hand of God All which Articles saith this Doctor doth Calvin willfully corrupt in his expositions in the favour of Iewes Arians and other such enemyes of Christ which hee proveth by alleadging above forty or fifty places citing Calvins owne words and commentaryes therupon soe clearly and perspicuously against sence and expositions of all holy Fathers that if his commentaryes therin were to bee admitted those foure named points or Articles of Christian Religion can not be defended against the force and adversaryes of Christes name And is not this a brotherly agreement between Lutherans and Calvinistes in Principall points and misteryes of Religion but the Lutherans have the best of it for wheras Luther and his followers to this day condemne the Calvinists as Hereticks especially for not beleeving the Body of Christ to bee realy and substantially present in the Sacrament of the Altar the Protestants of England who are Calvinists and deny the Real-presence hold Luther for a holy man and theire Father and hold all the Lutherans theire very deare bretheren in Christ as Doctor Whitaker above cited doth averre To leave Germany and to speak of the Professors of Protestanisme in England Scotland doe not many of them entertaine quarrells and falings-out among themselves about Principall Articles of Religion doe not the greatest part by much of the Protestants in England hold the King is supreme head of the Church all of one opinion with the Bishops maintaine this as an Article of Religion in that Protestant Church but the Protestants of Geneva and all depending upon theire Doctrin in France and elswhere doe not hold this Kingly supremacy for an Article of Faith and are not Catholicks punished by Law and somtymes put to death for denying this supremasy which would be a meer murthering of them and the greatest cruelty in the World if those that put them to death did not hold that supremecy to be an Article of Faith Now if you will be pleas'd to demaund what those Protestants in England and Scotland caled Presbiterians or Puritans say to this Article they flattly deny this supremacy to be an Article of Faith though none of them did ever suffer death for denying the same nay they are esteemed not with standing theire opinion in this to be of the Protestants communion A gaine all Protestants that follow the Bishops hold the dignity and superiority of Arch-Bishops and Bishops to be agrecable to Gods word and as the Devines speak de Iure Devino and what say the Presbiterians to this By theire Champion Martin Mar-Prelate and his mutenous moke-bates that band under his cullors cry all of them in the Name of the Lord as Thomas Rogers doth attest That the calling of Bishops is In his Sermon printed by Iohn windet 1590. pa. 13. unlawfull that they be Ministers of Antichrist worss then Fryers and Monks Deuills Bishops and Deuills In-carnate Sall you must grant mee these dissentions between Protestants and Protestants in England and Scotland about the Kings supremacy and the Order and Dignity of Bishops are not Triueall but Fundamentall and they have been now many years contending in theire Writings and Conferrences and still are about these points and others that are the very sinews and Soule of theire Religion in endless quarrells and Contensions If that were my Business I could sett downe many and great differrences quarells and contensions between these two kinde of Protestants In this place I think it pertinent to say somthing particularly of the Protestants called Presbiterians who were neuer by any act of Parlament that wee could heare of proscribed from the Communion of the Protestants that stick to the Religion of the King and the Bishops Impiety Fury and Rebellion gave beginning to this Sect and Religion in Scotland as hath been aboue said in Page 164. and 165. They had two Reformations the first was begun by Iohn Knox an Apostata Priest and though his Reformation was ungodly and unreasonable the second was farre more unreasonable and ungodly A Presbiterian that was converted to the Catholick Faith describes the Presbiterian Piety in this kinde There was among us a pretext of Piety but wee had not the substance of it wee had indeed much preaching praying fasting and such like exercises but our long preachings were nothing but continuall prayses of the Covenant the solemne League which they cry'd up to the heavens butt wee omitted as our Saviour observed of the Pharisies the weighty Matters of the Law as Iudgment Mercy and Faith Our Ministers told us wee were the happiest People of the World for they said wee only of all Nations had the honour to be Covenanters with God and that wee had the truth of the Ghospell in greater purity then Geneva it selfe that wee had soe cleare a light that the like had not shined to any Nation since the tymes of the Apostles yea one who was esteemed a principall Apostle among us did not stick to say in the pulpitt amidst the many Miserys Confusions and Troubles which then lay upon this Church and Nation That the Angells