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
and therefore most woorthie to bée abolished and anathematized It is false also That the pope was by vs made a matter of scorne or that this proposition viz. That the pope is antichrist and such like are matters ridiculous For such propositions we take to be most true and dare alwaies maintaine them against more valiant disputers then this Noddy euer will be And therefore we do not thinke the pope a man to bée scorned but a tyrant to bée seriously shunned and abhorred of all christians Let this then make the eight lie This is also a lie most palpable and grosse That other princes fearing harme that might ensue of the alteration of religion in England complained heereof to the pope and that hee proceeded against the Queene vpon their complaints and instance Let him if hée can shew these pretended complaints If hée cannot shewe them let him at the least prooue them by some witnesse or record If not then do I not doubt but hée will prooue himselfe a vaine iangler Which appéereth also by this that Sanders a Lib. 3. de schism saith The pope proceeded at the instance of English prelates that referred the matter to him Beside that the pope is not so dull in working mischiefe that hée néedeth the solicitation of others to stirre him Nay it is cléere that pope Pius b Vita di Pio quinto stirred vp both Philip of Spaine and the French men against vs. And the like industrie did Paul the third vse in stirring vp warres and rebellions against Henrie the eight king of England and drawing troubles vpon the princes of Germanie No man therefore hencefoorth can iustly doubt but that all those practises which haue béene lately made against her Maiestie haue procéeded principally from the popes malice and rancor against true religion and the professors thereof and next from the malcontentment and trecherie of papists and their agents These are the two fountaines from whence all our warres rebellions treasons attempts to murder and poison princes and other great persons and other such like vilanous practises against the state haue flowed Now least any scruple might remaine in mens mindes hée endeuoureth to shewe how farre the excommunication of Pius quintus toucheth the papists in England and saith that They are not to discusse the question betwixt the Queene and the pope but to loue the one and the other But this resolutiō is so vnsufficient that it doth rather encrease then diminish our doubt For how can any good subiect loue him that seeketh the destruction of his prince How can a man serue not two masters but two masters so contrarie and adhere to a religious Quéene if hée bée a vassall to antichrist Beside this séeing papists make the pope the souereigne iudge of these matters what a ridiculous conceit is it to thinke that a papist can iudge otherwise then the pope iudgeth or sentenceth His reasons also are such as can satisfie none of any meane vnderstanding First saith hée This excommunication is an act of iurisdiction betwixt two superiors As if it were not méere foolerie to say that iurisdiction can bée exercised betwixt superiors or betwéene equals And if papists grant that the pope is superior to the Quéene then must they adhere to him and forsake her Which no doubt they will do and must doe if order bée not taken with them Besides wée deny that this excommunication is an act of iurisdiction or iustice Nay the worlde séeth it is a méere act of vilany and presumptuous tyrannie for a ribald like companion and a lousie frier to attempt to depose a prince and a most notorious foolerie to imagine that the popes of Rome who haue no right in that which they iniuriously possesse haue power to take away the right which belongeth to others Secondly hée saith That vpon the popes excommunication against a prince the subiects consent was neuer asked nor admitted Why then doth the pope excommunicate all those that after his excommunication adhere to her Maiestie Are not his a In bulla Pij ◠aduers Eliz. wordes plaine Howbeit I confesse that if rightly we will estéeme of matters the popes excommunication is no excommunication he being an vsurper and no iudge in this case And therefore all true subiects are to account of his excommunication as of a denuntiation of his malice and an argument of his shamefull dealing against Christian princes contrarie to all precedents of antiquitie and to estéeme them all not onely slaues of Antichrist but enimies of the estate that shall not plainly condemne it as wicked and vnlawfull But if the excommunication shoulde bée lawfull yet are Christians to know it and allow it for that it bindeth not before it bée published and allowed Thirdly he saith It is no new thing for popes to excommunicate princes And that the subiect is not to be troubled for his old receiued beleefe about the popes authoritie But hée is much deceiued in things new or old In faith and beléefe all is new that is not taught by Christ and his apostles Wherefore vnlesse hée can shewe this authoritie to be giuen from Christ hée must néedes confesse the Romish faith therein to be new Nay hée cannot shew that the popes either claimed