Paganism to Christian Religion by the especial Diligence Labor and Industry of the same See. Once in the time of the Britans about 180 years after Christ at what time Eleutherius that holy Pope and Martyr converted King Lucius and his Subjects by the Preaching of St. Damianus and his Fellows sent from Rome to that effect And the second time 400 years after that again when our Predecessors the English Saxons were converted by St. Augustin and his Fellow-Preachers sent by St. Gregory the Great then Bishop of Rome to the same end And if it be most certain and cannot be denied that these two so great and universal benefits rightly considered are the highest under Heaven that our Land could receive from any mortal then and that the Obligation of this double Spiritual Birth of ours is so much greater than the Bond we owe to our carnal Parents by how much more weighty and important is our Eternal Salvation than our Temporal Life and Generation let all men consider the barbarous ingratitude of this man that barketh with such spite against the See of Rome the Mother of our Christianity and against her Bishops the Workers of so high a Blessing to us And with this consideration I leave the modest and discreet Readers to judge of the matter as Reason and Religion shall induce them and not as the rage of this and other such raving people would incite them 3. Thus I wrote then and to this declaration and conclusion of mine our Knight taketh upon him now to answer in these words Whereas this Roman Advocate saith That this Land ought to bear more reverence to the See of Rome than other Nations for that it hath received more singular benefits from thence namely that it was converted from Paganism to Christian Religion by the special Diligence Labor and Industry of the same See I answer First That it is apparent by sundry Testimonies that this Land was converted to the Faith long before that time by you specified and not by the Bishop of Rome Gildas testifieth that Britanny received the Gospel in the time of Tiberius the Emperor and that Joseph of Arimathea was sent by Philip the Apostle from France hither where he remained till his death And Bede our Country man likewise doth testifie That in his time this Land kept Easter after the manner of the East Church by which my be gathered that the first Preachers came hither from the East parts of the World and not from Rome More proofs might be set down but I spare them 4. Mark good Reader what manner of Answer this is to my former Speech and how directly these people do go to the matter I said before That the Isle of England wherein so many at this day do rail against Rome hath more obligation of Love towards the same for benefits received than divers other Countries for that the people of this Island have been twice converted by men sent from thence once under Pope Eleutherius almost 200 years after Christ and again under Pope Gregory the Great about the year of our Lord 600. Now to this the Kt. thinketh to have answered well by affirming two or three things First out of Gildas That Britanny received the Gospel in the time of Tiberius the Emperor before any or these two Conversions named by me Which how likely it is Tiberius living but five years after Christ's Ascension shall after be examined Secondly That Joseph of Arimathea was sent by Philip the Apostle out of France into Britanny which yet the true Gildas hath not But by these two Examples the Knight would shew That in Britanny the Faith of Christ was not first of all planted from Rome nor by the Popes thereof or by their industry And to the same effect he allegeth out of Bede the used of observing Easter after the manner of the East Church remaining amongst the Britans in his time whereof he inferreth as you see That it is most like that our first Preachers were from the East and not from the West Church 5. But suppose all these things were true do they overthrow that which I said before in my Ward-word that the Britans were converted under Pope Eleutherius or the Saxons under Pope Gregory and by several Preachers sent from Rome by them They prove only that before these two public Conversions which we owe to the Church and Popes of Rome there might be some sparkles of Christian Faith also in Britanny by other means which I never deny'd but only said that I would have English-men grateful to Rome for these two which Conversions no man can deny without apparent impudence as after more amply shall be shewed where also these Examples alleged out of Gildas and St. Bede shall be examined how far they are true or do make for the purpose here in hand 6. So that this first part of Sir Francis's Answer being nothing to the purpose as you see tho' all were granted which he allegeth Let us hear his second part Secondly saith he tho' it be granted that Eleutherius sending hither Preachers from Rome in King Lucius his time did frist convert this Land to the Christian Faith I say that there is not now the same Faith in Rome that was then There were then no Masses said no setting up of Images in Churches c. Here now if we will take Sir Francis's word we have a sure warrant by his I say that the Faith in Rome is not the same now that it was in Pope Eleutherius his time and that in particular there were neither Masses then nor Images Wherein you may note first that cunningly he holdeth his peace of the Conversion of English-men under St. Gregory which most concerneth us that be of this Nation for that he dareth not deny that both Mass and Images were in use in his time in the Roman Church and Faith and so brought into England by St. Augustin that converted us which is evident in St. Bede in every place of his Story and particularly where he relateth the first entrance of St. Augustin and his Fellows into Canterbury in Procession with a Cross and Image of our Savior in a Banner and that they said their first Masses there in an old Church of St. Martin builded as he saith by the old Christian Romans before their departure out of Britanny 7. And for the time of Eleutherius under whom the Britans were converted tho' it were not hard also to prove the same particulars yet will I not take that disputation now in hand but shall leave it to a better occasion afterward in this Treatise where without standing upon these particular two Doctrins of Mass and Images here mentioned by the Knight I shall shew more general and firm Arguments that the Faith of the Church of Rome under Eleutherius 200 years after Christ was the very same and no other than was that under St. Gregory 400 years after that again nor this
be altered it must be done by the same Authority by which it was delivered to them to wit by the whole Church Councils and General Pastors thereof 26. This was the Defence and Pleading of Catholics under King Henry the Eighth to excuse themselves from Treason objected against them for holding the Popes Supremacy wherein you see divers notorious differences between the Defence of the Sectaries and them for that amongst the Sectaries every one held what himself thought best of things invented by themselves every one cited Scriptures and interpreted them as he listed without Authority President or Example of former Ages and consequently they are justly called Heretics that is to say choosers For that they chose to themselves what to believe in every Sect and reduced the last and final resolution of all things to their own Wills and Wits which in matters of belief is the highest Crime that against God and his Church can be committed 27. But on the other side the state and condition of the Catholics and their cause is quite opposite to this for that they stick to Authority Obedience Integrity Example of their Ancestors they bring nothing of their own they invent or innovate nothing They stand only upon that which they have found Established to them not by this or that Man or by this or that Author of any Sect or by this or that particular Congregation fellowship or Faction or by this or that Town City Province Kingdom or Country but generally by the whole universal Church and Pastors thereof and therefore properly and truly are called Catholics which is to say Vniversal and general 28. And this shall suffice to shew the difference between the Catholic Martyrs and Heretical Malefactors put to death in King Henries time whereof yet we shall Treat more largely in the third part of this Treatise where we are to handle the particular Stories of Fox his Calendar-Martyrs and to compare and paralell them with ours shewing that yet never Dogs and Cats nor yet Sampsons Foxes did ever so disagree in natures and conditions as these good Martyrs did in Faction and contrariety of opinions amongst themselves and consequently could not be Martyrs or witnesses of any one Faith whatsoever 29. And with this also will we end the Discourse of King Henries Life having sufficiently shewed as to me it seemeth that the Catholic Religion held her footing and continuance also under ther Reign of this King no less perhaps than before yea she shewed her self much more to the World by the Persecution which then she suffered than before in the time of peace for that the Famous and Illustrious Martyrdoms of such excellent Men as were Bishop Fisher Sir Thomas More Dr. Forest and many other such Worthies that suffered Martyrdom in those days did more Illustrate her and made extern Nations to talk more of the Zeal and Constancy of English Catholics than ever they would have done if that Persecution had not fallen out and the like success hath happened since both under King Edward the Sixth and her Majesty that now is as briefly we shall here declare 30. And as for King Edwards Reign as it was but short and the first passage from Catholic Religion to open Profession of Heresie So was it not so sharp for effusion of Blood as under King Henry For that the King being very young and those that Governed in his Name not thorowly settled in their States and Affairs troubled also with much Division and Emulation among themselves could not attend to prosecute matters so exactly against Catholics as some of their desires and Appetites were yet began they very well as we may see by the most unjust Persecutions and Deprivations of two principal Bishops Gardiner of Winchester and Bonner of London by such violent Calumnious manner as was proper for Heretics to use The particulars whereof John Fox doth set down at large whereby a Man may take a taste what they meant to have done if they had had time For that Cranmer and Ridley that had been Bishops in King Henries time and followed his Religion and humor while he lived being now also resolved to enjoy the Preferment and Sensuality of this time so far as any way they might attain unto getting Authority into their hands by the Protector and others that were in most Power began to lay lustily about them and to pull down all them both of the Clergy and others whom they thought to be able or likely to stand in their way or resist their inventions 31. And hereupon divers were laid hands on and Imprisoned divers fled over Seas sundry most Captious and Calumnious Questions and Demands were devised to entangle Men As Namely Whether a King of one year old were not as truly a King as at Forty or Fifty which if you did grant concerning the Title and Right of his Crown which is true then presently they inferred that King Edward being but Nine years old wanting yet discretion might also be lawful Head of the Church and determine Controversies of Religion yea change the Faith and Religion which his Father and all his Ancestors Kings and Princes of England all Parliaments Synods and Councils before his days had left unto him for the space of a Thousand years and more And albeit he had not sufficient judgment to understand what Religion meant yet was he made judge thereof by vertue of his Birth and Succession to the Crown And this Point was wonderfully urged by the Protector Seymor to all Preachers Prelats and Bishops of that time that they should inculcate the same to the people in their Sermons to the end that himself taking all the said Child Kings Authority upon him might be Head and Judge in his place Whereunto that he might seem the more fit and able for his excellent learning John Bale the Apostata Friar that lived under him was not ashamed to Publish in Print and place him for a Learned Author amongst his Illustrious British Writters for that some Proclamations perhaps passed by his hands tho' otherwise he was known to be so unlearned as he could scarce Write or Read. 32. But yet as I said this Doctrin or rather Paradox of the Child Kings supereminent ability high Authority and Supreme Ecclesiastical Power to determin alter change and dispose of matters of Religion at his pleasure tho' he were but of one year old was sounded in Pulpits every where at this time whereof Sir John Cheke the Kings School-master amongst others Wrote a several Treatise besides the large Message sent in the Kings Name but of his Writing to the Catholic people of Devonshire as after shall be shewed The same also was objected grievously against Bishop Gardiner and Bishop Bonner by Name that they had not in their Sermons appointed unto them by the Protector so sufficiently urged this Point of the Kings Ecclesiastical Power in his Nonage as was required And this especially for that the people in
to this or that Man or Woman For so he cometh in presently with his Examples of Queen Anne and Cromwell So long saith he as Queen Anne lived the Gospel had indifferent success but after that she by sinister instigation of some about the King was made away the course of the Gospel began again to decline But that the Lord then stirred up the Lord Cromwell opportunely to help in that behalf who did much avail for the increase of God's true Religion and much more had brought it to perfection if the pestilent Adversaries maligning the prosperous Glory of the Gospel had not by contrary practising undermined him and supplanted his vertuous proceedings 22. Behold here a wise Discourse of John Fox Whereby if nothing else were you might perceive how justly and truly that Spirit of Majesty that spake to him in his Bed upon a Sunday in the morning if you remember called him Thou Fool For that no man but a very Fool indeed would have brought forth these Examples to have proved his purpose being both impertinent and clearly false in themselves 23. And first they are impertinent or rather against himself for that they shew that his Gospel had no other beginning in England but upon Affection of Men and Women False also are the Examples if we consider the Times themselves for that the foresaid new Book of devised Articles mentioned by Hall and Hollinshead as the first public Alteration in points of Religion discovered in King Henry was made and set forth after the death of Queen Anne Bullen to wit upon the 8th of June 1536 whereas the Queen died upon the 19th of May before And Fox himself having related the said Articles and Book as set forth after the death of Queen Anne he saith thus This Book treated especially but of three Sacraments Baptism Penance and the Supper of the Lord for which the Lincolnshire men took Arms c. And then he addeth this Note in the Margin Alteration of Religion a little beginneth And after again presently this other Note Commotion in Lincolnshire Whereby is evident out of his own words that the first beginning of any alteration in points of Religion towards his Gospel was after the death of Queen Anne Bullen and consequently it is a ridiculous foolery which he writeth before That so long as Queen Anne lived the Gospel had indifferent success c. 24. The other Example also of Cromwell is no less apparently false for that besides the particulars which you have heard before of his assisting to punish and burn Protestants and his Sentence of death given against Lambert with the Protestation he made at his own death of his being Catholic and never doubting of any one Point of Catholic Religion Besides all this I say it is notorious that when the severe Statute of Six Articles was made against all sorts of Protestants in the 31st year of King Henry's Reign which was in the Month of April 1540 as appeareth both by the Book of Statutes it self and Hall Holinshead and other Chroniclers Cromwell was then in his highest Authority and Favor with the King as is evident for that in the time of the very same Parliament besides all his other great Offices before received as of Baron Chancellor Knight of the Garter Master of the Jewels Vicar-General in Spiritual Affairs and other like Titles he was created also Earl of Essex and High-Chamberlain of England which Holinshead setteth down in these words The 18th of April at Westminster was Lord Thomas Cromwell created Earl of Essex and ordained Great Chamberlain of England which Office the Earls of Oxford were wont ever to enjoy Also Gregory his Son was made Lord Cromwell c. Thus writeth he And if in Cromwell's most flourishing time this Act of Six Articles came out for punishment of Protestants the most severe that can be imagined how fond and childish a babling was that before used by Fox when he telleth us that as long as the good Lord Cromwell was in credit or bare Rule with the King their Gospel went prosperously c 25. Well then by all this we may see how poor and troden down a state John Fox's Church and Religion held under King Henry notwithstanding all his brags and flattering of him in his Pictures Which yet that you may not think we mean only of the temporal or external condition or contemptibility of his Church for of that perhaps he would brag seeing he defines his Church by the words obscure and troden down I would have you here consider briefly but two things only for the end of this Chapter which directly do appertain to the true spiritual misery of Fox's Church and Religion in those days under King Henry if a Confusion of fantastical Opinions Errors and Heresies may be called a Religion 26. The first is That in King Henry's days at leastwise for a great part thereof the Protestants Sects were not yet fully distinguished into their Classes or Orders but were a great confused heap of new Opinions all going under the name of Gospellers or Protestants as well Lutherans Oecolampadians Zuinglians and other Sacramentaries as Waldensians Wickliffians Anabaptists Libertines and other such-like So as in this first Heap and Mass of Gospellers were contained all the several Sects that since have been distinguished as the four Elements and particular parts thereof were contained according to the Poets Fiction in that great confused Chaos of the World before it was distinguished or to speak more properly they were as the Bears Whelps when first they are born and new fallen from their Mothers Womb to wit certain disform gross confused things which by often licking of their Parents are polished at last and brought to some fashion of handsom Creatures such as you know Bears Whelps to be 27. And even so was it in those days with Protestants Religion For that every man that would hold a new Opinion of what Sect soever or would speak against the Catholic Church or Doctrin then used was admitted presently for a Brother of the new Gospel and for a sincere Servant of God and holy Gospeller as John Fox every-where calleth them without distinction whether he were a Lutheran Zuinglian Anabaptist Waldensian Wickliffist Lolhard or whatsoever else but since that time this Chaos hath been somewhat more distinguished and polished and every sort of Sectaries divided into their Classes Which Luther himself began first to do noting nine distinct Sects to have risen in few years after him out of his Doctrin and these only of Sacramentaries Whereunto his chief Scholar Melancthon a little before his death in his Judgment written to the Palsgrave or Prince Elector of Rhene added six more to be among the Lutherans themselves But others that have gathered them more exactly and distinctly as Staphilus a most Learned Man and Counsellor to the Emperour Bishop Lyndan Dr. Gabriel Prateolus and others do divide them into a far great number