and Saints of heaven if they could leave the sight of God would be glad to come downe and see the admirable beauty of the Presbiterian Church of Scottland Soe farre this new Catholick And was not this ridiculous preacher with the beauty of his Scottish Kirck a great Hipocrite and Pharisie It was much observed that shortly after solemne fastes of Presbiterians the country and state was allways sure of some unhappy claps the puritan fast was still fatal and ordinarily a preparation to some violence or evill worke that was intended this made many understand what Queene Mary Stuart meant by that famous saying That shee was as much affraid of a fast of the Ministers as of an Army of Souldiers for experience taught her that those fasts were prognostick signes of ensuing tempests theire long prayers alsoe did not prove them to be Saints more then the like did sanctify the Pharasyes they bragged much of the spiritt but shew'd noe fruites therof these bee the fruites of the spiritt which Saint Paul recounts to the Galatians The fruite of Ad Galat. cap. 5. the spiritt saith hee is love joy peace long suffering Gentelnesse goodness Faith meekness c. This second Presbiterian â—eformation beganne with a prodigious abolishment of all holy things Mala arbor Malos fructus faciâ— 1. They condemned and cast downe Episcopacy this they doe whersoever they have power quite contrary to the Law of God for Episcopacy is de Iure Divino This order and degree they abhor'd as Tyrannicall and Anti-Christian yet Saint Paul writing to Timothey saith If a man desireth a Bishops Office hee desireth 1. Tim. cap. 3. a good thing The Apostle likewise affirmeth that Bishops are to Order Priests and Iudge them wherfore hee saith in his Epistle to Titus That hee left Ad Titum Cap. 1. him in Cret to Order Priestes by Cittys By this it is plaine and evident that
Poligamy to be lawfull and published soe much by writing to Henry the eight houlding his divorse from Queen Catharin unlawfull but withall proposed to the King that hee might lawfully at Melan. concilia Theologica printed 1600. p. 134. once with her take another wife Respondeo saith Melankton si vult Rex successioni prospicere quanto satius est id facere sine infamia Prioris conjugii ac potest id fieri sine ullo periculo Conscientiae câ—usquâ—m aut famae per poligamiam c. That is I answer if the King intends a divorse with his Queen Catharin for getting issue hee may doe that farre better and without infamy of the first Marriage and lawfully without danger of Conscience by Poligamy that is to say by taking another wife at once with her Jacobus Andreas otherwise named Smedelinus WAs Chancellor in the University of Tubing Luthers prime Scholler noe less esteemed in Germany then Calvin or Beza in Geneva in the Colloquie at Mompelgar hee encountered an overmatcht Beza yet the Lutherans themselves who magnify his learning say hee had noe God but Bacchus and Mamon Selnecerus his great frind and dayly Companion gave this Testimonie of his Piety that hee neuer pray'd goeing to to bedd nor rysing in the morning Sturmius a learned Calvanist chargeth him with the crimes of Adultery covetousness and robbing of the poor Zanchius saith hee was taken in a publick Zanch. in Epist printed 1609. lib. 2. pa. 240 Adultery Sall what a holy Doctor have you of this man Carolostadius ARch-Deacon of the Cathedrall of Wittembergh aman of a furious nature was the first Sacramentarian It was singular in him that being a Priest hee married in the year 1524. and a peculiare Mass was made and printed for the same which began thus Dixit Dominus Deus non est bonum hominem essâ— solum c. That is God said it is not good for a man to live alone The prayer Englished was O Lord which after soe long blindness of unmaried Priestes hath bestow'd soe great grace upon blessed Carolostadius as contemning the Popes Law hee hath presumed to take a wife bring to pass wee beseech thee that all other Priestes may follow his example The rest of the Mass you may see in Cochlaeus in the yeare 1525. This unhappy Carolostadius was soe persecuted by Luther as hee lived miserably in the Country and laboured like a poor Bore John Knox. A Scotchman and Apostata Maried Priest a Rebell and Boute-feux incendiary of the whole Nation and a Murtherer raised a Rebellion stirring up the nobles and common people agaist Queen Mary of Scotts his Soveraigne and against her vertuous Mother the Queen Regent of the Catholick and most famous house of Guise who dyed of Grief for the coming of Heresie into that Catholick Kingdome This man with a Rabble of Rebells deposed the Queen and laid the Crowne upon her Sons head King Iames the sixt afterwards King of England Grand-father to King Charles the second an Infant Infine the noble Queen sorely afflicted flying into England hopeing to be protected by her Kinswoeman Queen Elizabeth after a long Imprisonment was put to death by that cruell woeman This holy man Knox began his Reformation with the murther of Cardinall Betune Arch-Bishop of Saint