Masse being ended to repaire to their chambers and there to abide vntill the Bel warneth them to the scholes First the deuines scolasticall and positiue then the phylosophers and logicians and afterwardes the rhetoricians and gramarians One forme after another at diuers and seuerall ringing of the bell goeth to heare the publique lectures of the schooles of Rome and when they are come home from the schooles then one or other ringeth the bell to washing of handes ouer one of the Towels which are there to wipe their handes therewith there is written pro sacerdotibus no scholler dareth to wipe his handes therewith Then one ringeth the bell to dinner and one of the priestes is appointed by father minister a Iesuite to say grace and grace is said in latine and during dinner time one of the schollers who is appointed for that weake ascendeth and goeth vp to the pulpit whiche standeth in the lower ende of the refectorie or haule and there-hée readeth one hystorie or other and afterwards the Martyrologue But if any of the schollers haue committed some veniall sinne as they terme it then he pronounceth his fault and inioyneth suche penance as is specified by the superiours or written in his scedule or peece of paper assoone as he hath done reading hee cōmeth down immediately after wards one or other ringeth the bel thē they rise vp frō dinner to recreatiō their talke is of England wishing hoping the subuersiō thereof they had rather that aliants and straungers did rule the lande And that I lye not hée that is reconciled to the veritie of the Gospel and to the concorde of the reformed Church may beare testimonie for this man was in my time in the Englishe Seminarie and visited a scholler once lying sicke in his bedde which scholler died within a while after There were fiue or sixe schollers with the Neapolitane Priest and a Iesuite then beyng of the Englishe Seminarie nowe reader of Philosophie in the common schooles these perfect scholers talked of the Spanish Nauie of D. Nicholas Saunders then Captaine generall ouer the souldiers which came out of Spaine with him they hoped said they to sée the Masse openly aduanced in Englande for saye they wée had rather haue the Quéene of Scottes or the King of Spaine to gouerne the land thē our gracious Quéene Elizabeth whom God defende for his glorye sake and the maintenance of true religion When I hearde these vnnaturall woordes pronounced of vnnaturall subiectes towards their natural soueraigne and Countrie I could no longer forbeare to speake somewhat after this manner against these most malicious and blooddy wishings Though said I being then moreinclined to superstition then otherwise the religion of our Quéene Countrey differeth from the Catholique faith yet doe I not reade in Gods woorde that it is lawfull for vs to wishe the death of our naturall Princesse the ouerthrowe of our louing Countrey wherein we were borne Wée ought say they as wée may reade in the scripture hartily to pray vnto God for the happie conuersion of our Quéene and countrey to the faith of the Romanes Oh say they we had rather haue our parentes and friendes burned to ashes then that they shoulde renounce the profession of the faith of Rome but God sendeth a shrewd cow short hornes Neuerthelesse our hope and confidence is in the Lord of hoastes that the wished day of theirs shall neuer come to passe if the euent of all things should happen according to their wished mind they would not spare to imbrue their giltie handes in the innocent blood of their parentes and kinsfolke that shoulde boldely and constantly confesse Christ to bée the inuisible head of the Churche and not the Pope Father Ferdinando commended their villanous and Diuelish wishes For breuities sake I omitte to delate vpon their tir ānous doyngs desires and demaunds Nowe I procéede to certifie the curteous Reader of their manner of penaunce If any had committed some faulte by negligēce or through disobedience or contrarywise he hath penance inioyned him according to the qualitie of the crime As if he cōmeth to late to acōpany his fellow to the schooles then he is cōmaunded to stand at dinner or supper vntill the Rectour biddeth him sit downe If any other rose somewhat too late to contemplation hée is charged to lye prostrate on the ground vpon some couerlet or blanket and there hée lyeth on his backe vntill father Reetour or father Minister in the Rectours absence willeth him to rise vp Some for not comming to church some for neglecting the hearing of exhortations some for passing by any Iesuites some for one fault and some for another receue diuerse penances Some holde their fingers in their mouthes in the middle of the haule some are forbidden to drinke some haue not their antepast their first dish of meat or of fruites or of rootes some of ther post-past their after dish eyther of fruites or chéese And