Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
religion_n king_n prince_n queen_n 3,203 5 6.8163 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A13160 A challenge concerning the Romish Church, her doctrine & practises, published first against Rob. Parsons, and now againe reuiewed, enlarged, and fortified, and directed to him, to Frier Garnet, to the archpriest Blackevvell and all their adhærents, by Matth. Sutcliffe. Thereunto also is annexed an answere vnto certeine vaine, and friuolous exceptions, taken to his former challenge, and to a certeine worthlesse pamphlet lately set out by some poore disciple of Antichrist, and entituled, A detection of diuers notable vntrueths, contradictions, corruptions, and falsifications gathered out of M. Sutcliffes new challenge, &c. Sutcliffe, Matthew, 1550?-1629.; Sutcliffe, Matthew, 1550?-1629. Briefe replie to a certaine odious and slanderous libel. 1602 (1602) STC 23454; ESTC S117867 337,059 440

There are 7 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

Bellarmine which if Parsons doe answere I maruell Whosoeuer list to sée further triall of Parsons his falsifications let him reade his treatise of the discouery of Nicols and other such like pamphlets set out by him wherein I dare be holde to say that euery second place alleadged by him in any matter of controuersie is falsely alleadged Yea sometime to kéepe his forging fingers in vre he alleadgeth fathers and scriptures falsely where he doth not gaine any thing to himselfe by the false quotation and allegation but onely a perpetuall note of a wicked falsary Neither is it a matter much to be maruelled at if Robert Parsons hath committed diuers falsifications seeing in cases of conscience resolued by him and Allen he teacheth that it is lawfull to change a mans name to deny his countrey to equiuocate dissemble and speake vntruth yea to sweare and forsweare most falsely most of which points are counted plaine forgery beside that his putatiue father by his occupation was a forger If then Owlyglasse séeke a paterne of falsifications let him go to Robert Parsons who is the onely master and a more excellent forger then Coobucke his putatiue father albeit all his life long he wrought in a blacksmiths forge Only it were to be wished that he had béen a forger of horshoonailes and not of false writings CHAP. X. A note of certaine notorious lies and vntruthes vttered by Robert Parsons alias Coobucke I Néed not say much to conuince Rob. Parsons to be a most false Iebusite and a most impudent lying compagnion The seculer priests in their reply to Parsons his treatise entituled a manifestation of the folly and bad spirit c. and in their answere to the Iesuites apology haue eased me of that labour for they conuince him plainely of lying cogging and facing and doubt not to affirme that he can say nothing without lying But yet because his woodden scholer Owlyglasse hath begun this course and thinketh to winne some aduantage by scoring vp my vntruthes I will briefly note some vntruthes of the master lye-maker and excellent imitator of him that is the father of lies falsification 1 First then I say that in his most slanderous libels set out vnder the names of Sanders and Rishton of Andreas Philopater of Didimus Veridicus of Allen in his letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland and all those libels which haue béen published within these 20. years against the late Lord treasurer of England of worthy memory against the Lord of Leycester and others all which were either made by him or published by him or by his helpe and counsaile he lyeth in grosse For the bookes from the beginning to the ending are full of notorious and villanous lyes against king Henry the 8. against his principall agentes against Quéene Elizabeth and her counsaile and the whole Church and state of the Realme of England and this if God be pleased I purpose shortly to shew at large Neither néede I to declare any particular seeing there is no man that hath any intelligence of matters of state but he knoweth that the same bée most false and slanderous But to leaue to speake of those bookes that consist of nothing but lyes I wil note diuers particuler leasinges out of other bookes of his wherein notwithstanding he pretendeth more truth falsification 2 In his wardworde pag. 69. he saith it appeareth not that Iesuites sought her maiesties bloud especially not Parsons A most notorious and shamelesse lye For it is not only most true that these wicked assassinors of princes and King killers haue also sought her maiesties bloud but also nowe most apparent For not only Palmio and Codret two Iesuites did resolue Parrie to kill the Queene and that it was an act meritorious so to doe Parries voluntarie confession but also sence that time Holt and Walpoole haue excited diuers to take on them that wicked interprise The first appeareth by the confession of Parrie aboute the yeare anno 1584. the second by the confessions of Squire Yorke Willams Patricke Ocollen and others It appeareth also that Parsons was well acquainted with Parries treason both by cōfessions and witnesses Further this many yeares he hath endeuored to the vttermost of his power to stirre vp forrayne enemies against her maiestye which no man can doe but he must néedes entend her distruction and if hée deny that his owne letters which are to be shewen and the testimony of the seculer preistes In diuers treatises and namely in their answere to Parsons his late apologie and the wicked libell vnder the name of Allen directed to the nobility and people of England and Ireland which he holpe to print and publish and which wholy opēly aymeth at her maiesties state and person will conuince him But this poynt I haue discoursed in my reply to Parsons his wardworde at large and the same is diuersly confessed in the seculer préestes bookes And therefore thus much may serue in this place to proue him both a lyar a most wicked assassinor of his liege prince and souereine falsification 3 In the fift encontre