Andrews in his owne Bed-Chamber and did afterward many bloody Tragicall things Notwithstanding all his villanys Calvin term'd him an excellent and reverend manâ— valiant Labourer in Christ his Church restorer of the Ghospell in Scotland and in the end of a letter to him writes Vale eximie vir ex animo colende Calvin in Epist responsss printed 1567. Frater And Beza writes thus Ioanni Knox Evangelii Dei apud Scotos instauratori fratri symmistae observando And in another place Magnus ille Ioannes Knox Scotorum in vero Dei cultu instaurandâ— velut Beza in Epist Theologicis printed anno 1573. Epist 74 pag. 333. alter Apostolus Heer mulus malum scabit Impious impure men praise an impure impious man The Protestant Bishop of Rochester in his Sermon at Pauls Cross gave a truer Discription of Knox calling him and Bucanan two fiery Spiritts of the Scotch Nation It is written that this wicked Knox was killd upon his bed by a Devill Sall Iudg you if this end show'd him to com from God Oecolumpadius A Brigittin Monk marryed a Nun was a fierce Sacramentarian the next after Carolostadius and after them Zwinglius who they dying bore the Bell and name of that Sect. This Oecolumpadius was a man of an unclean wicked life was found dead upon his bed kill'd by a Devill as Protestant writers attest and Luther among others Christopher Goodman AN Englishman a seditious ranck Goodman in his book how to Obay pag. 96. Rebell great Companion to Iohn Knox writing of Queen Mary of England speaks thus That wicked woeman Mary whom you would truly make your Queen c. And againe God hath not given an Hypocrit only to raigne over you but an Idolatress alsoe not a man but a woeman which his Law forbiddeth and nature abhorreth whose raigne was never counted lawfull by the Law of God c. Hee says againe This ungodly Serpent Mary hath joyned her selfe with Adulterous Phillip Sall is not this a Godly homily of obedience Goodman teacheth towards Soueraigness And is not Calvin your great Doctor of the English Church a great frind to Soueraignty whilest hee highly praises this scurrill Rebell You may obserue one thing how Goodman after Queen Mary dyed writt against his former opinion and acknowledged Queen Elizabeth to be lawfull Soueraigne of England and that the Law of God was not against her Goverment nor that the Law of Nature abhorr'd it hee call'd her not Idolatress or Serpent by which it is cleare and playne that this Rebellious knave writt only against Queen Mary being a Catholick whose title to the Crowne was clearer and better then that of Queen Elizabeth as all men know Hauing said thus much of the forementioned Hereticks and Reformers let us now examin what kinde of men those were that contrived the XXXIX Articles of the confession of England soe highly valued by Sall and preferred to true theorems of faith though many of them are condemned Heresies after vewing what they have done touching said XXXIX Articles you shall be able to Iudge of theire vices and vertues XIV CHAPTER A Narration of the English Religion and Reformers in King Edward the 6. Raigne THe Earle of Hartford the Kings Uncle newly created Duke of Summerset and Lord Protector of England a man neither fitt to govern nor to be governed his Iudgment being weak and himselfe very willfull and blindly resolute To his infamy and distruction hee made choyce of Dudlay Earle of Warwyck a man of great Iudgment and a deep dissembler to be his chief assistant and director both in Church and in state affaires who was his greatest Enemy which Summersett had not witt
first fruits of Luthers extraordinary mission Mala arbor malos fructus facit Will you have all this evidently proved by the Testimony of prime Protestant Authors wherof Luthers is one Hee speaks thus The World Luth. in Postilla super Evang. groweth dayly worse men are now more revengefull covetous licentious then they were ever before in the Papacy when wee were seduced Dom. 1 Adventus Dominica 26. post Trinit by the Pope every man did willingly follow good works and now every man neither saith nor knoweth any thing but how to gett all to himselfe by exactions pillage theft lying usery c. The second Author is Erasmus one of Mr. Fox his Saints and Confessors in his acts and monuments hee says Circumspice populum istum Evangelicum c. Eras in Epist ad vulturiam neocomum written anno 1529. profer mihi quem istud Evangelium ex commessatore sobrium ex impudico reddiderit verecundum ego tibi multos ostendam qui facti funt scipsis deteriores That is Look upon those Evangelicall people bring mee one glutton that this Ghospell made sober an incontinent man made chast I will shew you many that have exceeded even themselves in wickedness and hee further saith Quos antea noveram puros c. That is Who I have knowne before pure cleane sincere and voyd of craft and knavery I have seen these men after professing this new Evangelicall Sect beginne to speake of mayds c. to Eras in Epist ad Fratres idferiores Germani◠leave of theire prayers to become very impatient and vaine