Testimonies that can be devised not only of this World but of God of Angels and Glorious Souls of Devils and Damned Spirits in Hell the fittest Witnesses of all and here he stops his Carreer Other puling Hereticks have boasted of this or that Council or of some few Fathers but these have attained to that pitch of Impudency that all makes for them all is theirs when upon a just examination none at all appears for them Heresy is alwayes accompanied with Vanity and Insolency but this exceeds all Parrallel but that we find it the constant custom of the Romish Hectors SECT III. N. N. AFter Edward died his Sister Queen Mary Reigned who being a Catholick restored Religion by Act of Parliament Cardinal Pole the Popes Legate absolved the Kingdom from the Excommunication and Schism incurred Some Histories report that three thousand Sectaries all Strangers were Banished out of England and among the rest the two holy Apostles Peter Martyr and Bernard Ochine All King Edwards Bishops were Deposed and Imprisoned the Catholick Bishops set at liberty and restored to their Sees SECT III. J. S. 1. QVeen Mary did reintroduce Popery but this she did contrary to the solemn Promise made to the Gentry of Norfolk and Suffolk to violate such an obligation will scarce be proved either Honourable or Religious 2. She did not regularly restore her Religion but confusedly shuffled it up as hath been before declared that if any Protestant Prince had done the like an hideous Hubbub would have been raised Bishop Jewel relates the manner thus (a) Reply to Harding Art 13. fol. 358. The Papists first scattered it and forced their Mass against a Law then in force against them then established it by Law and next after had a Solemn Disputation at Oxford to try whether the Law were good or no. This saith he Mr. Harding is your Lidford Law for in order of nature the Disputation should have been first then the Law then the Execution thereof but as Tertullian saith Haeretici ex Conscientia infirmitatis suae nihil tractant ordinarie 3. He cannot but his hand must slip though he have no visible advantage by it for all King Edwards Bishops were not Deposed the Bishops of Lincoln and Hereford were not the Bishops of Litchfield Salisbury Norwich Bangor St. Asaph and Landaffe complyed 4. If the deposed Bishops were but pretended Bishops then your restored Bishops were so too for some of these received their Ordination from them and those who ordained them But now the Originist after all these Sallies falls afresh on his great work on which he spends much Paper and time wherein he most triumphs and glories and thus he makes his first approach and onset CHAP. III. SECT I. N. N. QUeen Mary deceased without issue her Sister Elizabeth is proclaimed Queen The Reformation is established by Act of Parliament notwithstanding the great opposition made by all the Bishops and others in the Upper-house The Queen was resolved to pull down Catholick Religion because Cecil and others of her Council perswaded her she could not be secure as long as the Pope's Authority was acknowledged in England seeing the Apostolick See had declared her a Bastard and all Catholicks looked upon the Queen of Scots as true Heir to the Crown Nevertheless it was judged expedient for her quiet and the peace of the Realm to keep always a Resemblance of it in the Clergy as the best remedy against Puritanism which was thought by her Majesty dangerous to Monarchy The titles therefore of Arch-Bishops Bishops Deans and Chapters were retained as also in her own Chappel some Images the Altar and a Crucifix upon it But what will they do for Ordination That Form which was instituted in Edw. the sixth's time was judged invalid by publick Judgment in Queen Marie's days insomuch that Leases made by King Edward's Bishops though confirmed by Dean and Chapter were not esteemed good because saith the Sentence they were not consecrated nor Bishops see Brook's Novel Cases Plac. 463. fol. 101. impress London 1604. Seeing therefore it concerned the Queen to have consecrated Bishops she endeavoured by all means to have such as she named for Bishopricks consecrated by Catholicks but they all resolved not to make Bishops in the Church whereof themselves refused to be members The Queen notwithstanding the reluctancy of Catholick Bishops named in her Letters Patents Kitchin Bishop of Landaff among others to consecrate Mr. Parker and his Fellows he being the only man among all the Catholick Bishops that took the Oath of Supremacy in her Reign But many others who complied with Henry the eighth in that particular refused now to consecrate and Landaff was resolved to do the same yet at last by fair words and promises they prevailed with the old man to give them a meeting at the Nags-head in Cheapside where they hoped he would have ordained them Bishops despairing that ever he would do it in a Church because that would be too great and notorious a scandal to Catholicks among whom Landaff desired to be numbred Bonner Bishop of London hearing of this sent Mr. Neal his Chaplain to forbid the exercise of giving Orders in his Diocess under pain of Excommunication wherewith the old man being terrified and otherwise also moved in his Conscience refused to proceed in that Action alledging chiefly for reason of his forbearance want of sight This excuse being interpreted an evasion by Mr. Parker and his Fellows lessened his entertainment some of them reviling