of his wardword he saith that those that oppose themselfes against the Iesuites are either Iewes Turkes and Infidels or those that make diuision and say I am of Caluin I am of Luther or those that haue made shipwracke of faith or false bretheren such as loue praeheminence as did Diotrephes or els worldlinges And in these few wordes he telleth diuers notorious lyes For first neither Iewes nor Turkes do oppose themselues against the Iesuites Secondly among all those that professe religion he cannot bring forth one that saith I am of Caluin or Luther Thirdly Parsons himselfe is a Iesuite and a principal stirrer among them and yet like Diotrephes sought to be a cardinall which dignity for his bastardy and vileny he hath missed Fourthly he will not say that Sixtus quintus was a Iewe or Turke nor that the colledge of Sorbona and clergy of France or parliament of Paris are within the compasse of his diuision albeit all these haue opposed themselues against the encrochements of the Iesuites Finally the seculer préestes that deale against the Iesuites are neither Turkes nor Infidels in Parsons his reckening Yet haue they manfully stood against the Iesuites trecherous plots for their contry as Parsons will not deny Doth it not then appeare that he hath told vntruth and that the I●suites are an odious generation contrary to Parsons his assertion falsification 4 Speaking of the alteration of religion in his first encounter he saith that by occasion thereof haue ensued battailes Wardword murthers destructions of countries And that townes cities houses and particular men three princes two Queenes and one King haue thereby beene brought to their bane Hee saith also further that the houses and linages of Hamiltons Douglasses Stuards in Scotland of desmond and other peres in Ireland haue beene thereby ruinated And finally that in France and Flanders there is no ende of
testimony of Iustine Martyr apolog 2. of Dionyfius ecclesiast hierarch c. 3. of Origen lib. 8. contra Celsum of Hierome in epitaph Paulae ad Eustochium and in his 17. epistle to Marcella of Ambrose de sacramentis and Cyrill catech 5. and others doth declare but the Romish church will haue no other tongue vsed in the common liturgy of the westerne church and publike administration of the sacraments but the latin of which the vulgar people scarce vnderstand one word argument 48 The true church of Christ contenteth herselfe with the religion first taught by Christ his apostles for vpon the foūdation of their doctrine is the church built and as b Lib. 4. contra Marci●n Tertullian saith id verius quod prius id prius quod ab apostolis contrariwise c Aduershares c. 26. Vincentius Litinensis saith that is a tricke of heretikes not to content themselues with the ancient rule of faith but to seeke nouelties from day to day and to desire to adde to change to take away but the church of Rome first denieth the canonicall scriptures to be a perfect rule of faith secondly the same is departed from the doctrine of the apostles thirdly the same is bound to beléeue all determinations and decretales of popes concerning matters of faith finally that church hath added and changed the ancient faith argument 49 True christians neuer kissed the popes toe nor admitted his outragious dispensations or gréeuous lawes nor were tied to beléeue that the popes iudgement in matters of faith was vnfallible but the Romish church thinketh it a great fauour to kisse his pantofle and séeketh for dispensations at his hands and beareth all his burdensome lawes albeit not with out great grudging as may appeare by Peter de Alliaco his treatise de reformatione ecclesiae by Vllerstones petitions proposed in the councell of Constance and diuers complaints both of English French and Dutch finally if they doe not yéeld his iudgement to be infallible then must they confesse that the church of Rome is built rather on sand than on a rocke argument 50 The church of Christ neuer beléeued that the bishop of Rome could depose princes take their crownes from them or that they could dispense with subiects for their othes of allegeance to their liege princes nay the apostles teach obedience to princes and Peter did rather exhort to obedience then rebellion the canons that goe vnder the names of the d Can. 83. apostles doe seuerely punish such as doe speake reprochfully of princes and magistrates and certes most vnlike it was that euer king or prince would haue embraced christian religion if the same had giuen power to bishops to depose them from their regall throne and to subiects to rebell against their liege soueraignes but papists doe beléeue and e Bellar. lib. 5. de pontif Rom. c. 6. 7. 8. teach that the pope hath power to depose kings and to translate kingdomes from one to another they also do beléeue that he hath power to dispense with the othes of subiects to command them to rebel Howsoeuer the rest beléeue pope f In Bulla contra Elizabetham Pius the fift most wickedly commanded her Maiesties subiects to take armes against her vpon paine of excommunication and the like insolency did g In declarat eiusdem bullae Sixtus quintus vse against her being the Lords annointed and he being the greased and marked slaue of satan both he and Pius quintus doe wickedly raile against her and the like course did that flagitious pope h In bulla contr Henric. 