endured you will easily see the Fruits of that new Gospel 4. For first all begun with manifest perfidiousness against the old King that was dead For whereas he had two things in abomination above the rest First that his Son should have a Protector considering the fatal events thereof in former times for which cause he appointed sixteen Tutors to govern with equal Authority during the Minority of his Son the other that Heresie but especially Zwinglianism should enter into his Realm both these things were determined contrary to the said Kings Will and Ordination within three days after his death and above a dozen before he was buried For that the young Child being Proclaimed King upon the 28. of January and his Father not buried until the 14. of February his Uncle the Earl of Hartford was made Protector both of the King and whole Realm upon the first of the said Month of February following and this by the private Authority of the greater part of the Executors only without expecting any Parliament or consent of the Realm for so great a change and charge as that was 5. And albeit for obtaining the consents of the greater parts of Executors to this mutation great advancements and Dignities were promised and some of them also performed for that the Lord Dudley was made Earl of Warwick the Lord Parre Marquess of Northampton the Lord Chancellor Wriothesley was created Earl of Southampton Sir Thomas Seymor was made Lord Sudley and High Admiral of England and other the like and this within fifteen days after the Protectors Advancement and tho' hope also was given to those that were Catholicly inclined as the most of them were if they had followed their Consciences that no great alteration of Religion should be made for the present yet twenty days had scarce passed after this advancement but that the Protectors Fingers did so eagerly itch to be doing and tampering about Innovation in Religion as upon the 6. of March next following he sent away Commissioners into all parts of the Realm to pull down Images and other Ecclesiastical Ornaments throughout all the Churches of the Realm and to make other Innovations by his Authority which now in all things he would have to be the Kings And for that the Chancellor Wriothesley resisted the same and would have had it stayed until a Parliament might be called his Office was taken from him thereby to terrifie others from speaking in like Cases Bishop Tonstall also was put beside the Council for like offence though he were one of the sixteen Executors appointed by King Henry So as now the Protector would needs have all things absolutely in his own Hand both without Law and before Law yea expresly against the Laws of King Henry yet in force 6. And for that both he and his followers did easily see the affection of the Realm to be wholly against these Mutations as before we have shewed in the end of our former part he devised with the Lord Dudley who soothed him in all at that time the Journey into Scotland of Musselborough Field which all men know under pretence to gain the young Queen by force to Marry with the King. But yet every man of judgment and discourse did easily see that not to be a thing likely to get such a Princess by way of Arms from her Subjects Neither was King Edward of such Age as they needed to have hastened so much to get him a Wife so soon he being but nine years old but that the matter might have been treated peaceably with the Scots to have concurred willingly for their own interest to that conjunction of both Realms by that Marriage according as they had done in King Henry's time And so wrote Bishop Gardener to the Protector presently upon the first Sermon he heard the Bishop of St. Davids in Wales make in London about that matter I mean to exhort the people to the enterprise of Scotland For that now all Preachers were set a work by the said Protector and Earl of Warwick to shew the great Glory and utilities of that Attempt 7. But the true cause of this Enterprise was indeed to have thereby a just pretence and occasion to raise an Army within the Land and to call in Foreign Forces as they did both Germans and Italians under Petro Gamboa that had served King Henry at Bologne and other Leaders who they thought would be always more sure unto them than English Soldiers in occasions of Religion And so it fell out indeed For the very next year after these Foreign Soldiers did stand the Protector in very good stead when divers Shires of the Realm took Arms for defence of their Religion in the third year of King Edward's Reign as after you shall hear 8. This then was the first Summers work after King Edward's Coronation to wit that the Protector made his Voyage towards Scotland having first sent Commissioners and Preachers as you have heard into all Shires to preach against Images Procession Litanies Pilgrimages Mass praying to Saints And this of his own Authority without and against Law for that no Parliament had yet disannulled the Religion left by King Henry Which thing so much grieved the common Catholic people as they began to exclaim every where against the said Commissioners and one of them called Body was slain in Cornwall for which divers Men were Executed in sundry places of that Shire and a Priest sent up to be Hang'd Drawn and Quarter'd in Smithfield for the terror of others for that he was said by some to have been Accessary to the said Body's death 9. And this was the beginning of planting new Religion in England by Authority of the Protector under a Child-King which Protector notwithstanding for that he mistrusted his home-Doctors as well as his home-Souldiers to be sufficient for so great a Work as the planting of a new Religion he sent over into Germany for divers strange Sectaries of what Religion soever so they were not Catholic But especially he desir'd to have Apostate-Friers that had ty'd themselves to Sisters assuring himself that they would be most pliable to his purpose And so there came into England Martin Bucer a Dominican Frier who unto that day had been an earnest Lutheran and Peter Martyr a Canon-Regular that inclin'd to Zuinglianism but yet came with great indifferency to preach and teach what he should be appointed Bernardinus Ochinus was the third who had been a Franciscan Frier and by taking a Woman had lost all Religion writing a Book de Polygamia for having many Wives at once and died after a Jew 10. These three were distributed into three principal Fountains of the Land London Oxford and Cambridge and with these joyned other of the same Coat and Profession as Coverdale an Augustine Frier Bale a Carmelite and other-like English-men as before we have shewed All which beginning to preach in divers parts of the Land filled mens heads with Novelties and
enemies Diversity of States worketh diversity of Religion amongst Sectaries * In his humble motives an Domini 1601. Why Sectaries do change so often their Religion under different States Affliction by the Danes from the year 800 downward S. Edmund and S. Elphegus Martyred by Danes Osbertus in vita S. Elph. apud Sur. 21. April Malm. lib. 1. Pontif. Angl. pa. 116. Matth. West monast an Dom. 1011. 1012. The good Acts of King Canutus after his Conversion Malmes de gist Regum Angl. l. 2. c. 11. The building the Abby of Edmundbury and rich endowment thereof by King Canutus King Canutus his Letter from Rome Malm. ibid. fol. 14. How King Canutus performed his good desires when he returned from Rome Ibid. fol. 42. Stow in Chron. pag. 116. Ibidem apud Malm. fol. 41. King Canutus was Catholic 1043. The Succession of Catholic Religion since the conquest Thomas Cranmer Arch-bishop of Canterbury The conclusion of this deduction Iren. l. 3. adversus haeres cap. 3. Aug. in psal contra partem Donati Aug. ep 165. Aug. ibid. * Thomas Cranmer his Apostasie doth not prejudicate the See of Canterbury Anno Domini 600. Anno 1509. Anno Domini 1530. 1 Tim. 3. The Catholic faith groweth by persecution and affliction and heresie is overthrown King Henry zealous in Catholic Religion King Henries Book against Luther Dedicated to Leo 10. An. Dom. 1523. The beginning of the Kings breach with the Pope Stow An. Dom. 1530. King Henry winked for a time at some heretics Heretics burned An. Dom. 1531. Thomas Audley Thomas Cromwell Fa. Elstow contradicteth the Preacher in defence of the Pope before the King. Anno 1533. The beginning of Fox his Gospel in England Anno 1534. The first year of open breach with Rome Hol. pag. 964 The Franciscan Friars put out of their Convents Heretics burned an 1534. Stow an 1534. See the Letter of Tyndal to Frith set down by Fox p. 987. The Statute of six Articles An. 1540. The burning of Friar Barns a Lutheran with Gerard Jerom Zwinglians K. Henry gave Commission for his reconciliation with Rome Catholics increased by Persecution The name of Papist not justly punishable The different punishments upon Catholics and Protestants doth shew what K. Henry thought of them both * In his Epistles The true cause of Catholics suffering under K. Henry The condemnation of Anabaptists and Arians by K. Henry Absurd positions of Anabaptists Arrians in K. Henry's time grounded upon Scriptures pretended The condemnation of Lutherans and Zuinglians by King Henry The opinion of Tyndall and Frith agreeing with neither Lutherans nor Zwinglians Fox pag. 942. The different plea or defence of Catholics from heretics * Tertull. l. de praescript adversus haeres The disagreement of Fox his Calendar Martyrs King Edward the 6th his Reign The attempts of Cranmer and Ridley and others of their crew in King Edwards days The attempts of Seymor the Protector and John Bale in flattery towards him Bal. descript Brit. cent 5. fol. 237. See Stow and other Chroniclers in the year 1549. The general aversion of English-people against the entrance of Heresie Fox p. 1185. Fox ib. 1186. Fox p. 1189. K. Henry's Laws rejected by his Son K. Edward K. Edward's reply to the demand of the people of Devonshire Q. Mary's admonition unto the Protector and Council Heresie in K. Edward's days entred by violence Catholic Religion restored by Q. Mary Bishops and Archdeacons deprived and imprisoned for Cath. Faith An. 1560. The constancy of English Catholics in this time of Persecution The constant resolution of divers Catholic Priests Joan Lashford Fox p. 1547 1517. Agnes Potten Joan Trunchfield Rose Nottingham Fox p. 1547. William Hunter Fox p. 1395. an 1555. Rawling White Fox p. 1414. Heretical hastiness to burn for their Errors * Cap. 2. A great number of English Youths in Exile for Religion The Conclusion of the first Part of this Treatise The principal point to be noted of Succession St. Augustin's estimation of Succession Aug. ep cont Faust Manich. c. 4. tom 6. Aug. quaest 110 in nov vet Test Tert. l. de praescrip advers haeres Tert. ibid. Iren. l. 4. advers haeres c. 4. Ibid. c. 45. The force of Succession with Irenaeus other Fathers Hier. dia. ult cont Lucif Aug. l. de utilitate credent c. 17. Barking of Heretics against Succession as St. Augustin termeth it In descr Cantii A comparison between the durance of the Church temporal States The second principal point to be considered about the visibility of the Church (a) In defens l. de servo arbitr (b) Lib. cont Cathar * Part 1. Aug. in tract in ep Joan. * Cap. de Conciliis * In locis com loco 12. de Eccles (c) Cent. 1. l. 1. c. 4. (d) Apol. 1. part 3. Calv. l. 4. Inst c. 1. § 3. Why Lutherans left the Paradox of the invisibility of the Church Matt. 18. Act. 15.18 Evident Scriptures for the visibility of the Church Evident reasons that the true Church must be visible containing both good and bad (a) Marc. ult Ephes 4. 1. Pet. 3. (b) Rom. 10. Luc. 12. 1 Tim. 6. (c) Mat. 5. Luc. 11. Joan. 15. (d) Mat. 28. 1 Cor. 12. 1 Tim. 3.5 St. Augustin's Discourses about the visibility of the Church See St. Aug. in Psal 44 47. l. 2. cont Petil. c. 32 104. l. 2. cont Cresco c. 36. l. 4. c. 58. tract 1 2. in ep Joan. c. 4. collat 3. diei in Brevie A second fond device of Lutherans about an obscure Church The third point of John Fox's Opinion about the true Church A great perplexity of John Fox Illyr gloss in Matth. c. 1. Fox's new Opinion making the Church both visible and invisible Fox in his protestation to the Church of England p. 2. How Enemies and Persecutors do see the true Church Fox in the Title The purpose of John Fox in his Protest p. 3. What is to be handled about John Fox's Church The substance of John Fox's Book The division of 1060 years into four principal parts The first 300 years from Christ to Constantine Sup. c. 8 9. The impertinent course taken by John Fox Reasons to prove that the old Martyrs were of our Church and not of Fox's * Nisi integram inviolatamque servaverit absque dubio in aeternum peribit Who do more honor the ancient Martyrs See Fox's Calendar in the beginning of his Volume The second Reason Cap. 15. Tert. l. de fuga in persecut Epiph. in panar haeres 80. Aug. cont literas Petiliani l. 2. c. 83. cont 2. ep Gaudentit l. 2. c. 26. alibi Of heretical Martyrs * Supra c. 5 6. (a) The third Reason (b) St. Andrew (c) See the story of his passion written by the Church of Achaia in those days cited by Remigius in Psal 21. by Lanfrank lib. cont Berengar by St. Bernard Serm. de St. Andrea many others St. Laurence Amb. l. 1. Officior c.
stay'd here in proving you by these external conflictions only but hath passed to the internal also that he might say of you as he did of his dearest people when he meant to do them most good Convertam manum meam ad te excoquam ad purum scoriam tuam auferam omne stannum tuum I will turn my hand upon thee and will boil out by fire all thy rust even to the quick and will take from thee all thy Pewter thereby to leave thee pure Silver he would equal you in this Point with the Privilege of his Apostles that you might say with them truly Foris pugnae intus timores We have fights abroad and frights at home You know what I mean and others will easily guess that have heard of the late storms past Only I will say to your high commendation that your moderate and sage deportment hath been such also in this Point of not admitting the scandal offered as all men have been edified by your Wisdom and Piety therein seeing fulfilled on your behalf that which the Holy Ghost prophesied of holy wise and peaceable men truly fearing God Pax multa diligentibus Legem tuam non est illis scandalum Those that love thy Law O Lord do enjoy their inward Peace and are not scandalized with what external tempests soever do arise 9. In respect of which Piety of yours it is to be presumed that Christ our Savior hath wrought again by his Substitute and this upon the sudden that famous Miracle recorded by St. Matthew St Mark and St. Luke of calming the Tempest that put his Disciples in fear and jeopardy Exurgens imperavit ventis mari facta est tranquilitas magna He rising up commanded the Winds and Seas to cease and thereupon ensued a great calm and tranquility which kind of Miracle is not lightly made among Protestants for that they want the means thereof And therefore as a thing peculiar to the Subordination of Christ's orderly Church and wrought by his Divine Power and Vertue I do the more admire and reverence the same assuring my self that no good Catholic will ever hereafter so much as move his finger against it but co-operate rather to the firm establishment and continuance thereof as is most behoveful to the end that as we are all one in Faith and Belief so we be also in Life Speech and Actions especially in this time of trial Which God of his infinite Goodness grant To whose holy Protection I commend heartily both You and my self this first of March 1603. An Addition of the Author to the foresaid Catholics upon the News of the Queens Death and Succession of the King of Scotland to the Crown of England SInce the writing of the precedent Epistle Advertisement is come that Almighty God of his infinite Mercy hath delivered you at length dear Catholics from your old Persecutor and as we hope will also shortly from your Persecution His Divine Majesty be thanked everlastingly for the same Here generally the applause is no otherwise than it was in old time among the Christians upon the entrance of Constantine into the Empire after Dioclesian or of Jovinian after Julian But the former Example seemeth more like for that good Constantine was of a different Religion when he entred yet of singular hope to become such as afterward he did both in respect of his excellent Parts and of his pious Mother St. Helena The difference of the two Mothers is That the Empress Helena did assist her Son here upon Earth as St. Paulinus writeth towards the Truth and Piety of Religion but Queen Mary of Scotland and France being violently deprived of this Life will do it we trust by her Prayers in Heaven The Comparison also is not improper in this for that perhaps this our new King is the first that hath been absolutely Lord of the whole Island of Britanny with the Parts annexed thereunto since Constantine 2. We know what Commendation a Heathen Author gave to Constantine while he was yet no Christian and this in public Audience at the day of Marriage with the Daughter of Maximianus Herculeus both the Emperours being present and hearing him Neque enim saith he Forma tantum in te Patris sed etiam Continentia Fortitudo Justitia Prudentia sese votis gentium praesentant Not only the Form and Beauty of your Father Constantius doth appear in you but also his Continency his Fortitude his Justice his Wisdom do represent themselves in you according to the full desire and wish of all Nations Thus said he of that Constantine Whereupon Eusebius sheweth That the Christians of that time conceived so great Love towards him tho' he were not yet a Christian as his Adversary Maxentius hearing of his coming towards Rome was glad to feign that himself would be a Christian also to retain somewhat thereby of their affections from Constantine 3. We read of divers excellent Men in Christian Religion who were presumed and foretold that they would be such before they were Christians indeed and this only upon the foresight of their good Natures and vertuous Inclinations as St. Martyn afterwards Bishop of Tours St. Nectarius Archbishop of Constantinople St. Ambrose Bishop of Millain and St. Augustin Bishop of Hyppo albeit of St. Augustin's Conversion from the Heresie of the Manichees to Catholic Religion St. Ambrose added another Conjecture also or rather Prophecy to wit that the Prayers and Tears of his good Mother St. Monica could not suffer such a Son to perish All which you see how far it maketh for Us and for our Hope of this second Constantine who wanted not also a holy Mother to Pray and shed Tears abundantly for him whil'st she lived that he might be such as we most desire now whereof my self amongst others can be a true Witness and this from her own testimony 4. And for that I cannot persuade my self that so holy Endeavors of such a Mother in such a Cause can be frustrate with Almighty God I do not only hope well but do attribute hereunto in great part the many Blessings that have fallen upon this King ever since but principally His Majesty's Preservation and strange Delivery from infinite Dangers and most imminent Perils as all men know so as neither Cyrus nor Romulus nor Moyses himself was more strangely preserved than this King hath been since his Infancy And for that God doth never commonly work those great Effects but to great Ends you Catholics of England may with reason hope well thereof especially if any thing came by his said good Mothers Intercession who loved you all so dearly as whatsoever she asked at God's hands for the Life and Prosperity of her dear Son in this World a great part thereof was meant no doubt for You and your Good if ever you came to be under his Government as now God hath brought you 5. Another effect of this holy Queens Prayers
for her only Son I hold to be that other Blessing before-mentioned of so many rare Parts discovered in His Majesty's Person which truly tho' I have had ever in great esteem upon the reports of other men yet hath the same been exceedingly increased upon the late reading of a Book written I suppose some years agon by His Highness but printed in London this very year 1603. This Book is entituled in the Greek Tongue Basilicon Doron to wit A Kingly Gift sent by His Majesty unto the Prince his eldest Son now also our Lord being in truth a Golden Gift in respect of the excellent matter contained therein and it discovereth so many rare Parts in the Writer as may justly give all Catholics good hope to see one day that fulfilled in His Majesty which most they desire And would to God this singular Treatise had appeared earlier to the World. 