as seeke her destruction and the desolation of this countrey for our selues that professe true religion and abhorre Romish idolatry superstition and heresie With Sir Francis you haue no reason to be offended if you be as you pretend a friend to her maiestie and the countrey Hee speaketh against the Spaniard and why should he not the Spanish king without all iust cause professing himselfe our enimie He weigheth little the popes authoritie And hath he not reason the pope in his tyrannie shewing himselfe not onely to be our enimie but also the enimie of Christian religion of Christs church He toucheth also the practises and treasons of g Gifford Worthington c. priestes and h Parsons oâ— Delman Hâ—it Walpooiâ— c. Iesuites and their adherents but not without iust cause seeing they haue shewed themselues not catholikes as you terme them for catholikes neuer held either any such religion as theirs is nor sought by violence to murder lawfull Princes and ruinate their natiue countrey but dangerous traytors and most malicious i Testified by Sixtus Qâ—intus declaratorie sentence against the Queene enimies of their countrey Likewise he commendeth her Maiesties clemencie and you haue no cause to dislike the same least percase it may please God to turne her hart through your vngratefulnesse and hatefull practises from her entended course of clemencie which is not well fitting for your sharpe humors into a course of iustice which your treacherous and most wicked practises doe drawe vpon you This is his course against enimies this is his dealing with his soueraigne He neither iniustly chargeth his enimies nor doth he basely or seruilely flatter his friends and superiors But admit your aduersarie had not vsed either that moderation in his stile or sinceritie in his dealing which might passe the iust censure of seuere iudges yet no man hath lesse cause to finde fault with these courses then your selfe and your consorts For in railing and calumniation no man may compare with you It is not one only biting libell and iniurious pamphlet which you haue set out but very many and diuers I will deale plainly with you for that I am well acquainted with your stile and know your lewde packing and practising and can conuince you if you haue your steele vizor on and shame not to denie so plaine matters I say then that you Robert Parsons falsly abusing the name of Iesus to ouerthowe the truth of Iesus haue published first certaine chartels against your friends in Oxford secondly one famous or rather infamous libell against the Earle of k Leicesters coÌ„mon-wealth Leicester thirdly another single l Entitled a confutation of pretended feares libell against the late Lord Treasurer fourthly another infamous m The words by no loyall subiect may be spoken libel against her Maiestie against all her chiefe counsellers vnder the name of Andreas Philopater Neither can you excuse your selfe that n A Iesuite residing in the court of Spaine and Parsons disciple and Agent Creswell was the man that made the Latine which you cannot doe when as you either made it first in English or else gaue him all his argument Fiftly you holpe Allen in his libell against the Queene and state anno 1588. and published diuers copies Sixtly you set out Dolmans treacherous discourse to shew your selfe not onely a libeller but a notorious traitor and sworne enemie to your countrie Albeit o The discouery of a countersect conference one of your friends doth only terme it a chartell or libell This wardword shal make vp the seuenth libell and the patched relation of the conference betwixt M. Plessis and Eureux sent vs lately from Rome the eight Beside these you haue published diuers base and paltrie pamphlets not woorthie to be mentioned and these be the flowers or rather furies of your writings and the fruites of your inuectiâ—e veine Neuer did any vse more lying forging false dealing scornfull gibing odious bragging then your selfe in all your writings Your owne p The priestes banded in England against the Iesuites friends accuse you of Machiuilian and Turkish practises and well doe your writings and doings deserue these titles The like also may be verified of Sanders Rishton Ribadineira Allen that hungrie cardinall other your friends Tisiphone and the furies of hell spoke with their toongs wrote with their pennes and wrought in their malicious harts It is your selfe therefore and your treacherous consorts vpon whom all the reproofes wherewith you load your aduersarie do light fitly and lye heauily And that you shall perceiue by this discourse ensuing Wherein if I reforme your error in many things whereof before you were ignorant you are to thanke me If you fee the hostile dealings of your friends the pope and Spaniard declared and auowed and your owne and your consorts treasons and a great masse of your hidden villenies discouered take it grieuously you may thank your selfe that gaue the occasion If any Papist finde himselfe agrieued with my plainenesse let him impute the fault to you also that first began to stir these coales and to the mysteries of popish religion that contain such deepe matters of rebellion and treason and not to me that being thus prouoked haue so plainely reuealed them Because vpon small aduantages you haue made great triumphes and called your aduersary forth to answere you as it were in eight encounters vanting and facing as if you were to play your maisters prises I haue taken vpon me to ioyne with you vpon your owne ground and to try with you at your owne weapons hoping to prooue you ignorant both of state matters wherein you pretend to know such secrets and also of sound diuinitie and other learning of which your friends and your selfe make such vants For matters concerning Sir Francis Hastings his owne person I refer you to his owne answere that may sufficiently satisfie you For the rest I thought it not amisse to discourse with you more at large And because you goe about to carie away matters with faire pretenses as if you papists the popes children were the only catholikes and did professe the ancient faith of the catholike church and as if all others were heretikes and wrong beleeuers I doe also vpon your lend glosses draw you out into fiue new encounters wherein if you ward not the better it shall be prooued First that you are no catholikes nor hold the catholike faith secondly that your religion is a new deuise and not the auncient religion of Christs church Thirdly that you are heretikes Fourthly that the Romish Church is the harlot of Babylon and not the true church of Christ And lastly that your consorts haue beene executed for treason most iustly and not for religion Which being prooued I trust your selfe will confesse that wee haue iust cause to maintaine that religion that we professe and to withstand antichrist the Spaniard and all their adherents that goe about both by force and treason to
among themselues Nay the contention betwéene Caluin and Luther is not so great but that popish doctors haue greater As for our selues all of vs professe the doctrine of Christ Iesus according to that rule that was established by common consent of the church of England from which if any digresse he is no more to be accounted of our societie then the papists that are of the popes retinue Lastly where he calleth our religion Parliament religion hée speaketh like himselfe that is falsely and slanderously For albeit the same be receiued by authoritie of the prince and state yet is it Christs religion and not the princes The a Lâ—unctos Cod. de summ Trin. sid Cath. emperors Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius decréed That all people of their gouernment should hold the doctrine of Peter the apostle taught by Damasus bishop of Rome and Peter bishop of Alexandria and that they should beleeue one God three persons and yet I hope this Noddie will not call the faith of the Trinitie An imperiall faith And thus much in answere of his obiection of parliameÌ„t faith and of supposed diuisions amongst vs. But if hée had considered how that all the authoritie of their Romish faith as it differeth from ours standeth vpon the authoritie of late popes and of the late conuenticle of Trent and that both the grounds and positions of it are either nouelties or old condemned heresies and was in Quéene Maries times established more by parliament then by authoritie of the apostles and how many and diuers sectes they haue among their monkes and friers and b About the matter of the sacrament of the Lords supper they haue not so few as 200. diuers opinions diuers opinions among their schoolemen and how their late writers dissent both from fathers and schoolemen and among themselues I thinke hée woulde haue spared either to haue obiected vnto vs our dissensions or to haue talked of the authoritie of our religion To discredite the report of spirituall blessings bestowed on vs he a P. 5.6 saith further That before this change we beleeued the catholike faith of Christendome deliuered by the vniuersal church grounded vpon that rocke that cannot faile now beleeue onely either other mens opinioÌ„s or our owne fancies which choice is properly called heresie and héere hée thinketh to haue argued like a great doctor But first as his doctrine is strange so his stile is new and fantasticall For although hée sweate hard in séeking yet shall hee not finde that any one doctor saith That the vniuersall church doth deliuer to euerie priuate man the catholike faith for as schoolemen might teach him Actiones sunt suppositorum and it is not the whole kind but some one or other that doth this or that action Secondly most vntrue it is That either poperie is the catholike faith of Christendome or that the apostles or their catholike successors taught those errors of poperie which wee condemne Thirdly he doth vs wrong where he saith That our doctrine is diuers from the catholike faith of Christendome For whatsoeuer Christ or his apostles taught or is deliuered in the confessions of faith or créedes generally receiued of Christs Catholike church that wée beléeue and receiue refusing no point of catholike doctrine and all priuate fancies opinions heresies whether of popes or other heretikes and false teachers we renounce condemne and anathematize Héereof it followeth that the doctrine and faith of the church of England is most catholike and certaine being grounded vpon the apostles and prophets Christ Iesus being the corner stone which is a firme rocke against which the gates of hell cannot preuaile Grounded it is I say vpon the writings of the apostles and prophets endited by Gods holie spirite and thereunto not onely Councels and fathers but also the aduersaries themselues for the most part giue testimonie But the blinde papists haue deuised and receiued both new grounds of their religion and new doctrine which standeth onely vpon the authoritie of this pope and that pope whose fancie and opinion is all the certeintie they haue This is that rocke or rather banke of sand whereon the miserable papists faith is built For what the pope determineth that they hold to be the determination of the vniuersal church vpon his credite they receiue the scriptures Nay without his determination a Stapletonde author eccles they denie the scriptures to be authenticall b Princip doct lib. 9. c. 12. Stapleton teacheth that the church that is the pope at all times hath power to approue and taxe and consigne the bookes of holy scriptures In another place he c Ibidem lib. 11. c. 4. holdeth that vniuersall tradition is the most certaine interpreter of scriptures Generallie they hold that the pope is supreme iudge in all controuersies of faith and manners and that he is the iudge that cannot erre Hereof that followeth which this noddie obiecteth to vs That the faith of papists is built vpon the popes fancie and opinion which altering from time to time the faith of the Romish church is variable like the moone and vnstable as the sea Trusting to the popes determination from the Angelickes they haue receiued the worship of angels from the Collyridians the worship of the holy virgin Marie from the Carpocratians and Simon Magus and their disciples the worship of images from the Manichées and other heretikes prohibition of meates and dislike of mariage of priests and from other heretikes other damnable opinions So that their faith is not the catholike faith of Christendome but méere heresie grounded vpon the fancie and opinion of most wicked and vnlearned popes But d P. 6. saith this Noddie Why should you beleeue more your owne opinions then Caluin concerning the Queenes supremacie Luther concerning the reall presence and Beza in the church gouernment I answere first that these mens priuate opinions concerne not fundamentall points of faith And therefore that they are not to bée brought foorth for instance in this cause where we talke of the foundations reasons of Christian faith Secondly I deny that Caluin did deny the Quéenes supremacie in ecclesiasticall matters as we hold it For neither did he subiect princes to popes or priests in matter of their royall gouernment nor did hee denie princes power to establish ecclesiasticall lawes nor to command for Gods truth or to prouide for the setting foorth of true religion or redressing of disorders in churches or priests which are the principall points of supreme gouernment of princes in their realmes and dominions Neither do I thinke that any ancient father of the church did euer denie this power to princes Sure I am that many haue allowed it The reason why Caluin did once mislike the title of king Henry the eight was because hée was perswaded that hee had challenged all that power which the pope arrogateth to himselfe as head of the church wherein after that he was better informed he changed his stile and
speaketh of the first our question is of the second kind of conscience as is euident by our aduersaries wordes who teacheth that if our consciences perswade vs to do any thing that we are bound to do it although our reason lead vs wrong Which is contrary not onely to the apostle but also to the schoolemen The apostle saith Whatsoeuer is not of faith or a good conscience is sinne And the schoolemen teach as I haue shewed that an erroneous conscience is not to be folowed but rather forsaken So that if we folow the apostles rule then those that vpon false perswasions abstaine from hearing Gods eternall word and coÌ„municating with vs in the sacraments and that go to idole seruice and eat bread that is made an idole do offend gréeuously for that this cannot procéede of conscience but rather is against good conscience Fourthly he assureth vs That the conscience of papistes that refuse to go to the church is grounded vpon so sure and euident groundes as any demonstration in the world can lay downe And his ground is this That the religion professed by papistes is true and that therefore they may not seeme to professe any other And here he thinketh he standeth firme immooueable But if this be his ground his building is founded vpon sand and vpon a cleare vntruth For neither shall he euer be able to disprooue that truth which we professe nor to iustifie those pointes of popish religion which we condemne If he will promise to do it I will giue him what tearme he pleaseth And to the entent all deceiued papists may sée his vanitie I will shewe him b See the 4. encounâ—â— following this treatise héereafter what the points are that hée cannot prooue In this place it is sufficient to shewe that his popish positions are contradicted in the greatest part of christendome But no firme demoÌ„stration can be grounded vpon vntrue or doubtfull propositions Aristotle c Analyt post 1. telleth vs that demonstrations are syllogismes That worke certaine knowledge But this demonstration of his is nothing but a mist or rather darknesse to deceiue ignorant people Wherefore let all papisticall Recusants beware what they beleeue vpon others credite The Iesuites teach them lies for truth heresie for faith antichrist for Christ superstition and falsehood for true religion and draw from them all meanes of their saluation Fiftly hée telleth vs That wee do greatly discredite our doctrine which wee were woont to teach viz. That no man shoulde be forced in matters of his conscience But the discredite is rather his that either vnderstandeth not our doctrine through his dulnesse or else cauilleth about this matter of forcing the conscience without iust cause then ours that teach as wee did euer and vary not from our doctrine in our practise Wée say as wée did euer that the conscience neither ought to bée forced with tortures and terrors of death neither can be forced For faith founded vpon sure groundes surmounteth all violence of tyrants and crueltie of persecutors which terrifieth and discourageth none taught rightlie in Christs schoole As for the sauage and barbarous crueltie of the popish synagogue that purple whoore of Rome Whose a Apocal. 17. vesture is red with the blood of Saints and which without difference of age sexe or qualitie tortureth hangeth burneth and killeth true Christians it is odious not onely to those that vnderstand the truth but also to the milder sort of the aduersaries Further albeit no man can bée forced to religion yet all gentle courses are to bée vsed to draw men to religion For this cause wée exhort the weake and ignorant and with pecuniarie mulctes wée represse those that are wilfull and obstinate And this is all the punishment that her Maiestie vseth against recusants too little certes if wee respect either their deserts or the malice of our enimies neither do we thinke it either vnlawfull to procéed further against hereticall teachers that corrupt Christs doctrine with their leuen or sufferable that notorious blasphemers and railers at religion shoulde escape vnpunished So then wee beléeue that religion is to be taught and not by terrors thrust vpon the people and yet denie not but that such as bee wilfull disturbers of the state of the church or common-welth ought to bée punished Neither is there any repugnance betwixt these two courses Onelie let papists absteine from practises and for the rest they are secured both of life libertie lands and goods We seeke them and not theirs and onely proceede against such as shew open contempt against our religion and yet vse all câ—emencie vnlesse their vntollerable abuses against church and state vrge vs to extremitie Finally he doth preferre the orders of the popish synagogue that burneth not onely those that forsake their religion a The papists cannot dissemble their bloody crueltie but such also as will not come vnto their religion The popes religion he calleth The faith of all Christendome and saith That such as thinke hardly thereof ought rather to be barred from comming to the church then drawne thither Wherein he sheweth first his cruelty and bloudy humor that seemeth to reioyce in slaughter and commendeth the woluish nature of the Romish synagogue Secondly his folly and treacherie that betraying his clients cause would haue them punished with death For if all that forsake the faith of Christ and his apostles be to suffer death then will it go hard with his clients the recusantes who pretending catholicke faith indeede do embrace the priuate doctrine and faction of popes Thirdly his impudency that dare auouch the popish religion to be the faith of all Christendome which notwithstanding is contradicted by the easterne churches and forsaken of a great part of the west church and is onely maintained by fire and sword and cruelty Lastly his ignorance in teaching religion that would haue such as do not like all points of faith to bée barred out of the church Which course neither by our Sauiour nor by his apostles nor by any true teachers of Christianitie was euer practised Nay our Sauiour inuiteth all to come to him when hée had made readie to feast his friends woulde haue guestes compelled to come in Likewise the apostles taught all that came and opened their armes to embrace all that were desirous to learne The ancient fathers by all meanes sought to draw people to the church and shut the doores against none that was willing to come in What then shoulde we thinke of the aduersaries but as of enimies of Christ true religion that seeke to murder and famish Christs flocke In the meane while let vs holde on our course and with our Sauiour call al men and refuse none that are willing to heare And thus an ende of the first consideration that concerneth the hurt that popish Recusants do Next we are to consider What hurt they would do that briefly Now that is apparent First by their hatred against religion
consort of malicious traytors and an abbettor and nourisher of men euill affected in their malcontentment Nay albeit his colour were better cast yet were his pleading vnsufficient seeing true religion cannot stande with rebellion or disloyaltie nor may true catholikes be suffered to oppugne their prince and countrey to practise trecherie against the state and to nourish malcontent humours among subiects But if it appeere that the Romanistes are not the true church and that their religion is neither catholike nor ancient nor true then must it needes be granted that N. D. and his consorts are not onely malicious traytors but also impious heretikes It is also very plaine that all his wrangling encounters are built vpon fancies and supposals without grounde and foundation and are no better then malicious inuectiues degorged against good men and idle pretenses to colour the practises of enimies traytors and heretikes For euery traytor can pretend that he is a true patriot and Catiline and his consorts and all rebels vse to set a glosse of common good vpon their priuate wicked deseignements and treasons All societies also of heretikes will take vpon them as true Christians as saith a Lib. 4. institut cap. vlt. Lactantius and suppose themselues to be the catholike church Tertullian saith b Lib. 4. contr Marcion That as waspes make honycombes so the Marcionites pretend to make churches albeit indeed they were no true churches Nouatian like apes that counterfeit men saith c Epist 73. Cyprian woulde challenge to himselfe the authoritie and truth of the church albeit he be not of the church but a rebell and enimie set vp against the church Which fitteth our aduersary very well who if he had his yellow ierkin were a very ape or an apish Iebusite entitling himselfe and his companions with the name of the church But if he had beene a foxe as well as an ape and had but had a foxes wiles he would haue made bâ—tter proofe of his maine groundes which not being 〈◊〉 is a maine maime of his whole cause Now to the intent that thou maiest perceiue that all his building is either without foundation or vpon a marrish ground that will beare no such great worke I haue thought good for thy satisfaction to challenge him once more into the fielde and to make triall of his manhood in fiue new encounters which do much concerne his cause and credite For as before I haue shewed him and his consorts to be perfect traytors and Recusants and malcontent papists to be verie sorie and defectiue subiects so nowe God willing I purpose to shew first That papists are no true catholikes secondly That their religion as it differeth from that which we professe is a packe of nouelties thirdly That it is patched vp of many old heresies fourthly That the Romish church is not the true church and lastly that N. D. his consorts whether they were Iesuites or priests or their adhaerentes that haue beene executed to death according to the lawes of England are to be esteemed traytors and not martyrs And this in defence of her Maiesties iustice or rather clemencie For if she woulde do them iustice then woulde not she suffer them to liue as subiects that will not directly acknowledge her to be their Queene and lawfull souereigne especially where the pope saith contrarie If she did her-selfe right she woulde not tolerate a faction notoriously opposite to her gouernment If she did iustice she woulde not suffer such to enioy wealth and honors life that adhere to forreine enimies that seeke the destruction of the common-wealth the dishonour of this state the ruine and bloud of all that stande well affected to religion and the state And that Parsons and the priests that come out of Spaine and are sworne to maintaine the Infantaes title and are reconciled or adhering to the pope are all culpable of these treasons it is so cleered by the former discourse and by the last chapter of this that I thinke it may be felt of blinde men and not onelie discerned by those that haue eies to looke into the state The rest maketh for defence of our religion which no mâ—n can reprooue but such as haue drunke deepe of the cup of the purple harlot spoken of Apocalyp 17. and are sworne slaues to the pope and professed enimies not onely of religion and the state but also of their owne good in this worlde and of their eternall saluation in the worlde to come Beware therefore my good countryman for so I must account thee vntill I see thee declare thy selfe open friend to popish traytors and enimie to thy counrrey that harkening to the Sirens songs of Iebusites and priestes enimies to gods true religion not onely to their prince countrey thou be not swallowed vp in the gulfe of their heresies and treasons They lead thee not to the rocke Christ Iesus vpon which the church is built but to the a Bellar. praefat in lib. de pontif Rom. rocke the pope and the bankes of his sandie inuentions vpon which thou must needs wracke thy selfe if thou shun them not quickly True religion is grounded vpon Christs word reuealed to vs in the holy canonicall Scriptures all which we professe according to the rule of the true catholike church And for this truth we doubt not to giue our liues so assured we are of our profession where as thou as long as thou continuest a papist hast no warrant but the popes worde which to say no woorse is ignorant of true religion and apostolike faith and subiect to many errors and infirmities Read therefore indifferently and iudge syncerely and vprightly and the God of truth guide thee into the way of iustice and truth CHAP. I. That papists are no true Catholikes FRuitelesse it is and almost endlesse to contend much about names and titles but especially in causes of religion For as a In Apolog. Iustin Martyr saith b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true religion Consisteth in good workes rather then good termes and the c Ad Tit. 3. apostle exhorteth Titus and all true teachers to auoide contentions and quarrels about words of the lawe Yet forasmuch as manie simple people are abused by false teachers taking vpon them glorious names and titles and looke onely vpon the shéepes clothing that is outward and not on the wooluish nature of priestes and friers that is inward I thought it not amisse to shew what this name Catholike importeth and to whom the same truely belongeth and how dangerous it is to trust euery one that taketh to himselfe the name of a Catholike The Iewes d Ioan. 8. called themselues The children of Abraham and bragged much of the e Hierem. 7. Temple of God and of f Rom. 2. the lawe But the apostle teacheth vs that not euerie one that in name and outward shew was a Iew deserued so to be estéemed and taken g Epist 83. Leo speaking to certaine monkes saith Ecclesiae
saith d Lib. 2. paert 1. Occham est dogma falsum fidei contrarium orthodoxae e Apud Matth. Paris in Hen. 3. Robert Grosthed saith That heresie is an opinion chosen of humane vnderstanding contrary to Scripture and either openly taught or defended f Apud Dionys Carth. in 3. sent dist 31. Durande signifieth That heresie is onely an opinion contrary to canonicall Scripture Opinio ista g Aen. Sylu. de gest concil Basil lib. 1. saith he non est haeretica quia non est contra canonicam scripturam The h councell of Basill doth determine him to bée an heretike That doth reiect the catholike faith deduced out of canonicall scriptures and prooued by fathers Séeing then the papists haue caused a great diuision from the apostlike and ancient church and haue taught other doctrine contrarie to that of Christ Iesus and haue corrupted the verie déepest mysteries of Christian religion and haue digressed from apostolicall rules and taught doctrine contrary to Christian faith to the catholike church of former times and finally to canonicall scriptures as may appéere by their groundes of faith by their legends and decretals by their Tridentine doctrine concerning the Gospell and the lawe by their idolatrous masse by their worshipping of saints nay of stockes and stones ragges and rotten bones by their rebellion against princes and their allowance of the gouernment of the pope there is no question to bée made but that papists are cleerely heretikes CHAP. IIII. That the church of Rome is not the true church of Christ NOw if the pope and his faction the papists bée heretikes then doth it necessarily follow thereof that they are not the true church For the true church kéepeth the faith sounde and intire But these a 1. Tim. 1. Haue made shipwracke of faith Heretikes are gone out from vs bicause they are not of vs as saint b 1. Iohn 2. Iohn saith Those of the true church are of the houshold of faith and the apostles heires But heretikes are strangers as c De praescrip aduers haeret Tertullian saith and maintaine doctrine contrary to the apostles Heretikes as d In dialog contr Lucifer Hierome saith Are not the church of Christ but the synagogue of antichrist Againe if the church of Rome haue altered and innouated Christes religion then can it not bée the true church for That e 1. Tim. 6. doth faithfully keepe the faith committed to her in deposte and auoideth all prophane nouelties shée f Ibidem kéepeth Gods commandements without addition or blemish Catholica ecclesia sedula cauta depositorum apud se dogmatuÌ„ custos nihil in ijs vnquam permutat nihil minuit nihil addit as saith g Contra haeres c. 32. Vincentius Lirinensis Contrariwise h Ibidem c. 36. Heretikes not content with the ancient rule of faith are daily seeking out nouelties and are desirous to adde to change to take away Further if the faith of the church of Rome bée not catholike and generall and that which our Sauiour commanded his apostles to teach all nations then is not that the true church For as wée beléeue the church to bée catholike so we beléeue that the faith thereof is catholike and vniuersall We may not follow the pope of Rome nor the bishop of Ierusalem or Alexandria but the catholike church and that wée shall do if wée embrace that faith which the whole church throughout the worlde confesseth Sequemur vniuersitatem saith i Aduers haeres c. 3. Vincentius Lirinensis si hanc vnam fidem veram esse fateamur quam tota per orbem terraruÌ„ confitetur ecclesia If any haue a singular faith beside that which alwaies and in all places hath béene taught by the apostles and their true successors wée are not to harken to them No a Deut. 13. Although a Prophet or great learned man rise vp among vs yet are wée not to listen to him This may bée sufficient to teach vs that the synagogue of Rome is not that church whereto wée are to resort and adioine our selues But forsomuch as heretikes as apes imitate men so counterfeit to bée the true church as b Epist ad Iubatan Cyprian telleth vs and euery societie and company of heretikes do thinke themselues to bée christians and beare themselues bolde on the name of the catholike church as c Lib. 4. instit c. 30. Lactantius writeth and considering that the church of Rome hath long abused the worlde with the maske of the true church I thought it very requisite in this chapter briefly to set downe such arguments as may cléerely demonstrate what shée is and so much the rather for that many simple soules haue héeretofore béene seduced and perswaded that Rome is the citie of God and that chaste spouse of Christ which loueth and serueth none but him If our aduersary will needes call the same the catholike church yet let him first peruse and answere our arguments as they are héere laide downe in order First then we both confesse that the church of Christ is built vpon Christ Iesus No man saith the d 1. Cor. 3. apostle can lay any other foundation beside that which already is layd which is Christ Iesus He is e Isai 28. that Corner stone that is e Isai 28. placed in the foundation of Sion He is that f Matth. 16. Rocke vpon which the church is built Super hanc petram quam confessus es saith saint g Ser. 13. de verb. Dom. Augustine super hanc petram quam cognouisti dicens tu es Christus filius dei aedificabo ecclesiam meam id est super meipsum filium dei viui aedificabo ecclesiam meam Other fathers h Ambros in c. 9. Luc. Cyrill lib. 4. de Trinit that say the church is built either vpon The confession or faith of Peter or else vpon Peter himselfe do vnderstand indirectlie Christ Iesus whome he confessed and on whome he beléeued and on whome Peter was built But the church of Rome is built vpon the pope and vpon the papacy Est Petri fedes saith i In praefat in lib. de pontif Rom. Bellarmine lapis probatus angularis pretiosus in fundamento fundatus He k Lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 3. saith also That the pope is the foundation of the building of the church and goeth about to prooue it by certeine words of Hierome who neuer thought any such matter a Sanders his rocke of the church Sanders doth endeuour to prooue That the popes are the immooueable rocke of the church b Contr. Saâ—eelâ—â— Turrian because Christ saith Aedificabo ecclesiam meam non aedifico ecclesiaÌ„ meam concludeth that the popes of future times are vnderstood and this is the common opinion of all papists How then can that be the true church that is built vpon a diuers foundation and either neglecting or not greatly caring for Christ Iesus the
contrary in diuers maine points to the doctrine of the apostles Seuenthly they do neither retaine vnion with Christ Iesus nor with the ancient Church nor among themselues Eightly their decretaline doctrine is neither sound nor holy nor hath any efficacie in it nor hath other fountain then the popes fancie Ninthly their legendary miracles and prophecies whereupon a great part of the credit of the Romish faith dependeth are nothing but lies and forgerie and those ofttimes very ridiculous Tenthly their strange nouelties and heresies haue béene by many both olde late writers reproued and condemned Lastly as the authours of it haue liued vnhappily and died miserably for the most part so those that haue gone about to restore true religion and to roote out Romish idolatrie and heresie haue for this onely cause felt Gods great fauour towardes them both in their liues and ends 44 The Church of Rome is also conuicted not to be the true Church by the confession of a Relect. doct princip cont 1. q. 5. Stapleton For if the true Church began at Hierusalem and is vniuersally dispersed and hath continued in all ages and hath a true succession of bishops from the apostles and disagreeth not about matters of faith nor dissenteth from the head of the church and which hath planted christian religion preserued the same throughout the world and hath kept the apostolike forme of gouernment and preuailed against all heresies and temptations keeping the rule of faith sound and intire and which also sheweth the true way of saluation and keepeth the scriptures sound and pure frō corruption and finally which holdeth the decrees of all generall councels as blundering Stapleton not only confesseth but after his most odious and tedious fashion with multitude of words goeth about to proue then is not the church of Rome that now is the true church of christ Iesus For to say that the church of Rome began at Hierusalem is as absurd as to say that Rome is Hierusalem or to affirm that Rome now is like to old Rome Our aduersarie should do vs great fauour to shew that the glorie and fulnesse of power that the pope challengeth together with his cardinals dumbe bishops masse-priests idle monks lying fryars and all the popes decretals and ceremonies are come from Hierusalem He may doe also well to proue that the latter scholasticall and decretaline doctrine was vniuersally receiued throughout the world either in the apostles times or in the times of the ancient Fathers of the Church The rocke of succession vpon which they build so huge conclusions we haue shewed to be nothing but a banke of sand We haue shewed also that their doctrine is not only diuers but contrarie to the doctrine of Christ the head of the Church and of his apostles And how great contentions haue béene in the Romish church not onely the schismes and warres betwixt popes and princes but also the differences about all points of religion which is apparant both in the disputes of schoolmen and also in the writings of Bellarmine and his consorts do declare That the Romanists haue corrupted the faith not onely with nouelties but also with diuers heresies and haue changed both the ancient forme of apostolike gouernement and also the principles and grounds of faith established both by Fathers and councels and by the apostles themselues and haue yéelded to heresies and béene ouercome of the gates of hell I thinke no man can doubt that readeth this discourse and compareth the late procéedings of the Romish church to the rule deliuered vnto vs by Christ Iesus 45 Finally the testimony of a In his motiues Bristow doth vtterly ouerthrow the Church of Rome and declareth it not to be the true church For he commendeth that for the true church that is catholike and apostolike and which abhorreth all nouelties and heresies and idolatrie and whose doctrine is confirmed by scriptures most certaine traditions councels fathers and practise of the ancient church and which teacheth the narrow way and maketh subiects obedient and hath infallible iudges and is sure to continue But the Romish church is neither catholike nor apostolike neither doth it abhorre either heresie or idolatrie nor shun profane nouelties The doctrine of that church hath neither ground of scripture ancient councels nor fathers neither can the Romish doctors bring any certaine proofe of their traditions It teacheth a broad way and maketh rebellious subiects In iudgemēt it hath no other certaintie then the popes determination Finally already that tower of Babel which is built so high doth begin to totter and as we trust cānot long stand Further he saith that euerie church that is risen after the first planting of religion and gone out of the catholike church and from the apostolike doctrine and is not the communion of saintes nor euer visible and lastly that is not the teacher of all diuine truth and the vndoubted mother of Christs children is not the true church of Christ But the Church of Rome as it is now visible in the pope and cardinals and officers of the popes chamber in popish prelates sacrificing priests monkes friers and nunnes and their officers and adherents rose out of the earth long after the apostles times and went out of the catholike apostolike church and hath for the popes quarrell opposed it selfe against Christ and his true doctrine The same is also departed from the ancient faith and is no more to bée tearmed Christs Church which is a communion of saints linked together in the profession of Christs true faith but rather the combination of antichrist and the synagogue of Satan Such a church as is now to be séene at Rome and in the prouinces adhering to it was not visible many ages after Christ neither was any such church for a long time extant in the world neither when the same began to shew her selfe in great ruffe did she either teach all truth or refuse all heresie false doctrine or beare or bring forth children to Christ but to antichrist And therfore we may safely conclude that the Romish church of these times is the synagogue of Satan and not the true church of Christ Iesus The nature and propertie of the true and vnspotted spouse of Christ the inseparable qualities of true faith and such as truly professe the same and finally the confession and doctrine of the aduersaries themselues when they speake of the true church and true faith and true professours and matters incident vnto them in generall do declare it to be so CHAP. V. That no papists haue beene executed in England since her Maiesties comming to the crowne for meere matter of religion but for their treasons or other capitall offences HItherto wée haue spoken in the defence of our religion and Christian profession It resteth therefore nowe séeing our aduersary doth not onely calumniate our religion but our lawes also and gouernment that wée speake somwhat in defence of iustice especially so farre foorth as it