8. Paule the third take against her Maiesties noble father and this is now the popes and their agents most common practise to raise sedition against christian princes and when they cannot otherwise doe hurt like helhounds to barke against them and to publish infamous libels tending to their dishonour and disgrace argument 51 The true church of Christ is also catholike and compriseth all the faithfull of all times and is not limited within any one countrey or nation for our Sauiour Christ commanded his apostles to teach all nations and in our créed we beléeue the catholike church now this catholike church as saint i In psal 56. Augustine saith is spred throughout all the world and conteineth not onely those that are present but those also that are past and are yet to come but the Romish church is not catholike neither doeth it conteine the Greekes or Africanes or men of Asia that for many ages past haue shaken off the yoke of antichrist of Rome further it doeth not reach to the people of God before Christ finally k Lib. de ecclesia milit c. 2. Bellarmine doeth define those onely to be of the church which liue vnder the obedience of the pope this church therefore differeth much from the catholike church argument 52 The true church consisteth not of fierce lyons nor of wolues nor tygers nor such like wilde and fierce beastes but of sheepe and lambes which learne of Christ and are méeke humble and gentle these did Christ commit to Peter and all godly pastors his successors to be fed and these are the members of his church and not those cruell ones that are more like to lyons then shéepe they shall not hurt nor kill saith God by his holy l Isai 11. prophet in all my holy mountaine nay the force of Christes religion is such that it maketh sauage and fierce people to become méeke and gentle the wolfe saith the m ibidem prophet shall dwell with the lambe and the pard shall lie with the kidde quis coegit barbaros gentesque alias in suis sedibus saith n Lib. de incarnat verb. Athanasius immanitatem deponere pacifica meditari nisi christi fides crucis signaculum Optatus in his second booke against Parmenian speaking of catholickes to heretickes which of vs saith he hath persecuted any man can you shew or proue that any of you hath bene persecuted by vs But the Romish church doth consist of lyons tygers wolues and inquisitors popes and friers more fierce and cruell then lyons tygers and wolues their o Extr. de haereticis per tot lawes are most cruell their executions notwithstanding passe both law and reason In the time of Charles the emperor the fift of that name it is recorded p Meteran de Belgit tumult that aboue fifty thousand persons were condemned by sentences of inquisitors and iudges and executed to death in the low countries for the profession of their faith In France as the stories of that country declare thréescore thousand christians without all order of law and contrary to solemne othes giuen them by the king for their security were most shamefully and trecherously murdered and massacred for the profession of their relion at the kings sisters mariage Circiter sexaginta hominum millia saith q Hist Nat. com lib. 23. p. 508. Natalis Comes speaking
S. Christopher or Saint Catherine in the worlde falsification 29 Likewise doth Capgraue tell strange matters which of English papists were beléeued in time past Capgraue in Bernaco Saint Bernacus saith he killed a mortiferous beast at Rome that before had killed and deuoured much people and cattell but it is not like that Bernac coulde doe more then his holy father the Pope A certaine fellow that stroke S. Bernac was punished with swarmes of flying lice toto corpore pediculis saith Capgraue alatis obsessus He spoke with Angels sayled ouer the sea vpon a broade stone turned oke leaues into loaues viz. by changing one letter stones into fishes water into wine his cow being cut in pieces he restored notwithstanding to life and committed her to be kept by a wolfe Finally ke yoaked Harts and made them draw in a cart which Owlyglasse will hardly defend to be n● lies falsification 30 He saith that Christ appeared to Augustine the monke and talked familiarly with him Capgraue in Augustino and telleth also how hee plagued the men of Dorset with fire But the Saints of God in time past did rather pray for poore men then call for fire downe from heauen vpon them Saint Peter also a man of as good credit as Capgraue saith the heauens must containe Christ that is thither ascended vntill the time of the restoring of all things falsification 31 When Bartilmew a monke came to Durrham and saluted the crucifixe the same wodden crucifixe bowing downe himselfe saith Capgraue resaluted him againe He saith also that he sawe the diuell sometime in the forme of a mouse sometime of a cat and that he imprisoned a Hawke two daies and made her to fast for killing him a little bird and many such lies telleth Capgraue of Bartilmew the monke falsification 32 Scripsit ex ore angeli sanctus Brendanus sanctam regulam saith Capgraue In Brendano quae vsque hodie manet that is he wrote his rule as he receiued it of an Angel When as a poore fellow being followed by his enemies that meant to kill him fledde to Brendan desiring succour he willed him to get vp vpon a stone hard by and not to mooue this done his enemies that followed stroke the stone for the man and beleeued the man to bee the stone He caused a fountain also to rise out of a drie ground and was carried into paradise as for dead men hee raised them to life without any difficulty Which things no man can passe for truth vnlesse he be as sencelesse as the stone that Capgraue talketh of falsification 33 Of Edith Capgraue writeth that when she died Angels were heard to sing harmoniously In Editha and seene carying her soule to heauen that she appeared to Dunstane being dead that her body remained without corruption especially her thumbe with which she made the signe of the crosse That she did quiet the seas and deliuered Aldred Archbishop of Yorke being in danger in the Adriaticke sea when he called vpon her All which lies if Owlyglasse will beléeue he must be very credulous and one of those that are giuen ouer to beléeue lies But to make others beléeue that these are no lies he néedeth more eloquence then he hath now ignorance In the 8. session of the councell of Constance as it is called the popish church affirmeth that Wickleffe taught quod deus debet obedire diabolo That is that God must obey the diuell also that Princes being in mortall sinne are not to bee obeyed And diuers other matters neuer taught by Wickleffe which may appeare first by his bookes and ne●t by the articles collected against him and recorded by Thomas Walsingham Neither