6. For setting aside one Point only therein handled which is Religion wherein His Majesty must needs speak according to his Persuasion and Education in that behalf all other matters are such and so set down as you will exceedingly delight therein and profit also thereby if you read with attention and ponder all well but especially Three Points above other I noted with no small admiration to my self which I speak in all sincerity of truth as in the sight of Almighty God. The first is the great variety of select Learning in such a Person and so occupied otherwise as His Majesty is Secondly the great maturity of Judgment in applying the same so fitly to the peculiar Affairs of Scotland The third is the fervent and extraordinary affection of Piety towards God and Godliness uttered in so effectual words and upon so good occasions throughout the whole Book as a man may easily see it cometh from the heart And how highly this one Point of Piety is to be esteemed in so High and Mighty a Prince especially in these our days when Contentions in Religion have wrought so great coldness of Religious Piety in many Great Mens Hearts every Wife and Pious Man will easily consider 7. But I will go no further in this matter lest I may seem to flatter which I hate with my heart and His Majesty detesteth the Vice most prudently and Christianly in this his Book Only I will add for our common comfort That it seemeth impossible unto me that such a Wit and so godly-affected a Mind as God hath bestowed upon His Majesty can be long detained with the vanity and inanity of Sects and Heresies where no Ground no Head no certain Principle no sure Rule or Method to try the Truth no one Reason at all can be found why a man should rather be of one Sect than another but only every ones own Will and particular Judgment grounded as each one will pretend upon the Scriptures whereof yet himself only will be the Judge and Interpreter Which things being of themselves most absurd in so weighty a Cause as Religion is that concerneth the Eternal Salvation of our Souls it is to be hoped that His Majesty having the former two parts of Judgment and pious Affection in that Excellency as hath been said will easily come in time to discover the same and therewithal the contrary substantial Grounds and clear Demonstrations for the Catholic Religion whereunto this Treatise also of the first planting of Christian Religion in our Country may in my Opinion give no small help and light if it might please His Majesty to bestow the casting of his eye upon the same 8. Wherefore to conclude this Addition to my former Letter God having wrought so strangely this Change as here is reported with so general Peace and Applause of the whole Realm you are to expect at His Divine Majesty's hands the Effects that are conform to his Fatherly Love and Care ever hitherto shewed towards you And as for the Person now advanced I know most certainly that there was never any doubt or difference among you but that ever you desired his Advancement above all others as the only Heir of that Renowned Mother for whom your fervent Zeal is known to the World and how much you have suffered by her Adversaries for the same Yet do I confess that touching the disposition of the Person for the Place and manner of his Advancement all zealous Catholics have both wished and pray'd that he might first be a Catholic and then our King this being our bounden Duty to wish and his greatest Good to be obtained for him And to this end and no other I assure my self hath been directed whatsoever may have been said written or done by any Catholic which with some others might breed disgust 9. Now it hath not pleased Almighty God to give us our desires in the order of our wishes but first to make him our King and then to leave us in hope of the other at his due time What shall we say in this and all the rest but as Heli did Dominus est quod bonum est in oculis suis faciat He is Lord let him do as he thinketh best And with Patience Humility Longanimity and Obedience seek by continual Prayer to hasten that time of our full Joy by His Majesty's Conversion which we trust in his everlasting Wisdom and infallible Providence is already determined to be suo tempore And in the mean space seeing it is here reported that Catholics according to their Abilities have shewed themselves in every Country both ready and forward to advance His Majesty's present Admission to the Crown I do not doubt but they shall find the Effects of his Clemency for their delivery out of such Afflictions Calamities and Oppressions as lately they have suffered by the instigation principally of such people whose Manners are most excellently and prudently described by His Majesty in the second Book of his worthy Treatise as to himself well experienced 10. And it is no small comfort in this behalf to have a King of whom we may truly use the words of St. Paul which he spoke of Christ Didicit ex eis quae passus est c. He hath learned by that himself hath suffered by the same kind of Men. And truly tho' in his own Person he cannot be said nor would perhaps to have suffered properly for Catholic Religion as You have done yet if we respect his nearest either in Nature Blood or Affection and their Number Rank and Quality that among them have suffered for the same Cause He may be said to have suffered perchance far more than You for that more of his Princely Blood hath been shed in England France and Scotland about the quarrel of Catholic Religion than of all other Christian Princes joyned together 11. And forasmuch as His Majesty doth vouchsafe of his Princely Gratitude to profess in one part of his Instructions to his Son the Prince That in all his Troubles Streights and Dangers he hath found none so sure and confident
unto him as those that remained Loyal and Faithful to his good Mother the Queen who all for the most part were known to have been good Catholics it is to be hoped that he will make the same Account also of You that remained Constant and Dutiful not only to Her Majesty while she lived but to God's Divine Majesty also in standing and suffering for your Conscience in Religion which was the Mark and Badge if you remember whereby the foresaid famous Governor Constantius Father to our Constantine did try his Christian Courtiers tho' he were a Pagan himself rejecting those who upon his Commandment and Invitation had yielded and done against their own Religion and retaining and honoring others that had been Constant even against himself Which fact Eusebius recounteth with exceeding praise of the Man's Judgment Justice and Piety therein whose Example I hope our now King will imitate and you follow the Example of the better sort of those Christians whom Constantius for their Constancy so much esteemed and advanced THE PREFACE TO THE CHRISTIAN STUDIOUS READER CONCERNING THE Edition and Argument of this Treatise and of the Method held therein and principal Points to be Treated MAN to be mutable or as the Scripture speaketh uncertain in his foresight and Providence if no other Arguments were to prove it as there be infinite yet my own Experience gentle Reader of the success of this Treatise were sufficient having altered so often my first intention about the same as it being now ready to come forth it seemeth nothing less than that which at the beginning I had purposed 2. My first design was to have written only some few Leaves or Sheets of Paper in answer to Sir Francis Hastings who in his Reply to the Seventh Encounter of the Warder which Encounter concerneth principally the Bishop and See of Rome would seem to diminish that obligation of gratitude which the Warder said that England had above many other Nations to that See for Two Conversions of our People to Christian Religion receiv'd from thence The Knight I say endeavored to strike out or diminish that Obligation by calling in doubt the said Conversions or cavilling at least at some particulars thereof Whereupon I thought it needful not only to confirm that which had been written before of the Two foresaid Conversions under Pope Eleutherius and Pope Gregory I. but also to add a Third more ancient than these Two to wit under S. Peter himself and some other Apostles And albeit all this was meant so briefly as I have said in the first designment yet when I came to the Work it self it grew more long and could hardly be dispatched in so many Chapters as I had purposed Leaves or Sheets at the beginning 3. The reason of this increase was for that coming to the examination of the matter I found Sir Francis to have taken all that he had said concerning that Point out of John Fox tho' he cited him not and Fox again the most part of his Cavils out of the Magdeburgians So as of necessity I was forc'd to encounter all these Three Adversaries together to examin their Arguments discover their Frauds and refel their Follies Which to do with any sufficiency as also with the clearness and perspicuity which I desir'd drew the matter on to a bigger Bulk than well could be set forth as a Part only of that Encounter whereunto it belonged Whereupon at the persuasion of some Friends resolution was taken to have it divulg'd in a several Treatise as before hath been shewed in the end of the Second Encounter already printed 4. But now when it was taken in hand to be reviewed for the Edition divers things occurred to be added for the more fulness of the Treatise and namely that not only the Planting of Christian Faith in England should be averred by these Three several Conversions but that the Continuation also thereof I mean of One self-same Faith and Belief should be shewed and demonstrated from the First to the Second Conversion and from the Second to the Third unto our days And with this came the Discourse to occupy a dozen whole Chapters which was more than twice as much as in the first design was purposed 5. But being arriv'd hither there offered it self a new cogitation of adding a Second Part no less important than the First for searching out our Adversaries Religion in all this time according to the Advertisement both of the Philosopher and Orator That it is not sufficient only to confirm our own Cause except we infringe and refute the contrary Whereupon it seemed necessary not only to shew the first second and third Planting of our Religion in England together with the manifest and visible Continuance thereof unto our Age but also to demonstrate the contrary in the Religion of the Protestants to wit That it was never planted in England I mean in such Points of Doctrin wherein they differ from the Catholic nor ever was received nor had essence or being under the name of Christian Religion from Christ's time to ours And for that John Fox above all other English Protestant-Writers taketh upon him of purpose and by promise to prove the contrary in his huge Volume of Acts and Monuments to wit to shew the course and race of his Church for so are his words from the beginning of these latter Ages I was forc'd to joyn Issue with him in particular upon both these parts I mean in shewing the beginning and continuance of our Church and Religion and the not being or continuance of his for performance whereof I have had occasion as you see to peruse over the first Part of the said Volume from the beginning of Christian Religion to King Henry VIII containing above 500 Leaves 6. But for that the second Part of that Volume from K. Henry downward being of no less bulk than the former treateth of the principal Pillars of his Religion since that time whereof some he maketh Confessors and other Martyrs and distributeth them into a certain Ecclesiastical Calendar according to the days of every Month wherein their Festival memories are to be kept and placeth the said Calendar in the front of his Acts and Monuments it seemed convenient also to the end that nothing should remain wholly unsearch'd or unexamin'd in that Work of his to add a third Part to the former two for the discussion of this Calendar and some other necessary Points belonging thereunto 7. Lo here good Christian Reader a brief sum of all my cogitations about that matter which if they may serve thee for thy spiritual utility either for confirming or establishing thee in Catholic Religion if thou have it already or for thy reducing unto it if hitherto thou be not partaker of so high and heavenly a Blessing I shall be glad and think my Labor happily bestow'd therein well knowing of what importance this matter is for thy Eternal Salvation 8.
that where this House and Family is found there is all the Right and Interest that may be pretended to the State and Dignity aforesaid 14. But now again for proving of this Point divers ways are or may be held by different Men mine shall be at this time after the fashion of Two that strive and contend about the Mansion-house before mentioned and thereby pretend to the true Title and lawful Inheritance of the foresaid State and Lordship the one part pretending only in general terms That there is such a Noble House well and strongly built with great and excellent Qualities and Commodities and richly furnish'd whereunto belongeth the said State and Lordship and that the Owners and Inhabitants thereof have great Privileges and Preferments before all other People and that there are certain ancient Records extant also of this matter out of which Records according to their own exposition they gather these Properties of the said House and Family and apply both the one and the other to themselves 15. But the other party denying their pretence and exposition of old Records saith That all this is false and that according to the true exposition of the said Writings and the marks and tokens thereby given the said House and Mannor-place appertaineth to them only and therewith consequently the whole State and Lordship without controversie which they offer to try by coming to particulars shewing when and where and by what occasion the said House was first built what were the Stones and Timber that went thereunto how the Title of the whole State and Lordship was ty'd or annex'd to this House together with the Dignities and Privileges thereof then to what Family this House was assign'd at the beginning who were the first Inhabitants Dwellers Guiders and Governors thereof and how it hath continu'd ever since from hand to hand and from time to time always under the same Family by lawful Succession and hath defended it self from all sorts of assaults made against it as well of secret domestical Thieves as open Enemies and that at this day the same Family is in possession thereof c. 16. And as for the other Pretenders these men offer to shew further against them that they have been always contemptible vagrant persons dispersed here and there in several Cottages of their own building or patching nor ever dwelt in any House worth the naming much less in so excellent a House as this and that if any of them have at any time heretofore been of this House or Family they were either dismist and cast out for their disorders or have run away as Fugitives for guiltiness of their own Consciences 17. Now then this being so who doth not see to which party the said House and Mansion-place is like to be judged And this is the true figure or representation good Christian Reader of our present Controversie with J. Fox and his Fellows thro'out all this Treatise for that he and his pretend a certain title to the true Church and Religion of Christ from all Antiquity but produce no better proofs to challenge the same than the Pretenders before mentioned for the said House and Mannor-place if not somewhat worse as shall be declared 18. But we on the contrary side do follow the course of the other party in coming to particulars setting down first how Christ's Church and Religion began by whom and under whom who were the first beginners promoters and professors thereof what they taught what they did whom they left their successors with what promise and assurance of continuation and finally how they endured unto this day And all this is handled in the first part of this Treatise And then in the second is declared the other point before mentioned to wit that the adverse heretical part had never any house at all and much less any such as hath been spoken of that is to say they had never any Church or certain Family agreeing with it self nor ever any certain Profession of any one Faith or Religion like in all points to it self or to that of any others were it good or bad false or true Heretical or Catholic And this is observed from the beginning of the world to our time as you shall see manifestly proved afterwards in the prosecution of this work desiring thee gentle Reader to take the pains to read it over with some attention for thine own utility tho' I presume that thy contentment also in reading thereof will easily equal thy pains the argument being historical and not devoid of grateful variety both of times men and affairs 19. But now for that my end and scope in writing this Treatise and in handling this important Argument of discerning between Religion and Religion is not indeed so much if I shall confess the truth to delight as to move and profit thee good Reader I have thought convenient for the second part of this my Preface to adjoyn 3 or 4 points of principal consideration about this Subject of Faith and Belief and thereof deduce as many inferences of no less importance for thy good disposition in this behalf and therewith leave thee for the rest to thine own judgment and more mature deliberation 20. The first of which points is That Almighty God for man's greater humility and merit in believing hath placed the greater part of the object of our faith and belief that is to say the things which are to be believed above the ordinary reach of man's reason and invironed them with such difficulty and obscurity in respect of our frailty as without the light of his grace and the concurse and free motion of our own will and good endeavor they are not to be attained unto And this as I said as well for man's humiliation in respect of the heighth of God's mysteries revealed by faith as also that man may merit by his free and willing concurse to belief which he would not do if the articles or object of our faith were so clear as there were no obscurity or darkness in them for then according to the grounds of philosophy man's understanding perforce must yield thereunto and consequently our will also whereof would ensue the loss of all merit and reward according to that Saying of S. Greg. Non habet fides meritum ubi humana ratio praebet experimentum Faith hath no merit where man's reason doth make the thing evident And long before him S. Athan. Fides de re evidenti concepta Fides dici non potest Faith conceived of an evident matter cannot be called Faith. And briefly but pithily S. Aug. Laus fidei est si quod creditur non videtur The praise or merit of Faith stands in this that the thing be not seen which is believed And in another place Credo quod nescio propterea scio quia scio me nescire quod nescio I do believe that which I know not and thereby I come to know for that
hardness of heart for that they had not believed those who had seen him risen from death again Which doubt and hardness of heart in believing he cured wholly afterwards by sending the Holy Ghost 25. But yet hereby we may evidently see that Christ required humility and obedience of belief even in things where our reason or sense resisted requiring us to captivate our understanding to use S. Paul's own word unto his obedience in matters of faith and not only to himself immediately but to those also that teach and preach unto us by lawful ordination and authority from him albeit they deliver us matters above our capacity reach and understanding and this under pain of eternal damnation for that our Saviour himself having given the Commission of preaching in S. Mark 's Gospel aforesaid Ite praedicate Go and preach he addeth presently Qui non crediderit condemnabitur He that will not believe shall be damned And this is sufficient for the first Point about the obscurity of the Object of Faith and Causes thereof 22. The second Point of this consideration is That albeit Almighty God will have us to yield obedience of faith unto him as well for his due honor as for our own utility yet doth he not leave us without sufficient testimony of the truth nor requireth at our hands this obedience but as rationabile obsequium to use S. Paul's words a reasonable obedience or an obedience founded in all reason of probability inducement and credibility For proof whereof we must understand that albeit the most parts of Christian Belief do so surmount as in the former Point hath been shewed the reach and capacity of human reason as they cannot be comprehended thereby tho' of some other there may be also demonstration made as shall be shewed in the fourth Point of this consideration yet for satisfaction of our understandings his divine Piety and Providence hath left unto us so many other proofs and arguments of persuasion and inducement called by Schoolmen Argumenta credibilitatis Arguments of credibility which being laid together and well pondered may justly move any indifferent prudent and discreet man to yield his assent thereunto and to rest fully satisfied of the truth as learnedly you have seen proved these days past by a Treatise set forth in English for answer of the new challenges of the Minister O. E. this matter is handled more largely But for my present purpose it is sufficient to record unto you that of these arguments of credibility are full fraught all the books and volumes of the ancient Fathers thereby to prove the credibility probability and convenience of Christian Religion and of every part and article thereof thereby to leave them inexcusable that will not believe the same whereof it shall be sufficient that I allege only the example of S. Peter who going about to persuade his audience useth these words Non indoctas fabulas sequuti c. Not induced by vain fables as the Gentiles were have we believed and made known to you the power and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ but for that we have been made eye-witnesses of his greatness c. 27. Thus began S. Peter to persuade his Hearers alleging 2 or 3 strong Inducements of credibility for the same First that he and the rest of his Apostles had conversed with Christ himself upon earth and had been eye-witnesses of all his doings And secondly he allegeth that famous Miracle upon the Mount Thabor when he with S. James and S. John were present at his transfiguration and heard the voice from heaven This is my beloved Son hear him And thirdly he allegeth the Predictions of the old Prophets concerning Christ's coming life actions death and resurrection which S. Peter doth prefer before his sight knowledge and experience had with Christ and worthily for that the Predictions of the Scriptures and Prophets being written by God's Spirit so many Ages before Christ was born and now fufilled so evidently in his Person the Apostles sight and experience thereof was but a testimony to the others verity and nothing so certain as the foretellings of the said Prophets so evidently verifi'd in their sights 28. And yet were all these things but inducements and arguments of credibility as I have said and not demonstrations For albeit the truth of Scriptures be most certain and infallible in it self yet to me who must take them upon credit of others either concernings the books themselves traductions or interpretations or some other such circumstances they cannot have the clearness and evidence to convince our Vnderstandings which philosophical Demonstrations have albeit the assent of our Faith induced by these Arguments of credibility together with the help of our pious affection and assistance of God's grace be much more sure firm and immovable than that which is gotten by human knowledge which is partly seen in that a stronger reason coming against my knowledge I do change my judgment but not in Faith if it be sound The cause whereof is for that Faith is grounded upon a more certain foundation than is human science to wit upon the credit and authority of God himself wherein also is to be noted that these Inductions and Arguments of credibility may be much more evident to some than to others As for example the Miracles done by God in bringing home of the Jews from Egypt were much more evident to those Jews that then lived and were present and saw them than to others that came afterwards Albeit the Faith and Belief of some of the later might be as firm and constant as the former And so the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles were more evident to those that saw them than unto us that hear them only by relation tho' yet our Faith may be as good and firm yea more commendable and meritorious than theirs in that we believe them without seeing according to the aforesaid Saying of our Saviour to S. Thomas And this is the great Piety and Mercy of Almighty God that we that come after in the end of the World shall lose nothing if we will by our so late coming but may be equal in merit to the first 29. Well then this is the second Point what Arguments of credibility Christ hath left unto us for proof of Christian Faith whereof as I said all the ancient Fathers Books are full and you may see many in Eusebius's Learned Books De praeparatione demonstratione evangelica but especially in those that before him wrote Apologies for Christians in times of Persecution as Justin Martyr Tertullian and others S. Austin also in 22 excellent Books that he wrote De Civitate Dei gathered many And you may see good store laid up in our English Tongue in the first Book of Resolution c. 4. entituled Proofs of Christianity Which Arguments being indifferently weighed together with the absurdities of all other Religions besides the Christian do make our Faith most
