gouernment which you thinke expedient to bee established in this Realme in matters Ciuill and Temperall yee may attend vpon the ParliameÌ„t and exhibite it to the body of y e Realme But you tell mee yee are a Priest then it appertaynes not to your profession to intermedle w t such affaires And to conclude though yee promyse neuer so fayre not to deale in matters of state and pollicy belieue yee who list Your profession is not to be credited the practises of Rome are knowen too too well The Iesuite I Aske to the glory of God with al humility vnder your correctioÌ„ three sorts of indiffereÌ„t audience The first before your honors wherin I would discourse of Religion so farre as is the coÌ„mon wealth of your Nobilities The second whereof I make more accompt before the Doctors Maisters and chosen men of both Vniuersities wherein I vndertake to vowe the fayth of our Catholike church by proofes inuincible scriptures councells fathers hystories naturall morall reasons The thirde by the force of the lawe spirituall and temperall Wherein I will iustifie the same fayth by the common wisedome of the lawes standing in force and practised The aunswere NOwe you craue patience yee pleade humility and pretend the glory of God You craue audience and them indiffereÌ„t Wyll no meaner please you then the Lordes of the counsayle no baser then Doctors and Maisters chosen men I perceaue Aquila non capit Muscas Fly lower or else your humility wilbe taken for hypocrisy You say yee will vndertake to vowe y e fayth as you write of our Catholike church your words seeme to inferre a certaine singularity Haue yee a Catholike church of your own you are deceaued if yee take Rome for the Catholyke church In the iudgement of all the learned and godly the Catholike church is dispersed ouer the Face of y e Earth not tyed neyther vnited to any proper place or person The Councell of Nice comitted of olde the charge of the Catholike church to three principall Patriarkes Rome Alexandria Antioch and afterwards came in Constantinople Nilus sayth For as much as certaine countreyes are limited to the Church of Rome certeine to the Bishop of Alexandria and certeine to the Bishop of CoÌ„stantinople they are now no more vnder him then hee vnder them Athanasius sayth Roma est Metropolis Romanae Ditionis Rome is the Mother church not of y e whole worlde but of the Prouince of Rome I will not speake of England Ireland Scotland FrauÌ„ce Denmark Polonia Suecia Bohoemia the noble states CoÌ„moÌ„weales of Germany Heluetia Prussia Russia Lituania Pomerania Austria Rhetia Vallis Tellina c where y e Gospell florisheth but is your church the mother church hath your Pope gouernmeÌ„t iurisdiction ouer y e Churches in Asia and Affricke It is well knowen that there is Chrystianitie in Asia Affricke Armenia Aethiopia Cyprus Constantinople Bassa Buola wyth other places where the Pope dareth not once peepe for all hys Pontificalitye at Rome And in respect of all christian assemblies and faithfull meÌ„bers wheresoeuer the church is called Catholick that is vniuersal so y t your church and all churches are to be knowen tried not by your erring councels canoÌ„s coÌ„stitutioÌ„s decrees and glosses but by y e worde of God which is the touchstone of truth Therfore Irenaeus saith columna firmamentum ecclesiae est euangelium spiritus vitae The piller and buttresse of the church is the gospel and the spirite of life Augustine saith vnto y e Donatists Sunt certe libri dominici quoruÌ„ autoritati vtrique consentimus vtrique credimus vtrique seruimus ibi quaerâ—mus ecclesiaÌ„ ibi discutiamê° causam nostraÌ„ There are verely bookes of our lord vnto the autority vvhereof eche part agreeth ech part belieueth and ech parte regardeth there let vs seeke for the church and thereby let vs examine and try our matters This I thought good here to note lest the reader should bee caried away w t the bare name of Your catholike Church But as touching your florishe in repeating the names of scriptures Councells fathers histories naturall morall reasons lawes spirituall and temporall whome you call proufs inuincible it maketh a fayre showe to bleare the eyes of the simple contayning in it no substauÌ„ce at al So haue Piggius Eckius Staphilus Hosius Harding Saunders Dorman and Raskall bragged of heretofore and beinge examyned were found contrary Haue ye red more theÌ„ all your predecessors and Companyons haue or haue ye found new scriptures new councelles new fathers new hystories new reasons new lawes at the erection of your new order of your company they were that to face and boulster out a bad matter found out new petyte doctors Abdias Amphilochius Clemens Hyppolitus â—eontius such others It should appeare you haue some good lyking in your selfe you haue forgotten the counterbuffs whych