vpon just and vnjust that is bestoweth out of his owne bounty many temporal commodities vpon them that doe ful litle deserue them at his handes Wherefore M. Abbot was ouer-seene to bring in the Princes prosperity for proofe of the goodnesse of their religion Let vs proceede WILLIAM BISHOP BVT sithence there be in this our miserable age great diuersities of religions and yet but one only wherewith God is wel pleased and truly serued as saith the Apostle Ephes 4. One body one spirit as you are called into one hope of your vocation one Lord one faith one baptisme my most humble sute and supplication to your high Majesty is that to your eternal good you wil embrace maintaine and set forth that only true Catholike and Apostolike faith wherein your most roial Progenitours liued and died or if you cannot be wonne so soone to alter that religion in which it hath beene your Highnesse misfortune to haue beene bredde and brought vp that then in the meane season of your tender goodnesse you would not suffer the sincere Professours of the other to be so heauily persecuted R. ABBOT SECT 3. Page 14. HERE M. Bishop propoundeth briefly to his Majesty the summe of his petition the foundation whereof he laieth in a principle which we acknowledge to be a truth that whereas there be diuersities of religions in the world there is but one only where vvith God is truly serued Hereupon he frameth his humble sute that his Majesty wil embrace and maintaine that only true Catholike and Apostolike faith but that needeth no sute of his for his Majesty already doth that For what is the Catholike faith but the faith of the Catholike Church and which then shal we take to be the Catholike Church surely the Catholike Church by the very signification of the word is the vniuersal Church so called Quia per totum est August de vnit Eccles Athanas Q 81. Because it is ouer al or through al the world and is not tied to any country place person or condition of men not this Church or that Church as S. Augustine speaketh * August in psal 56. But the Church dispersed throughout the world and not that which consisteth iâ— men now presently liuing but so as there belong to it both those that haue beene before vs and that shal be after vs to the worldes end whereby we see how absurdly the Church of Rome taketh vnto it the name of the Catholike Church and how absurdly the Papists take vnto them the name of Catholikes The Catholike Church is the vniuersal Church the Church of Rome a particular Church there fore to say the Catholike Roman Church is al one as to say the vniuersal particular Church To speake by their rule the Roman Church is the head and al other Churches are members to it but the Catholike Church comprehendeth al therefore to say the Roman Church is the Catholike Church is as much to say the head is the vvhole body Neither doth it helpe them that of old particular Churches vvere called by the name of Catholike Church it being no otherwise done but as in toto similari in a body vvhere al the parts are of the same nature vvhere euery part hath the name of the vvhole and no one part can challenge the same more then another as in the elements euery part of the fire is fire euery part of the vvater vvater and so of the like for so euery Church where true faith was taught August coÌ„t Epist Fund cap. 4. was called to distinguish it from heretical assemblies the Catholike Church and euery Bishop of such a Church vvas called a Bishop of the Catholike Church and no one Church more then another assumed vnto it any prerogatiue of that title Therefore they called the Catholike faith the faith that vvas receiued by the Church throughout the vvorld and the true Christians vvere called Catholikes August Epist 48. Ex communicatione totius orbis by hauing communion and fellowship of faith vvith the Church of the whole world it is therefore a meere vsurpation whereby the Papists cal the Roman Church the Catholike Church WILLIAM BISHOP M. ABBOT is now at length come from his extrauagant roâ—ing narrations vnto some kinde of argumentation Here he wil giue a proofe of his valour here we shal soone try whether he come so wel furnished into the field that he neede not to doubt of the victory as in the beginning he vaunted of himselfe or vvhether his special skil and force doe not rather lie in railing at vs and in cosening of his reader then in any sound kinde of reasoning That doctrine vvhich he learned out of S. Augustine concerning the signification of the vvord Catholike vve vvillingly admit off to wit That religion is Catholike that faith is Catholike which is spread ouer al the world and hath beene alwaies imbraced and practised euen from the Apostles time to our daies and such is the religion vvhich I vvould haue perswaded his Majesty to receiue in to his Princely protection To this vvhat saith M. Abbot marry that his Majesty hath already receiued it How doth he proue that not by any one plaine and round argument directly to the purpose but from the Catholike religion falleth to the Catholike Church and so spendeth the time in most friuolous arguing against the Roman Church of vvhich I made no mention at al. Doth he not deserue a lawrel garland for the vvorshipful ranging of his battle and is he not like to fight it out valiantly that thus in the beginning flieth from the point of the question Proue good Sir that his Majesty embraceth and maintaineth that religion vvhich is spread ouer al the vvorld and that hath continued euer since the Apostles time and then you may justly say that he vpholdeth the Catholike religion according to your owne explication out of the ancient Fathers But because M. Abbot saw this to be impossible he gaue it the slippe and turneth himselfe to proue the Roman religion not to be the Catholike and perceiuing that also as hard to performe as the other he shuffles from the religion and faith of vvhich the question vvas vnto the Roman Church that is from the faith professed at Rome to the persons inhabiting the citty of Rome whom he wil proue not to be Catholikes and the Roman Church not to be the Catholike Church Doe you marke vvhat winding and turning and what doubling this simple Minister is driuen vnto ere he can come to make any shew of a silly argument But let vs giue him leaue to vvander vvhither his fancy leadeth him that vve may at length heare vvhat he would say It is forsooth That the Church of Rome doth absurdly cal her selfe the Catholike Church and that Papists doe absurdly take to themselues the name of Catholikes because the Catholike Church is the vniuersal Church but the Church of Rome is a particular Church therefore to say the Roman Catholike Church is
A REPROOFE OF M. D OCT. ABBOTS DEFENCE OF THE CATHOLIKE DEFORMED BY M. W. Perkins WHEREIN His sundry abuses of Gods sacred word and most manifold mangling misaplying and falsifying the auncient Fathers sentences be so plainely discouered euen to the eye of euery indifferent Reader that whosoeuer hath any due care of his owne saluation can neuer hereafter giue him more credit in matter of faith and religion THE FIRST PART Made by W.B. P. and D oct in diuinity As Iannes and Mambres resisted Moyses so these also resist the truth men corrupted in minde reprobate concerning the faith but they shal prosper no further for their folly shal be manifest to al as theirs also was 2. TIM 3. vers 8. 9. ¶ Printed with Priuiledge Anno Domini 1608. THE PREFACE TO THE READER GOOD CHRISTIAN READER I doe voluntarily confesse that after I had seene M. Abbots answere to my Epistle vnto his Majesty I was a long time vnwilling to reply vpon it not for that I esteemed it to containe any such extraordinary learning as be too too fondly vaunteth off for I dare be bold to say that in a skilful mans judgement there are more pregnant proofes of their new doctrine in two leaues of M. Perkins booke then in tenne of his but cleane contrary I finde so little substance in his worke and so great store of impertinent and vile stuffe such superfluity of idle amplifications so many vnciuil and foule wordes that I could not thinke the time wel bestowed which should be spent in so friuolous and paine an altercation Notwithstanding being often admonished by my friendes that diuers Protestants much commended M. Abbots discourse some for the stile and his cunning and confident carriage in it others for that they saw it thicke interlaced with sundry ancient Authors sentences and thereby thought and gaue out that he refused not to deale with vs at our owne weapons Herevpon I resolued at length to afford it some answere specially for such good peoples sake who are desirous to bolt out that truth of God which only can saue their soules and are not willing to be deceiued with fine tricks nor doe wittingly suffer themselues to be carried away with faire glozing speeches or stout brags when they finde no correspondence of sound and wel grounded matter To giue the man his due I acknowledge that he inditeth not amisse if he did not defile and poison his penne with so huge a multitude of ougly venimous and vnsauoury tearmes But what account is to be made of choise picked and pleasing wordes when they be imployed not only to abuse and beguile simple soules but also to disgrace the sincere verity of Gods word surely for the debating of controuersies in religion plaine vsual speeches without painting or superfluity haue alwaies beene taken by the learned for most decent and expediēt according to that ancient Adage simplex est veritatis oratio the stile of truth is simple and plaine And where much colouring and flourishing is vsed there is no smal suspition of a badde cause and fraudulent dealing What neede bad M. Abbot to fil vp thirty sheetes of paper to giue answere vnto one sheete and halfe of mine doth it not argue to a man of vnderstanding that what he could not answere vnto directly in few wordes he would at least cloake with long circumstances and cast a mist before the Readers eies with gay glorious phrases that he might not see and discerne the truth Touching his frequent disgraceful and odious tearmes and most bitter rayling against the best sort of men on our side I would gladly learne how it can stand with Christian charity and modesty Sure I am that it consorteth ful euil with that sacred rule of the Apostle 2. Tim. 2. vers 24. The seruant of our Lord must not wrangle but be milde towardes al men apt to teach patient with modesty admonishing them that resist the truth And S. Peter telleth vs that the natural property of a true Christian is 1. Pet. 3. vers 9. To be modest and humble and not so much as to render euil for euil or curse for curse so farre off was he from encouraging any man to reuile and raile at them who neuer gaue him any one foule word in al their liues yea whome he neuer saw And he further biddeth vs to follow the example of Christ our great master who did not reuile when he was reuiled but hath in expresse wordes forbidden vs to vse any contemptuous or opprobrious speeches against our bretheren assuring vs before hand that he Math. 5. vers 23. Who shal say to his Christian brother thou foole shal be guilty of hel fire This and an hundred times more to the same purpose being set downe in the diuine Scriptures against bitter and barbarous speeches yet M. Abbot a professed Diuine seemeth to take a special delight in them and to esteeme them no smal ornaments of a Diuines stile otherwise he would not so often vse them I wote wel that the most milde and sweet pen-men are sometimes through zeale of the truth or by the ouerthwart dealing of their aduersary moued to let slip now and then a hard word or two but ordinarily or vpon euery smal occasion to fal into a fit of rayling and to vomit vp most rustical and ruffianlike taunts cannot but discouer a very corrupt and venimous stomacke In this one discourse of M. Abbots a diligent scauenger may rake together wel-neare a tumbrel ful of them I doe intreate the gentle Reader not to be offended with me if I doe here for verification of what I say trouble him with the view of some few of them The Bishop of Rome is seldome called by his right name but Antichrist Page 118. 124 146. 150. 162. the man of sinne that harpie of Rome filthy harlot filthy and vnnatural strumpet the whoore of Babilon and such like Religious men he tearmeth idle lossels and filthy belly-gods swarmes of Locusts Romish vermine ful gorged Friers and so foorth My selfe and others my bretheren False harlots witlesse sophisters blind Doctors abhominable hypocrites lewd caytifs the seede of the Deuil vncleane beasts foule mouthed dogs like vnto other swine of his fraternity base fugitiues false traytors the villany of our profession and innumerable others which cannot but conuince and demonstrate M. Abbot to be one of them whome the spirit of God hath liuely described when he wrote Rom. 3. vers 13. Their throat is an open sepulchre with their tongues they deale deceitfully the venim of serpents is vnder their lips their mouth is ful of malediction and bitternesse their feete swift to shedde bloud destruction and infelicity is in their waies and the way of peace they haue not knowne there is no feare of God before their eies And if M. Abbot scorne to be aduised by me his aduersary to forgoe this rude rhetorike of brabling and scolding women in latin called Canina eloquentia let him follow
the Church of Rome so cruelly surely there was no agreement betweene them Wherefore as the Catholikes of Africa then so they that were taken into the communion of the Church of Rome cared little for the Donatists as witnesseth S. Augustine saying of Cecilianus Bishop of Carthage August Epistola 162. He neede not to care for the multitude of his conspiring enemies the Donatists when he saw himselfe by communicatory letters joined with the Roman Church in which alwaies the principality of the Apostolical chaire flourished c. So we at this time neede as little to care for the bitter reproches and deceitful arguments of the Protestants so we stand stable and firme in the like society of faith and religion with the same Church of Rome ROBERT ABBOT Cont. Epist. Fund cap. 4. THERE vvas reason why Augustine should be moued with the name of Catholike vvhen they that were called Catholikes had testimony of their faith from the communion society of the Church throughout the vvhole vvorld and were therefore so called Breui collat diti 3. cap. 2. Quia communicant Ecclesiae toto orbe diffusae Because saith S. Augustine they communicate with the Church spread ouer al the whole world But most sottishly it is alleaged for a motiue to vs being now Donatistically applied to one particular Church of Rome and to men bearing the name of Catholikes only for communicating vvith that Church Surely as the name of Iewes was of old a name of honour and the proper title of the people of God but afterwardes by their Apostacy who bare it was left for Esai 65. vers 15. a name of curse and reproch so the name of Catholike was an honourable name and the peculiar title of the true children of the Church but now by their abuse who haue vnjustly taken that name vnto themselues it is become a name of curse and shame vvith the people of God and the proper badge of Apostataes and Heretikes And as the Apostle Rom. 2. v. 28. denieth the name of Iewes to them vvho yet according to the letter were so called because of the circumcision of the flesh and applieth the truth of the nam◠to them vvho vvere so according to the spirit albeit according to the letter they were not so named so the name of Catholikes in deede belongeth not to the Romish faction who according to the letter take vpon them to be so called but the true meaning thereof belongeth to them vvho although they joy not in the litteral name c. yet doe follow the same faith vvhich they followed vvho first were called by the name of Catholikes Let them haue the shel so that we haue the kernel c. the name in his true vse importeth them that imbrace the faith of the Catholike that is the vniuersal Church that hath beene from the beginning of the world that is through the vvhole vvorld and shal be to the worldes end WILLIAM BISHOP S. AVGVSTINE indeede was so much moued with the name of Catholike that he alleageth it to haue beene one principal cause Cont. Epist Fund cap. 4. De vera relig cap. 7. which kept him in the lappe of the Church And else where very often exhorteth al Christians To hold the communion of that Church which both is Catholike and knowne also by that very name not only to her owne followers but also to others And the self◠same reason alleaged by M. Abbot himselfe vvhich caused that most holy vvise and learned Father to esteeme so highly of that title Catholike is now of great force to perswade al reasonable men to make themselues members of the Roman Church for by joining in society of faith with the Church of Rome they shal cōmunicate with the Church spred ouer the whole vvorld because the faith and religion of the Church of Rome hath beene generally receiued al the world ouer as our aduersaries themselues doe confesse The name Catholike is by the Protestants Donatistically applied to their Schismatical congregation that neither are nor euer were scattered al the world ouer but be inclosed and confined vvithin certaine countries of Europe as the Donatists were within the boundes of Afrike Most sottishly then to vse his owne wordes doth M. Abbot affirme the name Catholike to be applied by vs of the Roman religion vnto the particular Church of Rome when as we cal al other Churches of what country soeuer that with the Church of Rome keepe intirely the same faith Catholike And men of al other nations doe we cal Catholikes as vvel as those vvho are Romans borne because they al beleeue and confesse the same one Catholke faith that is extended ouer al the world Secondly M. Abbot is much mistaken in his comparison of the name of Iewe with the name Catholike for to omit first that such examples proue nothing but doe only serue for shew or explication and moreouer that it can hardly be shewed that the name of Iewe was a name of such honour at any time for that peoples honourable name vvas Israelites and vvere not called Iewes til towardes the declination and wane of their estate Neither was it euer any peculiar and proper title of the people of God for God had many good seruants that were neuer called Iewes as may be gathered by Iob the Husite Naaman the Sirian the widow of Luc. 4. vers 26. Sarepta a Sidonian and by a great number of Prosilites and finally by that which the Apostle teacheth Rom. 2. vers 14. Many Gentils were saued without the law Lastly most vncertaine it is of what name the Prophet Isay speaketh when he saith Cap. 65. vers 13. It shal be left for a name of curse Al these impertinencies of his example being too too many I doe remit him but cannot pardon his grosse fault in the maine point of the comparison for the name Iewe according to the vsual signification of the word being the name of a certaine people of one race and kindred and hauing a law giuen them by Moises which should continue only for a prescript time and end at the comming of Christ is not like the name of Catholike which is no special name of the people of any one country but is attributed and doth agree to al sortes of men of what country or nation soeuer that doe embrace the true Christian faith And is inseparably linked and so fast joined and riueted with the Christian profession and religion that it shal neuer faile fal or be separated from it so long as Christs faith standeth nor euer be contemned of the faithful whiles Christs true religion flourisheth vvhich is proued inuincibly out of the very Etimology of the name Catholike and that according to M. Abbots owne interpretation in the same place who doth expound it to signifie that Church which is through the whole world and shal be to the worldes end If the name Catholike shal continue to the worldes end the true title of
