worship them although the same be prohibited in the second commaundement Exod. 20. They erect monuments and titles and stones for signes to be worshipped contrary to the law Leuit. 26. They make euery day new gods affirming that the priest maketh his maker Now this making of new gods is noted as a propertie of idolaters Psal. 81. They reioyce in the works of their owne hands and worship the images which themselues haue made as did the idolaters whereof S. Stephen maketh mention Act. 7. They serue the hoast of heauē as the old idolatrous Iews spokē of Amos 5. Act. 7. seruing diuers saints and as they call them Militiam curiam coelestem that is the soldiory and court of heauen As the statues of the Gentiles were siluer and gold the worke of mens hands and had mouthes and spoke not eies and saw not as sayth the Prophet Psal. 1 14. so is it with the images of Papists that albeit of costly matter and curious workemanship yet neither speake with their mouthes nor sée with their eyes As idolaters burnt incense to their statues as we reade 2. Paral. 30. so do Papists burne incense to their images Thirdly they fall into those abuses which the Fathers of y t Church thought worthy to be reprehended of old time as sauoring of idolatry The Gentiles thought they could represent God in a materiall image And so do the Papists making the image of God the Father and God the holy Ghost The Fathers therefore reprehend them both alike Quis tam amens erit saith Eusebius praeparat Euangel c. 3. vt Dei formam imaginem statua viro simili referri perhibeat Who wil be so mad to think that the forme and image of God may be expressed by an image like vnto a man Hierome likewise writing vpon the fortith of Isay What image saith he wil you make for him which is a spirit and is in all places Ambrose in his oration of the death of Theodosius sayth It is an errour of the Gentiles to worship the crosse Inuenit Helena saith he crucem Domini regem adorauit non lignum vtique quia hic Gentilis est error sed adorauit illum qui pependit in cruce The councell of Laodicea condemneth the worship of Angels as idolatrous So like wise saith Tertullian de praescrip aduers. haeret that the heresie of the Simonians in seruing of Angels was reputed among idolatries Simonianae magiae disciplina Angelis seruiēs vtique ipsa inter idololatrias deputabatur Hierome in an Epistle of his to Riparius saith that Christians neither adore nor worship Martyrs nor Sun nor Moone nor Angels least they should therein rather serue creatures then the Creator Tertullian doth also say that euery lie of God is after a sort a variation of the kind of idolatrie Omne mendacium de Deo variatio quodammodo sexus est idololatriae Both he and diuers others say that heresie is a kind of idolatrie How then can they cleare themselues from the blemish of idolatrie that worship the crosse serue and worship Angels and are authors of so many sorts of heresies Fourthly they must néedes deny the crosse and the images of the Trinitie and the crucifixe to be creatures and works of their owne hands or else in worshipping of them they must néedes confesse and yéeld themselues to be idolaters But that they cannot do Finally the testimonie of their owne conscience doth proue them to be idolaters in that they leaue out the second commandement or as they make it a péece of the first commandement that is direct against the adoration and worship of grauen images and the making of them to that end in most of their Catechismes Manuals Psalters and rituall bookes where they rehearse the ten commandements as their Ladies psalters short Catechismes and diuers of their bookes do testifie But since it pleased God to restore religion in the church of England the leuen of popish doctrine and heresie is purged out the breach of schisme and diuision from the Catholike Church is repaired and all superstitious and idolatrous worships are quite abolished and remoued out of the Church CHAP. XI Of good workes and good life THe Ministers of God as they are guides to their people and teachers of the law so ought they to go before their flockes shewing them examples to prouoke them to do good workes and to cōforme their liues according to the lawes of God Shew thy selfe an example of good workes sayth Paul to Titus All true Christians also should shew themselues zealous of good workes For we are Gods workmanship created in Christ to good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them This is our doctrine and the practise of all that professe our religion If any hypocrites be found among vs that walke not according to their profession we renounce them we weed them out we punish them If worldings and fleshly Papists that liue in the Realme do giue occasion of offence this ought not to be imputed to our Religion nor the true professors thereof that desire nothing more then that such may be weeded out and expulsed both out of the Church and Common-wealth But if we looke backe to former times we shall find that the Papists haue not onely erred in the practise but also in the doctrine of good workes For first they denie that the law of God is a perfect rule of life And therefore haue inuented other rules whereby they hope to attaine to a further perfection Secondly they hold that by the law of God we haue not knowledge of all sinnes teaching that it is as well mortall sinne to transgresse the Popes lawes as to transgresse Gods lawes as Nauarrus teacheth vs in his Manuall by many particulars Thirdly they giue absolution to euery haynous sinner confessing his sins before he hath repented Fourthly they suppose that euery man is able to satisfie for the temporall penaltie of 〈◊〉 and that the Pope hath power by his indulgences to remit 〈◊〉 concerning the penaltie without satisfaction 〈◊〉 they teach that no man néedeth to repent for veniall sinnes and that such sinnes exclude vs not out of the kingdome of heauen Sixthly they teach that man is able perfectly to 〈◊〉 the law and by a good consequent to abstaine from all sinne which S. Hierome declareth to be Pelagianisme Seuenthly they hold contrary to the Apostle that man is to be iustified by the workes of the law and that eternall life is to be purchased by our owne workes and merites Many other 〈◊〉 points of doctrin they haue beside these But their practise is farre worse then their doctrine For omitting the weightier points of the law like their ancesters the Pharisees they stand much on fithing Mint and Commin and washings such like ceremonies Their principall works are forswearing of mariage begging like vagabond fellowes eating muscles cockles and salt fish and such like on fasting dayes and saints vigiles taking ashes
Encoun cap. 15. but the Catholike church is the rule of faith as he holdeth Ward-word Encontr pag. 6. He doth also obiect against vs diuers alterations of religion in England in king Henry the eight his raigne and in king Edwards dayes and then asketh by what authoritie our rule of faith was established But first he might as well haue spoken of y t alteration made in 〈◊〉 Maries dayes when the impieties of Popish religiō were established by act of Parliament Secondly the alterations in religion made in England of late time make no variation in the rule of faith that is alwayes one but in the application and vse of it Thirdly albeit by act of Parliament the articles of religion were confirmed wherein the canon of scriptures and the substance of our confession is set downe yet was that rathēr a declaration of our acceptance then a confirmation of the rule of faith that in it selfe is alwayes immoueable Our rule of faith therefore is certaine albeit not alwaies in one sort approued or receiued by men But y e rule of Popish faith neither in it self nor in y e approbatiō of Parliaments or Churches is certaine or immoueable Finally he asketh a question of Sir Francis in his Wardword p. 5. how he knoweth his religion to be true And saith he hath only two meanes to guide himselfe in this case and that is either Scriptures or the preaching of our Ministers But this question as I haue shewed toucheth himselfe that buildeth his faith vpon the Pope nearer then Sir Francis who groundeth himselfe his faith only vpon y t holy Scriptures and is assured of his faith not 〈◊〉 these two meanes onely but by diuers others For beside Scriptures he hath the help of the Sacraments of the Church of Gods spirit working within him of miracles recorded in scriptures of auncient Fathers of the practise of the Church of the consent of nations of the confession of the aduersaries of the suffering of Martyrs and testimonies of learned men and such like arguments In this question therefore Robert Parsons shewed himselfe to be a silly Frier and to haue had more malice then might In time past also we were as shéepe going astray and out of the vnion of the Catholike and Apostolike Church Diuers of our auncestors worshipped the crosse and the images of the Trinitie with diuine worship Some like bruite beasts fell downe before Idols crept to the crosse and kissed wood and stone Others worshipped Angels the blessed Uirgin and Saints praying vnto them in all their necessities trusting in them saying Masses in their honour and offering incense and prayers to their pictures and images For so they were taught or rather mistaught by popish Priests The Romish 〈◊〉 in the very foundations of religion was departed from the Apostolike and Catholike Church The schoolemen brought their proofes out of the Popes Decretals and Aristotles Metaphysickes Est Petri sedes saith Bellarmine in Praefat. ante lib. de Pont. Rom. lapis probatus angularis pretiosus in 〈◊〉 fundatus The See of Peter is an approued corner stone precious and laid in the foundation The same man lib. 2. de Pont. Rom. cap. 31. calleth the Pope the foundation of the Church Sanders calleth him the Rocke 〈◊〉 nunc à Christo saith Stapleton relect princip doctr in Praef. eorúmue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locū 〈◊〉 That is Others now beside Christ and their doctrine preaching and determination shall be esteemed of me as a foundation This he saith where he talketh of the foundation 〈◊〉 religion and the Church But the catholike Church had no foundation beside Christ Iesus and his holy word and Gospell taught by the Prophets and Apostles The Apostle Gal. 1. denounced him accursed that taught any other Gospell then that which he had preached The holy Fathers proued the faith by holy Scriptures and not by popish Decretals and philosophicall Principles Concerning Christs bodie the Romanists taught that the same is both in heauen and in the Sacrament albeit we neither could see it there nor féele it But the scriptures teach vs that his bodie is both palpable and visible and is now taken vp into heauen So likewise teach the Fathers Vigilius in his fourth booke against Eutyches speaking of Christs bodie When it was on earth saith he surely it was not in heauen and now because it is in heauen certainely it is not on earth They haue also brought in new doctrine concerning Purgatorie and indulgences and which is no more like to the auncient catholike faith then heresie and noueltie to Christian religion They teach that whosoeuer doth not satisfie in this life for the temporall punishment of mortall sinnes committed after baptisme and remitted concerning the guiltinesse must satisfie for the same in Purgatorie vnlesse it please the Pope by his indulgences to release him Of the 〈◊〉 of soules in Purgatorie and of the nature qualitie and effect of indulgences they talke idlely and vnlike to the schollers of Catholikes The Catholicke doctrine concerning the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords supper they haue quite changed in Baptisme adding salt spittle hallowed water 〈◊〉 blowings annointings light and other strange ceremonies In the Lords supper taking away the cup from the communicants and not deliuering but hanging vp or carying about the Sacrament and worshipping it as God and finally beléeuing holding transubstantiation They haue also deuised other sacraments and taught that they containe grace and 〈◊〉 They were wont to kisse the Popes toe and to receiue his dunghill decretals worshipping Antichrist and intitling him Christs Uicar All which nouelties superstitions and heresies by her Maiesties godly reformation are abolished who hath restored the auncient Catholike and Apostolike faith which the Popes of Rome for the most part had altered suppressed She hath also by her authoritie brought vs to the vnitie of the Catholike faith and by good lawes confirmed true Christian religion Before our times there was no settlement in matters of Religion Durand denieth Diuinitie to be Scientia Thomas and Richard Middleton hold that it is Writing vpon the master of Sentences the school-mē striue about the words vti and frui dissenting not only from their master but also from one another They differ also much about the distinction of diuine attributes Vtrum sit realis formalis an rationis tantùm This saith Dionysius a Charterhouse Monke is one of the chiefe difficulties of Diuines and about it betweene famous Doctors is great dissention and contention Aegidius doth lance Thomas and others runne vpon both Aegidius in lib. 1. sent dist 2. would haue the persons of the Trinitie to be distinguished by a certaine thing in one that is not in another but others condemne him for that opinion Writing vpon the 3. dist lib. 1. sent they denie their masters examples and one condemneth another Bonauenture saith that men may attaine to the knowledge of the holy Trinitie by naturall
vaine opposition of enemies and traitors may perswade vs that it is so For not onely their 〈◊〉 do 〈◊〉 that both the Church and State was well ordered for otherwise they would haue bene better pleased but also their vaine ianglings and contradictions they being not able to obiect any thing which soundeth not to her Maiesties honour and high commendations confirme the same CHAP. XIII Parsons his cursed talke of cursings of England by chaunge of Religion and gouernment under Queene Elizabeth examined THe Prophet Dauid speaking of the foolish and wicked men of his time saith that their throate is an open sepulchre and afterward that their mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse The which we sée verified in the Pope and his impious sect For their throates are wide as the 〈◊〉 and swallow the wealth of Europe They also degorge out of them all the wickednesse and villanie they can deuise against the godly Pius Quintus and 〈◊〉 Quintus accurse the Quéene Robert Parsons following their 〈◊〉 raileth vpon her in diuers libels In his Warn-word that is a complement of his foolery he sayth We receiued no blessings by her but rather cursings Here therefore we are to answer the barking of this cursed hel-hound and of his accursed companions In the first encounter of his Wardword p. 4. he 〈◊〉 We are deuided from the general body of catholickes in Christendome But this should haue bene proued if he would haue any man to giue him credit For we alleage that the Papists from whom we are deuided are no Catholikes beleeuing the new doctrines of the late conuenticles of Lateran Constance Florence Trent other Friers priests which neither were receiued of all men nor in all times nor in all places which is the true propertie of Catholicke doctrine Next we offer to proue that we are true Catholikes séeing the doctrine of our faith is Apostolicall and vniuersally approued of all true Christians and for the most part confessed by the Papists vntil of late time If then this be a principall curse to be deuided from Catholickes then doth the same fall on Parsons his own head and vpon his trecherous consorts and not vpon vs. Secondly he saith that we of England are deuided from Lutherans Zuinglians and Caluinists abroad and from Puritanes Brownists and other like good fellowes at home But this common Iergon of Papists is already answered For neither do we acknowledge the names of Lutherans Zuinglians and Caluinists nor cau he shew that the Church of England is deuided from the Churches of France Germanie or Suizzerland or that one Church oppugneth another If any priuate man do maintaine priuat opinions in 〈◊〉 as diuers Germaines French and English do or else if there be any difference among vs concerning ceremonies and 〈◊〉 that doth no more make a schisme in our church 〈◊〉 the diuers rites of Spanish French and Italians and diuers opinions in al points of religion betwéen old and new Romish Doctors maketh a schisine in the Romish Church For generally we all agree in substance of faith in rites ceremonies refer euery Church to their libertie In England publikely there is more vniformitie in doctrine prayers ceremonies then in the Romish Church albeit some priuat men whom Parsons vseth to call Puritanes dissent in some points As among the Papists there are diuers that allow not all which they hold commonly But saith he in his Warne-word Encont 1. c. 15. the French Germaines and Scottish do not agrée with the English in the rule of faith as is proued in the foure fiue and sixe and sequent chapters But if he had found any differences he would not haue spared to set them down In the chapters mentioned he sheweth not that we differ in any article of faith or substantiall point of religion but rather in rites ceremonies and some diuers interpretations of some words of Scripture Thirdly he would make his reader beléeue that we haue no certaintie in religion and that as he foole-wisely imagineth because we haue no certaine rule whereby to direct our consciences And this he handleth both in his Wardword 1. Encontr and Warnw. 1. enc c. 15. 16. and other places skipping like an ape vp an downe without rule order or reason But while he talketh of the rule of faith he is direct contrary to himselfe For in his Wardw. p. 6. he sayth that the vniuersal Church was the direct rule and squire which we ought to follow and in the Warnw. Enc. 1. c. 15. nu 10. he teacheth that it is the summe and corpes of Christian doctrine deliuered at the beginning by the miracles and preachings of the Apostles Where I omit to tell Robert Parsons that it is absurd to make the same thing to be a rule and a squire the rule being direct and the squire being square It is also ridiculous though I do not tell him of it to say that Christs doctrine was deliuered by miracles for it was deliuered by writing and preaching and confirmed by miracles But I cannot for beare to tell him that there is great 〈◊〉 betwéene the Catholike Church and the Catholike doctrine How then can these two make one rule Next he taketh exception to my words where I say that the Church of England hath a certaine rule to follow in matters of faith as if she canon of scriptures and those conclusions which are to be drawne out of them were no certaine rule or else as if traditions that are no where certainly described or set downe were a more certaine and authenticall rule then scriptures and necessary deductions out of them Fourthly he giueth out that we despaire of all certaine rule or meane to trie the truth which is a most desperate and impudent kind of dealing For directly I told him before and now I tell him againe that our rule is most certaine being nothing else but the canonicall Scriptures and the conclusions necessary drawne out of them Nay this rule may in part be confirmed by Parsons his owne confession For if the corps of Christian doctrine preached by the Apostles be the rule of faith as he saith VVarnw 1. encont c. 15. where are we to find it but in holy Scriptures He holdeth percase that it is to be found in the Popes bosome But if he say so in schooles he shal not want a greater plaudit then he had when hauing ended his comicall dealings in Bayliol colledge he was rung and hissed out of the house For who knoweth not that scabs and villany are rather to be found in the Popes bosome then any corpes of 〈◊〉 doctrine for that is very rife with them With the corpes of Apostolicall doctrine the Italian atheisticall Popes are litle acquainted We tel him further y e for trial of any point of doctrine we are not to run to the Popes sea which is as much able to resolue vs as his close stoole but to the word of God reuealed in Scriptures and if