haue our aduersaries any arguments to proue the contrary vnlesse a man wil beléeue those infamous articles which were by his aduersaries obiected against him after his death which neither law nor reason will admit to passe for proofe falsification 35 Likewise did the papists deale with Iohn Husse in that wicked assembly condemning him for holding articles which he in open audience denied One reported Sess 15. that he should affirme that there was a fourth person in the trinitie others that he should call Gregory the first rimer matters which hee vtterly disclaymed Yet these and many more lies that conuenticle beléeued of him and condemned him for them and these lies of that holy man the synagogue of Rome now commonly beléeueth falsification 36 Now the church of Rome not being able to ouerthrow our doctrine goeth about to calumniate our principal teachers as Luther Caluin Zuinglius Oecolampadius Bucer Beza and others the principall agents either in shaking of the popes tyranny or the establishing of religion and namely her Maiesties most noble father her mother her brother her selfe her counsellors and principall agens the prince of Condey and his father the Admirall of France Henry the 4. nowe reigning and diuers others in Scotland Germany and otherwhere Vnto Luther Leo the tenth imputeth calumnious assertions which he neuer held Commonly the papists giue out that he taught that if the wife would not yeeld to her husband that the husband might go vnto his maide that he died sodainly that his body did stincke and many such like slanders stincking in the nostrils of all honest men Of Bucer they report that he turned Iewe and died blaspheming a matter refuted by the testimony of his enemies that were present at his death and not onely by his friends Of late they published a lying pamphlet of the reuolt of Beza and of his death which he yet liuing refuted The slanders of Sanders and ribaldry of that ribald Ribadineira which the papists receiue with such applause shall shortly godwilling be made manifest to the world Now it may appeare that they are false being deuised by Sanders and Rishton two lewde lozels vnacquainted with state matters and as it is thought published and much encreased by Rob. Parsons the most notorious traytor and infamous libeller that the congregation of Iesuites euer did affoord vs. falsification 37 Pius the fift in his letters to the Emperor most impudently affirmeth In vita Pij quinti. that the councell of Nice made the Pope which he termeth the successour of Peter Lord and gouernour of all Princes christened and also of all prouinces and nations whatsoeuer and that the same councell did anathematise all that should contradict that authority A matter proued to be a notorious lye by the actes of the councell for therein no such matter is found The same also is refuted by this argument for that councels haue not to doe with the disposing of temporall states falsification 38 Sixtus Quintus in his rayling bull against the king of Nauarre now raigning and swaying the scepter of France and the Prince of Condey publisheth most notorious lies He saith they polluted and spoyled Churches and with torments killed Priests monkes and friers and did compell men to religion with threates and bastonadaes minis verberibusque No one point being to be
and last resolution for matters of faith argument 15 The Church of Christ neuer burned the scriptures no albeit there were errors in the Gréeke translation of Theodosion and Symachus and the seuentie interpreters and in all the Latin translations the vulgar and olde edition not excepted z yet did the true church neuer burne the scriptures for that was practised by Dioclesian and other persecuters of the church and by heathen men rather than by any that carried the name of Christians but the church of Rome hath caused Gods holy word to be burnt vnder pretence of false translations which notwithstanding she was neuer able to prooue to be false she doth therefore plainly declare her selfe to be the synagogue of Satan and not of Christ argument 16 The true Church did neuer prohibit the scriptures to be publikely read in such tongues as the people of God were able to vnderstand nor did she euer condemne them and burne them for hereticks that read them in vulgar tongues for our sauior commanded his apostles to teach all nations and no question but it was lawfull to teach them as well by writing as by word In Psal 86. S. Hierome saith that scriptures do not only belong to priests but also to the people Non scripserunt saith he speaking of the holy apostles paucis sed vniuerso populo and our sauiour where he commanded his auditours to search the scriptures meant that it should be lawfull for all to read them finally what is more vnreasonable séeing the scriptures conteine Gods holy lawes and his eternall testament than that the lawes of God should not be red in a knowen tongue and that it should not be lawfull for children to vnderstand their heauenly fathers testament and last will but the Romish congregation prohibiteth the scriptures to be publikely read in vulgar tongues and i Index libr. prohib à Pio 9. prohibiteth all translations but such as themselues set forth which are most wicked peruerse The bloody inquisitors haue also burned diuers poore people for reading scriptures in English as appeareth by the Registers of Lincolne and London in king Henry the eighth his daies Finally Nauarrus a braue Romish doctor teacheth that it is mortall sinne for a lay man to dispute of religion Laicus disputans de fide saith k In primum praecept c. 11. Nauarrus peccat mortaliter argument 17 Our sauior Christ l Iohn 4. teacheth vs that all true worshippers do worship God in spirit and trueth Venit hora nunc est saith our sauior quando veri adoratores adorabant patrem in spiritu veritate And God by his prophet m Isay 29. Matth. 