alleadgeth the Doctours most is most praysed of the audience as you vvell know which is a pittifull thing in thē and ridiculous in the Preacher vvho cannot but know if he haue read any of them himselfe that the Fathers detest vtterly that Doctrine which hee wresteth them to confirme and in the meane time the pore audience thinketh that they were of this new Religion vvhose simplicitie therein is most pittifullie abused by the Preacher THE XI REASON Triall of Trueth IT is manifest by the Holye Scriptures that it appertaineth to the Church to try to discerne spirits as also to determine to decide doubts And agreeably therunto shee hath in all ages mastered ouer-ruled captiuated the vnderstanding of euerye one were hee neuer so wise neuer so learned or had he neuer so extraordinary giftes except he obstinatly defended an errour which if he did hee was condemned for an heretike so came to nothing The Chatholike Church I saye directed by the Holye Ghost hath euer separated from the trueth all moales all singular opinions al errours and corruptions in euerie mans workes and writings in such sorte as that easilie and securelye euerie one maie knowe the trueth And certainelie the Protestantes although they saye that they giue no credite to the CHVRCH but so farre forth as they finde in their Scriptures doe can not otherwise but receaue the same Scriptures vppon the Catholike Romane Churches credit also the three Creedes of the Apostles of Athanasius and of Nice and some Articles of beleefe as the Holy Ghost to proceed from both the Father the Sonne yet as from one beginning and many tearmes as Person Trinitie Consubstantiall Sacraments c. which none coulde euer haue inuented but onely the Catholike Church Neyther is it possible for any man to know whether this Bible which is vsed amongest Christians be the true word of God indeede or some fained thing but onely vppon the Catholike Romane Churches credit And Saint Augustine confesseth plainely that he would not beleeue the Ghospell but that the authoritie of the Catholike Church moued him thereunto Con. Epist Manich. c. 5. lib. 2. de doct Chr. cap. 8. And by the same Churches authoritie hee was mooued to beleeue the bookes of Tobie Iudith Canticles Wisedome Ecclesiasticus Machabees c. as he himself sincerelie affirmeth And surely it is wōderfull to see how the Church of God receauing the Olde Testament from the Iewes and manifesting to the world the Canon of the Holy bookes of the new Testamēt hath in al times in so many alterations and chaunges kept from the destruction corruption of Heretikes Iewes and Panims the whole authenticall corps of Holy Scripture in such maner as no Heretike in the world can charge her with adding or diminishing the least iote thereof Iudge you here whether the madnes of these new fellowes be worthie to be wondred at or no who doe credit and beleeue the Church in this point and will not doe the same in others Why should they rather trust the Church in this thē in other things And I would euery man would here consider the wonderfull integritie of the Catholike Romane Church in keeping the Holy Bible so entire and vncorrupted these fifteene hundred yeares together at the least and the atheisticall treacherie of these of the the new Religion who occupying no Bible nor hauing to doe with the holy scriptures for a thousand yeares togeather as they themselues confesse haue after the vniust vvresting it out of the handes of the iust possessors thereof robbed the Church of so many whole bookes besides of so manie partes and particles of the same What these fellowes would bring the Holy Bible vnto in time if they shuld hold on they may easily gesse vvho know their manifold corruption therof in so few yeares And yet forsooth they vvill haue all controuersies to be tried by only scriptures which if they were not by them corrupted falselie translated yet could theye neuer finde out any secure truth by them only for that none of them alloweth anie other mans exposition but his owne and in so dealing they can but haue a gesse or an opinion or fantasie but no faith at all Which thing to declare more plainely I aske the Protestant how he relying vpon only scripture can shew mee certainely vvhich bookes be Scripture and which not And if hee be vnlearned how knoweth hee that the translation which hee vseth is truely made out of Hebrew Greeke Latine And then how is hee sure of the sence exposition And if he be neuer so learned haue neuer so many helps all that hee can search and finde out is but a priuate mans opinion and consequentlie his Faith which hee seemeth to haue is grounded vpon his owne particular iudgement and so indeed is no faith at all but an opinion onely as I said before for faith must haue Gods expresse authoritie for her foundation Here you may consider the miserable state and condition of your newe Ghospellers in that forsaking the Catholike and vniuersall faith of Christendome deliuered to thē by the vniuersal Church as founded vppon Scripture vvhich Church Christ and his Apostles gaue thē expresse Commission