Windsore Park Concerning Deanes of Churches and Abbots and Priors of Conuents THe Priors of Kockford and Bingam were sued for proceeding against some in the spirituall Court after prohibition R. Io. anno 15. The Deane of Doncaster for molesting diuers of the Kings liege people was conuicted before the Iudges and admitted to his fine The Prior and Couent of Saint Patricks in Dublin lost their Temporals for electing an Archbishop without the Kings consent Anno 6. Edw. 1. The Deane of Wooluer-hampton was cited to appeare before the Iudges for his contempt for admitting one Ottobon to a Prebend in the same Church by a Mandate from the Pope Anno 31. Edw. 1. The Prior of Canterburie for appealing to the Court of Rome was adiudged to bee imprisoned and to reuoke his Appeale Anno 23. Edw. 1. Io. Abbat of Walden attached for the same Anno eodem Thus farre of Bishops Deanes Abbots and Priors the recitall of the rest would fill the booke and not much more satisfie the Reader and therefore I forbeare to name them and come now to shew how little the Pope of Rome or his Buls were regarded of our English Iudges There was an Act made against drawing causes to Rome anno 27. Edw. 3. and a commandement giuen anno 16. Edw. filij R. Edwardi that no man should alienate sell or send any thing beyond the Seas and how many were accordingly indited and committed as Io. Ouerton to the Tower Simon Mellercet to the Kings Bench anno 28. Edw. 3. William Beuercot to the Marshalsey anno Regis filij Edwardi 17. And for the Popes Buls how little were they regarded or rather how greatly were the getters or procurers their fautors and abettors those that did but threaten to make vse of them punished and censured There was a proceeding with some seueritie against one that threatned he would get a Bull from the Pope Anno 27. R. Henrici There was likewise an Inquisition indented taken for those that procured them anno 20. Edw. 3. their Abettors anno R. Edw. 4. and one that pleaded them was committed to prison So then those that bought those Buls at Rome giuing Gold for Lead found them still Lead and no better here in England and neither Buls Appeales Bishops or liberties of the Church could protect them against the King his Crowne and dignitie Kings of England here and I trust euer shall be able to maintaine their soueraigne iurisdiction within these Kingdomes ouer all persons and in all causes against all forreine iurisdiction which commeth next in order to bee handled The Third Proposition The King is not subiect to any forraigne iurisdiction THe Pope pretends to be the Head of the Catholique Church how rightly we shall see hereafter I am sure the King of England holdeth it by as good right as the Law of God and the Law of this Kingdome can giue him I know it will bee presently obiected that King Henry the eighth being a violent King tooke this title vpon him they are certainely deceiued that either thinke or say it and therefore to manifest this point the better I will tell you my conceit how this matter was brought to passe not without an especiall prouidence of God out of very vnlikely meanes For when King Henry the eighth was sharpened against Luther there wanted not some about him that buzzed this into the Kings eares that the doctrine of Martin Luther was nothing else but drawne from the hereticall proposition of Iohn Wicklife which was condemned long since in and by his Vniuersitie of Oxford Whereupon the King being tickled because the full knowledge of this at that time serued well for his purpose presently dispatched Edward Leighton one of his Chaplaines and Batchelor of Diuinitie with those Letters to the Vniuersitie of Oxford By the King TRusty and welbeloued Wee greet you well And forasmuch as Wee at this instant time for certaine great and weighty considerations Vs moouing touching as well the repressing of such erroneous opinions and heresies as be now a dayes spread abroad in sundry places as also the consolation of Christs Church and good Christian people be desirous not only to be aduertised of the Articles whereupon Wicklife was condemned heretofore by that Our Vniuersitie of Oxford but also of the confirmation of the Councell of Constance concerning the condemnation of the said Articles We therefore will that yee with all celerity doe send vnto Vs by Our trusty and welbeloued Chaplaine M. Edward Leighton the bearer in writing vnder the Seale of Our said Vniuersitie in as lawfull and Authentique wise as yee can deuise as well all and singular the said Articles of condemnation of the said Wicklife and also the confirmation thereupon of the said Councell of Constance giuing vnto Our said Chaplaine firme credence in such things as he shall shew vnto you in Our behalfe touching the premises And in thus doing you shall minister vnto Vs full acceptable pleasure Yeuen vnder our signet at our Castle of Windesore the last day of Iuly Vpon the receipt of these Letters followed a Conuocation a Delegacie was appointed the sixth of this instant moneth there wanted no celâ—ritie the Instrument is made and both it and the answere to the Kings Letters sealed the ninth day of that very moneth Amongst those Articles that were sent vp there were diuers that did mainly trench vpon the Popes power which as Wickliefe said were neither found nor founded vpon Gods Word What effects these Articles wrought in the Kings mind I know not but of one thing I am wel assured that not long after the King being at variance with the Pope a Parliament was called with in two yeres and a motion was made therein that the King should be declared Head of the Church but his Maiestie refused till he had aduised with his Vniuersities vpon that point and whilest the Parliament sate God in whose hands the hearts of Princes are so disposing it the King reflecting belike vpon Wickliefes former Articles directing his Letters to the Vniuersitie of Oxford about the election of the Bishop of Lincolne into the Chancellorship of the Vniuersitie of Oxford in the roome of Archbishop Warham lately deceased After the accomplishment whereof saith the King Our pleasure and commandement is that ye as shall be beseeme men of vertue and profound literature diligently intreating examining and discussing a certaine question sent from Vs to you concerning the power and primacie of the Bishop of Rome send againe to Vs in writing vnder your common Seale with conuenient speed and celeritie your mind sentence and assertion of the quaestion according to the meere and sincere truth of the same willing you to giue credence to Our trusty and welbeloued this bringer your Commissarie aswell touching Our further pleasure in the premisses as for other matters c. Yeuen vnder Our Signet at Our Mannor of Greenewich the eighteenth day of May. Vpon the receipt of these Letters the Vniuersitie at
that time for ought we know consisting all of Papists being assembled in Conuocation decreed as followeth That for the examination determination and decision of this question sent vnto them to be discussed from the Kings Maiestie viz Whether the Bishop of Rome had any greater Iurisdiction collated vpon him from God in the holy Scripture in this Kingdome of England than any other forraine Bishop that there should be deputed thirtie Diuines Doctors and Bachelors of Diuinitie of that facultie to whose sentence assertion or determination or the greater part of them the common Seale of the Vniuersitie in the name thereof should be affixed prouided that the question should bee first disputed and then sent vp to his Maiestie And the 27. of Iune in the yeere of our Sauiour 1534. this Instrument following was made and sent vp sealed with the common Seale of the Vniuersitie The Instrument it selfe is in Latine in English thus TO all the sonnes of our Mother the Church to whom these present Letters shall come Iohn by the grace of God Chauncellor of the famous Vniuersitie of Oxon and the whole assembly of Doctors and Masters Regents and not Regents in the same greeting Whereas our most noble and mighty Prince and Lord Henrie the eighth by the grace of God of England and France King Defender of the Faith and Lord of Ireland vpon the continuall requests and complaints of his Subiects exhibited vnto him in Parliament against the intolerable exactions of forraine Iurisdictions and vpon diuers controuersies had and mooued about the Iurisdiction and power of the Bishop of Rome and for other diuers vrgent causes against the said Bishop then and there exponed and declared was sent vnto and humbly desired that he would prouide in time some fit remedie and satisfie the complaint of his deere Subiects Hee as a most prudent Salomon minding the good of his Subiects ouer whom God hath placed him and deepely pondering with himselfe how he might make good and wholesome Lawes for the gouernment of his Commonwealth and aboue all things taking care that nothing bee there resolued vpon against the holy Scripture which hee is and euer will bee ready to defend with hazard of his dearest blood out of his deepe wisdome and after great paines taken hereabouts hath transmitted and sent vnto his Vniuersitie of Oxon a certaine question to be disputed viz. Whether the Bishop of Rome hath any greater Iurisdiction granted to him from God in the holy Scripture to be exercised and vsed in this Kingdome then any other forraine Bishop and hath commanded vs that disputing the question after a diligent and mature deliberation and examination of the premisses we should certifie his Maiestie vnder the common Seale of our Vniuersitie what is the true meaning of the Scriptures in that behalfe according to our Iudgements and apprehensions Wee therefore the Chancellour Doctors and Masters aboue recited daily and often remembring and altogether weighing with our selues how good and godly a thing it is and congruous to our Profession be fitting our submissions obediences and charities to foreshew the way of truth and righteousnesse to as many as desire to tread in her stepps and with a good sure