they vsed speakind of Knox and his Confederats that poore Lady my Mother is not vnknowne and with greife I may remember it Touching Geâ—enna Goneuâ— I would say but the mistaking is not great since what the one teacheth the other punisheth We find that D. 〈…〉 lâ—ste thus truly writeth They of eneua did depose their Liegt Lord who was Catholicke Prince from his temporall right albeit he was by right of succession the temporall Lord and owner of that Citty and Territorie Which whom conspireth D. Bancroft thus wryting hereof The Citizens of Geneua receauing some good encour agement meaning from Caluin and such others I doubt not tooke vpon them the endeauouring of altering Religion and omitted not the occasion offered of changing also the Estate of the Commonwealth In this next place the 〈…〉 ow Countryes affoard a greater euidency and demonstration of this point For Oâ—iander a most eminent Protestant thus woundeth his owne Professours The Low Countreyes by publike wryting renounced all obedience and subiection to Philip their Lord and King c. When foure hundred of them men of good ranke had sued for tolleration in religion and did not preuayle the impatient People stirred vp with fury at Antwerp and other places of Holland Zâ—land and Pladders threw and broake downe images c. The y subiects of those Countreyes tooke armes against the Magistrate and made the Prince of Orange their Gouernour A truth in like sort confessed by D. Sarauia in these words They of the Low Countryes did ouerthrow and spoyle temples and monasteryes with Monks Bishops and the whole popish Cleargy against the mind of the cheife Magistrate and promâ—se giuen Finally Crispinus the Protestant and the foresaid Osiander do relate that one Petrus Dathenus and other cheife Protestants of Gauâ—t did stir vp in the yere 1587. the Ciâ—tizens to cast all the Masse Priests as they speake and Monks out of the Citty and to place their goods in the Treasury Next let vs come to France What ciuill Warrs haue beene raized by the Protestants during the space of forty yeares togeather till the last King Henry the fourth made himselfe Catholicke only for their Religion against their Catholicke Kings and Princes Many historyes are become the subiect thereof only I will content my selfe with discerning some few testimonyes and confessions of the Protestants heerein And first may occuâ—re the battayle of Dreux wherat Beza himselfe was present vndertaken only for the aduancement of the Protestant Religion and of which Battayle Beza thus writeth The Nobility of France vnder the noble Prince of Condy layd the foundation of the restoring true Religion in France by consecrating most happily their bloud to God in the battayle of Dreux In like sort we thus reede in a Protestant booke entituled The generall Inuentory of the History of France and translated into English by Ed. Grimston The Protestants of Meaux transported with indiscreete zeale grounded vpon their numbers did fly to the Churches beate downe images and make the Priests retyre And againe Beza preaching at Grenoble Charters and Orleans with his sword and pistoll in his hand exhorted the people to show their manhood rather in killing the Papists then in breaking Images And yet more The Protestants to wit anno 1567. being first armed were in the beginning maysters of the field c. The King being incensed agaynst them was at Meâ—ux and preparing to celebrate the feast of S. Michael the Prince of Condy approaching with fiue hundred horse by this attempt forced the King to retyre with some amazement to Paris And yet further The Prince of Condy and the Admirall kept S. Denis S. Owen and Auberuilliers to curbe Paris The Constable the Kings Lieutenant gathered an Army whereupon bartayle eâ—sued c. Which Authour of the aforementioned Inuentory of France relateth many more occurrents of those matters which here for breuity are omitted But to proceede further touching the Country of France Osiander the foresaid Protestant recordeth this matter in these words The Protestants vnder colour of exhibiting a Confession of their fayth came armed to the Kings palace c. That ciuill warre for Religion was renewed the Prince of Condy being Generall of those of the reformed Churches and the Constable Generall of the Kings Army That the Constable being slayne in these warres the Kings Brother supplyed his place To conclude this point of the Prince of Condy his rebellion herein It is so euident vndeniable that Crispinus a Protestant thus writeth hereof After many messages though in vayne sent by the King to the protestant Princes the warre beganne againe For the Prince of Condy rose vp in armes and swore not to leaue them vnder whose protestation this sentence was placed Deo victricibus armis This lamentable subiect of Protestant Subiects rysing against their Catholicke Princes hath busied my tongue very long Therefore I passe ouer how in Basil a cheife Citty in Heluetia a great dissention did ryse betweene the Burgâ—sses certaine of the Senatours for cause of Religion only as Crispinus relateth And how the Burgesses hauing taken armes forced the others to agree to what they demanded and thereupon they did cast downe Images and how twelue Senatours fauoring our Catholicke Religion were cast out of the Senate and how the Masse was first by these meanes abandoned throughout all that Sâ—gnory Also I pretermit the dolefull passages of this nature practized in Sweâ—eland of which Country Cythreus a Protestant thus relateth Sigismond being King of Sweueland by hereditary succession was constrayned to giue his assent that none should beare office in that Kingdome but such only meaning Protestants as retayned the Confession of Augusta He further saith thus They forced the King to content himselfe with exercise of his Catholicke Religion in his owne Chappell A truth so well knowne confessed that Osiander thus speaketh of it in