which I haue begung Treasury of Eccles-expositions and to perfect which will require the whole life and labour of one whole man Many haue written so I grant in this argument as that they exceed this of mine without all compare but some are so large and haue made their bookes to swell to so great volumes as that they are onely for professed Students and not for euery mans memory leyfure or money Some againe are so short and doe so prosecute some points onely as that howsoeuer they be for euery man yet when they are read almost euery man remaineth still vnsatisfied in many things Lastly some are neither too large nor too short but haue written fully methodically and logically yet not so fully but that diuers particulars haue beene omitted the common motiues on both sides haue not beene so throughly weighed the originalls of the many eâ—rours of the Church of Rome and the Apostolike Antiquity of the Reformed Religion hath not beene so declared nor the treatises in the manner of them so fitted to the capacity of the vulgar so as that many read them but for want of capacity and through these defects in the worke are not so much moued Now to supply all these defects and to instruct all euen my most vncapable Country-men in euery point and motiue so as that there might be nothing to hinder those that desire to know the truth and to cleaue vnto and obey it I haue written this plaine and short Dialogue And herein I am not so blind but I see to what enuying and hard censuring I expose my selfe but neither credit nor life are any thing to me so that by any meanes I may saue some Onely let mee say thus much in way of Apologie that it is well knowne that I am not malicious against the Romane Catholikes nor out of spite haue thus written or vsed the name of Elymas to disgrace any but wilfull Pontificians who for sinister respects against their knowledge seeke to lead into error not onely common people but noble gouernors that attentiuely hearken to Pauls preaching For the rest let mee intreat you to read me not as an enemy vnlesse I shall therefore bee counted your enemy Gal. 4.16 because I tell you the truth but as one that desireth and prayeth for your saluation and I doubt not but through Gods grace you shall see that which will make you suspect and not so well to like your present estate nor so much to condemne our reformation if not to separate your selues and to come out with vs from amongst them lest ye perish euerlastingly For I professe before God who knoweth all secrets that till I seriously studied vpon these things I was not so resolued that the Pope is the Antichrist nor your tenents and superstitions so damnable but the further I waded into this study the more was I resolued so as that now I make no further doubt of it And therefore my hope is that the like effect may by reading these my meditations bee wrought in others also that the vnstable may be setled and the erring bee brought home into the one sheepfold of Christ before it be too late which God grant vnto you all for his mercies sake Amen A Table of the points of both Religions discussed in this Booke Of the Protestant Religion 1 God onely is to be beleeued in and not the Church Page 2 2 Christ onely is our Mediator and not the Saints departed Page 2 3 Iustification and saluation is by faith onely Page 3 4 Faith assureth of saluation Page 4 5 The soules of the faithfull goe not to Purgatory Page 5 6 Prayers for the dead auaile not Page 6 7 The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is no sacrifice There is no reall presence it ought to be in both kinds Page 6 8 Baptisme doth not quite ake away naturall corruption Page 7 9 The Sacraments of the new Testament are but two onely Page 7 10 There is no perfection of righteousnesse in this life Page 7 11 There is no liberty of will vnto good Page 8 12 Mariage is free for all men Page 8 13 The Scriptures alone are sufficient Page 10 14 None ought to be debarred from reading the Scriptures Page 11 15 The Pope is not supreme head of the Church Page 12 16 God onely is to be called vpon and not the Saints departed Page 14 17 The vse of images in diuine worship is vnlawfull Page 15 18 All prayers ought to be in a knowne tongue Page 17 19 Confession of sinnes is not necessary to any but to God onely Page 17 20 Satisfaction for sinne cannot be made by workes of penance Page 17 21 All sinnes are mort all none veniall Page 18 22 To goe on Pilgimage is a superstition Page 19 23 Extreme vncton ought not now to be Page 19 24 Crossing and holy water are vaine superstitions Page 19 25 Nothing is to be taken from the word for any end Page 20 26 Wilfull pouerty is not warrantable Page 20 27 To vow perpetuall Virginity is vnlawfull page 21 28 Of Holy dayes and fasts vpon their Eeues page 21 29 The Clergy is subiect to the