and quiet conscience to anchor themselues vpon Gods Word we could not but endeauour our selues with all the possible care that wee could deuise to satisfie so iust and reasonable a request so great a Prince who next vnder God is our most happy and supreame Moderatour and Gouernour Taking therefore the said question into our considerations with all humble deuotion and due reuerence as becommeth vs and assembling our Diuines together from all parts taking time enough and many dayes space to deliberate thereof diligently religiously and in the feare of God with zealous and vpright minds first searching and searching againe the Booke of God and the best Interpreters and Commenters thereupon disputing the said questions solemnely and publikely in our Schooles haue in the end vnanimously and with ioynt consent resolued vpon the Conclusion that is to say That the Bishop of Rome hath no greater Iurisdiction giuen vnto him in Scripture then any other Bishop in this Kingdome of England Which our assertion sentence or determination so vpon deliberation maturely and throughly discussed and according to the tenour of the Statutes and Ordinances of this our Vniuersitie concluded vpon publikely in the name of the whole Vniuersitie we doe pronounce and testifie to be sure certaine and consonant to the holy Scripture In witnesse whereof we haue caused these our Letters to be written sealed and ratified by the Seale of our Vniuersitie Yeuen in our Assembly-house the 27. of the moneth of Iune in the yeere of Christ 1534. This Instrument being brought into the Parliamenthouse an Act passed whereby the King was declared Supreame Head and Gouernour of the Church What exception was it taken or giuen The Parliament motioned some such matter to the King his Maiestie wisely referreth it to the Learned of his Vniuersitie the Vniuersitie to thirty Delegats the referrees returne their ioynt opinion to the King that the Pope had no more to doe here in England then any other forraine Bishop this their opinion was grounded on the Scripture the places of Scripture confirmed by the exposition of the best interpreters the Parliament vpon full knowledge of this banish all forraine Iurisdiction out of the Realme to the comfort of Gods Church and the reliefe of his distressed subiects which had so long been inthralled and groaned vnder this Baby lonish captiuitie What remaineth If this be not satisfactorie Ireferre you to the reading of three excellent pieces of this Argument which I forbeare to insert into this booke first because of prolixitie secondly because ere long you shall haue them all comprized in one volume The first is taken out of Guicciardine the second out of Machiauell the third out of Stephen Pasquier quarit Recerches The place in Guicciardine is shamefully expunged that of Machiauell with the whole booke and all his Workes forbidden onely Pasquier is improhibited and vnpurged But no thankes to the Inquisitors for feare lest our French men which are accounted lost men at Rome should bee vtterly lost from the Church of Rome if the Inquisitors went about to infringe their Pragmaticall Constitutions Of these three witnesses two of them are without exception Guicciardine and Pasquier the third is branded for an Atheist and as I dare not make any Apologies for him so many and so great Schollers hauing fastned this imputation vpon him so I cannot but say it is onely my coniecture that if Machiauell had not touched the Popes free-hold but suffered him to haue been a God vpon earth Machiauell had been no Atheist for this booke but might haue hoped rather to haue been a Cardinall but how deadly soeuer they hated him and interdicted his Workes at his death as it seemeth he left his Machiauelismes to bee disposed of by the Pope and his Cardinals which haue made
A MANVDVCTION OR INTRODVCTION VNTO DIVINITIE CONTAINING A Confutation of Papists by Papists throughout the important Articles of our Religion their testimonies taken either out of the Indices Expurgatorii or out of the Fathers and ancient Records But especially the Manuscripts By THO. IAMES Doctor of Diuinitie late Fellow of New-Colledge in Oxford and Sub-Deane of the Cathedrall Church of Welles This marke †noteth the places that are taken out of the Indices Expurgatorij And this ☞ a note of the places in the Parchments Imprinted for Henry Cripps and Henry Curteyne at â—â—â—ord 1625. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND RIGHT REVEREND Father in God John Bishop of Lincolne Lord Keeper of the Great Seale and one of his Maiesties most Honourable priuy Councell Right Honourable my very singular good Lord BEing incouraged by your Lordships fauorable acceptation of some small Labours of mine heretofore presented vnto your Honour I presume to offer vp these few but important and chiefe Articles of our Religion vnto your Lordships farther consideration as they are maintained and explained by Primitiue Fathers knowne Papists and ancient Manuscripts a threefold corde which in my coniecture cannot easily be broken As concerning the Manuscripts they are ancient but not many innominable as yet but not long so to continue if their names can bee redeemed by any meanes and y t they cannot well be excepted against by the common Aduersarie being written long before Luther Hus VVicklife or VValâ—o as the Character plainely sheweth And if they were not old enough it would be easie for me to euicl the true Antiquitie of our Religion â—ut of that great Treasure of Bookes amassed together by that iudicious Knight Sir Robert Cotton the truest Philobiblos of our Age in his kind For the Papists whose words and workes are often cited by me though the Papists would seeme to elude their testimonies or expunge their Sentences in thâ—â—r vnsufferable and vnwarrantable thrise-accursed Indices Expurgatorij yet they speake fully and home for the truth of ours and the falshood and nouellisme of their Religion and doe the Papists what they can as what hath not been done by their close Indices Yet all the water in the maine Ocean will neuer be able to wish their testimonies out of our Bookes Ours I call them because though bred and brought vp in the bosome of their Romane Church they are but seeming Papists so called as Montes are a non mouendo or Paâ—cae a non pâ—rcendo being easily mooued to take part with vs and if need were to defend and subscribe vnto the Articles of our Religion so vniformely so Catholikely agreed vpon by the Prelates of our Religion in the yeare 1562. Lastly for the Fathers whom they would faine make Partiaries and defenders of their new and vpstart opinions it is not to bee marueiled when they haue squeazed out the iuyce of their Bookes Text or Glosse pared them to their purposes and purged them to their minds or fancies rather For if they also chance to erre or mis speake in their iudgements as the best haue failed sometimes and in some things they haue a delâ—antur for them also they shall be no longer Fathers but Sonnes and therefore subiect to their censures and in plaine tearmes purgeable as Gretser the Iesuite hath long since from Ingolstad aduertised vs. But let them leaue the Fathers of the purer Ages in puris naturalibus without mixture or mutation of theirs pure and sincere and wee doubt not but the truth of our Religion will as clearely appeare as the Sunne shine at mid-day which I shall beleeue till I shall see a round and plenarie Refutation of the defence of â—ewels Apologie which was threatned to be answered in the late Councell of Trent and our Countriman Master Harding hath challenged it here and there of some mis-quotations which the learned Bishop doth confesse most ingenuously and retort the like and greater escapes vpon the Challenger but wilfull or purposed corruptions idque cum authoritate such as theirs are he cannot he shall not find in him nor any of his supposts This small Worke of mine Right Honourable such as it is and better it had been if due encouragement health and meanes had not fayled me I willingly submit vnto your iudicious Fatherhood and graue wisdome hoping some small good may accrew thereby vnto my deere Mother the Church of England a sound member and obedient child whereof I professe my selfe to be farre from Poperie and farther distant if farther may be from all itching vpstart Schismaticall humor going the Kings High-way and fighting as others haue done before me contra Dextrarios sinistrarios I haue better learned my Religion out of Tertullian and others that the first Religion is the best and that the higher we steppe the neerer we approach vnto the truth And if this small attempt of mine graced by your Honourable Patronage shall but worke in my poore seduced Countrymen and Compatriots a true loue of Antiquitie and detestation of all Popish corruptions in defacing and dâ—sgracing of all manner of good Bookes to God onely be the glorie I haue my desire Resteth nothing but to shew my willing readinesse and ready willingnesse to be imployed by your Honourable Lordship in any seruice that commeth within the compasse and spheâ—re of my small knowledge and poore abilitie and so I rest Lond. 26. April 1625. Your Honourable Lordships in all dutie to command Tho. Iames. The points that are briefly handled in this Booke OF the sufficiencie of holy Scripture for saluation c. 1 2. Of the iustification of Man 14 3. Of good Workes 19 4. Of Priests Marriage 23 5. Of the authoritie of generall Councels 27 7. Of the Ciuill Magistrate 29 7. Of Purgatorie 57 8. Of Indulgences 61 8. Of Prayers for the Dead 67 9. Of Reliques and Pilgrimages 67 10. Of Funerals and Diriges 72 11. Of Adoration of Images 73 12. Of the Inuocation of Saints 81 13. Of the Sacrament of Penance 83 14. Of Auricular Confession 85 15. Of Satisfaction and Contrition 88 16. Of the authoritie of the Church 90 17. Of the Lords Supper 95 18. Of the certaintie of Saluation 97 19. Of Rome 98 20. Of Cardinals and Bishops 101 21. Of Popish Priests 103 22. Of Popish Monkes and Friars 109 23. Of Miracles 114 Errata Pag 3. b â—â—milio reade â—unilio p 4. c pretera r preterea ib. l. 2 collected summed vp r. collected and summed vp ib. esta perfecta r. esca perfecta p 6. c. Iud r. â—nd ib. â— confugium r. confugimus p. 7. p poâ—iendâ— r. ponenda ib. x Val r. Vat. p 8. z Luic in ex r. Lincoln in ep ib. b scita decretas r sciâ—a decretaque ib. c disputandi r disputanda ib. f curiosaâ— r. curiosae ib g Quaedam esca est praelator est perfect r quaedam esca est praeâ—atorum perfect p 8 It s common r Its commones ib i qui nouit r. quod nouit ib. k coarctatuu