or Predecessours erred he leaueth them to the counsaile of God but by the vvord of God learneth himselfe to be one of them Vers 16. that shal hate the whoore and make her desolate and shal eate her flesh and burne her with fire Albeit it is vtterly false vvhich he affirmeth that al his Majesties Progenitours Kinges of these Realmes of England and Scotland liued and died in the Romish faith that now our Romish factours labour so much to set vp Indeede he and his fellowes are vvont to be very lauish in their speeches of this matter as if from King Lucius of Britanny and Donaldus of Scotland the only religion that had beene professed had beene that vvhich now is practised by them vvhere as it shal afterwardes plainly appeare that at the comming in of Augustine the Italian Monke 400. yeares after the receiuing of the faith in this Iland the Bishops and Churches of Scotland joined with the Britanes against those new obseruations which the same Augustine brought from Rome and vvould by no meanes admit thereof for the space of an hundred yeares at least refused to communicate with the English that had receiued the same Yea in the time of King Henry the third 1200. Math. Paris in Hērico 111. Anno 1238. 1239. yeares after the incarnation of Christ when the Popes Legate vvould haue entred into Scotland to visit the Churches there the King of Scots Alexander the second forbadde him so to doe alleaging that none of his Predecessours had admitted any such neither would he suffer it and therefore willed him at his owne peril to forbeare so long vvas it before the Popes authority could gaine acknowledgment in that Kingdome which his agents would make vs beleeue hath beene in al ages vniuersally and vnquestionably receiued But they care not indeede vvhat they say or write so that it may carry a magnifical and braue shew to dazel the eies of them that are not wel acquainted with their leude and naughty dealing WILLIAM BISHOP PAGANS and Heretikes doe now and then like Apes counterfait true Christians And no maruaile for their great master Sathan 2. Cor. 11. vers 14. doth transfigure himselfe sometimes into an Angel of light and did alwaies and yet doth labour ¶ * Esai 14. vers 14. to be like vnto the Highest but it is easie to espy their apish trickes and to returne their fond subtleties vpon their owne heades Simmachus plaied but the part of a foolish sophister when he pleaded so with the Emperour Valentinian we are to follow our Fathers for the Emperours Father and neerest Predecessors were no Pagan Idolaters but professed Christians as al men know vvho are conuersant in those ancient histories To the point of the proofe I answere in briefe that it is a most sound inducement among vs Christians and to be dearely regarded of al To follow the foot-steppes of our fore-fathers in beleeuing if they before haue not degenerated from their Ancestors The base and ground of it is this As God is more ancient then the Deuil and Christ IESVS then al Heretikes so vvas the true seruice of God and the right faith of Christ planted sowne and tooke fast roote before Heresie and Idolatry sprong vp vvhich hath firme testimony from our Sauiour who teacheth Math. c. 13. vers 24. That the good seede was first sowne by the Father of the houshold and the cockle after and ouersowne by the enemy VVhence it followeth perspiculously that they who doe hold the same doctrine inuiolably vvhich was embraced by them of that stock who were first cōuerted to the Christian faith are true and sincere Christians Those children then vvho follow the holy steps of their Catholike Progenitors ascending from Sonne to Father successiuely til they ariue at the first Christians in that country are true Christians and they that doe not succeede their Predecessors in their faith and religion but either are fallen themselues or doe follow others vvho before fel from the faith of their fore-fathers are vndoubtedly slipt into errour and infidelity By vvhich discourse it is euident that I tendered a most reasonable request vnto his Majesty that he would imbrace and countenance that religion which al his Progenitors euen to the first Christian among them had liued and died in because they vvere al Catholike and not one of them can be named vvho changed the religion of his fore-fathers yet this notwithstanding Simmachus the Pagan vsing the like argument in shew vvas not to be heard the difference is because his fore-fathers for vvhose Idolatry he pleaded had before forsaken the true and sincere vvorship of the one liuing God and therefore their children vvere not to continue in their Idolatry but to returne vnto their former Ancestors true piety So vvere the Donatists children of whom S. Augustine cited by M. Abbot speaketh not to follow their Fathers in that sect and heresie but to leaue their late corrupted parents in their new doctrine and to looke back vnto their grandfathers ancient faith and religion from vvhose integrity their Fathers were degenerated Euen as now a-daies we exhort men that had or haue Parents turned Protestants not to be led away vvith their erring Parents opinions but happily to receiue their forefathers ancient faith from vvhich their Fathers reuolted vnaduisedly And so shal they returne vnto the roote and original of our Lordes tradition as S. Cyprian speaketh because they shal returne to that faith vvhich was receiued from hand to hand euen from the Apostles our Lordes most trusty and sacred messengers and cleauing fast to that shal not neede to regard what any man hath thought fit to be dine or said against it Now to that point vvhich followeth in M. Abbot Apocal. 17. There shal be a time when the Kinges of the earth shal giue their power to the beast and bend themselues to fight against the Lambe vvhich I doe willingly admit but vvhen that time shal be or vvhat Kinges it is very vncertaine for there shal be also a time Esai 60. Psalm 70. When the Kinges of the earth shal be as nurses to the true Church and shal most humbly both obey it and also enrich and defend it to the vttermost of their power Now by the very insinuation of the Text and the vniforme consent of ancient writers the good Kinges shal cherish exalt and magnifie the Church before those euil Kinges shal arise who falling away from their fathers faith and from the Catholike Church vvil lend their aide to her professed enemies to vvorke her ouerthrowe vvhich is a shrewd presumption that the Kinges of former ages stood farre better affected to the true Church of God then some of later times Wel this I leaue to vnderstanding mens judgement But I may not slippe M. Abbots exceeding grosse ouer-sight or rather hainous crime in ranking his Majesty among those Kinges mentioned in the Apocalipse for albeit Cap. 17. they shal hate the whoore and make her
haue beene various in the transforming of his countenance In Germany beleeuing one thing in Heluetia another at Geneua turning the third way in Holland vvandering the fourth How many countries they infect with their new and prophane Gospel so many diuers professions of faith and distinct formes of Church gouernement they haue These changlinges that are so farre degenerated from their predecessors piety and doe disagree so much one with another Yea that doe in the same country often chop and change their owne religion are of al constant Catholikes to be auoided as vnstable and wauering soules caried about with euery blast of new doctrine But concerning dutiful obedience vnto the Prince vvho is Gods Lieutenant general in temporal causes Catholikes if they be compared to Protestants wil be found an hundred times more loyal and constant vvhich point because I haue touched in my answere vnto M. Abbots Epistle in the beginning of this booke I neede not here againe handle it at large And although some men of our religion haue now and then as fraile and sinneful creatures forgotten their duty both to God and their King yet they haue beene so few and that so seldome in comparison of the Protestants that for one of ours more then a thousand of theirs haue within this hundred yeares failed therein though we be in number a thousand of our religion for one of theirs if you take al Christendome ouer And albeit the state seeme now to be settled against the religion of our fore-fathers and not vnlike so to continue vntil it shal please God of his infinite mercies to alter and amend it vvhich notwithstanding as al the faithful know may be very shortly because his diuine power is infinite and no man able to resist his vvil yet we shal be by the assistance of Gods good grace so farre off from biting our tongues or the lip either thereat as M. Abbot fondly imagineth that vve wil rather pray to God to open our lips and to loose our tongues to magnifie his holy name that he hath giuen vs that true Christian happinesse and honour not only Phillip 1. vers 28. to beleeue a-right in Christ IESVS in these daies of infidelity but also to suffer disgrace and to sustaine persecution for the constant profession of his holy name and only true Catholike Apostolike Roman faith They who make profession of religion to please the Princes of the earth to heape vp honours and to rake riches togither haue great cause of griefe when they finde themselues therefore by the present state discountenanced impouerished and vtterly rejected But others vvho know our blessed Sauiour as al Christians ought to doe and the true honour vertue and riches of his Crosse doe more regard of his loue yea of one good looke of his then of al earthly Kinges countenances fauours and preferments And doe make a higher estimate of bearing his Crosse after him and of suffering persecution for his glorious name sake then of al vvorldly ease honours and commodities Imitating therein that generous and most noble minded Moyses Hebr. 11. vers 25. Who chose rather to be afflicted with the people of God then to haue the pleasures of temporal sinne esteeming the reproach for Christ greater riches then the treasures of the Aegiptians It doth not therefore so much trouble vs to behold the state settled against the Catholike religion for our owne temporal interest who haue thereby so manifold occasions to mortifie our euil passions to flie the temptations of the wicked world and to endeare our selues vnto our most louing redeemer But very great sorow and continual sadnesse of hart haue we to consider that Christian religion first planted in our country and euer since vntil our fathers daies most constantly continued is now banished thence and with it al honesty of life al good and charitable dealing with our neighbour is vtterly decaied and banished out of the City and Country And in place thereof swearing and forswearing drunkennesse dishonesty and al manner of deceit and knauery openly practised countenanced and without blushing professed That the goodly faire and stately Churches built by our Catholike Ancestors for Catholike assemblies at the blessed sacrifice of the Masse and for the due administration of the holy Sacraments and true preaching of Gods word be now prophaned and turned to places of dishonouring of our soueraigne Creatour and of seducing his poore creatures That the famous Vniuersities and other Schooles founded for instruction principally of Catholike doctrine and deuotion be now made shops of new errours loose manners and impiety Vpon these and such like spiritual considerations finding our poore country depriued in manner of al Gods blessings and our deare country-men made slaues of the Deuil and fuel for the flames of hel fire vve Catholikes are exceeding pensiue yet doe vve not therefore fare like madde men nor gnaw our tongues for anger as M. Abbot scornefully vvriteth but doe in bitternesse of soule most earnestly pray vnto the Father of mercies in vvhose handes are the harts of al Kinges to inspire our dread soueraigne King IAMES and the Lordes of his most honourable Councel vvith the true knowledge of his sacred vvil and word and to kindle in them so feruent a zeale of the Catholike Roman faith as that they may imploy those very rare and singular gifts of nature arte and experience which God hath plentifully powred vpon them towardes the reclaiming of our country from the new prophane heresies and most wicked conuersation of these miserable times vnto our Ancestours sound faith sincere honesty and most charitable and vpright dealing This chiefly is the heape of our heauinesse this is al the harme vve wish them this is al the treason that can be justly laid to our charge That vvith the aboundance of such honour and prosperity as this vale of misery affordeth them they might also be heires of eternal happinesse glory and felicity And albeit for this inestimable heauenly blisse vvhich we most hartily desire vnto our natiue soile and best beloued country we be stiled a thousand times traitours and euery way vsed most vnkindly yet we shal not surceasse by Gods grace to pray for them continually vvho doe day and night persecute vs yea ouer and besides be ready also by the assistance of the same his grace not only to bestow our best and most seruiceable daies to doe them good but also the dearest bloud in our bodies if it shal please our blessed Sauiour so to dispose of vs. And is it likely that men thus by the grace of God affected should cry out as M. Abbot malitiously surmiseth O fallaces spes O deceitful hopes doth he not here rather notably discouer the basenesse and corruption of his owne mind as exceeding far dissenting from the right temper and disposition of a sound and noble Christian who should be nothing daunted for seing the worldly state settled against him because our great Master Christ hath assured vs of that
