his ransome And lastly was vnnobly slaine before a litle castle in France by a base fellow So litle did the Popes pardons and blessings auaile him Neuer did any king of England more for the Pope then king Iohn For he resigned his Crowne into his Legates hands and indeuoured also as much as in him lay to make his kingdome tributarie to the Pope Let vs then sée what fruite he reaped of his deuotion to the Pope First he liued in continuall iarre with his subiects Secondly he lost Normandie and diuers townes of great moment to the French Thirdly in his dayes the French made warre vpon him in England and bid him base at his owne doores Fourthly he suffered his kingdome to be pillaged by the Pope Finally he died of poyson ministred to him by a Monke of Swinsted Abbey as Caxtons Chronicle reporteth King Henry the third was flatly cousened by Innocent the fourth and deluded with a promise of the kingdome of Naples for his sonne Edmond But for this vaine title he payed full deare not onely suffering the Pope to spoile his countrie but also paying himselfe great summes to the Pope King Henry the eight for the deliuerance of Clement the seuenth spent infinit treasure vainely And that was the successe of all the kings of England that did seruice to the Pope Generally all those that liue vnder the Popes iurisdiction liue most miserably being neither secured for their goods nor liues nor liberties either from their neighbour princes or from the Pope First they serue two kings wheresoeuer they liue that is their King or Duke and the Pope If they offend the Pope they are proclaimed heretickes and are déemed worthie of death yea albeit the controuersie be no matter of Religion Lewis of Bauier and his followers were reputed heretikes he for taking on him the Empire without the Popes allowance these for yéelding obedience to their lawfull prince The like censure was giuen against all that followed the Emperour Henry the fourth and Fredericke the second If they offend their Princes either in word or act the penaltie is death Poggio sheweth that a rich man being accused of treason answered that he had not offended but if his goods had offended he would not consent with them And thus by renouncing that which he had he escaped The lawes are very rigorous both of Pope and popish princes the executions very cruell and barbarous Onuphrius speaking of the times of Alexander the sixt saith that there was neuer more outrages committed by Spadassins and cut throates that the people of Rome had neuer lesse freedome that there was a great number of priuie promoters and that euery euill word was punished with death But this is common to all Italian princes Murthers and spoiles are litle regarded euery word nay euery thought against them if it be knowne is punished most rigorously The Spanish inquisitors in crueltie passe most sauage beastes Vpon euery light surmise they procéed against most innocent persons and some they racke some they famish some they burne some they cut péecemeale The very Papistes themselues could neuer endure it nor would suffer it Natal com hist lib. 2. but by force The Venetians will none of it The Neapolitans refusing the same yéeld this reason quia per simplicem alicuius maleuoli accusationem nullis requisitis probationibus nullisque defensionibus acceptis posset quisque in carceres detrudi vita honore facultatibus priuari Because by the single accusation of one malitious fellow neither proofes being sought nor exceptions receiued any man might be thrust into prison and depriued of his honors goods and life Are they not then miserable Meteran lib. 2. hist Bel. that liue vnder the danger of the cruell inquisition The people of the Low countries do affirme that the Inquisition was the originall ground of the troubles and tumults of the Low countries and that the Cardinal Granuelle endeuouring to bring in the same was the ruine of his countrie At the first the same was practised principally against Turkes and Moores Who then doth not detest the Spaniards and Italians that practising the same against Christians do plainly declare that they hold them to be no better then Turkes and Moores The common forme also of inquisition against Christians is very cruell odious and intolerable considering first that the Romanists take all for heretikes that reproue them for their villanies superstitions and heresies and next for that they neither obserue forme nor order of iustice nor respect young nor old Cap. accusatus de Haeret. in 6. Cap. ad abolendam de haeret men aliue nor dead oftentimes torturing mens bodies most cruelly and spoiling their goods most gréedily and punishing any that dissent from the synagogue of Rome in matter of the Sacraments as if they had conspired the destruction of their prince and countrie By this cruel procéeding in the raigne of Charles the fift the bloudie popish tormentors in the low countries put to death fiftie thousands as the Histories of the Low countries testifie Meteran hist Belg. lib. 2. In England like sauage wolues they spoiled the flocke during the raigne of Queene Marie How many haue bene executed in Spaine Italie France and Germanie by these Inquisitors it is hard to recount Of late because the executioners were not sufficient to satisfie their cruelty they haue caused many thousands without all order to be massacred Paul the 4. that first brought the inquisition into Rome brought himselfe and his house into perpetual hatred of the Romanes Onuphrius in Paulo 4. insomuch that vpon his death the people ran furiously together broke his statue threw downe the armes of his house burnt the inquisition court and were hardly restrained from doing further violence to the inquisitors The Popes exactions in all countries are very grieuous Polycrat lib. 6. c. 24. Ipse Romanus Pontifex saith Iohn of Salisbury omnibus grauis ferè intolerabilis est The Pope is become grieuous and vntolerable vnto all men Againe speaking of the Church of Rome he saith She sheweth her selfe rather a steppe-mother then a mother and that Scribes and Pharises sit in her which lay importable burdens on mens shoulders which they wil not once touch with their fingers Petrus de Alliaco speaking against the multitude and greatnesse of the Popes exactions De reform Eccles busieth himselfe to find a remedie by diminishing the excessiue charges of the Pope the number of Cardinals and disorders of inferior prelats but al in vain He proueth by the testimonie of Humbertus Ibidem that the cause that disposed the Greekes to reuolt from the Church of Rome was the grieuance of that Church in exactions excommunications and lawes Speaking of the orders of Friers he saith that their state is burdensome to all men and hurtfull to hospitals and lazar-houses and preiudiciall to all states of the Church Bernard of Clugny describeth the qualities of Rome fitly In Saryrd Roma
to suborne cut-throtes to kill the Quéene or that he would haue desired that Pius the fift his bull against her might be suspended for a time concerning Papists if he had not taken her to be deposed by the Pope But because this doctrine of the Popes authority that of it selfe is litle worth would auaile nothing vnlesse the people also can be drawne to fauour the Popes faction therefore the Pope and his schollers giue also a power to the people to depose Kings and princes especially if once they proue tyrants that is as Iebusites teach if they be excommunicate by the Pope or else séeke to maintaine their state or the truth against the violence and practises of the popish faction Gregory the seuenth tooke away all regall power from Henry the fourth and gaue the same vnto Rodulph of Saxonie commaunding all Christians to receiue Rodulph for their King and not to obey the Emperour Henry in any thing as being absolued from their othes which they were wont to giue vnto Kings Platina in Greg. 7. Regiam ei potestatem adimo saith Gregory the seuenth interdicoque Christianis omnibus illo iuramento absolutis quo fides regibus dari consueuit ne Henrico vlla in re obtemperent Rodulphum in regem suscipiant But this could not be executed vnlesse the people had some power giuen them to put by the one and to receiue the other Nor can princes stand firme if seditious Popes can giue the people this power Math. Paris in Hen. 3. Innocent the fourth likewise deposed Friderick the second forbidding his subiects to obey him and commanding them to whom it appertained to chuse another King As if it lay in the power of the people to do the one or the other or as if the princes authoritie stood in this case vpon the peoples pleasure In Bulla cont Elizabeth Pius the fift declared Quéene Elizabeths subiects to be fréed from their obedience and not onely commaunded them not to obey her but by all perswasions moued them to depose her Is not this then a plaine and euident argument that the Pope doth giue power to the people contrary to the doctrine of the Apostle Rom. 13. and Tit. 3. to rebell against princes and to depose them William Raynolds a renegate Englishman in a treatise set out vnder the counterfeit name of William Rosse and entitled De iusta reip Christianae supra reges impios haereticos authoritate iustissimaque Catholicorum he should say cacolicorū ad Henricum Nauarraeū quemcunque haereticum à regno Galliae repellendum confederatione doth in expresse termes giue the people power to depose Kings and maintaineth impudently the wicked league of the French rebels against their King In the 2. chap. of that booke he affirmeth that the right of al the Kings kingdoms of Europe is laid vpō this foundation that common wealths or people may depose thir kings His words are Quod ius omnium Europae regum regnorum hoc fundamento nititur quod resp possint suos reges deponere But therein he sheweth himselfe and his consorts to be the most notorious traitors of all Europe Likewise Robert Parsons our aduersary if such a base companion may deserue that name and a notorious firebrand of sedition in his booke of succession to the crowne of England made against the iust title of King Iames and in fauour of the infanta of Spaine in his first booke chap. 1. endeuoureth to proue that succession to gouernement by nearenesse of blood is by positiue lawes of the commonwealth and may vpon iust causes be altered by the same His intention is to shew that they which made that law may also alter it In the third chapter he striueth with himselfe to shew that not onely vnworthy pretenders may be put backe but that Kings in possession may be chastised and deposed The first part of which proposition is directed against our most worthy and rightfull King before his comming to the crowne the second aymeth at him now that by Gods grace he is attained to the Crowne In the fourth chapter he sayth that othes in diuers cases bind not subiects and that sometimes they may lawfully proceed against Princes Matters so seditious and odious that it séemeth to me admirable that such a leud companion should be suffered so impudently to barke against the authority of Kings or that the Archpriest or the Iebusits or Masse priests that depend vpon him and allow this doctrine and percase yet stand for the infantaes title together with their cōsorts shold be suffered to liue by the lawes of that king whom by their wicked doctrine they haue sought to dispossesse of his right and to depose from his royall throne Neither is this the doctrine of these base companions only but also of other more famous Doctors and of the most illustrious ring-leaders of the Iebusites Bellarmine lib. 5. de pontif Rom. c. 6. saith It is not lawful for Christians to tolerate a King that is an infidel or an hereticke if he go about to draw his subiects to his heresie or infidelitie His words are these Non licet Christianis tolerare regem infidelem aut haereticum si ille pertrahere couetur subditos ad suam haeresim aut infidelitatem Now it is well knowne that such as receiue not the superstition and heretical doctrine of the Romish synagogue are by the sect of Papists accompted heretikes and litle better then infidels Emanuel Sa a Iebusite also in a booke called Aphorisnis confessariorum holdeth these aphorismes ensuing In verbo Princeps That the Prince may be depriued by the common-wealth for tyrannie and also if he do not his dutie or when there is any iust cause and another may be chosen of the greater part of the people But some saith he suppose that onely tyrannie is a iust cause of deposition His words stand thus Potest princeps per remp priuari ob tyrannidem si non faciat officium suum cum est causa aliqua iusta alius eligi à maiori parte populi Quidam tamen solam tyrannidem causam putant And in the word Tyrannus he affirmeth that he may deposed by the people although they haue sworne to be obedient to him if being admonished he will not amend Potest deponi à populo etiam qui ei iurauit obedientiam perpetuam si monitus non vult corrigi True it is that he speaketh of a tyrant But the Papists account al tyrants that wil not yéeld to the Popes will or that are by him excommunicate as is proued by the example of their writings against King Henry the eight king of England and the French Kings Henry the 3. and 4. and diuers others Frier Ghineard a French Iebusite held that Henrie the French King now liuing was very fauorably dealt withal if he were
