Parsons will prooue his rule of faith he must shew a faith grounded vpon tradition that is not deduced out of Scriptures Nay if he will not be contrarie to himselfe he must shew that not the Apostles tradition as he saith in his Warn-word 1. Encoun cap. 15. but the Catholike church is the rule of faith as he holdeth Ward-word Encontr pag. 6. He doth also obiect against vs diuers alterations of religion in England in king Henry the eight his raigne and in king Edwards dayes and then asketh by what authoritie our rule of faith was established But first he might as well haue spoken of that alteration made in Q. Maries dayes when the impieties of Popish religiō were established by act of Parliament Secondly the alterations in religion made in England of late time make no variation in the rule of faith that is alwayes one but in the application and vse of it Thirdly albeit by act of Parliament the articles of religion were confirmed wherein the canon of scriptures and the substance of our confession is set downe yet was that rather a declaration of our acceptance then a confirmation of the rule of faith that in it selfe is alwayes immoueable Our rule of faith therefore is certaine albeit not alwaies in one sort approued or receiued by men But that rule of Popish faith neither in it self nor in the approbatiō of Parliaments or Churches is certaine or immoueable Finally he asketh a question of Sir Francis in his Ward-word p. 5. how he knoweth his religion to be true And saith he hath only two meanes to guide himselfe in this case and that is either Scriptures or the preaching of our Ministers But this question as I haue shewed toucheth himselfe that buildeth his faith vpon the Pope nearer then Sir Francis who groundeth himselfe his faith only vpon the holy Scriptures and is assured of his faith not by these two meanes onely but by diuers others For beside Scriptures he hath the help of the Sacraments of the Church of Gods spirit working within him of miracles recorded in scriptures of auncient Fathers of the practise of the Church of the consent of nations of the confession of the aduersaries of the suffering of Martyrs and testimonies of learned men and such like arguments In this question therefore Robert Parsons shewed himselfe to be a silly Frier and to haue had more malice then might In time past also we were as shéepe going astray and out of the vnion of the Catholike and Apostolike Church Diuers of our auncestors worshipped the crosse and the images of the Trinitie with diuine worship Some like bruite beasts fell downe before Idols crept to the crosse and kissed wood and stone Others worshipped Angels the blessed Uirgin and Saints praying vnto them in all their necessities trusting in them saying Masses in their honour and offering incense and prayers to their pictures and images For so they were taught or rather mistaught by popish Priests The Komish synagogue in the very foundations of religion was departed from the Apostolike and Catholike Church The schoolemen brought their proofes out of the Popes Decretals and Aristotles Metaphysickes Est Petr's sedes saith Bellarmine in Praefat ante lib. de Pont. Rom. lapis probatus angularis pretiosus in fundamento fundatus The See of Peter is an approued corner stone precious and laid in the foundation The same man lib. 2. de Pont. Rom. cap. 31. calleth the Pope the foundation of the Church Sanders calleth him the Rocke Alij nunc à Christo saith Stapleton relect princip doctr in Praef. eorúmue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locū habebūt That is Others now beside Christ and their doctrine preaching and determination shall be esteemed of me as a foundation This he saith where he talketh of the foundation of religion and the Church But the catholike Churth had no foundation beside Christ Iesus and his holy word and Gospell taught by the Prophets and Apostles The Apostle Gal. 1. denounced him accursed that taught any other Gospell then that which he had preached The holy Fathers proued the faith by holy Scriptures and not by popish Decretals and philosophicall Principles Concerning Christs bodie the Komanists taught that the same is both in heauen and in the Sacrament albeit we neither could see it there nor feele it But the scriptures teach vs that his bodie is both palpable and visible and is now taken vp into heauen So likewise teach the Fathers Vigilius in his fourth booke against Eutyches speaking of Christs bodie When it was on earth saith he surely it was not in heauen and now because it is in heauen certainely it is not on earth They haue also brought in new doctrine concerning Purgatorie and indulgences and which is no more like to the auncient catholike faith then heresie and noueltie to Christian religion They teach that whosoeuer doth not satisfie in this life for the temporall punishment of mortall sinnes committed after baptisme and remitted concerning the guiltinesse must satisfie for the same in Purgatorie vnlesse it please the Pope by his indulgences to release him Of the tormentors of soules in Purgatorie and of the nature qualitie and effect of indulgences they talke idlely and vnlike to the schollers of Catholikes The Catholicke doctrine concerning the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords supper they haue quite changed in Baptisme adding salt spittle hallowed water exorcismes blowings annointings light and other strange ceremonies In the Lords supper taking away the cup from the communicants and not deliuering but hanging vp or carying about the Sacrament and worshipping it as God and finally beleeuing holding transubstantiation They haue also deuised other sacraments and taught that they containe grace and iustisse They were wont to kisse the Popes toe and to receiue his dunghill decrētals worshipping Antichrist and intitling him Christs Uicar All which nouelties superstitions and heresies by her Maiesties godly reformation are abolished who hath restored the auncient Cathalike and Apostolike faith which the Popes of Rome for the most part had altered suppressed She hath also by her authoritie brought vs to the vnitie of the Catholike faith and by good lawes confirmed true Christian religion Before our times there was no settlement in matters of Religion Durand denieth Diuinitie to be Scientia Thomas and Richard Middleton hold that it is Writing vpon the master of Sentences the school-mē striue about the words vti and frui dissenting not only from their master but also from one another They differ also much about the distination of diuine attributes Vtrum sit realis formalis an rationis tantùm This saith Dionysius a Charterhouse Monke is one of the chiefe difficulties of Diuines and about it betweene famous Doctors is great dissention and contention AEgidius doth lance Thomas and others runne vpon both AEgidius in lib. 1. sent dist 2. would haue the persons of the Trinitie to be distinguished by a certaine thing
and professed enemie who in diuers wicked libels and paltrie pamphlets hath endeuoured to obscure her great glorie and to deface her worthie actions Wherein that I may proceed with more perspicuitie I think it fit to reason first of matters Ecclesiasticall and afterward of ciuill and worldly affaires In Ecclesiasticall affaires which by her meanes grew to a better settlement we are to consider first what grace it is to haue a certaintie in religion and next what fauour God shewed to vs reducing vs to the vnitie of the true Catholicke Church Thirdly we will reason of true faith fourthly of the sincere administration of the Sacraments fiftly of the true worship of God sixthly of the Scriptures and publicke prayers in our mother tongue seuenthly of freedome we enioyed by her from persecution from the Popes exactions frō his wicked lawes and vniust censures from al heretical and false doctrine eightly of deliuerance from schisme superstition and idolatrie and finally of good workes and the happinesse of those that not onely are able to discerne which are good workes but also do walke in them according to their Christian profession auoiding pretended Popish good-workes that are either impious or else superstitious and vnprofitable Al which graces this land hath long enioyed by her Maiesties reformation of religion In matters politicall we purpose to consider first the happie deliuerance of this land out of the hands of the Spaniard from all feare of forreine enemies Next her famous victories both against rebels and traitors at home and open enemies abroade and her glorie and reputation with forreine nations Thirdly the restitution of all royall authoritie and preheminence to the Crowne of which the Pope before that had vsurped a great part Fourthly the peaceable estate of this kingdome in the tumults of other nations round about vs and lastly the wealth and multitude of her subiects CHAP. I. Of certaintie in Faith and Religion and of the vnion we haue with the true auncient Catholike and Apostolike Church FAith as saith the Apostle Heb. II. is the ground of things which are hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene If then we haue true saith we are assured of things hoped for although not séene When two of the disciples of Christ doubted of his resurrection he said vnto them O fooles and slow of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken Ideo fideles vocati sumus saith Chrysostom Hom. 1. in 1. Tim 4. vt his quae dicuntur sine vlla haesitatione credamus Therefore we are called faithfull that we may beleeue without doubting those thing which are spoken So then all Christians that beleeue do certainly beléeue and are perswaded and he that doubteth beleeueth not Further the obiect of faith is most certaine Heauen and earth shall passe but my words shall not passe saith our Sauiour Matth. 