Papistical this is and contrary to Protestancie euery one knoweth Beside as Fox saith pag. 115. most like they did this for holines sake thincking in this kind of life to serue or please God better or to merit more which Kinde of act or ende of theirs is plain Papistical and quite opposit to Protestancie And therfore Fox saith that these Kings were far deceaued To these Kings we may adioin 19. Queenes and Kings daughters whome Fox also pag. 134. confesseth to haue left their royall estate Manie ancient Queenes and K. Daughters nunnes and becommen Nunnes Yea pag. 137. he citeth out of an ancient Chronicle That in the Primitiue Church of England Kings Deuotion of English to monkish life Princes Dukes Earles Barons and Rulers of Churches incensed with a desire of heauen laboring and striuing among them selues to enter into Monkerie into voluntarie exile and solitarie life forsooke all and followed the Lord. The same hath Huntington lib. 5. Houed and others Is this thinck we a proceding of Protestants or rather of earnest and deuout Roman Catholicks 5 Out ancient Kings desire the P. to confirme their Charters 2. Fiftly They desired the Pope to confirme their Charters which they made This you may see of King Ethelbert the first Christian King in Malmsb lib. 1. Pont. pag. 208. Of King Coenred and King Offa in Capgraue in vita Egwin Of King Egbert in Florent Chron. An. 676. of King wulfer in Ingulf pag 884. Of an other King Offa in Paris An. 794. Of King Edgar in Malmsb. lib. 2. Reg. pag. 57. 6. They suffered appeals to Rome from them selues 6 Kings suffer appeals to Rome This is euident in King Egbert and King Alfred in Beda lib. 5. cap. 20. 7. They beleeued S. Peter to be Prince of the Apostles as is to be seene in King Offa his Charter in Cambden in Brit. 7 Our Kings beleeue S. Peters supremacie pag. 613. and S. Peter to be higher in degree than S. Paule as is to be seene in King Ina his verses there pag. 193. and Peter onely to haue had the keies to witt of all the Church as Reinolds confesseth Confer pag. 12 And finally the Church of Rome in their time to be the Catholick and Apostolick Church as Beda testifieth lib. 3. cap. 29 at what time the Protestants account the Roman Church the who are of Babilon and the Pope Antichrist 8 Manie of our Kings canonized by the Pope 8. Seuen of these our English Kings are Canonized by the Roman Church in the Martirologe to wit Ethelbert Richard Oswald Sebbi Edmund Edward martir Edward Confessor 9 Our ancient Kings knovv not iustification by onely faith which would neuer haue bene done if they had not bene Roman Catholicks 9. Our ancient English Kings could be no Protestants therfore they were Roman Catholicks For no others challenge them for theirs That they could be no Protestants is most manifest First because the opinion of iustification by onely faith is accounted of Protestants the foundation VVhat is the foundation and soul of Protetestancie Luther head and cheefest point and soule of their Doctrin and Church It is saith Luther Prefat in Ionam the head of Christian Religion the summe of the scriptures Prefat ad Galath If the article of Iustification by onely faith be once lost then is all true Christian doctrin lost And as many as hould not that doctrin are Iewes Turks Papists or hereticks Item By this onely doctrin the Church is built and in this it consisteth And in cap. 1. Galath If we neglect the Article of Iustification we leese all together And in cap. 2. It is the principal Article of all Christian doctrin all other Arcicles are comprehended in it Fox Acts. Fox pag. 840. saith It is the foundation of all Christianitie Chark And pag. 770. the onely principal origen of our saluatian Chark in the Tower disputation saith It is the soule of the Church And the same say all other Protetestants But this foundation this head this soule of Protestancie our ancient Kings knew not as Fox plainly confesseth in these wordes pag. 170. The Doctrin of Iustification by onely faith was then vnknown And pag. 133. writeth thus of our antientest Christian Kings Our Kings knevv not the Protestant Gospel They lackt the doctrin and knowledg in Christs Gospel espetially saith he in the Article of free Iustification by faith and therfor saith he they ran the wrong way Loe he granteth that they were ignorant espetially of that which Protest esteeme the especiallest point of Protestancie And Ibid. speaking of our ancient Christian Kings hath these wordes How great the blindnes and ignorance of these men was who wanting no zeale wanted knowledg seeking their saluation by their meritorious deedes which I write saith he here to put vs in mind how much we at this present are bound to God for the true sinceritie of his truth hidden so long before to our fforancestors and opened now to vs. A plaine confession that none of our Anceitors vvere Protestants This onely lamenting to see them haue such works and want our faith and vs to haue right faith and want their workes Could he say more plainly that our Ancient Princes and Christian Ancestors knew not so much as the foundation of Protestancy and wanted their faith And with what face then can any man challeng them for Protestants And heere I challeng Abbots or what minister so euer VVhat must be shevved of ministers that saie our Anceitors vvere Protestants to shewe one ancient English man Woman or Child that held this forsaid foundation head and soule of their religion And if they can not as indeede they can not let them confesse that there was neuer ancient English Protestant vnles they will make Protest without head or or soule 3. Moreouer to build or indow Religious houses as Doc. Abbots saith Answer to D. pag. 100. Bishop for redemption of their sinnes and purchase of their soules health proceeded of the wāt of the sight of the sunne of righteousnes For vvhat end our Kings built and endevved monasteries And Fox pag. 133. saith it is contrary to the rule of Christs Gospel But the same Fox Ibid. testifieth that our first Christian kings built monasteries seeking for merit with God and remedie of their soules and remedy of their sinnnes and prooueth it by a Charter of King Ethelbald which he might haue proued by as many Charters of those ancient kings as are extant One of King Ethelbald I will cite out of Ingulph made to free monks from taxes the third yeare of his Reigne which was 718 some what more than a hunderd yeares after S. Austin Ego Ethelbald c I Ethelbald King of marchland for the loue of the celestical Contry Good vvorks done to free the soul from bond of sin and for the redemption of my soule haue prouidently decreed to free it by good worke from all bond of sinne
Christs faith wherto these two were moued by wordly if not vitious motiues theÌ„ that wherto they were moued by heauenly vertue and miracles That that should be Gods truth which began but the last day rather thaÌ„ that which hath continewed heere this thousand yeares Finally that a Child and one woman are gone to heauen so many vertuous Princes with all their Archbishops Bishops Prelats Diuins and Clergy with all their Queenes Princes Nobles Commons and Ancestors for these thousand yeares not withstanding all their wisdom learning miracles vertuous liues and good deedes are gon to hell for want of true faith in Christ were as the ancient Father Tertullian saith to certain Hereticks of his time so many millions christened in vaine beleeued in vaine serued God in vaine and are dead in their sinnes Perhaps some will say that the forsayd Princes and our Ancestors beleeued so much of the Christian faith as is necessary to saluation But then it euidently followeth that the Protestant faith is not the Christian faith Because as I haue shewne before out of the confession of Protestants those Princes knew not so much of Protestancy as that which Protestants account the soule head and foundation of their religion and without which they say all is lost To wit IustificatioÌ„ by onely faith Yea they are by Fox others plainly denyed to haue known the Protestants faith and affirmed to haue held diuers pointes quite opposit to ProtestaÌ„cy How then could they be saued by any point of Protestancy who knew not so much as the foundation therof and with other points of their beliefe ouerturned it Wherfore others ashamed to condemne so many so worthy and so vertuous Christians to Hel and yet not daring to afford them hope of saluation lest they should condemne their owne religion answere that they will not iudge their forfathers but leaue them to Gods iudgement But these ether are ashamed to vtter what they thinke or haue no firme faith at all For if they firmely belieued their Protestant faith to be Christs faith they must needs thinck that all that haue died without it are damned for without true faith it is impossible to please God or which is a spice of Atheisme and right Antichristianitie that there are more waies to heauen than by Christ and his faith that there are many faiths many baptisms many Christs many Gods From which irreligious atheisme God deliuer my deere country And thus hauing sufficiently shewed how Saint Austin was our English Nations first preacher and what qualities he had fit for such a function and what kind of doctrine his was and how it hath continued in our countrie euer since lâ—t vs now vew Luther and his doctrine see whither they haue the like or rather quite opposit qualities conditions that after hauing weighed both we may the berter iudge wherof to make our choice Finis Primi libri THE SECOND BOOKE OR SCALE VVHERIN The qualities of Luther and of his Doctrine are set dovvne THE FIRST CHAPTER That Luther was the first Author of the Protestant Religion VVhy Catholiks might be alledaged against Luther ALBEIT I might iustly produce the testimonie of Catholick writers who liued at the same time with Luther and some of them in the same Countrie also neare vnto him to proue that he was the first beginner of Protestancie because they could not be ignorant of so notorious a matter and being of that fidelitie as they cannot be disproued in any other weightie matter of that grauity as it can not be thought that they would wittinglie make them selues a scorne to the world by reporting notorious vntruthes and finally being Catholicks whose testimonie as we see in England Protestants vse to account most sure Catholick writers I say being thus qualified I might iustly produce their testimonie especially in so easie a matter for them to know and so easie to be disproued if it were not true For what more easie than to name one liuing man that was Protestant befor Luther if any had bene yet partely because I would auoid all cauils VVhy their testimonies are forborne but especially because Protestants them selues testifie ynough in this matter I will absteine from Catholick witnesses leauing it to the iudicious Reader to considet how euident our cause is which we will proue onely by the testimonie of our aduersaries Fiue kind of Profes that Luther vvas the beginner of Protestantisme And that Luther was the first Author of Protestant Religion I will proue First by the Protestants confession of the inuisibilitie or no appearance in the world of their Church or religion before Luther Secondly by their like Confession of the newnes or late rising of their Church and faith Thirdly by their Confession also of the departure of their first Maisters and Teachers from our Church Fourthly I will proue it by reason And Fiftly by their plaine affirming and graunting that Luther was indeed the beginner of their religion To which profes I will adde in the next Chapters a disprofe of such as some ProtestaÌ„ts chalenge to haue bene of their religion in EnglaÌ„d in former times That the ProtestaÌ„ts Church vvas not visible befor Luther Luther 2. Thouching the first kind of profe that the ProtestaÌ„ts CongregatioÌ„ was not visible in the world before Luther it may suffice that Luther himself lib. de Capt. cap. de bapt complayneth that The Popes tirany saith he for many ages hath extinguished the faith And lib. de libert he crieth out thus Alas Christian life is vnkowne in all the world Erasmus a CoÌ„fessor with Fox Erasm cont Epist non Sab. Luther Fox in his Calendar Reinolds Coâ—for pag. 152. 1â—5 Calvin The alteration of religion vvith the beginning of Charles 5. tooke her original Sleidan prefat histor VVhitaker Perkins and a man of good iudgment with Doct. Reinolds writeth that Luther taught many things which for many ages the Church knew not Caluin Praefat. Institut confesseth plainly that his doctrine diu incognita sepultaque latuit Lay long time vnknowne and buried Againe In the ages past ther was no face of a true Church For some ages all things were drowned in deep darknes And lib. 4. c. 1. § 11. For some ages the pure preaching of the word vanished Doct. Whitaker cont Duraeum pag. 274. we as plainly know saith he the visible Church to haue perished as thou knowest a man to be dead Perkins in his Exposit of the Creed p. 400. Before the daies of Luther for the space of many hundred yeares an Vniuersal Apostacie ouerspred the whole world The protestant Church hid for manie hundred years togâ—tâ—er And in thâ— Resor Catholicke p. 3â—2 Our Church saith he in Luthers time began to shâ—w it selfe as hauing bene hid by an vniuersall Apostacy many hundred yeares togeather Could one speak more plainly And exposit cit p 370. he saith these many hundreds which he meaneth were nine hundred yeares D. Fulke in natis Apoc. 20.
founder of their Church and consequently that their religion and Church is a deuise and inuention of man Wherupon what will follow euery one seeth And as Luther was the Author of Protestancy in Germany so also from him it spred into England and other Countries not only by means of his books but also by his and his scholers Melancthon Pomeran others particuler letters written to English men and by the example of the German ProtestaÌ„ts which as Stow saith King Henry 8. followed in reiecting the Pope And finally because Tindal who is termed the Apostle of England went as Fox saith pag. 983. Tindal the Protest Apostle of England taught by Luther into Germany and there had conference with Luther Wherupon the said Fox saith pag. 1013. that from Germany Luthers Gospell began to spread his beames here in England And so wee may iustly account Luther the Author or founder of ProtestaÌ„t religion in our English Nation Protestancie came out of Germanie into Engl. And howsoeuer some will obstinatly deny against all the forsaid profes that Luther was the Author of their religion but it was forsooth before Luther though they know nether where nor in whom nor can produce any witnes yet neither doth any nor can any deny K Henrie â— in Sledan lib. 8. fol. 1â—2 saith Protestant came into England out of Germaniâ— but that this late reuolt of our English Nation from the See of Rome came originally from Luther as the vnion ther of to the said See aboue one thousand years agoe proceded from Saint Austin which sufficeth me to compare the vnion in faith of our English Nation with the See of Rome with the disunion therof VVhat is shevved of luther the like may be prooued of Calvin or anie other Sectmaister of our time Besides our ministers say Luther differeth from theÌ„ in no substantiall point Iuel Apol Feild of Church Reinolds Confer VViclef no Protestant in their two principall Authors S. Austin and Martin Luther And thus hauing shewed that there was no Protestant liuing ether in England or other wher when Luther began let vs see whether ther had bene any in England in times past CHAP. II. That VVicklefe and his followers were no Protestants 1. ALbeit Protestants challeng some few others who liued about Wicklefs time yet because their greatest hope is in him and his followers in so much that Doctor Fulke answere to a Counterf Catholick pag. 24. saith that he weeneth that we will not deny VVicklef to haue bene of their Church I will for breuity sake omit the rest 1 VViclef knevv not so much as the foundatioÌ„ of Protestancie and shew that euen Wicklife and his companie were far from being Protestants First because to hold iustification by only faith is as is before shewed lib. 1. cap. 21. by generall consent of Protestants the head the soule the foundation of their Church and religion And as Luther saith Praefat Epist ad Galat. As many as hold not this doctrine are either Iewes Turkes Popish or Hereticks But Wicklef and his mates held not iustification by only faith VViclef held not iustification by onely faith For as Melancthon cheefest scholler to Luther writeth Epist ad Fred. Micon inter Epist Zuinglij pag. 622. He nether vnderstood nor held the iustice of faith Besides nether Wicklef nor any of his followers were euer accused by any of the Catholick Inquisitors of those times of that point albeit as Fox saith pag. 750. their inquisition was so strait that no article could be mentioned amongst them but it was discouered Moreouer many of Wicklefes bookes are yet extant and neuertheles no Protestant hath yet found this their fundamentall Article of iustification by only faith in any of his bookes How then could Wicklefe be a Protestant who knew not so much as the head soul and foundation of Protestancie 2 VViclef holdeth diuers things condemned by ProtestaÌ„ts 2. Secondly Wicklef held diuers things which Protestantes condemne as that if any Bishop or Priest be in deadly sin he doth neyther order consecrat nor baptize which Fox pag. 400. sayth can hardly be defended See more of his Articles in Concil Constanâ—â—â—n And that so long as a man is in deadly sin he is no Bishop ot Prelat in the Church of God That temporall Lords may according to their ovvne vvill and discretion take avvay the temporall goods from the Church men vvhensoeuer they do offend which articles Fox pag. cit defendeth no otherwise then by saying that preaduenture they vvere not so strictly ment of him as they were gathered Moreouer Fox pag. 414. amongst other articles of Wiclefe citeth these To enrich the Clergie is against the rule of Christ There is no greater Heretick or Antichrist than the Clerke who teacheth that it is lawfull for Priests and Leuits of the lavv of grace to be endued vvith teÌ„porall possessions To which Stow Anno. 1376. addeth this other That neither King nor any seculer person could giue any thing perpetually to any person of the Church Further more as Fox hath pag. 392. he extolled the perfection of pouerty of the begging Friers and as Stow saith l. cit adioyned himselfe to them And the cause why he inueighed against the Church was as there Stow saith because he had bene depriued by the Archbishop of Canterb. of a benefice that he vniustly as was said was incumbent vpon VVhy VViclef impugned the Cath. faith Lastly Fox pag. 410. setteth downe a letter which he wrote to Pope Vrban 6. Anno 1382. which was about three yeares before he died wherin he confesseth the Pope to be Christs Vicar on earth and addeth thus If I haue erred in any of thes points I will submit my selfe to correction euen by death if necessitie so require Diuers other points which Protestants detest are collected out of his books by the Author of the Protestants Apologie for the Roman Church pag. 106. And more of Wicklefs wicked life and doctrine you may see in walsingham histor pag. 188 206. 302 ypadig pag. 139 142. 3. 3 ProtestaÌ„ts refuse VViclef PaÌ„taleon Melancthon Thirdly diuers Protestants refuse VVicklife for one of theirs and account him an Heretik As Pantaleon Chronall pag. 119. placing VViclife amongst Hereticks saith thus of him VViclife vvith the Lollard preacheth his heresie in England And the foresaid Melancthon epist cit I haue looked saith he into VVicklefe vvho maketh a great adoe about this controuersy of the Eucharist but I haue found many other errors in him by vvhich vve may iudge of his spirit Surely he neither vnderstood nor held the iustice of saith He foolishly confoundeth the Gospell and ciuill affairs nor perceaueth that the Gospell giueth vs leaue to vse the pollicie of all nations He laboreth to proue that Priests shold haue no proprietie He vvill haue no tithes paid but to those that teach He sophistically and very seditiously cauilleth of ciuill dominion In like manner he sophistically cauilleth
new doctrine it was very inconstant both in particuler points in his whole religion For in his answer to P. Leo his Bull in Fox pag. 1170. he writeth thus I imbrace with the full trust of my spirit thse Articles in the said Bull condemned and affirme that the same ought to be holden of all faithfull Christians vnder paine of eternall damnation And pag. 1174. I confesse saith Luther all these things condemned here by this Bull for pure clear and Catholick doctrine And yet Fox noteth in the Margent pag. 1167. thus He retracteth these Articles he recalleth these And 1. Galat. fol. 36. whether it be saith Luther Cyprian Austin Ambrose either Peter Paul or Ihon or an Angel from heauen that teacheth otherwise yet this I know assuredly that I teach not the things of man but of God And yet him self lib. de Captiuit writeth thus I admitted the Papacie to be good by mans law And ibid. he admitteth three sacraments for a time as he speaketh And yet soone after cast away the third sacrament and the Papacie vtterly And lib. cont Catharin he maketh this recantation Luther reiecteth vvhat he taught vnder paine of damnation I confesse that in the beginning I thought ill of indulgences of the Pope the Church of Rome Councels c. And yet as you see he taught his doctrine of indulgences and other things as pure Catholick and to be held of all Christians vnder paine of damnation Wherfore vaine is the excuse which Feild lib. 3. of the Church cap. 42. maketh for Luther by the example of Saint Austin who reuoked some things which he had taught Feilds excuse of Luthers inconstancie reiected For Saint Austin reuoked what he had taught as his owne probable opinion but Luther reuoked many things which him self had taught as points of faith and to be beleeued vnder paine of damnation and therfore was inconstant and wauering in his faith which Saint Austin was not 7. And the like inconstancie he vsed touching his whole religioÌ„ doubting for a loÌ„g time whether he should returne to Catholicke faith or goe on with his Protestancy For Anno. 1518. which was the second yeare of his new preaching Luthers submission to the Pope after he had begun protest he wrote thus to the Pope as Fox pag. 771. Paralip Vrspergen and others do witnes Most holy Father I offer my selfe prostrate at the feet of your Holines with all that I am that I haue saue me kil me call me recall approue me reproue me as you please your voice the voice of Christ in yow speaking I will acknowledg If I haue deserued death I will be content to die And againe made a Protestation saith Paralip Vrspergen that he wold nether say nor hold any thing which the Church of Rome did not And after this the same yeare being cited by Cardinall Caietan to appeare before him at Augusta he came saith Fox pag. 772. yeelding his obedience to the Church of Rome and by writing exhibited to the Cardinall acknowledged his excesse in speach against the Popes dignitie and promised to make amends for the same in the pulpit And as touching the matter of pardons saith Fox he promised to proceed no further in any mention therof so that his aduersaries likewise were bound to keep silence Likewise An. 1519. which was the third yeare of his ProtestaÌ„cy he wrote as Sleidan confesseth that in humane things nothing is more excellent than the Church of Rome beside Christ only And in publick disputation the same yeare confessed freely as MelancthoÌ„ cited by Paralip Vrsper writeth that the Pope is the vniuersall Bishop And yet againe An. 1520. which was the fourth year of his new doctrine he submitted him self saith Cooper in Chron. to the Bishop of Rome so that he might not be compelled to recant his writings Cooper An. 1510. Paralip vsperg 16. Fox pag. 1169. But finding that all his submissions wold not be accepted without he recanted and that the same year his doctrine was condemned as Hereticall and him self pronounced an Heretick vnles he recalled it with in 60. daies and being secure by the protection of the Prince Elector he resolued to proceed in his wicked course and so went on from naught to worse vntil he died an 1546. ProtestaÌ„ts beholden to Lutheâ—s pride for their religion But thus you see that as long as Luther had any hope to escape recantation he still offered to giue ouer his Protestancie which plainly sheweth how ill him self liked it and that onely pride and want of humilitie moued him to maintaine it CHAP. V. By what means Protestantisme spred so far 1. lib. de praescript THe ancient writer Tertullian noted that in his time some weak and wauering Christians wondered that Heresies spred so far and preuailed with so many And perhaps in our dayes some may in like sorte wonder that Protestantisme is so far extended But let thes wonderors as Tertulian termeth them consider that the Mahumetans impietie and the Arian heresie which denied the Godhead of Christ were far larger Let them also consider what Luther saieth 5. Galat. fol. 251. that their is no doctrine so wicked foolish and pernitious Luther which the world doth not gladly admit embrace and defend and moreouer reuerently entertaineth cherisheth and flattereth the professors therof Let them I say consider this with that which anon I shall add and they will leaue to maruel of the spreading of Protestancie which as all Heresies vse to doe creepeth like a Canker Besides that indeed though the name of Protestants and Protestant religion be far spred yet nether could Luther in his life time far extend his doctrine For as him self confesseth 4. Galat fol. 199. 229. he litle preuailed Luther could not far extend his doctrin And fol. 253. few saith he are by our Ministerie translated out of the bondage of the Diuel And fol. 154 Euen now whiles we liue and employe all our diligence to set forthe the office and vse of the law and Gospel ther be very few eueÌ„ among those that wil be counted Christians and make profession of the Gospel vvith vs that vnderstand those things rightly And after his death ther is scarce any prouince cittie or person which entirely holdeth Luthers doctrine So that as Tertulian said of valentinians that they were in many places but Valentin their founder no wher So may we say that Lutherans or Protestants are in diuers Countries but Luther in none Which him self not onely feared but forsaw and fortold Galat. 4. fot 154. 201. And no maruel for if Luther were not constant to him selfe how could his scholers be constant to him if he controlled all the Fathers vpon pretence of greater light why shold his followers forbear him 2. But to call all that chaos and confused Masse of opposit errors Protestantisme which this day goeth vnder that name and sprung first from Luther and after was increased by others and to omit the
miracles For besides the testimony of the word of God which testified the miracles which we reade in scripture what waÌ„t they to be accounted true miracles that any other miracles had The Deedes were supernaturall The effect of them was supernaturall diuine vz the conuersion of Infidells The meanes of doing them holy to wit prayer to God The doers of them were Saints The testimonie of these Deedes are of many eye witnesses freinds and foes learned vnlearned holy and Wicked forrein and domesticall and coÌ„fessed of diuers which refuse S. Austins religion Than the which greater testimonie for miracles can not be required vnles we would haue God to speake from heauen And on the other side what prudent man is he that wil not iudg Luthers wonderments to be friuolous The things reported o him were naturall The testimonies for them are nether of eyewitnesses nor of enemies nor of Saints nor of great learned men nor are they confessed of any who refuse Luthers doctrine Yea they are denied by such as were both freinds and great scollers of Luthers Whie then should we beleeue them Nay whie should we not deny them CHAP. IX S. Austin and Luther weighed according to the Succession or continuance of their doctrine TRuly said Gamaliel Acts. 5. of the Christian religion then preached by the Apostles Si ex hominibus est consilium hoc aut opus dissoluetur Si vero ex Deo est noÌ„ poteritis dissoluere And in like sorte of hereticks said S. Paul 2. Timoth 3. Vltro non proficient And S. Austin in ps 57. compareth the Catholik faith to a Riuer which hauing a continuall spring euer floweth neuer waxeth drie heresie to a brooke rising vp on raine which while the raine falleth runneth boisterously and they who know not that it waÌ„teth a springe would iudg that it would last loÌ„ger than the quiet riuer See this proued l. 1. c. 14. seq ad fin l. 2. c. 1â— but as soone as it leaueth raining they see the water gon the brooke dryed Wherfor let vs see whither S. Aust or Luthers doctrin hath coÌ„tinewed longer in Engl. in their followers or rather we haue seene it alredy For. S. Aust hath had 69. successors in his Archbishoprick successiuly all of the same religion with him 53. kings of EnglaÌ„d besides diuers others as is before declared that when the Crown kingdome was twise violently taken from the Englishe-men by Danes Normans yet his faith was not taken from his successors Nor by so many so long desolations of the Danes many seuere lawes first by King Henrie 8. and then by Queene Elizabeth and so manie bitter torments hard banishmeÌ„ts streight confinments deep Dongeons could Iorns great â—ines Taxes and paymeÌ„ts bluddy deaths could it be rooted these thousand yeares oute of this land but that this day God be thancked S. Aust there are both noble ignoble clerks seculer religious men weemeÌ„ Children who not withstanding all lawes threats dangers will professe to hould the faith of their Apostle S Aust to agree with him in all points of religioÌ„ to honor that See from whence he came Much more vvold S. Austin haue forborne the Protest Church to refuse as he did to ioine in religioÌ„ with them who obserue not the maner as he said to the BritoÌ„s of the holy RomaÌ„ Apostolik Church In so much as not withstaÌ„ding all the lawes terrors ProclamatioÌ„s searches or paymeÌ„ts Torturs BanishmeÌ„ts executions which haue bene made these 50. yeares I B in his Taile of Tvvo leg Foxes c. 11 yet Ministers in their printed bookes dayly complaine of increase of Priests and Catholicks And one lately in his sermon at Pauls Crosse dedicated to the pretented Archb. of Canterbury and lyked of him saith pag. 79. Som. Collins that no bondage or hard measure can euer be thought able to suppresse or reclame vs. This this sheweth S. Austins worke to haue bene of God the water wherwith he watred the plants of his religion to haue an euerlasting flowing fountain from Heauen and the Church which he founded to be built vpon such a Rock as the gates of hel shall not preuail against it And that they which spurne against it do as S. Paule once did spurne against the pricke And on the other side Cranmer if he were as Fox saith a Lutheran in King Henries time it was but secretly And if he professed it in King Edwards time it was but for a verie short space And long since was there not one true Lutheran Protestant to be found in all England So soone was Luthers work dissolued so soone was his brooke growne drie And in steede of it runneth now Zuinglius or Caluins brooke which though it see me for the present to be ful and runne strongly yet if the Prince whose harte is in Gods hands would but ether disfancy it or at least withould his seuere haÌ„d from Catholicks yow should quickly see this ful brooke brought to a lowe ebbe and quickly dreaned and wax as dry as ether the brooke of Luther or the brookes of 300. Archereticks more wherof diuers haue runne far fuller and longer than ether Luthers or Caluins hath and now no signe of them is left Luther epist ad Albert Mogunt An 1525. forte doctrina mea iterum supprimetur yea scarce their names are knowne This Luther him selfe both forsawe and fourtould as is before declared l. 2. c. vlt. And Caluin also in his Preface before his Cathechisme in these wordes Of Posteritie I am so doutful as I dare scarce thinck therof For vnles God miraculously help from heauen me thinks I see extreme barbarousnes hang ouer the world And I pray God that a while hence our children feele not this to haue bene rather a true prophecie than a coniecture And if we mark we shall see that as Vipers broode killeth their Mother of whome they came So new haeresies destroy the ould from whence they sprange Thus the Puritan impugneth the Protestant and the Brownist vndermineth the Puritan Wherfor let all men that be careful of their saluation harken to S. Hieroms aduise saying to a Luciferian Haeretick I will tel thee my mind breefly and plainly That we should abide in that Church which founded of the Apostles contineweth to this daye For shall we doute saith S. Austin l. de vtil Cred. to put oure selues in the lap of the Church wich from the See Apoostolick by succession of Bishops in vaine Haereticks barking about yt hath gotten the hight of authoritie Epilog 1. THus we see most deerly beloued Contrimen that if we compare according to the true rules of prudence and wisdome the Roman Catholike Protest religion in their first founders here in our English Nation other for learning or vertue for missioÌ„ or orders for motiues to preache for vniuersalitie of religioÌ„ or confession of Aduersaries for miracles or succession and continuance the Catholik