generall tearmes The Protestants of Sweueland did decree that the exercise of Popish Religion should be banished out of all parts of that Kingdome c. Finally I passe ouer with a gentill â—uche what the Kingdome of Palonia hath suffered in this kynd of which poynt the foresaide Protestant Osiander thus writeth Certaine of Polonia did out of an vntymely zeale expell their Priests with great violence and sedition without expecting permission as the said Authour confesseth of the Kinge Thus far most worthy Iudge I haue proceeded contrary to the byas of myne owne naturall disposition in relation of these lamentable I lyads as I may tearme them but I am to be pardoned since the vpbrading importunity of M. Vice-Chancelour did compell me thearto from which former Examples we may gather that for diuers yeres past most Nations of Christendome haue become the sable and mournfulle Theaters or stages whereupon so many blouddy Tragedyes haue bene acted or rather the very shambles whearein haue bene
Greeke word or phrase carieth with it a greater grace emphecy and force then the same in Latin or English will beare But this I euer auerre that to be ready vpon euery little occasion to prostitute or staule forth ones Greeke a disteÌ„perature peculiar to Protestants as if he tooke a pride in that he is skilfull in coniugating of typtò This man I say deserues to be verberated throughout all the moodes and tences of the word for such his folly This course being among all graue learned men iustly censured for an exploded vanity But now M. Doctour to descend to your reason touched aboue and drawne from the authority of the holy Scripture Here I say you haue taken your last Sanctuary not in that the Scripture maketh for you and against vs but that by this meanes you may the better reiect all other authorities though neuer so forcible reduce the triall of all coÌ„trouersies to your owne priuat Iudgments since you will acknowledge no other seÌ„ce of the scripture theÌ„ what the Genius of ProtestaÌ„cy doth vouchsafe to impose vpon the Letter thus by your faire pretended Glosse of the Scripture in this your last extremity you Protestants well reseÌ„ble that Man who being ready to fall thinketh not how to preuent the fall but how to fall in the fayrest and easiest place The like I say you do vnder the priuiledge of the reuealing spirit interpreting the Scripture the vaine fluctuating vncertainty of which Spirit to discouer though this place be not capable therof were indeed to cut in sunder the cheife Artery which giueth life to the huge Body of Heresie since once take away this Priuate Spirit Heresie is but like a dying laÌ„pe which hath no oyle to feede it Only I will here pronouÌ„ce that as some haue thus left written That must be good which Nero persecuteth so here I do iustify by the contrary that it must be euill and false which the Priuate Spirit affecteth and manteineth But let vs proceed herein further and dissect the veine of this your last most despayring tergiuersation First then wee are to call to minde that it hath euer beene the very countenance and eye of all innouation in religion to seeke to support it selfe by misapplyed and racked Texts of Scripture a practise so anciently vsed though in these later dayes it hath receaued more full groath as that it was obserued by Augustine Hierome Tertullian and finally by old Vincentius Lyrinensis who thus expressely writeth not only of his owne times but euen in a presaging spirit of our times An Haeretici diuinis Scripturae testimoniis vtantur Viuntur planè vehementer quidem Sed tantò magis cauendi suâ—â— Now this being so you are forced M. Doctour for your last retire and refuge to compart in practise with all ancient and moderne Hereticks Secondly the Scripture cannot prooue it selfe to be scripture and consequently it is not able to decide all controuersies which assertion of mine is warranted by your prime men M. Hooker thus teaching Of things necessary the very cheifest is to know what bookes wee are bound to esteeme holy which poynt is confessed impossible for the scripture it selfe to teach And according hereto you Protestants do not agree which Bookes be Canonicall Scripture which Apocriphall For doth not Luther and diuers of the Lutherans recite as apocriphall the booke of Iob Ecclesiastes the Epistle of S. Iames the Epistle of Iude the secoÌ„d Epistle of Peter the secoÌ„d and third of Iohn and finally the Apocalipes All which bookes are neuerthelesse acknowledged by Caluin and the Caluenists for canonicall Scripture Thirdly euen of those bookes which all Protestants ioyntly receiue as Canonicall Scripture the Protestants doe coÌ„demne as most false and corrupt not only the present originals but also all Translations of the said bookes whether they be made in Greeke Latin or English as apeareth from the reciprocall condemnations of one anothers Translation for the more full discouery of which point I referre you M. Doctour to the perusing of a booke some few yeares since written by a Catholicke Priest and Doctour of diuinity entituled The Pseudoscripturists Fourthly the very text and letter of such bookes as you all acknowledg for Canonicall Scripture are more cleere for our Catholicke Faith and in that sence are expounded by the ancient Fathers then any the Countertexts are which you produce to impunge our doctrine For some tast I will exemplify the perspicuity of the letter in some few points And first for the Primacy of Peter we alleadge Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church c. expounded With vâ—by Augustine Hierome Cyprian others For the Reall Presence we insist in our Sauiours words This is my Body this is my Blood taken in our sense by Theophilact Chrysostome the Cyrils Ambrose and indeed by all the ancient Fathers without exception For Priests remitting of sinnes we vrge that whose sinnes you shall renut they are remitted vnto