a hundred thousand were slaine in one yeere in the rebellion of the countreymen against the lords about religion But the more hée toucheth these matters the more shame hee shall bring vpon himselfe and the synagogue of Rome For not any of our communion but the cruell popes of Rome and their agentes haue caused these tragedies They stirred vp the French King Spaniard to make wars vpon their quiet subiects that desired nothing but peace Nay when a solemne peace was concluded they made that a trappe to catch a number of noble men and others to murder them True christians haue still suffered and yet this sauage companion imputeth vnto them the tragicall murders committed by papistes In Scotland the people neuer stirred before their liues were sought the insurrection of the rusticall people in Germany was for a Sleidan gréeuances offered them by their Lords and not properly for religion They were not of our religion but rose against lords as well of our religion as papists and by our side were both by word and force suppressed But the warres in Bohemia and Germanie and Swizzerland were indéede raised by the popes and their agents and all the worlde séeth that all their studie is to raise warres and tumults to trouble all Christendome And yet Christian princes will not sée neither will Christian people beware of such vnchristian courses As for the people of England they are to shewe themselues thankfull not onely for the restoring of true religion but also for the fruite that hath thereof ensued in all true religious Christians After his talke of spirituall blessings hée passeth to speake of temporall benefits and saith that If her Maiestie as she entred by generall consent and was promoted by the forces of papists especially and shewed herselfe in all points of religion and behauiour a papist and was crowned at a masse so had continued then had shee and her realme beene most happy and first shoulde haue had a most florishing kingdome vnited both to her and among themselues in religion iudgement affection fidelitie and friendship But his tale consisteth of diuers foule leasinges and his coniecture is vaine and improbable For albeit shée entred with consent of all good men yet it gréeued the papists excéedingly insomuch that shée could not get any one popish prelate to execute the ceremonie of consecration but onely one and hée one of the meanest The rest like traitors refused Secondly it is false that shée was promoted by force of papists For what néeded force if all were willing shée shoulde bée crowned and if the papists were vnwilling it is not likely they would vse force vnlesse it was to force their owne wils Thirdly it is most false that shée shewed herselfe in all points of religion and behauiour both in her sisters daies and at her coronation a papist For if shée had so done why should the popish prelats feare any alteration seeing shée gaue no signe of any as this babling companion prateth And why should they refuse to sacre her if shée ment to obserue all popish ceremonies vnlesse they doubted of her title Lastly it is most false that shée was crowned at a masse For shée declared plainly shee woulde no masse which was a great occasion why the popish bishops refused to consecrate her But were this true yet his coniecture of happinesse that would haue ensued of continuance of the masse is most vaine and foolish For albeit the French kinges Francis the second Charles the ninth and Henry the third continued the masse and all popish ceremonies yet neither did the kingdome of France flourish in their times nor were their subiectes eyther vnited to their princes or at vnity among themselues Likewise they of the Low countries haue long continued in great troubles and dissensions and béene forced to defend their liues and liberties against the violence both of the king of Spaine himselfe and of his agentes albeit the king alwaies séemed a sworne seruant and vassall of the pope of Rome and a firme papist The Portugals also neither greatly affect the Spanish king nor do well sort with the Castilians or those that fauor them and haue now lost their ancient glorie and libertie albeit their princes haue still continued vassals to the pope Why then notwithstanding the continuance of popish religion might not dissension as well haue hapned in England betwixt the prince and people and among the people themselues do we thinke that our nation could still haue endured the vnsatiable crueltie of popish prelates or is it likely that a frée people could haue endured the slauish yoke of the pope of Rome But bée it that our countrey-men could haue swallowed all yet must wée vnderstand that the pope of Rome woulde neuer haue suffred her Maiestie to reigne whom both Clement the seuenth had declared illegitimate a Sanders de schism Paul the third pronounced vncapable of the crowne This coniecture therefore of a flourishing kingdom in case poperie had continued is nothing but a vaine flourish of a foolish discourser And so much the rather may we thinke so because no kingdome can florish without true religion nor can they long agrée among themselues that haue no attonement with God nor consent in true faith Secondly he imagineth that great securitie woulde haue ensued of the cōtinuance of popish religion For saith he Then none of these feares and terrors of inuasions conquests treasons and conspiracies had euer come in consideration But hée much mistaketh the knights meaning if he do suppose that hée either feareth the force of forreine enimies or the secret practises of traitors For hée feareth them not but exhorteth his countrymen to prepare themselues to repulse the forreine enimie that is so busie and to watch that they bee not intrapped by secret practises of pretended friends True it is that the rinegued and Hispaniolized English do by all meanes séeke to draw forreine enimies into the countrey and to practise mischiefe at home but hée is very blinde that séeth not that we are as well able to resist such attempts as euer our ancestors were and he is a bastardly and dastardly Englishman that feareth to encounter the Spaniard in so good a cause or is afraid of the Spanish brags In the meane while it is woorth the marking that this Noddy doth signify that either by force or practise the papists meane to haue their will And yet some men there bée that will not sée their malice and thinke it needlesse to take any course to resist and encounter their practises But suppose poperie had héere continued how coulde this Noddy haue giuen vs warrant that we shoulde haue béene neither oppugned by enimies abroad nor by traitors at home was not Henrie the third of France excommunicated by the pope oppugned by his subiects murdred by a Dominican frier notwithstanding his zeale in poperie and all his seruice done to the pope Did not the Spaniard inuade Portugall albeit the