and meer vipers in theire manners and have as it were cast of human nature I speake what I know And hee saith yet further there Nov◠monachum qui pro una duxerit tres c. I knew a Monk who insteed of one wife marryed three and I knew a Priest that after hee had marryed a wife found out that shee was marryed to another before I will not name to you a certaine Priest whipt here at Basille about the streets for his wickedness being of the same profession with these Ghospelers c. Hee testify'd publickly that after hee had once addicted himselfe to that Sect hee rann into all kinf of wickedness I will not say what hee told of the whole Sect c. hither to Erasmus Musculus a famous Lutheran saith Muscul Dom. 1 Adv. in Lib. Thus stands the case at present with us Lutherans that if any bee desirous to see a great rabble of knaues of de Prophesia Christi turbulent persons deceitfull Coseners Userers let him goe to any Citty where the Ghospell is purely preacht and hee shall find them there by multitudes for it is more manifest then the day-light that there were neuer among the Ethnicks Turks and other Infidells more unbridled and unruly persons among whome all vertue and honesty is quite extinct then are among the Professors of the Ghospell And Sall is not this a faire Testimony Musculus gives of the first fruits of your Reformations Perhaps good works and Sanctity some years after follow'd your new Doctrin and Ghospelling I cannot finde it soe but quite contrary for Mr. Stubbs in his Motives to good works printed anno 1596. In his Epistle to the Lord Major of London saith That after his trauel in compassing all England round about I found the people in most parts dissolute proud envious malicious covetous ambitious carless of good works c. And after him Mr. Richard Giffery a Protestant Devine in his Sermon at Pauls Gross 7. Octob. Printed 1604. page 31 saith I may freely speake what I have plainly seene in the course of some travells and observation of some courses that in Flanders was never more Drunckenness in Italy more wantonness in Iury more Hypocrisy in Turky more Impiety in Tartary more Iniquity then is practised generally in England particularly in London And if wee may give credit to the relation of some Catholicks and Protestants that come a broad it is noe whit better there at present The Centuristes Cent. 7. c. 7. Col. 181. Complayning of the want of good works among those of theire owne Profession and speaking of the Catholick common people in the blindness of Papistry as they term it say thus They were the Catholicks soe attentive to theire prayers as they bestow'd almost the whole day therin c. They did exhibit to the Magistrat due obedience they were most studious of amity concord and Society soe as they would easily remitt inivryes all of them were carefull to spend theire tyme in an honest vocation and labour to the poore and strangers they were most courteous and liberall and in theire Iudgments and Contracts most true Sall is not this a faire Testimony wee Catholicks have from our adversaryes of vertue piety and good works strong it must be coming from adversaryes Now I would faine know how can Luther and his new Reformation save those that received his Doctrin hee cannot doe it by good works wheras himselfe Erasmus Musculus and the Centuristes Confess they had noe merita bona but multa merita mala Noe good works noe justice noe piety hee answers let them live as they please and doe noe good works let them have faith and live neuer soe wickedly they are sau'd for this is a principall Article of Lutheran Faith and Doctrin that Who doth once truly believe though hee committed thousands of Murthers Adulteryes and most wicked sinns cannot be seperated from God nor fall from his Grace and which is more cannot loose his Faith by any sinn Let any man judge if ther can bee any principle and Article of Faith more desperate and impious then this XI CHAPTER Of Calvins Doctrin his Calumnies against Catholicks and of his Life and Conversation Iohn Calvin borne at Noyon in France an eloquent man and famous with Protestants for his writings especially his Books of Institutions which are more esteemed in England and whersoever his Sect beares sway then the Cannons of holy Church and the Doctrin and Authority of the ancient Fathers Hee is very well described by a French Author as thus Calvin comme une meschante Georg. l'Apostre contre les 150. Heresies du Ministre la Bansserie c. Arraignèe a couru par dessus toutes les Heresies passees e de chacun en succèe le venin le plus pernicieux en compaesant une venenade en a enbevionne la Christiente That is Calvin like a venomous spiderr hath runne over all Heresyes of former tymes and hath suckt out of each of them the most pernitious venim and made therof a poysened Potion and gave therof to drinck to the Christian World Hee raked up many old Heresies from hell but nothing can be more blasphemous then two Articles of his Doctrin The one that hee makes God Author of sinne affirming that hee damnes soules to Hell by an eternall inevitable and unalterable decree and Iudgment without any regard