King as well as the laity page 22 30 Superstitions ceremonies in baptizing are anoyded page 23 31 The holy Sâ—â—rament is not to be kept for after-vses page 23 32 The Church of Rome is no true Church because she razeth the foundation page 24 33 The ignorant Papists indangered as well as others page 32 Of Popery 1 Satisfaction for temporall punishments page 25 2 The merit of Saints of the Masse and of workes page 26 3 The saints Mediators page 27 4 Free-will preparing for grace page 28 By these the foundation is razed page 29 5 Vncertainty of faith page 31 6 The Popes supremacy page 37 7 The worshipping of Images page 43 8 The single life of Priests page 47 9 The reall presence page 49 10 Prayers in the Latine tongue page 53 11 Purgatory and praying for the dead page 54 12 Crossing and holy water page 55 13 Freewill page 59 14 Iustification by workes page 60 15 The vncertainty of saluation page 62 16 Satisfaction for sinne page 62 17 Seuen Sacraments page 64 18 Apocryphall Scriptures and traditions c. page 65 AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST POPERY In way of a Dialogue Wherein The Speakers are Saul or Paul Sergius Paulus and Elymas Saul NOble Sir because you are an elect vessell the Lord hath sent mee to publish the true Religion vnto you by the imbracing and right professing whereof you may be saued Sergius Paulus What is that religion Saul It is the Christian Religion taught and maintained in the reformed or Protestant Churches Serg. Paul Wherein standeth this religion Saul The maine points of it concerne either faith or practice in exercising the parts of Gods worship Serg. Paul Concerning faith what doth the Protestant Church hold Saul I will not rehearse all contained in the Symboll or Creed of the Apostles about which
fall into the ditch Onely the iudgement of the Leader shall be greater especially if in sinister respects his conscience being conuicted by the truth he doth yet persist in vpholding errour as experience hath taught that many of them haue done Serg. Paul It standeth with good reason that they which wittingly preferre errour should beare the burthen of it but methinkes such as are mis-led by them following their conscience should not perish for many of them serue God according to their profession with a good heart Saul Errour is of that nature as that it is damnable in whomsoeuer First because it is contrary to truth which sanctifieth and maketh free For so the Lord hath prayed Ioh. 17.17 Ioh. 8.32 Sanctifie them by thy Truth and hath pronounced the truth shall make you free Wherefore contrariwise errour polluteth and enthralleth and so debarreth from entring heauen Reuel 22. because no vncleane thing shall enter there and the bond-woman shall bee cast out with her children Secondly Gal. 4. because it is a iudgement vpon those onely that perish and are damned to haue their eyes blinded and to bee giuen ouer to delusions as I haue shewed 2 Cor. 4.4 2 Thes 2.11 Thirdly because God is truth and the Deuill is a lyar and therefore by error the minde is out of the way to God and can neuer enioy him but is in the right way to the Deuill Serg. Paul Any one of these reasons is sufficient to proue their wofull case But may there not be any meanes found out to reconcile these two Religions by yeelding somewhat on both sides and by laying aside austeritie and strangenesse and by putting on lenity and familiaritie one towards another Saul In all the particular points of difference I haue made it plaine that we are in the truth as therefore if wee would not goe from God we must not go from any of these things either in faith or practiceâ— for â—hat were but to yeeld to accompany them in the way to perdition and not to doe any thing aduantageous to their soules Wherefore they must yeeld vnto vs and as we haue already done come out of this Babel of errours and superstitions if euer they will inioy true peace and comfort to Godward In the meane season if gentle and perswasiue meanes would doe them any good they haue them in greater measure then they could expect considering their forepassed cruelty and rigour but for familiaritie and bosome friendship it is expressely against that charge Tit. 3.10 An Hereticke after once or twice admonition auoid Serg. Paul I thanke you most heartily for this light which you haue giuen vnto me and I thanke God who sent you vnto me by whose grace I resolue to liue and dye in the faith which you haue declared and after no other manner to worship God And for this you shall no more be called Saul but because I count you my best friend in the world and so another very selfe you shall be called after mine owne name Paul because I know not otherwise how to expresse how nearely to my heart I haue placed you for your good instructions this day giuen vnto me Elymas Most