regnat per munera quaeque reguntur sayth one in hist citiz Pauli Langij Theodoric à Niem lib. 2. de schism c. 7. Vsura saith he tantum inualuit vt foenus non putaretur peccatum that is Vsurie did so preuaile that it was accounted no fault Paul the fourth and Pius the fourth set vp shops of vsury as their acts testifie and Onuphrius recordeth Neither the Popes nor their adherents obserue oath or promise as their acts do at large shew and many poore Christians brought into snare by their perfidiousnesse haue felt Theodoric à Niem lib. 3. de schism speaking of Pope Gregorie the twelfth saith that with his vowes and othes he deceiued the world Votis iuramentis suis decepit mundum Gregorie the seuenth contrary to his oath tooke vpon him the papacie as is recorded in the life of Henrie the fourth He did also absolue all the Emperors subiects frō their othes of allegiance to their soueraigne Prince The like practise did Pius the fift vse in discharging the subiects from their othes to the late Quéene The articles of the pacification of Gant anno 1578. were confirmed by solemne oath of the old King of Spaine and yet presently and wilfully broken Neither had the Popes faction in France any better colour to intrap poore Christians then othes For whiles the Admirall and diuers of the religion in France trusted solemne othes they were brought within danger and most cruelly and perfidiously massacred Neither need we to maruell if this sect obserueth no othes seeing in the conuenticle of Constance the same determined that faith was not to be kept with heretikes in which number they reckon all that yéeld not to the Popes will The Doctors of this sect hold that the Pope can dispence with othes and absolue men that are periured Finally those that haue trauelled France Italy and Spaine do know that the common sort of Papistes can scarce vtter thrée words without swearing and blaspheming The Popes and their faction haue caused all the warres and troubles in Christendome as histories do recount If a man do but look in the life of Sixtus the fourth Iulius the 2. he may easily sée what seditious and turbulent spirits they cary But what néed we looke so high seeing the flames of ciuil discension in Germanie France Flanders England and Ireland burning so bright by the solicitation of Paul the third Pius the fifth Gregorie thirtéenth and fourteenth and this Clement that now possesseth the throne of Antichrist do so plainely declare them to be firebrands of warre and trouble Well therefore said Petrarke that in Rome all those mischiefes were hatched that are now spread through the world and neuer shall Christian Princes haue loyall subiects as long as seditious Masse-priests are suffered to lurk within their kingdomes In countries subiect to the Pope they count it a little fault to murder mē now frō thence are come certaine assassins which for hire and by perswasions are induced to kill men There also impoysonments are most common The Popes themselues vse to drinke of poysoned cups and that by the iust iudgement of God séeing by the cup of their poysoned doctrine according to the prophecy Apoc. 17. they haue empoysoned many Christian nations To conclude this large discourse there is no state of men vnder the Popes iurisdiction but it is growne to great dissolution and corruption of manners and may be conuinced of diuers sinnes and abominations by infinite witnesses and confessions if we would stand vpon it but I will content my selfe with two or three Breidenbach in the historie of his peregrination speaketh generally and sayth Recessit lex à sacerdotibus c. that is the law is departed from priests iustice from princes counsell from elders good dealing from the people loue from parents reuerence from subiects charitie from prelates religion from Monkes honestie from yong men discipline from clerkes learning from masters study from schollers equitie from Iudges concord from citizens feare from seruants good fellowship from husbandmen truth from merchants valor from Noblemen chastitie from virgins humility from widowes loue from maried folks patience from poore men O time ô manners And Walter Mapes that liued in the time of Henry the second King of England Virtutes cunctae saith he en iacent defunctae All vertues lie now dead Charitie is no where to be found And againe In truth I find that the whole Cleargy doth studie wickednesse and impietie enuie raigneth truth is exiled The prelates are Lucifers heires They being now aduaunced tread downe others blinde guides they are and blinded with idolatrie of earthly things Robert Bishop of Aquila in his Sermons of which Sixtus Senensis maketh mention in the third booke of his Biblioth sanct speaketh thus to his countrie of Italie O Italia plange ô Italia time ô Italia caue ne propter obstinationem tuam in te desaeuiat ira Dei c. Tu in dies durior efficeris in peccatis malitia perseuerando Fiunt iam vbique vsurae publicae omnia foedata sunt spurcissimis vitijs carnis ignominiosae Sodomiae superbia pomparum iam occupauit omnes ciuitates terras blasphemia Dei periuria mendacia iniustitiae violentiae oppressiones pauperum similia superabundant O Italie saith he lament ô Italie feare ô Italie beware lest for thy obstinacie the wrath of God waxe not cruell against thee c. Thou euery day art more and more hardened perseuering in thy sinnes and maliciousnesse Euery where men set vp bankes of vsurie all things are defiled with most foule vices of the flesh and most shamefull sodomie Pride in pompous shewes haue now filled cities and countries blasphemies against God periuries lies iniustice violence orpression of the poore and such like vices do superabound I would further insist vpon this argument but that I referre diuers matters ouer to the second booke where I shall haue occasion more particularly to examine the good workes of Papists But the Church of England neither alloweth publike shewes nor bankes of vsurie nor dispenseth with oathes of subiects to Princes or alloweth periurie nor shall Robert Parsons find such filthines and abhominations among the professors of our religion as are commonly practised by the Popes Cardinals Masse-priests Monkes Friars and Nuns and their followers All corruptions in doctrine concerning good workes are reformed and diuers abuses concerning manners among the Papists taken away The which séeing it procéeded wholly of that reformation of religion which Quéen Elizabeth of pious memorie wrought by her regall authoritie among vs we are most gratefully to accept that worke and by exercises of pietie and charity to indeuour to shew our selues not vnworthie either of our profession or of so great a blessing Against this discourse Robert Parsons talketh very scornfully and saith first that the experience of the whole world will deny that good workes are fruites of our religion But if he had bene well aduised he would haue forborne to
thing in my name sayth he he will giue it vnto you The Apostle doth also teach vs that as there is but one God so there is but one Mediator betwixt God man the man Christ Iesus In the Epistle to the Hebrewes we reade Heb. 7. that it behoued vs to haue an high Priest holy innocent vndefiled separated from sinners and higher then the heauens For such a one onely was able to reconcile vs and to make intercession for vs. As for Angels Saints or saints relikes the auncient fathers did neuer vse as mediators or intercessors or spokesmen to God Ambrose in his treatise of Isac saith that Christ is our mouth by which we speake to the Father and our eye by which we see the Father and our right hand by which we offer to our Father S. Augustine writing vpon the 108. Psalme affirmeth that the prayer which is not offered by Christ is not onely not able to put away sinne but also is sinne it selfe But the blind Papists teach vs a farre different forme of prayer and flie to the mediation of our Ladie of Saints of Angels of the crosse as if these were our intercessors and mediators and as if the priesthood of Christ had bene translated to saints They say Maria mater gratiae mater misericordiae Mary mother of grace mother of mercie turning our father which art in heauē into our mother which art in heauen They say Haile Mary full of grace our Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruite of thy wōb Iesus holy Mary mother of God pray for vs sinners now in the houre of death taking vpon them presumptuously to speake those words which the Angell spoke by Gods direction to the holy virgine and corrupting the words of scripture by their additions and by iumbling the words of the Angell and of Elizabeth together In their Mattins in honor of our Ladie betwéene euery verse of the Psalme Venite exultemus they put either Aue Maria or Dominus tecum corrupting and falsifying the words of scripture Bonauenture also most blasphemously hath corrupted and transformed the Psalmes into the praises of our Ladie beginning thus Beatus vir qui diligit nomen tuum virgo Maria gratia tua animam illius confortabit That is Blessed is the man that loueth thy name holy virgine Marie thy grace shall comfort his soule And Psal 7. O Lady in thee haue I put my trust And Psal 11. Saue me O mother of faire loue Wherein plainly he giueth the honor of God to the virgine Mary which I thinke no man can deny to be idolatrous In a booke called Hortulus animae printed at Paris anno 1565. by William Merlin in the 107. leafe she is called Laus sanctarum animarum vera saluatrix earum mediatrix Dei hominum The praise of holy soules and true sauiour of them and the mediatrix betwixt God and man And fol. 224. we reade O veneranda trinitas Iesus Ioseph Maria O holy trinitie Iesus Ioseph and Marie Now what is blasphemie if this be not In the Rosary she is called the repairer and saluior of a desperate soule the distiller and giuer of spirituall grace Goodric a certaine holy hermit that liued in Henrie the second king of England his dayes prayed thus O holy Mary Christs mariage chamber virginall puritie flower of thy mother put away my sinnes raigne in me leade me vnto happinesse with God In the feast of S. Catherin they pray thus Deus qui dedisti legem Moysi in summitate montis Sinai c. O God which hast giuen thy law vnto Moyses on the top of the mountain Sinai and in the same place hast by thy holy Angels placed the body of blessed Catherine a virgine and martyr grant we beseech thee that by her merites and intercession we may come to the mountaine that is Christ And on S. Nicholas day they pray thus O God which hast adorned Nicholas thy Bishop with innumerable miracles grant we beseech thee that through his merits and prayers we may be deliuered from the flames of hell But if prayers be fruitlesse if not sinfull if they procéed not from true faith and if faith be grounded vpon vndoubted and prime truth how can these prayers auaile vs that are grounded vpon S. Catherines and S. Nicholas his legends Againe if Christ be the mediator of saluation onely as the Papists hold how can they hope to be saued by the merites of S. Catherine and S. Nicholas And how can they deny them to be mediators of saluation by whose merits they suppose to be saued I will not ask them what Catherine and Nicholas haue to do with them but yet they may do wel to proue that there was euer any such virgin in the world being the daughter of king Costus as they giue out Vpon S. Francis his day they vse this prayer O God which by the merites of blessed S. Francis doest amplifie thy Church with the birth of new children graunt that by his imitation we may despise earthly things and alwayes reioyce being made partakers of heauenly gifts through Christ our Lord. But the Apostle exhorteth vs to be followers of Christ Iesus and of others so far as they be followers of Christ and iustly we may doubt whether Francis followed Christ or no being the author of a rule diuers from that of Christ and of diuers strange fancies We may also well make a question whether his disciples be Christs true disciples seeing the doctors of Paris affirmed they were in the state of damnation Sure we are that by Christs merits and not by his merits or imitation we are made partakers of heauenly gifts Vpon S. Bathildis day according to the order of Satum Missal they prayed that her merites might obtaine that their sacrifices oblations might be accepted seeing she offered vp her self a liuing holy and welpleasing sacrifice vnto God as if Christs body and bloud were not to be accepted but by the merits of S. Bathildis or as if by her sacrifice our sins were done away Vpon Thomas of Canterbury his day they prayed that by the blood of Thomas they might ascend to heauen And on S. Lucies day they pray O Lucie spouse of Christ thou didst hate the things of the world and shinest with Angels by thine owne blood thou hast ouercome thine enemie As if men were saued by the blood of Thomas as wel as Christs blood and as if Saints by their owne blood without Christ could ouercome their enemies So wicked and blasphemous these prayers are that the most ingenious Doctors of the popish schoole haue much a do to excuse them and do very badly agrée either one with another or with the truth Hosius in confess petrik ca. 58. hath these words When a man commeth to saints he doth not desire mercie of them but onely their intercession And again We giue no more vnto them saith he when we call vpon them triumphing with