other countries or vvas there euer such a shamelesse writer as M. Abbot that blusheth not to set out in print such monstrous and notorious lies that in falshood exceede al fictions of Poets and Painters and in malice doe match vvith any deuilish deuise whatsoeuer Oh into what lamentable calamity is our poore Country fallen that must haue such cosening Companions such false Hypocrites and most impudent Liars for the guides of their soules to saluation and for the only teachers of al spiritual doctrine Can any man that injoyeth the right vse of his senses giue credit and trust vnto them vvho make no conscience but a cōmon custome to lie al manner of lies nay such a one if they be wise they should not beleeue when he telleth them a truth which they doe otherwise know For Demetrius Phaleius being asked what euil did follow a liar Marry saith he that no man afterward beleeue him when he telleth truth And good reason for how knoweth he vvhether he doe not lie then as he was accustomed to doe before He therefore that wil be sure not to be deceiued must neither giue credit vnto M. Abbot vvho is plainely conuicted to haue told very many grosse and palpable lies Any plaine honest man must needes much maruaile to behold or heare that he who maketh profession of Gods pure word and the truth of the Gospel should take such a special delight in lying but he must remember that al is not gold that glisters Al be not true Pastors of Christes flocke that come in sheepe-skinnes Al be not sincere teachers of Gods word that take vpon them to be Preachers And no one more assured touch of counterfaite coyne no plainer proofe of a rauening vvolfe and false teacher then such often and euident lying For as God is the truth it selfe and al his doctrine most true so are they vvith truth alone to be vpholden and defended Iob. 13. v. 7. What saith holy Iob hath God neede of our lies or that we should speake deceitfully in his cause no verily for the truth is strong enough of it selfe to confound falshood Fortis est veritas praeualet But the Deuils cause it is that needeth to be bolstered out and vnder-propped with lies Iohan. 8. vers 44. For he is a liar and the Father of lies And without lying no falshood can be deceitfully coloured and made to appeare and seeme truth He then that wil be fedde vvith lies let him take the Deuil to his Father and M. Abbot or some other such like of his lying Ministers for his Master A certaine Minister being told that M. Abbot was reputed much to blame and very hardly censured by many discreet persons for that he had vsed so much deceit and leasinges in his writinges answered forsooth in his defence that he could not bely the Papists and their cause too much What can be said vnto such shamelesse persons surely nothing else but that the new light of their Gospel is now growne to his perfection vvhen as the brochers of it doe not only vnder-hand colourably paint it out with lies but are not ashamed openly to maintaine that they cannot lie to much in that cause O holy cause that needeth the helpe of lies But good master Minister be better aduised I pray you and rather hearken vnto the graue counsaile of the auncient Preacher Eccles 4. vers 26. Ne accipias faciem aduersus faciem tuam aduersus animam tuam mendacium take not falshood that is the face of the Deuil against truth vvhich is the true face of euery reasonable creature made after the Image of God and doe not admit lying against thine owne soule Sapient 1. vers 11. For the tongue that lieth killeth the soule Yea it doth not only kil his owne soule that lieth but the others also that beleeueth his lies blinding him with errors and so leading him blindfold into hel fire Math. 15. vers 14. For when the blinde guideth the blinde they both fal into the ditch Wherefore good Sir if you wil not yet a while make open profession to cast away your owne soule vvilfully and to leade al your followers after you to eternal damnation doe not for very shame vphold and maintaine open lying But if it be Gods good pleasure that you your selues shal make kowne to the vvorld that yee doe not only vse lying but also defend it as lawful necessary to vnder-proppe your badde cause then my trust in Gods infinite goodnesse and mercies is that the Moone-shine of your obscure Gospel waneth a-pace and the daies of your deceit draw towardes an end For howsoeuer you like iniquity and allow of leasinges Psal 5. v 6. God as the Prophet Dauid teacheth doth hate al them that worke iniquity and wil destroy al them that speake lies by bestowing vpon his faithful and prudent seruants such heauenly light and grace as they may easily discerne the juggling and false trickes of Protestant teachers 2. Tim 3. vers 9. For not their folly only as the Apostle speaketh but their falshood also and trechery are now sufficiently discouered and made manifest vnto al men of any reasonable capacity and study Wherefore al that haue tasted of the true gifts of Christes spirit vvil follow them no longer in their most dangerous and damnable courses but fly as fast and as farre from such false Prophets as poore sheepe doe from the jawes of rauening wolues and with speede returne happily vnto the only true fold of Christes flocke the holy Catholike Apostolike and Roman Church there to learne and imbrace that sincere auncient faith and pure religion vvhich only can saue their soules and which being planted by Christ and his Apostles hath euer since continued and brought forth aboundance of diuine fruit al the world ouer Which God almighty of his incomprehensible bounty graunt through the inestimable merits of IESVS CHRIST our most gratious Lord and Sauiour to whom vvith the Father and the holy Ghost be al honour prayse and glory for now and euer AMEN PRINTED ANNO DOMINI M. D.C.VIII A BRIEFE ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER I Haue hitherto set downe M. Abbots owne text word by word that the juditious reader comparing it with my answere may truly discerne vvhat substance is in his writing And how farre forth he is to credit him in the rest that hath in the first and best part of his booke behaued himselfe so insufficiently in matter of learning and dealt so dishonestly in the manner of handling of it There remaines behinde in this answere vnto my Epistle some light skirmishes and vaine friuolous brauadoes vpon those points of controuersie which I in one sentence only touched in the same Epistle excepting much foule speech and many slanderous lies which he plentiful powreth out by the way in both vvhich masteries I willingly leaue to him the bucklers Now because those his discourses are as it vvere scopae dissolutae not arguments soundly knit togither and set in any good aray but a feeble loose idle and disordered kinde of wrangling besides also the very same questions be afterwardes handled againe distinctly and particularly I haue judged it farre better to handle throughly euery controuersie in his due place then first lightly to skimme them ouer in hast as he hath done and afterward like vnto one that had either forgotten or ouer-shotten himselfe to recoile and turne backe againe to treate of the same matter more orderly and substantially vvhich course I hope wil not be misliked of the wise Take courteous Reader this that is already finished in good part If thou finde any thing in it to thy liking giue the glory to God And if thou be Catholike helpe me vvith thy good praiers that he who hath giuen me grace to beginne may increase his blessings vpon me to bring it to a good and perfect end The end of the first Part. FINIS COVRTEOVS READER I must needes acquaint thee with a notable legerdemaine which by perusing the Authour I found out after the rest was printed M. Abbot to proue that the Pope had no authority in Scotland 1200. yeares after Christ auerreth Page 117. that Alexander the second vtterly for-badde the Popes Legate to enter within his Kingdome which is not true For his Authour Mathew Paris declareth In Hērico 30 page 667. that the King indeede did at the first oppose himselfe against that visitation of his Kingdome to be made by the said Legate not for that he did not acknowledge the Popes supreme authority in those Ecclesiastical causes but because it was needlesse the matters of the Church being as he said in good order and for feare of ouer-great charges Nay further the said King did write a large letter vnto the Pope himselfe as the very same Authour recordeth where he first acknowledgeth In Hērico 30 page 873. that very person to be his Holinesse Legate as wel in Scotland as in England and Ireland Moreouer the King confesseth that he himselfe his heires and subjects were and would be obedient vnto the Popes jurisdiction and censures with much more to the same purpose Which alone is sufficient to conuince M. Abbot to be so perfidious and without al conscience in alleaging auncient Authours that no man who wil not willingly be blindly ledde by him can repose any trust in his allegations Good Reader beare with faultes in printing which besides false pointing be not many The principal that I remember are these Page 169 line 21 For Constantius the fourth reade Constantine the fourth and so in al that matter following treating of Pope Agatho his obedience to the said Emperour Page 170 line 32 though Emperour reade although an Emperour Page 186 line 21 for Concilij Praesidijs reade Concilij Praesidibus page 198 line 8 in the allegation of S. Leo there wants in the margent the quotation of his 23. Epistle to Martianus Augustus for the vvorship of Relikes Pag. 213 lin 27 for passed reade possessed pag. 261 line 25 for and ego reade an ego page 272 line 16 for Vndoubtly reade Vndoubtedly
the graue counsel of that sage Lawier Sr. Edward Cooke whose booke â—e citeth wherein is said In the preface of his fift of reportes That controuersies in religion are to be handled with al candor and charity and not with bitter invectiues like men transported with fury To end this point if he hold â—n that course of scurrility he wil driue me and others to giue him ouer in the plaine field for a foule-mouthed wrangler that deserueth no answere Thus much by the way of the manner of his inditing Now to the matter of his booke which doth principally consist in allegation of Authors and applying their sentences to his purpose How insufficiently he hath behaued himselfe therein shal be particularly discyphered 〈◊〉 their proper places I wil here only for a tast of his judgement and sinâ—erity therein giue a touch vnto some general heades thereof First doth 〈◊〉 not euidently proue great want of judgement and discretion to alleage 〈◊〉 vpright witnesses in matters of controuersie such authors as are knowne to al the world to be professed parties of the same side If I should cite for confirmation of the Catholike cause D oct Harding D oct Sanders D oct Stapleton or any other Catholike late writer would not the vnpassionate reader take me for very simple if I thought that any man would the sooner beleeue me for their opinions that were men though most learned and right honest yet not indifferent because they were professed aduocates of the same cause Euen so a man of any wit cannot but maruaile where M. Abbots senses were when he so commonly and confidently for proofe of any doubt doth produce the authority of Bale a late Irish Apostata Frier whome be sometime also calleth Balaeus to make him seeme two worshipful authors that is not worthy to be halfe one Fox Iewel Humphrey Holinshed Sr. Edward Cooke the Magdeburgenses Kemnitius Illyricus Sleidan Hospinian and many others open and professed aduersaries of the Catholike Roman Church and therefore no vpright and fit witnesses against it He without doubt may garnish his margent with variety of quotations that blusheth not to cite so frequently as M. Abbot doth such partial writers But no man I hope wil be so foolish as to giue credit vnto any thing that is no better verified then by the verdict of such false witnesses For to cal one of them to giue testimony is no better then after our English prouerbe to hidde a man aske one of his fellowes whether he be a theefe or no. Againe there is another circumstance in the citing of his late partial authors which maketh it yet more absurd and ridiculous For he sticketh not to produce the credit of a seely writer of this last hundred yeares for verification of a matter done more then a thousand yeares before he was borne For example to proue that Pope Eleutherius acknowledged Lucius King of our Country 1400. yeares past to be supreame gouernour in causes Ecclesiastical Page 26. M. Abbot alleageth Holinshed a Chronicler of our age what a jest is this how knew this late writer what passed so long before his owne time was there not any one Hystoriographer more ancient then he neither Latin nor English that could tel any tidings of such a matter And yet M. Abbot is so il aduised as to perswade vs to receiue it vpon his seely poore credit Of the like stuffe is that in another place of his booke Page 60. to wit that Syritius Bishop of Rome who liued about 1200. yeares agoe was a noueller and that by the worshipful verdict of Polidore Virgil who liued eleauen hundred yeares after him What are learned men growne so carelesse of their credit that they dare let passe to the print such doting follies and so grosse absurdities this may serue for a note of his ouersight in alleadging his owne pew-fellowes for vpright and indifferent vmpeers and late moderne authors for the certainety of ancient matters Now to his citations of the more authentike approued writers whome he doth greatly abuse in diuers and sundry fashions The first and most gentle is when he doth cite their wordes truly but doth apply them cleane contrary to their meaning For example in his Epistle to the Kinges Majesty be approueth his Highnesse course for the answering of Catholike bookes producing for it this sentence out of S. Bernard That though thereby the Heretike arise not from his filth yet the Church may be confirmed in her faith M. Abbot meaning as the sequele of his speech doth import that if thereby men of the Roman religion wil not be conuerted from their errors yet the good Protestants may be confirmed in their new faith which is very farre wide from S. Bernardes expresse declaration as else-where so in that very place For that deuout holy Father was so farre off from disswading any man from the Roman faith that he wisheth al men to make their recourse vnto the See of Rome for resolution of al doubts in faith these be his wordes to Pope Innocentius We must referre to your Apostleship Epist 190. al the scandals and perils vvhich may fal in matter of faith specially because the defects of faith must be holpen where faith cannot faile for to what other See was it euer said Luc. 22. vers 31. I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faith doe not faile See then what Church S. Bernard would confirme in her faith not the Protestant but the Roman Moreouer in that very discourse out of which M. Abbot â—icketh the former sentence Serm. 66. S. Bernard doth in particuler describe those Heretikes whome he perswaded to arise from their filth to be such as held the Church not to haue beene visible for many yeares but to haue lyen hidde in corners Item that vvould not beleeue â—hat any soules departed went to Purgatory but either to heauen or to hel presently and so defrauded the dead of the prayers of the liuing Also such as vvould disswade from praying to the Saints these and such like are those Heretikes by S. Bernardes judgement whome he would haue to rise from the drosse and dregs of such erronious opinions and returne vnto the Roman Catholike faith Now judge with what conscience M. Abbot could cul some wordes out of the same discourse to perswade men by the countenance of S. Bernard to forsake praying to Saints and for the dead and the whole Roman religion so strongly established by that reuerend religious Father in the very same place This may suffice for a proofe of his misapplying the Fathers sentences wherein he offendeth as often and as grieuously I thinke as euer did any Christian writer as shal be hereafter shewed Now to another tricke of his no lesse shameful which is the misconstruing of their wordes let this serue for a paterne Against the worshipping of Images he produceth the authority of S. Gregory Bishop of Rome Page 104. Commending as he fableth the zeale of
from their parents kinsfolkes and friendes being content to liue vpon Gods prouidence and that poore pittance which the impouerished estate of some few Catholikes wil afford them The Protestant Ministers who by their profession are capable of fat benefices headships of houses Deanaries and such like dignities and commodities may be truly suspected to bend their studies that way and to maintaine heresies in hope of gaine and promotion and they who cannot be satisfied with two or three of those great liuings joyned togither or with one Bishoprick alone but would haue Bishoprickes and Deanaries vnited such men may indeede rightly be suspected to make marchandize of mens soules for filthy lucres sake but to impute couetousnesse vnto seminary Priests who haue debarred themselues of al preferment both spiritual and temporal which their Country yeeldeth to men of their profession and can looke for no other promotion there then a halter at Tyburne was no lesse shameful then witlesse impudency Briefly M. Abbot by tearing Gods wordes in peeces and patching it vp againe with his owne wordes ful il-fauouredly and by applying it most absurdly is found to offer as great injury to it as he hath done vnto those holy ancient learned Fathers aforesaid who were by the spirit of God selected to be the principal expounders of it So that finally whether you regard the handling of Scriptures or Fathers you shal seldome light vpon any Diuine that doth performe it more insufficiently shal I say or more perfidiously neuerthelesse he sets such a brasen face on the matter speaketh so confidently conueieth it so cunningly and doth gild it ouer so artificially that the credulous and vnwary reader would thinke him to be some jolly fellow and a rare flourishing writer But be that wil not take vaine wordes for good paiment nor tricks and shifts for sufficient proofes but wil weigh his arguments wel and diligently examine his testimonies he shal quickly discouer M. Abbots weakenesse and finde him to be one of the most shallow and beggerliest writers of these daies for he like a mount-banke indeede to returne his owne wordes vpon him setteth out for fresh and new marchandize the very rif-raf and refuse of other Protestant authors and that which hath beene an hundred times answered vnto by the learned on our side In him therefore is truly verified that witty obseruation of S. Augustine Lib. 1 cont Gaud. c. 39. vttered against the Donatist Gaudentius Nihil assert praeter lassum quassum he bringeth nothing that hath not beene already by his owne comâ—â—nions wearied out and as it were tired by ouer often vsing and 〈◊〉 our party so shaken battered and beaten that it cannot be but a foule â—sgrace among the learned to put into light and to set to sale so base â—erworne thrid-bare and ragged stuffe This I hope wil suffice for a preamble to aduertise the indifferent â—ader what opinion he is to conceiue and carry of M. Abbots writings â—â—e rest I remit to the Treatise it selfe desiring the juditious reader to â—â—are with those manifold difficulties which we that liue in the land haue in this time of persecution both to compose and to print our bookes which duly considered he wil not greatly blame our slownesse if our workes come not foorth so speedily as he may wel expect and we doe greatly desire Almighty God whose glory we seeke and for whom we labour in the conuersion and right instruction of Christian soules vouchsafe to send his heauenly blessing on our poore trauailes and vpon al them who with good intention shal reade them ouer MASTER ABBOTS EPISTLE TO HIS MAIESTY AMONG the manifold benefits which the diuine prouidence hath yeelded vnto vs by the happy entrance of your most sacred Majesty to the imperial Crowne of this realme we cannot but most especially recognize that vvhich we take to be the pillar and vpholder of the rest the preseruaâ—n of true religion and continuance of the Gospel of Christ â—hich albeit it be a singuler and