of matters Ecclesiasticall and afterward of ciuill and worldly affaires In Ecclesiasticall affaires which by her meanes grew to a better settlement we are to consider first what grace it is to haue a certaintie in religion and next what fauour God shewed to vs reducing vs to the vnitie of the true Catholicke Church Thirdly we will reason of true faith fourthly of the sincere administration of the Sacraments fiftly of the true worship of God sixthly of the Scriptures and publicke prayers in our mother tongue seuenthly of freedome we enioyed by her from persecution from the Popes exactions frō his wicked lawes and vniust censures from al heretical and false doctrine eightly of deliuerance from schisme superstition and idolatrie and finally of good workes and the happinesse of those that not onely are able to 〈◊〉 which are good workes but also do walke in them according to their Christian profession auoiding pretended Popish good-workes that are either impious or else superstitious and vnprofitable Al which graces this land hath long enioyed by her 〈◊〉 reformation of religion In matters politicall we purpose to consider first the happie deliuerance of this land out of the hands of the Spaniard from all feare of forreine enemies Next her famous victories both against 〈◊〉 and traitors at home and open enemies abroade and her glorie and reputation with forreine nations Thirdly the restitution of all royall authoritie and preheminence to the Crowne of which the Pope before that had vsurped a great part Fourthly the peaceable estate of this kingdome in the tumults of other nations round about vs and lastly the wealth and multitude of her subiects CHAP. I. Of certaintie in Faith and Religion and of the 〈◊〉 we haue with the true auncient Catholike and Apostolike Church FAith as saith the Apostle Heb. 11. is the ground of things which are hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene If then we haue true faith we are assured of things hoped for although not séene When two of the disciples of Christ doubted of his resurrection he said vnto them O fooles and slow of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken Ideo fideles vocati 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostom Hom. 1. in 1. Tim 4. vt his quae dicuntur sine 〈◊〉 haesitatione credamus Therefore we are called faithfull that we may beleeue without doubting those things which are spoken So then all Christians that 〈◊〉 do certainly beléeue and are perswaded and he that doubteth beléeueth not Further the obiect of faith is most certaine Heauen and earth shall passe but my words shall not passe saith our Sauiour Matth. 24. Saint Augustine doth attributs that onely to the writers of canonical Scriptures that they could not erre Neither 〈◊〉 I to stand long vpon this point séeing our 〈◊〉 also confesse that nothing that is false can be the obiect of faith But our aduersaries take away from Christians all certaintie of faith and religion For first they teach that no Christian is to beleeue that he shall be saued and secondly they make mans faith vncertaine concerning the obiect That is taught by the conuenticle of Trent sess 6. cap. 16. where it saith Neque seipsum aliquis etiamsi nihil sibi conscius sit iudicare debet that is neither ought any to iudge himselfe although he be not conscious to himselfe of any thing And in the same session chap. 9. it determineth that no man by the certaincie of faith ought to assure himself that he shal be saued The second point doth follow of the diuers doctrines of the Papists Eckius holdeth that the Scriptures are not authentical without the authority of the Church And although Bellarmine dare not allow this forme of 〈◊〉 yet where he defendeth the determination of the conuenticle of Trent concerning the old Latine translation in effect he granteth it For if the Church onely can make Scriptures authenticall then without the Churches authoritie they are not authentical In his booke De not is Eccles. c. 2. he saith the Scriptures depend vpon the Church 〈◊〉 saith he pendent ab Ecclesia Stapleton lib. 9. de princip doctrinal cap. 4. saith that it is necessary that the Churches authoritie should consigne and declare which bookes are to be receiued for canonicall Scripture Necessarium est saith he vt Ecclesiae 〈◊〉 as Scripturarum canonem consignet And his meaning is that no man is to receiue any 〈◊〉 for canonicall but such as the Church from time to time shall determine to be canonical and those vpon the Churches determination he will haue necessarily receiued Secondly the 〈◊〉 of Trent maketh Scriptures and vnwritten traditions of equall value Bellarmine in his fourth book De verbo Dei speaketh no otherwise of traditions then as of the infallible writtē word of God Stapleton saith The rule of faith doth signifie all that doctrine which is deliuered and receiued in the Church and that very absurdly as I thinke no reasonable man can well denie For that being granted the rule and 〈◊〉 ruled should be all one But of that we shall speake otherwhere Thirdly they teach that the determinations of the Church are no lesse firmely to be beleeued and reuerently to be holden then if they were expressed in Scriptures Id quod sancta mater Ecclesia definit vel acceptat saith Eckius Enchir. cap. de Eccles. non est minore firmitate credendum ac veneratione tenendum quà m si in diuinis literis sit expressum And all our aduersaries do beléeue that the Popes determinations concerning matters of faith are infallible and so to be accounted of Finally in the canon law c. in canonicis dist 19. they place the decretals of Popes in equall ranke with canonicall Scriptures Of these positions it followeth that as long as men beléeue the Komish Church they neither beleeue truth nor haue any certaine faith or religion And that is proued by these arguments First he that beleeueth not Gods promises concerning his own saluation is an infidel and hath no true faith But this 〈◊〉 the case of all Papists For not one of them beléeueth that 〈◊〉 all be saued nor imagineth that God hath said or promised any thing concerning his owne saluation Secondly if the Scriptures depend vpon the Church and the Church is a societie of mē then the Papists beléeue Scriptures with humane faith and depend vpon men But that they do plainely teach Thirdly if the Church ought to consigne canonicall Scriptures and the Pope ought to rule the Church 〈◊〉 if the Pope either determine against canonical Scriptures or make fabulous scriptures equall with canonicall Scriptures the Papists are to beléeue either doctrine contrarie or diuers from Scriptures at the least they are vncertaine what they shall beléeue But the Pope may both erre in denying Scriptures and adding to Scriptures To answer this the Papists are driuen to affirm that the Pope cannot erre in these determinations But this sheweth the 〈◊〉 of their faith
Encoun cap. 15. but the Catholike church is the rule of faith as he holdeth Ward-word Encontr pag. 6. He doth also obiect against vs diuers alterations of religion in England in king Henry the eight his raigne and in king Edwards dayes and then asketh by what authoritie our rule of faith was established But first he might as well haue spoken of y t alteration made in 〈◊〉 Maries dayes when the impieties of Popish religiō were established by act of Parliament Secondly the alterations in religion made in England of late time make no variation in the rule of faith that is alwayes one but in the application and vse of it Thirdly albeit by act of Parliament the articles of religion were confirmed wherein the canon of scriptures and the substance of our confession is set downe yet was that rathēr a declaration of our acceptance then a confirmation of the rule of faith that in it selfe is alwayes immoueable Our rule of faith therefore is certaine albeit not alwaies in one sort approued or receiued by men But y e rule of Popish faith neither in it self nor in y e approbatiō of Parliaments or Churches is certaine or immoueable Finally he asketh a question of Sir Francis in his Wardword p. 5. how he knoweth his religion to be true And saith he hath only two meanes to guide himselfe in this case and that is either Scriptures or the preaching of our Ministers But this question as I haue shewed toucheth himselfe that buildeth his faith vpon the Pope nearer then Sir Francis who groundeth himselfe his faith only vpon y t holy Scriptures and is assured of his faith not 〈◊〉 these two meanes onely but by diuers others For beside Scriptures he hath the help of the Sacraments of the Church of Gods spirit working within him of miracles recorded in scriptures of auncient Fathers of the practise of the Church of the consent of nations of the confession of the aduersaries of the suffering of Martyrs and testimonies of learned men and such like arguments In this question therefore Robert Parsons shewed himselfe to be a silly Frier and to haue had more malice then might In time past also we were as shéepe going astray and out of the vnion of the Catholike and Apostolike Church Diuers of our auncestors worshipped the crosse and the images of the Trinitie with diuine worship Some like bruite beasts fell downe before Idols crept to the crosse and kissed wood and stone Others worshipped Angels the blessed Uirgin and Saints praying vnto them in all their necessities trusting in them saying Masses in their honour and offering incense and prayers to their pictures and images For so they were taught or rather mistaught by popish Priests The Romish 〈◊〉 in the very foundations of religion was departed from the Apostolike and Catholike Church The schoolemen brought their proofes out of the Popes Decretals and Aristotles Metaphysickes Est Petri sedes saith Bellarmine in Praefat. ante lib. de Pont. Rom. lapis probatus angularis pretiosus in 〈◊〉 fundatus The See of Peter is an approued corner stone precious and laid in the foundation The same man lib. 2. de Pont. Rom. cap. 31. calleth the Pope the foundation of the Church Sanders calleth him the Rocke 〈◊〉 nunc à Christo saith Stapleton relect princip doctr in Praef. eorúmue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locū 〈◊〉 That is Others now beside Christ and their doctrine preaching and determination shall be esteemed of me as a foundation This he saith where he talketh of the foundation 〈◊〉 religion and the Church But the catholike Church had no foundation beside Christ Iesus and his holy word and Gospell taught by the Prophets and Apostles The Apostle Gal. 1. denounced him accursed that taught any other Gospell then that which he had preached The holy Fathers proued the faith by holy Scriptures and not by popish Decretals and philosophicall Principles Concerning Christs bodie the Romanists taught that the same is both in heauen and in the Sacrament albeit we neither could see it there nor féele it But the scriptures teach vs that his bodie is both palpable and visible and is now taken vp into heauen So likewise teach the Fathers Vigilius in his fourth booke against Eutyches speaking of Christs bodie When it was on earth saith he surely it was not in heauen and now because it is in heauen certainely it is not on earth They haue also brought in new doctrine concerning Purgatorie and indulgences and which is no more like to the auncient catholike faith then heresie and noueltie to Christian religion They teach that whosoeuer doth not satisfie in this life for the temporall punishment of mortall sinnes committed after baptisme and remitted concerning the guiltinesse must satisfie for the same in Purgatorie vnlesse it please the Pope by his indulgences to release him Of the 〈◊〉 of soules in Purgatorie and of the nature qualitie and effect of indulgences they talke idlely and vnlike to the schollers of Catholikes The Catholicke doctrine concerning the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords supper they haue quite changed in Baptisme adding salt spittle hallowed water 〈◊〉 blowings annointings light and other strange ceremonies In the Lords supper taking away the cup from the communicants and not deliuering but hanging vp or carying about the Sacrament and worshipping it as God and finally beléeuing holding transubstantiation They haue also deuised other sacraments and taught that they containe grace and 〈◊〉 They were wont to kisse the Popes toe and to receiue his dunghill decretals worshipping Antichrist and intitling him Christs Uicar All which nouelties superstitions and heresies by her Maiesties godly reformation are abolished who hath restored the auncient Catholike and Apostolike faith which the Popes of Rome for the most part had altered suppressed She hath also by her authoritie brought vs to the vnitie of the Catholike faith and by good lawes confirmed true Christian religion Before our times there was no settlement in matters of Religion Durand denieth Diuinitie to be Scientia Thomas and Richard Middleton hold that it is Writing vpon the master of Sentences the school-mē striue about the words vti and frui dissenting not only from their master but also from one another They differ also much about the distinction of diuine attributes Vtrum sit realis formalis an rationis tantùm This saith Dionysius a Charterhouse Monke is one of the chiefe difficulties of Diuines and about it betweene famous Doctors is great dissention and contention Aegidius doth lance Thomas and others runne vpon both Aegidius in lib. 1. sent dist 2. would haue the persons of the Trinitie to be distinguished by a certaine thing in one that is not in another but others condemne him for that opinion Writing vpon the 3. dist lib. 1. sent they denie their masters examples and one condemneth another Bonauenture saith that men may attaine to the knowledge of the holy Trinitie by naturall
benefices and make money of their god of the altar and their religion which sauoureth of the heresie of Simon Magus Venalia nobis saith Mantuan Templa sacerdotes altaria sacra coronae Ignis thura preces coelum est venale 〈◊〉 That is churches priests altars sacraments crownes fire incense prayers yea heauen and God himselfe are set to sale among vs. Brigit in her reuelations cap. 232. saith Priestes are worse then Iudas for that he sold Christ for mony but they barter him for all commodities As the Basilidians worshipped images vsed enchantments and superstitious adiurations so do they worshipping not onely materiall images but also their fantasticall imaginations They also exorcise water and salt saying Exorcizo te creatura aquae againe exorcizo te creatura salis With the Heretickes called Staurolatrae they worship the crosse with the Angelikes they serue and worship Angels with the Armenians they make the images of God the Father and the holy Ghost As the Nazarites mingled Iewish ceremonies with christian Religion so do Papists borrowing from them their paschal lambe their Iubileys their priestly apparell their altars their Leuiticall rites and diuers other Iewish ceremonies Irenaeus lib. 1. aduers. 〈◊〉 cap. 30. saith that Marcion and Saturninus first taught abstinence from liuing creatures from whom the Papists séeme to haue borrowed their abstinence frō certaine meates as lesse holy then others Our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles as S. Augustine saith Epist. 86. ad Casulanum neuer appointed what dayes we ought to fast and what not The Papists therefore haue their fasts from others then from Christ or his Apostles From the Manicheys they borrow their communions vnder one kind as may be proued by the Chapt. relatum and comperimus dist 2. de consecrat and by Leo his fourth Sermon de quadrages The Helcesaites make Christ in heauen to differ from Christ on earth as saith Theodoret haeret fabul lib. 2. cap. de Helcesaeis his words are these Christum non vnum dicunt sed hunc quidem infernè illum verò supernè So likewise the Papists teach that Christs bodie in heauen is visible and palpable but not as it is in the Sacrament With the Pelagians they concurre in many points as I haue at large declared in my late challenge Hoc Pelagiani audent dicere saith S. Augustine lib. 2. de bono perseuerantiae c. 5. hominem iustum in hac vita nullum habere peccatum Now how can they cleare themselues from this that hold that a man is able to performe the law of God perfectly The Apostle Paul denyeth that we are iustified before God by the workes of the law The Papists haue taught quite contrarie He teacheth vs not to glorie in our works They say quite contrarie that men may glorie in their workes He sheweth that as many as receiue the sacrament of the Lords bodie are also to receiue the sacrament of his bloud They denie the cuppe to all the communicants beside the priest Our Sauiour instituting the Sacrament of his last supper said Accipite manducate that is take and eate These imagine that he offered his bodie and bloud really and corporally at his last supper and that he appointed his bodie and bloud actually to be offered in the Masse and not alwaies to be sacramentally and spiritually receiued of the communicants The Papists teach that wicked men reprobates and diuels may haue true faith But the Apostle teacheth that true faith iustifieth that they which haue it liue by faith Commonly they hold that charitie is the forme of faith Which if it were true then could not faith subsist without charitie But the Apostle teacheth vs that faith as faith doth make the iust to liue and auncient Christians were alwayes ignorant of these philosophicall fancies They hold that diuers sinnes are committed which are not forbidden by Gods law But this sheweth that the law of God as they suppose is not perfect and that the lawes of man hauing nothing in them of Gods law bind the conscience as well as the law of God Finally the very foundations of popish religion are erronious the same being founded partly vpon the decretals of Popes partly vpon the traditions of men contained partly in their Missals breuiaries 〈◊〉 other rituall books partly in their fabulous legends and partly in the chest of the Popes brest and partly vpon the old Latin translation of the Bible which the Romanists hold to be authenticall and partly vpō the interpretations of the Romish Church But since it pleased God to put into her Maiesties royall heart a resolution to reforme the church that was so much deformed by the pharisaicall and superstitious additions of y e Papists to restore religion according to y e doctrine of y e Apostles Prophets not only all former heresies errors were abolished but also the true doctrine of faith was restored The which is apparent not onely by the articles of Religion which we professe but also by our publike confessions and apologies which we haue published at diuers times And in part it may be proued by the secret confession of our aduersaries For albeit they would gladly cauill against our confessions yet they take their grounds commonly out of Luther Zuinglius Caluin Melancthon and others not often medling with our confessions Diuers of them also are wont to call vs negatiue Diuines Which argueth that so much as we hold positiuely is for the most part confessed by the aduersaries themselues and that we bring in no new faith but that which alwayes hath bene holden and maintained in the Church of Christ desiring onely that the positiue errors heresies and superstitions of Papists may be abolished Wherefore as Christians in time past extolled Constantine the great that gaue libertie to al his subiects to professe the Christian religion that assembled synods of Bishops and confirmed their decrees so ought we to celebrate the memory of our gracious 〈◊〉 that gaue libertie to all Christians to professe the truth that caused diuers assemblies of learned men and ratified the Christian faith by her authoritie CHAP. III. Of the true and sincere administration of the Sacraments of the Church restored in England OF the holy rites and sacraments of Christian religion we cannot speake without griefe of heart when we consider how shamefully they were abused mangled and corrupted by the synagogue of Antichrist Where Christ ordained onely two Sacraments to wit Baptisme where he said Teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost and the sacrament of his body and blood where he said Take eate this is my body and drinke ye all of this for this is the blood of the new testament and do this in remembrance of me that synagogue hath added fiue other sacraments giuing the same vertue to their extreme vnction and to mariage and orders concerning iustification that they giue to Baptisme the Lords supper The master
Sunia sayth that in the old testament we are to haue recourse to the Hebrew text In his 〈◊〉 in 4. Euang. he sheweth that there is great variety of Latine bookes and that in correcting of errors and finding the truth we are to returne to the 〈◊〉 originals Si veritas est quaerenda saith he cur non ad Graecam originem reuertentes ea quae 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 reddita vel addita vel mutata corrigimus Augustine also in his second booke De doctr Christ. cap. 10. saith That to correct Latine copies we are to haue recourse to the Hebrew and Greeke bookes of Scripture Ad exemplaria Hebraea Graeca saith he à Latinis recurratur And in the same booke chap. 15. Latinis emendandis Graeci adhibeantur codices Latine bookes of Scripture are to be mended by the Greeke originals The aduersaries also themselues are ashamed sometimes to say that either the old Latine vulgar translation is to be preferred before the originall Text of Scripture or that the same is authenticall The 〈◊〉 glossing vpon the 〈◊〉 vt veterum dist 9. affirme that where the Copies varie the originall is to be exhibited and that the Latine of the old Testament is to be corrected by the Hebrew and the Latine of the new Testament by the Greeke bookes Isidore Clarius Caietane Pagninus Forerius Oleastrius Erasmus and diuers others haue noted diuers faults in the old Latine vulgar translation Sixtus Senensis lib. 8. Biblioth sanct confesseth that diuers faults barbarismes solecismes and transpositions are found in the Latine translation And saith that the Church was moued by diuers iust causes to dissemble them Finally reason teacheth vs that the determination of the Romish Church that preferreth the Latin vulgar 〈◊〉 before the Hebrew and 〈◊〉 text is most absurd For if the Latine bookes were to be preferred before the Hebrew and Greeke text or else to be 〈◊〉 authenticall then were we either to preferre or to giue like credit to Hierome and other authors that translated the old vulgar Latine bookes and to the holy Prophets and Apostles Againe transumpts and copies might by like reason be preferred before the originall instruments Thirdly the old Latine translation is proued false by diuers witnesses by comparing of places for that one edition of y e old vulgar translation doth differ from another Non potest verum esse quod dissonat that cannot be true that is repugnant and contrarie to it selfe as Hierome saith in Praefat. in Iosuam in Praefat. in 4. Euang. But the edition of the vulgar translation set out by Clement the eighth doth much differ from that which Sixtus Quintus set out before Iosue 11. 19. Clement readeth quae se traderet Sixtus readeth quite contrarie quae se non traderet 2. Reg. 16. 1. Clement hath vtre vini Sixtus readeth duobus vtribus Ioan. 6. 65. Clement readeth qui essent non credentes Sixtus qui essent credentes And so it may appeare by diligent collation that there are notable differences throughout the whole Bible Lastly if the Latine text were more authenticall then the Hebrew or Greeke why do not our aduersaries shew that the auncient Fathers or some learned men of late time at the least haue corrected the Hebrew and Greeke according to the Latine and not rather contrariwise The fourth foundation of Romish religion is the determination of the Pope in matters of faith The Conuenticle of Trent teacheth that it belongeth to the holy mother the Church to iudge of the true meaning of Scriptures Now for as much as no man knoweth more certainely what is the holy mother Churches meaning then the Papists holy Father the Pope therefore they do hereof conclude that the Pope is to determine principally of the true sence and meaning of Scriptures In the Rubrike of the decrées cap. in canonicis dist 19. we find that the Popes decretals are to be reckened among canonicall Scriptures Bellarmine lib. 3. de verbo Dei cap. 3. saith that the Spirit of God he should say of the diuell is in the Pope and that he together with a Councell is chiefe Iudge in matters of controuersie of religion And in the same booke cap. 4. he holdeth that no man may recede from his iudgement or determination Stapleton in his booke of doctrinall Principles or 〈◊〉 of his religion goeth about to prooue that the Popes sentence and determination is infallible And so much do these good fellowes rely vpon their holy Mothers and holy Fathers interpretation that they receiue the same without any long inquisition though neuer so foolish and contrarie to Scriptures Our Sauiour in the institution of the holy Eucharist said Take eate but they 〈◊〉 the Pope that saith 〈◊〉 and gaze but take not nor eate but rather hang vp the Sacrament He said Bibite ex hoc omnes that is 〈◊〉 all of this but the Pope saith Drinke not all of this and they 〈◊〉 the Pope The Apostle saith It is better to marrie then to burne and that mariage is honorable among all men But the Pope doth interpret these words so as if he had said It is better to burne then to marrie and that mariage is reprochfull and vnlawfull to Priests and Papists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pope So do they likewise in 〈◊〉 false interpretations But that the Popes interpretations and sentences shold be the foundation of religion is a matter contrarie to religion and reason The Apostle Ephes. 2. saith that the Church is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the corner stone And therefore it is said to be built vpon them because both of them preach Christ. Apostolos habemus authores c. we haue the Apostles for authors of our doctrine saith Tertullian lib. de praescript aduers. haeret He saith also It lyeth not in mans power to determine any thing in matters of faith of his owne head Quamuis sanctus sit aliquis post Apostolos c. Howsoeuer holy or eloquent a man be saith Hierome in Psalm 86. yet comming after the Apostles he deserueth no authenticall credit The Lord declareth in Scriptures Augustine in his second Epistle to Hierome sheweth that no mans writings are comparable to holy Scriptures And this the Canonists themselues confesse in their glosses vpon the Chapter Nolimeis and Ego solis dist 9. Are not the 〈◊〉 then most miserable that build their 〈◊〉 vpon the Popes Decretals that are contrarie to Scriptures to Fathers one to another and oftentimes void of truth wit learning religion or honestie The last foundation of Romish faith is the preaching of Masse-priests and Friars Quomodo Christus eiusque doctrina saith Stapleton Christianae 〈◊〉 fundamentum est sic 〈◊〉 nunc à Christo missi eorúmue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamentii apud me 〈◊〉 locum habehunt As Christ and his doctrine is the foundation of Christian religion so others now sent of Christ and their doctrine preaching and determination shall in my