Popes agents and countrimen Bonner in his preface before Stephen Gardiners booke De vera obedientia sayth that the Popes prey in England was so great that it amounted to as much almost as the reuenues of the Crowne The English nation complained to the Pope in the synod at Lyon in the dayes of king Henry the third Math. Paris in Hen. 3. of diuers enormous pillages and exactions made by him and his officers but could find no remedy The Emperour Ibid. as Mathew Paris testifieth found fault with the King of England for that he suffered his countrey to be impouerished so shamefully by the Pope Imperator reprehendit regem Angliae saith Mathew Paris quod permitteret terram suam tam impudenter per Papam depauperari If we account the tenths first fruites rents comming of dispensations about Ecclesiasticall benefices for mariages and vowes money for licences to eate flesh and white meates to kéepe concubines to erect new societies and orders of Friers money for indulgences and pardons canonizations of saints erecting of Churches for rescripts of iustice for absolution from othes for sale of Masses and such like Babylonish merchandize we shall find that the summe doth farre excéed Bonners accompt So iniurious was the Pope in extorting and so patient was this land in bearing all burdens that worthily it deserued to be called the Popes asse Nay such corruption was entred into the Romish church that no act of religion could be executed without paying somewhat At christening they paid a chrisme cloth at buriall a herse cloth Neither could any be maried or housled or absolued but somewhat was paid At Candlemasse they offered candles at another day bread and because bread would not downe without drinke they offered also good ale in some places By these meanes the priests of Baal liued vpon the poore mans labour and got the husbandmans cow the artificers instruments and what euery man had from the owners and pressed the very marrow out of the common peoples bones To all these pillages from which king Henry the eight of famous memorie and his sonne king Edward had fréed vs Quéene Mary did make her people subiect She also put her people vnder the bloodie hands of the butcherly Romish inquisitors Bonner Gardiner Storie and their fellowes which contrary to iustice and all good forme of proceeding caused foure or fiue hundred to be put to most cruell death in a short space and were the occasion of the death of many hundreds more that either for want or by diseases died being driuen to leaue their houses and to shift for themselues Some also died in prison before they came to their triall Whosoeuer would not forsake the truth was driuen to forsake his countrey kinred friends and to flie into strange countries for succor So we sée murder tortures banishments bands and persecution of Gods saints were the monuments of her raigne Therefore it pleased God to afflict this countrey with a great penury and dearth the like was not heard of for many yeares before nor since Our histories say that wheate was for foure markes the quarter and mault for 44. shillings which considering the rate of things is twise or thrise so much as that summe amounteth vnto now Hereupon it came to passe that the people were constrained to make bread of acornes that had refused the bread of Gods word and that many died for extreme want and penury and yet was not the country halfe so populous as now Finally to her perpetuall dishonor and the shame of all Papists she lost Calice Ghines whatsoeuer by the kings of England was left her in France King Edward the third that most victorious prince wanne Calice and she like a most disastrous Quéene lost it neither did any thing prosper that she tooke in hand In the beginning of her raigne she was driuen to flie into Suffolke disguised and had by all likelihood lost both her life crowne and hope if the professors of the Gospell of Norfolke and Suffolke had not resorted vnto her and defended her against those that pursued her for the which she promised them liberally but performed nothing They deliuered her from danger and she contrary to her promise deliuered them vp to the bloudy executioners to be pursued with fire and fagot She maried with a stranger to the great dislike of all true hearted Englishmen But well was she requited For her husband neuer did well like her and in the end he went from her and did in a manner forsake her Great hope she had to leaue vs a king of her owne body to raigne after her but her expectation was turned into a mockerie and all the Masses said and prayers deuised and offerings to Saints relikes for her safe deliuerie tooke no effect The saying of the Prophet Psal 7. was fulfilled in her She conceiued griefe and brought foorth iniquitie Concepit dolorem peperit iniquitatem Salomon for that he was a iust Prince had a sonne giuen him to sit vpon his throne after him as we reade 1. King 3. Was not then this mercilesse Quéene iustly punished with barrennesse for making so many childlesse Without cause she fell at variance with the French entring into her husbands quarrell But she spent her labour and treasure in vaine left the state in debt and lost all she did aduenture for At the sea she was most vnhappie losing a goodly shippe called The great Harrie by fire and hauing no successe in any thing And so it appeareth that she liued and died disgracefully leauing no memorie behind her but of cruell persecution of Spanish slauerie and of disgrace dishonor and losse to our nation Neither doth any accompt otherwise of her then as of a woman vnhappie in her mariage cruell in persecuting Gods Saints vngratefull to those that were her best friends vnkind to her subiects disastrons in all her enterprises The like successe had those kings of England that were most forward in the Popes seruice Before king Henry the seconds time the Popes agents had litle to do in England He was the first that gaue them grace But sée his reward The Pope maintained Becket and other his rebellious subiects against him and forced him to most disgracefull and base conditions of agréement Furthermore the Popes agents in his time found such fauour that vntill the raigne of king Henry the eight this Land could neuer be ridde of them King Richard the first for the Popes pleasure crossed him selfe for the holy land and went thither with great forces of men and royall prouisions But nothing he gained beside a vaine name of a valiant man On the other side his losses and disgraces were excéeding great For first he lost most of his fléete then he lost the best part of his men Thirdly he lost diuers good townes in France where his enemies tooke aduantage of his absence Fourthly he was taken prisoner in his returne Fiftly he impouerished himselfe and his countrie in leauying money for
the Canonists teach Clem. Rom. de iureiurando Likewise the same Pope affirmeth that the Emperor is bound by oath to roote out the enemies of the Romish church and not to make any confederation or league with any enemie of the Pope or any suspected vnto him Which being graunted it followeth that no King or Emperour can make peace with others then such as the Pope liketh and that he is to make warres vpon such as he misliketh A matter which now presently much concerneth all Christians For if the Spaniards or other the Popes vassals haue respect to this law as no question but they haue then all capitulations betwixt them and Christian princes of our profession are made by his dispensation and to hold no longer then it shall stand with the Popes good liking The Author of the glosse vpon the same chapter doth also plainely declare that the Emperour is subiect to the Pope Modo quaero sayth he nonne Iesus voluit c. Now I aske saith he whether Christ Iesus would not that these Princes to whom he hath giuen temporall iurisdiction c. should be in some sort subiect vnto his Vicar that is to the Bishop of Rome and whether he would not that these Princes should giue oath to the Bishop of Rome and whether he would not that they should submit their heads to the same Bishop VVhereunto Clement aunswereth in the text that they should And very plaine it is that this was the meaning of Clement séeing he determineth that the Emperor ought to take an oath of sealtie and obedience fidelitatis obedientiae but if he sweare fealtie and obedience then is he to shew himselfe obedient and the Pope may punish him if he sweare false So we sée that if the Popes law hold then the Emperor for his Empire is tenant at the Popes will and may hold it no longer then he continueth in his obedience vnlesse he will either refuse to sweare or be forsworne In the chapter Pastoralis Clement de sent re indicata the Pope declareth that he hath superioritie ouer the Empire and that in the vacancie of the Empire himselfe ought to succeed the Emperour Thereupon also he contradicteth the Emperors procéeding and declareth the Emperours sentence against Robert king of Sicilie to be void and without effect But if the Emperour cannot procéede against rebels but that his sentence shall be reuersed by the Pope then is he the Popes vassall and subiect and cannot longer hold the crowne then it shall please the Pope Neither may other princes looke for greater fauour at the Popes hands then the Emperor Boniface the eight in the Chapter Vnam sanctam extr com de maiorit obedient doth expressely determine that the Pope hath both swords and that he hath power both to make kings and to depose them Spiritualis potestas potestatem terrenam instituere habet iudicare si bona non fuerit That is the spirituall power hath right to ordaine the earthly power and to iudge the same if it be not good And againe if the earthly power go astray the same must be iudged by the spirituall power That is by the Pope But if he haue right to iudge kings then hath he right to pronounce iudgment against them and to take their crowne frō them This decretal was published against Philip the French King but no doubt but the Pope taketh himselfe to haue the same right against all other kings Nay albeit the same sentence séemeth to haue bin suspended in regard of the French king by the chapter Meruit extr com de priuilegijs yet haue later Popes procéeded against some French Kings as for example Lewis the twelfth and Henry the third How may then other Kings hope to escape their censures that are not priuiledged Now if any man except and say that this is not the doctrine of Rome that now is he shal shew himself to be but a nouice that thinketh that any Papist dare depart from the doctrine of his holy fathers decretals Beside that if we search the bookes of late writers we shall find that they do not digresse from their elders Iosephus Vestanus in his treatise De osculatione pedum Pontificis p. 137. among diuers principles and dictates of the Popes doctrine deriued as he saith from Gregory the seuenth setteth downe these two first that it is lawful for the Pope to depose the Emperor and next that he hath power to absolue subiects from their oath of obedience to tyrannicall princes But if he haue power to depose princes and to loose the subiects from the band of their obedience vnto them then is it manifest that princes can no longer hold their crownes then it shall please the Pope Bellarmine likewise lib. 5. de Pontif. Rom. c. 6. speaking of the Pope saith