thus much in breuity fouching their maner of penances Euery one hath his bedde alone for feare of the abominable acte of Sodomie which is vsuall at Rome amongst all fortes of people And a little before midnight one of the Iesuites commeth to the scollers Chambers to sée what rule they kéepe and whether euery one bée in his owne bedde The scollers both in winter and summer weare two gownes the one vpon the other and a doublet and brieches in summer but in winter they haue warmer apparell Euery wéeke they are bounde to say ouer their beades for the Popes health and his florishing prosperitie and for the whole colledge of the the princely Maiesticall Cardinalls The first time that I came to the Englishe Seminarie father Rectour asked if I had any holy beades I tolde him no the next day the Rectour gaue me a payre of beades and warned me diligently and affectionately to pray incessantly for our patrone the Popes holinesse as he termed it I will sayde I say ouer my beades as well as I may but I could not tell what to doe with my swapping beades vnlesse to fray away dogges For I coulde better number the beades seuerally thē say my prayers on them I neuer learned to vse my beades but contented my selfe with my little primer booke and when I lost them I neuer sought any other I was complayned of to the Rectour for that I regarded no better the Diuels guttes To procéede further to write of the orders of the english seminarie I thinke it not amisse once a moneth euery student hath giuen him the name of some Saint whom for that moneth he taketh to be his patrone and defendour to him hee directeth his prayers and supplications as to God him selfe In that little fragment of paper is written to what purpose he shall pray as for the Popes health and long life that he may see reuengement done vpon princes who are fauourers of the reformed religion that he may subdue all countries fallen from him vnder his seruile
vnfained beleeuâ—rs of the Gospell of Christ Iesu O Englishmen you that are Priestes secundum ordinem Antichristi Papae Romani after the order of Antichriste the Pope of Rome be no longer enemies to the truth deuided and sundred from God and your louing Quéene Elizabeth Your obstinacie ingendereth wrath and prouoketh iudgement and iudgement by law ministreth death and damnation wyth death entereth the deuill and with hym heapes of infinite miseries and calamities In this pickle the impenitent lyeth for euer without redemption of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ So long as you hold with the Pope you shall be execrable vnto God and odious vnto your Prince expend therfore and weigh in your mindes caste with your selues in what a miserable perplexitie wretched case you Massemongers are so many as be not yet recoÌ„ciled vnto the truth in Christ Tourne vnto the liuing God and as you haue long tasted of his wrath so now beginne to taste hys frendship A better frend you cannot haue yea to say the trueth no other frende ye lacke but him whome if you haue your frende no enemy can do you hurte if he be your enemie no frende can do anye good if ye desire his frendship ye néede not séeke it farre it is offred vnto you in the Scripture at what tyme so euer ye recante God is ready to receiue you into hys fauour and grace But then you must take it while it is offred Behold now the acceptable yeare yet is the good tyme yet the golden time yet is the daye of saluation yet to day lasteth and yet the gate is open wherein the wise virgins maye enter But if it be once shutte againe the foolish virgins shall neuer haue it open any more Take mercy and pardon therfore while it is offred refuse it not least ye be refused The eternall God and father of our Lord Iesus Christe which is true in his promises and wonderfull in all his workes haue pittie of al Papists and spéedelye conducte you to the knowledge of the truth that you may be saued through the merites of Christ Iesus our onely redéemer and Sauiour Trisander Amen And I beséeche the same God to géeue them some porcion of his holy Spirite to kepe and confirme them in the knowledge of the eternall trueth of his Gospell that wée all like brethren and children of one father maye laude and prayse the name of the Lord our God that exalteth the humble and méeke doth throw pull downe the proud and highe minded Papistes And thus muche brieflye touchinge this Dialogue of Popish Priestes and theyr execrable abuses The end of the fifte Dialogue The sixt Dialogue wherein is laid open the dissention that hath beene in the Englishe Seminarie at Rome and the orders of that Seminarie The speakers are Trisander the Christian Pilgrime and Theophilactus the conuerted Christian Trisander NOwe are wee come to Rome the famous Citie of the worlde and the seate of Antichrist but before wée enter into this Citie can yée tell me how this Church is called and