excluded the 21. day which the law expresly commanded Exod. 11. Which proceeded of mere ignorance in them For as S. Beda saith lib. 3. c. 4. They knew as Christian men doe that the Resurrection of our Lord ought alwayes to be celebrated on Sonday but as ignorant men in that point they had not learned when that Sonday should come Because as S. Wilfrid in S. Beda li. 3. c. 25. said no cunning Calculator of tymes or Astronomer had come to them Herby it appeareth how fondly some Ministers haue inferred that the Britons Magd. cent 2. c. 2. Fox p. 95. The Britōs error came not from Asia because of this error in keeping Easter learned their faith of the Asian Churches where the Quartadecimans were Both because the Britons error was not the Quartadecimans error but much different as also because the Britons in Constantins tyme when Religion began first to florish agreed with the Roman vse of celebrating Easter as testfieth the said Cōstantin their Countrey man who in Euseb lib. 3. de vita Constantini c. 8. witnesseth that the same keeping of Easter was obserued in the Citty of Rome in Italie Africk Egypt Spaine France Britannie Lybia and all Greece in the Diocesse of Asia and Pontus and finally in Cilicia Vnâ consentiente sententiâ with one vniforme consent Moreouer because as S. Beda li. 1. c. 11. saith that after the forsaid expulsion of the Pelagian heresie the Britons kept the faith sounde and vndefiled which he neuer would then haue said if then they had held their error of Easter because this error he vtterly detested as him self saith lib. 3. c. 16. and lib. 2. c. 19. calleth it Heresie And finally B. Colman pleading in England for the Britons obseruation of Easter and alleadging therto the antiquitie of his Countrymen ascendeth no higher than Abbot Columba VVhē the Britōs error rose who came out of Ireland into Britanie but anno 563. as Beda saith lib. 3. c. 4. which was 33. yeares before S. Austins comming hither and dyed as Sigebert in Chron. and Bale write anno 598. that is two yeares after S. Austins entrance here Nether did he euer auouch that the Britons or Scotts had ben taught that costom of the Asians but gathered it themselues by misunderstanding S. Anatholius his writings Pope Iohn 4. in Bed l. 2. c. 9. attributeth it to ignorance VVhence it arose and by imagining that S. Iohn Euangelist kept it so wherof nether was true as S. Wilfrid prooued to his face in Beda lib. 3. c. 25. The author therfore of this error among the Britons was no Asian but their owne ignorance through rude simplicitie as Saint Wilfrid saith of true calculation of finding the true tyme of Easter And the tyme when this ignorance tooke effect as it apeareth by S. Beda's forsaid words lib. 1. c. 11. was not long before S. Austins comming And for Scotland Beda lib. 2. cap. 29. writeth that by the letters of Pope Iohn 4. written in the yeare 638. or as Baron saith 639. to the Scotts it appeareth plainly that at that tyme this heresie was but a litle before risen in Scotland and that not all the Contrie but certain of them onely were infected therwith Which also appeareth by S. Gregory lib. 9. epist 61. which he writeth to Quirinus caeteris in Hibernia Episcopis Catholicis But as for the Britons it seemeth by Saint Beda lib. 2. cap. 2. that they were generally all infected with this error Galfrid monum li. 11. c. 12. VVestmon an 596. Godvvin Catalog of Bishops in S. Paulin. when S. Austin entred this land And as for the rest of this Kingdom where the English dwelt they as both Welch English Historiographers agree pagana superstitione caecati c. blinded in Heathenish superstition they had extinguished all Christianity in that parte of the Land where they dwelt And as S. Beda writeth lib. 2. c. 1. were all then Pagans and had ben euer vntill that tyme bondslaues of Idols Miserable estate of Britany before S. Austine cōming This was the lamentable estate of England and Wales before S. Austin came miserably opprest partly with heresy partly with infidelity CHAP. II. That S. Austin was the first Preacher of the Christian Faith to our English Nation THat our English Nation came hither out of Germanie being sent for of the Britons to ayde them against the Scotts and Picts all Historiographers agree but they disagree somwhat about the tyme. For some write that it was in the yeare of Christ 449. but S. Beda lib. 1. c. 15. saith that it was in the yeare 449. and later indeede it could not be Sigeb Chro. saith an 431. Malmesb l. 1. an 449. Bal. cent 2. c. 43. an 448. Cābd in Brit an 450. VVhē our English nation entred this land Because at S. Germans first comming hither which was in the yeare 429. as S. Prosper who then liued recordeth the Saxons as S. Beda lib. 1. c. 20. affirmeth waged war with the Britons For being Pagans and ignorant of God and seeing the Land fruitfull and the Britons feeble they measured right by might and turned their wepons against the silly Britōs whome they partly killed Galfrid Mon l. 17. c. 12. Godvvin in vit Paulin. partly droue ouer seas or into those hilly places which now are called Wales And in this parte of the Land which they possessed extinguished as both English and Welch writers record all Christianitie and continewed in their Paganisme which they brought with them for the space almost of 200. yeares til as S. Beda lib. 2. c. 1. and others record S. Gregory seeing certaine English youths sould for slaues in Rome Vpō vvhat occasion S. Gregory sent S. Austin hither and learning of them that their nation was Heathen got leaue of the Pope being then him selfe a Monke to come to preach to them but was recalled at the importunitie of the Romans yet him self being after made Pope and as S. Beda speaketh high Bishop ouer the whole world did in the yeare 596 send hither S. Austin and his cōpany to preach Christs faith vnto them Which truth that S. Austin was the first preacher of Christian faith vnto our English Nation here in England S. Austin the first preacher of Christianity vnto our nation hath bene alwaies hitherto as vndoubted as it is euident and manifest But now because D. Sutclif in his Subuersion of the three Conuersions c. 3. hath called it in question and is desirous rather to giue the glorie to a French man and woman to Queene Bertha and Bishop Luidhard who were then in England or to captiue Britons whome he supposeth to haue liued amongst the English than to S. Austin I will prooue it by as many proofes as can be desired for the beleefe of any ancient thing S. Gregory 2. S. Gregory himself who sent S. Austin writing lib. 7. Epist 30. to Eulogius Patriarch of Alexandria saith
saith that S. Austin had bene brought vp in the rule of Religion and was by the grace of God of much vertue And lib. 9. epist. 58. writing to S. Austin him self saith I haue much hope that by the grace of God thy Creator and our Redemer Lord and God Christ Iesus thy sinnes are alredy forgiuen thee and that thou art therfore choosen that by thee other mens sinnes may be pardoned Nether shalt thou haue sorow of any sinne hereafter who endeuourest by conuersion of many to make ioye in heauen And surely who considereth what great perfection Saint Gregory lib. 4. epist. 24. requireth in a Pastor to wit that he be Pure in thought notable in work discret in silence profitable in speeche neare to all in compassion aboue all in contemplation fellow by humility to all that do well stout through zeale of Iustice against the vices of the offending will nothing doubt but Saint Austin whome he chose to so high a function was an excellent perfect man And lib. 5. epist 52. he saith Austins zeale and indeuor is well known to vs. and repeateth it epist 53. 58. 59. Likwise of the Popes soone after succeeding to S. Gregory Diuers other Popes he is highly commended Of Pope Boniface 4. in Malmsbury lib. 1. Pont. p. 208. he is called the holy Doctor Of Pope Honorius ibidem p. 209. Austin of holy remembrance Of Gregory 3. ibidem p. 210. Austin of blessed memorie Of Leo 3. ibid. p. 211. Blessed Augustin Besides by them who liued with him and saw his happy end he is called in his Epitaph Authors of his epih tap Blessed Austin Stow Chron. p. 67. or as Godwin hath Saint Austin 5. Fourthly Vvitnesses of S. Aust holines after his tyme. touching the testimony of those that liued after Saint Austins tyme the first is Saint Beda whose testimony of his holy life is already set downe to which I add that lib. 2. c. 3. he calleth him the deerly beloued man of God holy Father Austin S. Beda and lib. 4. c. 27. The blessed Father Austin In a Councell of all the Bishops of England held anno 747. A CouÌ„ncell in England in presence of King Ethelbald and all his Nobility it was apointed That the day of our Father Saint Austin be kept holy as writeth Malmesbury 1. lib. Pont. p. 197. and Fox lib. 2. p. 128. After that King Kenulph and all his Bishops Dukes K. Kenulph and his Bishops and Nobles and Nobility writing to Pope Leo 3. say thus Austin of blessed memory most gloriously gouerned the Churches of England ex Malmesb. 1. Reg. pag. 31. S. Odo In the letters of S. Odo Archbishop of Canterbury in Malmesbury 1. Pont. pag. 201. he is called Austin of blessed memory Of Ethelwerd lib. 2. Ethelvverd c. 1. 5. he is called Holy Austin seruant of Christ and innumerable miracles wrought by him Malmesbury 1. Pont. pag. 196. Malmesb. saith thus How great the merits of Austin are before God the great miracles do shew which after so many ages he worketh not suffering Kent yea all England to become slow in honoring of him Huntington Of Huntington lib. 3. pag. 321. he is called the seruant of God man of God to haue imitated the Apostolicall life of the Primitiue Church to haue led a most clean life Of Houeden 1. Houeden part Annal. he is called the glorious Doctor of the whole Kingdom the notable Founder of Christian Faith and Religion And in like sorte is he commended for a great saint of Westmon Chron. an 596. VVestm Marian others Odo chron 583. calleth them timâ—â—tes Deum Marianus ibidem And finally of all writers domesticall and foraine who writt of him before our times 6. Fifthly touching the proofe of Saint Austins holines by the holy life of the Church which he here founded that is euident to all them that reade our Ecclesiasticall Histories The holines of our church founded by S. Austin And so manifest as Fox lib. 2. pag. 114. citeth and approueth these words out of ancient Chronicles In the Primitiue Church of England Religion shined most purely so that Kings Princes Dukes Consuls Barons rulers of the Church incensed with a desire of heauen entred into Monkerie volontary exile and solitarie life forsooke the world and followed Christ. And the same hath Huntington lib. 5. in Prolog and Houeden 1. Confessed by Protestants Fox part Annal. pag. 412. And the same Fox p. 123. saith I do reade and also do credit that the Clergy of that tyme S. Austins tyme of England applyed nothing that was worldly but gaue themselues to preaching and teaching the word of our Sauiour See more in Fox p. 132. 133. Cambden and fillowed the life that they preached by giuing good example Cambden in descript Britan. pag. 345. saith that tyme was most fruitfull of Saints And pag. 628. he braggeth that no Kingdom hath so many canonized Martyrs and Confessors as England hath Of some England vvas called religiosâ— Anglia of others Paradisus Dei See Baron to 9. Serra de reb Mogunt lib. 3. nota 55. ProtestaÌ„ts confesse S. Austine holines Fox and that it which before tymes was called a fertill Prouince of Tyrants may now be called a fertill Contrie of Saints And who will see more of the great holines of our Clergy may reade Beda lib. 3. c. 26. Othlon in vita S. Bonifacij Marcellin in vita S. Suiberti Serrarius de Mogunt lib. 3. 7. Lastly for the confession of Protestants Fox in his Acts pag. 105. saith of Saint Austin and his fellowes thus At length when the King had well considered the honest conuersation of their life and mooued with their miracles wrought through Gods hands by them he heard them more gladly and lastly by their holsom exhortations and example of godly life he was by them conuerted and christened in the yeare 596. And the same he repeateth againe pag. 116. Bilson Bilson lib. Of Obedience pag. 57. saith Austin and his fellowes came with religion to God and submission to Princes Cooper Bishop Cooper anno 599. calleth Austin and his fellowes godly and learned men And anno 630. calleth Paulinus one of the company a holy Bishop Stow Chron. pag. 65. Stovv saith that S. Austin and his fellowes liued in the feare of God Godwin in vita August saith Godvvin He was a Monke of great vertue and calleth him Saint Austin And in vita Paulini saith Paulin his companion was called away to receaue the glorious reward of his blessed labors Holinshed And Holinshed in the Historie of England Austin and his company arriued at Canterbury where he made his abode by the Kings permission exercised the life of Apostles in fasting watching and prayers preaching the word of God to as many as they could despising all worldly pleasures as not appertaining to them receauing onely of them whome they taught things seeming
of protestants perished straight after S. Greg. tyme and euer since hath bene onely in Idiots and lurking holes how could it be the vniuersall faith of all Christendome in his tyme Could the vniuersall faith of Christendome perish in one or two yeares Would all learned men and open Churches forsake it in so short time and onely Idiots and holes keepe it See more of this matter lib. 2. cap. 1. infra CHAP. XII That the doctrine vvhich Austin taught vvas the true vvay to saluation Proued by the open confession of his Aduersaries and other things affirmed by them 1. THe first aduersaries which S. Austin had to his doctrine were the Britons before mentioned Of whome S. Beda l. 2. cap. 2. writeth that S. Austin hauing cured a blind man whome they could not The people praised S. Austin as a true preacher of all truth and veritie Britons approue S. Austins doctrine And the Britons confessed indeed that they vnderstood that to be the true way of righteousnes which Austin had preached and shewed to them The same writeth Huntington lib. 3. Stow Chron. pag. 66. and others And albeit his preaching to them then tooke not that effect which he intended yet if Fox say true lib. 2. pag. 123. that in Ina his time began the right obseruing of Easter day to be kept of the Picts and of the Britons with in short tyme the whole Nation not onely approued but also admitted S. Austins doctrine Yea if it be true that Godwin writeth in vit Theod. That to him all the British Bishops and generally all Britany yeelded obedience and vnder him conformed them selues in all things to the rites and disciplin of the Church of Rome they performed this longe before about 60. yeares after S. Austin Protestāts account S. Austins doctrin sufficient to saluation 2. The next open Aduersaries of Saint Austins doctrine in England haue bene the Protestants Of whome diuers haue in their writings openly acknowledged as much as the Britons did For Iuel in his famous challeng Iuel offered to recant if any of the holy Fathers who liued in the first 600. yeares after Christ were found contrarie to him in his Articles In which compasse of yeares both S. Greg. and S. Austin liued And cryed out saying O Gregorie O Austin c. If we be deceaued yow haue deceaued vs. Fulk Fulk in 1. Cor. 15. Seeing Gregorie and Austin saith he taught the truth in all points necessarie to saluation our Contrie hath not beleeued in vaine nor all our fore Fathers are dead in their sinnes Fox Fox in his Acts pag. 111. 120. 122. Calleth the faith planted here by Austin and his fellow-laborers the Christian faith p. 115. 116. the faith and doctrine of Christ pap 121. Christs Religion and that Church the Church of Christ And pag. 112. The perfect faith of Christ Cooper Bishop Cooper Chron. Anno. 636. calleth it the right beleefe Stow Chron. pag. 9. calleth it the Christian faith Stovv And pag. 72. pure and incorupted Christianitie Cambden Cambden in descript Britan. pag. 519. The true Religion of Christ Godvvin Apologie for the oath of alleageance The faith of Christ Godwin in Paulin. The Gospel And in Mellit The faith of Christ Holinshed in Brit. Holinshead The Christian faith The faith of Christ The word of God Bilson of Obed. part 1. pag. 57. calleth it Religion to God Bilson Sutclif Subuers cap. 3. termeth it Faith Religion Christian Religion Sutclif and saith the people were conuerted to Christ Finally Fox lib. 2. pag. 124. after he had tould in particuler how euery one of those seauen Kingdoms which then were in England was conuerted concludeth thus Fox And thus by processe of tyme we haue discoursed from tyme to tyme how and by what meanes the Idolatrous people were induced to the true fayth of Christ And who considereth with him selfe that not onely our Catholick English Ancestors imbraced the doctrine of S. Austin but also the erroneous Britons and Protestants account it the true way of righteousnes the Gospel the Faith of Christ The perfect faith of Christ the right beleefe the true Religion of Christ pure and incorrupt Christianitie and finally true faith of Christ neede seeke no more but what S. Austins faith was and follow it To those that grant that S. Austins faith was the true way to saluaiion I might adde also the Protestants who affirme the same of the present Romā faith whose testimonies yow may see in the Apologie of Protestants Tract 1. Sec. 6. Onely I will content my selfe with his Maiesties wordes to the parlament 9. of Nouember An. 1605. put forth in print thus VVee do iustly confesse that many Papists especially our Forfathers laying their onely trust vpon Christ and his meritts as they them selues teache in Bellarm. may be and often tymes are saued detestinge in that point and thinking the crueltie of Puritans worthy of fyer that will admit no saluation to any Papist 3. Besids this open confefsion of diuers Protestants for the truth of S. Austins Religion it may be also conuinced out of diuers other things which them selues teach For it being supposed out of Gods word heb 11 that without the right faith it is impossible to please God and withall confessed of diuers Protestants that S. Austin and his fellowes were holy men it necessarily followeth that his faith was the true faith of God S. Austin and his follovvers holie men by Protest Of S. Austins holines the English people in general some thing hath bene sayd before Of others Fox lib. 2. pag. 123. saith Cutbert Iaruman S. Cutbert Cedda and VVilfrid I iudge saith he to be of a holy conuersation pag. 125. S. Aldelm Aldelm a worthie and learned Bishop of notable praise for his learning and vertue Ibid. he calleth S. Iohn of Beuerly and S. Egwin Saints pag. 127. S. Iohn Beuerly Touching the integrite and holines of Bedas life It is not to be doubted S. Beda with great comfort of his spirit he departed this life pag. 128. He intituleth S. Boniface a Martyr of God S. Boniface And yet pag. 129. calleth him a great setter vp and vphoulder of Popery pag. 112. calleth king Edmond three tymes Saint S. Edmōd Item pag. 121. King Oswald a Saint saith he had great vertues and by prayer ouercame his enemies S. Osvvald Cooper Chron. an 636. calleth Birin Saint an 643. Oswald a holy king 869 holy king Edmond Stow Chron. pag. 78. Cedda a holy man Iaruman a Bishop of great vertue Ibid King Sebbi very deuout and godly pag. 81. Kinesburg and Kineswith for holy conuersation excelling pag. 99. Cutbert Saint Bale cent 1. cap. 76. saith of S. Aidan that he was a man of most innocent life and ful of the spirit of God and yet was Oswald his scholler a manifest Papist praying before crosses and for the dead euen when him selfe
crownes Priests haue shauen crovvnes Beda lib. 5. cap. 22. It behoueth them which being either made by vow Monkes or by profession of the Clergie to binde them selues more strictly with the bridle of continencie for Christs sak to bear in their head by clipping the forme of a crovvne Ibid. All Priests and Religious men had their heads shauen round after the true shape of a crowne But as Bale saith Cent. 14. pag. 194. Tonsura est Romanae Bestiae character Ninthly they erected many Altars in one Church with Martyrs reliques Manie altar Sinono Church vsed lights and other ornaments as Catholicks doe Beda lib. 5. cap. 21. Acca imployed his diligence to gather together out of all places the holy Apostles and Martyrs reliques to the end he might in honor of them build certain Altars aparte by them selues in little Chappell 's made for the same purpose within the precinct and walls of the same Church Morouer he prepared holy vessels lights and other necessaries to the better adorning of the Church of God And lib. 3. cap. 6. They worshiped Reliques Tenthly to omit many more certain Markes of Roman Religion S. Peters supremacie beleued They accounted S. Peter Primat and head of the Apostles Beda lib. 5. c. 22. I desire with all my hart to follow the stepps of Blessed S. Peter head of the Apostles Ibid. They were reduced to the order of S. Peter Primat and head of the Apostles and committed as it were to his Patronage and protection The Pope high B. ouer the vvhole vvorld They accounted the Pope high Bishop ouer the whole world So in plaine termes S. Beda calleth S. Greg. Pope l. 2. c. 1. Accounted the Church of Rome the Catholick and Apostolick Church lib. 3. c. 25. And l. 4. cap. 23. Going to Rome counted a thing of great vertue and deuotion And l. 3. c. 25. Held without all controuersie that these vvords vpon this Rock I vvill build my Church vvere principally spoken vnto Peter and that vnto him the keies of the Kingdome of heauen were giuen And the Bishops being depriued of their Bishopricks both by the King and by other Bishops appealed to Rome Beda lib. 5. cap. 20. Appeal◠from the Bishop◠and king to the Pope VVilfrid the vertuous Bishop of York appealing to the See Apostolick for his cause and by that ful authoritie absolued c. Item Fiue yeares after he was accused of King Alfrid and many other Bishops and depriued of his Bishoprick wherin vpon repairing again to Rome and obtayning licence to plead his owne defence before his accusers Pope Iohn and many Bishops sitting in Iugdment It was by their Definitiue Sentence concluded that in some parte his accusers had falsly forged surmises The Pope wrote to the Kings of England requiring them to see him restored Protestāts confesse the Rom. faith of our primitiue Church Fox And thus much out of Catholick writers now let vs see what Protestants write of the faith of our Primitiue church 2. Fox in his protestation before his Acts. After the coming of Austin and his fellowes from Rome Christian faith began to enter and spring among the Saxons after a certain Romish sorte Acts. pag. 154. Good vvorks done for clensing from sin The causes why solenm Monasteries were first founded in England by Kinges Queenes and Kings daughters and rich Consuls are these pro remedio animae meae c. For remedy of my soule for remission of my sinnes Foundation of Protestancie vnknovvne to our primitiue Church for the safty of my Kingdoms and people which are vnder my gouernment In honor of the most glorious Virgin Whervpon afterward pag. 170. he concludeth that the doctrine of Iustification by onely faith which pag. 840. he calleth the foundation of their Church was then vnknown Bale Bale Cent. 1. cap. 72. saith English men after Austin did dedicat their Churches to dead Saints Our first Christian K. a perfect Papist And cap. 73. King Ethelbert receaued the Roman Rites and doctrine with all the imposture and Cent. 14. cap. 54. saith that the two Hewalds who were the first English martyrs passi sunt pro Papismo papistici Martyres Our first Martyrs suffer for Papistrie Bilson Papistical Martyrs suffered for Papistrie Bilson of Obed pag. 321. The Saxons were soone entreated to receaue the Bishop of Rome for their Patriarch Stovv Stow pag. 77. citeth this Charter of King Ethelbert King Ethelbert by inspiration of God gaue to Bishop Mellit for remedie of his soule the Land which is called Tillingham for the Monastery of S. Paul which kind of giuing goods is quite opposit to Protestancie Honor of S. Peter counted signe of Christianitie Reinolds as yow may see more hereafter And pag. 78. saith King Sebert to shew him selfe a Christian built a Church in honor of S. Peter Reinolds Confer pag. 12. This imagination of the key and Porter and opinion of power to shut and open committed to Peter onely ouer all the Church as it includeth also the Apostles King Oswie conceaued Keys giuen onely to Peter and all his Clergie did agree vnto it And of S. Beda the principal Doctor of our Primitiue Church Osiander Osiander Epit. Cent. 7. pag. 331. saith thus He was wrapped in all the Popish errors and articles in which we disagree this day from the Pope S. Beda a perfect Papist Wherby we may see how perfect a Papist S. Austin was Fulk in Hebr. 10. Fulk Beda liued in a superstitious time yet liued he 80. yeares after S. Austin long after Antichrist did shew him self Beda sayd that men vnderstod that the helthful sacrifice of masse auailed to the redemption of the body and soule euerlasting And in 1. Pet. 3. Beda was caryed away with the errors and corruptions of his tyme. And thus I hope I haue sufficiently proued the Roman Catholick faith of our first Apostle S. Austin by the faith of his maister S. Greg. by his owne deedes and doctrine by Confession of Protestants and finally by the doctrine of our Primitiue Church which he founded and how it was that Christian Religion which was first founded in our Nation and our English Ancestors imbraced when they forsooke Paganisme Now it remaineth to shew that the same Religion hath continewed also constantly vnto this late lamentable reuolt to Protestancy in all our Nation both in the Clergie and Laitie which I will declare in all the Archbishops of Canterburie who were the cheefe of the one order and in the Kings who were heads of the other And by the way I will name in euery Kings time some of the notable men who successiuely haue confirmed it by their holy life and miracles CHAP. XVIII That all the Archbishops of Canterburie from S. Austin to our tyme were Roman Catholicks proued by generall reasons 1. FIrst because there is no mention or memorie in any Chronicle of England No record that anie Archb
now we finde too true Queene Marie LIII AFter K. Henrie the eight succeeded in the yeare 1546. King Edward the sixt his sonne a child of nine yeares olde which childe wanting the vse of perfect reason and vnfit to gouern him self was the first Protestant Prince that euer was in England and turned the Roman religion which his Father had left though maimed in one principall point to open Protestancie Not for the miracles or rare vertues of the Preachers therof or their conuincing their aduersaries in disputation as King Ethelbert changed his Paganisme into the Roman religion as is before shewed but because the Lord Protector and his complices thought it most sutable to their humors and most fit for their aspiring pretences But how vnfortunat this exchange was not onely to the soules of this King and principall Actors therin but also to their liues and bodies yow may reade in Stow The ill end of the kringets in of Probestancie where yow shall see that the very same yeare 1548. that Proclamation was made for receauing in both Kindes the Lord Admirall a cheefe agent in the change of religion though brother to the Protector and Vnkle to the King was beheaded for a Traitor And the next yeare 1549. VVhen Proclamation was made against Masse sone after also was Proclamation made against the Protector him selfe the principall author of the change and he cast into the Tower And in the yeare 1552. when the newe seruice booke of Common prayer begun in Pauls the said Protector was beheaded And the next yeare the King died and the Duke of Northumberland an other principall actor in the change of religion though against his own conscience as he openly declared at his death was beheaded for treason and Cranmer and Ridley and other fauorers of that change were depriued of their Dignities and sone after burnt This was the rufull end of the first setters vp of Protestancie For maintenance wherof albeit a new Queene was proclaimed Nobles sworne and the strength of England gathered yet in short time almightie God ouerthrew it again without any bloodshed by one vertuous woman Q. Marie Protestancie ouerthrone by a vvoman vvithout any bloodshed Vertue of Q. Marie Author of danger positions l 2 cap. 14. Her Rom. Religion In the arraignment of F Garnat D Doue lib. of Recusancie vvil haue Bellarm. to be a Protest or at lest no perfect Papist who all the time of her life liued so chastly and religiously that all her enemies could not to this day fasten the least suspicion of vice vpon her And whome euen Protestants write to haue Bene of nature and disposition verie milde and pittifull VVhich argueth that they wel deserued the seueritie which shee shewed towards them And so earnest a Roman Catholick shee was as the Protestants write of her that there was Not these thousand yeares a more obedient daughter to the Church of Rome than she was VVherby yow may iugde of the impudencie of Doctor Reinolds who in his Confer pag. 583. denieth not onely all the former Princes but euen Queene Marie euer to haue alowed the Popes absolute spirituall supremacie or as he speaketh the Popes Monarchie but onely to haue granted him such a preheminence as the Duke of Venice hath in that state But with her in the yeare 1558. ended all the glorie of Catholick Princes of England Who except King Henrie 8. for a few yeares and King Edward 6. had continewed from the yeare 598. till the forsaid yeare 1558. the space almost of a thousand yeares And after rose a new kind of Protestancie differing from that of King Edward the childs time Not as I said before through any miracles or strange vertue of the Preachers therof or their ouercomming their aduersaries in Disputation but against the will of all the Bishops and a great parte of the Nobilitie by the counsel of meere Lay men and the authoritie of a woman who was induced to make this change not for zeale of religion which shee little regarded but to assure her state the more because shee feared if she acknowledged the authoritie of the Church of Rome her birth might be called in question But of the cause maner and meanes of erecting Protestancie we shall speake more in the second booke Epilogue HItherto gentle Reader thou hast heard 53. Princes of England successiuly beleeuing and professing the Rom. Catholick faith besides 70. and more others who reigned ouer certain partes of England whiles it was deuided into diuers Kingdoms whose names onely I will here set downe Kings of Kent 13. Ethelbert Edbald Ercombert Egbert Lotharius Edricus VVithâ—ed Edbert Edilbert Alriâ—us Edilbert-pren Cuthred and Baldred Kings of the East Saxons 9. Sebert Sigebert Sigher S. Sebba Sighard Senfred Offa Sclred Swithed Kings of Eastengland 13. to wit Redwald Carpwald S. Sigebert Egris Anna Ethelere Ethelwald Adulph Elwald Beorna Ethelred Saint Ethelbright S Edmund kings of middle England 17. Namely Peda Vulpher Ethelred Coenred Ceolred Ethelbald Bernred Offa Egfert Kenulph Saint Kenelm Ceolwulph Bernulph Ludecan VVithlof Bertulph Burdred Kings of the Northpart of England 18. Edwin Saint Oswald Oswin Oswi Egfrid Alfrid Ostred Kenred Ostrie Ceolwulph Egbert Ostwuld Mollo Alred Ethelbert Alswald Ostred Athelred and some kings also of the South Saxons Consider I pray thee now the number of these kings which is aboue 120 far aboue the smallest number of two Protestant Princes Consider their sex and age who almost all were men and of mature yeares VVheras of the Protestant Princes one was a childe the other a woman Consider their wisdome and valour in which they were inferior to no Princes in Christendome Consider their vertue which was so great as there are more Kings of Ingland Saints than of all Christendome besides Consider the end for which they first embraced the faith which was nether to enioy their lust nor to get any Church goods nor to assure their temporall state but to gaine heauen Consider the Counsellors whose aduise they followed herein were not ignorant and laye men but vertuous and learned Diuines Consider the motiues which drew them to the Catholick religion to witt rare vertue great learning admirable miracles of their first preachers Finally consider how long they continewed in their faith to wit almost a thousand yeares and how almost in euery Kings time here liued some notable men who with rare vertue and miracles haue confirmed their faith Consider I say all this and then iudge whither the Catholick religion of so many and so worthie Kings or the Protestant faith of one Child and one woman be more likely to be good and to come from God Can we thinke that so many Princes of mature yeares and iudgment should be blinde rather then one child a woman that these could see that in so few yeares which all they could not perceaue in a thousand That these two should hit vpoÌ„ Gods truth for temporall endes rather thaÌ„ they for spirituall That that should be