them and whose sinnes you shall reteine are reteyned which passage is interpreted in our Catholicke sence by Hierome Chrisostome Augustine and others For Necessity of Baptisme Except a a Man be borne againe of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of Heauen Of which our Catholicke exposition see Augustine Chrisostome Ambrose Hierome Cyprian c. For Iustification by works Do you see because of works a man is Iustisied and not by Faith only expounded with vs to omit all others for breuity by Augustine Lastly to auoid prolixitie for vnwritten Traditions we vsually alleadge those words of the Apostle Therefore Brethren hold the Traditions which you haue receiued either by steach or by Epistle interpreted with vs Catholicks by Damâ—scene Basill Chrysostome c. Thus farre for a â—ast herein in which Texts and diuers others omitted you are to note M. Doctour first that the Texts themselues are so plaine and literall that the very Thesis or Conclusion it selfe mantained by vs is conteined in the Words of the said Texts and therefore you Protestants are forced by way of answere commonly to expound those texts figuratiuely Secondly you are to be aduertised here that as we can produce many Fathers expounding these and other like places in our Catholicke sence so you are not able to alleadge any one approoued Father among so many interpreting but any one of the said passages of scripture in your Protestant Construction Thirdly and lastly you are to obserue that such texts as the Protestants vrge against these other Catholicke Articles defended by vs are nothing so literall plaine and naturall for their purpose but for the most part are vrged by them by way of inference and deduction which kinde of proofs is often false and sometimes but probable Neither can you or
and Piety your former assertion in ascribing the Protest an t faith to all that Country cannot be iustifyed For though I grant it is on most sides obsest as I may say with Protestancy yet it is certaine that diuers principall parts thereof are not Protestant but Catholicke in Religion As halfe of Switzerland a part of the Grisons Voltolyne the whole Country of Bauaria the Territories of all the Bishops Electours the kingdome of Bohemia besides many Imperiall Citties and states Againe as other parts thereof do ioyntly and particulerly disclaime from the Roman Religion so though they all do challenge to themselues the name of Protestants yet do they manteine many irreconcileable differences of Religion enen of the greatest importance like seuerall wayes and Tracts meeting in one common place and then instantly deuided one from another This appeareth as I am enformed most cleare and euident from the authority of Hospinian a learned German Protestant who hath diligently set downe the names of many scores of Bookes written in great acerbity of style by one Gerâ—aÌ„ Protestant against another German Protestant according nereto it is that we finde so many kindes of Sectaries and Hereticks in Germany as the Caluinists the Lutherans the Anabaptists the Antitrinitarians and some others though they all be linked and tyed together in the common and maine knot of Protestancy And thus farre M. Doctour of this point where you see I haue smale reason to embrace the Protestant Religion before the Catholicke because that is professed throughout Germany as you pretend this cheifly restrained to Italy Spayne and France But let vs returne backe to the generall subject of this your disoutation with my Lord Cardinall I would intreat you M. Doctour to alleadge some stronger arguments for the change off yeh in the Church of Rome then hitherto you haue giuen which if you do not then what by reason of the weakenes of your said arguments at least in my apprehension and what in respect that I do not see the proofes Produced by my Lord Cardinal to be sufficiently by you refuted I must tell you aforehand I will embrace the Catholicke Roman Religion disauow all Protestancy CARD BLLARM M. Doctour if you can support this your position of Romes change with other more forcing reasons I would intreate you now to insist further in them You see I am prepared to giue my best answere to what you can object If you do not I must presume all your forces are already spent they indeed being but weake reseÌ„bling that of S. Iude Cloudes without water carryed about with windes MICHEAS I pray you M. Doctour forbeare not to grant to this my desire since otherwise I must rest assured that no more can be sayd on your part touching this subject CARD BELLARM. Yeild M. Doctour to this Learned Iewes importunity you know he hath vndertaken a journey of many hundred miles to this Citty onely to be resolued in this one Point therefore both in charity and for the preseruing of your owne honour and reputation you stand obliged to giue all satisfaction vnto him D. WHITAKERS Tush you are both ouer vpbrayding with me and seeing I intend no further dispute with men of so irreâ—ragable dispositions I first for a close say to you Micheas that where you intend to become a Papist your change is this that you leaue that which was ouce good though now bad to embrace that which is euer bad I meane you leaue Iudaisme to entertaine Papisme and thus you become a new Proselyte or rather Neophyte in the schoole of Superstition Idolatry Now as for you Cardinall whose name is so celebrious and so much aduanced in the eares and mouthes a fall men know you that touching the subiect of this our discourse I doubt not but that my arguments reasons and Instances aboue alleadged do in the iudgment of such as the Lord hath illuminated with the truth of the Ghosple sufficiently prooue the great changes made of Fayth and Religion in the Church of Rome since it first receaued it Faith in the Apostles daies And if the truth hereof be hid from any I may then say with the Apostle It is hid from them that perish and are lost