thē selues vnto them or the interpreters which Austin brought 〈◊〉 him from Gallia which then had a tongue common to both Gaules and Britons had before conuerted But suppose that either himselfe speaking British or Saxon or by some interpreter should haue conuerted some few yet all that amounteth to nothing and is scarce worth the speaking of it Secondly suppose some Britans or Saxons had bene conuerted to Christian Religion by preachers sent from Rome in auncient time when religion was pure and sincere yet Parsons hath no reason to make any great clamor vpon so small aduantage For first all those that are conuerted to religion are not to subiect themselues to those churches frō whence those came that did conuert thē or else to y t bishops that sent them The church of Rome acknowledgeth no subiection to the Church of Ierusalem or to the Bishop thereof Neither doth Friseland or Germany that was conuerted by Saxons that came out of England acknowledge our Church or Bishops to be their superiors But were Rome beholding to Ierusalem from whence her first preachers came yet do not the Romanists now turne Turkes because Turkes preside at Ierusalem Suppose then we were beholding to Christian Romanes yet what is that to Antichristian Romanes that haue declined almost into as grosse impieties as Turks and worship idols or as they 〈◊〉 them images so grossely that the Turkes do condemne them and may iustly rise vp too against them in iudgement Againe suppose we had bene beholding to the auncient Romanes yet this maketh nothing for the moderne inhabitants of Rome that either are a race of Gothes and Lombards that were enemies to the Romanes or else a collection and Ramasse of other nations nothing like to the Romanes Finally if we ought to embrace that religion that was either taught by S. Peter 〈◊〉 Austin or by other Christian Bishops in their times then are we to renounce the decretaliue doctrine of Popes together with the philosophicall mixtures of schoole diuines both which haue bin brought into the Church long after the ages wherein they liued Furthermore the idolalatrous worship of the crosse with latria of the saints with dulia of the blessed virgine with hyperdulia the doctrine of Papists concerning the carnall eating of Christs bodie transsubstantion halfe Communions priuate Masses reseruation of the Sacrament purgatorie for temporall paines after the guilt remitted popish indulgences and other popish trash might be packing It would also be time for the Pope with his triple crowne two swords guard of Suizzers Cardinals Monkes Masse-priests and Friers to trusse vppe his trinkets and to make himselfe readie for his iourney into some farre countrey beyond all Christianitie For neuer shall Robert Parsons proue albeit he could conuert him selfe into all shapes that Britaine was conuerted to any such religion as this or that the Church then had such a forme as now wée see in Rome Page 103. hée alleageth two proofes whereof the 〈◊〉 he calleth negatiue the second affirmatiue and thereby hopeth to shew that the moderne Romish Religion is all one with the auncient Christian Religion But his negatiue ridiculous proofe is denied His affirmatiue is rather a bare affirmation then a proofe For first against his negatiue we offer to proue that not onely the points of Romish doctrine which the Church of England refuseth are brought in long after the Apostles time but also that they are contrary to the Apostles doctrine But suppose we knew no originall of some of the 〈◊〉 heresies are they therefore no heresies Is idolatry no idolatry because the first beginning thereof is not knowne Or are the Angelikes Archontikes Crosse-worpers Nudipedals Monothelites and diuers other heretikes true Catholikes because the Papists cannot shew who first broached these heresies Secondly albeit the Magdeburgians and some other learned men find fault with some termes vsed by the fathers as of sacrifice altar priest purgatorie 〈◊〉 will and some other yet that sheweth not either that all the fathers vsed these termes or that any of those that vsed them consented with the 〈◊〉 which from new termes are growne to new and strange doctrine Beside that Parsons disputeth ridiculously which ascribeth the particular and priuate 〈◊〉 of some one or few among vs to the whole Church He himselfe albeit he affirme many things desperately will not yéeld vs this point against his owne 〈◊〉 So we sée Parsons his whole treatise of three 〈◊〉 easily 〈◊〉 in thrée words and with the 〈◊〉 of a 〈◊〉 The second part of Parsons his treatise wherein he pretendeth to make search for the religion professed in England is wholly without the compasse of his title of thrée conuersions So simple was he in his choise that he could not choose a title to fit his fantasticall worke Beside that he seemeth to be blind that could not find our Religion in the auncient Church of Christ for a thousand yeares after Christ and long after For there is no point or article of faith taught by the Apostles receiued by the consent of the whole Church in any auncient and lawfull Councell but we receiue it and embrace it Nor do we professe any thing in the Creed of the Apostles or of the Nicene and other auncient Councels which the auncient fathers did not also together with vs receiue and professe While therefore the light-headed frier ranne poasting through all ages and 〈◊〉 to enquire for newes of our Church which he might sée if he would in all places he resembleth much that wise fellow that could not see wood for trées Neither is it material that in auncient time he findeth no opposition made against the Popes primacy or vniuersall power or to the Masse or to the doctrine of transsubstantiation the carnall presence in the Eucharist the sacrifice of the masse the 7. sacraments purgatory indulgences such like For who seeth not that it is most ridiculous to make search for opposition against popish doctrine heresie before the same was extant in the world But as soone as any began to chalenge the name of Oecumenical or vniuersal Bishop Gregory the first challenged him for it as the fore-runner of Antichrist The worship of images allowed after a sort in the second Councell of Nice though not in such grosse maner as now was oppugned in the Councell of Francford in the time of Charlemaine The carnall presence of Christs body in the sacrament was not beleeued by Gregory the 7. as Beno reporteth and was both thē and afterward disliked by many Transsubstantiatiō was disputed against by the schoolmen All the Easterne Church spurned against the Popes headship his purgatory and indulgences Neither since the time of the first beginning of these corruptions did y e Albigenses Valdenses Wiclephians and Bohemians as they are called together with diuers others cease to exclaime against these popish abuses But saith Parsons these did not in all things agrée with vs. Yet if he speake of matters of faith he wrongeth them and
that dependeth vpon one little rotten goutie Pope whose learning is not worth two chips and whose pietie is lesse then his learning Fourthly if the Popes consignation be necessary to make Papists beleeue Scriptures then is their faith most vncertaine and rather humane then diuine Especially considering that of this Popes consignation of Scriptures there is not one word in Scriptures But that is their doctrine Fiftly the doctrine and practise of the Church of Rome being the rule of faith the Romish faith must néeds proue vncertaine and variable The consequence of this proposition is proued for that both schoole-men differ from schoolemen and late writers from the auncient and also Popes from Popes as I haue shewed in my bookes De pontif Rom. That the rule of faith is as I haue said it may be auerred by Stapletons words Sixthly if faith be grounded vpon traditions as well as vpon Scriptures then haue the Papists no certaine faith The consequence is plaine for that diuers ancient traditions are new ceased and neither Caesar Baronius nor any man is able to set downe which are authentical 〈◊〉 which not Finally if the faith of Papists rest vpon the Popes determinations or else vpon the supposed Catholicke Churches decrees then is their faith a goutie fraile and rotten faith or rather a most doubtfull opinion For neither are they certaine who is lawfull Pope nor that his determinations are vnfallible nor is it an easie matter to know which are the Catholicke Churches determinations the Papists themselues contending and varying continually about them These arguments do shew that the Papists haue either a vaine faith or else no faith at all And this Robert Parsons notwithstanding his obstinacie and peruersenesse must needs confesse For simple Papists haue only these meanes whereby to direct themselues viz. Scriptures Fathers or their owne Priests Scriptures they neither heare read in a tongue knowne nor do they much regard them The Fathers they vnderstand not The priests do often tel lies and too 〈◊〉 they dwell from the Pope to know of him ths truth To omit to talke of ruder persons and to talke of spruce Robert Parsons gladly would I know of him how he is assured that the religion he teacheth is true Scriptures he denieth to be the rule of faith and will not 〈◊〉 them to be authenticall without the Popes determination The Pope is but one man If then he rely wholy on the Popes determination his faith is nothing but a foolish fancie grounded vpon one man If vpon the Church yet he knoweth not the Church but by his owne reason and sence as I thinke he will confesse Rule of faith he acknowledgeth none but the vniuersall Church which is not onely absurd but maketh much against him Absurd it is for that the Church is ruled and is not the rule no more then the Carpenter is his rule It maketh against him for that it is more difficult to know the Catholicke Church of all times and places then Scriptures or any proofe of faith else For to know that it is necessary to be well seene in the historie of all times Churches and countries And if he refer himselfe to others and beléeue humane histories his faith is still grounded on men This being the case of Papists and of their agent Robert Parsons we may estéeme our selues happie that are deliuered from this great vncertaintie and taught to build our faith vpon Christ Iesus and the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets Other foundation can no man lay beside that which is laid that is Christ Iesus saith the Apostle And Eph. 2. Ye are built saith he vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone We know that faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God We beléeue that the Scriptures are a perfect rule and therefore rightly called canonicall The Apostle speaking of the rule of faith 2. Cor. 10. Gal. 6. and Phil. 3. meaneth no other rule but that which was to be found in holy Scriptures The Fathers also procéeded by the rule of Scriptures both where they sought direction for themselues and also where they brought arguments against Heretikes Ireney lib. 〈◊〉 aduers. Haeres cap. 1. calleth the Gospell deliuered in Scriptures the foundation and pillar of our faith Tertul. writing against Hermogenes saith He abode not in the rule of faith And why Inter Scriptur as enim Dei colores suos inuenire nō potuerat He could not find his colours or fancies in Scriptures Athan. saith Orat. 2. contr Arian that Heretikes are to be stoned with arguments out of Scriptures Out of Scriptures y t Arians in the Councell of Nice other Heretikes in other Synods were confuted And generally antiquitie doth call Scriptures the canon or rule of faith Agréeably therefore to Scriptures and Fathers the Church of England in the beginning of Quéene Elizabeths raigne acknowledged the canon of Scriptures and thence tooke the articles of our Christian faith And therefore I call Scriptures and that which is necessarily deduced 〈◊〉 of Scriptures the rule of faith not separating the rule from scriptures as Parsons 1. Encontr cap. 15. of his Warn-word doth cauill but in the rule comprehending whatsoeuer is either expressed in termes or by necessarie consequence deduced out of scriptures And this I did to auoide the cauils of the aduersary which inferre because this word Trinitie or consubstantiall or baptisme of children is not found in Scriptures that scriptures are not a solide and entire rule of faith Against this Parsons in his Warn-word 1. Encontr c. 15. alleageth first certaine names of Fathers then certaine words out of Ignatius his Epistle ad Phil. Irenaeus lib. 3. 4. aduersus Haeres Tertullian de Praescript aduersus Haeretic and Uincentius Lirinensis But he spendeth his labour in vaine and abuseth his Reader For none of these Fathers speake of other matters then such as are to be proued out of Scriptures as the places themselues shew Ireney by Tradition proueth God to be the Creator and the mysterie of Christ his incarnation But Parsons will not deny this to be contained in Scriptures Tertullian de Praescript aduers. Haeret. disputeth against the heresies of the Valentinians and Marcionites drawing arguments from the Apostles preaching and tradition But that was because they denyed and corrupted Scriptures For no man can deny but that their heresies are clearely conuinced by Scriptures Quod sumus hoc sunt That we are that they are saith Tertullian speaking of Scriptures That is likewise the meaning of Vincentius Lirinensis de Haeres cap. 27. for that depost of which he talketh is nothing but the Christian faith contained in scriptures But if Parsons will prooue his rule of faith he must shew a faith grounded vpon tradition that is not deduced out of Scriptures Nay if he will not be contrarie to himselfe he must shew that not the Apostles tradition as he saith in his Warn-word 1.
reason others say contrarie The Scotists lib. 1. sent dist 5. inuey against Henricus de Gandauo for his opinion about the eternall generation of the Sonne of God Aegidius holdeth that the son of God hath power to beget another son which displeaseth Thomas and Bonauenture and is very strange doctrine Thomas Aquinas part 1. q. 32. art 4. saith that Doctors may hold contrary opinions Circa notiones in diuinis He teacheth also that the holy Ghost doth more principally proceed from the Father then from the Sonne which others mislike If then they agrée not about the doctrine of the holy Trinitie it is not like that in matters wherein they haue libertie to dissent they will better agrée Scotus holdeth that the soule and an Angell do not differ as two diuers kinds Others teach contrary Some Doctors hold that Angels consist of forme onely others hold contrary They dissent also about the sin of our first parents Pighius in the doctrine of original sin dissenteth from his fellowes Innocentius in c. maiores de bapt eius effect misliketh the opinion of the master of the Sentences that held it to be pronitas ad peccandum that is a pronenesse to sinne The Thomists to this day could neuer be reconciled to the Scotists about the conception of our Ladie these denying she was conceiued in sin the others affirming it Gropper in his exposition of the Créed confesseth that among the Papists there are two diuers opinions about Christs descending into hell Bellarmine in his bookes of controuersies doth not more violently run vpon vs then vpon his owne consorts In euery article almost he bringeth contrary expositions of Scriptures and contrary opinions In the sacrament of the Lords supper which is a pledge of loue there are infinite contradictions among them as I haue shewed in my bookes de Missa against Bellarmine The like contentions I haue shewed in my Treatises de Indulgentijs de Purgatorio and shall haue occasion more at large to speake of them hereafter We are therefore to thanke God that the doctrine of faith in the Church of England is setled and that refusing all nouelties we agrée therein with the auncient catholike Church We acknowledge one Lord one faith one baptisme one head of the Church one canon of Scriptures with the auncient fathers The rules of all auncient and lawfull generall Councels concerning the faith we admit We haue one vniforme order for publike prayers administration of Sacraments and Gods seruice Neither do we onely agrée among our selues but also with the reformed Churches of France and Germany and other nations especially in matters of faith and saluation And as for ceremonies and rites it cannot be denied but that all Churches therein haue their libertie as the diuersities of auncient Churches and testimonies of Fathers do teach vs. Most vaine therefore and contumelious is that discourse of N. D. in his Warne-word 1. encontr ca. 4 5 6. where he talketh of the difference of soft and rigide Lutherans among themselues of them from Anabaptists and from Zwinglians of all from the followers of Seruetus and Valentine Gentilis For neither do we acknowledge the names of Lutherans Caluinians or Zuinglians but onely call our selues Christians nor haue we to do with the Arians or Anabaptists or Seruetus or Gentilis or any heretikes Nay by our Doctors these fellowes haue bene diligently confuted and by our gouernors the principall of them haue bene punished But these may Parsons reply haue bin among vs. Admit it 〈◊〉 so yet do not our aduersaries take themselues to be guiltie of Arianisme and Anabaptisme because there are diuers guiltie of Arianisme and Anabaptisme among them We say further that the Churches of Germany France and England agree albeit priuate men hold priuate opinions Finally where we talk of the Church of England what a ridiculous sot was this to bring an instance of the Churches of Germany or Suizzerland nay not of the Churches but of priuat persons and that in matters not very substantiall if we admit their owne interpretations Hauing therefore talked his pleasure of Lutherans and Zuinglians he descendeth to speak of rigid and soft Caluinists as he calleth them in England He calleth them also Protestants and Puritanes But neither do we admit these names of faction nor is he able to shew that publikely any Christian is tolerated to 〈◊〉 either in matters of faith or rites from the Church of England But if any there be that mislike our rites yet is not that contention about matters of faith nor can the disorder of priuate persons hinder the publike vnion of the Church Finally I do not know any man now but he is reasonably well satisfied concerning matters of discipline albeit the same be with the great griefe of Papists who go about to stirre vp the coles of contention as much as they can that heretofore haue bene couered CHAP. II. Of the restoring of Christian Religion and the reduction of the Church of England to the true faith TRue faith in time of Poperie was a great stranger in England most men being ignorant of all points of christian Religion the rest holding diuers erronious points and heresies Their ignorance we shall proue by diuers testimonies hereafter Their errors and heresies are very apparent and at large proued in my late challenge That which the Apostle calleth the doctrine of diuels 1. Tim. 4. that they imbrace for doctrine of faith For they forbid their Priests Monkes Friers and Nuns to marrie and commaund the Benedictines and their Charterhouse Monkes at all times to abstaine from flesh They also forbid men to eate flesh vpon all fasting dayes fridayes and saterdayes and in Lent dissoluing the commandements of God by their owne traditions The Manicheyes abstained from egges as Saint Augustine sheweth lib. de haeres cap. 46. Nec 〈◊〉 saltem sumunt quasi ipsacùm franguntur expirent nec oporteat vllis corporibus mortuis vesci So likewise did Papists at certain times they cal such as allow y e mariage of priests sectatores libidinum praeceptores vitiorum that is followers of lusts and teachers of vices albeit the Apostle affirmeth mariage 〈◊〉 be honorable in all sorts of men They dissolue such mariages albeit Christ teach that man is not to separate them whom God hath ioyned together Their Fastes they place in eating of fish and not in abstinence from all sustenance as the auncient Fathers by their doctrine and practise taught Some count it as mortall sinne to eate flesh on fridayes as to kill a man and that a Priest doth sinne lesse in committing fornication then in matching himselfe in honest mariage and yet they confesse that fornication is against the law of God and not the mariages of priests They tolerated common whores as did Simon Magus and other heretickes and now in Rome the Pope notwithstanding his pretended holinesse receiueth a tribute from them They do also sell Masses imposition of hands
images knéeling vnto them kissing them and burning incense vnto them saying to the crosse O crux aue spes vnica auge pijs iustitiane reisque dona veniam All haile ô Crosse my only hope increase iustice in the godly and grant pardon to sinners And crying to the Crucifixe Thou hast redeemed vs thou hast reconciled vs to thy Father and calling a blocke mother of mercie and saying before stockes and stones Our Father and Aue Maria and knocking their breasts and whipping themselues before Images as the idolatrous Priests did before their idols The Apostle when he laid before the Corinthians the miserable state they stood in while they were yet Gentils he vseth no other tearmes then these Ye know that ye were Gentiles and were caried away vnto dumbe Idols as ye were led Which is as much as if he should say You were miserable and blind when ye were caried away vnto dumbe Idols Why then may we not say the same to Papists They may percase deny the case to be like But in my challenge I haue by many arguments proued them to be grosse Idolaters haue clearely shewed that they haue no better excuse for their worship of Images then the idolatrous Gentiles had for their worship of idoles Are they not then likewise blind and miserable Thinking to thrust others out of their societie which they call the Church they haue flatly excluded themselues from the societie and communion of the Catholike Church For if their Church be a companie of men professing the same faith and participating the same Sacraments vnder the rule of lawfull pastors and especially of the Pope as Bellarmine saith lib. 2. de Eccl. milit cap. 2. then are they not the catholike Church For that Church was long before either Pope or Bishop of Rome Beside that false it is that either the 〈◊〉 or whole Apostolike Church was subiect to the Bishop of Rome or that Iohn the Euangelist that 〈◊〉 long after Peter was subiect to Linus Cletus or Clement in whose 〈◊〉 he liued Finally false it is that God appointed the church to be gouerned by the Bishops of Rome there is nothing thereof in Scriptures The Fathers shew that the chiefe authoritie in externall matters was in generall Councels and Emperors And Bellarmines idle disputes concerning his Pope are long since ouerthrowne That they are not the true Church it appeareth also for that they heare not the voice of Christ but follow a stranger for that they haue receiued diuers heresies and deuised new Sacraments relinquishing Christ his institution in the celebration of the Lords supper for that they haue other foundations of their religion then were laid by Christ or his Apostles for that they persecute true Christians murther them and massacre them and by all meanes persecute them and for diuers other reasons laid downe in mine answer to Bellarmines 〈◊〉 De Eccles. militante If then it be not possible to be saued without the Church in what case are they that running after the Pope which is that Antichrist of which the Apostle speaketh 2. Thess. 2. are run out of the Church And whither are they runne forsooth into the confusion of Babylon where the Pope Cardinals Masse-priests 〈◊〉 make merchandize of mens soules Bellarmine saith that neither faith hope nor charitie nor other internall vertue is required that a man absolutely may be said to be a part of the Church but onely an externall profession of the faith and communion of the Sacraments Who then will not leaue that societie which for ought that we know may be a packe of Turkes and 〈◊〉 without all vertue religion and honestie especially if they professe the Romish 〈◊〉 externally Further as they haue excluded themselues from the Church so they haue put themselues vnder the subiection of Antichrist that is the head of the malignant Church and to his Cardinals Masse-priests and Friars which rabblement are 〈◊〉 resembled to the maister Cooke of hell his scalders the blacke-guard and all the scullerie of Satan Whatsoeuer the Pope decreeth that they receiue Agatho the Pope hath told them in good earnest that all sanctions of the Apostolike see are to be receiued as if they were confirmed by the diuine voice of Peter Be the Pope neuer so vnlearned or foolish or peruerse yet if he say the word sitting on his close chaire it must stand His voice they take to be infallible his sentence is honoured like a diuine Oracle Likewise his Cardinals Masse priests and Friars albeit they be the false Prophets spoken of by S. Peter 2. Pet. 2. and diuersly detected by S. Iohn in his Reuelation to be limbs of Antichrist yet are they followed These leade and their simple hearers follow them the way that leadeth to destruction Their teachers bring to themselues swift damnation as the Apostle S. Peter saith and they cannot escape beléeuing their damnable 〈◊〉 and running after them in their wicked wayes Pius Quintus that helhound that first barked against Queene Elizabeth our late Soueraign saith that Christ committed his Church to Peter alone vni soli But that is most false The Apostle Ephes. 4. saith He gaue some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and teachers Likewise Mat. 28. he said to all the Apostles Go and teach Beside that what doth the authoritie of Peter belong to the Pope S. Peter had neither such rubie Cardinals nor such a parti-coloured guard of Switzers nor such a hellish rabble of Masse-priests and Friars as the Pope hath Contrariwise he preached and suffered as the Pope doth not Others say that Masse-priests and Friars are the Apostles successors But we find them to be the locustes that as S. Iohn forefold came out of the bottomelesse pit mentioned Apocalyps 9. If they were the Apostles successors then would they teach the Apostles doctrine and not the Popes decretals scholasticall inuentions philosophicall subtilties and such fooleries Againe they would not lead their miserable disciples from Christ to Antichrist They haue also declined from the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles concerning the Sacraments Our Sauiour onely instituted two that properly deserue the name of Sacraments to wit Baptisme and the Eucharist as the writings of the Apostles beare witnesse The Fathers also confirme vnto vs two onely Sacraments of the new Testament Cyprian lib. 2. Epist. 1. Tunc demum 〈◊〉 sanctificari esse silij Dei possunt si 〈◊〉 Sacramento nascantur Then may they be sanctified and made the sonnes of God saith he if they be regenerate by both the Sacraments Augustine de symb ad Catechum saith Hac sunt Ecclesioe gemina Sacramenta these are the two Sacraments of the Church Neither doth any Father name more Sacraments then two where he speaketh properly as may be proued by the testimonie of Iustines second Apologie of Tertullian lib. 1. 4. contr Marcion Of Clement recognit lib. 1. Of Ambrose lib. de Sacrament Of Cyril of Ierusalem in his carechisticall Sermons
brutishnesse and base people in seruitude and superstitious people in vanities and superstitions CHAP. VI. Of the contradictions of popish Doctors in principall points of Religion OF the dissentions of popish Doctors in matters of religion I haue said somewhat before Yet because Papists make vnitie in matters of faith to be a marke of the Church and confidently deny that their Doctors dissent in any point of any moment I haue thought good to insist yet more vpon this point that the world may see not only their miserie that as men not resolued in most points of religion wauer betwixt contrarie opinions but also their notorious impudencie that deny it Therein also doth appeare some Papists wonderfull simplicitie that séeing the contention of their Doctors do not vnderstand their differences and séeeing their differences and vncertaintie of popish Religion do notwithstanding sticke fast in the filthy dregs and abhominable corruptions thereof Pighius lib. 1. Eccles. hierarch cap. 2. saith That Scriptures are not aboue our faith but subiect vnto it Stapleton Princip doctrin lib. 12. cap. 15. holdeth that the Church and Scriptures are of equall authoritie Eckius in enchirid loc com cap. de Eccles. saith That the Scriptures are not authenticall without the authoritie of the church Bellarmine thought best not to dispute this question Nicholas Lyra Hugo Dionysius Carthusianus Hugo Cardinalis Thomas de Vio and Sixtus Senensis lib. 1. Biblioth sanctae reiect the last seuen Chapters of the booke of Hester as not canonicall Scripture The Conuenticle of Trent Bellarmine and most popish Doctors of late time hold them to be canonicall and thinke hardly of those which teach contrarie Iohn Driedo lib. 1. de Scripturis dogmat Eccles. denyeth the booke of Baruch to be canonicall Scripture Bellarmine lib. 1. de verb. Dei and most of his fellowes be of a contrarie opinion Caietan and Erasmus in their Commentaries vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes of Iames Iude the second of Peter the second and third of Iohn do dissent from the rest of their fellowes partly concerning the authors and partly concerning the authoritie of those Epistles Iames bishop of Christopolis in Praefat. in Psalm And Canus lib. 2. cap. 13. de locis theologicis affirme That the Iewes haue depraued and corrupted the Scriptures An opinion false and blasphemous and therefore contradicted by Bellarmine lib. 2. de verb. Dei and diuers others Sainctes Pagninus in Praefat. interpretationis suae Biblior And Paulus bishop of Foro-sempronij lib. 2. cap. 1. de die passionis Domini deny that the vulgar Latine translation was made by Hierome Augustine of Eugubium and Iohn Picus of Mirandula hold contrarie Bellarmine and Driedo say that it is part his and part others Alexander Hales and Durand hold that the diuine attributes are not distinguished but in respect vnto creatures Henricus and Albertus Magnus in 1. Sent. dist 2. hold contrarie Richardus in dist 3. lib. 1. sent holdeth that the most holy Trinitie may be demonstrated by naturall reasons Scotus and Francis Maronis and Thomas affirme contrarie About the faculties of the soule called potentiae the schoolmen are deuided into three sects Some hold that they are al one with the substance of the soule others that they are accidents the third that they are betwéene substances and accidents Abbas Ioachim and Richardus de sancto victore taught diuinam essentiam generare gigni The contrary is taught by Peter Lombard and his followers Peter Lombard lib. sent 1. dist 17. taught that charitie wherewith we loue God and our neighbor is the holy Ghost and that it is not any thing created But now most of his followers haue in this point forsaken him and hold contrarie In the 24. distinct of his first booke the same Peter Lombard saith that words of number spoken of God are spoken onely relatiuely and that the word Trinitie implieth nothing 〈◊〉 but onely priuatiuely Which because it contrarieth the mysterie of the holy Trinitie is denied almost by all his followers In the 44. distinction of the same booke he saith that God can alwayes doe whatsoeuer he could euer do and willeth whatsoeuer he would at any time and knoweth whatsoeuer he he knew at any time But his disciples hold direct contrarie Thomas p. 1. q. 46. art 2. holdeth that the world or at the least some creature might haue bene from euerlasting So likewise holdeth Bonauenture and some others Richardus doeth maintaine the opposite opinion The Maister of Sentences in 4. dist 1. and Gabriel and Vega lib. 7. in concil Trident. c. 13. hold that not onely substances but accidents are also created Alexander Hales q. 9. m. 6. q. 10. m. 1. and Thomas p. 1. q. 45. art 4. affirme that only substances are created About this question An omnium aeuiternorum sit vnum aeuum vel 〈◊〉 there are fiue Different opinions the first of Scotus the second of Thomas the third of Durand the fourth of Henricus the fift of Bonauenture Likewise about this question Quae sit ratio formalis cur Angelus sit in loco there are fiue 〈◊〉 opinions all repugnant one to another Thomas and Richardus do affirme that 〈◊〉 Angels cannot be in one place together Scotus Occham and Gabriel hold the contrary Thomas teacheth that Angels haue not intellectum agentem possibilem Scotus doth directly contradict him Scotus and Gabriel teach that diuels and good Angels do vnderstand naturally both our thoughts and the thoughts one of another but to Thomas p. 1. q. 57. art 4. this seemeth absurd Antisiodorensis lib. 2. sum teacheth that Christ had Angelum custodem other schoole-men denie it Scotus sayth that the will is the onely subiect of sinne Thomas denieth it Concerning the place of paradise there are thrée different opinions Some hold that it 〈◊〉 to the circle of the Moone Thom. in 2. dist 17. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 place it vpon a high mountaine The rest place it in the East Concerning the nature of free wil 〈◊〉 are diuersities of opinions among schoolemen and others as Iosephus Angles sheweth in lib. 2. sent dist 24. 25. Richardus holdeth that frée will cannot be chaunged by God Others for the most part hold the contrary Thomas Bonauenture and Sotus hold that grace is not a qualitie infused but a qualitie inherent in the soule Alexander Hales and Scotus hold that it is a qualitie infused Iosephus Angles in lib. 2. sent dist 26. rehearseth thrée seuerall opinions of schoole doctors about the diuision of grace in gratiam operantem cooperantem whereby it may appeare that in talking of grace they do endeuor to shut out grace Certaine schollers of Thomas beléeue and teach that no man being of yeares of discretion can be iustified by the absolute power of God without the act and concurrence of free will Scotus Vega and Caietane say quite contrary Both their opinions are touched by Iosephus Angles in 2. sent dist 27. Richardus in 2. dist 27. art 2. q. 1. Scotus in