who payde for the building of the same Theophilactus What the name therof is I cannot tel but Pope Iulius the third when the state of true religion was subuerted and altered and papistrie planted erected the same Church of his owne expences and made processions and singing Te Deum with great solemnitie to declare the ioye and gladnesse that was pretended for this reconciliation Trisander I thinke the Diuell triumphed very much great ioies were then in hell amongst his route of Angels For this metamorphoses and sodaine alteration in religion the Pope his vice gerent here on earth reioysed and the Diuel his maister was glad that both king and quéene nobles and commons disioyned and disseuered themselues from the vnitie of Christes Church The Pope was more enriched his authoritie amplified his kingdome enlarged the Pope had plentie of worldly goodes and Peter pence pleased him best the Diuell sought nothing els but the sillie soules of the wretched persecutours and their vnhappie soules contented him most of all But tell mee I pray you good friende Theophilactus what moued the Pope to erect this Church without the walles of the Citie Theophilactus I knowe not in good sooth what caused him so to doe vnlesse he had thus conceit in his subtil braines that K. P. and Q. M. shoulde stande without the Citie to sée the repayring of the ruinous walles of Rome the cytie of iniquitie and there both K. P. Q. M. should stande to paye the workemen their hyre And suerly so it came to passe in the daies of K. P. and Q. M. that a great part of the ruines of that Citie was repayred vp agayne to the contentment of the Pope and his master whome hée serueth euen the iayler of hell But nowe all prayse bée ascribed to the Lorde that by the meanes of his faithfull seruant Queene Elizabeth our gracious princesse the light of the Gospell shineth throughout all this kingdome the ruines that were once repayred are nowe broken downe againe Antechristes religion is exiled and the trueth is preached of painefull labourers in Christes vineyarde and their doctrine is embraced of all true English subiectes Gods holy name bée praysed therefore Trisander Let vs nowe enter into the Citie where shall wee take our loding to night can you tell Theophilactus Yes that I can wée will go to the English hospitall and there wee shall bee welcome if we tel the schollers any newes that are in the colledge adtoyning to that hospitall Trisander What newes shall wée shew them they are of a contrary religion to vs they are disloyall subiectes both to God and to their princesse And if wée woulde tel them any such newes as they couet to heare wée shoulde offende both God and our louing Quéene therefore wee dare certifie them of nothing done in Englande without offence and if wée durst yet we would not for that they are degenerated from the faith and are vnnaturall vnto their Countrey Theophilactus Tush man you are melancolique you feare to vtter that which may be vttered for newes vnto the schollers Let vs tell them that father Edmunde Campion Ignatius di layolas priest is highly promoted in Englande For hee is Archbishoppe of the Towre of London and retaineth in his seruice many a stout Prelate Let vs tel theÌ„ of their Catholique martyre William Sherwood which was executed and put to death for that hee committed a horrible murther vpon Richard Hobson Gentleman both prisoners in the Kinges benche for the profession of Poperie Let vs bidde them make haste to returne home they shall want no preferment the Bishopricke of Newgate is voyde the Archdeaconship of the Kinges bench is vacant and many rich benefices in the towre doe waite and tarry their comming home For these recited places are receptacles of all the worthiest vnreformed priestes that come from beyond seas These newes wil animate embolden the Popes schollers
subiection They pray for the Queene of Scottes that shee may be restored to hir former dignitie that she may attaine to the Crowne of England establishe the Romish religion and set abroche the Popes supremacie They pray for the prosperous successe of D. Nicholas Saunders proceedinges in Yreland I thinke the saintes to whome they prayed were fast asléepe and hearde not their prayers or else their mindes were ouer much troubled with she prayers of other men so that they coulde not bend downe their eares to them most heartely beséeching their deuine graces so fight with Saunders disloyall to his soueraigne false to his Countrey and enemie to the trueth They prayed that certaine hollow hearted papistes of great countenance high reputation should make an insurrection and ioyne all their powers mightes and forces to assist and ayde the rebellious caitiffe and wickedly disposed wretche D. Saunders captaine generall of a companie of Rakehels and bloodde suckers He that hath defended both our Queene and Countrey from all