieu of true restitution to parties offended to bestow vpon priests Iebusites and notorious traitors It is not long since these companions drew from a drie fellow a little before his death two thousand pounds with the which the Iebusites their consorts now make merrie But if order be not taken for such deuises to draw mony out of the subiects purses and to take away these means from traitorous practisers the same in the end will make this state very sorrowfull And therefore I doubt not but the magistrates and iudges will looke to that verie diligently In the meane while I hope I haue taken order with this Relators lying obseruations CHAP. VII An answere to our aduersaries two petitions annexed to his former relation WHat successe our aduersarie is to hope for in his petition annexed to the Ward-word I hope may in part appeere by our answere And yet not expecting an answere he hath presumed to come to her maiestie with a new petition and to vs with another So copious and fluent he is in his libels and petitions a Homer Iliad ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is like a flye or rather because he speaketh so much for Spaniards a Spanish mosqueta that albeit she be beaten off from a mans bodie yet is bold to come againe and bite And b Non missura cutem nisi plena cruoris hirudo Horat. leaue as it séemeth he will not vntill like the horseleach he hath filled himselfe with some mans blood First he desireth that her Maiestie would be pleased to admit such a tryall heere as passed in Fraunce of late assuring vs that the same would be pleasant to her Maiestie and all other assistants and verie briefe and easie As if Parsons the Iebusite and rector of the English seminarie of traytors were now verie carefull to yéeld satisfaction and contentment to her Maiestie and subiects that not long c Anno. 1588. since ioyned himselfe to the Spanish armie that came against vs and in the interim that the Spanish fléete was expected and while our commissioners were treating of peace holpe to make print and diuulge the most infamous d Aâ—lens letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland libell against her Maiestie and her faithfull subiects that could be deuised or euer was set out in this kinde Furthermore euer since he hath béene busie either in stirring vp forrein enimies against vs or broching some treasonable practise against the state or writing seditious libels against one or other as appéereth by former proofes Nay when a certaine gentleman and one of the Spanish agents séeming more moderate then the rest disliked all practises for the murther of the Prince by the direction of Parsons others of his faction he had a cuchillada and dangerous blow with a falchion ouer the face as he was going to the church to heare masse An vnhappie masse might he call it if the blow had hit right He doth also much abuse his reader where he saith that the tryall will be briefe and easie and maketh a vaine brag offering himselfe to be the champion that must performe the challenge The first is euident for that they pretend so many falsificatious against vs and we haue so many false allegations and forgeries to charge our aduersaries withall and that most iustly that the examination cannot chuse but prooue long and difficult especially if they yéeld to vs that which they demaund themselues The second I thinke we shall finde true by experience For it is not Parsons I thinke that can performe all that is offered Nay little doth he vnderstand the galles of his owne cause that once dare obiect forgerie or falsification to others Beside that he is fitter to make a clerke to make libels and exhibit petitions then to make a good disputer to iustifie the popes broken cause In that he hath some prettie facultie in this we doubt of his abilitie His other petition is that some one or other would come forth against him and defend bishop Iewel Peter Martyr and M. Foxe whom hee purposeth as he pretendeth to loade with many and grieuous falsifications the points whereof we haue already e Chap. 4 noted and this I thinke is but a copie of his grimme countenance also and a Thrasonicall bragge For I do not thinke that he wil or dare put his cause vpon this trial Neither do I thinke that his consortes will come to an equall examination of all falsifications and coruptions passed on both sides for the causes that I haue f Chap. 1. alleaged Vnto both his petitions vntill further order be taken let him receiue this answere from me First that we very well like of such a triall here as passed lately in France For as the papists found themselues wronged or at least pretended to be wronged in M. Plessis his bookes so we doe say and offer to prooue that we are wronged nay that the whole world is wronged and abused by millions of forgeries and falsifications committed by Bellarmine Caesar Baronius Greg. de Valentia Suarez and their consorts yea by the popes of Rome whose sentences they hold to be infallible If then this pratling or rather scribling relator or any of his consorts do find himselfe agrieued with this assertion and offer as M. Plessis did in France being charged publikely with falsifying and corrupting authours by him alleaged I shall God willing either in publike schooles or els which is farre better in publike writing iustifie as much as I haue sayd and I take this to be the case of papists in England if they will obtaine that which M. Plessis desired in France Secondly I do offer my selfe partie do accept of Parsons his challenge do offer my self to proue that those men whom he challengeth haue dealt more iustly theÌ„ Bellarmine and Caesar Baronius and the rest of that side Nay I dare simply defend them against any crimination which this frapling frier hath to lay to their charge Let him begin when he dare In the meane while he may do well to answere the points deduced in the first chapter of this treatise wherein I haue charged not only priuate men but the whole synagogue of Rome with plaine forging and falsification and laid downe the particulars and not as the relator doth who hauing made a great bragge of falsifications shutteth vp his relation and iustifieth nothing Somewhat I had more to say to Parsons and to his associates the whole combination of them But I reserue it to some other time By this which alreadie is sayd I hope it will appeare that neither Iames Peron hath gained any thing against the Lord of Plessis nor Parsons hath reason to hope that he shall haue better successe against the Church of England God which is light truth grant all christians the light of his grace that they may not only sée the truth but also truly iudge what is truth and falshood And then I doubt not but it will appeare to them all that we are cleare of that crime which the aduersary imputeth vnto vs and that our aduersaries through the operation of errours beleeue lies and haue by all fraud and false dealing sought to oppresse the truth Laus Deo
