Anselmus and so successively one after another none of them ever being noted to be contrary to his Predecessor in Religion until Thomas Cranmer in King Henry the Eighth's time Who applyed himself to the Religion which the State and Prince liked best to allow of in that time And after the Kings Death agreed to break his last Will and Testament in changing that Religion into Zuinglianism most detested by his Majesty And after again Conspired to put down and destroy all the Kings Children and to set up the Duke of Suffolks Daughter And finally was put to Death both for Heresie and Treason in Queen Maries time as after more particularly shall be shewed And this was the first change of Religion in any Arch-bishop of Canterbury from the beginning unto his days 28. So as from King Ethelbert the first Christned English King unto King Henry the Eighth being the Eighteenth from William the Conqueror and more than Eighty from the said Ethelbert one and the self same Faith endured in England and the self same Church florished under so many different both Kings and Nations as before hath been shewed And the like we have declared to have been for the first 600 years under the Britans to wit that they never were known to have changed their Religion Which being so the deduction and demonstration is so clear as any reasonable Man can either make or require for proof that one and the self same Religion endured from the beginning to the ending among them 29. Unto which kind of proof the Ancient Holy Father and Martyr St. Irenaeus giveth great Authority by a like Argument For that having made the like Enumeration of the Bishops of Rome as we do now of our Arch-bishops of Canterbury against the Heretics of his days and that from St. Peter downward to Pope Eleutherius that lived with him he inferreth this conclusion Est plenissima haec ostensio unam eandem vivificatricem fidem esse quae in Ecclesiis ab Apostolis conservata tradita in unitate c. This is a most full proof that one and the self same lively Faith hath been conserved in the Church from the Apostles days unto our time delivered from one to another in unity c. And if that were a most full proof and demonstration in St. Irenaeus judgment against the Heretics of his time The same is now much more to us having seen the Succession of so many Ages since and noted the manner of like proof and Argument in all other Fathers after him As namely of St. Augustin Numerate sacerdotes velab ipsa Petri Sede in ordine illo Patrum quis cui successit videte Number the Priests that have succeeded the one to the other even from the Seat of Peter himself And then further In hoc ordine Successionis nullus Donatista Episcopus invenitur No one Donatist Bishop is to be found in this rank of Succession And yet more 30. Et si in illum ordinem Episcoporum quisquam traditor per illa tempora subrepsisset nihil praejudicaret Ecclesiae And if any Traytor in those days should have crept into that order and rank of Roman Bishops for of them he speaketh it should not have prejudicated the Church of God. 31. Which saying of St. Austin may serve us not only to Answer whatsoever Heretics do or may object true or false against the Lives of any latter Roman Bishops but for defence also of the Rank and Succession of our Archbishops of Canterbury notwithstanding the Apostasie of Thomas Cranmer or any other his like that for these latter years may have crept in as St. Austin saith or been thrust in and by violence occupied that See and Seat unworthily either in respect of his life or Religion or both seeing that the former Succession as well of Men as of Doctrin from St. Austin to Cranmer is manifest and evident for the space of 900 years without interruption as also that they were united all this time in Faith and Doctrin with the Universal Church of Christendom as Members and Branches of their Head and Body and that the first breach and interruption made thereof in that See by Cranmer and continued after him by some of his followers was noted presently and contradicted yea censured and condemned also by Sentence of the whole Church and thereupon rejected and abhorred by the principal of his own people both Clergy and Laity at that time 32. And the same contradiction endureth to this day and will do ever in those that conserve their Ancient Faith and Religion and do adhere to the lawful Succession of his Predecessors against him and his partners until it please Almighty God to put the said order and lawful Succession in joynt again and restore that chief and head conduct of our Country to his former integrity whereby the Water of true Catholic Religion was wont to be derived to the people of our Land and will be again when Gods wrath for our sins shall be pacified and his mercy induce him to permit as often otherwise he hath done that all return to the accustomed Ancient course of Catholic Faith and Religion again seeing in very deed there is none but that for so much as Sects and new Religions are but inventions and entertainments of time whilst God punisheth some