brutishnesse and base people in seruitude and superstitious people in vanities and superstitions CHAP. VI. Of the contradictions of popish Doctors in principall points of Religion OF the dissentions of popish Doctors in matters of religion I haue said somewhat before Yet because Papists make vnitie in matters of faith to be a marke of the Church and confidently deny that their Doctors dissent in any point of any moment I haue thought good to insist yet more vpon this point that the world may see not only their miserie that as men not resolued in most points of religion wauer betwixt contrarie opinions but also their notorious impudencie that deny it Therein also doth appeare some Papists wonderfull simplicitie that séeing the contention of their Doctors do not vnderstand their differences and séeeing their differences and vncertaintie of popish Religion do notwithstanding sticke fast in the filthy dregs and abhominable corruptions thereof Pighius lib. 1. Eccles. hierarch cap. 2. saith That Scriptures are not aboue our faith but subiect vnto it Stapleton Princip doctrin lib. 12. cap. 15. holdeth that the Church and Scriptures are of equall authoritie Eckius in enchirid loc com cap. de Eccles. saith That the Scriptures are not authenticall without the authoritie of the church Bellarmine thought best not to dispute this question Nicholas Lyra Hugo Dionysius Carthusianus Hugo Cardinalis Thomas de Vio and Sixtus Senensis lib. 1. Biblioth sanctae reiect the last seuen Chapters of the booke of Hester as not canonicall Scripture The Conuenticle of Trent Bellarmine and most popish Doctors of late time hold them to be canonicall and thinke hardly of those which teach contrarie Iohn Driedo lib. 1. de Scripturis dogmat Eccles. denyeth the booke of Baruch to be canonicall Scripture Bellarmine lib. 1. de verb. Dei and most of his fellowes be of a contrarie opinion Caietan and Erasmus in their Commentaries vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes of Iames Iude the second of Peter the second and third of Iohn do dissent from the rest of their fellowes partly concerning the authors and partly concerning the authoritie of those Epistles Iames bishop of Christopolis in Praefat. in Psalm And Canus lib. 2. cap. 13. de locis theologicis affirme That the Iewes haue depraued and corrupted the Scriptures An opinion false and blasphemous and therefore contradicted by Bellarmine lib. 2. de verb. Dei and diuers others Sainctes Pagninus in Praefat. interpretationis suae Biblior And Paulus bishop of Foro-sempronij lib. 2. cap. 1. de die passionis Domini deny that the vulgar Latine translation was made by Hierome Augustine of Eugubium and Iohn Picus of Mirandula hold contrarie Bellarmine and Driedo say that it is part his and part others Alexander Hales and Durand hold that the diuine attributes are not distinguished but in respect vnto creatures Henricus and Albertus Magnus in 1. Sent. dist 2. hold contrarie Richardus in dist 3. lib. 1. sent holdeth that the most holy Trinitie may be demonstrated by naturall reasons Scotus and Francis Maronis and Thomas affirme contrarie About the faculties of the soule called potentiae the schoolmen are deuided into three sects Some hold that they are al one with the substance of the soule others that they are accidents the third that they are betwéene substances and accidents Abbas Ioachim and Richardus de sancto victore taught diuinam essentiam generare gigni The contrary is taught by Peter Lombard and his followers Peter Lombard lib. sent 1. dist 17. taught that charitie wherewith we loue God and our neighbor is the holy Ghost and that it is not any thing created But now most of his followers haue in this point forsaken him and hold contrarie In the 24. distinct of his first booke the same Peter Lombard saith that words of number spoken of God are spoken onely relatiuely and that the word Trinitie implieth nothing 〈◊〉 but onely priuatiuely Which because it contrarieth the mysterie of the holy Trinitie is denied almost by all his followers In the 44. distinction of the same booke he saith that God can alwayes doe whatsoeuer he could euer do and willeth whatsoeuer he would at any time and knoweth whatsoeuer he he knew at any time But his disciples hold direct contrarie Thomas p. 1. q. 46. art 2. holdeth that the world or at the least some creature might haue bene from euerlasting So likewise holdeth Bonauenture and some others Richardus doeth maintaine the opposite opinion The Maister of Sentences in 4. dist 1. and Gabriel and Vega lib. 7. in concil Trident. c. 13. hold that not onely substances but accidents are also created Alexander Hales q. 9. m. 6. q. 10. m. 1. and Thomas p. 1. q. 45. art 4. affirme that only substances are created About this question An omnium aeuiternorum sit vnum aeuum vel 〈◊〉 there are fiue Different opinions the first of Scotus the second of Thomas the third of Durand the fourth of Henricus the fift of Bonauenture Likewise about this question Quae sit ratio formalis cur Angelus sit in loco there are fiue 〈◊〉 opinions all repugnant one to another Thomas and Richardus do affirme that 〈◊〉 Angels cannot be in one place together Scotus Occham and Gabriel hold the contrary Thomas teacheth that Angels haue not intellectum agentem possibilem Scotus doth directly contradict him Scotus and Gabriel teach that diuels and good Angels do vnderstand naturally both our thoughts and the thoughts one of another but to Thomas p. 1. q. 57. art 4. this seemeth absurd Antisiodorensis lib. 2. sum teacheth that Christ had Angelum custodem other schoole-men denie it Scotus sayth that the will is the onely subiect of sinne Thomas denieth it Concerning the place of paradise there are thrée different opinions Some hold that it 〈◊〉 to the circle of the Moone Thom. in 2. dist 17. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 place it vpon a high mountaine The rest place it in the East Concerning the nature of free wil 〈◊〉 are diuersities of opinions among schoolemen and others as Iosephus Angles sheweth in lib. 2. sent dist 24. 25. Richardus holdeth that frée will cannot be chaunged by God Others for the most part hold the contrary Thomas Bonauenture and Sotus hold that grace is not a qualitie infused but a qualitie inherent in the soule Alexander Hales and Scotus hold that it is a qualitie infused Iosephus Angles in lib. 2. sent dist 26. rehearseth thrée seuerall opinions of schoole doctors about the diuision of grace in gratiam operantem cooperantem whereby it may appeare that in talking of grace they do endeuor to shut out grace Certaine schollers of Thomas beléeue and teach that no man being of yeares of discretion can be iustified by the absolute power of God without the act and concurrence of free will Scotus Vega and Caietane say quite contrary Both their opinions are touched by Iosephus Angles in 2. sent dist 27. Richardus in 2. dist 27. art 2. q. 1. Scotus in
doubt not if he come into England but to sée him crowned at Tiburne and his quarters enstalled at Newgate and Moregate Finally fol. 88. b. he doth againe inculcate the same matters and pretendeth that he was set on by certaine puritanes and hungrie protestants But if he knew any of vs guilty of such a crime I doubt not but he would haue reuealed their names vsing to kéepe nothing secret that might hurt vs. We haue rather great cause to suspect Papists who were the principall men about him and some percase suborned by the Spanish Infantaes faction that feared him and by all meanes sought his destruction And thus euery man may see that no man euer pleaded the Popes cause with worse grace then Parsons who obiecteth nothing to his aduersaries but that which falleth beside them and reboundeth backe on himselfe and his friends In the places aboue mentioned he endeuoreth also to sprinkle some suspition vpon sir Francis and me as if we had bene priuy to the Earles intentions But we were too farre off to be partakers of his counsels and too far different from sir Chr. Blunt and other Papists to consort with them and I may boldly say not so simple as to allow of such an action Parsons therefore may do well either to forbeare such foolish toyes or to take better information of matters He calleth the Earle my master but therein he is no lesse abused then in the rest For albeit I haue in diuers actions serued vnder him yet so did diuers others Knights Lords that neuer called him master Fol. 20. he giueth out foolish words as if some of our religion which he calleth Puritanes should intend to take some port or towne in England But that as it is a matter far from our doctrine and practise so it is common with the Papists as may be proued by the example of such as came with the Spaniards an 1597. 98. for Falmouth and of the 〈◊〉 leaguers the Popes blessed souldiers in France Was not then sir Robert a woodden discourser that hath no fault to obiect against vs which he can proue and yet specifieth diuers things whereof his owne consorts are most guilty Fol. 25. a. Taxing me for diuers faults this masked O. E sayth he shewing himselfe no lesse full of malice and 〈◊〉 hatred against Catholikes then furious in heresie falleth from flattering her Maiestie to bloodie sycophancie and calumniation of Catholikes as though they hated her Maiesties person Whereto that I may answer according to Parsons owne vaine I say that this masked N. D. sheweth himselfe an-egregious Noddy that chargeth men with malice poysoned hatred against Catholikes fury heresie calumniation and sycophancy and yet neither nameth who these Catholikes are nor bringeth one letter to iustifie his furious accusatioÌ„ I say further that he is neither Catholike nor honest man but a furious sycophant hired for crusts of bread to calumniate honest men and an irreligious apostate and heretike and yet not more wicked for religion then damnable for his odious conuersation And where I say that Papists as many as were linked to Parsons and his packing consorts were enemies to her Maiesties person their manifold plots and attempts against her Maiesty their continuall adhearing to her enemies do proue my saying true Parsons also hath by diuers libels and namely by Philopater which he denieth to be his and by the printing and publishing of Sanders booke de Schismate and the libell which was partly made by him and partly by Allen and by diuers practises against her life and state proued himselfe to be a dogge in barking and a poysoned enemie in conspiring against her We will onely alledge a few lines out of Allens libell printed by Parsons against the Queene She is sayth he a most vniust vsurper an open iniurer of all nations an infamous depriued accursed excommunicate hereticke the very shame of her sexe and princely name the chiefe spectacle of sinne and abhomination in this our age and the onely poyson calamity and destruction of our noble Church and countrey Now would I gladly know whether those that allow this 〈◊〉 of writing did not both hate and séeke to hurt her Maiesty Next whether such as do allow such malicious railing and libelling do not concurre with them in hatred and deserue to be hated and expulsed out of all kingdomes well gouerned as leud libellers venimous serpents and damnable traitors Let any man reade the first page of the Wardword sayth Parsons and then tell me whether this minister haue any forhead at al though his head be great inough who saith I do not so much as go about to proue any such matter that he flattered the state And this saith he forgetting his owne brazen face and forehead and the blacksmiths his mothers husbands forked head and his mothers litle honestie recorded in so many bookes of the secular priests and spoken of commonly in the country Beside that it is most apparent that he doth not once mentioÌ„ sir Francis in the first page â—f his book saue in the title much lesse proue him a flatterer And if as he saith that was the but of his discourse then like a blind archer he missed the but shot wide and far off It appeareth also that he was not in his wits when he began thus to exclaim and cry alarme Fol 35. he imputeth vnto me idle babling and calumniation whereas all his wast Warne-word is nothing but a fardle of idle words and méere babling and foolery except where he addeth some additions of knauery that not only in calumniation and lying but also in diuers kinds of villany and trechery Fol. 36. he sayth I flatter to get a bigger benefice But if a man should aske him how he knoweth my mind he wil like a restie iade be at a stop Onely he imagineth me to be like himselfe who caused a solemne supplication to be presented to the King of Spaine subscribed with the hands of diuers base knaues and whores for want of more worthy witnesses declaring that to vphold the cacolike cause it was necessary that Robert Parsons should be made forsooth no lesse then a Cardinall He made meanes also for the Kings letters to the Pope to the same effect And no doubt they had taken effect but that he had iugled too much aboue the boord and was knowne to be a bastardly base refuse ribaldicall rascall fellow Fol. â— speaking of sir Francis like Scogan he scorneth and like an impudent companion accuseth him as not abounding in good workes whereas himself aboundeth in all euil workes as for example impietie heresie trechery filchery lying cogging lechery beastly filthinesse and all knauery As for sir Francis his pietie charitable dealing the same is sufficiently knowne and greatly should I wrong him if I shold compare him with any of Parsons his consorts which was begotten on the backside of a smiths forge in that cuntry where sir Francis hath an honorable charge
therefore is like to those which dig pits for others but fall into them themselues He hath prepared weapons for vs but like a mad lot hath hurt himselfe with the same Finally Captaine Cowbucke like a noble woodcocke is caught in his owne springes CHAP. IX A catalogue of certaine principall lies vttered by Robert Parsons in his late Warne-word THe Spirit of God as the Apostle sayth speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue heed vnto spirits of errour and doctrines of diuels which speake lyes through hypocrisie and haue their 〈◊〉 burned with a hote yron Which prophecy as in other heretikes so especially in y e 〈◊〉 we may sée most plainely and euidently to be fulfilled For they departing from the auncient and Catholike faith taught by the holy Apostles and Prophets and recorded in holy Scriptures haue giuen héed to spirits of error and beléeued the trash of vnwritten traditions and lying legends and therupon haue founded their prohibitions of certaine meates and mariages and such like doctrines of diuels confirming their opinions with grosse lies vttered with seared consciences and brazen faces contrary to all shew of truth They take to themselues the name of doctors and fathers but are false teachers and vnkind traitors And as Theodoret saith of certaine heretikes Christianorum sibi appellatione imposita apertè docent contraria Calling themselues Christians or Catholikes Catholikes they openly teach contrary I could specifie it by Caesar Baronius and 〈◊〉 by Sanders Stapleton and diuers other principall authors of the popish sect But I will not match any man of note with so notorious a dolt and so base a swad as Robert Parsons is of whom we are now to speake though not much to his commendation The onely example of Parsons and y e in one of his fardles of lies which we are now to rip vp shall shew them to be notorious and bold lyers The diuellish and erronious doctrine of friars we haue touched before and shall haue often occasion to mention In the front of his booke he promiseth the issue of three former treatises and in the second page talketh of eight encounters But he falsifieth his promise and lieth grossely For of the thrée former treatises he toucheth onely two chapters and of eight encounters entreth onely vpon two Further he declineth the true issue of matters and runneth bias like a warped bowle of dudgeon into impertinent idle questions Doth he not therfore as Hierom saith of one make shipwwracke in the port In his Epistle to the Reader taking vpon him to deliuer the summe of the controuersie betwixt him and vs he wracketh himselfe like wise thinking to wreake his malice vpon vs and beginneth with á grosse lie There hapned saith he some few yeares past he noteth 1599. in the margent as often also before a certaine false alarme of a Spanish inuasion then said to be vpon the seas towards England Where I néed not to note the idiotisme of Parsons speech that talketh of a Spanish inuasion vpon the sea towards England being elsewhere noted but only I wil touch his impudencie in lying and denying that about this time the Spaniards were ready with forces at the Groyne for the inuasion of England And the rather for that this was the occasion that moued Sir Francis Hastings to giue warning to his countrey and also because the same sheweth that Parsons is very sorie that any man is acquainted with the 〈◊〉 of the Spanish King and that he could not take vs sléeping and so closely and priuiliy cut his countrimens throtes I say then it is a lie most notorious to affirme that the alarme giuen vpon occasion of the Spanish preparations anno 1598. for an inuasion of some part of England was false And proue it first by the words of the King who recouering out of a trance and comming to himself asked if the 〈◊〉 were gone for England Secondly by the prouisions of ships and men made at the Groyne and Lisbone and which coming thence shaped their course for England albeit they were by wether beaten back Thirdly by the testimony of one Leake a Masse priest that was dealt with all to come for England Fourthly by the testimonie of the Secular priests in their reply to Parsons his libell fol. 65. sequent who directly charge Parsons to be a solicitor of these pretended attempts anno 1598. Fiftly by Parsons his letters from Rome to Fitzherbert wherein he desireth to vnderstand the successe of the fleete that anno 1598. was to go for England Finally by the 〈◊〉 proclamation made at the Groyne and whereof diuers printed copies were to be dispersed in England vpon his arriuall here The which for that it discouereth the pride of the Spaniard and the malice of the English traitors I haue thought it not amisse to set downe the whole tenour of the proclamation with some animaduersions in the margent Considering saith the Adelantado the obligation which his catholike 〈◊〉 my Lord and master hath receiued of God almightie to defend and protect his holy faith and the Apostolicall Romane church he hath procured by the best meanes he could for to reduce to the auncient and true religion the kingdomes of England and Ireland as much as possibly hath bin in his power And all hath not bene sufficient to take away the offence done against God in dommage of the selfesame kingdoms with scandale of whole christianity yea rather abusing the clemency and benignity of his Catholike Maiestie the heads and chiefe of the heretikes which litle 〈◊〉 God haue taken courage to extend their euill doctrine with the oppressing of Catholikes martyring them and by diuers wayes and meanes taking from them their liues and goods forcing them by violence to follow their damnable sects and errours which they haue hardly done to the losse of many soules Which considered his Catholike Maiesty is determined to fauour and protect these Catholikes which couragiously haue defended the Catholike faith and not onely those but such also as by pusillanimity and humane respects haue consented vnto them forced thereunto through the hard and cruell dealing of the said Catholikes heretical enemies And for the execution of his holyzeale he hath commaunded me that with force by sea and land which be and shall be at my charge to procure al meanes necessary for the reduction of the said kingdomes vnto the obedience of the Catholike Romane church In complement of the which I declare and protest that these forces shall be employed for to execute this holy intent of his Catholike Maiestie directed onely to the common good of the true religion and Catholikes of those kingdomes as wel those which be already declared catholikes as others who wil declare themselues for such For all shall be receiued and admitted by me in his royall name which shall separate and apart themselues from the 〈◊〉