inestimable mercy of God yet â—ere is found amongst vs a vipers broode a malecontented Samaâ—an generation which neuer ceasseth whining and repining there 〈◊〉 accounting this blessing of God to vs a great wrong to them â—hilest by a Cachexie and corrupt disposition of the stomacke â—ey better brooke the Onions and Garleeke of Aegipt then the â—anna of heauen and bread of Angels and haue eares more deâ—hted with the Mermaides notes and inchanting musicke of the â—oore of Babilon then with the plaine-song of true religion diâ—cted by the simplicity of the word of God Therefore as in the â—ies of our late most gratious Queene they neuer rested working bring this land againe vnder the slauery and bondage of the â—n of sinne so since your Majesties comming to the Crowne â—â—ey haue beene stil plotting the same not only by attempting â—ur Highnesse subjects but also labouring in their Petitions and â—dicatory Epistles to draw your Majesty one vvay or other to â—nsort with them in their damnable and accursed deuises And 〈◊〉 Mount-bankes doe set foorth base wares with magnifical and lofty wordes so doe they with braue tearmes labour to grace a counterfait and bastard faith and in their supplications haue â—â—unted to your Majesty of a religion and neuer rest to commend a religion which indeede in the questioned part thereof is no other but a refined heresie compounded of sundry ancient heresies only clarified by Schoole-tricks from the more feculent and grosse parts thereof THE ANSVVERE TO M. ABBOTS EPISTLE TO HIS MAIESTY VVILLIAM BISHOP THIS Epistle consisting partly vpon vaunts of their owne new-no-religion but more specially in a most bitter inuectiue against ours may for the former part be easily answered because that in al his Epistle he hath not produced one seely proofe of any parcel of it but only auoucheth in a certaine graue Ministerial confidence that their counterfait superstition is the plaine-song oâ— truth directed by the simplicity of Gods word which when he goeth about to verifie an answere shal be giuen him In the meane season we contrariwise take their profession of faith to be no better then a heape of ragged errors raked out of the dunghil of old condemned heresies though freshly trimmed vp and varnished ouer deceitfully with the glosse of Gods word after their owne interpretation And touching their pretended diuine seruice vvere pute it as worthely we may to be a prophane mingle-mangle compounded of some of the old and some of the new by humorous nouellers to please men in authority that they might there by shoulder out their betters and shuffle in themselues though most vnworthy into the highest places of dignity and best benefices of the land This briefly may serue for answere vnto thâ— which M. Abbot speaketh in praise of his owne religion Now to those grieuous and malicious slanders which he powâ—â—h foorth aboundantly against the poore Catholikes The first is â—â—at they are a vipers broode and a male contented Samaritan generation â—ood
wordes gentle Sir and vntil you haue gotten the credit of â—â—other S. Iohn Baptist which wil not be this yeare beare with vs â—â—ough we cannot brooke such foule wordes so wrongfully cast â—pon vs Let it be considered whether those tearmes doe not raâ—her fit men of your owne coate and profession Young vipers to â—â—eepe into this world doe gnaw out their dammes bellies and to â—et the vse of life to themselues doe kil those that gaue them life â—â—e not the Protestants trow you such kinde of creatures did â—â—ey not receiue their christendome and new birth by Catholikes â—â—at were their Predecessors and doe they not by al meanes seeke â—â—e ouerthrow and destruction of them by whom they were reâ—â—nerated and borne a-new If the Catholikes had beene descenâ—â—d from the Protestants and had put them downe to set vp them â—â—lues M. Abbots reproch might haue had some col our of truth â—â—t the contrary being so notorious that the Protestants issued of â—â—e Catholikes and to hatch the vipers of their venimous errors â—â—d as much as in them lay procure the destruction of their Anâ—â—stors faith and religion who can doubt but that the Protestants â—e much more like the vipers brood then the Catholikes be The â—â—me may be said of the Samaritan generation vvho albeit they â—â—etended to be the off-spring of Iacob Iob. 4. and to haue the true vvorâ—â—ip of God in the mount Garazin yet vvere indeede Idolators â—â—d by force and vsurpation held that part of the country which â—â—as the ancient right of the Israelites And because they could 〈◊〉 quietly possesse it as they thought vvithout they serued the â—od of Israel also 4. Reg. 17. they got some Priests of the Israelites among â—â—em at the first to reach them their rites and ceremonies and so â—â—rued together both the God of Israel and each people their seâ—â—ral Gods besides Loe vvhat it is to be a Samaritan generation â—â—e not the Protestants their cosen germans or very neare kinsâ—en They vaunt themselues to be lineally descended of the Apoâ—â—les and to serue God most purely but they can make no better â—â—oofe of their pedigree and lawful succession from the Apostles â—hen the Samaritans could doe of their natural discent from Iacob â—herefore they are strangers borne of the sinnes of the people and raised out of the ashes of old rotten Heretikes that haue no right vnto any roomes in the Catholike and Apostolike Church no more then the Assirians had vnto the land of Israel Againe being entred into possession of the Church-liuinges by violence did they not for feare of displeasing the people that might perhaps haue hoised them out againe joine very many rites of the old seruice vvith their new deuises and gotte not one only aâ— the Samaritans did but many of our Priests to instruct them in the old ceremonies euen as the Samaritans for pure feare serued the God of Israel vvith their owne Idols so that in euery respect the Protestant progeny is proued to resemble to the life a Samaritan generation Now the Catholikes that haue not forcibly driuen the Protestants out of their ancient country nor taken any of their Ministers to teach them how to serue their Lord but succeeding lineally the Apostles as in place so in doctrine and religion can with no reason be called a Samaritan generation and consequently M. Abbot vvas fouly ouer-seene to charge vs with the imputation of such contumelies that doe in no sort touch vs but doe hitte themselues home In which he that would be taken for a great Oratour must needes confesse that he much forgot the wise counsel of the prince of Oratours Cicero who saith Qui alterum criminis accuset c. He that accuseth another man of any crime ought before-hand diligently to consider that be himselfe be not guilty of the same for it is a grosse and intollerable impudency to vpbraide another with that wherein your selfe are most faulty But herein as in many such like M. Abbot thought it more policy belike to imitate those infamous Elders vvho fearing to be accused truly by chast Susanna of their outragious attempt began first to burthen her vvrongfully vvith the accusation of forged crimes If therefore he speede no better therein then they did let him thanke himselfe for his badde choise I omit here his manifold other spiteful tearmes against his Holinesse and other inferiour persons as the ordinary flowers of his rusty rhethorike yet I cannot but note that he doth repeate againe and againe the vvord Religion too too scornefully for a man that maketh account of any religion and may not let passe that incongruity vvhich M. Abbot being a great Architect of wordes hath committed in his owne art For in the fore-front of his dedication he hath placed such a number of base rascal vile wordes as must needes seeme very vnfit to present vnto so high a Majesty as is the Monarke of great Britanny whose most ciuil and delicate eares may not abide the sound of such rude and harsh speeches as be for example Vipers broode whoore bastard slauery damnable accursed inchaunting whining repining onions garleeke feculent cachexy and such like a dainty messe of wordes no doubt and meete to be tendered vnto so juditious a Prince for a choise breake-fast Page 39. Ioine here vnto that which M. Philpot as he saith in great heate of spirit answered D oct Chadsey Afore God you are bare-arsed in al your religion and many of the same sort wherewith his vvritinges are besmeared and then judge whether they doe not smel more rankly of some noisome tan-fat then sauour of any ciuility and whether that old Adage may not be verified in him That which is bredde in the bone wil neuer out of the flesh otherwise the study of Philosophy in so famous an Vniuersity and chiefly the profession of Diuinity vvould haue weaned him from such rustical and homely tearmes and haue taught him to vse more ciuility in his writinges dedicated specially to so high a Majesty Let vs proceede ROBERT ABBOT AMONGST the rest one Doctor Bishop a secular and seminary Priest a man of special reputation among them and chosen to be a maine stickler in the late contentions of the secular Priests against the Iesuites hath taken vpon him to sollicite your Majesty in that behalfe and hauing apprehended a speech or two deliuered from your Majesties owne mouth in the conference of Hampton-Court would make you beleeue that if you wil stand vnto what your selfe haue deliuered you must needes admit their Catacatholike tradition to be the Catholike and true faith Whose Epistle to your Majesty when I had perused and examined the answering of the vvhole booke being by authority vnder your Majesty committed vnto me I could not but wonder that the author of it durst offer it being so ful of falshood and childish folly to a Prince so learned and wel able to judge thereof but that I considered that one vntruth must
vphold another and he that hath vndertaken a badde cause must vse vvorse meanes for the maintaining of it He chargeth the religion established and professed by your Highnesse with heresies impieties blasphemies absurdities and what not that malice and ignorance can deuise to speake And this is the common stile of the rest of them vvho when they come to proue and exemplifie what they speake they shew themselues to be but sicophants and hirelings to the Pope for whose sake they must speake to gale and disgrace howsoeuer there be no truth in that they speake And if they dare thus impudently carry themselues in print and to your Majesty vvhat dare they not say in corners to the intrapping and seducing of simple and vnlearned men by which meanes many of your Majesties subjects are intangled in a misconscience of religion and thereby withdrawne from the true conscience of their loyaltie towardes your Highnesse their Liege and soueraigne Lord and are made but flaxe and tow for the fire of their seditious practises who haue beene bold already to tel your Majesty that if you wil not yeeld them vvhat they desire Sect. 34. of D. Bishops Epistle Aug. in psal God knoweth what that forcible weapon of necessity wil force them vnto at length therein verifying of themselues that which S. Augustine said of the Donatists their Predecessors Where they cannot by sty and wily cosenage creepe like Aspes there with open professed violence they rage like Lions WILLIAM BISHOP THAT dissentions doe sometimes fal among the best and most perfect Christians is not vnknowne vnto them that be conuersant in the Scriptures In the beginning of the Apostles gouernement Act. 6. ver 1. There arose a murmuring of the Greekes against the Hebrewes for that their widdowes were despised in the daily ministery Againe Act. 15. vers 39. There arose a dissention betweene two principal persons S. Paul and S. Barnabas about the taking of Iohn surnamed Marke into their company so that they departed the one from another Such dissentions as are without the breach of vnity of faith and religion are so incident vnto the diuersity of mens different judgements that no aduised creature ought to be scandalized thereat If then the Priests and Iesuites did disagree about the introduction of a new kinde of discipline and gouernement which neuer lightly hapneth in any common weale or company without some jarre and contention what just cause hath M. Abbot or his fellowes to declaime against it We doe not striue about the number and nature of the Sacraments as the Lutherans and Zwinglians did and doe we doe not disagree about the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy and the whole frame of church-gouernment as doe the Protestants and Puritans or briefly in any matter of faith or religion only the Priests found themselues grieued because in that matter of a new forme of gouernement to be put vpon them neither their aduises were heard nor their consent required vvhom it did principally concerne but al passed by the information and instigation of them as it was thought who would be wholy exempted from it At this manner of proceeding and at that which ensued of it they were not a little moued yet seing they orderly sought to their Superiors for redresse and referred the whole matter vnto their determination the dissention vvas but such as hath beene among the best Christians what great matter then can they make of this And did M. Abbot meane trow you by making me a special stickler for the secular Priests to picke a thanke at my handes for recōmending me thereby to his Majesty and the state vvho seeme to haue the Iesuites in farre greater jealousie for dealing in matters of gouernement then the seculars It is not likely because he foorth-with falleth to discommending me and my simple vvorke as much as may be wondering how I durst offer it to his Majesty being so ful of falshood and childish folly Is it not a farre greater wonder to see so industrious and learned a Doctor as M. Abbot vvould be reputed to be holden one yeare and a halfe about the answering of one sheete and a halfe of such childish follies nay is it not a wonder of wonders that he who taketh himselfe able to furnish truth with al it strength In his epistle to the King should notwithstanding confesse that he may not thinke himselfe to haue attained in this his answere to these childish follies vnto that that the matter doth require How hang these thinges together if you thought it pollicy to depresse and disable my booke as in effect containing nothing but toies and the rublish of old walles you should not so soone after haue declared in wordes and by long labour about it rectified in deedes that it required great ability and long time to be in any reasonable sort answered When you say that I charge the religion professed by his Majesty with heresies impieties blasphemies c. you in the waightier part doe falsly slander me Page 121. which I wil proue euen by your owne testimony For I say as it may be seene in your owne booke that I wil let passe their impiety that make God the author of al wickednesse and say nothing of their blasphemy who touch our Sauiour with doubting if not with despaire of his owne saluation In which my speeches I taxe by the way Caluin In the Preface vnto the secōd part of the reformed Page 124. Beza and some other vvhom I haue more fully proued else where to teach plainly those points of impiety and blasphemy But how doth that concerne the doctrine established and professed by his Highnesse seing that you your selfe testifie that you in your Churches and Schooles doe determine the contrary you your selfe then are my witnesse that I doe not charge the doctrine established by his Majesty neither vvith impieties nor blasphemies though Caluin and his complices stand justly chargeth therewith And you yourselfe though at the first you would seeme to dislike them yet draw very neare them for first you are not abashed to say Page 125. That God taketh occasion to prouoke a man to doe wickedly Now to prouoke that is to stirre vp and push a man forward to commit sinne is so euil of it selfe and so contrary to Gods wil and commandements that it cannot be imputed to God vvithout impiety vvho as S. Iames vvitnesseth Iacob 1. vers 13. Tempteth no man Further you say in the same section That the burden of Gods wrath lay so beauy vpon Christ our redeemer that it pressed him euen to the gates of hel and his estate for present feeling was as if God had abhorred his soule Page 127. Againe Christ according to his present feeling said my GOD my GOD why hast thou forsaken me which wordes signifie that our Sauiour both thought said and felt that his heauenly father for the time had forsaken him and did abhorre his soule which if it be not blasphemy I know