therefore is like to those which dig pits for others but fall into them themselues He hath prepared weapons for vs but like a mad lot hath hurt himselfe with the same Finally Captaine Cowbucke like a noble woodcocke is caught in his owne springes CHAP. IX A catalogue of certaine principall lies vttered by Robert Parsons in his late Warne-word THe Spirit of God as the Apostle sayth speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue heed vnto spirits of errour and doctrines of diuels which speake lyes through hypocrisie and haue their 〈◊〉 burned with a hote yron Which prophecy as in other heretikes so especially in y e 〈◊〉 we may sée most plainely and euidently to be fulfilled For they departing from the auncient and Catholike faith taught by the holy Apostles and Prophets and recorded in holy Scriptures haue giuen héed to spirits of error and beléeued the trash of vnwritten traditions and lying legends and therupon haue founded their prohibitions of certaine meates and mariages and such like doctrines of diuels confirming their opinions with grosse lies vttered with seared consciences and brazen faces contrary to all shew of truth They take to themselues the name of doctors and fathers but are false teachers and vnkind traitors And as Theodoret saith of certaine heretikes Christianorum sibi appellatione imposita apertè docent contraria Calling themselues Christians or Catholikes Catholikes they openly teach contrary I could specifie it by Caesar Baronius and 〈◊〉 by Sanders Stapleton and diuers other principall authors of the popish sect But I will not match any man of note with so notorious a dolt and so base a swad as Robert Parsons is of whom we are now to speake though not much to his commendation The onely example of Parsons and y e in one of his fardles of lies which we are now to rip vp shall shew them to be notorious and bold lyers The diuellish and erronious doctrine of friars we haue touched before and shall haue often occasion to mention In the front of his booke he promiseth the issue of three former treatises and in the second page talketh of eight encounters But he falsifieth his promise and lieth grossely For of the thrée former treatises he toucheth onely two chapters and of eight encounters entreth onely vpon two Further he declineth the true issue of matters and runneth bias like a warped bowle of dudgeon into impertinent idle questions Doth he not therfore as Hierom saith of one make shipwwracke in the port In his Epistle to the Reader taking vpon him to deliuer the summe of the controuersie betwixt him and vs he wracketh himselfe like wise thinking to wreake his malice vpon vs and beginneth with á grosse lie There hapned saith he some few yeares past he noteth 1599. in the margent as often also before a certaine false alarme of a Spanish inuasion then said to be vpon the seas towards England Where I néed not to note the idiotisme of Parsons speech that talketh of a Spanish inuasion vpon the sea towards England being elsewhere noted but only I wil touch his impudencie in lying and denying that about this time the Spaniards were ready with forces at the Groyne for the inuasion of England And the rather for that this was the occasion that moued Sir Francis Hastings to giue warning to his countrey and also because the same sheweth that Parsons is very sorie that any man is acquainted with the 〈◊〉 of the Spanish King and that he could not take vs sléeping and so closely and priuiliy cut his countrimens throtes I say then it is a lie most notorious to affirme that the alarme giuen vpon occasion of the Spanish preparations anno 1598. for an inuasion of some part of England was false And proue it first by the words of the King who recouering out of a trance and comming to himself asked if the 〈◊〉 were gone for England Secondly by the prouisions of ships and men made at the Groyne and Lisbone and which coming thence shaped their course for England albeit they were by wether beaten back Thirdly by the testimony of one Leake a Masse priest that was dealt with all to come for England Fourthly by the testimonie of the Secular priests in their reply to Parsons his libell fol. 65. sequent who directly charge Parsons to be a solicitor of these pretended attempts anno 1598. Fiftly by Parsons his letters from Rome to Fitzherbert wherein he desireth to vnderstand the successe of the fleete that anno 1598. was to go for England Finally by the 〈◊〉 proclamation made at the Groyne and whereof diuers printed copies were to be dispersed in England vpon his arriuall here The which for that it discouereth the pride of the Spaniard and the malice of the English traitors I haue thought it not amisse to set downe the whole tenour of the proclamation with some animaduersions in the margent Considering saith the Adelantado the obligation which his catholike 〈◊〉 my Lord and master hath receiued of God almightie to defend and protect his holy faith and the Apostolicall Romane church he hath procured by the best meanes he could for to reduce to the auncient and true religion the kingdomes of England and Ireland as much as possibly hath bin in his power And all hath not bene sufficient to take away the offence done against God in dommage of the selfesame kingdoms with scandale of whole christianity yea rather abusing the clemency and benignity of his Catholike Maiestie the heads and chiefe of the heretikes which litle 〈◊〉 God haue taken courage to extend their euill doctrine with the oppressing of Catholikes martyring them and by diuers wayes and meanes taking from them their liues and goods forcing them by violence to follow their damnable sects and errours which they haue hardly done to the losse of many soules Which considered his Catholike Maiesty is determined to fauour and protect these Catholikes which couragiously haue defended the Catholike faith and not onely those but such also as by pusillanimity and humane respects haue consented vnto them forced thereunto through the hard and cruell dealing of the said Catholikes heretical enemies And for the execution of his holyzeale he hath commaunded me that with force by sea and land which be and shall be at my charge to procure al meanes necessary for the reduction of the said kingdomes vnto the obedience of the Catholike Romane church In complement of the which I declare and protest that these forces shall be employed for to execute this holy intent of his Catholike Maiestie directed onely to the common good of the true religion and Catholikes of those kingdomes as wel those which be already declared catholikes as others who wil declare themselues for such For all shall be receiued and admitted by me in his royall name which shall separate and apart themselues from the 〈◊〉
scriptures in Greeke and Latin But rather therefore did they erre for that they did not reade them diligently or reuerently Fol. 71. he saith we teach that good workes are perilous Let him therefore name those which haue committed this fault or else acknowledge himselfe to be a perilous lyer Fol. 79. he cannot be content to lie where he talketh of matter of charge but will néeds haue me testifie matters which I neuer thought I might as well make him speake all villany against the Pope but I wilt not now vse the testimonie of so bad a fellow That which he 〈◊〉 of the Popes exactions out of great benefices onely and of his employments of mony against the Turkes are méere leasings For he taketh by one meanes or other both of great and litle and rather destroyeth Christians then Turkes Fol. 89. he exclaimeth and sayth What will you say to this man that maketh all his auncestors for so many hundred yeares together and the auncestors of her Maiestie her father and grandfather and the rest meere infidels I answer in his owne forme What will you say to this beast that lieth as fast as a dog can trot My words that he setteth downe refute him For I speake not of all but of the most part of Christians of former times and of their ignorance I haue brought sufficient proofe If then those that lie deserue cudgelling as he saith it is not halfe a loade of wood that will serue for the bastonading of this brutish and senselesse beast Fol. 99. By which words it is euident saith Parsons that his rule consisteth of the consent and establishment of certain men in England what to beleeue which is a different matter from scriptures But whatsoeuer he thinketh of the rule of faith he kéepeth no rule in speaking vntruth For albeit the rule of faith which euery priuate man in England is to follow was established by consent of the synode of the Clergy of England yet I say not nor doth it follow of these words that the consent of men is our rule of faith For the canon of scriptures is the generall rule that all the Church ought to follow and because euery priuate man vnderstandeth not all points of himselfe therefore the Church to helpe the weaknesse of the ignorant hath gathered the summe of faith out of scriptures and proposed the same as conclusions thence deduced for priuate men to follow Fol. 105. like a shamelesse beast he sayth The Emperours in the l. cunctos Cod. de sum Trin. fid Cath. remit themselues to the Romane religion and to Damasus the Popes beleefe and that they determine nothing of religion both which assertions are matters vtterly false For first they remit men not to the Romane faith or to Damasus his beléefe but to the faith of Peter Next they determine that men shall follow that faith and declare what the faith is Cunctos populos say they quos 〈◊〉 nostrae regit imperium in tali volumus religione versari quam diuum Petrum Apostolum 〈◊〉 Romanis religio vsque adhuc ab ipso insinuata declarat 〈◊〉 pontificem Damasum sequi claret Petrum Alexandriae Episcopum virum Apostolicae 〈◊〉 hoc est vt secundùm Apostolicam disciplinam Euangelicamque doctrinam Patris 〈◊〉 Spiritus sancti vnam deitatem sub pari maiestate sub pia Trinitate credamus But were any to follow Damasus his beléefe what is that to later Popes that scarce beléeued in God and are more like to the grand Turke then to Damasus In the same leafe he telleth also many other grosse lies as for example That the Romane religion was receiued by Peter whereas the Emperours in the former law say that Peter deliuered Christian religion to 〈◊〉 Romanes Secondly that the Emperors law declareth the Pope of Rome to be the chiefe gouernor of Christian religion and that the Emperours accompted him for their head And thirdly that Siluester confirmed the decrees of the Councel of Nice Matters most sottish and bluntly and falsly affirmed For in that law there is nothing of the Popes generall headship Neither néeded the acts of the Nicene Councell any confirmation of Siluester In his second encounter chap. 2. it séemeth he hath put on his vizour of impudency telling lies vpon reports without all shame or proofe In King Henry the eight his dayes he saith that a certaine Catholike man in Louth in Lincolnshire was put to death being baited in a beares skin and that the fame thereof is yet fresh in Louth Matters very false as all the old men in Louth wil testifie vpon their othes Further the same is so improbable as nothing more For neither can the partie that was so put to death nor the iudges or executioners or parties present be named Nay it cannot be proued that any was put to death at Louth at that time albeit some of Louth were in danger for the rebellion as is yet remembred Parsons also must tell how any durst put men to death contrary to law who they were knowing y e the very rebels were not executed without trial Another like lie he fathereth vpō Sir Edw. Carew brother to the Lord Chamberlaine who is said to haue reported That certaine Nobles or Gentlemen baited a certaine cacolike man with spaniels But what if the Lord Chamberlaine had no brother called Sir Edward Carew What if none of his brothers euer said any such thing Againe what if none was euer baited with spaniels Doeth not Robert Parsons deserue to be baited by all the dogs in Rome for telling vs such fables In the meane while how doeth this agrée with Verstegan that telleth how in Douer certaine cacolikes were baited with bandogs And in what case are the Papists that worship Saints baited in beares skins that neuer were in the world A third lie he would father vpon Thomas of Walsingham But it cannot be gathered out of him that either the lying Friers in king Richard the second his time were followers of Wicleffe or that any corruption of manners grew in his doctrine although Robert Parsons boldly auoucheth both these lies In the second encounter cap. 3. he saith Thomas Arundell permitted and appointed vulgar translations of scriptures But the truth is he forbad them The rubrike of the constitutiō Statuimus de magistris is this Scriptura sacra non transferatur And if it be translated which he appointeth not nor permitteth he forbiddeth all exposition of it vntill it be 〈◊〉 Let Parsons then shew where he appointed or permitted vulgar translations of scriptures if he wil not shew himselfe a lyar In the same encounter in setting downe the state of the controuersie in reporting the acts against Husse the proceedings of Luther Grinaeus and Bezaes disputations he doth nothing but cog and lie And for his witnesses he citeth Aeneas Syluius Dubrauius Cochlcus Genebrard Surius Claudius de Sainctes and a rabble of other lying rascals not worth a cockle shell What then doth he
vs. If of ceremonies it is not necessary that al churches shold agrée in all points Furthermore if the aduersaries had not calmniously layed diuers imputations of heresies vpon them which they neuer held the variation wold not haue séemed so great as they pretend Wherfore if Robert Parsons séeke no better it is not like that he wil find a Cardinals hat which as his friends charge him he hath long sought This is the 〈◊〉 of that which is materiall in Robert Parsons his treatise of thrée conuersions The rest is nothing else but froth of the mans fury and foolery and containeth only certaine idle inuectiues against M. Fox that good man against M. Bale other honest Christians together with certaine fond tales of king Alphreds dreames S. Cutberts apparitions such like woodden popish stuffe drawne out of lying legends He forgot not also to raile against our noble Quéene lately deceased and to call her old persecutor and to lay an aspersion of slaunder vpon the State as if the same did persecute Papists for religion a matter of which the secular Masse-priests are ashamed and sticke not to cleare those whom this conuertible Proteus most vniustly chargeth Finally his fardle of wast papers containeth diuers corruptions and deprauations of holy Scriptures miss-allegations of Fathers weake collections grosse errors rebellious positions notorious lies and calumiations which in a large treatise herafter are to be discouered K. Kellisons Suruey if any man list to suruey and peruse a certaine slaunderous and railing companions libell entituled Caluinoturcismus and with hatred more then Turkish to christian religiō set out by Gifford of Lile wil be found to be wholy stolne out frō thence albeit he yéeldeth no thanks to those from whence he borowed or rather stole his inuention This Plagiary therefore néedeth no other answer then that which is already made to Giffords Turky worke called Caluinoturcismus It séemeth y t man is at a stand For albeit Gifford hate religion like a Turk yet he answereth no more then if by vertue of Parsons his thrée conuersions he were turned into a mute Turbot This K. also of his owne hath added a glozing and flattering Epistle to the King a certaine preface concerning inanimate and vnreasonable creatures percase like the Arcadian beasts of Doway and certaine fragments old ends of diuers stale declamations made as it seemeth at the drinking out of a pot of Kenish wine His schollers I heare gape and wonder at his horrible eloquence But yet the wisest of thē see that they haue no affinitie with his purpose and onely serue to fringe his chapters like as mustie ends of mockado serue to stitch his lacket of perpetuana All the whole amounteth to nothing saue to declare the man to be a perpetuall railer and a most sottish declaimer The idle fellow in all his scuruy collection which he like a surueyor without commission hath made to lttle purpose doth neither shew wisedome nor modestie nor learning If the fellow had bene wise he would not haue touched any matter of noueltie or absurditie For therein he giueth his aduersaries iust occasion not onely to iustifie their religion to be most ancient and consonant to holy scriptures but also to declare his popish religion refused by vs to be a packe of nouelties and a masse of grosse absurdities For who knoweth not that the Komish Church consisting of a triple-crowned and crosse-slippard Pope with his guard of Suizzers a consistory of purple Cardinals that hath neare affinitie to the purple whore of Babylon a rabble of rakehellike masse-priests filthy monkes friars and nunnes with a people worshipping idols and beléeuing the decretaliue doctrine of Popes and the decrées of Trent is new and neuer séene before vntill of late Who doeth not vnderstand that both the grounds of popery the doctrine thereon built is new For neither can R. shew that the auncient Church was founded vpon the Pope and his decretals or vpon traditions allowed by the Church of Rome or that the Church was tied to such senses of scriptures as the Romish Church alloweth or bound to follow the old Latine translation of the Bible Neither can he proue either out of fathers or ancient writers that Christs true body is both in heauen and earth and in euery pixe at one and the same time or that his body is inuisible or impalpable or that there are iust seuen sacraments and neither more nor lesse and that Christians receiue Christs flesh with their téeth and mouth or that the Pope is the head and spouse of the Church or that he hath two swords or that any images are to be worshipped with latria or that diuels torment soules in purgatory or that the Popes indulgences deliuer soules frō those torments or such like points of popery Now what I pray you is more absurd then to beléeue that a man can eate himself as the Masse-priests say Christ did at his last Supper nay that a dogge or a hogge can eate Christs body or that a spider can be drowned in his bloud which saueth all destroyeth none that can receiue it Againe what is more senselesse then to adore crosses and dumbe images which neither see nor heare nor moue and whose honor is not séene or knowne of those saints to whō they belong for ought we know Thirdly what is more inconuenient then to make a blind Pope that is ignorant of all matters of religion for the most part supreme iudge of controuersies of religion Can blind men iudge of colours or ignorant atheists of religion Fourthly what is more blasphemous then to teach that the Scriptures to vs are not authenticall vnlesse the Pope consigne them vnto vs Shall not truth be truth vnlesse it please the Pope to say it Finally seeing faith ought to be most certaine and built vpon grounds most certaine the popish religion must néedes be an absurd faith and a false religion that is built vpon traditions as well as Scriptures of which traditions the papists can yéeld no certaine proofe but are driuen to alleage either lying legends or old motheaten missals or vncertain customes It were an easie thing to alleage infinite such like absurdities of which this surueying K. hath very foolishly offered vs occasion to discourse at large He doeth also very simply talke of the sacrifice of the Masse Suruey li. 4. c. 2. For if Papists say truly that Christs body and blood is really offered in the Masse and that euery externall sacrifice requireth a reall destruction then it followeth that these masse-mongers 〈◊〉 really destroy Christs body and blood Bellarmine lib. 1. de missa c. 2. sayth that an externall sacrifice doth require a reall destruction Requirit realem destructionem Was then this fellow wise trow you to talke of this braue sacrifice Further do we thinke him wise that in a booke offered to the king doth rayle on the kings religion saying That it leadeth vnto atheisme Finally it is a note of
the impudencie of the man so boldly extolling traitors and forreine enemies together with his singular arrogancy despising his own nation and his foolish speakes for the Popes cause stollen out of others and put forth as his wont is in his owne name had extorted from me a reply to his Wardword Which certes might haue bin wel spared considering the sufficiencie of the Knights apologie if I had seene it before I had ended my reply For what is there in the Wardword worthy of answer seeing the same consisteth wholy of lies and patches and old ends stollen from others often refuted before And what answer can be deuised so slender that counteruaileth not such a hochpotch of words To these replies published by vs after long silence we see that Robert Parsons hath purposed to set forth a reioynder For we haue already receiued two parts of nine but so fraught with calumniations and lies malicious and scornful termes odious and filthy reproches that it seemeth he hath spent all his store of poison and despaireth to perfect the rest This booke albeit most contemptible containing nothing but disgracefull matter against her Maiesties proceedings that is lately deceased and childish disputes for some few points of poperie yet haue I thought good to handle not for any worth that can be in any such packe of pedlary stuffe set to sale by this petit merchant but for that iust occasion is thereby giuen vnto me to insist vpon the cōmendatiō of our late Queene for her heroical vertues and happy gouernment by this wicked traitor and vnworthy swad wickedly disgraced and especially for her singular pietie and zeale in restoring religion and abolishing Poperie O that she had bene so happy to keepe out the Ministers of Antichrist once expulsed as at the first to expulse them and put them out of her kingdome but what by yeelding to intreatie of some about her by this generation foully abused and what by tolerating of such as were sent in by forreine enemies to practise against her life and kingdome and what drawne backe by those that entertained intelligēce with publike enemies she was 〈◊〉 to slacke execution of lawes if not to suspend them to her owne great trouble and to the 〈◊〉 of Religion and the State but that God by his prouidence supplied the defects of 〈◊〉 By the 〈◊〉 Warne-word I haue also bene warned to discourse of the miserable and dangerous estate both of 〈◊〉 and their subiects that liue vnder the thraldom of the Pope and that both in regard of matters of State and of Religion Finally albeit Robert Parsons hitherto hath vsed scurrilous railing for his warrant protection against those that haue dealt with him and like as a foxe pursued with hounds with the filthy stench of his stile endeuoureth to make them giue ouer the chase yet I shall so touch him for his impietie making a iest at Scriptures and Religion for his scurrilitie railing without wit or modestie for his doltish ignorance committing most grosse and childish errors for his lies and forgerie vsing neither respect of truth nor common honestie that I hope I shall turne his laughing into another note If I speak roundly to him and his consorts yet I do not as he doth speake falsly Sharpnes he ought not to mislike hauing begun this course Neither can others iustly reproue me considering my aduersaries audacious impudencie Si falsa dicimus saith Hilarie infamis sit sermo maledicus Si verò vniuersa haec manifesta esse ostendimus nō sumus extra Apostolicā libertatem modestiā If we tell matters false then let our sharpe speech be infamous If all we report be manifestly proued then are we not out of the limites of Apostolical libertie and modestie Howbeit what measure is to be required in him that is to incounter a man of such vnmeasurable and outragious behauiour In the first booke the honor of her Maiestie late deceassed and her proceedings in the alteration of religion is defended In the second the grieuances of Christians vnder the Popes gouernement both in matters of conscience and their temporal estate are plainely discouered In the last we are to incounter with the ridiculous manner of Parsons behauior and writing 〈◊〉 he might percase thinke himselfe wise therein God turne all to his glorie to the manifestation of truth the detection of errors and the shame of the shamelesse patrons thereof The first Booke containing a defence of Queene Elizabeths most pious and happie gouernement impugned in a scurrilous libell intitled A warne-word The Preface to the first Booke I Need not I trust make any large discourse in calling to remembrance the noble and heroicall acts of our late Queene and most gracious Soueraigne Ladie Elizabeth of famous and godly memory For as Iesus the sonne of Syrach said of famous men of auncient time so we may say of her that her name will liue from generation to generation Her kind loue to her subiects and gracious fauours done both to English and other nations will neuer be forgotten His words likewise concerning his famous ancesters may be well applied vnto her She was renowned for her power and was wise in counsel She ruled her people by counsel by the knowledge of learning fit for them She was rich and mightie in power and liued peaceably at home Her remembrance therefore is as the composition of sweete perfume that is made by the art of the Apothecary and is sweete as hony in all mouthes as it is said of Iosias In his steps she insisted and behaued her self vprightly in the reformatiō of the people took away al abominatiōs of iniquity She reformed the abuses and corruptions of popish religion which through the working of the mystery of iniquitie had now won credit in the world and ouerthrew the idoll of the Masse and banished all idolatrie out of the Church She directed her heart to the Lord and in the time of the vngodly she established Religion She put her trust in the Lord and after that wicked and vngodly men had brought vs back into Aegyptian seruitude she deliuered vs from the bondage of the wicked Aegyptians and restored Religion according to the rules of Apostolicall doctrine But because as in the time of Iosias the Priests of Baal so in our times their of-spring the Masse-priests cannot brooke her reformation but looke backe to the abominations of Aegypt and Babylon I haue thought it conuenient not only to declare at large what benefites the people of England now fiue and fortie yeares almost enioyed by her gracious and happie gouernement but also to iustifie the same against the slaunderous calumniations and 〈◊〉 of Robert Parsons her borne subiect but now a renegate Iebusite and professed enemie who in diuers wicked libels and paltrie pamphlets hath endeuoured to obscure her great glorie and to deface her worthie actions Wherein that I may proceed with more perspicuitie I think it fit to reason first