excellent and worthy Gouernor I am sorie to heare that a man of your place and wisdome should haue his eares and minde so much abused by the seducing words of an Arch-hereticke Is your Church the onely True Church of God and is the Church of the Catholikes a false Church or none at all Oh God what will not these men perswade vnto Is it not manifest to all the world that yee are a company of Heretikes and Schismaticks and a Church but of yesterday or since Luthers time at the most Was God without a Church till your faction began What impudencie is this to abuse Noble Gouernours of Countreys thus by drawing them from the Catholike Church of Rome that hath euer been famous through the world for constant cleauing to the Christian Religion Paul Thou bewitching Sophister and beguiler of simple soules is is knowne to all men that this is your vsuall false slander of our Church and the chiefe string to your Bow so that when yee haue nothing else to fay your refuge still is the old Religion the old Religion what will ye forsake the old Religion for a new But to follow you and beat you with your owne weapon Be it knowne that the reformed Religion is the old Religion indeed and the present religion of the Church of Rome a new religion of which this noble person present shall be iudge seeing you haue prouoked me to enter these lists with you Elymas I am content that either he or any man shal iudge herein betweene vs and if you can proue what you haue sâ—yd I will lose the day Paul I proue it therefore thus The Religion commended to vs by Gods Spirit in the holy Scriptures is the old Religion and that whereof men of later times are authors is new in comparison of it But the reformed is thus commended to vs as I haue already fully declared and the Religion of the present Church of Rome is from men of latter times Ergo. Elymas Neither is the Protestant Religion commended in the holy Scriptures nor the Roman Catholike Religion inuented by man since For as much as you bragge of the Scriptures you haue not one plaine sentence in your owne Bible for any one point of your Religion without adding altering or glossing vpon it as is your vsuall manner And for our Religion shew if you can when and by whom those points which you call errors were inuented for wee hold that all things haue euer since the Apostles times been thus Paul I maruell that you and your fellow whosoeuer hee was that wrote the book blasphemously intituled The gag for the Gospell are not ashamed so boldly to charge vs that we haue not one plaine place of Scripture What is that saying of our Lord Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue Mat. 4.10 Doe not both the words and the circumstances plainly make for vs denying to fall downe and worship any but God otherwise Christ had not spoken so appositè to Satan bidding him to fall downe and worship him What is that command Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image c. And againe Deut. 4.15 Take good heed vnto your selues for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Hoâ—eb lest you corrupt your selues and make you a grauen image the similitude of any figure c. What is this saying There is one God 1. Tim. 2.4 2. Cor. 3.5 Phil. 2.13 and one Mediator betwixt God and man the man Christ Iesus and this Wee are not sufficient of our selues to thinke a good thought as of our selues and this God worketh in you the will and the deed of his own good pleasure with many more textâ— before alleaged which I spare to repeat
reckoneth vp the number of most notorious wicked Popes Napier Reuel p. 138. There haue beene thirteene adulterers Three common Stewes-haunters foure incestuous persons eleuen Sodomiticall persons seuen erectors of Stewes and two and twenty Necromancers And Henricus Echartus who in his booke called Papa Pharisaizans reckoneth vp the vilest heresies wherwith Popes haue been tainted Some Sadduces some Montanists Arrians Nestorians Eutychians and Epicures and patrons of wickednesse Innocent 4 defended for gold any luxury in the Clergie Sixtus 4 gaue liberty of Sodometry to the Cardinals Alexander 4 sent into England for money absolution to all periured and wicked persons Serg Paul Are these things true is it possible that so many monsters should sit in the Apostolike chaire yet it is true the office doth not priuiledge from sinne alse Iudas being an Apostle should not haue been a Deuill As Iudas therefore was no preiudice to the Apostolicall office no more it may bee are some wicked Popes to the religion by them maintained Else by the like reason the wickednesse of some of your Bishops Ministers would be an argument against your religion Paul For the truth of these things I haue alledged my authors who in these sifting times would not haue written thus if they could haue been disproued And