sins in his Servants and after all returneth where it was before 33. And this have we spoken by the way and by occasion of Cranmer that was the first Arch-bishop of Canterbury that ever brake from the Roman Faith but notwithstanding his Apostasie Catholic Religion was not extinguished in England by that but remained there still all King Henries time as also during the Reigns of his three Children King and Queens Edward Mary and Elizabeth unto these our days as in the next Chapter following more largly and particularly we are to demonstrate CHAP. XII How Catholic Religion hath continued and persevered in England during the times and Reigns of King Henry the Eighth and his three Children King Edward Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth notwithstanding all the troubles changes alterations and tribulations that have fallen out and that the same Religion is like to continue to the Worlds end if our sins hinder not THE deduction which we have hitherto made of Catholic Religion from our first Conversion under St. Gregory and King Ethelbert of Kent unto the Reign of King Henry the Eighth with whom concurred in the See of Rome Leo the Tenth and Clemens the Seventh and other Popes Successors of St. Gregory hath been for the most part in time of Peace and without any public discontinuance at all but now are we to prosecute the same matter from the alteration made by King Henry downward unto our days and therein to shew that albeit in the external Face and Form of Religion there have been divers Mutations as Tempestuous Winds and Storms for the present yet hath the Catholic
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
of this King Canutus saying amongst other things thus Monasteria per Angliam c. He did repair all the Monasteries in England that were overthrown or defaced by the Wars of his Father Swanus or himself He did Build Churches in all the places where he had fought any Battels And appointed Priests for the said Churches who should Pray continually to the Worlds end for the Souls of them that had been slain in those places He was present at the Consecration of a goodly Church in a place called Aschendum where he had his chiefest victory causing both the Nobles of the English and Danish Nation to offer with him Rich gifts to the said Church c. 22. Over the Body of Blessed St. Edmund which the Ancient Danes had slain he Builded a Church worthy the greatness of his Kingly Heart appointing there both an Abbot and Monks and giving them many Possessions In so much as by the greatness of his gifts that Monastery at this day is above all the rest in England He took up with his own hands the Body of St. Elphegus Arch-bishop of Canterbury slain not long before by his Danes and caused the same to be be carried unto Canterbury Reverencing the same with worthy honor He gave such great Gifts and rare Jewels to the Church of Winchester that the shining of pretious Stones did dazle the Eyes of such as did behold them c. In the Fifteenth year of his Kingdom he went to Rome by Land and having stayed some days there and redeeming his sins by Alms in those Churches he returned by Sea to England c. 23. Thus and much more doth William of Malmesbury write of this notable King Canatus a terrible and fierce Warrior before his Conversion and much given to Blood and Impiety whereby may easily be seen what force Catholic Religion is of to make change in a Mans manners where it truly entreth Let Protestants shew us some such examples of Princes Converted to their Religion But to go forward in Malmesbury he setteth down after all this a large Epistle of King Canutus which he wrote from Rome or in the way homeward unto the two Arch-bishops Egetnothus and Alfricus the first of Canterbury the other of York and by them to the whole Realm giving them account of his Journy to Rome Where amongst other things he writeth thus Canutus Rex totius Angliae Denmarkiae Norvegiae partis Suecorum c. notifico vobis me noviter ivisse Romam oratum pro Redemptione peccaminum meorum c. I Canutus King of all England Denmark and Norway and part of Swecia c. do give you to understand that of late I went to Rome to pray for the Redemption of my sins and for the health of my Kingdoms and people having made a vow of this Journy long ago but could never perform it until now by reason I was hindred by the Affairs of my Kingdoms And now I do yield most hearty thanks to Almighty God that he hath granted me this Grace to come and visit in my Life time the Blessed Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul and all the Sanctuary that is within and without this City and according to my desire to honor and worship the same in my own person c. 24. Thus he wrote And moreover adjoyned many other pious Ordinances in the same Epistle to be observed in England for Restitutions to be made Alms to be given and other good deeds to be done exhorting all to perform them willingly and threatning them that should do the contrary And William of Malmesbury saith that returning after to England he caused the same to be strictly observed And gave many new priviledges to Churches And one among other to the Church of Canterbury which Malmesbury setteth down at length and in the end hath these words Si quis verò c. If any Man shall perform this my Ordination with a prompt will Almighty God by the Intercession of the most Blessed Virgin Mary and all his Saints increase his portion in the Land of the living And this Donation of Priviledge is written and Promulgated in the Presence of me King Canutus in the Wooden Church in the year of Christ 1032. 