in 〈◊〉 and seeketh if not to kill yet to 〈◊〉 his countriment and friends imputing vnto them most horrible opinions and crimes It resteth then that we set vpon him a mark as vpō Caine that euery man may know him for a suppost of Satan although herein we néed not much to 〈◊〉 seeing the first letter of Kellisons name who fathereth this monstrous 〈◊〉 is K. and the man is noted among his companions for a great quareller about his commons The poore fellow is but a kettle doctor or rather a Tinker of broken schoole distinctions and a professor rather then a performer of any 〈◊〉 learning The fellow talketh idly of new religion but neither doeth he know what is new nor what is old nor what belongeth to religion that taketh popery for religion and estéemeth the masse and decretaliue doctrine which this Church of England refuseth to be auncient and the apostolike faith which we professe to be new The fourth is termed A briefe and cleare confutation of a new vaine and vanting challenge and is directed against a treatise set out some two or thrée yeares agone by mee wherein is proued that the Masse-priests and their adherents are neither Catholikes nor good Christians But so learnedly and wisely hath the author of this braggard 〈◊〉 handled the matter that his good friends are sory to sée so worthy a worke misnamed For if he had done me right he should haue called his pamphlet A confirmation of my challenge for so in truth it is the author answering nothing to the purpose and rather by silence consenting then by good answering contradicting our arguments The most of his discourse standeth vpon bitter railing vaine talking and childish 〈◊〉 about serious matters If any man doubted whether popery were heresie before I doubt not but that this weake discourse that yéeldeth no satisfaction to any indifferent Reader may resolue him The author of this deuise as we are credibly informed is VValpoole the ruler of the kitchin or porredge pot of the colledge of yong English popish traitors in Rome In Italian they call him Padre ministro or padre de minestra or Lord chiefe steward of the schollers porredge The same man is that Walpoole that gaue poyson to Squire and corrupted him by promises of great rewards both in this life and the life to come if he would vndertake to empoyson Quéene Elizabeth the late Earle of Essex and hauing gained a promise at his hands swore him vpon the sacrament to performe the same The fellow is recorded in publike act bookes for these infamous 〈◊〉 and knowne to be a notorious traitor and an atheist We are not therfore much to maruell if this wicked Iebusites libel be ful of bitternes atheisme and poison procéeding from so impious an atheist and so cunning a master in the art of empoisoning If any thing wanted in Walpool whose wits are grosse muddy like a standing poole or sink of villany yet was the same bountifully supplied by Robert Parsons the Rector of the quire of Romish conspirators You may then imagine what a loade of leasings calumniations and fooleries such two coach horses were able to draw out of their miry inuentions Much are the simple papists to be pitied that listē to such wicked traitors and suffer themselues to be abused by such notorious and infamous impostors Unto all these libels there are seueral answers in making If they be not presently answered maruel not They are of too large a blocke to be read ouer hastily My countrimen thinke if the whole impressions of these foure books might be had that they would wel serue to paue Shaftsbury causy There would onely be this difference that for cobble stones and rough slates we should haue cobbled bookes and rough hewne libels as fit to be troden vpon as read ouer Others think because they are in forme octagonall and for the most part as thick as long made like brick-bats that they would finely serue séeing the holy father is said to be the foundatiō of the Pope-holy church to lay vpon him for the rearing vp of the wals of some Romish synagogue so it wold be like foundatiō like wals As soone as such huge thick volumes may be run ouer they shall God willing receiue an answer 〈◊〉 such indiabolated authors and such wicked railing stuffe In the meane while receiue this censure of them al. First they are such as need no long coargutiō It is a sufficient course of conuiction of them to declare their perfidious falshood So writeth Hierome in an epistle to Marcella of like stuffe Haec sunt quae coargutione non indigent perfidiam eorum exposuisse superasse est Big they looke if we respect the bulk but nothing is more friuolous if we respect the matter Out of great heapes of chaffe there is no corne to be gathered neither can we expect better substance out of these fardles of wast paper which like chaffe may be blowne away with any litle blast of reason and discussion All of them are of like argument and for the most part repeate the same things Parsons he playeth the part of that friuolous pleader of whom Augustine speaketh in his 86. epistle Eadem atque eadem saepe dicit non aliud inueniendo quod dicat nisi quod inaniter adrem non pertinens dicit He inculcateth the same things often finding nothing else to say but that he repeateth matters vainely and which are not to the purpose The authors spread abroade shamefull rumors against most honest and innocent men and that which procéeded first from themselues they pretend to haue heard of others being themselues both the authors and amplifiers of those rumors Such fellowes Hierome in his Epistle to Furia de vid. seruand doth rightly describe Hirumores turpissimos serunt sayth he quod ab ipsis egressum est id ab alijs se audisse simulant ijdem 〈◊〉 exaggeratores The Papists giue out most shameful reports of Luther Caluin Beza nay of kings and princes Afterward they cause such sycophants as Bolsecus Staphilus Cochleus Sanders Ribadineira and such lunatical barking helhounds to write them and so euery odde companion taketh hint from them in time the rest shame not to diuulge and increase these leud reports themselues The most of the witnesses alleaged by these fellowes are men suborned by thēselues Such are those which already I mentioned Such is Surius and such is that cogging and lying writer of legends and lyes Caesar Baronius and his felfellowes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Euripides sayth in Andromacha 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Emperors and Caesars for lies and rare enginers to deuise mischiefe But as Hierome sayth ad 〈◊〉 That is an authenticall testimony that had no cause to shift matters by vntruths 〈◊〉 est testimonium quod causas non habet mentiendi But the Papists without lies and forgeries cannot long maintaine their 〈◊〉 cause The authors striue against the truth as much
thē selues vnto them or the interpreters which Austin brought 〈◊〉 him from Gallia which then had a tongue common to both Gaules and Britons had before conuerted But suppose that either himselfe speaking British or Saxon or by some interpreter should haue conuerted some few yet all that amounteth to nothing and is scarce worth the speaking of it Secondly suppose some Britans or Saxons had bene conuerted to Christian Religion by preachers sent from Rome in auncient time when religion was pure and sincere yet Parsons hath no reason to make any great clamor vpon so small aduantage For first all those that are conuerted to religion are not to subiect themselues to those churches frō whence those came that did conuert thē or else to y t bishops that sent them The church of Rome acknowledgeth no subiection to the Church of Ierusalem or to the Bishop thereof Neither doth Friseland or Germany that was conuerted by Saxons that came out of England acknowledge our Church or Bishops to be their superiors But were Rome beholding to Ierusalem from whence her first preachers came yet do not the Romanists now turne Turkes because Turkes preside at Ierusalem Suppose then we were beholding to Christian Romanes yet what is that to Antichristian Romanes that haue declined almost into as grosse impieties as Turks and worship idols or as they 〈◊〉 them images so grossely that the Turkes do condemne them and may iustly rise vp too against them in iudgement Againe suppose we had bene beholding to the auncient Romanes yet this maketh nothing for the moderne inhabitants of Rome that either are a race of Gothes and Lombards that were enemies to the Romanes or else a collection and Ramasse of other nations nothing like to the Romanes Finally if we ought to embrace that religion that was either taught by S. Peter 〈◊〉 Austin or by other Christian Bishops in their times then are we to renounce the decretaliue doctrine of Popes together with the philosophicall mixtures of schoole diuines both which haue bin brought into the Church long after the ages wherein they liued Furthermore the idolalatrous worship of the crosse with latria of the saints with dulia of the blessed virgine with hyperdulia the doctrine of Papists concerning the carnall eating of Christs bodie transsubstantion halfe Communions priuate Masses reseruation of the Sacrament purgatorie for temporall paines after the guilt remitted popish indulgences and other popish trash might be packing It would also be time for the Pope with his triple crowne two swords guard of Suizzers Cardinals Monkes Masse-priests and Friers to trusse vppe his trinkets and to make himselfe readie for his iourney into some farre countrey beyond all Christianitie For neuer shall Robert Parsons proue albeit he could conuert him selfe into all shapes that Britaine was conuerted to any such religion as this or that the Church then had such a forme as now wée see in Rome Page 103. hée alleageth two proofes whereof the 〈◊〉 he calleth negatiue the second affirmatiue and thereby hopeth to shew that the moderne Romish Religion is all one with the auncient Christian Religion But his negatiue ridiculous proofe is denied His affirmatiue is rather a bare affirmation then a proofe For first against his negatiue we offer to proue that not onely the points of Romish doctrine which the Church of England refuseth are brought in long after the Apostles time but also that they are contrary to the Apostles doctrine But suppose we knew no originall of some of the 〈◊〉 heresies are they therefore no heresies Is idolatry no idolatry because the first beginning thereof is not knowne Or are the Angelikes Archontikes Crosse-worpers Nudipedals Monothelites and diuers other heretikes true Catholikes because the Papists cannot shew who first broached these heresies Secondly albeit the Magdeburgians and some other learned men find fault with some termes vsed by the fathers as of sacrifice altar priest purgatorie 〈◊〉 will and some other yet that sheweth not either that all the fathers vsed these termes or that any of those that vsed them consented with the 〈◊〉 which from new termes are growne to new and strange doctrine Beside that Parsons disputeth ridiculously which ascribeth the particular and priuate 〈◊〉 of some one or few among vs to the whole Church He himselfe albeit he affirme many things desperately will not yéeld vs this point against his owne 〈◊〉 So we sée Parsons his whole treatise of three 〈◊〉 easily 〈◊〉 in thrée words and with the 〈◊〉 of a 〈◊〉 The second part of Parsons his treatise wherein he pretendeth to make search for the religion professed in England is wholly without the compasse of his title of thrée conuersions So simple was he in his choise that he could not choose a title to fit his fantasticall worke Beside that he seemeth to be blind that could not find our Religion in the auncient Church of Christ for a thousand yeares after Christ and long after For there is no point or article of faith taught by the Apostles receiued by the consent of the whole Church in any auncient and lawfull Councell but we receiue it and embrace it Nor do we professe any thing in the Creed of the Apostles or of the Nicene and other auncient Councels which the auncient fathers did not also together with vs receiue and professe While therefore the light-headed frier ranne poasting through all ages and 〈◊〉 to enquire for newes of our Church which he might sée if he would in all places he resembleth much that wise fellow that could not see wood for trées Neither is it material that in auncient time he findeth no opposition made against the Popes primacy or vniuersall power or to the Masse or to the doctrine of transsubstantiation the carnall presence in the Eucharist the sacrifice of the masse the 7. sacraments purgatory indulgences such like For who seeth not that it is most ridiculous to make search for opposition against popish doctrine heresie before the same was extant in the world But as soone as any began to chalenge the name of Oecumenical or vniuersal Bishop Gregory the first challenged him for it as the fore-runner of Antichrist The worship of images allowed after a sort in the second Councell of Nice though not in such grosse maner as now was oppugned in the Councell of Francford in the time of Charlemaine The carnall presence of Christs body in the sacrament was not beleeued by Gregory the 7. as Beno reporteth and was both thē and afterward disliked by many Transsubstantiatiō was disputed against by the schoolmen All the Easterne Church spurned against the Popes headship his purgatory and indulgences Neither since the time of the first beginning of these corruptions did y e Albigenses Valdenses Wiclephians and Bohemians as they are called together with diuers others cease to exclaime against these popish abuses But saith Parsons these did not in all things agrée with vs. Yet if he speake of matters of faith he wrongeth them and
A True Relation Of ENGLANDS Happinesse Vnder the Raigne of Queene ELIZABETH And the miserable Estate of Papists vnder the Popes Tyrany By M. S. Printed 1629. TO THE MOST RELIGIOVS AND VERTVOVS PRINCE KING IAMES by the grace of God King of England Scotland France and Jreland Defender of the true 〈◊〉 and Catholike faith AS Kings receiue their kingdomes and authoritie from God so most gracious and dread Soueraigne they prosper and flourish most when they empoloy their royall authoritie for the aduancement of the true seruice and honour of God Of Hezekiah the holy Scriptures giue testimonie That he did vprightly in the sight of the Lord according to all that Dauid his father had done and that he tooke away the high places and brake the grauen images and cut downe the groues and brake in peeces the brazen serpent that Moses had made And againe 〈◊〉 he claue to the Lord and departed not from him but kept his commandements Therefore it followeth So the Lord was with him and he prospered in all things that he took in hand The same we likewise find verified in your 〈◊〉 predecessor Queene Elizabeth of glorious memorie At her first coming to the Crowne she brake downe grauen and molten Images she tooke downe high altars and remoued away all monuments of superstition out of the Church she feared not the malignitie of men but claue to the Lord resoluing to keepe his holy commaundements and to see God worshipped according to the prescript rule of his sacred word She was all her life long a harbor to the distressed children of God a refuge to the oppressed a protector of the persecuted for the testimonie of Christ Iesus a nursing mother of Gods Church Therefore God maruellously 〈◊〉 her both against the force of foneine enemies and also against the 〈◊〉 of domesticall traitors and caused her to prosper in all her affaires She liued raigned long and happily and dying left behind her a sweet memory of many blessings by her meanes bestowed vpon her people Contrariwise such as either know not or did not remember from whence they receiued their kingly honor but either neglected the worship of God or else for Gods worship established superstition and idolatrie in the Church haue seldome long raigned or prospered in their kingdomes Ieroboam forgetting what great fauor God had done him aduancing him from low estate to the kingdome and renting it from the house of Dauid to giue it vnto him receiued a threatning message from the Lord by the hand of the Prophet Ahijah 1. King 14. The same also was shortly after accomplished For God brought euill vpon the house of Ieroboam and cut off his posteritie because he did euill in the sight of the Lord and erected idolatrie at Bethel Likewise Queene Mary who brought this land not onely vnder the commaund of Spaniards and Italians but also vnder the heauie yoke of Antichrist burdensome both to mens ciuill estates and also to their consciences erected superstition and idolatrie which before had bene banished and persecuted the Saints of God that would not bow their knees to Baal had a short troublesome and vnhappie raigne and left behind her nothing but hatred for her crueltie and infamy for her vnnaturall dealing with her subiects and misgouernement In both we find that accomplished which the Lord speaketh by the Prophet 1. Sam. 2. Them saith he that honor me I will honor and they that despise me shall be despised For neither will the Lord faile his inheritance nor hath the throne of iniquitie fellowship with God Dagon could not stand before the Arke of God nor shall the worshippers of Dagon preuaile against the seruants of God The which although both particularly in the diuers gouernement of Queene Elizabeth and Queene Mary and also generally by the examples of all that either fauoured or disfauoured true religion it appeareth most euidently yet because Robert Parsons an Apostate somtime from religion and now an vtter enemie to the state and a renegate Englishman for hatred to the truth and loue to Poperie in a large discourse doth endeuour to disgrace the proceedings of Queene Elizabeth in reformation of religion especially and to commend the State of the realme vnder Queen Mary and of all Papists vnder the Romish gouernement I haue thought good particularly to demonstrat I haue also wiped away both his malicious imputations encountred him in his railing inuectiues defending the honor of our dread soueraigne whose memorie shall neuer die in the minds of her louing subiects and answering for true religion calumniated by the slanderous tongues of the supposts and slaues of Antichrist This discourse although not of that perfection that it may seeme worthy to be presented to so great a King yet for that it containeth a defence of your Maiesties predecessor which you honour and of that religion which you professe I am bold to consecrate to your Maiestie as the first fruites of my loyall affection towards you Therin also your Maiestie may see not only a precedent to follow but also a reward proposed to those that studiously and couragiously seeke to aduance pietie and true religion The aduersarie by all meanes seeketh to suppresse truth and to aduance idolatrie and popish errors misconstruing things well done imputing crimes to innocents excusing offenders denying things manifest forging and deuising matters neuer done nor imagined But while he hath sought to bring disgrace not onely vpon true religion but also vpon the restorers and defenders thereof he hath giuen vs iust occasion to shew that the doctrine religion and practise of Papists is not only repugnant to truth but also enemie to Princes and States grieuous to Christians and profitable to none but to the slaues and adherents of Antichrist Further I haue made it apparant that the state of popish Religion is no way to be maintained but by trecherie and massacres by lying railing and forgerie being hatefull both to God and man and the cause of many miseries and calamities Vouchsafe therefore most worthy and noble King to reade this discourse ensuing It shal declare vnto your Maiestie plainely by what meanes you may establish your estate Queene Elizabeth in her latter dayes was made beleeue that remisse dealing in matters of religion would assure her life often sought for by Papists and her State that they by all meanes haue sought to ouerthrow But this her remisnesse gaue her enemies oportunitie to practise against her life and to make a strong partie against Religion and the State as your 〈◊〉 very well knoweth For the same is lately broken out to the hazard of your royall person and the indangering of the State and God knoweth whether those that haue intended mischiefe against your royall Maiestie that neuer offended them did not worke mischiefe against her whom they tooke to be the obstacle of all their plots and desseines Your Maiestie I doubt not will wisely consider of these plotters and their