Fulke They Protestants were often driuen into mountaines and desert places of the Alpes Apenin Hercinia silua and other corners of the world or els dispersed kept close in all regions of Europe Surueler The surueier of the pretended discipline c. 8. in this latter age saith he when after a long darknes it pleased God to restore vnto vs the light of the Gospel c. 4. All priests and people drovvned in Poperie from top to toe Priests of all sortes likewise the people all of theÌ„ together from the top to the toe were drowned in the pudles of Poperie And I pray you who was then a Protestant 3. But how long was this ignorance this darknes this drowning of Priests people in Poperie Fox in his Acts edit 1596. which edition I cite in this booke p. 767. Fox saith From 400. yeares heretofore and more the religion of Christ was wholie burned into Idolatrie And p. 390. About the yeare 1370. all the world saith he was in desperat estate and ignoraÌ„â—e of Gods truth ouershadowed the whole world there seemed in a maÌ„ner to be no one litle spark of pure doctrine left Again in his ProtestatioÌ„ befor his Acts. About the yeare 1215. 1080 Christian faith was exstinguished then the true visible Church began to shrink and keep in for fear And further pag. 138 In the time of King Edgar which was An. 954. and of the ould Monkes superstition began to creep into the Church for ignorance of free iustification by faith And yet further speaking of our Christian Kings from our first Christianitie vnto the yeare 800. he writeth thus pag. 120. How much are we Protestants bound to God for the sinceritie of his truth hidden so long to our Ancestors and opened now to vs. Protestantisme hidden to our Anceitors Ibid. They lacked our faith Thus Fox confesseth that the Protestants truth was hidden and vnknowne here for one thousand yeares almost Nay p. 138. he feareth no to write that Shortly after the time of Christ and his Apostles the Doctrine of Christian Iustification which pag. 770. he accounteth the onely principall origin of our saluation and pag. 767. the foundation of all Christianitie began to be forgotten Bale In like manner Bale an other great Antiquarie Centur. 6. cap. 69. calleth the time of King Richard 2. a darkish age And Centur. 5. cap 85. The age saith he of K. Edward 3. was couered with darknes of extreme ignorance And in King Henrie 3. time as he writeth Centur. 4. cap. 6. Holesome truth perished from earth And vnder K. Henrie 2. as he writeth Cent. 3. c. 14. Mannes life was corrupted vpon earth with Antichristian traditions So that all this time ther was no roome for Protestants on earth And yet further Cent. 1. pag. 69. From the yeare 607. saith he puritie of heauenly doctrin vanished in the Church And p. 65. After Greg. the first puritie of doctrine perished And Cent. 1. c. 74. Protestancie for a thousand yeares onely in Ideots and in holes From Phocas who liued An 602. till the renevving saith he of the Gospel by Luther the doctrine of Christ was for that space amongst Idiots and in lurking holes Doest thou hear Reader in whom and wher this new Gospel was for almost 1000. yeares together Napier Napier also in his Treatise vpon the Reuelat. pag. 145. Euen 1260. years saith he the Pope and his Clergie hathe possessed the outward and visible Church of Christians reigning without any debatable coÌ„tradiction Gods truth saith he p 191. 161. 156 most certainly note the word abiding so long latent invisible Behold this ProtestaÌ„t coÌ„fessing that their truth was inuisible for more than twelue hundred yeares Fulke yea Fulk in his Answer to a Counterfeit Cathol pag. 35. will haue the Church to haue decaied immediatly from the Apostles time And to conclude with Luthers testimonie as I began with it He Galath 1. fol. 27. Luther hath these words VVhen the light of the Gospel after so great darknes begaÌ„ first to appear And Galath 3. fol. 154. Of this difference taught by me betwene the lavv and the Gospel ther is nothing to be fouÌ„d in the books of the MoÌ„kes Canonists Scholemen Luthers doctrin not knovvne to the antient Fathers no nor in the books of the ancient Fathers And Galat. 5. fol. 271. This vvas coÌ„mon in these our daies befor the light truth of the Gospel was reueled 4. Thus you see it euideÌ„t by the coÌ„fession of Luther diuers other ProtestaÌ„ts both domesticall and foraine that their Church their faith religioÌ„ was inuisible and vnknowne to the world before Luther And this inuisibilitie of their Church before Luthers time do all ProtestaÌ„ts mantaine who affirme the calling or sending of Luther Caluin such like to preach to haue bene extraordinarie or onely from God because ether there was no protest church or ministrie of which they could be sent ordinarily or at least none such knowne to them And hervpoÌ„ may any maÌ„ of iudgmeÌ„t gather that indeed their Church religioÌ„ was not at all befor Luther For if it were not visible how came they to knowledg of it Or if as Fox saith in his Protest it was not reported in Histories how know they that it was Can they tell what was in times past without relatioÌ„ of those who theÌ„ liued vnles they pretend some such reuelatioÌ„ as Moyses had to know the CreatioÌ„ of the world Is it not a meere fictioÌ„ or imaginatioÌ„ such as euery new start vp Heretick can auouch Is it not a witles witfull assertioÌ„ to affirme that there hath bene euer such kind of people yet not to be able to name one maÌ„ of theÌ„ one place wher they were one witnes of their being Doth Gods word force vs to such poore miserable yea incredible shifts Or rather is it not wrongly vnderstood when we are compelled to inuent such shamefull shifts or els to confesse that Gods truth and religion was no wher in the world before Luther Iuel Surely to vse euen Iuels words in the like matter Articulo 2. diuision 8. It must needs be a straÌ„ge Church that had nether beginning nor ending no defender no reprouer no mouth to vtter or ear to hear it nor pen to write nor place to rest in Tertullian And we may say to such as Tertullian said to ould Heretiks VVho are you whence are you wheÌ„ came you VVher lurked you so long The meetings of witches though they be brought together by the diuel yet be often times seene Protestants for one thousand yeares more inuisible them Fairies The meetings of Fairies though they be spirits some times are discried And were there ProtestaÌ„ts these thousand yeares yet more inuisible than ether witches or Fairies were ther CoÌ„gregations of them yet nether seene heard or imagined of by the world Surely this kind of Church hath her being as Protest
words f All the aithful of S. Austins time ioyed at our Nations conuersion by him Quis sufficiat c. VVho can tel what ioy arose in the harts of all the faithfull that the English nation by the working of Almighty God his grace and the labor of thy brotherhood hauing cast away the darknes of errors is endued with the light of the holy faith that with sincere deuotion it trampleth the Idolls to which before vvith mad feare it bowed vnto that with a pure hart it is subiect to Almightie God Behould S. Greg. witnesseth that all faithfull of that time acknowledged and reioyced that Austin brought the faith to our English Nation and that they by his meanes serued God with most sincere deuotion and pure harts But yet more plainly auoucheth he this truth Moral 27. cap. 6. Where glorying in God of the conuersion of England he writeth thus S. Austins doctrine the faith of Christendom from the East to the vvest Behould now the faith hath entred the harts almost of all Nations Behould God hath ioyned the bounds of the East and west in one faith Behould the tonge of Britanie which knew nothing but to roare rudely of late hath begun in Gods praises to sound out the hebrew Alleluia O most comfortable speach to all those that follow S. Gregory and S. Austins doctrine Great comfort for Catholicks to heare auouched by irrefragable testimonie that it was the faith of the Church of God from the East to the west aboue a thousand yeares agoe For as Tertullian saith Admit that God had neglected his Church and permitted it to run into errors is it lykly that so many and so great Churches would conspire wholy in error No surely 2. The next is S. Austin him self who in Beda lib. 2. cap 2. saith thus vnto the Britons S. Austins Doctrine proued to be vniuersal by his ovvne testimonie Although in many other points yow do contrary to our custome or rather contrary to the custome of the vniuersall Church of Christ Behould how he testifyeth his custome to be the custome of the vniuersall Church of Christ in his tyme. And lib. 1. cap. 27. in his questions proposed to S. Greg. he asketh VVhere there is but one faith whie be there so many sundry customs of Churches and one custome of Masses obserued at Rome another in France Here he manefestly testifyeth that there was but one faith and one masse in substance euery where and the difference onely in ceremonies S. Greg. communicated vvith all partes of Christendom The same also may be proued by the communion which S. Gregory whose faith was vndoubtedly the same with S. Austin had with all Christendom For lib. 6. epist 4. 5. he communicateth with Cyriacus the Patriarch of Constantinople lib. 4. epist 34. 36. lib. 7. epist 30. he communicated with the Patriarch of Alexandria and gloried to him of the conuersion of England lib. 1. epist 25. lib. 4. epist 37. lib. 6. epist 24. lib. 7. epist 3. 47. he communicated with the Patriarch of Antioch vnder which three Patriarchs was almost all the Eastern Church And touching the Western Church lib. 1. epist 4. lib. 4. epist 46. He communicated with Leander Primat of Spaine lib. 4. epist 51. He communicated with Vigilius primate of France lib. 9. epist 61. he communicated with all the Catholick Bishops of Ireland lib. 2. epist 28. he communicated with all the Bishops of Italy lib. 1. epist 60. 61. he communicated with Ianuarius of Sardinia lib. 1. epist 68. he communicated with all the Bishops in Sicilie lib. 1. epist 76. with Leo Bishop of Corsica lib. 1. epist 75. with all the Bishops of Numidia lib. 2. epist 15. lib. 3. epist 16. with all the Bishops of Dalmatia lib. 3. epist 37. He communicated with all the Bishop of Vizach and epist 30. With the Bishop of Istria And lib. 7. epist 30. with the Bishops of Germanie and consequentlie with all Catholick Churches in the East and west S. vvilfrid auoucheth S. Austins doctrin to be vniuersal 3. Of those that liued after S. Austins tyme. First is S. Wilfrid Archbishop of York who was borne soone after S. Austins death For as S. Beda saith lib. 5. cap. 20. He went vp to Rome in the tyme of Honorius Archbishop of Canterburie who was one of S. Austins fellowes and he was as S. Beda ther writeth a worthie Prelat and notable Bishop This man therfore in Beda lib. 3. cap. 25. disputing with the Scotts for the Roman obseruation of Easter and shauen Crownes saith thus The Easter which we obserue we haue seene to haue bene in lyke maner obserued in Rome in all Italie and France This maner we know to be obserued in Africk in Eegipt in Asia in Grece and throughout all Nations and tongues of the world where the Church of Christ taketh place besides these few Scotts and the Picts and Britons with whome these men do fondly contend against the whole world Behould how S. Wilfrid auoucheth his Religion euen in that point wherein the Scotts then dissented from vs to be the Religion of all the Christian world Nether did the Scotts or could they deny it S. Ceolfrid The next is S. Ceolfrid Abbot and Maister to S. Beda who liued in the same tyme who writing to Naitan King of the Picts in Beda lib. 5. cap. 22. and speaking of his tyme saith The whole Catholick Church agreeth in one faith in one hope and one charitie towards God The third is S. Beda him self who lib. 2. cap. 2. saith S. Beda The Britons preferred their own Traditions before all other Churches which throughout the whole world agreed with Austin in Christ What I pray can be sayd or imagined against these so manifould or irrefragable testimonies Were S. Gregory S. Austin S. Wilfrid S. Ceolfrid S. Beda ignorant what was the vniuersall faith of Christendome at that tyme or were they so impudent as they would write yea auouch to their aduersaries face a knowne vntruth No surely And this truth Protestants also partly openly confesse partly tacitly grant and acknowledg For Napier vpon the Reuelation of S. Iohn See more infr lib. 2. cap. 3. saith Betwene the yeare of Christ 300. and 316. the Antichristian and Papisticall Religion reigning vniuersally without debatable contradiction 1260. yeares And Brocard also vpon the Reuelation pag. 110. writeth that the Church of Protestants was troden downe and oppressed by the Papacy euen from Siluesters tyme vnto these times Bale cent 1. pag. 69. saith From this tyme of Boniface 3. who succeeded S. Greg. with in a yeare or two the puritie of heauenly doctrine vanished in the Church pag. 65. After Greg. tyme puritie of doctrine perished And 73. From Phocas who liued in S. Greg. tyme vvho saith he begot the Papacy till the renewing of the Gospel by Luther the doctrine of Christ was all the vvhile among Idiots in holes Now if the heauenly doctrine
from S. Greg. and telleth the tyme when it began generally to be receaued in all Churches To wit about 900. yeares agoe Protestāts confesse S. Greg. to haue bene a Papist 6. Lastly I will proue S. Greg. to haue bene a Roman Catholick by the open confession of our Aduersaries Fulk in Apoc. 6. saith Greg. was superstitious in reliques And 2. Thessal 2. Greg. was a great worker and furtherer of the See of Antichrist Fulk and of the mystery of iniquitie Io. 21. Gregorie gathered some thing for Peters Primacie Ib. VVe go not about to clear Gregorie from all vsurpation of Iurisdiction more than to his See appertained He thought to highly of his See And Math. 4. Gregorie alowed of Images Hebr. 11. Allowed Images to be in Churches Acts. 17. Greg. alowed Images to be lay mens bookes Math. 16. and 1 Cor. 3. Gregorie granteth Purgatorie Sutclif Sutclif Subuers cap. 4. Greg. vsed litanies allowed Purgatorie esteemed much reliques of Saintes Whitak cont Dur. pag. 480. Greg. Purgatorium vt certum dogma tradidit VVhitaker Fulk 1. Timoth. 4. Gregorie indeed willeth holy water to be made and to he sprinkled in the Idols Temples Altars to be built and reliques to be layd vp Gregorie indeede did send many superstitious tokens as a littel Key from of S. Peter for his blessing Math. 16. Greg. fauoreth the supremacy of S. Peter Bale Cent. 1. cap. 68. Greg. burdened the Church and Religion of God more then all Bale with more than Iewish Ceremonies He ordered the rites of Masse commanded Masses to be said ouer the Dead bodies of the Apostles S. Greg. described to haue bene a profest Papist deuised Letanies and Procession permitted the Image of the blessed Virgin to be caried about confirmed Pilgrimage to Images by Indulgences for the peoples deuotion he was a Maintainer of Pardons S. Greg. granted indulgences granted Indulgences to those that visit Churches on certain dayes made four bookes of Dialogues for strengthning Purgatorie Admitted adoration of the Crosse and Masses for the dead Called the English men to Romish rites by Austin the Monk And much more there And cap. 70. Gregorie brought in Ceremonies Procession Suffrages adoration Masses trust of mens works Item After Greg. tyme puritie of doctrine decreased the Inuocation of dead Saints together with sale of Masses increased and the Mysterie of the Eucharist began to be offered for the dead Bishops also from the doctrine of faith fled to trust to mens works and human satisfactions which saith he is manifest of Gregorie Item Greg. sent Austin to the English men that he might bring in not Christ but the Roman Religion stuffed with the commandements and traditions of men And finally cap. 71. he saith in plain termes that Greg. brought Papistrie into England Also Doct. Humfrey Iesuitismi part 2. rat 5. pag. 626. 627. Greg. and Austin brought into the Church a burden of Ceremonies Humfrey The Bishops Pal to vse onely at Masse Purgatorie Oblation of the holsom host prayers for the dead Reliques Transubstantiation Transubstātiation new halowing of Churches Of all which what other proceeded but that Indulgences Monkerie Poperie and the rest of the Masse of Popish superstition should be builded thervpon Ansvver to the Examinat printed at Geneua 1566. pag. 45. And all these things did Austin a great Monk being taught of Gregorie a monk bring into England Who will see more of S. Greg. confessed Papisme by Protestants may read Osiander cent 6. pag. 288. But what we haue cited out of English Protestants will suffice I hope to perswade any in different man that S. Greg. was a Papist Who will see more out of S. Greg. himself may read lib. 7. epist 53. and 109. lib. 9. epist 71. lib. 12. cap. vlt. lib. 1. epist 25. 33. lib. 8. epist 22. CHAP. XV. That Saint Austin and his fellowes were Roman Catholicks proued by their own deedes and Doctrine 1. FIrst Saint Austin was a Benedictin Monk Ansvv to D. Bish. pag. 197. or as Doctor Abbots calleth him of the colour of his habit a black Monk Which kind of Monks Bale cent 13. cap. 4. accounteth one of the hornes of the beast so he termeth the Pope And cent 1. cap. 100. saith they filled all with superstition and Idolatry And Fox lib. 3. pag. 153. condemneth these kinde of Monks as superstitious tyed to a prescript forme of dyet apparrel and other things and forbidden to marry Secondly he was a Romish Priest and Romish Archbishop as Doct. Abbots calleth him pag. 198. And Romish Legat as Bilson termeth him lib. de Obed. pag. 114. And what masse or seruice of God a Romish Priest vseth euery one knoweth Thirdly when he and his fellowes came into England they came as S. Beda lib. 1. cap. 25. and all other writers agree carrying before them in place of a banner a Crosse of siluer and the Image of our Sauiour painted in a table and singing the Letanies Which Letanies saith Bale Cent 1 pag. 62. were supersticious Fox lib. 2. pag. 116. saith they went in Procession Beda lib. 2. cap. 26. In Canterburie they resorted to an ancient Church built in the honor of S. Martin made while the Romans yet dwelled in England and began there first to say seruice say Masse pray preach and Christen cap. 27. Saint Austin was made Archbishop by the authoritie of Pope Greg. or as S. Beda speaketh of at the commandement of S. Gregorie He enquireth of Gregorie how offerings at the Altar should be distributed what Ceremonies he should vse at Masse and the like cap. 29. He receaued from Gregorie all such things as were necessarie for the furniture and ministrie of the Church As holy vessels Altar clothes Ornaments for Churches apparrel for Preists and Clergie and a Pal to were onely when he sayd Masse authoritie to institute 12. Bishops vnder him and 12. vnder a Bishop of York and superioritie ouer all the Priests of Britanie cap. 30. S. Austin is apointed by Gregorie not to pul downe the Temples of Idols Holie vvater but to make holy water and sprinkle about the same Temples to build Altars and place reliques in them cap. 33. Saint Austin builded a Monasterie in which King Ethelbert through his aduise built a nevv Church in the honor of S. Peter and Paul lib. 2. cap. 2. Saint Austin exacted of the Britons to celebrat Easter and administer baptisme after the maner of the holy Roman Church And cap. 35. Beda speaking of the Church of the Austins in Canterbury saith This Church hath almost in the midst of it an Altar dedicated in the honor of S. Greg. Pope on the vvich Altar euery Saterday their memories are solemly celebrated by the Priest of that place cap. 4. S. Paulin vsed an Altar of stone And cap. 20. a great goulden Crosse and a goulden Chalice consecrated for the ministrie of the Altar 2. Besides Pope Boniface 3. was by the Emperor Phocas
Astronomy and Algorisme Beda and so brought them vp in the tongues as some of them yet liuing can speake Latin and Greeke as wel as English Nether vvas there since Englishe men came to Britanie any time more happie than that For England had most valiant Christian Princes the people vvere vvholly bent to the ioyful tidings of heauen and there vvanted no cunning and expert Maisters to instruct them in the scriptures Thus S. Beda of Saint Theodore his great learning Pope Agatho who than liued so highly esteemed his wonderful learning that he deferred the calling of the sixt generall Councel for his coming In ep apud Malmsb lib. 1. Pont Malmesb. pag. 196. and lib. 1. Reg. pag. 11. saith of him and S. Adrian that they had learnt throughly all good learning and made this Iland a dwelling place of Philosophie Godvvin Godwin saith He was wel seene in all good learning that England neuer had so happy dayes nor so many learned men as vnder him England neuer so learned or so happie as in Saint Theodors time And a little after Amongst a great number of others ther were of his breeding Beda Iohn of Beuerley Albinus and Tobias all excellent and very famous men He founded saith he a schoole or vniuersitie at Greclaed And as Caius addeth lib. 1. antique Cantab an other in Canterburie Bale Bâ—le Cent. 13. cap. 6. giueth this testimony of his excellent learning He was accounted inferior to no Romish Monke of his time for ether diuine or human learning either Latin or Greck tongue He brought hither all artes of calculating Counting Versifying singing arguing c. He taught Latin and Greeke Saint Theodor his great vertue Beda Thus both Catholicks and Protestants admire this great Archbishops learning S. Beda lib. 5. cap. 8. thus witnesseth that he was worthie of perpetual remembrance for his singuler vertues And addeth this of him and his Precessors Of whome with the rest of his Predecessors equal both in dignitie and degree it may be truly verified that their names shall liue in glorie from generation to generation time out of minde For the Church of England for the time he was Archbishop receaued so much comfort and increase in spiritual matters as they could neuer before nor after Florent Florent Chron An 690 calâ—eth him Archbishop of blessed memorie Capgraue Capgraue in his life saith In his time England shined with great aboundance of Saints like most bright starres S. Theodor his Cathol faith 7. But as for his Roman Religion that is so manifest as all Protestants confesse it Bale Cent. 13. cap. 6. saith It is manifest that he came with the Character of the great Beast Bale so Bale commonly termeth the Pope He gaue the vayle to Votaries in diuers places for seruice of Popish Religion and finished many things which serued to further the kingdome of Antichrist And Cent. 1. cap. 80. In the yeare 666. the Papists Masse began to be made Latin Item Pope Vitalian who sent Saint Theodor made all things to be done in Latin in the Christian Churches as in howers in stations in Masses and Prayers And pag. 71. Vitalian sent the Monkes Theodore and Adrian into England that they might confirme in the popish faith those that wauered Perfect Papistrie of EnglaÌ„d in S. Thedor his time and that they might signe his beleeuers with the Character of Antichrist So this heretick termeth Christs Vicar He apointed Latin houres Latin songes Masses Ceremonies Masses Idolatries and Prosession in Churches in Latin apointed shauings commanded annoyntings c. And Cent. 13. cap. 7. Theodore apointed many things in a Councel for setting vp of Purgatorie Fulke Apoc 13. Fulk Composition of the latin seruice by Pope Vitalian to be obserued in all regions subiect to the Romish Tyrany Fox lib. 2. pag. 124. Fox Theodore was sent into England by Vitalian the Pope and vvith him diuers other Monkes to set vp here in England Latin seruice Masses Ceremonies Letanies vvith such other Romish VVare pag. Saint Theodor a confessed Papist and all follovved him 125. He addeth that Theodore vvas present at the sixt generall Councel vnder Agatho vvhere marriage vvas forbidden to the Latin Priests Who wel remenbreth this and marketh also that S. Beda lib. 4. cap. 2. writeth Priests forbidden mariage that Theodore visited all the Contry ouer whersoeuer any English people dvvelled for all men did receaue him gladly and heare him He did teach the right vvay and path of good liuing Vnto him all the vvhole Church of the English Nation did consent to subiect themselues All Engl. gladly receaued S. Theodor. Wherto Godwin addeth that all the Britishe Bishops and generally all Britanie yeelded him obedience Godvvin and vnder him conformed themselues in all things vnto the rule and disciplin of the Church of Rome Note Who I say marketh this will neuer doubt but all England was at that time perfect Roman Catholicks Besids that as S. Beda recordeth lib. 4. cap. 18. Pope Agatho sent hither a Nuntio to examine the faith of the English Church English faith approued of the Pope WhervpoÌ„ Theodore called a Councel and sending a Copie of their faith to Rome it was receaued most gladly of the Pope So that S. Theodore and our English Church in his time were all of one faith with the Pope Brithwald Archbishop VIII 8. THe eighth Archb. of Canterburie was Brithwald who was elected saith Beda lib. 5. cap. 9. An. 692. and consecrated the next yeare by Godwin Archbishop of France He sate saith Beda lib. 5. cap. vlt. 37. yeares 6 months and dyed An. 731. Beda cap. 9 cit saith He was a man doubtles wel trauailed in the knowledg of holy scripture The learning of Archb Brithvvald and very skilful in Ecclesiastical and Monastical orders censures and discipline The same saith Florent Chron. An. 692. and Marian Ibid. Godwin in his life saith He was very wel learned in Diuinity and other wise Pope Sergius who gaue his Pal testifieth in his epist in malmsb lib. 1. Pont. pag. 210. His vertue that Brithwald got not his Bishoprick fastu aut tumore sed mente subnixa humili. Bale Cent. 1. cap. 99. saith he was a fine yong man borne to great matters and got great fame of vertue and learning c His Roman Religion appeareth both by that Bale Godwin and others say he was an Abbot His Rom. Religion And as Bale writeth l. cit Images honored in EnglaÌ„d An. 71â— liued an Ermit from his youth And held a Councel in London An. 712. in which according to the decree of Pope Constantine he appointed Images of dead Saints to be honored and Masses to be said before them Item How much saith Bale this man profited Papistrie Geruasius declareth in his Catalog And cap. 94. About the yeare 714. vnder Archbishop Brithwald ther was a Synod at London for confirmation of
Malmsb. in Fastis Or an 831. as Florent in Chron. Oran 832. as Godwin in his life and sate an 41. as Malmsb. and Florent agree Godwin saith an Rom religion of Archb. Celnoth 38. His Roman Religion is manifest by his Pal wich as Florent an 831. and Westmon an 832. write he receaued of Pope Gregorie And by his subscription to a Charter in Ingulph Wherin King Withlaf offereth a Chalice and Crosse of gould to the Aultare in Croiland King of England giueth his princely robe to make a Chisible and clamidem coccineam ad Casulam saciendam his scarlet robe to make a Chisible And pag. 862. publickly professed him selfe to be cured of a disease by the merits of S. Guthlac Athelard Archbishop XVIII The vvorthines of Archb. Athelard and his 3. Predecessors 18. THe 18. Archbishop was Athelard An. 893. saith Godwin but Malmsb. in Fastis an 871. he sate 18. years and as Malmsb. lib. 1. Pont. pag. 199. saith of him and his three Predecessors they did many worthie things both towards God and the world but for want of writers all is obscure Godwin saith he was a great diuine and some times Monk of Christ-church in Canterbury by which his Roman religion is out of doubt His Rom. religion Plegmund Archbishop XIX 19. THe 19. was Plegmund Entred saith Godwin and Malmsb. in Fast an 889. sate an 26. as both agree But in lib. 1. Pont. Malmsb. attributeth to him 33. yeares He was saith Godwin the most excellent learned man of his time Most excellent learning of Archb. Plegmund And as Fox saith lib. 3. pag. 170. Schoolemaister to King Alfred Hunting lib. 5. pag. 351. saith He was chosen of God and all the people And Florent an 872. addeth that he was Venerabilis vir sapientia praeditus and an 889. Literis insigniter eruditus His Cathol faith His Roman religion is out of question because as Godwin writeth In his youth he was an Hermit And being chosen Archbishop trauailed to Rome in person and was ther consecrated And was Legat to Pope Formosus as he testifyeth epist 2. in these wordes VVe command Plegmund to be our Legat in all matters Althelin Archbishop XX. 20. AThelin succeded in the 20. place an Rom. Religion of Archb. Athelin 915. as Godwin hath and Malmâ—b in Fast and sate 9. years who saith Godwin had before bene Abbot of Glastenbury And therfor no question can be made of his Religion VVolfhelm Archbishop XXI 21. THe 21. Archbishop Wolfhelm entring an The famous learning and vertue of Archb. vvolfhelm 924. as Godwin and Malmsb. in Fast agree dyed also 934. Who was saith Godwin in the Bishops of Wells out of Polidor famous as wel for vertue as learning S. Odo Archbishop XXII 22. THe 22. Archbishop was S. Odo an 934. as Godwin and Malmsb. in Fast accord and sate an 24. in great fauour and authoritie vnder diuers Princes His parents saith Godwin were Danes of great welth and nobilitie who disinherited him for Christian religion King Edward senior perceauing his great excellency of wit set him to schole where he profited exceedingly S. Odo his rare learning both in greek and latin Bale Cent. 2. cap. 30. saith He was so skilful both in Greeke and Latin that sodenly he could vtter either in prose or any kind of verse what so euer he would Godwin saith he preached painfully Florent an 958. and Westmon Ibid. say Odo a man famous for wit His great holines laudable for vertue and indued with the spirit of Prophecie In Malmsb. lib. 1. Pont. pag. 200. He professeth that he would spend all the riches in the world if he had them and him self for his flock His miracles And Malmsb. there saith that he wrought miracles Fox lib. 3 pag 151. saith A zealous care of the Churches of the Lord reigned in him and other Archbishops then And thus much of his learning and vertue His Rom. religion His Roman religion is out of all doubt For Godwin saith being elected he would not be Archbishop before he was made Monke as all his Predecâ—ssors sayd he had bene And as Bale saith l. cit He receaued a Pal from Pope Agapit 2. Priests mariages forbidden Decreed that mariages of the Ministers of the Church are to be accounted Heretical and exalted Popish monkerie Thus Bale But it spiteth Fox most that Osbern in vit Some denied TransubstaÌ„tiation Odonis writeth that in his tyme certain Clercks seduced by wicked error endevored to auouch that the bread and wine which are set on the Altar after consecration remain in their former substance and are onely a signe of the body and blood of Christ And for their conuersion Odo did as Osbern Malmsb. and an other Author who as Fox saith wrote in the time of Alfricus the 4. Arch. after Odo A great miracle to confirme Transubstantiation write by his prayers obtaine of God that the Sacrament should appeare in forme of true flesh and blood and againe returne to their pristinat shape This historie Fox pag. 1139. dislyketh First because Osbern saith but quidam But so also writeth his brother Bale loc cit Capgraue in Odone and others Secondly that Osbern saith this miracle was done to conuert the Clerkes and the other Author saith it was done to testify Odo his holines As if it could not be done for both endes But it sufficeth us 1. that Odo and England then beleeued Transubstantion so odious a thing now to Protestants 2. that S. Odo confirmed it by such a miracle as some Priests who then began to deny it beleeued to be a true miracle and were conuerted therby Fox denieth a miracle vvhich diuers that savv it confesse and vvere conuerted by it Now whether they who were then present and saw it or Fox who liued aboue 600. yeares after were more like to know the truth of that miracle let euery one iudg But here I would wish the careful Reader to note first that the denial of Transubstantiation and the real presence of Christ in the sacrament began in England aboue 300. yeares after the land was conuerted to Christianitie to wit Transubstantiation the ancient faith of England circa An. 950. as Bale saith which sheweth that the ancient English Christians beleeued Transubstantiation Secondly that Transubst was denied but of a few and consequently the general faith of England beleeued it Thirdly that this heresie was soone extinct and the Authors confuted of S. Odo Primat of this Land both by miracle and by writing Denial of TraÌ„subst confuted of S. Odo by miracle and vvtiting which writing saith Bale l. cit he entitled Defensio Eucharistiae And for this Fox lib. 3. cap. 151. saith that Odo might seeme to be the worst that occupied that place So he termeth light darknes and darknes light S Greg. sent hither the beleef of Transubstant But for Transubstantiation yow heard before confessed by
that receiuing his Pal he might sweare Antichrists so he stil termeth the Pope faith The like saith Godwin And of his going to Rome for his Pal testify Malmsb. lib. 4. Pont. pag. 289. Hunt lib. 6. Florent an 1021. Houeden 1022. Fox lib. 3. pag. 163. addeth that King Canut following much the superstition of Agelnoth went a Pilgrimage to Rome And Bale l. cit addeth That he perswaded King Canut to resigne his crowne to the Crucifix and calleth him a Bishop of superstition Eadsin Archbishop XXX 30. IN the yeare 1038. succeded Eadsin The vertue and religiō of Archb. Eadsin and died 1050. His Roman religion and vertue appeareth by that as Godwin saith after his death he was made a Saint Malmsb. lib. Pont. pag. 204. and Florent an 1043. write that he anointed King Edward Confess who was a notorious Papist Robert Archbishop XXXI 31. THe next was Robert who succeded an 1050. and sate two or as Malmsb. in Fastis saith 3. yeares His Roman religion is manifest by that he was a Monk Rom. religion of Archb. Robert brought vp as Godwin saith in the Monasterie of Gemetica in Normandie had a Pal from Rome as he saith in the life of Stigand And being accused went saith Malmsb. 1. Pont pag. 204. to Rome from whence he came with letters to clear him and to recouer his See Stigand Archbishop XXXII 32. THe last Archbishop before the Conquest was Stigand who an 1052. vsurped the seate whilst his Predecessor liued and was depriued an 1069. He was saith Godwin stoute and wise inough His Roman religion is manifest by that as Godwin writeth he laboured to procure a Pal of the Pope Rom. religion of Archb. Stigand but could not because of his vnlawful entrance And therfore as Ingulph who liued then writeth pag. 898 Malmsb. lib. 1. Pont. pag. 204. Florent An. 1058. he procured one of an Antipope which then was The first and last Archb. in the Saxons time said Masse and had a Pall. and vsed it saith Florent An. 1070 in Missarum celebratione Thus you see all the Archbishops of Canterburie in the Saxons tyme for 466. yeares together were Roman Catholicks And as S. Austin the first of them had a Pal from the Pope and sayd Masse so did the very last Now let vs shew the same of all the Archbishops from the Conquest vnto our time CHAP. XX. That all the Archbishops of Canterb from the time of the Conquest vnto our tyme were Roman Catholicks 1. THe 33. Archbishop of Canterburie and first after the Conquest of England was Lanfranck He entred an 1070. being Monke and Prior of Becco in regard saith Godwin of his singuler wisdome and great knowledg of all good learning that those times could affoard The singuler great learning and vvisdom of Arch Lanfranck Was first called by Duke William to be Abbot and after hauing conquered England for his wisdom and faithfulnes he made choise of him for Archbishop of Canterburie Godvvin as one in all respects most fit and worthie which being wel known to all men the Couent of Canterb. at the Kings first nomination readily chose him The nobilitie and Laitie willingly receaued him with great applause Bale Bale Cent. 13. cap. 12. saith he was the most perfect of his tyme in all kind of Logick or subtilitie of Aristotle He corrected and amended according to the right faith all the bookes of the olde and new Testament which had bene corrupted by faulte of the writers and also the writings of the holy Fathers Fox Fox lib. 4. pag. 184. From his commendation and worthines I list not to detract anie thing Stovv Stow Chron pag. 148. Lanfranck skilful in science prudent in Councel and gouernment of things and for religion and life most holie His holines And pag. 171. reporteth that King William Conqueror being redy to die said that he supposed that the praises of Lanfranck and Anselme his Successor sound in the vttermost corners of the Earth He was busie saith Godwin in exhorting King Rufus to vertue and godlines Protestāts forced most highly to commend their learning and vertue vvho condemned their Doctrin And as long as Lanfranck liued saith Stow pag. 179. Rufus seemed to abhor all kind of vice in so much as he was counted the mirror of Kings This high praise for learning and vertue Protestants giue to this Archbishop whome to their confusion they confesse as yow shall heare anon to haue bene a most notorious Papist and the greatest enemy of Berengarius Archb. Lanfranc first confuted the deniers of Transubstātiation whome they account their Patriarch for the denial of the real presence If I should alleadg the sayings of Catholick writers in his commendation I should neuer make an ende Onely therfor I will cite two who liued in his time and quote some others Malmsb. Malmesbur lib. 3. Hist pag. 109. saith he was a man comparable to the Fathers in Religion and learning on whom in earnest may be verified A third Cato came from heauen So heauenly sauor had embued his brest and mouth So all the Latin Church did by his learning stir it self vp to the study of the liberal sciences So by his example or feare Monastical perfection did goe for ward in religion And much more he hath of Lanfranck 1. Pont. pag. 213. sequ Ingulph also Hist Ingulph pag. 901. saith he was the most commended and clear Doctor of all liberal sciences and most expert in temporal affaires and most holy in life and religion Marian The like also hath Marian who liued at that tyme Chron. Florent Huntingt an 1070. Florent and Westmon Ibid. Huntington lib. 7. Neubrigen lib. 1. cap. 1. Paris Hist pag. 8. Walsingham in ypodigmate Capgraue and Trithem in Lanfranco 2. And no les notorious was the Roman religion of this worthie Archb. Rom religion of Archb. Lanfranc than his learning and vertue was famous Which for breuitie sake I will onely proue by the confession of Protestants Bale Cent. Bale He an Heretik vvho in faith differeth from the Church of Rome 13. cap. 12. saith plainly He did many things for the exaltation of Papistrie Defineth him to be an Heretick who differeth from the Church of Rome in doctrine of faith Which is as much as any Papist now can or wil say And Cent. 2. cap. 62. Lanfranck and Anselm set vp the mouldy so this wretch blasphemeth Idol of the Masse Priests mariages condemned and condemned the holy marriages of Priestes Fox lib. 4. pag. 173. citeth this beginning of his letter to Pope Alexander To the Lorde Pope Alexander high ouerseer of all Christian Religion Fox Lanfranck due obedience with all subiection Pag. 394. he calleth him a stout Champion of the Pope Pag. 1147. cheefest trobler of Berengarius And pag. 1148. citeth this profession of Lanfranck Lanfranck his profession of Transubstant I beleeue the earthly