or practised any such power as to excommunicate and depose princes before Gregory the seuenth that was therefore rightly called Hell-brand or the firebrand of the diuell to set discord betwixt Christian princes to the weakening and vtter ouerthrow of Christendome and enlarging of the Turkish empire Otho Frisingensis and Trithemius and hée that wrote the life of Henry the fourth emperour do all testifie that hee was the first that attempted to excommunicate princes and that at the first his excommunications were little regarded Fourthly hée telleth vs that The subiect is not to discusse whether the pope had iust cause to excommunicate the prince which altogither ouerthroweth his clients the papists cause declareth them to be vtter enimies to the prince excommunicate For if they may not discusse the popes procéeding but to beléeue that in his iudicial sentences hée cannot erre especially in matters of faith then must they of force beléeue that the pope hath done well to excommunicate their Queene and must aide him to execute it without further enquirie which teacheth vs without further enquirie also that all papists that allow the popes authoritie in excommunicating the Quéene are enimies if they bée forreiners and traitors if they be subiects Lastly he referreth his clients the papists of England to consider what the papists of France did of late when their kings were excommunicate and to English that liued in king Iohns time Which plainly argueth that though hée woulde haue them looke smoothly for the time yet when occasion serueth hée closely signifieth that they ought to rebell against their princes For so did they of the league in France and so did the subiects héere in England against king Iohn And generally all papists are bound
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
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
Pannes confession But what reason had hée to confesse it if the matter were not true These fellowes haue reason to denie it for their owne credite Hée denieth also That the Iesuites had any seruant called Melchior du Val. But that is not materiall séeing there are fewe Iesuites but they haue two or thrée names and it may bée that this Melchior also going about so wicked a purpose changed his name Further hée saith That there was neuer any speech had with Peter Pannes wife in Ipres about this matter and denieth that euer shee had any acquaintance with any Iesuite But hée must bée very well acquainted with her that knew both what shée did and what shée saide and what not This Noddy if hée had béene wise woulde haue alleaged some reason of his saying His companion a Sica tragica Costerus for proofe alleageth her examination But how shoulde wée beleeue that euer shee was duely examined or that shée saide as is alleaged Againe if béeing induced by Iesuites shée shoulde speake any such thing yet who woulde not rather beléeue her husband vttring matter against himselfe then such a light huswife speaking vntruth without danger or controlement and percase béeing hired Lastly whereas Peter Panne cōfessed That in the rogation weeke next before he talked with the prouinciall others of the colledge of Iesuites at Doway and told that they promised him reward in earth blisse in heauen for executing that act this discourser telleth vs That the Prouinciall that weeke was 60. miles from Doway and that there passed no such conference with Peter Panne And this hée saith Is prooued by witnesses and certified by cacolike magistrates But hée shoulde haue vnderstood that witnesses examined in the absence of parties and percase neither sworne nor duely examined prooue nothing Beside that wée haue good cause to except against such iudges and such witnesses as our professed enimies do choose and produce But suppose all their relation were true yet such certificates prooue nothing but that Peter Panne either mistooke the names or qualities of some persons named in his examinations and it may be that the Iesuites made him beléeue he was brought to the prouinciall and chéefe of the colledge when hée was onely before some other base companion of that societie That hée shoulde charge the Iesuites wrongfully being to die presently it cannot bée presumed Neither is it strange for Iesuites to worke cunningly and vnderhand in these cases that whē they come to light may prooue so odious This Noddie therefore was not wise to say What hath beene found against the Iesuites or to wish that it may bee laide open to the worlde which wordes a Apologet. c. 8. Tertullian vsed in the defence of Christians in his time For wée haue founde matter sufficient against them and little hath hée alleaged in their defence which wée haue not auoided Moreouer wée doe not read that Christians in Tertullians time taught this omnipotent power of the pope which the Iesuites defende nor beléeued that all that woulde not submit themselues to his iurisdiction shoulde bée slaine Among them certes there were no assassinors and murderers of kings nor practisers against princes states nor such proude and cruell sectaries as are the Iesuites And albeit Iesuites eate no children which crime