howsoeuer the wickednesse of ordinary persons of the Clergy or Laity cannot minister an argument against their religion yet when one that is aboue all as an Oracle giueth Edicts to all and guideth the ship as he pleaseth is notoâ—iously wicked there needs no greater argument of a wicked religion Because the religion professed by vs is not founded vpon the Bishop or Minister but vpon Gods Word but the religion of the Church of Rome is founded vpon the Pope seeing it is their common Plea that their Church is founded vpon S. Peter and his successors Such then as the Pope is such must the religion built vpon him needs bee for so much as the building alwayes standeth and falleth with the foundation It is a silly shift to say he may erre as he is a man in manners but not as Pope in doctrine For what ground can there be that the holy Ghost will dwell to direct in the truth vpon all occasions in a nasty sty of vncleane spirits For how is the holy Spirit if not by abominable sinnes quenched and chaced away It is a priuiledge of such as feare God Psal 25.12 to be directed in the right and not of Balaam or Caiaphas though they might exâ—raordinarily prophesie as Balaams Asse spake Elywas You must not thinke yet to beare vs down thus as Antichristian and abominable in our religion no no although all were as you haue said yet wee want not the strongest argument of all which must stop all mouths the very finger of God which hath often manifested it selfe miracles wrought at Saints sepulchres and images by exorcising of Priests to the casting out of Deuils by Crosses and Holy Water vvhich haue often put the Deuill to flight and almost all points of our religion haue beene confirmed by miraculous reuelations to some holy persons of vnsuspected credit who haue vpon their faith affirmed the same Paul These miracles make much on your side indeed to proue your religion Antichristian Thes Reuel and your Pope Antichrist seeing it is said that he should come with lying wonders and should cause fire to come downe from heauen to these ducing of many Miracles indeed had their vse in the first propagating of the Gospell 1 Cor. 14. but they were for vnbeleeuers smce they haue ceased as needlesse euen as to vse the similitude of Gregory the husbandman hauing newly planted an Orchard watereth it But when it is well rooted hee watereth it no more Deut. 23. If any giue a signe amongst the people of God to proue any new matter in religion not propounded in the vvritten Word of God hee is pronounced a false Prophet Moreouer many of your miracles haue been proued coosenages by which we may ghesse what the rest are and for reuelations they may well bee counted rather delusions of Satan who is ready to tempt men according to their humours and superstitious Monkes to more superstitions Serg. Paul Are miracles then of so little force now What meaneth our Saniour Christ when hee maketh this a signe of the true faith Mark 16.17 He that beleeueth these signes shall follow he shall cast out Deuils lay his hands vpon the sicke and heale them c. Paul Miracles were very frequent indeed then as was needfull but it was not to bee expected that these signes should follow alwayes when al countreys and Nations being conuerted the truth had gotten other sufficient testimonie vvithout signes Onely God doth something miraculously oftentimes for the credit of his Gospell in all ages as by punishing extraordinarily the enemies of his truth and blessing such as fauour it Thus the persecuting Emperors vvere extraordinarily iudged and the first Christian Emperor extraordinarily blessed in that they all for the space of three hundred yeares liued most turbulent liues had most vnquiet estates and almost all of them suffered by violent deaths after a short raigne but Constantine the first Christian Emperour liued long was euery where victorious and then reigned in peace and dyed in peace And of these miracles blessed be God we are full in this kingdome for Queene Mary that stood for Poperie had but a short time was extraordinarily disappointed of the hoped for successor of her owne body to the amazement of all and so was cut off in the prime of her age But Queene Elizabeth of blessed memory had a long time and the diuine protection did compasse her about as a shield against all treasons and conspiracies so that they were miraculously disappointed and hauing reigned in peace inticht her kingdom more then euer abated the pride of her enemies and mightily succoured other distressed Protestants in a good old age she departed in peace And since that time our gracious King that now raigneth whom God long preserue how miraculously both he and we all vnder him haue beene deliuered and in what peace he hath and doth still gouerne such mighty Nations like another Salomon in such tumultuous times it is so well knowne that I shall not need to speake And that blow which your Religion had at Blacke-Friers October 26 of this yeare by the onely hand of God both Teacher and people to the number of about an hundred persons being suddenly cut off at one of your Sermons and the first that hath beene publike to our Country-men since the suppression of Pope y and that vpon your Nouember 5 at vvhat time our ouerthrow thankes bee to God was in another yeare in vaine attempted that I say the like whereof was neuer heard was a very miracle to the confounding of your superstitions which you thought by degrees to bring in here againe and to crowde out the truth For howsoeuer we are all