Therefore my irreuocable conclusion is this that the Church of Rome was once the true Church and in fayth pure and incontaminate as before I acknowledged but at this present it is The Whore of Babilon a branch cut from the true Vine adenne of theeues the large way leading to destruction the kingdome of Hell the Body of Antichrist a heape or masse of errours a great Mother of whoring the Church of the wicked out of the which it behoucth euery christian to depart and which Christ in the end will miserably destroy inflict due punishments for all it impieties and with this as vnwilling to haue further entercourse or dispute with any that subiect themselues to this prophane Church I end and bid you both farewell CARD BELLARM. M. Doctour I much greiue to see you thus transported with passion and to inueigh with such acerbity of words against Christs intemerate spouse but I the more easily pardon you since it is hard vpon the sodame to cast of a habit which hath beene often engrained in diuers tinctures of many operations so spleenfull a â—â—slike you haue against the Church of Rome and indeede it seemes you labour with the disease of those whose spitle being enuenomed make them to thinke that euery thing they take in their mouths doth taste of venome But since it is your minde to breake off so sodainely with vs I recommend you to the tuition of him who in an instant is able to turne the most stony hart into Cor docile and Cor emolitum and my prayers shal be that before the time of your death you may haue the grace to implant your selfe as a branch of that Church the profession of whose faith may be auaileable to the sauing of your soule MICHEAS I am beholden vnto you M. Doctour for your Paines and labour taken in this disputation howbeit I must confesse I did expect to haue heard more said for the proofe of the Church of Rome her change in Religion then as yet is deliuered where I see that your faire promised mountaines in the beginning do but turne to snow and after resolue into water and that by your finall appealing to the written word alone you endeauour to set the best face vpon your ouerthrow in this your dispute bearing your selfe herein like to souldiers who are forced to yeild vp their hould and yet couet to depart with such ceremonies as are not competent to such as yeild Neuerthelesse I commend you to the protection of the God of Israell and will pray that you may after this life enioy the blessings which are already granted to Abraham Isaâ—ck Iacob and their Seede D. VVHITAKERS Well well Once more I bid you both farewell MICHEAS My
should become accessory to our owne hurt to suffer such a man to passe vn punished Therefore I hope your Lordship will not preserue him whoÌ„ the Law hath ouerthrowne nor suffer his present calamity how great soeuer it may seeme to attract from your cleere iudgment commiseration pitty But rather you will vouchsafe to remember that he doubteth his crime who masketh it vnder the tecture of Religion This is that Michaeas homo pestiferus concitans seditionem who after his disputation in our Vniuersity with the most learned D. Reynolds made show presently to leaue our vniuersity and to retire himselfe into some forayne Countrey But many months haue since that time passed He during all the whyle secretly lourking among vs so the Spidar lyes close to surprise the incautelous flee seeketh to get priuate acquaintance with diuers eminent Maisters of Arts and others of the yonger sort Which being obtayned he then enuenometh their iudgments with Superstition and Idolatry and with his other Romish positions breathing disobedience disloyalty against the Magistrate And indeed he hath such a facility by slye and subtill insinuations to serue himselfe within the Schollars affections as that it is most wounderfull For first he commonly beginneth a farre off to talke with them of the nature of other Countreyes and of his owne trauells in other vniuersityes to which discourses our Schollars do lend their greedy eares before euer he entreth to talke of Religion And so like a good tabler he vsually playeth with them an aftergame the more speedily to come to his designed end The hurt which he hath already perpetrated in our vniuersity which is one of the two eyes of the whole Realme is great and insufferable and your Lordship well knowes that if the eye be wicked then all the Body shal be darke Therefore now at the lenght hauing apprehended him I haue conuerted him before your Lordship that so he may be punished by the Law who hath transgressed the Law LORD-CHEIFE IVSTICE Stand forth Michaeas Many and greiuous you see are the complaints giuen vp agaynst you from which you must either truly vindicate your selfe by being faultles therein or otherwise you must vndergoe the chastisment appointed for such offences And though we Iudges be ordayned to punish what is euill yet we are to wish that men do not prooue themselues euill And therefore I desire that your Innocency if innocent you be may be here cleared for I hould it a farre greater ouersight to punish the guiltles then to leaue vnpunished the guilty Since Iustice instructeth vs not to delight in punishment but to recurre to it for playne necessity Now speake Michaeas what you can in your owne defence MICHAEAS My Lord. I do heare first prostrate myselfe in all Humility before your Honour resting glad that though my accuser haue wronged me by thus falsly traducing me before your L. yet that it is my fortune to appeare before such a Iudge with whom Innocency shall find it sanctuary and only true faults be corrected for I presume that that sentence of the Psalmist is euen imprinted and sealed vp in your hart Rectè iudicate filij hominum Now for my more iust defense your L. may heare be aduertized that I am a Iew by byrth and Nation and a Roman by Religion and do hould that Ierusalem I meane the Church of Rome which is vpon earth the spirituall