he hath power to change kingdomes and to take from one and to giue vnto another if that be necessary for the sauing of soules And this he offereth to proue Potest mutare regna saith he vni auferre atque alteri conferre si id necessarium sit ad animarum salutem vt probabimus Pius the fift in his bull against Quéene Elizabeth affirmeth that the pope is made a prince and set ouer al nations and kingdomes to pull vp to destroy to dissipate and spoile to plant and build Hunc vnum saith he super omnes gentes omnia regna Principem constituit qui euellat destruat dissipet disperdat plantet aedificet The Iebusites of France in their booke entitled La veritè defendue Origen lib. 1. contra Celsū a booke as true as Celsus his book written against Christian religion entitled by him Vera oratio or a true discourse do defēd the authoritie of the Pope which he chalengeth in iudging and deposing temporall princes Nay which is more strange they blush not to affirme that this great soueraignety in the Pope is profitable for princes that stand in more doubt of loosing their tēporall kingdoms then of any other losse But howsoeuer it is if princes stand vpon loosing their crownes at the Popes pleasure then are they in poore estate and without any assurance of their kingdomes considering especially the malice of the Pope against such as professe the truth and his ambition in encroching vpon his neighbors dominions Ghineard a Iebusite was hanged in Paris anno 1594. for writing and holding diuers seditious positions wherof one was that the crowne of France might and ought to be translated into another family then that of Bourbon Neither néed any man make question by whom he meant that this feat should be wrought séeing the Pope is the man whose authoritie the Iebusites and Cananites seeke to aduance aboue Kings Finally Robert Parsons in his Warnword part 2. f. 117.6 alleageth a booke entitled De iusta Henrici tertij abdicatione that is of the iust deposing of the French King Henry the third whereby it is apparent that he also holdeth that the Pope may iustly depose Kings Neither is it likely that he would so busily haue sought to stirre vp rebels in England and
Popes sentence against Henrie the fourth of France was the cause both of the reuolt of his subiects and of the warres made against him by the prince of Parma and the Spaniards Such a firebrand of warres do we find the Popes sentence to be No sooner was Henry the eight king of England pronounced excommunicate by Paule the third but he sent Cardinall Poole to stirre vp the French King to inuade his kingdome Afterward when he saw that the French could not be stirred to execute his pleasure he caused diuerse rebellions to be raysed against him by the seditious clamours of Masse-priests Monkes and Friars both in York-shire and Lincolne-shire and other parts of England Sanders confesseth that he commanded the Nobilitie and chiefe men of England De schis lib. 1 by force and armes to oppose themselues against the king and to cast him out of his kingdome Principibus viris ac Ducibus Angliae caeteraeque Nobilitati praecipit vt vi armis se Henrico opponant illumque è regni finibus eijcere nitantur The like course held Pius Quintus that wicked Pope against Quéene Elizabeth of pious memorie for he did not onely declare her depriued of her kingdome but by all meanes sought actually to depriue her of it and that first by dealing with the French and Spanish by force of arms to inuade her realmes and afterward stirring vp and comforting Malcontents and Rebels to set the realme in combustion by ciuill warres Hierome Catena in the discourse of the life of this impious Pius sheweth how he perswaded the Spaniard that he could not otherwise better secure the Low-countries then by ouerthrowing the Queene of England He declareth further how he induced the French to take part against her Likewise did Gregorie the thirtéene send forces into Ireland together with his legate Sanders Sixtus Quintus by all meanes hastened the Spanish fléete that came against England anno 1588. Neither haue they and others ceassed vpon all occasions to séeke her hurt and destruction This therefore is a most cleare case that no Christian king can be in safetie as long as he suffereth Iebusites and Masse-priests to aduance the Popes authoritie and to preach seditiously that the people hath power to put Princes out of their royall seate It is very dangerous also to foster any man within the Realme that beléeueth this seditious doctrine True it is that Papists cast many colours to hide the deformities of this doctrine but these colours are easily washed away as not being able to abide any weather First they alleage that diuerse popish Princes haue enioyed their kingdomes quietly without molestation But we are able to shew more Princes of late time troubled by the Popes practises then they are able to shew to haue liued peaceably by them Furthermore the reason why Popes do not trouble all is because it were not safe for them to fall out with too many at one time and not because their ouer large authoritie is not preiudiciall to all For if the Pope may depose all kings vpon cause then all kings stand in like danger séeing no man can auoide all causes of quarrell Bellarmine lib. 5. de pontif Rom. cap. 6. saith that the Pope doth practise this power for sauing of soules But experience teacheth vs that through his excommunications and sentences of deposition pronounced against diuers kings he hath ruined kingdomes and brought infinite people to destruction both of bodie and soule Theodorie of Niem speaking of the deposing of the king of Hungarie by Boniface the 9. saith There followed of it great slaughter of innumerable people destruction of churches and houses of religion the burning of cities townes and castles and infinite other mischiefes which follow long warres because kings without the hurt of many cannot be deposed His words are these Vndè clades hominum innumerabilium Ecclesiasticorum picrum locorum Monasteriorum enormis destructio incendia ciuitatum oppidorum villarum castrorum nec non infinita 〈◊〉 mala quae guerrae secum producunt diu vigentia subsequebantur quia non sine multorum dispendio reres deponuntur Emanuel Sa in his aphorismes for confessaries doth signifie that this doctrine holdeth against tyrants only But what doth this reléeue the Papists when those which fall out with the Pope and yeeld not to his most vnreasonable requests are presently by Friers and priests proclaimed tyrants The very Papists themselues cannot deny but that Quéene Elizabeth was much renowned for her rare clemencie and that not without cause seeing she spared alwayes those that would not haue spared her if it had lieu in their power to haue hurt her and yet they accuse her of tyrannie In the resolution of certaine cases of conscience set out by Allen and Parsons for instruction of English traytors Non gerit se vt Reginam say they sed exercet tyrannidem She doth not behaue her selfe as a Queene but doth exercise tyrannie The like words they gaue out against the French king now raigning albeit he hath shewed mercie to many deseruing none Duke Ernest sending away one that vndertooke to kill the Gount Maurice amazzate said he quel tyranno that is kill me that tyrant Others alleage that the Pope procéedeth onely against heretikes and notorious offendors But that is a most notorious and palpable vntruth for no man is more eagerly prosecuted then religious pious and godly Christians as the executions of France and Flanders do shew And if they will not confesse it true in Christians of our time yet can they not deny it in the times of the Emperors Henry the third fourth and fifth of Fredericke the first and second and of Lewis of Bauier who made such confessions of their faith being declared heretickes as the Popes thēselues could not contradict and yet did the Popes excommunicate them and sought to depose them as heretikes and tyrants Likewise did they prosecute other kings and Emperours albeit consenting with them in matters of faith Henrie the third of France of late was cruelly persecuted and murdred by the popish faction and yet was he very superstitiously addicted to popish religion Suppose then that the Pope would procéed against none but heretickes and tyrants yet it is an easie matter and very vsual for him to picke quarels and to impute heresie and tyranny and great crimes to most innocent men Finally they may say that the Pope is alwayes assisted by Gods holy spirit and cannot erre in his sentences of excommunication and deposing of Princes especially for matters of religion But this allegation is most brutish ridiculous and refuted by euident experience and most euident proofes that teach vs that he is rather led by the spirit of Sathan who was a murtherer from the beginning and is the author of rebellions and troubles then by the spirit of God that is the God of peace and author of concord among Christians Wherefore let all Princes that liue vnder the Popes obedience consider
well the former reasons and examples and look into their owne danger and slippery estate For albeit now the Pope hath his hands full and cannot or dare not offer them wrong yet many occasions may be offered of falling out betwixt them and the Pope And in that case either they must confesse as we do that the Pope is a false prophet and Antichrist or else yéeld vp their Crowne at his pleasure or else defend their right without lawful title and that both against rebels and forreine enemies which will be a matter hard for them to do CHAP. IX That no King or Prince can secure his person against the attempts of traitors if he suffer any in his kingdome that teach or hold the Popes doctrine concerning the deposing and killing of Kings THis corollary or conclusion is necessarily deduced frō the doctrine of Papists concerning the Popes power in deposing of Kings and Princes For if it be lawfull for the Pope to depose a Prince frō his royall throne then is it lawfull for the Pope to command any assassin or cutthrote to murder him séeing it is not likely that a magnanimous King wil yéeld to so base a companion as the Pope nor giue vp his Crowne without force and compulsion The same is also proued by the general practise of Popes by the wordes of the Popes bulles by the doctrine of their principall followers and by diuers particular facts and attempts both of Popes and their wicked instruments and agents For first we find that those Popes that haue gone about to depose Kings haue also vsed all meanes to destroy thē to cut their throtes The which may be verified by the procéeding of Gregory the seuenth against Henry the Emperor of Paschalis and Vrban against his sonne of Alexander against Fridericke Barbarossa of Innocent the third against Philip and Otho of Gregory the ninth and Innocent the fourth against Fridericke the second of Clement the fift against Henry of Lucembourg whom he caused to be poysoned in the sacrament Of Iohn the 22. and Clement the sixth against Lewis of Bauier of Paul the third against Henrie the 8. King of England of Pius the fift Gregory the 13. and Sixtus Quintus against Quéene Elizabeth and finally of the Popes that fauored the rebellious leaguers of France against the French Kings Henry the third and fourth and diuers others For why did they raise rebellion moue warres and suborne secret traitors to attempt against the persons of Kings but that they meant to giue leaue to desperate cutthrotes to kill them Secondly the words of the Popes buls and the doctrine of their wicked agents doth notoriously manifest their leud and damnable purposes touching this point Platina in Greg. 7. Gregory the 7 doth first depriue Henry the Emperor of his Empire and forbiddeth his subiects to obey him Next he commaundeth all to accept of Rodolph as their King and to obey him But neither could he be deposed without armes nor might Rodolph be suffered to raigne during the life of the Emperour Henrie Paul the third in his seditious bull against Henry the 8. king of England commaunded the Nobles and other principall men of the countrey to oppose themselues with force and armes against him and to cast him out of his kingdome But armes are taken in hand for no other purpose then to kil such as resist and a weake conceit it is to thinke that king Henry could be thrust out of his kingdome vnlesse he were also depriued of his life That impious Pope Pius the fift also that sent Nicholas Norton to moue an insurrection against Queene Elizabeth in England and his legate Sanders to do the like in Ireland did intend no lesse then the destruction of her person if the rebels had preuailed In his bull against her he