him and saying this old Fool thinketh we cannot be Bishops unless we be greased alluding to the Catholick manner of Episcopal Vnction Being thus deceived in their expectation they resolved to use Mr. Scories help an Apostate irreligious Papist who had born the name of Bishop in King Edward's time and was thought to have sufficient power to perform the Office he having cast off with his religious habit all scruple of Conscience willingly went about the matter which he performed in this sort having the Bible in his hand and they all kneeling down before him he laid it upon every one of their heads and shoulders saying Take thou Authority to Preach the Word of God sincerely and so they rose up Bishops of the new Church of England SECT I. J. S. TO this long lying Section the fittest method will be to discover the several falsities and vain conjectures as they lie in order First He vainly surmiseth great opposition was c. This is one misadventure for there was but fourteen Bishops then living whereof four were absent and then a Question may be made whether all those ten who were present did oppose it for some of them had learned the Art of compliance so exactly that they could suit to the times without any opposition for the others there was but one Abbot of Westminster and only two Lords Temporal the Earl of Shrewsbury and Viscount Montacute who did oppose it these thirteen if they had all combin'd could not make any great opposition
to be scandalous because he was of that Order To clear this Proposition N. N. thus sets out SECT II. N. N. ANno 1517. Leo the tenth granted Indulgences to such as voluntarily contributed towards the War against the Turk who at that time threatned all Christendom having added Syria and Egypt to the Ottoman Empire The business of divulging these Indulgences in Germany was committed to the Arch-Bishop of Mentz who appointed John Tetizel a Dominican Friar to Preach which Office long time before had been given to the Augustine Friars amongst whom Martin Luther a Famous Preacher expected the place but seeing his hopes frustrated he resolved now to write against Indulgencies and the Pope as he had prepared to Preach in favour of both before The first occasion which offered it self were certain abuses unavoidable in things which pass through many hands in the management of this affair against which or rather Indulgencies he framed certain Libels and Conclusions which were condemned and burnt as heretical by John Titzell his Competitor who then exercised the Office of Inquisitor in Germany This fire did so warm Luther and added such flames to his hot disposition that most part of Europe felt the smart of it for being once engaged and enraged by Titzell's declaration against him he would not recant his first error but added others denying Purgatory the Pope's Authority Merits the necessity of good Works c. SECT II. J. S. 1. THis Narrative concerns not the Church of England they who desire to be informed how the Affairs were managed in Germany may consult Sleidan and Guicciardine It will not be amiss to recite one testimony from him ad An. 1520. where he chargeth N. N's certain not as he suggesteth unavoidable abuses on Leo the tenth affirming he was the cause of what was done in Germany because he after complaint upon complaint that his Indulgencies and Bulls were sold in Shops the Buyers and the Sellers playing the money at Dice did not redress those faults nor attempted to redress them further adding all the World knew the Money was not gathered as was pretended to make War against the Turk but indeed to maintain the Pomp and Lust of the Pope's Sister Magdalen See the Author of the Hist. of the Council of Trent fol. 5. and withal reporting that Adrian the sixth immediate Successor to Leo the tenth intended to reform the abuses fol. 22. c. but first he would reform the corrupt manners of the Court of Rome because he saw all the World desired it earnestly fol. 26. 2. Be it so for once that Luther was engaged and enraged yet this was no bad Argument of the Cause he had undertaken for to satisfy N. N. that which engaged him was the sorry shifting defences the Indulgence-mongers framed for themselves for they finding themselves too weak for Luther in the particular case of Indulgencies which had no other foundation than the Bull of Clement the sixth made for the Jubilee an 1350. betook themselves for shelter to common-places such as the Pope's Authority the Churches Treasury of Merits the Doctrine of Penance and Purgatory (r) Hist Coun. Trent fol. 6. Thus Tetzel and Eckius managed their Plea and would have avoided Luther's objections but Sylvester Prierias (Å¿) Contra Lutherum Jewel def of Apol. fol. 49. Master of the Pope's Palace above all other gave Martin the occasion to pass from Indulgencies to the Authority of the Pope for he having upon a forced-put delivered that Indulgentiae scripturarum c. Indulgencies are not warranted by Authority of Scripture but of the Roman Church and Popes which is greater put Luther upon it to examine and discuss this bold Affirmation That which enraged Luther if it were so oppression maketh a wise man mad was that he knew very well what counsel Friar Hogostrate (t) Hist Counc of Trent fol. 7. had given to Pope Leo not to meddle with him by Argument but to confute him with Chains Fire and Flames and he knew this would be his Fate if he fell into the Pope's Power Neither could he