Ierusalem is the place where Men ought to worship I came into this florishing Kingdome only through my greate desire of seeing your famous and so much celebrated Vniuersityes with intention of returne in a conuenient tyme. Now I trust my L. I speake it vnder correction of your more experienced Iudgment that I as being a stranger and not borne within these dominions do not stand precisly subiect to the lawes of the said dominions And therefore what I haue committed suppose most to be true as most of it is false may well be an errour in me but any heinous cryme as now it is exagitated it cannot be And further euery Man well knowes that euen by the lawe of Nations the very name of a stranger who in this respect cannot take particular notise of the Municipall statuts and Ordinances of the Realme doth pleade excuse for many Transgressions the committers whereof being borne subiects are seuerely and deseruedly punished Therefore my L. since Lawes are made rather to succour then to wound Mankynd I dowbt not but your L. will heare dispence with all sterne seuerity and will remember that saying of an auncient Father Facilius Ira quam Indulgentia obliqua est VICE CHANCELOVR See you not my L. how this Polypragmon this Michaeas dare not only without feare violate the lawes of our Realme but also will needs braue it before your Lorship that for being a stranger and not borne in our Nation he stands not subiect to the said Lawes and thereupon doth iustify his impietyes but it seemes he gloryes to be extremly facinorous Est mali dignitas quod in summo pessimorum collocetur L. CHEIFE-IVSTICE Michaeas Your Plea heare is most weake and defectiue for though you be a stranger and as you say not borne vnder the lawes of our Dominions yet you must know that you had leasure enoughe to be acquainted with our Lawes before you entred into our Country or at lest within short tyme after And you must conceaue that the Lawes being made by the consent of the whole Realme are not to be violated in fauour of any one Man Furthermore where you speake of Priuiledges and Indulgences allowed to strangers euen by all Nationall Lawes you must â—â—ke notize that these fauours are imparted to strangers with some conditions and restrictions to wit if the bad compâ—rtment and cariadge of the said strangers do not worthely 〈◊〉 them of participating of the said Priuiledges since otherwise no reason there is why they should be partakers of them And indeed the lesse reason because in tyme of Necessity when the Prince is to command aydes forces or Tributs from his subiects no such releife and helps can be expected at the hands of any strangers resyding in his Country Lastly it were repugnant to the nature of Iustice which in it selfe is euer sacred and inuiolable that a stranger such an one as you Michaeas are by comming into a forrayne Country and as it were by indeuizing hymselfe for the tyme should become a subiect in the fruition of the benefits of the said Country And yet when he would performe any vnlawfull act he should of new create himselfe a stranger Therefore Michaeas my iudgment here is that you stand obnoxions and subiect to our lawes And therefore you must either plead yourselfe innocent in the obiected Crymes or els the Lawes of our Realme will iustly take hould of you What say you therefore to the offences wherewith you heere stand charged MICHAEAS Well my good Lord since it is so I humbly submit myselfe
others particularityes where Michaeas hath offended against the Soueraignty of Princes VICE-CHANCELOVR My L. I will You haue di 〈…〉 gled Michaeas to your sollowers that the Pope hath full authority to detâ—one Kings and Princes though neuer so absolute at his pleasure And further Papists teach that the spirituall Iurisdiction residiâ—g in the Pope ought to haue that predominancy ouer all temporall authority which the soule hath ouer the body To be short this poynt to wit that your Popisâ— Religion doth teache rebellion insurrection of the subiects against their lawfull Prince is so cleare as that we may well say Papistry and Disloyalty are almost Termini conuertibiles for though some disloyall Men are not Papists yet euery Papist in that he is a Papist is to his soueraigne Protestant Prince disloyall MICHAEAS You are glad M. Viach to moysten this your drye accusation in the froath of many idle and splenfull words Your accusation stands vpon two poynts First you charge me in particular for disseminating of disloyalty in your Vniuersity That being only said you make in lieu of further proofe thereof a subâ—â—ll transition to the doctryne of other Catholicks in that poynt As if what were wanting to the perfecting of my supposed Cryme therein ought to be made vp by the accession and application to me of other Catholicke Doctours wrytings of that subiect Now to the first I answere It is a most false Calumny forged in your owne brayne and wrought vpon the anuile of Maliâ—e For produce if you can the parties to whom I euer vttered such a Doctrine the Place or the Tyme Where or when such speeches were deliuered Thus we see that this your report as being in it selfe most false is wholy disuested of all Circumstances necessarily attending vpon euery humane Action For euen to reâ—cyle the secrets of my soule herein I did in all my discourses with your Scholars purposely auoyde as a seamarke all such questions of State so vnwilling I euer was but to touch vpon those dangerous sands And for the greater demonstration of my Innocency herein and of my Loyalty to his Maiesty of England I here acknowledge and in this acknowledgement I do for the tyme depose and put of the person of Michaeas and speake in my owne person the Authour of this Treatise and in the name of all other Priests and Catholicks of England all layalty and fidelity to our most gracious and dread soueraigne King Charles and to his most illustrious and worthy Queene beseeching