of their Church Wherevpon if you demand of a French Catholike of what Church he is his answere wil be that he is of the Catholike Roman Church where he addeth Roman to distinguish himselfe from al Sectaries vvho doe cal themselues somtimes Catholikes though most absurdly and to specifie that he is such a Catholike as doth wholy joine with the Roman Church in faith and religion Euen as the vvord Catholike was linked at first vvith Christian to distinguish a true Christian beleeuer from an Heretike according to that of Pacianus an ancient Authour Epistola ad Simphorian Christian is my name Catholike is my surname so now a daies the Epitheton Roman is added vnto Catholike to separate those Catholikes that joine with the Church of Rome in faith from other sectaries who doe sometimes cal themselues also Catholikes though very ridiculously because they be diuided in faith from the greatest part of the vniuersal world Out of the premises may be gathered that the Roman Church may wel signifie any Church that holdeth and maintaineth the same faith which the Roman doth whence it followeth that M. Abbot either dealt doubly vvhen he said the Roman Church to be a particular Church or else he must confesse himselfe to be one of those Doctors vvhom the Apostle noteth 1. Tim. 1. vers 7. For not vnderstanding what they speake nor of what they affirme Now to this his second sophistication The Roman Church by our rule is the head and al other Churches are members to it but the Catholike comprehendeth al ergo to say the Roman Church is the Catholike is to say the head is the whole body Here is first a mishapen argument by vvhich one may proue or disproue any thing for example I wil proue by the like that the Church of England is not Catholike thus The Church of England by their crooked rule is a member of the Catholike Church but the Catholike Church comprehendeth al where fore to say the English Church is the Catholike Church is to say a member is the whole body Besides the counterfait fashion of the argument there is a great fallacy in it for to omit Fallacia accidentis that vve say not the Church of Rome but the Bishop of Rome to be the head of the Church it is a foule fault in arguing as al Logitians doe vnderstand when one thing is said to be another by a metaphore to attribute al the properties of the metaphore to the other thing For example Christ our Sauiour is metaphorically said to be a Lion Apocal. 5. vers 5. Vicit Leo de tribu Iuda now if there hence any man would inferre that a Lion hath foure legges and is no reasonable creature ergo Christ hath as many or is not indued with reason he might himselfe therefore be wel taken for an vnreasonable and blasphemous creature Euen so must M. Abbot be vvho shifteth from that propriety of the metaphore bead which was to purpose vnto others that are cleane besides the purpose For as Christ vvas called a Lion for his inuincible fortitude so the Bishop of Rome is called the head of the Church for his authority to direct and gouerne the same but to take any other propriety of either Lion or Head when they be vsed metaphorically and to argue out of that is plainly to play the sophister Wherefore to conclude this passage M. Abbot hath greatly discouered his insufficiency in arguing by propounding argumēts that offend and be very vitious both in matter and forme and that so palpably that if young Logitians should stand vpon such in the paruies they would be hissed out of the schooles it must needes be then an exceeding great shame for a Diuine to vse them to deceiue good Christian people in matter of saluation And if after so great vaunts of giuing ful satisfaction to the reader and of stopping his aduersaries mouth that he should not haue a word to reply he be not ashamed to put such bables as these into print he cannot choose but make himselfe a mocking-stocke to the world surely his writinges are more meete to stoppe mustard-pots if I mistake not much then like to stoppe any meane schollers mouth ROBERT ABBOT IT is therefore a meere vsurpation whereby the Papists cal the Roman Church the Catholike and the very same that the Donatists of old did vse Aug. Ep. 48. They held the Catholike Church to beat Cartenna in Africa and the Papists hold it to be at Rome in Italy they would haue the Church to be called Catholike Ibid. breu collat 2. cap. dici 3. not by reason of the communion and society thereof through the whole world but by reason of the perfection of doctrine and sacraments which they falsly challenged to themselues the same perfection the Church of Rome now arrogateth to it selfe and wil therefore be called the Catholike Church Cōt Crescon grammat lib. 2. cap. 37. Epist 48. From Cartenna the Donatists ordained Bishops to other countries euen to Rome it selfe And from Rome by the Papists order must Bishops be authorised to al other churches They vvould be taken to be Catholikes for keeping communion with the Church of Cartenna and so the Papists vvil be counted Catholikes for keeping communion with the Church of Rome They held Ibidem that howsoeuer a man beleeued he could not be saued vnlesse he did communicate with the Church of Cartenna And the Papists hold that there is no saluation likewise but in communicating vvith the Church of Rome The Donatists vvere not so absurd in the one but the Papists are as absurd and ridiculous in the other WILLIAM BISHOP IN the former passage M. Abbot bestowed an argument or two raked out of the rotten rubbish of those walles to vse some of his owne wordes vvhich vvere before broken downe by men of our side Now he commeth to his owne fresh inuention as I take it for it is a fardle of such beggarly base stuffe and so ful of falshood and childish follies that any other man I vveene vvould not for very shame haue let it passe to the print It consisteth in a comparison and great resemblance that is betweene the old doating Donatists and the new presumptuous Papists if M. Abbot dreame not The Donatists saith he held the Catholike Church to be at Cartenna and the Papists doe hold it to be at Rome in Italy False on both sides because we doe not hold it to be so at Rome as they did at Cartenna for we hold it to be so at Rome as it is besides also dispersed al the world ouer they that it vvas wholy included vvithin the straight boundes of Cartenna in Mauritania and her confines so that whosoeuer was conuerted in any other country must goe thither to be purged from their sinnes as S. Augustine testifieth in expresse tearmes Epistola 48. in the very place by M. Abbot alleaged False also in the principal point that the
Donatists held the Catholike Church to be at Cartenna for there dwelt only the Rogatists who were as S. Augustine there speaketh Breuissimum frustrum de frustro maiore A most smal gobbet or fragment broken out of a greater peece that is to say a few schismatical fellowes fallen from the Donatists as the Puritans are from the Protestants or the Anabaptists from the Sacramentaries so that although men of that sect held the Catholike Church to be at Cartenna yet the maine body of the Donatists maintained it not to be there at al but held that congregation of Cartenna to be vvholy schismatical and no true member of the Catholike Church This first part then of the comparison is most vgly and monstrously false The second is not vnlike The Donatists would haue the Church to be called Catholike not by reason of the communion and society thereof through the whole world but by reason of the perfection of doctrine and sacraments which they falsly challenged to themselues the same perfection the Church of Rome now arrogateth to her selfe Here are many faults the first is a grosse lie in the chiefe branch for the Donatists did not cal the Church Catholike for the perfection of doctrine and sacraments see S. Augustine in both places who expresly deliuereth Breui collat cap. 2. diei 3. Epist. 48. that it was for the fulnesse of sacraments Ex plenitudine sacramentorum or for the obseruation of al Gods commandements Ex obseruatione omnium diuinorum praeceptorum of perfection of doctrine they said not one word they were more sharpe-vvitted as S. Augustine obserueth then to goe about to proue vniuersality by perfection which is not vniuersal But seing wel that they could not defend their congregation to be Catholike that is vniuersal but by some kinde of vniuersality they defended it to be so called for the vniuersality fulnesse of sacraments and coÌ„mandements that is because their Church retained al the sacraments that the Catholikes did and professed to keepe al Gods commandements as fully as they M. Abbots former fault then in this second point of resemblance and that a foule one is in that he belieth the Donatists And more palpably should he haue belied the Roman Church if he had justly brought in the resemblance to wit if he had said as due proportion required that vve hold our Church to be Catholike as the Donatists did theirs for the perfection of doctrine and sacraments vvhich is so manifestly vntrue and so cleerely against the doctrine of al Catholike writers that he that was wont to blush at nothing seemeth yet ashamed to auouch it openly and yet doth at last traile it in deceitfully As for perfection of doctrine and sacraments though it be only in the Catholike Church yet it is so farre wide from the signification and vse of the vvord Catholike that none except such wise men as M. Abbot is doe thinke any thing to be Catholike because it is perfect The third particle of the resemblance is That from Cartennathe the Donatists ordained Bishops to other countries euen to Rome it selfe And from Rome by the Papists order Bishops be authorised to al other Churches I am not so copious as to afford to euery leasing of M. Abbot a new phrase vvherefore the reader I hope wil beare with my rudenesse if I cal sometimes a lie by the name of a lie It is an vntrue tale that the Donatists ordained Bishops from Cartenna for they could not abide that place but esteemed it to be Schismatical as you haue heard before He doth misreport S. Augustine vvho saith Lib. 2. cont Crescon c. 37 Quò ex Africa ordinare paucis vestris soletis Episcopum you Donatists are wont to order and send a Bishop thither to your few companions out of Africa not from Cartenna in Mauritania Neither doth the Catholike Church appoint that euery Bishop should goe to Rome to take holy orders and from thence to be sent to other Catholike countries but in euery other region where be three Catholike Bishops they may be lawfully consecrated albeit for vnities sake and to preserue due order they be confirmed by the Bishop of Rome the supreme head vnder Christ of the Catholike Church The fourth point of the comparison is most absurd for the Donatists were so farre from thinking them Catholikes that kept communion with the Church of Cartenna that they detested and abhorred their company as Schismatikes Neither doe we cal any men Catholikes for keeping coÌ„munion with the Church of Rome if it be taken for that particular Church which is contained within the vvalles of Rome but because that communicating with that Church in faith and religion they doe communicate with al other of the same faith which are spread al the world ouer Finally the fift is as false as the fourth and in the same sort to be confuted True it is that the Donatists thought that none could be saued out of their congregation which is almost a common position of euery sect and heresie but most sure it is that there is no saluation out of the true Church of Christ no more then was out of the Arke of Noë in the general deluge vvherefore whosoeuer doth not communicate with the Church of Rome vvhich is the chiefe member thereof in society of faith and sacraments is out of the state of grace and saluation according to that of S. Hierome to Pope Damasus I following no chiefe but Christ Epistola 7. tit 2. joine my selfe to the communion of Peters chaire vpon that Rocke I know the Church to be built whosoeuer doth eate the Paschal lambe out of this house he is prophane he that is not found within the Arke of Noë shal perish c. vvhere there is much more to this purpose To conclude this passage seing that M. Abbot went about to proue the Church of Rome to be like that of the Donatists by no one sound argument but by meere fabling lying he must looke vnlesse he repent Apocal. 21. vers 8. to haue his part with al liars in the poole burning with fire and brimstone And if it please the reader to heare at what great square the Donatists vvere vvith the Church of Rome to which M. Abbot doth so often resemble them I wil briefly shew it out of the best records of that time S. Augustine speaketh thus to the Donatist Petilian Lib. 2. cont Petili c. 51. What hath the Church or See of Rome done to thee in which Peter did sit and now sitteth Anastatius why doest thou cal the Apostolical chaire the chaire of pestilence See how friendly the Donatists saluted the Church of Rome stiling it the chaire of pestilence Lib. 2. cont Parmeni Optatus Bishop of Mileuitan saith thus Whence is it that you Donatists contend to vsurp vnto you the keies of the Kingdome and that you wage battaile against the chaire of Peter presumptuously and with sacrilâ—gious audacity If they vvaged battaile against
the Church who then but miscreants and Heretikes can take it for a name of curse reproch and shame Is it not vntil this day set downe in the Apostles creed as the honourable title and epithite of the true Church I beleeue the holy Catholike Church Must he then not be rather an Apostata then a scholler of the Apostles â—hat blusheth not to auouch the very name Catholike to be the proper badge of Apostataes and Heretikes which the Apostles asscribe and appropriate vnto true Christianity If any proude and false fellowes doe vsurpe that name and challenge it to themselues wrongfully as many did euen in S. Augustines time when M. Abbot confesseth it to haue beene in greatest estimation let such vsurping companions be rebuked sharply and conuicted of their insolent and audatious folly but the name Catholike which the Apostles thought vvorthy and fit to be placed in the articles of our creede and principles of our religion must alwaies remaine and be among true Christians a name very glorious and desireable We therefore say with S. Augustine We receiue the holy Ghost if we loue the Church Tract 32. in Iohannem Lib. 1. cont GaudeÌ„t c. 33. if we be joined together by charity if we rejoice in the Catholike name and faith And they that doe not joy in that name but mocke at it doe blaspheme as the same most holy Authour intimateth The name Iewe being taken in the Apostles sence for one of what nation soeuer that fulfilleth the justice of the law neuer was nor neuer shal be a name of reproch so that M. Abbot is driuen to hoppe from one sence of that name to another to make it appliable to his purpose But and it please you the Protestants haue the kernel of the name Catholike and we but the shel Why doe they then so bitterly inueigh against it vvhy are they not more willing to extol and magnifie that renowmed title being of such ancient Nobility twenty pound to a peny that vvhat face soeuer he set on it yet in his hart he maruailously feareth the contrary himselfe If that faith and religion only be Catholike vniuersal as he acknowledgeth that hath euer beene and is also spread ouer al the world and shal continue to the worldes end then surely their religion cannot be Catholike euen by the vniforme confession of themselues vvho generally acknowledge that for nine hundred yeares together the Papacy did so domineer al the world ouer that not a man of their religion vvas to be found in any corner of the vvorld that durst peepe out his head to contradict it Could there be any Church of theirs then when there was not one Pastour and flocke of their religion though neuer so smal in any one country and euen now vvhen their Gospel is at the hottest hath it spread it selfe al the world ouer is it receiued in Italy Spaine Greece Afrike or Asia or carried into the Indians nothing lesse They cannot then cal themselues Catholikes after the sincere and ancient acceptation of that name which is as himselfe hath often repeted out of S. Augustine Quia communicant Ecclesiae toto orbe diffusae Because they communicate in fellowship of faith with the Church spread ouer al the world They must therefore notwithstanding M. Abbots vaine bragges be content with the shel and leaue the kernel to vs who doe embrace the same faith that is dilated al countries ouer yea they must be contented to walke in the foote-steps of their fore-fathers the Donatists euen according to M. Abbots explication and flie from the vniuersality of faith and communion of the Church spread al the world ouer vnto the perfection of their doctrine which is neuerthelesse more absurd and further from the true signification of the word Catholike then the Donatists shift was of fulnesse of sacraments and obseruation of al Gods commandements as hath beene already declared But let vs heare how clearely and substantially he wil at length proue their Church to be Catholike ROBERT ABBOT NOw as of this Catholike Church from the beginning to the end there is as appeareth in the vvordes cited by M. Bishop but Ephes 4. vers 4. One body euen as one Lord one God and Father of al so is there also but one spirit one hope one faith one baptisme one spiritual meate and drinke one religion Let vs then looke out those that haue beene before vs and consider Abel Noë Abraham Isaac Iacob and the rest of the Patriarkes and Fathers Let vs looke to Moises and the Prophets and the whole generation of the righteous and faithful of the old Testament and see what their faith was what was their religion and seruice of God vndoubtedly we find not a Papist among them we finde no shadow of that which they now obtrude and thrust vpon vs vnder the name of Catholike religion They did not worship Idols and Images they did not coÌ„ming after pray to Saints that were dead before them they vsed no inuocation of Angels they knew no Merits nor vvorkes of supererogation They vowed no vowes of Monkery they made no pilgrimage to Reliques and dead mens bones they knew no shrift nor absolution or any of that riffe-raffe-stuffe vvherein the substance of Catholike religion is now imagined to consist But what they did the same doe we as they worshipped God so sauing ceremonial obseruances vve also worship him as they beleeued so by the same spirit of faith vve also beleeue as they praied so vvith the same vvordes we also pray according to the approued example of their life we also teach men to liue therefore no Popery but our religion is the Catholike religion because it is that vvhich the Catholike Church hath practised from the beginning of the world and Popish religion not so The same faith and religion which they followed and no other our Sauiour Christ at his coÌ„ming further confirmed and only stripping it of those tipes and shadowes vvherewith it pleased God for the time to cloth it commending the same to his Apostles simply and nakedly to be preached to the nations They did so They added nothing of their owne they preached only the Gospel promised before by the Tertul. de Praescript Rom. 1. Prophets in the holy Scriptures saying no other thinges Act. 26. v. 12. Lib. 3. cap. 1. then those which the Prophets and Moises did say should come The Gospel which they first preached afterwardes by the wil God as Ireneus saith they deliuered to vs in writing to be the pillar and foundation of our faith Thus then vvhat Christ deliuered the Apostles preached vvhat the Apostles preached they wrote vvhat they vvrote we receiue and beleeue De praescript and beleeuing this as Tertullian saith we desire to beleeue no more because we first beleeue that there is nothing else for vs to beleeue And therefore as S. Augustine saith if any man August cont literas Petili lib. 3. cap. 6. nay if an Angel from