to beleeue which was properly Faith founded vpon a rocke which could not faile in that forsaking I say that fortres they cast themselues into the waues of new opinions whereby they haue no certaintie at all but euery one chuseth vvhat hee liketh to himselfe vvhich choise is properly called Heresie and so the word signifieth And let anie Protestant in our Countrie of England tell mee why he doth rather beleeue his owne iudgement in points of Religion then the iudgement of Luther Caluin and Beza whome he thinketh were so excellent men for euery one that hath any learning knoweth that they taught otherwise then now is taught in England This you may plainely see the only touchstone of truth to be the Catholike Church which cannot faile and that they who cleaue to her iudgement haue most vndoubtedly the truth whereas on the other side they who ground only vpon Scriptures expounding them according to their owne fantasie and braine playing the Maisters and Pilots and Boat-swaines themselues admitting no iudge no interpreter no antiquitie nor any other manner of tryall which is the greatest madnesse and malediction that can be must needes be destitute of all certaintie and of all Religion and of all stay and of all foundation and of all rule and of all order and must needes wrangle and iangle without end and without meanes to make an end and must needes cause Nouelties without number and libertie of life without feare or force of Ecclesiasticall Discipline to restraine them and to conclude they haue no meanes to rest vntill the end in Atheisme THE XII REASON The vse and custome of the Church THE vse custome and practise of the Church hath as it vvas in the prime thereof beene alvvaies an infallible rule to
A QVARTRON OF REASONS OF CATHOLIKE RELIGION WITH AS MANY BRIEFE REASONS OF REFVSALL By Tho. Hill Imprinted at Antwerpe with Priuiledge 1600. A COPPY OF A LETTER SENT FROM TVVO CITIZENS of London to theyr friend remayning beyond the Seas for cause of Religion WE had great hope deare friend that you would haue beene a stay and comforte to vs all and an ornament to your kinred and Countrie and therefore no costes nor charges were spared in bringing you vp in learning but all was thought well bestowed not doubting but if God spared you life you woulde in time be able not onlie to prouide well for your owne selfe but also to pleasure the best of your friendes But wee see all to fall out quite contrarie to our great griefe endlesse anguish for the blinde opinions and selfe-willed conceites which you haue taken haue ouerthrowne the good fortune which otherwise lay before you they haue discredited you with your kinred disgraced you in your countrey caused you to haue your natiue soile and to leade a poore life in a strainge lande And yet all these might in some sort be borne were they not accompanied with the endlesse mone of your Parents If you well remember you were long since told that if you perseuered to take to holde such opinions as you then began to doe your burning woulde stande you in small steede and consequently your kinsefolkes and friendes should haue little ioy or comfort of you And so we see it is come to passe Your aged Parentes neuer cease to vrge vs to write to you to mooue you yet at the length to remember your selfe and either by returning to amende all which is amisse or else by shewing some Reasons to purge your selfe and so to yeelde them some satisfaction We therefore praye you in all kindnesse to write vnto vs if by no meanes you will be drawen backe from this dolefull course yet vouchsafe to set down some reasons of your Religion to the ende you may cleare and purge your selfe of the suspition of sottishnesse and selfe-wilfulnesse For you are mightily condemned and of your kinsfolkes heere thought to bee Bud. ex Cicer. Opinator vehemens one very opinatiue for that you sticke so stifly to the olde which heere in a manner of all sorts is vtterlye condemned as a grosse and a palpable errour Yet haue not wee your louing friendes so base conceit of you but wee rather thinke that you haue great and weightie Reasons at the least in your owne iudgement to mooue you to take so harde a course as you doe Our desire therefore is that wee may haue them written and sent vs in as briefe manner as you possibly maye for to returne wee will not mooue you except we thought you would conforme your selfe to the Lawes and Religion of your Countrey thereby to shew and to declare to them who wishe you well that you are no such opinions companion as some woulde haue you to be Thus hoping you haue a care to accomplishe our request and not to reiecte our Letters and neglecte the aunswering of them as your woonte and custome hath beene heretofore with our most hartie commendations wee commit you to God Almightie London this 13. of September 1599. Your very louing friends R. G.H. A COPPIE OF THE ANSWERE TO THE LETter afore-going MY DEERE AND louing friendes the 23. of Octob. Ann. 1599. I receiued your Letter dated the 13. of September of the same yere In it you giue me to vnderstand how that