24. Saint Augustine doth attribute that onely to the writers of canonical Scriptures that they could not erre Neither need I to stand long vpon this point séeing our adusrsaries also confesse that nothing that is false can be the obiect of faith But our aduersaries take away from Christians all certaintie of faith and religion For first they teach that no Christian is to beleeue that he shall be saued and secondly they make mans faith vncertaine concerning the obiect That is taught by the conuenticle of Trent sess 6. cap. 16. where it saith Neque seipsum aliquis etiamsi nihil sibi conscius sit iudicare debet that is neither ought any to iudge himselfe although he be not conscious to himselfe of any thing And in the same session chap. 9. it determineth that no man by the certaintie of faith ought to assure himself that he shal be saued The second point doth follow of the diuers doctrines of the Papists Eckius holdeth that the Scriptures are not authentical without the authority of the Church And although Bellarmine dare not allow this forme of speech yet where he defendeth the determination of the conuenticle of Trent concerning the old Latine translation in effect he granteth it For if the Church onely can make Scriptures authenticall then without the Churches authoritie they are not authentical In his booke De notis Eccles. c. 2. he saith the Scriptures depend vpon the Church Scriptura saith he pendent ab Ecclesia Stapleton lib. 9. de princip doctrinal cap. 4. saith that it is necessary that the Churches authoritie should consigne and declare which bookes are to be receiued for canonicall Scripture Necessarium est saith he vt Ecclesiae authoritas Scripturarum canonem consignet And his meaning is that no man is to receiue any bookes for canonicall but such as the Church from time to time shall determine to be canonical and those vpon the Churches determination he will haue necessarily receiued Secondly the conuenticle of Trent maketh Scriptures and vnwritten traditions of equall value Bellarmine in his fourth book De verbo Dei speaketh no otherwise of traditions then as of the infallible writtē word of God Stapleton saith The rule of faith doth signifie all that doctrine which is deliuered and receiued in the Church and that very absurdly as I thinke no reasonable man can well denie For that being granted the rule and doctrine ruled should be all one But of that we shall speake otherwhere Thirdly they teach that the determinations of the Church are no lesse firmely to be beleeued and reuerently to be holden then if they were expressed in Scriptures Id quod sancta mater Ecclesia definit vel acceptat saith Eckius Enchir. cap. de Eccles. non est minore firmitate credendum ac veneratione tenendum quam si in diuinis literis sit expressum And all our aduersaries do beleeue that the Popes determinations concerning matters of faith are infallible and so to be accounted of Finally in the canon law c. in canonicis dist 19. they place the decretals of Popes in equall ranke with canonicall Scriptures Of these positions it followeth that as long as men beleeue the Romish Church they neither beleeue truth nor haue any certaine faith or religion And that is proued by these arguments First he that beleeueth not Gods promises concerning his own saluation is an infidel and hath no true faith But this is the case of all Papists For not one of them beleeueth that he shall be saued nor imagineth that God hath said or promised any thing concerning his owne saluation Secondly if the Scriptures depend vpon the Church and the Church is a societie of mē then the Papists beleeue Scriptures with humane faith and depend vpon men But that they do planely teach Thirdly if the Church ought to consigne canonicall Scriptures and the Pope ought to rule the Church then if the Pope either determine against canonical Scriptures or make fabulous scriptures equall with canonicall Scriptures the Papists are to beleeue either doctrine contrarie or diuers from Scriptures at the least
fornication is against the law of God and not the mariages of priests They tolerated common whores as did Simon Magus and other heretickes and now in Rome the Pope not withstanding his pretended holinesse receiueth a tribute from them They do also sell Masses imposition of hands benefices and make money of their god of the altar and their religion which sauoureth of the heresie of Simon Magus Venalianobis saith Mantuan Templa sacerdotes altaria sacra coronae Ignis thura preces coelum est venale Deusque That is churches priests altars sacraments crownes fire incense prayers yea heauen and God himselfe are set to sale among vs. Brigit in her reuelations cap. 232. saith Priestes are worse then Iudas for that he sold Christ for mony but they barter him for all commodities As the Basilidians worshipped images vsed enchantments and superstitious adiurations so do they worshipping not onely materiall images but also their fantasticall imaginations They also exorcise water and salt saying Exorcizo te creatura aquae againe exorcizo te creatura salis With the Heretickes called Staurolatrae they worship the crosse with the Angelikes they serue and worship Angels with the Armenians they make the images of God the Father and the holy Ghost As the Nazarites mingled Iewish ceremonies with christian Religion so do Papists borrowing from them their paschal lambe their Iubileys their priestly apparell their altars their Leuiticall rites and diuers other Iewish ceremonies Irenaeus lib. 1. aduers. haeres cap. 30. saith that Marcion and Saturninus first taught abstinence from liuing creatures from whom the Papists séeme to haue borrowed their abstinence frō certaine meates as lesse holy then others Our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles as S. Augustine saith Epist. 86. ad Casulanum neuer appointed what dayes we ought to fast and what not The Papists therefore haue their fasts from others then from Christ or his Apostles From the Manicheys they borrow their communions vnder one kind as may be proued by the Chapt. relatum and comperimus dist 2. de consecrat and by Leo his fourth Sermon de quadrages The Helcesaites make Christ in heauen to differ from Christ on earth as saith Theodoret haeret fabul lib. 2. cap. de Helcesaeis his words are these Christum non vnum dicunt sed hunc quidem infernè illumverò supernè So likewise the Papists teach that Christs bodie in heauen is visible and palpable but not as it is in the Sacrament With the Pelagians they concurre in many points as I haue at large declared in my late challenge Hoc Pelagiani audent dicere saith S. Augustine lib. 2. de bono perseuerantiae c. 5. hominem iustum in hac vita nullum habere peccatum Now how can they cleare themselues from this that hold that a man is able to performe the law of God perfectly The Apostle Paul denyeth that we are iustified before God by the workes of the law The Papists haue taught quite contrarie He teacheth vs not to glorie in our works They say quite contrarie that men may glorie in their workes He sheweth that as many as receiue the sacrament of the Lords bodie are also to receiue the sacrament of his bloud They denie the cuppe to all the communicants beside the priest Our Sauiour instituting the Sacrament of his last supper said Accipite manducate that is take and eate These imagine that he offered his bodie and bloud really and corporally at his last supper and that he appointed his bodie and bloud actually to be offered in the Masse and not alwaies to be sacramentally and spiritually receiued of the communicants The Papists teach that wicked men reprobates and diuels may haue true faith But the Apostle teacheth that true faith iustiāeth that they which haue it liue by faith Commonly they hold that charitie is the forme of faith Which if it were true then could not faith subsist without charitie But the Apostle teacheth vs that faith as faith doth make the iust to liue and auncient Christians were alwayes ignorant of these philosophicall fancies They hold that diuers sinnes are committed which are not forbidden by Gods law But this sheweth that the law of God as they suppose is not perfect and that the lawes of man hauing nothing in them of Gods law bind the conscience as well as the law of God Finally the very foundations of popish religion are erronious the same being founded partly vpon the decretals of Popes partly vpon the traditions of men contained partly in their Missals breuiaries ond other