declared that he had authoritie to pull vp and to destroy and forbiddeth her subiects to obey her which could not be executed without her destruction Sixtus the 5. in his declaration anno 1588. against the same Quéene hauing at large rayled with his foule and filthy mouth against the Lords annointed exhorteth all her people to lay hands on her to arrest her and to concurre to her punishment That is also the end of that traitor Cardinall Allen his seditious exhortation to the Nobilitie and people of England and Ireland But because the Papists had no better successe an 1588. therefore they suppressed this discourse for very shame least their dealings for the destructiō of princes should be made manifest and least the mysteries of Romish Babylon should be reuealed Parsons that bastardly English renegate Parsons an abbettor of cutthrotes King-killers in his booke of succession part 1. cap. 3. alloweth the deposition of K. Iohn of King Edward the second King Richard the second King Henry the sixth and of diuers violent attempts made by subiects against their lawfull Kings Thereby it appeareth also that he approueth warres and rebellions made to depose Kings and to destroy them Nay allowing the violent death of Caesar in the Senate he seemeth directly to perswade the murder of princes which is the rather to be beléeued for that he was an agent in the printing and as his consorts the Masse-priests say in making the libell set out by Allen against Queene Elizabeth proclaiming reward to all that could lay hold vpon her nay that could kill her Now least any man should doubt of the doctrine of the infernall Iebusites in this point In verbo Tyrann Emanuel Sa in his apherismes for confessaries doth thus instruct all Masse priests Tyrannicè gubernans iustè acquisitum dominium non potest spolias sine publico iudicio lata verò sententia potest quisque fieri executor That is he that gouerneth tyrannically his state which he hath gotten iustly cannot be spoyled of it without publicke sentence of the Pope but sentence being passed euery man may execute the sentence he meaneth that he may kill the King He sayth also that the people haue power to depose the prince He doth further vnderstand the Pope to be euery Kings lawfull Iudge Is it then to be maruelled if the Masse-priests and their followers grounding themselues vpon these resolutions attempt against princes persons Iohn Ghineard one of the sect of the Iebusites did publikely acknowledge in the parliament of Paris anno 1594. that he had written these words The cruell Nero that is Henry the third was slaine by one Clement and the counterfet Monke by the hand of a true Monke Againe the heroicall act done by Iames Clement as a grace of Gods holy spirit and called by that name by our diuines the Iebusites was iustly commended by Bourgoin late prior of the Iacobins a confessor and martyr Talking of the king now raigning he wrote that he would haue him shut into a cloister and deposed But if he cannot be deposed without warre then sayth he let warre be made against him And if there be no meanes to preuaile by
Quéene her subiects Whatsoeuer he did in deuising of that traitorous libell one W. Br. aliâs Pag. chargeth him that hee holpe to print it and gaue diuers copies to his friends Departing out of the low countries he committed the managing of matters to one Holt a man of his owne societie and confrairy of traytours If then Holt was acquainted with the practises of Yorke Williams and Daniel for killing the Quéene as he is charged by W. Br. aliâs Ch. Pag. or with Heskets trecherous agency with the Earle of Darby then no doubt but R. Parsons was made priuie therewith also seeing he was but as an inferiour sphere concurring with Parsons that like primum mobile drew with him all inferior traytors and made all matters of treason to be taken in hand Residing in Spaine his onely purpose was to set this land in combustion To worke a detestation of her Maiestie and of the English nation in the mindes of the Spaniards he caused a most slanderous libell set forth before in Latin to be translated into Spanish by one Ribadineira a man of his owne trayterous order adding thereunto diuers slaunderous and most vntrue reports of his owne auouching his owne lies vpon the credit of Sanders being now dead And that this is true not onely his owne conscience doth witnesse but that ribald Ribadineira must acknowledge if he be aliue and will testifie truth For to draw the king of Spaine into the party he set out a most fond booke of titles to the crowne of England casting the same with all the force of his wit vpon the Infanta of Spaine séeking to depriue the right heires and endeuoring to bring vs vnder the captiuitie of strangers to which end also he caused diuers of the English nation residing in Spaine to subscribe to that title With the helpe of Creswell and others his adherents he caused diuers trecherous inuectiues to be published against her Maiesty the State and that partly vnder the names of Andreas Philopater Didimus Veridicus and such like counterfet names and partly without names By his and other his traitorous consorts solicitation King Philip the second sent forth a fléet to sea of which two attempts followed the one about the yeare 1598. in which diuers ships by stresse of wether were wracked on the coast of Spaine betwixt the Rocke and Cap. finis terrae the second followed not long after The first is proued by D. Stillingtō and other Massepriests perswaded by Parsons to come with publike enemies against England the second is mentioned in a letter of the said Parsons to Th. Fitzherbert and publikely diuulged by the Adelantadoes proclamation of which hereafter we shall haue occasion to speake And so earnest was the king of Spaine in setting forth this fleete against England that at one time returning to himselfe out of a trance the first words he spoke were Whether is the Adelantado gone for England At another time being at his deuotions he said He would spend the furniture of his chappell but he would be reuenged vpon the English The Secular priests in their reply to Parsons libell fol. 65. do also mentiō these preparations Neither is it to be doubted but that Parsons concurred in the solicitation of them The author of the Reply speaking of these preparations for England These two preparations sayth he are so euident to haue proceeded with his concurrence and cooperation as he no way can deny it without the note of impudency so many witnesses and his owne letters bring in testimonie against him He doth likewise affirme that the vrging of diuers to subscribe to the Infantaes title is a matter notorious and euident and to be proued by the othes of diuers priests In his letters to a certaine Earle of Scotland Parsons plainely confesseth diuers practises set on foote by himselfe against England and that he sought to aduance the Spanish Infantaes title as being of his religion The resolutions of cases of conscience set out by A. P. that is Allen and Parsons for direction of their traitorous schollers are nothing else but resolutions to proue them both traitors and enemies to their countrie declaring the Queene to be a tyrant and no lawfull Queene and her officers no lawfull officers and ayming wholly at the ouerthrow of the State Finally it is auerred by the secular priests that Parsons had a finger in the rebellions of Ireland Neither is it to be doubted but that he his agent Creswel were acquainted with the enterprise of D. Iuan d'Aquila in Kinsale many traitorous English being that time in companie with the Spaniards If then this be one of the chiefe pillars of Romish faith certaine it is that the Romish faith standeth vpon disloyaltie and trechery or at least vpon a wicked disloyall traitor If Papists wold consider these his practises they wold not so much estéeme his directories libels discoueries inuectiues wardwords or rather a wardrobe of knauery and villanie his Warnewords such like odious fardles of idle words which rather direct men to the gallowes then to religion and vertue which shall further appeare in the answer following This in the meane while I thought to relate for ease of his holy father if percase he list to saint this horse-holy Frier And if in the meane while he be not created Cardinall by reason of his infamous bastardie and foule vellaquerie too open playing aboue boord yet let him be a Cardinall and a card excarnificable vested with Cardinals robes of yellow blew and gréene like the Knaue of Clubbes CHAP. II. Of the title Warne-word and other matters promised and prefixed in the front of Parsons his booke A Goose they say may be knowne by a feather If men will not beléeue me yet may it be verified by the goose Parsons For by his most foolish title being the first fether of his gooseships worke we may assure our selues we shall haue a great péece of foolerie For albeit he promise vs but one Warneword yet hath he sent vs a whole fardle of idle words and fantasticall fooleries Secondly as admonitions and warnings are sent to friends and not to enemies so might he haue done well to haue giuen some admonitions to the bougerly boyes of the English seminaries that suffer themselues to be abused too shamefully by the bougeronicall Masse priests to the dishonor of their nation and not to vs that regard not witlesse admonitions a straw Eurip. in Medea The tragicall poet might haue told this comicall admonitor if he had but had any one graine of wit that a wicked mans offers and gifts are vnprofitable The Gréeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the asse vnderstandeth no Gréek and not much Latin being onely acquainted with the iron tongue of his mother the blacksmiths wife Thirdly his whole labour being spent in iangling and bangling about some pild matters of his popish paltry religion he must shew how all that nastie geare will come within the compasse of his
practise against her life and to make a strong partie against Religion and the State as your Maiestie very well knoweth For the same is lately broken out to the hazard of your royall person and the indangering of the State and God knoweth whether those that haue intended mischiefe against your royall Maiestie that neuer offended them did not worke mischiefe against her whom they tooke to be the obstacle of all their plots and desseines Your Maiestie I doubt not will wisely consider of these plotters and their abettors and all their practises Prouerb 20. A King saith Salomon that sitteth in the throne of iudgement chaseth away all euill with his eyes But his eyes must be in his head and he must sit in the throne of iudgement and execute his lawes He must not suffer them to escape vnpunished that maliciously seeke the bringing in of strangers and the subuersion of Religion and the State Ibidem A wise King saith a wise King scattereth the wicked and maketh the wheele to turne ouer them Who these plotters are I haue declared in the treatise following And that they excuse not themselues by Religion I haue discouered the deformities of their Religion as well as their wicked treasons All which I present to your Maiesties graue consideration beseeching him that is King of Kings to endue you with wisedome and all royall and heroicall vertues fit for the managing of so great kingdomes that you may both triumph ouer all your enemies and also long sit in the royall seate of these kingdomes to the honor of his diuine Maiestie and the comfort of all your louing subiects Your Maiesties most loyall and louing subiect Matthew Sutcliffe The Preface to all true Christians and loyall subiects HOw often the Spaniard and Pope and their agents haue attempted by secret practises to ruinate the Realme of England I doubt not my deare countrimen and friends but you haue heard The rebellion in the North-part of England an 1569. the pretence of the Duke of Guise an 1584. the diuers rebellions and troubles of Ireland the practises of Parrie Patrick Collein Williams and York to kil the Queen of Lopes Squire to impoyson her of Babington and Ballard and diuers other Masse-priests and Masse-louing Papists to subuert the State are yet fresh in memory And to forbeare to speake of such secret practises they haue endeuoured by open warres also to preuaile against the State In the yeare 1588. they prouided against England not onely great land-forces but also a great fleete in their owne conceit inuincible yet by Gods grace easily vanquished and dispersed Likewise anno 1597 and 1598. they made two attempts or rather offers of some enterprise against the State In the first one D. Stillington and other Masse-priests English and Spanish miscaried the Spanish fleete being wracked