of Pope honorius who made him his Legat in England and Scotland Theobald Archbishop XXXVII 6. THe 37. was Theobald chosen an The vvorthines of Archb. Theobald 1138. and deceased an 1160. He was saith Godwin of so svveete and gentle behauiour being very vvise vvithal as he vvas greatly esteemeed of high and lovv Kings Nobles and Commons His Religion is known His Rom. religion by that as Godwin witnesseth he was a Benedictin monke and Abbot coÌ„secrated of the Popes Legat receaued his Pal from Pope Innocent 2. who also indued him and his successors for euer with the Title of Legatus natus which they all kept til the later end of King Henrie 8. Continuat Florent addeth that being called of the Pope he went to a Councel held in Rome S. Thomas Archbishop XXXVIII 7. THe 38. Archbishop and first Englishman after the Conquest was S. Thomas Elect an 1161. martyred an 1171. He was saith Neubrigen who then liued lib. 2. c. 16. vir acris ingenij The excellent partes and vertue of S. Thomas Archb. A man of a sharp wit and competent eloquence comely in fauor and finely handed comparable to the best in the effectual dispach of any busines he had so spetial a prerogatiue of honor and loue in the Princes hart that he seemed to be his fellow mate in the Crowne And Paris who liued soone after pag. 272. saith a primis adolescentiae annis From his very youth he was adorned with manifould grace And pag. 167. Carnem cilicijs attritam cum femoralibus cilicinis edomuit His fleshe worne with haireclothe His vvonderful austeritie of life he tamed with britches of the same Houeden Parte 2. Anal. saith Irreprehen sibilis vita singulis diebus c. Irreprehensible he receaued day by day three or fyue disciplines at the Priests hand his inner garment was of rugged haircloth of Gotes haire wherwith his whole bodie was couered from the elbow euen to the knees he lay vpon the bare ground before his bed and neuer ceased from prayer vntil for very wearines he layd downe his head vpon the stone be there placed insteed of a boulster The same and much more is written in his life by four writers of great credit who then liued Fox Acts. pag. 206. saith of him thus Threatnings and flatterings were to him both one great helps of nature were in him In memorie excellent good ful of deuotion Godwin saith he was most canonically elected and presently after his consecration became so graue so austere so deuoute in al outvvard shevv as he seemed quite an other man And as Westmon an 1162. writeth a Courtiers life he changed into a most saintly Thus both Catholicks and Protestants write of this blessed martir His Rom. religion His Roman religion is doubted of no man Fox Acts pag. 206. saith he was without all true religion supersticious to the obedience of the Pope and pag. 779. saith Lanfranck Anselm Beket brought the Popes Iudicial authoritie from Rome into this Land both ouer Kings and subiects which euer since hath continewed til these later yeares Bale Cent. 2. cap. 100. saith he was Legatus a latere The Popes Legat. assiduus labor c. and his continual labor was to subiect the Princes Maiestie to Antichrist Hovv God revvarded the pennance of king Henrie 2. What great pennance King Henrie 2. did of his owne accord for being some cause of this blessed mans death and how God the same day rewarded him with a miraculous victorie ouer the Scott yow may read in the Chronicles And how great the deuotion of our Forfathers was to this Saint appeareth by the inestimable riches which they gaue to his shrime of which Erasmus writteth vilissima pars c. Deuotion of EnglaÌ„d to Saint Thomas The basest part was golde all shined glittered and cast forth lightening by reason of the rare and mightie gemmes and precious stones yea the whole Church in euery parte abounded more than with royal riches Godwin in vit Baldwin Euery one thought him selfe happie that could doe anything to his honor Of these riches King Henry 8. had 24. waine Loades besides that which others embezeled And our Ancestors deuotion towards him appeareth by the hard marble stones which are to be seene worne round about the place where his shrine stood with the knees of those that came to pray there As Protestante with admiration do shew to those that come thither Richard Archbishop XXXIX 8. IN the yeare 1173. succeded Richard The vvorthines of Archb. Richard and departed this life an 1183. A man saith Godwin very liberal gentle and passing wise His Roman religion is certain His Rom. Keligion For as the same Godwin and Fox pag. 394. confesse he was a Benedictin Monk and consecrated of the Pope Which also testifieth Westmon an 1174. Houeden 1175. saith he held a Councel wherin he decreed Patrum saith he regulis inherentes insisting in the rules of ancient Fathers that Priestes should haue no wiues and be shauen Priests commanded to put avvay vvomen and to be shauen Baldwin Archbishop XL. 9. THe 40. Archbishop Baldwin succeeded an 1184. and deceased an 1190. aâ—very comely man saith Godwin modest and sober of such abstinence as fame durst neuer stamp any sinister report vpon him The admirable vertue and learning of Archb. Baldvvin Of few wordes slovv to anger and very studious from his childhood Fox Acts. pag. 230. addeth that it is saide that he neuer eat flesh in his life He went with King Richard into the holy land where saith Godwin by preaching counsel liberal almes and continual example of a most vertuous life he did great good and there dyed Bale Cent. 3. cap. 27. saith he was eloquent in speech an exact Philosopher and was accounted in those dayes fit for all maner of studie He was very diligent and careful in the discharge of his Archiepiscopal function behauing him selfe as a worthie Pastor His Rom. religion The Roman religion of this holy Prelat is manifest For as Fox Godwin and Bale L. cit say he was a Cistertian Monke and at the commandement of the Pope razed down to the ground a Church which him selfe had built Reginald Fiz Iocelin Archb. XLI 10. THe next was Reginald fiz Iocelin elected saith Godwin by the Monkes of Canterburie an 1191. but he at first withstood what he might Rare humilitie of Archb. Reginald and with teares vnfainedly besought them to make choise of some other and dyed within few dayes after Yet his Roman religion is cleare His Rom. Religion For as Godwin saith the Pope presently afforded him his Pal. Hubert VValter Archb. XLII 11. IN the yeare 1193. succeded Hubert Walter and dyed an Great vvorthines of Archb. Hubert 1205. VVho was saith Paris Hist pag. 26. vir profundi pectoris c. A man of a deepe reache and a singuler piller in the Realme of incomparable stabilitie and wisdome The
same hath Stow pag. 244. and pag. 324. A magnifical and faithful man who as long as he liued kept King Iohn from mischeefe and miserie He was saith Godwin an excellent and memorable man a bridle vnto the King and an obstacle of tyrany the peace and comfort of the people And lastly a notable refuge both of high and lowe against all manner of iniurie and oppression faithful and loyal to his Prince louing and very careful of his Contrie in which he caused many excellent lawes to be established King Richard ceur de Lion had experience of his great wisdom and other manifould vertues Nether was ther euer Clergie man ether befor or after him of so great power neuer any man vsed his authoritie more moderatly His Rom. Religion And as for the religion of this worthie Prelat it is manifest For as Godwin testifieth he founded a monasterie for his owne soules health and for the soules of his Father and mother as him self speaketh in the foundation and an other of Cistercian Monkes After his election professed him selfe a Monke had a Pal from the Pope and was his Legat. Pope Celestin the third in Houeden pag. 763. praiseth him exceedingly and maketh him his Legat at the request as he saith of King Richard and all his Suffragans and testifieth that of Huberts deserts vertue wisdome and learning the vniuersal Church reioyceth And pag. 755. Houeden writeth that this Archbishop held a Councel wherin he apointed diuers things concerning Masse and Priests espetially that they should not keepe women in their houses Priests forbidden to keep vvomen Stephen Langton Archbishop XLIII 12. THe 43. Archbishop was Stephen Langton an 1207. and died an 1228. He was saith Westmon an 1207. A man of deepe iudgment Singuler learning and vvorthines of Archb. Stephen of comely personage fine behauior fit and sufficient as much at lyeth in a man to gouern the whole Church Paris in his Hist pag. 297. addeth that there was none greater nor equal to him for maners and learning in the Court of Rome Godwin saith he was a maÌ„ in regard of many excellent gifts both of mind and bodie very fit for the place brought vp in the Vniuersitie of Paris and greatly esteemed by the King and all the nobilitie of France for his singuler and rare learning made Chancellor of Paris was admirablie learned and writ many notable bookes He deuided the Bible into Chapters in such sort as we now account them VVho built the Archb. palace in Canterb. and built in a maner all the Archbishops Palace at Canterburie The like commendations of learning yeldeth Bale vnto him Cent. 3. cap. 87. As for His Roman religion there can be no doubt His Rom. religion For he was both Cardinal of Rome and made Archbishop by the Popes absolute authoritie as the said Authors and all Chronicles testifie He built also a sumptuous shrine for the bones of S. Thomas of Câ—nterburie and as Bale speaketk after his maner He largely poured out dreggs out of the goulden cup of the harlot Incomparable learning and uertue of Archb. Richard Richard Magnus Archbishop XLIIII 13. THe 44. Archbishop was Richard Magnus elected An. 1223. and continued about two yeares He was saith Paris who then liued Hist pag. 494 Incomparable for learning and vertue Fox Acts. pag. 274 saith that he was of a comely personage and eloquent tongue Godwin addeth that he was a man very vvel learned vvise graue vvel spoken and of good report stoute in defending the rights and liberties of the Church and of a personage all streight and well fauored and that the Pope delighted much with the eloquence grauitie and excellent behauiour of this Archbishop His Rom. Religion The Roman Religion of this notable Prelat is euident For as Godwin saith he was elected by the Pope him self and so great in fauor with the Pope as both he and Fox l. cit write that he obtained of the Pope what so euer he asked S. Edmund Archbishop XLV Famous learning and vertue of Saint Edmund 14. THe 45. Archbishop was S. Edmund elected an 1234. and deceased an 1244. A man saith Westmon an 1234. mirae sanctitatis mansuetudinis of admirable sanctitie and meeknes desiring the peace and honor both of the King and Realme Paris who then liued Hist pag. 730. 743. writeth much of his miracles which Westmon an 1244. saith were so many His Miracles Vt viderentur c. that the Apostles times seemed to be returned again And Bale Cent. 3. cap. 96. confesseth that cum aqua lustrali c. VVith holy water he wrought many miracles That omni tum literarum c. He exercised him self in all maner of learning and vertue Fox Acts. pag. 339. calleth him a Saint Godwin saith he was a man very wel knowne and indeede famous for his vertue and great learning His Rom. Religion The Roman religion of this holy Archbishop is certain For as Godwin writeth he was chosen by the procurement of the Pope and had his Pal from him as both he and Fox pag. 279. do testifie and opposed him selfe against the marriage of a noble womaÌ„ Mariage after vovv of chastitie forbidden who vpon the death of her first husband had wowed chastitie and was after his death canonized for a Saint by Pope Innocent 4. Bale saith he was chosen Tanquam ad Rom. Pont. c. As one more redy at the Popes beck And that vt Virginitatis assequeretur donum Strange deed of S. Edmund to keep his virginitie To attain the gift of Virginitie he betrathed him selfe with a ring to a woodden Image of the blessed Virgin wore hearcloth preached the word of the Crosse for the Pope Boniface Archbishop XLVI 15. IN the yeare 1244. was chosen of the monks at the instance of king Henrie 3. Boniface sonne to the Earle of Sauoie who deceassed An. 1270. He was saith Godwin of a comely person and performed three notable things whorthie memorie Notable deeds of Archb Boniface He payed the debt of two and twentie thousand Marks that he found his See indebted in He built a goodly Hospitall at Maidston And lastly fineshed the stately Hall at Canterburie with the buildings adioyning Of his Roman Religion there can be no doubt His Rom. Religion For as Godw. writeth he was coÌ„secrated with the Popes owne handes and obtained of the Pope the Bishoprick of Valentia and diuers other spiritual promotions Robert Kilwarby Archbishop XLVII Famous learning and sanctitie of Archb. Robert 16. THe 47. Archb. was Robert Kilwarby elected An. 1272 and continued about six yeares He was saith Paris Author of that tyme Hist pag. 1348. Non solum vitae religiosae sanctitatis c accounted most famous not onely for the holines of a religious life but also for knowledg and learning Godwin writeth that he was a great Clerk and left many monuments of the same in writing behind him In both
Vniuersities disputed excellently and shewed him self in diuers kinds of excercises His Rom. Religion Of his Roman religion can be no question For as Godwin and Bale cent 4 cap. 46. write he was made Archb. by the Pope ex plenitudine potestatis by his absolute authoritie And besides he was a Franciscan frier as Godwin rightly saith and Bale wrongly maketh him a Dominican and Prouincial of their order in England built the Gray Friers house in London and finallie was Cardinal Iohn Peckam Archbishop XLVIII 17. IN the yeare 1278. succeeded Iohn Peckam and departed this life An. Rare learning and behauiour 〈◊〉 Archb. Iohn 1292. A man saith Westmon An. 1278. Perfectissimus in doctrina most Perfect in learning Godwin saith of rare learning vsed great lenitie and gentlenes euery where and of an exceeding meeke facil and liberal minde His Roman religion is vndoubted His Rom. Religion For all write he was a Franciscan Frier and their Prouincial as his Predecessor had bene and made Archbishop as Westmon And Godwin l. cit and Fox Acts p. 349. and Bale Cent. 4. cap. 64. affirme by the meere authoritie of the Pope whervpon he is tearmed of Bale magnus robustus Antichristi miles a mightie and stout Champion of Antichrist Robert VVinchilsey Archb. XLIX 18. THe 49. Archbishop was Robert VVinchelsey elected an 1294. deceased an 1313. Walsingham ypodigmat pag. 100. writeth of him that He ruled the English Church notably in his dayes Exceelent learning vertue and vvisdom of Archb. vvinchelsey Godwin saith that being a childe he was admired for his towardlines and loued for his modest and gentle behauior gouerned the Vniuersitie of Paris with great commendation of integritie and wisdom gaue proofe of excellent knowledg of all good learning by preaching and disputing and was chosen to be Archbishop with the Kings good liking and applause of all men and coming to Rome the Pope a good and vertuous man saith Godwin and Cardinals vvere amazed at his rare learning ioyned vvith discretion and vvisdom He vvas a stout Prelat and a seuere punisher of sinne Such preferments as fel to his disposition he euer bestovved on men of excellent learning maintained many poore schollers at the Vniuersities and to all kinde of poore people was exceding bountiful In so much as therin I thinck he excelled all the Archbishops that euer were before or after him Besides the daylie fragments of his house he gaue euerie Friday and Sonday to euery Begger a loafe of bread VVere not these admirably learned and vertuous men more liklie to knovv the truth than Cranmer and such like And there were euerie such almes daies four or fiue thousand people Besides this euerie great festiual daye he sent 150. pence to such poore people as could not fetch his Almes Thus writeth Godwin of this admirable Archbishop which ioined to that which hath bene recited out of him selfe and others of the rare learning and vertue of many Archbishops before and shal be of many others hereafter were ynough to confound any Protestant and condemn their religion As for his Roman religion it is apparant His Rom. religion For he was chosen by the Monkes went to Rome admired of the Pope and Cardinals and answered thus to the Kinge Vnder God our vniuersal lorde vve haue tvvo other lordes a spiritual lord the Pope and a temporal lord the King and though vve be to obey botb yet the spiritual rather than the temporal as Godwin testifieth VValter Reinolds Archbishop L. 19. IN the yeare 1313. succeded Walter Reinolds and died an 1327. He vvas saith Godwin but meanly learned The great vvisdom of Archb. Reinolds but very vvise and of good gouernment singulerly fauored of King Edward 2. for his assureed fidelitie and great wisdome At the instance of the king saith Godwin he was thrust into the See by the Pope receaued his Pal and procured diuers Bulls from the Pope His Rom. Religion which putteth his Rom. religion out of question Simon Mepham Archbishop LI. Great learning of Archb. Mepham 20. THe 51. Archbishop was Simon Mepham cōsecrated An. 1327. and died An. His Rom. Keligion 1333. He was saith Godwin verie wel learned and Doctor of Diuinitie his Roman relegion is certain For as Godwin writeth He was elected by the Monks and afforded consecration by the Pope at Auinion Iohn Stratford Archbishop LII 21. THe 52. Archbishop was Iohn Stratford elect An. 1333. and continued about 15. yeares Famous learning of Archb. Stratford He was writeth Godwin famous for his learning and gouernment of the Archdeaconrie of Lincoln a good Bishop and both diligently and faithfully serued his king to the last hower a verie gentle and merciful man and gaue almes thrise euerie daye to 13. poore people His Rom. Rellgion His Roman religion is euident For he was as Godwin saith first made Bishop of Winchester by the Pope and after preferred by him also to the Archbishoprick of Canterburie Iohn Vfford Archbishop LIII Nobilitie and learning of Archb. Vfford 22. IN the yeare 1348. succeded Iohn Vfford and died the same yeare He was sonne of the Earle of Suflolke and Doctor of law And as for his Roman Religion that is out of doubt His Rom. Religion because as Godwin saith he was pronounced Archbishop by the Pope Thomas Bradwardin Archbishop LIIII 23. THe 54. was Thomas Bradwardin elected an 1349. and deceased the same yeare He was saith Godwin a good Mathematician a great Philosopher Eccellent learning nd holines of Archb. Bradvvardin and an excellent Diuine But aboue all saith he is to be commended his sinceritie of life and conuersation He was Confessor to King Edward 3. and in that office he behaued him selfe so as he deserueth eternal memorie for the same He was wont to reprehend the King with great bouldnes for such thinges as were amisse in him and in that long war of France he would be neuer from him but admonished him often secreatly and all his army in learned and most eloquent sermons publickly that they waxed not proud of their manifold victories And some there be that haue not doubted to ascribe that notable conquest rather to the vertue and holines of that man than to any prowes and wisdome of others It it certain he was elected Archbishop without his seeking and hardly saith he should yow finde any Archb. in any age to haue obtained his place in better sorte This high commendation giueth Godwin vnto this great and worthie Prelat and withal as great a discommendation to his Protestant religion His Rom. Religion For as Godwin him self saith he was consecrated at Auinion by a Cardinal in the Frier minors Church which sufficiently ynough testifieth his Roman religion in so much as Bale Cent. 15. cap. 87. calleth him Papistam a Papist Simon Islip Archbishop LV. Learning and good deeds of Archb. Islip 24. IN the yeare 1349. was elect Simon Islip and died an
1366. He was saith Godwin Doctor of Law a verie frugal man and built the Colledg of Canterb. in Oxford which is now a part of Christchurch His Roman religion is vndoubted His Rom. Religion For as Godwin writeth the Pope bestowed the Archbishoprick vpon him And in his Epitaph S. Peter is professed Princeps Apostolorum The prince of the Apostles Simon Langhorn Archbishop LVI 25. THe 56. Archbishop was Simon Langhorn elect an 1366. and continewed but two yeares He was saith Godwin first a Monke then Prior lastly Abbot of Westminster Thence elected Bishop of London then of Ely and lastly of Canterburie Rom. religion of Archb. Langhorn How Roman a Catholick he was appeareth by Godwin who writeth that the Pope remoued him from Ely to Canterburie sent his Pal and lastly made him Cardinal and Legat into England as appeareth by his Epitaph In this Archbishops time Wicklef began to be angry saith Godwin with the Pope VVhy vviclef reuolted from the Cathol faith Archbishops and Monks because this Archbishop displaced him out of Canterb. Colledg And the better to wreak his anger vpon them went out of the Church and began his heresies VVilliam VVitlesley Archbishop LVII 26. THe 57. Archbishop was William Wittlesley Great learning of Archb. vvitlesley elected an 1368. and died an 1374. He was saith Godwin Doctor of Law and preached in Latin verie learnedly He was a Roman Catholick as the same Godwin declareth saying that he was aduanced by the Popes onely authoritie His Rom. Religion Simon Sulburie Archbishop LVIII Notable learning and qualities of Archb. Sudburie 27. THe 58. was Simon Suldburie elected an 1375. and died an 1381. He was saith Godwin a noble Prelat verie wise learned eloquent liberal merciful and preached in Latin very learnedlie Stow Chron. pag. 458. saith he was eloquent man and wise beyond all wise men of the Realme and fulfilled most worthie martirdom being slaine of the rebellious commons His Rom. Religion His Roman religion is notorious For as the said Godw. writeth he was houshould Chaplin to Pope Innocent and one of the Iudges of his Rota who bestowed vpon him the Archbishoprick and sent him his Bulls VVilliam Courtney Archb. LIX Noblenes and great learning of Archb. Courtney 28. IN the yeare 1381. succeded William Courtney and deceased an 1396. He was writeth Godwin sonne to hugh Courtney Earle of Deuonshire and was a great Lawyer His Rom. Religion As for his Roman religion ther can be no doubt For as Godwin saith the Pope bestowed the Archbishoprick vpon him sent him his Pal and as Walsingham writeth made him Cardinal And Eox Acts pag. 505 saith He set King Richard 2. Vpon the poore Christians of VVicklefs side condemned some made diuers abiure and do pennance Thomas Arundel Archbishop LX. 29. IN the year 1396. succeded Thomas Arundel Noblenes and vvorthines of Archb. Arundel and died 1413. He was saith Godwin sonne to Robert Earle of Arundel and VVarren was vndoubtedly saith he a worthy Prelat wise and very stout And Walsinghan who them liued Hist pag. 432. saith he was eminentissima turris Ecclesiae c. A most eminent Tower and inuincible Champion of the Church of England His Rom. Religion As for his Roman religion there can be no doubt therof For Godwin writeth that by the Popes prouision he was made Archb of Canterb and receaued his Pal. Fox Acts pag. 524. citeth his Constitution wherin he professeth S. Peters supremacie and pag. 507. saith He was a great enemy of English Wicklefian bookes and the Authors of them Bale Cent. 7. cap. 50. saith he imprisoned the Wiclefists and made them abiure their haeresie Henrie Chichley Archbishop LXI The learning and vvorthines of Archb. Chichley 30. THe 61. Archb was Henrie Chichley in the yeare 1414. and departed this wordl An. 1443. He was as Godwin writeth Doctor of lawe much employed in Embassages of the King wherin he euer behaued him self wisely and to the kings good liking He alwaies enioyed his Princes fauor was wise in gouerning his See laudably bountiful in bestowing his goods to the good of the common vvelth and lasly stout and seuere in administration of iustice In Hiham Feris he built a goodly Colledg and also an hospital and in Oxford two Colledges and called one Bernards Colledg an other Al soules His Rom. religion As for his Roman religion there can be no question of it For as the said Godwin writeth the Pope bestowed the Archb. vpon him sent him his Pal and made him Cardinal and his Legat in England And Bale Cent. 7. cap. 50. accounteth him a persecuter of Wicklefists And as is said in the Epitaph of his Tombe was made Bishop by the Popes owne hands Iohn Stafford Archbishop LXII 19. IN the yeare 1443. succeded Iohn Stafford and died Nobilitie and great learning of Archb. Stafford His Rom. Keligion 1452. He vvas saith Godwin in the Bishops of Bathe a man very noble and no les learned sonne vnto the Earle of Stafford and Doctor of Lavve As for his Roman religion that is manifest because as Godwin writeth he was made Archb. by the Popes absolute authoritie and before obtained of Pope Martin the Bishoprick of Bathe Iohn Kemp Archbishop LXIII 15. IN the yeare 1452. succeded Iohn Kemp and deceased An. 1453. He was saith Godwin Doctor of Lavve And his Roman religion is certain for as Godwin writeth The learning and religion of Archb. Kemp. The Pope bestowed the Archb. vpon him sent him his Pal and after made him Cardinal which also testifieth Bale Cent. 11. cap. 55. Thomas Bourchier Archbishop LXIIII. Nobilitie and learning of Archb. Bourchier 33. THe 64. Archb was Thomas Bourchier elect An. 1454 and deceased An. 1486. He was sonne to Henrie Bourchier Earle of Essex brought vp in Oxford of which Vniuersitie he was Chancelor Bale Cent. 11. cap. 75. saith he was a man honorable for his learning vertue and the blood of the Earles of Essex His Rom. religion His Romane Religion is manifest by Godwin Iohn Morton Archbishop LXV 34. THe 65. Archb was Iohn morton An 1487. and dyed An. 1500. He vvas saith Stow Chron. Eccellent learning and vertue of Archb. Morton pag. 789 of excellent vvit learning and vertue Godwin saith he was Doctor of lavv had manifould good partes great learning in the lavv vvisdom discretion and other vertues notable loyaltie and faithfulnes to his Prince Bale Cent. 11. cap. 85. Vir moribus c. A famous man in that age for vertue and learning seuere and a louer of iustice A man that in his time surpassed all the Prelats of England in vvisdome and grauitie As for his Roman religion that is manifest His Rom. religion For he was elected by the Monks confirmed redily by the Pope and made also Cardinal and procured Saint Anselm to be canonized Henrie Dean Archbishop LXVI 35. THe 66. Archb. was Henrie Dean An. 1501. and died
King Ethelbert also Pro animae suae remedio c for the good of his soule gaue to Mellit Bishop the land called Tillingham out of Stow Chron. pag. 77. And so of the rest Our first Christian K. gaue land to Churches for help of his soule Again Fox pag. 154. The causes why solemn Monasteries were first founded by Kings Queenes Kings daughters and rich Consuls are these Pro remedio animae meae pro remissione peccatorum meorum pro redemptione peccatorum meorum pro salute Regnorum meorum quique subiacent regimini populorum in honorem gloriosae virginis For the redemption of my soul for the redeeming of my sinnes and for the saftie of my Kingdoms and people subiect to my gouernment to the honor of the glorious Virgin And therfor by D. Abbots his verdict and by euident inference our auncient Princes wanted the sunne of Protestants righteousnes 10 10. And lastly I proue it by the plain confession of Protest For Fox Acts. pag. 132. saith our first Christian Kings were deuout to Church men espetially to the Church of Rome Which was in the opinion of Protestāts Our Kings deuour to the P. vvhen he vvas in opinion of Protestants Antichrist when the Pope was known Antichrist That is in Boniface 3. time and since Bale Cent. 1. cap 73 saith of king Ethelbert our first Christian king that He receaued the doctrin of the Roman Religion with all the imposture therof and died the 21. yeare of his receaued Papistrie Could he speake more plainly And Cent. 13. cap. 5 Felix saith he conuerted the East parte of England to Papistrie A Plaine confessiō of Protestants that our nation vvas first conuerted to papistrie And Ibid cap. 4. he saith that Birin vnder colour of the Gospel taught the VVest saxons Papisticam fidem Papistical faith The same confesse diuers other Protestants as hath bene shewed before when we proued that S. Greg. and S. Austin were by the confession of Protestants plain Rom. Catholicks 4. To all these particuler proofes I ad a general one vz the English names which our ancient Kings and people gaue to their seruice and their Pastors See in Ingulph hovv antient Knights vvere vvont to goe to confession before they vvere knighted also their Churches Tombs and Epitaphes and finally all their ancient Monuments do testifie and proclame their Catholick Roman religion For their seruice of God they called Masse Nether can it be shewed that euer they called it other wise and of it haue they tearmed the cheefe feasts of the yeare as Christmasse Candlemasse Michelmas Name of Masse Martin masse As likwise they haue tearmed Shreuetide of their Shreiuing and confessing them selues before they began their lent Fast Palmesonday of the Palmes which they caried on that day as Catholicks at this day doe Ember dayes of the Catholick fast of Quator tēpora corruptly pronouncing the last word of Priests Their cheefe Doers of their seruice they termed Priestes That is as Protest confesse Sacrificers and therfor their ministers abhor the name Reinold conf pag. 466 467. Their cheefe Churches they built in forme of a Crosse The cheefe Altar therin on high and toward the East Forme of Churches and diuers Altars in little Chappell 's about erected therin a Roodloft with the Roode or Crosse of Christ vppon it adorned their Chappell 's euen the very glasse windowes with Pictures In like sort they buried their dead with Crosses as was seene on the tombe of King Arthur Buriall of dead and their Bishops with Chalices as in the Tombe of S. Birin and vsually on the Epitaphs desire men to pray for the soule of the dead Epitaphs And where I pray yow was the Protestant Communion when our first Christian Ancestors termed their cheefe seruice of God Masse and therof named their principall feasts in the yeare where were their Ministers when they termed their Pastors Priests and sacrificers Wher were their Churches when all the Cathedrall Churches were built in forme of a Crosse with one high Altar and diuers little Altars in the Church about where were they them selues when our Ancestors euen dead did by Crosses wher with they were buried and the Epitaphs of their Tombes professe the Roman Catholick religion CHAP. XXII Certayne obiections of Ministers that our auncient Kings were not Romane Catholiques disproued 1. ALbeit euery one of iudgment will easely see that what can be obiected against this so cleare D. Doue of Recusancie vvil haue Bellarm to be a Protest or no perfect Catholik and by the Aduersaries confessed truth is but cauils which want not against almost the euidenst truth that is yet for satisfaction of all sorts of people we wil propose what D. Abbots in his Answer to D. Bishops epistle pag. 199. lately hath collected for proofe that our ancient Kings were Protestants or at least not perfect obiec ∣ tion 1 Roman Catholicks First he saith that our antient Kings had the supremacie in causes Ecclesiasticall Ansvver This is euidently false by what hath bene said in the 5. 6. and 7. proofe of the former Chapter To which I add that as it shal be shewed herafter King Edward 3. whome Protestants account to make most for them professed it to be a sauor of heresie to deny the Popes supremacie in causes ecclesiasticall 2. Abbots saith that the kings founded Bishopricks and inuested them at their obiec ∣ tion 2 pleasur as did Edward Confessor the Bishoprick of Exester Ansvver That in S. Austins time or long after the King founded Bishopricks and inuested Bishops is apparantly false For it is euident in Beda lib. 1. cap. 29. That S. Greg. at his owne pleasure apointed two Archbishopricks vnder each of them twelue Bishopricks to be erected in England And lib. 2. cap. 4. That S. Austin by his authoritie founded the Archbishoprick of Canterburie and the Bishopricks of London and Rochester Our ancient Kings tooke not vpon them to erect Bishopriks and that the King then did onely build them Churches indow the Bishopricks with lands and giue them saith Beda lib. 1. cap. 28. Possessions necessarie for their maintenance And aboue 800. yeares agoe when King Offa would alter the Bishoprik of Lichfeild in to an Archbishoprick K Ethelbert he took not vpon him to doe it by his owne authoritie or of the Bishops of his realm K. Offa. but procured Pope Adrian to send two legats for that purpose Malmsb. lib. 1. Reg. cap. 4. K Edvvard Sen. And 700. yeares agoe mhen King Edward Senior erected fiue Bishopricks in the West Contrie it was done by the expresse commandement of Pope Formosus Malmsb. 2. Reg. cap. 5. K VVilli◠Conq. And about 500. yeares agoe when King William Conqueror would haue some English Bishops deposed and Bishopricks translated from litle Tounes to greater Citties he procured Pope Alexander 2. to send a Legat hither to doe it Malmsb. 1. Pont. But yet we grāt