credible and sufficient to move any wise considerate man to believe the same tho' they do not enforce him 30. And the like may be said and shewed concerning the Arguments for Catholic Religion against all Sects and Heresies whatsoever which are so many and pregnant in themselves to him that will consider them duly as there can be no probable doubt in the world which is the truth and which is falshood tho' oftentimes for want either of diligence to know them or pious affection to consider indifferently of them which is the third Point here to be mentioned many Mens Judgments are so obscured or perverted that they cannot or will not see the truth Of these Arguments of credibility for proof of Catholic Faith in general against Heresies you may see many put together by Tertullian in his excellent Book De praescriptionibus adversus Haereses and in S. Augustin's Books De utilitate credendi de moribus Ecclesiae and other such Treatises and in all his other Books against the Donatists Manichees and Pelagians And in that Golden Treatise of Vincentius Lirinensis contra prophanas haeresum omnium novitates who wrote soon after S. Austin and in our times Bosius de signis Ecclesiae and divers others have handled the same Argument And more than this there want not also store in our English Tongue of like matter as Dr. Bristow's Motives and others and you shall find no small number of these Arguments in this Treatise if you read it over So as this Point maketh any man inexcusable that will pretend ignorance herein 31. But now there resteth the third Point which as I said is the Key of all the rest to open the Gate to true Faith and Belief which is a pious and purged Affection without which all the Arguments of Credibility in the World will do no good to move a man to true Religion no more than the persuasion of S. John Baptist did with Herod nor the often speeches and Conferences of S. Paul prevail'd with the Proconsul Foelix the reason whereof is that albeit naturally our Judgment and Understanding should yield to that which appeareth truest and that our Will and Affection by the same natural course ought to follow our said Judgment and Understanding yet thro' the corruption of mankind we find daily by experience that our Will draweth after it our Judgment and as she is affected or disaffected so goeth our Judgment and Understanding also 32. This Point touch'd Christ our Savior when he said in S. John's Gospel to certain ambitious Jews Quomodo vos potestis credere qui Gloriam ab invicem accipitis Gloriam quae à solo Deo est non queritis How can you believe in me which do take and seek Glory one of another and do not seek that true Glory which is only to be had from God Here you see that an ambitious affection did impossibilitate their Understanding to believe notwithstanding what Arguments Reasons or Motives soever to the contrary S. Paul also giving the reason why certain Infidels did not believe the Gospel preach'd by him with many Signs Miracles and other Arguments to move them he noteth the whole impediment to be in their affections saying In quibus Deus hujus saeculi excaecavit mentes ut non fulgeat illuminatio Evangelii gloriae Christi qui est Imago Dei In whom the God of this world hath blinded their Minds and Vnderstanding so that the light or illumination of the glory of Christ's Gospel cannot shine in them who is notwithstanding the very Image of God c. 33. Here you see that there wanted not external Light on the behalf of Christ and his Gospel whose Glory shin'd by so many Miracles in those days of S. Paul but that the love of this World and disorderly affection to Honor Ambition Riches and other Sensualities thereof which here by the Apostle are called the God of this World for that worldly men do adore them This God I say or Devil rather of corrupt affections had so blinded their Judgments and Understanding inwardly as they could not see this shining Light of Truth So that where this pious affection is not or at leastwise where it is not so purg'd from sinister humors as it remaineth with some indifferency of desire to know and follow the Truth if it be discovered no good can be hop'd for In regard whereof Christ refus'd to do Miracles before Herod or in his own Country for that he knew them so obstinately averse in mind as they would not profit by them And for the same cause he refus'd to reason or argue with Pilat about his own Cause when he gave him occasion for that he knew his affections to be so ty'd to the World and himself so addicted to please the People and to gain the good will of Tiberius the Emperor as his labor would be but lost in seeking to persuade him being so obstinately dispos'd otherwise And thus much of this third Point of pious affection and the necessity thereof to a Man's Salvation 34. The fourth and last Point of this Consideration is That tho' it be true as is said in the first Point that ordinarily and for the most part the Object or Articles of our Faith are above the reach of man's Reason and were first reveal'd to man from God himself yet are there some Points thereof which by force of human Reason may be known and demonstrated As for example that there is a God and that he is but One and cannot be Many and that the World was made by Him and that he hath Providence over the same and other such-like Points Which Points and Articles notwithstanding for that on the other side they are propos'd also in the Scriptures and in the Nicene Creed as Articles of our Faith that must be believ'd by Christians as reveal'd from God hence ariseth no small question among School-Divines whether these Points here set down may be known by two distinct ways or no to wit evidently by force of human Reason or Demonstration and inevidently by Light of Faith and Revelation from God And the more common and probable Opinion of School-men and more conformable to the Scriptures and ancient Fathers is That they may for that our Vnderstanding may have two Lights to know one and the self-same thing the first by Revelation from God which always is with some darkness and obscurity to our Reason as before hath been declared and consequently our Judgment being not forc'd to yield thereunto by the clearness of evidence it followeth that our assent by Faith is more free and greater place is given to pious affection of our will and thereby also more merit to assent as before hath been shewed 35. The second Light may be by force of Man's Reason and evidence of Demonstration which sometimes is so clear in it self as it admitteth no doubt at all as when we shew
the Infirmity of Their Cause and the Strength and Truth of Ours yet will we for greater satisfaction of all sorts pass over to the other part also of Positive and Affirmative Proofs which are so abundant in this behalf as if I would set them down all this only point would require a particular Treatise wherefore I mean to abreviate the matter as much as I may 2. For which respect whereas there are two means to set down these Proofs one out of the Authors themselves that lived in the same Age with Eleutherius and the next after and the other to cite the same out of Protestant Writers I have made choice of the second way in this place both for that it is shorter and seemeth also more sure and effectual For if I should cite the places as for Example in the second Age St. Irenaeus lib. 5. advers haeres for the Supremacy of the Bishop of Rome and the same lib. 4. cap. 77. and with him Justinus Martyr q. 103. together with Theophilus Athenagoras Clemens Alexandrinus for Freewill and the same Clemens lib. 5. stromatum and divers others of that Age for the Merit of Good Works for the manner of doing Penance and the like and if I should alledge the said Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 32. for the Sacrifice of the Mass and Justinus Martyr Apolog. 2. and Clemens Alexandrinus lib. 7. Stromatum about the Rites and Ceremonies of the said Mass and the same Justinus q. 136. and the same Irenaeus lib. 1. c. 18. for the Ceremonies of Baptism and Chrism used in those days If I say I should alledge these and other Authors of that time for positive Proofs of Catholic Articles against Protestants in Eleutherius's days the matter would first grow to be very long for that I must alledge the places at length seeing that otherwise the quarrelling Adversary would say that I left out the Antecedents and Consequents as themselves are wont to do when they mean not to have any Text rightly understood Secondly they would quarrel with us when they see themselves prest about the Authors Books whether they be truly theirs or no and thirdly about the Translation Words and Sense All which would bring a long Dispute 3. But now finding that certain Authors of their own Religion if they be of their Religion I mean the Magdeburgians called otherwise Centuriatores have taken upon them to set down the whole Story of the Church and have herewithal treated as well of the Doctrin as also the Doctors of every Age I have thought best to take my Proofs out of them being Confessions as it were against themselves and their Mates the Calvinists tho' not very friendly Mates in many matters of Doctrin as you shall hear and their Story being the very Ground and Fountain of all John Fox his Volume of Acts and Monuments except only those things which concern England in particular wherein whether he or they behave themselves with less Honesty or Conscience is hard to say but in this Treatise you shall have divers tasts of them both And this being spoken as it were by the way of Preface we shall now take in hand the matter proposed 4. These men being four Saxons whom before we have named gathered together in the City of Magdeburg to wit Flaccus Illyricus Joannes Vigandus Matthaeus Judex and Basilius Faber and in Religion strict or rigid Lutherans took upon them as hath been said to write the whole Ecclesiastical History from Christ to their Time by Centuries or Ages allowing 100 years to every Age whereof they are called Centuriatores And in every Age they handle these and like Chapters Of the Church and increase thereof or Doctrin therein taught Of Heresies and Heretics Of Doctors and Writers and the like But amongst other points especially to be noted to our purpose that presently after the Apostles in the second Century they make this Chapter repeating the same in every Age after Inclinatio Doctrinae complectens peculiares incommodas opiniones stipulas errores Doctorum quae palam quidem hoc est scriptis tradita sunt That is The declining of true Christian Doctrin containing the peculiar and incommodious Opinions of Doctors their Errors Straw or Stubble which were left publicly by them that is to say in their Writings 5. This is the Title of this Chapter in every Age and those last words seem to be added thereby to insinuate to the Reader that the said Doctors inwardly did hold perhaps many more Errors and Straw-opinions in these mens judgments than they left openly in writing And by this arrogant Title you may see these four good Fellows mean to judge and censure all from the beginning of Christian Religion unto their days and among others they will censure John Fox also and his Fellows as you may see in the Preface of one of their Centuries dedicated unto the Queen of England the third year of her Reign 1560 where having told her Majesty a long Tale of the Gospel and pure Word of God naming the same above half a hundred times if I have counted right in this one Epistle and shewing how Princes must have no other Rule of Government than the said Word but yet understood as these men will interpret it they tell her also that they now do bring her Antiquity to look upon yet complaining that few in ancient Times did write luculenter cum judicio perspicuously and with judgment And then again Sacrosanctae antiquitatis titulo plurimos quasi fascinari ut citra omnem attentionem rectumque judicium quantumvis tetris erroribus applaudant That very many are as it were so be witched with the holy Title of Antiquity that without all attention and upright judgment they do give willingly consent to never so foul Errors if they be set down by Antiquity 6. Lo here what an entrance this is of them that profess Antiquity to discredit by their Preface all Antiquity of Christian Religion and of the eldest and primitive Church whose Acts and Gests they promise to set down but the very point indeed is that they themselves will be Judges of all as the fashion of proud Heretics is and admit only so much as maketh for their particular Sect and discredit or reject the rest And in this point our English Calvinists are like to find as little favour at their hands as we that are Catholicks and less too for that by the whole course of Antiquity they do shew these men to be clearly Heretics and their Opinions about the Sacraments Invisibility of the Church and other like to be Heretical whereas our Doctrins which they find in ancient Fathers differing from them they call either incommodious Opinions Blots Stubble or Errors of Doctors as before you have heard and not lightly Heresies As in this their Preface to the Queen they admonish her Majesty more carefully to beware of Their Doctrin than of Ours in these words
by violence that he attended more to get tythes and oblations for Masses than to preach the Gospel and that he was cause of the slaughter of 1200 Monks and other such like reproachful lies against whom I could propose the whole stream of the best Authors ever since his time both domestical and extern if it were worth the striving with so contemptible an Adversary and if nothing would restrain the Liberty of so reproachful a Tongue yet at leastways the respect of our Nation converted by him and so many great miracles wrought by him to that effect as both St. Bede and others do recount and Fox dareth not deny ought to have some bridle to this shameless Apostata For that not only St. Bede Malmesbury Marianus Scotus Sigebert and others do recount them but even St. Gregory himself wrote the same by his own pen to Eulogius Archbishop of Alexandria who had written unto him of some like miracles wrought in Egypt also about that time in the Conversion of new Christians St. Gregory's words are these 12. Sed quoniam c. But for that truly the good which they do there is much encreased by the joy you take in other mens good also I will requite you with the like good News as you have written to me Know then that whereas the English Nation placed in the corner of the World have remained hitherto in their Infidelity worshipping stones and blocks I did by the help of your Prayers these days past God as I hope moving me thereunto send unto that Nation a Monk of my Monastery to preach unto them who upon my License afterward being made Bishop in the Countreys near unto them arrived at last unto that end of the world And now Letters are come unto us both of his Health and his Work that he hath in Hand and surely either he or they that were sent over with him do work so many miracles in that Nation as they may seem therein to imitate the Power and Miracles of the Apostles themselves and in this very last Solemnity of Christ's Nativity past there were above ten thousand Englishmen baptized by the hands of this our Brother and fellow Bishop c. 13. Thus far St. Gregory who is another manner of Witness than Fox or Bale tho Fox doth confess as you have heard before both the vertuous Life and Miracles of St. Augustin and his fellows And if he do so indeed and do think them to have been wrought by Gods Power and not by the operation of Satan then it is great Blasphemy both in him and his fellows to think that God would concurr by Miracles to the planting of false Doctrin and Error which scornfully they call the Papistical Faith. Whereof now we shall treat more in particular having disputed these things about Saint Augustin's Person 14. About which Doctrin these good Fellows seem to quarrel much more giving simple People to believe that he brought from Rome a different Christian Religion from that which was in Britanny before as out of Sir Francis own words alledged may appear And albeit John Fox in his History treating of this matter doth not dare to affirm it plainly but rather seeketh here and there to pick out some differences between the Roman Religion that St. Augustin brought in and that which is now as for example where he saith Note by the way Christian Reader that whereas it is said that Augustin baptized ten thousand English Saxons upon a Christmas day in a River it followeth saith he that then there was no use of Fonts c. Yet in a certain Preface of his which he calleth his Protestation to the whole Church-of-England he hath these words All this while about the space of 400 years after the Conversion of King Lucius Religion remained in Britanny uncorrupt and the Word of Christ truly preached till about the coming of Augustin and his Companions from Rome many of the said Britan Preachers were slain by the Saxons And after that began the Christian Faith to enter and spring amongst the Saxons after a certain Romish sort yet notwithstanding somewhat more tollerable than in other times which after followed c. 15. Thus writeth Fox maliciously enough as you see to bring in doubt and discredit our first Christian Religion planted by St. Augustin but yet hereby it is evident that if Englishmen were ever true Christians either at their first Conversion or for more than 900 years after they were Roman Christians But whether they were ever true Christians indeed or not that Point Fox dareth not plainly to determine in this place but only as the fashion of Hereticks is to call matters in question and leave them in doubt so doth he and as one said well To lay the Eggs for another to hatch the Serpents For that Fox his Scholars Holinshed Hooker and Harrison and other like have presumed upon this foundation to determine resolutely the matter that Englishmen were never true Christians indeed before Luther began his Doctrin which appeareth in these their words following speaking of the Inhabitants of Britanny When the sheep of Gods pasture say they would receive no wholsom fodder it pleased his Majesty to let them run on headlong from one iniquity to another Insomuch that after the Doctrin of Pelagius they received that of Rome also brought in by Austin and his Monks whereby it was to be seen how they fell from the Truth into Heresie and from one Heresie still into another until at last they were drowned in the pits of Error digged up by Antichrist c. 16. Thus do write these Companions of the first Conversion of Englishmen by St. Augustin but whether they mean of the Britans or of Englishmen or of both that fell into these pits it is not so easie to judge For they name both to determin or distinguish neither People and which way soever you take it it hath not only falshood and impiety but open contradictions also in it self For it they mean the Britans then it is evidently false that they were converted by St. Augustin and his Monks And if they mean of the English it is much more false that they ever received the Doctrin of Pelagius or fell from Truth to Heresie as these phantastical Men both ignorantly and maliciously do affirm But let us hear yet further their blasphemous and desperate Speeches of our first Apostle St. Augustin This Augustin say they after his arrival converted the Saxons indeed from Paganism but as the Proverb saith bringing them out of Gods Blessing into the warm Sun he imbued them with no less hurtful Superstition than they did know before For beside the only Name of Christ and external contempt of their pristin Idolatry he taught them nothing at all but rather an exchange from gross to subtil Treachery from open to secret Idolatry and from the name of Pagans to the bare Title of Christians c. 17.