rituall books partly in their fabulous legends and partly in the chest of the Popes brest and partly vpon the old Latin translation of the Bible which the Romanists hold to be authenticall and partly vpō the interpretations of the Romish Church But since it pleased God to put into her Maiesties royall heart a resolution to reforme the church that was so much deformed by the pharisaicall and superstitious additions of that Papists to restore religion according to that doctrine of the Apostles Prophets not only all former heresies errors were abolished but also the true doctrine of faith was restored The which is apparent not onely by the articles of Religion which we professe but also by our publike confessions and apologies which we haue published at diuers times And in part it may be proued by the secret confession of our aduersaries For albeit they would gladly cauill against our confessions yet they take their grounds commonly out of Luther Zuinglius Caluin Melancthon and others not often medling with our confessions Diuers of them also are wont to call vs negatiue Diuines Which argueth that so much as we hold positiuely is for the most part confessed by the aduersaries themselues and that we bring in no new faith but that which alwayes hath bene holden and maintained in the Church of Christ desiring onely that the positiue errors heresies and superstitions of Papists may be abolished Wherefore as Christians in time past extolled Constantine the great that gaue libertie to al his subiects to professe the Christian religion that assembled synods of Bishops and confirmed their decrees so ought we to celebrate the memory of our gracious Quéene that gaue libertie to all Christians to professe the truth that caused diuers assemblies of learned men and ratified the Christian faith by her authoritie CHAP. III. Of the true and sincere administration of the Sacraments of the Church restored in England OF the holy rites and sacraments of Christian religion we cannot speake without griefe of heart when we consider how shamefully they were abused mangled and corrupted by the synagogue of Antichrist Where Christ ordained onely two Sacraments to wit Baptisme where he said Teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost and the sacrament of his body and blood where he said Take eate this is my body and drinke ye all of this for this is the
of scripture To excuse this great deformitie Robert Parsons endeuoreth to bring the best defence he can First saith he let this whipster tell vs where we were taught to say O stocke or O stone help vs. As if it were not absurd to pray before stockes and stones and to giue dumbe images the same honor that is due to the originals Or else as if they committed no fault because they say not O stocke or O stone This exception therfore declareth that the moule of this old hacksters cap was blockish and senslesse like as if it were made of stone Secondly he saith that S. Basil homil 20. in 40. martyres prayeth to the same martyrs that Nazianzen in laudem Cypriani martyris maketh his prayer to the said Cyprian and in his oration in praise of Athanasius to Athanasius in his oration in praise of Basil to S. Basil that Chrysostome prayed to S. Peter in a certaine sermon of Peters chaine and that S. Ambrose called on the same Apostle comment in cap. 22. Luc. and S. Ierome on S. Paula in epitaph Paulae And that S. Augustine prayed to S. Cyprian and other Saints lib. 7. de baptis contr Donatist cap. 1. But first there is an infinit difference betwéen the words of the Fathers and the blasphemous formes of popish prayers They by a figure called Prosopopoeia did speake to saints as Orators do to heauen or earth or cities or other things that heare nothing These pray to them as if they heard them saw them and could helpe them Secondly neither Ambrose prayeth to Peter nor Augustine to Cyprian and other saints in the places mentioned Thirdly neither can be proue that the sermon made vpon the adoration of S. Peters chaine is authentical nor that the oratiōs of Basil Nazianzene and other fathers are cléere of all corruptions which differ so much in diuers editions Finally we liue by lawes and not by the examples of three or foure fathers disagréeing from the rest if so be it were granted that they called vpon saints Thirdly he alleageth that in the first prayer to Thomas Becket there is no more blasphemy contained then when the holy prophets did mention the name faith and merits of Abraham Isac and Iacob and other their holy fathers But what if the holy Prophets do not mention the merites of Abraham Isac and Iacob but rather desire God to remember his promise made vnto them Doth it not appeare that in speaking of holy Prophets he lyeth most shamefully and like a false prophet and teacher Againe he sheweth himselfe both shamelesse and senselesse that perceiueth no difference betwéene the Papists that pray they may attaine heauen by the bloud of Thomas Becket and the Prophets that neuer prayed in that fashion nor hoped to attaine heauen by the bloud of any but of the immaculate Lambe Christ Iesus Finally he answereth That where Thomas Becket is prayed vnto to lend his hand for our helpe it is meant he shal do it by his prayer and intercession But this answer is as foolish as the prayer is blasphemous For there is great difference betwéen the word helpe and this prayer Be a meanes that we may be holpen Againe albeit the meaning of the word were so yet it is a ridiculous thing to pray to any to gouerne direct and helpe vs that cannot gouerne direct nor helpe vs and farre from the meaning of Papists who in their Legends tell vs that Saints haue appeared holpen and healed such as haue called vpon them This excuse therefore will by no meanes reléeue the aduersaries whose prayers in their Missals and other rituall bookes are repugnant to Christian religion and the formes and practise of the auncient Church Finally they erred in the obiect of their worship adoring creatures in stead of the Creator or at the least aduancing creatures vnto honor not due vnto them The law expresly forbiddeth vs to worship strange Gods or to haue them But the Papists do worship the Sacrament newly made by the priest and call it their Lord and God which is a very strange God and neuer knowne to Christians for a god Neither can they pretend that they giue honor to the Sacrament as to the bodie of our Sauiour while he liued vpon earth For this honor was due by reason of the hypostaticall vnion of the two natures in one Christ. But there is no personall vnion betwixt Christ and the sacrament That they call the Sacrament their Lord and their Maker it is apparent by the common spéech vsed by the Papistes Further in the canon of the Masse the priest looking vpon the Sacrament saith Domine non sum dignus Lord I am not worthie Innocentius lib. 4. de Missa cap. 19. speaking of Transsubstantiatiō by the priests words saith that so daily a creature is made the Creator Ita ergo quotidiè creatura fit Creator The author of the booke called Stella Clericorum saith that the priest is the creator of his Creator Sacerdos saith he est creator sui Creatoris Qui creauit vos dedit creare se. Qui creauit vos absque vobis creatur à vobis mediantibus vobis The like words are found in the worthy book called Sermones discipuli ser. III. Secondly the law forbiddeth vs to make any similitude or image of things in heauen earth or vnder the earth to bow downe to it or to worship it But they make the images of God the Father and the holy Ghost and the crucifix bow downe to them and worship them and that according to the doctrine of Thomas Aquinas with the same worship that is due vnto God They do also make the images of Angels and Saints burne incense vnto them pray before them and kisse them Thirdly they confesse their sins to Angels and Saints saying Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti beatae Mariae semper virgini c. that is I confesse to God Almightie to the blessed and alwayes a virgin Mary to S. Michael the Archangell to S. Iohn Baptist and as it followeth in the common confessiō But if they did not beléeue that Angels and Saints can forgiue sinnes they would not so pray vnto them Fourthly they make their vowes to saints as appeareth by the common formes of vowes of such as enter into Religion Bellarmine also lib. 3. de cult sanctor c. 9. confesseth that vowes may be well made to saints But the scriptures teach vs that this is an honor due vnto God Pay thy vows to the most high saith the prophet Psalm 50. and Deuter. 23. when thou shalt vow a vow to the Lord thy God Finally they pray to the crosse saying Ange pijs iustitiam reisque dona veniam that is increase iustice in the godly and graunt pardon to sinners as if a stocke could encrease iustice or pardon sinners We are therefore herein to acknowledge Gods fauour and continually to praise him for his goodnes who gaue vs such a Queen as with al her heart sought to pul downe the altars