worke the destruction of her maiestie and this state and all because wee doe publikely maintaine this truth And although you will not confesse it that shut your eies against the light of truth yet I hope all the world shall perceiue both the wrongs of the pope and Spaniard and of your selfe and other rinegued English that adhere vnto them and also the iustice of our defence that are forced sometimes to take armes and vse our best meanes for the sauegard of our countrey our Prince our wiues our children our libertie our lawes our friends most violently and wickedly oppugned vnder the pretence of restoring Romish religion This discourse it may please you to accept as proceeding from him that is desirous to enforme you of a truth And well can you not refuse it seeing it is an answere to your challenge and containeth a reply to your eight trecherous encounters and your bold and shamelesse petitions Seeing you are come into the fielde you may not refuse to defend your selfe Seeing you present vnto vs your petitions and are become an humble sutor at the court you cannot refuse your answere and dispatch I doe also desire answere in my new encounters and protest that if you come not forth you shall be baffuld for a coward vnwoorthie to beare armes in this kinde of warfare If you be not at leysure by reason of your treasonable negotiations against your countrey let Creswell or some other trecherous babling Iesuite stand foorth and try his skill It standeth you much vpon If you cannot without rayling and calumniation make an answere then I hope that all such as you haue abused will forsake you as rayling heretikes false teachers and false traytors to your countrey and that they will also abandon the new deuises wicked heresies and strange religion which the popes and papists most wrongfully called catholikes vnder the colour and false maske of catholike religion and the catholike church haue defended and maintayned At the least they will take heed how they either runne wilfully into dangerous treasons and rebellions or ignorantly admit into their countrey forrein enimies vpon the popes warrant or vpon pretense of religion which they are neuer able to maintaine to be either ancient or catholike or true And this I thinke will sufficiently cleare Sir Francis Hastings both of adulation and of calumniation and all other odious imputations which you haue layde to his charge if not in your eies nor iudgement yet certes in the eies of all indifferent men As for others we neither force their might nor weigh their malice Let the ire of forrein princes be neuer so implacable and course of home traytors neuer so desperate as you do threaten vs we shall by the grace of God haue meanes to withstand their force proceeding from notorious iniustice and I hope that our superiours according to lawes will encounter with the desperate courses of traytors Doe you leaue your threats and your facing and forging and calumniations and raylings and in a moderate course prepare your selfe to iustifie your chalenge and with substance of matter to answere that which we haue obiected against you or else you will plainely declare your selfe a wrangling traytor that haue nothing to accuse vs of but that we loue true religion our Prince and countrey nor to hate vs for but that we hate your abominable faction and false religion and meane manfully to encounter both Italians and Spaniards and English traytors and all the world that shall beare armes against vs. If you shall happen to keepe silence we cannot chuse but proclayme your disgrace as abandoning that quarrel which your selfe began In the meane time while you are buckling on your armes I haue some words to speake to the by standers or readers Be not offended I pray you It shall not be long before I come into the steccato and buckle with you againe THE PREFACE TO the Reader WHat singular clemencie hath been shewed towards the papistes in this land I thinke no man of meane knowledge and iudgement can be ignorant a Lib. histor Genuens 23. Petrus Bizarus an Italian writing the historie of Genua and vpon occasion mentioning her Maiestie doth compare her to Alexander Seuerus a most famous prince for his clemencie and other vertues and testifieth that for twenty yeeres she gouerned her kingdome without blood not suffering any to be punished but by lawfull triall and sentence of iudges The which is testified by as many as then knewe her gouernment and by euidence of things then passed For so long as papists did content themselues with their popish conceites and opinions although many of them were false absurd and blasphemous yet neither did she seeke to ensnare them by new lawes nor execute the rigour of olde lawes against heretikes yet in force against them In the meane while Thomas Harding b Anno 1567. obtained a bull from the pope to exercise episcopall iurisdiction in England to dispense with irregularities and to receiue all that would be reconciled to the pope Which was nothing else but the beginning of a rebellion which broke foorth two yeeres after For all that were reconciled to the pope renounced their obedience to the prince as their actions did declare In the yeere 1569. Nicholas Morton was sent into England to stirre the earles of Westmerland and Northumberland and as many as he could to an open rebellion which c By Sanders his confâ—ssion it appeereth that popish priestes come into England to stir vp rebellion Sanders in his booke de visibili monarchia plainly telleth that we should not be ignorant why fugitiue priestes come ouer into England These seditious firebrands did make no small flame in the north partes and laide plots to stirre other partes of England to discontentment had not God crossed their desseines All this notwithstanding albeit popish religion and the proper marks of it began now to be made marks of faction and that her Maiestie saw by diuers practises in England and Ireland that papistes did seeke her life and the destruction of her kingdome and that the Iesuites and priestes that were sent from Rome came for no other purpose then to practise against her life and the state yet did she giue life to diuers rebels and traitors refusing mercie to none but such as refused to accept her fauour and mercie At Rishtons apâ—ndix to Saners one time she caused twenty of this faction to be sent away and at another time two and twenty and at another thirtie most of them condemned the rest guiltie of treason or other capitall crimes And now she keepeth diuers aliue that if they had either her Maiestie in their power or others whom they finde contrarie to their purposes would not spare their liues one hower nor content themselues with ordinarie reuenge As for obstinate recusants which no doubt for the most part This appeath by diuers â—tters of popish iests ready to shewed are secretly reconciled to the pope
not with armes and to iustifie first our accusation against Romish religion then against the pope the Spaniard the Iesuites Cardinall Allen the recusantes and all enemies traytors and malcontentes whatsoeuer And forasmuch as vnder colour of religion our aduersary would slily defend all attemptes and practises against this state I haue with my answere vnto this Noddy conioyned a breife discourse and in certaine new encounters drawing him foorth into a new combat prooued that popish religion whereon he so much standeth as if it were catholike and the old religion of Christs church Is neither catholike nor ancient nor true religion and finally that neither the church of Rome is the true church of Christ nor the popes agents and adherents that haue beene executed for traytors true subiectes or martyrs Which treatise if it profit not obstinate papists yet shall it greatly strengthen the hands of good subiects and of all men well affected and stay others that they be not easily carried either into opinions sauoring of heresie or else tending to disloyalty and treachery I shall not neede to tell you what manner of man this N.D. is against whome we deale He declareth himselfe so plainely that I cannot more euidently prooue him either a malicious enemy or a disloyall traytor then he doth himselfe For what greater signe of an enemy then to pleade the cause of publike enemies and to enuy that any commendation should be giuen or any blessing happen to this state What more plaine conuiction of his trecherous intentions then that he extolleth the prayses of traytors and is very sory that forreine enemies and wicked rebells haue not preuailed against vs It is an old saying that eagles loue eagles and beares well sort with beares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as saith Theocritus There cannot be deuised any thing more malicious then the pope and Spaniard to the English nation neither can any speake more spitefully of his country of this state and of religion then this rinegued English and Hispaniolized fugitiue And doe wee maruell if they be friendes and ioyne together Onely this is much to be maruelled that any sober minded papist should allow such a proctor to speake for him or that this Noddy would be so presumptuous as to present his fooleries to the councell or so foolish to thinke that such notorious enemies and traytors can grace the cause of papists or procure them fauour whom his patronage maketh much more suspect then before This we may boldly conclude that whatsoeuer such enemies perswade or offer that it cannot be for the good of our state It is an old b Sophocles in Aâ—ace mastig saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The gifts of enemies tend not to our good The Greekes as is said in time past would present Minerua of Troy with a horse but in the bellie there lurked treason So this Sinon N. D. if such a Noddie may be compared to Sinon would perswade vs to receiue the horse-religion of papistes and horse-friendship of Spaniards But if he should preuaile then might we say of him as the olde man in c Plautus in Pseudolo Plautus said of Pseudolus Superauit dolum Troianum atque vicit Pseudolus But I hope I haue discouered all the trecherie of this Sinon or Pseudolus or false traitor or whatsoeuer his malice deserueth to be called It may be some will mislike that I should so roughly handle our countrie papistes and their religion But they must consider what rebellions haue beene raised arâ— what practises haue beene attempted against her Maiestie this state and all true Christians by this faction I doe not meddle with olde men that are abused with ancient errours and liue quietly but with factious papistes and such as aide them and receiue them and either haue correspondence with forreine enemies or receiue their agents Now what termes can be too bitter against these that seeke to bring in strangers to oppresse all honest men to ruinate their countrie to murder their prince and all that shall adhere to her As for the religion of papists whereby I vnderstand all those corruptions which vnder the popes authoritie they haue brought into the church of God and which the church of England refuseth it is nothing but a packe of nouelties superstitious vanities and heresies as we both haue and alwaies shall be readie to maintaine either against Parsons or the cardinall Iesuite Bellarmine or the proudest of that sect and faction This religion of poperie therefore being not that seede which Christ did sowe in his field the church but the cockle and weedes sowne and set by the malitious man while the gouernours of the church were asleepe what termes could I vse more gentle then I haue done This I may boldly say that I haue not followed the aduersaries veine in scurrilous scoffing nor his vanitie in ruffianlike bragging nor his sharpnesse in plaine rayling But why should I goe about to excuse my selfe before the faultes be prooued Percase it is no fault to write as I haue done And were it a fault yet I trust thou wilt beare with my weakenesse seeing as the d Iacob 3. apostle saith All of vs offend in many things This I speake in the presence of God that my intention was not to wrong any but onely to lay downe the truth plainly that we may knowe not onely who be friends who be traitors but also who they be that contend for religion and iustice and who not Reade with indifferencie and weigh my allegations and compare diligently my defence with the Noddies challenge and then vse thy libertie in iudgement and respect not me but the cause and the proofes CHAP. I. That God by meanes of her Maiesties gouernment hath bestowed many benefits vpon the realme of England as well in establishing true religion as otherwise and that our aduersarie in his first encounter sheweth himselfe both shamelesse in denying it and vngratefull in refusing and not acknowledging the same ALbeit the malice of papists is great in defacing her Maiesties actions and slandering her gouernment yet who so listeth to consider the same with indifferencie cannot choose but acknowledge her to bée an excellent and singular woman to bée parangoned with the famous women of ancient time if not preferred before them Osorius albeit for his religion opposite to her yet could not choose but highly commend her both for her manly constancy mature wisedome and singular modestie Quid admirabilius a In prafat ante lib. 3. de religione saith he quà m in foemina virilem constantiam in virgine senilem prudentiam in summa opum affluentia summam modestiae laudem eminere Hée praiseth also her witte her learning and her clemencie Es singulari ingenio praedita b Ibidem saith he magnarum artium disciplinis erudita laudibus mansuetudinis lenitatis quae cum istius formae venustate consentiunt excellis nec eas laudes quae ex
scorneth al husbandry and honest trauaile So strange is their doctrine that they woulde alter not onely Christes religion but also rules of state and houshold Where sir Francis telleth vs That he knoweth by experience what hurt womens perswasions haue done in hardening their husbands harts in matters of religion and saith That the night crowes perswasion preuaileth much Hée gibeth at the terme of Night crowes and chargeth the knight with Playing the part either of Iudas to betray Recusants or of Pilate to condemne them or afflict them But first there is great oddes betwixt the recusants that haue nothing either of Christ or of good christians but the bare name Christ Iesus our sauior Hée refused not to come into the temple though abused nor sought to betray his nation into the hands of high priests and forreine enimies These refuse to come to Gods church and are the high priests of Romes seruants and many of them haue too great affection to forreine enimies Secondlie euill do our Iustices deserue these reprochfull termes of Iudas and Pilate for dealing against euill affected subiects a Iustices and other her Maiesties officers stirred vp to do their duties against priestes and recusants by the reproches of the aduersarie and woorse affected Christians and may learne to execute the lawes more exactly séeing for their remissenesse they are called carpet knights and for dooing nothing railed at as if they were as euill as Iudas or Pilate In the meane while wée giue this Noddy to vnderstand that his consorts may much better bée termed Pilates that murder Christ in his members and condemne infinite innocent Christians and therefore in the end they are to looke for the end of Pilate The Recusants likewise may rightly bée resembled to Iudas that woulde so willingly betraie their masters brethren and their owne friendes and countrimen And it is no new thing for sacrificing priests that continually betray kill or immolate Christ as they say to be called Iudasses b 4. Brig 133. onus eccles c. 23. Bridget saith they are woorse then Iudas Corpus meum saith Christ in Brigits prophesies speaking of priests amarius crucifigunt quam Iudaei And againe Maledicti sacerdotes ad me simulatoriè accedunt quafi proditores Thirdly most true it is that simple men are often misledde by the subtile perswasions of péeuish women And therefore may they wel be resembled to black night crowes that are still croking in their husbands eares and entising them both to opinions and workes of darknesse Beside this these nightcrowes are too familiar oftentimes with night walking priests Iesuites that teach them new fashions of shrift and draw them into euill opinions and dangerous practises In Venice they encroched so farre vpon the womens fauour that their husbands forbad them to come any more néere the Iesuites Like fauour haue the Iesuites obtained at the handes of the goodwiues of Milan By meanes of the wiues of Friburge the Iesuites attempted to set dissension betwixt the Cantons of Suizzerland We may not therefore thinke it strange if trecherous priestes worke their feates by the meanes of women Where it is saide that by the leud perswasions of Recusant women many fall away our aduersarie asketh Whether they fall to enormitie of sinne or wickednesse of life As if the Recusants were such saints that they coulde not fall to sinne or wickednesse Certes the common opinion is otherwise For commonly Recusants make lechery and ribaldrie to bée no great sinne And their women make it more nice to go to Gods church then to go to strangers beds It is well knowne that papists allow of bordels and a C. at si clerici De iudi ijs account adulterie and fornication small faults and easilie they dispence with them Heerein England the priests corrupted the Gailors daughter of Wisbich and another priest ranne away with one of Bellamies maides Nay there is a priest in England that confessed how hee shriued fewe women but hee lay with them And yet the simple Recusants neither feele their owne shame nor prouide remedie against these priests of Baal Beside that Recusants are often drawne into strange and disloial practises as appeereth by the examples of Arden Someruil Babington Tichborne and many others But to omit filthinesse of life and trecherie it is fall great inough that simple men oft by leud perswasions fall into the errors and heresies of poperie so many and so gréeuous that popery as it conteineth nouelties aboue the doctrine which wee professe is nothing but a packe of heresies as wee shall particularly shewe héereafter But saith the discourser They are catholikes and haue a scruple to go to the Protestants churches because they thinke their religion is naught And thereupon hée concludeth That religion and conscience is cause of their refusall and not euill will or rebellion But the poore idiots are much abused where they are perswaded that either their owne religion is catholike or that ours is not catholike This is a common song which the popish priests sing in their eares but the note is iarring and the dittie can neuer bée prooued Catholike religion was that which the apostles taught generally throughout the worlde and that is the religion which wée professe in our Créede and finde written in holy scriptures All which we holde and refuse all doctrine contrarie to the same But the papists in their schoolemens commentaries and popish decretals and wicked missals and portuises and such like bookes of Romish deuotion haue brought in not onely a faith diuers from the apostolike and catholike faith but also contrarie to the same Much therefore do we pittie the blindnesse of Recusants that not onely shut their eies against the light and condemne that for heresie which indéede is truely catholike but also embrace falshood and heresies for true religion worshipping angels saints and the virgine Marie yea stockes rotten bones and rags in stead of one true God and embracing antichrist in stead of Christ And all this they do building themselues and their religion either vpon lying legends or popish decretals or vncertaine customes neuer vsed in the catholike church So that heerein there is neither one scrpule of true religion nor any dramme of conscience but onelie blindnesse and wilfulnesse of which afterward ensueth vnnaturall vnkindnesse towards their prince and countrie and wicked practises hurtfull to themselues their déerest friends and countrimen Neither can it excuse them That they are so perswaded in their conscience For all conscience ought to bée grounded on right reason and not vpon this or that fancy Therefore the a Thomas aq 1. p. q. 79. art 12. Siluest in verb. conscientia schoolemen say Quod conscientia est actus synteresis But this synteresis is nothing but a facultie of the minde wherein are principles naturally knowne preserued Saint b Lib. 2. de lib. arb c. 10. Augustine saith Quod in naturali iudicatorio adsunt quaedam regulae
pity but he made him a sacrifice for the good of the Romish clergie and pope Pius did highly extoll this fact comparing king Philip most impiously and blasphemously to God almighty that gaue his sonne to be sacrificed for the redemption of mankind But to forbeare now to speake of the popes blasphemy and to speake of the Spanyards malice it is very apparent that king Philip while he liued professed himselfe an enimie vnto all that professed true and catholicke religion and especially to her Maiestie that hath alwaies according to her stile declared her selfe to be a defender of the faith and a principall maintainer of the professors of true religion and all true catholickes He hath also shewed himselfe an enimy to our whole nation entending with force to subdue vs and by all meanes to trouble vs. He hath taken many a In the embarguo anno 1586. honest men of our nation prisoners and confiscated their ships and goods without anie lawfull proclamation of warres Hée hath suffred diuers of Her Maiesties subiectes to bée murdred by the bloody Inquisitors contrary to all iustice Neither haue the rebels attempted any thing against the state either in England or b Iacobo Geraldino Cantabrorum ac Gallecorum manum concessit Andreas Philopater p. 134. Ireland but by his knowledge abettement and procurement The whole Spanish nation also hath drunke very déepe of that cup of hatred which the pope hath filled to their king Don Iuan de Austria while he was gouernor of the low countries did neuer cease to c This was a part of Escouedoes negotiation at his going into Spaine perswade his brother to transport an army into England here to make wars The duke of Alua before that was likewise desirous that his sonne might passe with forces into England for the aide of the northren rebells And that of long time hath béene a common argument for priests and friers to handle in their sermons They haue also d These pardons were found vpon diuers Spaniards ann 1588. preached indulgences and remission of sinnes and offred the same to all that would fight against vs accompting it percase meritorious to kill any of our nation If their iourney 1588. had succéeded either they had killed our people or made slaues of them to worke in their Indian mines or to rowe in their gallies or else to do other base and seruile worke our goods they had already swallowed in their hope and meant to haue deuided the land amongst them and to haue raigned here like great conquerors And albeit at that time they had no good successe yet haue they not giuen ouer their hope nor ceased to take all opportunities to worke vs either dishonor or domage I omit to speak of the wrongs they haue done to particulers albeit many gréeuous for that our dispute is about the disposition of the Spaniardes to our whole nation And yet many particular wrongs and actes of iniustice crueltie doe argue a great hatred to the English in generall But to forbeare to speake of particular actions and of generall attempts formerly passed it appéereth they meane not thus to giue vs ouer For out of Spaine there come priestes and others daily to practise treason against her Maiestie and the state It is not long since Squire was executed for a most horrible treason plotted in Seuile Neither can the shamelesse impudent denials and cauils of Iesuites and priests which they make at the processe against him either make that vndoone which is done or qualifie so foule a fact Nay admit the poore fellow shoulde erre in some circumstance yet no reason can be alleaged why hée shoulde accuse and charge himselfe in a matter that concerned his life wrongfully And to the entent there may bée a succession of traytors and conspirators which may make the way more readie for their intended inuasions and conquestes at common costes they maintaine two Seminaries of English fugitiues and traytors I know they pretend planting of popish religion but if that were their onelie marke they aime at why doth a Testified against him by priests in their memorials Parsons cause euerie one of them that come for England to take an oath that they shall to their vttermost power prefer the Infantaes of Spaines title to the crowne of England Is this no point of treason And doth not this flowe from some purpose of the Spaniard against our countrey and nation To make our nation hatefull Ribadineira a certaine ribaldly frier hath published a most odious discourse of schisme in Spanish wherein hée omitteth nothing that may procure vs dishonor or hinderance And yet these are the men whom our aduersarie commendeth and defendeth and vnto whom Cardinall Allen Robert Parsons and other Iesuites and priests that lurke among vs haue vowed their seruice Great reason therefore hath our nation where so violent enimies séeke to hurt vs and so malicious traytors endeuour to ensnare vs to watch and looke about Our aduersary crieth peace peace but war is in his hart hée may tell vs as long as hée listeth that the Spaniards are our good friends and meane vs no hurt at all But if wée list to arme our selues and preuent their malice wée may assure our selues if God be pleased that they neither dare fight with vs nor can bée able to hurt vs. These double toonged traytors pretend good dealing and vse many kinde wordes as if they loued their countrey but who can trust them that are so néere linked by oath friendship and opinion to publike enimies Finally now the Spaniardes and other publike enimies séeme to haue laide aside their armes but yet it is not safe to trust them After great calmes oft-times arise great stormes We must remember that king Philip the second was alwaies ready to execute the popes command and was still set on by the Iesuites Acosta in his booke of the new world calleth it Praeclarum Zelum in expugnandis debellandis fidei Romanae hostibus in praefa ad Philip. and commended for his zeale in oppugning the enimies of the Romish faith The whole Spanish nation is also much deuoted to popish religion and very ready to execute the popes commandements Wée must also consider that it is no argument of a disposition to peace that such great forces of men are continually leuied throughout most of the parts of Spaine and Portugall and that such numbers of ships of warre are either made of late or in making as wée haue not heard of manie yéeres before and that such care is had of prouisions of corne wine munitions and other things necessary for the wars as is not vsual I confesse that by reason of the kings large dominions and great occasions and affaires these prouisions are necessarie yet vnlesse hée had some extraordinarie purpose neither woulde his prouisions be so great nor should his men march toward Lisbone and Coronna nor his Magazins bée dressed in those parts that looke hitherward
is rich in mony Lastly as princes and states that haue great store of treasure haue meanes by their hired souldiers to make warres abrode and hardly canne be ouercome that way so are they weak and vnable to resiste if they be strongly affronted and set vpon at home where their treasure lyeth and their hired souldiers cannot be found Which appeared by the example of the Carthaginians and may appeare by the Spanyardes if wee please Now our cause is farre more iust and honest then the Spaniards b In primis spectat vt pacatè tantum suauiter viuat Andreas Philopater p. 14. Her Maiesty her people neuer desired any thing more then peace they desire nothing more then wars We if the Spaniard shall come against vs shall fight for our country our liberty our lawes our religion and conscience they come to spoile vs of al these and fight for the popes pleasure and for that religion of which they haue no a Stapleton praefat in princip doctrin relect further assurance then the popes word Her Maiestie neuer wronged the Spaniard nay she hath not taken that which lawes of warre and all nations did giue her When the shippes that carried mony to pay the souldiers in the low countries that were prepared against her and her country were brought into her ports and gaue her good meanes to helpe her selfe against her enimy yet was she content to restore the mony to the king When the Ilandes of Azores were offered into her handes yet did she refuse them Nay she would not accept of Antwerp and a great part of the low countries that offered to submit themselues vnto her béeing alwaies vnwilling to intricate herselfe with vnnecessary warres Yet was she assured that this was most lawfull and would be a certaine meanes both to bring the Spaniard to any conditions and to make the warres far from home and vpon other mens charges Nor in assisting them of Holland and Zeland hath she doone any thing but after she had attempted all other meanes and was forced to take this course by necessity for her owne safety But the Spaniards haue sought matter of quarrell against her and offered her and her people infinite wronges First king Philip hauing intricated our nation with the French about his quarrell lost Caleis and abandoned the English in his treatie of peace Anno 1567. when we thought he had continued our friend at the solicitation of the pope he b Girol Catena in vita Pij 5. It may also bee gathered out of the aduersaries discourse in Andreas Philopater determined to make warre vpon vs. Afterward he encouraged and holpe the rebels of the North and determined to aide the earle of Desmond in Ireland Anno 1588. he made open warres vpon vs and neuer since hath ceased to molest vs. Nay when he could do her Maiestie and her people no other harme he hath suffered Sanders booke of schisme and diuers other most rayling libells to be published by Ribadineira and others to the dishonor of our nation our princes and gouernours Finally Lopez that was executed for attempting to poyson her Maiestie c See his confession and the actes of the processe against him confessed that he was hired by Ibarra the Count of Fuentes and diuers of the kings agentes not without the kings priuity as was prooued by the deposition of Manoel Lois and Stephen Ferreira and diuers other circumstances Séeing then we haue such meanes to make warres and so iust a cause to vndertake them why should any eyther doubt or feare to encounter the Spanyardes especiallie if they will néedes be quarrelling But to surcease to discourse of the valour of the Spaniard in the warres and of his puissance or rather weakenesse both by sea and land let vs a litle consider him in his other parts and qualities and sée whether he deserueth such extrauagant commendations as N. D doth heap vpon him and what reason he hath to aduance the Spanyard so highly and to debase his owne nation Our aduersary a P. 106. commendeth the Spaniardes For their religion their labour in preaching and winning soules in the Indies their learning their morall vertues and forgetteth not to praise them for their country which he calleth Rich fertile and potent But if these be the points that he meaneth to stand vpon he will hardly perswade his Reader to affoord him any assent or credit For the religion of the Spaniard is not catholike as we shall easily prooue when we come to speake of catholike religion Nay few of that nation know any religion but are ledde by the noses by the pope and his priestes and friers receiuing for truth whatsoeuer they teach though neuer so false not knowing the very grounds of Christian faith though neuer so true Our aduersary knoweth that the Spaniard is saide to account it but a Peccadillo or little fault not to beléeue in Christ and euery man may sée they haue no right faith that receiue all the popes decretalles for true religion In the Indies their disorders haue béene so great that the barbarous people do beléeue rather any religion then that of the Spanyard Bartholomew à Casas a fryer and Hierome Benzo shew that where in Hispaniola there were thrée millions of people at the first arriuall of the Spanyardes there they shortly by their pious and vertuous gouernement brought them to the number of 300. So great was their slaughter and cruelty b Histor Indiar Hierome Benzo saith that all the religion the Indians haue is to make the signe of the crosse and to heare a latin masse which they vnderstand not and to performe such like ceremonies And if hée will not beléeue me yet hée may not with anie reason refuse the testimonie of Ioseph à Costa a Iesuite who of purpose writeth a storie of the new worlde and declareth how the Indians haue profited in religiō He sheweth that the Indians are so vnwilling to be baptized a De procuranda Indorum salute lib. 6. c. 3. That the Spaniards haue baptized many against theit wils whereby baptisme Is made a mocke among them Speaking of Christian religion in the Indies hée saith their knowledge is small and so offred to them that it is either refused easily or easily lost b Ibid. lib. 1. c. 2. Notitia quaedam vel ten uis offertur vel ita offertur vt facilè repudietur vel ita recipitur vt mox perniciosiùs deseratur He c Lib. 1. c. 14. saith They are like the Samaritanes that worship god idoles both togither And againe d Ibidem Simulatoriam Christianitatis speciem praeferunt non colunt deum seriò nec credunt ad iustitiam e A costa lib. 4. c. 15. Their priests and teachers hée chargeth to be giuen to couetousnesse dicing hunting concubinage and luxuriousnesse And this is that goodly conuersion of millions of soules of which this personate N. D. so much braggeth