the Almighty to graunt him a fruitfull bed and to make him Parent of many noble Children And further I humbly pray to the Highest that he may in all tranquillity and true happynes raigne ouer vs many yeres and after his dissolution of Body that he may equall in euerlasting Be atitude the greatest Sainct of his Predecessours now in Heauen This is my Protestation made in all sincerity and in which by Gods grace euen to my last gaspe I intend to continue and perseuer But now to resume my former shape of Michaeas Touching the first point of my accusation M. Vice-Chancelour you see how cleere and innocent I am I will now hasten to the second branch contayning as you say the doctrine of Disloyalty taught euen by all the Doctours of the Roman Church First I answere It is a most iniust slander obtruded vpon them by you since not any one Catholicke Doctour teacheth nor aone good lay Catholicke beleiueth that the Pope can at his ny pleasure depose Princes and transferre Kingdomes and states as to him best liketh Secondly I reply that seeing you neuer cease to vpbraid our Catholicke Religion with the foule stayne of disloyalty this being your other Protestants common Theame wherein you so much ryout in malignant exagerations Therefore as awakened by your so often ingeminated accusation herein I do auouch pardon me most Reuerend Iudge if being thus prouoked I enter into a Subiect perhapps vngratefull to you that the Protestants do by infinit degrees stand more reprehensible in this poynt of disloyalty and disobedience towards their Prince then we Catholicks do And this I will prooue if I may be suffered at this present against you M. Vice-Chancelour first from the positions and speculatiue assertions of the most learned Protestants and after from the actuall insurrections and rebellions of Protestants against their lawfull Princes VICE-CHANCELOVR This is the Scene Michaeas of men of your disposition that when you are truly charged with your owne faults then in place of better answere you insimulate by way of recrimination your Aduersaryes within the same faults But it seemes by you that dotage is the accustomed Attendant of old age or that you take a delight and complacency to haue the subiect of disloyalty often in your mouth as you euer haue it in your hart But begin at your pleasure to charge vs Protestants if you can either with the doctrine or practize of disloyalty My Lord-Iudge I know will giue you leaue who in the end shall perceaue that all what you can imagine in this point is but meete imagination and no reall Truth And so in your discours you will resemble that Man who dreames he doth but dreame MICHAEAS O wound not M. Vice-Chancelour my reputation with these Philippicks and declamatory Inuectiues so much hurtfull euen to the speaker for quomodo placabit Patrem iratus in fratrem And rest satisfyed that I do not solace myselfe as you suggest in this vnpleasing Text but do acquaint my selfe with discourses of that subiect with the like intention that the morall Philosopher doth busy himselfe with the nature of Vice which is the better to auoid Vice L. CHEIFE-IVSTICE Michaeas I must needs now say that you do infinitly wrong our Religion by ascrybing both to the chiefe Doctours and Professours of it this odious Cryme of Disloyalty and Rebellion No no. Our Gospell which cometh from God best teacheth our duty towards the Lieutenants of God I presume that herein you rest but vpon the bare and naked speeches of others of your owne Religion our designed enemyes But you must remember that as things which are seene by reflexion are imperfectly seene so reports and bruits taken only at the rebound of partiall mens mouths deserue but a light eare But seeing it is the part of a Iudge to heare all sides with an indifferent eare you may Michaeas at your pleasure begin your discours of this your assumed Argument where I doubt not but M. Vice Chancelour will sufficiently repell all your reasons and answere to your examples to the greater Honour of our Religion which is a free from all stayne and blot of disloyalty as an intemerate virgin is free from any defyled touch Therefore Proceede MICHAEAS My L. I will And I must entreate your Patience herein as desirous to abstayne from geuing the lest iust offence to your L. And touching this subiect I dowbt litle but that howsoeuer you are as yet perswaded
deuills being far absent from their Witches southsayers and coniurers do neuerthelesse heare their inuocations and coniurations As is warranted by all Experience Shall any Man then thinke that the blessed Saincts of Heauen are depryued of hearing the prayers and intercessions which the faythfull heare vpon Earth do make vnto them since otherwyse it would follow that spirituall substances by their losing of Heauen I meane the deuills by their fall did obtayne greater prerogatiues and excellencye then the soules of the Saincts do by gayning and ascending vp to Heauen an absurdity incompatible with the goodnes wisdome and Charity of God And thus much touching the doctryne of Prayer to Saincts The Catholicke doctrine touching Iustification by works Merit of works and Works of Supererogation TOuching Iustification by Works the Catholicks teach as followeth Iustification wheareby a Man being afore wicked and the Sonne of Wrath is become the Sonne of God is wrought by the healpe of Gods grace without any meritte of works on our syde and by the spirit of fayth and Charity infused by God in vs in the very Act of our Iustification Thus our Aduersaries may see that we do not ascribe our first Iustification to any of our works at all though they most wrongfully traduce vs to the contrary For we willingly acknowledge those words of the Apostle It is not of the willer or of the runner but of God who sheweth Mercy Secondly the Catholicks teach that after a Man iustifyed being of wicked become good he may encrease his first