Peter descended to the pope of Rome Fourthly the aduersaries themselues cannot prooue this succession by any such infallible and certaine deduction as is pretended Wherefore vnlesse this Noddy can shew first that the pope hath succéeded Peter in the generall charge of apostolicall gouernment and teaching throughout the worlde and secondly that the pope is a true bishop pastor and successor of Peter and thirdly that neither the bishops of Antioch nor Caesarea nor Ioppe nor Lydda where Peter taught nor any saue the bishops of Rome succéeded in Peters seate and fourthly that the popes authoritie in giuing lawes in censures exactions dispensations iudgements was generally allowed and neuer contradicted and finally that he still holdeth the apostolike doctrine and faith intirely and admitteth no heresies nor false opinions in religion vnlesse I say he prooue all this he is at the end of his reckoning for the popes authoritie and sheweth himselfe to bée but a vaine babler and a foolish challenger that euen in the midst of danger conueieth himselfe out of the steccato And I do much woonder that all true Christians do not suspect this manner of procéeding and detest the pride and vanitie of this discourser that leaueth his miserable disciples more perplexed then before For he teacheth that vpon paine of damnation they must subiect themselues to the popes authoritie and yet when it commeth to the iumpe he is neither able to iustifie the popes authoritie in making and dissoluing lawes nor in ordering bishops throughout the worlde nor in iudging of controuersies nor authorizing the scriptures nor in dispensing in cases reserued nor in deposing princes nor in raising warres and handling both the swords and such like matters Nay he is not able to prooue that he is Peters true successour or a lawfull bishop He teacheth subiects to rebell and setteth princes to murder Christians and blinde papists blindely obey and yet no warrant can the popes proctor bring to iustifie the popes strange desseines and dooings Onely he endeuoureth in the last end of his pleading for the pope to shew That this land ought especially to respect the sea of Rome for beeing twise conuerted from paganisme to Christian religion and that first by Eleutherius then by Gregory the first which were both bishops of Rome And here he triumpeth and thinking that he hath satisfied his reader with an exquisite and delicate dish at the ending of his papall banquet he taketh away the table and biddeth all his guests Proface and à dieu But if his readers be not more wary while they thinke to be fed with holesome meat they are like to be gulled which googeons This gull certes in this his catastrophe séemeth to haue no other purpose For first it is a méere fable to say that this land was conuerted from paganisme either by the one or by the other of these two For Christianity was in England long before Eleutherius time and stories say he did onely and that by his deputies christen king Lucius And when Augustine the monke came to the Saxons the Britons long before that were Christians Secondly neither did Eleutherius nor Gregory preach the faith here nor giue much aide to the conuersion of the people of this land Onely Eleutherius sent Eluanus and Meduinus two Britons otherwise called Fugatius and Damianus to king Lucius and Gregory sent Austin the monke hither But the Saxons were conuerted by certaine Britons and French that could speake the Saxon language and not by Austin that could do nothing but hould the crosse like a crosier-clerke whiles others preached Thirdly albeit this land had béene conuerted by Eleutherius and Gregory yet this is but a personall fauour rather making vs beholding to those two then to those that succéeded them To prooue that we owe any obedience to the sea of Rome for that cause this argument is all too weake For the church of Rome was first conuerted by those that came from Ierusalem yet doth not Rome yéelde any obedience to the bishops of Ierusalem Nay they haue forgotten Saint Paul whome we are assured preached at Rome and do all depend of Peter Likewise the Phrysons and Germanes were conuerted by Saxons out of England yet do they not subiect themselues to the church of England Fourthly the late popes of Rome haue béene alwayes beholding to the kings and people of this country One king gaue the tribute of peter pence others gaue them great priuiledges and authority by which meanes they drew out infinite treasure out of England Bonner a In praefat in lib. de ver obed saith that the reuenues of the pope out of England were equall to the kings reuenues In requitall whereof the popes haue b Matth. Paris sent to our princes either glasses or feathers or rotten bones or paper lead and such like toies Adrian the fourth gaue to our princes a title to Ireland which he had no power to giue Innocent the fourth to king Henry the thirdes sonne gaue a bare title to the kingdome of Naples which cost infinite treasure in the end prooued a méere mockerie Other popes haue shewed theÌ„selues alwaies opposite to the English nation to the kings of this realme No sooner had the pope intelligence that William of Normandie was purposed to come with a puissant armie to conquer this lande which coulde not be done without great waste wracke and slaughter but hée c Matth. Paris caused his standard and ensignes to bée halowed and blessed So much did it please him to heare of an inuasion of our countrey and so holy a thing did warre and waste of this kingdome séeme vnto him Another pope did vpholde Thomas Becket and his rebellious consorts against king Henry the second fauored his professed enimies and in the end forced him to a most shamefull penance d Matth. Paris in Ioanne Innocent the thirde thundred out his excommunications against king Iohn and stirred vp forreine enimies against him Neither did he euer cease to pursue him vntill such time as he had made both the king himselfe and as much as in him lay all his people tributarie to forreiners At which when the Nobilitie and people of England repined the furious pope in great choler e Ibidem sent out his interdictions excommunications and curses against them and neuer ceased to pursue them as long as he had meanes to hurt them In the warres which the kings of England made in France for the obteining of their right in that kingdome the popes crossed them by all meanes possible and declared themselues vtter enimies to our nation being glad of any calamitie that hapned to vs and sorrowfull for our good successe But neuer did anie declare more malice against any of our kinges then Paule the third against king Henry the eight the Quéenes most noble father as appéereth by his most execrable a D. Sanders de schâ—sm lib. 1. bull which he published against him For therein hée doth not onely curse
the king and stirreth vp both his subiects and forreine enimies against him but also curseth and banneth all his friends subiectes and partakers Their goods hée giueth away for a spoile their persons hée will haue solde for slaues and the waste of the whole lande hée woulde haue remaine as a monument of his holinesses great displeasure Neither did it content him to prosecute the liuing onely vnlesse the dead also were throwne out into the fieldes as vnwoorthy of christian buriall Such is the charitie of his holinesse towards christians and his louing affection toward the English nation Neither was Paule the thirdes fact singular For in our times Pius quintus and Sixtus quintus haue published no lesse odious and scandalous excommunications against her most gracious Maiestie most bitterly cursing her and all her louing subiects then their predecessor did against Henry the eight and his people Further they haue not onely gone about to trouble this state by rebellions but also to subuert it by forreine b The plots were taken vpon Criton a Iesuite Throgmorton and others inuasions Haue wee not then great cause to honor and loue the popes holinesse that hath shewed himselfe so friendly to our princes and nation Wée may do well also to entertaine such priestes and friers as come from him séeing they wish vs no more harme then the destruction of the prince the ouerthrow of religion and the state the slaughter of our people Neither haue they any thing in their vowes but that all our throtes were cut by the Spaniard Nay when neither by open hostilitie nor secret treasons and practise they could preuaile against vs they haue encouraged certaine railing and scurrilous companions by infamous libels to defame her Maiestie