Lo here these Mens censures of the first Conversion of our English Nation to Christianity They compare Paganism to Gods blessing and our new Christian Religion to the warm Sun and all our Forefathers Faith and Religion more than 900 years together they define to be nothing but Superstition Treachery and Idolatry no less hurtful than the Paganism it self which they professed before and that they lived and died only with the bare name of Christians without the Substance c. And consequently are most certainly damned all eternally Now if the worst Devil that is found in hell had a mouth and should be let forth to preach curse or scold against us as these men do could he speak worse or more blasphemously think you against the first Christianity of our Nation or against God himself that testified the Truth and Sanctity thereof by so many rare miracles as before hath been shewed Could this Divel I say in his own shape or language speak more opprobriously of our primitive English Christian Church then these new Gospellers do especially if we add that which Friar Bale hath in these words Carnalis illa Anglorum Synagoga quae Roma venerat illam persequebatur Ecclesiam quae secundum Christi Spiritum apud Britannos erat That Carnal Synagogue of English Christians that came from Rome did persecute the Church that was in England according to the Spirit of Christ bfore Augustin came 18. Behold our first Christian English Church not only call'd a Synagogue but a carnal Synagogue and the British Church which a little before Holinshed condemned as you heard of Heresie is now called the true Church according to the Spirit of Christ But what spiritual Man think you was this that so speaketh of Spirit and condemneth our primitive English Church of Carnality You shall hear him described by his own pen and first of his Vocation how he became a Frier Duodecim annorum puer saith he in Carmelitani Monachatus Barathrum Nordovici detrudebar When I was a Boy of twelve years old at Norich I was thrust into the pit of being a white Friar So he saith and out of these words two things may be noted of his spirit which is no doubt of lying for that both of them are slanderous fictions of his own first that he was made a Friar at the Age of twelve years for that no Religious Order can admit Men to the same according to the Ecclesiastical Canons but of convenient years and fit to make their choise for so great an attempt as is to renounce the World and lead a Religious Life according to the vows they make which before the Council of Trent was at Fourteen years whereunto the said Council added two years more It might be then perhaps that this Boy was put into the White Friars Monastery at Norwich at twelve years old to sweep the Church or cleanse Candlesticks or other such Offices fit for that Age and his Person but not to be a Friar or to be admitted into the Order it self and much less which is the second lie can it be probable that he was forced thereunto as here he telleth his Readers for that it is well known that such Profession were not available for which cause every Order of Religion hath their Noviceships or times of Probations appointed wherein Men are to be proved and to prove also themselves and to have free liberty to make their Elections without force or constraint at all And so do all true Religious Men know and profess albeit this miserable Apostate having lost all spirit and sense of Religion and become wholly carnal indeed would have it thought that he was put into Religion against his will. 19. But how did he get himself out again trow you from this Servitude into Liberty of the Flesh World and Devil and of his new Gospel you shall hear it also from himself Apparente Dei verbo saith he deformitatem meam vidi c. The Word of the Lord appearing I saw mine own deformity of being to wit a Priest and a Friar Well and what followed Horribilis bestiae maledictum charecterem deinceps erasi I did presently then scrape out the cursed mark or character of the horrible Beast So he calleth his old Character of Priesthood his Vows of Poverty Chastity and Obedience and other Obligations of Religion 20. But what was the means to scrape out these Characters you shall have it from himself in like manner Non enim saith he ab homine neque per hominem sed speciali Christi verbo dono uxorem fidelissimam accepi Dorotheam For that I took unto me and you must mark the word enim that yieldeth the cause a most faithful wife Dorothy some Nun you may imagin as faithful in keeping her Vow of Chastity as himself and this not from any Man nor by any Mans help but by the special gift and word of Christ c. Lo here Christ made a wooer for this Friar to marry a Nun against both their Vows and Promises made to him before and is not this a fit Spiritual Father to call the whole Primitive Church of England a Carnal Synagogue c. 21. But yet hear him out further what he writeth of our first Christian King Ethelbert and of the Religion receiv'd by him from St. Augustin and thereby consider what manner of Men this new Gospel bringeth forth Ethelbertus Rex saith he Romanismum cum adjunctis superstitionibus tandem suscepit hac nimirum adjectâ conditione ut omnino liber non coactitius esset novus ille Deorum cultus King Ethelbert at length having heard the Preaching and considered as Fox saith the Miracles and vertuous Life of St. Augustin and his Fellows admitted the Roman Religion with all the Superstitions adjoyned thereunto but yet with this condition that this new worship of Gods which he now admitted should be altogether free and no way subject to Coaction c. In which words the Apostate if you mark him doth not only speak blasphemously of our whole first Christianity calling it a new Worship of many Gods but seemeth also to insinuate that it was so admitted by King Ethelbert at the beginning as it might be free for Men to leave it again when they would Than which contumelious slander if he mean it so nothing can be spoken or imagined more absurd or wicked Let any Man read St. Gregories letters to King Ethelbert after his Conversion and he shall see an other Lesson there taught him to wit his great and perpetual Obligation to God for so singular a Benefit confirmed from Heaven with so many Miracles and such other points 22. But by this we may see whither these Mens drifts do tend which is to discredit all Antiquity and Religion and to bring in question whether Englishmen were ever true Christians hitherto or no. And as for the space of 900 years together after St. Augustin's time unto Luther
propagation was in like manner from the same City under Pope Gregory by St. Augustin Now remaineth it that we shew and declare how the Britans from King Lucius's time until the coming of St. Augustin which was 400 years and more downward did not alter their Faith nor yet the See of Rome Hers and consequently that the Faith remaining among the Britans when St. Augustin entred and that which was brought in by Him from Rome and taught unto the English was all one 2. And first for the Church of Rome if we count the Bishops thereof that held that Seat from Eleutherius the fourteenth Pope after St. Peter who died Anno Domini 196 until the beginning of Pope Gregory I. the sixty-sixth Pope who was chosen Anno Domini 590 In this space I say of 400 years there passed fifty Popes all of one Faith nor shall it be found that any one of them changed his Religion or was different in belief the one from the other which is a sufficient proof that the Roman Faith in Gregory's time was the same that it was in Eleutherius's time 3. And as for the Britans we read not but that from the time of King Lucius they continu'd the Faith receiv'd under him from Pope Eleutherius until the rising up of the Heretic Pelagius which was somewhat more than 200 years after and for other 200 years again after that to wit from the time of Pelagius until the coming of St. Augustin we find not in any History that the Britans being once deliver'd from the Heresie of Pelagius by the help of St. German and Lupus Bishops of the Roman Faith ever changed their Religion in any one substantial point nor that they swerv'd from the general Faith of the rest of Christendom except only some few of them infected with the foresaid Heresie whiles it lasted and the Custom of keeping Easter-day with the Jews Which before we have shewed to have been perhaps some remainder of Pelagianism or otherwise brought in after But howsoever it got in certain it is that in other substantial points of Doctrin and Religion there was no difference between the Britans and Romans at that day to wit under Pope Gregory that sent hither Augustin which I shew by the Reasons following Reason I 4. First That if St. Augustin at his coming had found any other substantial difference of Belief in the British Faith from that which he brought from Rome he would have reprehended the same as well as he did their different Custom in celebrating Easter after the Jewish manner and some few other Rites of less moment or at leastwise being afterward made Archbishop and Primate of all the Land and conferring with the British Bishops in Council as Fox saith he did he would have communed with them about the same or objected it unto them or at leastwise have made some mention thereof either in his Letters to Pope Gregory as he did of far lesser matters or to some other man. But any such thing we do not read and consequently it may be concluded certainly that there was no such difference in matter of Faith and Doctrin 5. Another Reason may be taken on the other side from the Britans towards Reason II St. Augustin who being in Controversie with him about his preaching to the Saxons whose Conversion for the present they seemed not to desire in respect of many injuries receiv'd from them as St. Bede affirmeth they did observe all Occasions Causes and Reasons which they might alledge by any probability why they would not joyn with him in that Work and if they could have alledged this Cause That the Doctrin which he preached had been different in any one point from that which they had received and observed before it had been a very sufficient excuse and reason for them But we do find no such exception alledged by them and consequently we may conclude as before that there was none 6. Our third Argument or Reason may be deduced from the consideration of Reason III the Universal State of Christian Faith in those days to wit under Gregory I. who was chosen Pope about the year of Christ 590 at what time there was Unity and Conformity of one Religion throughout all Christendom except only in some places of the World certain Reliques of Pelagians Origenists Donatists and Eutychians out of whom sprung also in those days the Arminian Errors as appeareth by the History of those times especially out of St. Gregory's own Works Neither do we read that the Britans were noted with any of these Heresies but only with Pelagianism some years before from which they had been deliver'd by the Preaching of the French Bishops St. German and St. Lupus and by the diligence of their own Metropolitans St. Dubritius and St. David afterward Seeing then St. Augustin came from Rome by Italy and France and was directed to the Bishop of Arles from whom he passed through France into Britanny it is certain he brought no other Faith than the Universal Faith of Christendom receiv'd and believ'd in those days From which seeing that Britanny was not held nor noted to be different nor yet Excommunicated as certain Bishop of Ireland appear to have been by divers Letters of St. Gregory himself written to them in their reprehension for participation with certain Schismatics it followeth that the Faith which St. Augustin brought and that which the Britans had before must needs be one and the self-same in all material and substantial points 7. To which effect also may be added That in the very next Age among Reason IV the Britans before the English entred there were British Bishops in divers General and National Councils as in the time of Constantine and Pope Sylvester we read That one Restitutus a famous Bishop of London was present at the Synod of Arles in France in the year of Christ 325 and subscribed to the same as by the Acts of the said Council appeareth wherein among other points was ordained That no man having a Wife should be made a Priest without his Wifes consent promising to forbear her Company for the time to come It appeareth also by the Apology of St. Athanasius that divers Bishops of Britanny were present at the Council of Sardica held for St. Athanasius against the Arians about the year of Christ 350 as also the Council of Ariminum wherein tho' the greater part of that Council were beguil'd by the Arians yet St. Hilary doth praise divers good Bishops for their Constancy and among other Provinciarum Britannicarum Episcopos certain Bishops of the Britan Provinces By all which is shewed that the Christian Religion of Britanny was Catholic and Universal and concurring in all points with the Roman in those days as Athanasius and St. Hilary who praised these Bishops are known to have done and consequently it cannot be presumed that either the British Religion should be different from the
erroribus This man did Caelestinus Bishop of Rome send to the Scots and Irish-men especially those that lived in Britanny after Palladius the Grecian to defend them from the Errors of the Pelagians 16. Behold the Care and Authority of the Bishop of Rome in those days But what followeth in Bale This man saith he did preach the Gospel unto the Irish-men with incredible fervour of spirit for forty years together and did convert them to the sincere Faith of Christ He was most excellent both in Learning and Holiness and among other Miracles that he did he continued in Praying and Fasting forty days and forty nights founded many Churches healed many sick deliver'd many possessed of Devils and raised to life sixty that were dead c. 17. Behold the effects of Preachers sent forth by the Bishops of Rome recounted by the Heretics themselves Let Fox or Bale shew us any such Example of Miracles wrought by Preachers sent by them and their Sect. And that this man also was made Bishop by Caelestinus the Pope and sent hither after Palladius is testified by St. Prosper that lived in that time and after him by St. Bede Marianus Scotus Sigibert and others who say also that he died in the year of Christ 491 being of the age of 122 years and his Memory is held in the Roman Calendar upon the 17th day of March c. And now our Fox and Bale being taken in these Examples to speak against themselves we might pass over the rest with silence assuring the Reader that all is like unto this Yet some points more we shall note 18. The fourth before named Bacchiarius tho' he be not mentioned by John Bale yet other Authors do report that he was brought up in Rome and in good credit with Pope Leo I. to whom he dedicated a Book written in defence of his Pilgrimage to Rome He had been the Scholar of St. Patricius and by this you may guess of what Religion he was 19. Congellus is the sixth Preacher of true Religion cited in Fox's Catalogue for of Dubritius which is the fifth we spoke before whom Bale saith to have flourished about the year of Christ 530 and that he was the first Abbot of the Monastery of Bangor But what more think you Ab isto Monachismus à Pelagio introductus c. From this man saith he the Religion of Monks brought in by Pelagius the Heretic was not only spread over Britanny under shew of true Religion but was dilated also into other Countreys c. Behold how Fox and Bale agree Fox saith He was a true Preacher of the Word of God and Bale saith He was a Father of Pelagian Monks And note here by the way that Fox professing to shew the continual Succession of the Britan Church leapeth from Patricius to Dubritius of whom we spake before and between whom there was above 100 years distance if we believe Bale and other Authors And then followeth Kentegernus and Helmotus before David Menevensis who should have come after him in respect of time tho' of Helmotus Bale maketh no mention but of Kentegernus he saith That he flourished in the year 560 and lived in all 185 years which if it be so he must needs be alive long after the entrance of St. Augustin He saith He was a Monk and had three hundred Scholars in one Colledge which he sent to preaching here and there c. And then he addeth further Melote utebatur c. He used a Garment made of Goats skins with a streight Hood having a white Stole about his Neck after the fashion of the Primitive Church He converted many to the Faith of Christ recall'd many Apostatas drove out Pelagians built Churches ministred to the sick and healed their sickness and lived in very great Abstinence c. Thus he describeth him and whether this description doth agree to a Protestant Minister or to a Catholic Abbot let the Reader consider 20. There do follow in Fox's Catalogue David Daniel Sampson Elnodugus Asaphus and Gildas But of St. David the first of this number we have spoken before in this Chapter And as for Gildas which is the last of this Rank Bale saith He was a Monk of Bangor And further it may easily appear by the speeches themselves which before we have alledged out of him in the former Chapter of what Religion he was Of Daniel Sampson and Elnodugus tho' John Bale speak little or nothing yet Capgrave Leland and others shew that they were of the same Religion with the rest Daniel being the first Bishop of Bangor and Sampson next after St. David was Bishop of that place 21. Of Asaph Bale saith He was Scholar to the foresaid famous Abbot Kentegern and was made Bishop of Elgoa in Wales which of his name was called Asaph ever since He flourished in the year 590 and saw the coming in of Augustin and his Fellows from Rome and was the first of the Britans saith Bale qui à Gregorii Romani Discipulis in Angliam adventantibus Auctoritatem Unctionem accepit that took his Authority and Vnction or Consecration from the Disciples of Gregory Bishop of Rome that came into England So writeth Bale and by this sheweth that St. Asaph held nothing against the Roman Religion seeing he accepted his Authority and Consecration from the Bishop of Rome Besides this this Bishop St. Asaph hath his Memory celebrated in the Roman Martyrology upon the first day of May which he should not if he had been different in any one point from the Roman Religion 22. And so being come down now to St. Augustin's time it is to no purpose to go any farther or name the rest that do ensue in Fox to wit those five Herlanus Elbodus Dinothus Samuel and Nivius for that they lived after St. Augustin's entrance whereas Fox's promise was to cite only British Teachears that were before him and different from the Roman Religion whereof he hath named hitherto none Besides that of three of these five Bale writeth not and as for Dinothus Abbot of Bangor he was the chiefest of those who opposed themselves against Augustin and set other men against him also in Synodo Wiccionum and was severely punished afterward for the same by the Providence of God as St. Bede noteth to wit by the Sword of Ethelfredus a Heathen King of Northumberland long after the Death of St. Augustin when the said Dinothus and 1200 Monks were slain at Chester by the Souldiers of the said Ethelfride Augustino jam multo ante tempore saith St. Bede ad Coelestia Regna sublato St. Augustin being taken to Heaven long before tho' Bale be not ashamed to say that it was done by his suggestion praising the foresaid Dinothus and his Confederates for that they would not preach Baptism and celebrate Easter-day according to the Custom of Rome and Universal Catholic Church 23. So as now we see that these men care not