coÌ„mandemeÌ„t But Campian his consorts did disclaime her Maiesties authority all priestes that come from Rome in their cases of conscience which they cannot denie d Resolutio casuum nationis Anglicanae hold her not for lawfull Queene They also themselues haue set out scandalous libels against men in authoritie and doe well like the sclandrous writings of Sanders Harpesfield Ribadineira Rishton Parsons Bristow and others When the armie of the king of Spaine was readie to come for England then was Parsons verie busie in printing pope Sixtus his scandalous declaration against the Quéene and Allens letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland A e In an answere to a libel set out by Parsons friend of his doth also charge him that his finger was in the making and dispersing of it And yet diuers traytors that haue béene executed allowed this libell and other his scurrilous writings Nay I doe not finde that any of them misliked any thing that might disgrace her Maiestie or their countrey Finally the Earle of Northumberland and the two Nortons and diuers priests whom they f Bristowes motiues celebrate for Martyres tooke vp armes against their Prince and countrey and I thinke none of them either heretofore did or hereafter will mislike their doing therein Wherefore albeit the pope put them in his calendar for Martyres yet he must not be offended albeit the hangman put them in his bookes for rebels and traytors No Martyre of Christ Iesus did euer thinke it lawfull to breake his oath of allegeance to his Prince vpon any bishops warrant g In Chronic. Auentin annal 7. Sigisbertus Gemblacensis saith It is a pernitious heresie to beleeue that the pope can discharge subiects froÌ„ the bond of their oath and from their allegeance But these Martyres or rather churlish mastiues did not onely take themselues â—o be discharged from their allegeance and ioyned with forrein enimies but also persuaded as many as they could to ioyne with them No true Martyr of Christ Iesus did euer denie his name qualitie country kindred and prince altogether nor did martyrs dissemble their religion goe apparelled like Spadacins ruffians but these popish martyrs do al this together nay they are resolued by their a Resolutiones quorundam casuum nationis Anglicanae superiours that it is very lawful for theÌ„ so to do A.P. that is Allen and Parsons as I take it the case being put vtrum sacerdos possit habitum mutare comaÌ„ nutrire nomen patriam parentes negare do b Cap. 1. casus 1. answere thus potest nec videtur in ea re dubium Potest enim quis veritatem tacere c Ibidem in resolutione casus 1. c. 1. vel dissimulare c. The same good fellows a Resolutiones quorundam casuum nationis Anglicanae determine quòd simulatio est licita and that it is pious to vse simulation and proue it for that it is lawfull to lay ambuscadoes for enemies whereby it appeareth they take vs for enemies and would if they could entrap vs by their ambuscadoes and this if we looke not to it they haue fully purposed and resolued Concerning the Quéene they d Ibidem say shee is no lawfull Quéene Regina haeretica say they non est legitimè regina and againe non gerit se vt reginam sed exercet tyrannidem Finally they are commanded to account their country for no countrey and not to respect their parents if they be not of the Romish religion It was not the fashion of the martyrs of Christ his Church to vse equiuocations and to forsweare themselues both in iudgement and elsewhere but the Schoolemaisters of our popish priests and pretended martyrs teach them to do both Sciant say e Ibidem c. 3. cas 3. they se vti posse aequiuocationibus iurare sine peccato Now by equiuocations they meane promises and othes made not according to the meaning of the iudge but according to a hidden meaning of the partie that taketh the oath They f Ididem teach also that a priest is no more to regard an oath to the Queenes officers then if he should sweare to pyrates or robbers for safegard of his life Finally no heretikes nor miscreants can iustly be reputed martyrs as diuers examples and testimonies of fathers teach vs. The Donatists suffered death couragiously and so likewise did the heretikes called Euphemitae which for the multitude of their supposed martyrs g Epiphan haeres 80. would néeds be called Martyriani Yet did not the church otherwise account of them then leud heretikes and not martyrs as appeareth by the testimonie of Eusebius Augustine and other fathers before alleaged We reade also in histories that Turkes Tartars and Mores both fight and die most resolutely for the blasphemous opinions of Mahomet and how the Assassins that were a sect of desperate cutthrotes like the Iebusites that desperately would aduenture to dispatch whomsoeuer their Generall would command them to murther died oftentimes most constantly and this they accounted a speciall point of religion Yet in truth no man can estéeme them martyrs Why then should the rebels traitors and Assassins which haue béene employed in the Popes businesse and for his cause haue béene drawne into treason be accounted martyrs If because they are put in the popes kalendar it may be answered that it is Christ and not the pope the cause of religion and not of faction that maketh martyrs Neither is it materiall that grace hath béene offered to some that haue béene executed for treason if they would haue renounced the pope and his treacherous doctrine and faction For we do not desire the death of all that through simplicitie haue béene drawne into treason Nor may the aduersaries thinke that these fellowes were therefore onely punished for religion but rather that they were obstinate traitors that like the Assassins made it a point of religion vpon the popes warrant to take armes and to practise against lawfull Magistrats and to murther them which indéede is treason To offer them life therefore if they would renounce the popes faction was thought a meanes fit to trie them whether they were setled in their trecherous resolutions or els would become honest men as diuers of them renouncing the pope haue done and not to examine them or punish them for religion which was neuer called in question in all the proceeding against them The Conclusion of the former Treatise IF then papists hold singular opinions and not the true catholike faith then are they deceiuers and cacolykes and woluish teachers and no true Catholikes or Christians and thou art carefully to beware of them to embrace that faith which is truly Catholike which vnlesse thou beleeue firmely thou canst not be saued as saith a In symbolo Athanasius It is impossible for Christians saith b In Numer homil 26. Origen to be saued without faith whether they seeme perfect or weak