Sall and tell mee were not all your Saints such did not they lead about captive silly woemen loaden with sinns are not Nuns breaking out of Cloysters such woemen was there any of your capitall reformers that hath not led with him a Nun or some other woeman covered with sinns and from those they neuer seperated but for injoying them and theire love perrished eternally Ah Sall ah blinded Sall have you for joyning with those flagitious men and imbraceing theire new and Hereticall Doctrine deserted the famous Doctors and Saints Gregory Ambross Augustin and Hierom and all the ancient Fathers of the Church now glorious Saints in heaven Heu and Vae will fall upon you for a lost man that began to stray in your old age Sall for shame Fuge ad foliâ— in horto Paradisi absconde te a facie Domini cum peccantibus parentibus tuis Deo clamanti Sall ubi es responde cum pudore vâ—cem tuam audivi Domine timâ—i eo quâ—d nudus essem abscondi me XV. CHAPTER Sall if hee mindes his Salvation should not stay in a Church wherin Murtherers Traytors Hereticks Theeves Negromansers and other Mallefactors are Canâ—nized for Saints IT is saith Sall a greeuous reproach objected to the Protestant Congregation of the English Church to say they esteem for Saints Murtherers Hereticks and other Mallefactors it is soe Sall and even such a reproach as the Prophet objected to some men that were Socii furum Companions of Theeves But if the Congregation of Protestants in England doe this day owne and acknowledg for Saints Murtherers and other Mallefactors Ipsi viderint volenti scienti non fit injuria While they doe not disclaime in Iohn Foxes Calendar wherin hee sets downe for glorious Martyres and Saints Murtherers Traytors Theeves c. But rather highly value the same soe as it hath bin publickly read in the Churches to the Congregation doe not they make themselves guilty of this reproach Fox then is the man hath don this great Injury to the Protestants of England if they will be sencible of it This man of his owne head forged a Calendar or Ecclesiasticall Table of new Saints for the new English Church out of pride and vanity Emulation and apish Imitation of our Calendar for hee would forsooth have a Calendar for his owne Saints that indeed were noe Saints and in this Calendar hee put downe agreat rabble of Hereticks Theeves seditious persons c. And canonized of his owne new Reformers who hee pleased and left out whome hee pleas'd By framing this impious ridiculous Calendar hee hath done a grieuous Injury to the Catholicks of England to all the Saints of great Britany and to the very Protestant Congregation To the Catholicks those constant Professors of theire faith in the days of Edward the sixth and Queen Elizabeth days of sharp persecution that would not bend theire knee to Baal there were blessed be God many thousands of them Lotts that remained pure in Sodom in raising a Dagon a Calendar of false Saints against theire Arca a Calendar of true Saints but in the end our Arca hath falne Foxes Dagon To the Protestants hee hath done a very great afront and dishonoured theire Religion by setting downe in his Calendar for Saints of theire Communion knowne Hereticks Traytors Murtherers Witches and all kinde of Mallefactors by which hee hath made his owne Protestants Socios furum Companions of Theeves what more infamous to the Protestants of England then the Company of wicked men some condemn'd for lewd life some for theft and Sacriledg others for Murthers and Conspiracies others for witch-craft and sorcery and coming even to the distroying of their Princes person And is not this a holy Communion and Association of them to bragg of This is the great honour that Iohn Fox hath done to the Protestants of England that Luther Bucer Ochinus and those other Apostata's Priestes Monks and Fryers that for love of the flesh broak theire Vowes made to Allmighty God are sett downe for chief Saints in his Calendar Hee hath likwise highly injured the Saints in heaven in turning them out of the Callendar to make roome for his new Saints to that effect hee put out of his Callendar all the English British and Scotch Saints that have been knowne for glorious Saints by all the Ecclesiasticall Historys of the World What atempt more violent what Injury greater then to stricke out of the Senate of Saints all the Bishops Martyrs Confessors Virgins Eremites Priestes and Monks of great Britaine injoying the blessed Society of Angells and the happy presence and vision of theire Master Iesus the Lamb of God and who is the light and Lanthorne and Sunne it selfe of the Celestiall Citty of Hierusalem and this hee hath done and all those hee hath put out of theire seats and places to make roome for his new Martyrs and Saints such as you will blush to see named for Saints Nor did Fox stay heer but with great petulancy like a scelerat and prophane man hee dared compare his new Saints with our ancient Martyrs as Iohn Hooper a