the impudencie of the man so boldly extolling traitors and forreine enemies together with his singular arrogancy despising his own nation and his foolish speakes for the Popes cause stollen out of others and put forth as his wont is in his owne name had extorted from me a reply to his Wardword Which certes might haue bin wel spared considering the sufficiencie of the Knights apologie if I had seene it before I had ended my reply For what is there in the Wardword worthy of answer seeing the same consisteth wholy of lies and patches and old ends stollen from others often refuted before And what answer can be deuised so slender that counteruaileth not such a hochpotch of words To these replies published by vs after long silence we see that Robert Parsons hath purposed to set forth a reioynder For we haue already receiued two parts of nine but so fraught with calumniations and lies malicious and scornful termes odious and filthy reproches that it seemeth he hath spent all his store of poison and despaireth to perfect the rest This booke albeit most contemptible containing nothing but disgracefull matter against her Maiesties proceedings that is lately deceased and childish disputes for some few points of poperie yet haue I thought good to handle not for any worth that can be in any such packe of pedlary stuffe set to sale by this petit merchant but for that iust occasion is thereby giuen vnto me to insist vpon the cōmendatiō of our late Queene for her heroical vertues and happy gouernment by this wicked traitor and vnworthy swad wickedly disgraced and especially for her singular pietie and zeale in restoring religion and abolishing Poperie O that she had bene so happy to keepe out the Ministers of Antichrist once expulsed as at the first to expulse them and put them out of her kingdome but what by yeelding to intreatie of some about her by this generation foully abused and what by tolerating of such as were sent in by forreine enemies to practise against her life and kingdome and what drawne backe by those that entertained intelligēce with publike enemies she was 〈◊〉 to slacke execution of lawes if not to suspend them to her owne great trouble and to the 〈◊〉 of Religion and the State but that God by his prouidence supplied the defects of 〈◊〉 By the 〈◊〉 Warne-word I haue also bene warned to discourse of the miserable and dangerous estate both of 〈◊〉 and their subiects that liue vnder the thraldom of the Pope and that both in regard of matters of State and of Religion Finally albeit Robert Parsons hitherto hath vsed scurrilous railing for his warrant protection against those that haue dealt with him and like as a foxe pursued with hounds with the filthy stench of his stile endeuoureth to make them giue ouer the chase yet I shall so touch him for his impietie making a iest at Scriptures and Religion for his scurrilitie railing without wit or modestie for his doltish ignorance committing most grosse and childish errors for his lies and forgerie vsing neither respect of truth nor common honestie that I hope I shall turne his laughing into another note If I speak roundly to him and his consorts yet I do not as he doth speake falsly Sharpnes he ought not to mislike hauing begun this course Neither can others iustly reproue me considering my aduersaries audacious impudencie Si falsa dicimus saith Hilarie infamis sit sermo maledicus Si verò vniuersa haec manifesta esse ostendimus nō sumus extra Apostolicā libertatem modestiā If we tell matters false then let our sharpe speech be infamous If all we report be manifestly proued then are we not out of the limites of Apostolical libertie and modestie Howbeit what measure is to be required in him that is to incounter a man of such vnmeasurable and outragious behauiour In the first booke the honor of her Maiestie late deceassed and her proceedings in the alteration of religion is defended In the second the grieuances of Christians vnder the Popes gouernement both in matters of conscience and their temporal estate are plainely discouered In the last we are to incounter with the ridiculous manner of Parsons behauior and writing 〈◊〉 he might percase thinke himselfe wise therein God turne all to his glorie to the manifestation of truth the detection of errors and the shame of the shamelesse patrons thereof The first Booke containing a defence of Queene Elizabeths most pious and happie gouernement impugned in a scurrilous libell intitled A warne-word The Preface to the first Booke I Need not I trust make any large discourse in calling to remembrance the noble and heroicall acts of our late Queene and most gracious Soueraigne Ladie Elizabeth of famous and godly memory For as Iesus the sonne of Syrach said of famous men of auncient time so we may say of her that her name will liue from generation to generation Her kind loue to her subiects and gracious fauours done both to English and other nations will neuer be forgotten His words likewise concerning his famous ancesters may be well applied vnto her She was renowned for her power and was wise in counsel She ruled her people by counsel by the knowledge of learning fit for them She was rich and mightie in power and liued peaceably at home Her remembrance therefore is as the composition of sweete perfume that is made by the art of the Apothecary and is sweete as hony in all mouthes as it is said of Iosias In his steps she insisted and behaued her self vprightly in the reformatiō of the people took away al abominatiōs of iniquity She reformed the abuses and corruptions of popish religion which through the working of the mystery of iniquitie had now won credit in the world and ouerthrew the idoll of the Masse and banished all idolatrie out of the Church She directed her heart to the Lord and in the time of the vngodly she established Religion She put her trust in the Lord and after that wicked and vngodly men had brought vs back into Aegyptian seruitude she deliuered vs from the bondage of the wicked Aegyptians and restored Religion according to the rules of Apostolicall doctrine But because as in the time of Iosias the Priests of Baal so in our times their of-spring the Masse-priests cannot brooke her reformation but looke backe to the abominations of Aegypt and Babylon I haue thought it conuenient not only to declare at large what benefites the people of England now fiue and fortie yeares almost enioyed by her gracious and happie gouernement but also to iustifie the same against the slaunderous calumniations and 〈◊〉 of Robert Parsons her borne subiect but now a renegate Iebusite and professed enemie who in diuers wicked libels and paltrie pamphlets hath endeuoured to obscure her great glorie and to deface her worthie actions Wherein that I may proceed with more perspicuitie I think it fit to reason first
reason others say contrarie The Scotists lib. 1. sent dist 5. inuey against Henricus de Gandauo for his opinion about the eternall generation of the Sonne of God Aegidius holdeth that the son of God hath power to beget another son which displeaseth Thomas and Bonauenture and is very strange doctrine Thomas Aquinas part 1. q. 32. art 4. saith that Doctors may hold contrary opinions Circa notiones in diuinis He teacheth also that the holy Ghost doth more principally proceed from the Father then from the Sonne which others mislike If then they agrée not about the doctrine of the holy Trinitie it is not like that in matters wherein they haue libertie to dissent they will better agrée Scotus holdeth that the soule and an Angell do not differ as two diuers kinds Others teach contrary Some Doctors hold that Angels consist of forme onely others hold contrary They dissent also about the sin of our first parents Pighius in the doctrine of original sin dissenteth from his fellowes Innocentius in c. maiores de bapt eius effect misliketh the opinion of the master of the Sentences that held it to be pronitas ad peccandum that is a pronenesse to sinne The Thomists to this day could neuer be reconciled to the Scotists about the conception of our Ladie these denying she was conceiued in sin the others affirming it Gropper in his exposition of the Créed confesseth that among the Papists there are two diuers opinions about Christs descending into hell Bellarmine in his bookes of controuersies doth not more violently run vpon vs then vpon his owne consorts In euery article almost he bringeth contrary expositions of Scriptures and contrary opinions In the sacrament of the Lords supper which is a pledge of loue there are infinite contradictions among them as I haue shewed in my bookes de Missa against Bellarmine The like contentions I haue shewed in my Treatises de Indulgentijs de Purgatorio and shall haue occasion more at large to speake of them hereafter We are therefore to thanke God that the doctrine of faith in the Church of England is setled and that refusing all nouelties we agrée therein with the auncient catholike Church We acknowledge one Lord one faith one baptisme one head of the Church one canon of Scriptures with the auncient fathers The rules of all auncient and lawfull generall Councels concerning the faith we admit We haue one vniforme order for publike prayers administration of Sacraments and Gods seruice Neither do we onely agrée among our selues but also with the reformed Churches of France and Germany and other nations especially in matters of faith and saluation And as for ceremonies and rites it cannot be denied but that all Churches therein haue their libertie as the diuersities of auncient Churches and testimonies of Fathers do teach vs. Most vaine therefore and contumelious is that discourse of N. D. in his Warne-word 1. encontr ca. 4 5 6. where he talketh of the difference of soft and rigide Lutherans among themselues of them from Anabaptists and from Zwinglians of all from the followers of Seruetus and Valentine Gentilis For neither do we acknowledge the names of Lutherans Caluinians or Zuinglians but onely call our selues Christians nor haue we to do with the Arians or Anabaptists or Seruetus or Gentilis or any heretikes Nay by our Doctors these fellowes haue bene diligently confuted and by our gouernors the principall of them haue bene punished But these may Parsons reply haue bin among vs. Admit it 〈◊〉 so yet do not our aduersaries take themselues to be guiltie of Arianisme and Anabaptisme because there are diuers guiltie of Arianisme and Anabaptisme among them We say further that the Churches of Germany France and England agree albeit priuate men hold priuate opinions Finally where we talk of the Church of England what a ridiculous sot was this to bring an instance of the Churches of Germany or Suizzerland nay not of the Churches but of priuat persons and that in matters not very substantiall if we admit their owne interpretations Hauing therefore talked his pleasure of Lutherans and Zuinglians he descendeth to speak of rigid and soft Caluinists as he calleth them in England He calleth them also Protestants and Puritanes But neither do we admit these names of faction nor is he able to shew that publikely any Christian is tolerated to 〈◊〉 either in matters of faith or rites from the Church of England But if any there be that mislike our rites yet is not that contention about matters of faith nor can the disorder of priuate persons hinder the publike vnion of the Church Finally I do not know any man now but he is reasonably well satisfied concerning matters of discipline albeit the same be with the great griefe of Papists who go about to stirre vp the coles of contention as much as they can that heretofore haue bene couered CHAP. II. Of the restoring of Christian Religion and the reduction of the Church of England to the true faith TRue faith in time of Poperie was a great stranger in England most men being ignorant of all points of christian Religion the rest holding diuers erronious points and heresies Their ignorance we shall proue by diuers testimonies hereafter Their errors and heresies are very apparent and at large proued in my late challenge That which the Apostle calleth the doctrine of diuels 1. Tim. 4. that they imbrace for doctrine of faith For they forbid their Priests Monkes Friers and Nuns to marrie and commaund the Benedictines and their Charterhouse Monkes at all times to abstaine from flesh They also forbid men to eate flesh vpon all fasting dayes fridayes and saterdayes and in Lent dissoluing the commandements of God by their owne traditions The Manicheyes abstained from egges as Saint Augustine sheweth lib. de haeres cap. 46. Nec 〈◊〉 saltem sumunt quasi ipsacùm franguntur expirent nec oporteat vllis corporibus mortuis vesci So likewise did Papists at certain times they cal such as allow y e mariage of priests sectatores libidinum praeceptores vitiorum that is followers of lusts and teachers of vices albeit the Apostle affirmeth mariage 〈◊〉 be honorable in all sorts of men They dissolue such mariages albeit Christ teach that man is not to separate them whom God hath ioyned together Their Fastes they place in eating of fish and not in abstinence from all sustenance as the auncient Fathers by their doctrine and practise taught Some count it as mortall sinne to eate flesh on fridayes as to kill a man and that a Priest doth sinne lesse in committing fornication then in matching himselfe in honest mariage and yet they confesse that fornication is against the law of God and not the mariages of priests They tolerated common whores as did Simon Magus and other heretickes and now in Rome the Pope notwithstanding his pretended holinesse receiueth a tribute from them They do also sell Masses imposition of hands
benefices and make money of their god of the altar and their religion which sauoureth of the heresie of Simon Magus Venalia nobis saith Mantuan Templa sacerdotes altaria sacra coronae Ignis thura preces coelum est venale 〈◊〉 That is churches priests altars sacraments crownes fire incense prayers yea heauen and God himselfe are set to sale among vs. Brigit in her reuelations cap. 232. saith Priestes are worse then Iudas for that he sold Christ for mony but they barter him for all commodities As the Basilidians worshipped images vsed enchantments and superstitious adiurations so do they worshipping not onely materiall images but also their fantasticall imaginations They also exorcise water and salt saying Exorcizo te creatura aquae againe exorcizo te creatura salis With the Heretickes called Staurolatrae they worship the crosse with the Angelikes they serue and worship Angels with the Armenians they make the images of God the Father and the holy Ghost As the Nazarites mingled Iewish ceremonies with christian Religion so do Papists borrowing from them their paschal lambe their Iubileys their priestly apparell their altars their Leuiticall rites and diuers other Iewish ceremonies Irenaeus lib. 1. aduers. 〈◊〉 cap. 30. saith that Marcion and Saturninus first taught abstinence from liuing creatures from whom the Papists séeme to haue borrowed their abstinence frō certaine meates as lesse holy then others Our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles as S. Augustine saith Epist. 86. ad Casulanum neuer appointed what dayes we ought to fast and what not The Papists therefore haue their fasts from others then from Christ or his Apostles From the Manicheys they borrow their communions vnder one kind as may be proued by the Chapt. relatum and comperimus dist 2. de consecrat and by Leo his fourth Sermon de quadrages The Helcesaites make Christ in heauen to differ from Christ on earth as saith Theodoret haeret fabul lib. 2. cap. de Helcesaeis his words are these Christum non vnum dicunt sed hunc quidem infernè illum verò supernè So likewise the Papists teach that Christs bodie in heauen is visible and palpable but not as it is in the Sacrament With the Pelagians they concurre in many points as I haue at large declared in my late challenge Hoc Pelagiani audent dicere saith S. Augustine lib. 2. de bono perseuerantiae c. 5. hominem iustum in hac vita nullum habere peccatum Now how can they cleare themselues from this that hold that a man is able to performe the law of God perfectly The Apostle Paul denyeth that we are iustified before God by the workes of the law The Papists haue taught quite contrarie He teacheth vs not to glorie in our works They say quite contrarie that men may glorie in their workes He sheweth that as many as receiue the sacrament of the Lords bodie are also to receiue the sacrament of his bloud They denie the cuppe to all the communicants beside the priest Our Sauiour instituting the Sacrament of his last supper said Accipite manducate that is take and eate These imagine that he offered his bodie and bloud really and corporally at his last supper and that he appointed his bodie and bloud actually to be offered in the Masse and not alwaies to be sacramentally and spiritually receiued of the communicants The Papists teach that wicked men reprobates and diuels may haue true faith But the Apostle teacheth that true faith iustifieth that they which haue it liue by faith Commonly they hold that charitie is the forme of faith Which if it were true then could not faith subsist without charitie But the Apostle teacheth vs that faith as faith doth make the iust to liue and auncient Christians were alwayes ignorant of these philosophicall fancies They hold that diuers sinnes are committed which are not forbidden by Gods law But this sheweth that the law of God as they suppose is not perfect and that the lawes of man hauing nothing in them of Gods law bind the conscience as well as the law of God Finally the very foundations of popish religion are erronious the same being founded partly vpon the decretals of Popes partly vpon the traditions of men contained partly in their Missals breuiaries 〈◊〉 other rituall books partly in their fabulous legends and partly in the chest of the Popes brest and partly vpon the old Latin translation of the Bible which the Romanists hold to be authenticall and partly vpō the interpretations of the Romish Church But since it pleased God to put into her Maiesties royall heart a resolution to reforme the church that was so much deformed by the pharisaicall and superstitious additions of y e Papists to restore religion according to y e doctrine of y e Apostles Prophets not only all former heresies errors were abolished but also the true doctrine of faith was restored The which is apparent not onely by the articles of Religion which we professe but also by our publike confessions and apologies which we haue published at diuers times And in part it may be proued by the secret confession of our aduersaries For albeit they would gladly cauill against our confessions yet they take their grounds commonly out of Luther Zuinglius Caluin Melancthon and others not often medling with our confessions Diuers of them also are wont to call vs negatiue Diuines Which argueth that so much as we hold positiuely is for the most part confessed by the aduersaries themselues and that we bring in no new faith but that which alwayes hath bene holden and maintained in the Church of Christ desiring onely that the positiue errors heresies and superstitions of Papists may be abolished Wherefore as Christians in time past extolled Constantine the great that gaue libertie to al his subiects to professe the Christian religion that assembled synods of Bishops and confirmed their decrees so ought we to celebrate the memory of our gracious 〈◊〉 that gaue libertie to all Christians to professe the truth that caused diuers assemblies of learned men and ratified the Christian faith by her authoritie CHAP. III. Of the true and sincere administration of the Sacraments of the Church restored in England OF the holy rites and sacraments of Christian religion we cannot speake without griefe of heart when we consider how shamefully they were abused mangled and corrupted by the synagogue of Antichrist Where Christ ordained onely two Sacraments to wit Baptisme where he said Teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost and the sacrament of his body and blood where he said Take eate this is my body and drinke ye all of this for this is the blood of the new testament and do this in remembrance of me that synagogue hath added fiue other sacraments giuing the same vertue to their extreme vnction and to mariage and orders concerning iustification that they giue to Baptisme the Lords supper The master
England and Ireland burning so bright by the solicitation of Paul the third Pius the fifth Gregorie thirtéenth and fourteenth and this Clement that now possesseth the throne of Antichrist do so plainely declare them to be firebrands of warre and trouble Well therefore said Petrarke that in Rome all those mischiefes were hatched that are now spread through the world and neuer shall Christian Princes haue loyall subiects as long as seditious Masse-priests are suffered to lurk within their kingdomes In countries subiect to y t Pope they count it a little fault to murder mē now frō thence are come certaine assassins which for hire and by perswasions are induced to kill men There also impoysonments are most common The Popes themselues vse to drinke of poysoned cups and that by the iust iudgement of God séeing by the cup of their poysoned doctrine according to the prophecy Apoc. 17. they haue empoysoned many Christian nations To conclude this large discourse there is no state of men vnder the Popes iurisdiction but it is growne to great dissolution and corruption of manners and may be conuinced of diuers sinnes and abominations by infinite witnesses and confessions if we would stand vpon it but I will content my selfe with two or three Breidenbach in the historie of his peregrination speaketh generally and sayth Recessit lex à sacerdotibus c. that is the law is departed from priests iustice from princes counsell from elders good dealing from the people loue from parents reuerence from subiects charitie from prelates religion from Monkes honestie from yong men discipline from clerkes learning from masters study from schollers equitie from Iudges concord from citizens feare from seruants good fellowship from husbandmen truth from merchants valor from Noblemen chastitie from virgins humility from widowes loue from maried folks patience from poore men O time ô manners And Walter Mapes that liued in the time of Henry the second King of England Virtutes cunctae saith he en iacent defunctae All vertues lie now dead Charitie is no where to be found And againe In truth I find that the whole Cleargy doth studie wickednesse and impietie enuie raigneth truth is exiled The prelates are Lucifers heires They being now aduanced tread downe others blinde guides they are and blinded with idolatrie of earthly things Robert Bishop of Aquila in his Sermons of which Sixtus Senensis maketh mention in the third booke of his Biblioth sanct speaketh thus to his countrie of Italie O Italia plange ô Italia time ô Italia caue ne propter obstinationem tuam in te desaeuiat ira Dei c. Tu in dies 〈◊〉 efficeris in peccatis malitia perseuerando Fiunt iam 〈◊〉 vsur ae publicae omnia foedata sunt spurcissimis vitijs carnis ignominiosae Sodomiae superbia pomparum iam occupauit omnes ciuitates terras 〈◊〉 Dei periuria mendacia iniustitiae violentiae oppressiones pauperum similia superabundant O Italie saith he lament ô Italie feare ô Italie beware lest for thy obstinacie the wrath of God waxe not cruell against thee c. Thou euery day art more and more hardened perseuering in thy sinnes and maliciousnesse Euery where men set vp bankes of vsurie all things are defiled with most foule vices of the flesh and most shamefull sodomie Pride in pompous shewes haue now filled cities and countries blasphemies against God periuries lies iniustice violence orpression of the poore and such like vices do superabound I would further insist vpon this argument but that I referre diuers matters ouer to the second booke where I shall haue occasion more particularly to examine the good workes of Papists But the Church of England neither alloweth publike shewes nor bankes of vsurie nor dispenseth with oathes of subiects to Princes or alloweth periurie nor shall Robert Parsons find such filthines and abhominations among the professors of our religion as are commonly practised by y t Popes Cardinals Masse-priests Monkes Friars and Nuns and their followers All corruptions in doctrine concerning good workes are reformed and diuers abuses concerning manners among the Papists taken away The which séeing it procéeded wholly of that reformation of religion which Quéen Elizabeth of pious memorie wrought by her regall authoritie among vs we are most gratefully to accept that worke and by exercises of 〈◊〉 and charity to indeuour to shew our selues not vnworthie either of our profession or of so great a blessing Against this discourse Robert Parsons talketh very scornfully and saith first that the experience of the whole world will deny that good workes are fruites of our religion But if he had bene well aduised he would haue forborne to talke of experience For whosoeuer hath liued among those that are of our religion and among Papists also must néedes say that the liues of Romanists are abhominable offending in whosedome Sodomie periurie vsurie and all impieties and discharge vs deterring and abhorring those vices and punishing them seuerely Beside that if he meant to winne credit he would not talke of the whole world being not able to name one honest man that will iustifie that which he talketh Secondly he saith our best friends renounce our workes And then alleageth an Epistle of Erasmus mentioned by Surius a Postil of Luther and a testimonie out of Aurifaber But first Erasmus is none of our best friends being in most points an 〈◊〉 and a professed Masse-priest And if he were our friend yet haue we no reason to beléeue Surius a malicious enemie and a base Monke hired to speake lyes Secondly it is a ridiculous foolerie where we dispute of the fruites of the Gospell in England in Queene Elizabeths dayes to bring testimonies of Luther and Aurifaber that were dead before her time and speake of some of their countrie people Thirdly they speake not of the whole 〈◊〉 Church in Germanie but rather of some that albeit they disliked Poperie yet did not sincerely embrace the truth Finally neither Luther nor Aurifaber doth charge his countrie people with such faults as raigne among Papists He must therfore seek some witnesses that speake more to purpose and leaue his owne treasons filthinesse periurie lying gluttonie and drunkennesse before he talke of good workes Finally he pratleth much concerning the merit of workes But if he had bene vsed according to his merits then had the crowes long ere this eaten his carion flesh He 〈◊〉 also that we should giue a caueat to auoide hypocriticall oftentation albeit any man shold do good works But this caueat concerneth him but a litle whose workes are most wicked and odious his writings being nothing but either lying and rayling libels or fond and trifling discourses of points of Poperie and his practises tending all to murdering empoysoning sedition warre and 〈◊〉 CHAP. XII Of temporall benefites enioyed by Queene Elizabeths most happie gouernment BEside great successe in affaires of the Church God hath also blessed the people of England in ciuil matters in regard that his name is truly