15. Isay doth condemne his people that honored him with their lips their hearts being farre from him The apostle also Coloss 2. would not haue Christians condemned in respect of meat drinke and holy daies and reprooueth those that make decrées concerning touching and tasting and such like ceremonies he doth also vtterly n 1. Cor. 14. condemne praiers in a strange language and not vnderstood of those that vse them but the worship of God which the papists vse and most commend doth wholly consist in externall ceremonies as knocking lifting vp of the Sacrament censing lights and such like they also rather honor God with their lips then their hearts not vnderstanding what they say thinking that to gaze on the masse is to serue God finally they haue many decrées concerning meats drinks saints daies and also concerning touching and tasting and such like is it not then apparent that they are no true worshippers argument 18 The Church of o Exod. 20. Christ doth worship but one God according to this commandement Thou shalt haue no other gods but me and according to the words of p Matth. 4. Christ Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serue but the papists worship the images of God as God himselfe and giue as much honor to the image as to the originall Cum Christus saith q P. 3. q. 25. art 3. Thomas Aquinas adoretur adoratione latriae consequens est quod eius imago sit adoratione latriae adoranda Séeing as Christ is honored with diuine worship saith he it followeth that his image is also to be worshipped with diuine worship and friers in their sermons speaking to the crucifix are wont to say to it Thou hast redeemed vs thou hast reconciled vs to thy father which r Bellar. de cult imag lib. 2. c. 23. Bellarmine himselfe can not deny he confesseth also that images may be worshipped with that honor that is due to the originall Admitti potest imagines posse col● improprie vel per accidens eodem genere cultus quo exemplum ipsum colitur they also worship the Sacrament with diuine worship and fall downe before it but neither are images gods nor is the Sacrament God Finally they confesse that the worship of seruice or doulia is due to saints and this they wil not deny how then can they shew that they worship and serue one true God argument 19 The catholike church only saith ſ Instit 4. c. vlt. Lactantius doth reteine the true worship of God neither can any society be termed Gods church which reteineth not Gods true worship but the papists doe not reteine Gods true worship for first they worship God according to the doctrines and commandements of men which our Sauiour t Matth. 15. Christ condemneth secondly they giue diuine honor to creatures as we shewed in our last argument thirdly their worship consisteth principally in the sacrifice of the masse which is nothing els but a masse of many superstitions impieties and blasphemies as I haue shewed particularly and largely in my treatise of the masse against Bellarmine argument 20 The true church of Christ beléeueth that Iesus Christ is perfect God and perfect man and that Christ Iesus is ascended vp into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of his father for these two points are articles of our faith the first being in termes conteined in the créed of Athanasius the second being expressed in the apostles créed but the papists attributing to Christ in the sacrament such a body as is neither visible nor palpable and can neither sée nor féele nor helpe himselfe nor others being oftentimes deuoured by mise and other brute beasts cannot shew how these qualities can be in a perfect man neither can they shew that a perfect man is both in heauen and in earth and in many places at once or that the flesh of Christ can be properly in heauen and earth and not onely beléeued but also apprehended with mens hands and téeth u Cōtr. Eutyth lib. 4. c. 4. Vigilius saith that the flesh that is in heauen is not in earth Fulgentius writing to Thrasimundus saith that the bodie of Christ hath the properties of a true body x De resur carn Tertullian teacheth vs that the body of Christ
that wicked city then doth it necessarily fellow that the church of Rome now is not the citie and church of God but rather the malignant church synagogue of Satan adhering to Antichrist and opposite to Christ and his church but that the state of new Rome and of the Romish sect as it adhereth to the pope and is the fountaine and metropolitane citie from whence all idolatry heresie and superstition stoweth is meant by the purple whore Apocalyp 17. and by Babylon Apocalyp 18. diuers arguments may teach vs. first the order of S. Iohns reuelation doth shew it for after that in the 12. chapter and in the beginning of the thirtéenth he had described the state of olde Rome vnder the Romane emperors and foreprophecied the ruine and decay of that empire and the rising of another state out of the ruines of it there is no likehood that he should returne backe againe to describe the flourishing state of that empire in the seuentéenth chapter or that the holy ghost would relate things confusedly or disorderly secondly he representeth vnto vs the decay of old Rome the arising of Antichrist out of the ruines of it in the end of the thirtéenth chapter and therefore whatsoeuer followeth after that chapter the same with good reason may be drawen to Rome after it came to be vnder the pope whose state is wholly built vpon the fall of the empire and can by 〈◊〉 meanes be applied vnto Rome as it was vnder the Romane emperors Thirdly after the destruction of the purple whore and of Babylon the apostle prophesieth of the end of the world and of the last iudgement as if the one were to follow immediately or at the least not long after the other but we sée the Romane empire long since destroied and nothing remaining but a vaine name or title of it and yet the end of the world and last iudgement is not come the ruine of old Rome therefore by the destruction of the whore and of Babylon is not prefigured but rather the destruction of antichrists seat and kingdome Fourthly the beast which saint Iohn saw and vpon which the purple whoore did sit was not then as she should be as he saith non adhuc erat t Apocal. 