23. Thus far writeth William of Malmesbury of this Kings Pious disposition after his coming from Rome And John Stow addeth out of Henry of Huntington as followeth After this time Canutus never bare Crown upon his Head but he set the same upon the Head of the Crucifix at Winchester c. And thus much of his Piety and other Fruits of true Christian Faith which he had received And it is no small Argument of the Divine Power thereof that it could so mollifie and change so fierce a Warriour and cruel a Persecutor as this King was before his Conversion 26. So as now we have brought down the continuance and succession of one and the self same Christian Religion in England from St. Augustin and King Ethelbert unto King Canutus for the space of 400 years And that this was no particular Religion of England alone but the Common General Faith not only of Rome but of all Christendom besides at that day and consequently the only Catholic Religion of those Ages appeareth in like manner by other words of the Kings former Letter Recorded by Malmesbury where he saith Sit autem vobis notum c. Be it known unto you that in this last solemnity of Easter there was a great Assembly of Nobility here in Rome together with Pope John and the Emperor Conrade to wit all the greatest Princes from the Hill Garganus unto this other next the Sea all which did receive me most honorably and did present me with Magnificent Gifts c. Thus wrote the King Whereby we may easily perceive that King Canutus was held in all Points for a perfect Catholic Prince seeing that both Pope John the 20th and the Emperor Conrade the 2d did esteem and honor him so highly 27. After Canutus succeeded in the Kingdom of England his two Sons Harold and Hardicanutus for two or three years And then King Edward the Confessor for Twenty-three years together After whose Death the second Harold Son of Earl Goodwin holding the Kingdom by violence against both English and Danes scarce one year William Duke of Normandy came in as all Men know and Conquered the Land towards the end of the year 1066. and held the same all days of his Life and so hath his posterity after him by Male or Female unto our time and have continued the same Religion which he found or brought into England for all was one for the space of 500 years unto King Henry the Eighth's time which may be proved beside other ways by the Succession of our Arch-bishops of Canterbury Stigand an English Man being the Twenty-third from St. Augustin holding the same when William the Conqueror got the Crown to whom succeeded Lanfranc and to him
Religion held firm her continuance throughout all these Tempests yea shewed her self more clear eminent and notorious by the Confession of her most constant Members then she did before in peace which is the proper privilege and excellency of truth and of the Catholic Church that is the Pilar of Truth above all Sects and Heresies as St. Cyprian St. Austin and other Fathers do note to come out of Persecution as Gold out of Fire more bright illustrious and eminent than before or as an excellent Ship well Tackled and skilfully guided breaketh thorow the Waves without hurt at all 2. And this hath been proved now by the experience of 1600 years wherein this Ship of the Catholic Church hath passed thorow no fewer storms than there are years and overcome them all whereas many hundred Sects and Sectaries in the meane space have been broken in pieces perished and consumed either by division among themselves or with a little externe Persecution or Discipline of the Church whereof I shall not need to alledge many examples for that the World is full of them and all Histories do testifie and our former deduction hath made it clear and one Domestical example of our own days there is before our eyes which may serve for all the rest to wit that some severity being begun by our State against two opposite Religions in England the Catholics and Puritans tho' much more rigorous against the former than the second yet hath Catholic Religion increased thereby and Puritanism been broken and in a manner dissolved The Reason of which different success we shall touch afterwards Now to the purpose we have in hand 3. For the first Twenty years of King Henries Reign unto the year of Christ 1530 no Man can deny but that the integrity of Catholic Religion Union and Communion with the rest of Christendom and perfect subordination to the See Apostolic of Rome remained in England whole as the said King had received it from the most