incense vnto them All which be points of that adoration that is due to God Secondly they commit those faults which the holy scriptures do note and condemne in idolaters of old time They worship creatures for the Creator as the Apostle Rom. 1. saith the Gentiles did They make similitudes of things both in heauen and earth bow downe to them and worship them although the same be prohibited in the second commaundement Exod. 20. They erect monuments and titles and stones for signes to be worshipped contrary to the law Leuit. 26. They make euery day new gods affirming that the priest maketh his maker Now this making of new gods is noted as a propertie of idolaters Psal. 81. They reioyce in the works of their owne hands and worship the images which themselues haue made as did the idolaters whereof S. Stephen maketh mention Act. 7. They serue the hoast of heauē as the old idolatrous Iews spokē of Amos 5. Act. 7. seruing diuers saints and as they call them Militiam curiam coelestem that is the soldiory and court of heauen As the statues of the Gentiles were siluer and gold the worke of mens hands and had mouthes and spoke not eies and saw not as sayth the Prophet Psal. 114. so is it with the images of Papists that albeit of costly matter and curious workemanship yet neither speake with their mouthes nor sée with their eyes As idolaters burnt incense to their statues as we reade 2. Paral. 30. so do Papists burne incense to their images Thirdly they fall into those abuses which the Fathers of the Church thought worthy to be reprehended of old time as sauoring of idolatry The Gentiles thought they could represent God in a materiall image And so do the Papists making the image of God the Father and God the holy Ghost The Fathers therefore reprehend them both alike Quis tam amens erit saith Eusebius praeparat Euangel c. 3. vt Dei formam imaginem statua viro simili referri perhibeat Who wil be so mad to think that the forme and image of God may be expressed by an image like vnto a man Hierome likewise writing vpon the fortith of Isay What image saith he wil you make for him which is a spirit and is in all places Ambrose in his oration of the death of Theodosius sayth It is an errour of the Gentiles to worship the crosse Inuenit Helena saith he crucem Domini regem adorauit non lignum vtique quia hic Gentilis est error sed adorauit illum qui pependit in cruce The councell of Laodicea condemneth the worship of Angels as idolatrous So likewise saith Tertullian de praescrip aduers. haeret that the heresie of the Simonians in seruing of Angels was reputed among idolatries Simonianae magiae disciplina Angelis seruiēs vtique ipsa inter idololatrias deputabatur Hierome in an Epistle of his to Riparius saith that Christians neither adore nor worship Martyrs nor Sun nor Moone nor Angels least they should therein rather serue creatures then the Creator Tertullian doth also say that euery lie of God is after a sort a variation of the kind of idolatrie Omne mendacium de Deo variatio quodammodo sexus est idololatriae Both he and diuers others say that heresie is a kind of idolatrie How then can they cleare themselues from the blemish of idolatrie that worship the crosse serue and worship Angels and are authors of so many sorts of heresies Fourthly they must néedes deny the crosse and the images of the Trinitie and the crucifixe to be creatures and works of their owne hands or else in worshipping of them they must néedes confesse and yéeld themselues to be idolaters But that they cannot do Finally the testimonie of their owne conscience doth proue them to be idolaters in that they leaue out the second commandement or as they make it a péece of the first commandement that is direct against the adoration and worship of grauen images and the making of them to that end in most of their Catechismes Manuals Psalters and rituall bookes where they rehearse the ten commandements as their Ladies psalters short Catechismes and diuers of their bookes do testifie But since it pleased God to restore religion in the church of England the leuen of popish doctrine and heresie is purged out the breach of schisme and diuision from the Catholike Church is repaired and all superstitious and idolatrous worships are quite abolished and remoued out of the Church CHAP. XI Of good workes and good life THe Ministers of God as they are guides to their people and teachers of the law so ought they to go before their flockes shewing them examples to prouoke them to do good workes and to cōforme their liues according to the lawes of God Shew thy selfe an example of good workes sayth Paul to Titus All true Christians also should shew themselues zealous of good workes For we are Gods workmanship created in Christ to good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them This is our doctrine and the practise of all that professe our religion If any hypocrites be found among vs that walke not according to their profession we renounce them we weed them out we punish them If worldlings and fleshly Papists that liue in the Realme do giue occasion of offence this ought not to be imputed to our Religion nor the true professors thereof that desire nothing more then that such may be weeded out and expulsed both out of the Church and Common-wealth But if we looke backe to former times we shall find that the Papists haue not onely erred in the practise but also in the doctrine of good workes For first they denie that the law of God is a perfect rule of life And therefore haue inuented other rules whereby they hope to attaine to a further perfection Secondly they hold that by the law of God we haue not knowledge of all sinnes teaching that it is as well mortall sinne to transgresse the Popes lawes as to transgresse Gods lawes as Nauarrus teacheth vs in his Manuall by many particulars Thirdly they giue absolution to euery haynous sinner confessing his sins before he hath repented Fourthly they suppose that euery man is able to satisfie for the temporall penaltie of sinnes and that the Pope hath power by his indulgences to remit sinnes concerning the penaltie without satisfaction Fiftly they teach that no man néedeth to repent for veniall sinnes and that such sinnes exclude vs not out of the kingdome of heauen Sixthly they teach that man is able perfectly to fulfill the law and by a good consequent to abstaine from all sinne which S. Hierome declareth to be Pelagianisme Seuenthly they hold contrary to the Apostle that man is to be iustified by the workes of the law and that eternall life is to be purchased by our owne workes and merites Many other false points of doctrin they haue beside these But their practise is farre worse
solis dist 9. Are not the Papists then most miserable that build their faith vpon the Popes Decretals that are contrarie to Scriptures to Fathers one to another and oftentimes void of truth wit learning religion or honestie The last foundation of Romish faith is the preaching of Masse-priests and Friars Quomodo Christus eiusque doctrina saith Stapleton Christianae religionis fundamentum est sic alij nunc à Christo missi eorúmue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me vim locum habebunt As Christ and his doctrine is the foundation of Christian religion so others now sent of Christ and their doctrine preaching and determination shall in my opinion haue the force and place of a foundation saith he And afterward he declareth that those whom the Pope sendeth are sent by Christ and the men which he meaneth But if this be the foundation of their religion then is the same built vpon old wiues fables forged traditions lying legends philosophicall subtilties scholasticall disputes popish Decretals humane inuentions and such like principles For of thē consisteth the greatest part of these fellowes sermons as both experience diuers Friars idle Homilies which euery man may sée do plainely testifie Furthermore if these be the foundations of popish Religion then is the same built vpon man and not vpon God vpon humane deuises and not vpon the infallible word of God vpon sand and not vpon a rocke Such also as these foundations are such is the building that is weake false and erronious such is the Romish religion which the Pope and his adherents by force of armes treasons murthers empoysonments lyes glozing flatterie and all meanes possible would thrust vpon vs and such are the conclusions that are built on these foundations Finally séeing no man can be saued that buildeth his faith vpon men vpon vnwritten traditions vpon vncertaine grounds and lying reports let the Papists consider with themselues in what miserable state they stand and returne to the true faith in time lest like the foolish man in the Gospell they build their house on sand and be ouerwhelmed with the fall thereof CHAP. IIII. Of diuers other blasphemous ridiculous and absurd points of popish Religion TRue Religion is most true venerable and respectiue of Gods true seruice If then popish Religion containe any vntrue or ridiculous vaine and blasphemous doctrine then is it not true or Apostolicall or Christian nor can it stand with Christian Religion séeing no man can serue God and Baal nor Dagon could stand before the arke of God But notorious it is that popish Religion centaineth many blasphemous ridiculous and