to possesse a fertile and good countrey and which is praised in scriptures vnlesse the inhabitants bée good and vertuous Spaine I trow is not better then the land of Canaan that flowed with milke and hony yet were the people excéeding wicked What commendation is it to bée descended of a nation that hath had many religious Christians constant martyrs iust and wise princes valiant soldiers and captaines vnlesse the Spaniards continue in the steps of their ancestors But that now the Spaniards are like their auncestors this declamer durst not say Nay it may very well bée saide that the inhabitants of Spaine now are not descended of the Spaniards that were either in Traians Theodosius his time or in the daies of Isidorus and Leander Nor haue they the religion or zeale of the ancient Spaniards But saith the Ward-worder God in regard and recompence of other rare vertues will pardon other infirmities and defects Hée auoucheth also that God hath aduanced the Spaniards aboue other nations of Europe for the defence of Catholike religion So it appéereth by his owne confession that the Spaniards his clients want not sinnes and faultes hée calleth them onely infirmities Peccadillos and defects but all their enormous sinnes as hée supposeth are couered by their zeale in the popes seruice A verie excellent péece of doctrine If the Spaniard commit most heinous murders and rauage whole countries and liue most filthily and blaspheme Gods holy word neuer so execrablie yet by this mans diuinitie they neede not feare if they maintaine the popes cacolike religion and murder all that are studious of peace and Christs truth Let them go to father Parsons and hee will absolue them and set them toll frée that they shall not pay any thing to the pope But what if they oppugne catholike religion and murder Gods saints Then the case is altred and the Warder hath no fence for them nor for such offences Nay hée cannot denie but as their faith is heretical and superstitious so their sins are great and enormous The Spaniards therefore woulde be aduised not to trust this false frier too farre Zeale is commendable but then it must be ioyned with knowledge It is no Christian zeale that induceth men to kill poore christians Our Sauiour Christ sent his disciples to teach the Gentiles and not to kill them Neither did Peter kill the Gentiles and sinners that were ignorant of the truth albeit in a vision he was a Act. 10. macta manduca commaunded to kill and eate but sought by preaching to conuert them from their wicked liues to the truth of Christ Iesus But the pope and his adherents the Spaniards auert many from the truth conuert none to the truth kill the body with the sworde and destroy the soule with corrupt doctrine runne into the Indies vpon pretence of winning soules and yet neglect the Turkes Mores and Iewes that are hard at their doores And all this is commended in them by our aduersarie Nay he séemeth to teach that sinners that are out of the state of grace can merite remission of sinnes and that the Spaniards for murdring of Christians shall bée pardoned for other sinnes which they commit But be it hée shoulde onely say that a man that shoulde zealously adhere to the truth shoulde thereby purchase remission of other sinnes yet is not this iustifiable For wée being out of grace are dead in trespasses and sinnnes and Christ onely can purchase remission of sinnes which without faith cannot be applied to vs. Finally he is not ashamed to confesse That in times past our ancesters were neere linked to the Spaniard in loue leagues and allyance betwixt the princes of both the nations and that at this tyme the Spaniardes shew great kindenesse to papistes fled beyond the seas But little doth this make to the purpose and lesse for the commendation of the Spaniard For it is not here called in questiō what hath passed betwixt the natiōs but whether the Spaniard hath so rare partes in him that he is to be preferred before all other nations and before the English especially which is no way to be deduced or decided by this discourse concerning leagues and allyances Againe if we were so néere linked and conioyned together as our aduersary talketh and that to the profite and honor of both the nations what reason had the Spaniardes at the solicitation of that bald frier Pius Quintus to fall out with their ould friendes and to treate with our most malicious enimies What can they alledge why without all iust cause they should both by force and practises oppugne our nation that neuer offered them wrong Had they not thereby hazarded the losse of the low countries if her Maiesty would haue accepted them béeing offered vnto her And haue they not opened a way for the possessing some part of the Indiaes as oft as it shall please the princes of this land to establish a course for the mainteinance of the trade into those countries And albeit we haue omitted to take the aduantage of either of these two courses yet there is no time past but her Maiestie may alwaies take the one and percase haue opportunity to make benefit of the other Finally if the Spaniardes had remembred the ould friendship that hath passed betwixt both nations they would not haue abetted traytors to rebell nor receited rebelles that are fled out of the realme for feare of lawes albeit they pretend religion After the defence of the Spanish nation in generall our warder with his guard of loose wordes descendeth to speake of king Philip the second in particular A man now dead and buried and therefore the rather to be spared although while he liued he was a heauy enemy to our whole nation Yet for as much as our aduersary hired percase to pronounce a funerall discourse in his praise doth so commend him as he sticketh not to touch the honor of our nation someway entangled with his crosse dealings I thought it not amisse to consider what this exorbitant frier hath to say either for king Philip whome he rayseth out of his graue purposing percase to enshrine him for a saint or against the English nation which he hateth more deadly then doth the Spaniard First hée is offended that king Philip shoulde bée termed Proud ambitious false cruell trecherous tyrannicall and such like and saith that If any of the kings subiectes were to answere sir Francis he woulde giue him the lie and challenge him into the field As if the kings subiects were such dangerous men as none durst maintaine an honest quarrell against them or as if they were more terrible Rodomontes among the Spaniardes then otherwhere Well séeing these challengers come not forth we shall easily iustifie Sir Francis his charge against this frierlike combatants rude and vnciuill cauils and wrangling For it was no part of Sir Francis his meaning simply to charge king Philip with any matter further then concerned the cause in hand and further
certaintie of faith For if traditions bée not certainly knowne of the aduersaries and if diuers ancient traditions be now growne out of vse how can the faith that is built on traditions be certaine Further the ancient fathers do not onely testifie the Scriptures to bée sufficient but also condemne vnwritten and vncertaine traditions Electa sunt quae scriberentur saith Saint a Tractat. 49. in Ioan. Augustine quae saluti credentium sufficere vide bantur b Aduer gentes Athanasius saith That the holy and diuine Scriptures are sufficient to instruct vs in al truth And diuers others testifie the same What saith c Regul 80. Basill is the propertie of a faithfull man Forsooth to beleeue with certaine fulnesse of minde whatsoeuer is conteined in Scripture and neither to reiect any part thereof nor to adde any newe thing vnto them Saint d Lib. de parad c. 12. Ambrose saith Wee may no more adde to Gods commandements then take from them And although the fathers talke ofttimes in commendation of traditions yet either they meane such things as are now conteined in Scriptures and from them to bée deriued and deduced by firme conclusions or else such matters as concerne order and decencie and yet do they not account of these as of diuine precepts Si aut in euangelio praecipitur aut in apostolorum epistolis saith e In Epist. ad Pompeâ—um Cyprian aut in actibus continetur obseruetur diuina haec sancta traditio Whereby it appéereth that other traditions which were not written were not had in like reuence and that the faith of papists that resteth on these vncertainties is most vncertaine Further the papists do builde their faith vpon most fabulâ—us martyrologies and lying legendes For vpon these narrations doth stande the holinesse of those saints whom they canonize and worship In these legends wee read of the moouing yea and speaking of stockes stones of restoring not onely dead men but also dead beastes to life of apparitions of Christ of the blessed virgine and of saints and infinite more miracles and prophecies then are conteined in holie Scriptures All which notwithstanding any absurditie ensuing our masters of Romish traditions must néedes receiue if they beléeue either traditions to bée the worde of God or else giue credence to f C. Sancta dist 15. Gelasius for hée saith That the histories of martyrs and their suffrings are to be receiued Gesta sanctorum martyrum saith Gelasius recipimus Let it therefore bée considered whether this faith can bée catholike that is builte vpon such fabulous vanities which not onely the strangenesse maketh suspected of vs but also euen of papists themselues g Ibid. Gelasius condemneth the legend of George of Cyricus and Iulitta of Abgarus of the inuention of the crosse and of Saint Iohn Baptistes head a Contra donat Constant Laurentius Valla laugheth at the follie of these legendes b Canto 29. Dante calleth them fooleries and vaine fables c In his historie to Clement the 7. Machiauel saith That these new myracles are repugnant to old christian religion The Germaines among other gréeuances account the vanitie of these fabulous legendes They do also take themselues bound to beléeue the doctrine of the church of Rome For this to d In praefat analys ante relect princip doctrin Thomas Stapleton séemeth a very firme foundation of his popish faith And as he supposeâ—h the voyce and testimony of this church is most certaine and infallible This sure we find by experience that they e C. ad abolendam de haereticis condemne for heretickes and most cruellie murder all that dissent from the church of Rome in matter of sacraments Nay they do ground their religion vpon the popes decretalles Decretales epistolae saith f C. Sancta dist 15. Gelasius quas beatissimi papae diuersis temporibus ab vrbe Romana pro diuersorum patrum consultatione dederunt venerabiliter recipiendae sunt The popes they honor as their supreme iudges and say they cannot erre Vnto them they haue recourse in all difficulties as vnto a rocke immooueable Stapleton doth g Princip doctrin lib. 6. teach That the pope is the principall subiect of ecclesiasticall authority and is not ashamed to write that his authority is the foundation of religion In hac docentis hominis authoritate saith h In praefat ante relâ—ct princip doctâ— he in qua deum loquentem audimus religionis nostrae cognoscendae fundamentum necessariò poni cernimus O noble religion that is founded vpon so firme and holy a foundation as is the popes holy authority But sure catholike it cannot be For neither the ancient church in times past nor the easterne and Africane churches did euer acknowledge any such foundation Neither do they account the popes authority onely to be the foundation of their faith but also for Christ the corner stone substitute the pope and make him the rocke of the church and of their faith For at his handes they receiue the scriptures and all the principles and pointes of their faith and account his determination more certaine then the letter of Scriptures Bellarmine calleth the pope The foundation and corner stone of the church i In praes ante lib. de Pontif. Rom. and commonly by the rocke Matth. 16. they vnderstand not Peter onely but the popes of Rome which they imagine to be his successors Matters strange new absurd and most contrary to catholike faith To the vulgar latin translation they giue more authority then to the originall bookes of the ould testament in Hebrew and of the new testament in Greeke For that translation they make authenticall and do not giue like authority to the originall bookes That translation they will not haue any to reiect but the originall bookes themselues calumniate and reiect Which course is neither catholike nor reasonable Saint a In epist ad Sâ—niam Fretel ad Damasum Hierome saith That in the old testament in matters of doubt concerning the translation we must haue recourse to the Hebrew as to the fountein in the new to the Greeke Ad exemplaria Hebraea Graeca à latinis recurratur b Lib. 2. de doctr Christ c. 10. saith Augustin Hilary writing vpon the 118. psalme confâ—sseth That the latin translation cannot satiâ—fie the reader They holde also The doctrine and determination of priestes and Iesuites and others sent by the pope to be no lesse the foundation of Christian religion then Christ and his doctrine For so doth c In praef ante relect princip doctr Stapleton in expresse termes determine and generally they d C. ad abolendam de haeret condemne such for heretickes As the prelates and bishops do adiudge to be such Which is nothing else but to make the determination of popish prelates the foundation of the popish church But Christ sending foorth his disciples to preach commaunded them to teach all nations and withall
exeuntes quia ipsi sunt scurriles leues volatiles rodentes sacras literas virides paganicae philosophiae sequaces quasi equi currentes sic illi in vanam disputationem 22. True catholikes haue alwaies shewed themselues obedient to their princes and performed their othes of allegiance They neither sought to murder them nor to depriue them of their crownes Dauid albeit he was gréeuously and vniustly persecuted by Saule yet did he not lay his hands vpon his prince albeit God had taken away the kingdome from Saul and giuen it to him The Israelites rebelled not against their kinges although they were wicked But papistes rebell against princes and neglect all promises and othes made to them as oft as the pope shall excommunicate them Nay the pope and his adherents excommunicate lawfull princes and pronounce sentence of deposition against them their associates make warres vpon them popish subiects are encouraged to rebell and are promised great rewardes and eternall blessednesse if they can kill the Lordes annointed as hath béene sufficiently alreadie declared by diuers examples In the rules or a Apud Ioseph Vestan de oscul ped pontif dictates of Gregorie the seuenth the twelft is That the pope hath power to depose the emperor The eight That hee may lawfully vse the ensignes of the emperour The 27. That hee hath power to absolue subiectes from their alleageance And this diuers late popes haue attempted and practised The which as it sheweth them to bée no catholikes so it prooueth them to be woorse then Turkes and Infidels which alwaies haue had a reuerend regard of their princes and superiors 23. True catholikes beléeued onely to haue remission of sinnes from Christ Iesus and neither trusted in indulgences nor Iubilies nor in pilgrimages to Rome or to other places But the Romanists without the popes pardons thinke themselues in no securitie and presuming of his fauour commit murthers and marie incestuously and do many outrages and villanies 24. True catholikes embrace all that doctrine which our Sauiour Christ commanded his apostles to preach to all nations throughout the worlde and refuse to heare those that preach otherwise and teach another kinde of doctrine But the papists haue not onely embraced diuers nouelties of which Christes apostles knew nothing but false heresiâ—s contrary to the doctrine of Christ and his apostles Which for that it is a principall argument to conuince them to bée no catholikes shall particularly God willing be demonstrated in the two chapters following Héeretofore wee haue shewed them to bée no catholikes for that their doctrine was neither generally taught nor receiued of al true catholikes now they shall bée prooued to bée no catholikes for that diuers points of their religion are either new deuises and fantasies not taught by the apostles nor receiued of the apostolicall and catholike church or else olde heresies condemned for such by the catholike church of ancient time CHAP. II. That diuers positions and principles of popish religion are meere nouelties and new deuises vnknowne to the most ancient and true catholike church of Christ IT may percase séeme strange especially to such papists as are but yoonglings and nouices in the Iesuites schoole that the religion of popes which is commonly called The olde religion shoulde now bée charged with noueltie and condemned by testimony of antiquitie Yet if wee please not onely to consider these later ages but also to looke backe to the apostles times and the ages next succeeding we shall assuredly finde by enumeration of many particulars that popish religion as it differeth from the religion now generally receiued and professed in the church of England is a new vpstart religion and full of nouelties and late receiued fancies For in religion that is onely to bée accounted ancient that is deriued from Christ and from his apostles Antiquitas mea saith a In epist. ad Philadelph Ignatius Christus est That is Christ is the originall from whence wée fetch our antiquitie b Lib. 4. contr Marcion Tertullian saith that the religion taught by the apostles is most ancient and from the beginning and most true Id vertus quod prius saith hée id prius quod ab initio id ab initio quod ab apostolis Saint c Epist 65. ad Pammach Ocean Hierome reiecteth all for newe that was not taught by the apostles Cur profers in medium saith hée quod Petrus Paulus edere noluerunt d Contra haeres c. 25. Vincentius Lirinensis calleth him a true catholike That doth onely beleeue and holde whatsoeuer the ancient catholike church did vniuersally beleeue Qui quicquid vniuersaliter antiquitùs ecclesiam catholicam tenuisse cognouerit id solum sibi tenendum credendumque decernit But the ancient church is not this late Romish church within this fiue or sixe hundred yeeres but the apostolike and primitiue church Now whatsoeuer commeth from late popes albeit the same hath had some hundreds of yéeres coÌ„tinuance yet is the same new and no part of the ancient catholike religion for that it hath no beginning from Christ nor from the apostles nor was vniuersally receiued of the most ancient church of Christ That corruption I say of poperie is new which the church of England refuseth as appéereth by diuers particular points First the very chéefe groundes and principles of popish religion and the lawes whereby they stande haue no greater antiquitie then from Iohn the 22. Clement the fift Boniface the eight Gregorie the ninth or to go to the highest from Hildebrand otherwise called Gregory the seuenth for from him doth a Bullarium hée that made a collection of all the popes buls and lawes fetch their first originall Before that it may be diuers bishops and popes wrote decretall epistles but vntill this time they had no force of law Nay before this time all histories do teach vs that the church was gouerned partly by the lawes of Emperors and partly by the canons of councels Now that the decretals of the popes being receiued and authorized for lawes are the foundation of popish religion it is apparent For therein all the nouelties of the Romish church are confirmed and established And b In praefat ante relect princip doctr Stapleton doth in plaine termes affirme so much In hac docentis hominis authoritate saith hée in qua deum loquentem audimus religionis nostrae cognoscendae fundamentum necessariò poni credimus And generally all papists confesse that the pope is the souereigne iudge in matters of religion Whereupon it followeth that his determinations and decretals are the chéefe groundes of popish religion Secondly the apocryphall Scriptures of Toby Iudith Wisdome Ecclesiasticus the two bookes of the Machabees and the additions extant in the Latine translation and not in the original bookes which are as second grounds of popery were not declared of equall authoritie with other canonicall scriptures before the councell of Trent At that time also was the Latin vulgar translation made
heresie therefore concerning the purgation of sinnes after this life and the satisfaction for the penaltie of mortall sinnes the papists sauour of Origens heresie They fauour his heresie also in this that they do say there is fower sences of Scriptures and draw the same by their allegoricall interpretations to their owne most peruerse purposes Eunomius taught that so a man were of his religion it skilled not greatly what sinnes he committed Asseuerebat saith a Augustin de haeres c. 54. Augustine quod nihil cuiquam obesset quorumlibet perpetratio ac perseuerantia peccatorum si huius quae ab ipso docebatur fidei particeps esset Vnto which heresie the papists come very néere For so a man professe the Romish faith and communicate with the Romanists in their sacraments and bée obedient to the pope they b Bellar. de eccles milit c. 2. say he is a good catholike and a true member of the church although he haue no inward vertue And so facile they are in this pointe that they absolue murderers and incestuous persons and most wicked rebels yea Marans and apostataes so they will professe their Romish religion In Ireland the White knight and Piers Lacy haue had children by their owne daughters and others that I coulde name by their sisters and néere kinsewomen And infinite outrages haue they committed not oneâ—â— against their lawfull prince but also against their owne people and kinred and so continue liuing almost without law yet do the priests and friers and popes agents absolue them and count them good catholiks Nay these are the pillers of the Romish church and the chéefe maintainers of the popish sect there The papists also where they by their lawes forbid priests and monkes to marry and to absteine from certaine meates do plainely embrace the heresie of the Tatians Seuerians and Manichées and are of the number of a 1. Tim. 4. those That teach the doctrine of diuels forbidding to marry and willing men to absteine from meates which God hath created Rectè posuit illud saith d In 1. Tim. 4. Theodoret prohibentium contrahere matrimonium Neque enim caelibatum aut continentiam vituperat sed eos accusat qui lege lata ea sequi compellunt He noteth those saith Theodoret that by their lawes compell men to absteine from marriage and certaine meates So that by his censure the papists are within the compasse of these false teachers of whome the apostle speaketh The heretikes called Anoâ—ni either corrupted or contemned the law of God which heresie is also by right of enheritance descended to the papists For first they deny the law of God to be perfect and therefore adde vnto it their owne traditions and the customes and precepts of the Romish church Secondly they haue c In offic beat Mariae Manual de Geronymo Campos cut out the commaundement of worshipping of images as directly opposite to their idolatry Thirdly they deny concupiscence after baptisme to be sinne contrary to the tenth commaundement Lastly they haue chosen to themselues a new a C. translato de constitutionibus lawgiuer that taketh on him to giue law to mens consciences and receiued a new decretaline law wherein they walke more curiously then in the law of God Nay for the true and euer liuing God they worship this their Terrestriall God as b In epist dedic ante princip doctrin Stapleton doth call him and diligently harken to the popes statutes and commandements Irenaeus and Tertullian doth range those among heretikes that flye from the scriptures and accuse them and affirme that the apostles did not commit all thinges necessary to writing Cum ex scripturis arguuntur saith c Aduers haeres lib. 3. c. 2. Irenaeus in accusationem coÌ„uertuntur scripturarum quasi non rectè habeant neque sint ex authoritate quia variè sunt dictae quia non possit ex his inueniri veritas ab his qui nesciant traditionem Non enim per literas traditam illam sed per vâ—uam vocem ob quam causam Paulum dixisse sapientiam loquimur inter perfectos He d Aduers haeres lib. 3. c. 1. saith also That the apostles first preached the gospell and afterward by the will of God brought the same into writing that it might be a piller and foundation of our faith Alius manu scripturas saith e De praescrip aduers haerec Tertullian alius sensu expositiones interuertit That is some heretikes plainely blot and corrupt the scriptures others peruert them by false expositions But he maketh the catholike to say thus Ego sum haeres apostoloruÌ„ sicut cauerunt testamento sicut fidei commiserunt sicut adiurauerunt ita teneo He saith they are true catholikes and successors of the apostles that continue in the doctrine deliuered in their testament And afterward speaking of scriptures he f Ibidem saith Quod sumus hoc sunt That is that we beléeue and teach that is there to be found But speaking of heretikes he g De resurrect carnis saith Aufer haereticis quaecunque ethnici sapiunt vt de scripturis solis quaestiones suas sistant stare non poterunt That is bring heretikes from that opinion that is common to them with ethnikes and cause them to be iudged in these questions by scriptures and they cannot stand In describing the qualities of these heretikes these two ancient fathers séeme to haue prophesied of the conditions of the papists For they will not allow as saith Irenaeus that the apostles haue comprehended all their doctrine necessary to saluation in the scriptures Neither will they confesse that out of holy writ we can learne the truth without tradition But contrariwise being conuinced by Scriptures they accuse the Scriptures and speake euill of them and say that they in respect of vs receiue authoritie from the pope they affirme that they Are subiect to diuers vnderstandings a Aduers Sadeel lib. 1. p. 99. Turrian calleth them Delphicum gladium others A nose of waxe they stande vpon the liuely teaching of their priests and friers and b Censur Colon. say That the wisedome of the church is apparent in vnwritten traditions They peruert the Scriptures by their wicked interpretations c Concil Trid. Sess 4. allowing no sence but that which the pope and church of Rome giueth They flie from the iudgement of apostolicall writings and will not haue the Scriptures to bée the rule whereby all controuersies are to bée ended and therefore plainly declare themselues to bée descended from heretikes and to bée very well like their parents d Lib. 8. Orig. c. de haeresibus Isidore doth declare them to bée heretikes that do otherwise vnderstande the Scriptures then the meaning of the holy Ghost requireth Quicunque saith hée aliter Scripturam sacram intelligit quà m sensus Spiritus sancti flagitat à quo conscripta est licèt de ecclesia non recesserit
tamen haereticus potest appellari But whosoeuer listeth to read either the popes decretals or the popish factions writings shall finde that they do interpret Scriptures not onely otherwise then the holie Ghost meant but quite contrarie to his meaning Which is euident by many particulars but wée will content our selues with some fewe for a taste The e Isai c. 28. 8. prophets f Rom. 9. 1. Pet. 2. apostles by the corner stone placed in the foundation of the church and stone of offence do vnderstande Christ Iesus but g In praef in lib. de Pontif. Rom. Bellarmine will haue the pope to bée vnderstoode by these wordes Hée will also z haue the wordes of Christ Super hanc Petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam to bée ment of the pope Where our Sauiâ—ur saith h Ibidem Pasce oues meas these wordes the papists do appropriate to the pope These words Drinke yée all of this they interpret as if Christ had saide drinke not all of this Where the apostle saith Mariage is honorable among al men and vnderstandeth it of such as may marrie by the lawes of God they say mariage is not honorable for priests or monks Where our Sauiour Christ saith Scruta mini scripturas they say Search not the Scriptures Where hée saith that Those do in vaine worship him that teach doctrines of men these teach quite contrarie and place the speciall worship of God in humane traditions Where the spirite of God commandeth That praiers be made for princes and willeth subiects to obey the Magistrate these antichristian papists curse princes and teach subiects to rebell and say that it is meritorious to kill them Ecce duo gladij hîc ergo saith pope Boniface the pope hath two swordes and with these swordes de facto the popes do destroy mens soules and kill their bodies It were infinite to rehearse all their wicked and false interpretations of Scriptures and in this place it is not necessarie séeing by these which wée haue alreadie alleaged it may sufficiently appéere that the papists are heretikes at least if Isidorus saie true As the a Damascen de haeres Herodians gaue the name and honor of Christ to Herode so the papists do giue the names of Christ to the pope allowing these words of Bernard to Eugenius vnctione Christus es They call him the foundation and rocke of the church the head and spouse of the church and such like They teach that he and Christ make but one seate of iudgement and b Lib. caerem. say That all power is giuen to the pope in heauen and earth If then the Herodians deserue for honoring Herode with Christ his titles to be reputed heretikes why should not the papists likewise be reputed heretikes that do as impudently and wickedly giue Christes honor to the pope c De haeresib c. Heicetae Damascene numbreth those monkes and nunnes among heretikes that méeting vsed to dance togither in the praise of God yet do not the popish fort leaue their piping and dancing processions nor do monkes and nunnes cease to celebrate their comedicall dancing masses skipping and hopping about the altar like apes that are taught to leape for their masters aduantage d Ibidem c. Gnosimachi Gnosimachi were certaine heretikes that would not that vulgar Christians should study the scriptures Omni christianorum cognitioni ac scientiae ita aduersantur saith Damascene vt vanum minus necessarium laborem esse dicant eorum qui in diuinis scripturis aliquam exquirunt scientiam Neque enim deum aliud à Christiano postulare quam bonas praeclarasque actiones Itaque aliquem simplici rudique animo institutuÌ„ suum perse qui melius est vt aiont quà m multam curam in cognoscendis de cretis sententijs ponere The which now is iust the opinion of the papists that hold it to be mortall sinne for lay men to dispute of matters of religion and thinke the colliars faith to be sufficient albeit he knoweth nothing but onely answereth That he beleeueth as the church beleeueth a De leâ—â—t indiâ—â— lib. â— Hosius writing against Brentius doth commend ignorance and doth greatly allow this saying Fides te saluum fecit non exercitatio scripturarum b Lib. 3. de auth scriptur He saith also That nothing is more pernitious then with scriptures to enter combat with satan Generally they allow an implicit faith in the rude sort and dehort them from knowledge of scriptures which is the flat heresie of the Gnosimachians The c Damascen dâ— haeres c. â—thnopâ—ronis Ethnophronians were condemned for obseruing diuers heathenish customes and holy daies Which notwithstanding pope Boniface the eight instituted the Iubiley euery hundred yéeres in imitation of the playes called by the Romaines Ludi seculares The papists also haue their censinges and expiations with holy water like the Gentiles They kéepe the Carneuall as the Romaines did their Lupercalia They canonize saintes as the heathen did canonize their benefactors for Gods They offer sacrifices for the soules of the departed as did the Gentiles They vse their lots and coniurations and lash themselues before their idoles and haue diuers other fashions of the Gentiles d As the Montanistes a De haeres c. christiano-categori so likewise do papists mislike second marriages denying to blesse them and not accounting those marriages so holy a sacrament as the first Damascene accounteth them also heretikes That worshipped the images of our Sauiour of the blessed virgin and the saintes as the Gentiles did their Gods Which is iust the case of papists For both of them bowe to them pray to them burne incense to them offer sacrifice before them And both of them denye that they worship stockes or stones but rather those persons that are represented by them Finally the very nature and properties of heretikes do argue and conuince the papists to be such The apostle when hée had warned the Romaines to beware of those that caused diuisions and scandales Rom. 16. hée e addeth also Against that doctrine which they had receiued so that by the apostles iudgement those séeme to bée heretikes that cause sects diuisions and scandales contrary to apostolicall doctrine Hée also is an heretike That a 1. Tim. 6. teacheth other doctrine and resteth not in the holesome wordes of our Lord Iesus Christ The apostle Peter where hée saith b 2. Pet. 2. that There shall rise vp false teachers which shall priuily bring in heresies and damnable sects doth shew them to bee heretikes that teach false doctrine ouerthrowing the mysterie of our redemption through Christ c De praescrip aduers haeret Tertullian doth oppose heretikes to the apostles and their doctrine to apostolicall doctrine Vnde extranei inimici apostolis haeretici saith hée nisi ex diuersitate doctrinae quam vnusquisque de suo arbitrio aduersus apostolos aut protulit aut recepit Haeresis
A BRIEFE REPLIE TO A certaine odious and slanderous libel lately published by a seditious Jesuite calling himselfe N. D. in defence both of publike enemies and disloyall subiects and entitled A temperate wardword to Sir Francis Hastings turbulent watchword Wherein not only the honest and religious intention and zeale of that good Knight is defended but also the cause of true catholike religion and the iustice of her Maiesties proceedings against Popish malcontents and traitors from diuers malitious imputations and slanders cleered and our aduersaries glorious declamation answered and refuted by O.E. defendant in the Challenge and encounters of N. D. Hereunto is also added a certaine new Challenge made to N. D. in fiue encounters concerning the fundamentall pointes of his former whole discourse Together with a briefe refutation of a certaine calumnious relation of the conference of Monsieur Plessis and Monsieur d'Eureux before the French king lately sent from Rome into England and an answer to the fond collections and demands of the relator Deut. 13. That prophet or dreamer of dreames shall be slaine because he hath spoken to turne you away from the Lord your God Matth. 7. Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardly are rauening wolues Zenodotus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Halter me these wolues Theocrit in Bucoliastis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as if he should say If you nourish vp wolues and dogs they will in the ende deuoure or bite you Imprinted at London by Arn. Hatfield 1600. To N. D. aliâs Noddie that lately tooke vpon him to pleade for P.P. and for all the Popish faction and heresie O. E. wisheth the knowledge of truth and more loue and loyall affection to his Prince and countrie SIr N.D. or Noddy or howsoeuer it shall please you to stile your selfe being a man but of two or a Homo trium literarum three letters it should seeme you were in a fitte of a cholericke feauer when you wrote your late Wardword For euery where you fret fume and chafe and all the dishes of your feast are chafing-dishes and hot words both against your aduersary and others No doubt you were distempered or else I thinke you would not haue raued or rather raged after such a mad fashion You seeme also to be full of galles scabbes and sores For what else should make you to crie and exclaime so passionately when you are but lightly and tenderly touched I can compare you to none more fitter then to that vlcerous fellow in b In Niptris Cicer. Tusc 2. Sophocles that could not abide the hands of surgeons Abscedite saith he dimittite Nam attrectatu quassu saeuum amplificatis dolorem Your selfe and your cause is so ful of botches that you can abide no shaking nor handling and therefore with c Ibidem Philoctetes may say Iam iam absumor conficit animam Vis vulneris vlceris aestus Like you are to dame d In the Italian legend in the life of Saint Catharine Bonauenture sister to Catharine of Siena that noble Romish saint that was like to die as oft as she heard but one foule word so tender harted was shee And you are so tender eared that you cannot abide to heare any euill word of the pope or of his agents He may proceed against vs as an enimie and his agents may broch rebellions and treasons and else what mischiefe they can and yet we may neither touch your holy father nor lay open the lewd practises of enemies and traitors And because Sir Francis doth touch the hostile actions of the Pope and Spanyard and treacherous practises of Romish priestes and Iesuits you e In the preface to the Warde-word leape suddenly into your raging and impatient fits and complaine of railing and calumniation saying that his discourse is an iniurious pamphlet and a biting libell and that he is enraged with a furious veine of inuectiue spirit neither sparing God nor man And as if this had not been sufficient you tell vs further that the f This applied to Andreas Philopater or Parsons is true flowers or rather furies of his discourse are lying forging falsifying ignorant vaunting odious scoffing malitious calumniations seditious interpretations bloodie exaggerations barbarous insultations and that he rusheth further to the open assault of forreine monarkes their honors fame and reputation But rage and reuell as long as you list I doubt not but all honest men will commend vs and all moderate men will allow vs to speake in defence of our Prince and countrey Our countrey is deare vnto vs and if all valiant men ought to venture their liues for it litle should we deserue if we would not open our mouthes to speake for it Heathen men by no pretence of religion could be drawen from defence of their countrey Fabius Maximus was woont to say that those attempts were done according to religion that were done for the safetie of the state Dicere ausus est saith g De senectute Tully optimis auspicijs ea geri quae pro salute reipub fierent And h Iliad 〈◊〉 Hector said that whatsoeuer the chanting of birdes foretold it was best to defend valiantly a mans countrey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And shall we vnder a pretence of false religion abandon true religion for which we are to forsake father mother wife and children and all we haue and for pretence of I know not what danger forsake our most deere countrey for which euerie honest man ought to giue his life and all he hath If you talke with Parsons the Iesuite he will tell you that it is no such discommendable matter to speake what we can in defence of our countrey and of religion especially against the publike enimies of religion and of our countrey and against disloyall traytors that are with their entisements drawne to rayle against their Prince and to betray the cause of religion and their countrey Be they monarkes or be they fryer frapartes popes or cardinals terrestriall gods or carnall men if they be our enimies and seeke our destruction and the destruction of our religion Prince and countrey I esteeme him but a base fellow that feareth to encounter them in any sort That priuilege doth the law of warre giue vnto vs to strike any that will come against vs in the field Certes if it be free for you to defend the cause of publike enimies that with fire and sword seeke to destroy vs of wicked and traitorous priestes Iesuites and their consorts that by secret practise would vndermine the state and bring forreine enimies vpon vs of impious and idolatrous heretikes that goe about to erect idolatry and popish impieties you must giue vs leaue to speake for our religion that is most catholike and apostolike for our Prince that is so gratious and mercifull and offendeth in nothing more then shewing such grace and mercie to so mercilesse and wicked traytors