my Parents with other of my kindred as also you your selues do greatly grieue for that you are frustrated of the hope and expectation you had of my worldly abilitie in time to come with many other profes of my blinde opinion selfe-willed conceites crossing my good fortune of disgrace among my kindred banishement pouerty and of other such like All which wordes I count but as winde or as vaine florishes the more for that I see all your affection towardes me to be meere carnall and that you loue me Amore concupiscentiae rather than Amore amicitiae seeking your owne good thereby as may appeare by your owne writing yet doe I conster all in the best manner And whatsoeuer you write or say I knowe doth proceede from loue and affection and from true amity but yet sauoring meerly of fleshe and bloode I knowe my Parents to be kinde and louing according as nature giueth to them the instinct so to be and I for my part am ready euer haue beene to yeelde to them all duty of an obedient Sonne as also to you the offices required in a kinde friende But this I must entreat both them and you to giue me leaue to serue and to honour God Almighty who is Father of all Fathers and therefore more to be harkened vnto than any kindred yea or creature whatsoeuer Which thing I cannot doe but by cleauing to this Religion wherein I was Borne Baptised and Confirmed and which I am most strongly perswaded in my vnderstanding and conscience to be the onely true Religion Which setled perswasion and assurance of Faith is not remooueable by any humane meanes therefore in vaine doe you write such letters vnto me and in vaine doe my Parentes grieue at my course for I more lament your state and theirs than you doe mine Assure your selfes that I can neuer be perswaded but that I take the only way to gaine Heauen and so to saue my soule and only for that ende doe I take this course of life as God Almighty best knoweth and mee thinketh you should not deeme it to be any discredite or disgrace so to doe considering I cleaue to the Religion of all our Auncestours and Forefathers which hath beene Vniuersall ouer all Christendome for aboue these thowsand yeeres and therefore cannot disgrace me but it must disgrace the whole Christian worlde also Indeede if I tooke or helde any newe opinions as of Puritanisme Brownisme Martinisme or of Family of Loue or such like newe-sprung conceits you might both iustly condemne my course be vtterly ashamed of such a brainsicke fellowe as should crosse his worldly welfare by such sottishnesse and selfe-wilfulnesse To satisfie my Parents and your request I haue heere written and sent you a Quartron of Reasons of Religion not intending thereby to perswade you or others there to this religion which I professe because I know that to be daungerous as prohibited by the lawes of the land wherein you liue but onlie to shewe to them who wishe mee well what groundes and reasons I haue for my doinges I could haue yeelded you so many if I had thought it fit so to haue done as would haue made vp a iust volume and yet haue left behinde me infinite moe but I thought these to suffice for that I know you haue not leasure or at the least are vnwilling to trouble your selues with reading ouermuch of such matter I tearme them a quartron of reasons because
suchlike good fellowes that by shew of Scriptures impugne it you can not but know see vvith your eyes Neyther can it be aunswered that the Sectes heere rehearsed differ one from another onlie in matters of small moment for they differ and disagree in vveightie pointes of our Saluation as might heere easilie be declared but that it vvould not benifit this mine intended breuitie so to doe This Vnitie of CATHOLICKES and discorde of PROTESTANTES most manifestlie sheweth that as the Apostles vvere they for whome our SAVIOVR prayed to his FATHER and vvas heard of him Holie Father keepe them in thy name whome thou haste giuen mee that they may be one as wee also be one Iohn seauenteene so they of the CATHOLIKE ROMAN Religion be they for vvhome in the vvordes following hee prayed and vvas heard Not for them doe I aske onely but also for them which shall beleeue by theyr preaching in mee that all may be one as thou Father in mee and I in thee that also they in vs may be one and hereof it necessarilie followeth that they be of the true CHVRCH for that none but they obserue and keepe the Vnitie vvhich hee obtained for them of his Heauenlie FATHER Aug. l. 18. de ciuit dei C. 41. And surelie it can not proceede but from the HOLIE GHOST that all Sacred vvriters of the CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH although being men of diuers Nations Times and Languages yet haue so vvonderfullie consented and agreed amongest themselues as wee see they haue done And lastlie it is wonderfull to behold how all decrees of lawfull Councels and of Popes doe agree in all points of Doctrine one with another although they were made by diuers men in diuers places at sundrie times vpon diuers occasions against Heresies not only most different but oftentimes contrarie one to