that a while before the Conquest and somwhat after Kings tooke vpon them to inuest Bishops and Abbots as appeareth in Ingulp pag. 806. But this fact of theirs done of som ignorantly as must be thought of King Edred and others before the Conquest who were perfect Catholicks in faith as shall appeare herafter and also vertuous in life of others perhaps presumptuously and couetously against the order of the Church proueth no more that they were no Catholicks than worse facts of theirs against the law of Christ proueth them to haue bene no Christians For if Princes maye by euery fact of theirs be iudged of what religion they are they would sometimes seeme no Christians nor yet to haue a God As for S. Edward he might wel doe what he did for he was apointed by the Pope to be his Vicegerent and as it were Legat as we shall shewe in his life obiec ∣ tion 3 2. Thirdly they made saith Abbots lawes for the order and gouernment of the Church as is to be seene in the lawes of Edward of Alfred of Ethelstan and Canutus in Fox Volum 1. in fine and by many laws made since the Conquest against intrusions of the Pope as is to be seene in Syr Edward Cookes reports part 5. Ansvver Touching the lawes of the Christian Kings before the Conquest I answer that they are not Ecclesiasticall lawes such as define any thing as a point of faith or prescribe any thing concerning Religion and worship of God but are meere commandements partly for execution of former Ecclesiasticall lawes partly for procurement and conseruation of externall peace quietnes and order of the Church which kinde of lawes Princes may make as is to be seene in Stapleton Relect. Controu 2. q. 5. Ar. 1. See stapleton Besides that Christian Princes apoint thus some times things in ecclesiasticall matters not of authoritie but vpon zeale and not to dispose of faith and religion As for the lawes made since the Conquest which may seeme preiudiciall to the Popes authoritie the cheefest Authors of them were Edward 3. and Richard 2. who as shall appeare heerafter plainly professed the Popes Supremacie And therfor what lawes they made were no way to denie his authoritie but to restrain the execution therof in some cases because as the Apostle saith Omnia licent sed non omnia expediunt All things are lawfull but all things are not expedient So they thought that some execution of his authority in some matters would be preiudâ—ciall to their temporall state and therfor thought it not expedient that in those cases it should be practised As for Cookes reports they haue bene so answered as I thinck neither him self nor any for him will obiec ∣ tion 4 replie Fourthlie saith Abbots Then were the scriptures in foure seuerall languages of so many seuerall Nations besides the Latin tongue common to them all Beda lib. 1. cap. 1. This is vntrue Ansvver and Beda rather saith the contrarie His words are these This Iland at this present to the number of the 5. bookes of Moises doth studie and set forth the knowledg of one perfect truth that is with the language of the English the Britons the Scotts the Picts and the Latin which by studie of the scripture is made common to all the rest In which words he saith that the Inhabitants preached and published Christs truth in fiue seueral languages but the scripture they studied onely in Latin and therby it became common to all the Inhabitants And before in the life of Theodor we shewed by the confession of diuers Protestants that masse was in his tyme which was before S. Beda in Latin onely But admit that the scripture were then in Latin and in English too how proueth that that English men then were no Catholicks Haue not English Catholicks now the scripture in English Fiftlie saith Abbots obiec ∣ tion 5 Then were they in Monasteries commanded to be exercised in the reading of scriptures and euery one was required to learn the Lords prayer and Creede in the English tongue This is not worth the answering Ansvver For what doth the Monks reading scripture or the peoples learning the Lords prayer and Creed in English make against Catholick Religion 3. Sixtly saith Abbots Then was the CommunioÌ„ obiec ∣ tion 6 ministred in both kindes as Paris in Heraldo and Rafo reporteth of some soldiers Ansvver What Paris saith of soldiers I knowe not For at this present I haue him not at hand But that English men in our Primitiue Church communicated onely with form of bread appeareth by Beda lib. 2. cap. 5. Wher Pagans say to S. Mellit VVhy dost thou not giue vnto vs of that white bread which thou didst giue to our Father Seba and dost yet giue to the people in Church But if S. Mellit had communicated people in both kinds it is lykly they would haue demanded both Besids that Beda expoundeth that place of Luke Cognouerunt eum in fractione panis where mention is of one onely kinde of sacramental communion Therfor he and consequently our English Church then alowed communion in one kinde But whether they communicated in both or one kinde maketh little to proue that they were not Catholickâ— because til lay people were forbidden it was lawful for them to communicate Obiec ∣ tion 7 in both kindes 4. Seauenthlie theÌ„ saith Abbots was Transubstantiation vnknowne and when it began to be broached or not long after Elfricus Archbishop of Canterburie contradicted it Ansvver How vntrue this is of TraÌ„substantiation hath bene shewed before in the life of S. Greg and S. Odo As for Elfric the Protestant Bishops them selues who published that sermon confesse See befor hovv Bale confesseth Archb. Alfric to haue bene a Papist and of Transubstant in S. Odo Archb. that the Author therof was no Archbishop of Canterbury More likly it is to be true which Fox Acts. pag. 1148. saith that it was Elfric surnamed Bata an Heretick who as S. Dunstan appearing to one in a vision said as reporteth Osbern attempted to disherit his Church but I haue stopped him saith S. Dunstan he could not preuaile Albeit indeed that sermon doth more approoue Transubstantiation than disprooue it For in that is saide that Christ turned through inuisible might the bread to his owne body and wine to his blood And that holy howsel is by might of Gods word truly Christs body and his blood And that after their halowing bread and wine trulye are Christs body and blood And what other do Catholicks now say but what here is said Vz. That bread and wine are by inuisible power turned into Christs body and blood and become after consecration truly not figuratiuly his body and blood And though the Author of the sermon ad that the sacrament after consecration is not bodily but Ghostly Christs bodie yet the word ghostly is not added to deny the word Truly which is absolutly affirmed but onely to deny the word Bodily that is carnally
royal ex Beda lib. 4. cap. 23 A great miracles for Confirmation of masse And in this Kings time also An. 679. befel that great miracle for the approouing of Masse and praying for the dead which S. Beda recounteth lib. 4. cap. 22. of a Priest Who thincking his brother had bene slaine in a battel but indeede was taken prisoner did often times saith Beda cause Masse to be said for his soule By the saying of which Masses it came to passe that no man could bind him but he was streight loosed again about eight a clock in the morning when Masses began to be sayd This miracle fel not out vpon an obscure person but in one that serued Queene Edelred and in an Earles house and not in Englād onely but in Frisland also whither the man at last was sould And many saith Beda that heard these things of this man were stirred in faith and godly deuotion vnto prayer almes and and charitable deedes and to offer vnto our Lord hosts of the holy oblation and sacrifice for the deliuerie and releefe of their freinds that were departed This same saith he was tould me of them that heard it of the very man on whome it was done And therfor knowing it to be true and certain I doubted no whit to put it into this our Ecclesiastical Historie Which words of this great Doctor and Saint then liuing may suffice to con-found the incredulitie of any Minister In the same Kings time also as Beda recordeth lib. 4. cap. 4. was a great mortalitie stayed by the intercession of S. Oswald Plagne ceaseth by intercession of Saints and Masses said to giue God thancks therfor at the apointment of S. Peter and Paul appearing in a vision Which vision to be true Tvvo Queens nonns appeared by the miraculous effects folowing In this Kings time also liued Sexburg Queene of Kent who hauing left her Princly state became a Nonne vnder her sister Saint Edelred in Ely and succeeded her in the Abbesseship And Also as Beda saith lib. 4. cap. 26. Eanfled Queene of Northumberland wife to King Oswin with her daughter Elfled in the Monasterie of Whitbie King Cedwalla VI. 9. IN the yeare 686. succeded king Cedwalla who saith Beda lib. 5. cap. 7. held it two yeares The valiantnes of K. Cedvvalla and leauing it An. 688. as Beda hath in Epit. was baptized of the Pope at Rome on Easter euen An. 689. and there died He was as Beda writeth lib. 4. cap. 15. a valiant yong man Subdued Sussex and the I le of wite And as Malmsb. addeth lib. 1. Reg. cap. 2. often times ouercame the Kentish men His. Rom. Religion His Roman religion is vndoubted For as Beda hath lib. 5. cap. 7. being not yet Christened he left his Kingdome and Contrie and went to Rome thincking it to be singuler glorie and renowne to him to be regenerat at the Sea Apostolick with the Sacrament of baptisme And withall hoped that as sone as he was clensed from sinne he should depart this world Both which saith Beda by the prouidence of God were fullfilled For he was baptised by Pope Sergius and named Peter that he might beare his name whose Tombe he came to see and died while he wore his white aparrell of innocencie was buried honorably in S. Peters Church where in our tyme his body was found neere to S. Peters Sepulcher Saint Cutbert and his religion and miracles In this Kings time dyed S. Cutbert For as S. Beda saith lib. 4. cap. 27. He was consecrat Bishop An. 685. hauing bene two yeares Bishop soone after died and was wont as there and sequ Beda writeth to heare mens confessions to offer sacrifice to God and whose body eleuen yeares after his death was as S. Beda saith who then liued found whole and sound and the Iointes and sinowes soft and pliable and many miracles wrought therby Deuotion of Eng◠people In this time saith Beda lib. 4. cap. 27. it was the maner of the people of England when any of the Clergie or any Priest came to a Village they would all by and by at his calling come to gether to heare the word and willingly harken to such things as were sayd and more willingly follow in works such things as they could heare and vnderstand King Ina. VII 10. THe 7. Christian king was Ina who began his Reign An. 688. as appeareth by S. Beda in Epit. Malmsb. in Fastis and held his kingdome as Beda lib. 5. cap. 7. and all testifie 37. yeares He was saith Malmsb. lib. 1. Reg. c. 2. fortitudinis vnicum specimen The admirable vertues of K. Ina. Malmsb. The onely mirror of fortitud the Image of wisdom and his lik in religion yow could not finde How worthie he was in the affaires of God the lawes may witnesse which he made for correcting of the peoples maners wherein to this day appeareth a liuely representation of his pietie Bale Cent. 1. cap. 97. saith Balc magni consilij fortunae homo a man of profund iugment and great fortune Fox Acts. pag. 127. Fox A worthy and valiant King Cooper An. 687. Cooper Ina of great power and wisdome and ther with valiant and hardie and in feats of armes very expert To which Stow Chron pag. 96. addeth that he was the patern of strength and manlines Stovv an Image of wisdome and his like of no man known at that time for religion and framing his life therafter These high praises for religion Valor and wisdom three singuler properties of a Prince do both Catholicks and Protestants giue to this renowned Prince His Rom. Religion Now let vs see what his religion was First his Bishop was S. Aldelm a notorious Papist as is shewed before whose commādements saith Malmsb. L. cit audiebat humiliter ad-implebat hilariter He humbly listened vnto and cheerfully fullfilled Secondly he built saith Stow loc cit and others Glassenburie Abbey and erected also a Chappell of gould and siluer so termed of the ornaments with ornamentes and vessels of gould and siluer Chlaices Images of gold and siluer gaue to the Altare 264. pounds of gould a Chalice with a Paten of ten pounds of gould a Censor of 8. pounds a holy water bueket of 20. pound of siluer Images of our Lord and our Ladie and the 12. Apostles of 175. poundes of siluer and 28. pounds of gould a Pall for the Altar c. Thre Queens nonns Thirdly his wise Queene Ethelburga liued a Nonne at Berking as Fox saith Acts pag. 125. and others His sister Queene Cuthburga of Northumberland a Nonne at Winborn as Camb. in Brit. pag. 182. and Likwise an other sister of his called Quen-burga as writeth Florent An. 718. K Ina pilgrim to Rome and granteth the Peter Pence Westmon and others Fourthly him selfe as Fox saith pag. 125. setting a side all the pompe and pride of this wordl associated him self in the fellowship of poore
at is shrine in these words Kenulphus Dei misericordia Rex c. Kenulph by the grace of God King c. The King and Q. of England faire say vvere eye-vvitnesses of S. Guthlacs miracles Be it known to all men that our Lord hath magnified his Saint the most blessed Confessor of Christ S. Guthlac who corporally resteth in Crowland Monasterie with most famous signes and worthy wonders yea with fresh and in numerable miracles as both I and my Queene haue seene with our owne eyes in our Pilgrimage English Pilgrims vvith images of Saints in their hats And there the king freketh all Pilgrims that come to S. Guthlac cum signis eius in caputijs aut capellis with his images in their hatts or capps from all tax and tole And to this Charter subscribe the said king kenulph and Cuthred king of kent Celwal â—rother to King Kenulph Testimonie of K. Burdred for Saint Guthlacs miracles Wilfrid Archb. of Canterb. two Bishops and one Abbot and diuers others And he setteth doune an other Charter of king Burdred in which he testifieth that Crowland Pro frequentibus miraculis c. In respect of the frequent miracles of the most holy Confessor S. Guthlac is alwaies a fertil mother amongst the vinyards of Engaddi And that God by apparant myracles of S. Guthlac hath vouch saffed to shew his mercie To which Charter subscribe the king An. 851. with the whole consent as he saith of the Parliament then gathered against the Danes Archb. Ceolreth six Bishops two Duks three Earles and diuers others And Ingulph addeth that in the ParliameÌ„t the Archb. Ceolreth and diuers others Manie cured miraculously in the Parliament as well Prelats as Nobles were sodenly and miraculously cured of a kinde of palsie which at that time much offended England and ther vpon omnes ad visitandum c. All presently bound them selues in conscience by a most strict vowe to visit in a deuout Pilgrimage with all possible speede the most sacred tombe of the most blessed Saint Guthlac at Crowland The vvhole parliament vovveth pilgrimage What now will Fox say against this cloud of witnesses omni exceptione maiores Will he say as Ministers vse to say of Priests and Monks that they forged these miracles for gaine But this were madnes to say of such great Kings and Princes or will he say that they were deceaued Fox his confusion But some of them were eye witnesses and some of them were such in whome the miracles were wrought as the Archbishop and Bishop of London who testifie the same in their subscription But by this the indifferent Reader may both perceaue what credit he may giue to the miracles of other Saints and with what impudence without any testimony to the contrary they are denyed of Fox and such like And therfore I will not make any more Apology hereafter for the miracles which I shall rehearse but only cite my Authors from whome I haue them King Ethelard VIII 13. KIng Ina going to Rome An. 728. as Florent hath Chron. left his Kingdome to Ethelard Valour of K. Ethelard who held it most quietly saith Malmsb. lib. 1. c. 2. 14. yeares he was saith Malmsb. Cosin to King Ina and a valiant Prince His Rom. Religion His roman religion appeareth both by that King Ina so notorious a Papist chose him to whome he would commit his kingdome as appeareth by Beda lib. 5. cap. 7. and also by other things which are by Protestants confessed of the religion of this time In this Kings time died S. Egbert Priest Anno 729. Saints Ex Beda lib. 3. cap. 27. vvho led saith he his life in great perfection of humility and meeknes continency innocencie and righteousnes and conuerted the Scotts to the right obseruation of Easter And S. Beda himselfe that glorious doctor of our English Church the flower of Christianity at that time for vertue and learning of whose high praises giuen to him by Protestants and of his perfect roman Religion I haue said ynough before Here only I will adde the Elogy of Malmsb. lib. 1. cap. 3. Bedam saith he mirari facilius c you may sooner admire then vvorthly praise Beda vvho liuing in the farthest corner of the vvorld vvith the flash of his doctrine haue a light to all Nations Here vvit faileth vvords are vvanting vvhile I cannot tell vvhat most to commend vvhither the muâ—â—â—tude of his volums Florent VVestmon Anno. 734. Huntingt lib. 4. or the sobriety of his stile For doubtles the diuine vvisdome had vvith no sparing draught giueÌ„ him to drinck that in so short a scaÌ„tling of his life could perfect so huge voluÌ„es The report of his name vvas so famous that the cheefest in Rome had neede of him for the resoluing of doubtfull questions And much more there of his holines VVriters Procure their vvorks to be approued of the Pope Where also he addeth that he died anoiled and hovvseled The like hath Florent and Westmon Anno 734. and Hunting lib. 4. Caius de antiq Canterb. pag. 138. proueth that Beda went to Rome and there read his bookes coram Romana Ecclesia Before the Church of Rome and then gaue them to other to copie forth vvhich vvas saith he ordinarie in the Ecclesiasticall vvriters of that age to deliuer their vvorks first to the Pope of Rome to be examined K. Ceolvvolph a Monke In this Kings time Anno 737. as is in the Epitome of Beda Ceolwolfe King of Northumberland to whome Beda dedicated his history left his Kingdome and became a Monke And as Malmsb. 1. Reg. cap. 3. florished with miracles And about the same time Frigedida Queene of the west-Saxons went to Rome Hunting lib. 4. pag. 340. Q Frigedida a pilgrim Godwin in the Bish of Salsbery which at that time saith Beda lib. 5. cap. 4. And Hunting Deuotion of English in going to Rome l. cit many English men both of the nobilitie and coÌ„mons spirituall teÌ„poral vvere wont to vse vvith 〈◊〉 emulation In this Kings time also about the year 730. as Godwin hath in the Bishops of Oxford though Capgraue in her life say 750. liued the holy Virgin S. Frideswid S. Fridesvvida who flying to saue her maydenhood from Prince Algarus he was miraculously strooke blind Cambd. in Brit p. 331. and she after became Abbesse of a nonry built by her Father DidaÌ„ These dayes were so far from Protestancy and so manifestly Catholicke as Bale Cent. 1. cap. 93. saith they were pessima tempora pubescente Antichristo Very bad time vvhen Antichrist grevv to riper yeares And Centur. 2. cap. 6. writeth of Cymbertus an English Bishop of S. Bedas time After the custome of the rest in the same age he taught and coÌ„mended the Roman customs to be obserued in his Churches And Fulke Annot. in Hebr. 10. saith Beda liued in a superstitious time long after Antichrist did opeÌ„ly shevv himself And 1. Petri
Monke as Fox writeth lib. 2. pag. 3. and pag. 129. and others Besides of this King Offa Stow writeth pag. 89. that he caused the reliques of S. Alban to be taken vp and put in a Shrine Malmsb. 2. Reg. cap. 4. and adorned with gould and pretious stones and builded there a Prinely Monasterie His Charter saith he is dated An. 793. with the witnesse of him selfe his sonne Egferd 9. Kings 15. Bishops 10. Dukes c. By which we may clearly perceaue the Roman faith of all our Nation then Westmon also An. 794. Telleth how King Offa with the counsell of his Bishops sent to the Pope to haue priuiledges for that Monasterie Pope confirmeth our Kings Charters and the Pope answered that he should grante what he thought conuenient Et nos saith the Pope And we by our priuiledg will confirme our originall And as Paris hath An. 794. Manie Princes became monks He excepted it from all iurisdiction of Bishop or Archbishop subiected it immediatly to the See of Rome His diebus saith Bale Cent. 2. cap 15. In these dayes many Princes in England with shauing tooke vpon them the profession of Monks In this Kings time An. 793. was the Innocent and holy King Ethelbert of East-England slaine S. Ethelbert K. Ethelrida his spouse an Anchoresse Malmsb. in Fastis 1. Reg. cap. 5. Florent Chron. Stow pag 74. Fox Acts. pag. 129. And Etheltida his espouse daughter of King Offa made her selfe an Ancoresse or recluse ex Ingulph In this tyme also was found the body of S. VVithburg daughter of King Anna after 55. yeares buriall ex Florent An. 798. S. Fremund K. In his tyme also liued S. Fremund King and sonne to King Offa Vir saith Cambd. in Brit. pag. 500. magni nominis A man of a worthy name and singuler pietie towards God was canonized for a Saint And Rictrith iamdudum Regina tunc Abbattissa obijt Q Rictrith Nonne Rictrith somtime a Queene then Abbesse dyed Houed An. 786. And An. 799. died Osbald then Abbot K. Osbald Monke Saints but once King of Northumberland Houed Ibid. In this time also died S. Lull Archbishop of Mentz whome not onely Malmsb. lib. 1. Reg. cap. 4. but Bale also Cent. 13. cap. 56. commendeth saying he was homo tum eruditionis c. A man of approoued learning and sanctitie and gaue him selfe as an example of vertue to the Gentills that had any inclination to the Christian faith And yet was he scoller and successor to Saint Boniface that famous Papist Ibid. cap. 57. Bale calleth Saint Burchard his fellowe Virum pium ac religiosum a godly and religious man And cap. 70. he saith that S. Wilhad Archb. of Brome and fellow laborer with them Martirij desiderio pro Rom. Ecclesia flagrabat Burnt with desire of Martirdome for the Church of Rome English desire to die for the Church of Rome In his time also liued that great Clerck Alcuin Confessor to Charles the Great of whome ynough hath bene sayd before 18. Thus thou seest Christian Reader how clearly the Catholick Roman religion hath bene deduced through all those our first Christian Kings for the space of the first 200. yeares after our conuersion from Paganisme to Christianity The effects of Catholike religiō in our nation in 200. years And what notable contempt of the world and holines of life it bred in that time in our Kings Queenes Princes Ten Kings Saints in 200 yaers Clergy and Commons in so much that ten of those Kings that then were are now accounted Saints To wit Ethelbert Fourtene Kings Monks or Pilgrims Edwin Oswald Oswi Sebbi Sigebert another Sigebert Richard Ethelbrit Fremund And fourteene of them forsaking their Kindomes either became Monks or went on Pilgrimages to Rome namely Kinegilsus Centwin Cedwall Ina Sebby Offa VVho vvold not aduenture his soule sooner vvith thes holie Kings Queens and Princes than vvith one boye and a VVomā Princes Cōfessors See marcellin in vit Simbert Princes martyrs Sigebert Ethelred Coenred another Offa Cealwolph Eadbert Kenred Osbald to whome I may adde Oswin preuented by death And 13. Queenes nonnes to wit Bathildis Ethelreda Sexburg kineswith espouse to King Offa Eadburg Eua Emenild Edelburg Ethelburg Canfled Cuthburg VVerburg Erigedida Rictirth to whome I may add Heseswid mother to King Adolph Besides many Kings sonnes as Sighord VVillibald VVinnibald Merefin Adelbert and many more whose names we know not And many Princes Martyrs as Ruffin VVulfhale Elbert Egbrigh and one Confessor S. Pumold And many Kings and Queenes daughters that became nonnes as Edelburg Eartongath Sedrido VVithburg Kings daughters Mildred Milhith VValburg Etheldrida 19. Could such admirable contempt of the world spring from the Diuels religion or rather from his who in our baptisme bindeth vs to renounce the world and pomps therof Can grapes spring of thorns Could so great vertue and holines of life rise from the Diuel the vtter enemy of vertue or rather from God from whome as S. Iames saith commeth all goodnes Can Protestants imagin that God reuealed his truth to them and hid it from so great Saints and seruants of his as those were Did God hide his truth from those vertuous princes and reueal it to a boy and a vvoman who sought it so diligently folowed it so earnestly and as S. Iames speaketh by their workes haue shewed their faith and yet notwithstāding perished euerlastinglie as no doubt must needes be both thought and said if Protestants religion be the only truth of Christ and Christs truth the only way as no doubt it is to saluation No hope of saluation to our Ancestors if the Cath. faith be not the faith of Christ And therfore how soeuer some Ministers say that they will not iudge their Forfathers they cannot but thinke that these holy Princes and their people are damned which they are a shamed to say or that there are diuers wayes to heauen which is right Atheisme or rather Antichristianisme For if ther be any other way to heauen than that which Christ taught we make Christ a lyar But let them thinck as they list I hope all men that are carefull of their saluation and withall consider that as ther is but one God and one Christ so ther is but one baptisme and one faith to wit the Catholick which who keepeth not intirely shall perish euerlastingly will both thinck and say Moriatur anima mea morte iustorum Athan. in Symbolo fiant nouissima mea horum similia Let my soule die the death of the iust and let my end belike to these men And now let vs goe from the Kings of a part of England to the Monarchs of the whole CHAP. XXIIII That all the Kings of England from the Monarchy to the Conquest vvere Roman Catholicks proued in particuler King Egbert XIII 1. THe thirtenth Christian King of the west-Saxons and first that reduced England to a Monarchy was King
Earles And that I may say so saith Ethelwerd almost all the chiefest youth of the Barbarians that nether befor nor after was there such a slaughter heard of since the English entred Britanie England defended by deuotion to Masse See yow heere this meruailous and miraculous victorie cōfessed by Fox to be obtained by the grace of God and the deuotion of the King to his seruice But what seruice this was which God would thus approue by so miraculous a victorie and by which England was then defended from destruction of Danes Fox was ashamed to tell But our ancient Historiographers Florent VVestmon An. 871. Houed part 1. pag. 416. saith plainly it vvas Masse said by a Priest K. Ethelreds Rom Religion Which alone sufficeth both to shew that this King was a Roman Catholicke and that Masse is diuine seruice Saints Besides that Malmsb. writeth that this King entred battel cruce Dei consignatus Signed vvith the crosse of God And as Fox saith and Godwin in the Bishops of Exeter he builded the Abbey of Exeter In this Kings time An. 870. ex Malmsb. vvas holy King Edmund Cooper saith Anno. 869. slaine of the Danes because he vvould not forsake the faith of Christ VVestmon 870. K. Edmūd His brother Edvvald The same hath Fox pag. 140. Florent Anno 870. Of his great miracles wrought after his death yow may see in his life in Surius Tom. 6. His brother and heire Edwald saith Fox l. cit and Capgraue in vit Edwald became an heremit Duke Fremūd Fremūd also saith Bale Cent. 2. cap. 22. sonne of Algarus Duke of the VVest-Saxons a beutifull yong man and only sonne relinquished the gouernment of the common welth which his parents left him that he might follow Burchard the Monke and was after as Capgr saith in his life slaine of the same Danes which slew S. Edmund Chastitie of S. Ebbe and her Nonnes In this time also S. Ebbe saith Stow Chron. p. 101. Abbesse of Couldingham cut of her nose and vpper lippe and perswaded all the sisters to do the like to keepe her virginitie from the Danes VVestmon An. 870. who therupon burnt the Abbey and Nonnes therin King Alfred the great XVIII 6. THe next K. was Alfred the fourth sonne of K. Ethelwolfe who as Malm. hath l. 2. c. 4. begā his reign An. 872. ruled 28. years a half The vvorthines of K Alfred crovvned of the Pope He alone of all our Kings saith Fox l. 3. p. 141. took his crown vnctiō of the Pope And that we may see how God blessed him whome his vicar crouned and anointed he alone for his admirable deedes both in war peace is sirnamed the Great And the praise which not onely Catholicks but also Protestants giue vnto him in all kinde of vertues surpasse in my iudgement the praises of all Christian kings that euer haue bene But for breuitie sake I will content my self with the praises giuen to him by Protestants who yow may be assured knowing him to be so manifest a Roman Catholick as shall appeare anon would giue him no more than he deserueth Cambden Cambd. in Brit. pag. 243. and 331. calleth him Clarissimum pientissimum Regem Bale A most renouned and godly King Bale Cent. 2. cap. 26. saith he was Egregiae indobis formae adolescens A yong man of a notable towardnes and bewtie born vnto learning and vertue He called for the best learned men to be his Counsellers and instructers Eight howers euery day he spent in reading writing and disputing He gouerned all things with an excceeding good wit and with singular prouidencie He was esteemed an Architecter and most perfect Geometrian a Gramarian a Philosopher a Rhethorician an Historian Musitian and no vulgar Poet. Three Colledges he founded at Oxford one for Gramarians an other for Philosophers the third for Diuines Of studyes and the common welth he best deserued Cooper An. 872. Of faire stature and comely personage and no lesse renowned in martiall pollicie than ciuil gouernment Stow Chron. pag. 105. Victorious Prince studious prouident for widowes Orphans and poore people endued with wisdome iustice fortitude and temperance a most discreete sercher of truth a most vigilant and deuout Prince in the seruice of God and deuided the day and the night into three equal portions wherof the one he spent in studie prayer and such things as belonged to his minde and soule the other in eating sleeping and other excercise of the body the third in the affaires of the common VVelth Fox Fox lib. 3. pag. 141. saith Amongst all the Saxon Kings hitherto is found none to be preferred or all most to be cōpared with this Alfred for the great and singuler qualities in this King worthie of high renown whither we behould his valiant acts and manifould trauells for his Contrie or his godly and excellent vertues ioyned with a publick and tender care of the weale publick or whither we respect his notable knowledg of good letters with a feruent desire to set forth the same throughout all his Realme And p. 143. 145. giueth him high praises for continence valour and learning concluding thus This valiant vertuous and learned Prince Christianly gouerned his realme And much more with great admiration of this King which yow may read in him and in Malmsb. lib. 2. cap. 4. Hunting lib. 5. Ethelwerd lib. 4. Ingulfe Florent pag. 309. VVestmon Chron. Houed p. 417. and others His learning 7. Onely I will out of them note some of his vertuos Fortitude Of his great learning is spoken before For his valour Bale Cent. 3. cap. 43. saith he fougt 57. tymes with the Danes Cambd. in Brit. pag. 213. Nobili praelio contudit and pag. 444. VVisdom Danos contudit ad libitum He repressed the Danes at his pleasur And as Malmsb. and others testifie made them become Christians or forswere the Realme Malmsb. lib. 2. cap. 4. VVestmon An. 892. For his gouernment saith Caius de Antiq. Cantab. pag. 328. Christianissimas leges scripsit promulgauit He writ and promulgated most Christian lawes and caused such peace as he made braslets of gould be hung vp in the high way vvhich none durst touch Chastitie For his chastitie it was such that as Cooper An. 872. after many Catholick writters testifieth he desired of God sicknes that he might not offend against chastitie As for his pietie and deuotion it was such as Florent Westmon An. 871. and others write Missam audire quotidie Deuotion The religion of K. Alfred That he daylie heard masse and sayd his houres and Matins and in the night season vnknovvn to all his seruāts he frequēted Churches to heare seruice Which alone sufficeth to shew his Catholick Roman religiō But besids this Bale Fox l. cit Stow p. 99. Caius l. cit p. 325. confesse he was crowned anoinred of Pope Leo as Bale saith