of the Kings and Queens inclination as he presumeth and of the great Authority of Cranmer Cromwell and some other that he calleth his Gospellers or Patrons rather of his Gospel And yet if you behold the external Face of the English Church at this day all these named and others held the Catholic Faith Use and Rites and both King and Queen Cranmer and Cromwell went as Devoutly to Mass as ever before and so remained they in outward shew I mean the former three even to their Deaths And Cromwell when he was to die protested on the Scaffold that he was a good Catholic Man and never doubted of any of the Church Sacraments then used and the like would Cranmer have done no doubt if he had been brought to the Scaffold in King Henries days as he was to the Fire afterwards in Queen Maries which had been a happy case for him 9. There ensued the year 1534 which was the year indeed of open breach with Rome for that an Excommunication being set forth by Pope Clement VII against King Henry VIII upon notice given of his Marriage and the said Excommunication set up in Dunkirk and other Towns in Flanders which did import the consent also and concurrence of Charles the Emperour and then certain Prophesies being blown about at home as coming from Elizabeth Barton sirnamed the holy Maid of Kent about the King's Deprivation he was much more exasperated than before and so calling a Parliament caused the Pope's Authority to be wholly extinguished and transferred to himself and made divers Bishops in order to preach at Paul's Cross against the Pope's Supremacy over the Catholic Church But what may we think that these Bishops did in so small a time change their belief in matters of Faith The King also being angry with divers Friars as namely with F. Elstow beforenamed that contradicted Cutwyne the Preacher when he inveighed against the Pope's Authority did this year upon the 11th of August ordain That all the observant Friars of St. Francis's Order should be thrust out of their Convents beginning with Greenwich where the said contradiction was made and to seem somewhat to favour the Augustin-Friars of whose Order Luther had been he commanded them for the present to be put in their places yet did he at the very same time cause John Frith to be burn'd in Smithfield for denying the Blessed Sacrament and this by his own particular order which Frith and his Master Tyndal were the greatest Enemies that Friars had 10. He burned also this year Henry Poyle William Tracy and other Protestants as Fox testifieth in his Calendar So as we may see that the King's Faith was as before and tho' he were content to suffer some new-fangl'd Spirits to ruffle at this time as namely Friar Barnes in London where he preach'd most seditiously and Hugh Latimer in Bristol where as Stow saith he stirred a notorious Tumult causing the Mayor to suffer Lay men to preach and to prohibit and imprison Priests and other like Disorders yet what the King thought inwardly of them he declared afterwards by his acts when he burned Barns and cast Latimer into the Tower and kept him there with evident danger of his life so long as himself lived which disposition of King Henry Tyndal smelling at the same season wrote from Flanders to his Scholar John Frith Prisoner in the Tower of London in these words And now methinketh I smell a counsel to be taken c. But you must understand that it is not of a pure heart and the love of Truth but to avenge themselves and to eat the Whores flesh and to suck the marrow of her bones c. So wrote that honest man signifying that King Henry was resolved to make an outward shew in favouring the Gospellers not for love or liking he had of them but to revenge himself of the Pope and to enjoy the Goods of Monasteries and other spiritual Livings which he in his blasphemous heretical vein calleth the Whores flesh and marrow of her bones 11. Well then this was the beginning of their Gospel in England by their own Confession and Interpretation and so whatsoever was done from this year forward against Catholics or Catholic Religion unto the 31st year of his Reign which was of Christ 1540 to wit for five whole years was upon these grounds and to the former ends of Revenge and Interest if we believe Protestants themselves in which point notwithstanding for that divers Godly Learned and Zealous men could not be content to follow the King's affections as others did and namely Bishop Fisher of Rochester Sir Thomas More late Chancellor of England and divers most Reverend and Venerable Abbots Priors and Doctors and other their like they were content to give their Blood in defence of Catholic Unity against this Schism as the Abbots of Glastenbury of Whaley of Reading Dr. Forest Queen Catharine's Confessor Dr. Powel and the like 12. Some others and amongst them one most near to the King himself both in Blood and Affection namely Cardinal Pool opposed himself by public Writing from Padua as we may see by those three learned Books left by him in Latin De Unitate Ecclesiae Others also of the same Blood-Royal as the Marquess of Exceter and Countess of Salisbury the said Cardinal's Mother shewed their dislike which afterwards was the cause of their ruin and many Shires also of the Realm at this time not being so patient as to bear these Innovations took Arms and fell into great Commotions as in Lincolnshire Yorkshire Somersetshire and some other Provinces making all their Quarrels for matters of Religion 13. So as by this we see that Catholic Religion remained still in England both in Prince and People but that the Prince for a time thought good for other ends to tolerate and wink at disorders therein until the aforesaid year of 1540 when calling all his Realm together both Spiritual and Temporal to examin well this matter of Religion they decreed that famous Statute both in Parliament and Consistory Ecclesiastical called the Statute of six Articles or as John Fox nameth it the whip with six strings or lashes in which Decree are condemned for detestable Heresies all the most substantial points of Protestants Doctrin especially of Zwinglians and Calvinists and most severe punishment of Death appointed unto the Defenders and Maintainers thereof whereby the Catholic Judgment and Censure of the whole Realm in that behalf was seen and the King himself made further declaration thereof presently for his own part by putting away his German Wife Anne of Cleve by which the Gospellers had thought to have drawn him further into League and Religion with the Protestant German Princes and by punishing Cromwell the Head and Fountain of most of these Innovations by the loss of his Head. He burned also immediately after this Statute in Smithfield upon the promulgation thereof three famous Heretics Barns Jerom and Gerard
make this little Boy legitimate and prove his Mother to be no Whore 44. And of this I might give infinit Examples out of John Fox what substantial grounds and motives many of his Martyrs had to run to the Fire or rather how without all ground or probable reason in the world but only wilful Pride and Obstinacy most of them thrust themselves to death no less than in old times did the Massilians Montanists Circumcellians and Martyrians most famous Heretics upon the like madness as after we are to shew more at large in the third Part where I am to treat of these matters more particularly and to give you if I be not deceived large matters of laughter or rather of compassion in this behalf Now this shall be sufficient to shew both the great number and respective quality of domestical Witnesses for the Catholic Faith and continuance thereof in our Countrey during the time of this sharp Persecution under her Majesty and that never more than in this time hath the Catholic Church been perspicuous honorable and eminent in our Realm which is altogether contrary to that which John Fox ascribeth to his Church whose Invisibility Obscurity and lurking from the eyes of men he both granteth and excuseth by the presence of Persecution against her whereas we hold on the other side that the true Church and consequently Ours is ever more visible and notoriously known in time of Affliction and Persecution than in Peace 45. And so we have shewed by Example of our English Church especially in this present Age wherein not only domestical sufferings at home have come by Fame Books and Writings to the knowledge of Foreign Nations and thereby also the notice of so many worthy constant Catholics that are within the Realm but whole Troops also both of English Men and Women in Exile for their Consciences do represent the same daily to their eyes as it were by a lively spectacle to the wonder of the Christian World. But above all the rest they must needs be greatly moved with the sight of whole Companies Families and Communities of English of both Sexes of tender Age and those for the most part of very principal good Birth and Parentage that have come forth of our Countrey for the love of Religion and lived with great Edification in other Nations partly in Colleges and Seminaries partly in Religious Convents and Monasteries yielding great admiration to strangers for their rare Vertues of Piety Patience Contentment and Devotion And as for Colledges and Seminaries those of St. Omers and Doway in Flanders of Rhemes in France of Rome in Italy of Valliadolid Sevill and St. Lucars in Spain and of Lisbon in Portugal do sufficiently testifie And as for Monasteries both of Men and Women they are not unknown as that venerable Company of English Carthusians in Mechlyn the honorable Religious Houses of English Noble and Gentlewomen in Bruxells Lovain and Lisbon whose rare Vertues do singularly edifie all those that know them and greatly illustrate the Name of our Countrey for Religious Piety with Foreign Nations All these I say do bear witness at this day to the whole World and to us also that God be thanked the fire and fervor of Catholic Religion which Christ came to plant upon Earth is not extinguished by so long and grievous Persecution in our Countrey but rather increased at least in Intention as Philosophers do speak tho' not in Extension 46. And truly when I consider the matter more seriously with my self I doubt much whether England if it had continued Catholic had ever enjoy'd such excellent Education for their Youth at home as by occasion of this Tribulation God hath given them abroad in Foreign Nations Certainly the Example is rare and never heard of in former times and at this day the like is seen in few other Nations besides Us but in none of those that have suffered for Catholic Religion is this Blessing found so abundantly as in Ours God make us grateful for it for if our Ingratitude turn not the course of his Mercies hitherto used towards us it seemeth evident that he will not suffer the Seed of Catholic Religion to be extinguished in England having conserved the same so potently and strangely unto this day which is from the first preaching of the Apostles and Apostolic-men to the Britans unto the time of Pope Gregory I. under whom our English Nation was converted as hath been declared and from thence again downward unto Us which is more than a thousand years and so I doubt not but he will to the Worlds end if our sins deserve not the contrary And this shall serve for this first Part containing the Deduction and Continuance of Catholic Religion in England without interruption for more than fifteen hundred years together Now will we pass to the second Part to examin the same Succession in Protestants Religion throughout all these Ages if it may be found making our Conclusion as after you shall see That as our Religion entred first and hath never left England unto this hour so the Religion of John Fox in the form that he would have it was never yet admitted into England publicly by any Prince or Potentate whatsoever until this present day nor ever like to be And this shall serve for the first Part of our Treatise The End of the First Part. The Second PART of this TREATISE CONTAINING The SEARCH after the Protestants Church From the beginning of Christendom to Our Days The ARGUMENT HAving declared in the former Part of this Treatise how the Faith of Christ was first preached to the Britans at two several times and then to the English Nation and all by Roman Preachers and that the same Faith hath continued from Age to Age in a visible conspicuous Church until our days there remaineth now that we examin in this second Part Where the Protestants Church was in all this time and whether they had any at all And if they had of what sort of men it consisted and whether it were the same with the Church before-described or partly the same partly different or whether they could stand together being opposite in any one point of Faith Moreover whether the one did persecute the other or might be reconciled or agreed together And finally what is the state of the one and the other at this day For examination of which points we shall have occasion to run over again with more advice all the former sixteen Ages from Christ downward and therein to see and consider What Church either flourished or prevailed throughout every Age either Ours or that of John Fox and which of them is likeliest to have come down from the Apostles As also Whether that Church which was visibly founded by the Apostles and put on foot by them and theirs could perish or vanish away to give place to another And these are the principal Points of this second Part discussed in the Chapters following
tho' first before we enter into this examination we have thought good to treat certain general Points that make way thereunto as by the next Chapter you shall perceive CHAP. I. Of how to great Importance Ecclesiastical Succession is for trial of true Religion and how Sectaries have sought to fly the force thereof by saying That the Church is invisible How fond a shift this is and how foolishly John Fox doth behave himself therein THE Sentence of the Philosopher is known to all That contraries being laid together do give light the one to the other as white and black proposed in one Table do make each colour more clear distinct and lively in it self For which respect we having laid open before in the first Part of this Discourse the known manifest Succession of Christian Religion in our Isle of England first from the Apostles times among the Britans for the first six Ages after Christ and then again among the English-men for nine Ages more since their first Conversion from Paganism we are now to examin what manner of visible Succession John Fox doth bring us forth of his Church that is to say of the Protestants of his Religion for the said 1500 years or fifteen Ages if any such be for that by this comparison of the One with the Other the Nature and Condition of both Churches will be understood But yet first I mean to note by the way certain principal points to be considered for better understanding of all that is to be handled in this Chapter or about this whole matter of Ecclesiastical Succession 2. Whereof the first may be that which I have touched in the end of the former Chapter to wit of how great importance this point is I mean the Succession and Continuation of Teachers the one conform to the other in matter of Belief and Religion for clear demonstration of Truth in matters of Controversie and for staying any discreet man's judgment from wavering hither and thither in his belief according to that which holy St. Augustin said of himself and felt in himself For that considering the great diversity of Sects that swarm'd in his time and every one pretending Truth Antiquity Purity and Authority of Scriptures and himself also having been misled by one of these Sects for many years was brought by God at length to be a true Catholic and to feel in himself the force of this visible Succession of the Catholic Church And therefore writing against one that in time past had been his Master as Head of the former Sect wherein he had lived to wit Faustus Manichaeus after divers other reasons alledged of his confidence and assurance of Truth in the Catholic Church and of his firm resolution to live and die in the same he bringeth for his last and strongest reason the perpetual Succession of Bishops in the same Church and especially in the Church of Rome Tenet me in Ecclesia saith he ab ipsa Petri sede usque ad praesentem Episcopatum successio Sacerdotum c. I am held in this Church against all you Sectaries by the Succession of Priests and Bishops that have come down even from the first seat of St. Peter the Apostle to the present Bishop of Rome Anastasius that holdeth the seat at this day c. 3. Lo here the force and estimation of Succession with St. Augustin Whereunto are conform all other ancient Fathers if we would stand to alledge them yea they stand so firmly upon this point and do make so great account of it as they do generally note Heretics and Sectaries for the contrary defect to wit that they have no Succession or orderly continuation either of Bishops or of Faith among them but did leap hither and thither as ours do at this day challenging to themselves now this and now that without either Order Interest Continuation or Succession Ordinem saith St. Augustin ab Apostolo Petro coeptum usque ad hoc tempus per traducem succedentium Episcoporum servatum perturbant ordinem sibi sine origine vendicantes Heretics do trouble and break the order of succeeding of Bishops begun by St. Peter and brought down by Off spring one Bishop succeeding another and so challenge unto themselves a certain Order without beginning 4. To which effect also Tertullian more than 200 years before St. Augustin challenging Heretics to this Combat of Succession said Edant Haeretici origines suarum Ecclesiarum evolvant ordinem Episcoporum suorum c. Let Heretics set forth the beginning of their Churches let them recount the order of their succeeding Bishops if they can And then having set down for his part and for proof of true Catholic Succession the whole rank of the Bishops of Rome from St. Peter to Pope Eleutherius that lived in his days Mark I pray you the proof he useth tho' he were of the Church of Africa He glorieth as tho' he brought forth an invincible Argument against all Heretics challenging and provoking them to do the like if they could Consingant saith he tale aliquid Haeretici Let Heretics bring forth or devise any such things for proof of their Church if they can And consider here gentle Reader how Heretics remain confounded by Tertullian's judgment for want of Succession 5. But this is not only Tertullian's Opinion for St. Irenaeus before him again objecteth the same to Heretics against whom he wrote saying Obedire oportet eis qui successionem habent ab Apostolis qui cum Episcopatus successione charismata veritatis acceperunt You ought to obey these who have their Succession from the Apostles who together with the Succession of their Bishoprics have received from time to time the gifts or privileges of Truth And in another place Apud quas est ea quae est ab Apostolis successio hi fidem nostram custodiunt scripturas sine periculo nobis exponunt With whom the Succession of Bishops from the Apostles time downwards is found to have remained these are they who conserve our Faith and do expound the Scripture unto us without danger Behold the vertue of Succession which this blessed Bishop and Martyr St. Irenaeus esteemed so highly in his days as he ascribed thereto both the infallible Conservation of Faith and true Exposition of Scriptures 6. And it is to be noted that he speaketh not only of Succession in Belief as every one of our Sectaries will seem to pretend that they have it among themselves from the Apostles which yet is ridiculous and manifestly false as before hath been declared and after shall be more in particular but he speaketh expresly also of the external Succession and Continuation of Bishops ascribing to them and proving by them the Succession of one and the self-same Faith And to that end doth he number up all the Bishops of Rome from St. Peter to his time as Tertullian before-alledged did notwithstanding the one lived in France and the other in Africa proving
will shew thee my Faith by Works And that these good works did proceed of Faith contrary to the Cavil of John Fox is evident by those pious words of the King where he saith Seeing Almighty God of his Mercy and Clemency without any precedent Merit of mine hath given me my Crown I do willingly restore to him again c. 7. But Fox goeth forward in jesting at the said King Ethelwolf saying That he that had been once nuzl'd up in his Youth among Priests he was always good and devout to holy Church c. And then passeth he on to shew How after he had established matters in his own Kingdom he went to Rome and carried with him his little Son Alured or Alfred committing him to the bringing up of Pope Leo IV. as before hath been said where also he re-edified the English School founded by King Offa and destroy'd by Fire a little before under King Egbert Moreover he gave saith Fox yearly to be paid in Rome 300 Marks to be distributed in this manner 100 Marks to maintain the Lights of St. Peter 's Church and another hundred Marks to maintain the Lights of St. Paul 's Church and the third hundred to be disposed in good works at the Pope's appointment At all which Fox jesteth also merrily building his Church by these Mocks and Mews 8. And to like effect he reciteth a Miracle registred by William Malmsbury and by the Charter of King Ethelstone Son and Heir to King Edward the elder which King having escaped a great Danger at Winchester where one of his Subjects named Duke Alfred and other of his Nobles conspiring together presently after his Father's Death would have put out his eyes But he escaping that Danger took the said Alfred Prisoner and for that he denied that he had any such intention the good King thought there was no better Trial than to send him to Rome to Pope John XI to be try'd by a solemn religious Oath before him The Pope made him swear before St. Peter's Altar who forswearing the said Conspiracy fell down presently before the said Altar in the sight of all the People and was carried thence in the arms of his Servants to the aforesaid School or English-men where he died the third night after wherewith the Pope and all Rome remain'd astonished and the Pope sent presently into England to know of the King whether he would pardon him and suffer his Body to be buried in Christian Sepulcher which King Ethelston after consultation had with the rest of his Nobility and by the earnest intercession of Duke Alfred's Friends was content that he should be so buried but yet by Sentence of the whole Realm the Possessions of the said Alfred were adjudg'd to the King's use who bestow'd them all upon Churches and Monasteries to the Honor of God and St. Peter which had given this Judgment in the Controversie 9. All this is testified by the said King's Charter recorded by Will. of Malmsb. and recited by Fox and the said Charter towards the end hath these words Et sic judicata est mihi tot a possessio ejus in magnis modicis quam Deo Sancto Petro dedi nec justius novi quà m Deo Sancto Petro hanc possessionem dare qui emulum meum in conspectu omnium cadere fecerunt mihi prosperitatem Regni largiti sunt And by this means the whole Possession both great and small of Duke Alfred was adjudged unto me which I gave unto God and