no otherwise then the Tree is discerned by the Fruite GOod workes owe their being to faith without which it is impossible for any man to bee pleasing or any worke to be acceptable to God in Christ This faith which is the basis of our religious workes and the all-good of a Christian must not be an idle vaine cadauerous and dead faith Non entis nulla sunt qualitates it must be a liuing working and operatiue faith and thus euery faithfull soule being iustified by grace and watred with Gods holy spirit bringeth forth fruite abundantly in his due season and the argument holdeth both in the affirmatiue such a one hath true faith ergo he wil bring forth good workes and negatiuely it may be said such a one hath no faith or no liuely faith ergo he hath no workes or no profite by his Workes And last of all in the last day of iudgement when the sheep shall be discerned from the goats the faithfull from the reprobate the elect as we know and all confesse shall bee iudged although not propter opera yet secundum opera not for but according to their workes then Christ shall say vnto them Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world For I vvas an hungred and ye gaue me meat I was thirstie and yee gaue me drinke I was a stranger and ye tooke me in c. And they shall answer againe in effect These good works were thy gift and these thy gifts thou doest crowne in vs Not vnto vs not vnto vs vnto thy name bee the glory The 32. Article BIshops Priests and Deacons are not commanded by Gods Law either to vow the estate of single life or to abstaine from marriage Therefore it is lawfull also for them as for all other Christian men to marry at their own discretion as they shall iudge the same to serue better for godlinesse This Article explained and maintained by Papists WE will by Gods grace handle this question partly Historically shewing that Priests haue bene married and partly Theologically prouing that they haue a liberty to marry as well as all other Christian men Historically thus FIrst in the old Testament all the Prophets were married sans quaestion and as little doubt is to bee made of the Apostles in the new of Peter the case is manifest in the Scripture and yet the place that sheweth it is blotted out in a late writer of Paul we haue a plaine constat out of Ignatius Epistle that place is likewise corrupted in an old Ms. Ignatius with vs belike to iustifie Bellarmines bold assertion saying that it is not found in the Manuscript copies but who told him so I haue not seene many but those that I haue viewed either haue or had Paul named written at large Of Lucas e Platina saith expressely vxorem habuit in Bythinia Lucas had a wife with him in Bythinia this place hath passed the censure of our Inquisitors and the later Edition if I be not mistaken read vxorem non habens in Bythinia he had no wife with him in Bythinia There was some such motion in the Primitiue times that Priests should be remoued from their wiues but this was against the will of the Fathers in generall and good Paphnutius in speciall by the testimony of Theodoretus and Sozomen but the witnesses now will acknowledge no such matter if you may haue your will for the storie is twise cancelled at the least in Zuingers great Theater Pynitus one that liued not long after was admonished that he should not lay so heauy a burden vpon his weake brethren a burden indeed that neither they nor their successours were euer able for to beare Iohn Byshop of Leodium tooke a wife and left his Bishopricke k Adolph Archbishop of Coleyn was married and left his Archbishopricke one Boso an old grandsire in our English stories had a vision for at that time it could not bee saide there was no vision nor Prophet in England and in that vision he saw a plaine field I know not how many miles long and yet there were none there but Priests wiues He is but meanly versed amongst our English Chroniclers that knoweth not that Priests were commonly married in England before Anselmes time and there was no generall prohibition of them in the West Church till Gregory the seuenth and as facts are sometimes to bee measured by their euents what followed this strict prohibition But the abhominable sinne of Sodomie in England Adulteries incests rauishments of mens wiues and daughters and what not amongst their religious Friars Clarkes Monckes Seculars Priests and others In somuch that it was enacted for a law among their Canons that hee that had not a wife might in stead of her haue a Concubine and accordingly they did compell their Parish Priests to keepe a Concubine and vnlesse he had one at the least they would not suffer him to liue amongst them was not here good stuffe And yet neuerthelesse the East Church neither then nor now to this present day receiued this doctrine into their Church but left them free to marrie at their owne discretions as commeth now in the next place to be shewed Theologically thus ALl proofes in diuinity are either diuine taken out of the word of God or humane as the Lawyers call them Semi-probationes or halfe proofes drawne from the testimonies of men or traditions of the Church which are not binding but of a fallible nature Againe diuine proofes are either plaine in the literall sence of the Scripture or hidden and latent in the Allegoricall interpretation of the wordes whereout no sound argument can be deducted as most Diuines know To accommodate and apply that which hath beene saide to our present Article What more plaine and in expresse words can there be alleaged in defence of Priests marriage then that of the Apostle t Propter fornicationem vitandam vxorem habeat vnusquisque To auoyd fornication let euery man haue his wife But if my obseruation faile me not as you haue since diuorced men from their wiues so your tormentors of books haue diuorced this sentence of S. Pauls either out of the body or the margent of your Bibles Let me say vnto you as Gamaliel did to the Jewes If this prohibition of yours be of God it will doubtlesse preuaile but if it be not from him the contrary doctrine will take place will you nill you I know it is obiected by some that in one of the Nicene Synods there was a Canon published enioyning Cleargy men perpetuall chastity but what saith the Auctour an ancient Mannuscript where this obiection is read how can this Canon of the Church bee of force against vs that were neither present in person nor consenting by our voyces to the making thereof Thus farre my olde Manuscript
and heresies haue been stirring amongst them and as before their hearts were without any honesty so here the Head of the Church may be found to want wit or braine to discerne betwixt truth and falshood the right faith and false heresies The Councell of Basill hath made a muster of their secessions Schismes and departures from the true faith which thing I find carefully set downe in one or two choyce Manuscripts in Magdalen Colledge in Oxford To come therefore to particulars Liberius was an hereticke his heresie was no lesse then the worst of all others that of the Arrians Leo succeeded him both in his Papall Sea and Arrian heresie Who is so little versed in the Stories of the Church but knoweth that Iohn the 22. his error de visione faciali was condemned by the Sorbons and blowne abroad by the sound of a Trumpet throughout all Paris But I will dwell no longer vpon this incongruous and vnpleasant subiect of banishing all forraine Iurisdiction of Popes out of this Kingdome and territories Wee say that his Maiestie may restraine with the Ciuill Sword the stubborne and euill doers which is my fourth and last proposition in this Article and commeth now to bee explained by the more temperate and moderate sort of Papists In the Chapter preceding we haue forced the Temporall Sword out of the Popes hands and that it may bee drawne forth against the stubborne and euill doers none but the franticke Anabaptist will dare to denie With them and their fantasticall propositions and delirations we will haue nothing to doe at this present wee will inquire only how farre forth this Sword is to bee drawne according vnto the Papists Tenet and the practise of these Kingdoms They make two sorts of hereticks some that erre of malice and trouble the State some that erre the errors of their Fathers and stand stiffe in that Religion which hath been taught them because they know no better these are to be reclaimed and informed by good and gentle meanes according to the example of the primitiue times when the ` Doctors and Pastors were readier to lay downe their liues then to take them away from illiterate and simple men and women they knew no other Sword then the Word no other fire then the Spirit Touching those that erre of malice they are to be dealt withall in sharper sort especially if their malice breake forth vnto the disturbance of the State either Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill and yet these are to be reclaimed also and purged of their malice if it may bee as well as of their errors or else preuented in time by the stroke of Iustice according to their demerits without effusion of blood but for blasphemous hereticks that impugne the Trinitie or wilfully trouble the vnitie and peace of this Kingdome bee they Schismaticks or Hereticks it now groweth to bee a matter of State rather then Religion I leaue them to those that know well how to rule them thinking no punishment too sharpe for them But for your sanguinarie punishments and bloody Inquisitions