Saints Houed Iornelacensis others more as Fox confesseth p. 148. who dayly song masse for the quiet rest of the soules departed King Ewmund XXI 10. THe 21. Christian King was Edmund sonne to the forsaid Edward who began saith Malmesb. An. 940. VVorthines of K Edmund and reigned six yeares and a halfe He was saiâ—h Cooper An. 940. and Stow p. 108. a man by nature diâ—posed to noblenes and iustice Huntin lib. 5. calleth him inuictum vnconquered saith omnia illi faeliciter successisse all things fel out happily to him And Fox lib. 3. pag. 130. writeth that he achiued noble victories against his enemies and set his studie in maintaining redressing the state of the Church which stoode all then in building of Monasteries Churches His Religion and furnishing them with new possessions and restoring the ould Infra In the time of this king Edward or shortlie after Strait life vsed for merit sake hardnes restraint of life with superstition were had in veneration men for merit sake with God gaue theÌ„selues to leade a streight life which alone would suffice to shew of what religion this King was Besides that as Stow saith p. 108. Florent An. 942. Westmon An. 940. Houed p. 423. he was altogether couÌ„selled lead by S. Dunstan at whose request he reedifyed Glossenburie and made S. Dunstâ—n Abbot therof with a Chapter extant in Malmsb. lib. 2. cap. 7. He granteth many priuilâ—dges to Glossenburie for hope of aeternall reward and forgiuenes of his sinnes In thiâ— Kings time liued his wife S. Elfegia who saith Ethelwerd lib. 4. cap. 6. was canonized after her death Saints and miracles wrought at her tombe King Edred XII 11. The 22. Christian King was Edred third sonne of King Edward He entred An. 946. and held the crowne nine yeares and a halfe as Malmsb. hath lib. 2. cap. 7. The vvorthines of K. Edred and his vertue His magnanimitie saith he did not degenerat from his Father and brethren He subdued the Northumbers and Scotts He humbled himselfe to the feete of holie men deuoted his life to God and S. Dunstan by whose counsell he made his court a schoole of vertue Thus Malm. Cooper An. 946. Stow Chron. pag. 108. saith he was a great maintainer of honestie most abhorred naughty vnruly persons in feats of armes much commended wherby he kept in obeissance the Northumbers and Scotts and exiled the Danes His religion As for his Roman religion ther can be no doubt For as Fox writeth pag. 152. He was much ruled by the Counsell of S. Dunstan in so much as in histories he is reported to haue subiected himself to much pennance inflicted on him by S. Dunstan Such zelous deuotion saith he was then in Princes And as Florent An. 955. Malmsb. l. cit Houed pag. 423. Westmon An. 955. write when he fel sick Accersiuit c. he sent for blessed Dunstan his confessor Ingulph saith Aboue all the Kings his Predecessors he had the purest conscience and a spetiall deuotion to S. Paul And p. 876. he citeth his Chapter in the which he erected a new the Abbey of Crowland as he saith In the regard of the redemption of my soule and is sory that by the destruction of that monasterie prayers for the soules of the kings his prodecessors haue bene intermitted To which Chapter subscribe two Arcbishops 4. Bishops many Abbots and Earles And Stow pag. 198. saith the King sealed this Charter with seales of gould King Edwin XXIII 12. IN the yeare 955. saith Malmsb. l. 2. c. 7. succeded Edwin sonne to king Edmund reigned 4. yeares He was so bewtifull as Ethelwerd lib. 4. c. 8. saith he was commonly called Pancalus but as Malmsb. he abused his bewty to lewdnes for which and for banishing of S. Dunstan writeth Cooper An. 955. he was odible to his subiects Fox pag. 152. addeth that he was deposed of the Northumbers and mercians Edgar chosen in his place yet as it seemeth he amended For Hunting l. 5. writteth that he ruled his kingdeme not without commendation Osbern in vit Dunstani writeth that by the praiers of S. Dunstan he was at his death deliuered from the Diuels His Roman religioÌ„ appeareth by the possession which as Malmsb. saith Religion of K. Edvvin he gaue S. Aldelm whose body saith he was then found and in scrinio locatum placed in a shrine In the Register of the Abbey of Bury she is said to haue giuen to that Monastery the towne of Becklis and diuers other things King Edgar XXIIII 13. THe 24. K. was Edgar secoÌ„d sonne to king Edmund who began his reigne saith Malmsb. lib. 2. cap. 8. Anno 959. and reigned 16. yeares The praises of K. Edgar The praises which both Catholicks and Protestants giue to this king are exceeding Malmsb. calleth him honor delitiae Ang The honor and delight of English men and saith that inter Anglos c. amongst English men the report is that no King nether of his or any former age in England is to be compared with Edgar Ingulph an ancient graue author p. 889. saith he was flos decus c. The floure and ornament of all his Ancestors and the mirror of the VVestern climat of the world the bewtie glorie and rose of Kings Florent An. 975. and Houed p. 426. add that he was as worthie to be remembred of Englishmen as Romulus of RomaÌ„s Syrus of Persians Alexander of Macedonians Arsaces of Parthians Charles the great of the French Huntington lib. 5. p. 356. saith Edgar the peaceable a King magnificent a second Salomon in his dayes the Land was much bettered he was most deuout to God he built many Monasteries And Malmsb. saith that in the yeare 1052. which was about a hundred yeares after his death his body was found Nullius labis conscium voyde of coâ—ruption and that it wrought miracles The like praises do the Protestants afford him Cooper An. 959. A Prince of worthie memorie for his manifould vertues gratly renouned so excellent in iustice and sharp correction of vices as wel in his Magistrats as other subiects that neuer before his day was vsed lesse felonie and extortion Of mind valiant and hardy very expert in martiall policie The like saith Stow Chron. pag. 109. Fox Acts. lib. 3. pag. 154. saith he was much giuen to all vertuous and princely acts worthy of much commendation and famous memory excellent in iustice maintained the godly loued the modest Fox calleth this King a Poehnix was deuout to God and beloued of his subiects whome he gouerned in much peace and quietnes so God did blâ—sse him with aboundance of peace No yeare passed in the time of his Reigne in which he did not some singular and necessarie commoditie for the common welth A great mantainer of religion and learning He had in redines 2600. ships The same say Florent and Westmon Anno 975. Houed pag. 426. of war
the Pope in which he professeth Profession of the King That amongst the rest of the Kings of the whole world we embrace in the armes of our singuler loue our most deere sonne in Christ the renowned King of EnglaÌ„d The popes testimonie of K Henrie 3. who as a Prince Catholick and deuout hath alwaies studied to honor the Roman Church his mother with a filiall subiection and dutifull deuotion because he would no way depart from her good pleasure but rather what things he vnderstood to be gratfull and pleasing to her he hath performed with a ready carefulnes And againe pag. 887. alleadgeth other letters of the Pope to the King wherin he saith Towards your person as to a sonne and speciall deuout of the Apostolick Sea we carying a Fatherly affection of loue do willingly giue audience to your requests as far as we may with God and do impart our benign fauor To these letters I will add two other publick letters of the nobilitie and Commons and of the Clergie at the same time taken out of Fox p. 288. Profession of the nobilitie and CoÌ„mons of EnglaÌ„d of their subiection to the Pope Paris pag. 901. and others To the reuerend Father in Christ Pope Innocent cheefe Bish The nobles with the Communalty of the whole Realme of England sending greeting with kissing of his blessed feete Our mother the church of Rome we loue with all our hartes as our duty is and couet the increase of her honor with so much affection as we may as to whome alwayes we ought to fly for refuge Item Neyther is it to our said mother vnknowne how beneficiall and bounfull a giuer the Realme of England haâ—â— bene now a long time for the more amplifying of her exaltation Againe Our king being a Catholick Prince wholly giuen to his deuotions and seruice of Christ so as he respecteth not the health of his owne body will feare and reuerence the See Apostolick and as deuout sonne of the Church of Rome desireth nothing more than to aduance the state and honor of the same And the said Fox pag. 291. and Paris and Westmon An. 1247. set downe an other letter of the Clergy and Communalty of Canterbury thus To the most holy Father in Christ Lord Innocent by Gods prouision cheefe Bishop The whole Communalty both of the Clergy and laity of the Prouince of Canterbury sendeth deuout kissing of his blessed feete England euer since her first Christianitie deuout to the Church of Rome Like as the Church of England since it first receaued the Catholick faith hate alwayes shewed it selfe faithfull and deuout in adhering to God our holy Mother the Church of Rome studying with al kind of seruice to please serue the same Church of England prostrate at the Popes feet and thincketh neuer otherwise to do but rather to continew and increase as she hath begun So now the same Church most humbly prostrat befor the feete of your holines most earnestly intreat c. And the same persons writing to the Cardinals call them Bases fulcientes Ecclesiam Dei Pillers vnderproping the Church of God Moreouer the said Paris pag. 929. hath the letters of the Religious men to the same Pope in these words professioÌ„ of the religions of England touching their subiection to the Pope To our most holy Father deere Lord in Christ Innocent by the grace of God cheefe Pastor of the vniuersall Church his deuout sonnes the Abbots and the Priors of this Prouince of Canterbury and Yorke health and kisses of your blessed feete The whole Church is gouerned vndet one Father Pastor also the Church of England is a most speciall member of the Church of Rome And pag. 930. The Nobles Clergy and Vniuersall People wish as their duty is health reuerently to such a great Bishop And ibidem The king writeth againe thus He knoweth who is ignorant of nothing that we alwayes placed our mother the Roman Church in the bowels of our sincere affection as her whome we would loue K. Henrie 3. vvould recur to the P in necessitie and vnto whome in immineÌ„t instaÌ„ts of necessitie as a sonne vnto his mother whome she ought to foster and norish from her dugges of milk we would recur Thus the King Clergie Religious Nobles and Commons doe most plainly and publickly professe their Catholick religioÌ„ and subiection to the Pope and his spirituall superioritie ouer them in so much as Godwin in the life of Sewal Archb. of York Protest confesse K. Henr. Cath. religion saith This King subiected and as it were prostrated him selfe to the Pope And Bale Cent. 4. cap. 23. noteth that King Henrie the third did not reigne but bore the Image of the Beast And cap. 6. speaking of the time of this King saith The healthful truth was vanished out of this Land men being led into perdition And cap. 34. Vnder King Henry 3. ther was great decay of true faith in Christ euen vnto our tyme in the merits of condignitie and congruall of the Papists in Indulgences suffrages of Saints Protest except against all vvritings from K. Hen. 3. to Luthers time vowes masses Purgatorie Images c. And therfor exhorteth all to trie the doctrine which florished from the year 1270. to the yeare 1520. So manifest a thing it is that this King and all his successors and Realme since him to the later ende of King Henrie 8. were Roman Catholicks And albeit this King and the common welth in his tyme repined some what at the Pope yet that was not for any points of faith or religion but onely as yow may see in Paris the Kings Chronicler of that time and others because he bestowed English Benefices vpoÌ„ Strangers VVestmon An. 1246. Which he being then driuen out of Rome and from his own liuing by a wicked Emperor was forced to doe Finally this King died as Continuat Paris then liuing writeth pag. 1343. Confessing his sinnes beating his brest absolued houseled aneiled honoring the Crosse Saints In this Kings time liued the holy Archb. of Canterb S. Edmund whose body long after his death was found incorrupt Westmon An 1247. and others Also Saint Richard Bishop of Chichester A man saith Westmon An. 1253. Of eminent knowledge See Sur. tom 2. and singuler or rare sanctitie Godwin in his life saith All men greatly reuerenced him not onely for his great learning but much more for his diligence in preaching his manifould vertues and aboue all his integritie of life and conuersation In regard of which and many miracles fathered saith he vpon him he was canonized In this Kings tyme also died that grear Clerck Robert Grostet Bish of Lincoln whome the Protest wouâ—d make one of theirs onely because he mislyked the Popes preferring of strangers to English Benefices But that reason is too friuolous Besides that Westmon An. 1253. testifieth that the same yeare he died he wrote thus to the Pope Salutem
Progenitors the Kings of England haue done whilst they liued And Fox himselfe Acts pag. 383. setteth downe a letter of the K. and nobles to Pope Clement Anno 1343. thus To the most holy Father in God Lord Clement by the grace of God of the holy Church of Rome and of the vniuersall Church cheefe and high Bishop his humble and deuout children the Princes Dukes Earles Barons Knights Citizens and Burgesses and all the communalty of England assembled at the Parliament houlden at VVestminster the 15. day of May deuout kissing of his feete with all humble reuerence and humility The vvhole Parlament calleth the Pope head of the vniuersal Church Most holy Father yow being so high and holy a Prelat and head of the holy Church by whome the holy Vniuersall Church and people of God ought to be as by the Son beames illightened c. Behould the whole Parlament calling the Pope head and Bishop of the Vniuersall Church and offering to kisse his feete with all humilitie and reuerence And again Fox pag. 387. setteth downe an other letter of King Edwards to Pope Clement in this sort Most holy Father K. Edvv. 3. plainly professeth the Popes supremacie we desire your holines and in as much as lieth in vs require the same that yow that supplie the place of the sonne of God on earth and haue the gouernment of all Christen men c. What could be more clearly spoken for the spirituall supremacie of the Pope And this same Roman religion of his is euident by many other waies For he founded saith Stow pag. 439. the new Abbey neere to the Tower of London where he placed white Monks to the honor of God and our Ladie according to a vow by him made being on the Sea in great perill And a Nonrie at Detford Cambden addeth pag. 333. a Frierie of Carmelits He instituted also the order of the garter in honor of God and Saint Georg and among other rules apointed that when any of the Knights died the Kinge should make a thousand Masses to be saide for his soule and others many hundreds according to their Degree He offered saith Fox pag. 396. after the blind saith he superstition of those dayes in the Church of VVestminster the Vestments wherin Saint Peter did celebrat Masse His Confessor was Thomas Bradwardin whome Bale Centur. 5. cap. 87. accounteth a Papist Finally as Walsingham An. 1376. writeth he dyed thus The Catholik end of K. Edvvard 3. The King when he could not speake with verie great reuerence taking the Crosse did kisse it most deuoutly somtimes stretching forth his hand in signe of crauing pardon and other times also letting fall from his eyes plenty of teares and kissing most often the feete of the Crucifix And after his death Pope Greg. 11. lit in Walsingham Anno 1378. calleth him Catholicum Principem Pugilem fidei A Catholick Prince and Champion of the faith And so euidently was this King and the Realm in his time Roman Catholick Protest confesse K. Edvv 3. time to haue bene Cathol as Fox Acts pag. 377. vpon a letter of the King to the Nobles of France maketh this note Note the ignorance of the time And pag. 396. The blinde superstition of those daies And pag. 424. This is out of all doubt that at vvhat time all the world was in most vilde and desperat estate and that the lamentable ignorance of Gods truth had ouershadowed all the earth VVicklef stept forth c. Behould here manifest that before Wicklef there was not one Protestant in the whole world And how ill a Protestant he was shall hereafter appeare All the vvorld ignorant of Protestancie And pag. 425. In this so horrible darknes of ignorance saith Fox at what time there seemed in a manner to be no one so little a sparke of pure doctrine left In a maner no one litle spark of Protestancie VViclef first raised forsooth the vvorld VViclef sprong vp through whome the Lord would first raise vp again the world which was drowned in the depth of human traditions In like sort Bale Cent. 5. cap. 85. saith This age was shadovved vvith the darknes of great ignorance and blinded with more than Diabolicall fooleries And Cent. 6. cap. 1. the midnight of errors and a dim vvorld And cap. 8. In these times darknes of great ingnorance possessed the vvorld cap. 23. The common blindnes of the time vvas in aduancing the Idolatrie of the Popish Masse As for the discontentment which some time this king had with the Pope that was not for any matter of religion but because as Cooper saith Anno. 1343. VVhy K. Edvv. 3. some time discontented vvith the Pope The Pope gaue diuers Bishopricks and Benefices in England which the king thought not expedient for his temporall estate And as for the fauour which VVicklef found in his time that proceeded rather from the Duke of Lancaster who gouerned all in the olde age of the King and for a time vpheld VVicklef not vpon any liking of his heresie but to spite therby some of the Bishops whome he hated as Stow Anno. 1376 wtih whome Fox agreeth p. 393. testifieth in these words VVhy the D. of lancaster a vvhile fauored VViclef The Duke of Lancaster laboring as vvel to ouerthrovv the liberties of the Church as of the Cittie of Lōdon called vnto him VVicklef c. And when these contentions betwene the Duke and others were appeased He commanded saith Fox pag. 400. Edit 1596. VVicklef to submit him self to his Ordinarie The Cath. religion of the D. of lancaster Which clearly ynough declareth the Roman religion of that Duke which also other wise were euident by the honor wherwith he was receaued by the Cardinals and Bishops in the Popes Courte Stow pag. 399. And by his Confessor Iohn Kinningham a Carmelit who saith Bale Cent. 6. cap. 4. first impugned Wicklef And Cent. 7. cap. 26. saith that Gualter Disse than who none in Antichristi negotijs actuosior more busie in the rules of Antichrists Confessor to the Duke perswaded him for the loue at least of Papistrie to make war in Spaine which then fauored an Anti-pope to which purpose Pope Vrban sent the Duke a standard and made his Confessor his Legat and gaue him authoritie to preach the Crosse with many Indulgences for all them that would follow the Duke At what time writeth Bale out of Purney a wiclefist thē liuing Inualuit tunc Antichristi furor prae caeteris temporibus Antichrists furie preuailed more than in other times More ouer Polidor lib. 19. saith that two Hereticks were burnt in London in this Kings time whome Bale Cent. 5. cap. 74. calleth seruants of Christ In this Kings time liued the vertuous Ladie Mary Countesse of Saint Paule a woman saith Stow pag. 437 of singuler example for life Saints who builded Pembrooke hall in Cambridge and S. Iohn of Bridlinghton of whome we will speake in the next kings time
putteth one Iohn Goose a VVicklefist burnt vnder him And Ibid. noteth that since the time of King Richard 2. there is no reigne of any King to be assigned hitherto wherin some good man or other hath not suffered the paines of fier for the religion of Iesus Wicklef Besides Stow pag. 690. saith that King Edward vvent crowned in VVestmenster in the honor of God and S. Peter and the next day in paules in the honor of God and S. Paule And his daughter Brigit became a Nonue polidor lib. 24. King Edward 5. XLVIIII THe 49. Christian Prince was Edward 5. soune to Edward 4. a child of a 11. yeares old who liued not many dayes after his Father As for the religion which this child had it may easely appeare by what hath bene said of the Father King Richard 3. L. IN rhe yeare 1483 the 50. Christian Prince was Richard 3. brother to Edward 4 who tooke the Crown held it two yeares The qualities of this K. are notorious in all Chronicles K. Richards religion And his religioÌ„ is known both by what hath bene said of his brother And as Polidor l. 25. he began a Colledg in Yorke of an hundreth Priests King Henrie 7. LI. IN the yeare 1485. succeeded King henry 7. of the house of Lankaster and reigned 23. yeares VVorthines of K. Henrie 7. He was faith Stow a Prince of meruailous wisdomme police iustice temperance and grauity Fox Acts. pag. 729. saith the same His Rom. Religion His Roman Catholicke religion is euident For Fox setteth downe diuers Wicklefists burnt or otherwise punished vnder him as pag. 731. four wherof one the K. caused to be brought before him but when he would not be perswaded was burnt And pag. 774. he reckneth diuers others others abiured and burnt in the cheeke Wherupon Considerat 10. he saith Protestants rather died than liued vnder King Henry 7. And p. 776. saith thus of K. Henrie 7. othervvise a prudent and temperat Prince permitted the rage of the Popes Clergie so much to haue their wills ouer the poore flock of Christ as they had Ibid. The persequution began novv in the Church to be â—oat and he attributteth the death of the K. to the persequution forsooth of the Gospellers Moreouer pag. 799. He roporteth out of G. Lilly how Henry 7. Anno 1506. send three solemne Orators to Pope Iulius 2. to yeald his obedience Ex more saith Lilly to the See of Rome And Stow p. 811. writeth that Pope Iulius 2. sent a cap of maintenance and a sword to King Henrie 7. as to a Defender of the Church And Fox pag. 799. saith that Pope Alexander 6. and Pius 3. had before done the same King Henrie 7. builded also three Monasteries of Franciscans Pollidor in vit In this kings time liued Iohn Alcok Bishop of Elie Holie 7 men A man saith Godwin in his life of admirable temperance for his life and behauior vnspotted and from a child so earnestly giuen to the studie not onely of learning but of all vertue and godlinesse as in those dayes neuer any man bore a greater opinion and reputation of holines He liued all his time most soberly and chastly subduiing the temptations of the flesh by fasting studie and praier and other such good meanes King Henrie 8. LII KIng Henrie 8. sonne to king Henrie 7. began his Reign An. 1509. From the which time to An. 1530. he continewed an earnest Roman Catholick For as Fox saith pag. 789. From Anno. 1509. to 1527. diuers VVicklefists were preseÌ„ted troubled imprisoned And pag. 836. He setteth downe a letter of king Henrie Anno 13. To all Maiors Sherifes Bailifs and Constables and other officers to assist the Bishop of Lincoln for punishing Hereticks according to the lawes of holy Church And Bale Cent. 8. cap. 62. saith that two were burnt An. 1515. for the matter of the Sacrament And cap. 75. that Barnnes was made to recant Anno 1525. And likwise Bilney Garret and others An. 1527. Stow also and others write how king Henrie Anno 1511. wrote to the French king to desist from molesting Pope Iulius 2. and in the next yeare sent an army of ten thousand men into France in the Popes defence And An. 1513. K. Henrie 8. zeal in defence of the Pope VVent himself in person with a royall army conquered Torwin and Turney And not content thus manfully to haue aduentured his person to defend the Pope with his sword did in the yeare 1521. write also an excellent booke in his defence against Luther The originall wherof I haue seene in the Popes Librarie with the Kings subscription therto in these bad verses if I wel remember Hunc librum Henricus Leoni decimo mittit In signum fidei pignus amicitiae This booke to Leo tenth King Henrie the eighth doth send In testimonie of his faith and token of a freind For which booke Pope Leo gaue to him his successors for euer the glorious title of Defender of the faith And again in the yeare 1527. When Pope Clement 7. was taken prisoner he gaue monthly 60. thousand angels for the maintenance of an army for the Popes deliuerie And after this made long time suit to the same Pope that he would by his authoritie pronounce his mariage with Queene Catherin to be none and diuorce them which he not granting King Henrie as yow shall heare in the next Booke renounced the Popes authoritie and made him self head of the Church and yet remained in all other points a Roman Catholick Whervpon Bale Cent. 8. cap. 80. saith K Henrie 8. nevver a ProtestaÌ„t that King Henrie did admitt the Doctrine of Antichrist euen in the matters of greatest moment and did retain the contagious dreggs Sleidan Englil 13. fol. 174. By such phrases this wrech vseth to vnderstand Papistrie And Fox pag. 1291. granteth that Obits and Masses appeare in his will Most seuer of all Engl. Kings against Heretiks And as he saith pag. 1135. made it high treason to deny the reall presence and fellonie to defend mariage of Priests breaking of vowes or to condemne Communion in one kinde priuat Masse or auriculer CoÌ„fession without all benefit of abiuration or Clergie VVhich Lawes were seuerely executed by him And at his death would gladly haue bene reconciled to the Roman Church as Bishop Gardiner with whome he delt about that matter protested openly in a sermon at Pauls Crosse And so Catholick was the people of England in his time euen after his reuolt from the See Apostolick as when the Vicar of Croidon a most famous preacher of that time tolde them in a sermon at Pauls that as they had denyed the supremacie of the Pope so in time they would fall to deny other points of the Catholick faith Zeal of our grand fathers touching the real presence euen the reall presence of Christ in the blessed Sacrament The people at that word cryed out Neuer Neuer Neuer which yet
haue their Iustification that is merely by beleef or imaginatioÌ„ not by reall existeÌ„ce But as Tertullian said of ould Heretiks so some now VVill be eeâ—e without Scriptures that they may beleeue against Scripture For what more without Scripture ether of God or man than that there hath bene a Protestant Church for these thousand yeares and yet we nether saw any such nor any that then liued hath tould vs And what mâ—re against Scripture than to beleeue that Chtist and his Church kept especially for so long time in penetralibus in corners and lurking holes Math 4. 24. that his Church and Pastors are not a cittie built vpon a mountaine a light set open vpon a candlestick that it may shine to all Or how could any of them be saued if they professed it not seing confession is made to saluation Rom. 10. 5. And this kind of argument must needs seeme forcible both to Protestants and Puritans because they both vse it against their aduersaries For hereby the forsaid Surueyer cap. 5. proueth that the Puritan disciplin was neuer before Caluin because in all times afore there is no mention or record of it Novv Puritans proue that there vvere no Anabaptists before this age And likwise the Puritans proue that Anabaptisme was not before our daies as you may see in Colloquio Francatal whose words because they make much to our present purpose I will here rehearse If you say they to the Anabaptists be the Church of God it vvill follovv that God vvas without a people and a Church till the year 1522. in which Nicolas Storck and a litle after Thomas Muncer laid the first foundation of your doctrine And this they proue thus For if you read all Histories from the beginning of the vvorld you shall not finde a people which had a Confession of faith like to yours But because say they nether God was from the beginning vvithout a people and Church nor the euerlasting King Iesus Christ vvithout a Kingdom your CoÌ„gregation began first An. 1522. it followeth that you can not be the true Church people of God Thus PuritaÌ„s against the Anabaptists we obiect the same to them 6. As for the second point of the newnes and late rising of Protestancie Luther Prefat Epist Galat. fol. 2. saith thus That the ProtestaÌ„ts Church is nevv and lately risen Luther Apologie alias Iuel In these dayes this healthfull knowledg of Christ is now reuealed and raised vp againe And the Apologie of the English Church in plaine termes acknowledgeth the newnes of their doctrin thus It was easie for thes men Papists fortie yeares agoe to deuise thes and other greater crimes against vs when in midst of that darknes some beame of truth then vnknovvne vnheard of began first to rise Loe he coÌ„fesseth that 40. yeares agoe Protest doct was not heard of before but then began first to appear But let vs hear him further VVhen Martin Luther saith he Hulderic Zuinglius most excellent men sent of God to lighten the world began first to preach the matter was yet new note the euent vncertaine and ther could be no such heinous wickednes imagined which for the nevvnes Note againe and strangenes of the matter vvould not be easily be beleeued of the people against vs. Sleid prafat Histor saith the original of Protestancie vvas in the beginning of Charles 5. reigne Reinolds Behold it twise confessed that their doctrin was new and strange also 40. yeares agoe And pag. 13. he biddeth vs to think of the beginning and proceedings of their religion D. Reinolds also in his Confer pag. 152. writeth thus It is more likelie that you Papists who by long continuance of time haue had long occasion to steale avvay truth should corrupt the Fathers than vve vvho haue not had it Loe Reynolds confesseth that Protestants haue not long continewed Caluin Caluin also 4. instit c. 1. parag 2. hath these words Albeit a heauie desolatioÌ„ vvhich vve euery vvhere see doe crie that ther is nothing of the Church remaining And c. 3. para 4. plainly auoucheth that ther were no Churches rightly setled Cooper and therfore they needed to be sent extraordinarily Cooper in his Chronicle An. 1535. saith that Luther vvrote that Gods light vvas lately renewed Fox And finally Fox to omit others in his Acts p. 788. coÌ„fesseth most plainly that Luthers doctrin was new in the year 1524. ProtestaÌ„ts doctrin but in the blade An. 1524. For theÌ„ saith he the doctrin of Luther first beginning to spring and being but in the blade vvas not yet knovvne vvhitherto it teÌ„ded nor to vvhat it vvold grovv And in like sorte p. 791. he termeth also Zuinglius doctrine new To these I might add that the Patriarch of Constantin to whome the Protest sent their doctrin condemned it and calleth it altogether nevv doctrine And vpon the newnes of their doct it cometh that thes termes are most vsuall with Protest The doctrin of the Gospel vvas borne a nevv Calvin 4. instit cap. 7. 24. Apol. Aug. pag. 56. 194. VVhitak cont Dur. pag. 19. 140. Bale Cent. 8. cap. 60. 68. 100. Cent. 1 cap. 74. Feild of the Church lib. 3. cap. 39 Suruey cap. 8. The Church restored The Gospel restored Christs doctine renewed Gods word began to shine The renouatioÌ„ of the Gospel The rising of the nevv HierusaleÌ„ The birth of the Gospel SecoÌ„d birth of Christ Religion borne againe And their first maisters their first Bishops their Apostles or Euangelists Luther Latimer Ridly the like Hence what will follow euery one seeth to wit that the Protest Church or faith is not the Church or saith of Christ which begun about 16. hundred years agoe but a new Church begun not yet one hundred since Or that Christs Church faith was quite dead gone and Luther raised it againe to life And what Church then I pray you was that wherin he was Christened was it Pagan were his Godfathers Heathens was he wheÌ„ he was baptized made a Paynim wheÌ„ce came this new Church raiser from what heauen fell he from what sea sprunge he from what earth rose he That all the first Protestant Preachers had bene before Rom. Catholiks 7. Touching the third point to be proued that the Protestants first and cheef teachers were once Roman Catholicks and went from our Church and religion it is so manifest as nether is it nor can it be denyed For Luther 1. Gal fol. 37. saith thus of him self I was as earnest for the Popes laws as euer any was I honored the Pope of meere coÌ„scieÌ„ce And fol 38. I diâ— so highly esteeme the Popes authoritie that to dissent from him euen in the least point I thought it a sin worthie of euerlasting deathe and wold my self in defence of the Popes authoritie haue ministred fire and sword And fol. 188 VVe that are ould haue bene trained vp in Popish error euen from our youth
at the common receaued opinion of the Eucharist And in loc Com. titul de potest Eccles he plainly saith that VVicklefe plaied the made man Doctor Caius also lib. 2. dt Antiquit. pag. 268. obiecteth Wicklife to the oxonians as a disgrace to their vniuersity Caius And Stow in his Chronicles describeth Bale Oldcastell and others his followers as notorious malefacors and rebells to their Prince Stovv Luther yea Luther himselfe explicat Art 30. speaking of Hussits who were Wicklefists in Bohemia so termed of Hus Wicklefs principall scholler saith So D. Doue of Recusancie vvill haue Bellarmin a Protestant or no perfect Papist They do not well who make me a Hussit for he held not with me And in disput Anno 40. tom 1. pag. 493. Hus saith he tought horrible and diuelish blasphemie So far was Luther from accounting Wicklefs followers for Protestants 4. Finally the Sheriffes in England euer since Wicklefs time do take on oath to persecute Lollards 4 The Sheriffs svvear to pesecute VViclefists which was the vulger name of Wiclefs followers Which King Edward 6. Queene Elizabeth and his present maiestie and Ministers would not suffer nor the Protestant Sheriffs would take such an oath if they accounted Wiclefists Protestants And it being thus manifest that Wicklef and his companie were no Protestants much more manifest it is that no other English man before King Henrie 8. his time was Protestant Cranmer Which thing Cramner neuer doubted of when as Bale reporteth Cent. 8. cap. 90. he offered to defend Protestancie not vsed in Engl for one thousand years befor K Edvv. 6. that the religion apointed by King Edward 6. was more pure and agreable to Gods word than what said he had bene vsed in England this thousand years So clear it was in Cramners iudgment that Protestancie had not bene vsed in England for one thousand years before him But because some Protestants do hope to find some foating of their religion in the ancient Britons before that time let vs see of what religion they were that therby it may appear that nether English nor British were euer Protestants before Luthers time CHAP. III. That the ancient Britons were neuer Protestants VVhy Protestants chaleng the Britons 1. THe reason why Fox Bale Fulke othert calleng the ancient Britons for ProtestaÌ„ts is not because that they can proue that thy held their fundamental point of Iustification by faith or any other substanciall point of Protestancy but only because for a whil they disagreed from our S. Austin in some things to wit about the time of keeping Easter and manner of baptizing and such rites as S. Austin speaketh in Beda lib. 2. cap. 2. and cerimonies And also because they thinck that by reason of scarsitie of Records we cannot proue that Britons held these points of our faith which Protestants do deny Which reasons will serue as wel to proue that the Ancient Britons were Brownists or Anabastis as that they were Protestants But God willing we will shew by irrefragable testimonies of Antiquity that albeit the ancient Britons were some time infected with some ancient heresy lib. 1. c. 1. as hath bene shewed before yet they euer held so many points of Catholicke religioÌ„ as they neuer could be Protestants but quite opposit to them 2. And as for the religion of the Britons for the first 300. yeares after Christ which was the time in the persecution of the primitiue Church that may be easily gathered by the religion which they professed streight after the persecution was ended vnder their glorious Contriman the first Christian Emperour Constantine the great Both because there is no mention of any alteration made by them in religion all that time and also because Gildas cap. 9. and Saint Beda lib. 1. cap. 4. and 8. write that till the time of Arian heresy or as Bale cent 1. cap. 70. Fox in his Protestat Fulke annotat in 2. Cor. 12. testify till the time of S. Austins comming there was no change of their religion Let vs see therefore what religion they professed in Constantins time 3. First they builded saith S. Beda lib. 1. Antient Britons Catholiks Miracles beleued in places of Martyrdoms Temple of holie Martyrs cap. 7. a Temple of a meruailous rich vvorke in the place vvhere S. Alban vvas martired and belieued in that place sick persons to be cured many miracles to be wrought SecoÌ„dly they builded saith he l. 1 c. 8. Temples of holy Martirs And the like did Constantin himselfe Euseb lib. 3. de vit cap. 47. To this D. Abbots against D. Bishop p. 173. answereth That Constantin by building Churches in the honor of Martyrs ment not to honor their persons but to celebrat their names ObiectioÌ„ This glosse destroieth the Text. Ansvver For if the word matyrs do signifie their persons he in building Churches in honor of Martyrs ment ObiectioÌ„ therby to honor their persons Ansvver And as to To honor Martyrs by building Churches is to honor them by a religious act build Churches is no ciuil or prophane act as is to built Trophes or such monuments but a religious act so to honor Martyrs by building of Churches is to giue theÌ„ religious honor And if Christians by building of Churches in honor of Saints had ment no more than an honorable memory of their names whie did they neuer build Churches in honor of Princes or of any persons aliue or dead whose names they might honorablie remember besids that to celebrat ones name not to honor his person is to implie coÌ„tradiction For by celebrating a name we intend not to make such a sound or such letters famous but cheefly and principally the person signified therby And to make a person famous is it no honor to him And if we make him famous by a religious act as Constantin made the Martyrs famous by building of Churches wee giue him a religious honor Collins Wherfore Collins in his sermon at Paules Crosse 1607. dedicated to the Archb. of Canterb. and allowed of him saith pag. 52. that building of Churches to Saints was one cause of Protestants for forsaking our Church 3 Pariers for dead and in honor of Saints 4. Moreouer Constantin as Euseb saith lib. 4. de Constant â—60 caused himselfe to be buried in the Church of the Apostles Ita vt post obitum etiam precibus illis quae eo loci ad honorem Apostolorum futurae essent dignus haberetur Behould CoÌ„stantin hoping after his death to be holpen by prayers See his maiesties allovvance of Constantins religion in all points in Confer at Hampton Court pag. 69. ObiectioÌ„ and those made in honor of the Apostles which are two especiall points of Papistrie To this D. Abbots l. cit pag. 177. answereth that Eusebius mistooke Constantins meaning for he desired no prayers to be made for his soule Because he said lib 4. cap. 63 Now indeed I know that I am a