iustification by works That is he being already made iust by Gods grace and mercy may by his works become more Iust Which works are not those which are performed by the force of Nature as the Pelagians did teach and the Protestants do falsly charge the Catholicks but as they are performed by the spirit and grace of God and as they receaue their force vertue from our Sauiours Passion Concerning the merit of Works more particularly the Catholicks teach as followeth whose doctrine herein for greater perspicuity I will set downe in certaine propositions Which propositions do contayne certaine condicions necessarily requyred that Works may merit The first proposition is this That works may merit it is requyred that the partye who worketh be in state of grace and an adopted Child of God Thus we exclude all works from meriting which are performed by one who is not in state of grace that is who wanteth true fayth true hope true charity for such Works are performed by force of Nature only not by force of Gods grace The second proposition That works do merit a free liber all promise or Couenant of God is necessary by which his promise of reward made vnto good Works God in a manner obligeth himselfe to reward good works according to his promises Heere our Aduersary may see that we willingly confesse that no works of ours of themselues can merit as we abstract from them the promisse of God for without this promisse and Couenant of God made out oâ— his most mercifull bounty to remunerate good works we do willingly say with the Apostle The passions of this life are not condigne to the glory to come that shal be reuealed vnto vs. The third proposition That Works do merit it is according to the most probable opinion necessarily requyred that they cheifly preceede from actually or virtually Charity loue towards God That is that they be vndertaken cheifly and primatiuely for the honour and loue we beare to God From whence it followeth that no works which are not seasoned with this condicâ—on of Charity in God but haue to themselues only peculiar and lesse principall ends c 〈…〉 merit The fourth and last proposition which is implicitly included in the former Propositions That Works do merit they must take their worth and dignity from the 〈…〉 ritis of our Sauiours Passion and from thence receaue as it were a new tincture and dye Thus we see that originally and principally it is Christs meriâ—ts which do merit for vs and that our works are but once of the meanes whereby we apply Christs meritâ—s vnto vs. That the doctrine here set downe touching merit of works is sutable to the doctrine of the Catholicke Roman Church is euident euen from the authority of the Councell of Trent where we thus reade To them who worke well to the end of their life and do hope in God eternall life is giuen both as a grace and fauour mercifully promised to the Sonns of God through the meritts of Christ Iesus as also as a reward proceeding from the promisse of the same God faythfully to be giuen to their good Works and Meritts c. Thus the Councell The certainty of this doctrine of merit of works receaueth it cheife proofe from the holy Scripture and this from the testimonyes of Scripture of seuerall kinds First then from those places where eternall life is called Merces a wage or reward As Mathew Reioyce for your reward is great in Heauen Againe Call the workemen and pay them their hyre besides diuers others of like nature Secondly from those places wherein a heauenly reward is promised to men according to the measure proportion of their Works as where it is said The Sonne of Man shall come in the glory of his Father and shall render to eueryone secundum opera sua according to his works In like sort it is said God will render to euery one according to his works besides many other like places here omitted Thirdly from those testimonyes of Scripture which expresse the reason that works are the cause why eternall life is giuen thus we read Come you blessed of my Father possesse the Kingdome prepared for you es 〈…〉 iui enim dedisti mihi manducare for I was hungry and you gaue me to eate Againe in the same place Quia in pauca fuisti c. Because thou hast been faithfull ouer few things I will place thee ouer many things enter into the ioy of thy â—ord And in the Apocalyps These are they which are come out of great tribulation c. ideo sunt ante throâ—um Dei therefore they are before the throne of God In all which places the particles Enim Quiâ— Ideo are causases that is implying our shewing the reason and cause of a thing Fourthly from those texts in which a reward is promised to good Works euen by force of Iustice According hereto we reade God is not vniust that he should forget your worke As also that be thou faythfull euen vnto death and I will giue thee the Crowne of life See of this nature other texts quoted in the margent Fiftly and lastly from those passages wherein there is mention made of dignity or worth As where we reade The workeman is worthy his wage Agayne vt digni habeamini regno Dei c. That you may be had worthy the Kingdome of