as our State vseth them not nor our Religion doth warrant them so your owne Writers doe inueighing against them as eagerly as we can or do supposing that the Church of Rome hath profited little since it first vsed these vnwonted and vnwarranted courses to turne all into fire and sword vpon small occasions God he knoweth for denying the Popes power in deliuering soules out of Purgatory for speaking against the Canons of the Church the opinions of their Schooles sometimes for crossing their positions though it bee but in Grammar notantur Articuli parantur fascculi away with them to the fire they may no longer liue one or two of their illiterate Friars shall accuse them some others shall beare witnesse the spirituall Magistrate shall condemne them the Temporall shall execute the sentence to the vtter destruction both of soule and body as you are perswaded If your men were as ready to teach as to burne and dealt by Colloquies and not by the Sword by the Gospell and not by Armes we would thinke that your Religion had some shew of truth and the Christian World some likelihood of Peace to the which in Christ I commend the cause of Gods Church and it a period to this long Article much the longer because it treateth of two the greatest powers vpon Earth the one lawfully challenged by his Maiestie the other vnlawfully pretended and vsurped by his Holinesse such as it is as I haue shewed heretofore Of the 22. Article Of Purgatorie THE Romish doctrine concerning Purgatorie Prayers worshipping and adoration as well of Images as of Reliques and also inuocation of Saints is a fond thing vainely inuented and grounded vpon no warrant of Scripture but rather repugnant to the Word of God This 22. Article explained and maintained by Papists HEre we are to runne through Purgatorie or rather through a Hell of deuilish inuentions but I will contract my selfe and it The Church of England giues no definition of it in this Article neither can it be defined because non entis nullae sunt qualitates but out of the writings of moderate Papists it may be described briefly thus Purgatory is a prety slight to picke mens purses Largely thus PVrgatorie is an excellent inuention of fiction of some Cacologus Schoolemen or Legendaries founded vpon dreames and reuelations to certaine politick ends partly vnknowne partly knowne to picke mens purses and fill the Popes cofers to defeate men of their lands and rob their soules of true comfort leauing nothing in mens consciences but scruples and terrors to thinke when it began what it is how long it shall continue for yeares dayes moneths or till the day of iudgement This awing the people by it more then by any thing and causing them to reuerence their persons more then any men that can by their Prayers mages Inuocations and Reliques of Saints Indulgences Funerals and Diriges being well hired vnto the same quench this fire deliuer these soules out of Purgatori and free them a poena and send them straight into Paradise to their endlesse ioy and comfort as they thinke and are perswaded by their ignorant guides To course ouer the parts of this description It is a meere fiction not of their Theologus but of their Cacologus founded vpon dreames and reuelations of men that appeared to them from the dead Habent Moysen Prophetas could not content them pickes mens purses and robs men of their lands to inrich the Popâ—s cofers What scruples it leaueth in the conscience I leaue to your considerations when you shall perfectly vnderstand that either there was no mention of it in the primitiue times or very little that the Graecians beleeue it not neither are the learnedst of the Papists able to define the place qualitie duration and extention of it vnto this
is rather disputable then decided take it at the worst that it bringeth with it many abuses more then I haue mentioned noted by Iohn Gerson and Nic. Clemangis and Io. Collet of England knowne by the detestable gaine by Indulgences the people especially of Germany enthralled and robbed of their mony had not Martin Luther of Wittemberge and Friderick Duke of Saxony iust cause to reclaime and declaime against the sundry abuses of them being now growne into the generall hatred of all men and to banish them out of all Germany and we here in England not to admit them vntill they bee better warranted vnto vs. Things that are good as the brazen Serpent out of your owne Gascoigne may be taken away and so much of Indulgences and Pardons Pardon mee if I haue insisted the longer on this point occasioned through plenty of matter I will contract my selfe in all the rest leauing you to imagine what large volumes may bee written of controuersies out of their owne Indices if either I had all of them or all were written out of them but I may with thankefulnesse to the Almighty say vnto them that meane to spend houres well in this kind Principium dedi vobis I onely intend and propose vnto my self an Introduction vnto the Controuersies in this first Edition Of Prayers for the Dead OF prayers for the dead what shall I say Seeing that in our prayers whether publike or priuate there must bee no assuments or additaments of men or women but all must be taken out of the holy Scriptures although I cannot deny but the Graecians which to this day doe deny Purgatorie doe grant the vse of prayers for the dead yet because I am taught that in the next life there is present condemnation or remunertation and that they will profit vs little or nothing and that we are to be accountable at the last day of Iudgement for euery idle word they were better forborne then vsed and that I may conclude all in the marginall note vpon Greg. Neocaesariensis word verè sentiunt qui sublat as volunt preces pro defunctis they thinke aright which would haue prayers for the dead abolished according to the plaine doctrine of the Church of England Of Reliques and Pilgrimages FIrst of Reliques seeing they sprung both from one roote couetousnesse and gaine which is the roote of all euill We will inquire whether there be any true Reliques or no proceeding in right method first to proue the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then to talke of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afterwards Let it be first agreed vpon of all hands that if Reliques be to be worshipped of any then much more of Christ the blessed Virgins and his Apostles but all these are either vncertaine or vnknowne of Christ what haue wee remaining but some few cart loades of his Crosse or Nailes wherewith he was fastened to the Crosse which hee that will beleeue must haue faith more then a graine of Mustardseed so incredible are they if the relation bee true which I find recorded in an ancient Parchment booke The historie is somewhat long but withall strange and therfore we will heare it and it be but for its noueltie to you and incredibiliti◠both to you and me I reade saith my Author that Helena was the daughter of Choel King of the Brittaines whom Constantine at his comming into Brittaine married being the onely daughter of her father After whose death the whole Iland deuolued vnto him So much wemay reade in the Brittish Stories but some there bee that fetch her pedigree and descent as farre as Treuers Thus much a man may beleeue although that he haue but some few graines or scruples of faith But that which followeth can hardly be beleeued without some scruple of conscience though hee had whole mountaines of faith or as much faith as would remooue Mountaines into the Sea yet I say it will hardly be belieued The said Helena being desirous to find out Christs Crosse and nayles a most excellent inuention whosoeuer put it into her head sent for all the Iewes the I was supposing it was for some such businesse feared and resolued that they would neuer confesse where it was One Iudas mistake him not for Iudas Iscariot yet it was one almost as ancient as he perhaps some men will wonder how this should come to passe when it is knowne that Helena called this assembly of Iewes more then 270. yeares after Christ I answere out of the same Author that perhaps men liued longer then then they doe now Zachaeus was his Grandfather and Saint Stephen that was stoned to death was this Iudas brother this Iudas I say when Queene Helena threatned to burne them all aliue if they would not tell her for all their solemne vow was discouered to her to be the onely man that knew where the Crosse was hidden so she set them aside and tooke Iudas along with her and told him in plaine termes that if he would not tell her where Golgotha was that the Crosse might be found eft soones she would throw him into a pit and there he should lie as sure as Christ died for her till hee were famished to death which was instantly done and there hee lay poore soule sixe dayes and sixe nights but on the seuenth day he made signes to come foorth and made show that he would tell them where the pretious Relique of the Crosse was As soone as hee came forth downe falleth he to his prayers which that it might bee the more auaileable was ioyned with much fasting straight wayes whilest he prayed the ground shooke and yeelded forth a sent of most pleasant smelles Whereat Iudas lift vp both his hands and said Now doe I know of a truth that Christ is the Sauiour of the world Now in that place as we reade in the Ecclesiasticall Historie for this is not a Legend-storie there was whilome a Temple of Venus the Goddesse of lust built by Adrian the Emperour wherein whosoeuer prayed might bee thought to pray to her Deitie therfore it was vnfrequented and ready to fall but Queene Helena razed it to the ground and plowed it vp After this Iudas begins to settle himself to his busines and hauing digged not passing 20. yards in the ground he found three Crosses which with great ioy hee carried vnto Queene Helena But loe here a doubt that did much perplex them all it could not be known which was Christs Crosse from the thiefes nor of the two thieues Crosses which was the good thiefes which was the bads but that mattered not But as God would haue it there was a young man carried forth to be buried Iudas staied the Beare with his band and layed the first crosse vpon the body and it stirred not and then he layed the second crosse vpon it and it stirred not but when he touched the body with the third Crosse