happie man that God hath accounted me worthy of immortall life and that I am now made partaker of the light of God And againe that he had obtained the true life none but himselfe vnderstood of what happines he was partaker and therefore he hastned and would not delay his going to God Thus Abbots Ansvver To omit that those words God hath accounted me worthie of eternall life are not in Eusebius translated by musculus a Protestant but for them are these iam me aeternam vitam sortitum liquet Is it not I pray the Reader strange that Abbots born last day should know what was Constantins meaning better than Euseb who liued familiarly with him Nay better than all men than liuing to whome Euseb saith cap. 59. that his intent was factum perspicuum made manifest Abbotts taketh vpon him to knovv the meaning of Euseb his vvords letter then him self Or that Abbots should gather Constantins meaning out of Euseb his words betrer than Euseb that wrote them Perhaps ConstaÌ„tin might being a very vertuous Prince especially straight after his baptisme as Euseb saith these words were spoken say with S. Paule nihil mihi conscius sum and therupon account himself happy worthy of eternall life and in spe to haue obtained it yet must he needs adde also with S. Paule nec tameÌ„ in hoc iustificatus sum which might wel make him desire prayer for him both aliue dead If Abbots could proue as he neuer shall that Constantin said as the Protestants do that he did not probably think but certainly know that his soule not soone or late but immediatly after it were out of the body should go to heaâ—eÌ„ as the soules of martiâ—s do he might wel say that CoÌ„staÌ„tin cared not for praiers after death For vpoÌ„ certain knowledg of martyrs happines we pray not for them but should do theÌ„ iniury as S. Austin saith if we did For therby we should shew that we were not fuly assured of their hapines VVe can not praie for them vvhom vve are assured to be in heauen But for them vvhom vve onely hope are there VVhie But with probable knowledg or hopeful truth ether of our owne or others felicitie we may both desire prayers for vs after our death or pray for others dead Because though we hope wel yet we are not fully assured and till we be assured of a thing we may pray for it And this was the case of Constantin and S. Monica when they desired to be prayed for after their death And of S. Austin and S. Ambrose when they prayed for Monica and Theodosius whome they beleeued as S. Austin speaketh to be in heauen 4 TranslatioÌ„ of reliques but were not therof certain and secure 5. Again Constantin translated saith Saint Hierom cont Vigilant 5 Blesse vvith the signe of the Crosse The holy reliques of Andrew Luke and Timothie at which saith he the Diuels roare to Constantinople He signed him selfe with the Crosse 6 Hope of victorie by the Crosse and made him selfe be painted with the Crosse on his head Euseb l. 3. de vit c. 2. 3. He professed to haue ouercome his enemyes by the wholsome signe of the Crosse Euseb de vit lib. 1. cap. 33. 7 VVorship of the Crosse See Confer at Hamp Court about the vvorld VVorship pag. 75. He worshiped the Crosse Sozom. l. 1. cap 8. He worshiped the Crosse both because he had had much help by it in battels against his enemies and by reason of his heauenly vision which he savve of it But to beleeue we may be holpeÌ„ by the Crosse as Constantin did is papistical as Do. Abbots granteth ansvver to Do. Bishop Epist pag. 168. 8 Esteeme-of Nonnes His mother also did honor and serue as their mayden Virgines Deo sacratas Dedicated to God Ruffin lib. 1. c. 8. which Virgines if they were not Cloister Nonnes as Abbots termeth them pag. 171. 9 Priests confessed to haue pouer to iudge Kings they were votaire Nonnes which Protestants can as ill abide He professed besides that he had no power to iudg of Priests God saith Constantin 10 Profession of the Popes supremacie in Ruffinus lib. 1. c. 2. hath made yovv Priests and giuen yow povver to iudg euen of vs vvherfor vve are rightly iudged of yovv Yovv are giuen to vs as Gods and it is not conuenient that men should iudg Gods 11 Priests and people praie for Constant dead His maiestie in Confer at Hampt Court saith he seeth no reason but vvhat vvas vsed in Constantins time maie still continevv pag. 69. Abbots pag. 191. saith he spake this of modestie and humilitie But I ask whither he spake thus as he thought or no Yf yea TheÌ„ he thought Priests to haue power to iudg him if no than he spake against his conscience and not humbly but falsly Further more in his Edict he calleth Bishop Siluester the high Priest and Vniuersall Pope and the head and top of all Churches in the vvorld And finally when he was dead many people saith Euseb l. 4. de vit c. 71. together vvith theÌ„ that vvere dedicated to God vvith many teares offered prayers to God for the soule of the Emperor By which yow may see the Papisticall faith both of that noble Emperor and of his Priests people And to expound their prayers for his soule of onely wel wishing as Protestants doe to their frends departed as Abbots expoundeth them p. 178. is ridiculous For if Eusebius had meÌ„t that those onely wished wel and not indeed prayed for Constantins soule he could haue sayd so Nay he would haue said so For the lawe of Historie bindeth the writer to proprietie of speech But durum telum necessitas For Protestants can not stand vnles scriptures Fathers Historiographers be expounded figuratiuely 12 ConfessioÌ„ of Protestants And so manifestly was Pope Siluester who cathechised this Emperor a Roman Catholick as Bale Cent. 1. c. 36. saith In these times of Constantin Siluester began to lay the foundatioÌ„ of the Popes Monarchie finding the key of the Depth he opened the pit if it be true which he nether denieth nor reproueth which Papists write of him And Ibid. All the Popes after Siluester to Boniface 3. he termeth mitred Bishops preparing by their Cannons Decrees the seat for the great Antichrist And Napier vpon the reuelatioÌ„ p. 68. calleth the visible Church in Constantins time AntichristiaÌ„ Papisticall This was the Papisticall religion of this worthie Emperor And vndoubtedly the same was theÌ„ the religioÌ„ of the BritoÌ„s who were his subiects ContriemeÌ„ amoÌ„gst whome as SozomeÌ„ saith l. 1. c. 5. he came to knowledg of Christ relig 6. Now for the next 300. yeares vntil S. Austins coming that the Britons were no Protestants may be prooued out of diuers authors Religion of Britons for the second 300. yeares Gildas First Gildas cap. 24. testifieth that the Britons had holy Altars of stone
and cap. 26. calleth them celestis Sacrificij sedem Seats of the heauenly sacrifice and reprehendeth Priests for sacrificing seldom calleth their sacrifices Sacrosancta Christi Sacrificia 1 Altars of stone Priests Sacrifices Most holy sacrifices of Christ Which argueth that they then had true sacrifices true Altars true Priests 2 Vovves of Chastitie and of Monkish life No mariage for monks after their vovv Suearing by our ladie and Saints Beda And touching Vowes he condemneth cap. 26. Kings for breaking them condemneth one King for marying a woman who had vowed Perpetuam Viduitatis castimoniam Perpetuall chastitie in VVidowhood And exclameth against an other King for forsaking Monks life and calleth his mariage after his vow Praesumptiuas nuptias Pretended mariage Finally cap. 26. he testifieth that the Britons vsed to sweare by God and by our Lady and all Saints All these points of Catholick religion Gildas toucheth Church in honor of Saints Monks Anchorets and nameth no one point of Protestancie As for S. Beda he saith lib. 1. cap. 27. that they had a Church built in honor of S. Martin cap. 11. and lib. 2. cap. 2. That they had Monks and Anchorets l. 1. cap. 17. that S. German with whome they agreed in religion by a fewe sprincles of holy vvater assvvaged tempests and droue avvay Diuels c. 18. that he caried about his neck a bag of reliques Holie vvater Reliques by which putting it to a blinde womans eye he restored her sight Ibid. That they went to S. Albans to giue God praise 3 Thanks to God by Saints Lent Pilgrimage and thancks by him S. Alban and there tooke of the dust where the holy Martirs blood vvas shed cap. 20. Obserued the 40. dayes of Lent deuoutly singing Aleluia after Easter Ibid. God saith Beda gaue S. German and S. Luphus prosperous passage home for their ovvne vertues sake Prosperous successe attributed in parte to Saints and also at the intercession of the blessed martyr S. Alban All these proofes affordeth S. Beda that the Britons were Roman Catholicks before Saint Austins coming and no one proofe that they were Protestants Galfrid 7. Galfrid also lib. 9. c. 12. saith that in this time Saint Dubricius the Archb. of Wales was Apostolice sedis Legatus that is Popes legat the Popes Legat. Malmsb. lib. 1. Reg. c. 1. Malmesb. Huntingt And Hunting lib. 2. say that King Arthur trusting in an Image of our B. Ladie vvhich he put in his vveapons Some hope of help by images he alone put his enemies to flight vvith great slaughter Stow also Chron. p. 61. saith that King Arthurs body was found in K. Henrie 2. time with a leaden Crosse fastned to that side of the stone that lay next his body Stovv Burial vvith Crosses Caius also a Protest lib de Antiq. Cantab. pag. 75. Caius Priuiledges procured from Popes citeth letters of Pope Honorius dated Anno 624. in which the Pope confirmeth the priuiledges which his Predecessors had giuen to the Briton Students and prohibiteth any Archb. or Bishop to excommunicat the students Such authoritie did the Britons acknowledg the Popes to haue ouer them Bale Orders after the Rom. manner Catholik Monkerie Purgatoire Austeritie of life Britons of the same religion vvith the Frēch In this time also saith Bale Cent. 14. cap. 6. Palladius was sent of Pope Celestin to set order amongst the Scotts after the Roman maner And cap. 11. Brigit wrought great wonders with holy water And Cent. 1. cap. 53. Aegiptian Monkerie so he termeth our Monkerie about the yeare 530. vnder Abbot Congel tooke great strength and increase And that S. Columba and Saint Brendan who filled France Germanie Ierland with Monkes and which Brendan Cent. 14. cap. 78. he confesseth to haue held Purgatorie were scollers to this Congel To which he addeth Cent. 1. cap. 50. That Gildas a Briton of this time did seeke the solitarie places of the desert and vse heirecloth next his skin And cap. 61. That Kentigernus vsed goat skinnes and a strait coole Which is no fashon of Protestats Finally S. Sampson a Briton Bishop going in those times out of Britany into France his religion was not onely there admitted for Catholick but him self also had there a Bishoprick giuen to him And his Kinsmā S. Maglorius being a Briton was ordered by him to dispense the quickening bodie of our Lord Real presence Mattins Masse Did eat barley and beane bread on VVensday and friday tooke no meate did afflict his flesh with continuall wearing of hearcloth did watchfully say the prayers of the night which are termed Mattins and prostrat before the Altar did sing Letanies and finally offered sacrifice to God Surius Tom. 5. What signe is there here of Protestancie or rather not of earnest Papistrie Britons in S. Austins time differ not in faith but about Easter S Austins 8. And as for the faith of the Britons in S. Austins time that besides some few ceremonies differed in nothing from S. Austins faith but onely about the time of keeping Easter as may be proued many wayes First by S. Austin him selfe who in Beda lib. 2. cap. 2. speaketh thus to the Britons Though in manie other points yow doe contrary to our custom not faith or rather contrarie to the custom of the Vniuersall Church Yet if yee will agree with vs in three things That is to celebrat Easter in due time to accomplish the mistery of baptisme according to the maner of the holy Roman and Apostolick Church and lastly preach to the English Nation the worde of God all your other ceremonies not heresies rites fashons and customs though they be contrarie to oures we will suffer and bear with them Behould S. Austin though so earnest a Papist as hath bene shewed before yet offering to ioyne with the Britous if they would amend onely three things wherof the first onely concerned faith the other two concerned ceremonies and charity Would he thinck we who was so nice in matters of religion as he would not ioine with the Britons vnles they conforned them selues to him in certain ceremonies haue not much more exacted their conformitie in Masse vse of Images and such like points of religion as it is euident he vsed if they had differed from him in such matters Besides yow see that the other things wherin they differed from him were but as he speaketh ceremonies rites fashions and customs Secondly the Britons them selues in Beda lib. 2. c. 2. publickly confessed that that was the true vvay of righteousnes vvhich S. Austin shevved And the onely reason which they giue there why they would not ioyne with him was pride as they imagined in him Thirdly S. Beda though a perfect Papist as hath bene shewed before by the confession of Protestants yet findeth no more fault with the Britons than S. Austin did The Britons religion by the Irish and Scotts 9. But yet more fully will
left their Contrie Praedicare Papismum to preach Papistrie Surius Tom. 3. Baron An. 631. Bishops of Scotland consecrated of the P. And about the yeare 631. which was soone after the custome of Scotland was saith the Author of S. Wirons life for the Inhabitants to chuse their Bishop then to send him to Rome to be consecrated by the Popâ— as S. VViro was Of whome it is also written that King Pepin of France confessed his sinnes to him 11. Thus thou seest gentle Reader that albeit ther be so great scarcitie of ancient records of British matters yet on the one side their coÌ„sent with the Rom. religioÌ„ in many substantiall points Beza Praefat Bibl. ad Cond Perkins Refor Cathol such as Beza Parkins and others confesse to be quite opposit to Protestancie is euidently proued many waies And doubtles their like agreemeÌ„t in more points would be found if more ancient monumeÌ„ts of those times were extant And on the other side ther is no one ancient monumeÌ„t or scroul which testifieth that they held any one substantiall point of Protestancie as Iustification by faith onely Communion of bare bread and Wine Denied Purgatorie or prayer for dead prayer to Saints such like But ProtestaÌ„ts claime them onely because we for lack of ancient records can not shew particulerly that they agreed with vs in all points of faith As if all were Protestants whome we could not shew particulerly to haue agreed with vs in all points or it may not suffice any reasonable man to shew particulerly that they agreed with vs in many substaÌ„tiall points shew the same generally in all other points besides one into which they vpon ignoraÌ„ce Because nether S. Austin nor others fouÌ„d any other falt with the matter of their faith nor Protestants can shew any other Hovv it is proued by the Britons that the Cathol faith is the true faith of Christ Fox Bale in which point also Protestants dissent from the Britons as wel as we And if vnto this euidency of the Catholick Roman religion of the Britons yow adioine what Fulk Fox Bale generally all Protestants write of the certain truth of their religion it will euidently follow that the Roman faith is the true faith of Christ For Fox in his Protestation saith That religioÌ„ remained in the Britons vncorrupt the word of Christ truly preached till the coming of S. Austin Bale Cent. 1. cap. 90. There was alwaies amongst the Britons preaching of truth most sure doctrine such worship as was by Gods coÌ„mandement giueÌ„ of the Apostles to the Churches And pag. 73. calleth the Britons Church of S. Austins time Veram Christi Ecclesiam Fulk And Fulk 2. Cor. 12. calleth the Britons of S. Austins time Catholicks and saith with them Christian religion had continewed euer since the Apostles times And thus hauing shewed that before Luthers time there was nether English nor British Protestant in all England Let vs now see when and how ProtestaÌ„cie first began in Germanie and after in England CHAP. IIII. VVhen where wherfore and how Luther began to preach Protestancie 1. LVther hauing bene long time an Austin Frier and all his life before so earnest a RomaÌ„ Catholick as you heard him self confesse supra cap. 1. Sleidan lib. 1. fol. 1. and Fox in his Acts p. 770. and others coÌ„test began in the yeare 1517. and on the morrow saith Fox pag. 771. after all Saints in the cittie of VVittenberg in Saxonie to oppose him self against the Catholick faith in the matter of Indulgences by publishing and manteining certaine Conclusions against them The place year and daye vvhen Luther began Protestancie This as all Protestant writters agree was the place the time the matter wherin Luther began first to publish their doctrine His Maisters therin were as he saith 4. Luthers maisters of protestancie Neque abhominibus neque per homines VVhen Luther began to preach Protestancie he inteÌ„ded no reformatioÌ„ at all Fox Sleidan lib. 1. fol. 1. Luther at first impugned pardons onely to boult out truth vvith submissioÌ„ to the Church Galat. fol. 208. his gift of knowledg his owne studie and his outward and inward tentations By whâ—ch last instructor perhaps he meaneth his black maister whome as we shall see herafter he confesseth him self to haue had 2. As for the end wherfor Luther began his new doctrin that could not be any reformation of religion by him then intended For as Fox confesseth pag. 771. In the beginning of this controuersie Luther nether dreamed nor suspected of any change that might happen in the Ceremonies And not in the beginning onely but euen a year after For Fox l. cit speaking of the year 1516. saith thus All this while Luther neuer thought of any alteration to come of any Ceremonie much les such a reformation of doctrine Ceremonies as after did follow And a Protest writer of Paralippomena Vspergen whome Fox much followeth saith An. 1518. Luther shewed him self to come in publick against his will but could not staie him self Yea Luther him self in loc Com. Clas 4. confesseth that he fell into this faction so he termeth it by chance and against his wil. And L. de Captiu fol. 5. By force saith he I was drawne into this quarell And epist ad Leon. 10. fol. 4. Eckius saith he drew me into this vnexpected quarrell catching me in a small word about the Supremacie which by chance slipt from me How then could this man intend reformation of religion by his preaching against the old religion if as Fox said Luther impugneth a religion and yet meaneth not to ameÌ„d it for a yeare after he did not so much as dreame of any reformation no not in ceremonies with what conscience think we did he impugne the old religioÌ„ whiles he neither ment nor dreamed to reforme it 3. Luther sought not Gods glorie beginning protestancie In like sorte the end for which Luther began to impugne the Cathol faith could not be Gods glorie For what glory could he inteÌ„d by his new preaching who ment not to make any alteration at all in Gods religion Besides that he often times offered both by word writing to giue ouer his new doctrine if he might not be bound to recant or his aduersaries bound to silence For as Fox hath pag. 772. Luther 4 times offered to suppresse Protestantisme Sleidan Engl. lib. 1. fol. 6. and in fol. 9. in writing to Cardinall Caietan Anno 1518. he promised to proceed no further in any mention therof so that his aduersaries were likewise bound to keep silence And saith Fox if the Bishop of Rome wold haue bene content with this submission of Luther he had neuer bene touched any further of him And againe in the yeare 1520. as Cooper hath in Chron. he submitted himselfe to the P. of Rome so that he might not be compelled to recant And as Doct. Whitaker lib. cont Dur. pag. 11. If at the
particuler causes of the entrance therof into seuerall Contries the generall causes of the increase therof were diuers rising partly from some abuses partly from the religious persons and Clergie partly from the laie people Causes of spreeding Protestancie but especially from Luther and his adherents and their doctrine For it can not be denied but ther were some abuses in some places of some things belonging to Catholik religiō as namely of indulgences Of which abuses Luther tooke his aduantage to bring the holie things them selues into contempt as appeareth by what hath bene said before And this occasion also Caluin his companions vsed in setting vp their religion in Geneua Surueyer as noteth the Surueyer c. 4. wher he well obserueth that when men haue bene bitten with abuses it is an acceptable point to hear the things them selues exclaimed against For it falleth not saith he vnder euery simple mans cap to distinguish well in that matter 3. An other cause were the vices of diuers religious and Clercks Amongst whome especially in Germanie when Luther began diuers things were out of order Whervpon they growing into contempt it was easie to persuade the people that their religion also was contemptuous Men commonly affecting or disaffecting the things as they do the persons to whome they belōg And of this meane principally Luther made benefit for his cause as him self declareth in these words 4. Galat. fol. 229. Luther confesseth that if Catholiks liues had bene good he could haue done nothing If the Papacie had the same holines austeritie of life which it had in the time of the anciēt Fathers Hierom Ambrose Austin others when the Clergie had not yet so euill a name but liued after the rules decrees of the Fathers religiously and holily in outward shew and vnmaried what could we doe now against the Papacie Ib. If that outward shew and apparance of the old Papacie remained at this day we shold peraduenture do litle against it by our doctrine of faith seing we do now so litle preuail This meane vsed also Caluin as witnesseth the forsaid Surueier c. 4. Surueyer wher also he noteth that it is a plausible matter with the people to hear then depraued that are in authoritie In the lay people also Luther found a great greedines and as the Apostle speaketh itching ears to hear nouelties For as him self noteth 1. Galat. fol. 14. The vnscilfull multitude longing to hear news do ioyne themselues to false Apostles And in others ther was a desire of libertie and of power to checke their Pastors And how many this motiue drew to follow Luther Melanchton his cheefest scholer cited by the Surueyer c. 8. telleth in these words Melancthon confesseth that men follovved Luther onely for libertie Many for no other cause I see do loue Luther but for that they thinck they haue cast of their Bishops by means of him and haue obtained a libertie which will not be profitable for our Posteritie Item our fellows saith he do sight so for their owne Kingdom and not for the Gospel And this meane also vsed Caluin and his crew at Geneua as the said Surueyer noteth L. cit saying Surueyer So the Gracches moued sedition in Rome by their leges Agrarias It is a plausible matter with the people especially to vnderstand of anie libertie which may appertaine to them selues And finally in others of the people ther was a vehement thirst for the Church goods which Luther by his preaching exposed to the praye of Princes and people This bate vsed the wiclefists in K. Henrie 4. time to cach that worthie Prince as Stow reporteth with it partely Protestants caught K. Henrie 8. and vsed it to others For as the said Surueier writeth cap. 21. VVhen reformation of religion vvas first vrged it vvas thaught such an effectuall motiue as vvould procure attention vz to entitle Princes after a sorte to the Church goods Church goods confessed to be the effectual motiue to Protestancie But did these reformers mean that Princes shold keep those goods No. For he addeth The learned men perswaded them selues that if by anie policie they could ouerthrovv Poperie Ministers moue Princes to change religion for Church goods but meane to get all them selues it vvold aftervvard be an easie matter to recouer them againe Besides saith he they did not so yeeld ouer their right in that matter to Princes but it was done vvith diuers cautions and prouisos by vertue vvherof they supposed in time to recouer all againe into their ovvne hands But saith he they plaied vvilie beguile them selues 4 Protestation of false preachers 4. On Luther and his partners side the first meane of spreding their religion was which him self in these words 4. Galat. fol. 211. noteth in false Apostles They make great Protestations that they seek nothing els but the aduancement of Gods glorie that they be moued by the spirit to teach the infallible truth and they promise vndoubted saluation to those that receaue their doctrine An other meane on their side was their dissembled sanctie Which meane Caluin and his companie most vsed as noteth the said Surueyer cap. 4. wher he saierh Ministees hypocrisie to seduce the people It is not vnknovvne to anie of iudgment vvhat the profession of anie extraordinarie zeal and as it vvere contempt of the vvorld doth vvork vvith the multitude VVhen they see men goe simply in the streets looking dovvnevvard for the most parte vvringing their necks avvry shaking their heads as if they were in some present greef lifting vp the white of their eyes some time at the sight of one vanitie as they walke vvhen they hear them giue great groanes crie out against this sin and that sin not in their hearers but in their Superiors make long prayer professe a kind of wilfull pouertie speaking earnestly against some mens hauing too much and soome men too litle which beateth into the peoples head a present cogitation of some diuision to be made in time VVhen I say the multitude doth hear such kind of men they are by and by caried away with a maruelous great conceit and opinion of them especially when they take vpon them to shew a waie or disciplin vvhich shal be nothing preiuditiall to the people but rather bring them libertie and yet shall reforme all things amisse as them selues vvold desire Hitherto the Surueyer whose words I haue cited at large because they liuely describe our first Protestant Preachers 5. But the most effectuall mean which Luther had to spread his religiō was his licētious and fleshly sweet doctrin wherwith on the one side he tooke from his followers all fear of God both in this world and the next and of man too as much as he could and withal remoued from them the exercise of all hard and vnpleasing things And on the other side licensed them to enioy all the delites and pleasures of this world and withall assured
He fel in loue with M. Anne Bullen daughter to Syr Thomas Bullen who not cōdescending to his lust vnles he made her his wife he made earnest suit to Pope Clement to be diuorced from Queene Catherin daughter to the King of Spaine with whome he had bene maried 20. yeares and had had by her diuers children vpon pretence that she had bene maried before to Prince Arthur his brother But the Pope taking great deliberation and longe time in the matter King Henry in the yeare 1531. not vpon any dislike of the Popes religion but vpon occasion of delay as both Cooper and Stow say in their Chronicles made by the Pope in the matter of his diuorcement displeasure of such reports as he heard had bene made of him to the Court of Rome thirdly pricked forward by some coūsellers to follovv the exāple of Germās caused proclamatiōs to be made in the 29. of Septēber forbidding all subiects to procure any things from the Court of Rome And not content with this to spite the Pope more he compelled the Clergy the same year to giue him 130. thousand poūds with the Title of the headship of England K. Hen. diuorced from his first vvife after he had maried a second so far forth as the word of God did permit And in the year 1533. of his own authority he married Anne Bullē a good wile after made Cranmer diuorce him frō his former wife than liuing For which vnchristiā proceeding being excōmunicated by the Pope he was more enraged And therefore in the year 1534. Protestāts brag of procuring the title of the head of the Church to K. Henrie by Act of Parliamēt made him self head of the Church which title Barnes a Protestāt saith as Fox recordeth that the K. got by his his fellowes labors And Tindal the Apostle as Protestāts cal him of Englād who thē liued writing An. 1533 to Frith of K. Hēries intentiō against the Pope Clergy saith thus in Fox p. 987 I smell a Counsell to be takē litle for the Clergies profit in time to come VVhy K. Henr. reuolted from the P. out of Tindal But yow must vnderstād that it is not of pure hart for loue of the truth but to auēg himself to eate the whores flesh drink the marow of her bones which because it is vrittē somwhat enigmaticaly K. Henr. forsooke the P. not for loue of truth but for spite and couetousnes Beginning of Protestancie in England An. 1530. Counselars therto laie men Motiues spite and Cauetousnes Fox expoundeth in the margēt thus eating the vvhores fleshe is to spoile the Popes Church only for the pray spoile therof Thus yow see it euident euē by the confession of Protestants both the yeare when K. Henry 8 began to reuolt frō the Pope To wit 1530. his Counsellers therin to wit no Bishops nor Diuines but Laymen who hoped as they were to be partakers of the pray And his motiue ther vnto not dislike of the P. religiō or like of a better but malice against his persō couetusnes of the Church goods And out of these two foūtains haue sprōg since all the Protestācie of Engl. which whether they were liker to be foūtains of Gods or the Diuels religiō I leaue to euery one to iudg 2. Protestancie quite altereth K. Henries procedings And as the motiues so his alteratiō were malice couetuosnes so his proceding after was euer cruell couetous blooddy quite differēt frō his procedings in the former time For wheras before in 22. years of his Regn he had bene gētle put none of his nobility to death besides the Duke of Buckingham Fearle of Suffolk for treason In 16. yeares after of six Queenes which he had he put away two wherof one died for sorow other two he beheaded the one for adultery the other for incest also a thing vnheard of befor in Enlgish Q. the fift he caused to be opened for to saue the child in her belly Bloudie proceding of K. Henrie after change of religion first Protest Queene of England executed for adultery incest Queens Cardinals Abbotts Dukes Marques Earles Lords Coūtesse Marquesse Rauin and the sixt he ment to haue executed for heresie Of Cardidals he beheaded one cōdemned an other brought the third to death with greefe and sorow Of Lords Abbots he hanged drawed and quatered six Priors fiue besids a great number of Priests Monks and Friers And of the Nobility he condemned one Duke to perpetual prison beheaded a Marquesse beheaded two Earles one Earles sonne and heire and fiue of his Vnckle 's all in one day beheaded six Lords and one Lords sonne and heire hanged one Lord beheaded one Countesse attainted one Marquesse and of knights gentlemen and others executed great numbers And for his couetousnes of Church goods besides the 130. thousand poundes exacted as before of the Clergy the very same yeare he suppressed the Hospitall of S. Iames nere to Charing Crosse Anno 1532. suppressed the priory of the Trinity in London Anno 1534. suppressed the houses of the Obseruant Friers in Englād and tooke to himselfe all fruits and tenths of all spirituall goods and promotions An. 1534. tooke the reliques and cheefest Iuells out of Monasteries Anno 1536. suppressed all religious houses to the value of 200. poundes and vnder and tooke all their lands and grounds The number of these houses saith Stow were 276. the value of their lands then 32000. pounds and more by the year The moueable goods as they vvere sould at Robinhood penorthes amonted to more thā one hūdred thousand pounds It was a pitifull thing saith he to heare vvhat a lamentation the poore people in the Countrey made for them For there was great hospitality kept among them and as it was thought more than 10. thousand persons Maisters and seruants had lost their liuings by the putting downe of those houses Anno. 1538. All Abbeis and religious houses were suppressed and S. Thomas of Canterbury Shrine pulled downe which was saith Stow built of stone aboue a mans hight The vpper part of timber which was couered with plates of gould damasked with gould wier which groūd of gould was again couered iewels of gould 10. or 12. croouped with gould wier into the said ground of gould Many of these rings hauing stones in them brooches Images Angels pretious stones and great pearles c The spoile of which shrine in gould and pretious stones saith he filled two great Chests the which six or eight strong men could do no more than carie one of them at once out of the Church By which one may gather the inestimable riches which King Henrie got by all Abbeis and Shrines Moreouer Anno 1540 he suppressed the knights of the Rhodes And finally An. 1505. all Chanteries Colledges hospitals were giuē to the K. And yet not content withall these Church goods VVhat mischeef one point of Protesancie brought