was imputed to ancient Christians yet they haue occasioned the death of millions of men women and children that in the stirres and tumults raised by them haue perished and daily more and more matter we finde against them Further hée woulde haue such As haue abandoned the societie of Iesuites to be examined what they haue heard and seene during the time when they abode among them Which to gratifie him wée haue done and in one b Histor Iesuit Hazenmyller and Paule Floren c Colloq Iesuit and Simon Lith we find that they are the corrupters of religion the firebrands of sedition perturbers of Christian common-wealthes and the ruine of Christendome In outward semblant they are shéepe but inwardly they are goates or rather woolues They professe pouertie and chastitie but abound in wealth and liue licenciously and wantonly They take to themselues the name of Iesuites but are the onely vpholders of antichrists kingdome And if they will not beléeue them which haue left them and their societie let them listen a little what some of their owne friends report of them One Iohn Cecil a popish priest in his Discouerie of errors committed by William Criton Iesuite a Fol. 14. saith That his practises made many widowes and orphans in Scotland b Fol. 16. and that hee was taken with plats for the inuasion of England Hée chargeth him with c Fol. 10. Machiuilian practises d Fol. 4. making satirs and pasquinadoes e Fol. 27. and irreligious and vnconscionable calumnies And finally hée calleth the Iesuites f Fol. 18. turbulent spirits and saith they hinder the popes cause with their Libels schismes sedition and plots of inuasion Another priest In his discouerie of Dolmans conference g P. 6. chargeth Parsons directly with A practise and confederacie against the bloud royall and saith h P. 12. That his drift is to disinherite true heires to alter the common lawes and to bring in strangers into England i P. 19. yea to bring in mischiefes on mischiefes and k P. 33. ciuill warre Finally he l P. 70. chargeth him with monstrous absurdities and blasphemies against kings and m P. 43. saith That he calleth her Maiesties title in question and that the Iesuites haue made diuers practises against her Thus while traitors fall out true men come to vnderstande the truth This discourser telleth vs That the chastitie of Iesuites must imitate the puritie of angels But vnlesse by angels hée vnderstand wicked angels and diuels the Iesuites will come farre short of their example which they propose to themselues to imitate The angels of God certes neither burne in lust nor abandon themselues to the delites of the worlde He saith further That they shoulde abhorre all those things which the world doth loue and esteeme But that is nothing else but a sentence of condemnation against the whole societie of Iesuites that so much loueth the worlde and delighteth in honors pleasures large pallaces goodly gardens pleasant fountaines good furniture of housholde aboundance of daintie viandes rich clothes and such like worldly vanities After this hée runneth into a large discourse of the martyrdomes and voluntarie suffringes of the Iesuites in the Indies purposing percase if any entend to trace him in his lying to make him trauell a great iorney But suppose they shoulde suffer death tortures yet that is a matter common to them and to rebels traitors malefactors yea to such as fall into the hand of barbarous people that respect not whom they massacre Ghineard in France and Campian and other Iesuites in England haue suffred but a See the conclusion of the 4. encounters
vttermost power prosecuted If then any English borne doe concur with them and adhere vnto them I thinke Parsons cannot well denie that they are traytors But that is notorious and by infinite proofes may be demonstrated Sanders speaking of the erection of the English seminary at Doway b De schis lib. 3. saith they were sustained protected and maintayned by king Philip. Exilium vitam studia eorum protegente fouente Philippo Hispaniarum rege nonnulli Duaci c Ibidem coierunt He had said better if he had said coniurarunt Likewise he saith that another Colledge was erected at Rome by pope Gregorie the thirtéenth and that the English schollers were there maintayned at his charges In Spaine also of late king Philip the second erected two or three Seminaries of English schollers but to say right I should say English traytors For so they are taking an oath to the king as they doe also to the pope and their superiours as appéereth by the testimonie of d Consil lib. 3. de regular consil 1. Nauarrus and e De schism part 3. c. 21. Ribadineira two popish writers and diuers witnesses Neither would the Spanish king euer haue béene at the charge of finding so many fugitiue rascalles but that he hopeth to receiue profit by them Parsons persuaded the king that these should set on foote his daughters the Infantaes title and to doe the same they take an expresse oath as a certaine priest doth directly charge them writing against Parsons his tyrannicall and Machiauelian practises as he calleth them Further the Iesuites are all linked in affection to the Spaniard and for that