doctrines the precepts of men The Apostle Colos. 2. doth condemne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is voluntarie or new deuised religion or as the old Latine interpreter hath translated that word superstition For so indéede humane 〈◊〉 for the seruice of God without warrant of Gods word are for the most part to be called and estéemed God in expresse tearms refuseth such deuised seruices saying Who hath required these things at your hands But the founders of popish 〈◊〉 as if God had appointed vs 〈◊〉 certaine rule for these matters haue placed the perfection of their religion in voluntarie vowes of 〈◊〉 from mariage of preténded beggerie and of other Monkish and Friarlike obseruances and such like humane traditions Bellarmine de Monachis cap. 2. saith that Monkish religion is a state of men tending to Christian perfection by the vowes of pouertie continencie and obedience But if a man should aske him who taught men to aspire to perfection in this race he will be to seeke for an answer That God requireth or approueth such seruice it will neuer be proued They do also estéeme it a high peece of Gods seruice to keep holidayes in honor of Saints created by the Pope in 〈◊〉 vpon Saints vigils in eating stock-fish coleworts toadestooles and such like toyes in praying vpon beades in often repeating Aue Maria in worshipping of stones bones and rotten ragges they know not of whom in humbling themselues before Angels and Saints and the Sacrament of the altar in saying our Ladies Psalter in ringing bels in going barefoote and woolward and whipping themselues By saying ouer the Rosarie of our Ladie onely they report that diuers 〈◊〉 haue bene wrought Diuers thousands of yeares of indulgences also are graunted to the company of the Rosarie or beades of our Ladie as is recorded in a booke intitled Miracoli della santissima vergine Maria printed at Venice by Bernard Giunti anno 1587. Matters which no man would admit 〈◊〉 fellowes made of wood coleworts and stockfish Secondly they are deceiued in the manner of Gods worship and that in three sorts For first their worship is almost wholy externall 〈◊〉 in outward ceremonies as namely in often rehearsall of Credo or Pater noster or Aue Maria or being present at the Masse albeit they vnderstand nothing or sprinkling themselues with holy water or often crossing themselues or going to Rome or Hierusalem or lighting of candles or ringing knocking or greasing or such like But our Sauiour reprehendeth thē that come neare to God with their lippes and haue their hearts farre from him and sheweth that true worshippers shall worship him in spirit and truth Next they offend grieuously in giuing too great honor to Angels Saints stocks stones and rotten bones Hierome in his Epistle to Riparius teacheth vs otherwise Nos non 〈◊〉 Martyrum reliquias c. We saith he worship not or adore either reliques of Martyrs or Sunne or Moone or Angels or Archangels or Cherubim or Scraphim or any name that is named either in this world or in the world to come lest we should serue the creature rather then-the Creator which is blessed for euer Saint Augustine likewise lib. de ver a relig cap. 55. speaking of Angels Honor amus 〈◊〉 saith he charitate non seruitute nec eis templa construimus We honor them with loue and not with seruice and build no temples vnto them Epiphanius haeres 79. speaking of Angels saith directly that he would not haue Angels worshipped But Papists 〈◊〉 dumbe images pray before them burne incense 〈◊〉 them They teach also that seruice is due to Saints and that we are to giue latriam or diuine honour to the crosse to the crucifixe to the sacrament of the altar and the images of the persons of the holy Trinitie which they indeuour to fashion in wood mettal and colours They offend thirdly in the forme of their prayers which are found in their 〈◊〉 Breuiaries and rituall bookes and which cannot be denied to be both false and 〈◊〉 Gaude Maria virgo say they cunctas haereses sola interemisti in vniuerso mundo that is reioyce virgin Marie thou alone hast killed al haeresies in al the world What then I pray you did Christ in the meane while and what did all other Saints And againe O Maria admitte preces nostras intra 〈◊〉 tuae exauditionis reporta nobis antidotum reconciliationis c. O Marie admit our prayers within the holy place of your hearing and bring vnto vs the triacle of reconciliation And yet they say Saints departed do not sée nor know things below but by seeing them represented in the face of God as it were in a glasse On S. Andre 〈◊〉 day they pray in this 〈◊〉 Sanctifie ô Lord these 〈◊〉 dedicated vnto thee and the blessed 〈◊〉 Saturninus interceding for vs by the selfe same being pleased intend vs by our Lord c. As if the Lords bodie which is the thing meant by those gifts needed sanctification or else as if it were conuenient that God being reconciled to vs by Christ should no otherwise intend our prayers then by the intercession of Saturninus On S. Nicholas his day they say thus Deus qui B. Nicolaum innumeris decorasti miraculis tribue quaesumus vt eius meritis precibus à Gehennae incendijs liberemur That is O God which hast adorned S. Nicholas with innumerable miracles grant we beseech thee that by his merits and prayers we may be deliuered from hell fire Which implyeth that not onely the miracles reported in S. Nicholas his legend are true but also that by his mediation we are deliuered and saued from hell In the Portesse they pray thus Tu per Thomae sanguinem c. That is Thou ô Christ by the bloud of Thomas which for thee he did spend make vs to climbe whither Thomas did ascend And againe Opem nobis ô Thoma porrige c. That is yeeld vs your help ô Thomas gouerne them that stand raise them vp that lie our manners actions and life correct and direct vs into the way of peace Which argueth that Thomas Becket had power not onely to intercede for vs but to gouerne and rule our actions Sixtus the fourth granted great indulgences to those that sayd this prayer Haile Marie full of grace the Lord is with thee 〈◊〉 art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe Iesus Christ and blessed is Anna thy mother of whom thy virgins flesh is proceeded without blot of originall sinne And yet it containeth a plaine corruption of the words of scripture and a contradiction to some of his owne decrees But the greatest fault is this that it is repugnant to plaine words of 〈◊〉 To excuse this great deformitie Robert Parsons 〈◊〉 to bring the best defence he can First saith he let this whipster tell vs where we were taught to say O stocke or O stone help vs. As if it were not absurd to pray before stockes and stones and
to giue dumbe images the same honor that is due to the originals Dr else as if they committed no fault because they say not O stocke or O stone This exception therfore declareth that the moule of this old hacksters cap was blockish and senslesse like as if it were made of stone Secondly he saith that S. Bafil homil 20. in 40. martyres prayeth to the same martyrs that Nazianzen in laudem Cypriani martyris maketh his prayer to the said Cyprian and in his oration in praise of Athanasius to Athanasius in his oration in praise of Basil to S. Basil that Chrysostome prayed to S. Peter in a certaine sermon of Peters chaine and that S. Ambrose called on the same Apostle comment in cap. 22. Luc. and S. Ierome on S. Paula in epitaph Paulae And that S. 〈◊〉 prayed to S. Cyprian and other Saints lib. 7. de baptis contr Donatist cap. 1. But first there is an infinit difference between the words of the Fathers and the blasphemous formes of popish prayers They by a figure called Prosopopoeia did speake to saints as 〈◊〉 do to heauen or earth or cities or other things that heare nothing These pray to them as if they heard them saw them and could helpe them Secondly neither Ambrose prayeth to Peter nor Augustine to Cyprian and other saints in the places mentioned Thirdly neither can he proue that the sermon made vpon the adoration of S. Peters chaine is authentical nor that the oratiōs of Basil Nazianzene and other fathers are cleere of all corruptions which differ so much in diuers editions Finally we liue by lawes and not by the examples of three or foure fathers disagreeing from the rest if so be it were granted that they called vpon saints Thirdly he alleageth that in the first prayer to Thomas Becket there is no more blasphemy contained then when the holy prophets did mention the name faith and merits of Abraham Isac and Iacob and other their holy fathers But what if the holy Prophets do not mention the merites of Abraham Isac and Iacob but rather desire God to remember his promise made vnto them Doth it not appeare that in speaking of holy Prophets he lyeth most shamefully and like a false prophet and teacher Againe he sheweth himselfe both shamelesse and senselesse that perceiueth no difference betwéene the Papists that pray they may attaine heauen by the bloud of Thomas Becket and the Prophets that neuer prayed in that fashion nor hoped to attaine heauen by the bloud of any but of the immaculate Lambe Christ Iesus Finally he answereth That where Thomas Becket is prayed vnto to lend his hand for our helpe it is meant he shal do it by his prayer and intercession But this answer is as foolish as the prayer is blasphemous For there is great difference betweene the word helpe and this prayer Be a meanes that we may be holpen Againe albeit the meaning of the word were so yet it is a ridiculous thing to pray to any to gouerne direct and helpe vs that cannot gouerne direct nor helpe vs and farre from the meaning of Papists who in their Legends tell vs that Saints haue appeared holpen and healed such as haue called vpon them This excuse therefore will by no meanes reléeue the aduersaries whose prayers in their Missals and other rituall bookes are repugnant to Christian religion and the formes and practise of the auncient Church Finally they erred in the obiect of their worship adoring creatures in stead of the Creator or at the least aduancing creatures vnto honor not due vnto them The law expresly forbiddeth vs to worship strange Gods or to haue them But the Papists do worship the Sacrament newly made by the priest and call it their Lord and God which is a very strange God and neuer knowne to Christians for a god Neither can they pretend that they giue honor to the Sacrament as to the bodie of our 〈◊〉 while he liued vpon earth For this honor was due by reason of the hypostaticall vnion of the two natures in one Christ. But there is no personall vnion betwixt Christ and the sacrament That they call the Sacrament their Lord and their Maker it is apparent by the common spéech vsed by the Papistes Further in the canon of the Masse the priest looking vpon the Sacrament saith Domine non sum dignus Lord I am not worthie Innocentius lib. 4. de'Missa cap. 19. speaking of Transsubstantiatiō by the priests words saith that so daily a creature is made the Creator Ita ergo quotidiè creatura fit Creator The author of the booke called Stella Clericorum saith that the priest is the creator of his Creator Sacerdos saith he est creator sui Creatoris Qui creauit vos dedit creare se. Qui creauit vos absque vobis creatur à vobis mediantibus vobis The like words are found in the worthy book called Sermones discipuli ser. 111. Secondly the law forbiddeth vs to make any similitude or image of things in heauen earth or vnder the earth to bow downe to it or to worship it But they make the images of God the Father and the holy Ghost and the crucifix bow downe to them and worship them and that according to the doctrine of Thomas Aquinas with the same worship that is due vnto God They do also make the images of Angels and Saints burne incense vnto them pray before them and kisse them Thirdly they confesse their sins to Angels and Saints saying Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti beatae Mariae semper virgini c. that is I confesse to God Almightie to the blessed and alwayes a virgin Mary to S. Michael the Archangell to S. Iohn Baptist and as it followeth in the common confessiō But if they did not beléeue that Angels and Saints can forgiue sinnes they would not so pray vnto them Fourthly they make their vowes to saints as appeareth by the common formes of vowes of such as enter into Religion Bellarmine also lib. 3. de cult sanctor c. 9. confesseth that vowes may be well made to saints But the scriptures teach vs that this is an honor due vnto God Pay thy vows to the most high saith the prophet Psalm 50. and Deuter. 23. when thou shalt vow a vow to the Lord thy God Finally they pray to the crosse saying 〈◊〉 pijs iustitiam 〈◊〉 dona veniam that is increase iustice in the godly and graunt pardon to sinners as if a stocke could encrease iustice or pardon sinners We are therefore herein to acknowledge Gods fauour and continually to praise him for his goodnes who gaue vs such a Queen as with al her heart sought to pul downe the altars and groues of Baal to root out idolatry and superstition and to restore Gods true worship In the beginning of her reigne the holy scriptures were restored to the people in their mother tongue and Gods true worship established in the Church according to that rule God was serued in spirit and truth
and the seruice of the Church brought back to the auncient forme of Christs primitiue Church CHAP. V. Of the translations of Scriptures into vulgar tongues and reading them publikely in tongues vnderstood HE that doth euill hateth the light No maruel then if the Pope his crue of Masse-priests shun the scriptures their workes and doctrine being euill and the scriptures being compared to light Psalm 119. and to a candle shining in a darke place 2. Pet. 1. they would if they durst plainely prohibite scriptures as appéereth by the practise of the begging Fryers in the time of William de sanct amore who hauing brought all their fancies and traditions into one volume and calling the same the eternal Gospel preached that the Gospel of Christ should cease and that their eternal Gospel should be preached and receiued to the end of the world The Pope also could hardly be enduced to condemne this blasphemous booke of the Fryers In the end I confesse he was forced for shame to abolish it yet he conceiued infinite displeasure against the Doctors of Paris and fauored the Fryers as much as he could And now albeit he hath not simply prohibited the translation of scriptures and reading them in vulgar tongues yet he hath so limited the same as in effect they are as good as prohibited For first he will not permit that scriptures translated into vulgar tongues shall be read publikely in the Church as both the Trent conuenticle and the practise of the Romish Church declareth Secondly Pope Pius the fourth doth simply forbid all translations of scriptures into vulgar tongues such onely except as are made by his adherents and followers which are not onely false and absurd in diuers points but also corrupted with diuers false and wicked annotations as the Rhemish annotations vpon the new testament being examined do manifestly declare Thirdly we do not find that the Papists are hastie in setting forth translations of scriptures in vulgar tongues nor can I learne that the Bible is 〈◊〉 translated into the Spanish Italian and Dutch tongue by them Fourthly they will haue no Booke-sellers sel Bibles though translated into vulgar tongues by them selues without leaue Fiftly they wil not permit any man to read Bibles so translated by 〈◊〉 without leaue Sixtly they graunt leaue to none to reade scriptures in vulgar tongues albeit allowed by themselues but to such onely as they suppose to be resolued or rather drowned in the dregges of Popish errors and to lay men seldome or neuer do they grant the same I do not beleeue that Robert Parsons albeit well acquainted in Spaine and Italie can name a doosen lay men of either nation that haue licence to reade Scriptures in vulgar tongues or that had licence in England in Quéene Maries time to reade Scriptures translated into their mother tongue If he know any suth he may do well to name them If he name them not his silence wil bréed suspition if it be not taken for a plaine confession Finally if any among the Papists be taken with other translations then such as themselues allow or not hauing himselfe obtained licence according to the foresaid rule he is presently taken for suspect of heresie and seuerely punished if he acquite not himselfe the better So we sée that among them it is lawfull to reade all prophane bookes if they fall not within the compasse of their prohibition and to tumble ouer the lying legends of Saints and the fabulous booke of Conformities of Saint Francis with Christ and that without leaue But Scriptures translated into vulgar tongues no man may reade without leaue Now how centrarie this course is to the word of God to the practise of Gods Church and to all reason we may easily perceiue by these particulars God would haue the words of the law not onely a continuall subiect of our talke and meditations but also to be written at the entrances and doores of our houses Our Sauiour Christ preaching to the Jewes willed them to search the Scriptures But how can this be done if Scriptures be not translated into tongs which we vnderstand and if no man may reade them without leaue In the primitiue Church they were publikely read in the Syrian Egyptian Punicke other vulgar tongues By the testimonie of Bede hist. Angl. lib. 1. it appeareth they were translated into the British tongue and into other vulgar tongues the mysteries of religion being made common to diuers nations by the meditation of Scriptures Irenaeus speaking of all the Scriptures saith They may be heard alike of all Hierome in an 〈◊〉 to Laeta and in another to Celantia exhorteth them to reade Scriptures But how can they be heard alike if they may not be translated nor read publikely in vulgar 〈◊〉 And why should it be more lawfull for Laeta and Celantia to reade Scriptures then for other men and women In his Commentaries likewise vpon the 86. Psalme he saith that Scriptures are read to all that all may vnderstand Scriptura populis 〈◊〉 legitur vt omnes intelligant But how can the common people vnderstand a strange toung Chrysostome homil 9. in Epist ad Coloss. teacheth that the Apostle commandeth lay men to reade scriptures and that with great diligence The Apostle teacheth vs that the word of God is the sword of the spirit And before I haue shewed that it is light Our Sauiour saith that the word of God is food to our soule Basil. homil 29. saith That the old and new Testament are the treasure of the Church Vetus nouum Testamentum saith he the saurus Ecclesiae In his Commentaries vpon the first Psalme he sheweth that the holy Scriptures are a storehouse for all 〈◊〉 for mans soule Chrysostome Homil. in Psalm 147. saith the Scriptures are our armes and munitions in the spirituall warfare which we haue against the diuell Arma comeatus eius belli quod est inter nos diabolum 〈◊〉 Scripturarum auditio Doth it not then appeare that the Papists are enemies to Christians and séeke to murther their soules that by all meanes séeke to expose them naked vnto their enemies weapons and wold willingly depriue them of medicines munitions armes and foode and leaue them in darknesse without the comfort of Scriptures For how can they vse Scriptures that vnderstand them not And how can they vnderstand them when they are read in toungs vnknowne And how can they come to reade them when there are so many difficulties in obtaining licence to haue them Séeing then at her Maiesties first entrance into her gouernement we were fréed from the thraldome and flauery of Antichrist and had the Scriptures in a tongue vnderstood restored vnto vs and read publikely and priuatel y without limitation or danger we are to accompt the same as a singular benefit bestowed vpon the people of England For what can be deemed more beneficiall then for the hungrie to obtaine food for naked souldiers to obtaine armes and prouisions for
they imposed extraordinarie subsidies as oft as themselues listed The English did make a grieuous complaint against the Popes court in a certaine Synode at Lyon in the dayes of Henry the third as Matth. of Paris testifieth The 〈◊〉 man affirmeth that the Romish Court did swallow vp like a gulfe euery mans reuenues and tooke almost all that Bishops or Abbots possessed Quae curia saith he instar barathri potestatem habet consuetudinem omnium reditus absorbendi imò ferè omnia quaecunque Episcopi possident Abbates Bonner in his Preface before Stephen Gardiners booke de vera obedientia speaking of the spoile made in England by the Pope saith it did almost amount to as much as the kings reuenues Prouentus regios ferè aequabat saith he In Fraunce king Lewis the ninth complaineth that his kingdome was miserably brought to pouertie by the Popes exactions and therefore he expresly forbiddeth them Exactiones saith he onera grauissima pecuniarum per Curiam Rom. Ecclesiae regni nostri impositas vel imposita quibus regnum nostrum miserabiliter depauperatum existit siue etiam imponendas vel imponenda leuari aut colligi nullatenus volumus In Spaine euery one of any qualitie is inforced to pay for two ordinarie pardons whereof the one is for the dead the other for the liuing Beside this the Pope vpon diuers occasions sendeth cruciataes and general pardons by which he procureth great commoditie Iosephus Angles in 4. sent cap. de 〈◊〉 signifieth that the king sometime payeth an hundred thousand duckats for one pardon and afterward remburseth himselfe playing the Popes broker Adde then vnto this reckening whatsoeuer the Pope getteth out of Spaine by dispensations licences priuiledges contributions and other trickes and the summe of his collections will appeare a very great matter The Germaines in their complaints exhibited to the Popes Legate affirme that the burthens laid on them by the 〈◊〉 Church were most vrgent intolerable and not to be borne Vrgentissima at que intolerabilia penitusque non ferenda onera Generally all Christians complains of them Matth. Paris in Hen. 3. speaking of the times of Gregory the 9. and of the couetousnesse of the Romish Church saith That like an impudent and common whore she was exposed and set to sale to al men accounting vsury for a litle fault symony for none Permittente vel procurante Papa 〈◊〉 adeo inualuit Ecclesiae Romanae insatiabilis 〈◊〉 as confundens fas nefasque quod deposito rubore velut meretrix vulgaris effrons omnibus venalis exposita vsuram pro paruo symoniam pro 〈◊〉 inconuenienti reputauit Theodoric à Niem nemor vnion tract 6. ca. 37. speaking of the Popes Exchequer sayth It is like a sea into the which all flouds run and yet it floweth not ouer He sayth further that his officers do scourge poore Christians like Turkes or Tartarians Ipse Romanus pontifex saith Ioannes Sarisburiensis lib. 6. Polycrat cap. 24. omnibus ferè est intolerabilis Laetatur spolijs Ecclesiarum quaestum omnem reputat pietatem prouinciarum diripit spolia ac si the sauros Croesi studeat reparare The Pope to all men is almost become intolerable he delighteth in the spoyles of the Church he esteemeth gaine to be godlinesse he spoyleth countries as if he meant to repaire Croesus his treasures Ioannes Andre as in 6. de elect elect potest c. fundamenta in Glossa saith that Rome was built by robbers and yet retaineth a tack of her first originall Baptista of Mantua sheweth that in Rome Churches priests altars and al 〈◊〉 of Religion are sold. And yet he forgot to tell of the great reuenue the Pope getteth by common whores It is shame to consider how many benefices the Pope bestoweth on one man Quae vtique abominaetio saith Gerson tractat de statu Ecclesiae quod vnus ducenta alius trecenta beneficia occupat What an abominatiō is this that one should possesse 200. another 300. benefices We may imagine what spoiles are committed in other things when the Pope selleth so many 〈◊〉 to one and one man spoyleth so many Churches Therefore saith the Bishop of Chems oner eccles cap. 19. that as in the Romaine Empire so in the Church of Rome there is a gulfe of riches and that couetousnes is encreased and the law perished from the priest and seeing frō the Prophet Heu saith he sicut olim in Rom. Imperio sic hodie in Romana curia est vorago diuitiarum turpissima Creuit auaritia perijt lex à sacerdote visio à Propheta Petrarch calleth Rome couetous Babylon L'auara Babylonia ha colmo il sacco de l'ira de Dio. And this is the common crie of all men that are subiect to the synagogue of Romes tyrannie Is it not then a great fauor of God that by the gouernment of Quéene Elizabeth we were so happily deliuered from the Popes manifold exactions against which so many haue complained and exclaimed and yet neuer could find conuenient remedie Is it not an ease to be deliuered from intolerable burthens and a great contentment to be fréed from such vniust pillages Robert Parsons Encont 1. cap. 11. would gladly haue the world to say no as hauing some share in the spoile and like a begging Fryer liuing on the labors of others But his exceptions are such as may greatly confirme our yea First he saith There hath not bene so many exactions in time past as since the yeare 1530. and for proofe he referreth vs vnto the exchequer bookes But both his exceptions and his proofes 〈◊〉 ridiculous For albeit much hath bene paid to the king yet it doth not therefore follow that we are to pay much to the Pope Againe it is ridiculous to séeke proofes of the Popes exactions in the Exchequer bookes being so many that they can hardly be registred in any bookes Beside this it is false that the people of England hath paid more to the King then to the Pope as may appeare by the conference of particulars But suppose we should pay more to the king then to the pope yet these two contributions are euill compared together For to the king we owe dutie and tribute to the Pope we owe nothing but many bitter execrations for all our charges and troubles For his malice is the root of all our troubles and the cause of all our payments He saith further that notwithstanding the exactions of the Pope the Clergie in time past did farre excell our Clergie in ease and wealth But that is no great commendation if ours excell them in vertue and pietie Beside that Matthew of Paris in Henry the third doth in diuers places expresse the miserable estate of the prelacie in those times by reason of the Popes gréedinesse As for the common sort of priests that liued vpon sale of Masses and the begging Fryers that liued vpō almes Robert Parsons hath 〈◊〉 reason to extol thē for wealth lesse certes for other
qualities But were our Clergy burthened more thē in times past yet hath this louzie companion no reason at all to mention the same séeing the blame ariseth from y e Sodomitical priesthood of the popish synagogue that in king Henry the eight his dayes sold and intangled their liuings and haue since bene occasion of many troubles which without charge could not be ouerpassed He saith our Clergie may sing Beati pauperes spiritu and so might 〈◊〉 Romish Clergie too if they were Christians Robert Parsons certes himselfe abusing this place to sport as the Pope abuseth scriptures to profite sheweth himselfe to be an Atheist and talking of his Clergie he proueth himself a sot For in the world there is not a more beggerly I might also say bougerly Clergie then in Italy especially those which liue vpon the sound of bels by their rustie voices as Grashoppers liue vpon dew and sing swéetly oft times when they haue little to eate saue sallades and pottage of coleworts and such like suppes and Italian Minestraes Afterward turning his spéech from others he runneth very rudely vpon me and giueth out that I haue complained secretly of heauy payments to prince and patron But either he lyeth wilfully and wittingly against all truth and reason or els some secret lying companion hath gulled him Certes if he knew my estate and how willing I haue bene and am to 〈◊〉 more then ordinarie for resistance both of common enemies and such Caniball traitors as himselfe he would not impute this vnto me Let him therefore bring forth the man that told him this 〈◊〉 or else he must be charged with 〈◊〉 the lie himselfe Finally he endeuoreth to excuse Innocentius the fourth and to lay the fault of the extreame exactions of his time rather vpon his collectors and officers then vpon the Pope himselfe He pretendeth also that Innocentius required a collection in a generall Councell But who is so simple to thinke that the whole state would complaine of the court and Pope of Rome if the fault were onely in a few vsurers and caterpilling collectors Againe why should Matth. Paris so often complaine of this and other Popes for their couetousnesse if the fault were onely in the collectors and why why did not the Pope sometime punish his collectors abusing their commission Thirdly it appeareth that this cogging pope abused the world pretending the recouery of the holy land gathering great summes of money vnder that pretence where it appeareth by the historie of Matthew Paris and others that he spent the money in 〈◊〉 to enrich his 〈◊〉 and bastards and employed the aduenturers that crossed themselues for the holy land against the Emperor and other Christian states Finally it is a méere abuse to call a rabble of idle 〈◊〉 and busie Fryers and swinish Masse-priestes combined with Antichrist a generall Councel or to say that the Pope euer meant to recouer the holy land or to enlarge Christian Religion seeing by his aspires and contentions the Turkes haue enlarged and Christians haue lost their Empire being abandoned ost times and betrayed by the Pope CHAP. IX Of the deliuerance of the Realme and Church of England from the yoke of the Popes lawes and vniust censures ALbeit the Cardinals of Rome and the priests of Baal and their adherents do not willingly complaine of the Pope being diuers of them his creatures and the rest his sworne 〈◊〉 and marked slaues yet such is the grieuance and wrong that many haue sustained by his 〈◊〉 and censures that diuers of them haue bene forced to open their mouths and to talke against their holy Father 〈◊〉 de Alliaco in his Treatise de reformat 〈◊〉 saith that the multitude of statutes canons and decretals especially those that bind to 〈◊〉 sinne are grieuous and burdensome Budaeus in his annotations vpon the Pandects saith that the Popes lawes serue not so well for correcting of manners as making of money His words are these Sanctiones pontificiae non moribus regendis vsui sunt sed propemodum dixerim argentariae faciendae authoritatem videntur accommodare In France as Duarenus saith it was wont to be a common prouerbe that all things went euill since the decrées had ales adioyned to them that is since the decretals were published Malè cum rebus humanis actum dicebant ex 〈◊〉 decretis alae accesserunt The Princes of Germanie complaine that the rules of the Popes Chancerie were nothing but snares laid to bring benefices to the Popes collation and deuised for matter of gaine They say also that the Popes constitutions were nothing but clogges for mens consciences Neither may we thinke but that they had great reason thus to speake considering both the iniquitie of most of these constitutions and the strictnesse of the obligation by which men are bound to obserue them For what reason haue they either to prohibite mariage to any order or state of men not prohibited by the law of God to marrie or else to restraine the libertie 〈◊〉 by the lawe of God or to forbid flesh egges or milke vpon certain daies Againe why haue they brought in not onely their carnall presence of Christs bodie in the Sacrament transsubstantiation the idolatreus sacrifice of the Masse but their purgatorie their indulgences and infinite such trash Why haue they abrogated Christs institution in the celebration of the Lords supper not onely taking away the 〈◊〉 from the communicants but making a priuate action of that which should be a communion Is not this as much as the Pharistes did that transgressed Gods commaundement for their owne tradition And do not the Papists 〈◊〉 that vnwritten traditions should be receiued with equall affection to the holy Scriptures Againe what reason haue they to curse and anathematise nay to put to cruell death such as obey not their ordinances and vniust decrees S. Iames saith We haue but one Law-giuer that is able to saue and destroy And no where do we reade that the Church of Christ did persecute Christians and put them death for matters of their conscience and religion much lesse for matter of ceremonies or such obseruances Neither can the aduersarie shew that bishops excommunicated Christians that would not rebell and take armes against their Liege Soueraignes Which of vs saith Optatus lib. 2. contra Parmenian did persecute any man The Apostle he commaundeth euery soule to be subiect to higher powers and not to rebell Now vntolerable then are the Romish decretals and rescripts that not onely bind mens consciences in things frée otherwise but also in things that may not be done without impietie Likewise haue diuers complained of the abuse of popish excommunications That which our Sauior Christ saith If he heare not the Church let him be to thee as a heathen man or Publican that the popish faction translateth to the ridiculous censure of the Pope And therefore excommunicateth al that place not the Churches vnwritten traditions in equall rancke with diuine