quayled the hautie myndes of your complices your bookes are answered your fathers councells and historyes are examined y e truth apertly hath bene layed before you There passeth not a scrole from your fistes but is fully perused and retourned vnto you Leaue of bragging in wordes shewe forth substaunce in deede and know ye for certainty there shall neyther autority nor reason escape neyther passe our handes vnsatisfyed The Iesuite I VVould be loth to speake any thing that might souÌ„d of any insolent bragge or challenge specially being now as a deade man vnder this world and vvilling to caste my head vnder euery mans feete and to kysse the ground they tread vpon Yet haue I such courage in aduauncing the maiesty of Iesus my kinge and such affiaunce in his gracious fauour and such assurance in my cause and my euideÌ„ce so impugnable that because I know perfectly none of the protestantes nor all the protestantes lyuing nor any sect of our aduersaries how so euer they fray men downe in theyr pulpits and ouerrule them in their kyngedome of Gramarrians and vnlearned eares can maintayne their doctrine in disputation I am to sue most humbly and instantly for the combat vvith them and euery of them The Aunswere YEt agayne I see there is much a doe with you Yee are a lofte in bragging and bosting then sodeÌ„ly downe yee fall into a vayne of hypocrisy Agayne yee skippe and mount into the Skyes displaying your Banner of defiaunce to all the Protestants liuing and like a iolly Champion yee challeng the Combat I maruell that one being as you say yee are a dead man willing to cast his head vnder euery mans foote and to kisse the ground they trade vpon can play such pageants Nowe yee shewe your selfe a disciple of Ignatius the maymed souldier as it were one begging comming from the warres or rather mee thinkes you play Skoggan with the King or yee expresse as Sozomenus writeth the Story of the Beggers which went about to deceaue Epiphanius The one being well begged the other lay downe and fayned himselfe dead when
diriges trentalles images pictures reliques alters shrines liues of fayned saincts false miracles visions dreames fantasies such other trashes without warrant of gods word as it appeareth vnto the world in your sermons and Romish postilles and in fine ye are iustly to bee charged as companions of the Pharises that ye set light by the gospell of Iesus Christ that ye forsake the law and follow after the traditions of men Unto the Pharises farre worse then the heathen Iebusits a fitter name for you then Iesuits it is said In vaine do they serue mee while they teach such doctrines as are nothing but the coÌ„maundements of men VVhat sacraments do ye minister the church of God receiueth two numero paueissima of the smallest number as Augustine wryteth which are baptismus trinitatis nomine consecratus coÌ„municatio corporis sanguinis ipsius Baptisme hallovved in the name of the Holy Trinity and the communicating of his blessed bodie and bloud fygured in the old testament by the circumcision and the pascal lambe But you of your own braine haue added thereunto fyue more such is your dealing Are ye an instructer of the simple and yet at the first iumpe ye take the lords of the couÌ„sel in hand you would haue to your audience not onely their honours but the doctors maisters and choseÌ„ men of both vniuersities Are ye come to reforme sinners Why turne ye not your face to the fountayne of your religion where the water is troubled muddye noysome I meane the synagoge of Rome full of deformities As for this realme of England the Lord of hostes be praysed therefore gods word is here plaÌ„ted we haue a gracious princes whose life God blesse and longe continue our supreme head next immediatly vnder god her maiesty hath counsailers that be noble wise vertuous learned we haue florishing vniuersities scholes of learning of great fame we haue good magistrates and good gouernment and godly lawes established Antichrist of Rome is abaÌ„doned idolatry and superstition rooted out the dregs filth of heresies detested and abhorred euery one in his calling with al endeuer seruing god obeying his Prince and embracing brotherly loue and now are ye come to be a reformer I vehementlye suspect your dealing We haue a president of the late hypocriticall practise of your brother Theatinê° the Iesuite He preteÌ„ded reformation in the church of Rome as you do here in England and wrote vnto Paulus the third a booke as Vergerius saith de emendanda Ecclesia Although saieth he he reformed it nothinge at all Luther profecied of the reformation then wished pretended by the Pope and his Cardinals I meane at the late Councel of Trent by the picture which was set before his booke as an argument of their doings For saith Sleidan the bishop was placed in an high