another This no doubt is the finger of God THE IIII. REASON Conuersion of Countries IT is most plaine and manifest that all Countries which euer beleeued in Christ were first conuerted to his faith by such as eyther were precisely sent or at the least-wise had their authoritie from the Pope which liued in the time in which they were conuerted This thing is so openly set downe in the Historie of the first conuersion of euery Countrie as no Protestant were he neuer so impudent can without blushing denie it True it is that Heretiks haue corrupted such as were Catholikes before but that they euer conuerted any Heathen Nation to Christianitie can neuer be shewed I know very well that Iohn Caluin to get glorie sent certaine of his Ministers into new-found landes but I neuer could heare that any of them euer cōuerted so much as one sillie woman to their Ghospell in those partes The truth is their agreement in doctrine was so great that one destroying anothers buildings they became laughing stocks to the Heathens so were glad to depart with shame But who knoweth not that the Catholikes as they haue conuerted all to Christianitie that euer were Christians so in this age they haue brought infinite numbers to the Christian faith in the East and West Indies by the meanes and labours of the most happie holy Fathers of the holy Order of S. Frauncis of S. Dominick of the blessed Society of IESVS which blessed Religious men in our owne Countrie there of England onlie in regard of theyr Sacred function are executed as Traitors And haue not these I pray you theyr authoritie from ROME I will not here speake of the infinite number of Miracles vvrought by Catholikes in the conuersion of countries namely of those which are now done in both the Indies by the Holie Fathers aforesaid for that I reserue that matter for his proper place but I vvould aduise you here diligentlie to weigh the sequele of the Assertion of the Protestants how that if Papistes be not true Christians of the right religion then doth it necessarilie follow that neither Spaniards nor Portingales nor Sardinians nor Sicilians nor Italians nor Germanes nor Trāsyluanians nor Hungarians nor Polonians nor Danes nor Flemminges nor Scots nor Irish nor English no nor any Nation vnder Heauen had euer true Religion before Fryar Luther married Nonne Bore before Iohn Caluine runne away to Geneua before Peeter Martyr vvith his Fustelugges came to teach at Oxford and before a number of such like good companions ledde only by sensualitie carnall zeale dishodded themselues and became such spectacles to the worlde as euerie man knoweth Which thing to affirme is flatlie to denie Christ all Christianity as I shewed in my first Reason And surely I am greatly cōfirmed in the Catholike Religion beholding the Heauenly maner vsed by the professors thereof in gayning soules to Almightie GOD for that I see them neyther to spare goodes nor labours no nor theyr owne liues so that they may vvinne people to Heauen GREGORYE the thirteenth Pope of that name in these our dayes spent all the renennewes of the Popedome in founding SEMINARIES COLLEDGES in diuers Landes and Prouinces thereby to restore the Catholike religion Manie Holie and Religious Priests doe goe dayly into Germany into Hungary into Greece into Palestina into Aegypt into Syria into Aethiopia into Africa into Moscouia into Ireland into Scotland into England and into other heretical heathen countries yeelding themselues to all daungers by sea and land and to all worldly miseries hauing mortified all theyr carnall affections renounced all riches honors and kindred and hauing made themselues most ready for their graue and consequently for another world moued only by the zeale of sauing soules And it mooueth mee not a little to see vvhat patience mildnesse and quietnesse these men vse in all theyr dooinges And I see also on the other side that no protestant euer had so great zeale of his Religion as that he would for spreading abroade the same forgoe any worldly commodity either by founding Seminaries or Colleges in Countries or by going or sending where any difficulty or daunger was but as one wholly respecting this worlde he walloweth in wealth pleasures at home or if by any accident he be compelled to flie into forraine Countries hee may not trauaile except his preatie parnell goe vvith him but such a one to goe simplie as they say bona fide to conuert others was yet neuer seene And if by anie occasion offered vnto such they goe about to plant theyr Ghospell anie vvhere they doe it in such a turbulent and mutinous maner and not by Epistles after Saint Paules vse but by Pistols as Beza did as euerie one may see what spirit pricketh them forward Neyther doe they take anie other course in theyr proceedinges but to destroy States and Kingdomes to displace lawfull Monarchies and Magistrates as the Low-Countries Germany and Scotland can sufficientlie witnesse and euer theyr beginning is of Pride and Enuie as Luthers vvas or by abusing them-selues in theyr former estate as Sir Iohn Caluin did or by yeelding