Scriptures or that beleeue not that Christians can performe the lawe perfectly and are iustified before God by the workes of the law or that hold not the doctrine of the 〈◊〉 Church concerning their seuen Sacraments or that do not worship Images or that receiue not their doctrine of indulgences and purgatorie and all the herestes and abhominations of the Pope or that submit not themselues to his tyrannie or that refuse to pay his annates or taxes or whatsoeuer he and his suppostes require Nay they excommunicate the subiects that rebell not against their lawfull Kings After that Pius the fifth that wicked and cruell hypocrite had commanded that neither the Lords nor people of England should obey 〈◊〉 Elizabeths commandements or lawes it followeth Qui secus egerint eos anathematis sententia innodamus That is Those which shall do otherwise we pronounce accursed or anathema Neither did the Pope onely in time past thunder out 〈◊〉 curses but also gaue 〈◊〉 to euery base companion and for euery small trifling cause 〈◊〉 inflict most grieuous censures Petrus de Alliaco speaking of the Pope and his excommunications complaineth that he gaue leaue to his Collectors to thunder out excommunications to the offence of many and that other Prelates for debts and light causes did cruelly excommunicate poore men Saepè saith he per suos Collectores in multorum scandalum fulminauit aly Praelatileuiter pro leuibus causis vt pro debitis huiusmodi pauperes excommunicatione crudeliter percutiunt The Germaines complaine that many Christians were excommunicated at Rome for prophane causes and for gaine to the trouble of diuers mens consciences Romae say they caeterisque in locis per Archiepiscopos ac Episcopos aut saltem eorum ecclesiasticos iudices multi Christianorum ob causas prophanas ob pecuniae denique ac turpis quaestus amorem excommunicantur multorumque sedeorum in fide infirmorum conscientiae per hoc aggrauantur in desperationem pertrahuntur Scotus in 4. sent dist 19. complaineth that the Church did too often strike with this sword and Petrus de Alliaeco saith that by this abuse the sword of the Church was in his time growne into great contempt Of late time the Popes of Rome haue excommunicated Emperours and kings if they would not depart with their townes countries and crownes and yéeld to their legats what they demaunded How intolerable this abuse was we may perceiue if we consider the heauinesse of this censure being rightly inflicted by the true Church Our Sauicur sheweth that the partie excommunicate is to be holden for a heathen man and a Publican Tertullian Apolo 39. doth call it the highest fore-iudgement of the future iudgement Summum futuri 〈◊〉 praeiudicium Cyprian doth esteeme them as killed with the spirituall sword Superbi contumaces saith he spirituali gladio necantur dum de Ecclesia eijciuntur Commonly excommunication is called Anathema and Chrysostome homil 70. ad populum Antioch calleth it the bond of the Church We are therefore no lesse to be thankfull for our deliuerance from the Popes vniust lawes then the auncient Christians for their exemption from the yoke of the Pharisies and from humane traditions from which by the preaching of the Gospell they were freed Neither may we think it a simple fauour that we are made to vnderstand that the crackes of the Popes thundring 〈◊〉 are no more to be feared then the ratling of Salmoneus that impious fellow that with certaine engines went about to counterfeit the noise of thunder We knew alwaies that a man vniustly excommunicated and by a Judge vnlawfull was no way preiudiced Origen in Leuit. 〈◊〉 48. speaking of a person excommunicate saith that he is not hurt at all being by wrongfull iudgement expelled out of the congregation Nihil laeditur in eo quod non recto iudicio ab hominibus videtur expulsus And the aduersaries confesse that excommunication pronounced vniustly and by him that is not our Iudge bindeth not C. nullus 9. q. 2. and C. nullus primus 9. q. 3. and C. sententia 11. q. 3. But few vnderstood the iniustice and nullitie of the Popes lawes and that he neither was nor is a competent iudge vntill such time as by true preaching of the Gospell which by Queene Elizabeth was restored vnto vs the man of sinne beganne to be reuealed CHAP. X. Of our deliuerance from heresie schisme superstition and Idolatrie These things therefore considered it cannot be denied but that her Maiesties godly 〈◊〉 brought great profite to the Church of England Yet if we please to looke backe to the heresies of the Papists and to remember how they liued in heresie schisine superstition and idolatry we shall the rather praise God for that great deliuerance of his Church which he wrought by the meanes of our late Quéene For heresie and false doctrine is the 〈◊〉 and canker of the Church The Apostle Paul If an Angel from heauen should teach vs any other Gospel or doctrine beside that whith himselfe had taught the Galathians doth pronounce him accursed S. Iohn in his second Epistle forbiddeth vs to receiue into our houses or to salute such as bring not his doctrine Heresie schisme and idolatrie are reckoned among the workes of the flesh the workers whereof shall not inherit the kingdome of God Flie saith Ignatius those that cause heresie and schisme as the principall cause of mischiefe Quod maius potest esse delictū saith Cyprian lib. 2. Epist. 11. aut quae macula deformior quà m aduersus Christum stetisse quà m Ecclesiam eius quà m ille sanguine suo parauit dissipasse What offence can be greater or what blot more vgly then to haue stood against Christ then to haue scattered his church which he hath purchased with his blood Those which do perseuere in discord of schisme saith S. Augustine lib. 1. de bapt contra Donatist c. 15. do pertaine to the lot of Ismael Superstition is the corruption of true Religion and although coloured with a shew of wisedom yet is condemned by the Apostle Col. 2. Lactantius speaking of the superstition of the Gentiles doth call it An incurable madnesse Dementiam incurabilem and afterward vanitic Iustine in ser. exhort ad Gentes sayth that idolatry is not only iniurious vnto God but also voide of reason Principale crimen generis humani saith Tertullian summus seculireatus tota causa iudicij idololatria That is Idolatrie is the principall crime of mankind the chiefe guiltines of the world and the whole cause of iudgement No maruell then if Iohn the Apostle exhort all men To keepe themselues from idols this sinne being direct against the honor of God and nothing else but spirituall fornication Let vs therfore see whether the Papists may not be touched with the aforesaid crimes of teaching hereticall and false doctrine and of long continuance in schisme superstition and idolatry That the Papists teach
England and Ireland burning so bright by the solicitation of Paul the third Pius the fifth Gregorie thirtéenth and fourteenth and this Clement that now possesseth the throne of Antichrist do so plainely declare them to be firebrands of warre and trouble Well therefore said Petrarke that in Rome all those mischiefes were hatched that are now spread through the world and neuer shall Christian Princes haue loyall subiects as long as seditious Masse-priests are suffered to lurk within their kingdomes In countries subiect to y t Pope they count it a little fault to murder mē now frō thence are come certaine assassins which for hire and by perswasions are induced to kill men There also impoysonments are most common The Popes themselues vse to drinke of poysoned cups and that by the iust iudgement of God séeing by the cup of their poysoned doctrine according to the prophecy Apoc. 17. they haue empoysoned many Christian nations To conclude this large discourse there is no state of men vnder the Popes iurisdiction but it is growne to great dissolution and corruption of manners and may be conuinced of diuers sinnes and abominations by infinite witnesses and confessions if we would stand vpon it but I will content my selfe with two or three Breidenbach in the historie of his peregrination speaketh generally and sayth Recessit lex à sacerdotibus c. that is the law is departed from priests iustice from princes counsell from elders good dealing from the people loue from parents reuerence from subiects charitie from prelates religion from Monkes honestie from yong men discipline from clerkes learning from masters study from schollers equitie from Iudges concord from citizens feare from seruants good fellowship from husbandmen truth from merchants valor from Noblemen chastitie from virgins humility from widowes loue from maried folks patience from poore men O time ô manners And Walter Mapes that liued in the time of Henry the second King of England Virtutes cunctae saith he en iacent defunctae All vertues lie now dead Charitie is no where to be found And againe In truth I find that the whole Cleargy doth studie wickednesse and impietie enuie raigneth truth is exiled The prelates are Lucifers heires They being now aduanced tread downe others blinde guides they are and blinded with idolatrie of earthly things Robert Bishop of Aquila in his Sermons of which Sixtus Senensis maketh mention in the third booke of his Biblioth sanct speaketh thus to his countrie of Italie O Italia plange ô Italia time ô Italia caue ne propter obstinationem tuam in te desaeuiat ira Dei c. Tu in dies 〈◊〉 efficeris in peccatis malitia perseuerando Fiunt iam 〈◊〉 vsur ae publicae omnia foedata sunt spurcissimis vitijs carnis ignominiosae Sodomiae superbia pomparum iam occupauit omnes ciuitates terras 〈◊〉 Dei periuria mendacia iniustitiae violentiae oppressiones pauperum similia superabundant O Italie saith he lament ô Italie feare ô Italie beware lest for thy obstinacie the wrath of God waxe not cruell against thee c. Thou euery day art more and more hardened perseuering in thy sinnes and maliciousnesse Euery where men set vp bankes of vsurie all things are defiled with most foule vices of the flesh and most shamefull sodomie Pride in pompous shewes haue now filled cities and countries blasphemies against God periuries lies iniustice violence orpression of the poore and such like vices do superabound I would further insist vpon this argument but that I referre diuers matters ouer to the second booke where I shall haue occasion more particularly to examine the good workes of Papists But the Church of England neither alloweth publike shewes nor bankes of vsurie nor dispenseth with oathes of subiects to Princes or alloweth periurie nor shall Robert Parsons find such filthines and abhominations among the professors of our religion as are commonly practised by y t Popes Cardinals Masse-priests Monkes Friars and Nuns and their followers All corruptions in doctrine concerning good workes are reformed and diuers abuses concerning manners among the Papists taken away The which séeing it procéeded wholly of that reformation of religion which Quéen Elizabeth of pious memorie wrought by her regall authoritie among vs we are most gratefully to accept that worke and by exercises of 〈◊〉 and charity to indeuour to shew our selues not vnworthie either of our profession or of so great a blessing Against this discourse Robert Parsons talketh very scornfully and saith first that the experience of the whole world will deny that good workes are fruites of our religion But if he had bene well aduised he would haue forborne to talke of experience For whosoeuer hath liued among those that are of our religion and among Papists also must néedes say that the liues of Romanists are abhominable offending in whosedome Sodomie periurie vsurie and all impieties and discharge vs deterring and abhorring those vices and punishing them seuerely Beside that if he meant to winne credit he would not talke of the whole world being not able to name one honest man that will iustifie that which he talketh Secondly he saith our best friends renounce our workes And then alleageth an Epistle of Erasmus mentioned by Surius a Postil of Luther and a testimonie out of Aurifaber But first Erasmus is none of our best friends being in most points an 〈◊〉 and a professed Masse-priest And if he were our friend yet haue we no reason to beléeue Surius a malicious enemie and a base Monke hired to speake lyes Secondly it is a ridiculous foolerie where we dispute of the fruites of the Gospell in England in Queene Elizabeths dayes to bring testimonies of Luther and Aurifaber that were dead before her time and speake of some of their countrie people Thirdly they speake not of the whole 〈◊〉 Church in Germanie but rather of some that albeit they disliked Poperie yet did not sincerely embrace the truth Finally neither Luther nor Aurifaber doth charge his countrie people with such faults as raigne among Papists He must therfore seek some witnesses that speake more to purpose and leaue his owne treasons filthinesse periurie lying gluttonie and drunkennesse before he talke of good workes Finally he pratleth much concerning the merit of workes But if he had bene vsed according to his merits then had the crowes long ere this eaten his carion flesh He 〈◊〉 also that we should giue a caueat to auoide hypocriticall oftentation albeit any man shold do good works But this caueat concerneth him but a litle whose workes are most wicked and odious his writings being nothing but either lying and rayling libels or fond and trifling discourses of points of Poperie and his practises tending all to murdering empoysoning sedition warre and 〈◊〉 CHAP. XII Of temporall benefites enioyed by Queene Elizabeths most happie gouernment BEside great successe in affaires of the Church God hath also blessed the people of England in ciuil matters in regard that his name is truly
vaine opposition of enemies and traitors may perswade vs that it is so For not onely their 〈◊〉 do 〈◊〉 that both the Church and State was well ordered for otherwise they would haue bene better pleased but also their vaine ianglings and contradictions they being not able to obiect any thing which soundeth not to her Maiesties honour and high commendations confirme the same CHAP. XIII Parsons his cursed talke of cursings of England by chaunge of Religion and gouernment under Queene Elizabeth examined THe Prophet Dauid speaking of the foolish and wicked men of his time saith that their throate is an open sepulchre and afterward that their mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse The which we sée verified in the Pope and his impious sect For their throates are wide as the 〈◊〉 and swallow the wealth of Europe They also degorge out of them all the wickednesse and villanie they can deuise against the godly Pius Quintus and 〈◊〉 Quintus accurse the Quéene Robert Parsons following their 〈◊〉 raileth vpon her in diuers libels In his Warn-word that is a complement of his foolery he sayth We receiued no blessings by her but rather cursings Here therefore we are to answer the barking of this cursed hel-hound and of his accursed companions In the first encounter of his Wardword p. 4. he 〈◊〉 We are deuided from the general body of catholickes in Christendome But this should haue bene proued if he would haue any man to giue him credit For we alleage that the Papists from whom we are deuided are no Catholikes beleeuing the new doctrines of the late conuenticles of Lateran Constance Florence Trent other Friers priests which neither were receiued of all men nor in all times nor in all places which is the true propertie of Catholicke doctrine Next we offer to proue that we are true Catholikes séeing the doctrine of our faith is Apostolicall and vniuersally approued of all true Christians and for the most part confessed by the Papists vntil of late time If then this be a principall curse to be deuided from Catholickes then doth the same fall on Parsons his own head and vpon his trecherous consorts and not vpon vs. Secondly he saith that we of England are deuided from Lutherans Zuinglians and Caluinists abroad and from Puritanes Brownists and other like good fellowes at home But this common Iergon of Papists is already answered For neither do we acknowledge the names of Lutherans Zuinglians and Caluinists nor cau he shew that the Church of England is deuided from the Churches of France Germanie or Suizzerland or that one Church oppugneth another If any priuate man do maintaine priuat opinions in 〈◊〉 as diuers Germaines French and English do or else if there be any difference among vs concerning ceremonies and 〈◊〉 that doth no more make a schisme in our church 〈◊〉 the diuers rites of Spanish French and Italians and diuers opinions in al points of religion betwéen old and new Romish Doctors maketh a schisine in the Romish Church For generally we all agree in substance of faith in rites ceremonies refer euery Church to their libertie In England publikely there is more vniformitie in doctrine prayers ceremonies then in the Romish Church albeit some priuat men whom Parsons vseth to call Puritanes dissent in some points As among the Papists there are diuers that allow not all which they hold commonly But saith he in his Warne-word Encont 1. c. 15. the French Germaines and Scottish do not agrée with the English in the rule of faith as is proued in the foure fiue and sixe and sequent chapters But if he had found any differences he would not haue spared to set them down In the chapters mentioned he sheweth not that we differ in any article of faith or substantiall point of religion but rather in rites ceremonies and some diuers interpretations of some words of Scripture Thirdly he would make his reader beléeue that we haue no certaintie in religion and that as he foole-wisely imagineth because we haue no certaine rule whereby to direct our consciences And this he handleth both in his Wardword 1. Encontr and Warnw. 1. enc c. 15. 16. and other places skipping like an ape vp an downe without rule order or reason But while he talketh of the rule of faith he is direct contrary to himselfe For in his Wardw. p. 6. he sayth that the vniuersal Church was the direct rule and squire which we ought to follow and in the Warnw. Enc. 1. c. 15. nu 10. he teacheth that it is the summe and corpes of Christian doctrine deliuered at the beginning by the miracles and preachings of the Apostles Where I omit to tell Robert Parsons that it is absurd to make the same thing to be a rule and a squire the rule being direct and the squire being square It is also ridiculous though I do not tell him of it to say that Christs doctrine was deliuered by miracles for it was deliuered by writing and preaching and confirmed by miracles But I cannot for beare to tell him that there is great 〈◊〉 betwéene the Catholike Church and the Catholike doctrine How then can these two make one rule Next he taketh exception to my words where I say that the Church of England hath a certaine rule to follow in matters of faith as if she canon of scriptures and those conclusions which are to be drawne out of them were no certaine rule or else as if traditions that are no where certainly described or set downe were a more certaine and authenticall rule then scriptures and necessary deductions out of them Fourthly he giueth out that we despaire of all certaine rule or meane to trie the truth which is a most desperate and impudent kind of dealing For directly I told him before and now I tell him againe that our rule is most certaine being nothing else but the canonicall Scriptures and the conclusions necessary drawne out of them Nay this rule may in part be confirmed by Parsons his owne confession For if the corps of Christian doctrine preached by the Apostles be the rule of faith as he saith VVarnw 1. encont c. 15. where are we to find it but in holy Scriptures He holdeth percase that it is to be found in the Popes bosome But if he say so in schooles he shal not want a greater plaudit then he had when hauing ended his comicall dealings in Bayliol colledge he was rung and hissed out of the house For who knoweth not that scabs and villany are rather to be found in the Popes bosome then any corpes of 〈◊〉 doctrine for that is very rife with them With the corpes of Apostolicall doctrine the Italian atheisticall Popes are litle acquainted We tel him further y e for trial of any point of doctrine we are not to run to the Popes sea which is as much able to resolue vs as his close stoole but to the word of God reuealed in Scriptures and if
Stand fast saith the Apostle in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free and be not intangled againe with the yoke of bondage And Tully would haue men contend for libertie vnto the death The poore slaue in Plautus could say that all men had rather be free then bond Omnes profectò saith he liberi libentiùs sumus quà m seruimus Yet such is the ouerthwart humour of some men that rather then they will continue long in one and the selfe same setled state will not doubt to hazard their life and libertie vpon hope of better happe in a new gouernment The children of Israel had not long continued in the wildernesse after their wonderfull deliuerance out of Aegypt but they began to murmure vpon the first pinch of hunger And all the congregation of the sonnes of Israel saith the Scripture murmured against Moyses and Aaron in the wildernes and the sonnes of Israel said vnto them would to God we had died by the hand of God in the land of Aegypt So much it grieued them to remember their bellies which were wont to be filled in Aegypt not remembring the slauerie wherein they once liued nor the land whereto they were going So likewise some there are among vs that not knowing or not remembring the grieuances of the popish gouernment nor wel considering their present freedome and happie state looke backe to Rome and the Popes golden promises and rather will venture their soules and bodies then still enioy that libertie and freedome which they haue receiued from their auncestors Of this sort are first a sort of rinegued English fugitiues that runne to the Pope and Spaniard and are by them perswaded to become sacrificing Priests and traitors and secondly such as are seduced by them all of them drinking of the golden cuppe of the whoore of Babylon and as if they had drunke of Circes cuppe from men being transformed into beasts and brutish Papistes Wherefore to reclaime these haggard English if it be possible and to stay the stirring humours of others as I haue in the former Treatise recounted diuers excellent graces bestowed vpon our countrie and nation by meanes of the pious and prosperous gouernment of our late Queene that broke down the altars of Baal and established Christs true religion among vs so now in the Discourse ensuing I purpose by Gods grace to enter into a due consideration of the calamities and miseries wherto our natiō was subiect during the raign of Queene Marie and whereto all Papists liuing vnder the Popes iurisdiction are ordinarily subiect Wherein that I may proceede more perspicuously first I will speak of matters of the Church and then of matters of ciuill pollicie and that first as they concerne the King and next as they concerne his people Now because Robert Parsons according to his best skill indeuoureth to aduance popish gouernment I haue thought it not amisse now and then as the course of my Discourse carieth me to enterlace his idle arguments and to refute them Not that I suppose any man of reason will giue credit to such a lying companion that shutting his eyes against light commaundeth his tongue to walke and talke against all truth but that by his trifling obiections you may perceiue our plaine dealing and his parasiticall and palpable glosing I may well say of this wicked Atheists wranglings as Origen sayd of Celsus in his discourse against Christian Religion Non est periculum vt eis subuertatur vllus fidelium Absit enim vt inueniatur aliquis in charitate Dei quae est per Christum Iesum tam frigidus vt Celsi verbis aut similium dimoueatur à proposito There is no danger least any faithfull man be ouerthrowne by them God forbid that any should be so cold in the loue of God which is through Christ Iesus that he should be disturned from his godly purpose by Parsons his wrangling Wardwords and Warne-words or by such friuolous deuises of any of his consorts But as the Apostle sayth All haue not faith And many want both the loue of God and the loue they ought to beare to their Prince and countrey Against these I dispute and for those I labour that persist in their first loue Marke therefore I pray you the ignorance of Papists in matters of Religion the falshood and absurdities of their doctrine the burthensome and grieuous tyrannie of the Pope and then iudge without partialitie whether the same be not like the captiuitie of Babylon and darknesse of Aegypt out of which all true Christians ought to desire to be deliuered God graunt all men grace to see it and auoyde it CHAP. I. Of the ignorance both of the Clergie and Laitie of England in matters of Religion in Q. Maries time and generally of Masse-priests and their followers at all times and in all places BEfore I enter to discourse of Religion first I am to shew the misery of Papists that for the most part liued in time past and yet liue without the knowledge of Religion Nay diuers of the Masse-priests and common people were ignorant and deuoyd of all good learning and knowledge The ignorance of priests and people in the dayes of Iohn Peccham Archbishop of Canter bury may appeare in that he beginneth his prouinciall constitution with ignorantia 〈◊〉 and teacheth them the articles of the Créed and how to handle the sacrament of the altar shewing them that the wine giuen to the communicants in lesser churches was not consecrate and that they were not too much to break the sacrament with their teeth percase for hurtiing of it but to sup it vp Instruant eosdem saith he c. altissimus constit de sum trinit sumptum ore sacramentum non nimis dentibus comminuere sed tritum modicè sorbere perfectè O miserable men that were taught to sup the sacrament like an oyster And why might they not aswell be taught to eate wine as to sup bread The same man in the chapter Ignorantia sacerdotum de officio Archipresbyteri thinketh it sufficient for priests to teach by themselues or by others and that once euery quarter the articles of the Creed the ten commaundements the two commaundements of the Gospell for this fellow scarce beléeued that the ioue of God or his neighbor was commaunded in the morall law the seuen workes of mercie the seuen deadly sinnes the seuen principall vertues and seuen sacraments And what was this quarter teaching for sooth nothing else but the construing or expounding of these things in English as the text saith Absque cuiuslibet subtilitatis textura fantastica without any fantasticall patcherie of scholasticall subtilties For that ordinarily these fellowes were wont to talke of logicall and philosophicall questions tending rather to the subuersion then the edification of the hearers Now what learning I pray you was required to turne the Créed and ten commaundements into English Bishop Walter also in his prouinciall constitutions teacheth his priests what to beléeue