Stand fast saith the Apostle in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free and be not intangled againe with the yoke of bondage And Tully would haue men contend for libertie vnto the death The poore slaue in Plautus could say that all men had rather be free then bond Omnes profectò saith he liberi libentiùs sumus quà m seruimus Yet such is the ouerthwart humour of some men that rather then they will continue long in one and the selfe same setled state will not doubt to hazard their life and libertie vpon hope of better happe in a new gouernment The children of Israel had not long continued in the wildernesse after their wonderfull deliuerance out of Aegypt but they began to murmure vpon the first pinch of hunger And all the congregation of the sonnes of Israel saith the Scripture murmured against Moyses and Aaron in the wildernes and the sonnes of Israel said vnto them would to God we had died by the hand of God in the land of Aegypt So much it grieued them to remember their bellies which were wont to be filled in Aegypt not remembring the slauerie wherein they once liued nor the land whereto they were going So likewise some there are among vs that not knowing or not remembring the grieuances of the popish gouernment nor wel considering their present freedome and happie state looke backe to Rome and the Popes golden promises and rather will venture their soules and bodies then still enioy that libertie and freedome which they haue receiued from their auncestors Of this sort are first a sort of rinegued English fugitiues that runne to the Pope and Spaniard and are by them perswaded to become sacrificing Priests and traitors and secondly such as are seduced by them all of them drinking of the golden cuppe of the whoore of Babylon and as if they had drunke of Circes cuppe from men being transformed into beasts and brutish Papistes Wherefore to reclaime these haggard English if it be possible and to stay the stirring humours of others as I haue in the former Treatise recounted diuers excellent graces bestowed vpon our countrie and nation by meanes of the pious and prosperous gouernment of our late Queene that broke down the altars of Baal and established Christs true religion among vs so now in the Discourse ensuing I purpose by Gods grace to enter into a due consideration of the calamities and miseries wherto our natiō was subiect during the raign of Queene Marie and whereto all Papists liuing vnder the Popes iurisdiction are ordinarily subiect Wherein that I may proceede more perspicuously first I will speak of matters of the Church and then of matters of ciuill pollicie and that first as they concerne the King and next as they concerne his people Now because Robert Parsons according to his best skill indeuoureth to aduance popish gouernment I haue thought it not amisse now and then as the course of my Discourse carieth me to enterlace his idle arguments and to refute them Not that I suppose any man of reason will giue credit to such a lying companion that shutting his eyes against light commaundeth his tongue to walke and talke against all truth but that by his trifling obiections you may perceiue our plaine dealing and his parasiticall and palpable glosing I may well say of this wicked Atheists wranglings as Origen sayd of Celsus in his discourse against Christian Religion Non est periculum vt eis subuertatur vllus fidelium Absit enim vt inueniatur aliquis in charitate Dei quae est per Christum Iesum tam frigidus vt Celsi verbis aut similium dimoueatur à proposito There is no danger least any faithfull man be ouerthrowne by them God forbid that any should be so cold in the loue of God which is through Christ Iesus that he should be disturned from his godly purpose by Parsons his wrangling Wardwords and Warne-words or by such friuolous deuises of any of his consorts But as the Apostle sayth All haue not faith And many want both the loue of God and the loue they ought to beare to their Prince and countrey Against these I dispute and for those I labour that persist in their first loue Marke therefore I pray you the ignorance of Papists in matters of Religion the falshood and absurdities of their doctrine the burthensome and grieuous tyrannie of the Pope and then iudge without partialitie whether the same be not like the captiuitie of Babylon and darknesse of Aegypt out of which all true Christians ought to desire to be deliuered God graunt all men grace to see it and auoyde it CHAP. I. Of the ignorance both of the Clergie and Laitie of England in matters of Religion in Q. Maries time and generally of Masse-priests and their followers at all times and in all places BEfore I enter to discourse of Religion first I am to shew the misery of Papists that for the most part liued in time past and yet liue without the knowledge of Religion Nay diuers of the Masse-priests and common people were ignorant and deuoyd of all good learning and knowledge The ignorance of priests and people in the dayes of Iohn Peccham Archbishop of Canter bury may appeare in that he beginneth his prouinciall constitution with ignorantia 〈◊〉 and teacheth them the articles of the Créed and how to handle the sacrament of the altar shewing them that the wine giuen to the communicants in lesser churches was not consecrate and that they were not too much to break the sacrament with their teeth percase for hurtiing of it but to sup it vp Instruant eosdem saith he c. altissimus constit de sum trinit sumptum ore sacramentum non nimis dentibus comminuere sed tritum modicè sorbere perfectè O miserable men that were taught to sup the sacrament like an oyster And why might they not aswell be taught to eate wine as to sup bread The same man in the chapter Ignorantia sacerdotum de officio Archipresbyteri thinketh it sufficient for priests to teach by themselues or by others and that once euery quarter the articles of the Creed the ten commaundements the two commaundements of the Gospell for this fellow scarce beléeued that the ioue of God or his neighbor was commaunded in the morall law the seuen workes of mercie the seuen deadly sinnes the seuen principall vertues and seuen sacraments And what was this quarter teaching for sooth nothing else but the construing or expounding of these things in English as the text saith Absque cuiuslibet subtilitatis textura fantastica without any fantasticall patcherie of scholasticall subtilties For that ordinarily these fellowes were wont to talke of logicall and philosophicall questions tending rather to the subuersion then the edification of the hearers Now what learning I pray you was required to turne the Créed and ten commaundements into English Bishop Walter also in his prouinciall constitutions teacheth his priests what to beléeue
Sunia sayth that in the old testament we are to haue recourse to the Hebrew text In his 〈◊〉 in 4. Euang. he sheweth that there is great variety of Latine bookes and that in correcting of errors and finding the truth we are to returne to the 〈◊〉 originals Si veritas est quaerenda saith he cur non ad Graecam originem reuertentes ea quae 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 reddita vel addita vel mutata corrigimus Augustine also in his second booke De doctr Christ. cap. 10. saith That to correct Latine copies we are to haue recourse to the Hebrew and Greeke bookes of Scripture Ad exemplaria Hebraea Graeca saith he à Latinis recurratur And in the same booke chap. 15. Latinis emendandis Graeci adhibeantur codices Latine bookes of Scripture are to be mended by the Greeke originals The aduersaries also themselues are ashamed sometimes to say that either the old Latine vulgar translation is to be preferred before the originall Text of Scripture or that the same is authenticall The 〈◊〉 glossing vpon the 〈◊〉 vt veterum dist 9. affirme that where the Copies varie the originall is to be exhibited and that the Latine of the old Testament is to be corrected by the Hebrew and the Latine of the new Testament by the Greeke bookes Isidore Clarius Caietane Pagninus Forerius Oleastrius Erasmus and diuers others haue noted diuers faults in the old Latine vulgar translation Sixtus Senensis lib. 8. Biblioth sanct confesseth that diuers faults barbarismes solecismes and transpositions are found in the Latine translation And saith that the Church was moued by diuers iust causes to dissemble them Finally reason teacheth vs that the determination of the Romish Church that preferreth the Latin vulgar 〈◊〉 before the Hebrew and 〈◊〉 text is most absurd For if the Latine bookes were to be preferred before the Hebrew and Greeke text or else to be 〈◊〉 authenticall then were we either to preferre or to giue like credit to Hierome and other authors that translated the old vulgar Latine bookes and to the holy Prophets and Apostles Againe transumpts and copies might by like reason be preferred before the originall instruments Thirdly the old Latine translation is proued false by diuers witnesses by comparing of places for that one edition of y e old vulgar translation doth differ from another Non potest verum esse quod dissonat that cannot be true that is repugnant and contrarie to it selfe as Hierome saith in Praefat. in Iosuam in Praefat. in 4. Euang. But the edition of the vulgar translation set out by Clement the eighth doth much differ from that which Sixtus Quintus set out before Iosue 11. 19. Clement readeth quae se traderet Sixtus readeth quite contrarie quae se non traderet 2. Reg. 16. 1. Clement hath vtre vini Sixtus readeth duobus vtribus Ioan. 6. 65. Clement readeth qui essent non credentes Sixtus qui essent credentes And so it may appeare by diligent collation that there are notable differences throughout the whole Bible Lastly if the Latine text were more authenticall then the Hebrew or Greeke why do not our aduersaries shew that the auncient Fathers or some learned men of late time at the least haue corrected the Hebrew and Greeke according to the Latine and not rather contrariwise The fourth foundation of Romish religion is the determination of the Pope in matters of faith The Conuenticle of Trent teacheth that it belongeth to the holy mother the Church to iudge of the true meaning of Scriptures Now for as much as no man knoweth more certainely what is the holy mother Churches meaning then the Papists holy Father the Pope therefore they do hereof conclude that the Pope is to determine principally of the true sence and meaning of Scriptures In the Rubrike of the decrées cap. in canonicis dist 19. we find that the Popes decretals are to be reckened among canonicall Scriptures Bellarmine lib. 3. de verbo Dei cap. 3. saith that the Spirit of God he should say of the diuell is in the Pope and that he together with a Councell is chiefe Iudge in matters of controuersie of religion And in the same booke cap. 4. he holdeth that no man may recede from his iudgement or determination Stapleton in his booke of doctrinall Principles or 〈◊〉 of his religion goeth about to prooue that the Popes sentence and determination is infallible And so much do these good fellowes rely vpon their holy Mothers and holy Fathers interpretation that they receiue the same without any long inquisition though neuer so foolish and contrarie to Scriptures Our Sauiour in the institution of the holy Eucharist said Take eate but they 〈◊〉 the Pope that saith 〈◊〉 and gaze but take not nor eate but rather hang vp the Sacrament He said Bibite ex hoc omnes that is 〈◊〉 all of this but the Pope saith Drinke not all of this and they 〈◊〉 the Pope The Apostle saith It is better to marrie then to burne and that mariage is honorable among all men But the Pope doth interpret these words so as if he had said It is better to burne then to marrie and that mariage is reprochfull and vnlawfull to Priests and Papists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pope So do they likewise in 〈◊〉 false interpretations But that the Popes interpretations and sentences shold be the foundation of religion is a matter contrarie to religion and reason The Apostle Ephes. 2. saith that the Church is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the corner stone And therefore it is said to be built vpon them because both of them preach Christ. Apostolos habemus authores c. we haue the Apostles for authors of our doctrine saith Tertullian lib. de praescript aduers. haeret He saith also It lyeth not in mans power to determine any thing in matters of faith of his owne head Quamuis sanctus sit aliquis post Apostolos c. Howsoeuer holy or eloquent a man be saith Hierome in Psalm 86. yet comming after the Apostles he deserueth no authenticall credit The Lord declareth in Scriptures Augustine in his second Epistle to Hierome sheweth that no mans writings are comparable to holy Scriptures And this the Canonists themselues confesse in their glosses vpon the Chapter Nolimeis and Ego solis dist 9. Are not the 〈◊〉 then most miserable that build their 〈◊〉 vpon the Popes Decretals that are contrarie to Scriptures to Fathers one to another and oftentimes void of truth wit learning religion or honestie The last foundation of Romish faith is the preaching of Masse-priests and Friars Quomodo Christus eiusque doctrina saith Stapleton Christianae 〈◊〉 fundamentum est sic 〈◊〉 nunc à Christo missi eorúmue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamentii apud me 〈◊〉 locum habehunt As Christ and his doctrine is the foundation of Christian religion so others now sent of Christ and their doctrine preaching and determination shall in my
opinion haue the force and place of a foundation saith he And afterward he declareth that those whom the Pope sendeth are sent by Christ and the men which he meaneth But if this be the foundation of their religion then is the same built vpon old wiues fables 〈◊〉 traditions lying legends philosophicall subtilties scholasticall disputes popish Decretals humane inuentions and such like principles For of thē consisteth y e greatest part of these fellowes sermons as both experience diuers Friars idle Homilies which euery man may sée do plainely testifie Furthermore if these be the foundations of popish Religion then is the same built vpon man and not vpon God vpon humane deuises and not vpon the 〈◊〉 word of God vpon sand and not vpon a rocke Such also as these foundations are such is the building that is weake false and erronious such is the Romish religion which the Pope and his adherents by force of armes treasons murthers empoysonments lyes 〈◊〉 flatterie and all meanes possible would thrust vpon vs and such are the conclusions that are built on these foundations Finally seeing no man can be saued that buildeth his 〈◊〉 vpon men vpon vnwritten traditions vpon vncertaine grounds and lying reports let the Papists consider with themselues in what miserable state they stand and returne to the true faith in time lest like the foolish man in the Gospell they build their house on sand and be ouerwhelmed with the fall thereof CHAP. IIII. Of diuers other blasphemous ridiculous and absurd points of popish Religion TRue Religion is most true venerable and respectiue of Gods true seruice If then popish Religion containe any vntrue or ridiculous vaine and blasphemous doctrine then is it not true or Apostolicall or Christian nor can it stand with Christian Religion séeing no man can serue God and Baal nor Dagon could stand before the arke of God But notorious it is that popish Religion containeth many blasphemous ridiculous and absurd points First concerning the flesh of our Lord and Sauior Christ Jesus they teach falsly and blasphemously and say that a mouse or dog or hog may eate the body of Christ. Nay they are not ashamed to affirme that his most holy body may be cast out vpon a dunghill or into any vncleane place Prima opinio saith Alexander Hales part 4. sum q. 53. m. 2. quae dicit quod corpus Christi defertur quocunque species deferunt vt in ventrem canis vel suis vel in alia lo ca immunda videtur vera And again p. 4. sum q. 45. m. 1. si canis aut porcus deglutiat hostiam consecratam non video quare corpus Christi non simul traijceretur in ventrem canis vel porci If a dog or hog should swallow a consecrate host saith he I see no reason why the body of Christ should not withall passe into the belly of a dog or hog Thomas Aquinas likewise although made a saint by the Pope yet shameth not to hold this prophane and vnholy opinion part 〈◊〉 q. 80. art 3. And in his comment in 4. sent dist 9. q. 2. The same is also stiffely maintained by Brulifer in 4. sent dist 13. quest 5. And this is the common opinion of schoolemen That the priest is able to make his Creator they make no question Bonner counted this among the prerogatiues of priesthood in his absurd spéech which he made in the Conuocation house in the beginning of Quéene Maries reigne And Innocentius in the mysteries of the Masse lib. 4. cap. 19. holdeth the same very confidently Panis in Christum transubstantiatur saith he it a in creatorem Sic ergo 〈◊〉 quotidiè fit creator Bread is transubstantiate into Christ and so into the creator and therfore a creature euery day is a creator The like sayings are to be found in the booke called Stella clericorum and diuers other authors Neither do these men doubt but that the communicants do eate their Maker But this is most absurd and 〈◊〉 to the Turkes and heathen that Christians should be sayd to eate vp their God and for this cause Auerroes said that of all other Religions that of the Papists was most ridiculous It is absurd also to say that man can make God or the creature his Creator They affirme also that Christ at his last supper did truly and really eate vp his owne body whole and entire As if Christ had come into the world not onely to be eaten carnally of others but also to deuoure and eate vp himselfe a matter most absurd and clearely repugnant to scriptures fathers and sense For Scriptures and Fathers teach that Christ took bread and called it his body And sense and reason teacheth vs that it is vnnatural for one man to eate vp another and impossible for the same man to eate vp himselfe For then there should be no difference 〈◊〉 the termes of relation and the same man should be the eater and the thing eaten the thing containing and contained and the same person should be a relatiue to himselfe which is against all rules of Logicke sense and common reason While they say that Christians do really and carnally eate Christs flesh and drink his blood they make them Canibals and 〈◊〉 then the barbarous Scythians and Sarmatians that drunke their horses blood For it is more inhumane to drinke mans blood then horses blood and Canibals are nothing else but barbarous eaters of mans flesh Neither can they defend themselues by the words of our Sauior Iohn 6. who sayth vnlesse we eate his flesh and drink his bloud that we cānot haue life in vs. For he addeth that the spirit quickneth and the flesh profiteth nothing condemning the Capernaites that imagined that his flesh was to be torne with téeth and his blood swallowed downe into the belly carnally as the Papists also imagine and reprouing all carnall and literall interpretations of his words Haec inquam omnia carnalia mysticè spiritualiter intèlligenda sunt All these carnall things sayth Chrysostome hom 46. in Ioan. are to be vnderstood mystically and spiritually Likewise Origen in Leuit. 7. sayth that the literall vnderstanding of these words Vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the son of man c. killeth Augustine also teacheth that these words are to be vnderstood sacramentally and that being spiritually vnderstood they quicken But what should I speake of the Fathers of the Church séeing Homer and Virgil talking of Polyphemus do condemne the eating of mans flesh as a thing both barbarous and monstrous Concerning Christ his 〈◊〉 they teach strangely saying that he being borne of the virgin Mary did no otherwise passe out of the womb then as the Sun beames do passe through the substance of the glasse their words are Vt solis radij concretam vitri substantiam penetrant which do plainely ouerthrow the mystery of his natiuity For how was he true man if neuer man passed through his mothers womb as the sun passeth through glasse or how was he