Idolatry by worshipping of Idols or images Wee Christians should incurre the same crime and endure the like censure Worshipping of images hath beene occasion of much mischiefe in the Christian Churches and therefore to bee left Doe not you your selfe thinke there is much knauerie in some to make the images to weepe or swette What a iest is it to beleeue or to make the simple people beleeue that the diuell cannot abide the image of Saint Michael or the signe of the Crosse I am halfe ashamed to see the indeuotion and superstition of your vulgar people how they post vnto your images and happy is hee that can come soonest to hang some piece of gold or siluer about the images necke or to cloth it with some rich garment or other or leaue it in some place of the Church where it may be seene What say you to apparrell of cloth of siluer or of gold The images haue no sence in them and is God delighted with gold or precious stones Diamond Saphirs or Smaragds Thus doe the rich giue and ouer-giue and study or vie who shall giue most when the tradesman offers but a candle or the country peazant but an egge or two and if it be to shew that he is no Hugaenot or Lutheran What say the Papists to the worshipping of bawdie and beastly images or prodigious and vgly ones Wicelius complanineth of the one and Gregorius Gyraldus of the other I now come to the last Proposition of all The sixth Proposition It is very much impugned by the Papists themselues of the better sort PApists of the better sort are against the adoration of Images I will reckon them vp ordine regrado reâ—rogrado as they come promiscuously First Ant. de Dominis Secondly Polyd. Virgil Thirdly Vatablus and Rob. Stephanus Fourthly Desid Heraldus Fifthly Papyrius Massonius and sundry others if I list either to be tedious or vaine-glorious but I conclude with Saint Iohns exhortation My little children beware of Idols Against the Inuocation of Saints THis controuersie of the Inuocation of Saints to goe at large may be reduced vnto two propositions wherunto the best of the Papists haue willingly subscribed The Propositions are these First God alone is to be worshipped adored inuocated Secondly The Saints neither may can nor will be inuocated of vs but with impietie and no profit The first Proposition God alone is and ought to be worshipped adored and called vpon GOd alone is to bee worshipped inuocated trusted vnto hoped in all our trust and confidence must bee placed in him we must pray vnto none but to him serue none but him no creature is venerable but the increated nature What dependance vpon any other What profit I conclude therefore with Erasmus It is the safest course for all men vpon all their incident occasions to go streight vnto him others perhaps would but cannot God is both able and willing And thus this first Proposition standeth like a Rocke immoueable against all the assaults and batteries of our Aduersaries The second Proposition Saints neither will nor can be inuocated of vs. FIrst it may bee doubted who are Saints not all that are called or catalogued or canonized for Saints many whose seules frie in Hell there is no certaintie of their cononizations But imagine there be some true Saints and true Miracles whereby they are discouered to bee true Saints yet sith Almighty God is the beginning and fountaine of good and Saints at the most but a kind of conduits or pipes to conueigh the same vnto vs Oh let vs not be so pious to Men or Angels that we prooue impious towards God worship the Lord and him onely serue is the common voyce both of Men and Angels Will a man that is wise beg and sue to the seruant when he may haue free accesse to the Master of the house Such preposterous worshipping of Saints such confiding and trusting to any deriuatitious sanctitie is not able to open vnto vs when we knocke at Heauen gates The wisest and sobrest amongst the Papists leaue it as one of Gods secrets either our knowledge of the Saints or the Saints knowledge of vs and expectnothing more then the pious imitation of their vertuous deeds which all of them commend vnto vs as the most acceptable seruice both vnto them and to God they would not haue vs to confide or repose our trusts either in Christs Humanitie or his Mothers Virginitie nor in any hee or shee-Saint in Heauen It was a hard constitution that was obtruded vnto them by the Church against a plaine Text of Scripture Cursed bee he that putteth his trust in Man and the Christian Religion had thriued farre better amongst vs if wee had not giuen so much vnto inuocation of Saints and so little vnto the seruice of God The 25. Article Penance is no Sacrament PEnance is one of the seuen Sacraments say the Papists it is no Sacrament saith the Church of England It is easier to say what it is not then what it is But I will not greatly stand with them for a Sacrament vpon hope of better agreement in other matters of greater consequence take it strictly it is no Sacrament they haue better eyes then I if they can see more Sacraments then two in the Gospell take it largely it may passe well enough for a Sacrament such a one as it is and to gratifie the Papists if the number of seuen be so gratefull vnto them I will helpe them vnto seuen times seuen Sacraments vpon reasonable conditions out of Saint Austen It is called metanoea or resipiscentia in Latin and as I take it repentance in English but this word repentance or resipiscentia is so dreadfull a word to the Church of Rome that there is Hue and Cry made after it and hauing apprehended it they haue condemned it to perpetuall silence it must neuer be mentioned againe they haue purged it out of their bookes I would to God they were as well purged out of this Kingdome I will quote a few Authors and places that you may measure the rest by these few quotations They diuide it into three parts into Confession Contrition and Satisfaction how wisely we shall see hereafter Their penance consisteth in outward affliction of the body and maceration of the flesh our repentance is inward and spirituall in the grace and faith of Christ Wee know but one Name that can saue vs their penances may be commuted or redeemed with money ours onely by the blood of Christ To conclude it consisteth not in payning the body or afflicting the soule A man may weare haire-cloth and be neuer a whit the more either attrite or contrite for I haue learned to make no diuision of these two termes your Schooles doe
This affected and feigned penance may make others beleeue that we are truly sorrowful when there is no such thing We do herein but imitate the old Heretikes against whom Polydor Virgil and Aegidius de Faeno haue sharpened their pennes against them our foolish Papists on Good-friday either in Rome or Spaine come not much behind them and if they belye them not that haue reported it some of them haue died vnder the displing Rod. But true repentance entereth not into the body with the Rod but into the mind by true sorrow the feare whereof is so continually obuersant before their eyes that they will not commit the like sinnes and it were to loose a hundred liues they doe cleane put off the old man and all the affections of a sinfull soule with mind neuer to resume them againe And this I take to belong vnto true repentance Against Auricular confession IF auricular or secret confession be not abused the Church of England doth willingly admit of and subscribe to it the neglect of it hath been inquired of my knowledge in some Visitations and the reuealing of it is forbidden vnder an high paine but this must not be imposed of necessitie but arbitrarie and voluntarie The sicke Penitent may say vnto the Confessour I haue need of the Physitian and the Confessour may reioyne vnto the Penitent Non habeo praeceptum sed consilium do I vrge it not vpon you as a precept but I aduise you as a friend and as your spirituall Pastor and if you be truly contrite God seeth your heart I see but your face you may receiue comfort at Gods hands and I will ioyne my heartiest prayers with yours for the obtaining of the same Man is sinnefull but God is mercifull To consider Confession a little better it is a most forceable weapon to amaze and amate the conscience to picke the purse and steale into a mans priuiest thoughts intruding here vpon Gods office it maketh the Confessour especially if he be a young man a knaue women whores and their husbands Cuckolds Subiects rebell against their Princes worketh Stratagems in States to bee short it serueth to my seeming but to Politick ends and in speciall it tyeth the Laytie fast by the eares to the Cleargie and the Cleargie to the Pope which thereby is become Rex Regum et Dominus Dominantium Touching the first part of this description how is the pore conscience racked and torne vexed and perplexed amongst them They require an exact Catalogue and enumeration of all sinnes and all circumstances I thinke it to be an endlesse worke for who can say how often hee offendeth It is vnpossible so strictly to take the Confession of an ordinary man for one yeere much more of a great sinner for many yeeres But admit it to bee possible yet where is the ballance to make difference of euery graine to weigh euery circumstance is not this a trouble and vexation of the spirit Nay a very hell and torment of the conscience Sure there needes no such matter may it not suffice to beleeue assuredly that my sinnes are forgiuen in Christ though I confesse them not to a sinfull Priest it may bee as bad perhaps worse than my selfe I beleeue it will be found in good writers that before the mouth openeth the heart speaketh and sigheth and cryeth vnto God for mercy and great is the cry thereof in Gods eares of force if I may so say beeing tendred to God