Betweene Anno 1200 Hist Magd. Cent. 13. c. 2. and 1300 Gulielm de Sancto amers was banished for an heretike and had his bookes burnt and Robert Grosted Bishop of Lincolne greatly opposed the Pope Between An. 1300 and 1400 was Iohn Wickliffe professor of diuinitie in Oxford who opposed the Pope in sundry points Hist Magd. Cent. 14. And out of Greece came diuers by reason of the Turkish tyranny amongst whom Marsilius Patauinus was of most note he maintained that the Pope had no power ouer other Bishops much lesse ouer Kings Armachanus an Archb. in Ireland and Iohannes de Rupeseissa were of the same opinion also And after this Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prague with almost all the country of Bohemia were famous for standing for the truth Serg. Paul But these were but a few in an age neither could they make a Church how hapned it that there were no more till Wickliffes time Paul Where Bishops and learned teachers haue been stirred vp to stand for the truth there is no doubt but as lights of the world they did inlighten many more though they be to vs vnknowne Neither was the mysterie of iniquity growne to that height till about Wickliffes time and the dayes of the succeeding Worthies so that the Romane religion was not altogether so dangerous but now they being almost quite gone from Christ their superstitious deuotion increasing towards the Virgin Mary and the rest of the Saints satisfying for a mans owne sins in part being taught and the merit of workes and freedome of will set vp and the assurance of faith condemned and such horrible idolatry with the Masse more then euer committed they which had the Spirit of God in any measure within them could no longer forbeare but in great companies vtterly separate from the Church of Rome lest whilst they would bee worshippers of Christ they should become limmes of Antichrist to the destruction of their soules Elymas Nay rather are ye now become limmes of Antichrist by following Martin Luther a Monke that brake his Vow and maried a Nunne was of a notorious wicked life and had consultation with the Deuill and so went to the Deuill at the last and by following King Henry 8 a man so sensuall and tyranicall for these and such like were your leaders to this Schisme and not any good Spirit as yee pretend Paul In seeking to wound the truth through the sides of these men you doe but according to your accustomed manner it being one of the Pillars of your Religion to lay slanderous imputations vpon your Aduersaries as a late Writer of ours hath notably shewed Willet Tetrastul Papismi But as for Martin Luther it is well knowne that he was a man of great zeale for the truth and succeeded accordingly your Pope and all your power not being able to lay violent hands vpon him but that hee was preserued to dye in peace If there were any thing taxable in him in what holy man hath there not beene likewise it is no preiudice to the truth which hee stood for no more then Saint Pauls forepassed persecuting and blaspheming was to the Gospel And for King Henry 8 God can vse any instrument to beat down the pride of such an enemy as the Pope as be vsed Nebuchadnezzar to chastice idolatrous Iudah and the Syrian Presidents and Romane Emperours to destroy Christs enemies and to abrogate the legall seruice by burning vp the Temple and yet this made nothing the more for the credit of the Iewes Religion or discredit of the Christian thus aduanced But because you haue giuen mee so iust occasion I say that if the wickednesse and miscrable ends of chiefe erectors of any Religion be an argument of a bad religion as vndoubtedly it is the Religion of the Church of Rome is abundantly conuinced to bee such seeing so many Poper haue beene so notoriously wicked and perished so miserably and such apparant iudgements haue beene executed vpon others that hath holpen to aduance it Gregory the third who drew vp the Popedome to such a high pin was a most wicked man for when Phocas who had murthered Mauricius Platina and was therefore greatly taxed by the Patriarke of Constantinople for which hee was much offended with him hee