on the rockes of their owne country so that they could not come to sing Masse in England The other was disappointed by stormes and contrary winds so that no effect came of it The noise of these preparations and menaces comming into England and being bruited abroade partly by letters and partly by a proud proclamation set forth in print by the Adelantado of Spaine wherein he plainly discouereth that he meant no lesse then to cut all our throates if he could it is no maruell if the State and diuers men well affected to their countrey did prepare themselues to make resistance Among the rest Sir Francis Hastings a man of auncient nobilitie and one that hath adorned the honour of his parentage with excellent vertues and namely with true pietie loue of his countrey fortitude and magnanimitie scorning to heare that so base a rabble of Marranes and Bisognos as were assembled first at Lisbone and then at the Groyne should either talke or thinke of the conquest of England which the Adelantado in his bragging Rodomonts stile did threaten he armeth himselfe and prepareth his friends and countrimen to make resistance Perceiuing also the securitie of some and slacknesse of others especially such as were tainted with the pestilent infection of Italian atheisme or Spanish Marranisme but commonly titled Cacolike or popish religion he publisheth a little treatise called A watch-word giuing warning to the secure and stirring vp such as seemed euill affected to resist manfully and to withstand the Spanish incrochments and pretences This booke crossing the desseines of Robert Parsons and his consorts who by all meanes sought to set England in combustion that they might triumph in the ashes and sing Masse in the funerals of their natiue countrey we may perceiue by the sequele that it touched his cause and faction very nearely and therefore was taken by him very tenderly For presently he taketh pen in hand and writeth a most scornefull and bitter treatise against her Maiesties proceedings against Religion and all that professe it railing against Sir Francis and the professors of the truth and commending in the best sort he could both the professed enemies and the secret vnderminers of the State Wherein if we would but note the mans singular impudencie or rather his audacious foolerie it were argument sufficient to confound all his writings For at what time the Spaniard lay with forces at the Groyne and by a Proclamation set forth in print threatned fire and sword against the Realme Robert Parsons like a viperous traitor in his Ward-word talketh of nothing but peace and would make vs beleeue that both the Pope and Spaniards are our good friends Where Iesuites and Masse-priests and malcontent Papists were brewing of sedition and preparing themselues to ioyne with forreine forces this good fellow would make vs beleeue that traitors are good friends and that there was no hurt by them meant to the Queene or State Finally this babling Warder doth addresse all his discourse to the Lords of the Councell and chiefe dealers in matters of State albeit the same tended wholly to the destruction of the State And yet when I consider the practises of the enemies of the State I must cōfesse that he had great reason to enter into this shamelesse course For albeit there was no colour of truth in his discourse yet he supposed if the same were shewed to her Maiestie that it would make her stay her preparatiues He thought also it would proue a faire pretence to those that were loth to spend their money to forbeare to make resistance against the enemy Further he saw that the same would bleare mens eyes while both forreine enemies and secret traitors sought to cut our throates And finally the same being full of railing scorning and scurrilitie he doubted not but the same would deterre others or at least make them slow to take vpon them the defence of the common cause For what man considering the smal encouragement that forward men did find at the hands of friends and the rude entertainment they receiue at the hands of enemies would not leaue the patronage of the State to those that haue most interest
state nor orders of men to be found Finally the members of the Romish synagogue are not onely deuided from the Catholike Church in doctrine sacraments externall gouernement and fellowship but also one frō another the Thomists differing from the Scotists the Monkes from begging Friars the regular orders from secular Priests one Doctor from another and one Pope oft-times from another If then Schismatickes be no true members of the Church as their Doctors teach then are not the Romanists of the Church Againe if they differ from the Catholike Church and among themselues then haue they long continued in Schisme The nature and propertie of superstition doth shew the Papists to be also most superstitious For if it be the nature and propertie of superstition either to giue religious honor and worship to such things as are not capable of it or else to worship God after humane deuises and otherwise then he hath commanded then do they grossely offend in superstitiō But it is most notorious the they grosly offend in both those points For first they inuocate Angels On the feast of Michael the Archangell they say Holy S. Michael defend vs in battell that we perish not in the fearefull iudgement In Missal Rom. They pray also to the Angell that kéepeth them whom they know not and this adoration of Angels in the Romane Catechisme is allowed if not commaunded Secondly they worship the Virgin Marie In Mariali and call her the mother of grace and port of saluation Bernardin doth call her the mediatrix betwixt God and vs and the helper of our iustification and saluation They pray vnto her for helpe per amorem vnigeniti filij cui as if Christ were a Mediator betwixt vs and our Ladie In Psalterio Bonauent Bonauenture transforming the Psalmes which are made to be sung in praise of God to our Ladie saith Cantate Dominae canticum nouum and laudate dominam in sanctis eius that is Sing to our Ladie a new song and praise our Ladie in her Saints Thirdly they worship and call vpon other Saints beside the holy Virgin and attribute diuers Saints to diuers cities and countries as thrée kings to Colleine S. Ambrose to Millane George to Germanie and England Andrew to Scotland Iames to Spaine They do suppose also that Nicholas doth helpe Mariners Luke painters Crispine shoomakers that S. Anthonie cureth pigges S. Gal géese and S. Sebastian the plague In the Romane Missall blasphemously they translate the honour of our Sauiour to Leo bishop of Rome saying to Leo Thou art a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech Fourthly they pray to things that cannot heare not helpe saying O holy crosse helpe me and to the holy napkin Sancte Sudari or a pro nobis O holy napkin pray for vs. And againe Sudarium Christi liberet nos à peste morte tristi So the Papists of Cahors in France pray and saluting the picture of Christs face called Veronica they say Haile holy face printed in a cloth as if a good part of their religion were printed in linnen cloth Fiftly they worship diuers men departed of whose saluation or percase being they haue no certaintie as for example S. Catherine S. Christopher S. George that fought with the dragon S. Dominicke S. Francis and a multitude of other Monkes and Friars liker to be in hell then in heauen Whereof the common prouerbe ariseth That many are called vpon as Saints in heauen whose soules are farre more likely to be tormented in hell Finally they giue diuine worship to the crosse and to the images of the holy Trinitie worshipping creatures for their Creator They do also worship rotten bones not knowing whether they be the relickes of Saints or wicked men They kisse them bow and burne incense vnto them They worship swords whippes nailes the asses taile whereon Christ rode as they say the bréeches of Ioseph and diuers ragges which God knoweth from whence they came They practise also diuers false formes of worship of which we may say who hath required these things at their hands The Ladies psalter is a forme that God neuer commaunded Many of their prayers are most blasphemous In hortulo animae printed anno 1565. at Paris by one Merlin they pray thus O veneranda Trinitas Iesus Ioseph Maria quam coniunxit diuinitas charitatis concordia that is O venerable Trinitie Iesus Ioseph and Marie which God hath conioyned with the concord of charitie Neuer certes did the Prophets and Apostles teach vs so to pray as is contained in the Breuiaries Secondly they say Masses in honor of Saints and of our Ladie and make vowes vnto them But our Sauiour Christ neuer taught vs to celebrate the Eucharist in honor of Saints or to offer his bodie in honor of S. Francis Saint Cuthbert S. Andrew and other he and she Saints Thirdly the holy Prophets and Apostles neuer taught vs that men are saued by eating saltfish and cockles and forswearing mariage and such like obseruances in which the Romanists put great holinesse Fourthly God neuer commaunded any to whip themselues and to weare rings of iron or woollen next our skinne nor signified that these things pleased him Nay the Apostle Colos 2. condemneth such obseruations albeit hauing a shew of wisedome in superstition humilitie and not sparing the bodie Finally our Sauiour neuer taught his disciples to exorcise salt and water to driue away diuels Missal Rom. in fine nor to consecrate paschall Lambes and candles and such like as the Papistes do prescribing certaine formes thereof in their Missals and saying ouer salt Exorcizo te creatura salis per Deum viuum per Deum verum That is I exorcise thee thou creature of salt by the liuing God by the true God and afterward Vt efficiaris sal exorcizatum in salutem credentium that thou maist be made coniured salt for the saluation of the faithfull Ouer the water they say Exorcizo te creatura aquae c. vt fias aqua exorcizata ad effugandum omnem potestatem inimici That is I exorcise thee thou creature of water c. that thou maist be made exorcised water to driue away all the power of the enemie In blessing of the paschall lambe they pray that God would blesse and sanctifie the creature of flesh which they desire to receiue to the praise of God Al which be tricks of notorious superstition I forbeare to speake of the superstitious toyes of the Masse in crossing turning knocking washing formes of habits and such like ceremonies for that they require a whole discourse by themselues It resteth onely now that I declare the Papists to offend in idolatrie because notwithstanding their manifold abuses in Gods worship they obstinately deny themselues to be guiltie therein But whatsouer pretences they bring they shall neuer be able to excuse themselues For first it is notorious and the aduersaries will not denie but that all those are superstitious Idolaters that giue the honour