heauen shal preach vnto vs any thing concerning Christ or concerning his Church or concerning any thing pertaining to our faith and life but what we haue receiued in the Scriptures of the law and Gospel accursed be he Our faith therefore because it is that which the Apostles committed to writing is the Apostolike faith and our Church ex consanguinitate doctrinae by consanguinity and agreement of doctrine is proued to be an Apostolical Church c. of this Apostolical Church his Majesty is the supreme gouernour vnder Christ As for M. Bishops religion it cannot be the Catholike religion because it is not that vvhich the Catholike Church that is the faithful of al ages haue practised His faith is not the Apostolike faith because it is not that vvhich the Apostles left in writing They make no mention of the Pope of his Supremacy of his Pardons of worshipping of Images inuocation of Saints Pilgrimages and a thousand such trumperies WILLIAM BISHOP WE agree in this that there is but one faith one baptisme one spiritual foode and one religion in the Catholike Church but M. Abbot is fouly ouer-seene about the time when the true Church beganne first to be called Catholike which was not before Christs time but afterwardes according to that alleaged out of Pacianus an ancient authour who writeth of the name Catholike saying Christian is my name Pacian epist ad Simphor de nomine Catholico Catholike is my surname For when among Christians some beganne to teach false doctrine and to draw others after them into sects they that remained sound did cleaue fast vnto the whole body of the Church were intituled Catholikes to distinguish them from Heretikes that did not joine vvith the vniuersal corps of Christians in faith and religion which M. Abbot before did in plaine wordes confesse see his text afore vvhere he beginneth to argue of the word Catholike And the reason is most perspicuous why the Iewes and their religion could not be called Catholike though it vvere right and according to the wil of God for that time because Catholike signifieth that which is spread al the world ouer and receiued of al nations so was not the law of Moises and the manner of seruing God therein prescribed but vvas peculiar vnto the children of Israel and as it were confined within the limits of one land and country vvherefore it could not be called Catholike and vniuersal And M. Abbot was greatly deceiued or else goeth about to deceiue others when for proofe of communicating with the Catholike Church he recoileth back vnto the beginning of the vvorld Why did he not rather shew that their new Gospel flourished in al countries assoone as the Christian faith vvas planted and that it hath continued in al ages since the Apostles daies vntil our time that had beene to haue spoken directly to the purpose which he seldome vseth But he saw that to be a worke to hard for Hercules and therefore to delude his reader and to lead him from the matter he flieth vp to the old farne-daies of Abel Noē Abraham c. as though they had reuealed vnto them al those particular points of faith which Christ taught his Apostles and the same religion and manner of vvorshipping God that we Christians haue which is flatly opposite to the doctrine of S. Paul who testifieth Ephes 3. v. 4. That the mistery of Christ vnto other generations was not knowne vnto the Sonnes of men as now it is reuealed vnto his holy Apostles and Prophets in the spirit Those ancient Patriarkes as men Hebr. 11. vers 13. looking a farre off at the daies of Christ the light of the vvorld did not discouer so distinctly the misteries of the Christian faith as the Apostles vvho vvere Iob. 6. v. 45. taught by his owne mouth and made to know Ioh. 15. v. 15. al his Fathers secretes and had ¶ * Rom. 8. vers 23. the first fruits of the spirit in best sort to vnderstand them and carry them away To be short our Sauiour hath decided this question and saith in expresse wordes Math. 13. vers 17. Many Prophets and just men haue desired to see the thinges that you see and haue not seene them and to beare the thinges that you heare and haue not heard them Obserue then how absurdly M. Abbot behaueth himselfe in this matter First he vseth tergiuersation in leaping so farre backe from the point of the question seeking communion with the Catholike Church some thousandes of yeares before there vvas any Church Catholike Secondly in auouching the ancient founders of the first world to haue beleeued clearely and particularly al the articles of faith that vve beleeue or else why doth he conclude that the Roman faith is not Catholike because in that old and hoare-headed world some branches of their faith were not sprong vp and of ful growth They did not saith he worship Idols and Images they did not pray to Saints c. But good Sir did they beleeue that al their children vvere to be baptised and that al persons of riper yeares among them were to receiue the holy Sacrament of Christes body yea can M. Abbot demonstrate that they had perfect faith of the most holy and blessed Trinity beleeuing distinctly in three persons and one God or that the redeemer of the world Christ Iesus was to be perfect God and perfect man the nature of man in him subsisting vvithout the proper person of man in the second person of the Trinity which are the most high misteries of our Christian faith I am not ignorant that albeit those ancient Patriarkes and Prophets had not cleare and distinct knowledge of many articles vvhich vve are bound to beleeue yet they beleeued some few of them in particular and had a certaine confuse and darke conceit by figures and tipes of most of the rest Touching these very points vvhereof M. Abbot would haue them vvholy ignorant if his bare vvord without any manner of proof were so powerful I affirme that they held the most of them vvhich I wil not stand here to proue at large for that were Protestant-like to runne from one question to another without order but I wil only giue a touch to euery one of his instances referring the reader for more ful satisfaction to the proper place of those head controuersies First no Catholike euer taught any man to worship Idols let that then passe as a Protestant slander but that Images are to be placed in Churches the examples recorded in the old Testament of hauing them both in their a Exod. 25. vers 18. Tabernacle and in the b 3. Reg. 6. vers 23. Temple of Salomon this sentence of the Psalmist c Psalm 98. vers 5. Adore his foote-stoole and many such like places and resemblances doe argue very strongly that Images are to be worshipped Secondly inuocation of Angels is most plainly practised by the holy Patriarke Iacob the Father of al
Soueraigne power that the high Priest of the old testament had ouer al the rest Deuter. 17. To determine and end al doubts and controuersies arising about any hard point of the law As for consecrating of Priests and hallowing of Churches and Altars vvith al vestiments and ornaments thereunto appertaining and for the seueral feasts and fasts there is so great resemblance betweene them and vs that Protestants commonly cry out against vs for the ouer-great affinity that is betwixt the old law and our religion But as they are to be reproued of indiscreet zeale against the rites of Moises law vvhich were of God and good for the time and most of them figures and tipes of the law of grace according to that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 10. Al thinges chanced to them in figure and were written for our correction and instruction so on the other side some strange defluxion and distillation of corrupt humours maruailously darkned M. Abbots soare-eies that he could not discerne nor finde in the whole law of Moises any one shadow of that vvhich vve now practise May not these worthy wordes which S. Paul pronounced of the blinded Iewes in his time be verified of him 2. Cor. 4. Their sences were dulled vntil this day when Moises is read a veile is put vpon their hart that is they reading and hearing the law of Moises doe no more vnderstand it then doth a man hoodded or that hath a veile before his eies see what is before him or else M. Abbot reading the old Testament could not choose but haue seene much of our religion and many articles of our faith there recorded And albeit we teach most misteries of our faith to haue beene in the law of Moises prefigured and fore-told yet is it very absurd to say as M. Abbot doth that we beleeue no more articles of faith then they did for we were by the Sonne of God our blessed Sauiour giuen to vnderstand many high points of beleefe vvhich vvere not reuealed vnto them as hath beene before declared And much more reprochful is it to hold as he doth That we worship God after the same manner as they did for then should vve sacrifice to him beefes muttons calues and lambes and our sacrificers should be of Aarons issue and order and vve al circumcised I omit al their ceremonies because M. Abbot excepteth them And if the Protestants doe altogether pray as they did and in the same tearmes as M. Abbot affirmeth them to doe they sometimes then doe pray vnto God to Exod. 32. vers 13. remember Abraham Isaac and Iacob and for their sakes to take mercy on them for to that effect in those tearmes praied the Prophet Moises and that according vnto those Patriarkes Genes 48. vers 16. expresse order and commandement Whereunto if it please the Protestants to joine that other praier of the Psalmist ¶ * Psal 131. Remember ô Lord Dauid and al his mildnesse let them tel me whither this smal praier with which they finde so great fault Tu per Thomae sanguinem c. Thou ô Lord for that blouds sake which thy seruant shedde in defence of thy holy Church take compassion vpon vs be not vvarranted for good by example of the like recorded in the old Testament For if they then did desire God to remember the excellent vertues of his seruants and for their sakes to shew mercy to others vvhy may not we doe the same now vvhy may we not as wel beseech God to remember the constant fortitude of S. Thomas as they did the mildnesse of Dauid I vvil not dwel vpon these impertinent and loose follies which al that be not babes may of them selues easily discry but doe out of the premises inferre first that no religion was to be called Catholike before the Gospel of Christ vvas preached or to be preached to al nations and therefore the law of Moises being peculiar to one people and country could not be called Catholike secondly that the Roman faith and religion is very conformable to that of the Patriarkes and Prophets as the verity is to the figure vvhence it followeth that the Protestants new deuises hold no due correspondence with them I haue already confuted this his assertion That Christ at his comming confirmed the faith and religion of the Iewes without any additions of his owne and commended it simply and nakedly only stripping it of types and shadowes to be preached to al nations And here I adde that then Christians may yet haue many vviues together as the Iewes had or giue their wiues vpon any displeasure a lâ—bel of diuorse for these vvere no shadowes nor ceremonies And briefly it should follow thereof that al that part of their law that doth belong to justice and judgement stands stil in ful force and vertue among vs Christians vvhich is most opposite to the determination of the Apostles in the first Councel holden at Hierusalem where it was plainly decided that Act. 15. vers 28. we Christians were not bound to keepe the old law Againe if the Apostles vvere simply and nakedly to preach vnto the Gentiles the law of Moises stript of tipes and shadowes why were they coÌ„manded to preach vnto them the Sacrament of baptisme or of our Lords supper vvhich are no vvhere commanded in the law of Moises Wel let this then passe as a most notorious and grosse ouersight But the Apostles saith he added nothing of their owne vvhich is very false for many thinges vvere left by our Sauiour to their disposition vvhereupon S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 11. vers 34. Caetera cùm venero disponain I wil dispose of the rest when I come and vvas further bold to say 1. Cor. 7. vers 12. Haec dico ego non Dominus For the rest I say not our Lord. M. Abbot goes on belying the Apostle saying ¶ * Rom. 12. and they preached only the Gospel promised before by the Prophets where he corrupteth the Text by adding the word only and vveaueth into that Text to the Romans these wordes out of the Acts of the Apostles Act. 26. vers 22. saying none other thinges then those which the Prophets and Moises did say should come where he both mangleth the Text and also breaks off in the middest of a sentence that it might seeme appliable to al points of the Apostles preachings vvhich the Apostle applieth only to Christs death and resurrection and the preaching and carrying of light vnto the Gentiles It is a peece of strange alchumy to distil out of these wordes of the Apostle that they preached nothing but the same faith and religion vvhich the Iewes embraced S. Paul saith that be had preached nothing of Christs death and resurrection and that he was the light of the Gentiles but that vvhich the Prophets did speake should come to passe M. Abbot of his owne head enlargeth this his speech to al other points of our faith Againe al is besides the
we are justified not by faith alone but also by good workes That in extremity of sicknesse we must cal for the Priest to anoile vs with holy Oile That we must confesse our sinnes not to God alone but also vnto men these and diuers such like heades of our Catholike faith formally set downe in holy Scripture the Protestants wil not beleeue though they be written in Gods vvord neuer so expresly but doe ransacke al the corners of their wits to deuise some odde shift or other how to flie from the euidence of them Whereupon I conclude that they doe not receiue al the written word though they professe neuer so much to allow of al the bookes of Canonical Scripture Lib. 2. de Trinitate ad Const For the written word of God consisteth not in the reading but in the vnderstaÌ„ding as S. Hierome testifieth that is it doth not consist in the bare letter of it but in the letter and true sence and meaning joined togither the letter being as the body of Scripture and the right vnderstanding of it the soule spirit and life thereof he therefore that taketh not the written word in the true sence but swarneth from the sincere interpretation of it cannot be truly said to receiue the written word as a good Christian ought to doe Seing then that the Protestants and al other sectaries doe not receiue the holy Scriptures according vnto the most ancient and best learned Doctors exposition they may most justly be denied to receiue the sacred vvritten word of God at al though they seeme neuer so much to approue al the Bookes Verses and Letters of it vvhich is plainly proued by S. Hierome vpon the first Chapter to the Galathians Now to draw towardes the end of this clause not only neuer a one of M. Abbots assertions whereby he went about to proue them selues and their Church to be Catholike is true as hath beene shewed before but ouer and besides his very conclusion conuinceth himselfe euen by the verdict of himselfe to fal into the foule fault and errour of the Donatists Our faith saith he because it is that which the Apostles committed to writing is the Apostolike faith and our Church by consanguinity and agreement of doctrine is proue to be an Apostolical Church c. and is the only true Catholike Church c. see you not how he is come at length to proue their Church to be Catholike Page 16. Line 5. Ex perfectione doctrinae By perfectnesse of their doctrine vvhich was as he himselfe in this very assertion noted a plaine Donatistical tricke reproued by S. Augustine whom in that point he then approued What doating folly is this in the same short discourse so to forget himselfe as to take that for a sound proofe which he himselfe had before confuted as heretical we like wel of Tertullians obseruation That our faith ought to haue consanguinity and perfect agreement with the Apostles doctrine but that is not the question at this time but vvhether our doctrine or the Protestant be truly called Catholike that is whether of them hath beene receiued and beleeued in al nations ouer the world that is to be proued in this place M. Abbot if he had meant to deale plainly and soundly should not haue gone so about the bush and haue fetched such vvide and vvilde windlesses from old father Abrahams daies but should haue demonstrated by good testimony of the Ecclesiastical Histories or of ancient Fathers vvho were in the pure times of the Church the most Godly and approued Pastours thereof that the ProtestaÌ„ts religion had flourished since the Apostles daies ouer al Europe Afrike and Asia or at least had beene visibly extant in some one country or other naming some certaine Churches in particular which had held in al points their faith and religion vvhich he seing impossible for any man to doe fel into that extrauagant and rouing discourse which you haue heard concluding without any premises sauing his owne bare word that in the written word There is no mention made of the Pope or his Supremacy nor of his Pardons c. Belike there is no mention made of S. Peter nor aught said of his singular prerogatiues It hath not peraduenture That whatsoeuer be should loose on earth should be loosed in heauen The other points were touched before and shal be shortly againe But I would in the meane season be glad to heare where the written word teacheth vs that Kinges and temporal Magistrates are ordained by Christ to be vnder him supreme Gouernours of Ecclesiastical affaires because M. Abbot made choice of this head-article of theirs for an instance that the written word was plaine on their â—ide he should therefore at least haue pointed at some one text or other in the new Testament where it is registred that Princes are supreme gouernours of the Church Nay are temporal Magistrates any Ecclesiastical persons at al or can one that is no member of the Ecclesiastical body be head of al the rest of the Ecclesiastical members or is the state Secular higher and more worthy then the Ecclesiastical and therefore meete to rule ouer it though they be not of it to say so is to preferre the body before the soule nature before grace earth before heauen or is it meete and decent that the lesse worthy-member should haue the supreme command ouer the more honourable vvhere the Christian vvorld is turned topsy-turuy that may be thought meete and expedient but in other places that wil not be admitted for currant vvhich in it selfe is so disorderly and inconuenient without it had better warrant in the word of God then that new position of theirs hath ROBERT ABBOT NOw vvhereas he alleageth that al his Majesties most roial Progenitours haue liued and died in that vvhich he calleth the Catholike and Apostolike faith Ambros lib. 5. epist. he plaieth the part of Symmachus the Pagan sophister who by like argument vvould haue perswaded Valentinian the Emperour to restore their Heathenish Idolatry and abhominations We are to follow our Fathers saith he who with happinesse and felicity followed their Fathers Aug. psal 54. Thus men haue hardned themselues in their heresies saying What my parents were before me the same wil I be But his Majesty wel knoweth that in matter of religion the example of parents is no band to the children L. 2. epist 3. but the trial thereof is to returne to the roote and original of the Lordes tradition as Ciprian speaketh not regarding what any before vs hath thought fit to be done but what Christ hath done who is before al. It is not vnknowne to his Majesty that there should be a time when Apocal. 17. vers 13. the Kinges of the earth shal giue their power and kingdome to the beast vntil the word of God be fulfilled and with the whoore sitting vpon many waters Vers 14. should bende themselues to fight against the Lambe Wherein if any of his Progenitours