of Augustine lib. 3. de doctr Christ. cap. 9. of Gregorie cap. multi secularium 1. q. 1. who although he name Baptisme Chrisme and the bodie and bloud of our Lord yet Chrisme was nothing but an addition to Baptisme Of Paschasius and others Sunt Sacramenta Christi saith Paschasius in Ecclesia catholica Baptismus corpus quoque Domini sanguis The Sacraments of Christ in the catholike Church are Baptisme and the bodie and bloud of our Lord. And so manifest a matter it is that Bessarion writing vpon the Sacrament confesseth that there are two Sacraments onely deliuered in the Gospell But the Papists haue added other fiue Sacraments vnto these two giuing like vertue vnto confirmation mariage order penance and extreame vnction as vnto Baptisme and the Lords Supper and teaching that Sacraments containe grace and iustifie the receiuer So that if we will beleeue them as well he is iustified that is confirmed maried ordered or annoynted as he that is baptised or made partaker of the Lords body and bloud Where Christ distributed the Sacrament of his bodie and bloud and gaue both the kinds to all communicants they seldome distribute the sacrament and take the cup from all but the priest In confirmation and extreame vnction they vse other signes and formes then euer Christ ordained They teach that Christians are able to satisfie for their sinnes and that the Pope by indulgences hath power to remit satisfaction and to do away the temporall punishment of 〈◊〉 Are they not then most miserable that haue corrupted the sacraments and seales of Gods eternall testament and as it were broken the couenants betwixt God and vs and despised the pledges of his loue Of Christian faith they thinke so basely that they make it nothing but a bare assent to Gods word as well in fearing the threatnings of the law as beléeuing the promises of the Gospell teach that not only reprobate men but also the Biuels also may haue true faith Bellarmine lib. de instif 1. c. 15. speaking of the faith of wicked men and diuels sayth that both is true and right and catholike faith and comparable to S. Peters faith concerning the obiect Grace that maketh vs acceptable to God saith Bellarmine cannot really be distinguished from the habite of charitie But if this be true then may Christians be saued by their workes without the help of Gods grace working with thē which is méere Pelagianisme For if charitie as it is in vs habitually make vs beloued then it is our loue towards God and not Gods grace or loue towards vs or his grace helping vs and remitting our sins through Christ that 〈◊〉 vs properly They denie that a man is certainly to perswade himself of his owne saluation or to beléeue the same and all their confidence they put in their owne workes and merites hoping to be saued by pilgrimages indulgences eating of 〈◊〉 créeping to the crosse kissing of the Popes toe praying to saints to stockes to stones giuing of money to lazie Monkes and Friers and such like humane deuises Are they not then most wretched that neither vnderstand what is grace nor what is faith nor what is charitie nor what belongeth to good works He that beleeueth not saith our Sauior Marke 16 shall be damned The Apostle also sheweth that none is iustified but by the grace of Christ. Nay he sayth that Christ saued vs not by the workes of righteousnesse which we had done but according to his mercie by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost By eating holy bread they hope to attaine health of body and soule as it is in the Romish Missall they doubt not also but that their eating of their paschall lambe tendeth to the praise of God By holy water they teach that not onely diuels are driuen away but also veniall sinnes remitted Finally there remaine but few points of religion which the Papists with their leuen partly of Iudaical and heathenish superstition and partly of hereticall doctrine haue not corrupted What then resteth but that we deplore their blindnesse which admit such erronious absurd and blasphemous points of doctrine and wilfully resist those that offer vnto them the truth out of Gods word CHAP. V. The miserable state of Papists in matters of Religion is proued further for that they are depriued of those blessings which we haue receiued by the abrogation of popish heresies and superstition I Do not thinke but that our aduersaries albeit they differ from vs in other points yet in this will ioyne with vs and confesse that it is a miserable thing to wander 〈◊〉 any certaintie in religion Parsons in the first encounter of his Wardword doth in effect say so much and albeit they should denie it yet it is a matter very euident For as the Apostle sayth Rom. 2. Those that sinne without the law shall perish also without the law If they know the law and do it not the law will accuse them and condemne them If they regard not to know the law yet shall Gods iustice lay hold vpon them for offending the law which they ought to haue knowne The Apostle Ephes. 2. when he would put them in mind of their miserable estate before their conuersion saith they liued without Christ and without God in the world As if nothing can be deuised more damnable then to liue with out certaine knowledge of God and of Christ Iesus The Gentiles as the Apostle saith Ephes. 4. walke in the vanitie of their mind hauing their vnderstanding darkned and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their heart which argueth the miserable state of Christians that liue like Gentils without the true knowledge of Christ Iesus God hath also appointed a certaine ministerie in the Church giuing some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and teachers and among the rest one end was that henceforth we should be no more children wauering and carried about with euery wind of doctrine But the Papists for the most part as is shewed liue without the knowledge of God and the rest are caried about with the blast of euery blundering Pope wauering as the wind of his blustring bulles and decretals do carie them Upon the Scriptures they ground not themselues but must take both such scriptures and such doctrine as he shall deliuer them Secondly it is a miserable thing to be deuided from the vnitie of Christ his Church For as out of the arke of Noe all perished in the old world so all that are without the Church of Christ shall vndoubtedly perish Those 〈◊〉 that are without Christ his fold are exposed to the mercie of the wolfe and without hope of saluation How then can the Papists looke for saluation that in faith and sacraments are deuided from the Catholicke and Apostolicke Church Further by many properties they shew themselues to haue no affinitie with the true
sentence he meaneth that he may kill the King He sayth also that the people haue power to depose the prince He doth further vnderstand the Pope to be euery Kings lawfull Iudge Is it then to be 〈◊〉 if the Masse-priests and their followers grounding themselues vpon these resolutions attempt against princes persons Iohn Ghineard one of the sect of the Iebusites did publikely acknowledge in the parliament of Paris anno 1594. that he had written these words The cruell Nero that is Henry the third was slaine by one Clement and the counterfet Monke by the hand of a true Monke Againe the heroicall act done by Iames Clement as a grace of Gods holy spirit and called by that name by our diuines the Iebusites was iustly commended by Bourgoin late prior of the Iacobins a confessor and martyr Talking of the king now raigning he wrote that he would haue him shut into a cloister and deposed But if he cannot be deposed without warre then sayth he let warre be made against him And if there be no meanes to preuaile by warres let him otherwise be killed I would therfore haue indifferent men to iudge whether this be not spiritual doctrine Our owne country Masse-priests also do not differ from their fellows in this point One of them setting downe certaine resolutions for the instruction and consolation of the English as he saith asketh this question Whether a Catholicke like he should say a trayterous papist is not bound by vertue of the Bull of Pius Quintus to take armes against Elizabeth and to depose her imprison her and kill her if occasion should serue and if he haue hope to obtaine victorie To this he answereth Ex 〈◊〉 Bullae 〈◊〉 eum non teneri ad ea quae proponuntur nisi omnia it a compar at a essent 〈◊〉 certa parataque spes esset victoriae quo 〈◊〉 propter bonum 〈◊〉 fidei religion is 〈◊〉 tenerentur qui aliquid possent praestare That is by force of the Bull we do not thinke that he is bound to do those things that are proposed vnlesse all things were so ordered that the hope of victorie were certaine and readie in which case for the common good of the faith and religion those should be bound that are able to do any thing So it appeareth that nothing held the Papists from laying violent hands vpon the Queene our most gracious soueraigne Ladie but that they had not all things readie nor were in hope of certaine victorie And this no doubt is the resolution they haue against all princes that resist either the Pope or their cacolike religion The tenth question is this An stante Bulla in virtute c. Whether the Bull of Pius Quintus standing in force a priuate man might not kill Elizabeth our 〈◊〉 Quéene and the reason is because she is a tyrant and had no iust title to the Crowne and whether the Pope cannot dispence that this may be done so it were likely that by her death catholike they should say popish religion should be restored To this question answer is made As touching this matter if any by her death could certainely deliuer the realme from oppression without all doubt it should be lawfull for him to kill her but as matters do now stand it is best not to speake of that matter Hereby we may plainely sée that this generation doth continually talk of killing Christian kings and desire nothing more then to murther thē and to destroy them that they may make way for the Pope These questions are found in the acts of the councell of Yorke and were found in a search for Dauid Ingleby a Masse-priest and no doubt were allowed and brought into England either by him or by some of his consorts According to this damnable doctrine the Popes and their 〈◊〉 haue from time to time endeuoured partly by cut throates and assassins and partly by diabolicall practisers and 〈◊〉 to destroy princes that stopped the course of their ambition Beno the Cardinall saith that Gregorie the seuenth watching the Emperor that was wont to pray much in the church of S. Marie hired a fellow to place great stones vpon the beames or vault of the church right ouer the place where he prayed which being throwne downe might kill the Emperour The words are these Imperator solitus erat frequenter ire ad orationem ad Ecclesiam S. Mariae quae est in monte Auentino Hidelbrandus autem cùm per exploratores omnia eius opera solicitè inquireret locum in quo frequentiùs Imperator velstans velprostratus orabat notari fecit quendam promissa 〈◊〉 ad hoc induxit vt supratrabes Ecclesiae occultè lapides magnos 〈◊〉 ita aptaret vt de alto super caput Imperatoris demitteret ipsum contereret About the same time also he sought saith Beno to destroy the Emperour by secrettraitors but God preserued him And then there were some that thought Hildebrand to be conscious and the setter of the treason because a litle before the treason like a false Prophet he presumed to foretell the kings death The words of Beno are these Eisdem diebus parauit Imperatorem perdere per occultos proditores Deus autem eum custodiuit Et eodem tempore fuerunt 〈◊〉 qui existimauerunt ipsum Hildebrandum conscium extitisse ordinatorem proditionis quia eisdem diebus paulò ante proditionem de morte regis falsò prophetata praesumpsit Neither are we to doubt but they will empoyson princes if they can séeing Popes as Beno and diuers authenticall authors testifie vse to empoyson one another Innocent the fourth by Peter de vinea a speciall fauorite of Fridericke the 2 caused poyson to be offered vnto him Ecclesiae inimici dixerunt saith Mat. Paris speaking of Pope Innocent quod ad hoc facinus cor Petri eneruando muneribus pollicitis maximis inclinar at The enemies of the Church or of the Pope rather say that with great rewards and promises the Pope had induced Peter de vineis to vndertake this foule fact And afterward absorduit Domini Papae fama per hoc non mediocriter That is The fame of the Pope by this fact was not a litle stayned Furthermore saith Matth. Paris the Emperour returned into Apulia hauing drunke poyson as it is sayd Redijt in Apuliam vt dicitur potionatus Henrie of Lucemburge the Emperour was poysoned by a Dominican Friar that being hired by the contrarie faction conueyed poyson into the Sacrament 〈◊〉 religiosus saith Vrspergensis porrexit Imperatori intoxicatam Eucharistiam A certaine Friar gaue poyson to the Emperour in the Eucharist The same is also testified by Baptista Ignatius supplementum Cronicorum Textorin officina cap. veneno extincti and diuers others Auentinus sayth the Friar was moued thereto by Clement the fifth That it was so the great execution done by the Emperors souldiers vpon diuers conuents of the Dominican Friars doth declare But what néede we séeke
forgotten that these are Christs words Fol. 81. he maketh sport with words of Scripture comparing Cadburie to the ruines of Hierusalem and yet this fellow is estéemed a worthy patron of poperie such a patron such a cause Fol. 101. he denyeth scriptures to be the rule offaith which is as much as if he meant either impiously to ouerthrow the canon of scriptures or else to preferre vncertaine traditions before them 2. enconter c. 5. fol. 32. 6. he compareth reading of scriptures to excesse of apparrell spending much and playing at dice like a cheating companion drawing similitudes from his owne practise to disgrace the word of God Chap. 6. encontr 2. he will not confesse his errour that sayd before Wardw. p. 14. that the words of the Apostle 1. Cor. 3. make against reading of scriptures Who can denie saith he but Saint Paul talking of scriptures as they were in the learned tongues saith of them litera occidit But to accuse men for reading of scriptures is impious and sauoreth of the error of the Origenists and Swenchfeldians errour that condemne the letter of the Scriptures Neither can he excuse himselfe saying that he meant rash reading For the Apostle where he saith that the letter killeth talketh not of reading but of the effect that the scriptures worke in mens harts shewing that the letter condemneth those which by grace are not moued effectually to embrace the word Chap. 11. encontr 2. most blasphemously he compareth Christs miracles to the miracles of Thomas Becket and his lying legend to the scriptures For which he deserueth to be marked as a miraculous blasphemer In the same place he saith that materiall honour in worshipping saints hurteth not the deuout nor diminisheth their merit Which is as much as if he should say that those that worship theeues and malefactors as saints offend not but rather merit with God And that men may worship they know not whom nor what Fol. 99. he maintaineth a blasphemous prayer wherein papists desire to come to heauen by the blood of Thomas Becket And to mend the matter saith it is no more then the Prophets did mentioning Abraham Isac and Iacob And yet no Prophet or godly man euer prayed to come to heauen by their blood 2. encontr c. 14. he defendeth those blasphemous verses Hîc des deuotè caelestibus associo te mentes aegrotae per munera sunt tibi lotae Whereby the papists teach that mens sinnes are washed by almes which is derogatory to the blood of Christ wherein our sinnes onely are washed away and wée cleansed Fol 114. 2. encontr c. 14. cauilling with Sir Francis Hastings about his inference made out of the words of Durand that saith How that indulgences are not found in scriptures he affirmeth that the illation of those that dispute against the doctrine of the Trinity and the consubstantialitie of the sonne of God with his father and baptisme of infants is as good as that of Sir Francis against indulgences But it is most blasphemous to compare the doctrine of the highest mysteries of our religion which the ancient fathers proued and we doubt not but to proue out of scriptures with the trash and 〈◊〉 of indulgences that haue neither ground in scriptures nor fathers nor reason As at large I haue proued in my booke De indulgentijs against Bellannine Our doctrine of faith iustifying without works Parsons calleth an idle deuice and a mathematicall illusion the which toucheth the Apostle as well as vs. For he saith That by the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified It toucheth also the fathers that say workes go not before but follow after righteousnesse The same also toucheth the papists themselues which confesse that our first iustice is not of works But whatsoeuer Christians are to think of works Parsons hath no reason to put any confidence in his owne workes vnlesse he hope to be saued by iugling lying cogging rayling cousening committing treason and villanie Neither hath he cause to talke of mathematicall illusions hauing himselfe egregiously deluded all those with whom he hath dealt and beléeuing as it séemeth no heauen but mathematicall If he hope to go thither by the Popes pardons tyed about his necke like necklaces and flying vpward like a yong dragō he is far deceiued That is no place for such dragons nor are pardons wings to flie so high withall We hope rather to sée him sent flying to 〈◊〉 holy father with an 〈◊〉 halter about his necke and led 〈◊〉 in a dongcart to the gallowes as a due reward for his leud workes and treasons Is it not then strange that such an atheist should talke of religion The heathen Philosopher laugh edat Epicurus discoursing of God whose prouidence he denied and no man had euer reason to endure to heare the atheist Diagoras disputing of diuine matters How then can papists esteeme of this mans idle Directories and discourses in religion that is declared an atheist and a man all voyd of pietie and religion And yet is he not more impious then ridiculous ignorant and malicious CHAP. V. Of diuers ridiculous and childish errors and mistakings of the supposed great doctour Parsons IT is the part of hypocrites to espie a mote in another mans eye but they sée not the beames that are in their owne eyes This we may sée verified in our captious aduersary For albeit curious in espying faults in others yet could he not auoyd grosse errors in himselfe In the Epistle to the reader he speaketh of the author of the Wardword in the third person praysing him as a Catholike man And yet presently after forgetting himselfe hée speaketh of him in the first person where he talketh of enlarging himselfe and of his reioynder In his answere to my Epistle fol. 3. b. he supposeth that these words non tam despectum quà m vexatum dimittam are taken out of Tullies second Philippicke But the oration being read ouer will discouer the truants error For in all that oration there are no such words It may be he had read some such like words in Tullies oration in Vatinium But the poore ideot could not hit vpon it Fol. 5. b. he saith that this word maxime the end of doing any thing is first in our intention and last in performance and execution is taken out of Aristotle But the great doctor cannot tell where to find it And when he seeketh it he shall find that he mistooke later writers for Aristotle Fol. 13. b. he telleth vs that Irenaeus lib. 2. c. 54. and lib. 4. c. 2. doth call heresie pandoram whereas he lib. 2. c. 54. doth not once name pandoram and lib. 2. c. 55. and lib. 4. c. 2. where he hath that word he doth not by pandora vnderstand heresie but matrem spiritualis conceptionis the mother of spirituall conception of whom and their Sauiour the Valentinians imagined spirituall creatures to haue their originall as may be gathered out of these words Ireney lib. 4. cap. 2.