to raile on her chéefe Counsellors and to dishonor all our nation and those especially that haue shewed themselues most forward in dooing God and their countrey seruice This prating companion sheweth himselfe verie spitefull albeit hée woulde dissemble it Sanders Rishton Allen Ribadineira and others haue published cart-lodes of slanders and lies against the Prince the Nobilitie and diuers other honest men Finally beside these wrongs and disgraces which concerne matters temporall the popes of Rome haue gone about to wrong vs in matters spirituall which concerne the saluation of our soules For they haue not onely sought to depriue vs of the worde of God in our mothers language of true faith and doctrine of the sincere administration of the Sacraments and of a true ministerie according to Christ his institution but also in lieu thereof to establish the idolatrous worship to stocke and stones of angels of saints departed and to bring into the church the abomination of the masse togither with manifold superstitions impieties and heresies And for this cause they haue secretly sent into this lande diuers a It is thought that aboue 400. of them are dispersed in diuers corners in England troopes of massing priestes and friers all marked with antichristes brand to seduce simple people and to draw them to superstition idolatrie and heresie Wherefore let all true christians and true harted Englishmen open their eies and beware that they be not oppressed both with spirituall and temporall bondage and slauerie This is it which the popes of Rome entend and haue by so many practises laboured this is also the drift of this glauering parasites discourse This the merchants of Babylon and slaues of antichrist which secretly lurke in diuers corners of this lande watching their oportunitie do wholie purpose But remember that you haue faire warning CHAP. VIII Of the Spanish nation and king Philip the second and his practises against England wherein also the eight encountre of our aduersarie N. D. is examined LOth I am and very vnwilling where the different betwixt vs and the Spaniard hath béene so long in deciding by blowes to begin any long contention about words termes It is a cōmon saying words are light as winde and men of action in wordes commonly vse least ostentation Beside that I holde it no good course to set out inuectiues against princes and especially such as are now departed this life and haue receiued their guerdon whether they haue done good or euill The popes and their parasites take to themselues libertie in infinite slanderous pamphlets to disgrace all men opposite to their faction neither sparing prince nor priuate person liuing nor dead but all honest men detest this frierlike fashion I thinke it also a vaine thing to recount matters formerly past that concerne vs little or nothing But yet seeing this pratling and busie felow our aduersarie will néedes haue the Spanyards and their late king the subiect of this encounter and like a fugitiue traytor sticketh not to aduance them aboue his owne nation and to pleade their cause against his owne prince and country I am content thus farre to reason of them as that men may learne how farre to trust them and vnderstand that we haue no reason either to feare their force or to yéelde them any superiority or to thinke better of the Spanyard then of our owne nation Lastly least any might suppose our aduersary to haue spoken wisely and learnedly I will briefely runne ouer his discourse and note the leudnesse and vnsufficiency of his pleading His vnnaturall and vnkind dealing against his prince and nation before which he taketh on him to preferre the Spaniard I néede not to note for it is too too apparent and sufficientlie knowne to any that will take paines to read ouer his idle discourse The time hath béene when the English and Spaniardes did well agrée as appeared not onely by mutuall trade and conuersation of both nations one with another but also by diuers publike contractes and leagues made betwixt them Sometime the kinges of England matched with the house of Spaine and sometime the Spanish kings haue had their wiues out of England and both of them estéemed much of the amity eache of other albeit the Spaniard hath béene more happy to receiue more profit of this coniunction with England then our nation by our matches and linking with the house of Spaine For by the aide of our archery the Spaniardes diuers times haue obteined victory against the Mores and Don Pedro king of Castile béeing expulsed by his subiects by the blacke prince and the English forces was restored to his kingdome Neither could Ferdinand king of Spaine so easily haue possessed the kingdome of Nauarre had not the forces of English sent for his aide by king Henry the seuenth distracted the French so that they could not come in time to succor their friends distressed Contrarywise king Edward the first matching with the house of Castile receiued smal aduancement as is declared in the chronicle of a In Henric. 3. Matthew of Paris and king Henry the seuenth matching with Catherine of Spaine presently lost his sonne and heire The same woman also béeing maried afterward to king Henry the eight was like to
the Iesuites good liking For he is much offended that any should speake either for truth or state against publike enemies and traytors and would most earnestly pray you that you would be pleased to suffer him and his consortes to vndermine the state and to stirre vp rebellion and cut honest mens throtes without any noise or question made about the matter And because Sir Francis hath exhorted his countrymen couragiously to withstand the Spaniards and other publike enimies and speaketh plainely what we are to thinke of him and his consortes he calleth him A troublesome stickler and saith He is transported with violent rage against potent and annointed princes and in diuers places chargeth him with railing and slandering heere imputeth to him Base detractions and contumelious fictions and giueth him many other verie bigge words degorged out of his wicked and impotent malice against good men As if it were not lawful for vs to defend our selues or touch our enemies but in such manner and forme as this criticall Aristarchus and new teacher of formes of spéech shall like So ridiculous and absurd a Noddy we do encounter such vnreasonable requests we are to answere as may further appeare by the sequell of his discourse My first petition a P. 120. saith he Should be Note I pray you that he saith Should be and not Is. Whereby we may vnderstand that this proud companion disdeineth to make petition to your Lordships Signifying onely that if he might abase himselfe so low as to make petition to such as he accounteth heretickes That then his petition should be to restraine such turbulent spirits as those are which more of a madde and malicious kind of wantonnesse then of witte do loose their tongues with ouermuch liberty against the honor of mighty catholicke princes abrode So his complaint is that we loose our tongues to speake without witte thinking percase because he and his consortes do raile against Christian princes wittily or rather saucily that they may do it fréely and lawfully His desire is That turbulent spirites may be restrained But he doth not consider that this concerneth him and his consortes the Iesuites and popish faction very néere For they are the turbulent spirits stirred vp by satan to trouble kingdomes and enflame warres throughout the world as before hath béene in part declared b Discouery of William Critons errors Criton was taken with diuers plats for the inuasion of England He holpe to stirre warres in Scotland They are therefore Turbulent spirits