in Christ Iesus name to pull downe a full remission of all our sinnes Secondly it is saide to bee a Pick-pocket as well as Purgatorie because of the infinite summes of money that accrew to the Monkes Couents by way of Legacies and to the Popes Coffers by way of Indulgeuces I may call it in this respect the Popes Indies aswell as Krantzius tearmeth it the Popes golden mines I trow the Pope getteth as much by it as the King of Spaine by both his Indies Thirdly it solliciteth and tempteth Priests to much lewdnesse and therefore it was thought good by some of their best learned Papists that young Priests should not intermedle in Confessions and yet who but they that were vsed in Confessions ignorant and foolish lewde and lasciuious as they were It is not I but good Rhenanus that complaineth of this grieuous abuse And therefore our learned Countryman long before this complaint gaue this wholesome aduise That neither young nor old familiar themselues or talke with women because there is no man but might be intangled with these snares if he looked not the better or more warily to his steppes And therefore there was great neede of some such aduise For as Poggius saith in his merry tales there was an Eremite at Padua one Arsininus by name that had sosticited I know not how many women to lewdnesse vnder pretence of Auricular Confession If you list to heare any more Stories of this nature you shall haue them as freely as I haue them from Zuinger and Zuinger from Egnatius and others as out of the same Poggius you may read of a Monke called Albertus that came in Confession to a graue matron of Venice and had the vse of her body telling her when shee began to make somewhat dainty of the matter that he had a reuelation from Saint Michael the Archangell which commanded him to come to her of else God forbid that wee should thinke that a poore minorite would haue attempted any such matter before hee had his warrant There is a third storie of an other minorite that lay with an other matron-like woman which left his breaches behinde him beeing like to be surprized and her husband espying the breeches on the bed asked how they came there she said they were sent her by God and good Saint Francis the poore Cuck old rested contented and durst not for his eares for a long time make this story knowne Now honest Papist is Confession a Sacrament or no Take Sacrament for a signe and it appeareth that it is a signe or rathere cause of much villany and this was the cause why it was abolished in the Primitiue Church vpon a like fact by Nectarius What shall I speake of other Confessions As the Confessions in a Monkes Cowle which was of Souereigne vertue to cure all sicknesses of the soule Monkes Cowles belike haue a speciall vertue If they had said they were good to cure Matrons of the disease of the mother or Maides of the greene sicknesse I would easilier haue beleeued them I am afraide I haue rested too long vpon their Monkes Cowles but it is no matter Erasmus shall make my excuse for this once the best is it is not a matter of faith nor much against good manners vnlesse it be of their side In this â— Tome and elsewhere hee hath giuen them such a cooling carde for their Cowles let them be Cowles of S. Francis or S. Dominicke that
the Papists will haue no great cause to bragge of their Souereigne vertues hereafter To hold you no longer about Confession seeing Confession is not of any diuine institution but an ordinance of the Church as both Polydore Virgil and Erasmus doe proue it but instituted by the Fathers vpon iust occasion and abrogated againe by the same vpon as good an occasion The surest way for vs is to make our humble and secret Confession to God who is best able to forgiue the same and to free vs both à paena et à culpa yet for the auctoritie of the Church of England that perswadeth is leauing it Arbitrarie and for sundry good reasons that inforce it to my seeming if thou canst be so happy as to finde a wise learned and discreet Minister feare not to make known thy sinnes vnto him there is no ragge of poperie in this if thou bee true to the Minister and the Minister vnto thee But if no such Minister bee to bee found or not at hand men may confesse themselues one to another one neighbour to another without any scruple of conscience the Papists will giue thee leaue and so doe I and heere I end my discourse of Auricular Confession Of Satisfaction and Contrition A Word or two of Satisfaction and Contrition the other two parts of Popish Penance that I may giue some satisfaction to my pore seduced Countrymen if God shall moue their hearts and that they hate not to be reformed otherwise whole bookes of this argument will bee bootlesse non persuadebo etiam perswasero I may plant and others may water but it is God onely that giueth the increase First of Satisfaction if the Papists meane publike Satisfaction to the Church for some publike scandall giuen or priuate Satisfaction for some priuate wrongs done or scandall taken God speed them I question them not it is a Canon of the Church of Rome in force and practise in the Church of England that he that offends publikely and by his offence doth scandalize the whole Church should make a publike acknowledgement thereof and for priuate wrongs or persons the holy Scripture which is regula sufficienâ—isfima willeth vs in expresse tearmes to go and reconcile our selues vnto our neighbour and then come and offer this is a kinde of Excommunication ipso facto if we do it not But if they meane Popish Satisfactions whereby they thinke they do promerite or postmerite God with such satisfactions or sacrifices God is not pleased Proue the lawfulnesse of them out of Scripture and Traditions of the Church and we will vse them till when we leaue them In the meane time there is a kinde of Satisfaction which I will make bold to commend vnto you out of Antonius Magnus in the Bibliotheque of holy Fathers and that is the amendment of your wicked liues Touching Contrition seeing that the Papists acknowledge that the heart may be so contrite that the body may be saued in the day of iudgement both à paena et à culpa without doing any penance at all or very little grace being sufficient of it selfe to do away all our sinnes as is largely shewed by Ant. de Dominis who hath also taken great paines to score vp the Errours of Popish Contrition the chiefe whereof is filthy gaine the bane of the soule and indiuiduall companion of Purgatory and Penance bee ruled by mee this once if your Confessour seeke you and not yours hee will perswade you truly to repent and sorrow and satisfie God if you will by your surety Christ if they speak of any other sorrow or any other satisfaction take heede of Wolues that destroy the flocke ne potius pecuniam quà m animarum salutem quaerere videantur they rob you of your money and giue no satisfaction to your hunger-starued soules The 20. Article Of the Authority of the Church THe Church hath power to decree rites or Ceremonies and authority in Controuersies of faith And yet it is not lawfull for the Church to ordaine any thing that is contrary to Gods word neither may it so expound one place of Scripture that it bee repugnant to another Wherefore though the Church bee a witnesse and a keeper of holy writ yet it ought not to decree any thing against the same so besides the same it ought not to enforce any thing to bee beleeued for necessity of saluation This 20. Article explained and maintained by the Papists IT is a true saying of good vse in opening of Controuersies that qui bene distinguit bene docet I will therefore for the better vnderstanding of this point First distinguish of Rites Ceremonies and Traditions Secondly propose certaine Theses Thirdly confirme them according to the method which I haue confined my selfe vnto either out of Papists or out of old Manuscripts Of Traditions Rites and Ceremonies as I take it from the Papists some are diuine appertaining to pietie perpetuall and immutable Some are humane of the Tradition of the Church for the better gouernment and policy of the same which are variable and mutable both in regard of time and of place Thirdly there are some infrugiferous carnall hypocriticall or Pharisaicall and these are neuer to be admitted or being once admitted by conniuence of gouernours or the industrie of the Deuill that will if hee may sowe Tares amongst Wheat must be speedily rooted out and abrogated My Propositions are these 1. DIuine Rites or Ceremonies must bee taken out of the word of God or the continuall succession of the Church 2. All Apostolicall Rites are not perpetuall 3. Humane Rites and Ceremonies may bee made by the Church according to the Scripture are of like obseruation euen in things indifferent if they be once ratified till the Church doe abrogate them 4. They must be thus conditioned First not meerely offensiue for their multitude Secondly mysterious for their signification Thirdly decent for the ornament of the Church Fourthly tending to piety and not superstition Fiftly putting no affiance or confidence in them Sixtly not lasting but Arbitrary according vnto the times Countries and seasons 5. The Primitiue Churches had but a few 6. All Iewish Ceremonies are abolished 7. Diuine Constitutions are to bee preferred before humane inuentions pure and without mixture 8. Humane Rites must as neere as may bee consist in inward and not externall matters aswell for the end as for the thing 9. If Ceremonies do offend or otherwise be to bee abrogated it is not for any priuate man to demolish them but they must fairely and orderly be vnmade by the Authority of the Church that first made them 10. As they are to be seuerely punished that contemne the setled orders of the Church so if there bee no contempt we are not rashly to censure them The first Proposition SVch Traditions as are mentioned in the Scriptures and haue beene obserued in all ages by a continuall succession aut extraditione Apostolorum percontinuas success