maltgnāt deuises treachiries wrought attempted by disloyall and vnnaturall subiectes I hope of his free mercie and bountie and not for any of our desertes shall continue and preserue the royall estate and dignity of our gracious Quéene and the desired welfare of this woorthye Englishe Ilande Lushe wee Christians set not a rush by all the studentes vngodly prayers what euill they wishe to their natiue soyle the same euil chaunceth to them selues they prayed earnestly seriously and as a man woulde thinke by their outward shewe and by the often mouing of their lippes very deuoutly theyprayed but their prayers tooke no place the victorie redounded to the prayse of the Christians and to the shame of the Papistes D. Nicholas Saunders was glad to run away and leaue his souldiers to abide the endelesse woe of vnfortunate destinie One paire of féete were better then two paire of handes to D. Saunders and his adherents Oh how vainely did the Students pray that hée for whom they prayed shoulde abide suche losse of his souldiers and suche infamie with well neere the hazarde of the rope that it had beene better for the Englishe Students to haue healde their peace and not to haue wearied their braines with vnlawfull inuocation of the helpe of saintes For sometimes the saintes are woont belike to take their recreation solace and pleasure being ouerwearied with the continuall sutes and supplications of phantasticall and busie headed Papistes Thus much for this matter and this I adde by the way Examine the state of thy religion oh thou papiste howe it beganne with crueltie is nourished with tyrannie and defended with forged fables of lying spirites whereas the christiā religiō tooke her beginning by lenitie was mainteyned with sincere and perfect simplicitie and is as yet sustained with genilenesse mildnesse and amitie If any bée gone out of the pathway of faith wée exhort him brotherly and friendly to forsake his errour and to become a reformed man These meanes the Papistes despise by threatnings and violence they séeke to inforce Christians to their pretensed religion inuented of man through the malice of our auncient aduersarie the subtill Serpent that deceiued Eue in the Garden of all pleasures and delightes Euery Saintes euening some of the Studentes are appointed to couer their bodies au◠their faces with sackcloth and come to the common haule whiles their fellowes bee at supper and there to whippe themselues so long that some of their backes shall be altogether bloody Some lay the strokes on their backes very softly some make their whipcordes not to smart and these fellowes will come forth when the Rectour hath knocked his fingers on the boord and say Oh what a good saint was hée whose feast wée celebrate to morrowe I whipt my self with ioy to remember the good déedes of this celestiall saint Oh saide hee and tooke a déepe sigh from the soles of his féete my backe aketh I think it bée altogether blooddy Well no force I will once againe for the saintes sake whom I serue whip my selfe And then hée goeth to his chamber and in the darke he layeth on his gown not his backe which such mighty strokes that if his gown could speake it would bid him holde his hands When hée hath done beating his gowne in steade of his backe hée commeth down to his fellowes and sayth I will mortifie this proude fleshe of mine For if I suffered but half the griefe and sorrowes that this saint Agnes or saint Lucia or saint Bridget or any other saint did I were not able to abide it but yet I will not spare my backe for my saintes sake If hee had said I will not spare my gown in the darke hée had tolde the trueth Euery chamber hath one sainte or other to bée patrone or patronnesse thereof as one Chamber hath S. Katherine of Stenna another hath our Lady the virgin Marie and another saint Gregorie and another saint Peter and suche like Saint hath euery chamber to kéepe the same and euery chamber is called according to the name of the saint As for example one Chamber is named sainte Peters chamber and another our Ladies chamber and another saint Gregories chamber c. Trisander Haue the Studentes once euery fourtnight daies of recreation Theophilactus Yes they haue once a fourtnight a day to recreate them selues and the Rectour prouideth vineyardes for them for their recreation and there they practise Marshall feates The one taketh vpon him to bée the chiefe leader of the campe and some become Captaines as Diuines and all the rest are souldiers Sometimes they fight with the canes of réedes in sporte but at the ende of the skirmishe they fall out by the eares in earnest The Iesuites are gladde sometimes to come and parte them least they grieuously hurt eche one another Twise a yéere there are priestes sent from Rome and Rhemes to england at Michaelmas at Easter and assoone as they are arriued in Englande they haue their