to St. Peter nor do I know to whom I should more justly give the same than to God and to St. Peter who made my Adversary to fall down in the sight of all men and gave unto me the Prosperity of my Kingdom Thus wrote he about the year of Christ 933 as John Fox counteth and I marvel he would relate this Story being so much against himself and his Religion and in confirmation of ours as it is for that it sheweth that God and St. Peter in those days wrought Miracles in Rome when Fox saith that the Faith and Religion of Rome was far out of order from the true Gospel But this is the misery and calamity of this poor Fellow and his Cause as often before I have noted that either he must write nothing at all of these Times and Ages or else he must write Testimonies against himself 10. I will give you one short Example more where he allegeth us a Narration of a very old Writer which he saith he had in Manuscript lent him by one named William Carre and thereupon he citeth it still by the name of Historia Cariana this Story being written as it seemeth in those Ages and of the Miseries that happened to England by the Incursions of Danes and other Infidels seeketh out the causes of God's wrath in this behalf saying thus In Anglorum quidem Ecclesia primitiva Religio clarissimè splenduit c. In the primitive Church of England Religion did most clearly shine insomuch that Kings Queens Princes Dukes Consuls Barons and Rulers of Churches incensed with the desire of the Kingdom of Heaven laboured and stirred as it were amongst themselves to enter into Monastical Life and into voluntary Exile and Solitariness forsaking all to follow their Lord where in process of time all Virtue so much decay'd among them that in Fraud and Treachery none seemed like unto them neither was to them any thing odious or hateful but Piety and Justice nor any thing in price and honor but Civil War and shedding Blood Wherefore Almighty God sent upon them Pagan And Cruel Nations like swarms of Bees 11. This relateth Fox out of his Carian Story and I know not to what end he should relate it but only to shew that while English-men lived Godly according to the fashion of their primitive Church they esteemed and honored highly Religious and Monastical Life and many leaving the World with the Pleasures and Possessions thereof entred into that Religious Course endeavoring to follow and imitate their Lord and Master therein and that so long was England happy and blessed by God To which effect if John Fox do allege the same then is it evident what a good Conclusion he doth make against himself his Religion at this day that are such professed Enemies to that kind of life so highly here commended and consequently the Relator thereof doth shew himself to be as well John Fool as John Fox not considering what maketh for him or against him 12. But to the end that we should not think that he hath made Peace or Friendship with Monks for all this or that he liketh their Life or Profession any thing the better for so many praises given them by ancient Authors he scoldeth at them every where and upon every occasion writing over the Pages and Titles of his Book these Superscriptions Monks Superstitious Monks Monks married Monks meer Lay-men in old times and the like
Religion from those downward to John Wickliffe were commonly infected with some points of these two general Sects the Waldenses or Albigenses it shall not be needful to stand upon the examination of every one of them seeing that their Opinions are known to be such as they could not possibly be of one Church with Fox and his Company Yet must we note this by the way also that Fox doth commit infinite confusion falshood and cosinage in all this his enumeration accounting some for Disciples of the Albigenses that lived 100. years before them As Marsilius Patavinus who lived under Pope Paschasius II. about the year 1110. which is more than an 100 years before Pope Innocentius III. as both Alvarus and Alphonsus de Castro do testifie and never held any points of the former Heresies but only some Propositions agiainst the Degrees and living of Ecclesiastical Persons And the like falshood is to be understood of Gulielmus de Sancto Amore who living about the year 1250. was a Catholic man in all points and only had some quarrellings with Religious Orders As in like sort Armachanus Archbishop of Armach in Ireland also had For which cause only Fox maketh him of his Church though in matters of Religion he held no one Article of the Protestant Faith with him different from the Catholic And consequently Fox doth extremely abuse them by conjoining them here with divers Heretics burned for the foresaid blasphemous Opinions 32. The like may be said of William Occam and Gregorius Arminensis two Catholic Scholmen and every day alleged for such in our Schools Robert Grossead also our Learned Bishop of Lincoln is in the same predicament as in like manner Dante 's and Petrarcha Italian Poets that never held any jot of Protestant Religion in the world And yet are brought in here by John Fox as men of his Church and Belief with the greatest falshood and foolery in the world And this forsooth for that in some place of their Works they reprehend the Manners of Rome or Lives of some Popes in those days Which is as good an Argument as if a man would prove that St. Paul was not of the Faith or Religion of the Corinthians for that he reprehended them sharply for Fornication used among them 33. Wherefore to leave the Rabble that followeth of this people as namely thirty six Citizens of Moguntia burned An. Dom. 1390. and another company of like people to wit one hundred and forty put in the Fire throughout the Province of Narbone and twenty four more put to death in Paris in the Year 1210. and other particular Saints of his Church recounted and Canonized by Fox To leave these I say and to come down to our Lolhards and Wickliffians and their followers in England we have treated of their Doctrin sufficiently in the precedent Chapter shewing how far different it was from that of Fox and his Fellows But now for their Actions we are to consider that the Lolhards began from the year of Christ 1320. or thereabout and Wickliff from the year 1370. and therewith raised infinite Troubles Garboils and Tumults in our Country As may appear by the lamentable Story set down by Thomas Walsingham of the whole people put in commotion in King Richard II. his time against the Nobility and Clergy by these kind of people under their Seditious Captains Jack Straw Wat Tiler and the rest And so again under some other Kings whilst this Heresie lasted And namely against the two valiant and most Catholic Princes King Henry IV. and King Henry V. his Son. In the first year of whose Reign to wit King Henry V. John Stow writeth thus 34. The favorers of Wickliffs Doctrin did nail up Schedules upon the Church Doors of London conteining that there were an hundred thousand ready to rise against all such as could not away with their Sect c. And hereon followed the open Rebellion of Sir John Oldcastle and Sir Roger Acton and others in S. Giles Field by Holborn which before we have touched And yet was the providence of God such as this Sect could never prevail in England neither then or after so Catholic were our Princes until some Points thereof being renewed by Luther and Zwinglius the later was admitted in K. Edward's days I mean the Sect of Zwinglius as all men know Being the first Sect that ever was admitted publickly in England either by Britans or Englishmen from Christ to that day For as for King Henry VIII though in the matter of the Popes Supremacy he admitted the Opinion of Luther yet in other things as before we have shewed at large he held in all Articles the Catholic Roman Faith with singular hatred against both Lollards Wickliffians and Lutherans but much more against Zwinglians and other such Sacramentary Sectaries As by his Laws made for their punishment and repression doth sufficiently appear 35. And albeit his Majesty having yielded once in that one Point of Ecclesiastical Supremacy and subordination which held before all the rest in joint it was no marvel though Sects and Sectaries did grow upon him so fast as with all his severe Laws he could hardly repress them in his own days yet much more were the Judgments of God seen after his death in that presently all was turned upside down in the Minority of his Son notwithstanding his Laws Testament and Ordinances to the contrary And that by those whom he most trusted on that behalf and who in his days had shewed themselves most earnest against Zwinglians and their Doctrin of the Sacrament as a thing most abhorred by the old King their Master I mean Cranmer Ridley Seymor and Dudley the chief changers of all in King Edwards days 36. But this is the common event where Princes be not careful at the beginning as Walsingham doth well note about the rising of Wickliff's Heresie in in the end of King Edward III.'s time when that old King was now impotent and wholly governed by Women leaving the care of his Kingdom in the Hands of his Son the Duke of Lancaster and others that followed him who having partly emulation and jars with the Bishops of Canterbury Winchester London and some other principal men of the Clergy and partly desiring to invade Church Livings which Wickliff preached to be lawful they were content to wink at him yea and to use him and his Doctrin openly against the said Bishops and Clergy as also against Monks and Abbots in the beginning of of K. Richard II.'s time as appeareth both in the said Walsingham and Stow who relate the calling of Wickliff to London for this effect where he was publicly and scandalously born out by the said Duke and Sir Henry Piercy and others of that Faction against the said Bishops Monks and Abbots which here we shall set down in Stows own words taken by him out of Walsingham and other Writers which do contain the very sum of
that time they have taught 21. These were the two things of most moment determined about Religion in this first Parliament Two other things were attempted by the Gospellers with most earnest endeavor but they could not be obtained The first was to have a Book of Common Prayer pass which they had composed in hast out of the Mass-Book for altering the Service and Mass into English or rather for abolishing of the Mass and bringing in the new Communion in place thereof And this Book was composed by certain appointed by the Protector and Cranmer But when it came to the Parliament to pass it was misliked and contradicted not only by Catholics but by many Protestants also Especially those that were the most forward as Hooper Rogers and some other Who according to Fox were Puritans in those days and would neither take the Oath of Supremacy to the young King as we shall shew more largely when we come to treat of them severally in the next Part of this Treatise nor yet wear Typpet Cap or Surpless And misliked moreover the whole Government Ecclesiastical in that time neither agreed with the Opinions of Doctrin set down by that Book And so it was rejected with no small grief both of the Duke Protector and Archbishop Cranmer 22. The other Point proposed and rejected also was about allowance of Priests and Friers Marriages and Legitimation of their Children Wherein great force was made by them that had taken Women first and sought approbation afterwards but could not get it for the present Though in the next Parliament about a year after they obtained a certain mitigation therein as you shall hear 23. Now then this Parliament being thus past and ended upon the 20 day of December and the Protector much grieved that no more could be obtained therein to the favor of the new Gospellers he thought good for the time to come to use his Kingly Authority under the Name of the young Child for the altering of divers Points in Religion using Cranmer and some other also of the Council for his Instruments And first they began with Bishop Bonner as may appear by a Letter from the said Bonner written to Bishop Gardiner of Winchester the 28. of January 1548. wherein he writeth thus My very good Lord these be to advertise your Lordship that my Lord of Canterbury 's Grace this present 28. of January sent me his Letters Missive containing this in effect That my Lord Protector 's Grace with Advice of other the King's Majesties most Honorable Council for certain Considerations them moving are fully resolved that no Candles shall be born upon Candlemas-day nor from henceforth Ashes nor Palms used any longer Requiring me to cause Admonition thereof to be given unto your Lordship and other Bishops with celerity c. Thus much there 24. And after this again upon the 11. of the next Month of February the said Protector with some others of the Council at his appointment wrote to Cranmer and by him to all Bishops of the Realm Commanding them to pull down all Images in these words amongst others We have thought good saith he to signifie unto You that His Highness pleasure with the Advice and Consent of Vs the Lord Protector and the rest of the Council is that immediately upon the sight hereof with as convenient diligence as You may You give order that all Images remaining in any Church or Chappel c. Be removed and taken away And in the Execution hereof we require both You and the rest of the Bishops to use such foresight as the same may be quietly done with as good satisfaction of the People as may be c. From Somerset Place the 11. of February 1548. Your loving Friends Edward Somerset Henry Arundell Anthony Wingfield John Russell Thomas Seymer William Paget 25. And now Candles Ashes and Images being gone as you see there followed in the next Month after to wit of March that the Protector desiring still to go forward with his designment of Alteration sent abroad a Proclamation in the Kings Name with a certain Communion Book in English to be used for Administration of Sacraments instead of the Mass Book but whether it was the very same that was rejected a little before in the Parliament or another patched up afterward or the same mended or altered is not so clear But great care there was had by the Protector and his Adherents that this Book should be admitted and put in practice presently even before it was allowed in Parliament To which effect Fox setteth down a large Letter of the Council to all the Bishops Exhorting and Commanding them in the King's Name to admit and put in Practice this Book We have thought good say they to pray and require your Lordships and nevertheless in the King's Majesty Our most Dread Lord's Name to Command You to have a diligent earnest and careful respect to cause these Books to be delivered to every Parson Vicar and Curate within your Diocese with such diligence as they may have sufficient time well to instruct and advise themselves for the distribution of the most holy Communion according to the Order of this Book before this Easter time c. Praying you to consider that this Order is set forth to the intent there should be in all parts of the Realm one Vniform manner quietly used To the Execution whereof we do eftsoons require you to have a diligent respect as you tender the King's Majesties pleasure and will answer to the contrary c. From Westminster the 13 of March 1548. 26. By all which and by much more that might be alleged it is evident that all that was hitherto done against Catholic Religion for these first two years until the second Parliament was done by private Authority of the Protector and his Adherents before Law and against Law. And now what a Babylonical Confusion ensued in England upon these Innovations in all Churches Parishes and Bishopricks commonly is wonderful to recount For some Priests said the Latin Mass some the English Communion some both some neither some said half of the one and half of the other And this was very ordinary to wit to say the Introitus and Confiteor in English and then the Collects and some other parts in Latin. And after that again the Epistles and Gospels in English and then the Canon of the Mass in Latin and lastly the Benediction and last Gospel in English And this mingle mangle did every man make at his pleasure as he thought it would be most grateful to the people 27. But that which was of more importance and impiety some did Consecrate Bread and Wine others did not but would tell the people before-hand plainly they would not consecrate but restore them their Bread and Wine back again as they received it from them Only adding to it the Church Benediction And those that did Consecrate did Consecrate in divers forms some
they cast him into the Tower deprived him of his Protectorship and had cut off his Head also at that time had not the Dutchess of Somerset prudently pacified the Earl of Warwick by presenting a rich Casket of Jewels unto the Countess his Wife whereunto my Author was pâ—ivy and moreover she offered a new Complot of Affinity between the said Earl and Duke which afterward was effectuated to wit the Marriage between the Son of the Earl and Daughter of the Duke All which together with a most humble lowly and base Submission made by the said Protector which is extant in our Chronicles moved the Earl to pardon him for the present and to restore him to a kind of Liberty at his own House and after that again to the Council and King's presence for of all he was deprived but never to the Protectorship Nay soon after he cast him into Prison again and cut off his Head as all men know and had thereunto the help of many chief Gospellers who not long after this laid other Complots conform to the turbulent humor and fruits of this Gospel and made other new Alliances between the House of Suffolk that was most forward of all others in Gospelling and the said Earl of Warwick now Duke of Northumberland which Alliances are supposed to have shortned the young unfortunate King's Life and known to have meant the Subversion of the whole Course of the Royal Line and Succession appointed by King Henry VIII cutting off his two Daughters Mary and Elizabeth that remained after King Edward if God had not strangely defended them by cutting off these Evangelical Contrivances 43. Wherefore to be no longer in this matter which is clear enough of it self we do see how the first public Introduction of Protestant Religion that ever was admitted in England from Christ to that time came in both under King Henry and much more under King Edward his Son to wit how and upon what occasions by whom and what men the same was both preached and favored and what effects by what means and in what form and fashion it was performed for as for the occasions they have been declared before But under King Edward it is evident that they were the Childhood and Infancy of a tender young Prince together with the Ambition Covetousness Pride and desire of sole Command in his Uncle the Protector which motives made him break the Will and Testament Laws and Ordinances of his old Dread Lord King Henry before almost his Blood was cold after his death and the like Inductions of Promotions drew after him others who seconded his Actions as long as they were profitable unto them 44. As for the men that first and principally broached these Doctrins they were for the most part married Friers and Apostate Priests that living in Concupiscence of Women and other Sensuality desired to maintain and continue the same by the Liberty of this new Gospel The Promoters and Favorers of these Men were such especially of the Laity and Clergy as had more Interest by the Change for their own Promotion and Advancement than Conscience or persuasion of Judgment for the Truth of their Religion as would appear if we should name them one by one that then were of the Council and chief Authority The Effects and spiritual Fruits of this first Change were as you have seen and heard the most notorious Vices of Ambition Dissimulation Hatred Deceit Tyranny and Subversion one of another together with Division Dissention Garboils and Desolation of the Realm yea plain Atheism Irreligion and contempt of all Religion that ever was known to have risen up in any Kingdom of the World within the compass of so few years And that which is most remarkable there followed presently the Overthrow of all the principal Actors and Authors of these Innovations by God's own wonderful hand and this more in these six years than in sixty or six score or perhaps six hundred hath been seen to have fallen out in England in other times And no doubt but it is of singular consideration that whereas true Christian Religion but especially any Change or Reformation to the better part is admitted there presently do ensue by usual consequence great effects of Piety Devotion Charity and vertuous Life if the Reformation be sincere come from God indeed here on the contrary side the Providence of God did shew a notorious document to the whole World of the falshood and wickedness of this new Gospel in that the first professors and promoters thereof in our Land fell to more open wickedness in these Five years than in so many Fifties before as hath been said 45. And the chief Captain and Ringleader of all this Dance of Innovations after the Protector himself to wit the Duke of Northumberland coming soon after to Calamity fell into the accompt and reckoning of this matter and made a long vehement declaration thereof in the Chappel of the Tower before divers of the Council the day before he was put to death to wit upon the 21. of August 1553 shewing that he had found true by good experience that this new Gospel which he had followed hitherto tended to nothing but to Atheism in Religion dissolution of Life and perturbation of the Common-wealth which he repeated again at his Death and the same was presently put in Print and so it remained Tho' Holinshed Hooker and Harrison like false Companions as they be do leave it out wholly of their large Chronicle telling only that he and the Duke of Somerset were buried one by the other in the Tower. But Stow proceedeth more handsomly for tho' he omit the larger rehearsal of the matter and do speak of other things less odious yet doth he so set down the thing as the truth may easily be seen thereby which the other Companions do hold from us of purpose for thus he writeth 46. The rest of the Duke's Speech almost in every Point was as he had said in the Chappel of the Tower saving that when he had made Confession of his Belief Stow dare not tell what Belief for that it was wholly Catholic with many vehement Protestations against the Heresies of that time he had these words Here I do protest unto you good People most earnestly even from the bottom of my Heart that this which I have spoken is of my self not being required nor moved thereunto by any man for any flattery or hope of Life I take witness of my Lord of Worcester here my old Friend and Ghostly Father that he found me in this mind and opinion when he came to me But I have declared this only upon my own mind and affection and for the zeal and love that I bear to my natural Country And I could good People rehearse much more even by experience that I have of this Evil that is happened to this Realm by thâ—se occasions But now you know I have another thing to do whereunto I