among other causes were expulsed out of France Especially our English Iesuites and priestes do fauor him And all of them doe thinke it a matter necessarie to saluation to be subiect to the pope From him also they receiue their faculties and directions and doubt not to execute whatsoeuer he commandeth Neither do they onely obey him as hauing I know not what power ouer their soules but also runne into rebellion and other trecherous practises against their prince and countrie as hauing temporall superioritie ouer princes Diuers priests were actors in the rebellion of England and Ireland Cardinall Allen and not so little as an hundred priests came with the Spanish armie And to giue way to this inuasion both Campian and all his consorts came into England as appeareth plainely by Campians and Parsons his facultie Petatur say they à a Note I pray you how they call the pope their soueraigne Lord and denie our Queene to be Queene summo Domino nostro explicatio Bullae declaratoriae contra Elizabetham ei adhaerentes quam catholici cupiunt intelligi hoc modo vt obliget semper illam haereticos catholicos verò nullo modo obliget rebus sic stantibus sed tum demùm quando publica eiusdem bullae executio fieri poterit So it appeareth they accounted the pope for their Lord and the Queene as no Quéene and intended the execution of the Bull as soone as it might be effected Finally there is no popish priest in England that will absolutely acknowledge the Quéene or renounce the pope or king of Spaine of them they receiue directions and to them they addresse themselues in all their affaires Most notorious it is therefore that all these popish priests and their adherents adhere also to forreigne enemies and renounce their allegeance to the Quéene Fiftly there is no question but they haue imagined and to their vttermost power compassed her Maiesties death and destruction and that both by publike force and secrete practise For first diuers of them haue taken armes against her as cardinall Allen that wicked enemie of his countrey and those English that ioyned themselues to the Spanish forces Anno 1588. or to rebels either in England or Ireland Secondly it cannot be shewed that any popish priest hath either condemned the popes Bull which cannot be executed without her destruction or the taking of armes to depose her Thirdly all attempts against her Maiesties safetie and person haue béene made by these companions their consorts by diuers confessions it is apparant that Holt Gifford Worthington Walpoole and other friers and priests haue persuaded diuers to kill the Quéene Of Parsons his treasons in this kind we haue heretofore spoken This also I haue learned further that in a letter of his written 1598. he confesseth he was acquainted with Parrâ—es treason and that he kept backe one that was determined to reueile it to the Quéene Neither doe I find anie among them al that dislike these courses when the pope listeth to command them Finally if the pope commaund any to kill the Quéene or promise reward to any that shall doe that wicked fact as Gregorie the thirtéenth did to William Parrie as appeareth by cardinall Como his letters to Parry beginning thus Monsignor la santità di N. S. ha vedute le lettere di vostra signoria I would know what one of this antichristian rabble dare either contradict him or discommend his purpose Nay is it not apparant that they all refuse her and followe him 6. Neither can it bée well denied that most of those that haue beene executed for the popes cause haue contrary to her Maiesties expresse commandment fled to her enemies and refused to returne when they were called backe and finally haue exchanged the loue of their countrey into loue of their countries enemies Nay being interrogated of their country they are taught to denie their owne countrey and by a pretie equiuocation to account that to be their contrarie where they haue long liued a Resolut casuum nation Anglic c. 1. casus 1. cap. 3. casus 5. or els to say they are de patria coelesti that is of the heauenly country The rest are consorted with these fugitiues and traitors How then can this country suffer such to be protected which deny their countrey or at the least preferre enemies before their liege soueraigne 7. It is also manifest that the priests that come from Rome and Spaine intertaine intelligence with forraine enemies and if they should denie it the same will be prooued by letters both sent to them and from them to forraine enemies The 20. of December last Blackwell the archpresbyter of cacolikes in England answered an appeale made to Rome by diuers priests opposite to the Iesuits faction Neither doth any wéeke almost passe but they either receiue or send letters to Rome Spaine Whereby it commeth to passe that all our deseins and purposes are descried to our enemies and nothing passeth in court or country but they giue present notice thereof vnto them 8. Further they haue by all means sought to stir her Maiesties subiects to rebell and take armes against her and her friends Which albeit they doe denie in words yet is euidently to be prooued by their actions and secret designements and other circumstances First the pope he dischargeth