17. saith he ex abysso ascensura erat but the Romane empire did most flourish in saint Iohns time and therefore that beast must néeds signifie another state and empire which in Rome was to be erected after the Romane empires decay Fiftly those ten kings which are signified by ten hornes Apocalyps 17. did not arise during the time of the old empire of Rome but vpon the decay of the empire and rising of antichrist for we doe not reade that kings did giue their power to the Romane empire nor had that strong empire any néed of their power but we reade that diuers kings haue giuen their power to the papacie and made themselues slaues to make the popes great lords this therefore must néeds be a figure of the papacy and not of the old Romane empire Sixthly we doe read that the kings of the earth committed fornication with the purple whore and may well vnderstand that the purple whore was a figure of one from whom corruption of doctrine and idolatrous worship should be deriued for that is spirituall fornication but from the Romane emperore we cannot vnderstand that any kings receiued any forme of religion or corrupt doctrine or idolatrous worship this therefore must néeds touch the pope and his sée from whence manifolde superstitions idolatries are deriued into all places and not the imperiall state which regarded but little the state of religion Seuenthly the kings of the earth did rather reioice then lament at the destruction of the Romane empire for vpon the ruines thereof they built their own kingdomes and states but diuers kings that are linked with the Pope haue lamented his losses the king of Spaine wept when he heard of the euill successe of English rebels which the pope u Vita de Pio 5. Pius the fift stirred vp hoping by them againe yet once more to recouer footing in England Eightly the purple whore Apocalypse 17. is called the mother of fornications or idolatry which is termed in scripture spirituall fornication this prophecy therefore doeth rather touch the popish idolatry corruption in religion than the ciuill gouernment Ninthly after the empire of Rome began to decay the state of christian religion began to flourish in Rome and therefore that which is said of Rome that it shall after the reuelation of the whore become the habitation of diuels and vncleane spirits cannot be spoken of old Rome after whose decay religion began to flourish but of new Rome vnder the popes which is now become a receptacle of all abominations and filthinesse 10. This Rome that is described Apocalyps 17. shall persecute the saints néere to the end of the world as may be gathered out of saint Iohns reuelation this therefore belongeth to the pope and his bloody inquisitors and not to the old Rome whose persecutions are long since ceased 11. The description of the purple whore and of Babylon doeth best fit the state of Rome vnder the subiection of the pope the great whore is said to sit vpon many waters and to inuegle the kings of the earth with her spirituall fornications she was clad with purple and sclarlet and set out with gold and precious stones she had in her hand a golden cup full of abhominations and in her forhead was written this word mysterium and great Babylon the mother of fornications and abominations of the earth finally it is said she was drunke with the bloud of martyrs Babylon also is called an habitation of diuels and a receptacle of foule spirits and vncleane birds and saint Iohn saith the nations of the earth did drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication and that kings did commit fornication with her and marchants grew rich with trading with her so likewise the pope doeth rule many nations and hath wonne the kings of the earth to like his corrupt and idolatrous doctrine he and his religion also is decked with all precious furniture and nothing séemeth more gallant in externall shew like a woman the pope preuailed by fraud periury and pretence of great mysteries and from him all abominations and corruptions procéeded it is he and no other that for this foure or fiue hundred yeres hath persecuted the saints of God and to him the kings of the earth yéeld their forces and are ready to execute his sentences and excommunications beside that neuer was more vncleannesse nor filthinesse practised by any than by the Romish Sodomiticall and lecherous monks and priests nor was there euer in any place more buying and selling of all things than in the Romish church lastly Arethas and Ambrosius Ansbertus writing vpon the Apocalypse say that new Rome may be vnderstood by Babylon and Petrarch doubteth not in plaine termes to
and robbers are not these gallant fellowes then trow you that suppose the Queenes iustices to be like pirates and robbers and that pirates and robbers may as well spoile men by the high way as they deale with priests according to her Maiesties lawes Finally no hereticks nor miscreants can iustly be reputed martyrs albeit they die for their false conceites and opinions the Donatists died desperatly so likewise did the hereticks called Euphemitae which for the multitude of their supposed martyrs would needs be called ſ Epiphan haeres 80. Martyriani yet did the church of god no otherwise account of them then as of leud hereticks and not as of martyrs as appeareth by the testimony of Eusebius Epiphanius Augustine and other fathers We read also in histories that Turks Tartares Mores oftentimes die most resolutely or rather desperatly for the blasphemous opinions of Mahomet that the t Matth. Paris Assassins that were a sect of desperate cutthrotes like to the Iebusits that desperately would aduenture to dispatch whomsoeuer their generall commanded them to murder suffered death most willingly and constantly and this they accounted a speciall point of their bloody religion yet it were mere madnesse to repute such fellowes martyrs why then should the papists that haue broken their necks and died for the popes cause whom we haue clearely proued to be hereticks be accounted martyrs nay why should