prudent Religious and Victorious Prince his Father King Henry the Seventh and he again from his renowned Ancestors whom yet King Henry the Eighth as he did excel in knowledge of Learning So was he nothing inferior to them in zeal of defending the purity of Catholic Faith as may appear by the multitude of Sectaries and Heretics as well Waldensians Arrians Anabaptists Lollards and Wickliffians as Lutherans Zuinglians Calvinists and the like burned by him for dissenting from the universal known Church and Roman Religion in the first said Twenty years of his Reign which Fox setteth down with great complaint and regret and we shall after declare more at large in the Second and Third parts of this Treatise 4. And when Luther afterward rose up in the Eighth year of this glorious Kings Reign which was the year of Christ 1517 King Henry caused first the Famous Learned Bishop John Fisher of Rochester to confute the Mad fellow and after he vouchsafed to do the same himself by a most excellent Book which I have Read and seen subscribed with his own hand with the Dedication thereof by his Ambassador Dr. Clark after Bishop of Bath and Wells unto Pope Leo the Tenth who in gratification thereof gave his Majesty and all his Posterity the most Honorable Style and Title of Defender of the Faith. 5. And thus continued King Henry and the Religion under him in England until the foresaid year 1530. at what time there happened a most fatal and unfortunate contention between Clement the Seventh the Pope and him about his Divorce from Queen Katherine He began first to shew his grief and displeasure against Cardinal Wolsey and secondly against the whole Clergy of England Condemning the one and the other in the Forfeiture of Premunire who in their submission and supplication for Pardon either of fear or flattery called him Supreme Head of their Church of England 6. The King also began to shew openly his disgust with the Pope for not yielding to his pretence and Petition But what Was the Kings Religion changed by this Or did he alter his judgment in Faith for this disaffection towards the Pope No truly as well appeareth by his other actions For he frequented the Mass no less than before he burned Heretics more than ever as appeareth by Fox his accompt and so you shall see in all the residue of his Life which were Sixteen years after this And albeit at this time being much troubled with this breach with the Pope he attended less to repress Heresie for some years than he had done before yet was his judgment no less against them than from the beginning and the longer he lived the more grew his aversion from them as may easily appear to him that will but look over the years that ensued after this disgust and breach with Pope Clement the Seventh For albeit in the next year after to wit 1531 he proceeded to shew his aversion from that Pope yet did not he neglect the punishment of Lutherans as may appear by the burning of David Foster Valentine Freese John Tenkesbury the old Man of Buckingham and other which Fox doth complain of 7. In the year 1532. The King proceeding in the same discontentment with the Pope did certain things rather to terrifie him than to make any change of Religion as making Sir Thomas Audley Chancellor in the place of Sir Thomas More which Audley was suspected to favor Lutheranism In using also familiarly Thomas Cromwell a Man of the same humor or worse To which end also he going over into France conferred with Francis the French King and persuaded him to Summon the Pope to a General Council but he would not whereupon King Henry returning into England not only spake open words against Pope Clement but suffered one Dr. Cutwyn Dean of Hertfort to Preach publickly against him in a Sermon before the King himself in the Church of the Franciscan Friers of Greenwich who passed so far in that vein as a grave Religious Father Named Elstow reprehended him publickly out of the Quire or Roodloft for which he was sent to Prison And this was the first open contradiction that King Henry had within his Realm about this Controversie with the Pope and yet doth Fox recount unto us divers of his Martyrs most opposite to the Pope that were burnt by the Kings Authority this year as namely James Baynam Robert Debnam Nicolas Marish Robert King and others 8. There followed the year 1533 wherein his Majesty was Married to Queen Ann Bullen and consequently this year passed most in Triumph about Coronation of the said Queen as also the Birth and Baptism of her Majesty that now is So as little was done in matters of Religion any way but a great Gate seemed to be opened to the Protestants and to Luthers favorers by this Marriage in so much that Fox doth assign the ground of his Gospel principally from this year in respect both
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
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