what might be done if the chiefe teachers of our side were vpon good conditions to dispute before indifferent iudges auditors All this by Gods grace we meane to iustifie in this briefe discourse ensuing Therein also for thy further satisfaction we purpose both to examine his relation and to answer his obseruations and petitions and to remoue this reproch as a 1. Reg. c. 17. Dauid offering to go against the Philistim said from Gods people For what is this incircumcised Philistim that he should dare to speake euill of the army of the liuing God or of his Church If Parsons meane to reply let him pul off his visor and come barefaced into the field and he shall not want those that will encounter him This small Treatise together with the rest that go before I commend to thy reading to let thee vnderstand the great pouertie of the aduersarie a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch lib. de auscultando that vpon so small causes maketh so great brags and triumphs and with braue words b setteth out his musty mustard pots The principal points haue beene sufficiently handled both in French English before yet shall it not be amisse to remoue all their cauils and to encounter such winding serpents in al their turning deuises If the matter answere not thy expectation thou must impute it to the basenesse of the subiect and the vanitie of the relators narration The discourse will not bee long and therefore much labour it cannot cost thee to reade it Reade therefore and iudge who they are that are to be charged with false and fraudulent allegations which is now the different betwixt Parsons and vs. A briefe refutation of a certaine calumnious relation of the triall betwixt the Lord PLESSIS MARLI and the pretended bishop of Eureux the 4. of May last with an answere to the relators obseruations and petitions CHAP. I. That the popish faction hath no reason to charge others with falsification IT is an old custome among our aduersaries when they cannot answere directly to our arguments to cauill at our allegations as if all were vntrue or defectiue bicause some errors are pretended in some authorities or quotations This course did Harding and his consortes take against bishop Iewell of reuerend memorie others against that painfull and zealous seruant of God master Iohn Foxe and diuers others eluding with scorne that which in earnest they are not able to answere Now Iames Peron calling himselfe the bishop of Eureux in France and this relator by his scornefull letters sent into England attempt the same waie against the painfull labours of the Lorde of Plessis in his most learned treatise against the idolatrous masse most ridiculously supposing if hée haue mistaken Scotus or Durandus or Bernard or some homily of Chrysostome or some other author that all his other allegations and arguments wherein no error can be founde or iustly pretended are weake and of no moment But while they charge others they séeme vtterly to forget themselues and their owne notorious corruptions and falsifications They put them all into that part of Aesops wallet that hangeth at their backes and remooue both faultes and wallet out of their sight a Catull. in Scazonte Non vident manticae quod in tergo est They as the hypocrites of whom our b Matth. 7. Sauiour speaketh Espie a mote in their brothers eie and see not the beame in their owne eies Nay being blinde themselues they are much offended and exclaime at euerie blemish which they espie in other mens eies For neuer did any sect either of heretikes or philosophers vse such fraude and falsification in maintaining their errors as the papists haue done to make good their most abominable doctrine and practise To relate all were a matter of great time and labour Wée will therefore onely touch so much as may serue to prooue them to be most culpable in that whereof they accuse others First then wée say and against Parsons and the whole route of Iebusites and Cananites God willing shall prooue that they haue falsified and corrupted the most holie worde of God and his holy Testament For if those which haue hidden or kept away the Testament or last will of a mortall man or haue taken away the same by force or abolished it or torne it or made a newe or written a false Testament or vsed it signed it or procured it to bée done then much more the papists that haue falsified Gods eternall worde are to bée condemned as guiltie of falshood But that is confirmed by the words of the lawe Committitur falsum saith the c ff de falsis Hostiens de crim fals §. qualiter committatur ad l. Cor. de fals law si quis testamentum celauerit amouerit rapuerit deleuerit interleuerit subiecerit vel falsum testamentum scripserit signauerit recitauerit dolóue malo ea fieri procurauerit The consequent is prooued by the practise of the papists For first they haue of a long time hidden Gods worde as it were a candle vnder a bushell and couered it ouer with the plaster of their traditions and popish interpretations Secondly they haue remooued the scriptures from the eies of the multitude and kept the same from them in a toong vnknowne not suffring