desolate and naked and eate her flesh c. yet they shal be most vvicked and impious Kinges and shal adore the monstruous beast there described and fight against Christ IESVS These be the very vvordes of the Text And the tenne hornes c. be tenne Kinges c. these haue one Councel and force and their power they shal deliuer to the beast these shal fight with the Lambe and the Lambe shal ouerthrow them c. Vers 16. And the tenne bornes which thou sawest in the beast these shal hate the harlot and make her desolate and naked c. so that the very same tenne Kinges signified there by tenne hornes that did giue al their power to the beast did hate the harlot But how can it be saith one that they vvho hate the vvicked harlot should joine with the beast who was as wicked as shee Yes that may wel be for it is no newes that vvicked men fal out among themselues so that one vngodly and wicked Prince doth sometimes with al his might aide another more vvicked then himselfe and at the same instant perhaps or shortly after fight against a third the most wicked of al they doe fight against both good and euil as their owne rage passions or occasions carry them Which I say to stoppe a starting hole of the Protestants who to auoide this inconuenience say that first these ten Kings were bent to al mischief◠and then helped the beast against the Lambe but afterward repented them of their former iniquity then loe they hated the harlot and persecuted her which they would not haue done if they had beene hadde Princes this is a prety shift Wel say first that this sence could stand vvith the vvordes of the text yet they cannot be applied to his Majesty who was not in his former time any aider of our religion and now is fallen off from that to the Protestants wherefore this deuise if it could stand with the text wil not serue their turne But the spirit of God hath preuented and wholy cut off this vaine imagination for it saith in the next verse That the tenne Kinges who hated the harlot euen then and after too gaue their Kingdomes to the beast til the word of God be consummate that is til the end of al. Wherefore most manifest it is euen by the warrant of Gods sacred word that those Kinges mentioned in the Apocalipse were reprobates such did they liue and such shal they die Let then his most excellent Majesty censure what reward they are worthy off who feare not to thrust his Highnesse into that list of condemned cast-a-waies and that too after they had such faire warning as in my answere to M. Perkins I gaue them to beware how they did his Majesty that shame and despite If it please his Highnesse to take notice of it I doubt not but that he wil conne them little thanke for this their commendation of him M. Abbot hauing acquited himselfe so Clarke-like in the precedent part of his answere That we are not to imitate our fore-fathers descendeth to the subsequent to wit That his Majesties Progenitours Kinges of England and Scotland were not of our Roman faith which he wil proue hereafter at more leisure that is to say neuer For he doth not deny but that the religious and holy man Augustine sent into our country by Gregory the great Bishop of Rome to conuert our Ancestours the Saxons and English to the Christian faith did then teach the same Roman faith vvhich vve now professe so that aboue this thousand yeares by his owne confession his Majesties Progenitours haue beene of our Catholike Roman faith and religion and very few Kings now liuing I weene can deriue their pedegree much further Afterward he doth rake out of the chanels of Bale Page 198. Iewel Hollinshead and such like late partial vvriters which any man not past al care of his reputation would be ashamed to cite for sufficient witnesses in matters of controuersy where in they themselues were parties that there was great disagreemēt betweene Augustine the Italian Monke as he speaketh and the Churches of England and Scotland vvhereas venerable Bede a most approued authour and neare vnto those times vvho did as most diligently trace out those matters so record them most faithfully he I say whose authority is sufficient to put downe an hundreth late writers interessed in the cause affirmeth that there vvas no variance betwixt them in any one article of faith but only in some few points of ceremony namely in these two Beda lib. 2. histor cap. 2. Vpon what day the feast of Easter was to be kept and about the rites of Baptisme For S. Augustine offered them to beare vvith al other their different rites if they would yeeld vnto him in these two points Vt Pascha suo tempore celebretis That yee would keepe Easter-day at the due time appointed by the Councel of Nice and minister the Sacrament of Baptisme after the manner of the Roman and Apostolike Church And concerning these two points vvho can thinke but that the Sacrament of Baptisme vvas like to be administred in those daies in the most renowmed citty of Rome after a more decent and deuout manner Euseb in vita Const l. 3. 17. Epiphan l. 3. Haeres 70. then among the Britans that liued in a corner of the world now for the other of keeping the feast of Easter the 14. day of the first Moone with the Iewes It was many yeares before condemned in the first most famous general Councel of Nice and therefore it cannot be denied but that those Britans vvere either very ignorant in the Canons of the Church if they knew not so solemne a decree or else too too contentious and vvilful in refusing to yeeld vnto it A third clause was added by S. Augustine that the Britans vvould joine with him and his fellowes Beda ibidem in preaching the word of God vnto the English nation which also argueth yet more strongly that they agreed together in al articles of faith or else they vvould not haue required their helpe in instructing others in matters of faith And this is not only registred by S. Bede that holy Historiographer but also reported by their owne late vvriters Hollinshead Volum 1. page 103. and * Page 6. M. Godwine in his Catologue of the Bishops of England S. Bede also witnesseth further in the place aboue-said that the same Britan Christians euen then confessed that they did perceiue that to be the true way of justice which Augustine did preach Furthermore the principal Preachers and most Godly men that liued not long before S. Augustines arriual among the Britans as namely S. Dulcitius and S. Dauid vvere brought vp at Rome and one of them the Popes Legate too Iohn Baal in their liues as the aduersaries themselues confesse Wherevpon it followeth clearely that not only for these later thousand yeares but also in the former
censured a base and beggarly vassal for shewing my selfe sorrowful for my Princes misfortune what stile deserues he for such outragious reproches bealched forth against the highest Bishop of Christes Church Now whereas M. Abbot boldly auerreth That thereby his Majesty hath learned to cast off the yoke of bondage by which other Princes are enthralled to a beast sauing his reuerence I answere that other Kinges nourished in countries accounted as ciuil to say the least as Scotland vvil not change that their bondage vvith his Majesties supposed liberty and freedome because they hold it farre better to enjoy the direction and assistance of the Bishop of Rome for the vniforme and peacible gouernement of their Clergy according vnto the ancient Canons of the Church then either to take it into their owne handes or to cōmit it to the discretion of Consistory Ministers or to any other sort of late deuised Ecclesiastical plat-formes Godly wise and vnderstanding Kings vvil no doubt consider that some who perswade them to cast off such yokes are very false Parasites no sound and true harted subjects because it is said of Kinges out of il counsel in the second Psalme Let vs breake their bandes and let vs cast from vs their yoke vvhereas contrariwise in the same place the spirit of God speakes thus to Princes Apprehendite disciplinam Receiue discipline that is obserue al good orders and take correction least that our Lord waxe angry with you and then you perish from the right way And if they themselues should so much forget their duty to God and respect to his holy Church as to seeke the vtter ruine and subuersion of it yet very reason teacheth them that it is farre more safe orderly and expedient that there should be one only supreme Pastour assisted with the graue counsel of some of the wiser sort of euery Christian country as the Popes holinesse is with the counsel of his most graue wise and learned Cardinals to controule and correct them then to be left to the mercy of the Ministers of euery country and to the tumultuous reformation of the rash and giddy multitude who by the cōmon consent of the best learned Protestants must take their Prince in hand and belabour him if he goe about to oppresse the Gospel as hath beene before proued To proceede is it not a rare pranke of a parasite to auouch that an ancient student in diuinity must needes stand dumbe like an Asse before his Majesty and not be able to answere him one word in his owne profession but the Church the Church the Fathers the Fathers I vvish hartily that his excellent Majesty would match me with no meaner a man then Doctor Abbot he that professeth himselfe able to stoppe al mens mouthes to alleage not only the Church and the Fathers but the Scripture the Scripture and by his Highnesse authentike judgement approue him to haue the better cause that can pertinently cite most plaine texts of Scripture for their religion I make no doubt but the Protestant part notwithstāding their common craking of the vvord of God should goe to the ground Marry vvhen vve auouch holy Scripture for vs in as expresse tearmes as can be deuised they wil not yeeld but deuise most extrauagant glosses to fly from the euident testimony of Gods most holy word whereupon we are compelled to make recourse vnto the definition of the Church of God Iob. 16. v. 13. Which is guided by the spirit of God vnto al truth and vnto the learned commentaries of the most ancient holy and juditious Fathers vvho vvere for their times appointed by the holy Ghost to rule and instruct the same his Church that seing how they vnderstood the holy Scriptures vve may by their euen and vnpartial line and square direct our judgement in the true sence of holy Scripture vvhich is the principal cause why we rely so much vpon the Church and Fathers and for vvhich he so scornefully vpbraideth vs vvith the Church the Church the Fathers the Fathers And here to returne one of M. Abbots sharpe wordes vpon himselfe vvhat a dissembling hipocrite was he to say that when al was done we could not make any thing good by either Church or Fathers Sect. 9. 10. when as he himself doth plainly confesse that S. Augustine S. Hierome Epiphanius and diuers other Fathers be flat for vs and is driuen roundly to deny their authority and to preferre the opinions of condemned Heretikes Iouinian Vigilantius and Aërius before these most renowmed Doctors and Pastors As grosse and palpable an vntruth is that vvhich followeth That the Catholikes be not heauily persecuted by the state whereas al their goodes and chattels be vvholy confiscate and two partes of their landes their bodies at pleasure subject to prison there to lie without baile or mainprise their persons daily in danger of death for receiuing or any vvay maintaining their Pastours to omit al other their oppressions which be almost innumerable but belike because al Catholikes be not by most cruel death suddainly made away this Minister of bloud accounteth their persecution light and easie And vvhereas he so enlargeth the short and smal persecution of their bretheren I doe offer to joine with him in this issue that more Catholike Priests Religious men and others haue beene tormented murthered and most despitefully slaine by men of their religion within the compasse of two Realmes France and England during the only time of Queene Elizabeth her raigne then were of Protestants and men of al other Sects for a thousand yeares before in those countries yea take to them also al Spaine and Italy The Donatists and al other sectaries doe suffer persecution as S. Augustine truly saith for their obstinate folly vvhat of that ergo whosoeuer suffereth persecution for his religion is a foole what a foolish reason in this then were the Apostles and al the best Christians fooles But M. Abbot saith We be children and can yeeld no reason for that we suffer but what ignorance affordeth vs to wit we must cleaue to the Church and follow our fore-fathers Surely that were a foule fault that we as children should obey our Mother the holy Church and follow the faith and religion of our fore-fathers But first it is most palpably false that we can yeeld no other reason for our religion as our bookes euidently doe conuince Then if we had no other reason but that one it alone were sufficient for it is an article of our Creede to beleeue the Church and S. Paul assureth vs 1. Tim. 3. vers 15. That the Church is the pillar and ground of truth vvhereupon this is receiued as a principle of faith among the ancient Fathers allowed euen by Protestants themselues That he that hath not the Church to his Mother shal neuer haue God to his Father he therefore that cleaueth fast vnto the firme pillar of the Church and followeth her precepts as of a most faithful Mother can neuer goe astray