absurd points First concerning the flesh of our Lord and Sauior Christ Iesus they teach falsly and blasphemously and say that a mouse or dog or hog may eate the body of Christ. Nay they are not ashamed to affirme that his most holy body may be cast out vpon a dunghill or into any vncleane place Prima opinio saith Alexander Hales part 4. sum q. 53. m. 2. quae dicit quod corpus Christi defertur quocunque species deferunt vt in ventrem canis vel suis vel in alia lo ca immunda videtur vera And again p. 4. sum q. 45. m. 1. si canis aut porcus deglutiat hostiam consecratam non video quare corpus Christi non simul traijceretur in ventrem canis vel porci Is a dog or hog should swallow a consecrate hoft saith he I see no reason why the body of Christ should not withall passe into the belly of a dog or hog Thomas Aquinas likewise although made a saint by the Pope yet shameth not to hold this prophane and vnholy opinion part 3. q. 80. art 3. And in his comment in 4. sent dist 9. q. 2. The same is also stiffely maintained by Brulifer in 4. sent dist 13. quest 5. And this is the common opinion of schoolemen That the priest is able to make his Creator they make no question Bonner counted this among the prerogatiues of priesthood in his absurd spéech which he made in the Con stian faith by the very confession of the aduersaries The same also may otherwise be proued if they should not confesse so much For how is Christ ascended if his body be hanging ouer euery altar How is it credible that he shall come from heauen to iudge quicke and dead if he be lurking in euery consecrate hoast How was he conceiued and borne of the virgine and suffered death on the crosse if he had a body of such a simple nature that it was like light in glasse and might be in many places at once without filling any Finally it implyeth a notorious contradictiō for Chrifts body to be in heauen visible and here inuisible to be there palpable and here impalpable to be continued and not continued eaten here and not eaten in heauen here without filling of a place there filling a place here in the priests hands and there not Absurdly also do the Papists talke of Christ his most holy sacrifice Christ sayth the Apostle Heb. c. 9. was once offered that he might take away the sinnes of many And Hebr. 10. Christ hauing offered one sacrifice for sinnes doth perpetually sit at the right hand of God And againe With one oblation he hath for euer sanctified those that are sanctified But the Papists say that our Sauior offered him selfe twise once at his last supper and the second time vpō the crosse They teach also that the priest in euery Masse doth offer vp the body and blood of Chrift really for a sacrifice for quicke and dead The which is not only contrary to Scriptures but derogateth much from the perfection and vnitie of Christs sacrifice For how is Christs sacrifice perfect if the same be so often reiterated How is Christ his sacrifice one and the same if euery pelting priest do offer vp this sacrifice The same is contrary to the doctrine of the Fathers which teach that the sacrifices of Christians are spiritual and no where say that they offer vp Christs body and bloud really Iustin in dial 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith that prayers and praises of God are the onely acceptable sacrifices of Christians With him concurreth Tertullian lib. 3. contra Marcionē This visible sacrifice saith Augustine lib. 10. de ciuit Dei ca. 5. speaking of the Eucharist is a sacrament of the inuisible sacrifice that is the same is a holy signe of it Likewise Chrysostome hom 17. in epist. ad Heb. saith that our oblation is but a commemoration of Christ his death and a figure of that oblation which Christ made Finally it is most blasphemous For in the Masse the priest taketh on him to be a mediator for Chrift and prayeth that God would looke on Christ with a propitious and serene countenance accept the sacrifice of his body as he vouchsafed to accept the offerings of Abel Abraham and Melchisedech The scriptures teach vs that Christ onely is a priest
from that of Christ and of diuers strange fancies We may also well make a question whether his disciples be Christs true disciples séeing 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 Upon S. Bathildis day according to the order of Sarum 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 Upon 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 blasphenious 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 Christ in heauen then to any one of our brethren militant on earth But therein he lyeth notoriously For commonly they call the virgine Mary mother of mercy and desire her to protect them and to do away their sinnes Likewise they pray to be saued by the blood of Thomas by the merites of other saints which I trow is more then they will giue to euery one of their brethren in earth Bellarmine saith that it is not lawful to ask glorie or grace or other meanes tending to blessednesse of saints as authors of Gods benefites But this is contradicted as well by the doctrine as by the practise of the Romish church Sotus in confess cath saith that saints in heauen are our coadiutors and fellow-workers in the worke of our saluation Saltzger writing vpon this argument affirmeth that we pray to saints for two benefites the first is to the end they may pray for vs the second is that either visibly or inuisibly they may bestow their helpe vpon vs. Clichtouey teacheth that saints haue seuerall graces to bestow on them that call vpon them Alexander Hales sayth Sanctos oramus vt mediatores per quos impetramus We call vpon saints as mediators by whom we obtaine Thomas sayth we receiue benefites from God by the meanes of saints Beneficia Dei sumimus mediantibus sanctis Antoninus part 3. sum Tit. 3. sayth that Gods benefites descend downe to vs by the mediation of Angels and holy soules And againe p. 4. Tit. 15. Maria ita aduocat interpellat vt Deum patrem placet conuersos in gloriam inducat Mary is so our aduocate and intercessor that she doth pacifie the Father and bring repentant sinners into glory Bernardine in his booke of Mary sayth that no grace commeth from heauen vnto the earth but by Mary and vnlesse the same passe by the hands of Mary for that all graces do enter into Mary and from her are cōmunicated to vs and for that she is the mediatrix of saluation of coniunction of intercession of communication Commonly they pray to the virgin Mary in this forme Giue vs peace protect me To S. George they addresse themselues saying this saint let him saue vs from our sinnes that we may rest in heauen with blessed soules Hic nos saluet say they à peccatis vt in coelo cum beatis possimus quiescere And if they did only intercede for vs not bestow vpon vs the things we pray for why do some beg of S. Anthony the health of their swine and of S. Winnoc the good standing of their sheepe Why do they pray to S. Luis for their horses and to S. Nicolas for good passage at the sea Why do Painters call on S. Luke and Phisitions on Cosmas and Damianus and Shoo makers on S. Crespin Finally why do they tell vs in their legends of the apparitions of diuers saints in time of warre pestilence and other sicknesses and working diuers feates For if they did onely intercede for vs then one saint might serue for al purposes and then should they onely appeare as suppliants to God and not as bestowers of graces and workers of wonders Finally then should we not say helpe me heale me defend me but pray to God that I may be holpen healed and defended Are not the Papists thē in miserable state that forgetting for the most part their onely Mediator and Redéemer run to saints and Angels nay runne to such as are no saints nor euer were in the world as George that killed the Dragon Catherin the daughter of Costus Christopher that bore Christ and such like Are they not mad to pray vnto such as they know not whether they heare them or not And do not some say that they are euery where present to heare our praiers Others that they heare such prayers as God reuealeth vnto them Others that they sée all things in Gods face Others that they vnderstand by relation of Angels It cannot be denied For Bellarmine confesseth it lib. 1. de Beatitudine sanct ca. 20. and that which he affirmeth that saints do sée all in God from the first beginning of their blessed estate is most absurd For what is seeing to hearing Againe how can things temporarie be imprinted in the essence of God or can Saints sée some things and not all if they comprehend that which is in the incomprehensible essence of the Deity Most wretchedly also they do worship dumbe images knéeling vnto them kissing them and burning incense vnto them saying to the crosse O crux aue spes vnica auge pijs iustitiam retsque dona veniam All haile ô Crosse my only hope increase iustice in the godly and grant pardon to sinners And crying to the Crucifixe Thou hast redeemed vs thou hast reconciled vs to thy Father and calling a blocke mother of mercie and saying before stockes and stones Our Father and Aue Maria and knocking their breasts and whipping themselues before Images as the idolatrous Priests did before their idols The Apostle when he laid before the Corinthians the miserable state they stood in while they were yet Gentils he vseth no other tearmes then these Ye know that ye were Gentiles and were caried away vnto dumbe Idols as ye were led Which is as much as if he should say You were miserable and blind when ye were caried away vnto dumbe Idols Why then