marryed Priest with Saint Policarp Hee resembleth Tindall in like manner to Saint Paul and his Shollar Frith to Saint Timothy Let any man read his arrogant and blasphemous dedicatory Epistle in beginning of his volume to Christ himselfe and hee shall see the pride the man had conceived of those his new Martyrs For first hee asked of Christ this question Quae gens quae Fox in Epist dedic ad Iesum Christumâ— lingua quae natio qua temporum vetustas quae hominum prosteritas earum non cantabit laudes c. That is What people what tongue what nation what continuance of tyme what posterity of men shall ever be that will not sing these new Martyrs prayses c. This was his question Fox his writing to Iesus Christ and you will easily imagin how quickly Christ could have answered the goose if hee had bene worthy of answer to wit that hee should soon after see and behold a posterity of the English Nation it selfe that instead of praysing them would defie and detest both them and theire Doctrin as alsoe display theire wickedness to the whole World And whether this tyme and posterity be already com or noe let the Reader judg by that which in this booke hee shall see set forth But now after Fox his Conference had with Christ in Latin hee cometh downe to reason with the Q. Majesty in English about the worthiness of the same Matyrs and then turneth againe to the learned Reader for soe hee saith hee must be in another Lattin letter where after many other insolent vaunts of his new Martyrs hee saith thus Si non poena sed causa Martyrem facit Fox Epist ad doctum lectorem non video cur non unum Cranmerum sexcentis Beckettis Cantuariensibus non conferam modò sed pretulerim That is If the cause and not the punishment make a Martyr I
relate in many ages The horrible Testament of 1. Ziscae a Bohemian Saint And at length being strucken by Gods Hand with the plague being demaunded of his frinds as Fox himselfe confesseth how hee would be buryed hee bid them to flea him and make a Drum of his skinn therwith to terrify the Papistes in theire fights and Battles as it was done casting his carcass to be devou'rd in the field This Relation of Zisca's life and death is writt by Iohn Dubravius Bishop of Iohn Dubra lib. 24. Histo. Bohem. Olemuz and by Aeneus Sylvius that writt this story more at large and out of whome Fox professeth to gather his Relation who concludeth thus Divinitus Aeneus Sylv. in Histor Bohem. cap. 16. tandem ut par est credere peste tactus expiravit monstrum detestabile crudele horrendum importunum c. And is it not cause of wonder that Fox in his Calendar allowes to this bloody Zisca the place of a holy Confessor on the fifth day of February though his Sect in Religion being a Hussit were farre different from that of the English Protestants at this day Iohn Claydon a Curriour hath the place of a high Martir on the third day of February in the yeare 1413. Fox in another place gives him the yeare 1415. This Claydon who was an old Lollard who upon confidence of his Sect was grown into such a maddness that being a layman and Curriour by A Curriour made himselfe a Bishop and his Sonne a Priest his trade hee presumed to give holy Orders to his Sonne and to make him Priest and to celebrate Mass in his House upon the day of his Mothers rising from Child-bed for which hee being apprehended examined and lawfully convicted of Heresie hee was burn't in London c. soe writeth VVals anno 2. Reg. Henr. 5. pag. 436. learned and famous Walsingham And behold the Curriour made a glorious Martyr William Flower in like manner the famous Apostata Monk took a wife and came by Apostacy to be a Surgion and wounded with his wood knife the Priest Iohn Cheltam administring the Blessed Sacrament to the people with great Devotion in Saint Margaretts Church hee wounded him in his head Arme and Hand wherin hee held the Chalice and said it was by the speciall direction and Inspiration of God hee is set downe in Foxes Calendar the ninth of Aprill for a holy Martyr and hee says of him in the end of his Martyrdom Thus indured this constant wittness and faithfull servant of God William Flower the extremity Fox pag. 1432. of the fyte Eleanor Cobbam Dutches of Glocester and Roger Only condemned plublickly the one for witchcraft and sorcery to Murther King Henry the sixt the other for conjuring to the same effect and purpose are both of them canonized upon the 12. and 13. of February for great Saints the Dutches for a Confessor and the Conjurer for a Rubricated Martyr The Author of this Relation is Stow who says the Dutches was condemn'd to certaine pennance which shee performed and was for all her life confined to the I le of man Of Only the Priest these ware his words That Stow anno Dom. 1441. Roger Only otherwise Bullenbrooke was condemned to be hang'd drawne and quartered at Tyburne upon the 18. of November as hee was and shee left to her pennance It is here to be observed that said Dutches and Only were not charged upon theire araignment and Condemnation for being of any other Religion