and condemned by their owne consorts and all the world for such As for vs it toucheth vs nothing And therefore we willingly subscribe this petition and would wish that all Christian princes would take a course with such as publish libels and slanderous calumniations to the disgrace of princes and states For none haue more cause to complaine then we Paule the third published a slanderous bull or libell against Henry the eight Which was seconded with a bitter inuectiue written by cardinall Poole Pius 5. and Sixtus 5. a In bulla Pij 5. Sixti 5. haue d spoken their pleasure against her Maiesty b Sanders Ribad de schism and this kingdome Sanders Ribadineira and Rishton haue e written bookes full of most impudent calumniations against diuers catholicke princes f Cardinall Allen hath passed all that went before him in bitternesse and malice c In his letters to the nobility and people of England and Ireland The like course haue they taken against Henry the third and fourth of France and diuers noble princes of that kingdome Parsons the Iesuite himselfe alone hath published cart lodes of libelles Time therefore it is to stoppe the mouthes of such barking curres and to tye them vp for barking But why would he haue such turbulent Spirits restreined He saith That the furious hatred of Sylla and Marius of Pompey and Caesar was kindled by certaine opprobrious speeches vttered by some of their followers But he should do well to shew his author and prooue his words true least he be taken for a false forger of examples I could yet neuer vnderstand any such matter And therefore let him take héed least for want of good handling he marre the fashion of his first petition His second petition is That your honors would resolue to be mediators vnto her Maiestie for some more gentle mild and mercifull course to be taken with papistes Wherein First he doth greatly wrong her Maiestie charging her with rough vnmercifull and cruell dealing against papistes who hath so much spared them that to many it is thought that she hath neither had sufficient regard of her owne safety nor of the peace and security of her subiectes Secondly he doth couertly charge your Lordships That you haue borne a hard hand ouer them and assisted her Maiestie in her vnmercifull dealing Thirdly he is so saucy as to make you his factors and mediators in a cause most irreligious and impious most dangerous to her Maiestie and the state most odious to her most loyall subiectes and most vnreasonable in regard of the petitioner and his consortes and this I will briefely shew leauing the consideration and prouision for the rest to your honors Most impious it is to perswade a toleration of popish religion béeing a doctrine full of heresies and not cléere of Idolatry as is notorious to all that know it and shall God willing be fully prooued héereafter And if it be impious to perswade it we must thinke that piety will not suffer vs to yéelde it Our a Matth 4. Sauiour saith It is written we must worship the Lord our God and serue him onely and that is the briefe of the first b Exod. 20. commaundement Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me Now how is God onely serued where the idole of the altar and euery crucifixe is worshipped with diuine honor How do they serue God alone that make angels and saintes their mediators and communicate gods honor to them Besides that it is nothing but idolatry and Worshipping of strange Gods as saith c Aduers haeres Vincentius Lirinensis to embrace and stifly to maintaine heresies For heretickes no lesse reuerence their opinions then the Gentiles their gods Nay Saint d De vera relig c. 38. Augustine saith That it is the vilest kinde of idolatrie for men to worship their owne fancies and obserue that for a religion which their deceiued and swelling mindes imagine The apostle forbiddeth the Corinthians to haue any societie with them that e 1. Cor. 5. worship and serue idols And sheweth that there is no fellowship betwixt light and darkenesse nor company to bée kept with Infidels Nolite saith hée f 2. Cor. 6. iugum ducere cum infidelibus quae enim participatio iustitiae cum iniquitate Aut quae societas luci ad tenebras Quae autem conuentio Christi ad Belial Aut quae pars fideli cum infideli Qui autem consensus templo
worke the destruction of her maiestie and this state and all because wee doe publikely maintaine this truth And although you will not confesse it that shut your eies against the light of truth yet I hope all the world shall perceiue both the wrongs of the pope and Spaniard and of your selfe and other rinegued English that adhere vnto them and also the iustice of our defence that are forced sometimes to take armes and vse our best meanes for the sauegard of our countrey our Prince our wiues our children our libertie our lawes our friends most violently and wickedly oppugned vnder the pretence of restoring Romish religion This discourse it may please you to accept as proceeding from him that is desirous to enforme you of a truth And well can you not refuse it seeing it is an answere to your challenge and containeth a reply to your eight trecherous encounters and your bold and shamelesse petitions Seeing you are come into the fielde you may not refuse to defend your selfe Seeing you present vnto vs your petitions and are become an humble sutor at the court you cannot refuse your answere and dispatch I doe also desire answere in my new encounters and protest that if you come not forth you shall be baffuld for a coward vnwoorthie to beare armes in this kinde of warfare If you be not at leysure by reason of your treasonable negotiations against your countrey let Creswell or some other trecherous babling Iesuite stand foorth and try his skill It standeth you much vpon If you cannot without rayling and calumniation make an answere then I hope that all such as you haue abused will forsake you as rayling heretikes false teachers and false traytors to your countrey and that they will also abandon the new deuises wicked heresies and strange religion which the popes and papists most wrongfully called catholikes vnder the colour and false maske of catholike religion and the catholike church haue defended and maintayned At the least they will take heed how they either runne wilfully into dangerous treasons and rebellions or ignorantly admit into their countrey forrein enimies vpon the popes warrant or vpon pretense of religion which they are neuer able to maintaine to be either ancient or catholike or true And this I thinke will sufficiently cleare Sir Francis Hastings both of adulation and of calumniation and all other odious imputations which you haue layde to his charge if not in your eies nor iudgement yet certes in the eies of all indifferent men As for others we neither force their might nor weigh their malice Let the ire of forrein princes be neuer so implacable and course of home traytors neuer so desperate as you do threaten vs we shall by the grace of God haue meanes to withstand their force proceeding from notorious iniustice and I hope that our superiours according to lawes will encounter with the desperate courses of traytors Doe you leaue your threats and your facing and forging and calumniations and raylings and in a moderate course prepare your selfe to iustifie your chalenge and with substance of matter to answere that which we haue obiected against you or else you will plainely declare your selfe a wrangling traytor that haue nothing to accuse vs of but that we loue true religion our Prince and countrey nor to hate vs for but that we hate your abominable faction and false religion and meane manfully to encounter both Italians and Spaniards and English traytors and