the English together with the States souldiers ouerthrew the Cardinals armie betwéene Newport and Ostend to the vtter ouerthrow of the Cardinall and the Spaniards in that countrie if the victorie had bene pursued And now albeit coldly pursued yet hath it so broken his forces that he hath lien idlely euer since before Ostend hoping rather by treatie then by force to preuaile In Ireland the Lord Gray ouerthrew the Earle of Desmond and cut the Italians and Spaniards that kept the fort at Smerwike in péeces About the time also died Sanders the Popes Legate and other traitors stirred vp to rebellion by the Pope and his agents Neither could D. Iuan d'Aquila kéepe his footing in Kinsale albeit he had with him many good souldiers and great aduantages Diuers times hath the Pope troubled her both in England and Ireland stirring vp first the Earles of Westmerland and Northumberland and then certaine rebels in Norfolke and afterward procuring diuers seditious fellowes in Ireland in hope of his blessing to rebel But his blessings haue bene turned into cursings and all his trecherous deuises haue come to nothing Finally we find Gods promise to his people by Moyses Deut. 28. verified in her For where he sayth That God would make all his peoples enemies to fall down before them we sée that all the Quéenes enemies fel before her and that the more they maligned her the more God aduanced her Such reputation she wan both with Christians and with Infidels that al men had great respect vnto her except such as maliciously oppugned her The King of Poland and the Transiluanian haue receiued fauour of the Turk for her sake and her friends great comfort in all their distresses Before the Quéenes time the Pope claimed a great part in the gouernement of England challenging power to make Ecclesiastical lawes to send hither Legates to ordaine and appoint Bishops in diuers cases to dispose of Ecclesiasticall liuings and those that possessed them He did also leuis tenths and first fruites and by procurations licences and dispensations drew great summes of money out of the realme In some cases he tooke vpon him to iudge the king and to dispose of the crown of England Hereof it followeth first that the Kings of this land for some ages before King Henry the eight were but halfe Kings neither medling with the externall gouernement of the Church nor being authorized to rule their Cleargie or to dispose of their liuings Secondly that they held that poore halfe of their kingdome which remained at the Popes pleasure and no further as appeared by the insolent dealing of the Pope with King Henry the second and King Iohn out of whose hands the Pope had almost wrested the scepter of their royall authoritie But her Maiestie abolishing the vsurped power of the Pope fréed her selfe and her successors from his tyrannie and restored that power and iurisdiction to the Crown that was by his craft and fraudulent dealing long vsurped She found that it belonged to godly kings to make lawes for religion to rule their subiects to dispose of the affaires and goods of the Church according to right So did Constantine the great and other godly Emperors So did Charles the great and Lewes kings of France So did Alfred and S. Edward Kings of England as the lawes of the Code and Nouell constitutions the constitutions of Charles and Lewes and of the auncient Kings of England declare Neither before Pope Heldebrand or rather that firebrand of hell did any Pope take vpon him to giue out lawes or decretals for the gouernement either of the whole Church or the Churches of other kingdoms For this matter therfore Quéene Elizabeths name deserueth to be had in perpetuall remembrance for that she fréed her selfe and her subiects from the Popes wicked lawes and vsurpations and restored the auncient priuiledges and dignities to the Crowne The which had bene much in a man but in a woman was much more glorious With her also peace which by the practises of the Spaniards had bene exiled to our losse and shame returned again into this land For finding this land at variance with France and forsaken of Spaine she found meanes to compound with France and begā to settle matters at home According to the Prophets admonition Psal 34. she sought peace and followed it And such successe hath it pleased God to giue her that although the Pope by diuers practises hath sought to raise discord and rebellion within England yet maugre his head we haue enioyed peace this fiue and fortie yeares to the great contentment of her subiects and the wonderment of the world For who wondreth not that France and Flanders and other our neighbor countries being in a flame and the Pope desiring nothing more then to set our country on fire that the moderation of a woman should maintaine her State in peace when great Kings could not kéepe their state from being consumed with warres How great this benefite is both the commodities of peace and the miseries of warres may teach vs. Et nomen pacis dulce est saith Tully ipsa res salutaris Philippic 2. The name of peace is sweete and the thing it selfe safe and commodious De leg Agrar contra Rull Neither doth a people more desire any thing then peace as he saith in another place and in peace not onely those to whom nature hath giuen sence but also houses and fields seeme to reioyce Quid est tam populare ac pax qua non modo ij quibus natura sensum dedit sed etiam tecta atque agri laetari videntur Contrariwise warres worke destruction of men cities countries and as Tully saith Philippic 2. haue vncertaine euents and nothing is more execrable then ciuill warres Tully estéemeth him vnworthy to liue among men Philippic 3. that delighteth in ciuill discord and warre By meanes of long peace this land is also growne to great wealth The country is better cultiuated trade is much increased all arts and occupations growne to greater perfection then in time past Noblemen and Gentlemen haue doubled their reuenues Yeomen and Merchants aspire to the degrée of Gentlemen and diuers men of occupation do exceed men of their sort in former times Whosoeuer compareth the common people of England with men of their qualitie in Spaine Portugal and Italy must néedes confesse that in wealth and meanes our country men do farre excéed them Finally neuer was England so populous and strong in men as in our late Quéenes dayes Spaine and most places of Italy séeme desolate in comparison That these are great blessings it cannot be denied For God promiseth increase of substance and men to his people as a blessing Deut. 28. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body saith Moyses to the people of God and the fruite of thy land the fruite of thy cattell the flockes of kine and sheepe And the multiplication of Abrahams posteritie Gen. 17. and in diuers other places was
the hand of God vpon them when they heare scriptures read and prayers said publikely in a language which they vnderstand not and a thing to be wondred at that they chuse rather to liue in this blindnesse then to haue the word of God read in a toung which they are able to vnderstand and whereby they may learne to feare God Seuenthly the very heathen haue oft times chosen to die rather then to sée themselues oppressed by tyrants Yet such is the stupiditie of Papists that they suffer the Pope and his Priests to tyrannize ouer them loading their consciences with intolerable lawes and false doctrine and spoiling their goods by diuers kinds of exactions and endangering their liues by their Inquisitors and massacrers and such like executioners of their bloudie decrées 8. Most dangerous is euery diuision among those of one societie but most miserable it is when they which professe themselues to be of Gods Church are deuided one frō another For the Church is a house of vnitie and not of dissention But among Papists one holdeth of Benet another of Francis another of Dominicke another of Clare and in no point of doctrine do all their Doctors agree together Superstitiously also they obserue dayes times and distinction of meates and consecrate salt water bread candles and paschal Lambes Finally they leaue the Creator and serue our Ladie Angels and Saints and other creatures Nay for reliques of Saints they worship oft times the ashes relikes and bones of wicked men and reprobates nay of bruite beasts 9. It is an vnséemely thing for those that professe holinesse to shew themselues examples of all beastlinesse as the Popes and holiest men of the papists are wont to do Therefore séeing the dogs sorcerers whore-mongers murtherers idolaters and lyars shall be shut out of the kingdome of heauen they are not to looke to be admitted without spéedie reformation 10. No Prince liuing vnder the Pope can assure himselfe of his state nor can any subiect that liueth vnder such a prince assure himselfe either of his life or goods For if the Pope haue power to take away kingdomes and to bestow them vpon others how can any King or prince assure himselfe he will not attempt the same when occasion serueth considering his violent procéeding against Emperours and kings in time past and against our late noble Queene against Henry the third and fourth of Fraunce and diuers others And if euery one by him and his Inquisitors declared Hereticke is to lose life and goods who can assure himselfe of either if he acknowledge not his authoritie and refuse his religion 11. No man certes shall prosper that shall follow Antichrists sect or religion If any man worship the beast and his image saith the Angel Apocalyps 14. and receiue his marke in his forehead and in his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God of the pure wine that is powred into the cuppe of his wrath But that new Rome and the Popes gouernment is the image of the old Romaine Empire and that the Pope is Antichrist it plainely appeareth by diuers arguments which I haue declared in my fifth booke De pontif Rom. 12 Those Kings that liue vnder the Pope are but halfe kings For first their Cleargie in diuers cases is exempt from them and next they haue not to do with the rest of their subiects in ecclesiasticall causes O miserable kings that haue fallen downe to worship the beast and haue suffered such base bougerly Italians to take away more then halfe of their royall authoritie 13 We find that no kingdome can long liue in peace which is subiect to the Popes controlment For if the Pope do find himselfe aggréeued then doth he trouble the peace of the State if the same offend him not but pay what he requireth yet if he fall out with others then must that kingdome make warres at the Popes pleasure By the Popes solicitation both England France Flaunders Spaine and all Christian countries haue endured great troubles The Turkes liue farre more quietly vnder their Sultans then Papists vnder the Pope Finally considering the intolerable exactions of the Pope and his furious inclination to warre and bloudshed and the tyrannie both of the Pope and his adherents it is no maruell if the papisticall people be poore and much wasted Whether then we respect things of this life or of the life to come there is no creature more miserable then a Papist Do you not then wonder that any should like the popish gouernment It were certainely much to be wondred but that experience doth teach vs that the Cimmerians that dwell in darknesse care not for the light and that brutish beasts delight in brutishnesse and base people in seruitude and superstitious people in vanities and superstitions CHAP. VI. Of the contradictions of Popish Doctors in principall points of Religion OF the dissentions of popish Doctors in matters of religion I haue said somewhat before Yet because Papists make vnitie in matters of faith to be a marke of the Church and confidently deny that their Doctors dissent in any point of any moment I haue thought good to insist yet more vpon this point that the world may see not only their miserie that as men not resolued in most points of religion wauer betwixt contrarie opinions but also their notorious impudencie that deny it Therein also doth appeare some Papists wonderfull simplicitie that séeing the contention of their Doctors do not vnderstand their differences and séeeing their differences and vncertaintie of popish Religion do notwithstanding sticke fast in the filthy dregs and abhominable corruptions thereof Pighius lib. 1. Eccles hierarch cap. 2. saith That Scriptures are not aboue our faith but subiect vnto it Stapleton Princip doctrin lib. 12. cap. 15. holdeth that the Church and Scriptures are of equall authoritie Eckius in enchirid loc com cap. de Eccles saith That the Scriptures are not authenticall without the authoritie of the church Bellarmine thought best not to dispute this question Nicholas Lyra Hugo Dionysius Carthusianus Hugo Cardinalis Thomas de Vio and Sixtus Senensis lib. 1. Biblioth sanctae reiect the last seuen Chapters of the booke of Hester as not canonicall Scripture The Conuenticle of Trent Bellarmine and most popish Doctors of late time hold them to be canonicall and thinke hardly of those which teach contrarie Iohn Driedo lib. 1. de Scripturis dogmat Eccles denyeth the booke of Baruch to be canonicall Scripture Bellarmine lib. 1. de verb. Dei and most of his fellowes be of a contrarie opinion Caietan and Erasmus in their Commentaries vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes of Iames Iude the second of Peter the second and third of Iohn do dissent from the rest of their fellowes partly concerning the authors and partly concerning the authoritie of those Epistles Iames bishop of Christopolis in Praefat. in Psalm And Canus lib. 2. cap. 13. de locis theologicis affirme That the Iewes haue depraued and corrupted