Patrones to maintaine them some go like seruing men some like gentlemen and some like countreymen There goe from both places I meane Rome and Rhemes about the number of twentie priestes Wée may sée what vntrue subiectes there bée in Englande to maintayne suche a seditious broode of pestilent shauelyngs If they were al loyall subiects there should not be one masse priest in Englande but séeing they are most delicately nourished and most brauely mainteyned in apparell What passe they for Christianitie and true religion Amongst the Christians of the reformed Church it is but in vayne to hope for such delicate féeding and gorgeous raymentes These Epicures the papistes perceiue very wel and often speake thereof howe bare and poore the Christian Cleargie is howe it is pouled and pilled by Gentlemen Esquires Knightes and others wée shall shortly say they sée the spirituall liuinges ioyned to the temporall sir Iohn lacke latine shall be maister Parson to serue the parish and the patrone of the benifice
shall reape the commoditie If the benifice bee woorth threescore poundes a yéere sir Iohn shall haue twenty or scarce that if it be woorth more the patrone of the benefice hath the greater profite and sir Iohn lacke latine not a whit the better And when these popish priests are apprehended some had rather wilfully weare Stories Tippet then yéelde to the trueth They knowe their names shall bée celebrated as the names of Saints amongst the viperous Progenie of wicked papists They know moreouer that their apparell shall bee adored and woorshipped if it may bee bought or gotten of the Papistes their bodyes also should be holy reliques in the Pharisaicall sinagogue of Papistes if they coulde come by them by some secret meanes Thus haue I briefly and without prolixitie of woordes declared the dissention and discorde of the Studentes amongst themselues I haue written also of the orders of the English Seminary at Rome I haue shewed howe vnnaturall the Studentes be to their natural mercifull princesse to rayle vpon her maiestie in their sermons reuile her which reprochfull words I haue shewed likewise howe much hurt they wish to their countrey I meane Englande For they had rather it were destroyed with fire sword and famine then if shoulde continue in the trueth of Christian religion Nowe the Christian reader may easily vnderstande what crueltie they would practise vpon their own Countrey men if power and strength were correspondent to their satanicall desires God hath weakened the might of our aduersaries and I hope will holde it enfebled continually Let the Popes schollers and all other papists wishe what tyranny they list to bée vsed vpon Englande it will not bée as they desire but it wil be as it pleaseth the Lord. If persecution and miserie fall vpon Englande it is for the sinnes of England and not for that they reiect the Popes authoritie and his forged religion This English Seminarie hath foure thousand Crownes a yéere for the maintenaunce thereof There was great suite made vnto the Pope before hee woulde graunt anye exhibition for the maintenaunce of any number of schollers at Rome There was an Englishe Lady that wrote vnto him about it and many Doctours besides other Englishmen of some worshippe and credite Doctor Allen the chiefest scholler of an Englishe man that is beyonde the Seas and president of the Englishe Seminarie at Rhemes came a foote to Rome and was glad within these seuen yeeres to haue beene Thomas Beckettes Chapilan and to receiue foure crownes a moneth to buie him meate drinke and cloth His fauour then with the Pope was very small but yet hée coulde not gette this poore liuing for that Doctor Morice being a malicious and enuious man who vnder Cardinall Morone had the preferring of him there vnto denied it him partely for that he was an Englishe man and partly fearing least that by such meanes by little and little hée shoulde come in fauour with the Pope as well as hée At the first the Pope was intreated to giue exhibition for sixe schollers secondly hée was persuaded to maintaine fourtéene and by little and little the number is growne to thréescore So that in Rhemes hée maintaineth fourescore and eight But our English Gentlemen as I haue hearde D. Alen report to the Rector of the Englishe Seminarie at Rome supplieth the want of that Colledge with seuenscore poundes at a time I Haue now Gentle Reader put in writing the dissention and orders of the English Seminarie and haue written so truely whatsoeuer I haue hearde and seene that my aduersaries except they haue an impudent face can say nothing to the contrarie And yet I haue not written all the disorders of that Colledge but leaue that for another time when occasion shall better serue In all this booke I haue fained nothing neither emptied my gal neither spoke I any thing of hatred or fauour to any man God the iudge of