that is confirmed maried ordered or annoynted as he that is baptised or made partaker of the Lords body and bloud Where Christ distributed the Sacrament of his bodie and bloud and gaue both the kinds to all communicants they seldome distribute the sacrament and take the cup from all but the priest In confirmation and extreame vnction they vse other signes and formes then euer Christ ordained They teach that Christians are able to satisfie for their sinnes and that the Pepe by indulgences hath power to remit satisfaction and to do away the temporall punishment of sinne Are they not then most miserable that haue corrupted the sacraments and seales of Gods eternall testament and as it were broken the couenants betwixt God and vs and despised the pledges of his loue Of Christian faith they thinke so basely that they make it nothing but a bare assent to Gods word as well in fearing the threatnings of the law as beléeuing the promises of the Gospell teach that not only reprobate men but also the diuels also may haue true faith Bellarmine lib. de iustif 1. c. 15. speaking of the saith of wicked men and diuels sayth that both is true and right and catholike faith and comparable to S. Peters faith concerning the obiect Grace that maketh vs acceptable to God saith Bellarmine cannot really be distinguished from the habite of charitie But if this be true then may Christians be saued by their workes without the help of Gods grace working with thē which is méere Pelagianisme For if charitie as it is in vs habitually make vs beloued then it is our loue towards God and not Gods grace or loue towards vs or his grace helping vs and remitting our sins through Christ that saueth vs properly They denie that a man is certainly to perswade himself of his owne saluation or to beléeue the same and all their confidence they put in their owne workes and merites hoping to be saued by pilgrimages indulgences eating of fumadaes créeping to the crosse kissing of the Popes toe praying to saints to stockes to stones giuing of money to lazie Monkes and Friers and such like humane deuises Are they not then most wretched that neither vnderstand what is grace nor what is faith nor what is charitie nor what belongeth to good works He that beleeueth not saith our Sauior Marke 16 shall be damned The Apostle also sheweth that none is iustified but by the grace of Christ. Nay he sayth that Christ saued vs not by the workes of righteousnesse which we had done but according to his mercie by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost By eating holy bread they hope to attaine health of body and soule as it is in the Ronish Missall they doubt not also but that their eating of their paschall lambe tendeth to the praise of God By holy water they teach that not onely diuels are driuen away but also veniall sinnes remitted Finally there remaine but few points of religion which the Papists with their leuen partly of Iudaical and heathenish superstition and partly of hereticall doctrine haue not corrupted What then resteth but that we deplore their blindnesse which admit such erronious absurd and blasphemous points of doctrine and wilfully resist those that offer vnto them the truth out of Gods word CHAP. V. The miserable state of Papists in matters of Religion is proued further for that they are depriued of those blessings which we haue receiued by the abrogation of popish heresies and superstition I Do not thinke but that our aduersaries albeit they differ from vs in other points yet in this will ioyne with vs and confesse that it is a miserable thing to wander without any certaintie in religion Parsons in the first encounter of his Wardword doth in effect say so much and albeit they should denie it yet it is a matter very euident For as the Apostle sayth Rom. 2. Those that sinne without the law shall perish also without the law If they know the law and do it not the law will accuse them and condemne them If they regard not to know the law yet shall Gods iustice lay hold vpon them for offending the law which they ought to haue knowne The Apostle Ephes. 2. when he would put them in mind of their miserable estate before their conuersion saith they liued without Christ and without God in the world As if nothing can be deuised more damnable then to liue with out certaine knowledge of God and of Christ Iesus The Gentiles as the Apostle saith Ephes. 4. walke in the vanitie of their mind hauing their vnderstanding darkned and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their heart which argueth the miserable state of Christians that liue like Gentils without the true knowledge of Christ Iesus God hath also appointed a certaine ministerie in the Church giuing some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and teachers and among the rest one end was that henceforth we should be no more children wauering and carried about with euery wind of doctrine But the Papists for the most part as is shewed liue without the knowledge of God and the rest are caried about with the blast of euery blundering Pope wauering as the wind of his blustring bulles and decretals do carie them Upon the Scriptures they ground not themselues but must take both such scriptures and such doctrine as he shall deliuer them Secondly it is a miserable thing to be deuided from the vnitie of Christ his Church For as out of the arke of Noe all perished in the old world so all that are without the Church of Christ shall vndoubtedly perish Those sheepe that are without Christ his fold are exposed to the mercie of the wolfe and without hope of saluation How then can the Papists looke for saluation that in faith and sacraments are deuided from the Catholicke and Apostolicke Church Further by many properties they shew themselues to haue no affinitie with the true Church as before I haue declared Thirdly without true faith it is impossible to please God The same is the doore by which we enter into the kingdome of heauen But we haue shewed that in many points the Papists haue declined from the true faith What hope then can they haue either to enter into the kingdom of heauen or to please God How hapneth it they see not their wretched state Absque notitia sui Creatoris omnis homo pecus est Without the knowledge of God a man is no better then a beast saith Hierome epist. 3. Fourthly the Sacraments are the seales of the new Testament betwixt God and vs. Our Sauior taking the cup at his last supper called it The new Testament in his bloud If then the Papists haue violated Christ his institution in their doctrine and ministration of sacraments as by diuers arguments we haue declared then haue they declared themselues vnworthy
termes Tully in his oration pro Caelio calleth rather railing and scolding then accusing Fourthly he sheweth himselfe an absurd fellow to talke either of bitter and bloodie pamphlets or of odious calumniations or of bloodshed and crueltie or of Catholickes when as himselfe is a senslesse hereticke and an apostate from religion and hath spent now this twentie yeeres and vpward in rayling and libelling in laying plots of treasons in soliciting inuasions and such like practises séeking nothing else but to cut the throtes of his countreymen and to bring them into subiection vnto the Spaniards and Italians as before hath bene declarcd at full We are therefore to beséech his knaueship seeing he pleadeth for enemies and traitors and heretickes to giue vs leaue to speake for our countrey our Soueraigne our Religion and libertie Fiftly Catholikes are they which beleeue and hold that which the Catholicke church in old time did vniuersally hold as sayth Vincentius Lirinensis de haeres c. 34. But the Catholike church in old time did neuer vniuersally hold either the popish reall presence of Christs body without any distance from the accidents of bread and wine or that the accidents did subsist without their substance or that Christs true body was impalpable and inuisible and both in heauē and earth at one time or transsubstantiation or the popish Masse or communion vnder one kind or the rest of the popish sacraments or popish purgatory and indulgences or such like Nor did Catholikes euer prefer the Latin translation of the old and new testament before the originall text or place traditions in equall ranke with Scriptures Saint Augustine sheweth that catholikes and true beleeuers are all one But Papists are not Orthodoxi nor true beléeuers as I haue shewed in my challenge Sixthly when we speake against Papists we meane properly the factious adherents to the Pope and Spaniard and Parsons his crew of seditious archipresbyterial and diabolical practisers against the state against whom when we discourse our whole intention is to saue not to spill blood