seate and certaine Cardinals standing about him which vvith Foxes tayles tied to staues like besomes svvept al things vpside dovvne This Theatinus aforesaied hauing gotten vnto himself therby some credit crept on so fast that he attained vnto the papacie and being Pope looke what he had preached against before that he practised himselfe This was the first of your worthies and the famousest of your order such examples we haue of your pretended reformation Are ye a confuter of errors They are infinite in the church of Rome What a number of Popes haue bene heretikes schismatikes blasphemers of God polluters of peters chaire are ye come to England to confute errors Why turne ye not to them that disobey their prince thrusting in forreyne power gaping after the Pope and the flesh-pots of Aegypt Why turne ye not to your countrimen here that will not repayre to the church to here Gods word and deuyne seruice that wil not be pertakers of the blessed communion that mislike with her maiestyes procedinges that secretly conspyre that practise treason coniuringe calculating southsaying sorcery and witchcraft with other abhominable dealinges reforme first your selfe then confute these errors and you shal do God good seruice and great commodity to your natiue countrey Are ye a trier of all armor spirituall and a deliuerer of your Countriemen a proper Champion your skil therein the proufe therof wil appeare in your practise but I am nowe to deale with you an other way Me thinks the liberty of your society and the ranging abroade of your brethren semeth contrary to good order the course of your owne cannon law Affrica in the time of S. Augustine hath bene bepestred with two sortes of heretikes Donatists and wandring Circumcellions passing froÌ„ Affrike to Rome from Rome to Affrik as you do from EnglaÌ„d to Rome from Rome to England There was a grieuous coÌ„plaint made vnto the councell of Calcedon agaynst religious men that passed from citye to city as you do et perturbationes paci ecclesiasticae inferebaÌ„t diuersorum domos corruÌ„pebant and disturbed the quiet estate or peace of the Church corrupted the houses of diuers men when complaynt was made vnto Pope Pelagius of Probinus Milianus Probinianus who leauing their cloister loitred about he charged Iohn the gouernor of that regioÌ„ to banish them the soyle you may thinke yee speade wel if so ye caÌ„ escape The councel of Calcedon and the councel of Antioch haue decreed and S. Agustine likewyse requesteth his colleags the bishops about him to receiue no priest without testimoniall and commendatorye letters Also touching Transmarinos that is such as passe ouer sea it is decreede that they be not receiued without the testimonies of fiue bishops at least and that vnder their handes and seales the reason therof is therby to shunne the Maniches and such as were rebaptized with other Heretikes which thrust theÌ„selues into y e church as you do now vnder the name of Catholicke priestes now sir where is your pasport and the testimoniall of your soundnes in religion your law saith no priest is to be receiued without his letters of orders shew them if ye haue any your law maketh mention of your stole to bee worne on both shoulders in token of aduersity and prosperity and shauen crowne in token of the kingdome which is hoped in Christ. Let vs see the character of your order that consequently we may bee the better acquainted with your person The order of the Church is that none do preach vnlesse he be orderly called licensed and sufficiently autorized therunto This custome beganne of olde because of Arius the heretike who beynge but an inferior priest presumed to reprehend the manner of Alexander Byshop of Alexandria his expounding of scriptures and to Preache errors himselfe beyng not therunto licenced If ye be a preacher bryng forth your licence and coÌ„sider with your selfe whether your prouost of Rome caÌ„ liceÌ„ce preachers in England The liberties of your priesthode by your owne confession stretch not only to preach but also to minister y
viris siue mulieribus sub specie religionis loquentibus visiones sui capitis quia per tales ipse seductus He made a solempne protestation before all that vvere preseÌ„t that they should take heede of people vvere they men or vvere they vvomen that gaue forth the dreames visioÌ„s of their ovvne brayne for by such he him selfe had bene deceaued Old father Gerson Chaunceler sometimes of Paris tryeth out agaynst the abuse of that corrupte tyme which receiued sectes and orders by dreames visions without warrant of gods word Frier Alphonsus is in a pelting chafe with such as geue credit to mens workes as if they were Oracles from aboue and geue them that honor which is due vnto the sacred scriptures Non enim iurauimus sayeth hee in verba