and lewde companion according to his deserts My selfe also doe commende vnto them this whole cause and doubt not but they will maturely consider the pride of the enemie and the necessitie of iustice that all magistates good subiects wil concurre with them in this case Clemencie and debonnairetie is very coÌ„mendable but to suffer either Gods honor to be violated through idolatrie or superstition or the Christian magistrates life or person to be endangered or the commonwealth to be vndermined for want of due punishment of offenders is not to be termed clemencie but rather a remissenesse and dissolution of gouernment neither well agreeing with religion nor ciuill policie l 1. King 15. Asa king of Iudah is commended for that his hart was vpright with the Lord al his daies yet was it no smal blemish to him that he put not downe the high places where the people had established another worship then that which the Lord had appointed Manasses likewise although vpon his returne from Babylon he reformed religion and setled matters in Gods temple yet is he m 2. Chron. 33. noted for that he suffered the people to sacrifice in high places For idolatrous worship is not to be suffered in any corner nor by conniuencie to be dissembled Neither is it policie to giue too much libertie to such as giue open signes of malcontentment and either secretly vndermine the state or publikely transgresse lawes That state saith n In orat Aeschin Aeschines is good for nothing that hath no strength to represse offenders against lawe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither is there any greater maladie in a state as saith Euripides then when malcontents and offenders are suffered to flourish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tullie saith that dangerous and disobedient subiects are with mulctes imprisonment and corporall punishment to be restreined Magistratus saith o Lib. 3. de legibus he nec obedientem noxium ciuem multâ vinculis verberibusque coercento Neither can any commonwealth be maintained but where there is a correspondence of punishment to transgression of lawes Noxiae par poena esto saith a wise p Cicero lib. 3. de legib politike And so respectiue were the Romaine lawes in this point that where by sleight or want the offender could not haue the penaltie of the lawe laide vpon him they gaue power to the magistrate to lay an extraordinarie punishment vpon him that no offence might escape vnpunished Generaliter placet saith q L. quoties ff de poenis Vlpian in legibus publicorum iudiciorum vel priuatorum criminum qui extra ordinem cognoscunt praefecti vel praesides vt eis qui poenam pecuniariam egentes eludunt coercitionem extraordinariam inducant To spare rebels and traitors doth cause diuers inconueniences It discourageth loyall subiectes to aduenture in defence of the state it maketh the rebels more insolent it giueth more opportunitie to forreine enemies to practise and finally the example of sparing some doth embolden other euill disposed persons to attempt the like It is an olde saying Impunitas magna est peccandi illecebra Finally the lawe of God doth put a sword into the magistrates hand not for naught but to maintaine honest men and to punish the wicked Now as it is not safe nor profitable to let rebelles and traytors passe without due iustice so it is not religious nor pious to suffer hereticall and false teachers and spreaders of sectes and diuisions to escape vnpunished God hath r Deuter. 13. established a sharpe law against false prophets that shall entise men To go after other gods or shall go about to turne men from the Lord their God He commaundeth the magistrate to put them to death and Å¿ Ibidem forbiddeth priuate men To pity them or keepe them secret The apostle writing to the Romaines t Rom. 16. exhorteth them To marke such diligently as should cause diuision and offences among them contrary to the doctrine which they had learned and to auoide them The u L. omnes Cod. de haeret Manich. emperors Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius put hereticall teachers to perpetuall silence and charged inferior officers not to winke at them x L. cuncti ibid. Arcadius and Honorius depriued them of all exercises of their false religion y L. Ariani ibidem Theodosius and Valentinian the younger banished Arians Manichees and all heretikes out of the Romaine empire And for this cause did saint z Lib. 1. cont epist Parmâ—n c. 6. epist 166. Augustin highly commend the emperors iustice and a Epist. 62. teach That it was necessary that hereticall teachers should be repressed and corrected Certes if lawes had beene executed against popish priests Iesuites and other friers and false teachers neither would they haue insinuated themselues into this kingdome and into Ireland with that boldenesse nor could so many simple soules haue beene seduced to the eternall destruction of their soules and of some of their lâ—ues nor should they so much haue encreased the popish faction as some where they haue done I doubt not but magistrates both see those inconueniences and will remedy them And therefore I neede not to vse many words in this behalfe But because of late a certaine presumptuous and proude Iesuite calling himselfe N.D. hath taken vpon him not onely to plead for Iesuites and priests but also for forreine enemies and notorious rebelles and traytors aduancing the cause and power of the enemie and by a strange metamorphosis of words turning traytors into true subiectes and rebellious heretikes into martyrs and by his painted glosses burnishing out heresie superstition and idolatry for true religion catholike faith Gods true worship I haue vpon zeale I beare to Gods truth and loue I owe to her Maiesty and my country and not least of all for that harty affection which I beare to all my Christian countrymen whome these false teachers apparelled in sheepes clothing with their counterfeite sheepes blayting seeke to abuse vndertaken to answere all his pleading to iustifie the honest and religious intention of that noble knight Sir Francis that first aduentured to speake against them and to shew in generall that our enemies are no such bugs as we neede to feare them nor english fugitiues such innocents as they are pretended nor the factious papists so honest men that we are far to trust them And because he shall not complaine that we refuse any indifferent triall I haue thought it not amisse to vndertake his challenge and to meete him at euery turne and in euery encounter following him pase by pase and ioyning foote to foote He would percase bring it to another triall Vbi collato pede dimicandum est or as Virgil saith Vbi haeret pede pes densúsque viro vir and we refuse not when we shall see him and his consortes come against vs in plaine field But in the meane while we are to try our cause with words and
was in the end excommunicated vexed with rebellions most shamefully murdred by a Dominican frier Don Caesare d'este duke of Ferrara was not I trow of our religion yet did the pope excommunicate him and most wrongfully take his state from him Lastly if religion now professed were the immediate cause and originall of any trouble like to ensue then should not the papistes haue béene the principall meanes to mooue warres and rebellions against the state nor the onely practisers against her Maiesties person and safetie as we haue found them to haue béene Wherefore if we will rightly estéeme we shall finde that as true religion is the cause of all those blessings we enioy so poperie and the faction that maintaineth it is the cause of all practises against her Maiestie and the state and of all rebellions and warres and mischiefes entended against vs. Againe as we were without danger as long as God was truely worshipped and idolatrie repressed and Iesuites and priests and their abettors diligently sought out and punished according to lawes and all concurred resolutely to maintaine true religion and the state so since Recusants began of some to finde fauour and masse-priests and Iesuites haue béene suffered to practise without punishment and idolatrie is begun to be priuily erected and some mens mindes grow colde in maintaining true religion and the present gouernment it is no maruell if some inconuenience be feared But remooue this there is no cause why any shoulde either doubt or feare For the pope hath businesse inough to maintaine his owne state no meanes to worke vs trouble but by English traitors In times past he was Stupor mundi the woonderment of the world now he is Fabula mundi that is a matter for idle priests and friers to prate of but not to be feared vnlesse wée liste The Spaniard hath more reason to feare vs and our associates of the low Countries that may be lordes of the sea if we please and may take what part of the Indies we list then we to feare him Sure if his force had béene such as is pretended neuer would he haue suffred such scorne nor descended to such dishonorable courses as he hath done Both the pope and Spaniard depend vpon the aide of English fugitiues and malcontents Draw from them this hope then haue you the end of these supposed feares and a full answere to this traitors painted tales and fables Thus you see this noddy hath neither reason nor truth in his discourse And yet that is not all the fault it hath For it is also impertinēt to the purpose For what if there were some cause of feare or doubt doth it therefore follow that we haue receiued no benefits nor blessings by her Maiesties most happie gouernment the abolishment of idolatrie and restoring of true and catholike religion If then there be no iust cause of feare and onely certaine pusillanimous companions quake at the popes thundring and Spanish bragging or else pretend to do it bicause they looke backe to the fleshpots of Egypt and glory of Babylon then are we to acknowledge Gods fauour that hath not onely giuen vs many graces by her Maiesties meanes but also meanes to maintaine them and to secure our selues And for such cowards as feare forreine enimies we are to put them into the next ranke to English traitors alreadie conspired with the enimie Hée telleth vs further That by alteration of religion in England Scotland Ireland Flanders and France haue tasted of many miseries tumults calamities and desolations Hée should haue said of many blessings and friendly fauors For kindnesses and fauours all our neighbors haue receiued from vs but those calamities and desolations that he speaketh of haue procéeded from the popes furie and malice and from his adherents persecuting quiet people for the profession of true Christian religion But let vs heare the rest of his wise tale Beside battels murders destructions of countries prouinces townes cities houses and particular men saith hée three Princes two Queenes and one King haue beene all brought to their bane by this occasion He saith further That the noble houses and linages of Hamiltons Douglasses Stuardes in Scotland of Desmondes and other peeres in Ireland haue been thereby ruinated and finally That in France and Flanders there is no end of the accompt of those that haue beene destroied by this change of religion as if we had procured all these battels murders destructions or as if wée or our religion were the occasion of the destruction of princes or kings or as if the massacres of France and those bloodie executions had béene committed by vs. What a shamelesse fellow is this to impute the cause of warres and troubles to vs that euer auoided warres as much as we could and offered force to no man nor euer stirred but as defendants for sauegard of our liues Are lambes the causes of the crueltie of wolues or were Christians the authors of the bloodie persecutions of heathen Emperors all these bigge wordes therefore are nothing else but arguments of the Noddies distracted mind and furious hatred against truth that exclameth and crieth out vpon religion and imputeth al calamities vnto it whereas in truth all the cause of this wracke and destruction both of states and priuate families proceeded wholy from want of conscience and hatred of true religion For if wee will looke backe and search the histories of our times wée shall finde that all those tragicall stirres and hurly-burlies that haue brought not onely millions of christians but also a great part of Christendome to destruction haue taken their beginning from the implacable hatred of popes and papists against Christian religion Paule the third enflamed the warres against the princes of Germanie which consumed a great part of that countrey himselfe sent thither great forces both of horse and foote fearing not a little least Charles the fift should make any composition with the Germans In the low Countries the people liued in peace and obedience to their gouernours vntill such time as the popish faction fearing the ruine of their Babylon beganne not onely to make cruell edicts and decrées against the professors of true religion but also by force of armes sought to establish both the Spanish inquisition and an absolute tyrannie a Vita de Pio. quinto Pius the fift when the kings of France and Spaine grew wery of troubles sent his messengers to negotiate with king Philip and the Cardinall of Alexandria to set forward the French king against his subiects He sent also money and soldiers to aide the king to destroy his subiects In king Henrie the eightes daies Paul the third in this Quéenes daies Pius the fift and Gregorie the thirtéenth and other popes a Sanders de Schism stirred vp diuers rebellions in England and Ireland against lawfull princes By the solicitation of the popes agents many thousands of innocent people were massacred in France contrarie to faith and promise These therefore are
the murderers and massacrers of Gods saints these are they which haue occasioned the ruine of diuers noble houses personages In England the erles of Westmerland and Northumberland harkening to the seditious motions of the pope ruined themselues their houses By the same occasion the house of Desmond and other houses in Ireland were ouerthrowne Why the ruine of these houses and men should be imputed to religion there is not any colour In Scotland the houses and linages of the Hamiltons Douglasses and Stuardes do yet stand and if any of these houses haue runne headlong into their owne destruction it is no fault of ours The Quéene Douager of Scotland that was sister to the Duke of Guise died of sicknesse How the last Quéene came to her end I report me to publike actes and histories Her husband was not slaine by men of our side but of theirs not for matter of religion but for other causes Our aduersary therefore dealeth absurdly and like himselfe that imputeth the faults of Popish religion that teacheth murder of christians deposing of princes subuersion of states and kingdomes and all manner of perfidious and cruell dealing to vs. But suppose some error had béene committed in France and the lowe countries why is the same mentioned here where we dispute about matters in England can he not content himselfe to vtter vntruthes but he must also speake impertinently and so far from the purpose To amend the matter he deuideth all blessings into spirituall and temporall and denyeth that by change of religion we haue receiued either the one or the other For before this alteration saith he one God was adored not onely in England but also throughout all Christendome and after one manner He saith further That there was one faith one beleefe one forme of seruice one number of sacraments one tongue in celebration one sacrifice one head of the church one obedience one iudgement in time past and that now all is altered the people of England being diuided not onely from the rest of catholikes but also from Lutherans Zuinglians Caluinists abroad and among themselues at home But dealing with an aduersarie and in matter so controuersious if hée had beene wise hée woulde haue brought either better proofes or more modestie To lie notoriously must néedes worke discredite to his cause First most vntrue it is that before this alteration one God was worshipped throughout all Christendome and after one manner For to speake truely the most part of those that called themselues Christians liued without all knowledge of God or of Christ Iesus hauing nothing of Christianitie but the very name and the outwarde Sacrament of Baptisme The rest some fewe onely excepted whom God enlightened with more knowledge for God worshipped angels and saints and the blessed virgine Nay they worshipped crosses and crucifixes with diuine worship and fell down before stockes and stones and rotten reliques some worshipped the pope as God and by him hoped to haue plenarie indulgence of their sinnes Their manner of worship was so diuers that euery parish almost had their peculiar saintes seruices festiuall daies and ceremonies Secondly ridiculously hée doth distinguish faith from beléefe and most vntruely surmiseth That there was in time past but one faith and beleefe and that euery Christian held that faith For in some ages before Luthers time the common people knew not what to beléeue nor vnderstood any one article of the faith And as for the doctors of schooles they differed in infinite points one from another and all of them from the Gréeke churches but especially from the true faith of Christendome taught by Christ and his apostles Thirdly it is a palpable vntruth to say That before this alteration there was one forme of seruice one number of Sacraments one toong one sacrifice one head of the church throughout all Christendome wherein so many vaine vntruthes are conteined that it is not possible to vtter them redilie with one toong For not onely the Gréeke liturgie doth much differ from the Latin but also the Latin liturgies doe much differ from themselues and were so full of abuses that the Councell of Trent abolishing a number of old missals and portuises was constrained to make new and yet all naught being nothing like the liturgies of the apostolike church described by Iustin martyr Dionyse of Athens and diuers other fathers For those of S. Iames S. Basill and Chrysostome are plainly counterfeited The number of 7. sacramēts was not certainly established nor receiued before the late councell of Trent In the a C. firmiter de sum trin side cath Councell of Lateran vnder pope Innocent there is mention made onely of two Sacraments which we reteine In no ancient father that treateth of Sacraments can this number of seuen be found The apostles deliuered vs but onely two Sacraments that is of Baptisme and the Lords supper In ancient time it was neuer thought vnlawfull to celebrate diuine seruice in any toong vnderstoode of the people The Greekes euen to this day reteine the Gréeke toong The b 1. Cor. 14. apostle doth directly condemne toongs vsed in diuine praiers or praises if they be not vnderstood of the people The popish sacrifice of the masse and all that abomination was not knowne of the ancient fathers nor instituted by Christ Then all Christians did communicate and receiue both kindes and were otherwise taught then now they are The Gréeke churches also much differ from the church of Rome and diuers formes of sacrifices haue beene vsed in this church vntil of late the Councell of Trent went about to establish an vniformitie or rather difformitie of religion Finally as the popes headship is now denied of the easterne churches and so was for many ages so was the ancient church vtterly ignorant of the matter If this Noddy will persist in his error and mainteine the contrarie let him shew if he can that in ancient time the bishops of Rome made lawes to binde the whole church and were supreme iudges and not iudged of others and made bishops throughout the world and had that authoritie to dispense and pardon which now the pope craueth Fourthly where he saith Wee are diuided not onely from the generall body of catholikes in Christendome but also from our selues hée telleth vs his owne dreames and fancies fléeting in his idle braine without any grounde of truth First it shall not bée prooued that we haue diuided our selues from the catholike church or any catholike societie Nay wée offer to prooue that the papists haue by their nouelties and heresies deuided themselues from the catholike church and say that therefore wée haue left them that wée may returne to the ancient apostolike and catholike church and catholike faith of Christ Secondly the churches of Zuizzerland Germanie France and England do neither holde of Zuinglius Caluin nor Luther nor pope of Rome as do the blind papists but of Christ Iesus and of the apostles and prophets Neither do they disagrée
retracted his opinion Thirdly I say we suspend our opinion and giue no approbation to Luthers opinion concerning the carnall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament for that we sée that doctrine to be new not taught by the apostolike church Nay we finde it to be repugnant to the apostles doctrine deliuered in Scriptures to the doctrine of the ancient catholike church and to the analogie of faith Lastly I say that in external gouernment it is not necessarie that all churches should concur and agrée séeing not onely the east churches differed from the west but the western churches also from themselues The churches of Afrike had diuers customes differing froÌ„ the churches of Italy a I ibâ—d sa 〈◊〉 Ambrose in his church at Milan thought it not necessary in al things to follow the church of Rome Further I say that it is not to be doubted but that it is better in matter of externall gouernment to folow the consent of antiquitie and succéeding ages rather then any mans priuate humour and opinion and therefore I doubt not but our cause is better and our grounde more certaine which in searching out the doctrine of Christian faith do build our selues vpon Christ and his apostles and vpon holy Scriptures approoued by consent of times descent of holy fathers bishops testimony of the most ancient church which all appéereth in ancient symboles of faith then that of the papists which in doubts and controuersies runne to this pope or that pope which for the most part is but a blocke or a sot and a man ignorant not onely in the controuersies but often in the grounds principles of Christian religion Now what assurance the papists can haue of their faith that haue no ground but in the determination of the pope I report me euen to the papists themselues that condemne priuate opinions and singuler mens fancies and in externall termes yéeld all not to this man or that man but to the iudgement of Christ his vniuersall church Another spirituall blessing a P. 6. and 7. saith our aduersarie is when good works follow faith as meeknes penance mortification of the flesh continencie virginitie fasting praying almes voluntarie pouertie renouncing of the world And that mens sauage natures should be altered by Christs doctrine he prooueth out of Isay the 11. where it is saide That the woolfe shall dwell with the lambe and the Pard lie with the goate And the calfe lyon and sheepe abide togither Lastly hée asketh Whether our doctrine hath wrought these effects of peace and meekenesse of penance and mortification and the rest I answer that the doctrine of the Gospell hath wrought good effects in all true Christians And that all such do good workes and liue according to their profession And albeit euerie one do not so square their liues according to Gods law as they should do yet compare our people with the papists nay with the priests and popes themselues whom they call most holy and I make no question but they do farre excell them In Quéene Maries time this land flowed with bloud of innocents Vpon her Maiesties entrance these cruell executions ceased Such was her clemencie that shée would not shed the blood of those woolues that had shed the most innocent blood of many others Nay albeit during the time of her sisters reigne shée had receiued many wrongs yet did shée forget al. So rare was her clemencie that euen strangers commend it Tanta eius animi extitit moderatio saith b Histor Gâ—nuens lib. 23. Peter Bizarus atque inuata clementia vt non immeritò de illa dici possit quod veteres de Seuero Alexandro Mammea matre genito posteris tradidere nempe anaematon hoc est citra sanguinem gessisse imperium cum suapte natura semper à caedibus crudelitate abhorrens nunquam adduci potuerit vt aliquem nisi publico iudicio damnatum ad supplicium rapi pateretur Her people likewise did folow her steps and neuer sought the blood of papists though the world knoweth they séeke ours In France and Flanders our side neuer tooke armes but in defence of their liues against those that sought to murder them In our victories likewise great clemencie hath béene vsed The king of Nauarre now king of France was euer admired for his great clemencie The English entring perforce into Caliz and other places shewed great moderation in their victorie In diuers places where religion is professed adulterie is punished with death fornication with corporall punishments other vnnaturall filthinesse is not named No where are stewes accompted lawfull Neither do we accompt any man a true professor that doth not moderate his affections and absteine from swearing drunkennesse pride and deale mercifully with the poore and conscionably with all If any man do otherwise he may liue among vs but he is not of vs. But the whoorish synagogue of Rome she is redde with the blood of saintes No tigre was euer more fierce or cruell This farre surpasseth the bloody city whereof the prophet a Nahum 3. speaketh the gouernours of this synagogue like wolues haue deuoured the lambes of Christ and not spared his flocke they imprison the true professors they spoile them torment them and kill them Innocent the third caused many thousands to be slaine in France Iohn the two and twentieth did b Io. Villan hist. fiorent 11. persecute the poore Christians of Armenia and hired the Saracens to war vpon them and all because they would not acknowledge his authoritie Martin the fift and his successors with fire and sword sought to ruinate the Bohemians onely for séeking reformation of abuses and redresse for the cruell execution of Iohn Husse murdred at Constance contrarie to the emperors safe conduct To forbeare to speake of former times the world knoweth that the warres of Germanie against the protestants as they are called were stirred vp by Paul the third and prosecuted with great rigour By the instigation of bloody priestes of the Romish synagogue the innocent christians of Cabriers Merindole and the villages néere adioyning were most cruellie slaine without respect of age sexe or qualitie These be the wolues that in the time of Quéene Mary made such hauock of Christs flocke in England that haue caused millions of christians in France Flanders and other places to be slaughtered Lib. hist 24. Natalis a popish writer saith that thréescore thousand were murdred in the massacre of France anno 1572. Cum amirante saith he Lutetiae Parisiorum in omnibus propè Gallicis ciuitatibus caesa fuisse dicuntur plura sexaginta millibus hominum factionis Vgonoticae nouae religionis And therefore he doubteth not to cal this execution Cruell and bitter The numbers of those that haue béene secretly murdred by the bloodie Inquisitors in Rome Italie Spaine is excéeding great the crueltie of the persecutors strange the patience of saints admirable Neither doe they onely practise crueltie against such as they accompt
a hundred thousand were slaine in one yeere in the rebellion of the countreymen against the lords about religion But the more hée toucheth these matters the more shame hee shall bring vpon himselfe and the synagogue of Rome For not any of our communion but the cruell popes of Rome and their agentes haue caused these tragedies They stirred vp the French King Spaniard to make wars vpon their quiet subiects that desired nothing but peace Nay when a solemne peace was concluded they made that a trappe to catch a number of noble men and others to murder them True christians haue still suffered and yet this sauage companion imputeth vnto them the tragicall murders committed by papistes In Scotland the people neuer stirred before their liues were sought the insurrection of the rusticall people in Germany was for a Sleidan gréeuances offered them by their Lords and not properly for religion They were not of our religion but rose against lords as well of our religion as papists and by our side were both by word and force suppressed But the warres in Bohemia and Germanie and Swizzerland were indéede raised by the popes and their agents and all the worlde séeth that all their studie is to raise warres and tumults to trouble all Christendome And yet Christian princes will not sée neither will Christian people beware of such vnchristian courses As for the people of England they are to shewe themselues thankfull not onely for the restoring of true religion but also for the fruite that hath thereof ensued in all true religious Christians After his talke of spirituall blessings hée passeth to speake of temporall benefits and saith that If her Maiestie as she entred by generall consent and was promoted by the forces of papists especially and shewed herselfe in all points of religion and behauiour a papist and was crowned at a masse so had continued then had shee and her realme beene most happy and first shoulde haue had a most florishing kingdome vnited both to her and among themselues in religion iudgement affection fidelitie and friendship But his tale consisteth of diuers foule leasinges and his coniecture is vaine and improbable For albeit shée entred with consent of all good men yet it gréeued the papists excéedingly insomuch that shée could not get any one popish prelate to execute the ceremonie of consecration but onely one and hée one of the meanest The rest like traitors refused Secondly it is false that shée was promoted by force of papists For what néeded force if all were willing shée shoulde bée crowned and if the papists were vnwilling it is not likely they would vse force vnlesse it was to force their owne wils Thirdly it is most false that shée shewed herselfe in all points of religion and behauiour both in her sisters daies and at her coronation a papist For if shée had so done why should the popish prelats feare any alteration seeing shée gaue no signe of any as this babling companion prateth And why should they refuse to sacre her if shée ment to obserue all popish ceremonies vnlesse they doubted of her title Lastly it is most false that shée was crowned at a masse For shée declared plainly shee woulde no masse which was a great occasion why the popish bishops refused to consecrate her But were this true yet his coniecture of happinesse that would haue ensued of continuance of the masse is most vaine and foolish For albeit the French kinges Francis the second Charles the ninth and Henry the third continued the masse and all popish ceremonies yet neither did the kingdome of France flourish in their times nor were their subiectes eyther vnited to their princes or at vnity among themselues Likewise they of the Low countries haue long continued in great troubles and dissensions and béene forced to defend their liues and liberties against the violence both of the king of Spaine himselfe and of his agentes albeit the king alwaies séemed a sworne seruant and vassall of the pope of Rome and a firme papist The Portugals also neither greatly affect the Spanish king nor do well sort with the Castilians or those that fauor them and haue now lost their ancient glorie and libertie albeit their princes haue still continued vassals to the pope Why then notwithstanding the continuance of popish religion might not dissension as well haue hapned in England betwixt the prince and people and among the people themselues do we thinke that our nation could still haue endured the vnsatiable crueltie of popish prelates or is it likely that a frée people could haue endured the slauish yoke of the pope of Rome But bée it that our countrey-men could haue swallowed all yet must wée vnderstand that the pope of Rome woulde neuer haue suffred her Maiestie to reigne whom both Clement the seuenth had declared illegitimate a Sanders de schism Paul the third pronounced vncapable of the crowne This coniecture therefore of a flourishing kingdom in case poperie had continued is nothing but a vaine flourish of a foolish discourser And so much the rather may we thinke so because no kingdome can florish without true religion nor can they long agrée among themselues that haue no attonement with God nor consent in true faith Secondly he imagineth that great securitie woulde haue ensued of the cōtinuance of popish religion For saith he Then none of these feares and terrors of inuasions conquests treasons and conspiracies had euer come in consideration But hée much mistaketh the knights meaning if he do suppose that hée either feareth the force of forreine enimies or the secret practises of traitors For hée feareth them not but exhorteth his countrymen to prepare themselues to repulse the forreine enimie that is so busie and to watch that they bee not intrapped by secret practises of pretended friends True it is that the rinegued and Hispaniolized English do by all meanes séeke to draw forreine enimies into the countrey and to practise mischiefe at home but hée is very blinde that séeth not that we are as well able to resist such attempts as euer our ancestors were and he is a bastardly and dastardly Englishman that feareth to encounter the Spaniard in so good a cause or is afraid of the Spanish brags In the meane while it is woorth the marking that this Noddy doth signify that either by force or practise the papists meane to haue their will And yet some men there bée that will not sée their malice and thinke it needlesse to take any course to resist and encounter their practises But suppose poperie had héere continued how coulde this Noddy haue giuen vs warrant that we shoulde haue béene neither oppugned by enimies abroad nor by traitors at home was not Henrie the third of France excommunicated by the pope oppugned by his subiects murdred by a Dominican frier notwithstanding his zeale in poperie and all his seruice done to the pope Did not the Spaniard inuade Portugall albeit the