divers parts of the Realm and namely those of Devonshire seeing such alterations to be made in Religion under the Minority of a Child quite contrary to the Laws and Statutes left by King Henry the Eighth and that all things went backward both at home and abroad the Towns we had in France being lost or upon the point of losing they complained first and after took Arms for defence of their Ancient Religion in the beginning of the third year of this Kings Reign the people of Sommersetshire and Lincolnshire beginning first in the Month of May and then in July the people of Essex Kent Suffolk Norfolk Cornwall and Devonshire and in August those also of Yorkshire all crying and demanding to have the Catholic Religion remain as it was left by King Henry at least-wise until King Edward came to lawful age thereby to be able to determin and judge of matters of Religion which demand did wonderfully trouble and vex the Lord Seymour Protector and other new Gospellers who being hungry after Catholics Goods could abide no delay in making this desired Innovation 33. And albeit before these Insurrections fell out they did well see by divers attempts that the heart of the people was wholly against those their Innovations in Religion as appeareth plainly by a Speech of the Lord Rich then Chancellor to the Sheriffs and Justices of Peace of all Shires gathered together in London in the year 1548 being the second of King Edward's Reign as at large you may see in Fox yet such was their importunity in this behalf as they would needs go forward which thing pleasing John Fox well he writeth thus By this you may see what zealous care was in this young King and in the Lord Protector his Uncle concerning the Reformation of Christ's Church 34. The same Fox also setteth down in another place what the young King answered to the Devonshire-men that desir'd that the state of matters in Religion might remain as King Henry had ordained and left them and in particular they required that the Statute of Six Articles against Heretics might stand in force until King Edward came to full age Whereunto let us hear his Answer and consider thereby how matters went in those days To the first about the Statute of Six Articles made by his Father and inviolably kept all days of his life the little Child answered thus Know you what you require They were Laws made but quickly repented too bloody were they to be born of Our people You know they helped Vs to extend rigor and to draw Our Sword very often yea they were as a Whetstone unto Our Sword and for your Causes We have left to use them and sith Our mercy moved Vs to write Our Laws with Milk how be you blinded to ask them in Blood c 35. And then further he saith But to leave this manner of reasoning with you We let you wit That the same Laws have been annulled by Our Parliament with great rejoyce of Our Subjects and not now to be called by Our Subjects in question Dare any of you stand against an Act of Parliament c Assure you most surely that We of no earthly thing make such account as to have Our Laws obey'd for herein resteth Our Honor and shall any of you dare to breath against Our Honor c Lo how little account this little King Child was taught to make of his old Father's Laws and how thundringly to speak for the maintenance of his own But when they came to the second point about his Nonage he is yet more resolute for thus he writeth 36. In the end of your request saith he you would have Our Fathers Laws stand in force until Our full age But to this We think if ye knew what ye spake you would never have uttered that motion nor ever have given breath to such a thought For what think you of Our Kingdom Be We of less Authority for Our Age You must first know that as a King We have no difference of years nor time but as a natural Man and Creature of God We have Youth and by his sufferance shall have Age. We are your rightful King your leige Lord your King anointed your King crowned the sovereign King of England not by Our Age but by God's Ordinance We possess Our Crown not by Years but by the Blood and Descent from Our Father King Henry VIII c. 37. All this and much more did they make the innocent young King to talk and write in defence of their Innovations who had more Interest therein than He. And as for the Catholic People albeit they deny'd not but that he was a true King in his minority of Age yet no man was so foolish as to think notwithstanding all these preachings to the contrary but that it was a different thing for matters of Religion to be altered now in his Name than afterward by Himself when he should come to Age. 38. But among all others none urged this Argument so much nor with such Authority as the King 's eldest Sister the Princess Lady Mary Heir-apparent to the Crown who being a zealous Catholic and yet wishing well also to the Protector did by sundry Letters to be seen in Fox admonish both Him and the rest of the Council That they should look well what they did during the King's minority in altering the Will Laws and Ordinances of his and her Father King Henry for that afterward they were like enough to be called to account about the same when the King her Brother should come to full years Moreover she admonished