But experience teacheth vs that where they can do it they do it literally It were therefore good to beware of the woodden daggers of these woodden fellowes Fol. 110. b. he affirmeth that by indulgences are distributed the treasures of the Church A matter of méere 〈◊〉 of which may be said the saurus carbones that is our treasures proue coles For poore people hoping to receiue a treasure receiue méere cole dust and yet for that trash wast great treasures Iosephus Angles signifieth that the Pope now and then receiueth an hundred millions of duckets for an indulgence which is no small matter for such small wares In the same place he telleth vs of the Popes doctrine of indulgences which is nothing else but a fardle of foolery as in my discourse against Bellarmine I haue shewed at large This Patch if he had remembred himselfe would haue proued somewhat and not haue told vs a tale of the Popes tub full of mustie indulgences more nastie then an old mustard pot 2. encontr c. 15. fol. 117. I shall alleage sayth he most authenticall testimonies to wit foure bookes for the negatiue written and printed at Lyon presently vpon the fact it selfe intituled De iusta Henricitertij abdicatione But this allegatiō seruēth vs better then him and is a most authenticall testimony of Parsons foolery and of the Popes trechery For what is more repugnant to law conscience and reason thē to beléeue a notorious rebel and traitor declaiming against his liege soueraigne most trecherously and wickedly murdred by a louzie frier And what is more intollerable then that the Popes of Rome and their adherents being aduanced by Christian princes should now be praised for deposing of princes and cutting their throtes This authenticall testimony therfore might well haue bin spared wherein Parsons a traitor produceth his fellow traitor for a witnesse in discharge of his owne and his fellowes treasons and villanies Fol. 123. he talketh most foolishly of penance repeating what he hath sayd before in his Wardword But whatsoeuer he bableth of penance and satisfaction and passing through a néedles eye yet if a man can gaine a plenary indulgence which for mony is easie to be had then al penance inioyned and satisfaction ceaseth and God is plainely mocked If he had bene wise therefore he would haue for borne to talke of penance the doctrine whereof by the Papists is wholly corrupted and ouerthrowne Finally albeit he talketh much of law and of Catholike Religion yet he sheweth himself to be like those of whō the Apostle speaketh which would be doctors of the law and yet vnderstand not what they speake nor wherof they affirme And like old heretikes which as Hilary lib. 8. de Trinit saith although they lie foolishly yet they defend their lies farre more foolishly Cum stultè mentiantur sayth he stultiùs tamen in mendacij sui defensione sapiunt Compare their doings with Parsons his foolish Warneword and you shall sée he farre passeth them all in foolery CHAP. VII Containing diuers false allegations and falsifications of Fathers and others committed by Parsons THere are diuers kinds of falsifications as we may learne by the Romane lawes ff adl Corn. de falsis by the cannon law de crimine falsi and by those Doctors that haue written Commentaries and glosses vpon these titles But to know the diuersitie and nature of them we shall not néed curiously to looke either into the lawes or commentaries of learned lawyers séeing Robert Parsons in his Warn-word which like a warning péece may serue all true men to beware of his falshood and trechery doth furnish vs with particular instances and examples of most sorts of them First he maketh no conscience either to curtal his aduersaries words or to adde somewhat vnto them of which they neuer had so much as a thought Fol. 6. he sayth that Sir Francis obiecteth vnto him the seeking of the ruine of the church and common wealth by his exhortation to peace and mitigation in religion whereas the Knight obiecteth no such matter nor hath any such words He doth also séeme to charge him as enemy of peace whereas the honorable Knight neuer misliked peace or any motion tending thereto but rather discouered the false practises of Papists that anno 1588. talked of peace when their fléete was at the sea to cut our throtes being vnprouided and 1598. made an ouerture of a treaty when the Adelantado had great forces readie at the Groyne and other ports of Spaine to come for England Where Sir Francis prayeth for the prolonging of her Maiesties dayes to the holding out stil of the Popes vsurped authoritie Parsons in his VVarneword doth so expound him as if he prayed that her life might hold out still And this to the intent he might runne vpon the Earle of Essex barking like a Linkers curre at a dead Lyon In my Preface I say that obstinate recusants for the most part are secretly reconciled to the Pope and in time past adhered to her maiessies enemies But Parsons to make the matter more hainous turneth obstinate recusants into recusant Catholikes and falsly lcaueth out these words for the most part As if I had called them Catholikes which I neuer thought or as if I knew not that there is great difference betwéene the factious reconciled papists and those that of simplicitie and ignorance fauour papisticall hereste and superstition Againe where I say that extraordinary fauour or rather remisnesse of lawes and iustice towards disloyall Papists hath caused diuers rebellions both in England and Ireland and made them bold to attempt against her Maiesties life and gouernement and giuen some of them courage to conspire with forreine enemies c. and that by suffering of malcontents to practise the sinewes of gouernement haue bene dissolued and that many thinke that against persons that are so 〈◊〉 disposed and so firmely linked to forreine enemies good iustice is most necessary Robert Parsons iumbleth many words together and cutteth off that which I sayd of conspiring with forreine enemies and the attempting against her Maiesty knowing that many of his friends are the Spanish kings pensioners and haue diuersly attempted against her Maiestie Further he cutteth out these words many do thinke and by a strange metamorphosis changeth disloyal papists into catholike recusants making me to say that too much extraordinary fauour and remisnesse towards Catholikes hath caused diuers rebellions both in England and Ireland and that it hath dissolued the sinewes of gouernment and that it is more profitable to execute lawes then to pardon offenders as if I had spoken generally against all papists not singled those that conspire with publike enemies and attempt against the State and as if I had misliked all remisnesse pardon towards all papists If Parsons body were so māgled as he hath mangled and transformed my words we should not long be troubled with his wranglements In this sort he dealeth continually with vs. And so he 〈◊〉 also
and that idolaters and heretikes should prate and talke of religion when they meane nothing but to erect idolatrie and to establish popish errors and superstition Fol. 16. speaking of me He blusheth not saith he to affirme that which all his fellowes haue denied And what is this trow you Forsooth that blasphemous and scandalous dogmatizing heretikes may be put to death But where he saith that all my fellows haue denied this he sheweth him selfe a shamelesse lying companion and the diuels fellow in forging lies For none of my fellowes euer denied that which I affirme but only wold not haue ignorant peaceable and simple heretikes that neither blaspheme nor dogmatise nor are offensiue to the State punished with death Likewise they condemne the cruell and bloody Papists that burne massacre men women and children for denying or contradicting any one point of their filthy abominable and erronious doctrine Fol. 18. he saith The Emperour in a certaine edict beginning reddentes Cod. de sum Trin. fid Cath. professeth his due 〈◊〉 and of all his empire to the church of Rome which is a notorious and an impudent ly For in that law there is no one word to be found that importeth subiection either of the Emperour or of the Empire to the Church of Rome much lesse to the Pope of Rome Nay at that time the citie of Rome belonged to the Emperour which lately the Pope hath vsurped excluding the Emperour from thence But were there any thing contained in that law which may séeme spoken in fauour of the Romane Bishop yet is the same proued counterfet in my late treatise concerning falsities of the Romish synagogue Fol. 19. a. speaking of the Emperors They professed saith he the Bishops of Rome to be the heads and chiefe leaders of this vniuersall and visible Catholicke Church as before hath bene shewed by the examples of Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius to Pope 〈◊〉 and of Arcadius Honorius and Theodosius the second and of Saint Augustine to Pope Innocentius primus and of Iustinian to Pope Iohn the first This he saith boldly But in these few words a cluster of lies is packed vp close together For neither do Gratian Valentinian and Theodsius write to Damasus as the title of the law cunctos populos Cod. de sum trinit doth shew nor 〈◊〉 they say that Damasus was head and leader of the vniuersall visible Church Nor do Arcadius Honorius and Theodosus the second talke of any such matter to be due to Innocentius the first Nor can it be proued out of Augustine or Iustinians decrée inter 〈◊〉 Cod. de sum trinit that this title was giuen to Innocentius the first or Iohn the first or second For beside that the law inter claras is counterfeit the interpreter doth corruptly translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the head of all priests the head of all Churches Nay hardly will Parsons be able to shew that any of these did speake of the vniuersall visible Church where they speake of the bishops of Romes authoritie These therefore are palpable if not visible lies And that which he saith of Iohn the first is a ridiculous lye For he was dead as Chronicles teach before Iustinians reigne He thinketh it lawfull to lie all manner of lies of Caluin And therefore boldly saith He was a priest and that he sayd masse Both which are denyed by those which wrote his life which say he departed out of France before he receiued any orders The same may be proued for that his name is found in no bishops records and for that he begunne to write his Institutions before 24. yeares of age Of which we gather that he hated the popish priesthood before he was of yeares to be made priest Fol. 〈◊〉 b. he maketh Sir Francis to say that we haue changed old religion into Protestancy not changing therein his old fashion of cogging and lying For neither doth he nor any of vs acknowledge popish religion to be auncient nor do we call our religion protestancy although his dealing giueth vs oft occasion to protest against his wicked and false dealing Fol. 23. a. he affirmeth that Sir Francis talketh of nothing but feares frights and terrors But he might doe well to cease talking if he tell nothing but lies In the place mentioned Sir Francis talketh neither of feares frights nor terrors Nor doth it follow because Parsons and his consorts are still packing vnderhand and dealing with the Spaniards that we are terrified For we haue neither cause to feare treason nor publike force vnlesse we will trust traytors and wilfully throw away our armes Neither haue Papists cause to begin to stirre vnlesse they be weary of their liues of peace of ease and of their natiue countrey Fol. 25. a. he boldly auoucheth that I count it a blessing to haue Catholike rites and seruice abolished whereas in truth I desire nothing more then that Catholike religion may be restored and speake onely against the filthy abominations of popish masse the idolatrous worship of saints and idols the tyranny of the Pope and such like which none but the slaues of Antichrist can endure and wil affirme to be Catholike That Iouinian and Vigilantius held some errors we will not deny But that Hierome called them heretikes for the same points that wee hold concerning virginitie prayers to saints and lights at martyrs tombes as Parsons fol. 27. affirmeth most falsly will not be proued For Hierome doth rather excuse those that lighted candels at noone day then condeinne those that thought contrary Neither did he euer place perfection in forced virginity or teach prayers to saints or allow those that worshipped false relikes as the papists do This therefore which Parsons sayth is to be scored vp among the relikes of his leasings In the same leafe he addeth another grosse lye saying That Iewell writing against Harding and Fulke against Allen and Bristow do often call Saint Hierome borne papist and scolding doctor For neither the one terme nor the other is found in their writings Nay we should greatly wrong Saint Hierome if we should call him either papist or borne papist séeing that in his time neither the monster of the masse nor other popish abominations were either borne or conceiued Unlesse therefore he quote B. Iewels and M. Fulkes words as he was borne a bastard so we will hold him by condition for a lying accuser and a scolding companion and a fellow borne to tell lyes Fol. 28. b. he telleth loud lies of Panormitane saying That he in the chap. licet de electione expounding these words of Hostiensis Cum idem sit Christiatque Papae consistorium quasiomnia potest facere Papa quae Christus excepto peccato sheweth the meaning to be that in matters of iurisdiction and spirituall authoritie for gouernment of his Church vpon earth Christ hath left so great power vnto his substitute Saint Peters successor as he may do thereby and in his name and vertue whatsoeuer his master
children fornication adultery incest and such abominations But let him looke once more vpon the penitentiary taxe printed at Paris wherein the price of the pardon for euery one of these offences is set downe If he find not these matters in the penitentiaries taxe let him looke the fées for the Popes buls for euery of these points in the Popes Chancery He shal also find in my treatise against 〈◊〉 proofe for the sale of pardons Let him therfore either search more diligently or lie lesse confidently or heare himself taxed patiently Fol. 117. 〈◊〉 encount c. 15. he affirmeth that Iames Clement conferred with no man liuing before he killed the French king Henry the third and that he had no absolution before he committed the fact Two lies most desperately auouched whereof the second concerning his absolution is 〈◊〉 by the confession of Iaques Bourgoin his confessor executed for absoluing him and by the common practise of Iebusites that 〈◊〉 such as go about such murders as is proued in the fact of Walpoole that absolued Squire that promised to empoyson Quéene Elizabeth and of Holt that did the like to Yorke and Williams that vndertooke to murder her and by diuers like facts of others The second is refuted by the memorials of the league by the author of the Iebusits Catechisme and by Iohn de Serres in his Inuentorie In the memorials of the league we find that the yong friar was induced by the Iesuites 〈◊〉 Ne furent ils complices saith the author of the Iebusites 〈◊〉 page 203. d'auec le Iacobin del assassinat du feuroy Were not they saith he speaking of the Iebusites complices to the Dominican frier that murdred the late King He saith also that the murder was suborned by the Iebusites and leaguers and that he was drawne to it by promises of paradise and that he was assoyled for it and almost sainted beforehand Iohn de Serres in his Inuentorie sayth That Iames Clement communicated his resolution with Doctour Bourgoin prior of his conuent to Commolet and other Iebusites and the heads of the league to the principall of the sixteene and fortie of Paris and that all encouraged him to this happie aduenture promising him rewards in earth and in paradise if he should be martyred in the execution of his purpose a place aboue the Apostles Ainsi resolu sayth Iohn de Serres il communique son affaire au docteur Bourgoin prieur de son couuent au pere Commolet autres Iesuites 〈◊〉 chefs à e la ligue aux principaux de seize de quarante de Paris Tous l'encouragent à cest 〈◊〉 dessein On luy promet abbayes eueschez s'il auient qu'il soit martyrisè rien moyns qu'vne place en paradis au dessus des Apostres May we not then rightly conclude that Parsons is a notorious and most impudent lyar and that the Iebusites are King-killers and notorious traitors No question And I doubt not but they shall be so reckened of all posteritie notwithstanding the barking of such dogges against such reports I do therefore maruell as Athanasius sayth of the Arrians That without abomination and horrour of lying they could vtter such lies seeing the deuill is father of lyes and lyars are strangers to him that calleth himselfe truth Miror 〈◊〉 sine vlla abominatione horrore 〈◊〉 it a falsa c. 〈◊〉 dicere cùm mendacia patrem diabolum habeant ijque qui mentiuntur alieni sint ab 〈◊〉 qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sum veritas And well may I conclude That if all lyes ought to be farre remoued from religion and those positions which for religion are taught and learned as Saint Augustine sayth lib. de Mendacio ad Consentium cap. 10. That then it is not religion that Parsons doeth maintaine with so many lyes nor can his lies stand with the grounds of religion Finally I say to the deceiued Papists as Constantine sayd to heretikes of his time Cognoscite 〈◊〉 mendacijs vestrae doctrinae inanitas teneatur Behold by what lyes the vanitie of your doctrine is maintained And if they beléeue not me let them hearken to Parsons himselfe that in his answere to my Epistle affirmeth That he that lyeth is not to be trusted in any thing he saith or writeth CHAP. X. An answere to Parsons his immodest rayling and behauiour throughout his whole Warne-word HArd it will be for me to recount all the scurrilous and rayling termes which Robert Parsons of his cholerick liberality bestoweth vpon Sir Francis Hastings and my selfe It appeareth he is of the race of those wicked men of which the Prophet Psal. 14. speaketh Quorum os maledictione amaritudine plenum est Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse And well may I apply to him that which Hierome sayd to Ruffin Tanta confingis quanta non diceret de latrone homicida de scorto meretrix scurra de Mimo You deuise so many villanies as a cutthrote would not vtter against a robber or a comon whore against a harlot or a scurrilous Scoganlike mate against a Vize Which I doe the lesse wonder at because I vnderstand he is descended of a scolding whore and was begotten by a 〈◊〉 Monke and hath ben of late among cutthrotes and robbers that came against his countrey But if I do not touch all yet will I giue you a taste of some that by a few you may vnderstand the fellowes disgustful humour in many In the front of his book for feare of loosing time he draweth out his Copiam verborū scurrilium and without further aduisement calleth me Insolent and vanting Minister Termes well fitting a bastardly scurrilous and scuruy frier and euill applied to a minister of Gods word whose state is as honourable as the vocation of a Iebusite is odious antichristian and damnable As for the termes of insolency and vanting they rather belong to him that insolently hath taken vpon him to conuey the crowne of England vnto the Infanta in his booke of Titles which like a falsary he hath put vpon an 〈◊〉 masse-priest called Dolman and hath also vanted to the Pope that he will subdue England to the Popes erroneous religion Againe fol. 1. he termeth my Epistle vaine and arrogant And yet neuer did I vainely and arrogantly desire a Cardinals hat as Parsons hath done nor doth my Epistle containe a supplication for some preferment as did certaine letters procured by Parsons What a vaine man then is Parsons thus 〈◊〉 to talke of vanitie and arrogancy In his Epistle to the reader he saith Sir Francis is known to be one of the Puritan crew and as if he were a blind harper he is stil harping vpon this string of Puritanisme But I must tell him that which he will be much grieued to heare that the contention about ceremonies and gouernement of the church raysed by some more zealous then wise and set forward by the enemies of the Church is by the Kings great wisedome now ended As for