all the world that shall beare armes against vs. If you shall happen to keepe silence we cannot chuse but proclayme your disgrace as abandoning that quarrel which your selfe began In the meane time while you are buckling on your armes I haue some words to speake to the by standers or readers Be not offended I pray you It shall not be long before I come into the steccato and buckle with you againe THE PREFACE TO the Reader WHat singular clemencie hath been shewed towards the papistes in this land I thinke no man of meane knowledge and iudgement can be ignorant a Lib. histor Genuens 23. Petrus Bizarus an Italian writing the historie of Genua and vpon occasion mentioning her Maiestie doth compare her to Alexander Seuerus a most famous prince for his clemencie and other vertues and testifieth that for twenty yeeres she gouerned her kingdome without blood not suffering any to be punished but by lawfull triall and sentence of iudges The which is testified by as many as then knewe her gouernment and by euidence of things then passed For so long as papists did content themselues with their popish conceites and opinions although many of them were false absurd and blasphemous yet neither did she seeke to ensnare them by new lawes nor execute the rigour of olde lawes against heretikes yet in force against them In the meane while Thomas Harding b Anno 1567. obtained a bull from the pope to exercise episcopall iurisdiction in England to dispense with irregularities and to receiue all that would be reconciled to the pope Which was nothing else but the beginning of a rebellion which broke foorth two yeeres after For all that were reconciled to the pope renounced their obedience to the prince as their actions did declare In the yeere 1569. Nicholas Morton was sent into England to stirre the earles of Westmerland and Northumberland and as many as he could to an open rebellion which c By Sanders his confâ—ssion it appeereth that popish priestes come into England to stir vp rebellion Sanders in his booke de visibili monarchia plainly telleth that we should not be ignorant why fugitiue priestes come ouer into England These seditious firebrands did make no small flame in the north partes and laide plots to stirre other partes of England to discontentment had not God crossed their desseines All this notwithstanding albeit popish religion and the proper marks of it began now to be made marks of faction and that her Maiestie saw by diuers practises in England and Ireland that papistes did seeke her life and the destruction of her kingdome and that the Iesuites and priestes that were sent from Rome came for no other purpose then to practise against her life and the state yet did she giue life to diuers rebels and traitors refusing mercie to none but such as refused to accept her fauour and mercie At Rishtons apâ—ndix to Saners one time she caused twenty of this faction to be sent away and at another time two and twenty and at another thirtie most of them condemned the rest guiltie of treason or other capitall crimes And now she keepeth diuers aliue that if they had either her Maiestie in their power or others whom they finde contrarie to their purposes would not spare their liues one hower nor content themselues with ordinarie reuenge As for obstinate recusants which no doubt for the most part This appeath by diuers â—tters of popish iests ready to shewed are secretly reconciled to the pope
to worke wonders and the worlde shall beléeue his signes and wonders 22. He shall prescribe a certaine forme of ceremonies lawes to all his folowers Finally he shall rise obscurely receiue power of princes encrease by force be folowed with all wicked traytors heretikes atheistes and shall be destroyed with the breath of Gods spirite All which conditions as they are proper and well agrée to the pope of Rome and his kingdome so the aduersaries themselues cannot shew any other vnto whome these qualities canne agree He calleth himselfe Christs vicar and yet opposeth himselfe against Christ and his kingdome He declareth himselfe a plaine aduersary in suppressing Gods word and extolling his owne constitutions and aduancing himselfe aboue all that is called God He taketh to himselfe the name power and honor that is proper to God excelling all mortall creatures in pride and arrogancy His life is full of all abominations He taketh no shame albeit his dooings be most shamefull nay albeit his ignorance in religion be excéeding great yet doth he vant himselfe that he cannot erre in decyding of matters of faith Presently vpon the decay of the Romayne empire his kingdome beganne to shew it selfe Neyther did he rise but vpon the ruines of that state Hauing gotten credite among Christians he brought in infinite nouelties into religion and by his euill example and facilitie in granting pardons wrought a great dissolution in mens manners At Rome hée now reigneth and none but hée Nay hée is reputed to bée head of the church although head of the societie of wicked and feined Christians His kingdome is plainly described in the figure of the purple whoore and of Babylon Finally his mysticall impieties persecutions of Christians merchandizing of mens soules and all those properties of antichrist which before I described appéering in him and in no other declare him to bée antichrist Neither can any medicine which the papists haue deuised helpe this gréefe As for the Noddy our aduersarie hée doth not vnderstand those reasons which hée draweth out of Bellarmine Much lesse is hée able to enforce them First hée telleth vs That antichrist shall be one singuler man But that cannot stande with the apostles wordes that teacheth vs that the mysterie of iniquitie began to worke in his time Againe the kingdome of Antichrist could not bée erected attaine to such greatnes by one man onely nor is one onely man opposite to Christ Further the state of antichrists kingdome is called an apostacie but the terme of apostacie cannot fit one man Finally Saint a 1. Ioan. 2. Iohn saith that that antichrist that was prophecied of was in the world in his time And b Tract 30. in Matthaeum Origene maketh antichrist a state or succession of men Generaliter saith hée vnus antichristus est species autem eius multae Neither haue the Scriptures or fathers any thing whereof the contrarie may directly be concluded Onely the scriptures by the figure of one beast do set out a state and the fathers do firmely adhere to the manner of spéech vsed in Scripture which by one particular man vnderstand diuers men succéeding in one state Nay the aduersaries themselues beléeue that Christ by the rocke Mat. 16. whereupon he said he would build his church vnderstood not onely Peter but all the bishops of Rome Secondly he saith That the Iewes shall receiue Antichrist for their Mesâ—ias And therefore that it is not likely that the pope should be Antichrist whome they canne neuer admit for their Messias But the antecedent is a méere fancy taken vp without ground For albeit our sauiour â—an 5. saith that the Iewes Will receiue another if he come in his owne name yet canne it not be gathered that he speaketh there of Antichrist For he speaketh indefinitely and saith if any come in his owne name that him they will receiue And so doth d In Ioan. 5. Nonnus expound it And if we should otherwise take it then would it folow that Antichrist should come in the apostles times that he might be receiued of those to whome our sauiour then spoke Thirdly he reasoneth out of Matth. 