sent his image to Rome and Gregory receiued it honourably and flattereth with this parricide but inioyed not long the honour of vniuersall Bishop thus attained for he dyed within nine moneths after And Phocas the founder of the primacy proued soone after a slothfull beast Pompon Latus Paul Diacon cruelly murthering many of the Nobles rauishing many Matrons and Virgins wallowing in dayly drunkennesse and acocrdingly was rewarded For hee was taken by Priscus and Heracleon and his hands being fast cut off then his priuy member he was beheaded and his body burnt in a brazen Bull R. Barus supplem Chron. Nancl. and all his posterity destroyed with him Siluester the second was a Coniurer and was slaine by the Deuil Iob. Marius when he was saying Masse in the Chappell of the Crosse of Ierusalem Iohn the 13 committed Incest with two of his Sifters and was slaine at the last in the act of Adultery Gregory the seuenth put out the eyes of Iohn the 15 and killed him with famine in the Castle of Saint Angelo that he might reigne in his stead and hauing laboured mightily to aduance the papall Sea he was shortly cut off by a sudden death and his body was drawne by the feet through the streets Fascic Temp. Otho 1. and pierced with speares by the Romanes Whereupon the History called Fosciculus temporâ—â— noreth that the Bishops of Rome were now adayes slaine as in the Primitiue Church but were not made Martyrs as they there was the like death but not the like cause thy suffered as wailde lambes following the Lambr Christ Plat. vit pontif these as ranâ—â—ing Wolues an empting a new Empire Gregory the ninth dyed in despaise Boniface the eighth dyed of madnesse Paul the second hauing yoted as much as euer did Hesiegabalus dyed of an Apoplexy Alexander the sixt committed Incest with his owne daughter whom also he maried to his sonue Pasquil Natal comes Hist l. 4. and was at the last poysoned by him Pius the fourth dyed in the very bosome of his Concubine Paul the third when he had waxed old in a filthy course of life dyed crying out my sinne is alwayes against mee And what should I reckon vp more whoso desireth to read further of them let him looke into Pelanus Dan. part 2. p. 467 and Parker of the Grosse who sheweth what whores and Ganimedes by name seuerall Popes haue had Sergius had Marozia Gregory the seuenth Matildis Alexander the sixt Lucretia all their daughters or Sisters Sextus the fourth had for his Ganimede Riarius Iulius the second Germanus Leo the tenth Hypolitus Iulius the third Innocentius c. And Napier who in his exposition vpon the Rouelation
and a far more terrifying course by imprisoning long vilely dieting cruelly racking and at last burning them in a lingring paineprotracting fire Serg. Paul But it is not for their sanctity that he dealeth thus with them but for their Heresies for which he thinketh them worthy of any torment that others being by them warned may take heed of falling into the like Paul This is his pretence indeed but if it be heresie then the pure milke sucked out of the brests of the old and new Testament without any forraigne mixture must be heresie for such I haue particularly shewed in the beginning of this Colloquy all our doctrine to be It is therefore for zeale and sanctity meerly that we suffer and if it were otherwise yet the Pope must needs for this be Antichrist and popery Antichristianisme For who is Antichrist but he that is against Christ and who is against Christ but he that teacheth and setteth men on to doe against Christs teaching If Christ then had bidden Peter to put vp his sword and not to strike therewith for his cause in way of reuenge vpon those that were contrary minded is not he Antichrist that gloryeth in striking with the sword If Christ rebuked the rash zeale of those that would haue called for fire from heauen to destroy such as refused to entertaine Christ are not they Antichristian that with fire fagot destroy all If Christ bad let the tares and wheat grow together till the haruest lest whilest the tares be pulled out the wheat be plucked vp also is not he Antichrist that biddeth pluck vp the tares howsoeuer destroy the Hereticks in France and in Germany by the sword and in England with Gunpowder though many Catholikes perish together with them also To say nothing of other things wherein he is plainly against Christ Elym You shew your spite against his Holinesse now indeed How can you speake thus without blushing when as it is plainly set forth as the note of Antichrist 1. Iohn 4.1 that he denyeth Christ to haue come in the flesh and to confesse Christ come in the flesh the note of Gods Spirit Wherefore the Pope cannot be Antichrist And if cruelty against Heretikes bee an argument to proue Antichrist I pray let your rulers take part with him herein seeing that in cruelty they