expect to find further favour from Adrian his Successor for the Cardinal of Praenestâ— who had been employed in Civil Affairs in the Papacies of Alex. Julius and Leo and was then Adrian's Confident told him No man ever extinguished Heresies by Reformation the Council of Trent it seems was not convened for that end whatsoever was pretended but by Crusadoes and by exciting Princes and People to vote them out That Innocent the third did by such means a sure evidence of Usurpation by the known measures of Tyranny and that their Religion cannot endure a fair trial happily suppress the Albigenses in the Province of Languedock and the next Popes by the same means in other places rooted the Waldenses Picards poor people of Lions Arnoldists Speronists and Patavines so that now there remaineth no (u) Hist. Coun. Trent fol. 23. more of them but the name only And Adrian himself exhorted the Princes themselves assembled at the Diet of Noremberge 1522. to reduce Martin and his followers into the right way by fair means if they could but if not to proceed to sharp and fiery remedies to cut the dead members from the body as anciently was done to Dathan and Abiram to Ananias and Saphira to Jovinian and Vigilantius and finally as their Predecessors had done to John Huss and Hierom of Prague whose example in case they cannot otherwise do (w) Hist. Counc of Trent fol. 25. they ought to imitate The forementioned Cardinal declared no Reformation could be made that would not totally diminish the Rents of the Church for that if Indulgencies were stopped one quarter of the Revenues of the Church would be cut off there being but four Fountains whereof this was one CHAP. II. SECT I. N. N. HENRY the Eighth among others who writ against Luther composed a Learned Book in defence of the Seven Sacraments the Pope's Authority c. which gained him the Title of Defender of the Faith But being weary of his lawful Wife Q. Katherine despairing to have issue-male by her and enamoured of Ann Bullen cast off all obedience to the Pope because he would not declare his Marriage with Q. Katherine invalid and by Act of Parliament made it Treason to acknowledg any Spiritual Jurisdiction of the Pope in his Dominions himself being proclaimed Spiritual Head of the Church This was the occasion and beginning of the pretended Reformation in England Notwithstanding Henry the Eighth observed the old Religion in all Points except the Pope's Supremacy which he borrowed of the new to marry Ann Bullen and enrich himself by the spoils of the Monasteries and persecuted all other Novelties and Heresies in such degree that though many crept into England in his Reign yet very few durst profess them because as many as did were burnt by his command SECT I. J. S. TO this suggestion it will be seasonable to premise a general Narrative of
account among the common People In this Confusion the Protector calls a Parliament 1547 but the Common-Prayer Book did not then pass yet all former Statures made against Hereticks or Sectaries were recalled and annulled In the ensuing Parliament the Book was approved because it seemed in matter of the Sacraments to humour divers Sectaries who before had opposed it yet the Common People of England took Arms in defence of the Old Roman Catholick Religion complaining that most Sacraments were taken from them and they had reason to fear the rest This was King Edwards Reformation which could not be perfected because he lived but six years It is remarkable how in this Kings time it was resolved that whatsoever should be determined by six Bishops such as they were and six Learned men in the Law of God or the major part of them concerning the Rights Ceremonies and Administration of the Sacraments that only should be followed Never did any Sectaries before this time presume so far as ours did in preferring the judgment of seven men for that is the major part of twelve before that of the Christian World in changing the matter and form of Sacraments abolishing the Sacrifice of the Mass and ancient Rites and Ceremonies of the Church Catholick confirmed by so many General Councils and approved by all the Ancient Fathers Heresy is always accompanied with presumption but this exceeds all Parallel SECT II. J. S. HEre again something in General is to be premised to remove those prejudices which N. N. hath raised against the procedure of Edward the sixth It is granted that King was but a Child yet it must not be denied that the Laws of the Kingdom committing the exercise of Supreme Power in that case to a Protector what was regularly done by him ought to be deemed as valid as if the King had been of age and done it himself The Reformation made in Jehoash his minority 2 Chron. 