24. and 2. Thes 2. That the gospel of Christ must first be preached to all nations before the comming of Antichrist which saith he is not yet fulfilled But in the 2. Thes 2. there is no mention made of preaching the Gospell to all nations In the 24. of Matthew wée finde that the preaching of the Gospell to all nations shall bée fulfilled before Christs second comming and not before the comming of Antichrist But were this a signe of the comming of antichrist yet it is long since the sound of the Gospell hath passed throughout the world Fourthly That antichrist should be a Iewe and of the tribe of Dan is but a méere conceite of some few vpon false vnderstanding of scripture for how shall a Iewe that establisheth the ceremoniall law of Moses bée receiued among Christians Wherefore this notwithstanding the pope may bée antichrist Fiftly it is a Iewish fancie That antichrist shall reigne in Hierusalem and restore Salomons Temple Neither is anie such matter gathered out of the eleuenth chapter of the Apocalypse where it is saide not that the bodies of Henoch and Helias as this falsarie hath but That the bodies of the two prophets shall lie in the streetes of the great citie For he speaketh not of the persecution by antichrist but by the Gentiles and vnderstandeth all godly men that shall beare witnesse of the truth of Christ Iesus a Lib. 18. in Isai ad Algas q. 11. Hierome saith that all these imaginations of restoring the citie and temple ceremonies procéede from the heresie of Cerinthus And truely very strange it were if antichristes reigne continuing but thrée yéeres and a halfe as our aduersaries hold hée shoulde reedifie the citie and the temple and founde so large a kingdome as that of antichrist shall bée Sixtly it cannot bée prooued That antichrist shall expresly deny Iesus and vtterly abolish the sacraments instituted by Christ and openly professe that either hee is Messias or God himselfe Neither in the 1. of Ioh. 2. v. 22. nor Ioh. 5. nor 2. Thes 2. which places are cited to this purpose is any such thing to be founde Nay his dooings they shall bée mysticall and hée shall deceiue many But if hée shoulde plainly denie Christ and abolish his Sacraments he coulde not deceiue any Christian Saint b In Ioan. Tract 3. Augustine therefore calleth them antichrists That by their workes denie Christ And cunningly shall antichrist peruert the Sacraments and take to himselfe diuine worship All which wée sée verified by the pope and therefore rightly take him to be antichrist Seuenthly that antichrist shall worke lying miracles it is not denied For it is very apparent that popish religion doth much stande vpon miracles and the legendes red in churches are full of them But that hee shall make fire come really and visiblie downe from heauen
or make a dumbe image speake it is no where declared or prooued Neither is it a miracle for a man to feine himselfe dead and to rise againe For that euery sacrificing priest is able to do that albeit his power to worke miracles bée not great By fire therefore which antichrist shal make to come from heauen we are to vnderstand antichristes thundring excommunications and other sentences and the wrath of the court of heauen that hée séemeth to haue at his disposition By the image of the beast Apocal. 13. wée are to vnderstande new Rome which now giueth out her imperiall edicts by the beast that had a mortall wounde and yet was after a sort cured wée vnderstand the Romaine empire after a sort restored in the papacie And so all agréeth with the pope and his kingdome and sheweth him to bée antichrist Wée do also read That antichrist shall reigne two times one time and a halfe But that this number is to bée taken precisely for thrée yéeres and a halfe and no more wée do not read nor beléeue For as this time is applied to antichristes reigne so likewise is the time of 42. monethes and 1290. daies neither of which numbers doth precisely make thrée yéeres and a halfe Moreouer it is a vaine imagination to thinke that such an alteration as antichrist will make can be wrought in three yéeres and a halfe Further the doctrine of napistes concerning the comming againe of Helias is nothing but a Iewish fable as appéereth by the wordes of the apostles Matth. 17. Why do the Scribes say say they that Helias must first come Our Sauiour also declareth that Iohn Baptist was figured by Helias after a sort Their opinion concerning Henochs returne is also a méere fiction for neither in the Apocalypse chap. 11. nor in the 48. chap. of Ecclesiasticus which is all the ground our aduersaries haue to prooue these matters is there any apparance that hée shall come againe and bée slaine of antichrist So that if the papistes looke not for antichristes comming before they heare of Henoch and Helias they are like to bée much abused And as well may the old Britons looke for the returne of king Arthur as they for Henoch and Helias Lastly our aduersary dreameth when he beléeueth that within fiue and fortie daies after Antichristes death Christ shall make an end of the world and come to iudgement For if that were true then should not the end of the world come vpon such a suddaine as Matth. 24. Christ telleth nor should the same be kept from mens knowledge as he likewise teacheth that it shall Wherefore if the Noddy haue no better meanes to shift off the name of Antichrist from the pope then by determining the precise time of Christes second comming then the pope will assuredlie prooue Antichrist For that time no mortall man knoweth or can certainly know Now if the pope be Antichrist it is to no purpose to dispute whether he be one of Antichristes forerunners Yet because this Noddy will néedes for his owne pleasure dispute that question it will not be amisse for a fuller view of the mans folly to consider likewise of this his foolish dispute First to prooue that Antichrist hath his forerunners he alleadgeth a place out of b 1. Iob. 2. Iohn where he saith You haue heard how Antichrist commeth and how many are become antichristes But this prooueth that antichrist was rather then come and so directly Saint Iohn affirmeth saying That he was then in the world Which ouerthroweth the Noddies conceit of forerunners and sheweth that hée is runne out of breath and out of his wit and yet helpeth him nothing to shew that the pope of Rome is not antichrist for albeit the bishops of Rome were not antichrists in Saint Iohns time yet later popes of Rome furthering the mysterie of iniquitie that began couertly to worke in Saint Iohns time appéered plainly to bée antichrist and in them antichrist that before did worke closely and in diuers men and diuers places became openly to be knowne and reuealed Hée saith further that Turkes Mores tyrants persecuters and other wicked people and especially heretikes and sectaries are forerunners of antichrist But if this were so then might the pope also bée a forerunner of antichrist for any thing this proctor of antichrist can alleage to the contrarie surpassing all others in wickednesse and being the father and author of diuers heresies of which wée shall haue occasion to speake more héereafter And indéede séeing antichrist was long in the worlde before hée obteined his kingdome and that those that laide the foundation of his state went before the popes that openly reigned it is not strange to say that some popes were as it were pages and forerunners and workers of antichristes apostacie and that at the length other popes began to shewe themselues manifestly in his seat◠Do then wée sée this by-question helpeth him but little And yet to helpe himselfe our a P. 93 aduersarie for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 committing two faults in one Greeke word Afterward hee mooneth this question Whether Rome be Babylon or no and yet like a wise fellow hée saith it is not materiall whether it be or no. Which sheweth him to bée an idle discourser that mooueth questions that bée not to purpose Beside hée is deceiued much in his opinion For if new Rome figured by the whoore of Babylon Apocal. 