which they séeke to do and will if they be not speedily restrained Finally séeing Robert Parsons is so braue a disputer we must pray him to bring good arguments or else to lay aside his great bombasted Iebusiticall words of slander and calumniation He may do wel also to shew vs the difference betwéene slaunder and calumniation which he in great heate hath distinguished especially being so excellent a practiser in calumniation as his publication of Sanders de schismate and Philopater and other libels do proue him to be It would finally be knowne why this fellow that neuer knew his true father and loued so well his mother should be called Andreas Philopater rather then Andreas Philiometer It is a question also why he should be called Andreas rather then Robertus Philôpater But percase on his toombe he will haue this grauen Hic iacet Andreas qui lapidauit eas Pro Andreas Philopater dic Aue Maria and Pater noster Speaking of sir Francis Hastings in his Epistle to the Reader he would gladly fasten vpon him a suspicion as if he desired some diuidend of the liuings of Papists And againe 1. encont c. 11. he chargeth him and other knights with dayly féeding vpon papisticall fellows goods In his obseruations vpon my preface fol. 11. b. he sayth I watch for scraps and that I and my hungrie crew stand by and for desire licke our lips hoping to haue some share in the deuidend Drawing metaphors from his owne and his hungry companions practise who couching like dogs at the Popes féete are still looking for scraps and bare bones gaping for diuidends and to satisfie their extreme néed sometime like curres run grinning vp and downe the stréetes of Rome and cannot be satisfied Others fall together by the eares for bishoprickes and promotions in England and Ireland which they hope will be conquered daily But their ambitious desire is like a hungry mans dreame that thinketh he eateth and yet ariseth in the morning sore ahungred In his table he noteth that I am poore needy but if he had not bene a poore and needy pamphleter he would haue bene morewary then thus desperatly to lie vpon the credit of his intelligencer For it is well knowne that Sir Fr. Hastings liueth in honorable reputation without desire of any mans goods I albeit I had no preferment of the Church yet could I liue of my patrimony Neither of vs nor any knight professing the Gospell doth liue in such estate that he being a begging Friar by his profession and by birth a poore blackesmithes wiues sonne may well obiect either neede or gréedie scraping for other mens goods vnto vs. Nay we are so farre from desiring the goods of papists that we with them as Saint Augustine epist. 50. did the Donatists that they were Catholikes and honest men and so we would not onely leaue them that is theirs but giue them also part of that is ours With vs they deale as the Donatists did with S. Augustine and we answere Parsons as he did them Quòdnobis obijciunt saith he quodres corum concupiscamus auferamus vtinam Catholici fiant non solùm quae dicunt sua sed etiam nostra inpace nobiscum charitate possideant If this wish content them not I would wish them together with all their goods in Italie with their owne holy father Which if the Spaniards and Italians and the bloody Inquisitors would permit to men of our profession they would accompt it a great fauour But now such is the crueltie and extremitie of the papists that they torment and put to death all that professe the truth and not onely share and deuide but also take all most gréedily without respect of their poore widowes fatherlesse children or their poore kinsfolkes This hauocke the Inquisitors make in Spaine and this spoyle was made by our butcherly enemies in the dayes of Queene Mary Parsons therefore in putting this vpon vs did nothing els but put vs in mind of the rapines of papists in Quéene Maries dayes and shew what detestation we ought to haue of that cursed rauinous and woluish broode that dealeth with Christians in this sort He findeth also fault with my stile as outragious and intemperate and obiecteth scurrilitie and turpitude vnto me But if he would haue men to beléeue him he should haue conuinced me by proofes For no man I thinke that is wise will beléeue such a bankerout disputer on his bare word Againe he should haue shewed good example himselfe that requireth such respectiue termes in others He is still rayling and raging like a butter wife and most intemperatly and furiously Hauing therefore declared himselfe a scurrilous filthy fellow he sheweth himselfe an impudent sot to obiect his owne faults to others Of his scurrilitie I do meane to make a whole chapter Of his turpitude his baudy and filthie rimes against Beza in the desence of his rayling censure against master Charke
to come to heauen by the blood of Thomas Becket And to mend the matter saith it is no more then the Prophets did mentioning Abraham Isac and Iacob And yet no Prophet or godly man euer prayed to come to heauen by their blood 2. encontr c. 14. he defendeth those blasphemous verses Hic des deuotè caelestibus associo te mentes aegrotae per munera sunt tibi lotae Whereby the papists teach that mens sinnes are washed by almes which is derogatory to the blood of Christ wherein our sinnes onely are washed away and wée cleansed Fol 114. 2. encontr c. 14. cauilling with Sir Francis Hastings about his inference made out of the words of Durand that saith How that indulgences are not found in scriptures he affirmeth that the illation of those that dispute against the doctrine of the Trinity and the consubstantialitie of the sonne of God with his father and baptisme of infants is as good as that of Sir Francis against indulgences But it is most blasphemous to compare the doctrine of the highest mysteries of our religion which the ancient fathers proued and we doubt not but to proue out of scriptures with the crash and pelfe of indulgences that haue neither ground in scriptures nor fathers nor reason As at large I haue proued in my booke De indulgentijs against Bellarmine Our doctrine of faith iustifying without works Parsons calleth an idle deuice and a mathematicall illusion the which toucheth the Apostle as well as vs. For he saith That by the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified It toucheth also the fathers that say workes go not before but follow after righteousnesse The same also toucheth the papists themselues which confesse that our first iustice is not of works But whatsoeuer Christians are to think of works Parsons hath no reason to put any confidence in his owne workes vnlesse he hope to be saued by iugling lying cogging rayling cousening committing treason and villanie Neither hath he cause to talke of mathematicall illusions hauing himselfe egregiously deluded all those with whom he hath dealt and beléeuing as it séemeth no heauen but mathematicall If he hope to go thither by the Popes pardons tyed about his necke like necklaces and flying vpward like a yong dragō he is far deceiued That is no place for such dragons nor are pardons wings to flie so high withall We hope rather to sée him sent flying to his holy father with an hempen halter about his necke and led triumphantly in a dongcart to the gallowes as a due reward for his lend workes and treasons Is it not then strange that such an atheist should talke of religion The heathen Philosopher laugh edat Epicurus discoursing of God whose prouidence he denied and no man had euer reason to endure to heare the atheist Diagoras disputing of diuine matters How then can papists esteeme of this mans idle Directories and discourses in religion that is declared an atheist and a man all voyd of pietie and religion And yet is he not more impious then ridiculous ignorant and malicious CHAP. V. Of diuers ridiculous and childish errors and mistakings of the supposed great doctour Parsons IT is the part of hypocrites to espie a mote in another mans eye but they sée not the beames that are in their owne eyes This we may sée verified in our captious aduersary For albeit curious in espying faults in others yet could he not auoyd grosse errors in himselfe In the Epistle to the reader he speaketh of the author of the Wardword in the third person praysing him as a Catholike man And yet presently after forgetting himselfe hée speaketh of him in the first person where he talketh of enlarging himselfe and of his reioynder In his answere to my Epistle fol. 3. b. he supposeth that these words non tam despectum quà m vexatum dimittam are taken out of Tullies second Philippicke But the oration being read ouer will discouer the truants error For in all that oration there are no such words It may be he had read some such like words in Tullies oration in Vatinium But the poore ideot could not hit vpon it Fol. 5. b. he saith that this word maxime the end of doing any thing is first in our intention and last in performance and execution is taken out of Aristotle But the great doctor cannot tell where to find it And when he seeketh it he shall find that he mistooke later writers for Aristotle Fol. 13. b. he telleth vs that Irenaeus lib. 2. c. 54. and lib. 4. c. 2. doth