man Fulke also in his Preface to his Annotat. saith that Luther in his heat misliked a true translation of the Bible So far could passion transport this new Apostle VVent against his conscieÌ„ce Thirdly he impugned that which in his conscience he tooke to be truth and so committed that heinous sin against the holie Ghost which our sauiour saith shall be forgiuen nether in this world nor the next For as is before declared he often times offered to suppresse his new doctrine if he were not bound to recant it wherin he must needs doe againsts his owne conscience ether in preaching his new doctrin knowing it to be false or in suppressing it thinking it to be Gods truth And in Colloq Mensal fol. 158. him self confesseth thus Luther vvisheth he had neuer begun Protestancie I neuer leaut these thaughts that I wish and desire that I had neuer begun this busines And in parua Confessione I knew saith he that the eleuation of the Sacrament was idolatrous yet I kept it in the Church of VVittenberg that I might spite the diuel Carlostadius ô what wold not he do or say to spite Catholiks who to spite his freind and first scholer permitted as he thaught idolatrie against God And shall not we wish wo had neuer knowne that religioÌ„ which the Author therof wisheth he had neuer begun And albeit both he and all Protestants account it a thing commanded by God to communicate in both kinds and forbidden by him to communicate in one onely yet as Iuel Art 2. diuis 6. nether doth nor can deny he wrote If perchance the Councell shold appoint to communicate in both kinds we would least of all receaue bothe but then first in despite of the Councell we wold receaue but one or nether and in no case both kinds Behold how to spite a Councell he wold ether not communicate at all or not so as he thinketh God commanded And who will see more of this humor of Luther may read Vbenberg de Causis Cathol fidei c. cap. 15. But was this man who thus partly reiected partly corrupted Gods word and sinned against the holy Ghost likelie to be a man chosen by God to be a new preacher and restorer of his word and strangely lightned by the holy Ghost No Surely 4. Yea that we may be assured that it was the Prince and spirit of darknes who sent and lightned him almightie God so prouided that no aduersarie nor stranger but him self should vtter not vtter onely but write and print for a warning to all posteritie that in the dark night he learnt his doctrin of the Prince of darknes For lib. de missa angulari tom 6. Ienen fol. 28. b. and edit Luthers confession that he learnt his doctrin of the diuel Wittenberg 1577. by Thomas Kelug tom 7. fol. 228. he writeth thus Vpon a certain time I sodenly waked about midnight then Sathan began his disputation with me saying Harken right learned Doctor Luther Thou hast said priuat Masse these 15. yeare almost euery day what if priuat Masses were horrible idolatrie what if ther were not the bodie and bloud of Christ but thou worâ—hipedst bread and wine and shewedst them to be worshiped of others To whome I answered saith Luther I am an anointed priest receaued vnction and consecration of a Bishop and did all things by command obedience of my Superiours How then shold I not haue consecrated seing I pronounced the words of Christ seriously with great earnestnes Thou hearest this All this said he the diuel is true But the Turks and Heathens do all in their temples vpon obedience and do their seruice with deuotioÌ„ The priests of Hieroboam did also all things with zeall with deuotion against the priests in Hierusalem These vvords are left out in the edition ofr vvittenberge VVhat if their ordination and consecration were false as the Turkish and Samaritans are false Priests thy worship is false and impious Here saith Luther I began to sweat and my hart to quake and beat within me The diuel can place and vrge his arguments fitly to oppose hath a great and strong voice And these disputations are not long a doing but streight one answer followeth an other And I well found then how it falleth out that men ore found dead in the morning in their bedds He can kill the bodie he can also by reasoning driue the soule into such straites that in a moment it is to forsake the bodie Luther confesseth that he vvas caught of the diuel in disputation VVherto he hath almost driuen me full often Surely in the dispute he caught me and against my will I wold haue caried such a heap of blasphemies before God but willingly vvold haue defended my innocencie VVherfore I marked what cause he had against my priesthood and consecration Hitherto Luther whose words whether I haue truly alledged or no may be seene in the editions which I named And after this Luther setteth downe fiue arguments which he learnt of the diuel against priesthood and Masse O detestable Maister O hatefull scholler O execrable doctrin O abhominable schole And O heauens be amazed that a Christian wold beleeue the diuel rather than Christs Church and that Christians shold follow him who professeth to follow the Diuel Hov ministers glosse Luthers confession 5. Ministers being greatly ashamed at this testimonie of Luther against him self his doctrin endeauor to cast manie mists before peoples eyes that they shold not perceaue the horror therof D. Sutlif l. de Eccles pag. 298. saith it was a dreame But Luther saith plainly that it was after he awaked and telleth what a voice the diuel vsed how he had like to haue died for fear Feild l. 3. of the Church c. vlt. Iuel Art â— diuis 2. and others say it was but a spirituall conflict and tempting of Luther to despaire But housoeuer the diuel ment also to draw Luther to desperation it can not be denied but that he ment to persuade him to detest his preisthoud and Masse as is euident both by the words cited and by the fiue arguments which the diuel brought against the Masse with which Luther as he saith was caught that is perswaded to reiect his priesthoud and Masse which before he greatly estemed It caÌ„ not therfore but impudently against Luthers owne words be denied but that this new doctrin that Preisthoud and Masse are naught he learnt of the diuel housoeuer the diuel hauing perswaded him that Forther confession of Luthers familiaritie vvhith the diuel meÌ„t with all to driue him to despaire And howbeit our Ministers be ashamed of Luthers learning and freindship with the diuel yet he him self braggeth therof For to 2. Ieren fol. 77. Beleue me saith he wel yea very wel I know the diuel He often times walketh with me in the Dorter VVhen I am in companie he hurts me not but vvhen he catcheth me alone then he
time And as for the effects therof in King Edward 6. time the Protestant who published Cranners booke against traditions telleth vs what they were thus VVe were talkers only and not walkers lip Gospellers from mouth outward and no further vve vvere euen such as the Prophet speaketh of saying That people honoreth me vvith their lipps but are far from me with their hart we could speak of Gods word and talk gloriously therof but in our harts vve vvere ful of pride malice enuie couâ—teousnes backbiting Men no vvhit bettered vnder protestaÌ„tisme rioting harlot hounting no whit bettered at all than vve vvere before vnder the Popes Kingdome Nothing was amended in vs but only our tonges no nor they nether if I shall speak rightly and as the truth was in deed For vve vsed detraction of our neighbour filthy talke with many proud braggs of holines For vvhat end Protestants read scriptures VVhat Protest preachers vvere we read not the scriptures nor heard them for any amendment of our ovvne vvicked liues but only to mak a shew and brag therof to check and to taunt others yea and to espie small motes in other mens eyes but nothing desirous to see the greate beames in our owne This I say to talk and not to vvalk to say and not to doe was not only among the vnlearned sorte of men but also amoÌ„g the graue Cleerks and preachers of Gods word And much more their of there like stuffe Fruits of Protestancie vnder Q. Elizab. 9. And touching the effects of Protestancy in Queen Elizabeths time Fox him self Consid 3. telleth vs theÌ„ in these words God graunt saith he vve may do better for vvorse I think vve cannot do if vve English men in these reformed daies walk with monstrous pride pranking vp our selues more like plaiers on a stage than Gods chrildren in his Church Protest can not do vvorse if they vvould And Considerat 4. who saith he followeth that he knoweth To rip vp all our deformities in particuler I meane not here nether need I the same being so euident to all mens eyes that who can not se our excessiue outrage in pompeous apparell our carnal desires and vnchast demeaners without fear of God Protestants careles securitie our careles security vvithout conscience as though their were no iudgmeÌ„t to come our studie vpon this vvorld as if there were no other heauen And much more of the like tune And in his latin Ep. he complaineth that euery blast of tentation carieth Protestants headleng into pride auarice pleasure filthines reueng and what wickednes not VVhat present Protestants are And as for the present Protestants Collins in his sermoÌ„ at Paules crosse 1607. saith his eyes gush out vvith vvater to see there is no religion amongst men for the most parte but that which is tainted with a spice of faction Protestants churches void of all true religion The declarat of discipline pag. 148. saith their very temples chappels and alters vvax prophan and void of all true religion the Surueyer cap. 21. saith that men are kept from confession to no conference vvith their pastor from long praier to two or three words and farewell from superstition to very great security and prophanation And cap. vlt. he citeth the words of a principall Ministers in Scotland touching the encrease of vice there Increase of Protestant knovvledg is the disase of conscience wherof he giueth the cause in these wordes The more knowledge of the new Gospell increaseth conscience decaieth If any be desirous to see in particuler what kind of men our Ministers be he may read the danger Positions lib. 2. cap. 11. seq and lib. 4. cap. 4. the Surueyer cap. 3. 8. 18. I. B. his taile cap. 11. and others For my owne parte I loath to moue this dunghil any further Quo modo obsâ—uâ—atum est auâ—umâ— mutatus est Color optimus Thâ—â—n 4. But O what difference is there betwene S. Augustin and his follows and our ministers and betweene our foresaid vertuous Ancestors and the present Protestants And thus hauing shewed how vnfit Luther was both for learning and life to be a Preacher and especially a first Preacher immediatly sent of God to Preach his heauenly truth let vs see what motiues he had to preach and afterward what Commission CHAP. IX That Luther was moued by humane and naughtie motiues to preach Protestantisme VVHat can be said of this matter is clear by what hath bene declared in the former Chapter notwithstanding because we will obserue the like of Chapters in discoursing of Luther which we vsed of S. Austin let vs heere see what motiues Lut er had of beginning and continuing his Protestants doctrine The first motiue of beginning his doctrine was as is shewed before enuie and emulation against the Dominicans for hauing the publishing of the indulgences which was wont to be giueÌ„ to the Austin Friers lib. 2. cap. 4. And his motiue of continewing and proceding in his new Doctrine was his pride which wold not permit him to recant what himselfe thought so ill of as he offered to suppresse and burie in perpetuall silence Besid these principall motiues others he had which set him forward in his new doctrine For being before a Frier vnder obedience and bound to pouerty chastity by his new doctrine he shaked of subiection got licence to gather riches to mary to enioie the conteÌ„tments of the world To these motiues were added vain glorie the nurse of all Archeretiks to haue followers termed after him Lutherans the applause of vulgar and licentious people and such like CHAP. X. That Luther was neuer sent or called to preach Protestantisme 1. FOr the better vnderstanding of that which shal be said in this Chapter we must note first that it is not denied that Luther was once lawfully sent to preach to wit to preach Papistrie For Being made Doctor and Preacher of Diuinity by Catholicks he was by them sent to preach their faith and doctrine But it is denied that euer he was sent to preach Protestancie Secondly we must note that there are two kinds of sending to preach the one extraordinary by God alone as the Prophets and Apostles were sent Discension among Protestants about Luthers sending Naz. veruÌ„ est quod vnum est mendacium multiplex est Luthe-not sent to preach by his Magistrat The other ordinarie by man also but yet such as God hath giuen authority vnto to send others So were Timothy Titus all Pastors in Gods Church since the Apostles How Luther was sent Protestants can not agree For some will haue him to haue bene sent extraordinarily by man also and of these some will haue him to haue bene sent by this man others by that which variance alone if Daniel might be iudge wold descrie the vntruth of their tale But God willing I will shew that Luther was sent no way to teach Protestancie 2. Amongst those who affirme that
Luther was sent ordinarily by man some say that he was sent by his Magistrat and Prince the Elector of Saxonie 5 Sleid. Engl. lib. 1. fol. 10 saith the D. vvas at first displeased vvith Luther and fol. 22. the D. professeth not to montaine Luhers doctrin See fol 26 But this can not be First because Frederick then Elector at the first nether encouraged saith Fox pag. 771. nor supported Luther but often represented heauines and sorrow for his procedings Secondly because the Elector was a Romā Catholick when Luther begā a whil after How then cold he first send Luther to preach that doctrine which before Luther he nether beleued nor knew of Thirdly because power to preach is supernaturall and mere spirituall because it pertaineth to care of soules and their direction to a supernaturall end But the power of Magistrates is naturall ciuil and pertaineth to direction of men to their natural end as common to Heathen as to Christian Princes And who will say that Heathen can send men to preach and giue them care of soules Againe who can giue power to preach and administer the Sacraments may also himselfe preach and administer Sacraments for none can giue what he hath not himselfe But woemen may be Princes who yet can not preach Therfor Magistrats can giue no power to preach And this diuers learned Protest do grant For Bilson l. of obed approued by publik authority p. 296. plainly saith that their Bishops haue not their authority frō the Prince and that the Prince giueth then not Commission to preach but only liberty and permission Bilson And 303. The charge saith he which the Preachers and Bishops of England haue ouer their flock procedeth not from the Prince And p. 322. Princes haue no right to call or confirme preachers which he repeateth p. 323. And Fulke in 1. Cor. 14. Fulk The authority saith he of ciuil Magistrates doth giue Bihops nothing that is peculier to Ecclesiastical Ministers Finally howsoeuer soueraigne Princes cold send men to preach yet subiects as that Prince Elector was to the Emperor cold not against their soueraignes will send any And therefore Luther nether was nor cold be sent first to preach of Duke Frederik Luther not sent by anie Protestant Church 3. For this cause other say that Luther was sēt by his Church So Fulk in Ioan 10. But this is easily disproued by what hath bene shewed before cap. 1. by the Protestants confession of the nullity or at least inuisibility of their Church befor Luthers preaching For howsoeuer he might be confirmed of a Church which himselfe founded Ther must be a Protestant preacher befor ther be a Protest Church and no Church can send her first preacher yet cold he not be first sent to preach of a Church which before he preached was not at all or at least was not visible Wherfore I demand whē the people sent Luther to preach Protestancy whiles they were Rom. Catholick But that can not be for no man will send one to preach opposit doctrine to his Or after that Luther by his preaching had made them Protestants But then had he preached before he could be sent of them and they could not be his first senders 4. Others finding no Protestant people or persō who could send Luther to preach Protestancy before he preached it are faine to flie to their vtter enemies to wit the Roman Church and say that she first sent Luther So D. VVhitak cont Dur. pag. 820. Sutclif Answere to Except pag. 88. Feild l. 3. of the Church c. 6. 39. Fulk in Rome 10. and English Potestants commonly thought some of them be ashamed to affirme it in plaine termes Luther not sent of the Rom. Church Their only reason is because no other can be found to send Luther But if they meane of sending to preach Protestancie it is most false and incredible False because both P. Leo 10 and Emper. Charles 5. then spirituall temporall heads of the Rom. Catholicks forbad Luther to preach Protestancy and the one condemned him as an heretik for so doing the other outlaueth him And incredible it is that the Rome Church shold send a man to preach a religion so opposit to hers as Protestācy is this were for her to set one to cut her own threate And if they meane of sending to preach Papistrie that auaileth them nothing For I hope they wil not say that authority or Commission to preach one religiō is authority to preach the contrary or that the Roman Church when she gaue Luther authority to preach Papistry ment to giue him authority to preach Protestancy any more than Protest Bishops when they giue their Minister authority to preach Protestancy meane to giue thē authority to preach Brownisme or Anabaptisme Besids that the purer sort as our Ministers teach that Popish Priests haue no calling as you may see in Penry against some pag. 31. And in truth al Protestāts shold teach so if they would speak cōsequētly to their own doctrine VVhat Church can send men to preach Gods vvore is Gods Church For if she haue authority power to send men to preach the word of God then is she the Church of God for sure it is that God gaue this authority to no other cōpany but to his own Church only And Protest in going out of this Church impugning her wēt out of Gods Church impugne her Moreouer if the Ro. Church gaue Luther his authority to preach she also could take it away For as willet saith wel Synopsis p. 203. authority of preaching in Ministers may be restrained or suspēded by Church gouerners we see the practise herof towards the silēced Ministers By what authority then preached Luther after he was fordidden by the Rom Church Finally if Luther had his authority to preach frō the Rom. VVhat confusion vvill fall vpon Protest if they saie their first preachers vvere sent by the Rom. Church Church which in the opiniō of Protestāts is the whoare of Babilō the Church of Antich the Sinagog of Sathā Luther his Ministers must needs be miniōs of the Babiloniā whore officers of Antich Ministers of Sathan in their preaching execute the function which he whore Antichrist Sathan bestowed vpon them 5. Herupō others vtterly despairing to find out any cōpany or person to whome they might hansomly attribute the sendind of Luther fly to extraordinary sending by God alone saying that Luther their first preachers were sent only of God thervpon call thē Apostles or Euangelists So Cal. 4. instit c. 3. § 4. the sinod at Rochel An. 1607. art 32. others yea the Declaratiō of disciplin printed at Geneua 1580. pag. 139. saith plainly that in our dayes there was no place of ordinary calling therfore the Lord extraordinarily stirred vp as it were certain new Apostles to lightē the world again with the light of the Gospel Luther not sent extraordinarily
and others otherwhere Of the Prelats legats 4. Cardinals 2 Patriarchs 3. Acchb. 25. Bishops 168. Abbots 7. Procurators 39. Generals 7 besids a great number of famous diuines Luthers doctrin condemned by all maner of vvaies And after in the CouÌ„cell of Trent where the flower of all ChristeÌ„dom was gathered to gether from all parts of the ChristiaÌ„ world his doctrin was coÌ„demned by the subscription of 255. Prelats Wherby yow may see the vniuersall hatred of Christendome both in the Clergie laytie learned and vnlearned both in the East West Latin Grecke Church against Luthers doctrin HerevpoÌ„ Erasmus saith Luther was condemned with so many iudgments confuted with so many boâ—kes strooken with so many thunderboults 2. Secondly I proue it by the testimony of diuers Protest For Fox pag. 789. accounteth it a miracle that Luther saith he one man should sustain for his doctrin the hatred 〈…〉 who le world being set against him Luther had the Prelats and all Kings of the earth against him Iuel Luthers Gospel almost against all men Luthers Gospel against consent of all men Sleidan prafat Histor The beginning of Protestancie vvas full small and one man alone susteined the malice of all the vvorld and stand openly against the Pope Cardinals and Prelats of the Church hauing the Emperors and all the Kings saith he of the earth against him Iuel in his Apologie p. 13. speaking of the Protestants matters saith they increased inuitis prope omnibus almost against all mens wills And pag. 201. The Gospel of Luther was at this time spread into the world inuitis prope omnibus against almost all mens wills Luther him self L. de Captiu cap. de Eucharistia speaking of his enterprise saith I begin a hard matter as which being confirmed by the vse of so many ages and approued by all mens consents is so setled as it is necessarie to change and alter all the face of Churches And 4. Galat. fol. 187. The world iudgeth vs to be most pernitious Hereticks destroyers of religion c. fol. 210. This day the name of Luther is most odious to the world 6. Galat fol. 291. The whole world most cruelly persecuteth and condemneth vs. But because this matter is euident ynough out of that which hath bene saide in the first Chapter of this booke I omit further proofe and will add a word or twoe to shew what kinde of fellowes they were who began first to fauor Protestancie What Kinde of fellowes those Germans were who first fauored Protestants somewhat hath bene said before As for the French men Caluin Prefat in Iustit saith they were beggerly and abiect VVhat kind of men they vvere vvho against the vvorlds consent fauored Luther VVhat Dutrh VVhat french VVhat kind of fellous our first Engl. preachers of Protestacie vvere Bilney Hovv peruerted wretches miserable sinners before God and in sight of all men most contemptuous the excrements outcasts of the world and if any thing can be named more vilde Yea of their holy Cittie of Geneua he saith as the Surueyer cap. 2. writeth his words That the people were a disordered Dunghil of rifraffe That the Senat of 200. were a tumultuouâ— faction of rakhells and cast awayes that the cheefest Magistrats of the Cittie yea euen the Syndiks were ringleaders of sactions and dissentions And wil English men forsake their worthy vertuous renowned Ancestors and follow this scumme of the world And as for England what kinde of followers they were that first embraced Protestancie hath bene in parte touched before Wherfore I will here add onely a word of the first Preachers therof in this Kingdome 3. Bilney whome Fox pag. 922. calleth the first framer of the Vniuersitie of Cambridg in the knowlegd of Christ and was burnt An. 1531. as he saith pag 920. This man I say was as him selfe testifieth in Fox pag. 915. conuerted by priuie inspiration of the spirit in reading Erasmus Testament and was so ignorant as being apprehended An. 1527. he writeth of him self in Fox p. 918. thus VVhither Christ haue bene a long time heard I know not for that I haue not heard all the Preachers of England And if I heard them Hovv ignorant Hovv often times he abiured Protestancie yet till it was within this yeare or two I could not sufficiently iudg of them Lo this fellow but a year be-before he was apprehended could not iudg of Preachers whither they taught Christ or not So vnconstant also he was in his religion as first he tooke his oath that he should not teach preache nor defend any of Luthers opinions but should impugn the same euery where Fox pag. 910. And being again apprehended and condemned for Prostancie abiured it subscribed to his abiuration went before the procession in Paules bare headed with a fagot on his shoulder and stood before the Preachers at Paules Crosse all the sermon time An. 1529. ex Fox pag. 919. And yet not withstanding Anno 1531. again fell to preach heresie though at his death he recanted all dyed a good Catholick Latimer as Syr Thomas More then Chanceller of England Hovv peruerted Hovv ignorant Hovv often times recanted testifieth and Tindal plainly insinuateth in Fox pag. 986. though Fox deny it 4. Latimer the Apostle as Fox and Bale terme him of England was peruerted by this ignorant and inconstant Bilney and before as him self saith in Fox pag. 919. VVas as obstinat a Papist as any in England VVhose learning yow may gather by his Maister and his inconstancie by his owne deedes For he twise recanted ProtestaÌ„cie once before Cardinall Wolsey as yow may see in Fox p. 1575. and an other time before diuers Bishops as yow may read in Fox p. 1577. which Fox there saith was no great matter nor maruel So little matter he maketh of his religion or his Apostles denying it No maruel or matter for the Apostles of Protestants to abiure their faith Tindal Hovv often times repenteth After this he was vnbishoped by King Henrie 8. and by him cast into the Tower where he lay all his time after and at his own death vsed gunpowder to shorten his life p. 1606. Of Tindal an other Apostle Fox telleth pag. 981. how he was a schol Maister but mentioneth not how he came to Protestancie And after this wearie as it seemeth of this new doctrin would haue bene as yow may see p. 982. Chaplin to Bishop Tunstal a Notorious Papist p. 987. He would haue the real presence accounted an indifferent thing And p. 985. he telleth that he was strangled before he was burnt which manifestly sheweth that he recanted at his death which also I haue read other where Thus yow may see what dubble and triple turncotes what periured and abiured persons were the Apostles and first preachers of Protestancie in England The Foundations and cheefe Pillers as Fox termeth them of their Church O what comparison can ther be betwene such and Saint Austin S.
by the Puritans who professe to be the pure Caluinists And for continuance of Luthers doctrine himself had so small hope therof as he could not forbeare words of despaire For in 3. Galat. fol. 154. I feare saith he the proper true vse of the law wil be after our time troden vnder foote vtterly abolished by the enemies of the truth For euen now whiles we are yet liuing and employ all diligence to set forth the office and vse both of the law and the Gospel ther be very few yea euen among those that wil be accounted Christians make a profession of the Gospel with vs Luther forseeth that he shal be forsaken that vnderstaÌ„d these things rightly VVhat think yee then shall come to passe when vve are dead gon And fol. 201. VVhich thing that Protestants should not acknowledg Luther for ther Pastor shall one day come to passe if not vvhilst vve liue yet vvhen vve are dead and gon Sectaries vvhen vve be dead shall possesse those Churches which we haue won and planted by our Ministerie So Engl. Minister And the like small hope our English Ministers haue of the continuance of their religioÌ„ as appeareth by the Declarat of Disciplin printed at Geneua 1580. I am afrayd saith that Author lest God be come into England as into some Castle in the way of his progresse for a small time Caluin in his preface before his Cathechisme did so despaire of posteritie of successioÌ„ in his religioÌ„ as saith he And Caluin I dare scarce think therof Their coÌ„sciences telling them all that their doctrin is not built vpoÌ„ that rock on which Christ built his Church and Doctrine but vpon the sandes of their human inuentions Libri Secundi Finis THE THIRD BOOKE IN VVHICH S. Austin and Luther and their doctrins are weighed together according to their qualities Set dovvne and proued in the tvvo former bookes PREFACE HItherto Gentle reader haue we shewed out of authenticall and sufficient witnesses that S Austin and Mar. Luther were the first Founders of the RomaÌ„ Catholick and Protestant religion in our English Nation and we haue put each of them with his qualities in his seuerall scale Novv it remaineth that vvith an euen hand vve lift vp the Ballance and vveighing them together iudg according to those qualities and enduements vvhich naturall reason and true prudence teach vs ought to be in a first Preacher and founder of Gods religion in a Nation whither is more likly to come from God bring his religion vvhither the contrarie CHAP. I. S. Austin and Luther weighed according to their learning How great a help learning is to discouer errors and to finde out truth and contrarie wise how great a hinderance ignorance is to attaine to truth and an ayde to lyes as a thing euident by it selfe neede no proofe HerevpoÌ„ it hath bene vsual to the Sectmaisters of all times as they are the beginners of new doctrins vnknowne to their Ancestors so to impute to them ignonoraÌ„ce and to arrogat to them selues especiall knowledg and learning by help wherof forsooth â—hey could discouer that truth which for ignoraÌ„ce their Forfathers could not finde out It was saith S. Bernard serm 65. in Cant. alwaies the trick of Hereticks to boast of singularitie of knowledg Thus the Donatists accused the rest of the world of ignorance At whome S. Austin lib. 1. cont Gaudent cap. 19. iesteth thus O dolor fraudata sunt tali magisterio tempora antiqua O sorrow that the ancient times wanted such Maisters And when the Pelagians in like sort condemned the ancient Fathers of ignorance he exclamed lib. 2. cont Iulian. cap. 10. in these words And darest thou call those blind And hath long days so confounded the highest with the lowest and shall darknes be so accounted light and light darknes that Iulian Pelagius Celestius shall see and Hilarie Ambr. Greg. be blind Yea in the time of Tertullian in the primitiue Church ther were hereticks who doubted not to impute ignorance to the Apostles them selues whome Tertul. l. de praescript refuteth thus what man well in his witts can thinck that they were ignorant of any thing whome our Lord gaue for teachers had alwaies in his company to whome he expounded aparte all obscure matters And when they bragged of their new light he merilie iesteth at them thus To these alone to these first was the truth reuealed Forsoth they obtained greater sauor and fuller grace of the Diuel And how vsuall it is with Luther and Protestants to boast of their especiall knowledg new light to impute blindnes ignorance and errors to the former ages and ancient Fathers no maÌ„ that either conuerseth with them or readeth their bookes can be ignoraÌ„t Audemus c. saith Luther wee dare glorie that Christ was first published of vs VVigand l. de Bonis Malis Germ. ascribeth to Luther such a lightening of the Articles of faith as was not known in the world since the Apostles tyme Neander lib. 8 explicat orbis teâ—â—a Fox p 416. edit 1563. Iuel Apolog Others cal him the mouth of Christ Chariot of Israel Finally some prefer him before all the Apostles but Paul as Cyriacus Spangenbergius who wil iustifie these verses Christus habet primas habeas tibi â—aule secundas At loca post illos proxima Luther habet Let Christ be fiâ—st and after him S. Paul be best But next to the Luth. deserus to go befor the rest And as Luther challengeth more light learning than the ancient Fathers so Zuinglius challengeth more light than he and Caluin than they both And in England the ProtestaÌ„ts of King Edwards time challenged more light than those of King Henries those of Queene Elizabeth more than they both and the Puritans challeng more light than the Protestant the Brownists than the Puritan till at last as his maiesty sayde of the Scottish Ministers they run madd with their light Confer at Hampt Court or râ—ther turn all into darknes of infidelitie Atheisme as dayly experieÌ„ce sheweth Wherfore to see whither indeede Luther were like to be better learned thaÌ„ S Austin Let vs compare them together according to that which hath bene tould of them S. Austin was an Italian Luther a Duch man See all these points proued befor l. 1. c. 4. l 2. c. 7. S. Austin studied in Rome when ther was there a famous Vniuersitie Luther in Wiâ—teÌ„berg places of no fame S. Austins Maister was S. Gregorie one of the fower Doctors of the Church Luthers Maister was a nameles fellow and for Protestancy he had no Maister at all vnles yow will reckon his black Maister S. Austin is not known to haue had any corporall impediment of studie Luther is known to haue had so great a one as he could scarce read three leaues together S. Austin had testimonie of S. Gregory that he waâ— repletus scientia scriptuarum full of the knowledg of scripture