17. bée the seate of antichrist and if his kingdome bée the westerne Babylon then doth the apostle plainly declare that the pope is antichrist For none hath reigned there of long time but the pope of Rome But that the state of new Rome as it is the seate of the pope is figured by the purple whoore Apocal. 17 and by Babylon it is prooued b Matth. Sutl de pontif Rom. lib. 5. already by reasons vnanswerable First the holy Ghost did signifie the destruction of old Rome or the Romaine empire in the 13. of the Reuel by the head wounded to death And therefore no reason that we should suppose hée declared the flourishing estate of the same empire in the 17. chap. which were nothing but to go backe foorth Secondly immediately after the destruction of Babylon and the purple whoore the holy Ghost speaketh of the mariage of the lambe and of the last iudgement which must ensue after the destruction of Babylon the purple whoore immediately Of which wée may gather that the popes kingdome and not the Romaine empire that is long since destroied is vnderstood by the purple whoore and by Babylon Thirdly Saint Iohn telleth vs that the beast whereupon the purple whoore did sit was to ascend out of the bottomelesse pit and was not yet in the world Necessarily therefore must we vnderstand the papacy of Rome and not the Empire of Rome by that beast that had seuen heads séeing the Empire was then most florishing and the papacy not yet established
and murder Christes lambes Our aduersary he passeth this ouer without touch and onely telleth vs That the popes power hath beene acknowledged in all Christendome for many yeeres and ages But he lyeth and forgeth in this also For the easterne churches neuer acknowledged this power nor could the pope euer sell his commodities in those countries for any mony The churches of Africke likewise resisted the popes vsurpations and forbad their people to runne to Rome eyther for fauour or iustice The Frenchmen neuer would receiue the sixt booke of decretalles His prouisions the kinges of England would neuer admitte his pilling legates were odious generally to all Christendome Finally albeit his tyranny preuailed much in latter times yet haue a Petr. de Alliac de refor eccl Conciâ— Basil grauam Gâ—â—man honest men declared the discontentement which they haue receiued by his burdensome lawes iniurious excommunications and most shameful exactions and pillages He telleth vs moreouer How Christ said to his Apostles Luk. 10. He that heareth you heareth me and he that contemneth you contemneth me But first he is mistaken in the persons to whome these wordes were spoken For these wordes were deliuered to the seuentie disciples and not to the twelue Beside were these wordes to be vnderstood of the apostles and their successors yet they concerne the pope nothing For he is no apostle béeing neither called immediately of God nor sent into al the world nor ledde into all truth nor being able to make his decretals of authenticall credite Hée is not the apostles successor for hée féedeth not nor preacheth nor doth anie part of apostolicall function Nay hee doth contrary to the apostles fashion murder Gods saints trouble Christian people and resist Christes doctrine The apostles taught such things as Christ gaue theÌ„ in instructions The popes publish nothing but fond decretals and strange doctrine not onely diuers but also in manie points contrarie to Christes Gospell and holy Scriptures But saith N. D. The bishops of Rome be successors in the apostle Saint Peters seat Which I do not altogether deny if he meane the first bishops of Rome which were indéede true bishops and succéeded Peter and other apostles teaching apostolicall doctrine So all other true and godly bishops also were successors of Peter albeit they claymed not this vniuersality and fulnesse of power which the pope pretendeth to belong to him But whatsoeuer the first bishops of Rome were yet this concerneth the pope nothing for he is no bishop nor teacher nor successor in Peters chaire but rather Simon Magus his successor buing and selling not onely sacraments and benefices but also mens soules He succéedeth also the Angelicks in worshipping angels the Carpocratians in dissolutenesse and worshipping images the Collyridians in worshipping the virgin Mary the Manichées in his halfe communions and forbidding of mariage to priests the Pelagians in extolling the force of nature and merit of works and infinite other heretickes in seuerall points of leud doctrine He succéedeth also Nero in the Empire of Rome rather then Peter that was subiect to Neroes gouernement He alleadgeth also the example of the scribes and pharisées and saith That Christ commaunded his disciples to obserue and do whatsoeuer the scribes and pharisees that sate in Moses chayre said to them And to speake truth he hath more reason to compare the pope to scribes and pharisers corrupters of the law then to the successors of Christes Apostles But yet will not this serue his purpose for our Sauiors meaning was to shew that such as sate in Moses seat and taught his law were to be heard albeit otherwise bad men But the popes do not sit in Peters seat nor in Moses chaire nor teach apostolicall or true doctrine Hée telleth vs further That railers shall not inherite Christes kingdome especially such as raile against Magistrates All which wee admitte For it is a sentence condemnatorie against the pope of Rome and his faction that of late time haue taken to themselues infinite libertie in all their writings to raile against christiaÌ„ princes and others not sparing any that is contrarie to their procéedings For witnesse proofe héereof I referre my selfe to the railing buls of Paule the third against Henrie the 8. of Pius quintus and Sixtus 5. against Elizabeth his daughter of Sixtus 5. and Gregorie the 14. against Henrie the third and fourth of France and of Sixtus 5. against the prince of Condey To Sanders Ribadineiraes Rishtons Anniball Scotus the author of the commentarie of the popes late constitutions and other most slanderous and railing libels against Quéene Elizabeth The wise fellow doth also condemne his owne scurrilous railing against sir Francis Hastings Against vs it maketh nothing that onely in plaine termes declare our aduersaries leud dealings sparing all euill termes as much as we can Neither doth this concerne the pope that is neither Magistrate nor good Christian For that which this Noddy writeth How the pope is a spirituall Magistrate and hath a higher degree of authoritie then temporall magistrates and that he doth represent immediately the person of Christ Iesus is nothing but a péece of his frierlike folly and ignorance in spirituall and temporall matters For if such high authoritie had béene giuen him no doubt but wée shoulde long ere this haue séene authenticall writings of this donation and haue heard of the particulars Now wée must take these words as procéeding from a writer of antichristes marke that for Christ woulde commend vnto vs antichrist He telleth vs That all ancient diuines and doctors for aboue a thousand yeeres togither haue taught that it is blasphemie to raile at the bishop of Rome appointed by Christ to gouerne in his place and damnation not to acknowledge his authoritie And yet he is not able to shew either one sound diuine or doctor that hath so taught Nay he is not able to name many canonistes no nor schoolemen that haue so written or spoken Thomas Aquinas a 2.2 q. 13. teacheth him That blasphemie is against God Syluester Prierius b Summa in verb. blasphemia saith Blasphemy is a sinne against God properly which he prooueth by the authoritie of Saint Ambrose and improperly against saints But the pope is neither God nor saint Nay if it bée blasphemy to attribute to man that which is proper to God as the foresaide schoolemen teach then do the papists blaspheme that giue to the pope Christs power to remit sins sticke not to call him a god on earth All ancient fathers of the church had the bishop of Rome in no other estéeme then they had other godlie bishops neither did euer any one suppose that it was damnation not to acknowledge his authoritie Nay his vniuersall authoritie ouer all the church and infinite power in deposing princes not Caluin and Luther but all ancient writers doe gainsay and denie So that vnlesse the Reader haue great patience in this place hée will hardly endure to read so shamelesse and