rebels traitors and Assassins such as Parrye who by the Cardinall of Comoes letters the popes promises was enduced to lay violent hands on her Maiestie such like wicked men be named martyrs if because they are put in the popes calender it may be easily replied that as at Rome they are put in the popes calender so at Newgate such places they are put in the hangmans calender further it is Christs trueth and not the popes faction that maketh martyrs Those therefore that died in the popes quarrell are traitors and not martyrs and that will be the case also of all their consorts if they passe that way which I would haue not onely all Iesuits and massepriests to consider but also all those that like their humors and opinions neither is it materiall that grace hath bene offered to some that haue bene executed for treason if they would haue renounced the pope his trecherous doctrine and faction for that sheweth not that the parties to whom this grace was offered were no traitors but rather her Maiesties great clemency that was willing to pardon all of whom any hope might be conceiued that they would become good subiects so likewise if a man should offer pardon to an Assassin it doth not proue that such as murder men vpon a leud conceit of wrong religion died as martyrs If then the papists be not the true church I trust all true Christians will avoid them if their doctrine be neither ancient nor catholicke I hope true catholicks will no longer suffer themselues to be abused by them if they be hereticks they will I trust for very shame forbeare to impute heresies to true Christians if massepriests be idolaters I hope religious Christians will take order with them as godly kings did with Baals priests finally if massepriests and the popes agents haue so farre engaged themselues in treason I hope all true subiects will learne to detest popery not onely in regard that it is a false religion but also because it is a packe of leud opinions borne out with all fraud vileny and treason which because it floweth from the forge of Antichristes authority and inuention let vs beséech God to reueale dayly more and more the man of sinne that such as now are abused by him may forsake him and serue God in spirit and trueth according to his holy word And thus much may serue for the declaration and iustification of my challenge it resteth now that I answere my aduersaries exceptions and cauils An answere first vnto such exceptions as by a certaine namelesse and worthlesse fellow are taken to the Challenge precedent and next vnto the same parties most idle obseruations Thereto also is added a briefe of certaine notorious falsifications and vntruthes of the Papists Chap. 1. An answere to Owlyglasses exceptions concerning thirteene vntruthes supposed to be contained in M. Sutcliffes Cha●lenge Sect. 1. The first supposed vntruth cleared IN 19. pages of my challenge and all direct contrary to the doctrine of Papists Owliglasse cannot find so much as any occasion of cauill In the 20. pag●rapi●… numb 10. in my former and in the latter cap. 4 numb 43. bee taketh holde of this that I say That the Papists vse exorcismes blowings salt spittle halowed water annoyntings light and diuers ceremonies neither vsed by the Apostles nor practised by the ancient Church And this sayth he is an vntruth so manifest that Caluin doth confesse it Owlyglasse talking of vntruths in others himselfe vttereth two grosse vntruths in the first charge But what if it be true and what if Master Caluin do not confesse that which I say to bee vntruth Is not Owlyglasse where he goeth about to detect me of one vntruth manifestly takē in a tray and detected to haue vttered two vntruthes in one breath he cannot though he would denie it Well then let vs see first whether my wordes containe vntruth and next whether Caluin confesseth so much or no. Of my proposition there are two partes First I denie that the Apostles vsed these ceremonies now in question and secondly I denie that they were practised by the auncient Church of Christ Iesus Now against the first part of my wordes Owliglasse can obiect nothing neither doth hee so much as touch it But wēt he about to alledge any thing yet the Hystorie of the Actes of the Apostles and Christ his institution would refute his allegations For in neither of the two are any such ceremonies to be found Agaynst the second part he alledgeth Caluins wordes Instit lib. 4. ca. 15. art 19 for exufflations halowing of water annoynting and light and for exorcismes in baptisme he produceth Nazianzen For salt hee quoteth the words of Origen For spittle he citeth the wordes of Ambrose and the name of Petrus Chrysologus But neither doth Caluin nor any of these fathers mention either the vse of the Apostles or practise of the ancient Church nor doth any father speake of all these ceremonies together nor can the practise of the Romish Church in the signes and formes of these ceremonies be iustified by fathers either to haue béene in the whole Church or in any one singular Church nor to come nearer to our aduersaries can any one concludent argument be drawne out of any of the Fathers agaynst that which I teach Caluin sayth He knoweth how ancient the ceremonies of exufflation Lib. 4. instit ca. 15 num 19 halowing of water of annoynting and lights is Which if I should confesse yet could not Owlyglasse conclude that such ceremonies were vsed in the time of the