them That they had no Authority to make such alteration in so great matters as they did but ought rather to conserve things in the state left unto them by King Henry her Father according as by solemn Oath they had sworn unto him before his death that they would do but especially about matters of Religion until the King her Brother came unto lawful Age. 39. By all which is clearly seen how the Catholic Religion remained in England most substantially rooted in King Edward's days and that Heresie entred only from the teeth outward and was maintained by violence of Temporal Authority and according to that was the success For after many toils and turmoils one killing another of those that governed when they thought they had laid a sure Platform to continue the same by excluding the Lady Mary and Lady Elizabeth and thrusting in Jane the Duke of Suffolk's Daughter after King Edward's death and had so plotted and fortified that Design as they thought it sure the only Zeal of the common Catholic People for the recovering the use of Catholic Religion again overthrew all and placed Queen Mary as is notorious to the World. And afterward if we consider the end of most of them which in those days being Counsellors for Ambition or other respects were promoters of Heresie as Dudley Pembroke Winchester
they would choose such a person as this is reported to be having wandred the World up and down with a Monk as Fox affirmeth How could all this lie hidden Was there none that either by Countenance Voice or other Actions of hers could suspect this Fraud How happened her own Lovers had not discover'd her or her Incontinent Life How could she pass through Priesthood and other Ecclesiastical Orders How by so many under Offices and Degrees as they must before they come to be Popes without descrying 35. And finally not to stand upon more Improbabilities either this Pope Joan was young or old when she was chosen If she were young that was against the Custom to choose young Popes as may appear by the great number of Popes that lived in that Dignity above the number of Emperours that succeeded often in their Youth besides it is a most unlikely thing that the whole Roman Clergy would choose a Pope without a Beard especially a Stranger But if she were old when she was chosen then how did she bear a Child publicly in Procession as our Heretics affirm How did they not discern her to be a Woman or an Eunuch seeing she had no Beard in her Old Age. 36. Again how could she be nine months with Child in that place without being discovered or suspected by some How durst she go forth in public Procession when she knew her self to be so near her time How is she said to have gone from the Palace of St. Peter to St. John Lateran whereas the Popes lay not then in the Vatican at St. Peters but at St. John Lateran it self Finally there are so many fond Improbabilities and moral Impossibilities in this Tale especially being joyned with the grave Testimonies of so many ancient Authors and Historiographers as before we have recited to the contrary as no man of any mean judgment discretion or common sense will give credit thereto but will easily see the vanity of so ridiculous a Fiction Wherefore this shall suffice for the Confutation of this Heretical Fable tho' as before hath been shewed if it were or had been true yet no prejudice could come to Us thereby that hold No Woman good or bad can be Head of our Church CHAP. VI. The Narration of English Ecclesiastical Affairs during this fourth station or distinction of Time is continued and the Absurdities of John Fox are discovered WHerefore now we shall return to follow the Thread of John Fox's Story again And whereas you asked me before What indeed the poor Fellow performeth in this his Third Book I now will answer as then I began to say That in very deed he meerly trifleth out the time handling noting of that he should have done of the orderly Descent Race or Course of the Church but telling us impertinent and trivial matters and for the most part not Ecclesiastical but Temporal to be found in every Chronicler to wit certain scraps of the Lives of our English Kings from King Egbert Ethelwolf Ethelbald Ethelred Alured and the rest unto King Edward the Confessor and so to William the Conqueror censuring every Prince when he speaketh of spiritual matters for their belief actions and doings in Religion As for Example reprehending them for that they builded so many Monasteries and much more for that so many of them and their Children entred to be Monks and Nuns that they gave so much Lands Livings and Privileges to Abbeys and Churches and for that they went on Pilgrimages offered Alms for their Sins ordained Masses to be said for them when they were dead that they believed so easily Miracles went to Shrift humbled themselves to Priests and other such-like Religious Actions which do greatly displease Fox 2. And to shew you some few Examples he beginneth first with Ethelwolf Son to King Egbert misliking a certain Donation of Lands which he gave to the Church in his time