hominis sed in verba dei VVe haue not vovved the truth of mans vvord but of gods vvord Thirdly in this vayne hope and confidence you repose in your fained order you trauel from countrey to countrey which is greatly to be lamented as ye report your selfe from Prage to Rome from Rome to England I am affraid lest the story of the wicked spyrit in the Gospell bee fulfilled in you where it is said VVhen the vncleane spyrit is gone out of a man hee vvalketh through dâ—y places seeking rest and findeth none Then saith hee I vvill turne agayne into my house from vvhence I vveÌ„t out and vvhen he commeth he findeth it empty svvepte and garnished Then goeth he his vvay and taketh vnto him seuen other spirits vvorse then himself vvheÌ„ they are entred in they dvvell there the end of that man is vvorse then the beginning Ye haue wandred farre and nigh and passed through dry places as Chrysostome expoundeth homines aridos qui nondum pluuiam euangelicae doctrinae susceperunt in se dry men vvho as yet haue not receiued into their breasts the deavv of gods vvorde in the gospell You haue visited that Romish babyloÌ„ that great citie vvhich beareth rule ouer the kings of the earth You haue beheld her seuen hils described in the reuelation I doubt not but you shaked hands with Antichrist and swore vnto hym obedyence saluo vestro ordine as the maner is vpoÌ„ the sole of his foote What neede I repeat vnto you the abhominations which you haue seene reporte them your selfe tell the truth and shame the deuil Iohannes Sarisburiensis sayth In ecclesia Romana sedent Scribae et Pharisae The scribes and pharises sit in the church of Rome It is a very dry soyle for Nicolaus Lyra aboue two hundred and fifty yeres agoe sayd of that Seea Ab ecclesia Romana iam diu est quod recessit gratia It is longe sithence the grace of god is departed from the churche of Rome Cornelius bishop of Bitonto lamented that the clergie of Rome vvas fallen from christ to Antichriste Franciscus Petrarcha calleth Rome the vvhore of Babylon the mother of all Idolatry and Fornication and sayth further that all shame and reuerence is quite departed from thence That it is become a schole of error and a temple of heresy Iohannes Episcopus ChemeÌ„sis one of your own saith Ecce Roma nunc est vorago et mammon inferni vbi diabolus totius auaritiae capitaneus residet Behold Rome is now the gulfe and Mammon of the infernall lake Where the Deuell head and general or chieftaine of all auarice is resident Agayn Sedes bestiae id est ecclesiae peruersae est in curiae Romana The seate of the beast that is of the wicked church is in the court of Rome O miserable Rome saith a bishop of your owne Which in the time of our elders hast brought forth the lightes of worthy fathers but in our daies hast brought forth monstruous darknes shamefull and slaunderous to the time to come Petrus BeÌ„bus sayth Romae est sentina pessimoruÌ„ hominuÌ„ totius orbis Rome is a sinke of most pestilent varlets and of the whole World Luther confesseth I would not for a great summe of Money but that I had seene Rome otherwise I shoulde haue stood in great feare least that I had misreported ought of them But what I saw that speake I and testify and cry out with Mantuan Viuere qui sancte cupitis discedite Romae Omnia cum liceant non licet esse bonum Fly Rome all yee that meane a life in holinesse to leade Though all yee may yet bard is this the godly way to treade Agayne Sanctus ager scurris venerabilis ara Cynaedis Seruit honorandae diuûm Ganymedibus Aedes The substaunce of these later verses is such y t with modesty they may not bee englished The shame I referre to the fauorers of the cause and the clokers of the filth What say you to these reportes The Wel of your religion is there the Pillers of your fayth are at Rome and your selfe made a Pilgrimage thither Wee are to take heede of poysoned Rayment and rotten Shepe least they infect the flocke and you also warely to tender your state least that accordinge to the Storye of the Euangelist the ende be vvorse with you then the beginninge The practise of such aduersaries and patrons of the Romishe sect is very pernicious Chrysostome wryteth Christianus si malus euaserit peior fit quam si fuisset gentilis A Christian if hee reuolt proueth vvorse then if hee vvere a Gentile or Heathen Therefore I am to warne my Brethren that they take heede of you Now I will heare you further The Iesuite MY charge is free to preach the Gospell to minister the Sacraments to instruct the simple to reforme sinners to confute errors and in briefe to trie all armoure spirituall agaynst foule vice and proude ignoraunce wherewith many of my deare Countreymen are abused The aunswere NOw ye publish your commission is your calling ordinarye or extraordinary extreame ordinary who made