shal speake more at large presently This therefore may suffice to satisfie any indifferent reader how the first Christian Emperours were Presidents at Councels that is as may be gathered out of their owne wordes first to honour that assembly with their presence then to see that al things there be peacibly and orderly handled thirdly to learne the true Catholike faith by the definitions of those learned Bishops there assembled fourthly to recommend the same to al their faithful subjects and lastly to defend it against al obstinate Heretikes Al vvhich put together doth not come neare any probable proofe that they are supreme gouernours in Ecclesiastical matters but rather that they are in them to be gouerned For they neither argue determine nor define them but only doe receiue approue and defend them being before decided and defined by the Fathers assembled in the Councel by the Bishop of Rome Indeede Constantius an Arrian Emperour vvas perswaded by the Arrians to take vpon him the supreme judgement in Ecclesiastical causes but he vvas very sharply reprehended therefore by that most valiant champion of Christs Church Athanasius Patriarke of Alexandria If saith he the judgement of these matters belong to Bishops In Epist ad Solitar vitam agentes what hath the Emperour to entermeddle with them vvhere he relateth what that blessed Father Hosius vvho was Pope Siluesters chiefe Legate in the first Councel of Nice spoke of that vsurpation of Constantius Who saith he seing the Emperour Ibidem prope finem in decreeing to make himselfe Prince of the Bishops and President ouer their Ecclesiastical judgements may not worthily affirme him to be that abhomination of desolation which is foretold of Daniel In a word then the Protestants treading in the steps of the condemned Arrians vvould haue the lay Magistrates such Presidēts of Councels as haue supreme authority ouer the Bishops judgements vvhich we Roman Catholikes with the consent of al ancient and holy both Bishops and Emperours doe thinke to be very preposterous incommodious and intollerable Now to that trash vvhich M. Abbot chops in by the way by broken and halfe sentences the same Leo saith he professeth his obedience to the Emperours appointment and wil to Theodosius and Martianus for proofe he quoteth Leo vvhere we may gather that a false marchants fingers are to be looked vnto For in the first place there is expresse signification of S. Leo Epist 16. 17. not fulfilling the Emperour Theodosius request vvhich was to haue him present at the second Councel of Ephesus and there was no reason for it these be his owne wordes Albeit no reason doth permit me Epistola Leon. 16. t◠meete at the Episcopal Councel appointed by your piety because I haue no president for it by the example of any of my predecessours and the necessity of the time wil not suffer me to leaue the citty c. yet so farre forth as our Lord wil vouchsafe to helpe I haue applied my endeauour that the decree of your clemency may in some sort be obeied by sending hence some of my brethren who shal supply my place c. Doe you see what profession of obedience S. Leo made to the Emperour Theodosius vvhom he telleth plainly that no reason vvil permit him to obey his appointment and vvil Is not this trow you honest dealing deserues not this man to be wel credited vvhen he citeth the Fathers vvhen as he blusheth not to alleage them and to quote the place distinctly vvhich if you wil but turne vnto you shal finde him to be a man that hath a seared conscience and cares not what he saith so he may deceiue his simple reader Now to the second place there indeede S. Leo hath that the Emperours piety and most religious wil Epistola 57. is to be obeied by al meanes but he doth not make profession of his owne obedience to the Emperour but speaketh indefinitely obediendum est and that not to his appointment and wil as M. Abbot fableth but vnto his Godly and most religious wil that is vvhen he commandeth or desireth any thing according vnto the wil of God Now if you wil but looke into the circumstances of this obedience you shal yet further discouer the deceit of M. Abbot for the Emperour Martianus did write vnto Pope Leo that he would confirme the Councel of Chalcedon with his owne sentence vvhich was before subsigned by his Legates present thereat and that in the first place the Emperour being perswaded as it is set downe in the same Epistle that the Councel should haue greater force to suppresse al Heretikes if it might be taught throughout al Churches that the definition there of did please the See Apostolike Here you may see that the Emperour demanded no obedience of S. Leo but shewed himselfe to haue so great opinion of his judgement authority that it would greatly countenance and commend that general Councel which vvas by al the Bishops and the Emperour himselfe before subsigned A reasonable man can desire no more to proue S. Leo his supremacy in Ecclesiastical causes then the testimony of this godly Emperour Martianus Tom. 1. Concil in Prolog Concil Chal. epist 1. Martian ad Leo. For first he acknowledgeth him to hold the principality among al Bishops Secondly he acknowledgeth him to be the authour of calling general Councels these two points haue beene before rehearsed Thirdly he promiseth S. Leo to assemble the Bishops of the East that they might declare those thinges that be agreable vnto the Catholike faith and Christian religion euen as your Holinesse hath according vnto the Ecclesiastical Canons defined Ibid. epist 2. Sicut sanctitas tua secundum Ecclesiastic as regulas definiuit And lastly al thinges being so defined he doth send vnto S. Leo to confirme the general Councel Doth not this acknowledgement of the Emperour that the Pope is the authour of calling general Councels that he is to direct and instruct them assembled what they are to define and lastly to confirme and ratifie that which is defined euidently proue that the supreme managing and authorising of the highest Ecclesiastical affaires doe belong vnto the Bishop of Rome Now to returne to M. Abbot he shewes the like wordes of Pope Agatho his due obedience to Constantius the fourth I finde no such wordes in that place quoted by him true it is that I haue not his whole letter but the abridgment of it as is standes in the Summe of the Councels Epist Agath ad Constant in Synod 6. art 4. where he thus beginneth That we may briefly intimate to your piety what the vigour of our Apostolike faith doth containe which we haue receiued by tradition from the Apostles Apostolike Bishops and holy Councels by which the foundations of the Catholike Church of Christ are fastned and fortified c. Out of which wordes we may gather that Pope Agatho was ready to satisfie the Emperours request in certifying and instructing him vvhat
care of prouiding for wife children doth wholy extinguish or greatly diminish their good house-keeping and prouiding for the poore as the lamentable experience of our very time doth sufficiently instruct vs. What if some Popes or other Clergy-men haue beene too forward to satisfie the greedy couetousnesse of their carnal friends that is their owne fault contrary to the prouident order and law of the Church and if the corrupt nature of man be so inclinable to fauor them that be next in bloud to them was it not right vvisely ordained by our Church that Clergy-men should haue no wiues and children for that men naturally doe loue them most dearely and vse al meanes to prouide for them But how carelesly herein doe the Protestants carry themselues vvho doe encourage and as it were push their Clergy-men forward to haue wiues and children vvho being thereby clogged with the cares of this world bidde adieu to al courteous and plentiful hospitality and leaue the poore to shift as they can for themselues for they haue more then enough to doe to prouide for their owne wiues and children The second lie is shuffled into the parenthesis taken out of Platina to vvit That vnder the name of nephewes commonly goe their bastards vvhich is not in his authour but a most malitious slander deuised of his owne head and auouched without any testimony and therefore to be contemned The third is in that he maketh Platina to affirme it to be a common thing with the Popes which he only noteth for a special fault in some few Is this man worthy thinke you the sacred title of a Diuine or of the common name of an honest man vvho doth in manner nothing else but sow lies together and that sometimes so thicke that for euery line neere hand there is onelie or other vvas his meaning trow you to giue instruction to the ignorant and satisfaction to the learned as often he vaunteth or rather to blinde the simple and to feede the vaine folly of the ouer credulous Protestant Prouerb 10. Qui nititur mendacijs saith the vvise man hic pascit ventos Idem insequitur aues volantes He that relieth on lies doth feede the windes that is may please vaine and light heades He doth also follow birdes flying in the aire that is doth feede the humour of hawty wauering and vnsettled spirits but can neuer giue contentment or satisfaction to any graue modest and discreet man who doth flie from a crafty and subtle liar as from the very off-spring of that Serpent which with lying deceiued our first mother Eue. But goe on vvith your lies seing it wil be no otherwise ROBERT ABBOT THE Emperours of Rome Theodosius and Valens according vnto the doctrine of the ancient Church of Rome Petri Crinit de honest disciplina lib. 9. cap. 9. Vpon care of preseruing the religion of the high God did forbidde the making grauing or painting of the Crucifix and commanded it vpon penalty to be abolished wheresoeuer it was found But now not the making â—nly but also the vvorshipping of the Crucifix is a matter of high religion in the same Church of Rome WILLIAM BISHOP VERITAS non quaerit latebras Truth is not ashamed of her selfe nor coueteth to hide her head in corners vvhen shee may with safety be suffered to shew her face publikely That decree of the Christian Emperour Theodosius is extant and to be seene in the very corps of the ciuil law vvhat needed then M. Abbot to runne vnto a late obscure authour called Petrus Crinitus Peter with the long haire to seeke that which is of so good record in so famous a volume thinke you that it is without some mistery that he being thirsty would leaue the fresh fountaine and runne to drinke of the dirty puddle Latet anguis in herbae There is a padde in the straw A strange longing he had to finde out some cauil against any part of the doctrine of the Church of Rome and because that could not be by the true and ful report of the Catholike Emperours decrees he would needs fly to some broken relation of he cared not whom to blinde his vnwary reader vvithal The decree then as it vvas made by the Emperour and standeth Authentikely in the Code maketh much for the honour of the Crosse for he commanded That the signe of the Crosse should not be ingrauen Lib. 1. Codi tit leg Cùm sit nobis or painted on the pauement Ne sacrum signum pedibus calcaretur that the holy signe of the Crosse might not be trodden vnder feete Which said decree of Theodosius the elder the Emperour Tyberius the second one of his Godly successours vnderstanding wel vvhen he espied a Crosse cut in marble lying on the ground he commanded it to be lifted vp saying Paul Diaconus lib. 18. Rerum Romanarum We ought to blesse our fore-head and breast with the Crosse of our Lord and we treade it vnder our feete In what high estimation the signe of the Crosse was vvith that most bright mirrour of Emperors Constantine the great and how gloriously it was placed in their Diademes Pallaces and publike places no man can be ignorant that is acquainted with their Hystories And somwhat I haue said thereof already in the question of Images therefore I doe here omit to speake any more of a matter so euident I might here by the way blame M. Abbot not only for his deceitful dealing but also because he forgetteth vvhereabout he goes for his drift here is to teach that S. Peter and S. Paules successours the Bishops of Rome did of old teach another doctrine then these of later yeares doe now of vvhich number of Bishops Theodosius the Emperour was none but many such faults as this I let passe vvittingly or else I should neuer make an end And vvhereas he addeth That these Emperours did forbidde the making of the Crosse according vnto the doctrine of the ancient Church of Rome Obserue first that it is so said only without any proof and besides it is auouched very impudently as being flat repugnant vnto the knowne and notorious practise of Constantine the great their late and most famous predecessour Now to the next ROBERT ABBOT Greg. lib. 9. Moral ca. 1. 14. GREGORY Bishop of Rome taught That al the merit of our vertue al our righteousnesse is but vice and vnrighteousnesse if it be stricktly examined it needeth therefore praier after righteousnesse saith he that whereas being sifted it would quaile it may by the only mercy of the Iudge stand for good Bernard in Annot. 1. De lib. Arbit Grat. In fine Trident. sess 6 cap. 16. Yea and Bernard by the same doctrine of the Church of Rome saith That mens merits are not such as that eternal life is due vnto them of right or that God should doe wrong if he did not giue the same they are the way to the Kingdome saith he but not the cause of obtaining the
beene supreme gouernour of Christes Church To vvhich fallacy it is most easie to answere First that albeit the Patriarke of Constantinople could not so cal himselfe in a lawful good meaning but proudly and wickedly because he had his jurisdiction limited vvithin the boundes of his owne Patriarkship had nothing to doe with any other churches that vvere vvithout it so that his power was in no sence vniuersal that is spred ouer al the world yet this name might in some good sence notwithstāding haue beene giuen vnto the Bishop of Rome as S. Gregory himselfe in one of the same Epistles vvhich M. Abbot citeth doth intimate For vvriting to the Patriarke of Alexandria he saith Lib. 4. Epist 36. Your Holinesse knoweth that by the Councel of Chalcedon vvhich vvas one of the foure first general Councels most highly esteemed off by S. Gregory this name of vniuersallity was offered to me as Bishop of the Apostolike See for as he testifieth Epist 32. of the same booke that name was in honour of S. Peter Prince of the Apostles attributed by many in that Councel vnto the Bishop of Rome yet saith he none of my Predecessours consented to vse it because verily if one Patriarke be called vniuersal the other are made no Patriarkes at al. Briefly then to dispatch this great matter that name vniuersal as it was challenged by Iohn Patriarke of Constantinople who had no right to it in any good sence was presumptuous peruerse and prophane in vvhich consideration S. Gregory so tearmed it Neither vvould he nor any of his predecessours vse that name though in that sence that they had charge and command ouer the vniuersal Church it might haue beene attributed to them yet because it was subject to another construction to wit that the Bishop of Rome was the only truly proper Bishop of euery Diocesse and other named Bishops were not true and proper Bishops there of but the vniuersal Bishops Vicars Suffraganes and Substitutes therefore they vtterly auoided that name as matter of jealousie and scandal choosing the humble stile of seruus seruorum Dei The seruant of Gods seruants For the further satisfaction of the learned reader I wil proue out of S. Gregory in the very same place quoted by M. Abbot both that he wrote against the name of vniuersal Bishop in the later sence And that notwithstanding he refused that name yet that he acknowledged and taught the Bishop of Rome to haue supreme authority ouer al the Church of Christ Touching the first the wordes before alleaged out of his 36. Epistle Lib. 4. Epist 36. doe demonstrate so much to wit If one Patriarke be called vniuersal the other are made no Patriarkes at al vvhich can haue no other sence then that the calling of one Patriarke or Bishop Vniuersal doth signifie him so to be a Bishop in euery place that no other besides him can be truly and properly called Bishop but must be his Vicar and Subdelegate The like saith he in his 34. Epistle to the Emperesse Lib. 4. Epist 34. That his brother and fellow Bishop Iohn striued to be called Bishop alone And in the 7. booke and 69. Epistle to Eusebius he saith Si vniuersalis est restat vt vos Episcopi non sitis If one Bishop be vniuersal it remaineth that you be no Bishops This then is most certaine that S. Gregory spake against the name of Vniuersal Bishop taken in this sence that he was so a Bishop as no other but he could be Bishop in any place Marry if we vnderstand by it one man to haue the general charge of al the Churches in the vvorld yet so as there be also Bishops and Archbishops his brothers who haue the particular and proper gouernement of their seueral Diocesse then S. Gregory telleth vs plainely that S. Peter and his Successours the Bishops of Rome were such these be his wordes Lib. 4. Epist 76. It is manifest to al that know the Gospel that the charge of the whole Church was by our Lordes owne mouth committed to S. Peter Prince of al the Apostles And againe in the same Epistle Behold Peter receiued the keies of the Kingdome of heauen the power of binding and loosing is giuen to him the charge and principality of the whole Church is committed to him vvhich is also repeated in one of the Epistles cited by M. Abbot Lib. 4. Epist 32. And that by S. Peter this vniuersal charge and authority was left vnto the Bishops and See of Rome no man can vvitnesse it more manifestly then S. Gregory hath done First hauing proued out of the word of God S. Peters supremacy he adjoyneth Lib. 6. Epist 201. Therefore though there were many Apostles yet for the principality it selfe the only seate of the Prince of the Apostles hath preuailed in authority As farre as the See Apostolike is euidently knowne to be set ouer al Churches by the authority of God So farre amongst other manifold cares that doth greatly occupy vs when for the consecration of a Bishop our sentence is expected Againe Lib. 2. Epist 69. Lib. 7. Epist 64. For whereas he the Patriarke of Constantinople acknowledgeth himselfe to be subject vnto the Apostolike See of Rome I know not what Bishop is not subject vnto it Moreouer What thing soeuer shal be done in that Councel without the authority and consent of the See Apostolike it is of no strength and vertue Whereas on the other side he saith Those thinges that are once ratified Lib. 7. Epist 69. by the authority of the See Apostolike neede no further strength or confirmation If any man desire to see how S. Gregory himselfe practised that soueraigne authority ouer al the parts of the Christian world let him but reade his Epistles and he shal finde it most perspicuously Magdeburg Centur. 6. In Indice verbo Gregorius euen as their owne great writers of the Centuries doe testifie directing them to the places in his workes where they shal finde the same How devoide then was M. Abbot of al good conscience and honest dealing that vvould vnder the colour of his writing against the name of vniuersal in that sence perswade the simple that S. Gregory vtterly misliked of the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome Now because that S. Gregory hath beene alwaies highly esteemed and greatly respected of both Latin and Greeke Church for his singular holynes and learning and was besides the principal cause vnder God of the conuersion of vs English-men vnto the Christian faith I wil note out of his workes summarily what was his opinion of many of the questioned points of faith betweene the Protestants and vs because M. Abbot citeth him against vs that euery one may see vvhat religion was first planted amongst vs English-men and continued for a thousand yeares Of the Supremacy and Merit of good workes hath beene spoken already Concerning the sacrifice of the Masse it was daily offered vp to God in his age