people were all of one religion Nay he that casteth away gods true seruice can neither be secured abroad nor at home Nor may we thinke that the pope woulde haue liked her Maiestie with any condition vnlesse shée woulde haue receiued her crowne from him which is a matter most dishonorable to imagine and abominable to vtter a P. 8. Thirdly he telleth vs that if her Maiestie had embraced poperie Shee had been by all likelyhood maried mother of many faire and prince like children As though if shée had pleased shée might not as well haue maried continuing in true religion as in any other religion or as if none coulde haue faire and princely children but women of their faction He imagineth that difference of religion hath hindred her mariage but if he were as well acquainted with matters of state as he doth pretend he might haue knowne that diuers great princes of a diuers religion haue sought her yea that the great monarke whom he so highly extolleth would gladly haue matched with her and promised to procure a dispensation to that purpose Neither was religion any hinderance to the mariage of the present French kings sister But suppose no papisticall prince woulde haue maried with her yet might shee haue matched with kings and princes of true catholike religion if so shée had thought conuenient Againe suppose shee had maried was not Quéene Marie also maried yet was shee not mother of many faire and princely children And the thrée last French kings died al not onely without faire children but also without issue This is then a méere toie and vaine fancie to talke of children before mariage séeing God doth often denie this blessing to diuers maried folkes and often taketh awaie children that are otherwise likely to liue Fourthly he supposeth if her Maiestie had bene pleased to haue vpholden the masse and to continue popish religion and married that then the succession of the crowne should haue beene established in her issue But he should haue remembred that God saith by his b 1. Sam. 2. prophet that he will honor them that honour him and despise them that despise him As for idolaters and maintainers of strange religions they shall not prosper Beside this who knoweth not that the fruite of the womb is the blessing of the Lord and that god doth often dispose of kingdomes according to his diuine will and pleasure Finally the pope that taketh on him to be Christes vicegerent would haue had a great stroke in this matter especially if shée had acknowledged his vsurped authoritie Neither is it likely he would haue allowed her and her issue whom diuers of his ancesters by their definitiue sentences had both shamefullie dishonoured and iniuriously disabled And to bring so great a prince to submit her selfe to so base a slaue and of him to receiue her right to the crowne were a matter dishonorable to her Maiestie and intollerable to the state and a frierlike fancy not to be imagined of any but of Parsons the Iesuite and such like trayterous rinegued fugitiues But let vs suppose that her Maiestie should leaue no issue behind her is she the first that hath béene in that case and is there no remedy eyther by lawes already prouided or by wise men to be deuised but that we must needes fall by the eares together about this matter This is the supposition of the noddy our aduersarie and this garboyle percase he desireth to gratifie the Infanta and the Spaniard whose slaue hée is but our trust is in God and in the resolution of honest men that I hope will prouide for the safetie of the state and looke to preuent the malice of those that are so desirous of our trouble Fiftly hée telleth vs of the popes excommunication denounced against her Maiestie and maketh a great matter of it And saith That if religion had not beene changed we shoulde haue had no breach with Rome nor needed to haue feared this terrible thunderbolt of excommunication But what more absurd then to obiect the breach with Rome and the popes excōmunication when we estéeme that to be one of the greatest blessings that euer hapned to this lande being thereby fréed from the slauerie of Antichrist and the darknesse of Egypt and do no more feare the popes thunderbolt of excommunication then a flash of light out of a lantern Wee know what the pope is and how little power he hath to excommunicate any Christian being himselfe excommunicate and vnwoorthy the name of a bishop But to let passe all this which the Noddie our aduersarie passeth by and shall neuer prooue I say that princes that continue in popish religion haue notwithstanding felt the sharpenesse or bluntnesse of the popes boltes I would say buls and continued long in the popes displeasure The ancient Germaine emperors Henry the fourth and fift the two Fridericks diuers other that succéeded them knew no religion but that which the pope taught which no doubt was a goodly religion yet hée thundred out his excommunications against them persecuted diuers of them to the death yea and after death Betwixt Lewis the 12. of France which for his bountie was called The father of his countrey and Iulius the second there hapned a great breach and out came excommunications against him and against his followers albeit about matters of religion there was no different betwixt them No man was more superstitious in popish religion then Henrie the third of France yet was he slaine by a Dominican and excommunicated by the pope The same may be confirmed by the late excommunication of D. Caesare da Este duke of Ferrara and infinite examples Suppose then the Quéenes Maistie coulde haue liked of the sect of Antichrist and his abominable religion yet woulde he haue disliked and looked to haue had some finger in disposing of the crowne so that all these supposals rest vpon weake groundes which by no reason can well stand Sixtly hée saith That if this breach with Rome had not hapned then England had continued in her old ancient amitie with Spaine and Burgundie As if it were not more hurtfull to the Spaniard to breake with vs then for vs to breake with the Spaniard Surely if her Maiestie woulde haue taken her aduantage either in the Low Countries or in the Indies and if the pensioners of Spaine had not béene more happie in breaking all enterprises against king Philip then men of seruice incouraged to attempt them hée shoulde well haue perceiued this to bée true long ere this And therefore among diuers instructions which the emperour Charles the fift left his sonne this was one principall That by no meanes hee should breake with England But admit this were a matter dangerous to fall out with Spaine howe coulde wée haue auoided it by continuing in popish religion séeing the Portugals that are perfect papists coulde not by any mediation kéepe their countrey from his vsurpation and tyrannie Naie pope Paulus the fourth
absurd positions and principles in their religion TO recount and declare all the absurdities and heresies of the popish faction woulde require both time and labour they are so many and so intricate In number they passe the sande they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as saith a I'iad 1. Homer And no maruell séeing they are builte on the pope which albeit he be b Sanders rocke reputed as a rocke yet is nothing but a banke of sande whereon the papists haue wracked their faith But of the rest I shall haue time to speake héereafter Now I will onely mention those which sir Francis Hastings doth obiect and which his aduersarie goeth about to remooue I say therefore that it is most true which he doth obiect diz That the papists hould ignorance to be the mother of deuotion D. Cole a man of no obscure note among the papists in a certaine disputation at Westminster did openly affirme it I tell you saith he ignorance is the mother of deuotion neither is he singular in this point a Aduers proleg Brent l. 2. f. 71. Hosius saith that ignorance is not onely woorthy pardon but reward also The same b Ibidem l. 3. fol. 146. man also commendeth the Coliars faith which vnderstanding nothing said he beleeued as the catholicke church and being further demaunded what the church beleeued said as he beleeued and so persisted in that circle And in another c Confess Petricou de fid symb f. 17. place he affirmeth that Nihil scire est omnia scire and that it is sufficient for a man to beleeue that which the catholicke church beleeueth albeit he be not able to shew what it beléeueth And that the synagogue of Rome holdeth this opinion albeit not in plaine termes it appeareth by their practise For they do not willingly suffer the scriptures to be translated into vulgar toongs nor permit lay men to read them without licence which is not easily obteined Further their publike praiers and liturgies are all set foorth in vnknowne toonges The people vnderstandeth neither what they pray nor what they beléeue The priests for the most part are blind and so is the people and so the blind is set to leade the blinde Paule the second did so hate knowledge that he pronounced them heretikes which should once mention the word Academie Paulus haereticos eos pronuntiauit saith d In Paulo 2. Platina qui nomen academiae vel seriò vel ioco deinceps commemorarent Likewise they hold that princes are not to meddle with the externall gouernment of the church nor to make lawes for the establishment of faith and manners e Lib. 5. de pont Rom. cap. 7. Bellarmine doth distinguish ecclesiastical gouernment from ciuill gouernment whereby it may appéere that he woulde not haue the temporall magistrate to meddle with the church And in another place he directly f Lib. 1. de pont Rom. c. 7. saith That the gouernment of the church was committed to bishops and priests and not to princes and that princes ought not to determine a cause of the church Generally they all holde that the prince is not to reforme abuses in doctrine but the councell of priests which is a position very absurd For first wée sée that vnder the law kings reformed abuses and established orders in the church as appeareth by the example of Hezekiah Iosia Dauid and others Likewise among christians Constantine Valentinian Gratianus Theodosius and other princes did not onely reform abuses and condemne heresies but a Cod. de sum Trin. fide cath titulis sequentib establish orders and promulge the articles of christian faith Nay some there are that thinke it a matter vndecent and vnnecessary either to vnderstand or to argue of matters of religion Charles the fift as Meteranus in his story testifieth commaunded that no lay man should dispute of religion and many were executed for that cause onely The Italians say that it is matter for fryers to reason of religion E cósa da frati c. They hold and teach further that the pope determining matters of faith is to be beléeued vnder paine of damnation and this is that which Sir Francis meant and which both Bellarmine and all the popish crew writeth and beléeueth And yet we find that he approoueth many damnable heresies as that of the Angelickes Collyridians Staurolatrians Manichées in ministring the communion vnder one kinde the Pelagians in extolling the merits and force of works and diuers others Boniface the eight holdeth that none can be saued but such as be subiect to the pope And Bellarmine b Lib. 2. de Pontif. Rom. c. 12. coÌ„cludeth that it is a point of faith to hold that the bishop of Rome hath succeeded Peter in the vniuersall regiment of the church So that whatsoeuer he commandeth that must bée beléeued Neither may priuate men dispute of the popes power For that they say is sacriledge and no lesse then To open a mans mouth against heauen And yet his determinations wée finde to be hereticall and his commandements wicked and vnlawfull Lastly they teach that the pope hath power to pardon all sinnes And that is so true that it cannot bée denied For they giue him all Christes power in earth And in the taxe of penances there is set downe a taxe for indulgences for all sinne yea for Iudaisme apostasie Turcisme Maranie Paricide Sodomie and whatsoeuer heinous sinne else And albeit the more learned distinguish betwéene mortall and veniall sinne betwéene culpam and poenam yet if â—he pope can forgiue all the punishment then sure can he forgiue any sinne and the rude papists vnderstand no such subtilties If then sir Francis hath auouched any such matter against the papists hée hath done them no wrong Neither hath this Noddy any sufficient skill to shift off the matter Much be braggeth and faceth but what shoulde wée respect wordes when we sée no truth in his meaning To acknowledge Gods fauour towards vs in deliuering vs both out of the spirituall thraldome of Antichrist and the temporall slauerie of strangers and accumulating vpon the people of this land diuers other both spirituall and temporall blessings hée estéemeth to bée but flatterie and faire glosing and to charge the papists with ignorance and strange opinions hée counteth no better then cogging and lying mixing a number of wordes borrowed partly of cheating companions with whom it should séeme hée hath much conuersed and partly of railing sophisters among whom hée hath long triumphed But as I haue wiped away the accusation of flatterie so I doubt not but I shall easily answer this cogging mates brabling about lying and cogging Hée taketh in great scorne that it shoulde bée saide That a darke and mistie cloud of ignorance did couer the lande in Queene Maries time and saith That it was as wise and learned as Italy or Spaine is at this day where our teachers if they shoulde appeere dare not open their mouthes
any thing they accompt it no better then sacrilege to dispute of his dooing and b C. si papa dist 40. holde that if hée shoulde leade multitudes of soules to hell yet no man must say to him Domine cur ita facis that is Sir why do you so So generally the papists doe beléeue the pope and obey his commandements Which obedience and beléefe no man commendeth but those that embrace all his heresies and are readie to execute his treasons For although wée are to obey our superiors and that not for feare but for conscience sake and ought to harken to our pastors yet this is nothing to the pope that is not our superior nor a true pastour but a woolfe a hireling and antichrist or as some terme him The head of antichristes kingdome Beside that wée are not to beléeue euery thing that our pastors teach but as c Matth. 28. farre as they teach the doctrine of Christ Iesus Nor are wée absolutely to obey but when they command according to lawe O thrise vnhappie they that take these woolues for true pastors and beléeue their heresies and treasons to be true faith and obedience Finally it is most true that the papists when they haue committed most abominable offences and liued in all filthinesse are notwithstanding taught that the pope hath power to pardon them and absolue them Bellarmine d Lib. 1. de indulgent c. 10. faith That indulgences are profitable for all manner of persons and highly he extolleth the Iubiley and generall indulgences granted by the pope And for this cause many sillie soules with labour charge and danger trauell to Rome and all with great hope to haue their sinnes pardoned This therefore is no calumniation nor forgerie nor iugling tricke as this ingling companion telleth vs who himselfe hath many yéeres wandred vp and downe in forreine lands like the Egyptians or Cingari and hath in his time plaied many tricks of legierdemayne thinketh by his hopping skipping other apish trickes that he can make flesh and blood of a péece of bread and therefore imagineth others to bée like himselfe But saith hée The indulgence is not auaileable to remooue mortall sinnes but onely to take away the punishment either in this life or in the life to come And so the schoolemen commonly dispute But what is that to the purpose when the common people beléeueth otherwise and when in the indulgences they vse not so to distinguish Nay in the taxe of the popes indulgences it appéereth that for money they dispense with all sin For money they pardon Murder of children of men of women of wiues of neere kinred fornication adulterie incest and all vnnaturall abominations As for all irregularities they make small difficultie Nay they giue licence for Iewes to builde synagogues where Christ is blasphemed and pardon those that fall into Iudaisme and Turcisme Pro licentia erigendi de nouo publicam synagogam say a Taxa poenitent they taxa est Turon 60. ducat 15. Againe Marrania in amplissima forma componitur pro clerico Turon 15. ducat 15. pro laico Turon 4. ducat 10. So those that will not suffer Christians to liue and to breath giue priuileges and pardons to Iewes and dispense with apostataes maranoes and rinegued Turkes Neither do they distinguish so subtilly as our wise aduersarie woulde haue them Nor doe the papists respect more then that they may haue plenarie indulgence vnder seale But suppose that the pope shoulde onely take on him to remit the temporall punishment of mortall sinnes and to forgiue veniall sinnes yet that is contrarie to Christes doctrine to the apostles practise to the ancient orders of the bishops of Rome and of the catholike church and maketh carnall men more licentious in sinning when the penaltie is so easily redéemed and spoileth many poore Christians that giue al rather then they will endure the supposed extreme torments of purgatorie O miserable and simple papists that suffer your selues to be so deluded take paines trauaile far and powre out your money and all to get nothing but vaine wordes and bare lead and paper without any profite He telleth vs further That the popes pardons differ from absolution of priests by the keyes And therein taketh some paines to relate the schoolemens opinion as if it were materiall what such doting diuines and iangling friers do babble without all ground of scripture or allowance of fathers This is certaine that both the pope himselfe and all other priests do challenge their authority by one commission and by vertue of the keyes How then commeth it to passe that the popes power and authority is so ample and large and other inferior priestes so straite and restreintife both béeing ioyned in one patent héere the Noddy will be intricated if he shape not a better answere then any is héere declared Hée standeth also vpon this a P. 26. That it is not more capitall to transgresse the ordinances of the pope then to transgresse the lawes of God But what can impudent denialls auaile when the shamefull practise of the Romishe synagogue declareth the contrary doth not the whole faction hould that the popes lawes bind in conscience and is it not apparent that murders adulteries vnnaturall abominations yea Paganisme Iudaisme Turcisme and all atheismes are pardoned where such Christians as eate flesh on fasting daies and refuse to worship idoles and to fulfill other the popes lawes are declared a C. ad abolendam de haeretiâ—iâ— heretikes and burnt without remission Finally he saith It is a hard matter to frame his aduersaries ould head to vnderstand the depth of their catholicke religion Which I do beléeue séeing there is no bottome of their turning deuises But if he were wise he would rather séeke to defend himselfe then to teach his aduersaries We desire not to learne of any such ignorant masters He and his consortes flye to our Lady to Saintes to Angels to stockes and stones to rotten reliques to the pope and his pardons and trust by scourging themselues and by eating salt fish and playing vpon holy daies to be saued and this they learne out of the popes decretales Our onely hope is in Christ and his merits and all the doctrine of saluation we beléeue is contained in holy scriptures as not onely our Bishops and priestes but also all auncient bishops and fathers of the church haue taught vs. CHAP. III. That the Pope and his adhaerents both elsewhere abroad and also heere at home are most dangerous and malicious enimies to her Maiestie and this state and so haue alwaies declared themselues to be IF this aduersarie of ours had either bin a good Orator or a wise proctor he woulde haue taken great heed how he had touched any matter that béeing opened might haue hurt his Clientes cause especially where his aduersarie doth not greatly vrge him But what should we looke for better handling of so foule a cause sir Francis Hastings ayming at other matters
sparing their holy God of the altar Deteriores sunt Iuda saith Christ in Saint a Onus ecclesiae c. 23. Brigits reuelations qui pro solis denarijsme vendidit illi autem pro omni mercimonio She speaketh of priests that trucke and barter masses for all manner of commodities yea to whoores for a nights lodging With the Angelicks they worship angels with the Staurolatrians they worship the crosse crucifixe giuing to the same diuine worship With the Collyridians they worship the virgin Marie With the Manichees they bring in halfe communions or communion in one kinde With the Carpocratians and Simonians and heathen idolaters they fall downe and offer incense and worship dumbe images With the Pelagians they beléeue merits and iustification by workes And almost out of euery heresie haue taken a peece as hath béene lately they say iustified against Giffords treatise intituled Caluinoturcismus Well therefore may it be saide that popish doctrine is full of poison and vnaduised was our aduersarie to charge vs with heresie or to mention any such matter séeing the blame must needes redounde vpon himselfe and vpon his consorts of the Romish synagogue Secondly he telleth vs That ecclesiasticall supremacy ouer all Christian nations is proper and essentiall to the popes office and that to his apostolicall authority is annexed the office of preaching But that should more properly and substantially haue béene prooued This beeing graunted doth shew that the pope doth faile in his apostolicall or rather apostaticall office For if preaching and féeding Christes flocke belong to the popes office why doth he not preach Why doth he not féede Nay why doth he famish Christes flocke by murdering all true preachers that come within his danger He answereth that The pope is obliged to preach by himselfe or by others But Saint Peter a farre greater apostle and greater man in apostolicall gouernment then the pope preached by himselfe and put not ouer his charge as the pope doth to Iesuites and Friers that preach more heresie and sedition then true doctrine The old bishops of Rome also which were honester men then these late popes put not ouer their charge but preached themselues and in their owne person executed all bishoplie functions Yea and saint Paule telleth vs that the office of a bishop is a good worke and not as the popish bishops make it a naked bare title To conclude this is also the iudgement of a In 1. Tim. 3. Ambrose Chrysostome Theodoret and all that write on the third of the first to Timothie from whence our authoritie is drawne He procéedeth notwithstanding further and professeth openly That when the pope leaueth his supremacy and embraceth that religion that is preached in England he ceaseth to be pope Which I do in part also confesse to be most true For antichrist shall in the church of God exalt himselfe and clayme not onely supreme but also diuine power He shall also defend manifold heresies and abhorre all true doctrine that may concerne his supreme title And if he should not so do he should not shew himselfe to be antichrist Herein therefore the Iesuites and he may be conioyned and march together hand in hand For all of them haue shut their eies and hardened their hartes against Christes true doctrine although it be to their shame in this life among all godly Christians and if they repent not shall be to their euerlasting confusion in the life to come Yet this hard faced Sycophant sticketh not to glory in his shame and to reioice that the pope and his children the Iesuites are matched togither At the length our aduersarie hauing highly extolled the father of heretikes and traitors the pope he descendeth to discourse of the popes darlinges begotten by him now in his declining state and decrepit age the Iesuites and saith They haue many enimies A matter true and by vs confessed and by them well deserued being a sect new vpstart and openly professing obedience to antichrist and enmitie to Apostolike and true catholike religion a societie conspiring mischiefe against al such as they hate practising diuision in priuate houses sedition and trouble in common-wealthes treason against godly princes and leauing the markes of their abominations and wicked actions behinde them wheresoeuer they come A generation stirred vp by Sathan to disturbe the peace of Christendome and to scourge all those that are not thankefull for the reformation of Gods church nor studious in seaâ—ching the truth nor zealous in rooting out of heresies and planting true religion What maruell then if they haue many enimies among those especially that beare good mindes either to true religion or to the state where they liue As for the example of Christian religion and of the first Christians and Christes disciples the holy apostles which were euery where spoken against and persecuted which the discourser our party pretendeth and alleageth to iustifie the generall opposition of al sorts of men against the Iesuits it fitteth his purpose nothing The example likewise of godly men that are often put to their trials is excéedingly euil applied to this sect of vngodly fellowes most absurdly doth he compare these Antijesuites to Christ Iesus that was as it were a marke set vp to be contradicted and was hated and persecuted of those that were of most eminent authoritie among his nation borrowing as it shoulde séeme a péece of some olde declamation vttered in the college of Iesuites or else where in praise of this sect and thrusting it in héere His defence I say is absurd and his comparisons most odious First Christ Iesus that I may beginne with him that is the beginning and fountaine of all spirituall graces and whom these Antijesuites do seeme in some things to counterfait and yet in most things oppugne came from God and did teach no doctrine but which he had receiued from his father humane traditions and pharisaicall boasting of workes of the law he disallowed and condemned These Antijesuites that I say no worse of them come from the pope and teach his decretalles and doctrine grounding themselues vpon mens traditions and vainely bragging of their owne merits and workes Christ Iesus loued his owne and was beloued of his owne These vsurpers of the name of Iesus loue none but theÌ„selues and were charged by their owne friends and were accused of heresie schisme and many grieuous crimes as witnesseth Ribadineira that wrote the legend of his father Ignatius Our sauiour â—or determining controuersies and finding out the truth sent vs to the law and the prophets these destroyers of soules send vs to the pope and his tribunall and most vaine decretalles Iesus Christ though Lord of heauen and earth taught obedience to Caesar and earthly princes these fellowes albeit neither lordes nor princes yet teach disobedience to princes and dissolue the bond of obedience that tyeth subiectes to their superiors Christ Iesus was the true shepheard and sought the saluation of his flocke and albeit iniuriously apprehended and
a carnall fellow and a méere politicke Hée kept certaine women and his bastardes in his time bore no small swaie in Rome One of them made loue to a mans wife of the house of Glorieri Of whom receiuing some indignitie he brought the Glorieri into hatred with his father Who picking a quarrell to them fined Caesar Glorieri him that set his hand to the sentence of excommunication against the Quéene 100000. ducates and another Glorieri that was clarke of the popes checker chamber he put out of his office and solde it for diuers thousands of duckats So you sée much money made of a baudie matter and you woulde woonder whether all this money went and I beléeue hardly coulde you gesse it I will therefore assure you that all this money went to the Iesuites and was most of it imploied in the building of their colledge at Rome O holie societie and thrise holy colledge erected for the most part by baudrie and maintained as pope Sixtus said by vsurie This may serue for a taste to shew that the best founders that Iesuites haue are carnall and sensuall men that rather then they will frie in purgatorie will giue the Iesuites most of that they haue The second fault of this enumeration is this that it is defectiue For not so many atheistes carnall worldlings and heretickes as christian and catholicke princes zelous and godly bishops and pastors and honest and religious Christians do detest and abhor this wicked generation Princes for the hazard that they haue incurred of their liues and states haue eyther expulsed them and banished them their countries as the French king the Transyluanian and those that professe true religion or had them in iealousie as the king of Poland and diuers papisticall princes Godly Christians haue reason to suspect them and detest them for their abominable doctrine and treacherous and murderous practises Fathers feare them in regard of their children whom they inueigle and steale away The Venetians dissolued a colledge in Padua where gentlemens sonnes were wont to be brought vp for that the Iesuites taking vpon them to teach there corrupted their youth with their vnnaturall lasciuiousnes and restrained them from teaching others then such as were of their own society Husbandes haue them in iealousie for their wiues wiues for their husbands For it is no rare matter for these subuerters of all humanity to draw wiues from husbandes and husbandes from wiues yea sometimes through too much familiarity with women they spoile the men A certaine Magnifico in Venice perceiuing his wiues iewels to be wanting in the end learned that the Iesuites had gotten them To conclude this point I thinke the Iesuites will not deny but that the Carmelites and Franciscanes and Dominicans and othe orders of fryers are as honest men as themselues yet all these do inwardly hate them At Vienna they thrust out the Carmelites at Mentz the Dominicans at Trier and Bransberg the Franciscās out of their houses which maketh these orders to hate them In Bauier the priests béeing brought to pouerty and shame by the Iesuites haue no reason to loue them And thus we sée that many honest men do eyther suspect or hate the Iesuites and some also which they themselues cannot take iust exception against Let vs therefore now consider whether the causes that haue mooued and occasioned this hatred against the Iesuites be iust or no. The discourser saith They are had in hatred and emulation eyther for their rule and profession or for their learning and doctrine or for their life and conuersation But first the parts of this diuision are imperfect next the same conteineth diuers vntruthes and more are added in the declaration of it Lastly the whole defence parted in this diuision is not sufficient to iustifie the course and actions of the Iesuites the imperfection may be prooued by diuers particulars For they are not onely hated for these thrée causes but for diuers others As namely for that they do many things both contrary to their owne rule and contrary to the rule of Gods law and Christian religion They professe obedience but they practise sedition and rebellion Claudius Matthew a Iesuite and king Henry the third of France his confessor was the most principall author and agent in the league of papists against him and the peace established a litle before Parsons and Campian were sent into England to make a faction for the papistes which appeared in this that they procured a faculty to suspend the bull of Pius as farre as it concerned papists no further then Rebus sic stantibus These fellowes are the principall agents and stirrers of the rebellion in Ireland Iames Gordon Creichton and Hayes Iesuites laide a plot not onely for a rebellion in Scotland but for an inuasion in England Neither hath any warre or tumult béene raysed of late in any part of Christendome wherein the Iesuites haue not borne a principall part They professe chastitie and the law of God forbiddeth all vncleannes but how these obserue this profession and law I report me to their owne consciences to the Iesuites of Rome and Padua and to their practise in allowing and now and then frequenting bordelles They talke much of voluntary pouerty and Christ saith all should be left for his sake But these good fellowes leaue Christ for the wealth and ease they find in the order of Iesuites They dwell in costly pallaces their dyet apparrell is more dainty and braue then ordinary The furniture of their houses and churches is gorgious and princely Their armes are placed aboue the armes of princes most couetously they scratch and scrape from the orphane widow and poore and put out their mony to interest their rule and outward profession is to gaine soules but their practise is to kill soules They promise to teach without reward but if a great man will giue them a million they take all Nay they pretend to begge for banished English but take most themselues and by all practises séeke to enrich themselues by bribes and rewardes They professe religion and the name of Iesus but they are the slaues of the pope and oppugne the faith of Iesus preferring the decretals before scriptures in certainty and make a scoffe at religion In Venice they painted the virgine Mary like a Lady in the city whome they loued as a Vita Pij Quinti Pius Quintus cast an Agnus dei into the riuer so these vse the same practise in their coniurations Nay they administer the sacrament to those that go about to murder princes as Walpoole did to Squire First then they are hated for dooing against Gods law and their owne written rules Secondly for their ignorance in true religion Thirdly for that they peruert others by their leud perswasions and euill example Fourthly for that they peruert youth and teach them euill manners Fiftly for that they are not ashamed to defend any old condemned heresie or grosse new error holden by the pope Lastly
your destruction Will you giue credence to those that are by the Italian and Spaniard hired to speake Behold your wiues and children and déerest friends that depend vpon the valor of your harts Will you giue them as a praie to the cruell enimies Represent to your selues the miserable estate of this lande if once the forreine enimie getteth footing Your lawes shall bée abolished your yoong men shall bée slaine the rest shall bée vsed as slaues to serue the conquerors pleasure Who then will not haue care to preuent these dangers Who will not beware of those false rinegued English fugitiues that séeke to bring these troubles vpon vs Who had not rather die then either suffer or see these calamities to happen to his country and nation In Iuliers and the borders of Germany not long since the Spanish soldiers entred as friendes yet such barbarous cruelties and outrages they committed that they excéeded all enemies How then do you thinke they would behaue themselues if they should set foote and beginne to dominéere in England that haue so rauaged countries that eyther were friendes or neutrales The onely way is to secure your selues of false harted Iesuites priestes and their consorts These Iesuites are vntollerable in states that professe popery much more therefore ought they to be suspect and odious to vs. The parliament of Paris by a solemne arrest or decrée did a Records of parliam of Paris banish the whole society or rather verminaille of Iesuites out of France As corrupters of youth perturbers of publike peace and enemies to the king and to the state The colledge of diuines in Paris by a solemne act of all the company did condemne this order as dangerous both to church and common wealth Haec societas say the doctors of Sorbone videtur in negotio fidei periculosa pacis ecclesiae perturbatiua magis in destructionem quà m aedificationem The reasons why they descended to pronounce this hard sentence against them deserue much to be considered The first reason was Because they admitted bastardes a matter much for Parsons his aduantage the second For that they obserued no rules of auncient religions nor canons of the church The third For that they yeelded no obedience to ordinaries the fourth For that they depriued as well ecclesiasticall Lords as temporall of their rightes and troubled both ecclesiasticall and ciuill pollicie The last For that they raysed diuers quarrels contentions and schismes among the people The senate also of Venice perceiuing their encrochements in Padua b The decree of the senate of Venice Forbad the Iesuites to read publikely commaunded them onely to read to their owne societie and that within the walles of their owne colleges Monsieur de Matignon perceiuing that the Iesuites vpon the rising of the league or rather rebelles that conspired against king Henry the third went about to stirre sedition and to deliuer vp Bourdeaux to the leaguers draue them like a packe of seditious rebelles out of the city For their seditious and mutinous behauiour they were lately expulsed out of Transyluania and had béene out of Poland had their side not béene stronger And yet all these that thus procéeded against them were men of the same religion and acknowledged the authority of the pope How seriously then ought we to procéede against them and their adherentes that do know not onely their treasons and seditious practises but also the manifold corruptions and abominations of their hereticall and false doctrine Shall their owne sort and companions driue them out of their states and shall any honest man make question whether it be lawfull to make lawes against them and to procéede against them Why do we not looke vpon Scotland and sée both the mischieuous plots of Iesuites there and their condigne punishments If that Iesuites and priests had not béene suffered to range vp and downe Ireland without punishment neither had this rebellion béene there raised nor woulde it so long haue continued And who doubteth but that this is their deseignement in England if they may be suffred to execute it This I doubt not but our superiors sée and consider and will remedie and therefore fewe wordes may serue This I thought good to speake to iustifie sir Francis Hastings his accusation and more shall bée said as occasion serueth Some priuate men percase thinke the Iesuites to be no such dangerous beasts and some sticke not to recount many fauors done by Parsons to English prisoners in Spaine But if wée consider that the Iesuites do not suffer any man of meane spirite to returne before they haue either entangled him in some trecherous practise or tainted him with the leuen of their heresies or both we shall easily perceiue that this milde course and enlargement of prisoners was rather to worke a correspondence with vs and a remissenesse in our soldiers and mariners that they shoulde not aduenture as in times past knowing that they should bée sent for England and also a maine mischiefe to the state then to do our people any fauor or kindnesse And thus much of the Iesuites crueltie and trecherie Of their false doctrine and heresie this Noddy shall heare sufficiently in some other place CHAP. VI. What is either to be expected or feared in Recusants and practising papists and what credite is to be giuen to the aduersaries sixt encounter ALthough true Christians finde small fauour when they come within the danger of our professed enimies the papists yet do wée not thinke it fitting to follow them in their bloodie crueltie Nay wée had rather learne of a Matth. 11. Christ that was most méeke and gentle as a lambe then of these sauage men that in their crueltie excéed woolues and shew themselues most vnlike to Christ or catholike Christians God forbid therefore that we should perswade or like any rigorous course to bée taken with such papists as offend onely of simplicitie neuer knew any other religion but poperie and neither practise against her Maiesty nor the state nor true religion nor adhere to those that doe it Howbeit if any abuse their libertie and this rare clemency of the state to maintaine a faction and either séeke to stirre vp sedition or to oppresse true religion and those that maintaine it or else adhere receit and fauour such it shoulde not onely not sauour of clemencie to fauour such but also worke a dissolution both of ecclesiasticall and ciuill gouernment to suffer them For to suffer gods worship to be abrogated and idolatrie and false religion to bée established and Christs people to bée seduced by false teachers is plaine impietie to giue way to rebellious and seditious practises against her Maiestie or the state or to winke at them or neglect them is plaine disloialty and vnnaturall trecherie to nourish in our bosomes such as either woulde bring in strangers vpon vs or else séeke opportunitie to cut our throtes themselues is brutish stupidity For the first point wée haue these