you a Preacher youre Prouost of Rome Are yea preacher of the Gospell I pray ye of what Gospel there haue bene many heretikes that reiected the true gospel that is of Iesus Christ and deliuered into the world the Gospels of Peter Thomas Mathias Andrevve and yet would they be counted preachers of the Gospell Helcesaitae had amonge them as they sayd a Gospell fallen from Heauen Sethiani had their Iobelaea the reuelation of Seth and Abraham ArchoÌ„tici had their Symphoniam Cayni the heretikes of Cayn the murtherer worshipped Iudas the traitor as you do the Pope and alleaged hys Gospell The Ebionits had a gospell secundum Ebraeos and yours is secundum Romanos Let as many as feare God and syncerely embrace the gospell of Iesus Christ vnder the globe mantel or cope of heauen beare witnes and iudge betwene you and vs. you preach the popes supremacy canons of CouÌ„cels decrees of fathers coÌ„stitutions of men rites and ceremonies pardons and indulgences inuocation of Sainctes merits by workes pilgrimage purgatorie masses
the Bishop had done his deuotion passed by the counterfeit dead man was stirred and hee was found dead in deede Deale not w t your countrey men in iest I feare mee in fayth you will be found dead in earnest Of Ecebolius y e Sophist of Constantinople it is written that in the time of Constantius he was hot in religion in the time of Iulian colde agayne in the dayes of Iouinian earnest And in these his changes he would prostrate him selfe at the church Porche saying me quasi salem insipidum pedibus conculcate treade vppon mee or trample mee vnderfoote as vnsauory Salt The Pope who is accepted amonge your professors as prince of Prelats head of the Church gods liuetenaunt on earth christs vicar generall wryteth him selfe the seruaunt of seruaunts Your docter Bonner sayd sometimes of him and as I hope your eyes wilbe opened to see the same Notvvithstanding the pope be a very rauening vvolfe in sheepes clothing yet he calleth him selfe the seruaunte of seruaunts In him is the saying of Irenaeus founde true Antichristus cum sit seruus tamen adorari vult vt deus Antichrist being but a seruant yet vvil be vvorshiped as god The aungel enfourmeth Vguentinus the monke in a vision of the Romish priestes saing In quibusdam videtur ceruicis inflexio sed noÌ„ deponitur in eis cordis erectio In certene religious personnes Douking or bovving of the necke is seene but in them the lifting vp of the heart is not laid dovvne Now sir do ye see your self Behold ye are againe in the clowds with your courage affiance assuraunce perfect knovvledge euidence impugnable against al protestantes lyuing such an other Champion was Golias the great bastard of the Philistins As ioly a Champion as ye are take heede ye ouermatch not your selfe There happely may meete you a simple curate who with the flinge of Dauids confidence the stone of gods word may pearce your Lyons pelt and ouerturne you with al the Bombast of your Romysh religion Ruffinus reporteth of the lyke brag made at y e couÌ„cel of Nice by a subtil philosopher who set himselfe against all the bishops there where a seely poore Christian the symplest of all the number toke him in hand so that in the end this Bragger sayth the story ita obstupefactus virtute dictorum mutus ad omnia hoc solum potuit respondere ita sibi videri nec aliud verum esse quam quod dixerat vvas so astonied vvith the force of those thinges that vvere spoken he had not a vvord this onely could he ansvveare that it semed so vnto him and that there vvas no other trueth then the christian had spoken And now to consider of youre challenge I saye vnto you if there were no wyser then my selfe you should be disputed withall as longe as yee were able to turne your tounge in your mouth yf ye conforme your selfe otherwyse I am not to bolden you and become a ciuil subiecte and a student in any of the Uniuersityes within her maiesties Dominions as ye know the maner the Scholes are open set vp your questions appoint the day let euery thing be don in order yee shalbe disputed withall Or if vnto the wise and discrete this way seeme not best take your penne call your fyue senses and wittes togeather alleage what ye can ye shal be aunswered And whereas ye charge vs that vve fraye men in our pulpittes ouerrule them in our Kingdome of Grammarians and vnlearned eares we are no bugges the Pope with his pupilles is hee that frayeth men w t the terrour of the Lions pelt much like Xerxes king of Persia who hauiÌ„g brought ouer his huge army into Graecia sent his letters of defiance vnto the great mount Athos in Macedonia commaundinge him to stande still not to stirre a foote not to worke any displeasure ether to him or his army vpon payne of his high indignation For y e Pope wyth as good discretion sendeth out hys