proued against them or that they did any thing more then the lawes of armes enforced them for their owne necessary defence The like slandrous Buls did Paul the third publish against Henry the 8. king of England and Pius Quintus and Gregory the 13. against her Maiesty Wherefore vnlesse Rob. Parsons and his consorts can iustifie these matters to be true it will appeare that the Romish religion is not onely maintained with lies but also grounded vpon a packe of lies For such as these are an infinite multitude of lies may be found in the Popes and the Churches of Romes principall recordes Of which I shall haue occasion if God bee pleased to talke more at large otherwhere CHAP. VI. A taste of Bellarmines vnsauoury falsifications I Would be loth to wrong any especially in writing where all that reade may be witnesses of the wrong if any be offered Wherfore to answere my aduersaries accusatiō that saith I haue slandered and infamed the worthy prelate Cardinal Bellarmine Praeface where I charged him with falsifications and lies I will nowe godwilling iustifie my saying and shewe that his workes are not as Owlyglasse saith the sworde of Gedeon but rather the sworde of Goliath whereby a man with labour and diligence may cut off both his owne head and the head of antichrist The same is also like a leaden sworde guilted ouer and fayre in shew but nothing trenchant in proofe Hee might more fitly haue compared them to Augias stable that cōtained an infinit heape of dung but to be purged if learned men would take the paines to examine them For my part I doe testifie before God that they haue much confirmed mee in the truth and truly affirme that they are more tedious to read then hard to refute in matters especially that concerne vs. But now to come to the matter I will offer to the reader a taste of his falsifications and lowde leasings purposing to adde more if our aduersaries please to continew this course of examination of ours and popish authors writings I will also ioyne with him his fellow Caesar Baronius with his x. legions of lyes Not doubting but if they vnderstand their errours their faces will turne crimsin And why not their faces as well as their roabes especially if they haue any remaynder of their pretended Virginall modestie falsification 1 First he doth wilfully corrupt the sixt canon of the councell of Nice lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 13. the canon beginneth thus mos antiquus perdurat in Aegypto vel Lybia vel Pētapoli But Bellarmine maketh the canon to begin far otherwise Obseruandum saith hée in libris vulgatis d●esse initium huius canonis quod tale est ecclesia Rom. semper habuit primatum but these last words are playnly forged as may appeare by all the copyes of the actes of the Nicene councel neither can it excuse him that one Paschasius act 16. concil chalced hath these words or that Copus a counterfect c●mpagnion doth affirme that a certaine Abbot called Dionysius doth so read this canon for Abbots may proue forgers as well as others and little credit is to be giuen to the Popes agente in his owne cause Further Paschasius his words so stand that we may probably coniecture that some latter falsary hath so set down the words of this canon as we read them now in the t●mes of councels set out by Papists Finally all authenticall histories testifie that before the councell of Nice the Church of Rome was litle respected and Aeneas Siluius doth in playne termes confesse so much Neither can Parsons deny it vnlesie he put on his visor of impudency falsification 2 In his booke de pontif Rom. c. 31. he falsifieth Hieromes words and peruerteth his meaning to proue that he called Damasus the foundation of the Church Hieronymus saith he in epist ad D●masum de nomine hypostasis super hanc petram ecclesiam aedificata● scio vbi Damasum petram ecclesiae vocat But Hieremes words stand thus ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens beatitudini tuae id est cathed●ae Petri cōmunione consocior super ●am petram ecclesiam aedificatam scio Whereby it appeareth that Hierome meant to follow none but Christ and that he meant Christ when he speaketh of the Rocke For so the pronoune Illam that is referred to that which is further of doth teach vs. But Bellar. to proue the Pope to bée the foundation of the Church leaueth out Christ and for the pronounce Illam writeth hanc like a cunning falsary falsification 3 In the same booke and chapter he falsifieth the actes of the councell of Chalcedon septimum est saith hée caput ecclesiae quo vtitur concilium Chalcedonense in epistola ad Leonem qui but tu ve●ut caput membris praeeras These words I say are falsely alledged For first it cannot bee prooued that this epistle was written by the councell as Surius hath recorded Act. 3. Concil Chalced. Secondly admit the whole epistle was not forged yet there is no mention made of the heade of the Church as Bellarmine affirmeth for the worde Caput in these words quibus tu velut Caput membris praecras is referred to certeine Priests of Leoes order in which ranke he sheweth himselfe principall Bellarmine therefore to make some shew leaueth out both the words going before and the words following after which playnly shew that the authors of that epistle neuer meant to cal him the head of the Church His falshood may appeare by the words as they follow in that epistle Act. 3. concil Chalced. set out by Surius Si vbi sunt duo aut tres congregati in nomine eius say they ibi se in medio eorum fore perhibuit quantam circa sacerdotes peculiaritatem potuit demonstrare qui patriae labori suae confessionis notitiam praetulerunt quibus tu quidem sicut caput membris prae eras in his qui tuum tenebant ordinem beneuo lenriam praeferens imperatores vero ad ornandum decentissimè praesidebant The Latin is rude and barbarous sauoring of a monkish humor But by the words we may sée that the authors of that epistle made Leo heade of preestes and men of his cote and not of the Church nor councell Wherein emperors most decentely did praeside and sitte as cheefe moderators as the fathers of that councell teach vs. falsification 4 Likewise reckening vp the names and titles of the bishops of Rome he saith that Eusebius in his cronicle anno 44. doth giue them the title of Pontifex Christianorum Which is a mere forgery For not the bishops af Rome but to Peter only is that title giuen if it be not thrust into the text But what belongeth and is peculierly giuen to Peter may not be claymed by euery bishop of Rome For I hope euery one of them will not be called Simon nor an Apostle nor the cheefe or first Apostle Nor will they I suppose write as Peter did in his