23 though it was the immediate Act of his Uncle Jehojada was firm to all intents and purposes It is acknowledged also That Images were pulled down a Body of English Liturgy formed c. But what was done in these particulars was done without confusion or contradiction For it was done by Authority of the Supreme Power with the advice and consent of the major part of the Bishops not opposed by the Convocations but rather approved for that the Clergy in the respective Diocesses generally practised the prescribed form and after confirmed by Parliament This appears from the Provisional Injunctions 1 Edw. 6. and the Acts of Parliament 2 3 Edw. 6. to which the Bishops had so great a respect that as they practised themselves so they took care for the uniform observation of these Injunctions and Statutes requiring conformity to them from the Inferiour Clergy which accordingly they submitted to For we find a charge was drawn against Stephen Gardiner one Article whereof was He observed not the Book of Common-Prayer nor ordered the observation thereof in his Diocess to which charge he made this Answer to the Duke of Somerset with five others of the Council viz. That he having deliberately perused the Book of Common Prayer although he would not have made it so himself yet he found such things in it as satisfied his Conscience and therefore he would use it himself and see his Parishioners do so too the same in effect he said to the Lord Treasurer Secretary Peters and Sir William Herbert when they came to him with Articles from the King himself To confirm this procedure it is to be observed 1. The whole affair was managed by an approved Catholick Rule which was to reform what was amiss according to the Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures and usage of the Primitive Church not to form any New Religion but retrieve the Old and to reduce it into that state as Christ had left it the Apostles practised and the Primitive Church had received and observed as the King declared to the Romish Rebels 2. It was ordered as the Tridentine Assemblers thought most fit Decreto de Celebratione Missae in which Institutions were read concerning abuses to be corrected in the Celebration of the Mass the substance whereof was that the Bishops ought to forbid all things brought in by Avarice Irreverence or Superstition If it be alleadged the Bishops were so to do as Delegates of the See of Rome the Return is obvious Our Bishops as Commissioners of the Supreme Power might do what they did with better Authority and Warranty For 1. Learned Romanists do confess that particular Nations have a Power to purge themselves from Corruptions as well in Church as State without leave from the See of Rome This is acknowledged by Seren. Cressy in his Answer to Dr. Pierce's Sermon p. 285. But what if the Pope issue out a Prohibition and interdict the whole Nation very many of them do conceive it may be waved and opposed because no reason can be assigned why the Church should continue under known Corruption for the Popes reâ—lyeness to have them redressed Aeneas (l) De Conc. Basil l. 1. Silvius after Pius the second was once of this mind for that if the Popes recusancy may hinder the proceedings of a General Council to the disturbance of the Church corruptions of the Minds of Men and the destruction of their Soul all would thereby be undonne without remedy Cardinal (m) De concord Conc. l. 2. c. 12. l. 3. c. 15. Gusan goes yet higher affirming that the Emperour in duty was obliged by his Imperial Authority to Assemble a Synod when the great danger of the Church required it which determination was also resolved in the first (n) Conc. Pis impress Lutet 1612. fol. 69. Pisan Council Quintinus (o) A Lawyer and pablick Professor at Paris in repet lectione de Civitatis Christianae Aristocratia Heduus who lived in Henry the eighth's time hath aproved by many Canons that if the Pope command and the King forbid the King is to be obyed therefore when the King calls together the Prelats of the Church to reform the state thereof they are bound to obey though the Pope forbid it (p) Franc. praelect 4. a. 161. at this day a General Council may be called against the Popes mind by the Emperour and the Christian Princes whether he will or not Baron (q) Ad Ann. 553. n. 2. confesseth the second General Council is approved though Pope Damasus with might and main opposed it Vigilius though once he consented to the calling of the first General Council yet when he was called to give his personal appearance and afford his assistance and concurrence being commanded so to do by the Emperour and solicited thereto by twenty (r) Baron 553. n. 35. Metropolitans whereof three were Patriarcks the sturdy insolent Pope utterly refused whereupon the Emperour the necessity of the Church which was then in a general Tumult and Schism about the (s) Ibid. Ann.
2. The Queen saith he did resolve c. This is most false for thus she expressed and declared her self (a) Cambden Ann. p. 35 36. England embraceth no new Religion nor any other than that which Christ hath commanded the Primitive and Catholick Church hath practised and the Ancient Fathers have always with one mind and will approved If N. N. hath another Catholick Religion let him keep it to himself 3. The Pope did declare her a Bastard c. Perhaps this may be true but if he did so he declared against his own Conscience if Guicciardine say true but whether this were so or no the Pope hath a faculty to determine and declare contradictions If once he did declare her a Bastard he hath a cleanly conveyance to call in his Declaration and pronounce her Legitimate Our English Authors of good account probably upon common report have written that Pius the fourth as he offered very large Concessions so if the terms could be agreed on which were proposed to revoke the â—cateace against â—rer Mothers Marriage This seems to Mr. Fuller to be a light conjecture but others as modest and more knowing than himself in that point have averred it Bishop Babington on Num. the seventh affirms of Clement the eighth and Bishop Andrews Tort. Torti p. 142. is very positive in it Certe illâ—â—d