any to read them but such as they are assured will not profite by them Thirdly such as by any meanes haue gotten them they haue taken and punished seuerely taking the testament of God violently out of their handes Fourthly they haue d Index librorum prohibit abolished not onely all vulgar but also all Latine translations except such as they made themselues Fiftly they haue burnt and torne and abused Gods holy Testament Sixtly for Gods worde they haue giuen vnto vs a most corrupt translation and made that more authenticall then the originall Seuenthly they haue made a false testament conteined in their vnwritten traditions Eightly they will haue no other testament exhibited or vsed or alleaged in schooles but their old Latine vulgar translation Lastly they haue taken away that Sacrament from the people wherein the newe testament is established and made frustrate Christ his institution and last will omitting no meanes that coulde bée deuised for the corrupting falsifying and abolishing of Gods eternall testament and the seales thereof Nay certaine f Matth. Paris Carmelites about 300. yéeres agone hauing made a testament of their owne deuise were not afeard to teach that Christes Gospell shoulde cease and that their Gospell shoulde for euer after be receiued Bonauenture likewise falsifying the Psalmes of Dauid turned the praises of God to the praises of our Ladie Secondly they haue falsified the canons of the Apostles g In epistola ad Siculos Zepherinus alloweth 60. h Contra epist. Nicet Abbatis Leo the ninth receiueth onely fiftie others 85. i C. Sancta c. canones dist 15. others condemne them as apocryphall writings forged by heretikes They haue also
falsified and that himselfe found so many more as might double the foresaide number and doth offer to prooue them one by one to anie friend of master Foxes and so falling to multiplication he saith that if 60. be multiplied by a thousand and more according to the number of leaues of the booke there will fall out the number of 30000. falshoods and that master Foxes booke will exceede Iohn Sleidans in number of lyes But all this amounteth to nothing but vaine words When he commeth to his tryall he shall finde that neither the scholler nor the Rector is able to conuince master Foxe of falshood Which also may appéere by view of those leaues which he quoteth For therein master Foxe scarce quoteth any allegations but onely briefely noteth certaine absurd opinions held by papistes in which when Parsons shall come forth and speake de tracta persona he shall finde that master Foxe hath said truely and that those absurdities which he noteth follow indeed of popish doctrine If then those leaues where our aduersarie supposeth most falshood will be iustified against the calumniations of the rector of the English seminarie of traytors and all his disciples I beléeue his reckonings and accounts of falshoodes wiâ—l fall short at the time of the audit and that there will be twise so many found in Caesar Baronius and infinit more in the lying legends the stinke whereof is odious to al men of sound iudgement He taketh also exception against master Foxes calender as if he meant to canonize all there mentioned and chargeth him with other trickes and shifts But the calender was onely placed there to note the day of euerie mans triall and suffring and so far was he from shifting tricking that no man coulde deale more plainely as shall bee iustified against this Bragadoccio and his consorts come he foorth when he dare Nay the trickings and delusions of the whore of Babylon together with her bloodie cruelties which master Foxe hath layde open to the world shall yet be made more manifest if once they begin to quarrell Likewise we will bring forth so many lyes out of papisticall writers as shall make our aduersaries wearie of this argument Of Sleidan I néede not say much séeing he hath answered sufficiently for himselfe and ouerturned the cart loaded with lyes by his accusers against him Against master D. Fulke our accuser obiecteth nothing so that by rules of law this accuser is to be condemned of calumniation and D. Fulke to be discharged from further molestation And thus much may serue to shew the vanitie of our aduersaries crackes and bragges of the great mischiefe he meaneth to vs in conuincing vs as he hopeth of falsification For what should many words néede to answere so vaine a babler that albeit he accuse many and layeth to their charge a most heinous crime yet neither noteth nor prooueth any one point against them Beside that noting certaine places in master Foxe most ridiculously he would haue vs to answere before he obiect any thing or shew the points of falshood Which is a more abiurd course then that of Eureux against M. Plessis who of many places noted some and laide downe his reasons But this relator hath not his arguments yet framed So busie hée is about plotting some mischieuous deuise or treason CHAP. V. A briefe examination of the relators calumnious and vaine narration THe foundation of our answere béeing thus layd and the maine point of the aduersaries accusation concerning falsifications being cleared made firme