their knowledge A poore countrie man of ours beleeued y e S. Tinnoc of Portle mouth in Deuon was a good guardian of shéepe and therefore offered euery yeare a fléece On a time passing ouer the water at Salcomb with his offering and being in danger vowed if he escaped to offer his horse which he did and the Saint with good glée and a becke accepted him But not being able well to returne on foote he prayed he might buy his horse of the Saint The priest was the broker and made the bargaine but it was so hard that the poore man said he was a good kéeper of sheepe but a cut throate Saint to deale with all in buying and selling Commonly they neither vnderstood what they prayed nor what was said in the Church neither do they now vnderstand much more albeit the Priests in their new and 〈◊〉 Catechismes endeuour to teach them somewhat If men will not beléeue experience yet let them reade what Friars themselues in their Sermons and what others say in their writings Vincentius in his treatise De fine mundi speaking of the people of his time saith Praedicationes non audiunt articulos fidei nesciunt They heare not sermons they know not the articles of the faith Robertus Gallus in his 32. vision saith that all children except a few shall depart from their fathers leauing the examples and admonitions of their elders and that worldly minds shall remaine vnder counterfeit religion Apostatabunt filij omnes exceptis paucis à patribus suis 〈◊〉 vitas monita maiorum suorum sub palliata religione seculares animi permanebunt Brigit in her reuelations saith That the works and words of Christ were so neglected that few thought of them or remembred them Opera verba Christi sunt adeò neglecta vt iam pauci ea recolant Hosius disputing against Brentius telleth vs of a Coliar that could answer nothing of his faith but that he beléeued as the Church beléeued We may therefore assure our selues that the apostacie spoken of by the Apostle 1. Tim. 4. is plainely séene in the Romish church and that the smoke that ascended out of the bottomelesse pit like the smoke of a fornace and darkened the Sunne and the ayre as we may reade Apocalypse 9. was nothing else but the errors and ignorance of Papists that couered Christian religion and obscured the face of the Church Of this defection and darknesse Robertus Gallus doth speake in his visions ca. 3. shewing that the church should be ouerwhelmed with this darknesse and that the same should arise out of the Church Egressa est saith he caligo illa ab Ecclesia Sol saith another qui est spiritualis potentatus factus est niger quia non serenum coelum sed tetrum infernum aperit Proptereà peruersu◠Pontifex nuncupatur Angelus abyssi The Sunne which is the spirituall power was made blacke because he the Pope openeth not the cleare heauen but blacke hell Therefore a peruerse Pope is called the Angell of the bottomlesse pit And againe the seate of the beast that is the malignant Church is in the court of Rome whose kingdome is darke Francis Petrarch in his seuentéenth Epistle describing the court of Rome Nullaibi lux saith he nullus dux nullus index anfractuum sed caligo vndique vbique confusio ne parum vera sit Babylon ac perplexitas mira vtque Lucani verbis vtar nox ingens scelerum tenebrosa inquam aeterna nox expers syderum aurorae nescia tum profunda iugis actuum opacitas There is no light there no guide no leader in turnings but darknesse round about and confusion euery where lest it should not seeme to be true Babylon wonderfull perplexitie and to vse Lucans words a great night of abhominable sins I say a darke and continuall night without star-light or glimmering of morning twilight and a deepe and continuall obscuritie of mens actions Most miserable therefore and calamitous is the state of the Papists For if eternall life consist in the knowledge of God and Christ Iesus as himselfe teacheth vs Ioh. 17. what hope can they haue that are ignorant of God and godlinesse of Christ and Christs true religion If they liue in darknesse and without light that want the light of Gods word then is the darknesse of poperie great where publike prayers and Scriptures read publikely are kept vnder the couer of strange tongues as a candle vnder a bushell If the people of God were led away captiue for that they wanted knowledge as it is Isa. 5. what possibilitie haue the Papists to frée themselues from the captiuity of the diuell and Antichrist that are ignorant of religion and led by the noses by impostors and false teachers suborned by Antichrist Finally if the people perish where there is no prophecying as we reade Prouerb 29. then are the Papists in a most fearefull and damnable state among whom the word of God is not sincerely preached and to whom wicked Masse-priests and Friars for the word of God preach humane deuises and lyes The very heathen vnderstood that the knowledge of God was the beginning the cause and rule of humane happinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Pythagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If then they vnderstand not their miserie that want the knowledge of God they are more ignorant and lesse excusable then heathen people Against this assertion I doubt not but Robert Parsons will take exception who in his Wardw. pag. 12. stormeth when he heareth vs but once to mention the ignorance of Quèene Maries times But the matter is too manifest for him to face out with bigge words He telleth vs of Tonstal Watson Christophorson Fecknam Gardiner and White But neither was the learning of these men extraordinarie as some of their doings yet extant declare nor was their learning great in the true knowledge of diuinity Nor was this a good consequence these men were learned therfore the people were also learned For these men seldome preached and but to few and to very litle edification He addeth therefore in the Warn-word 〈◊〉 Encountr cap. 6. that the learning and skill of Doctors and teachers maketh the people intelligent and skilfull But that is 〈◊〉 they teach and instruct the people which these did not There also he 〈◊〉 vs 〈◊〉 in other countries the common people yea children and babes are able to answer in Christian religion But first this concerneth times past nothing And next this fashion of 〈◊〉 is but in few places exercised and by the Iebusitos in imitation of true teachers For so the diuels ministers imitate Christs Apostles Thirdly the Catechisme of Papists is nothing but the Creede the Pater noster the Law and seuen Sacraments as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his doctrine in his Italian Catechisme and of Aue Maria and other deuises as other Catechismes shew Fourthly there is much mixture of ceremonies and false doctrine Finally the
delights of the flesh Aluarus Pelagius lib. 2. de planctu Eccles. art 16. speaking of Cardinals saith That in riches they are increased but much diminished in pietie Aucta est possessio diminuta religio The Prelates Monkes Friars and Nunnes follow the steppes of their leaders Aluarus Pelagius hauing reckened vp many faults of popish Bishops knowne to the world as admitting men vnworthie vsing negligence in their calling wanting knowledge and such like he saith they offend priuily yet so as it may be easily seene in vncleannesse of life simonie fraud pride couetousnesse and that they are not ashamed Nay he saith they haue a whores forchead and declare their sinnes like Sodome In occulto peccant per suas immunditias Simoniacas pactiones fraudes superbias inuidias auaritias quae tamen à plerisque sciuntur Nullam habent verecundiam aliqui ex eis sednec de eis in quibus publicè delinquunt Imò in peccatis gloriari videntur vndè frons meretricis facta est eis Nec de peccatis erubescunt peccatum suum sicut Sodoma praedicauerunt The militarie orders of Knights professing religion as he saith tread their obseruances vnder foot with their fleshly liuing and serue the flesh rather then Christ Iesus Monkes degenerate from their auncestors conspire wander contend liue dissolutely Priests liue in continently giue themselues to witchcraft intangle themselues in worldly affaires Contra sanctam castitatem quam Domino promiserunt saith he sic offendunt continuè etiam publicè praeter ea nefandissima quae in occulto perpetrant quod nec chartae reciperent nec calamus possit exarare No bookes saith he can containe nor pen describe the vnspeakeable abhominations which they commit Speaking of lawyers souldiers merchants husbandmen men and women he doth recken vp such impieties blasphemies witcheries filthinesse and abhominations fraudes oppressions and other faults that it séemeth impossible among the Gentils and Turkes to find worse men With him Brigit also concurreth charging the Gouernors of the Church with thrée notorious vices that is whoredome auarice and prodigalitie Tria facinora exercent Ecclesiae prouisores saith Brigit in carne vitam meretricalem habent Secundò sunt insatiabiles similes voragini maris ad cupiditatem pecuniae Tertiò bona irrationabiliter prodigaliter sicut torrens impetu suo aquam fundens pro superbia largiuntur She saith also that as they ride great horses so the diuell rideth them striking their brests with his heeles Supra colla Praelatorum qui pro vana gloria magnos equos ascendunt sedent Diaboli suis calcibus pectora corum impellunt Catherine of Siena cap. 125. saith that religious men pretend Angels life but for the most part are worse then diuels Religiosi collocati sunt in religione velut Angeli sed quamplurimi sunt daemonibus deteriores And againe religious men are made the diuels instruments corrupting religion within themselues and among their brethren and without among lay men Of lay men Brigit giueth no more commendation then of the rest Lay men saith she in Baptisme and other Sacraments promise to serue God but now they are departed from God as if they were ignorant of him The word of God they mocke and Gods workes account as vanitie they say Gods commaundements are too grieuous they breake their word and their oathes they haue left God and ioyned them selues to the diuell they seeke their owne things and not those which are Gods Laicus dedit fidem in baptismate ac in susceptione aliorum Sacramentorum promisit se Deo seruiturum nunc autem discessit à Deo quasi ignorans Deum verba sacra habet pro ludibrio opera diuina pro vanitate mandata Dei ait sibi nimis grauia factus est fidei promissi iuramenti violator derelinquit Deū associauit se diabolo propriam laudem quaerit quae sua non quae Dei sunt Mantuan speaking of Masse-priests sayth that shepheards hate their flocks and care not to feed them but to sheare them and mocke them being so spoyled Pastores odere pecus nec pascere curant sed tondere greges pecorique illudere tonso And in his third booke of Calamities he saith they are filthy incestuous and hated of God Inuisi superis foedaque libidine olentes Heu frustra incestis iterant sacra orgia dextris Religious men also as he saith haue wooluish hearts and are defiled with great crimes Ouium molli sub vellere fraudes sayth he Mente lycaonias seruant crimine sordent Palingenius telleth vs that if we meane to kéep our houses vndefiled we must auoid Monks Friers and al maner of Masse priests he saith that there is no greater plague that they are the scumme of the people a fountain of foolery a sink of sin wolues clothed in lambes skins seruing God for hire and not for religion that they deceiue simple men vnder a false colour of religion and vnder the shadow of religiō commit an infinit number of wicked acts and villanies Finally that they are robbers adulterers bougrers and slaues of gluttony and luxuriousnesse Sed 〈◊〉 saith he praecipuè non intret limina quisquam Frater vel monachus vel quauis lege sacerdos Hos fuge Pestis enim nulla immanior Hi sunt Faex hominum fons stultitiae sentina malorum Agnorum sub pelle lupi mercede colentes Non pietate Deum falsa sub imagine recti Decipiunt stolidos ac relligionis in 〈◊〉 Mille actus vetitos mille 〈◊〉 condunt Raptores moechi puerorum corruptores Luxuriae atque gulae famuli And this may be verified by the filthy liues of the 〈◊〉 in England which enter into no house but leaue a filthy sauor of their villanie behind them neither sparing the good wife nor the good mans daughters nor the seruants of the house as partly the diuers confessions of the priests themselues of parties abused and partly the depositions of witnesses and records do proue of which I wold set down some here but that I would not blemish any that is repentant nor touch 〈◊〉 reputatiō of any simple Papist but where I am vrged The same man doth say further that al is ful of errors fooleries and flagitious crimes Hinc tanta errorum scabies saith he tot stultitiarum Colluuies hinc tot millia flagi iorum But if Papists do so many good workes as Parsons pretendeth let vs sée what they are and in what places they are done First workes of true and sincere religion they care not for The Popes giue ouer teaching and busie them selues not much with praying Nay they persecute such as professe religion and will not suffer the vulgar sort to vnderstand what they pray commaunding them to pray publikely in tongues not vnderstood Pontifices nunc bella iuuant saith Palingenius sunt cetera nugae Nec praecepta patrum nec Christi dogmata
curant Prelates now delight in warre other things they esteeme as toyes they neither regard the precepts of their fathers nor Christs Religion Iustice is slowly administred among them for the Pope easily dispenseth with the breach of all Ecclesiasticall laws and giueth absolution for most hainous sinnes before and sometime without all satisfaction Vrspergensis speaking of the dayes of Innocent the third Exaltatum est cornu saith he iniquitatis The horne of iniquitie is exalted He sheweth also that then iustice was sold for money In time past saith Brigit iustice dwelt in Rome and 〈◊〉 princes were studious of peace but now all is turned into drosse and her princes are murtherers Neither do they so many almes déedes or deale so bountifully that they nééd much to brag of their liberalitie Petrarch doth call 〈◊〉 couetous Babylon and sayth that couetousnesse raigneth there Multo aequanimius ferunt millium animarum iacturam saith Clemangis quam decem solidorum They had rather lose ten thousand soules then ten shillings But percase by reason of their solemne vowes they are chast and continent Alas there is nothing more sensual and luxurious Quis non moechaturê saith Palingenius speaking of the Romish vnchast 〈◊〉 that is Who doth not offend in luxuriousnesse Huldricus doth shew that this forswearing of mariage is cause of great vncleanenesse Pelagius lib. 2. de planct Eccles. art 27. saith that by reason of priests vowes and licenciousnesse almost halfe the people in Spaine are bastards Speaking of priests Nimis incontinenter viaunt saith he atque vtinam nunquam continentiam promisissent maximè Hispani regnicolae in quibus prouincijs in pauco maiori numero sunt filij laicorum quà m clericorum This I cite at large for the honor of bastard Parsons that is so well affected to some old bastard Spaniards Truth is no friend to such lying companions VVhat truth can be there saith Petrarch where all is so ful of lyes He excepteth not the secret places of Churches the seates of iustice nor the Popes throne Quis vsquam saith he vero locus vbi omnia mendacijs plena sunt For their fraud and lies 〈◊〉 calleth priests and Friers impostors and crafty foxes Hos impostores igitur vulpesque dolosas Pelle procul Neither can we commend them much for their clemency albeit their Popes sometimes affect the name and title of Clement For they prosecute their enemies as cruelly as euer did tyrants as Platina saith in Sergio 3. they torment poore simple Christians that touch their abuses and massacre them They are red with the blood of saints Finally neither vertue nor pietie sheweth it selfe in any of their actions What are then the good works that our aduersaries so much commend in them selues Forsooth pilgrimages to Rome oblations to saints almes giuen to sturdie Friers Monks building of Seminaries for rebellious youths eating of fish and to adstooles and muscles on fasting dayes vowing of virginitie and 〈◊〉 life whipping a mans selfe doing penance by a Proctor praying to Saints hearing of Masses and such like Nay they accompt it meritorious to massacre Christian Princes and others when the Pope doth excommunicate them But part of these workes are flagitious part 〈◊〉 none good If then they alleage vs not their good workes and proue them their glory and boasting of their workes will proue vaine and odious Finally they must shew vs where these workes are done for which the Papists looke to merit eternall life and by which they claime iustification If they say at Rome as no doubt they will calling the same the holy citie then we shall wonder at their impudencie For that citie both in regard of Priests and people of all others is knowne to be most flagitious Peters pallace saith Mantuan is polluted and rotten with luxuriousnesse Petrique domus polluta fluenti Marcescit luxu And againe Sanctus ager scurris venerabilis ara Cynaedis Seruit venerandae diuum Ganymedibus aedes The same man lib. 4. fastorum telleth Leo the tenth that he was to reforme thrée things first the bloudie broiles of Italie secondly the poyson of the court of Rome that infected all countries and thirdly the abuses of religion that was much oppressed The manners of Italie Robert Bishop of Aquila rehearseth The sinnes of Rome are noted by Petrarch in his Sonnets beginning Fiamma dal cielo and L'auara Babylonia and Fontana di dolore where he 〈◊〉 that she deserueth to be consumed with fire from heauen for her notorious wickednesse Palingenius bringeth in the diuell affirming that both the men and women of Rome were his for that all did apply themselues to luxuriousnesse gluttonie theft and fraud contending who should excell others Cuncti 〈◊〉 saith he atque 〈◊〉 furtisque dolisque Certatimincumbunt noster que est sexus vterque If then pure religion is to visite the fatherles and widowes in their aduersitie and to liue an vnspotted life in this world as Iames the Apostle teacheth then is not Popish religion true nor vndefiled If such as do the workes of the 〈◊〉 described Galat. 5. shall not inherite the kingdome of God then is the state of Papists most miserable vnlesse they repent They may say to themselues Peace peace and boast themselues that they can do mischiefe But there is no peace to the wicked neither shall their mischienous malice and bloudie massacres alwaies escape vnpunished CHAP. III. Of the erronious and absurd doctrine of Papists concerning the foundations of Christian Religion WHetched is the state of those that liue in 〈◊〉 and ignorance and without the knowledge of religion and vertue Ignorantia magnum malum and as Tully saith nescire turpe It is a shame not to know But not to know God nor his lawes is both shamefull and 〈◊〉 Qui ignorat ignor abitur saith the Apostle that is God will not know him that is ignorant of God Yet farre worse it is to do maliciously and wickedly then onely to liue in ignorance and blindnesse But worst of all it is to hold obstinately dangerous and false opinions contrarie to the faith of Christ. If then beside their ignorance and leudnes the Papists hold diuers erronious and false opinions concerning religion then cannot their estate be otherwise then miserable Let vs therefore sée what they hold both concerning the foundations and also concerning diuers necessarie points of religion The Papists giue out that the Pope is the foundation and the rocke vpon which the Church is built Bellarmine lib. 2. de pontif Rom. cap. 31. talking of the Popes titles saith that he is called a foundation and that he is fundamentum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the foundation of the building of the Church In his Preface before his bookes de Pontif. Rom. speaking of these words of Isay Ecce 〈◊〉 in fundamentis Sion lapidem lapidem probatum angularem saith that these words not vnfitly may be applyed to the Pope as if he were that corner
stone that is placed in the foundations of Sion Stapleton like wise in his Preface before the 〈◊〉 of his doctrinall principles affirmeth desperately that God speaketh in the Pope and that the foundation of Christian religion is necessarily placed in his authoritie teaching vs. It was much to say that he was any way the foundation of religion But to make him a necessarie foundation was a greater presumption then I find in his fellows His words are these In hac docentis hominis authoritate in qua Deum loquentem audimus religionis nostrae cognoscendae fundamentum necessariò poni cernimus Neither can any of them well deny but that the Pope is the rocks vpon which the Church is built and against which the gates of hell cannot preuaile séeing generally they proue the Popes authoritie out of Christs words to Peter Mat. 16. For if these words be not meant of the Pope but of Christ whom Peter confessed then are they fondly alleaged for iustification of the Popes authoritie In summe all their practise sheweth that the Pope to them is summa summarum and the corner stone and chiefe foundation of the popish Church For alleage Scriptures they quarrell about the interpretation and admit no sence but that which the Pope alloweth although his glosses and interpretations be neuer so contrarie to the text Againe alleage Councels they enquire if the Pope haue allowed them Alleage Fathers speaking against the Pope they reiect them But alleage the Popes determination there they stop like restie iades and will not be 〈◊〉 further So the Pope and his resolutions are the foundations nay they are all in all with Papists But this is not onely contrarie to the words of Scripture Isay 8. and 28. Mat. 16. and 1. Cor. 3. and Ephes. 2. where Christ is made the corner stone and sole foundation of the Church but also contrarie to all Fathers and good interpreters of Scriptures The same is also most absurd and contrarie to reason For first if the Pope were the foundation of the Church then should there be as many foundations as Popes Secondly the Church should be built vpon foundations diuers from Christ. Thirdly the foundations of the Church should differ one from another one Pope contradicting and crossing another Fourthly the Popes being sometimes reprobates and damned hell should preuaile against the foundation of the Church which is most absurd Fiftly the Church during the vacation should be without foundatiō and a woman being Pope the Church should be built vpon a woman Finally the Church should be built vpon men subiect to infirmities errors and mutations and not vpon Christ Iesus the vnmoueable rocke The Conuenticle of Trent talking of the bookes of the old and new Testament and of traditions as well concerning faith as manners doth receiue both with equall affection and reuerence as it were either deliuered vnto vs either by the mouth of Christ or by the holy Ghost and kept by continual succession in the Catholike church Omnes libros tam veteris quà m nouitestamenti 〈◊〉 vnus Deus sit author nec non traditiones 〈◊〉 tum ad 〈◊〉 tum ad mores pertìnentes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à Christo 〈◊〉 à Spiritu Sancto dictà tas 〈◊〉 successione in Ecclesia 〈◊〉 conseruatus pari pietatis 〈◊〉 ac reuerentia 〈◊〉 ac veneratur Those likewise among the Papists that procéede Doctors or take any degrée in schooles do professe that they most firmely admit and embrace the traditions of the Apostles and the Church and other ecclesiasticall obscruances and constitutions Apostolicas ecclesiasticas traditiones reliquasque eiusdem Ecclesie obseruationes constitutiones firmissimè admitto saith euery one of them Bellarmine lib. 4. de verbo Dei cap. 1. beginning to 〈◊〉 of traditions hitherto saith he we haue disputed of the written word of God now we will begin to speake briefly of the word of God not written accompting traditions to be the word of God as well as holy scriptures Aliud hodie religionis Christiane fundament 〈◊〉 saith Stapleton habemus non quidem à Christo aliud sed ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euangelicis Apostolicis aliud That is we haue now another foundation of Christian religion not diuers from Christ but diuers from the Euangelicall and Apostolical scriptures So either he excludeth scriptures from being the ground of Christian religion or else maketh vnwritten traditions equall vnto them Afterward in his Analysis prefixed before his Doctrinall principles deliuering to his disciples the grounds of Christian religion he vouchsafeth the scriptures no place among them But 〈◊〉 if 〈◊〉 the books of the old testament they vnderstand all the bookes contained in the old latine vulgar translation of the Bible then they admit the third and fourth bookes of Esdras and all additions to the originall text to be canoniall scriptures which 〈◊〉 their owne decrées concerning the canon of Scriptures Secondly it is absurd to make vnwritten traditions equall with the holy Scriptures For these are certainly knowne to procéed from God But of vnwritten traditions the aduersaries can bring no proofe but from men Now who is so presumptuous as to match the 〈◊〉 of men with the word of God Augustine in his 48 〈◊〉 to Vincentius speaking of the fathers writings saith they are to be distinguished from the authoritie of the canon And in his eight epistle which is to 〈◊〉 he saith that vnto the Scriptures alone this prerogatiue is to be giuen that none of them containeth any errors All other authors he wold haue censured and examined by them being not 〈◊〉 from errours The holy Scriptures are alwayes consonant and agréeable to themselues But traditions do not onely contradict one another but also are repugnant to holy Scriptures Polycrates as Eusebius lib. 5. Eccles. hist. c. 23. reyorteth maintained the obseruance of the feast of Easter according to the practise of the Churches of Asia to be according to the Apostles traditions Victor and the Church of Rome thought contrary Some maintained the fast vpon the Sabbath others denied it and both held by tradition Siue hodiè Christus natus est c. whether Christ was borne or baptized as this day saith 〈◊〉 serm de nat to 3. there is a diuers opinion in the world and according to the diuersitie of traditions there are diuers iudgements The Romanists do found their communion vnder one kind and their Masses without communion and the externall propitiatory sacrifice of the Masse and the hanging vp the Sacrament in the Pixe and the diuine adoration giuen to it vpon tradition But all these obseruations are impious and contrary to Scriptures Some traditions are now abolished as the prohibition of Saterdayes fast the rite of standing when we pray betweene Easter and Whitsontide the formes of prayer in old time vsed in celebration of the sacrament of the Lords supper and diuers others whereof some are mentioned by Basil lib. de Spir. san c. 27. Bellarmine also lib. 4. de verbo
opinion haue the force and place of a foundation saith he And afterward he declareth that those whom the Pope sendeth are sent by Christ and the men which he meaneth But if this be the foundation of their religion then is the same built vpon old wiues fables 〈◊〉 traditions lying legends philosophicall subtilties scholasticall disputes popish Decretals humane inuentions and such like principles For of thē consisteth y e greatest part of these fellowes sermons as both experience diuers Friars idle Homilies which euery man may sée do plainely testifie Furthermore if these be the foundations of popish Religion then is the same built vpon man and not vpon God vpon humane deuises and not vpon the 〈◊〉 word of God vpon sand and not vpon a rocke Such also as these foundations are such is the building that is weake false and erronious such is the Romish religion which the Pope and his adherents by force of armes treasons murthers empoysonments lyes 〈◊〉 flatterie and all meanes possible would thrust vpon vs and such are the conclusions that are built on these foundations Finally seeing no man can be saued that buildeth his 〈◊〉 vpon men vpon vnwritten traditions vpon vncertaine grounds and lying reports let the Papists consider with themselues in what miserable state they stand and returne to the true faith in time lest like the foolish man in the Gospell they build their house on sand and be ouerwhelmed with the fall thereof CHAP. IIII. Of diuers other blasphemous ridiculous and absurd points of popish Religion TRue Religion is most true venerable and respectiue of Gods true seruice If then popish Religion containe any vntrue or ridiculous vaine and blasphemous doctrine then is it not true or Apostolicall or Christian nor can it stand with Christian Religion séeing no man can serue God and Baal nor Dagon could stand before the arke of God But notorious it is that popish Religion containeth many blasphemous ridiculous and absurd points First concerning the flesh of our Lord and Sauior Christ Jesus they teach falsly and blasphemously and say that a mouse or dog or hog may eate the body of Christ. Nay they are not ashamed to affirme that his most holy body may be cast out vpon a dunghill or into any vncleane place Prima opinio saith Alexander Hales part 4. sum q. 53. m. 2. quae dicit quod corpus Christi defertur quocunque species deferunt vt in ventrem canis vel suis vel in alia lo ca immunda videtur vera And again p. 4. sum q. 45. m. 1. si canis aut porcus deglutiat hostiam consecratam non video quare corpus Christi non simul traijceretur in ventrem canis vel porci If a dog or hog should swallow a consecrate host saith he I see no reason why the body of Christ should not withall passe into the belly of a dog or hog Thomas Aquinas likewise although made a saint by the Pope yet shameth not to hold this prophane and vnholy opinion part 〈◊〉 q. 80. art 3. And in his comment in 4. sent dist 9. q. 2. The same is also stiffely maintained by Brulifer in 4. sent dist 13. quest 5. And this is the common opinion of schoolemen That the priest is able to make his Creator they make no question Bonner counted this among the prerogatiues of priesthood in his absurd spéech which he made in the Conuocation house in the beginning of Quéene Maries reigne And Innocentius in the mysteries of the Masse lib. 4. cap. 19. holdeth the same very confidently Panis in Christum transubstantiatur saith he it a in creatorem Sic ergo 〈◊〉 quotidiè fit creator Bread is transubstantiate into Christ and so into the creator and therfore a creature euery day is a creator The like sayings are to be found in the booke called Stella clericorum and diuers other authors Neither do these men doubt but that the communicants do eate their Maker But this is most absurd and 〈◊〉 to the Turkes and heathen that Christians should be sayd to eate vp their God and for this cause Auerroes said that of all other Religions that of the Papists was most ridiculous It is absurd also to say that man can make God or the creature his Creator They affirme also that Christ at his last supper did truly and really eate vp his owne body whole and entire As if Christ had come into the world not onely to be eaten carnally of others but also to deuoure and eate vp himselfe a matter most absurd and clearely repugnant to scriptures fathers and sense For Scriptures and Fathers teach that Christ took bread and called it his body And sense and reason teacheth vs that it is vnnatural for one man to eate vp another and impossible for the same man to eate vp himselfe For then there should be no difference 〈◊〉 the termes of relation and the same man should be the eater and the thing eaten the thing containing and contained and the same person should be a relatiue to himselfe which is against all rules of Logicke sense and common reason While they say that Christians do really and carnally eate Christs flesh and drink his blood they make them Canibals and 〈◊〉 then the barbarous Scythians and Sarmatians that drunke their horses blood For it is more inhumane to drinke mans blood then horses blood and Canibals are nothing else but barbarous eaters of mans flesh Neither can they defend themselues by the words of our Sauior Iohn 6. who sayth vnlesse we eate his flesh and drink his bloud that we cānot haue life in vs. For he addeth that the spirit quickneth and the flesh profiteth nothing condemning the Capernaites that imagined that his flesh was to be torne with téeth and his blood swallowed downe into the belly carnally as the Papists also imagine and reprouing all carnall and literall interpretations of his words Haec inquam omnia carnalia mysticè spiritualiter intèlligenda sunt All these carnall things sayth Chrysostome hom 46. in Ioan. are to be vnderstood mystically and spiritually Likewise Origen in Leuit. 7. sayth that the literall vnderstanding of these words Vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the son of man c. killeth Augustine also teacheth that these words are to be vnderstood sacramentally and that being spiritually vnderstood they quicken But what should I speake of the Fathers of the Church séeing Homer and Virgil talking of Polyphemus do condemne the eating of mans flesh as a thing both barbarous and monstrous Concerning Christ his 〈◊〉 they teach strangely saying that he being borne of the virgin Mary did no otherwise passe out of the womb then as the Sun beames do passe through the substance of the glasse their words are Vt solis radij concretam vitri substantiam penetrant which do plainely ouerthrow the mystery of his natiuity For how was he true man if neuer man passed through his mothers womb as the sun passeth through glasse or how was he