preceptes and princely summons to commaund Aungels Archaungels all the powers of heaueÌ„ to goe to fetch to carry at hys will Antoninus Archbishop of Florence setteth forth the bugge where he wryteth Potestas papae maior est omni alia creata post potestatem christi aliquo modo extendens se ad coelestia terrestria infernalia vt de â—o possit illud verificari dictum de christo in psalmis omnia subiecisti sub pedibus eius The popes povver is greater theÌ„ any other povver that god euer made after christ after a sort stretching it self to things in heauen earth and hell so that of him the vvords may bee verifyed vvhych the prophet Dauid spake of christ in the psalmes thou haste made all thinges subiecte vnder his feete Here is the bugge that fraieth and amazeth the harts of the simple by cursing with bell booke and candle The histories record that when Gregory the .7 had cursed the emperour Henry .3 the Princes of Almayne fearing the popes thunderbolt wente about to chose an other emperour and again wheÌ„ he came to be reconcylde to the Pope not one of his nobility durst accompany him Moreouer when Calixtus .2 required Henry .5 to surreÌ„der vnto the Pope and his successors the inuestyng of bishops the princes of Germany trembling at the Popes banning and cursyng perswade him to yelde I will not presently trouble the reader wyth the words and forme of y e Diuells pater noster and the Popes blacke sanctus But now God bee praysed the Asse may â—et vp and downe in the Lyons skinne with more ease and lesse terror for hee is stript of his counterfaite weede and now appeareth as hee is It pleaseth you lastly to terme our sway the kingdome of Grammarrians our auditorie vnlearned eares As for the teachers ioyne wheÌ„ yee will you shall finde such as shal aunswere all the wandring Iesuites of your order not onely in humanity which yee call Gammar but in any the lyberall sciences or noble faculties with good skill and knowledge in the learned languages florishing at this day in y e famous Uniuersities of Oxenford and Cambridge Our auditors whom your predecessors in that your Romishe profession and companions haue heretofore termed Pigges swyne and now yee call vnlearned eares be it spoken to the glory of God and the comfort of their fellowe Brethren in Christe are so instructed in Gods worde and so trayned vp in Religion that many of them being but laye men ate able not onely to confirme their owne doctrine and fayth with sufficient proofes and allegations out of holy Scripture but also to confute your errors and superstition blanke in their language the greatest bragger of your Society The Iesuite ANd because it hath pleased God to enritch the Queene my soueraygne Lady with noble gifts of nature and princely education I doe verely trust that if her highnes would voutchsafe in her Royall person to heare and geue good
attention to such a conference as in the secoÌ„d part of my Articles I haue meÌ„cioned and requested or to a fewe Sermons wythin her or your hearing I am to vtter such manyfest and fayre light by good methode and playne dealing as may be cast vpon these coÌ„trouersies that possible her zeale of truth and loue of her people shall encline her noble grace to disfauore froÌ„ proceeding hurtfull to the Realme and procure towardes vs oppressed more equity The aunswere THe summe of this your seueÌ„th diuision is coÌ„tained in a wish wher you not onely desire the presence of the nobility Lords of y e counsaile but also her Royall Maiesty to geue attention vnto your preaching moreouer yee hope y t by cuÌ„ning methode and playne dealing as yee say beyng cast as it were a mist vpon these controuersies yea ye doubt not but ye shal be able to do som good c. Princes sittiÌ„g in thrones of great maiesty haue not to harkeÌ„ vnto each pilgrims sute their affaires beyng great causes waighty neither is it expedient y t euery sorte of priuate persons should haue accesse vnto theire presence neyther that their sacred eares should bee abused with the hearyng of such â—rasse as commoÌ„ly such pedlers as you are doe bryng in their packes fardels from Rome The Lordes her maiesties most honorable counsel the nobles pieces and state of the realme beyng meÌ„ of greate wisedome learnyng zeale and Godly religioÌ„ busilye occupyed in theyr seuerall callynges prudently gouerning vnder her highnes and ministringe vnto her maiesty by direction of the spirite of wisedome receyued from aboue holsome aduyse and counsaile are not to be troubled with hearing of any such message as yee bringe from the prouost of your order vnlesse you wil minister occasion vnto them to examine you of your loyalty and subiection vnto her royal maiesty and Godlye procedinges Lastly discretion wisedome in mine opinion are to direct you not to attempt in opeÌ„ audience