call heresie pandoram whereas he lib. 2. c. 54. doth not once name pandoram and lib. 2. c. 55. and lib. 4. c. 2. where he hath that word he doth not by pandora vnderstand heresie but matrem spiritualis conceptionis the mother of spirituall conception of whom and their Sauiour the Valentinians imagined spirituall creatures to haue their originall as may be gathered out of these words Ireney lib. 4. cap. 2. Quem patrem volunt nos audire Hi quisunt pandorae peruersissimi sophistae vtrum ne bythum quem à semetipsis finxerunt an matrem eorum Fol. 14. b. he alleageth Ciceroes booke De Legibus not knowing that Cicero wrote thrée bookes De Legibus and not one booke onely as Parsons imagineth In the margent of the 15. leafe a. he alleageth part 29. of Augustines Enarration in psal 80. Whereas that expositiō is not diuided into parts He doth also cite Augustines Commentaries vpon the 27. chapter of Iosue where neither that booke hath more then 24. chapters nor Augustine euer wrote any Commentaries vpon Iosue He saith further fol. 15. a. That heretikes are the proper idolaters of the new testament and that all other externall idolatry is abolished by Christs coming Wherin he abuseth the termes of Gods testament vttering words as if idolaters were suffered by Gods testament and sheweth grosse ignorance For not onely Zigabenus in Sarracenicis but diuers other histories do testifie that the Sarracens are idolaters The same also is testified by Benzo and other writers of the Indians And no man can deny but that many hundred yeares after Christ idolaters liued in Italie and all other countries as the volumes of Baronius if he looke them will testifie Finally the papists that worship the sacrament the crosse the crucifire and the images of the trinitie as God must needs be idolaters But were papists no idolaters yet had Parsons no reason to shew it by mentioning idolaters and heretikes so intempestiuely and speaking of them so ignorantly Fol. 17. he saith Iohn the first bishop of Rome wrote a letter to the Emperour Iustinian whose title is this Gloriosissimo clementissimo filio Iustiniano Ioannes episcopus vrbis Rome Likewise in other places he ascribeth this letter to Iohn the first and yet Platina testifieth that Iohn the first Bishop of Rome died before the raigne of Iustinian the Emperour And if he will not beleeue him let him reade
would not haue touched any matter of noueltie or absurditie For therein he giueth his aduersaries iust occasion not onely to iustifie their religion to be most ancient and consonant to holy scriptures but also to declare his popish religion refused by vs to be a packe of nouelties and a masse of grosse absurdities For who knoweth not that the Romish Church consisting of a triple-crowned and crosse-slippard Pope with his guard of Suizzers a consistory of purple Cardinals that hath neare affinitie to the purple whore of Babylon a rabble of rakehellike masse-priests filthy monkes friars and nunnes with a people worshipping idols and beléeuing the decretaliue doctrine of Popes and the decrées of Trent is new and neuer séene before vntill of late Who doeth not vnderstand that both the grounds of popery the doctrine thereon built is new For neither can K. shew that the auncient Church was founded vpon the Pope and his decretals or vpon traditions allowed by the Church of Rome or that the Church was tied to such senses of scriptures as the Romish Church alloweth or bound to follow the old Latine translation of the Bible Neither can he proue either out of fathers or ancient writers that Christs true body is both in heauen and earth and in euery pixe at one and the same time or that his body is inuisible or impalpable or that there are iust seuen sacraments and neither more nor lesse and that Christians receiue Christs flesh with their téeth and mouth or that the Pope is the head and spouse of the Church or that he hath two swords or that any images are to be worshipped with latria or that diuels torment soules in purgatory or that the Popes indulgences deliuer soules frō those torments or such like points of popery Now what I pray you is more absurd then to beléeue that a man can eate himself as the Massė-priests say Christ did at his last Supper nay that a dogge or a hogge can eate Christs body or that a spider can be drowned in his bloud which saueth all destroyeth none that can receiue it Againe what is more senselesse then to adore crosses and dumbe images which neither see nor heare nor moue and whose honor is not séene or knowne of those saints to whō they belong for ought we know Thirdly what is more inconuenient then to make a blind Pope that is ignorant of all matters of religion for the most part supreme iudge of controuersies of religion Can blind men iudge of colours or ignorant atheists of religion Fourthly what is more blasphemous then to teach that the Scriptures to vs are not authenticall vnlesse the Pope consigne them vnto vs Shall not truth be truth vnlesse it please the Pope to say it Finally seeing faith ought to be most certaine and built vpon grounds most certaine the popish religion must néedes be an absurd faith and a false religion that is built vpon traditions as well as Scriptures of which traditions the papists can yéeld no certaine proofe but are driuen to alleage either lying legends or old motheaten missals or vncertain customes It were an easie thing to alleage infinite such like absurdities of which this surueying K. hath very foolishly offered vs occasion to discourse at large He doeth also very simply talke of the sacrifice of the Masse Suruey li. 4. c. 2. For if Papists say truly that Christs body and blood is really offered in the Masse and that euery externall sacrifice requireth a reall destruction then it followeth that these masse-mongers do really destroy Christs body and blood Bellarmine lib. 1. de missa c. 2. sayth that an externall sacrifice doth require a reall destruction Requirit realem destructionem Was then this fellow wise trow you to talke of this braue sacrifice Further do we thinke him wise that in a booke offered to the king doth rayle on the kings religion saying That it leadeth vnto atheisme Finally it is a note of desperate folly to affirme That our religion leadeth to Atheisme for want of a Pope or for want of the Popish masse or sacrifice The contrary hereof rather is to be gathered against the Popish religion wherein as we may collect out of the aduersaries owne confession in c. si Papa dist 40. the Pope may lead with him thousands of soules into hell The masse also is a masse and sinke of superstition and idolatry Neither is any thing more repugnant to Christs only sacrifice then the priesthood and sacrifice of the masse Modesty he sheweth none with a face as hard as a lopster affirming That we teach that God is the author of sin That we despoyle Christ of his diuinitie That we wrong him in his office of redemption and bereaue him of his title of lawgiuer and priest And doubt not to say that Christ dispaired Now what greater impudency can be imagined then to ascribe that to vs which we vtterly deny and disclaime Nay we pronounce him accursed whosoeuer shall hold any of these points But the Papists in some things rub very néere vpō these rocks namely where they giue to euery man power to satisfie for the temporall paine of his sins and yéeld that others beside Christ may be called redéemers and make the Pope a law-giuer able to bind mens consciences and giue power to the priest to intercede for Christs body and blood that God would be pleased to accept it as he accepted the sacrifice of Melchisedech Impudently also he belieth vs raileth vpon vs saying that we make euery priuate mans spirit supreme iudge of controuersies and that we reiect Fathers auncient Councels and ouerthrow all religion and worship of God Neither doth he onely raile vpon vs but also vpon scriptures where he sayth that founding our selues only on scriptures we open a gate to all heretikes and heresies As if the Fathers and auncient Councels which founded their faith vpon holy scriptures only opened a gap to all heresies Or as if this could be spoken without disgrace to holy scriptures that he that relieth vpon the word of God deliuered in scriptures doth open a gate to all heresies Finally he taketh vpon him the title of the legate of the great monark of heauen being but a base fugitiue renegued companion set on by Antichrist and his supposts to raile at religion and the professors thereof and lying without rule or order His want of learning doeth euery where appeare throughout his whole Suruey The Scriptures he citeth very rarely The Fathers he mistaketh and misalleageth In Ecclesiasticall histories he is but a nouice Nay albeit he talketh much of our Religion yet he vnderstandeth not what we professe what we reiect Finally although the fellow be but a poore translator and collector of other mens slanders yet could he not well relate that which is translated out of others His principal witnesses are Staphilus Cochleus Bolser Nicol Borne Stapleton Surius and such like railing and base authors Was it then likely that he should shew