all men is my witnesse But I haue written thus much to this ende that our cake holy Priestes may not delude the people with the false praises of their fained holynesse If proud malicious enuious slaunderous luxurious and ambitious men deserue to bee counted vertuous why then the Popes schollers are vertuous For they are proude malicious enuious c. For when they come on the Saturdayes to receiue their shyrts the one saith to him that deliuereth the shyrts come giue me a good shyrt for a naughtie shyrt doth not become the beautie of my face very well Ther will bee sometime such contention amongest them who shall haue the fairest shirt that it is a worlds wonder to see it One saith I am of better complexion then hee another doth contrary him in his saying oftentimes I haue looked two or three houres for a shyrt and was loth to contende with any for my beautie was burnt with the heat of the Sunne or to say as it is I neuer had any and passe not it I neuer shal There was one honoredin that colledge as a saint for his beauties sake but lo now he is a carkase I saw him dead but so deformed that I scarse knewe him albeit I vsed his company for a long tyme. Quid superbis terra cinis Why art thou proud thou earth and ashes The Lorde gaue thee that beauty wherein thou so much gloriest and within one houre wil take it away at his pleasure and leaue thee an ougly sight to the beholders Repent you that are the Popes schollers repent you of your pride repent you of your Romish religion repent you of your cankred malice both to Queene and Countrie be humble imbrace the truth bee loyall to your Soueraigne and loue your Countrie God graunt you may doe so for your owne soules health Amen The seuenth Dialogue Wherein is shewed that the Turks Iewes by the Popes licence are permitted to haue their sinagogue in his vsurped kingdome iurisdiction how he suffereth Curtezans in their filthinesse for a yeerely tribute paid to his Treasure house which tribute of theirs amounteth in the yeere to twentie thousande poundes The speakers are Trisander the Christian Pilgrime and Merādulabasca the Turkish Merchant and Rabbi Diacothelah the craftie Iewe. Trisander SEing my friend Theophilactus is gone away from mée to looke vnto his businesse I thinke it necessary for my comfort and greater ease to mée in mine expences to ioyne my selfe to the company of some trustie traueller and pilgrime which intendeth to goe to Madonna di Loreto As hée bethought him selfe in this wise how to finde a faithfull friende in his iourney loe héere hée méeteth with a wealthie rich merchant Turke that determineth to goe to Ancona a Citie not farre from Madonna di Loreto this man vnderstanding that Trisander wanted a companion saith after this maner as followeth Merandulabasca Your faire and cleare cōplexiō doth make manifest that you are an Englishman your stature behauiour gesture and apparell doth testifie the same are you not What say you
the people as the Scribes and Phariseyes did in Christ his time These Iesuites preach not as they oughte for they leaue the woord of God and teache their owne traditions they preache euill for they wrest the verie Scriptures or rather rashly gather them out of old rotten papers readie wrasted by others And for that I say wrasted by others the stoleÌ„ bookes of controuersie that are scattered here in Englande who bringe them but the Iesuites and from whence came they but from Rome or froÌ„ some other citie where there is a Couent of begging Iesuites What written bookes of diuinitie soeuer the learned Iesuites of anye nation haue by the post they impart the copy thereof to all Iesuites of all countreyes And whereas hee wrote that I tooke some parte of my firste booke out of Philip of Norleyes booke what is that to the purpose You take to aunsweare that part the help of Bellarâ—â—inus dictates which haue made D. Bristow famous For he committeth his lesson to memory as a child doth the dictates of his master and readeth them publiquely to the English studentes His bokes that are written against that learned man D. Fuilke others are gathered as I suppose out of father Robert Bellarâ—â—inus dictates Well let these thinges passe vntill a more conueniente tyme serue to wryte hereof But this by the way I annswere to Parson as I surmise his malicious detractions where he sayeth that they of the reformed churche are driuen to thys exigâ—nt that they are glad to haue suche simple fellowes as I am and others whome hée named But let him be assured that in Englande at this daye there are a thousand that can encounter wyth hym and all the whole crew of blasphemous Iesuites They are able God bee thanked to confute them in their errors albeit in huggeâ— mugger they are groate braggers and little doers they are fearfull barkers but small biters What prayse shall the learned winne by medling with these boasters and