must prepare me c. And having thus spoken he kneeled down saying to them that were about him I beseech you all to bear me witness that I die in the true Catholic Faith. And then said he the Psalms of Miserere and De Profundis his Pater Noster c. 47. This is Stow's Narration whereby you see first the dishonesty and falshood of the other Chroniclers that leave it quite out and the cozenage of John Fox that only saith it in two or three Lines and lieth most shamefully affirming That he having Promise made unto him that tho' his Head were upon the Block he should have his Pardon if he would recant he consented thereunto Which yet you see the Duke protesteth the contrary upon his Death that it was not for Flattery or hope of Life or upon any Man's Instruction but only upon Conscience first to save his own Soul and then for desire to deliver his natural Country from the Infection of Heresie and Calamities thereon ensuing 48. And thus much of those Men and their Fruits who first planted this Gosael But now as for the Means whereby these things were wrought you have heard them before that they were all commonly by pulling down thrusting out dissolving of Discipline giving immunity from punishments to all sorts of Heretics and of Marriage to loose Priests and Apostate Friers and other like licentious Liberties far different from the purity severity and strictness of Life used by the first Planters of Christ's Gospel And as for the form and fashion of this new Religion set up under this Child-King it was as you have heard both their own Men and ours testifie compounded and patched up of all diversity of Sects and Religions as it pleased the Composers many things they took and retained of ours as well in Doctrin as in Rites and Ceremonies Some things of the Lutherans some others of the Zuinglians some of the Relicks of King Henry's mutation as that of the Supreme Head of the Church a singular Point of Doctrin proper to England above all other Nations But most of this Composition was of their own Inventions which yet neither the Protestants that remained in secret under Queen Mary did wholly allow as appeareth by that which I have cited before of John Rogers's Prophecy nor the other that began again under her Majesty that now is did wholly readmit the form and fashion but made a new one of their own as by their Communion-Book is evident nor do the purer sort of Calvinists in these days any way like or approve the one or the other as before we have shewed 49. Whereupon I may conclude as well this Chapter as also this whole Second Part that neither under King Henry the VIII nor King Edward the VI. nor Queen Mary had John Fox any distinct Church extant or known to the World especially if his Church be the Puritan Congregation as he will seem to signifie in many places of his Acts and Monuments But whether he have any such Church now visible under her Majesty at this day in England and in what state and condition it standeth I will not stand to enquire or discuss but do leave it to my Lords of Lambert and London whom most it concerneth being sufficient for me to have shewed throughout all former Christian Ages that John Fox hath had no Church of any Antiquity and consequently if he he have any now it must be a very young Church and of so tender Age as he may marry her to what Sect or Sectary he listeth for her Youth and that with hope of Brood and Issue And so much of all this matter CHAP. XIII The Conclusion of both these former Parts together with a particular Discourse of the notorious different Proceeding of Catholics and Protestants in searching out the truth of Matters in Controversie BY all that hitherto hath been written and discoursed good Christian Reader about the former Subject of discerning true Christian Religion and the way whereby to know and find the same I do not doubt but that of thy prudence thou hast observed a far different course holden by us that are Catholics and our Adversaries in this behalf we seeking to make matters plain evident easie perspicuous and demonstrable so far as may be even to the Eye it self whereas our Adversaries and namely John Fox according to that which by reading this Treatise you have seen doth altogether the contrary intangling himself and his Reader with such Obscurities Difficulties and Contradictions both about Times Matter and Men as he findeth not where to begin nor where to end nor yet how to go forward or backward in that he had taken in hand which I suppose to have been abundantly shewed by that which hitherto hath been written For whereas we for our parts begin clearly with the very first Corps or Body of Religion Instituted by Christ himself and the first Professors thereof that made a Church or Christian Congregation and do never after leave the same but do deduce it visibly and without interruption from that time to this and thereby do shew the beginning and continuance of one and the same Religion from their days to ours John Fox on the other side knoweth not well either where to begin where to insist or where to end as sufficiently you have seen tried For albeit in the Tile of his Book he tells us that he will bring down his Church from the Apostles time to ours and then after in his Protestation to the Christian Reader he doâ—h tell us farther that his true Church is different from the great visible Roman Church yet in the prosecution of his Work he setteth forth and describeth only the Roman Church as before we have declared and doth not so much as name any distinct visible Church of his own or other except only of such Heretics as himself also condemneth for such different from the said Roman Church for the space of almost 1200 years and then falleth he into such a strange extravagant humor of building a new Church for himself and his out of all sorts and Sects of later Heretics as being not able in all Points for very shame to allow their Opinions which in many Points are most absurd and contradictory both to him and us as also among themselves he findeth himself extremely intangled nor cannot tell which way to wind tho' he be a Fox nor which way to turn his Head but is forced to double hither and thither to go forth and back say and unsay and to cast a hundred shadows of wrangling glosses upon the whole matter thereby to obscure the same to the Eyes and Ears of his Reader 2. And finally it seemeth to me that the difference between us and him and his to wit between Catholics and Protestants in this behalf is not much unlike to that of two Cloth-sellers of London the one a Royal Merchant which layeth open his Wares clearly giveth into your
Christian Men have to procure their Salvation tho' all do not use the same to their best benefit and thereby do miscarry For to come to some particulars we say That in this Church and no where else is the truth of Faith and certainty thereof and this by the perpetual assistance of the Holy Ghost promised thereunto by the Founder God himself In this Church is the infallible Judgment both about the Books of Scripture and their Interpretation as all other Doubts and Controversies according to that you have heard before out of S. Augustin In this Church alone and no where else is there true Priesthood by lawful Succession Unction and Imposition of Hands and consequently Remission also of Sins by the Authority they have from Christ to that effect In this Church is the true number use and force of holy Sacraments and Grace given by them In this Church is Unity of Faith and Doctrin Communion of Saints and of Merits and Prayers which no where else is to be found And finally in this Church alone is there warrant and security from Error assurance from overthrow failing or fading which security is established by the promise of Christ himself as our God Creator and Redeemer and to endure unto the worlds end 10. All these utilities and most singular benefits do we believe to be in this Catholic Church above all other Congregations in the world In respect whereof we hold this Church to be our ship our rock our castle our fortress our mistress our mother our skilful pilot throughout all storms of heresies our pillar and firmament of truth against falshood our house of refuge against tribulation our protection our direction our help aid and security in all points and if any man perish in her it is by his own default but out of her none can but perish And this is our estimation of this Affair 11. But now how different an account Protestants do make both of this or their own Church is easily seen by their own words and doings For as they contemn and impugn our Church which we hold for the only true so do they seldom speak of their own For when shall you hear a Minister or Protestant Writer allege the Authority of his Church against us or against his own Fellows when they fall out as often they do or if he should how lightly is it esteemed even by themselves You may read the eager Contentions of the Protestant Churches of Saxony which are Lutherans against those of Heidelberg and other Towns of the Palsgrave's Country that are of a different Sect and of these again against other Consorts of other Provinces both of Switzerland and other parts of Germany yea between the soft and severe Lutherans themselves as between the Calvinian Churches of England and Scotland and in England it self between the Protestants Puritans and Brownists at this day who are nothing else but soft and severe Calvinists In all which sharp Contentions if any part do but name the Authority of their several Church which is very seldom the other presently falleth into laughter holding the Authority thereof so ridiculous as it is not worth the naming so as the Argument taken from the Authority of the Church which with us is of so high esteem as we say with S. Augustin That we would not believe the Gospel if the Authority of the Church did not move us thereunto with these Fellows is most base and contemptible 12. Moreover when they talk of their own Churches tho' every Sect and Sectary for Honors sake would be content to have them accounted Catholic as Lactantius before testified of the Heretics of his time yet do they speak it so coldly and do use the word Catholic so sparingly as they will shew that in their Consciences they do not believe it and a man might answer them as S. Augustin answered Gaudentius the Donatist whose Sect being a particular company of Heretics in Africa presumed by little and little first in jest and then in earnest to call themselves Catholics and their Church the Catholic Church as Protestants do at this day and being reprehended for it by S. Augustin and others would needs prove the same by the Definition of Catholic taken out of S. Cyprian S. Augustin I say after a long refutation thereof out of S. Cyprian's words to the contrary concludeth thus Quid igitur vos ipsos c. Why then do you go about both to deceive your selves and other Men with impudent Lies against S. Cyprian If your Church be the Catholic Church by the testimony of this Martyr shew us that your Church doth stretch her beams and boughs throughout the whole Christian World as ours doth for this S. Cyprian called Catholic c. So as by S. Augustin's Argument if the Protestants cannot shew that their Church hath her beams and boughs spread throughout all the Christian World and that her Faith is the general Faith received amongst all Christians and not only of particular Provinces then cannot they call her or esteem her for Catholic as indeed they do not but for fashion sake and from the teeth outward as hath been shewed 13 For when they come to set her out in her best colours they make her but a very obscure base and contemptible thing first in outward shew calling her the poor oppressed and persecuted Church as Fox's words are troden under foot neglected in the World not regarded in Histories and almost scarce visible c. So as where all the ancient Fathers do triumph and vaunt against both Heretics and Heathens as we do at this day against Protestants that the Catholic Church is more eminent and splendent than the Sun it self and more famously known than any other Temporal Kingdom or Monarchy that ever was in the World Fox of his Church confesseth that she is scarce visible neglected in the World not regarded in Histories c. 14. And then again he playeth fast and loose making her visible and invisible Altho' saith he the right Church be not so invisible in the world as none can see it yet neither is it so visible again that every worldly Eye may perceive it So saith he But how contrary to this was S. Chrysostom who would not yield that the right Catholic Church could be so much as obscured by any force or means whatsoever and thereof vaunting against Infidels saith It may be perhaps that some Heathen here will despise my arrogancy about the Majesty of our Church but let him have patience to expect until I come forth with my Proofs and then shall he learn the force of truth and how it is easier for the Sun it self to be wholly extinguished than for the Church to be so much as darkned or obscured Thus said S. Chrysostom And mark good Reader the difference of Spirits S. Chrysostom vaunteth of the outward splendor and majesty of his Church and John Fox contrariwise doth
brag of the obscurity and contemptibility of their Church And so again whereas we hold and highly esteem that our Church hath all truth of Christ's Doctrin and Religion in it Fox writeth of his Church as before we have recorded That by God's mighty Providence there hath always been kept in her some sparks of Christ's true Doctrin and Religion 15. Again whereas we glory that in our Church there is power to absolve from sins security from error and the like Fox denieth these privileges to be in his Church objecting unto us for an error against the first in a certain Treatise of his before his Acts and Monuments That we in our Church have Confession and Absolution at the Priests hands c. And against the second he bringeth in a large Conference of Ridley and Latimer agreeing together that the greater part of the Universal Catholic Church may err but yet fearfully as you shall see more largely in the Third Part of this Treatise when we shall come to treat of these Foxian Saints and their Festival Days Acts and Monuments The same Patriarchs also do censure S. Augustin's Speech before by me alleged for an excessive vehemency for so are their words where he saith That he would not believe the Gospel if the Authority of the Catholic Church did not move him thereunto signifying thereby as before hath been noted that he could not know Scriptures to be Scriptures nor the Gospel to be Gospel neither their sense and meaning to be such as they were taken for but by the Authority of the Universal Catholic Church that had conserved them from time to time and delivered them to him and to the rest of the World for such to be believed 16. Wherefore to conclude this matter seeing that John Fox doth allow so well this Doctrin of his Patriarchs Ridley and Latimer and thereby doth take from the true Church and consequently in his meaning from his own all this excellent Authority which S. Augustin and other Fathers do ascribe to the Catholic Church to wit the Sovereignty of approving or rejecting true or false Scriptures of discerning between Books and Books and judging of their true interpretations and seeing further he taketh away from his Church both Confession and Absolution of sins and all efficacy of Sacraments leaving them only to bare Signs that do signifie and not work seeing he taketh away from her all infallibility of Doctrin confessing that she may err and contenteth himself that she retain ever some sparkles only of true Doctrin and Religion as before hath been shewed out of his own words and considering moreover that he maketh her so poor a thing as now you have seen and furnisheth her with such rags to wit with such variety of Sectaries as is ridiculous to name they disagreeing among themselves and the one most opposite to the other in Doctrin and Belief she being such a Church I say so poor and miserable so obscure and ragged so doubtful and uncertain no marvail tho' they make little account of her or give small credit unto her which in very deed is no greater than is given to the worst man or most dishonest woman living which is to believe her so far as she can prove by others what she saith to be true to wit by Scriptures without which witness none of her own children or houshold will credit or believe her which is a remarkable Point for that with the same condition they will believe the Devil himself and must do if he allege Scriptures in the true sense and meaning 17. And this is the estimation which Protestants do hold of their new Church Now let us pass to speak a word only about the second Point which concerneth the assigning out or description of this Church Clear it is and cannot be denied that Catholics do assign such a Church as may be seen and known by all men begun visibly by Christ himself in Jury when he gathered his Apostles and Disciples together and continued afterward with infinite increase of Nations and People Countries and Kingdoms that in tract of time adjoyned themselves thereunto and that this most manifest notorious and known Church hath endured ever since under the name of the Christian Catholic Church for the space of sixteen hundred years as we have shewed before both largely and particularly in the former Treatise which is plain dealing clear and manifest whereas on the other side the Protestants of our days following herein the steps of old Heretics their Ancestors do seek to assign such a Church as no man can tell where to find it for that it is rather imaginary mathematical or metaphysical than sensible to man's eyes consisting as they teach of just and predestinate men only whom where or how to find you see how uncertain and difficult a thing it is in this mortal life 18. Wherefore as the ancient Fathers condemned wholly the Heretics of their times for this fond and pernicious device and wrote eagerly against the same as S. Cyprian against the Novatians S. Epiphanius and S. Augustin against the Donatists and Pelagians for that under this cover and colour they would make themselves to be the only true Church to wit every Sect their own Sectaries and Congregation saying that they only are predestinate just holy and God's chosen people and consequently also his only true Church so do we at this day stand in the very same controversie with Protestants that seek the same evasion and refuge 19. And he that hath but so much leisure as to read over the Conference of the Third day had between S. Augustin and other Catholic Bishops on the one side and the Bishops of the Donatists on the other side at Carthage by the Emperor's persmission and appointment even upon this very Question of assigning the Church he shall see the matter most clearly handled and that the Catholics of this time do urge nothing in this Point but that S. Augustin and his fellow Catholic Bishops did urge in that Conference against the Donatists and that the Protestants of our time do take no other course of shifting and defending themselves therein than the Donatists did in those days for that after infinite delays and tergiversations used before they could be brought to this Conference which S. Augustin setteth down in the collation of the first and second day when at length in the third days meeting they came to joyn upon the Controversie in hand they began first about the word Catholic it self which the Catholics urg'd against the Donatists as we do now against the Sectaries of this Age and the Donatists sought to avoid the same by the very same sleights which ours do as appeareth by S. Augustin's words 20. Donatistae saith S. August responderunt Catholicum nomen non ex universitate gentium sed ex plenitudine Sacramentorum institutum petiverunt ut pro barent Catholici c. The Donatists did