in y e hearynge of the lay and common sort of people the publishinge of anye deuyse discourse or doctryne that is not agreable with the word of God that is not alreadye established that is repugnant vnto her Maiestyes proceedinges The maner of old and the vse receiued in the Church hath bene that none vnlicensed vnexamined vntryed and vnknowen shoulde be permitted to preache neyther in open assemblies to set any doctrine abroch that is not receaued Any hereticke be hee an Arrian Macedonian Eunomian Nestorian Pelagian Libertine Anabaptist or of the Family of Loue may be a suter as ye are but whether you are any of the aforesayde is to be permitted to discourse in open audience I referre it to the wyse to consider of I know not what fauor in the premisses ye shall obtayne as for myne owne part I submit herein my censure to the learned wyse and pollityke magistrates and superiors Loke to whom yee haue made your suite and petition they are in this poynt further to resolue you What diuinitye is may sone be layde downe for there is here no greate occasyon ministred of discourse or answeare The Iesuite MOreouer I doubte not but you her highnes counsaile beyng of such wisedome and discretion in cases most important when you shall haue hearde these questions of religion opened faythfully which many tymes of our aduersaryes are hudled vp and confounded will see vpon what substantiall ground our catholick fayth is builded and how feble that syde is which by sway of the time preuayleth agaynst vs and so at the last for your owne soules and for many thousandes that depende vpon your gouernement will discountenance error when it is bewrayed and harken to those which wold willingly spende the best bloud in theyr bodyes for your saluation Many innocent hands are lyft to heauen for you daily and hourely by the English students whose posterity shall neuer dye Which beyonde the seas gathering vertue and sufficyent knowledge for their purpose are determined neuer to giue you ouer but either to winne you heauen or to die vppon your pikes As touching our society be it knoweÌ„ vnto you that we haue a league all the Iesuits in the worlde whose succession and multitude must ouerreach the practise of England chearefully to carry the crosse which god shall lay vppon vs and neuer to dispayre your recouerye whiles we haue a man left to enioy your tyburne or to be racked vvyth your torments or to bee consumed with your prisons The expence is reckoned the enterpryse is begun it is of god it cannot be withstoode so the fayth was planted so it must be restored The Aunswere YOu are still in hope of good successe No doubt their honors will yeld credit vnto that whych is faythfully deliuered accordyng vnto Gods worde but where ye charge vs with hudling vp and confounding of questions in diuinity and matters in controuersie I returne y e same vnto you and the shame to light vpon their pates that deserue it Your complices of the Romish religion haue defended your holyewater by the exaÌ„ple of Elizaeus and by the words of the prophet Ezechiel your pardons by the prophet Esay your images by the Cherubins and brasen serpent your seuen sacraments by the seuen seales seuen trumpets seuen starres seuen golden candelstickes seuen eyes your seruice in an vnknowen language without translating of y e scriptures into y e vulgare tongue by that which Peter reporteth that there are some things harde to be vnderstood in Paule your vowed pilgrimage by that where it is commaunded that none puttyng hys hand to the plough must looke backward your eleuatioÌ„ in the sacrament by the story of Lazarus where it is sayd that Christ lyfted vp his eyes your superiority of y e church of Rome by the words of our sauiour vnto Peter thou arte Peter vpon this rocke our sauiour meaning hys faith no say you vppon the Sea of Rome I vvill builde my Church your right of both swordes by the answer of Peter in the garden behold here are tvvo svvordes your popes primacy aboue the emperour by comparing the Pope to the sunne and the emperour to the moone such is the practise of your side such is your confusion in matters of diuinity and such is your hudlyng vp of Scriptures you proceede on further and hope to crepe into fauor by declaring that many handes are lift vp for the State of England by the Englyshe Studentes beyonde the Seas This is right Frierish Limit or like God saue my good maister my good dame the scrip be like is empty and are yee nowe come to fill it their flying declareth their disposition their absence sheweth their loue and their practises open vnto vs what prayers they make You tell vs of your league and that you are determined neuer to geue vs ouer No more as I think then the Ievves which vowed neyther to eate nor to drincke before they had killed Paule