father Murders and violences are rarely punished The taxes customes and payments are so grieuous that notwithstanding all the riches that commeth from the 〈◊〉 nothing can be deuised more bare poore and miserable then the common sort of Spaniards The imposition vpon fish wine oile and silkes which are the principal cōmodities of the country is great and other customes are not easie In the market the tenth 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 commonly for all commodities bought and sold. Wherefore if we respect nothing else but the yoke of the Spanish gouernement we may account our nation in very miserable termes in 〈◊〉 Maries dayes Yet was not that all the mischiefe she brought with her For beside the yoke of Spaniards she put vpon her subiects the yoke of the Popes tyrannie and of his Italians relinquishing the first fruits and tenths of Ecclesiastical liuings to the Pope and making her people subiect to all his extortions and pillages which not onely to this nation but also to all Christians hath alwayes bene very grieuous Matthew Paris speaking onely of one Popes Legate and his rauinous pillages sayth excepting church treasure there remained not so much mony behind as he had caried with him out of England Nec remansit eadem 〈◊〉 vt veraciter dicebatur in Anglia tantum 〈◊〉 exceptis sanctorum vasis ornamentis Ecclesiarum quantum à regno extorserat Anglicano The same man beside all this as the same author testifieth 〈◊〉 thrée hundred benefices at his own and the Popes pleasure Underegnum quasi vinea exposita omni transeunti quam exterminauit aper de sylua miserabiliter languit desolatum Whereupō it fel out saith he that the kingdom did miserably languish being laid desolate made like a vineyard exposed to euery one that passeth by and which the bore of the wood did roote out He that shall reade that storie shall find strange inuentions to extort money from the people and vnderstand that great summes of mony were transported out of England by the Popes agents and countrimen Bonner in his preface before Stephen Gardiners booke De vera obedientia sayth that the Popes prey in England was so great that it amounted to as much almost as the reuenues of the Crowne The English nation complained to the Pope in the synod at Lyon in the dayes of king Henry the third of diuers enormous pillages and exactions made by him and his officers but could find no remedy The Emperour as Mathew Paris testifieth found fault with the King of England for that he suffered his countrey to be impouerished so shamefully by the Pope Imperator reprehendit regem Angliae saith Mathew Paris quod permitteret terram suam tam impudenter per Papam depauperari If we account the tenths first fruites rents comming of dispensations about Ecclesiassicall benefices for mariages and vowes money for licences to 〈◊〉 flesh and white meates to keepe concubines to erect new societies and orders of Friers money for indulgences and pardons canonizations of saints erecting of Churches for rescripts of iustice for absolution from othes for sale of Masses and such like Babylonish merchandize we shall find that the summe doth farre excéed Bonners accompt So iniurious was the Pope in extorting and so patient was this land in bearing all burdens that worthily it deserued to be called the Popes asse Nay such corruption was entred into the Romish church that no act of religion could be executed without paying somewhat At christening they paid a chrisme cloth at 〈◊〉 a herse cloth Neither could any be maried or 〈◊〉 or absolued but some what was paid At Candlemasse they offered candles at another day bread and because bread would not downe without drinke they offered also good ale in some places By these meanes the priests of Baal liued vpon the poore mans labour and got the husbandmans cow the artificers instruments and what euery man had from the owners and pressed the very marrow out of the common peoples bones To all these pillages from which king Henry the eight of famous memorie and his sonne king Edward had fréed vs Quéene Mary did make her people subiect She also put her people vnder the bloodie hands of the butcherly Romish inquisitors Bonner Gardiner Storie and their fellowes which contrary to iustice and all good forme of proceeding caused 〈◊〉 or fiue hundred to be put to most cruell death in a short space and were the occasion of the death of many hundreds more that either for want or by diseases died being 〈◊〉 to leaue their houses and to shift for themselues Some also died in prison before they came to their triall Whosoeuer would not forsake the truth was driuen to forsake his countrey kinred friends and to flie into strange countries for succor So we 〈◊〉 murder tortures banishments bands and persecution of Gods saints were the monuments of her raigne Therefore it pleased God to afflict this countrey with a great penury and dearth the like was not heard of for many yeares before nor since 〈◊〉 histories say that 〈◊〉 was for foure markes the quarter and mault for 44. shillings which considering y t rate of things is twise or thrise so much as that summe amounteth vnto now Hereupon it came to passe that the people were constrained to make bread of acornes that had refused the bread of Gods word and that many died for extreme want and penury and yet was not the country halfe so populous as now Finally to her perpetuall dishonor and the fhame of all Papists she lost Calice Ghines whatsoeuer by the kings of England was left her in France King Edward the third that most victorious prince 〈◊〉 Calice and she like a most disastrous Quéene 〈◊〉 it neither did any thing prosper that 〈◊〉 tooke in hand In the beginning of her raigne she was driuen to 〈◊〉 into Suffolke disguised and had by all likelihood lost both her life crowne and hope if the professors of the Gospell of Norfolke and Suffolke had not resorted vnto her and defended her against those that pursued her for the which she promised them liberally but performed nothing They deliuered her from danger and she eontrary to her promise deliuered them vp to the bloudy executioners to be pursued with fire and fagot She maried with a stranger to the great dislike of all true hearted Englishmen But well was she 〈◊〉 For her husband neuer did well like her and in the end he went from her and did in a manner forsake her Great hope she had to leaue vs a king of her owne body to raigne after her but her expectation was turned into a mockerie and all the Masses said and prayers deuised and offerings to Saints relikes for her safe deliuerie tooke no effect The saying of the Prophet Psal. 〈◊〉 was fulfilled in her She 〈◊〉 griefe and brought foorth iniquitie Concepit dolorem peperit iniquitatem Salomon for that he was a iust Prince had a sonne giuen him to sit
Alberto regi subijcit He did also indeuour to put his sentence in execution and percase had done it but that Philip by the industrie of Sciarra Colonna and Nogaret preuented him and apprehended the furious Pope Ferdinand king of Spaine had no other pretence to inuade the kingdome of Nauarre but onely to execute the sentence of Iulius the second that had excommunicated him for taking part with the French No doubt therefore but one time or other the French king that is the king of Nauarre also will require satisfaction of the Pope and Spaniard that did him this wrong But in the meane while we may sée in this fact of Iulius the arrogance of the Popes that take vpon them to depose kings at their pleasure and to giue away their kingdomes This seditious course of the Pope in sentencing kings was also the sole pretence almost of the Leaguers rebellious stirres against Henry the third in France For when the Iebusites and their faction had declared that the king was iustly deposed then did the rebels take armes against him and ceassed not to pursue him to the death The Spaniards also for the same cause ayded them and concurred with them Likewise the execution of the Popes sentence against Henrie the fourth of France was the cause both of the reuolt of his subiects and of the warres made against him by the prince of Parma and the Spaniards Such a firebrand of warres do we find the Popes sentence to be No sooner was Henry the eight king of England pronounced excommunicate by Paule the third but he sent Cardinall Poole to stirre vp the French King to inuade his kingdome Afterward when he saw that the French could not be stirred to execute his pleasure he caused diuerse rebellions to be raysed against him by the seditious clamours of Masse-priests Monkes and Friars both in York-shire and Lincolne-shire and other parts of England Sanders 〈◊〉 that he commanded the Nobilitie and chiefe men of England by force and armes to oppose themselues against the king and to cast him out of his kingdome Principibus viris ac Ducibus Angliae 〈◊〉 Nobilitati praeeipit vt vi armis se Henrico opponant illumque è regni finibus eijcere nit antur The like course held Pius Quintus that wicked Pope against Quéene Elizabeth of pious memorie for he did not onely declare her depriued of her kingdome but by all meanes sought actually to depriue her of it and that first by dealing with the French and Spanish by force of arms to inuade her realmes and afterward stirring vp and comforting Malcontents and Rebels to set the realme in combustion by ciuill warres Hierome Catena in the discourse of the life of this impious Pius sheweth how he perswaded the Spaniard that he could not otherwise better secure the Low-countries then by ouerthrowing the Queene of England He declareth further how he induced the French to take part against her Likewise did Gregorie the thirtéene send forces into Ireland together with his legate Sanders Sixtus Quintus by all meanes hastened the Spanish fléete that came against England anno 1588. Neither haue they and others ceassed vpon all occasions to séeke her hurt and destruction This therefore is a most cleare case that no Christian king can be in safetie as long as he suffereth Iebusites and Masse-priests to aduance the Popes authoritie and to preach seditiously that the people hath power to put Princes out of their royall seate It is very dangerous also to foster any man within the Realme that beléeueth this seditious doctrine True it is that Papists cast many colours to hide the deformities of this doctrine but these colours are easily washed away as not being able to abide any weather First they alleage that diuerse popish Princes haue enioyed their kingdomes quietly without molestation But we are able to shew more Princes of late time troubled by the Popes practises then they are able to shew to haue liued peaceably by them Furthermore the reason why Popes do not trouble all is because it were not safe for them to fall out with too many at one time and not because their ouer large authoritie is not preiudiciall to all For 〈◊〉 the Pope may depose all kings vpon cause then all kings stand in like danger séeing no man can auoide all causes of quarrell Bellarmine lib. 5. de pontif Rom. cap. 6. saith that the Pope doth practise this power for sauing of soules But experience teacheth vs that through his excommunications and sentences of deposition pronounced against diuers kings he hath ruined kingdomes and brought infinite people to destruction both of bodie and soule Theodoric of Niem speaking of the deposing of the king of Hungarie by Boniface the 9. saith There followed of it great slaughter of innumerable people destruction of churches and houses of religion the burning of cities townes and castles and infinite other mischiefes which follow long warres because kings without the hurt of many cannot be deposed His words are these Vndè clades hominum innumerabilium Ecclesiasticorum piorum locorum Monasteriorum enormis destructio incendia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non infinita alia mala quae guerrae secum producunt diu vigentia 〈◊〉 quia non sine multorum dispendio 〈◊〉 deponuntur Emanuel Sa in his 〈◊〉 for confessaries doth signifie that this doctrine holdeth against tyrants only But what doth this reléeue the Papists when those which fall out with the Pope and yeeld not ê¯to his most vnreasonable requests are presently by Friers and priests proclaimed tyrants The very Papists themselues cannot deny but that Quéene Elizabeth was much renowned for her rare clemencie and that not without cause seeing she spared alwayes those that would not haue spared her if it had lien in their power to haue hurt her and yet they accuse her of tyrannie In the resolution of certaine cases of conscience set out by Allen and Parsons for instruction of English traytors Non gerit se vt Roginam say they sed exercet 〈◊〉 She doth not behaue her selfe as a Queene but doth exercise tyrannie The like words they gaue out against the French king now raigning albeit he hath shewed mercie to many 〈◊〉 none 〈◊〉 Ernest sending away one that vndertooke to kill the Count Maurice amazzate said he quel 〈◊〉 that is kill me that tyrant Others alleage that the Pope procéedeth onely against heretikes and notorious offendors But that is a most notorious and palpable vntruth for no man is more eagerly prosecuted then religious pious and godly Christians as the executions of France and Flanders do shew And if they will not confesse it true in Christians of our time yet can they not deny it in the times of the Emperors Henry the third fourth and fifth of Fredericke the first and second and of Lewis of Bauier who made such confessions of their faith being declared heretickes as the Popes theÌ„selues could not contradict and yet did the
Popes excommunicate them and sought to depose them as heretikes and tyrants Likewise did they prosecute other kings and Emperours albeit consenting with them in matters of faith Henrie the third of France of late was cruelly persecuted and murdred by the popish faction and yet was he very superstitiously addicted to popish religion Suppose then that the Pope would 〈◊〉 against none but heretickes and tyrants yet it is an easie matter and very vsual for him to picke quarels and to impute heresie and tyranny and great crimes to most innocent men Finally they may say that the Pope is alwayes assisted by Gods holy spirit and cannot erre in his sentences of excommunication and deposing of Princes especially for matters of religion But this allegation is most brutish ridiculous and refuted by euident experience and most euident proofes that teach vs that he is rather led by the spirit of Sathan who was a murtherer from the beginning and is the author of rebellions and troubles then by the spirit of God that is the God of peace and author of concord among Christians Wherefore let all Princes that liue vnder the Popes obedience consider well the former reasons and examples and look into their owne danger and slippery estate For albeit now the Pope 〈◊〉 his hands full and cannot or dare not offer them wrong yet many occasions may be offered of falling out betwixt them and the Pope And in that case either they must confesse as we do that the Pope is a false prophet and Antichrist or else yéeld vp their Crowne at his pleasure or else defend their right without lawful title and that both against rebels and forreine enemies which will be a matter hard for them to do CHAP. IX That no King or Prince can secure his person against the attempts of traitors if he suffer any in his kingdome that teach or hold the Popes doctrine concerning the deposing and killing of Kings THis corollary or conclusion is necessarily deduced frō the doctrine of Papists concerning the Popes power in deposing of Kings and Princes For if it be lawfull for the Pope to depose a Prince frō his royall throne then is it lawfull for the Pope to command any assassin or cutthrote to murder him séeing it is not likely that a magnanimous King wil yéelo to so base a companion as the Pope nor giue vp his Crowne without force and compulsion The same is also proued by the general practise of Popes by the wordes of the Popes bulles by the doctrine of their principall followers and by diuers particular facts and attempts both of Popes and their wicked instruments and agents For first we find that those Popes that haue gone about to depose Kings haue also vsed all meanes to destroy thē 〈◊〉 to cut their throtes The which may be verified by the procéeding of Gregory the seuenth against Henry the Emperor of Paschalis and Vrban against his sonne of Alexander against Fridericke Barbarossa of Innocent the third against Philip and Otho of Gregory the ninth and Innocent the fourth against Fridericke the second of Clement the fift against Henry of Lucembourg whom he caused to be poysoned in the sacrament Of Iohn the 22. and Clement the sixth against Lewis of Bauier of Paul the third against Henrie the 8. King of England of Pius the fift Gregory the 13. and Sixtus Quintus against Quéene Elizabeth and finally of the Popes that fauored the rebellious leaguers of France against the French Kings Henry the third and fourth and diuers others For why did they raise rebellion moue warres and suborne secret traitors to attempt against the persons of Kings but that they meant to giue leaue to desperate cutthrotes to kill them Secondly the words of the Popes buls and the doctrine of their wicked agents doth notoriously manifest their leud and damnable purposes touching this point Gregory the 7 doth 〈◊〉 depriue Henry the Emperor of his Empire and forbiddeth his 〈◊〉 to obey him Next he commaundeth all to accept of Rodolph as their King and to obey him But neither could he be deposed without armes nor might Rodolph be suffered to raigne during the life of the Emperour Henrie Paul the third in his seditious bull against Henry the 8. king of England commaunded the Nobles and other principall men of the countrey to oppose themselues with force and armes against him and to cast him out of his kingdome But armes are taken in hand for no other purpose then to kil such as resist and a weake conceit it is to thinke that King Henry could be thrust out of his kingdome vnlesse he were also depriued of his life That impious Pope Pius the fift also that sent Nicholas Norton to moue an insurrection against Quéene Elizabeth in England and his legate Sanders to do the like in Ireland did intend no lesse then the 〈◊〉 of her person if the rebels had preuailed In his bull against her he declared that he had authoritie to pull vp and to destroy and forbiddeth her subiects to obey her which could not be executed without her destruction Sixtus the 5. in his declaration anno 1588. against the same Quéene hauing at large rayled with his foule and filthy mouth against the Lords annointed exhorteth all her people to lay hands on her to arrest her and to 〈◊〉 to her punishment That is also the end of that traitor Cardinall Allen his seditious exhortation to the Nobilitie and people of England and Ireland But because the Papists had no better successe an 1588. therefore they suppressed this discourse for very shame least their dealings for the destructiō of princes should be made manifest and least the mysteries of Romish Babylon should be reuealed Parsons that bastardly English renegate in his booke of succession part 1. cap. 3. alloweth the deposition of 〈◊〉 Iohn of King Edward the second King Richard the second King Henry the sixth and of diuers violent attempts made by 〈◊〉 against their lawfull Kings Thereby it appeareth also that he approueth warres and rebellions made to depose Kings and to destroy them Nay allowing the violent death of Caesar in the Senate he seemeth directly to perswade the murder of princes which is the rather to be 〈◊〉 leeued for that he was an agent in the printing and as his consorts the 〈◊〉 priests say in making the libell set out by Allen against Queene Elizabeth proclaiming reward to all that could lay 〈◊〉 vpon her nay that could kill her Now least any man should doubt of the doctrine of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this point Emanuel Sa in his aphorismes for confessaries doth thus instruct all Masse priests Tyrannice gubernans iustè acquisitum dominium non potest spoliari sine publico iudicio lata verò sententia potest quisque fieri executor That is he that gouerneth tyrannically his state which he hath gotten instly cannot be spoyled of it without publicke sentence of the Pope but sentence being passed euery man may execute the
their authoritie by the Popes incrochments How contrarie this is to the doctrine of the Apostles and ancient fathers we néede not here dispute S. Peter teacheth Christians to honour the King and Paule exhorteth 〈◊〉 soule to be subiect to the higher powers Now what greater dishonour can be offered to a King then to take away his authoritie And how are they subiect that pay the King nothing and claime exemption from his gouernement Our Sauiour willeth all to giue to Caesar that which is due to Caesar and Peter payed tribute to Caesar. But his false successors pay no tribute to Caesar but take tribute of Caesar and challenge it as due to them selues Nay they haue against all right vsurped his imperiall citie of Rome and released all clerkes from temporall Princes obedience Tertullian saith Christians honored the Emperour as the next man in honour to God and onely inferiour to God Colimus Imperatorem saith he sic quomodo nobis licet ipsi expedit vt hominem a Deo secundum quicquid est à Deo consequutum solo Deo minorem Chrysostome sheweth that the Apostles wordes Rom. 13. concerne clerkes and religious men as well as lay men The same is also contrarie to the practise of the Church vnder the Law and vnder the Gospell and derogatorie to the Kings authoritie For both vnder the Law and when Emperors began to professe Christian religion they made lawes for the Church and reformed Ecclesiasticall abuses as both Scriptures and the lawes of the Code and Nouelles testifie Thirdly this authoritie is plainly vsurped by the Pope and his followers For vntill Gregorie the seuenth his time who by force and armes preuailed more then by reason we find that the clergie and Church waâ— gouerned by Christian princes and their lawes Finally the same is disgracefull to Kings and burdensome to subiects and most vnreasonable Disgracefull it is to Kings to loose their royalties and to be made subiect to forreiners Burdensome it is to good subiects vpon whom the whole burden is laid and they exempted which are best able to beare The Germaines in their grieuances Grauam 28. shew that the charge of the warre against the Turke is laid wholy on lay-mens shoulders Finally it is no reason that those should liue vnder the Kings protection that neither pay him tribute nor acknowledge his authoritie But of the vnreasonablenesse of these incrochments we shall haue occasion to dispute elswhere Here it is sufficient to shew that the Popes vsurpations exactions â—â— who le authoritie is preiudiciall to Kings vntollerable to their subiectes Be wise therefore O ye Kings of the earth and serue Christ Iesus but beware that in stead of Christ ye serue not Antichrist And you that are fréed by the preaching of the Gospell from the bondage of the Popes traditions and exactions take héed that you suffer not your selues to be entangled againe in his snares brought againe into bondage The Popes agents tell you of many goodly actions of the Pope and set out the beautie of traditions with faire words But they séeke nothing but to bring you into a snare and to make merchandise of your soules and to blind you so that you shall not be able to sée the miserie of those that liue vnder him or the trash of his false doctrine and traditions God graunt you therfore the spirit of wisedome and discretion that you may stand fast in the liberty of 〈◊〉 Christians and neuer be entangled againe with the yoke of Popish bondage The third Booke of the answer to Robert Parsons his supernodical Warn-word containing a list of his lies falsities fooleries impieties and other enormous faults and abuses therein and elsewhere by him committed The Preface to the third Booke THus hauing ended our defence of Queene Elizabeths godly reformation and noted the miserable estate of Papists liuing vnder the Popes tyrannie and deformation it will be no hard matter for vs to dispatch the rest of the Warne-word being nothing else but a bundle of patcheries and fooleries patched together with a number of idle and vaine words scarce worth the reading or ruÌ„ning ouer Wherin notwithstaÌ„ding that I may proceed with more perspicuity I wil first examine the qualities of the author of this 〈◊〉 word and that so much the rather that you may forbeare to wonder at this warning peece or peeced Warne-word considering the qualitie of the warme fellow that made vs this braue peece of fire-worke Next I shall enter vpon the title and front of the booke and let you see how neither the portall corespondeth with the rest of his building nor the worke with the inscription and that the same doth well resemble a clome portall set beside a straw thatched house or 2 pig-stie set before Robert Parsons his putatiues fathers forge Thirdly his personall accusations and slaundrous imputations both against my selfe and others shall be answered The fourth place is due to his impieties which require a sharpe censure After that his ridiculous errors impudent falsifications vaine allegations grosse lies saucie rayling termes and clamorous outcries poore shifts and sottish answers lamentable begging of things in controuersie insolent brags and such like fooleries shall seuerally be scanned and reproued A man would percase wonder that a man in so idle a worke should runne into so many inconueniences and absurdities But this our aduersary is a beast and a grosse pecoran and no man How should we looke for other stuffe out of such a malicious heart Do men gather figs of thornes or grapes of briars As Hierome saith of Heluidius so I may say of Parsons Loquacitatem facundiam existimat maledicere omnibus bonae conscientiae signum arbitratur He supposeth babling to be eloquence and that railing vpon all men is a signe of a good conscience Let him therfore haue patience to haue his owne coxcombe pared and let him bark still like a helhound if he take pleasure in barking I doubt not but we shall so breake his dogs teeth that he shall hurt none by his biting But to cut off all preambles let vs now see if we can bring the iade Parsons from his gallop to his ambles CHAP. I. A legend of No saint but of Robert Parsons his life calculated in fauour of that swarme of traitors which euery yeare he sendeth out of his seditious Seminaries BEfore I enter into this discourse I do protest that I was drawne into it more then halfe against my will by the importunitie of Robert Parsons who first began this course and albeit without commission went about to make enquiry what I am what I did at Caliz what in Ireland and what in other places and to obiect whatsoeuer he thought might moue either suspicion of crime or occasion of ieast But séeing I am forced to defend my self I professe and proclaime it openly that I will spare neither Iebusite nor Masse priest nor Archpricst nor prouinciall Iebusite nor Pope nor Cardinall that shall