are no whit inferiour to Catholike rulers if they exceed them not For what holy Priests and zealous desmits haue beene spared from the sword what priuate professors of the Catholike Religion from most cruell vsage imprisoning and spoyling since the beginning of Queene Elizabeths reigne cill euen of late when the clemency of a more mercifull King abhorring from all tyranny hath made their yoak somwhat easier Paul You shew eyther your ignorance or wilfulnesse in alleaging that text of Saint Iohn For who knoweth not that there are more Antichrists then one some are open professed enemies to Christ of whom St. Iohn speaketh that those may easily be knowne by their denying of Christ but there is one called the Antichrist which I haue also set forth that sitteth in the Temple of God and commeth with all deceiâ—ablenesse which things could not agree vnto him if hee plainly denyed Christ and this Antichrist your Pope may well be notwithstanding his outward profession of Christianity And for your reply to draw in our Gouernors into the same predicament for their cruelty I wonder that you and your fellowes are not ashamed to broach so many notorious lyes as you haue done touching all manner of cruelties exercised here in England against your sect when as since the beginning of that most blessed Queenes reigne though there was iust cause and but your owne measure should haue bin meted to you againe if all your sect had beene rooted out with fire and sword without partiality not one Papist hath beene put to death for his religion But because by experience it was found dangerous to the State to suffer Priests and Iesuits to come into the land their comming being for treason and rebellion they were proceeded against as traytors that presumed contrary to the Law to enter this Kingdome And lest there should bee danger in the rest they haue beene confined and fined as commmon policy requireth the more they were kept vnder and restrained the security of the State being the more and contrariwise the more their wealth and liberty was the greater was the danger of the Kingdome Wherefore here hath beene no persecution of Religion but of rebellion no execution done vpon conscience but vpon treason as your own conscience cannot but witnesse with vs. Elym There is no end I see of wording with you so many are your shifts and colours at euery turne but I hope you haue seen your best dayes both you your religion shall now downe as fast as euer it came vp and the Catholike religion shall be againe in euery place restored and then the deed will proue the truth and that your heresy is not of God for then it could not bee resisted Wherefore most noble Gouernor let not this Heretick seduce you but prouide for your honor peace and safety by ioyning with Catholicke Princes who alone almost rule all Europe and would be glad to see you become a good Catholicke also and so to prosecute with all entire loue honor estimation Paul Now you shew your selfe in your colours indeed a true child of the Deuill tempting by worldly honours and respects as he did Christ But most excellent Sergius your wisedome I hope is such that you will easily reiect these temptations as Christ did the Deuils with it is written Psal 20.8 They which trust in horses and chariots or in worldly Princes shall fall downe but such as trust in God shall stand vp stedfastly For mine owne part I doubt not but the eager putting on of popish Potentates of late dayes to ouerthrow the truth at once is a presage of the ruine of that superstition being euen at the dores For so the Christian Religion being most indangered in the dayes of Eugenius when the aduersaries sought to destroy it all at once his rage was turned to bee fatall to Gentilisme being immediatly after so put downe as that it was neuer able to make head againe Serg. Paul God forbid that I through any feare or hope should be drawne to that which I so plainly now see to bee dangerous to the soule No no thou bewitching Elymas I haue giuen too much care to thy deceiuable reasons to incline to so fauourable an opinion of your Antichristianisme From henceforth I charge you to come at my Court no more for I will no more haue communion with you or such as you are but onely as I am commanded I will as much as in me lyeth haue peace with all men And thou Paul the true messenger of God shalt at all times be welcome vnto me Many such Preachers God blesse mee and my Dominion with all for they are truely the seruants of God and all that will be moued the rather for my countenance let them hearken vnto them and fly all communion with sophisticall Iesuites and Priests So shall I account them good and loyall subiects to me in whom my heart shall trust and they shall escape the greatest and the most bewitching danger of the soule that euer was FINIS