extr de Maior Obed. Boniface the eight teacheth That it is a point necessarie to saluation to bee vnder the pope b De ecclesia militante c. 2. Bellarmine holdeth him out of the church that is not vnder the popes obedience Nostra sententia est saith he ecclesiam vnam veram esse caetum hominum eiusdem christianae fidei professione eorundem sacramentorum communione colligatum sub regimine legitimorum pastorum ac praecipuè vnius Christi in terris vicarij Romani Pontificis This is likewise Turrians and Stapletons opinion If then a papist or cacolik must néedes obey the pope then must he necessarilie both allow his sentence of excommunication against the Queene and ioine with him in deposing her or else they are no partes of the Romish church But if they shall either so thinke or do they can bée no true subiects Secondly a Lib 2. de Pontif. Rom. Bellarmine teacheth that it is a matter of faith To beleeue that the pope by Christs ordinance hath succeeded Peter in the vniuersall gouernment of the church But hée that beléeueth so much as all papists are bounde to do cannot acknowledge the princes royall authoritie in ecclesiasticall causes nor exclude the pope from it and per consequent must néedes bée but a sorie subiect to her Maiestie Thirdly all papists are b Bellar. lib 4. de Pontif. Rom. bound to beléeue That the popes sentence in matters of faith is infallible and that what hée iudgeth is done by Christes authority in whose tribunall seate hée pretendeth to sit Necessarie it is therefore that all papists allow the popes sentence of deposition against her Maiestie If they denie it they are not of the right touch of papists if they grant it they are euill qualified subiects But what shall wée néede arguments to prooue this when as experience doth euidently prooue it vnto vs Is it not apparent how little reason her Maiestie hath to trust them In the beginning of her reigne the popish prelates refused to crowne her one onely excepted Afterward the popish clergie for the most part fledde out of the lande and left her By their solicitation the pope began to stirre against her Presently vpon his excommunication the rebellion began in the north These kinde of men stirred vp diuers rebellions in Ireland Neither haue they ceased at any time to enterprise either one deuise or other to hurt vs here in England Sir Francis therefore doth greatly diminish their deserts and spare them where hée saith onely They haue deceitfull harts And most fauorablie doth the state deale with them for refusing to come to church to serue God séeing their consorts do burne and murder godly men for not comming to their idolatrous seruice and abominable masse He calleth those that refuse to go to our churches The better and more religious sort of catholickes But he is not of God that refuseth to heare his word Neither are they to be tearmed catholickes that haue a priuate religion to themselues deuised by the pope nor are they truely religious that vnderstand not the principles of Christian faith nor will receiue true holesome and apostolike doctrine Now if any desire to know what they are by the markes of Antichrist in their whole life and profession he may vnderstand it Where it is said that some papistes Shew foorth a good outward ciuill cariage this Noddy wisely concludeth That sir Francis maketh light of good life and thereupon taketh occasion to runne out into a common place of good workes But héere was no place for him to trie his skill For sir Francis doth neither condemne good workes nor good life but rather the hypocriticall shewe of both where indeede neither is to bée founde Nay poore soules the papists do not so much as vnderstande what workes are good what not They say their Oraisons and Credo Aue Maria in Latin and vnderstand not what they say They créepe to the crosse and kisse it On fridaies they eate fish and absteine from white meates in lent They crosse themselues confesse their faults in the priestes eare put on haire cloth and follow such like fancies refusing to heare true doctrine and Gods truth And a Matth. 15. 23. So they make frustrate Gods commandements by their owne traditions Nay sometime they rebell against their lawfull princes and murder Gods saints and blaspheme his truth and yet thinke they do God good seruice when most plainely they transgresse his lawes As for our selues albeit wée do not attribute merite or iustification to works yet wée exhort all men to shew foorth their faith by their workes and to lead a holy life according to their holy profession Neither are we so barren of good workes but that we dare compare either with the glorious Iesuites or with the most perfect men of the popish faction or with their most holy popes As for Recusantes I know no works they do but such as if they were wise they would be ashamed of them Sir Francis Hastings as a true and honest patriote and like a religious gentleman noteth thrée pointes in Recusantes worthy consideration The first is The hurt they do the second is The hurt they would do if they were not restrained the third is Their deepe dissimulatioÌ„ He might also haue noted the hurts which already they haue doone and ioine their leud opinions with their wicked actioÌ„s And vary euery seueral point with manifold arguments examples But this which he hath alreadie brought is more then our aduersarie doth well answere Nay hée answereth almost nothing vnlesse wée take gibes and scornefull reproches for paiment Where sir Francis saith That the yoonger steere learneth of the elder oxe He saith It is a verse drawne from his plow and stall of oxen As if it were not lawfull and vsuall by naturall similitudes to expresse things morall or as if his holy S. Thomas did not sometimes draw similitudes from oxen and asses It is written in a Iâ—b 1. Iob That the oxen were plowing and the asses feeding by them That is as he b 2. 2. q. 2. art 6. Gregor moral 2. supposeth The ruder and inferior sort of people which are represented by asses must beleeue as their prelates do which are signified by oxen The similitude vsed by sir Francis is very fit For commonly Recusants are as rude as oxen and stéeres and as the Psalmist saith Vnderstand no more then doth horse or mule Nay as it is in the first of Esaie The oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his masters cribbe but these ignorant Recusants know not their God but for their gods adore angels and saints yea stockes and stones vnderstanding no more what they pray then do oxen and calues Beside that the confessors and yoong priests are so familiar with their wiues that they are made liker oxen then lyons But this idle vagabond frier that liueth idly vpon the sweate of other mens browes and disdeineth to labour
ecclesiasticall gouernment he meane power to direct cōmand in externall matters and to cause euery ecclesiastical person to do his function and to sée the church euery part thereof well ordred and abuses reformed it is most apparent that such gouernment appertaineth to princes and euer did both before Christs time and after and that no pope of Rome did euer meddle with any such matters before Gregorie the seuenth or Gregorie the ninth his time as before hath béene declared and shall against stronger aduersaries then this séely Noddy bée iustified Lastly they were no heretikes that giue to the prince this authoritie but those rather that giue power to popes to depose princes and discharge their subiects from their othes of allegiance as Sigebertus Gemblacensis speaking of the trecherous dealing of Gregorie the seuenth against Henry the fourth in expresse terms affirmeth and the Synode at Brixina assembled against Gregorie the seuenth determineth And thus wée see that this Noddy contrary to his intention hath intricated himselfe and his clients the Recusants in this cause Before this many men woulde haue thought that hee and his friendes the Recusants had béene of a better mind to her Maiestie and this state But now all the worlde may sée their whole purpose and intention verified by their owne masters doctrine and authoritie They serue the prince but not with hartie affection nor in all causes nor against euerie enimie They yéeld her no authoritie in ecclesiasticall causes nay they giue it cléere away to the pope Finally they make her subiect not onely to the popes excommunication but also to his sentence concerning her crowne and kingdome So it appéereth by their owne confession that they are but sory subiects and when the pope hath once gotten a side héere apparent enimies The same doth also appéere by their rebellions and practises against her Maiestie and the state and by their infamous libels set out by the pope by Sanders Allen Ribaldineira Rishton and diuers traytors which the Recusantes either approoue or do not disallow and lastly by the generall hatred that papists beare both against true religion and also against all that maintaine it or professe it Wherefore albeit I do not wish the punishments of papists aggrauated yet I say it is great weaknesse in vs either to suffer their insolency or not to secure our selues against their hatred and tyrannie But I need not vse many words to stir vp the magistrates to vigilancie They see these things and I doubt not will take a course not still to suffer their right to bée disputed or their actions disgraced and slandered and euery true patriot I hope I will concurre with their prince and not suffer the bowels of their countrey any longer by these vipers to bée gnawed The trecherous intention of this our aduersarie I haue opened so that I hope the quieter sort of Recusantes will not much trust him his malice against true religion is euery where apparent so that I trust honest men will héereafter learne to detest him and to prouide more carefullie against him and his consorts And so I dismisse him for this turne as a false traytor you may looke to his procéedings if you please as a false teacher CHAP. VII Of the pope of Rome and his vsurped authoritie and of N. D. his seuenth encountre IN the beginning of this seuenth encountre our aduersarie swelleth verie bigge and degorgeth very great words against sir Francis charging him With immodest rayling and calumniation and saying that he hath ouerlauished to the iniurie and slander of forreine potentates and nations abroad vsed opprobrious speeches against the sacred honors of annointed princes and the greatest monarkes of Christendome A man that readeth his loftie praeludium woulde haue imagined that some great matter had béene out of ioint that made him leape into this rage But when I saw that all this furie grew vpon some wordes vttred partly against the pope of Rome that is neither lawfull prince nor potentate nor honest man but onely a greasie priest or frier if so much and partly against the Spaniard who to serue the popes pleasure without desert of ours is become our enimie then I perceiued it was nothing else but a loftie tricke of iacke an apes that for feare of the whip leaped out of his little patience To storme against vs for defending our selues against the publike enimies of religion of the state of her Maiestie of our nation hée had no reason but that hée woulde shew himselfe enimie of religion the state Quéene and countrey Certes if hée had not declared himselfe an open enimie hée woulde neuer haue pleaded for publike enimies nor béene so much offended with those that speake in defence of his prince and countrey But let vs heare what slander it is that our accuser laieth to our charge First it gréeueth him excéedingly to heare that the pope should be called The man of sinne and that Antichrist of whom the apostle 2. Thes 2 speaketh And some reason he hath in regard of his owne particular to be offended For if the pope be Antichrist then is our aduersary a marked slaue of Antichrist a false prophet and an instrument of satan But how heinously the matter is taken it is not greatly materiall that the pope is very Antichrist we make no question neither should any doubt if they would well consider his procéedings For first the name of Antichrist importeth that taking the authority and place of Christ he should notwithstanding set him selfe against Christ Secondly the office of Antichrist is to set himselfe against Christ his kingdome Thirdly he shall excell in pride and arrogancy and take to himselfe diuine honors Fourthly notwithstanding his pretence of holinesse yet shall he excell in all impiety and wickednesse Fiftly he shall haue a face of brasse and pretend vnderstanding of all doubtes of religion Sixtly he shall appeare vpon the decay of the Romayne empire Seuenthly he shall rise out of the ruines of that state 8. Hée shall cause a great apostacie from the Christian faith and in his raigne there shall bee a generall corruption of mens manners 9. Although his kingdome shall be opposite to Christes kingdome yet shall he sit in Gods church and take on him the authority of the church 10. The seate of his empire shal be in Rome 11. His kingdome is represented by the purple whoore Apocalip 17. and by Babylon Apocalip 18. 12. Antichrist his impietie shall bée hidden and mysticall 13. Hée shall most gréeuously afflicte Christ his church 14. He shall rule in mens consciences 15. He shall make merchandise of mens soules 16. Hée shall bee like a lambe and yet speake like the Dragon 17. Hée shall take to himselfe the power of the Romayne Empire 18. Hée shall bring in a newe forme of Religion 19. Hée shall bée an authour and cause of many impieties and great corruption in manners 20. Hée shall in effect denie Christ Iesus 21. Hée shall pretend
to worke wonders and the worlde shall beléeue his signes and wonders 22. He shall prescribe a certaine forme of ceremonies lawes to all his folowers Finally he shall rise obscurely receiue power of princes encrease by force be folowed with all wicked traytors heretikes atheistes and shall be destroyed with the breath of Gods spirite All which conditions as they are proper and well agrée to the pope of Rome and his kingdome so the aduersaries themselues cannot shew any other vnto whome these qualities canne agree He calleth himselfe Christs vicar and yet opposeth himselfe against Christ and his kingdome He declareth himselfe a plaine aduersary in suppressing Gods word and extolling his owne constitutions and aduancing himselfe aboue all that is called God He taketh to himselfe the name power and honor that is proper to God excelling all mortall creatures in pride and arrogancy His life is full of all abominations He taketh no shame albeit his dooings be most shamefull nay albeit his ignorance in religion be excéeding great yet doth he vant himselfe that he cannot erre in decyding of matters of faith Presently vpon the decay of the Romayne empire his kingdome beganne to shew it selfe Neyther did he rise but vpon the ruines of that state Hauing gotten credite among Christians he brought in infinite nouelties into religion and by his euill example and facilitie in granting pardons wrought a great dissolution in mens manners At Rome hée now reigneth and none but hée Nay hée is reputed to bée head of the church although head of the societie of wicked and feined Christians His kingdome is plainly described in the figure of the purple whoore and of Babylon Finally his mysticall impieties persecutions of Christians merchandizing of mens soules and all those properties of antichrist which before I described appéering in him and in no other declare him to bée antichrist Neither can any medicine which the papists haue deuised helpe this gréefe As for the Noddy our aduersarie hée doth not vnderstand those reasons which hée draweth out of Bellarmine Much lesse is hée able to enforce them First hée telleth vs That antichrist shall be one singuler man But that cannot stande with the apostles wordes that teacheth vs that the mysterie of iniquitie began to worke in his time Againe the kingdome of Antichrist could not bée erected attaine to such greatnes by one man onely nor is one onely man opposite to Christ Further the state of antichrists kingdome is called an apostacie but the terme of apostacie cannot fit one man Finally Saint a 1. Ioan. 2. Iohn saith that that antichrist that was prophecied of was in the world in his time And b Tract 30. in Matthaeum Origene maketh antichrist a state or succession of men Generaliter saith hée vnus antichristus est species autem eius multae Neither haue the Scriptures or fathers any thing whereof the contrarie may directly be concluded Onely the scriptures by the figure of one beast do set out a state and the fathers do firmely adhere to the manner of spéech vsed in Scripture which by one particular man vnderstand diuers men succéeding in one state Nay the aduersaries themselues beléeue that Christ by the rocke Mat. 16. whereupon he said he would build his church vnderstood not onely Peter but all the bishops of Rome Secondly he saith That the Iewes shall receiue Antichrist for their Mesâ—ias And therefore that it is not likely that the pope should be Antichrist whome they canne neuer admit for their Messias But the antecedent is a méere fancy taken vp without ground For albeit our sauiour â—an 5. saith that the Iewes Will receiue another if he come in his owne name yet canne it not be gathered that he speaketh there of Antichrist For he speaketh indefinitely and saith if any come in his owne name that him they will receiue And so doth d In Ioan. 5. Nonnus expound it And if we should otherwise take it then would it folow that Antichrist should come in the apostles times that he might be receiued of those to whome our sauiour then spoke Thirdly he reasoneth out of Matth. 24. and 2. Thes 2. That the gospel of Christ must first be preached to all nations before the comming of Antichrist which saith he is not yet fulfilled But in the 2. Thes 2. there is no mention made of preaching the Gospell to all nations In the 24. of Matthew wée finde that the preaching of the Gospell to all nations shall bée fulfilled before Christs second comming and not before the comming of Antichrist But were this a signe of the comming of antichrist yet it is long since the sound of the Gospell hath passed throughout the world Fourthly That antichrist should be a Iewe and of the tribe of Dan is but a méere conceite of some few vpon false vnderstanding of scripture for how shall a Iewe that establisheth the ceremoniall law of Moses bée receiued among Christians Wherefore this notwithstanding the pope may bée antichrist Fiftly it is a Iewish fancie That antichrist shall reigne in Hierusalem and restore Salomons Temple Neither is anie such matter gathered out of the eleuenth chapter of the Apocalypse where it is saide not that the bodies of Henoch and Helias as this falsarie hath but That the bodies of the two prophets shall lie in the streetes of the great citie For he speaketh not of the persecution by antichrist but by the Gentiles and vnderstandeth all godly men that shall beare witnesse of the truth of Christ Iesus a Lib. 18. in Isai ad Algas q. 11. Hierome saith that all these imaginations of restoring the citie and temple ceremonies procéede from the heresie of Cerinthus And truely very strange it were if antichristes reigne continuing but thrée yéeres and a halfe as our aduersaries hold hée shoulde reedifie the citie and the temple and founde so large a kingdome as that of antichrist shall bée Sixtly it cannot bée prooued That antichrist shall expresly deny Iesus and vtterly abolish the sacraments instituted by Christ and openly professe that either hee is Messias or God himselfe Neither in the 1. of Ioh. 2. v. 22. nor Ioh. 5. nor 2. Thes 2. which places are cited to this purpose is any such thing to be founde Nay his dooings they shall bée mysticall and hée shall deceiue many But if hée shoulde plainly denie Christ and abolish his Sacraments he coulde not deceiue any Christian Saint b In Ioan. Tract 3. Augustine therefore calleth them antichrists That by their workes denie Christ And cunningly shall antichrist peruert the Sacraments and take to himselfe diuine worship All which wée sée verified by the pope and therefore rightly take him to be antichrist Seuenthly that antichrist shall worke lying miracles it is not denied For it is very apparent that popish religion doth much stande vpon miracles and the legendes red in churches are full of them But that hee shall make fire come really and visiblie downe from heauen
haue caused great trouble both to the king and this realme vpon the dissolution of that vnlawfull contract if the kings vigilancie and magnanimitie had not surmounted the same Great friendship likewise hath béene betwéene our kings and the dukes of Burgundy of whome the late kings of Spaine are lineally descended betwixt the English nation the people of the low countries depending on the house of Burgundie The nations by mutuall trade reaped great profit each of other The princes by the aide and countenance each of other were much strengthened against their common enemies Charles the fift in his time much estéemed for his wisedome did make so great accompt of our nation that he chose Mary Quéene of England as a fit match for his sonne Philip to whome he left all his dominions and dying gaue his sonne this speciall charge that he should neuer breake with England nor loose the fauour of our nation He did wisely consider our strength by sea and what aide we were able to afford him béeing friend and what hurt we might do vnto him if we conioyned our forces with his enimies Much it were to be wished that the frendship of the Spaniard had béene as profitable to the English nation as the friendship of the English was to the Spanyard But then we should not haue lost Guines and Caleis by this coniunction nor béene spoiled of the remainder of the ancient conquest of our ancestors in France by his meanes neither then should the English for his pleasure haue béene intricated with the warres with France Howsoeuer the same ought to haue béene profitable vnto vs yet for our goodwill a man would neuer haue thought that we should haue reaped displeasure and wrong Yet we sée what is come to passe This league of friendship is broken and all ancient good offices doone by our nation to the Spaniard quite forgotten King Philip when her Maiestie came first to the crowne forgot not onely the bond of allyance with her sister but also his fathers charge In the treaty of peace betwéene France and Spaine he a Guicciardin de paesi bassi forsooke his sister and left her to shift for her selfe and that also in a war which himselfe had begun Not long after at the solicitation of pope Pius the fift he became our professed enimie and sought the destruction of her Maiestie b Girol Catenae in vita Pij Quinti one saith that to secure his dominions in the low countries he determined to aide the rebelles in the north and to ouerthrow the Quéene c This record of Pius his negotiation with king Philip doth ouerthrow all Philopaters calumniation Non potendo assicurare i suoi stati di Fiandra con miglior mezzo che con l'abbatimento de quella reina Both Pius the fift and he conioyned their forces and counsels together to do vs hurt determining vnder the conduct of Chiapin Vitelli to send ouer aid to the rebells in England Hauendo commandato saith d Ibidem Catena Il re catholico che dalla parte di Fiandra si mandasse in Inghilterra vna quantita di gente armata sotto la scorta di Chiapin Vitelli Pio quinto rimessa grossa prouisione di denari c. When the Duke of Alua made some stay of the execution of the kinges commaundement the king againe sent him expresse word that notwithstanding any difficulties or considerations whatsoeuer he should e Ibidem aide the rebelles of England which he termed His friends Nuouamente il rè gli comandò che non ostante qual si volesse difficultà ò consideratione seguisse l'impresa d'aiutar gli amici d'Inghilterra gli mandò appresso la persona di Ridolphi denari per l'esse quutione Yea and with such affection did he prosequute this matter that when he saw his purpose tooke no effect he wept for sorrow E'lre Catholico saith f Ibidem Catena ne pianse alla presenza del Cardinal Alessandrino By this therefore it appeareth that all loue of that king to her Maiestie which this philippicall parasite so much pretendeth was altogether extinguished and al bondes of alliance and friendship vtterly broken and that by king Philips g Andreas Philopater his slanderous report to the contrarie is refuted by Pius Quintus his letters default first When secret practises of rebelles preuailed not the king prouided a nauy which his flatterers called inuincible and a great force and army of land souldiors determining with fire and sword to inuade this realme by fine force to dispossesse her Maiestie of her crowne What successe his enterprise had the world knoweth and therefore we néede not here report His inuincible nauy was well beaten and scattered his souldiors and mariners for the most part either were slaine or taken or dyed of want and misery and the mightie monarke of whose Potent force our aduersary maketh such crakes was ouercome by a woman But whatsoeuer the succsse was it appeareth that this was no brotherly part thus to inuade her Maiesty nor any point of a catholicke and Christian king to oppugne peacible Christians for the profession of true catholicke religion Nay albeit this great losse and shame might haue forced him to acknowledge Gods iustice and powerfull working against him and caused him to surcease his cruell persecution against Christians yet did the same worke nothing in his hard hart nor coulde hée be induced to giue ouer his former desseignements so long as breath lasted anno 1594. being verie weake and for some daies spéechlesse the a This was written out of Spaine first wordes which he vttered after he came to himselfe were these Is the adelantado gone for England So much was his head troubled about that voyage His friends also report that he should say that hée woulde sell his siluer candlestickes and the rest of the furniture of his chappell before hée woulde giue ouer the warres against England And I beléeue it to bée true séeing notwithstanding diuers repulses and infinite losses anno 1588. 1594. 1595. and 1599. hée neuer gaue ouer vntill such time as hée gaue vp his spirite and yéelded to nature The papistes do excéedingly commend his zeale in popish religion or rather his great hatred against the professors of true religion So earnest he was in this cause that he spared not his owne onely déere sonne for that he was thought to fauor that truth which we professe E cosa molto notabile saith b In vita Pij 5. Gierome Catena Ch' el re facesse sacrificio della sua carne del suo sangue à dio Et Pio publicamente commendò la Christiana catholica mente religione di lui dicendo quia proprio filio non pepercit Albeit his sonne Charles was a prince for his yéeres of great excellency and then the onely sonne of his father and the hope of his succession yet did not that mooue the fathers hard hart to
Lucian and Rabelays but also all his owne companions of the societie of his firie father Ignatius As for his aduersarie hée hath not spoken any thing that in equall iudgement can be thought to sauour of immodestie For albeit hée seemeth to charge the Spaniards with Oppression and tyrannie and saith that they are Proud ambitious bloudie rauening and cursed of God yet his intention was not to touch the whole nation in which no doubt there are many ciuill religious and honest men and of great woorth especially when they come to the knowledge of the truth but diuers of them indefinitely and such especially as came in the popes seruice to execute his wrath and displeasure against innocent Christians For against these doth hée direct his discourse and against them doth hée animate his countreymen to fight séeing their purpose is to destroy our countrey and with crueltie to establish both a false religion and an absolute tyrannie Neither coulde hée vse more gentle termes considering the insolencies of the Spanish forces in these cases and the tyrannie of their gouernment The ambassadors of the citie of Siena a Natal Comes â—istor lib. 6. say That the gouernment of the Spaniard in the kingdome of Naples and other places of Italy is so rigorous that the countrey people desire to liue rather vnder the Turke then vnder the Spaniard And this by infinite insolencies and actes full of iniustice and crueltie for manie yéeres exercised by the Spaniards in the b Bartholomeus casas Indies in the c Belgica hist. Meterani Low countries and lately in the countries of Iuliers Wesell Monsterland and places adioyning may be verified Our ancestors were woont to say they were crabbe faced and woorse natured Vultu despicabiles moribus detestabiles as Matth. Parts testifieth And if antichrist and these that receiue his marke and worship him be cursed and miserable then are the Spaniards that are so willing to execute the popes most irreligious and vniust commandes most miserable and haue a great curse hanging ouer their heads But faith our fencing warder and bickerer The Spaniards are hated for their catholike religion especially and next for their virtue and valor He saith also that the like happened to the English when they were Lords of France for the most part and to the Romaines when they ruled a great part of the world But why should he seeke for new supposed causes when the true causes and reasons are so well knowne and so violent and all sufficient Beside that it is well knowne that the Neapolitanes Milaneses and Portingals do not hate the Spaniards for their religion but for the causes formerly declared Neither do we maligne the Spaniards for their catholike religion for we know that their religion is not catholike nay we do not hate them in regard of their false religion which they hould but rather pray for them and pittie theÌ„ but we haue great reason to suspect their encrochements and to detest their ambition iniustice rapines and tyranny How they may be called Fortes or valiant I report me séeing as Philosophers hould a Fortitudo est virtus pugnans pro iustitia Fortitude is a vertue striuing for iustice Lastly he offereth great wrong not onely to the Romaines but also to the ancient English to compare the Castilians vnto them For neuer was the Romaine or English gouernement like to the Spanish nor canne these two famous nations well bee compared to the inhabitantes of Casttle Granada Valentia and Arragon that vntill of late were a poore b Matth. Paris in Henr. base people and for the most part nowe consisteth of Gothes Vandales Mores Maranes and Iewes which haue surmounted and deuoured the auncient inhabitantes of Spaine He telleth vs also That it is no reason albeit some Spaniardes be found to haue those vices which Sir Francis imputeth to them that all the nation should be charged with them As if either he or any other did suppose all Spaniards to be of like vitious humor No Sir Francis doth onely charge Spaniardes indefinitely and those principally that are the popes vassals and agentes and are so willingly emploied in his seruice And in effect saith no more then our aduersary willingly confesseth He a P. 105. saith further That no nation in Europe hath more cause to glory and giue God thankes for his giftes aboundantly powred on them both natural morall and diuine then the Spanish who haue a country potent rich and fertile praised in scripture 1. Machab. 8. a people able in wit and body as appeared by Traian and Theodosius emperors by Seneca Lucan Martial Poetes by Hosius Damasus Leander Isidorus Orosius renowmed Christians by famous martyrs Christian kinges famous souldiers that haue conquered great countries by the sword and finally by excellent preachers that haue gayned many millions of soules to Christ by preaching And thus with bigge wordes and many great bragges he thinketh to put his aduersary downe But he is confident without cause and triumpheth before the victorie nay before he séeth his enimie To answere him in his owne tearmes I thinke there is no nation in Europe more behoulding to this base lying companion then the Spanish For renouncing all loue to his country and duty to his prince he hath sould himselfe to publike enemies to flatter them and to set out their praises Beside that he forgetteth all plaine and honest dealing and delighteth himselfe with vaine reportes and lyes The world knoweth that Spaine for the most part is a bare and barreine country and that the common sort is poore and miserable Portingall that is accompted the more fruitefull notwithstanding is but barreine Ieiuna miserae b Buchanan saith one tesqua Lusitaniae Valete longùm vosque glebae tantùm Fertiles penuriae How potent the country is it may appeare by this that it hath béene so often conquered by the Cathaginians Romaines Gothes and Vandales and lastly by the Mores of Barbary Theodosius and Traian albeit borne in Spaine were of Romaine bloud brought vp in Italy and Rome Seneca also and Lucan and Martiall had their learning and skill at Rome albeit Martiall for his filthy and obscene writing sauoureth of the humor of some Spaniards It is also a matter of méere impudency to compare the battels and conquestes of Spaniardes in the Indiaes where they had to do onely with naked men and people vnskilfull in feats of armes to the actions of the Romaines that haue subdued the most warlike people of the worlde Neither can wée account of his relation of winning of soules to Christ in the Indies by friers otherwise then as of a lying legend and vaine bragge that hath no ground For a Hierom. Benzo Barth Cas diuers report that they haue destroied millions of soules and speake sparely of winning of soules But were all this true that is héere reported yet maketh the same nothing so much for the Spaniard as the Noddie imagineth For what auaileth it