Gregory the first albeit he would not haue images of saintes broken downe yet condemned the worship of them and Epiphanius vtterly misliked the vsing them and setting them vp in churches which sheweth the antiquitie or rather noueltie of imagery or to say better idolatry in churches The second Nicene councell celebrated about the 774 yéere of our Lord and the fathers there were the first that went about to establish the worship of images but that idolatrous synode was oppugned by the councell of Francford and of long time after could not generally be receiued 54. In times past Christians were wont reuerently to entombe holy Martyrs and to call vpon God at their monuments But now the miserable papistes of late time haue begun to dig them out of their graues and to kisse rotten bones and ragges and to worship them and to pray to the martyrs nay to worship those that are no martyrs And euery day as there is no end of mans curiositie they make more saints and institute more pilgrimages and masses in their honor Of late time they haue begun to frequent the Lady of Loreto of Monserrat of lames of Compostella and infinite other such like saintes and places 55. By a late decrée of the councell of Florence about the yéere of our Lord 1434. The pope was declared to be head of the vniuersall church and Christes true vicar and Peters successor in the gouernment of the vniuersall church which declareth the noueltie of the papacie 56. That the pope was aboue the councell was decréed in our fathers time by Leo the tenth in the Councell of Laterane Which sheweth that till then it was commonly holden that the gouernment of the vniuersall church was aristocraticall and not monarchicall and that the councell was reputed supreme iudge of controuersies of faith and all ecclesiasticall matters and not the pope 57. In ancient time the pope neither was borne vppon mens shoulders nor had his féete kissed of great princes nor wore the crosse in his slippers to shew that hée treadeth down religion with his féete Nor had hée a triple crowne on his head nor was hée garded with bandes of soldiers nor attended on by princes and cardinals nor had he swarmes of friers and monkes to defend all his pretenses and claimes Quod solius papae pedes principes de osculentur wée read first in Gregorie the seuenth his dictates the rest we find in later records of the popes ceremonies 58. It is not long since that the pope hath vsurped power ouer generall councels and taken vpon him sole power to call them dissolue them and confirme their actes For in ancient time the councell iudged the pope as appéereth by diuers councels of Rome and by the late councell of Pisa where Alexander the fift was chosen pope and by the councell of Constance where thrée popes were deposed and by the councell of Basilea that deposed Eugenius the fourth 59. Of late time the pope hath taken on him power to make lawes to binde the whole church and to place and displace bishops and prelats at his pleasure Lately also hath hée begun to beare himselfe as supreme doctor and iudge in matters of religion in hearing of appeales out of all prouinces and in excommunicating of princes and emperors throughout the worlde 60. Vntill Boniface the 9. his time he was not Lord of Rome nor did hée beare himselfe as a temporall prince for that is testified by Theodorie of Niem and diuers other writers of histories 61. Gregorie the seuenth was the first that tooke on him to depose emperors as appeareth by his dictates and by his bloody warres Before his time it was a rare matter to sée a pope intermeddle with warres or gouernement of kingdoms After the time of Gregory these that pretend to be Peters successors prooued the onely firebrandes of all the warres and troubles in christendome 62. Before Innocent the third his time it was neuer adiudged a matter capital to thinke otherwise of religion or the sacraments of the church then the pope of Rome beléeued and taught He first persequuted Christians with all extremities and now it is the popes common practise to kill all religious Christians that shall contradict his vsurpations 63. In ancient time the popes were confirmed by emperors and neuer durst pretend a right to depose princes Now they deny any to be emperor but such as is sacred by the pope and do take to themselues power to depose princes and to cause subiectes to rebell against them 64. The first Christians albeit not tyed to emperors by oath yet neuer rebelled against wicked emperors But now the pope causeth Christians to breake their othes and they are made to beléeue that it is meritorious to rebell against princes excommunicate by the pope and to murder them Neither may we thinke it was want of meanes that made them to be obedient For a Ad Scapulam Tertullian saith that where they were the strōger yet they neuer tooke on them to fight against their princes 65. The first Christians serued God in spirite and truth and were knowne by their modestie and vertue But the religion of papists consisteth all in eating red herrings and fish in fasting knocking knéeling greasing shauing crossing ringing and outward ceremonies At Rome and in Spaine Italy are common bordels and bankes of vsurie and such dissolution that the very heathens might not compare with them Swearing whooring killing are small faultes among them so they meddle not with the popes authoritie and religion Finally for that it is not possible to rehearse all particulars I say and by Gods grace shall prooue that the whole religion of papists which wée reiect is nothing but a packe of nouelties and heresies and the corruption of true catholike and Christian religion Wherefore as in this chapter we haue noted their nouelties so in the chapter ensuing wée purpose to make good our challenge concerning their heresies which being performed I hope it will largely appéere that they are no catholikes CHAP. III. That the papists do publikely professe and teach diuers erronious points of doctrine by the ancient catholike church condemned for heresies AS in deceitfull language so in erronious iudgement the Iesuites and Romish priestes are not vnlike to the women called a Philostrat in Apollonio Horat. carm Lib. 1. Lamiae For as the flattring Lamiae by their externall shewes and faire wordes deceiued and spoiled many yoong men so these flattering and fawning fauorites of the whoore of Babylon abuse many simple youthes with their faire glosses and allure them to like the errors and heresies of poperie to their vtter ruine and destruction And as the Lamiae were verie quicke sighted when they came abroad and pierced farre into other mens matters yet were altogether blinde at home and ignorant in their owne affaires so these good fellowes although they are alwaies prying into other mens matters and pretend that they can looke through mill-stones yet are they altogither