braggers of themselues who when they come to defend their cause they alledge elde wiues tales the liues of fayned Saintes false miracles and such like trifles As for the Scriptures wheÌ„ they alledge them they peruert the sence thereof Now shoulde learned men trouble themselues wyth suche peruerse men that haue no knowledge in Gods booke the most vnlearned minister in England is able by authority of Scripture to ouerthrow them with their sophisticall and fantastical religion For these greate Rabines and masters do neuer once read the bible orderly and yet the blinde and ignoraunt people doth reuerence these sowgelders in stéede of Gods For in Germanie these Iesuites are so termed in their language These are they whiche now leaue their bellies séekinge their owne glory not the true glory of God which mighte bee sâ—tfoorthy euen by Balaams asse much lesse then ought we to contemne such abiectes as preach the word of God We haue sayth S. Paul thys treasure in bricketh vessels that the glorie of the power mighte be of God and not of our selues God hath chosen the foolishe thinges of the worlde to confounde the wise and the weake thinges hath God chosen to confounde the mightie and vtle thinges of the world and despised hath hee chosen and thinges that are not to bringe to noughte thynges that are that no fleshe shoulde glory in his sighte But now all men in a manner will bee wise and therefore they are ashamed of the simple Gospell and of vneloquente preachers they are ashamed truelye to saye wyth Paul and to performent in déede I brethren when I came vnto you did not come with excellencie of woordes or of wisdome preachinge the testimonie of Christe For I estéemed not my selfe to know any thing amongest you but onelye Iesus Christe and hym crucified 2. Cor. 2. O voice of a true Euangelist But now we are ashamed of this foolishe preachinge by the whiche it hath pleased God to saue al those which beléeue in him and béeinge puffed vp wyth out owne fleshly minde we do rather choose proudlye to deale in those thinges wherein we are slenderly séene preaching fables and lies and not the law of God whiche is vndefiled and conuerting mens soules God geue the people grace better to estéeme his word then they haue done hetherto that they may geeue due honour vnto the ministers thereof according as they are admonished in the Scriptures For nowe scarse the Bishops are stéemed as they ought to bée as for others they are had in coÌ„tempt with the proud rather theÌ„ otherwise Who now a dayes more vile with the foolishe people then a minister who more abiect then he the Papistes haue their Priestes in greater reuerence who are better loued by a greate deale then our ministers are amongest their owne flocke I doe not write this that meÌ„ should come to the ministers with cap and knee no they ought not to bee so vaineglorious as to require such obeisance but they ought to bee regarded and honoured as Christ himselfe hath appointed But of this matter I wil write no more let the people if they wyll follow Christe do as Christe hath commaunded or els let them bee sure they are not the followers of Christ But least I might seeme too tedious in this discâ—uery of the Iesuites and Papistes I will here make an ende directinge all the reste of my talke wholy vnto theÌ„ both whome this dialogue specially concerneth exhorting them to be reformable and to cease of from hauing the word of the eternall God in contempt Be ye therefore better minded then you haue beene hetherto say with Haule It is haâ—de to kicke againste the pricke O leaue your erroneous opinions abhorre heresie and bee reconciled to the truth that you may bée receiued agayne into the perpetuall fauour of God purchased by Christe to all them that by fayth and repentance come vnto him You haue examples of diuers that recanted and forsooke the dregges of popish superstition and spent their bloud for the testimonie of their fayth as you may reade in the histories of the churche of Christe And as you haue them so followe them to your owne saluation Now as longe as you are obstinate and stiffenecked in your naughtie and peruerse opinion so long shall you be vnder the indignation and displeasure of God and the Prince so longe shall your state be miserable your mind vnquiet fraught full of feare and dread your harte out of comforte no safetie in your life brieflye you shall lacke no calamitie but if you will recant your trespasse shall be pardoned and displeasure remooued then feare shall departe comforte shall come and you shall receyue hope of eternall lyfe Your feare shal be turned to hope death to lyfe damnation to saluation hell to heauen malediction to blessinge the power of Sathan shal be dissolued your care shal be tourned to consolation finally all the felicities of heauen so many as Paradise can holde shall belonge to you as to all other