forced through it owne pouertie to sustentate and support it selfe for the time by maintaining assertions repugnant to the prouidence and charitie of God towards Man and to all light of naturall reason So that we must as my Lord of London did if they could tell the time when beleeue that doctrine which is accompanied with so many true and celebrious Miracles wrought by God alone without any secondary humane meanes whatsoeuer Master Io. Brereley hath likewise in his of S. Aug. religion spent his 18. Chapter and all his Sections vpon this matter so that now the matter is made cock-sure Against all which is brought by him and his fellow Musket whosoeuer shall oppose his owne bare vnwarranted deniall we leaue saith hee that man as much more worthy of contempt then farther reply But stay now you Master Musket haue spent all your powder or if you did shoote bullets you haue wounded or killed none but your owne men as may appeare Not to speake of the Auctour vpon the vnperfect worke vpon Mathew very ancient although not Chrysostomes whose words are so plaine for vs both in the affirmatiue that there is no note note-worthy or proofe of the true Church nisi tantummodo per Scripturas spoken more then once or twice in the same place and in the negatiue that miracles may proue a false Church and be done by Heretickes which your Inquisitors haue purged out of the Auctour That miracles stupendious miracles such as your Historians doe swarme with namely Antoninus Aido Saxo Grammaticus Sigebertus Phreculphus Nauclerus Marianus Vrspergensis Ammonus Turpinus Guaguinus and all your old Annalists aske your owne Bodin and he will tell you so much they were done and not done made or rather feined by helpe of Deuils or of the black Art by your false Prophets to draw men to superstition from the reading of Gods word Such were those that Gregory the seuenth vsed against Henry the fourth Foure Monkes that at Berke would needes counterfeite the fiue wounds of Christ your Tablets of the virgin Mary that fell from heauen or of gallant virgin Mary either at Reginoburg or Lisbon or of Oeting of your miracles of old of Transubstantiation or of late within these one hundred yeeres wherewith you haue blinded the simple people and cast a mist before there eies they are infinite in number that haue beene wrought by Xauier and his fellow cheaters and so shall those bee that Antichrist shall bring to passe in the latter end of the world to the seducing of the very elect of God if it were possible and therefore I cannot be perswaded that there are any true miracles wrought amongst you they were needefull in the infancy but not in the groweth of the Church and aske not mee but S. Austine a reason why miracles doe now cease in these times of the Gospell or rather your owne Geo Venetus to come neerer home and they will bee able well to ensorme you in this point and therefore ring your belles preach your miracles and make no small gaine of them before them simple people or poore Indians Let your men vrge them and presse them and make their station in them taking them vp of trust one from the other as Bede from S. Gregory and S. Gregory from others I am fully resolued by your owne men that miracles without faith can neuer be effectuall but true faith without miracles may bee acceptable both to God and men as I haue formerly shewed As concerning Master Brerelies fond obiection because I perceiue by the casting away of his bookes that hee is weary or ashamed of them and is now casting about how he may frame a conuenient answer though it bee but in shew to him that wrote against him I will not trouble his patience at this time but stay till hee reioyne and then I doe binde my selfe by promise to ioyne issue with him and to answer whatsoeuer hee shall obiect either about miracles or any thing else that shall concerne the substance of our religion Whilst hee vrgeth Protestants and Papists I will assure him that I will vrge none but Papists and especially those that are marked with a black Theca in their Indices expurgatorij And for a conclusion to all seeing they vrge vs so farre vpon the point of miracles I will commend these few miracles that follow to their most Christian consideration If they proue not miracles yet I beleeue they will proue miraculous and stupendious actions and such as doe note forth vnto vs the great prouidence of God in preseruing his little flocke his true Church amidst the furie and fierie assaults of his and their great enemies beyond the degree of admirations First when the deluge of superstition had wel-nigh ouer whelmed the arke of the Church when that abomination of desolation foretold by Daniel and forespoken by S. Paul began to sit in the Church and to exalt himselfe against God or all that is called God God had his Waldo in France and Wickleph here in England and Hus a little after in Behemia that did preserue the truth of religion intire and vncorrupted and themselues except Iohn Hus vntoucht and vnhurt being but a handfull of men against so many and potent Aduersaries Secondly how their followers beeing persecuted with bell booke and candle with fire and sword multiplied whilst they groaned like the Children of Israel vnder Pharaoh into thousands and stood out against the Pope and his Croisadoes and some of them to this present day in the Conualles remaine that neuer yet bowed the knees to Baal nor receiued the marke of the Beast in their fore-heads Thirdly that blinde Ziska and his poore Thaborits should conquer three hosts of the Pontificians that were thought to be iuincible and to haue beene an armie sufficient to haue encountred the great Turke and to haue beaten him out of all Natolia Fourthly that the slaughtering and murdering of men and women in their bloody vnholy Inquifition hath bene a speciall cause of the encrease of the Church and the conuersion of diuers Sauls into Pauls which of bloody Inquisitors became afterwards patient Martyrs to the astonishment of most men who wondered not a little that so many of both sexes especially of the simpler sort should lay down their liues so readily for the testimony of the Gospel it made them as I say wonder what that religion should bee Fistly their Inquisition of bookes aswell as of men the especiall Ramme found out in the Councell of Trent by the instigation of the Diuell as the chiefe meanes to establish their new and vnheard of religion partly by prohibiting of whole bookes partly by purging of some Tracts in some bookes hath proued beeing discouered vnto vs by the finger of God the chiefest instrument of Gods glory whereby so many witnesses of the truth are knowne now vnto vs to speake wholly and often and earnestly for the reformation which was made by Luther in these
to their office and functions to assist the Pope in doing good and preaching the Gospell or visiting the sick or suruaying their Diocesses Lastly 〈…〉 Pope to whom he poore Wicelius deceiued by a counterfcite Epistle of Anaclâ—tus erring the errour of the Pontifician by misinterpreting the words of our â—uiour Thou art Peter giueth a kind of Supremacie but not in that latitude that now it is taken hee summoneth to appeare before the Tribunall Seate of God if he did not his best to reforme the corruptions of the Clergy in generall not exempting his Holines as some flatterers and pick-thankes did and the foule abuses of the Court of Rome which were spread abroad throughout all the World in bookes printed to the shame of that See and iust reproofe of his Holinesse and hee did verily thinke in his conscience that if they did not the sooner begin to reforme the Sectaries by Colloquies or Councels not by fire and sword ere long be they would loose all Germanie that began then to dance after Martins Luthers Pipe and greedily to imbrace his doctrine for the very filthinesse and abominable or innominable sinnes of their Clergie 14. Lastly what shall I speake of their Holy water qua nihil immundius that was vnholy their Thurification that was to be reiected because the sent thereof was not pleasing in Gods nostrils abuse of Confession Baptisme Excommunication which were too too much abused You see our Wicelius was a true reformer of the Church a moderate Papist at the least and no dissembler of the faults of his age of the Church doubtles in time he might if he had not bin too much awed by their great ones to whom as became a peaceable man he shewed all manner of outward obedience I say he might haue prooued an other Martin Luther though moued with a cleane coÌ„trary spirit so powerful is the Spirit of God to change our purposes and alter our nature when and as it pleaseth the Diuine prouidence Concerning Ant. de Dom I know not well what to say but to cry out Digitus Dei God had a finger in disposing of his comming ouer and suffering him to fall that other might rise and to write so directly against the Church of Rome as to my seeming for the most points no man hath done better though himselfe were neuer in the right hauing a good head but a corrupt and equluocating heart from the beginning which well became him that was tutored by and brought vp vnder the Iesuites Now albeit his conuersion were most fained and his Apostacie most certaine and true whatsoeuer he proposed to himselfe the heart is a Closet wherein none may enter but God God so disposed of both for his glorie that his person should relapse from our Religion and himselfe returne with the Dog to his old vomit and his elegant and substantiall bookes though they be mute should speake and proclaime to all the World the vnauoideable truth of our Religion now publikely professed and established in the Church of England Thus doth the diuine prouidence bring light out of darknesse and make good effects spring from the roote of euill causes as better shall appeare when we come to giue you my obseruations about the bookes that are purged I will onely touch vpon the Author of the Historie of the Councell of Trent whom because Ant. de Dominis whom I cannot call Ant. de Dommo because hee serued more Masters called Pietro Soare I