for Alms to pacifie as he saith God's wrath thereby the sooner for diverting the cruel Persecution and Inundation of the Danes which had begun in his Father King Egbert's time and endured still to the utter Desolation of the Land. His words are these Post multiplices tribulationes ad affligendum usque ad internecionem Ego Ethelwolfus Rex c. After many Tribulations afflicting us even to death I king Ethelwolf together with the Council of my Bishops and Princes have taken this wholsom and agreeable resolution to give some Portion of the Land of my Inheritance unto God and the B. Virgin Mary and to all the rest of his Saints to be possessed by them for ever c. to the end that they may pour out Prayers for us to God so much the more diligently c. 3. Thus far John Fox tho' William of Malmsbury doth relate the same far differently and much more largely telling what Bishops were present at the making of this Chart to wit Alstane Bishop of Shirbourn afterward translated to Salisbury and Swithin Bishop of Winchester and what Psalms and Masses were appointed by the said Bishops for the King in respect of these Alms and the like All which do greatly displease John Fox but help him nothing at all but disgraceth rather his new Church this happening in the year of Christ 844. 4. The like Donation doth Fox recite out of William of Malmsbury made by Ethelbald King of the Mercians some years before to wit about the year of Christ 740 where he saith Ego Ethelbaldus Merciorum Rex pro amore Coelestis Patriae c. I Ethelbald King of the Mercians for the love I have to my Heavenly Country and for the health of my Soul have thought good to study how by good works I may free the same from the chains of sin Wherefore seeing Almighty God for his Mercy and Clemency without any precedent Merit of mine hath given me my Crown of this Government I do willingly out of that which he hath given me restore to him again by way of Alms that which followeth c. 5. Thus far that good King which greatly also misliketh John Fox And he saith in particular that two things do much offend him in these Donations to Churches and Monasteries The first That they should erect these Monasteries of Monks Nuns saith he to live solely and singly by themselves out of the holy state of Matrimony And secondly That unto this their Zeal and Devotion was not joyned the knowledge of Christ's Gospel especially in the Article of our free Justification by the Faith of Jesus Christ 6. Lo here what two quarrels our Fox hath pick'd out against these ancient Christians The first That so many did profess the holy State of Virginity and Continency The other That by doing so many good works they lacked the knowledge of the Protestants Gospel which justifieth by Faith only without good works But they might answer with St. James Thou hast Faith and I have Works shew me thy Faith without Works and I
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
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
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.
next Age following Pope Victor seeing the same inconveniences greatly to increase wrote a Letter to Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus to gather a Synod against it about the year of Christ 249 as Eusebius testifieth And when he perceived that both He and divers Asian Bishops did stand more stifly in defence thereof than he expected yea that they began not only to shew obstinacy therein against the former Decree of Pope Pius and the See of Rome but to draw near also to the very formality of Heresie before mentioned to wit that it was necessary to observe the Fourteenth Day nay further that it was ex Evangelii praescripto secundum Regulam Normam Fidei by the Prescription of the Gospel and according to the Rule and Norm of Faith as the said Polycrates in his Epistle to Pope Victor writeth When Victor I say saw this he resolved after Counsel taken by Conference with divers Synods both of the West and East Churches to Excommunicate those Asian Bishops that resisted if they would not agree Which Determination albeit Irenaeus and some others at that time did mislike and dehort Pope Victor from it as a thing perillous and scandalous and subject to many troubles as Eusebius reporteth yet did never any of them say that he could not do it but rather when he had done it indeed they did accommodate themselves thereunto both in West and East ratifying and confirming the same by divers particular Synods as Nicephorus recounteth to wit in Jerusalem Caesarea Tyrus Ptolomais Corinth Lions of France where St. Irenaeus himself was Bishop and other places c. 29. And finally the Council of Nice confirmed the same as the Fathers thereof do testifie by their particular Letters to the Clergy of Alexandria whose words are these as Theodoretus relateth them Scitote controversiam de Paschate susceptam prudenter sedatam esse Ita ut omnes fratres qui Orientem incolunt jam Romanos nos omnes vos sint consentientibus animis in eodem celebrando deinceps sequuturi You must understand that the