against him I thought it not amisse to ioyne with him yet more closely and to examine the particulars of his narration For albeit the iustice of our cause and the vaine brags false dealing ridiculous cauillations of papists may sufficiently be discouered by that which already hath béene answered yet shal the same more exactly be prooued and discerned if we doe but lightly touch euery point of his pamphlet in order as it lyeth and as our lying aduersary hath couched it in his letters from Rome In the beginning of his aduertisements he yéeldeth two reasons that moued him to send the report of the conference passed in Fraunce so farre as from Rome into England The first was for that euery man vnderstood not the French tongue and few durst translate and diuulge such matters in English The second is that men might vnderstand the manner of the combate and true issue thereof and such things as passed therein from authenticall parties But these pretended reasons séeme to be full of ridiculous vanitie and voide of reason For albeit euerie man vnderstood not French yet might he either learne of others or himselfe reade the treatises published in English concerning that matter some time before the comming of this relation Againe it is a very ridiculous point to think that French matters are better vnderstood at Rome then in France or that we are like to haue better intelligence from Rome that as Petrarch called her is Fucina d'inganni e schola d'errori that is a forge of lyes and trecherous frauds and a schoole of errors and heresies and falshood then out of the place where these matters were executed which are héere reported Finally nothing can be deuised more absurd then to account Iames Peron his letters in his owne cause or the Popes Nuntioes letters in a matter that so néere touched the Pope to be authenticall or of any credit It is a common rule that no man is a sufficient witnesse in his owne cause And iust exceptions may be taken to al partial witnesses Wherefore to write froÌ„ Rome into England of French matters was a trick of foolerie to send the parties letters for authenticall testimonies was a ridiculous absurditie No it was no part of the relators intention either to haue truth knowne or authenticall narrations diuulged but rather with vaine reports lies sent from Rome that is now become a mistresse of lies to crosse and blemish truth and those that professe the same For which cause I haue also thought conuenient to entertaine the relator with this answer which I doubt not but Blackwel the archpresbyter or archtraitor and Walley the prouinciall of Iebusites in this countrey will send him a Fol. 2. 3. Afterward he goeth about to declare the qualities of the actors in this conference But it néeded not greatly For wée know the men farre better then he and that as the Lord of Plessis is a man of great worth and learning so Eureux is an apostate from religion and a vainglorious man He wrote once a booke of the insufficiency of the scriptures by which his learning was sufficientlie tryed and his ambitious humours discouered If he would write a litle thrée halfe peny pamphlet of the sufficiencie of the popes decretals he should highly deserue the popes fauor As for the relator he séemeth not well to know either of the parties where he saith that M. Plessis did write more cunningly and coueâ—tly then
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
was in the end excommunicated vexed with rebellions most shamefully murdred by a Dominican frier Don Caesare d'este duke of Ferrara was not I trow of our religion yet did the pope excommunicate him and most wrongfully take his state from him Lastly if religion now professed were the immediate cause and originall of any trouble like to ensue then should not the papistes haue béene the principall meanes to mooue warres and rebellions against the state nor the onely practisers against her Maiesties person and safetie as we haue found them to haue béene Wherefore if we will rightly estéeme we shall finde that as true religion is the cause of all those blessings we enioy so poperie and the faction that maintaineth it is the cause of all practises against her Maiestie and the state and of all rebellions and warres and mischiefes entended against vs. Againe as we were without danger as long as God was truely worshipped and idolatrie repressed and Iesuites and priests and their abettors diligently sought out and punished according to lawes and all concurred resolutely to maintaine true religion and the state so since Recusants began of some to finde fauour and masse-priests and Iesuites haue béene suffered to practise without punishment and idolatrie is begun to be priuily erected and some mens mindes grow colde in maintaining true religion and the present gouernment it is no maruell if some inconuenience be feared But remooue this there is no cause why any shoulde either doubt or feare For the pope hath businesse inough to maintaine his owne state no meanes to worke vs trouble but by English traitors In times past he was Stupor mundi the woonderment of the world now he is Fabula mundi that is a matter for idle priests