will also call him by that name doth so farre shew to euery one-eyed Reader that the Councell of Trent though it were called against and condemned Martin Luther and his Religion yet if the Councell had been free and their voyces decisiue without the Pope though the Italian Bishops were three to one in number and there had been no foule play in calculating the voyces still I say leauing the Clokebag behind the Councell of Trent might haue turned Lutheran and sate at Witenberge aswell as there for their propositions and reasons which as D. Stapleton saith may be fallible and deceitfull but the conclusion is that which they did and we must look after if we will suffer our selues to be hoodwinckt and as very fooles as they I am not ignorant that there be some in the world moderate Papists that haue taken as iust and as great exception as we doe or can vnto the Councell of Trent and I would not haue the Christian Reader ignorant of this that I haue intreated of this largely in another set Treatise which if it shall be thought worthy by the Church of England to whom I doe yeeld and owe all submission may haue the happinesse with some other Treatises of mine to see the light Of the bookes printed vnpurged so much by way of caueat for the printed purge Copies take gentle Reader these few notes into thy Christian consideration 1. That I propose not to my selfe any exact handling of the Controuersies questioned betweene vs and the Papists per viam Thomae as they say by way of opposition or obiections and answeres out of Scripture Councels Fathers midled aged first aged and all aged Writers before Martin Luther my weake and wearied legges at this time will not suffer me to expatiate so farre yet my studies I confesse and naturall disposition to rip vp and vnfold the controuersies and vnriuit them out of the secrets of true Antiquitie driue that way my purpose is if God will to giue you a taste onely of that fruit which may be expected out of their sundry Indices Expurgatorij if they be well and narrowly sought after and looked into I haue but seuen or eight of them some that fell into my hands by casualty at the surprizall of the Towne of Cadiz others by the prouidence of God and great care and industrie of the Founder of our great Librarie Sir Thom. Bodley the Pâ—olomey of our â—ges and wonderfull preseruer of bookes I haue by my selfe and my friends amassed and shouelled together some thirtie Quire of Paper of Catholike restitutions and restored some one or two hundred seuerall Authors and out of them I haue gathered this small Introduction or Manuduction vnto Diuinitie sorted according vnto the especiall Articles of Religion controuerted at this day betweene vs and the Papists deliuered in as plaine and familiar manner as I could possibly deuise for the capacitie of the vulgar Protestant or Papist 2. I haue not taken all that may be taken or gathered out of the Articles that the booke might not rise to too great a bulke I haue neither collected all that is contained in the seuerall Indices but a third or fourth part only nor all that is contained in my said collections but the most pertinent and proper places 3. Neither is it to be vnderstood that all that are recorded by them for Papists are indeed Papists but supposed ones as Laeuinus Lemnius Io. Spondanus c. whose testimonies are sparingly miscited by mee in following the common errour
summes for to haue had the bookes againe they feared belike that their knauery would come forth and the mystery bee vnfolded of this worke of darkenesse which since that time hath lyen no more secret in corners but is now knowne to the body of all Christendome and herehence by sight of your bookes thus scored or printed occasion is giuen to the wiser sort of Papists to thinke it must needes bee a weake and bad cause that needeth to be supported by weake and bad shifts But the last obiection of all is that the Fathers are not purged no text of the Fathers in any Index is purged or expunged say ye so what say ye to Saint Cyrill Eucherius Intextu deleatur the like may bee said of Greg. Nyssene Saint Iohn Chrysostome Agapetus and diuers others either in their owne workes or in other mens workes of great Antiquitie purged and repurged and expurged againe What your purpose is I know not I do easyly imagine that it is to no great good of our religion that you haue fiue times at the least printed seuerall Editions of the Bibliotheca Sanctorum Patrum first printed by Bigne and lately at Coleyne with additions of I know not how many volumes with Iesuiticall notes and Annotations in Greeke and Latine and so much for this ninth obseruation which I haue the rather insisted vpon so long because it containeth the marrow and pith of all the rest 10. These men that beare witnesse for vs are no meane Fellowes abiect Writers or contemptible persons but the glory of those dayes the honour of those times the great Lampes and Ornaments of their Romish Church some of them Inquisitors but grone now vnder the Inquisition themselues quis enim custodiat ipsos custodes but as I haue elsewhere and may hereafter more fully shewed there is no more certaintie in their censures then there is assurednesse in their religion which is iust none at all But briefely and orderly that you may know of what great account they were at the latter end of this booke you shall perhaps haue an Alphabeticall Table that out of their own censures shall demonstrate this point to the full Lastly you see by these Indices if flesh and blood might haue preuailed by the secret operation of the Deuill how the Pontificians would haue taken from vs and the World so many testimonies of Fathers middle aged Writers and of all sorts all at one time and as it were blowne them vp like Faâ—xes in the Vaught but that God is mightier then men the truth then lyes by this one act of theirs and that a diuelish one But God hath blowne as it were the Powder into their owne faces filling them with shame and confusion laying their nakednesse open to the eye of the World insomuch that all wel-minded men doe either hisse or laugh at it seeing our Religion reasonably well confirmed and established by their owne men What pittie had it been that so many Noble Writers and worthy Authors should haue perished from vs and them And thereby any man of the meanest capacitie may thence draw forth this conclusion that God had his Church in the middest of Poperie and speciall men that in euery age did reclaime and declaime against their foule abuses both in doctrine and life These are the knees that neuer bowed to Baal the men that truly serued God though it were in secret which if they had been free to speake their minds and their minds had been fully knowne to vs they would most willingly haue imbraced our Religion and made a greater reformation then that of Luthers and that of the Princes of Germanie which was by the secret Iudgement of God to be performed in ore gladij cruentati as was long prophecied before I close vp all with this admonition that all the materiall places by me cited and by them expunged or expurged carry this note †of the Crosse before them to shew that the Authors endured the Crosse for Christ and were persecuted for righteousnesse sake Concerning the Manuscript Copies by me cited they are after proofes and not many hauing the figure of a hand ☞ to direct you Rome was not built vpon a day I haue cited but a few and those for the most part neglected and trod vnder foote they are all of them almost innominable bookes but not feigned by me but written and vrged many yeares agoe the character and letter will best shew the time and some circumstances may hereafter better discouer vnto vs the Authors but be they who they will in many points of doctrine they are wholly ours By that time we haue gone ouer all the vnprinted Manuscript Copies in both Vniuersities the famous Librarie of Sir Robert Cotton and other priuate Libraries is there not great hope of much good to bee done for the publike benefit of the Church If I had but halfe a dozen of such as I know that are both willing and able for pittie let not the Iesuite vpbraide vs any longer with his Nemo eos conduxit for want of due incouragement and imployment in this sacred and weightie businesse Some such matter hath been motioned in Conuocation Oh let it not be said as it was once spoken of of our Conuocations and Congregations here in Oxford that they were cause of much euill because they were inutiles sine fructu I complaine not for my selfe I thanke God I haue somewhat to liue on and to pay euery man his owne but there is somewhat else to be done vnlesse I would bee an Infidell and deny the Faith of the Church of England notwithstanding all their flatteries and false promises I haue gotten those small Benefices that the late Lord Bishop of Canterbury and this present with my Lord of Bath and Wels euer to be remembred by me with all thankefulnesse freely and without sute or seeking without gift or reward without cure of soules or charge of men Let any Priest or Iesuite beyond the Sea shew mee that their Abbots and Bishops haue done the like so freely so vnasked and I will resigne these vp vnto them which I am not minded yet to doe as my Predecessor did shewing one Italian tricke for our learning And thus taking my leaue I rest yours in the Lord wishing the Aduersaries to answere this booke if they haue a mind to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not by snatches and catches as some haue done but punctually and throughly auoyding personall calumniations and truly quoting their authorities in the beginning or end of their bookes HERE FOLLOWETH A PROFESSION OF THE Catholike Faith set out according to the Decree of the Councell of Trent I.N. doth with a steadfast faith beleeue and professe all and euery point contained in the Symbole of the Faith that the holy Romane Church doth vse to wit to beleeue in God the Father Almighty maker of Heauen and Earth of all things visible and inuisible And in one Lord Iesus