God for which you suffer See the like texts noted in the margent That the auncient Fathers mantayned the doctrine of merit of works see for greater breuity Ignatius Ireneus Basill Chrysostome Nazianz Nyssene Cyprian Ambrose Austin Ierome The iudgment of the auncient Fathers touching merit of works is discouered besides by their owne testimonyes euen from the acknowledgment of the Protestants For first we find D Humfrey to confesse in this s 〈…〉 rt Ireneus Clemens and others called Apostolicall haue in their wrytings merit of Works In like sort the Centurists thus charge Chrysostome Chrysostome handleth impurely the doctrine of iustification and attributeth merit to works They also t 〈…〉 censure Origen Origen made works the cause of our iustification Brentius in like sort saith that Austin taught assiance in mans merits towards remission of Sinns Luther styleth Ierome Ambrose Austin and others Iustice Workers of the old Papacy D. Whitakers thus wryteth of the age of Cyprian Not only Cyprian but almost all the most holy Fathers of that tyme were in that errour as thinking so to â—ay the payne due to sinne and to satisfy Gods iustice D. Whitguift as afore of praying to Saincts so of merit of works thus confesseth Almost all the Bishopps and Wryters of the greeke Church and Latin also were spotted with doctrine of merit Bullenger confesseth the great antiquity of the doctrine of merit in these words The doctrine of Merit satisfaction and iustification of works did incontinently after the Apostles tyme lay their first foundation To conclude this point M. Wotton no obscure Protestant reiecteth the authority of Ignetius the Apostles scholar touching merit of works in this sort I say plainly this Mans testimony is nothing worth because he was of little iudgment in Diuinity Thus farre touching our Aduersary acknowledgments of the Fathers iudgment herein Now that some learned Protestants do teach and beleiue the doctrine of Merit of Works to be true and Orthodoxall doctrine is no lesse euident then the former point For it is taught as true doctrine by the Publike Confessions in their Harmony by M. Hooker by Melanctâ—on and by Spandeburge the Protestant To the former doctrine of merit of Works I will adioyne the doctryne touching works of Supererogation Which doctrine is greatly exagirated and depraued by many Protestants who are not ashamed to traduce the Catholicks and to diuulge both by penne and in Pulpit that the Catholicks do hould that their works can do more then merit Heauen But this is the Protestant◠〈…〉 lumny since the Catholicks do not hould or beleiue any such thing Therefore I will sette downe the true definition of an Euangelical Counsell distinguished from a Precept seing vpon Euangelicall Counsells works of Supererogation are grounded An Euangelicall Counsell of Perfection is called any good Worke Which is not commanded by Christ but only commended by him and poynted on to vs by hym As the Vowe of Chastity of Pouerty of Obedience and diuers other good Works not commanded by God It differeth from a Precept First because the subiect of a Precept is more facill and easy then that of a Councell Secondly in that a Counsel doth include in it the Performance of a Precept and something more then a Precept Thirdly in that Precepts are common to all Men to performe Counsells are not so Fourthly Precepts of their owne nature do oblige Men to their performance Counsells are in the choyce of one to performe or not performe Lastly Precepts being obserued are rewarded being not obserued the transgression is punished Whereas Counsells being obserued and kept haue a greater reward being not kept no punishment followeth Thus far touching the definition of an Euangelicall Counsell Which in other words may be also thus defined An Euangelical Counsell is any such good Worke of high Perfection to the performance whereof we are not bownd as that we sinne in not doing of it Now whereas it is commonly obiected against the doctrine of Euangelicall Councells That we are so obbliged to God as that we cannot euer do more then we ought to do It is therefore heare to be conceaued that if we consider Gods benefitts bestowed vpon vs we willingly acknowledge that Man can not do more good then he ought no not the thousand part of that he ought to do in that Man cannot render or retaliate any thing of equall valew and worth to Gods benefitts Neuerthelesse Yf we consider the Law and Commande imposed by God vpon vs then man may be sayd to do more then indeede he is obliged by Gods Law to do For although Man cannot exceede or equall Gods benefits with his owne works yet he is not become guilty hearby seing Men is not obliged to performe more then that only which God commaundeth Euangelicall Councells take the cheife and first proufe from sacred Scripture As wheare it is said There are certaine Eunuchs who haue gelded themselfs for the Kyngdome of Heauen Which place is expounded of the Euangelicall Counsell of Chastity by Cyprian Chrysostome Austin and others A second text to omit diuers others for breuity is that where our Sauiour sayth to the yong Man Yf thou wilt be perfect go and sell all that thou hast and giue it to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen Which text is interpreted of the Euangelicall Counsell of pouerty by S. Ambrose S. Ierome and S Austin The foresayd doctrine is further confirmed by the authority of the auncient Fathers For b 〈…〉 es their expositions of the foresaid places of Scripture this doctrine is further taught by Origen Athanasius Basil Chrysostome Nazianzene Cyprian Ambrose Ierome and finally by Austin who speaking of Precepts and Counsells vseth the very Word Supererogation thus saying of precepts and Counsells Dominus debitum imperat nobis in his autem si quid amplius supererogaueritis in reddendo reddet nobis The doctrine of Euangelicall Councells is warranted and taught besydes by the former auncient fathers of the Primatiue Church euen by diuers learned Protestants According hearto we find it is mantayned for true doctryne by M. Hooker by D. Coâ—ell and by Bucer And thus fâ—r breifly of Iustification by Works of merit of Works and of works of Supererogation The Catholicke Doctrine touching Indulgences THe Viâ—ulency of Protestants against the doctrine of Indulgences is most remarkable Wherefore for their better conceauing of the state of this Question or Indulgences this following in the Catholicke Doctrine First that Mortall sinne is remitted by the Sacrament of Confession so far forth only as concerneth the guilt or offence of God and the punishment of eternall damnation yet so that this eternall punishment by Gods Mercy is turned into temporall punishment as appeareth by the example