howsoeuer closely Parsons wold séeme to cary matters that he doth confesse more in shifting and concealing then he doth deny disputing Ita opertus ac tectus incedis sayth Hierom to one epist. 6. vt plus confitearis tacendo quà m renuas disputando This we may truly say of Parsons that his shifts and answers which he bringeth to couer the wounds of his cause do make the matter far more suspicious then before What then are we to think of such a shifting and iugling fellow Will you heare Parsons giue sentence in his owne cause If he do I hope you will say we do produce no witnesse that wil deale partially in fauor of our cause But he in his 2. encon c. 9. fol. 62. saith that he which vseth a trick of legierdemain but once of known and set malice to deceiue is neuer to be trusted againe What then remaineth now but that such a shifting trecherous companion be rather trussed then trusted haltred then harbored baffulled then beléeued CHAP. XIII Parsons his patcherie in begging things in controuersie discouered THe very name of an aduersary and often mention of controuersies if nothing else me thinkes might haue moued Robert Parsons to looke better to his proofes and to haue presumed lesse of his begging For albeit he be of the Ignatian sect and by profession a mendicant friar yet hath he no reason to beg of his 〈◊〉 nor to take as granted things that hang in controuersie Nor haue we cause to maintaine of almes such vagarant sturdy roging beggars as y t laws iudge worthy of hanging It may be he wil stand vpon termes and sweare like a hackster that he is no beggar bestowing many thousands of crownes vpon spies and cutthrotes But the truth will appeare by the sequele of his doings Fol. 1. b. he accuseth me of deportment against all kind of Catholike men though neuer so learned vertuous worshipful or honorable But he shold haue proued himself his traitorous consorts which are y e men that I do meane to be both Catholikes and learned vertuous worshipfull and honorable We of the plainer and simpler sort could yet neuer learne that it was a thing either honorable or commendable to betray his prince or countrey or to take part with Italians or Spaniards against his owne nation Fol. 7. talking of priests put to death in England he calleth them and others seruants of Christ and sayth they suffered for auncient religion But we looked for proofes and not for bare and beggarly affirmations For the seruants of Christ came neuer to depose Princes from their thrones Nay our Sauior Christ saith plainely that his kingdome is not of this world But these Massepriests as appeareth by records and by their confessions and the Popes faculties granted to them came for that purpose Secondly we haue proued in our challenge that their religion as it differeth from the faith which we professe in England is neither Catholike nor anciēt Lastly we haue there also declared them to be culpable of treason and to haue died for that not for their religion though otherwise very louzy and beggarly vellacos and as beggarly defended by this begging and 〈◊〉 companion In the same leafe also he affirmeth that Christ is the Masse-priests captaine and master and that he 〈◊〉 them on his honour and power that no one haire of their head shall perish In the end he doubteth not to call thē martyrs But to proue his matters he alleageth neither testimony of scripture nor sentence of fathers Nay where y e 〈◊〉 Church teacheth that no man can be certaine of his saluation without speciall reuelation yet this disciple of Antichrist affirmeth that Christ vpon his honor hath assured Campian Ballard Babington and I thinke Lopez too that they shall not perish For of these I thinke he speaketh To shew them to be no martyrs I haue alleaged diuers reasons Reason then would that if he would haue wonne credit he should haue either answered our reasons or proued his owne cause by argument In his obseruations vpon my Preface and in diuers places of his book he giueth the name of Catholikes to papists And yet he knoweth that this is a maine controuersie betwixt vs. What punishment then doth he deserue that wittingly and wilfully wil beg or rather steale that which belongeth not vnto him Fol. 14. most impudently he giueth the title of the Catholike Christian church and the vniuersall body of Christs commonwealth vnto papists that are neither the whole church nor part of the Church Unto vs he giueth the title of Protestants Puritanes and Lutherans which we renounce professing onely the faith of Christ Iesus He doeth also match vs with Arrians and other sects which we detest But these are points in controuersie to be proued Fol. 17. he sayth that the Councel of Trent was gathered by like authoritie as that of Chalcedon was A matter utterly denied by vs and not any way proued by him Nay it is most absurd to compare that reuerend synod assembled and moderated by the Emperors authority and proceeding according to scriptures to a conuenticle of slaues sworne to Antichrist and assembled by his writ and doing all according to his pleasure Fol. 20. a. he sayth It cannot be proued that any one Pope impugned his predecessor in matters of faith As if al our pleading were not that the later Popes do impugne and ouerthrow the faith of the first bishops of Rome Themselues also deny not but that Agatho condemned his predecessor Honorius for a Monothelite In the same place also affirming that all the Popes and Bishops of Rome from Iohn the first to Leo the tenth held one faith he saith that this demonstration is as cleare as that three and foure make seuen But this seuen and seuen yeare he shall neuer proue that which with a light fingar he taketh as granted is clearely false For the instruction giuen to the Armenians in the synode of Florence and the decrees of the Conuenticle of Constance were neuer holden of Popes before them Nor did former Popes beléeue the doctrine of the Conuenticle of Trent Fol. 77. b. he taketh as granted that a hundred haue bene put to death for being priests and for being ordained to that function beyond the seas and for defending the faith belonging to that function and that great numbers are dayly apprehended arraigned and condemned for standing in their fathers faith and resisting nouelties Both which are notorious vntruths For neither in the arraignement of priests or others is any question made of faith nor is that louzy patched religion that Papists hold ouer and aboue our faith the faith of the Apostles or Fathers nor are priests executed simply for being priests but because they come from forein enemies and are combined with them which alwayes hath bene accounted treason Fol. 80. he talketh idly of sending money out of England for defence of heresie for he beggeth of vs that which he shal neuer obtaine that
1. dist 17. q. 1. art 1. and Durand in 1. dist 17. q. 2. others hold that a mā may merit the first grace de congruo Gregorius Ariminensis in 2. di 26. Lyranus in Ioan. 1. Waldensis and others do denie it Sotus li. 2. de nat grat c. 4. saith that the former opinion is neare to 〈◊〉 Gregorius Ariminensis in 2. dist q. 1. and Capreolus in 2. di 27. q. 1. hold that no man without the illustration of Gods speciall grace can attaine to the knowledge of any morall truth But Thomas and Scotus in 2. dist 27. do hold contrary Durand placeth originall sinne in the carnall appetite Thomas placeth it in the whole substance of y e soule Scotus differeth from both and placeth it in the will of man Iosephus Angles rehearseth thrée diuers opinions in 2. dist 37. about this question whether a sin of omission may be committed without a positiue act The same man reckeneth fiue different opinions about the difference of mortall and veniall sinnes And thrée opinions concerning this question What is sinne of malice Bellarmine lib. 1. de pontif Rom. c. 12. saith that the keyes of the Church are nothing but order and iurisdiction Caietan in tractat de iustit authorit Romani pontificis holdeth that the keyes of the Church include somewhat more Pighius lib. 4. hierarch eccles cap. 8. holdeth that the Pope cannot fall into heresie nor be deposed Turrecremata lib. 4. sum part 2. c. 20. saith that the Pope falling into heresie ipso facto is deposed before God and cast out of the Church There also he saith that some held that the Pope neither for manifest nor secret heresie is deposed or could be deposed Caietane in tract de author Papae concil c. 20. 21. holdeth that the Pope prouing a notorious hereticke is not deposed ipso facto but that he may and ought to be deposed by the Church Bellarmine himselfe lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 30. holdeth that if the Pope be a notorious hereticke he then of himselfe ceaseth to be Pope Iansenius denieth that the comming againe of Helias can be proued out of the 48. of Ecclesiasticus Bellarmine lib. 3 de 〈◊〉 Rom. c. 6. wondreth that he should be of that opinion Franciscus Victoria relect 2. de potestate Ecclesiae g. 2. and Alphonsus à Castro lib. 2. de haeret iust punit sayth that as well Bishops as Apostles did immediatly receiue iurisdiction from God Turrecremata lib. 2. sum de Eccles. c. 54. and Iacobatius de concilijs hold that the Apostles receiued their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and other Bishops from Peters successor Caietane in tract de author Papae Dominicus à Soto in 4. dist 20. and Heruaeus de potestate Papae teach that the Apostles receiued their power from God and all other Bishops from the Pope And this is also the opinion of Bellarmine Hostiensis in c. nouit de iudicijs and Augustine Triumphus in summa de potestate Ecclesiae g. 1. art 1. and others very triumphantly affirme that the Pope by the law of God hath full power ouer the whole world as well in 〈◊〉 as Ecclesiasticall affaires Driedo Turrecremata 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and others reckoned vp by Bellarmine lib. 5. de Pontif. Rom. c. 1. are content to abate somewhat and to say that directly the Pope hath not power ouer all the kingdomes of the whole world The Doctors of Paris hold that a generall councell cannot 〈◊〉 Caietane in apolog p. 2. c. 21. and Turrecremata lib. 3. sum c. 32. hold contrary Petrus de Alliaco Ioannes Gerson Iacobus Almain and others in their treatises De potestate Ecclesiae hold that a generall Councell is aboue the Pope Others hold that the Pope is aboue the Councell as Iacobatius de 〈◊〉 Sanders de visib monarchia and Bellarmine lib. de concilijs Others wéene that although the Pope be aboue the Councell yet it lyeth in his power to make the Councel aboue the Pope as is euident by the glosse non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. and c. in synod dist 63. The Romane Catechisme in the exposition of the Creed Waldensis fol. 1. lib. 2. c. 9. Turrecremata lib. 1. c. 3. and others do shut out excommunicate persons from being members of the Church but this is 〈◊〉 by others as Bellarmine confesseth lib. de Eccles. militant c. 6. Alexander Hales 3. part q. vlt. art 2. and Turrecrem lib. 1. de Ecclesia cap. 30. affirme That in the passion of Christ the holy virgin onely had true faith Bellarmine lib. de Eccles. milit cap. 17. maruelleth at them and condemneth their opinion Ioan. Maior in 4. dist 24. q. 2. saith that by Gods lawe Priestes are forbidden to marrie The same opinion doth Clichtouey hold lib. de continentia Sacerdot cap. 4. But Thomas in 2. 2. q. 88. art 11. saith that the 〈◊〉 of continencie is annexed to priesthood by the lawes of the Church onely And many follow his opinion and among the rest Bellarmine Marsilius de Padua Writeth that Clearkes are subiect to secular Princes The Canonists in c. tributum 23. q. 8. in c. quamuis de censibus in 6. hold that both their persons and goods are exempted from temporall princes iurisdiction Franciscus victoria relect 1. q. vlt. de potest Eccles. and diuers others cut the controuersie in the midst and hold that they are free for their persons and goods partly by the law of God and partly by priuiledges of Princes and partly by neither How the 〈◊〉 of holy men departed do know what 〈◊〉 say or do Bellarmine bringeth in three diuers opinions lib. de sanct Beat. cap. 20. Caietan in Exod. cap. 20. taketh an image and an idoll for one thing Bellarmine lib. de cult sanct cap. 7. reproueth him for it Likewise he misliketh Ambrose Catharine who in a tract of images saith That God prohibited images simply but that this prohibition was positiue and 〈◊〉 Occham Maior and Richardus are of opinion that a Sacrament cannot be defined Scotus in 4. dist 1. q. 2. holdeth that it may be defined imperfectly Ledesma in tract de Sacrament in genere q. 1. art 2. holdeth that it may properly be defined Bellarmine lib. 1. de Sacramentis cap. 18. bringeth in diuers opinions concerning the forme and matter of Sacraments no one agréeing with others Finally I haue alreadie rehearsed infinite contradictions of the Romanists concerning the Masse in my booke de Missa contra Bellarm. concerning purgatorie and indulgences in my bookes against Bellarmine of that argument I haue also in the first booke touched diuers contradictions and cōtrarieties in the doctrine of our aduersaries And to be breefe I say and offer to proue that there is no article of Christian faith wherein the aduersaries do not varie and disagree one from another God grant they may once see it and leauing their idle bangling about vaine questions of mixt diuinitie returne to the Catholike faith which is a doctrine of agreement and vnitie CHAP. VII Of the
seruile and wretched 〈◊〉 of the English nation vnder the raigne of Queene Mary and generally of all people liuing vnder the Popes lawes and religion HAuing at full discoursed concerning matters Ecclesiasticall it followeth now that I speake of matters teuching the state politike beginning first with our owne nation vnder the vnhappie raigne of Quéene Marie sometime Quéene of England and then touching other Princes and States that are subiect to the thraldome of the Pope and his Babylonish religion First then it is apparent that she brought her selfe and her people into danger by reason of her match with king Philip and no question but she had brought this kingdome into subiection if not into seruile bondage if God had not crossed the deseignes of man and dealt mercifully with vs both taking away the Quéene in the strength of her age and preuenting the wicked counsels of bloudie traitours and persecutours who as Iohn Hales saith meant to haue brought this land vnder strangers and altering the State before y e Spaniards had taken any firme footing in England How great danger this land stood in those that then liued may well remember and we cannot chuse but acknowledge if we looke backe and consider the working of Quéen Marie of the popish prelates and of the Spaniards The Quéene sought by all meanes to put the kingdome into the hands of king Philip. The popish prelates sought to suppresse religion which could not be without the oppression of our libertie The Spaniards ruled insolently and went about to make themselues strong aduancing those which were of their faction and thrusting backe all that were studious of their countries libertie The bulwarkes or blocusses that were made for defence of the land against strangers they suffered to fall they brought in strangers they put the commaund of the kingdome into the hands of such as were best affectioned to themselues and least carefull of their countries libertie What would haue ensued of this it is an 〈◊〉 matter to coniecture by the deportment of Spaniards in other countries that are subiect to their gouernment In the Indiaes they rule not like men but rather like barbarous tyrants and sauage beasts Contemning all iustice saith Bartholomaeus à casas writing of the cruel vsage of the Spaniards towards the Indians they delight to see streames of mans bloud which they haue shed and seeke with infinite slaughter to depriue those great countries of the naturall inhabitants thereof In short space they killed diuers hundred thousands onely in one Iland called Hispaniola the women they abused the treasure and commodities of the countrie they spoiled The people of Naples were in the time of Charles the fift who otherwise was a good prince so vexed and oppressed by the Spaniards as an Ambassadour of the people of Siena said to Henry the French king that for release of their extreame bondage they seemed desirous to liue vnder the Turke Vt Turcarum imperia ad tantarum miseriarum refugium exoptare videantur He saith further that the Spaniards laid so many grieuous tributes vpon the people that diuers auncient townes were thereby deformed and left desolate The Dutchie of Milan also by the Spanish tyrannie as those that haue trauelled that countrie do know is brought to great pouertie The tares and customes are grieuous the oppressions wrought by the souldiers many the lawes vnsupportable Neither doth it auaile them to complaine For that remedie they haue often tried but all in vaine But no people was euer more oppressed then the Flemmings Brabansons Hollanders and other nations of the Low countries Their liberties they haue disanulled their lawes they haue litle regarded their townes they haue spoiled their countrie they haue almost wasted By the fundamentall lawes of the countrie they might neither place strange gouernours ouer them nor bring in 〈◊〉 forces among them But the Spaniards haue done both By the lawes the king of Spaine could neither impose taxes vpon the subiect without the consent of the States nor condemne any man but by the lawes of the countrie But he hath both done the one and the other The Duke of Alua without the consent of the States or order required the hundreth part of that which euery man was worth and the tenth of all things bought and sold in the countrie The noble 〈◊〉 of Egmont and Horne and diuers Noble men of the countrie that had done him great seruice he caused to be done to shameful death The prince of Oranges eldest sonne contrarie to the lawes of the Uniuersitie of Louain and countrie he caused to be caried prisoner into Spaine Finally contrarie to the lawes of the countrie he altered the ecclesiasticall State making new Bishops and erecting new offices of inquisition in diuers places of the countrie And this the king did hauing sworne to obserue the lawes and priuiledges of the countrie I will not here recount the murthers rapes robberies 〈◊〉 spoiles and wrongs which the Spanish souldiers and officers haue committed For that would require a great volume and it would be said that these are the calamities of warres and wrongs of priuate persons Yet if Spaniards bring warres and calamities with them and sée not these wrongs redressed it sheweth how much their tyrannicall gouernement is to be auoided and detested But that is made apparant by the lawes and procéedings which are publikely auowed The Portingals may be an example to all nations sufficient to make the Spanish gouernement odious For although they be neare neighbors and agrée with the Spaniards in Religion language lawes and humors yet haue they not found any more fauour at their hands then other nations Their Nobilitie is almost ouerthrowne the Merchant decayed the Commons spoyled The exactions are intolerable and yet farre more tolerable then the wrongs offered by 〈◊〉 from whom neither the husband can kéepe his wife nor the father his daughter nor the citizen or countriman any thing he hath Adde hereunto the violence that is offered to mens persons and the iniuries of words that they dayly sustaine and then you will confesse that the Portingals liue in great misery and bondage In England also the Spaniards albeit but few began to play their partes offering violence to diuers mens persons and attempting the chastitie both of matrons and virgins In the parliament which is the foundation of the libertie of our nation they attempted the ouerthrow of our libertie not onely by 〈◊〉 king Philip with the Quéene but also leauing out the Quéenes title of supreme authoritie in the summons and taking away the frée electiō of the Commons in chusing their Burgesses and thrusting out Bishop Watson Alexander Nowell and diuers Burgesses out of the parliament Nay such is the rigor of the Spanish gouernement that the Spaniards themselues cannot well like it The priuiledges of Aragon the last king abrogated vpon pretense of disorder in the fact of Antony Perez Escouedoes sonnes could neuer haue iustice for the death of their