and friers to prate of but not to be feared vnlesse wée liste The Spaniard hath more reason to feare vs and our associates of the low Countries that may be lordes of the sea if we please and may take what part of the Indies we list then we to feare him Sure if his force had béene such as is pretended neuer would he haue suffred such scorne nor descended to such dishonorable courses as he hath done Both the pope and Spaniard depend vpon the aide of English fugitiues and malcontents Draw from them this hope then haue you the end of these supposed feares and a full answere to this traitors painted tales and fables Thus you see this noddy hath neither reason nor truth in his discourse And yet that is not all the fault it hath For it is also impertinēt to the purpose For what if there were some cause of feare or doubt doth it therefore follow that we haue receiued no benefits nor blessings by her Maiesties most happie gouernment the abolishment of idolatrie and restoring of true and catholike religion If then there be no iust cause of feare and onely certaine pusillanimous companions quake at the popes thundring and Spanish bragging or else pretend to do it bicause they looke backe to the fleshpots of Egypt and glory of Babylon then are we to acknowledge Gods fauour that hath not onely giuen vs many graces by her Maiesties meanes but also meanes to maintaine them and to secure our selues And for such cowards as feare forreine enimies we are to put them into the next ranke to English traitors alreadie conspired with the enimie Hée telleth vs further That by alteration of religion in England Scotland Ireland Flanders and France haue tasted of many miseries tumults calamities and desolations Hée should haue said of many blessings and friendly fauors For kindnesses and fauours all our neighbors haue receiued from vs but those calamities and desolations that he speaketh of haue procéeded from the popes furie and malice and from his adherents persecuting quiet people for the profession of true Christian religion But let vs heare the rest of his wise tale Beside battels murders destructions of countries prouinces townes cities houses and particular men saith hée three Princes two Queenes and one King haue beene all brought to their bane by this occasion He saith further That the noble houses and linages of Hamiltons Douglasses Stuardes in Scotland of Desmondes and other peeres in Ireland haue been thereby ruinated and finally That in France and Flanders there is no end of the accompt of those that haue beene destroied by this change of religion as if we had procured all these battels murders destructions or as if wée or our religion were the occasion of the destruction of princes or kings or as if the massacres of France and those bloodie executions had béene committed by vs. What a shamelesse fellow is this to impute the cause of warres and troubles to vs that euer auoided warres as much as we could and offered force to no man nor euer stirred but as defendants for sauegard of our liues Are lambes the causes of the crueltie of wolues or were Christians the authors of the bloodie persecutions of heathen Emperors all these bigge wordes therefore are nothing else but arguments of the Noddies distracted mind and furious hatred against truth that exclameth and crieth out vpon religion and imputeth al calamities vnto it whereas in truth all the cause of this wracke and destruction both of states and priuate families proceeded wholy from want of conscience and hatred of true religion For if wee will looke backe and search the histories of our times wée shall finde that all those tragicall stirres and hurly-burlies that haue brought not onely millions of christians but also a great part of Christendome to destruction haue taken their beginning from the implacable hatred of popes and papists against Christian religion Paule the third enflamed the warres against the princes of Germanie which consumed a great part of that countrey himselfe sent thither great forces both of horse and foote fearing not a little least Charles the fift should make any composition with the Germans In the low Countries the people liued in peace and obedience to their gouernours vntill such time as the popish faction fearing the ruine of their Babylon beganne not onely to make cruell edicts and decrées against the professors of true religion but also by force of armes sought to establish both the Spanish inquisition and an absolute tyrannie a Vita de Pio. quinto Pius the fift when the kings of France and Spaine grew wery of troubles sent his messengers to negotiate with king Philip and the Cardinall of Alexandria to set forward the French king against his subiects He sent also money and soldiers to aide the king to destroy his subiects In king Henrie the eightes daies Paul the third in this Quéenes daies Pius the fift and Gregorie the thirtéenth and other popes a Sanders de Schism stirred vp diuers rebellions in England and Ireland against lawfull princes By the solicitation of the popes agents many thousands of innocent people were massacred in France contrarie to faith and promise These therefore are