then of the Catholick yet Fox must by force have them of his Religion Collens a maddman and Coubridgâ— who flatly deny'd Christ himselfe and used most uggly and blasphemous speeches against him yea did put out his name of all books wherin soever hee found the same these are not left out but rather put in for great Saints and holy wittnesses of Christ theire days are the tenth and eleventh of October and yet doth Fox himselfe confess that the one deny'd Christ and that the other was madd when hee held up a dogg instead of the Blessed Sacrament to be adored in the Church And was not Fox a maddman when hee canoniz'd this Bedlam a Saint William King Robert Debnam and Nicholas Marsh all three hang'd in Chains by King Henry the eight in the 24. yeare of his Raigne for theft and sacrilegious robbing of a Church in Kent are proposed in this Calendar for Godly Martyrs and holy People Fox to honour these holy men setteth downe a very goodly printed pageant with this title over it William King Robert Debnam and Nicholas Marsh hanged for taking downe the rood of Dovercourt Mark how Fox confesseth they tooke downe the Rood and saith further they did this to remedy the superstition of worshipping the Rood then us'd by Catholicks and addeth those tender words of these his foure theeving Saints Wherfore saith hee they were moved by the Spiritt of God to trauell out of Dedham in a wonderous goodly night both hard frost and saire Moonshine c. By this hee ascribeth stealing and robbing of Churches to the Spiritt of God and says God gave those Saints a very faire Moonshine night to goe robb this Church But what did King Henry and his Counsell Fox pa. 940. judge therof Fox himselfe tells you in this Language Notwithstanding saith hee these three whome God had blessed with his Spiritt were afterwards indighted of Felonie and hang'd in Chaines within halfe a yeare after or therabout Thus writeth Fox of these three holy Theeves which were hang'd soe solemnly in Chaines for Robbery and Sacriledg which things yet as you see Fox is not ashamed to ascribe to the particular instinct of Gods Spiritt Saint Augustin said of the Donatistes those especially called Circumcelliones who committed Robberies and killed one a nother and after were reputed Martyrs by theire owne faction Vivebant saith S. Aug Epist 68. Augustin ut Latrones honorabantur ut Martires That is They lived as Theeves and were honoured by those of theire owne Sect as Martyrs The same wee say of King Debnam and Marsh Foxes holy Theeves Soe liberall is Fox in canonizing Saints as hee gathers into his Calendar many different sectaries of oppositt opinions that cannot possibly agree or stand together you shall herafter see them quarrelling and putting one another out of the Calendar as Waldensians Albigentians Wicklifists Lollards Hussits Thaâ—â—rits Anabaptists and Lutherans who abhorr and condemne expressly our English Protestant Religion at this day and each one defending yea dying for his sect and in maintenance of his peculiar opinions are heer all cuppled and joyned together in this Calendar as fellow Martyrs Hee Canonizeth Iohn Wicklif from whome came the Sect of Wicklifians And calleth him a chosen man raised up by God for lightning the World and Impugning the Church of Rome and yet Wicklif taught and belieu'd Articles that the Protestants of England at this day doe not as that of the Real-Presenâ— *
Scriptures wherin those Miracles are found as for Church Miracles they seem to make noe more account of them then of fables or of ridiculous things but holy men and those that feare God doe much esteem them by Church Miracles I first understand such as the most antient fathers have left upon record never questioned never call'd into doubt by any 2. I understand by Church Miracles such as in latter ages have been aproved by the Sea Apostolique chiefly at the Canonization of Saints wherof wittnesses have been produced upon oath and all Imaginable sinserity or severity rather used to avoyd heresies and to make truth openly knowne Wee Catholicks distinguish between the received Miracles of the Church and those which particular men relate wherof some are only probable others Dubious others false the Protestants doth not distinguish them but make all fish that coms to Nett The Catholicks alsoe distinguish the Miracles of Christ and other Miracles those of Christ are immediatly wrought by God and the other by Gods servants but In Nomine virtute Dei soe that Christ is the Magnus Thaumaturgus quia sine illo nihil possumus facere when one baptizeth Saint Augustin doth affirme that Christ doth Baptize with him even soe wee say when any of Gods servants workes a wonder Christ works that Miracle with him and consequently all the Miracles of the Saints are Christs Miracles If Sall and other Protestants shall deny Gods servants to have received from Christ the power of working Miracles I say Sall and his Companions in this doe not beleeve the Prophesie of Christ saying expresly Amen Amen I say unto you hee Ioan. cap. 