against honorable mariage and such as are knowne to be descended of worshipfull parentage Furthermore he giueth vs occasion to detest the filthie masse-priests monkes and Iebusites that abiuring lawfull marriage burne in vnlawfull lustes and are knowne to be adulterers fornicators sodomites and most beastly and swinish fellowes He shameth not also to affirme that I was forced to retire out of Ireland for certaine iniurious speeches against the Earle of Ormond and the Irish nation But what if the Earle of Ormond and the Irish nation will cleare me Is not he a busie fellow to meddle with their matters without fée Againe what if I came away with the leaue and liking both of the generall and others Wil it not appeare that he lieth like a shamelesse fellow without leaue or liking of any but himself who like a monky liketh best his own deformities But he may learne both if he list to informe himselfe either by English or Irish that knew those matters how they passed As for those whom he stileth witnesses Omni exceptione maiores they neuer receiued any greater disgrace then in medling with me and haue since declared themselues to be men rather to be lamented for their folly then credited for their dignitie But nothing is more ridiculous then that Robert Parsons should find fault with my intemperancy of spéech séeing I do but answer his intemperate and exorbitant inuectiues that in scurrility and rayling are superlatiue But if he will néeds find fault let him bring reason least his writing séeme to want both wit and reason His last charge against me in his answer to my Epistle concerneth discontentment and complaints against the State But it is like the rest that is fond false and friuolous For neither is it likely that I should be discontent with that present state or grieued with any ordinary charge when both in most honorable actions and in my publike writings I haue to the vttermost of my power defended the State and haue willingly put my self to extraordinary charge in all seruices for my countrey This resolution also is both in my selfe and others not onely to spend our goods but our liues also in defence of our country and of the truth against all malignant firebrands of sedition and miserable slaues of Antichrist that shall dare to assayle the Realme Finally if in any thing I haue shewed discontent it is in that I haue séene such notorious trechery as is discouered in Parsons and his leud consorts to escape vnpunished and sometimes vncontrolled Not content to accuse vs the ranging fellow runneth out in diuers places and rayleth with a wide and filthy mouth against the late noble Earle of Essex whose calamity all that knew him do much lamēt and whose blood I doubt not but God will require at all the hands of some of his consorts that sought to spill it as he hath already begun to reuenge it in some principal persons that eagerly followed the matter against him Well let vs sée notwithstanding what this Blackesmiths dog hath to say against that noble lord Fol. 6. b. First saith he the Earle of Essex was pitifully seduced by the puritanes But euery one that is not ignorant of the true causes of his discontentment knoweth well that his pretence was not for religion but rather for other causes It is also well knowne that sir Christopher Blunt and the popish faction was the cause of his ruine For vnderstanding his discontentment they set him forward with hope and promise of assistance in priuate quarels not doubting but either to trouble the state by his means or els to bring him into a snare whom they knew to be firme for religion It may be also that his enemies by their cunning drew him into this dangerous action by practise of traiterous companions that were about him Howsoeuer it was much it is to be lamented that refusing a pension offered him by the King of Spaine he could not also discouer this traine layed for him by the Popes agents And I cannot but much disdaine that so bastardly and base a swaine as this paltry Parsons is should insult ouer so noble and magnanimous an Earle a dog ouer a Lyon a bauling curre ouer a most famous and worthy man of warre He telleth vs further that he was stout against peace with forraine princes and that he had wrought such a troubled water vnder hand that if his streame had not bene turned against him he might chance to haue inhooked the greatest fish in England But this deuise of a great fish is nothing but a vaine surmise of a great conger-headed companion For neither did he nor could he pretend any title to the crowne And as for his stoutnesse against peace with Spaine it procéeded from the loue of his country and was occasioned vpon iust grounds for that he saw no sincere dealing on the behalfe of the Spaniard but rather a surceasing of hostility that in the meane while Masse-priests and Iebusites and their adherents might worke treason It may be also that he meant to shew the weaknesse of the Spaniard the power of the English nation which the Spaniards heretofore too much despised Neither he certes nor any man else misliketh an honorable profitable safe and durable peace Fol. 8. a. he doth againe talke vainely and telleth vs of the Essexian assault and sayth it may be presumed that it would haue abbreuiated the Queenes dayes especially in the intention of the puritanes But he is an absurd fellow to obiect that which his greatest enemies sought to proue and of which he cleared himself sufficiently at the barre And most shamelesse he sheweth himself to impute that to men of our profession which like a leud Laiolian he calleth puritanes which was continually desired of Papists and much feared of all that truly professed religion Againe fol. 13. he mentioneth the Earle of Essex his attempt and golden purposes and sayth that my Lord and young king Essex plotted her Maiesties ouerthrow vnder pretence of meeting at a puritane sermon But if all plotters of her Maiesties ouerthrow had bin rewarded according to their desert then had the crowes long ere this fed on Parsons his quarters the most notorious arch-plotter of treason that this age hath affoorded Likewise he and his consorts haue made many attempts against the State and in the destruction of their Quéen and country they hoped to haue a new world and therin placed their golden time As for the good Earle his purposes howsoeuer they were drawne to his destruction and disorderly managed yet could no man proue that he meant harme to the Quéene Séeing therefore this Patch obiecteth to the Earle an imaginatiō of that which the traiterous consorts of Parsons haue long desired I will here bestow on him a crowne of fox tayles and make him the King of al renegate traitors and doubt not if he come into England but to sée him crowned at Tiburne and his quarters enstalled at Newgate
130. b. for Augustin Steuchus Eugubinus he alleageth S. Augustine Stechus Eugobinus Againe this cogging knaue must shew why he alleageth a cogging Epistle set out vnder the name of Nicholas and that sottish donation that is published vnder the name of Constantine being notoriously a counterfeit and forged thing as I haue proued by diuers arguments in my answere to the cauillations of a base masse-priest called E. O. He will also néeds haue these words Audis summum pontificem à Constantino Deum appellatum habitum pro Deo to be spoken by Constantine and not by Augustine Steuchus in his booke Contr. Vallam de donat Constant But the words following hoc viz. factum est which no doubt are Steuchus his words prouing Constantines donation and not the words of Constantine or Nicholas do plainely testifie against him If then these be his words and be annexed to the former without diuision then both must be his Fol. 65. he cryeth out Marke the fraudulent manner of these men alleaging fathers And yet Hierome in Prol. 2. in comment in Galat. and Augustine in Psal 99. do well proue that the people praying did in time past and ought to vnderstand the language of their publike prayers which is the thing against which he cryeth Where I argue thus that the Pope and his agents haue bene the stirrers of all the warres and troubles that of late haue happened in Europe for the most part and therefore not we that haue alwayes desired peace he cryeth out fol. 88. That the deuill hath taught me to make this malicious consequence But the deuill as I suppose oweth him a shame to denie it and he sheweth himselfe a dolt to giue me occasion so often to touch his owne and his consorts deuilish practises The consequent is most true and necessary For that which is done by these bloodthirstie wolues is not to be imputed to vs whose onely labour is to resist their malice Nay it appeareth that Pius Quintus was cause of the wars of France and the low countryes and that he stirred sedition both in England and Ireland The diabolicall Iebusites also were the instruments to stirre the rebellious leaguers in France and haue alwayes done their best to trouble Suethland England and Ireland The angels of Satan possessing the heads of Iebusites and masse-priests wrought the massacres of France and troubles of Flanders Anno 1588. the Spaniard and Pope sent a fleete against England and not we against Spaine Finally all stories almost testifie and declare that the consistory of the Pope and his agents heads are the forges to frame mischiefe and trouble Fol. 90. and 91. he cryeth out of lyes and impudencies But for my part I say shame take him that lyeth For first it is notorious that in the Romish Church although the aduersary would deny it there is and hath bene great variety in their liturges as the missals and formularies of Toledo Seuil Sarum Paris Rome Yorke and Millan do shew Neither hath Parsons any thing to answere but that in the substance of the sacrifice they agree As if that were all or the most part of the Romish seruice or as if I had not shewed that this is most false in my bookes De Missa Secondly it is true that the Conuenticle of Trent hath abolished diuers old missals and formularies as the bull prefixed before them shew Thirdly it is true that Iustine and Dionyse describe the forme that Christians vsed in their Liturgies as Iustines second Apologie and Dionyse his bookes of Ecclesiasticall hierarchie testifie Fourthly the instruction of the Armenians was no act of the Conuenticle of Florence but of some odde Masse-priest that vsed that conuenticles name It is no lie therefore notwithstanding this instructiō that the Conuenticle of Florence did not by any canon establish seuen sacraments Fifthly the Conuenticle of Lateran vnder Innocentius the third doth mention penance but giueth the name of sacrament as I sayd most truly to Baptisme and the Eucharist Finally it is most true that the popish sacrifice of the Masse was not knowne of the auncient fathers and I haue proued it in my third booke De Missa against Bellarmine Which if Robert Parsons confute I shall be content that the Pope bestow on him a Cardinals hat But if he be not able to answer and yet will néedes cry out famous falshood I will bestow on him a pointed cap with a bell and a capons feather to let all the world know that at that house dwelleth a sot Ignatius Irenaeus other fathers that he doth mention speake not of the body and bloud really offered in the Masse but of an oblation made in commemoration of that sacrifice Our writers albeit they mislike the fathers in some things yet no where do they yéeld that they speake of the popish sacrifice of the Masse offered after the damnable fashion of the synagogue of Satan Fol. 107. he calleth for two reall differences betweene papists in the points of faith And therefore I count my selfe bound to shew him not two onely but many more It may please him therefore to reade what I haue sayd before and to answere to euery point particularly and then I hope he will cease his harsh and currish bawling He must also shew that his consorts differ not in matters of moment or in any thing if he will defend their vnion Fol. 111. he crieth out and in his dogges voyce sayth If this woodcocke or any of his crew can shew any one noueltie as an article of faith in our religion c. And againe If O. E. or his mates can shew any one heresie taken for an heresie by the generall Church What then forsooth he saith He will yeeld in the rest Which I would pray him to remember For if I do not make him in this poynt a foote length of nose like a Curliew let the Pope if it be his pleasure make him king of the Canaries Nay I haue already shewed diuers both nouelties and heresies to be contained in Popish religion and no Popish woodcocke yet hath thrust out his beake to answere shewing themselues by their wits to be woodcockes and by their silence Codfish Onely one woodcocke of Rome vnder the maske of W. R. aliàs Walphoole or wicked Richard flusheth forth with his long bill But his answere is such as confirmeth my challenge very much the man being not able to answere any one argument Parsons also toucheth the heresie of the Collyridians which among many other I obiected to him and answereth that Papists differ from Collyridians manifestly But it is not inough to shew a difference vnlesse he also shew that his consorts hold no one point condemned as heresie in the Collyridians But that the congerhead cannot do For like to the Collyridians they pray to the Virgin Mary and offer in her honour This answere therefore sheweth him to be of the lignage of woodcockes But of these matters we shall talke elsewhere In his 2. enconter