Dei cum idolis God was much offended with the bishop of Pergamus for winking at false teachers and their leud doctrine Habeo saith g Apocalyps 2. hée aduersus te pauca quia habes illic tenentes doctrinam Balaam qui docebat Balac mittere scandalum coram filijs Israel edere fornicari Ita habes tu tenentes doctrinam Nicolaitarum And shall wée endure the Balamiticall priestes of antichristes synagogue and more damnable heretikes then the Nicoloitans The h Apolalyps 2. bishop also of the church of Thyatira was sharpely reprooued for permitting one that pretended to bée a prophet to teach and seduce gods seruants Habeo saith hée aduersus te pauca quia permittis mulierem Iezabel quae se dicit prophetem docere seducere seruos meos fornicari manducare de idolothytis The prophet Dauid woulde not suffer any strange worship of God within his kingdome neither coulde hée endure so much as once to mention the names of idolaters Their offrings of blood saith he z Psal 16. I wil not offer nor make mētiō of their names within my lips That was likewise the zeale of godly emperors Omnes vetitae legibus diuinis imperialibus constitutionibus haereses perpetuò quiescant say the a L. omnes Cod. de haereticis Emperors Gratianus Valentinianus and Theodosius Nowe to suffer contrarie religions was euer condemned Salomon greatlie offended in suffring his wiues to erect idolatrie yet were they his wiues And when the Israelites serued God and Baal Elias greatly reprooued them How long b 1. Reg. 18. saith hée halt you on both sides If God be God follow him if Baal bee god follow him Nay it is punishable in matters of religion to winke at idolaters as appéereth by the example of Salomon before rehearsed and of those kings that did not cut downe groues and destroy hill altars He that serueth God saith c Lib. 5. ep 30. Ambrose must bring no dissimulation no conniuence but faithfull zeale and deuotion he must giue no consent to the worship of idols and other prophane ceremonies for God will not be deceiued which searcheth all things euen the secrets of mens harts Now besides these reasons that make against all false worshippers and abused Christians there are speciall lawes against teachers of heresies such as the Iesuites and other friers and priests are d Deut. 13. God cōmandeth False prophets that would turne vs away to worship other gods to be slaine God e Apocal. 16. he powreth out his wrath against those That haue receiued antichristes marke or worship his image Helias caused Baals priestes to be slaine f L. Cuncti Cod. de haeret Manich. Arcadius and Honorius tooke away all churches from heretikes least they shoulde teach or do the exercises of their false religion in them Such as haue béene zealous in remoouing all monuments of idolatrie and aduancing Gods true worship haue receiued manifold blessings at gods hands and are well reported of in holy Scriptures and their memoriall and name is blessed Such were Hezekiah Iosiah Iosaphat and others mentioned in holy Scriptures Constantine Theodosius Martian and other famous princes in the church of God mentioned in Ecclesiasticall histories Contrariwise not onely open idolaters but such as shewed themselues colde in promoting Gods seruice haue béene punished by God and accounted infamous among godly men The g 4. Reg. 17. Samaritanes were content to serue God but they woulde worship idols too Fuerunt gentes timentes dominum sed nihilominus idolis suis seruientes Therefore were they hatefull to gods Church a Nicet Choniat lib. hist 7. Manuel Comnenus remooued out of the church certaine tables conteining both the articles of Christian faith and certaine anathematismes of Turkish impieties and Mahomets false gods and substituted in their places other tables and articles of doctrine not so directly contrarie to Turcisme and this he did for feare to offend the Saracens But his fact neither pleased God nor men Neither did he satisfie those whom hée sought to please Let all those therefore that séeke to mingle contrary religions or feare to maintaine true faith diligently looke to the examples of the b 4. Reg. 17. Samaritanes and of c Nicet Choniat lib. 7. Manuel Comnenus This course would be dangerous to her Maiesty and the state Now the pope béeing publikely hence excluded hath not those meanes to worke her Maiestie displeasure as he hath to worke against princes in countries of his obedience and should haue héere if popery might be tolerated And this to be true Sixtus Quintus in his bull published against her Maiesty anno 1588. and translated by Cardinall Allen doth himselfe in plaine wordes testify Not hauing saith he in these parts the ordinary meanes which by the assistance of Christian princes we haue in other countries to remedy disorders and keepe the people in obedience for that Henry the eight late king of England did of late yeeres reuolt from the sea apostolike Likewise it appeareth by the d Vita di Pio 5. Girol Catena example of the pope Pius the fiftes Nuntio Vincentio Lauro who not daring to passe into Scotland to practise but staying at Paris was depriued of meanes to effect his wicked purpose Likewise the Iesuites and priests not daring now publikely to shew themselues nor to deale with all persons publikely and without danger loose many opportunities to set forward the popes cause The recusantes also though they come not to the church yet hauing no liberty to conuerse with Iesuites nor to learne their seditious doctrine kéepe themselues in better termes then otherwise they would do if it were lawfull for them to professe their religion openly But admit once Iesuites and seminary priestes to reenter into the land or to liue among vs the pope first will haue more opportunitie and meanes to worke his purposes Neither is it likely that he will euer desist from prosequuting her Maiesty hauing by so many sentences disabled her excommunicated her and deposed her Secondly the Iesuites and priests would haue better meanes both to peruert the simple and to worke their treasons against the prince and her most loyall subiects And if they do much hurt now when they are restreined because they are suffered to liue in prisons what would they do if such woolues were let loose amongst Christes lambes That they will alwaies be ready to execute the popes commaundements against her Maiestie there is no question séeing they holde it damnation not to obey him Thirdly the Recusants hauing such teachers what woulde they not do when Hall coulde perswade Somerfield and Ballard Babington and so many gentlemen desperately to aduenture to kill the Quéene How dangerous this may bée to good subiects we may consider if wée do but looke into their wooluish practises in France and Flanders and other where Did not the papists of Orleans being admitted thither according to the edict after the
first warres murder those of the true religion and shut out the rest Did they not in all other places as oft as they were the stronger séeke to murder them The matter is apparent and recorded in many histories Neither may wée thinke wée shall better agrée with them héere then others haue done in other places Light and darkenesse shéepe and woolues cānot agree togither And albeit our doctrine will not suffer vs to persecute papists yet their doctrine teacheth them to kill vs. And that is their continuall practise Finally this petition is most vnreasonable in respect of the petitioners themselues They will not grant or procure our brethren libertie in Spaine and Italy and yet they are so shamelesse to aske that which they will not grant vs or procure for vs otherwhere Againe they desire to liue vnder her Maiestie and yet they will not renounce her sworne enimie and his vsurped authoritie nor acknowledge her to bée lawfull Quéene although the pope do depose her Nay they giue her enimie power ouer her which by lawes of state is not sufferable Thirdly they haue héeretofore shewed themselues rebellious and factious How shoulde wée then secure our selues that they will behaue themselues more loyally héereafter Why shoulde wée thinke that they will do otherwise then the Irish rebels that haue shaken off her Maiesties gouernement They say they will behaue themselues peaciblie nay percase they will not sticke to sweare it But how shoulde wée beléeue either oathes or promises when they depend vpon the pope that will suffer them to kéepe neither I conclude therefore that to aske a toleration of the masse and of popish religiō is a matter impious vnsafe for her Maiestie and her people and most vnreasonable For it is contrarie to the a Exod. 20. Deut. 13. law of God that forbiddeth all idolatrie to the doctrine of Christ b Matth. 15. That excludeth all humane deuises in gods worship to the doctrine of the c Ephes 4. apostle that teacheth vs That there is but one Lord one faith and one baptisme to the practise of ancient Christians d Ioan. epist 2. That would not receiue those into their house or bid them god speede that brought not with them Christes true doctrine to the authoritie of fathers holy emperors and princes that by no meanes could endure any idolatrous worship or hereticall doctrine to the custome of the Romish synagogue and the traditions of the pope and his e Posseuini bibliotheca selecta lib. 1. c. 26. Iebusites and Cananites and finally to the lawes of the church and kingdome of England which without great consideration are not to be dissolued or suspended Neither can the same bée allowed by any good Christian or loyall subiect séeing it bringeth with it first an vncertaintie of faith and religion secondly a confusion in Gods worship thirdly a dissolution of ecclesiasticall gouernment discipline fourthly an ouerthrow of lawes and ciuill pollicie fiftly an entrance for seditious priests and Iesuites not tolerated euery where among the papists sixtly an easie meanes to practise against the prince and state seuenthly a coldnesse in religion eightly sedition trouble and rebellion Lastly the wrath of God and most spéedie destruction And that this is true the very f Ibidem aduersaries will not denie within the sphere of their actiuitie and in their owne gouernment Why then shoulde they looke for that at our hands which they will not yéeld vnto themselues Or with what face can they desire thinges so impious and vnlawfull First saith our aduersary Great princes and monarchies round about vs that had greater difficulties and differences then we haue He should haue said Monarkes and Neere vnto vs. For not monarchies but monarkes do treate of peace And the kings of France and Spaine dwell not round about vs but néere vnto vs. But we must beare with our great aduersary if talking of princes and states he forgot to vse fit wordes or make good sence Beside that he is much deceiued where he saith That they had greater differences difficulties in concluding of a peace then we haue For all ciuil causes may be compounded But no composition can be made with false religion or idolatry Againe kinges may agrée concerning temporall titles but we cannot agrée with the pope or his faction vnlesse we meane to forsake God and the true Christian faith Well let vs sée notwithstanding what These great princes and monarchies round about vs haue doone They haue saith hee concluded a most honourable peace and friendship And I will not deny but it may be so albeit diuers small accidentes may much alter the case But what maketh that for this purpose where it is debated whether the idolatrous masse is to be tolerated or any other course to be takē with English fugitiues and home-bred papistes If we might haue an honorable profitable and most assured peace it is the thing that we do much affect and desire neuer prosequuting warres but for our owne defence and safety But what is this peace héere spoken of to the toleration of seditious priests and Iesuites and such rebels and traytors Can wée haue no peace but by suffering of exiled and banished rebels and traytors to returne Why that is the extremest calamity that a ruined common wealth canne suffer Perditae ciuitates saith a Lib. 5. in Verrem Tully desperatis omnibus rebus hos solent exitus exitiales habere vt damnati in integrum restituantur vincti soluantur exules reducantur Againe we are not at warre with recusantes or papistes Why then should he talke of peace and friendship héere Therefore he telleth further How the French king is returned to the sea of Rome and that her Maiesty is courteously inuited to the same And is this the onely meanes of peace Sure then any warre is better then such a peace For if wée respect onely temporall matters yet to yéeld to a tyrant is the last and most extreme calamity that happeneth to a natiō vanquished and subdued and no prince can put himselfe vnder another but he giueth ouer his soueraignty Beside that suppose her Maiesty should yéeld to the pope which without indignation cannot be spoken nor yéelded vnto by any true English man how is she sure that she shall either reteine or recouer her crowne he hauing disabled her and dispossessed her of it Shall she begge a crowne at his handes Shall she do penance at his pleasure Will she abandon her selfe and her subiectes to such a base fellow Fye fye that any should be suffered once to motion such a shamefull and an abominable matter But if we respect religion truth and conscience we cannot submitte our selues vnto him we cannot acknowledge his authority we may not embrace his abominable doctrine and heresies whatsoeuer may ensue of it Hée is the head of antichristes kingdome and the synagogue of Rome is the purple whoore mentioned in the seuentéenth of the Reuelation
Shall she yéeld her crowne to her enemies And is this the swéetenesse that the papistes séeke Secondly admit her Maiesty should spare traytors and factious persons this I confesse to priests and Iesuites would be a ioyfull day but there cannot be a greater calamity that can happen to good subiects Nay it would be a dissolution of lawes and confusion of the kingdome Séeing that the former examples fitted not his purpose he bringeth in the example of Henry the eight Who as Gardiner said was desirous in his latter daies to returne to the vnion of the Romish church Likewise he is still harping vpon the French kinges submission to the pope But that king Henry did euer purpose such a matter or that such a magnanimous prince could endure to debase himselfe so low as to come vnder a paltry frier or a proude pope is incredible Nay the last negotiation with the French kings ambassadour the king then lying at Hampton court was to draw him likewise from the popes obedience As for Gardiner he was neither so néere nor so déere to the king as to know any such secret purpose béeing long before the kings sicknesse forbidden to come at the king and his practise about the pope had cost him his life if hée had not submitted himselfe to the kings mercie Neither is it certaine whether Gardiner euer vttred any such matter or not If hée did yet we are not bound to beléeue him Nay wée are to beléeue that hée spoke so much rather to please the popes legat then of any truth But if her Maiestie do consider how her noble father was dishonored by this generation shée cannot choose but detest them and follow his steps that abolished this tyrannie and not of those that establish it Further if examples may preuaile then is shée rather to follow the steps of godly Emperors that stopped the mouthes of heretikes and woulde not suffer them to practise their false religion and of the godly kings of Iudah that abolished all monuments of idolatrie and burnt the idolatrous priestes bones vpon their altars then of idolaters As for the French king that for a crowne altered his religion wée haue little to say We will rather praie for him then dispute of his dooings Her Maiesties case is farre vnlike his being with content of all quiet and honest subiects possessed of her crowne and able by Gods assistance to defend it and all her rightes maugre all enimies and traitors that iointly conspire against her Hée appealeth to your Lordships considerations what a comfort it would be to her Maiestie and your selues to see all sortes of people laugh and sing togither and praie to God most hartily for her Maiesties health wealth and prosperous long continuance All which I do beléeue her Maiestie béeing so gracious a prince and your selues being so studious of the good of your countrey and her Maiesties safetie But they that desirâ—â—is must take a farre contrarie course to this which our aduersary desireth Her Maiesty must as she doth resolutely defend Gods religion iustice must be executed seuerely wicked members must be rooted out vtterly good men must be cherished louingly and employed respectiuely But if we should once admitte a packe of factious traytors within the bowels of this kingdome and harken to Parsons that traytorous and infamous Iesuite all our singing would be turned into mourning and our laughing into lamenting as it is in Ireland The prayers as well as the practises of papistes would be little for her Maiesties safety or continuance as former experience teacheth vs. all this ioyfull state which these traytors dreame of would be nothing but a state deuided by warres and sedition a time of darkenesse and desolation and extreme misery finally he blusheth not to propose vnt vs the example of such as first professed true religion after the first establishment of reformation that desired that their conscience might not bée forced which doth quite ouerthrow his cause For as in Italy and Spaine and such places as were subiect to popish princes our brethren coulde obtaine no toleration for the exercise of true religion so they cannot with any reason desire the establishment of their masse where vnder Christian princes it is vtterly abolished Wherefore if nothing be more impious then to erect idolatry and to suffer notorious superstition and heresie to be preached if nothing be more dangerous and dissolute then to receiue rebels traytors and enemies within the entrals of our country if no composition can be made with the pope of Rome the whoore of Babylon if nothing be more dishonorable then to listen to enemies and traytors threatnings and promises I doubt not but all men of religion and iudgement and well affected to their country sée that our aduersaries motion is impious dangerous dishonorable and not to bée yéelded vnto nor granted without the destruction of the present gouernment and desolation of this kingdome All which I referre to your Lordships consideration and beséech God to reueale the truth to the ignorant and to establish the weake and to confound all that are enimes either to his truth or to their most gracious Prince and déere countrey A NEW CHALLENGE MADE TO N.D. VVherein O. E. offereth to iustifie that popish religion is not catholike or apostolike secondly that it is compounded of diuers nouelties and haeresies thirdly that the church of Rome is not the true church of Christ Iesus Lastly that such as haue died in the popes quarrell were rather false traitors then Christian martyrs Reuelat. c. 3. They call themselues Iewes and are not but do lie Matt. 10. There is nothing couered that shall not be disclosed nor hidden that shall not be knowne Jmprinted at London by Arn. Hatfield 1600. The Praeface to the discourse ensuing directed especially to euery moderate and sober minded papist ALthough sufficient hath bin saide alreadie not onely to rembarre the malice of N. D. his encounters but also to content euerie man that is but meanely affected either to the state or religion nowe publikely professed among vs yet coulde I not satisfie my selfe vnlesse I tooke a course to satisfie thee also whose instruction and saluation I do earnestly affect and thirst after beseeching God to touch thy hart and reueale the truth vnto thee and open thy eies that are now heauie and oppressed with a slumber and grosse darkenesse of poperie The principall piller and almost sole foundation of al our aduersaries discourse is the pretence which he maketh of ancient apostolike catholike religion the vaine shew of the catholike church vpoÌ„ this he buildeth his inuectiues against vs his defence of publike enimies notorious traitors and priuie malcontentes and presumeth to presse into her Maiesties presence to present his petitions to the Lords of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell as by that which hath beene spoken may easily be perceiued Take away this colour it must needes appeere that he is a fauorer of publike enimies a
nomine armamini contra ecclesiam dimicatis and our sauiour founde no greater enimies then the Priests Scribes and Pharisies which stoode most vpon the succession of Moses and title of Gods people The diuell h 2. Cor. 11. Transformeth himselfe into an angell of light and brasse is often set out with a glorious lustre as if it were golde But nothing can be deuised more counterfait then the papist who albeit hée maintaine a religion full of nouelties and improbable fantasies yet taketh on him as if hée were the onely catholike christian and ietteth vp and downe with a maske of catholike religion So apes clad with purple iackets beare themselues verie proudly among other beasts and all for their gaie apparell But as apes by their apish trickes bewray themselues to bée apes so papists by their apish popish and fonde deuises shewe themselues to be factious heretikes and no true catholikes That they are no true catholikes the very name of catholike and true signification of this worde declareth For Catholike doth signifie that which is vniuersall or generall And the church is called catholike bicause it conteineth all the people of God and all Christians whether of time past or time to come or time present and in what place soeuer they remaine dispersed The christian faith likewise is called catholike for that it is and euer was and euer shall bée generallie taught and receiued of faithfull christians In time past God was peculiarly knowne of the people of Israell and to them was the law giuen and prophets were sent But our Sauiour Christ sent his apostles into all the world a Matth. 28. Docete saith he omnes gentes Hée also tolde them they shoulde witnesse his truth to al nations of the earth Eritis mihi testes saith b Act. 1. he in Hierusalem totaÌ„ Iudaeam Samariam vsque in totam terram So that we are to vnderstand that there is but one catholike church into which al true catholikes are to be gathered This Catholike Church c In Psal 56. saith Saint d In Psal 44. Augustine is spred throughout the world and conteineth not onely those that are present but those also that are past and are yet to come And Saint d In Psal 44. Hierome saith That this church is one and is founded by the apostles doctrine and conuerteth men to Christ Wée belée also that there is but one apostolike and catholike faith which all true catholikes both haue holden do holde and must holde vnto the worlds end In this catholike church saith e De haeres c. 3. Vincentius Lirinensis wee are to holde that which alwaies hath beene beleeued of all christians for that is truely and properly catholike Hée f Ibid. c. 34. teacheth vs also That the propertie of catholikes is to keepe the doctrine committed to them and left with them by the ancient fathers and to auoide prophane nouelties Further hée g Ibid. c. 25. determineth That those onely are truely and rightly called catholikes which onely holde and beleeue that which the catholike church in olde time did vniuersally holde With him also doth Leo sometimes bishop of Rome agrée Vna est vera singularis perfecta inuiolabilis catholica fides h Epist 81. ad Mâ—â—naâ—h paâ—aest epist 95. saith hée cui nihil addi nihil minui potest That is there is one true singular perfect inuiolable catholike faith whereunto nothing can be added and from whence nothing is to be diminished This grounde then being laide and I thinke confessed by the aduersaries themselues that those onely are catholikes that holde the catholike faith receiued vniuersally of all true christians of all times and all places and that the catholike faith is that which Christ commaunded vniuersally to bée taught and which of all the catholike church hath béene generally receiued and which is most perfect and absolute and admitteth no additions alterations nor innouations it may easily bee prooued that the papists are neither catholikes nor hold the catholike faith of Christ Iesus For first they do not beleeue that which the catholike church euer beleeued but that which the church of Rome beleeueth Pius quartus a In constit Pij 4. ordeineth that all that are preferred in schooles shall openly professe That they beleeue all things conteined in that creede which the church of Rome vseth The forme of their profession is this Ego N. firma fide credo profiteor omnia quae continentur in symbolo fidei quo sancta Romana ecclesia vtitur Likewise are they bound to condemne all doctrines which that church condemneth and anathematizeth In the Spanish b Manual de oraciones por Hieron Campos catechisme set out vnder the name of Canisius he is termed a true Christian That holdeth nothing but that which the church of Rome holdeth Y no tiene cosa fuera de lo que tiene la yglesia Romana Finally the papistes c C. ad abolendam de haeret condemne all for heretikes That either teache or thinke otherwise of the sacrament of the altar or of confession of sinnes or other Romish sacramentes then the church of Rome How then can we estéeme them catholikes that for a generall and catholike faith embrace a particular or peculiar faith of the church of Rome and openly professe so much Secondly they do not beléeue the catholike church but the Romish church nor do they make themselues members of the catholike church but of the church of Rome subiect to the pope whome they beléeue to be their head d De eccles militant c. 2. Bellarmine doth define That to be the true church which is vnited in confession of faith and communion of sacraments and obedience to the pope of Rome e C. vnam ext de maior obed Boniface the eight determineth That all that will be saued must of necessity be subiect to the bishop of Rome In the f Manual de Hieron Campoâ— catechisme published vnder the name of Canisius the church is defined A congregation gouerned vpon earth by the pope the onely head of the same Vna congregacion regida en la tierra por el papa vnica cabeza de toda ella Finally the a Confessio Burdegalens Iesuites of Bourdeaux do professe That to be the church onely which hath communion with the church of Rome whereof the pope is the chiefe gouernor But the auncient fathers teach vs that the catholike church is not tyed to one city or one country or one pope or bishop but vniuersally spredde ouer the whole earth as hath in part béene declared Si dei est ecclesia saith a Chrysostome b In homil 1. in epist 1. ad Corinth vna est non Corinthi solum sed vniuersi orbis So I may say if the Romanists were the catholike church then should not their vniuersall church be termed by the name of the church of Rome but of Gods
vniuersall church Saint c Lib. 4. de Symbol c. 10. Augustine saith that Euery congregation that is gathered in one corner is a concubine and not the spouse of Christ How then canne the papistes be catholikes that are gathered out of the society of the vniuersall church into the communion of the church of Rome Writing to Vincentius the Donatist he d Epist 48. concludeth that the Donatistes and Rogatians were not the catholike church for that they tooke their names of others then of the christian church Thirdly the faith of catholikes is e Ephes 2. built Vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Iesus Christ beeing the chiefe corner stone And this foundation is no where to be found but in the writings of the apostles and prophets which shew vnto vs the doctrine of Christ Iesus The apostle saint f Rom. 10. Paul doth teach vs That faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Which we may not séeke in decretales nor legendes but in the most holy scriptures endited by the holy ghost And so the fathers teach vs. g Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 1. Irenaeus doth say that the apostles First preached and afterward deliuered the gospell in Scriptures that they might be a foundation and piller of our faith Per apostolos euangelium peruenit ad nos saith he Quod quidem tunc praeconiauerunt postea verò per Dei voluntatem in scripturis tradiderunt fundamentum columnam fidei nostrae futurum Athanasius in Synopsi doth call The canonicall Scriptures the anchor and staie of our faith Hée woulde not haue any thing spoken or heard of christians in matters of faith and religion beside the holy Scriptures Si diuersa à scripturis fabulari vultis h De incarr â—t verb. saith he cur nobiscum concertatis qui nec loqui nec andire sustineâ—â—s quod extraneum sit ab illis The church saith a Homil. 6. in Matthaeum Chrysâ—stome is Hierusalem whose foundations are placed vpon the mountaines of the Scriptures Hierome calleth the Scriptures the limites or bounds of the catholike church Non est egressa de finâ—l us suis saith b In Mich. â—â— he id est de Scriptuâ—â— fancâ—â— Finallie the c â—rir Aquin. 2. 2 q. 1. art â— papists theÌ„selues confesse that the obiect or grounde of faith is The fâ—â—st truth or God himselfe And we doubt not but that al certaine knowledge of God is to bee found in his written word which therefore is called the rule of our faith But the papists speake euill of scriptures and either will not haue them to be the proper foundation of our faith or sorge to themselues diuers other foundations whereupon they builde their church and their faith in the d In c. 3. epist 2. ad Corinth annotations vpon the Rhemish testament they call them A killing letter as if God had deliuered his will in writing to the end to kill the Readers They write e Annot. Rh. in c. 5. Ioan. also That they are hard to be vnderstood and would bring them in disgrace by f Ibid. in c. 4. Matth. saying That the diuell and heretickes alleadge scriptures Some call them A nose of waxe without any certeine sence as the Iesuites of Collen in their censure others call them Inken diuinity and account them no better then Matter of strife and contention Generally they g Censur Colon f. esteeme the canon of scripture to be a rule vnperfect and a maymed and lame péece of doctrine and condemne the reeding of scriptures As pernitious and hurtfull Stapleton h In praefat ante relect princip doct plainely denieth the scriptures to be the foundation of religion Aliud hodie saith he Christianae religionis fundamentum habemus and afterward Ab ipsis literis euangelicis apostolicis aliud The same man speaking of diuers principles and groundes of Christian religion i In analysi ante râ—lect p incip doct doth leaue the scriptures quite out of the reckoning Others also make small reckoning of scriptures but where they canne by forced interpretations draw them to their purpose and such as deny not the scriptures to be a foundation of religion do notwithstanding adioyne diuers other foundations to the scriptures and build their faith vpon them as well as vpon the Scriptures Vnto the canon of the scriptures of the ould testament consisting of two and twentie books l they adde first the bookes of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus k Synod Trideniâ—sâ—ss 4. and the story of the Machabees and secondly certaine additions found in the latine translation ouer and aboue the originall bookes and this contrary to the iudgement of most ancient and catholike fathers Neither is it materiall that saint a Lib. 2. doct Christ c. 8. Augustine and a certaine councell of Carthage and two or thrée more following them do number these bookes among canonicall Scriptures For they by Canonicall vnderstande such bookes as by order of the church were read publikely and commonly bound togither and were rather a rule for manners then for faith Legi voluerunt in ecclesijs saith b In exposit Symbol Ruffin non tamen proferri ad authoritatem fidei ex his confirmandam The same is also the iudgement of c In Synopsi Athanasius d In prolog galeato Hierome e De ponder mensur Epiphanius and of the most sound and ancient fathers of the church And if wée shoulde otherwise interpret the wordes of those that reckon these bookes among canonicall Scriptures wée should also put the 3. and 4. of Esdras among the bookes canonicall For they are also by saint Augustine and f Sixtus Senensis biblioth sanct lib. 1. others after a sort iudged canonicall and Athanasius in Synopsi doth attribute no lesse authoritie to the thirde booke of Esdras then to the bookes of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus and the Machabees The Gréekes also place the thirde booke of Esdras first although the assemblie at Trent excluded the thirde and fourth booke of Esdras out of the canon and Sixtus quintus in his new edition of the Latine Bible hath excluded them out of their ancient place They adde also vnwritten traditions to the Scriptures and builde their faith equally on them two giuing vnto them both equall authoritie Libros veteris noui testamenti saith g Sess 4. the assemblie at Trent nec non traditiones ipsas c. pari pietatis affectu ac reuerentia suscipit ac veneratur synodus ista h Lib. 3. de verbo dei Bellarmine accounteth of these traditions as of the most certaine worde of God and calleth them The worde of God not written i De fid Symb. q. 22. op Catech. Canisius woulde haue vs to beléeue these traditions Most firmely as reuealed by the holy Ghost The which is not onely derogatory to the sufficiencie of Scriptures but also vtterly ouerthroweth the
e Matth. 28. gaue them in charge To teach what he had commaunded them The f Gal. 1. apostle pronounceth him Accursed that should teach otherwise then the Galatians had receiued By the law of Moses the Sanedrin or chiefe tribunal in Hierusalem had soueraigne authority in iudgement yet might not those iudges pronounce sentence g Deut. 17. But according to the law of God The which doth argue that popish religion is built vpon groundes most absurd and contrarie to religion Finally some do stand much vpon ancient fathers and councelles and the first churches practise and haue not doubted to attribute much vnto them But now finding by experience that these do not much make for them and that the fathers themselues do wholy relie vpon the scriptures they flie wholie to the authority of the pope and to the late church of Rome and perceiue that vnlesse they may sit iudges in their owne cause the same cannot stand But héerein it may plainly appeare that they are no catholikes For ancient catholikes attributed most to scriptures and vsed the testimony of fathers and of the ancient church to declare the true sence and meaning of scriptures But a Sâ—ss 4. conciâ— Trâ—d these admit no sence But that of holy church as they call it which is nothing but the priuate fancy of soâ—e foolish pope Fourthly as in the foundations of Christian religion so likewise in diuers points of faith the papists do plainly declare themselues to bée no catholikes For first in the obiect of faith they mainly differ true catholikes beléeue in God onely Faith saith the b Rom. 10. apostle is by hearing and hearing by the worde of God c De diuin nomin c. 7. Dionyse saith That faith hath for his obiect the most pure and alwaies being truth that is God And euery Christian rehearsing his faith confesseth That he beleeueth in God the father the sonne and the holy ghost and in no creature But the papists beléeue in angels and in saints and call vpon them For as the d Rom. 10. apostle saith How shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued To them also they make confession of their sinnes and from them they looke for helpe and all things necessary as may bée shewed by infinite particulars Further they beléeue the determinations of the pope to be true and trust in him as in the rocke of the church e In opusc contra error Graecor Thomas Aquinas saith that it is a matter of faith to beleeue the determination of the pope Ad fidem pertinet saith he inhaerere determinationi pontificis summi in his quae sunt fidei imò in his quae spectant ad bonos more 's And this is also the opinion of f Summa Siluest in verb. fides Siluester Prierius They beléeue also whatsoeuer is taught by the church of Rome Ad fidem pertinent omnia quae sunt in doctrina ecclesiae saith g Ibidem Siluester Prierius and hée gathereth the same out of h 2.2 q. 5. art 3. Thomas Aquinas and that is their common opinion holding the traditions of the church in equal estimation with the worde of God all which can neuer bée prooued to haue béene beléeued by true catholikes For neither can it bée shewed that in publike liturgies they haue called on saints and on angels as the church of Rome teacheth or confessed their sinnes to them or beléeued in the pope or church of Rome Againe true catholikes beléeue that Christ Iesus was true man and had a body like to ours in height bredth thicknesse and that he filled the place where hée was as do our bodies We must beleeue saith a De essentia diuinitatis Augustine that the sonne of God according to his deitie is inuisible incorporeall and incircumscriptible but according to his humane nature that he is visible corporeall and locall b Contra Eutych lib. 4. c. 4. Vigilius saith That Christ is contained in a place according to his humane nature and that this is the catholike faith Illud corpus saith c Dialog 2. Theodoret habet priorem formaÌ„ figuram circumscriptioneÌ„ vt semel dicam corporis substantiam So likewise saith d Ad Thrasimund li. 2. c. 5. Fulgentius SiveruÌ„ est corpus Christi loco potest vtique contineri But the papists do assigne him a body inuisible impalpable and such a one as is incircum scriptible and without the dimensions of height bredth depth A bodie that may be conteined in infinite places at once yet not continued to it selfe as is the nature of Continua quantitas Finally a mans whole body that is without all qualities of a body may be contained in euery little part of a consecrate hoste increasing and diminishing at the priestes pleasure Further euery catholike Christian beléeueth that our Sauiour Christes true body is ascended into heauen and there remaineth e Ioan. 16. Hée tolde his disciples before his passion That he must leaue the worlde and go to the father And in another place f Iohn 12. That they should not alwaies haue him with theÌ„ In the first of the Acts we learne That hee is taken vp from vs into heauen And the apostle S. g Act. 3. Peter doth plainely declare That the heauens must conteine him vntill the time that all things be restored And this also the fathers plainely teach vs According to his diuine nature saith h In Matth. tractat 33. Origen he is not absent froÌ„ vs but he is absent according to the dispensatioÌ„ of his body which he tooke i Lib. 10. super Luc. 24. S. Ambrose saith That neither on the earth nor in the earth nor after the flesh we ought to seeke Christ if we will finde him Saint Augustine saith k Tractat. 50. in Ioan. Hee hath caried his bodie into heauen although he hath not withdawne his maiestie from the worlde l Homil. 21. in euangel Gregory the first doth plainly affirme That Christ is not heere by the presence of his flesh The flesh of Christ saith Vigilius writing against Eutyches lib. 4. c. 4. when it was in earth surely was not in heauen and now because it is in heauen certainly it is not in earth Neither did euer any ancient father teach otherwise But the papists do teach that Christes true body and flesh is both in heauen and earth and vpon euery altar at one time and that hee is touched and receiued not of men onely but also of mise and dogs and other beasts which to true catholikes séemeth not onely absurd but also abominable All true catholikes firmely beléeue that thâ—â—r sinnes are forgiuen them for Christ his sake and that they shall atteine eternall life according to these two articles of the créed which euery one professeth saying Credo remissionem peccatorum vitam aeternam God he Hath promised and sworne as the a Heb. 6.