14. that beleeves in mee the works that I doe hee alsoe shall doe and greater works then these shall hee doe These are Christes owne words who cannot deceive or be deceived For a more exact notice of the nature of Miracles and how they are differenced I remitt my reader to an excellent Treatise printed at Antwerp anno 1674. Thus intitled The Infallibility of the Catholick Church and her miracles Now that Miracles are not Monstrous as Sall prophanely speaks but Glorious and the true seals and Characters of the true Religion and Church the ensuing Chapter will declare XXI CHAPTER Of undeniable Miracles proving the Faith and Sanctity of the true Church Mi ∣ racle 1 VVHen the people of Israel were most devided in matter of Religion and very many of them bended theire knees to Baal the Prophet Elias said to them in zeale and Anger How long halt you of two sides if Lib. 3. cap. 18. our Lord be God follow him if Baal follow him And the people did not answer him aword Such a zealous postulation is necessary to those that are neither hott nor cold in Religion but luke-warme such as the Angells themselves detest Apocall Cap. 3. then the Prophet made a motion to them of clearing the truth in point of Religion between him and the Priests of Baal by that famous undoubted Miracle of burning an Ox upon the Alter without kindling fyre under this way was well approved of by the people and they all answering said a very good proposition Gods Prophet was but one and alone in this conflict and the Prophets of Baal then present 450. The reason wherfore the people willingly condescended to the Prophets proposition was that in common sence they judged that God would not permitt a falshood to be confirmed by Miracle in soe publique a tryall where the veracity of God was soe particularly concerned on the other side the Prophets of Baal durst not refuse soe faire an ofter as Elias made in the presence of all the people fearing they would fall from them and the Worship of Baal their God What end say you had this faire Tryall who had the Victory who but Elias the true servant and Prophet of God The Priestes of Baal began to pray and cry upon Baal theire God with great fervour and many Ceremonyes they cryed till noon-day the tyme the Sacrifice should be burnt but their God Baal sent them noe fyre Then Elias after gering the foolish prayres and exclamations of those 450. Prophane Priestes of the Idol Baal began to pray to the living God in this kind Lord God of Abraham and Isaac and Israel shew this day that thou art the God of Israel and I thy servant and that according to thy Commaundement I have done all these things Heare mee Lord heare mee that these people may learne that thou art our Lord God and that thou hast converted theire hart againe And the fire of our Lord fell and devoured the Holacaust and the wood and the stones licking alsoe the dust and the Water that was in the Water gutter Which when all the People had seen they fell on theire face and said Our Lord hee is God our Lord hee is God Sall two things you may here observe the first that the people of Israel seeing the Miracle of the fyre coming from heaven detested Baal and adored God crying out Our Lord hee is God our Lord hee is God Secondly That the Devills power was here restrained and soe chained that hee was not able to help those Priestes of Baal demaunding fyre from him to burne the Holocaust and soe it is still when Miracles are attempted for the Tryall of truth then only truth will be testifyed and Sathan confounded having noe power to the contrary which is according to that of Saint Mark Our Lord working with Mark cap. 16. all and confirming the Doctrin with signes following And why should not I in this place in the name of the Catholick Church make such an offer to Sall and all his Protestants in England Ireland and Scotland as Elias made to the Priestes of Baal I hope they will be asham'd to refuse it for that were to confess that the Roman Doctrin is true and theirs false The Roman Church the true Church and the Protestants the false Sall let us not delude the people with School subtilitys or obscure Texts of Scripture If the Church of England or Scotland or any other reformed one be the true Church and its Doctrin the true Doctrin let that be try'd by Miracles I shall try ours of Rome by that Test I challenge then all the Bishops and Ministers of the Church of England and all those of the Reformation or all the Protestants of the World to work or mention any one Miracle ever yet wrought by any Protestant to confirme any one point of Doctrin or Religion wherin they differ from the Roman Catholick Gentlemen summon your Synods search into all Historyes Prophane and Sacred set your heads to gether and produce at least some probable testimony of as much as one Miracle to grace your Reformations Mi ∣ racle 2 When the same Prophet Elias raised from death to life the child of the Widow of Sareptha of the Sidonians and delivered him to his Mother and Lib. 3. Regum cap. 1â—8 said to her behold