rentatum constat de cuteris si ut vero Primatus c. Mr. Fuller himself relates the Pope sent by his Nuntio the Abbot of St. Saviours a Letter to her in which he promised to grant her whatsoever she would desire for the establishing and confirming of her Princely Dignity and assured her having furnished the Abbot with secret Instructions he should deal more largely with her intreating her to give the same credit to his Speeches which she would do to himself If these Instructions contrived for that pretence and profer were not publickly to be seen this was but a piece of Pope-crafe for the matter was so to be managed that nothing was to be concluded till the Abbot certainly found the Letter would take and produce the designed effect But before this Paul the fourth promised though not so frankly yet home enough that if she would refer her self wholly to his free crooked disposition he would do whatsoever might be done with the (b) Hist Counc of Trent fol. 411. ad An. 1558. honour of the Apostolick See and we know that the Popes have ready inventions they can any time off-hand find an expedient to salve its honour This Pope in the year 1554 being a moderate good man by a Letter to Queen Mary whom he knew to be zealously addicted to the Papal Interest granted a close Dispensation to confirm and ratify the alienation of the Possessions and Revenues of the Church and forged six reasons to satisfy the World that such a Dispensation might be granted with honour and conscience This Letter with the reasons was found in the Offices of the King's Papers the original whereof was there preserved but the next year following the tender-conscienced man changed his mind and in private discourse often told the English Embassadors with deep protestations that he could not profane the things dedicated to God and that his Authority reached not so far as to approve Sacriledg and therefore under an Anathema restitution must be made of Church-Goods and Revenues adding withal they could not hope that St. Peter would open Heaven to them so long as they usurped his Goods upon Earth Hist Counc of Trent fol. 392 393. ad An. 1555. This was a pure piece of Pope-craft to get Peter-pence from the people and Annates from the Crown for himself which he gained by this Artifice and let the Church shift for her Rights as well as she could The Pope and his Adherents do generally charge the Greeks with Heresy and Schism yet by an accord the Greeks may have his good leave to be Hereticks and Schismaticks let them but acknowledg his Supremacy they may keep their Religion and be either Hereticks or Schismaticks but if they prove refractory and refuse then presently they are pronounced Hereticks and Schismaticks For in Ann. 1594 Articles were drawn and concluded betwixt the Pope and the Bishops of South-Russia the main whereof was he was to permit to them the liberty of the exercise of their Religion and they were in lieu of that to acknowledg his Supremacy which they submitted to but with special reservation of their Religion and Rites Brerewood Inquiries p. 138. taken out of Th. a Jesu What Arts the Popes have used to maintain their Reputation the Author of the Hist of the Couno of Trent hath reported for fine stories of Reconciliation fol. 382 and 383 which he truly and properly stiles shadows of Obedience For Saligniacus the Pope's Protonotary Itenr to 8. c. 2. refert Brerewood p. 161. expresly affirmeth that the Christians in Egypt never yielded obedience to the Pope Let the Pope's Interest be either bettered or secured he can with honour allow Heresy and Schism and so sober and moderate a man is he he will not stand with you upon the strict account of Religion Neither is N. N. certain that all the Catholicks did take the Queen of Scots to be true Heir to the Crown yea it is false for not those sure who concluded the Marriage of King Henr. the eighth with Katharine to be unlawful and Divorce lawful not those sure who owned Elizabeth their natural Liege-Prince as Heath Arch-Bishop of York and Oglethorp Bishop of Carlisle who Crowned her not those who judged the Act of Succession valid neither the Secular Priests who in their Book entituled Important Considerations Printed An. 1601 and now re-Printed An. 1675 bound with the other Treatises did acknowledg her their true and lawful Queen and themselves her Highness natural born Subjects p. 53. and 64 and as such did profess their Allegiance to her as highly as the most Loyal Subjects could or should do p. 85 86. Nay nor Father Parsons and his Comrades who entituled the King of Spain and the Infanta his Daughter to the Crown in his Book entituled Dolman and as the Secular Priests affirm Import Consid p. 82. Philip King of Spain treated with Queen Elizabeth to Marry his Son Charles which he would not have done if he either valued the Pope's Declaration (f) Which none of those Roman-Church and there are great store of them do who deny his Infallibility in matters of Fact and Right or thought the Queen of Scots to be true Heir unless he had been assured of a Dispensation and by vertue thereof disseize and debar the right Heir But this project failing he gave out words he would take her for his own Wife insomuch that the King of France feared a Marriage betwixt them which moved many of the more inquisitive and considering sort to believe that the reason why the Pope did not draw in his Declaration proceeded only from the practices of