church doth onely mention two sacraments to wit Baptisme the Lordes supper c Lib. 1. 4. contr Marcion de coron milâ—t Tertullian where he handleth the same argument doth mention no more then two Cyrill likewise of Hierusalem d Catech. Mystâ—g speaking of the mysteries of Christian religion doth onely discourse of Baptisme and the Lords supper Dionysius whom they suppose to bée Dionyse the Areopagite albeit hée do fully set out the rites of the church of his time doth neither make penance nor matrimonie nor vnction of the dead a Sacrament Hée that wrote the bookes of Sacraments that beare the name of Ambrose and Augustine and Paschasius onely mention two sacraments Now who doth not sée that ordination of priestes and penance and matrimonie were instituted either in the law of nature or vnder the law of Moyses And certes if these things did iustifie then shoulde the Sacraments of the old law iustifie and iustification were a very easie matter No catholike writer doth imagine any such matter to bée in mariage or order and neither was extreme vnction nor popish confirmation known vnto antiquitie 10. In the Sacrament of Baptisme they vse exorcismes blowings salt spittle halowed water annointings light and diuers ceremonies neither vsed by the apostles nor practised by the ancient church And yet e Sâ—ss 7. Trident Concil c. 13. they say That none of their ceremonies may be omitted without sinne Finally they denounce them accursed that shall not holde Baptisme to bée necessary to saluation which ceremonies and doctrine do not appéere to bée catholike 11. They dissolue mariage contracted by entring into religion as they terme it and albeit it bée consummated yet they holde that by mutuall consent the maried couple may depart a sunder and that it shall not bée lawfull for them afterward to companie togither They separate also mariage for spirituall kinred and force all that will be priestes monkes or friers to forsweare mariage Matters not onely strange in the catholike church during the apostles and tâ—eir successors times for many hundred yéeres but also contrarie to Christs doctrine For what man can separate them whom God hath ioyned And what reason hath man to commaund any to forsweare mariage which the a Heb. 13. spirit of God pronounceth to be Honorable 12. They beléeue that penance standeth vpon contrition confession and satisfaction and that tâ—ese are the three parts of penance And yet themselues say that absolution is the forme of penance and that confession is not alwaies necessary Further b Concil Trid. Sess 14. they pronounce him anathema That beleeueth not that penance is properly a sacrament and that denieth confession in the priestes eares to be instituted by Christ Wherein they digresse both from the catholike church and catholike doctrine 13. The sacrament of the lords supper they haue most shamefully altered and abused teaching first that Christ is present with his body corporally and carnally in the sacrament and that he is there also really with his soule and that not onely wicked and faithlesse persons but also brute beastes swallow downe Christ quicke into their bodies Next that the substance of bread and wine is abolished and that the accidents thereof remaine without subiect and the substance of Christes body without the qualities of a body Thirdly that the sacrament is to be worshipped as God which is plaine idolatrie Fourthly they take the cup from the coÌ„municantes and for a communion make a priuate action of one priest called the masse Fiftly they make of this sacrament or sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing a sacrifice externall and propitiatory both for quicke and dead And by this sacrifice they hope to obteine remission of sinnes helth welth victorie and whatsoeuer the bâ—ter desireth Finally they do not distribute the sacrament as Christ commaunded but reserue it in pixes or carry it about in procession or as it pleaseth the priests All which do shew them to be no catholikes For catholikes do beleeue that these words This is my body are figuratiue c Lib. 4. contr Marc. TertulliaÌ„ saith That Christ made the bread which was giuen to his disciples his body by saying this is my body that is the figure of my body d De vnct Cyprian saith That Christ at his last supper gaue bread and wine with his owne handes and that thinges signified and signifying were called by the same names a In c. 15. Matth. Origen doth call the sacrament Christes figuratiue and typicall body b De ijs qui initiantur mysterijs c. 9. Ambrose saith That Christes true flesh was sacrificed but that the eucharist is the sacrament of that true flesh The Lord did not sticke to say this is my body saith saint c Contr. Adimant c. 12. Augustine when he gaue the signe of his body They beléeue not that the bread is abolished d Aduers Iudaeos Tertullian saith That Christ called bread his body Saint Hierome writing to Hedibia saith That the bread which the Lord brake and gaue to his disciples is the Lordes body The bread saith saint e De consecrat dist 2. c. qui manducant Augustine is the body of the Lord the cup his blood In the giuing of the mysteries saith f Dial. 1. Theodoret hee called bread his bodie But what néede testimonies of fathers when the apostle rehearsing the wordes of the institution calleth bread Christs body and nameth breade after consecration and when the pronoune Hoc can bée referred to no other thing but bread True catholikes beléeue that the holy communion of the Lords supper is a commemoration and a memoriall of the sacrifice made by Christ Iesus vpon the crosse rather then anie actuall and externall sacrifice Our g Matth. 26. Luc. 22. Sauiour saith This do in remembrance of me The h 1. Cor. 11. apostle saith that in this Sacrament Wee shew foorth the Lords death and celebrate a memoriall of it i In dialog cum Tryphon Iustin Martyr saith That in the sacrifice of bread and the cup which Christ instituted for a memoriall of his passion Christians giue thankes to God Saint k De fide ad Petr. c. 19. Augustine saith That in the sacrifice of bread and wine there is a commemoration of the flesh and blood of Christ that were offered for vs. Saint l In epist ad Hebr. Chrysostome saith That our sacrifice is a remembrance of Christes sacrifice Finally all true catholikes did distribute and receiue the holy Sacrament when they came to the Lordes supper and obserued his holy institution without mixtures of their inuentions or other alterations 14. The papists haue either abolished Christes priesthood or else much debased the same and haue brought in a new order of priesthoode neuer instituted by Christ nor practised by the catholike church For in stead of Christ they runne to angels to our Ladie and saints and beléeue that these can
obedience to parents and subiects from obedience to princes a Lib. 2. regest f. 109. apud Ioseph Vestan de oscul pâ—d pontif Gregory the seuenth in his dictates began first to broch these fancies and to declare Quod papa â fidelitate subiectos possit absoluere The canonistes continued and increased this wicked doctrine And now the Iesuites defend it and themselues drawe children to forsake their godly and Christian parents to créepe into a Sodomiticall cloister of monkes 12 Wée do now lately learne that vnder the commandement of sanctifying the Sabaoth is conteined the obseruation of all the feasts of saints canonized by the popes of Rome For so doth b Op. catech de 3. praeâ—â—p c. 11. Canisius teach and that is now a common doctrine but certes very new 13. The precepts of the Romish church as they are called are but new deuises For if wée seeke all antiquitie wée shall not finde where the church of Christ hath coÌ„manded vs to kéepe this popes day and that popes day and to abstaine from worke on saint Francis and saint Dominikes and other canonized friers daies or where the same hath enioined Christians to heare masse or to faste Lent and imber daies and vigiles of saints and other tides according to the fashion of the church of Rome or to confesse our sinnes to Romish friers and priests or not to solemnise mariage on daies forbidden which now the c Short Catechisme and Canisius church of Rome doth kéepe more deuoutly then the lawes of God For these are those humane doctrines and voluntary worships deuised by mens owne fancies which our d Matth. 15. Sauiour Christ and the e Coloss 2. apostle condemneth The f Dâ—ut 4. law of God also forbiddeth any such additions 14. It is not long since the Franciscane friers began to dispute That the virgin Mary was conceiued without original sinne which if they had affirmed of other saints they had runne into flat Pelagianisme Lately also haue papists begun to diminish the guilt of originall sinne In the councell of Florence vnder Eugenius the fourth they first determined albeit couertly that it deserued not Poenam sensus but onely Poenam damni and that is now their common opinion 15. They haue of late deuised a multitude of new sinnes as appéereth by the enchiridion of Nauarrus which are nothing but transgressions of their newe lawes And yet they doubt not to affirme that the regenerate may liue without sinne albeit contrary to all antiquitie Nay they make it sinne ofttimes to obey the lawes of God condemning those that will not worship saints stockes and stones and rotten bones and rags and which obey lawfull princes vnlawfully excommunicate by the pope 16. It is but a late fantasie that all men are to satisfie for the guilt of actuall sinnes for which they haue not satisfied in this life in purgatorie For Gregory the Dialogist albeit hée allow purgatorie for veniall sinnes yet hée hath not one word of these satisfactions Neither were the same determined before the councell of Florence vnder Eugenius the fourth 17. The rules of monkes and friers whereby they pretend that they follow euangelical counsels are also very new Hée that first brought in the orders of monkes into the westerne church was Benet of Nursia The friers were founded by Francis and Dominike The Iesuites had their patron Ignatius his rule allowed first by Paul the third And he is their founder and the ground of their antiquitie 18. The scholasticall diuinitie which is a mixture of fathers authorities philosophicall subtilties and papall decretals began from Peter Lombard some eleuen hundred yéeres after Christ The canon law began from the time of Gregory the ninth and this is the originall of their late diuinitie and lawe 19. a De verbo Dei Lib. 1. c. 3. Bellarmine saith That the new testament is nothing else but the loue of God shed in our harts by the holy ghost Which sheweth that the gospell and new testament of papistes is a new gospell differing from that of Christ Iesus For Christes testament was b Matth. 26. established by his bloud and is a couenant concerning remission of sinnes most especially but charity is wrought by the holy ghost in those that are already reconciled by the blood of the testament Chrysostome Theodoret and others writing vpon the second to the Corinthians chap. 3 Say That the spirite quickning is the grace of God that remitteth our sinnes And if charity were the new testament then Christ died in vaine For charity might then haue satisfied for all and established this new testament albeit Christ had not died which is most vntrue and blasphemous The perfection of the gospell they place In c Bellar. de monach c. 7. 8. 9. voluntarie pouerty abstinence from mariage and obedience to monasticall rules But this is a new perfection and a new gospell For Christes gospell neither commaundeth nor counselleth any to liue vnder monasticall vowes nor wilfully to make himselfe poore nor to forsweare mariage Neither did Christ euer account widowers or vnmaried men or wastefull giuers of their goods to monasteries or monkes more perfect then his apostles or other Christians 20. The holy apostle doth a Rom. 3. teach vs that we are iustified by grace and faith in Christ without workes and this he b Rom. 4. prooueth by the example of Abraham who albeit he was faithfull and the father of the faithfull yet was he not iustified by workes But the Iesuites and papistes speake of philosophicall iustice and say that none is iustified nor obteineth eternall life but by his workes and by charity 21. The distinction and doctrine of our First iustice and Second iustice and of Explicit and Implicit faith and likewise of Faith formed and Informed is all new and borowed rather from Philosophers then diuines Nay a great part of their faith standing vpon new decretals and the determinations of their Romish church is new and scarce yet setled séeing they are bounde to beléeue the future determinations of the church as well as those that are alreadie passed c Lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 12. Bellarmine saith It is a matter of faith to beleeue that the pope hath succeeded Peter in the gouernment of the vniuersall church The which the church neuer receiued albeit the popes flatterers haue gone much about to perswade it 22. That by congruitie a man may deserue grace and that men vnregenerate may dispose themselues to receiue grace by force of their frée will is both new and false if wée looke backe to Christes true religion The apostle saith that Without faith it is impossible to please God And Saint d De vocat gent. lib. 1. c. 3. Ambrose saith That without true religion that which seemeth to be vertue is sinne Saint e De vera innocentia c. 56. Augustine saith That the whole life of Infidels is sinne And the councell of f Can. 6.
Gregory the first albeit he would not haue images of saintes broken downe yet condemned the worship of them and Epiphanius vtterly misliked the vsing them and setting them vp in churches which sheweth the antiquitie or rather noueltie of imagery or to say better idolatry in churches The second Nicene councell celebrated about the 774 yéere of our Lord and the fathers there were the first that went about to establish the worship of images but that idolatrous synode was oppugned by the councell of Francford and of long time after could not generally be receiued 54. In times past Christians were wont reuerently to entombe holy Martyrs and to call vpon God at their monuments But now the miserable papistes of late time haue begun to dig them out of their graues and to kisse rotten bones and ragges and to worship them and to pray to the martyrs nay to worship those that are no martyrs And euery day as there is no end of mans curiositie they make more saints and institute more pilgrimages and masses in their honor Of late time they haue begun to frequent the Lady of Loreto of Monserrat of lames of Compostella and infinite other such like saintes and places 55. By a late decrée of the councell of Florence about the yéere of our Lord 1434. The pope was declared to be head of the vniuersall church and Christes true vicar and Peters successor in the gouernment of the vniuersall church which declareth the noueltie of the papacie 56. That the pope was aboue the councell was decréed in our fathers time by Leo the tenth in the Councell of Laterane Which sheweth that till then it was commonly holden that the gouernment of the vniuersall church was aristocraticall and not monarchicall and that the councell was reputed supreme iudge of controuersies of faith and all ecclesiasticall matters and not the pope 57. In ancient time the pope neither was borne vppon mens shoulders nor had his féete kissed of great princes nor wore the crosse in his slippers to shew that hée treadeth down religion with his féete Nor had hée a triple crowne on his head nor was hée garded with bandes of soldiers nor attended on by princes and cardinals nor had he swarmes of friers and monkes to defend all his pretenses and claimes Quod solius papae pedes principes de osculentur wée read first in Gregorie the seuenth his dictates the rest we find in later records of the popes ceremonies 58. It is not long since that the pope hath vsurped power ouer generall councels and taken vpon him sole power to call them dissolue them and confirme their actes For in ancient time the councell iudged the pope as appéereth by diuers councels of Rome and by the late councell of Pisa where Alexander the fift was chosen pope and by the councell of Constance where thrée popes were deposed and by the councell of Basilea that deposed Eugenius the fourth 59. Of late time the pope hath taken on him power to make lawes to binde the whole church and to place and displace bishops and prelats at his pleasure Lately also hath hée begun to beare himselfe as supreme doctor and iudge in matters of religion in hearing of appeales out of all prouinces and in excommunicating of princes and emperors throughout the worlde 60. Vntill Boniface the 9. his time he was not Lord of Rome nor did hée beare himselfe as a temporall prince for that is testified by Theodorie of Niem and diuers other writers of histories 61. Gregorie the seuenth was the first that tooke on him to depose emperors as appeareth by his dictates and by his bloody warres Before his time it was a rare matter to sée a pope intermeddle with warres or gouernement of kingdoms After the time of Gregory these that pretend to be Peters successors prooued the onely firebrandes of all the warres and troubles in christendome 62. Before Innocent the third his time it was neuer adiudged a matter capital to thinke otherwise of religion or the sacraments of the church then the pope of Rome beléeued and taught He first persequuted Christians with all extremities and now it is the popes common practise to kill all religious Christians that shall contradict his vsurpations 63. In ancient time the popes were confirmed by emperors and neuer durst pretend a right to depose princes Now they deny any to be emperor but such as is sacred by the pope and do take to themselues power to depose princes and to cause subiectes to rebell against them 64. The first Christians albeit not tyed to emperors by oath yet neuer rebelled against wicked emperors But now the pope causeth Christians to breake their othes and they are made to beléeue that it is meritorious to rebell against princes excommunicate by the pope and to murder them Neither may we thinke it was want of meanes that made them to be obedient For a Ad Scapulam Tertullian saith that where they were the strōger yet they neuer tooke on them to fight against their princes 65. The first Christians serued God in spirite and truth and were knowne by their modestie and vertue But the religion of papists consisteth all in eating red herrings and fish in fasting knocking knéeling greasing shauing crossing ringing and outward ceremonies At Rome and in Spaine Italy are common bordels and bankes of vsurie and such dissolution that the very heathens might not compare with them Swearing whooring killing are small faultes among them so they meddle not with the popes authoritie and religion Finally for that it is not possible to rehearse all particulars I say and by Gods grace shall prooue that the whole religion of papists which wée reiect is nothing but a packe of nouelties and heresies and the corruption of true catholike and Christian religion Wherefore as in this chapter we haue noted their nouelties so in the chapter ensuing wée purpose to make good our challenge concerning their heresies which being performed I hope it will largely appéere that they are no catholikes CHAP. III. That the papists do publikely professe and teach diuers erronious points of doctrine by the ancient catholike church condemned for heresies AS in deceitfull language so in erronious iudgement the Iesuites and Romish priestes are not vnlike to the women called a Philostrat in Apollonio Horat. carm Lib. 1. Lamiae For as the flattring Lamiae by their externall shewes and faire wordes deceiued and spoiled many yoong men so these flattering and fawning fauorites of the whoore of Babylon abuse many simple youthes with their faire glosses and allure them to like the errors and heresies of poperie to their vtter ruine and destruction And as the Lamiae were verie quicke sighted when they came abroad and pierced farre into other mens matters yet were altogether blinde at home and ignorant in their owne affaires so these good fellowes although they are alwaies prying into other mens matters and pretend that they can looke through mill-stones yet are they altogither
coÌ„mandemeÌ„t But Campian his consorts did disclaime her Maiesties authority all priestes that come from Rome in their cases of conscience which they cannot denie d Resolutio casuum nationis Anglicanae hold her not for lawfull Queene They also themselues haue set out scandalous libels against men in authoritie and doe well like the sclandrous writings of Sanders Harpesfield Ribadineira Rishton Parsons Bristow and others When the armie of the king of Spaine was readie to come for England then was Parsons verie busie in printing pope Sixtus his scandalous declaration against the Quéene and Allens letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland A e In an answere to a libel set out by Parsons friend of his doth also charge him that his finger was in the making and dispersing of it And yet diuers traytors that haue béene executed allowed this libell and other his scurrilous writings Nay I doe not finde that any of them misliked any thing that might disgrace her Maiestie or their countrey Finally the Earle of Northumberland and the two Nortons and diuers priests whom they f Bristowes motiues celebrate for Martyres tooke vp armes against their Prince and countrey and I thinke none of them either heretofore did or hereafter will mislike their doing therein Wherefore albeit the pope put them in his calendar for Martyres yet he must not be offended albeit the hangman put them in his bookes for rebels and traytors No Martyre of Christ Iesus did euer thinke it lawfull to breake his oath of allegeance to his Prince vpon any bishops warrant g In Chronic. Auentin annal 7. Sigisbertus Gemblacensis saith It is a pernitious heresie to beleeue that the pope can discharge subiects froÌ„ the bond of their oath and from their allegeance But these Martyres or rather churlish mastiues did not onely take themselues â—o be discharged from their allegeance and ioyned with forrein enimies but also persuaded as many as they could to ioyne with them No true Martyr of Christ Iesus did euer denie his name qualitie country kindred and prince altogether nor did martyrs dissemble their religion goe apparelled like Spadacins ruffians but these popish martyrs do al this together nay they are resolued by their a Resolutiones quorundam casuum nationis Anglicanae superiours that it is very lawful for theÌ„ so to do A.P. that is Allen and Parsons as I take it the case being put vtrum sacerdos possit habitum mutare comaÌ„ nutrire nomen patriam parentes negare do b Cap. 1. casus 1. answere thus potest nec videtur in ea re dubium Potest enim quis veritatem tacere c Ibidem in resolutione casus 1. c. 1. vel dissimulare c. The same good fellows a Resolutiones quorundam casuum nationis Anglicanae determine quòd simulatio est licita and that it is pious to vse simulation and proue it for that it is lawfull to lay ambuscadoes for enemies whereby it appeareth they take vs for enemies and would if they could entrap vs by their ambuscadoes and this if we looke not to it they haue fully purposed and resolued Concerning the Quéene they d Ibidem say shee is no lawfull Quéene Regina haeretica say they non est legitimè regina and againe non gerit se vt reginam sed exercet tyrannidem Finally they are commanded to account their country for no countrey and not to respect their parents if they be not of the Romish religion It was not the fashion of the martyrs of Christ his Church to vse equiuocations and to forsweare themselues both in iudgement and elsewhere but the Schoolemaisters of our popish priests and pretended martyrs teach them to do both Sciant say e Ibidem c. 3. cas 3. they se vti posse aequiuocationibus iurare sine peccato Now by equiuocations they meane promises and othes made not according to the meaning of the iudge but according to a hidden meaning of the partie that taketh the oath They f Ididem teach also that a priest is no more to regard an oath to the Queenes officers then if he should sweare to pyrates or robbers for safegard of his life Finally no heretikes nor miscreants can iustly be reputed martyrs as diuers examples and testimonies of fathers teach vs. The Donatists suffered death couragiously and so likewise did the heretikes called Euphemitae which for the multitude of their supposed martyrs g Epiphan haeres 80. would néeds be called Martyriani Yet did not the church otherwise account of them then leud heretikes and not martyrs as appeareth by the testimonie of Eusebius Augustine and other fathers before alleaged We reade also in histories that Turkes Tartars and Mores both fight and die most resolutely for the blasphemous opinions of Mahomet and how the Assassins that were a sect of desperate cutthrotes like the Iebusites that desperately would aduenture to dispatch whomsoeuer their Generall would command them to murther died oftentimes most constantly and this they accounted a speciall point of religion Yet in truth no man can estéeme them martyrs Why then should the rebels traitors and Assassins which haue béene employed in the Popes businesse and for his cause haue béene drawne into treason be accounted martyrs If because they are put in the popes kalendar it may be answered that it is Christ and not the pope the cause of religion and not of faction that maketh martyrs Neither is it materiall that grace hath béene offered to some that haue béene executed for treason if they would haue renounced the pope and his treacherous doctrine and faction For we do not desire the death of all that through simplicitie haue béene drawne into treason Nor may the aduersaries thinke that these fellowes were therefore onely punished for religion but rather that they were obstinate traitors that like the Assassins made it a point of religion vpon the popes warrant to take armes and to practise against lawfull Magistrats and to murther them which indéede is treason To offer them life therefore if they would renounce the popes faction was thought a meanes fit to trie them whether they were setled in their trecherous resolutions or els would become honest men as diuers of them renouncing the pope haue done and not to examine them or punish them for religion which was neuer called in question in all the proceeding against them The Conclusion of the former Treatise IF then papists hold singular opinions and not the true catholike faith then are they deceiuers and cacolykes and woluish teachers and no true Catholikes or Christians and thou art carefully to beware of them to embrace that faith which is truly Catholike which vnlesse thou beleeue firmely thou canst not be saued as saith a In symbolo Athanasius It is impossible for Christians saith b In Numer homil 26. Origen to be saued without faith whether they seeme perfect or weak
now there is but one faith as there is but one baptisme and one God as the c Ephes 4. apostle teacheth vs. And this is the faith which the apostles and prophets haue taught and which wée in the church of England do professe Remember I say that true faith is Christes faith and apostolike faith It is not the popes faith nor his determinations nor vncertaine traditions It hath no other foundation but the doctrine of Christ and his apostles and holy prophets Beware therefore of the pretended cacolike Romish faith that hath no grounde but in the popes determinations nor support but lies fraude and violence If the doctrine and traditions of popish priests come not from Christ Iesus which is the foundation of our religion but is drawne out of vncertaine legendes and resteth on the popes determination remember what the apostle teacheth in this point If any man saith a Galat. 1. hée preach vnto you otherwise then that you haue receiued let him bee accursed Beléeue not euery spirite For many deceiuers are gone out into the worlde If any bring any doctrine not deduced out of holy Scripture suspect him and examine him and thou shalt finde him faultie And aboue all thinges beware of new doctrines For wée haue but one faith which hath his originall from Christ the fountaine of truth life Profanas vocum nouitates saith the b 1. Tim. 6. apostle deuita And if wée may not vse new termes or words in matters of faith then may we not receiue any newe articles of religion It is the part of true catholikes to adhere to holy fathers and to auoide nouelties as saith c Aduers haeres c. 36. Vincentius Lirinensis Nowe what fathers more holy then the prophets and apostles that are the fathers of fathers and the foundation of the church If the doctrine of poperie be for the most part a packe of old and newe heresies as hath bin shewed thée why shouldst thou bée abused by false teachers Why shouldst thou bée desirous as distempered stomackes are to feed vpon vnholesome doctrine Graues sunt haereticorum morsus saith Saint d In Euangel Luc. lib. 7. c. 10. Ambrose qui ipsis grauiores rapaciores bestijs nullum abaritiae finem impietatÃsque nouerunt They looke faire vpon thée but bite déepely They promise true religion and catholike faith but teach heresies and damnable opinions They come vnto thée with shéepes clothing and pretend sauing of soules but inwardly they are rauening woolues and séeke to destroie both thy body soule They giue thée honie but it is deliuered thée vpon a swordes point that when thou thinkest to licke honie thy hart may bée pearced with a sharpe pointed sword If the synagogue of Romanistes bée not the true church why takest thou delight to heare her teachers or to embrace her erronious doctrine Why doest thou not come out of Babylon Wilt thou remaine in her confusion and be partaker of her plagues Why shouldest thou go vp to Bethauen or delight in the congregation of wicked idolaters e Hoseae 4. Go not vp I say to Bethauen f 1. Cor. 10. flie Idolatrie g Apocal. 18. Come out of Babylon It is not I onely but Christ Iesus that calleth thée out of this confusion If thou wilt not heare him nor know him bée assured hée will not knowe thée nor heare thée It is not the pope that can saue thée nor his decretals that can warrant thee Leaue therefore the synagogue of satan and resort to Gods true church Forsake antichrist and adhere to Christ Quisquis saith Saint h Epist 152. Augustine ab ecclesia catholica abfuerit quantumuis laudabiliter se viuere existimet hoc solo scelere quòd à Christi vnitate disiunctus est non habebit vitam sed ira Dei manet super eum As without Noes arke in time past all flesh was drowned so there is no safetie out of Christes church And bée not lightly deceiued with the name of the church For antichrist as the i 2. Thes 2. apostle telleth vs shall sit in Christes church And with his followers as Saint Augustine teacheth vs shall bée accounted to bée the true church viz. by such as are abused The synagogue of satan in time past did take on them the name of Iewes and falshood is often set out with a faire lustre and shew of truth All Christians haue an interest in true religion Why then shoulde any suffer the damnable doctrine of poperie that is so full of heresies and erronious opinions Why shoulde any suffer the Scriptures to bée taken from the people of God so that they shall no more bée suffered to read them and in lieu thereof receiue the popes determinations and the synagogues of Romes traditions Can any true Christian indure the abominable idole of the masse where the bread and cup is adored for God or the idolatrous worship of Romish Babylon Those that honour God those hée will honour and such as are luke-warme and care not what religion they haue those God will cast out of his mouth as a lothsome race of atheistes and wicked men If religion mooue not euerie man yet if hée remember the slauerie of popish gouernment and how preiudiciall it is to princes to the nobilitie to the commons and all sortes of people hée will not much bée enamored of it The magistrate may not suffer either his authoritie to bée disputed of or doubted of or denied And yet the Iesuites and priestes and their adherents are suffred to teach and to do all this as appéereth by their answeres to the sixe Interrogatories by their cases of conscience and by their doctrine and actions Nay most boldly albeit secretly they practise against the life and state of her Maiestie as many particulars do shewe Happie are they that they haue encountred with such a prince and yet let them beware they abuse not her clemencie too farre For no state can stande where such contumacious and rebellious mates liue in open contempt of authoritie and lawes It behooueth also all them that carrie the sworde to looke that not onely Christ his shéepe bée defended from woolues but also that the state bée defended and maintained against professed traytors and rebels that lurke in all corners They haue not a sworde committed to them for naught But to the ende they may defende the quiet and peaceable subiect and roote out the wicked rebellious traytor Treason and notorious coÌ„tumacie against lawes cannot long be endured in any common-wealth Neither can magistrates in this case bée too watchfull God hath detected many secret conspiracies and attempts against her Maiestie and the state yet let vs not presume too farre vpon his goodnesse The way to settle peace to confirme the state to preuent all such trecherous attempts is to stop the head of rebellion and treason and to roote out all seditious priestes and Iebusites from whence all our troubles for this 43. yéeres