But experience teacheth vs that where they can do it they do it literally It were therefore good to beware of the woodden daggers of these woodden fellowes Fol. 110. b. he affirmeth that by indulgences are distributed the treasures of the Church A matter of méere 〈◊〉 of which may be said the saurus carbones that is our treasures proue coles For poore people hoping to receiue a treasure receiue méere cole dust and yet for that trash wast great treasures Iosephus Angles signifieth that the Pope now and then receiueth an hundred millions of duckets for an indulgence which is no small matter for such small wares In the same place he telleth vs of the Popes doctrine of indulgences which is nothing else but a fardle of foolery as in my discourse against Bellarmine I haue shewed at large This Patch if he had remembred himselfe would haue proued somewhat and not haue told vs a tale of the Popes tub full of mustie indulgences more nastie then an old mustard pot 2. encontr c. 15. fol. 117. I shall alleage sayth he most authenticall testimonies to wit foure bookes for the negatiue written and printed at Lyon presently vpon the fact it selfe intituled De iusta Henricitertij abdicatione But this allegatiō seruēth vs better then him and is a most authenticall testimony of Parsons foolery and of the Popes trechery For what is more repugnant to law conscience and reason thē to beléeue a notorious rebel and traitor declaiming against his liege soueraigne most trecherously and wickedly murdred by a louzie frier And what is more intollerable then that the Popes of Rome and their adherents being aduanced by Christian princes should now be praised for deposing of princes and cutting their throtes This authenticall testimony therfore might well haue bin spared wherein Parsons a traitor produceth his fellow traitor for a witnesse in discharge of his owne and his fellowes treasons and villanies Fol. 123. he talketh most foolishly of penance repeating what he hath sayd before in his Wardword But whatsoeuer he bableth of penance and satisfaction and passing through a néedles eye yet if a man can gaine a plenary indulgence which for mony is easie to be had then al penance inioyned and satisfaction ceaseth and God is plainely mocked If he had bene wise therefore he would haue for borne to talke of penance the doctrine whereof by the Papists is wholly corrupted and ouerthrowne Finally albeit he talketh much of law and of Catholike Religion yet he sheweth himself to be like those of whō the Apostle speaketh which would be doctors of the law and yet vnderstand not what they speake nor wherof they affirme And like old heretikes which as Hilary lib. 8. de Trinit saith although they lie foolishly yet they defend their lies farre more foolishly Cum stultè mentiantur sayth he stultiùs tamen in mendacij sui defensione sapiunt Compare their doings with Parsons his foolish Warneword and you shall sée he farre passeth them all in foolery CHAP. VII Containing diuers false allegations and falsifications of Fathers and others committed by Parsons THere are diuers kinds of falsifications as we may learne by the Romane lawes ff adl Corn. de falsis by the cannon law de crimine falsi and by those Doctors that haue written Commentaries and glosses vpon these titles But to know the diuersitie and nature of them we shall not néed curiously to looke either into the lawes or commentaries of learned lawyers séeing Robert Parsons in his Warn-word which like a warning péece may serue all true men to beware of his falshood and trechery doth furnish vs with particular instances and examples of most sorts of them First he maketh no conscience either to curtal his aduersaries words or to adde somewhat vnto them of which they neuer had so much as a thought Fol. 6. he sayth that Sir Francis obiecteth vnto him the seeking of the ruine of the church and common wealth by his exhortation to peace and mitigation in religion whereas the Knight obiecteth no such matter nor hath any such words He doth also séeme to charge him as enemy of peace whereas the honorable Knight neuer misliked peace or any motion tending thereto but rather discouered the false practises of Papists that anno 1588. talked of peace when their fléete was at the sea to cut our throtes being vnprouided and 1598. made an ouerture of a treaty when the Adelantado had great forces readie at the Groyne and other ports of Spaine to come for England Where Sir Francis prayeth for the prolonging of her Maiesties dayes to the holding out stil of the Popes vsurped authoritie Parsons in his VVarneword doth so expound him as if he prayed that her life might hold out still And this to the intent he might runne vpon the Earle of Essex barking like a Linkers curre at a dead Lyon In my Preface I say that obstinate recusants for the most part are secretly reconciled to the Pope and in time past adhered to her maiessies enemies But Parsons to make the matter more hainous turneth obstinate recusants into recusant Catholikes and falsly lcaueth out these words for the most part As if I had called them Catholikes which I neuer thought or as if I knew not that there is great difference betwéene the factious reconciled papists and those that of simplicitie and ignorance fauour papisticall hereste and superstition Againe where I say that extraordinary fauour or rather remisnesse of lawes and iustice towards disloyall Papists hath caused diuers rebellions both in England and Ireland and made them bold to attempt against her Maiesties life and gouernement and giuen some of them courage to conspire with forreine enemies c. and that by suffering of malcontents to practise the sinewes of gouernement haue bene dissolued and that many thinke that against persons that are so 〈◊〉 disposed and so firmely linked to forreine enemies good iustice is most necessary Robert Parsons iumbleth many words together and cutteth off that which I sayd of conspiring with forreine enemies and the attempting against her Maiesty knowing that many of his friends are the Spanish kings pensioners and haue diuersly attempted against her Maiestie Further he cutteth out these words many do thinke and by a strange metamorphosis changeth disloyal papists into catholike recusants making me to say that too much extraordinary fauour and remisnesse towards Catholikes hath caused diuers rebellions both in England and Ireland and that it hath dissolued the sinewes of gouernment and that it is more profitable to execute lawes then to pardon offenders as if I had spoken generally against all papists not singled those that conspire with publike enemies and attempt against the State and as if I had misliked all remisnesse pardon towards all papists If Parsons body were so māgled as he hath mangled and transformed my words we should not long be troubled with his wranglements In this sort he dealeth continually with vs. And so he 〈◊〉 also
And furthermore they shall be restored to the honour dignity and possessions which heretofore they haue bene depriued of Moreouer euery one shall be rewarded according to the demonstrations and feates which shal be shewne in this godly enterprise And who shall proceed with most valour the more largely and amply shall be remunerated with the goods of obstinate heretikes Wherfore seeing almightie God doth present to his elect so good an occasion therfore I for the more security ordaine and command the captaines generall of horse and artilerie the master generall of the field generall captaines of squadrons as all other masters of the field the captaines of companies of horse and foote and all other officers greater and lesser and men of war the 〈◊〉 generall and the rest of the captaines and officers of the armie that as well at land as sea they vse well and receiue the Catholikes of those kingdomes who shall come to defend the Catholike cause with armes or without them For I commaund the Generall of the artilerie that he prouide them of weapons which shall bring none Also I ordaine and strcitly commaund that they haue particular respect vnto the houses and families of the sayd Catholikes not touching as much as may be any thing of theirs but onely of those that will obstinately follow the part of heretikes in doing of which they be altogether vnworthy of those fauours which be here granted vnto the good who will declare them selues for true Catholikes and such as shall take armes in hand or at least separate themselues from the heretikes against whom and their fauourers all this warre is directed in defence of the honor of God and good of those kingdomes trusting in Gods diuine mercy that they shall recouer againe the Catholike relgion so long agone lost and make them returne to their auncient quietnesse and felicitie and to the due obeience of the holy Primitiue church Moreouer these kingdomes shall enioy former immunities and priuiledges with encrease of many others for the time to come in great friendship confederacie and trafficke with the kingdome of his Catholike Maiestie which in times past they were wont to haue for the publike good of all Christianity And that this be put in executiō speedily I exhort al the faithful to the fulfilling of that which is here contained warranting them vpon my word which I giue in the name of the Catholike King my Lord and master that all shall be obserued which here is promised And thus I discharge my self of the losses and damages which shall fall vpon those which will follow the contrary way with the ruine of their owne soules the hurt of their owne country and that which is more the honor and glory of God And he which cannot take presently armes in hand nor declare himselfe by reason of the tyrannie of the heretikes shall be admitted from the enemies camp and 〈◊〉 passe to the catholike part in some skirmish or battell or if he cannot he shall flie before we come to the last encounter In testimonie of all which I haue commanded to dispatch these presents confirmed with my hand sealed with the seale of mine armes and refirmed by the secretary vnderwritten This being the Adelantadoes proclamation anno 1598. let the world iudge of the impudencie of Parsons that lyeth wittingly and saith the alarme was false Thereby it may appeare also what maner of man Parsons is that bringeth forreine enemies vpon his countrey and is consorted with them and yet faceth all downe that shall say the contrarie In his Epistle likewise he saith that the Ward word comming abroade the newes was in most mens mouthes that the Knight disauowed the Watchword attributing the same to certaine Ministers Where me thinkes I heare Thraso say Metuebant omnes me All stood in dread of me But that is not the fault that I meane here to touch For it is his egregious lying that we are here to talke of Let him therefore either name these most men that he mentioneth or at the least some honest man that gaue out this report as from sir Francis his mouth or else we must say that this lie came out of his owne foule mouth that is now become a fountaine of lies He must shew also how Sir Francis could disauow a treatise subscribed and published by himselfe or else it will be said that this report of Parsons is a lie without shew or probabilitie Afterward he affirmeth that a certaine Minister wrote in supply of the Knights defence And againe fol. 1. he telleth how I perusing the reply of Sir Francis thought in mine owne opinion to make a better defence But how can he proue that I perused the Knights answere or once saw it And whence doth he gather what opinion I had of mine owne doings If he proue nothing then will it be an easie matter to gather that he hath made two improbable lies The same is proued also for that my reply was made before the Knights Apologie was published or seene of me For if I had seene it first my labour might well haue bin spared the same being more then sufficient for the refutation of such a banglers babling discourse In his obseruations vpon my preface fol. 11. b. he sayth My proiect and purpose of writing is to irritate and stir vp her Maiesty and the Councel to ingulfe themselues in Catholikes bloud and to spoile their goods that I and my crew might come to haue a share But first it is most false that Papists are Catholikes Secondly no one word can he alleage out of my whole book wherby it may be gathered that I would haue any rigour vsed against such simple Papists that are not factious nor mutinous For all the harme I wish them is that they were wel instructed Thirdly if he meane those traitors that either came or meant to ioyne with the Adelantado against their prince and countrey then are they no Catholikes nor true subiects The same may be said also of Parsons his consorts Finally it is a shamelesse vntruth to say we desire either blood or spoile all our actions tending onely to resist forrein enemies and wicked traitors which séeke to shed their countrimens blood like water and to sacrifice it to the Pope and to giue the spoile of their country to the Spaniards as the factious Masse-priests and the Papists their consorts haue done diuers times and namely an 1588. and 1598. and since In his obseruations vpon Sir Francis his Epistle fol. 6. He obiecteth saith Parsons that I seeke the ruine both of church and common wealth by my exhortation to peace attonement and mitigation in religion A notorious lie refuted by reading of Sir Francis his Apology where there is no one word sounding that way Neither do we blame any honest man that talketh of peace but scorne that traitors that haue warre in their hearts should talke of peace
Lord might do in his Church if he were now conuersant among vs vpon earth This I say is a loudlye consisting of two or thrée branches For neither doth Panormitan expound the words of Hostiensis nor doth he affirme that which Parsons writeth in his name Nor is he so shamelesse to write that which Parsons affirmeth A second lye is also auouched by the forger of lyes Parsons where he sayth That all both diuines canonists do agree that all Christs power of gouernment is left to the Pope except onely his power of excellency according to that great commission in Saint Matthew I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. For neither all nor any ancient father doth agrée to this conclusion albeit we may boldly call them better diuines then the schoolemen nor do all or most of the Canouists speake of this power of excellencie nor do the words Mat. 16. belong to the Pope or conteine any such commission as is pretended And that without alleaging further proofes the Popes owne doctors will confesse For Bellarmine lib. 1. de Pontif. Rom. c. 10. sheweth that Peter had nothing granted in the 16. of Matth. but promised onely And with him also diuers others are consorted But suppose any thing had bene granted to saint Peter what maketh this to Clement the 8. and 〈◊〉 Popes that are liker to Nero and Heliogabalus then to S. Peter Likewise fol. 29. b. he sayth That Panormitan and Hostiensis vttering these words Papa potest facere quasi omnia 〈◊〉 Christus excepto peccato do explicate the comparison of Christ not as he is God but as he is man Which sheweth that Parsons taketh pleasure in lying For else why should he say that they explicate the comparison of Christ not as he is God but as he is man when they haue not one word sounding this way In the same leafe he belyeth the same man againe telling vs That Panormitan de electione c. venerabilem saith that Hostiensis founded his doctrine vpon the commission giuen to the Pope Matth. 16. Whereas Panormitan hath no such words nor doth in that place mention Christs words Matth. 16. nor hath one word of any commission giuen to the Pope by Christ. Fol. 36. b. speaking of Cromwell and bishop Cranmer The first of them sayth he was principally employed in the sayd Queenes condemnation and death as appeareth yet by publike records and the second was vsed for her defamation after her death as is extant at this day in the foresayd statute it selfe where Cranmers sentence is recorded iudicially giuen by him This saith he but so impudently and falsly as the same may conuince him of most shamelesse lying For first there is no such sentence as is here mentioned recorded in the act as any man may see that listeth to reade it Secondly what needeth a sentence of diuorce against her that was now put to death that diuorceth all marriages Thirdly no man euer grieued more at this act and at that Quéenes death then the Lord Cromwell So farre was he off from being a stickler in it Finally not onely printed statutes but the acts of the tower also do conuince this fellowes most shamelesse reports Do you then thinke that he blusheth to say any thing that is not ashamed to lye against publike acts and records Fol. 37. a. he saith Cranmer carried about with him his woman in a trunke An impudent popish fiction for the 〈◊〉 the inuenter and reporter deserueth to be cased in a clokebag The truth is that the reuerend bishop fearing the Kings displeasure about the time of the sixe articles sent his wife away into Germanie vnto her kinred But if he had bene disposed to haue kept her with him yet nothing is more ridiculous or improbable then that she should be caried about in a trunke And if Parsons were to be put in a trunk he would say it were impossible to liue in it He saith also that for gaine of liuing or fauour or quietly enioying his liuing Cranmer would say or vnsay any thing and for proofe he quoteth Sanders de schismate But lawyers may tell him that such domesticall witnesses are not worth a rush Hierome also saith That the testimonie of friends or fellowes is not to be accepted Si amicus pro te dixerit saith he non testis aut iudex sed fautor putabitur This Sanders was a railing traitor like to Parsons and both of them hired to speake shame against the professors of the truth If then a théese is not to be credited speaking for his fellow 〈◊〉 nor a traitor testifying for traitors then let vs heare no more of this renegate rascall traitor that died in action against his countrey consorting himselfe with the rebellious and théeuish Irish. Fol. 40. They are wont to say saith he that S. Bernard was no flatterer But because the man is wont to lie no man will beléeue him vnlesse he bring forth the parties that haue so said For to call the Pope Abraham théese and Christ as Bernard doth sauoureth of the flattery and darknesse of those times The fourth fifth and 〈◊〉 chapters of Parsons his first encounter are nothing else but a packe of lies either receiued frō others or deuised cogged by himself He affirmeth first that Carolstadius Oecolampadius and Zuinglius were Luthers scholers Secondly that they were opposite to Luther Thirdly that there were infinite opinions among them that denied the reall presence 4. That the Anabaptists rose out of Luthers doctrine 5. That there was a potent diuision betwixt Melancthon and Illyricus 6. That Caluin and Beza issued from Zuinglius 7. That Seruetus was Caluins collegue and that he and Valentinus Gentilis and other heretikes came from Caluin and Beza 8. That we admit no iudge of controuersies and laugh at Councels 9. That Zuinglius was condemned in a synod 10. That out of our synods at Marpurge Suabach and Smalcald we departed with lesse agreement then before as Lauater and 〈◊〉 testifie 11. That Melancthon to proue the Zuinglians to be obstinate heretikes gathered together the sentences of the ancient fathers for the reall presence 12. That Zuinglius died in rebellion against his countrey 13. That Oecolampadius was found dead in bed by his wiues side strangled by the deuill as Luther holdeth lib. de priuata missa or killed by his wife 14. That great warres arose betweene Lutherans and Zuinglians as he calleth them 15. That Luther was the first father of our Gospell which he calleth new 16. That Stankare was a protestant as he calleth him 17. That Chemnitius in a letter to the Elector of Brandeburg doth censure the Queene of England and the religion here professed 18. That there are warres and dissentions in England in most principall points of religion He doth also rehearse diuers other points which are all vtterly false and vntrue For first Oecolampadius and Zuinglius were learned men aswell as Luther and taught truth before they
children fornication adultery incest and such abominations But let him looke once more vpon the penitentiary taxe printed at Paris wherein the price of the pardon for euery one of these offences is set downe If he find not these matters in the penitentiaries taxe let him looke the fées for the Popes buls for euery of these points in the Popes Chancery He shal also find in my treatise against 〈◊〉 proofe for the sale of pardons Let him therfore either search more diligently or lie lesse confidently or heare himself taxed patiently Fol. 117. 〈◊〉 encount c. 15. he affirmeth that Iames Clement conferred with no man liuing before he killed the French king Henry the third and that he had no absolution before he committed the fact Two lies most desperately auouched whereof the second concerning his absolution is 〈◊〉 by the confession of Iaques Bourgoin his confessor executed for absoluing him and by the common practise of Iebusites that 〈◊〉 such as go about such murders as is proued in the fact of Walpoole that absolued Squire that promised to empoyson Quéene Elizabeth and of Holt that did the like to Yorke and Williams that vndertooke to murder her and by diuers like facts of others The second is refuted by the memorials of the league by the author of the Iebusits Catechisme and by Iohn de Serres in his Inuentorie In the memorials of the league we find that the yong friar was induced by the Iesuites 〈◊〉 Ne furent ils complices saith the author of the Iebusites 〈◊〉 page 203. d'auec le Iacobin del assassinat du feuroy Were not they saith he speaking of the Iebusites complices to the Dominican frier that murdred the late King He saith also that the murder was suborned by the Iebusites and leaguers and that he was drawne to it by promises of paradise and that he was assoyled for it and almost sainted beforehand Iohn de Serres in his Inuentorie sayth That Iames Clement communicated his resolution with Doctour Bourgoin prior of his conuent to Commolet and other Iebusites and the heads of the league to the principall of the sixteene and fortie of Paris and that all encouraged him to this happie aduenture promising him rewards in earth and in paradise if he should be martyred in the execution of his purpose a place aboue the Apostles Ainsi resolu sayth Iohn de Serres il communique son affaire au docteur Bourgoin prieur de son couuent au pere Commolet autres Iesuites 〈◊〉 chefs à e la ligue aux principaux de seize de quarante de Paris Tous l'encouragent à cest 〈◊〉 dessein On luy promet abbayes eueschez s'il auient qu'il soit martyrisè rien moyns qu'vne place en paradis au dessus des Apostres May we not then rightly conclude that Parsons is a notorious and most impudent lyar and that the Iebusites are King-killers and notorious traitors No question And I doubt not but they shall be so reckened of all posteritie notwithstanding the barking of such dogges against such reports I do therefore maruell as Athanasius sayth of the Arrians That without abomination and horrour of lying they could vtter such lies seeing the deuill is father of lyes and lyars are strangers to him that calleth himselfe truth Miror 〈◊〉 sine vlla abominatione horrore 〈◊〉 it a falsa c. 〈◊〉 dicere cùm mendacia patrem diabolum habeant ijque qui mentiuntur alieni sint ab 〈◊〉 qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sum veritas And well may I conclude That if all lyes ought to be farre remoued from religion and those positions which for religion are taught and learned as Saint Augustine sayth lib. de Mendacio ad Consentium cap. 10. That then it is not religion that Parsons doeth maintaine with so many lyes nor can his lies stand with the grounds of religion Finally I say to the deceiued Papists as Constantine sayd to heretikes of his time Cognoscite 〈◊〉 mendacijs vestrae doctrinae inanitas teneatur Behold by what lyes the vanitie of your doctrine is maintained And if they beléeue not me let them hearken to Parsons himselfe that in his answere to my Epistle affirmeth That he that lyeth is not to be trusted in any thing he saith or writeth CHAP. X. An answere to Parsons his immodest rayling and behauiour throughout his whole Warne-word HArd it will be for me to recount all the scurrilous and rayling termes which Robert Parsons of his cholerick liberality bestoweth vpon Sir Francis Hastings and my selfe It appeareth he is of the race of those wicked men of which the Prophet Psal. 14. speaketh Quorum os maledictione amaritudine plenum est Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse And well may I apply to him that which Hierome sayd to Ruffin Tanta confingis quanta non diceret de latrone homicida de scorto meretrix scurra de Mimo You deuise so many villanies as a cutthrote would not vtter against a robber or a comon whore against a harlot or a scurrilous Scoganlike mate against a Vize Which I doe the lesse wonder at because I vnderstand he is descended of a scolding whore and was begotten by a 〈◊〉 Monke and hath ben of late among cutthrotes and robbers that came against his countrey But if I do not touch all yet will I giue you a taste of some that by a few you may vnderstand the fellowes disgustful humour in many In the front of his book for feare of loosing time he draweth out his Copiam verborū scurrilium and without further aduisement calleth me Insolent and vanting Minister Termes well fitting a bastardly scurrilous and scuruy frier and euill applied to a minister of Gods word whose state is as honourable as the vocation of a Iebusite is odious antichristian and damnable As for the termes of insolency and vanting they rather belong to him that insolently hath taken vpon him to conuey the crowne of England vnto the Infanta in his booke of Titles which like a falsary he hath put vpon an 〈◊〉 masse-priest called Dolman and hath also vanted to the Pope that he will subdue England to the Popes erroneous religion Againe fol. 1. he termeth my Epistle vaine and arrogant And yet neuer did I vainely and arrogantly desire a Cardinals hat as Parsons hath done nor doth my Epistle containe a supplication for some preferment as did certaine letters procured by Parsons What a vaine man then is Parsons thus 〈◊〉 to talke of vanitie and arrogancy In his Epistle to the reader he saith Sir Francis is known to be one of the Puritan crew and as if he were a blind harper he is stil harping vpon this string of Puritanisme But I must tell him that which he will be much grieued to heare that the contention about ceremonies and gouernement of the church raysed by some more zealous then wise and set forward by the enemies of the Church is by the Kings great wisedome now ended As for
desperate folly to affirme That our religion leadeth to Atheisme for want of a Pope or for want of the Popish masse or sacrifice The contrary hereof rather is to be gathered against the Popish religion wherein as we may collect out of the aduersaries owne confession in c. si Papa dist 40. the Pope may lead with him thousands of soules into hell The masse also is a masse and sinke of superstition and idolatry Neither is any thing more repugnant to Christs only sacrifice then the priesthood and sacrifice of the masse Modesty he sheweth none with a face as hard as a lopster affirming That we teach that God is the author of sin That we despoyle Christ of his diuinitie That we wrong him in his office of redemption and bereaue him of his title of lawgiuer and priest And doubt not to say that Christ dispaired Now what greater impudency can be imagined then to ascribe that to vs which we vtterly deny and disclaime Nay we pronounce him accursed whosoeuer shall hold any of these points But the Papists in some things rub very néere vpō these rocks namely where they giue to euery man power to satisfie for the temporall paine of his sins and yéeld that others beside Christ may be called redéemers and make the Pope a law-giuer able to bind mens consciences and giue power to the priest to intercede for Christs body and blood that God would be pleased to accept it as he accepted the sacrifice of Melchisedech Impudently also he belieth vs raileth vpon vs saying that we make euery priuate mans spirit supreme iudge of controuersies and that we 〈◊〉 Fathers auncient Councels and ouerthrow all religion and worship of God Neither doth he onely raile vpon vs but also vpon scriptures where he sayth that founding our selues only on scriptures we open a gate to all heretikes and heresies As if the Fathers and auncient Councels which founded their faith vpon holy scriptures only opened a gap to all heresies Or as if this could be spoken without disgrace to holy scriptures that he that relieth vpon the word of God deliuered in scriptures doth open a gate to all heresies Finally he taketh vpon him the title of the legate of the great monark of heauen being but a base fugitiue renegued companion set on by Antichrist and his supposts to raile at religion and the professors thereof and lying without rule or order His want of learning doeth euery where appeare throughout his whole Suruey The Scriptures he citeth very rarely The Fathers he mistaketh and misalleageth In Ecclesiasticall histories he is but a nouice Nay albeit he talketh much of our Religion yet he vnderstandeth not what we professe what we reiect Finally although the fellow be but a poore translator and collector of other mens slanders yet could he not well relate that which is translated out of others His principal witnesses are Staphilus Cochleus Bolser Nicol Borne Stapleton Surius and such like railing and base authors Was it then likely that he should shew learning that is wholly conuersant in these 〈◊〉 authors deuoyd either of learning or else of all religion and honestie And all this God willing shall by many particulars be verified by those who already haue vndertaken to controle his Suruey and to examine euery article of this leud libell Not that such an asses head deserueth any curious washing but because such a barking cur dog would be silenced with a sharpe censure It resteth now that I speak a word or two more of Walpool his cōfutatiō The man is a special friend of mine albeit vpō very smal acquaintance a cunning triacle seller also a 〈◊〉 a master empoisoner as before is declared This onely I forgot to tell you that his braine is full of 〈◊〉 his memory like an old leather budget his crowne like the posterior parts of an ape and his head like the knop of the handle of a gittern with two strings If you méete any such fellow in the kitchin of the Romish colledge of English boyes commend vs to him and tell him that we haue at leisure perused his 〈◊〉 all confutation and therfore now he may bestow it vpon the cook to stop his bottels The stile biteth like pepper and therfore may do some good seruice there Onely thus much I must tel him y e his words are too high for such a low subiect as he handleth Euery where he raileth like a man beside himselfe and calleth me mad man sycophant franticke fellow lunatike satanicall iugling minister dolt foole noddy foolman irreligious atheist ideot asse drowsie heretike and such like names and these are the common flowers of his dogged eloquence Yet I assure him that I am not offended with his rough stile For although he giue me very hard words and raileth like a tal fellow of his tongue yet I thanke him he is well content to passe by all my arguments in sober silence to confirme as much as I affirme by his cold deniall Now what greater argument I pray you can we bring to proue that Walpoole and his consorts are neither Catholikes nor members of the true church nor hold the ancient religiō of Christ Jesus but rather are a pack of heretikes idolaters and traitors then that our aduersary that taketh vpon him their defence hath nothing to answer in their behalfe It was not modesty certes that made him silent but méere imbecillity of his cause and want of iust defence Will it please you to take a tast of his insufficiency before we broach the whole barrell of his foolery In the preface of his booke he vanteth that he hath spent his time in exact studie of Diuinitie and with particular care read the Scriptures Councels and Fathers O happy youths that heare so exact a spender of his time in study of Diuinity O hard aduenture for vs that are to encounter this giant that hath deuoured so many Councels and Fathers But in the meane while Parsons was much too blame that put him to it thus impudently to praise himselfe We for our parts do admire his singular folly and arrogance who praiseth himselfe with such impudency His great reading to vs is inuisible his great ignorance in all maner of learning and not onely in theology is euery where apparant Fol. 2. he telleth vs how Heraclitus affirmed that the snow was blacke But vnlesse he produce his author his friends with Heraclitus may wéepe to sée his pittifull ignorance We haue heard such a thing of Anaxagoras but this of Heraclitus is ridiculously forged In the same place he writeth also how Zeno taught That it was impossible for any thing to moue A matter very stupendious But this he findeth that hath read exactly the fathers Would he name his author he will make a Stoicke to laugh Fol. 8. he sayth that Christs body hath a being in the sacrament like to a soule But our Sauiour Luke 24. sheweth a notorious difference betwixt a body and a spirit