Controversie about celebrating Easter taken in hand by us is prudently pacified so as all our Brethren that inhabit the East-parts will follow for the time to come the Romans or the Roman Church Us and the Authority of the Council and all You of the Aegyptian Church with full consent of mind in celebrating the same Feast Note here That the Council doth put the Authority of the Church of Rome in the first place even before Themselves and then Themselves and the Authority of the Council in the second place and those of Alexandria in the third which is another reckoning than our Heretics are wont to make of the Roman Church 30. Constantine also the Emperour writing his Letters to all Bishops of the Christian World that had not been present at the Council of Nice nor could come yieldeth account unto them with great Christian Modesty and Zeal of the chief Matters handled in that Council Where coming to speak of the Decree of celebrating Easter he saith thus Cùm de sanctissimo Festo Paschatis disceptaretur communi omnium sententia videbatur rectum esse ut omnes ubique uno eodemque die illud celebrarent When the Question was proposed about celebrating the holy Feast of Easter it seemed good by the common consent of all that were present in this Council that all Christians should celebrate the same in one and the self-same day which day he sheweth to be Sunday and refuteth at large the Custom of celebrating the same with the Jews upon the fourteenth day of the Moon tho' it were a Feria concluding thus Quae cum ita se habent c. Which things being so do you willingly embrace this Decree of the Council as a great Gift of God and a Commandment sent from Heaven forasmuch as whatsoever is decreed by holy Council of Bishops that must be ascribed to God's holy Will. Wherefore do you declare and denounce unto all our dear Brethren living among you the Decrees of this Council and namely the Decree of celebrating this holy Feast c. 31. Thus wrote our good British Emperour Constantine with a far different Spirit from those Christian Inhabitants of Britanny who afterwards defended the contrary Custom without respect of holy Decree of the Nicene Council but far more opposite and contrary is the wicked Spirit of John Bale John Fox and other such latter Brutish rather than British Sectaries that even in our days after that the Roman Catholic Use hath been received for thirteen hundred years since the said Council they are content for hatred of the Name of Rome to bring it into Controversie again and to allow rather the Jewish Use and to praise them that defend it in our Countrey as you have heard rejecting and defacing others that stood for the Catholic Party tho' never otherwise so famous and illustrious for their Learning and Vertue as Beda Agilbert Wilfrid and others the chiefest Pillars of our Primitive English Church were But this is their shameless Spirit to dishonor wherein possibly they can their Forefathers 32. And thus much of this matter about the first Conversion or Preaching of Christian Faith in Britanny under the Apostles Now will we pass to the more public Conversion of our Land under King Lucius which as in my Ward-word I called the First in respect of our two public Conversions from Paganism so do I here name it the Second in regard of the former Preaching in the Apostles Time. About which Conversion tho' in effect our Modern Heretics dare not deny the same yet shall you hear no less wrangling of them about this than the former for the great grief they receive in that it should be said or thought to come from Rome CHAP. IV. Of the Second Conversion of Britanny under King Lucius by Pope Eleutherius and Teachers sent from him about the year of Christ 180 and of the notorious absurd Cavillations of Heretics about the same also ALL that hitherto hath been spoken is about the first Preaching of Christian Religion in Britanny by particular men within the first Age or hundred years after Christ which our Roman Enemies only upon Envy and Animosity without any one Testimony of Antiquity will needs take from Rome and the Roman Church and give it to the Grecians of Asia and to the East parts as you have heard Now do follow two other more famous and public Conversions of the said Island under the two renowned Popes of Rome and by their special Industry which are acknowledged and registred by the whole Christian World and do so much press the Spleen and move the Gall of our Rome-biters as they leave no corner of their Wits unsifted to discredit or reject the same 2. The first Conversion was as the Warder saith under Pope Eleutherius towards the end of the second Age after Christ when King Lucius of Britanny hearing of the
great and horrible Persecutions of Christians in Rome and of their often Martyrings and that they remained constant notwitstanding in their Christian Faith to all mens admiration and that their number did increase daily even of the chiefest Nobility and that two worthy Senators in particular Pertinax and Tretellius had been lately converted from Paganism to profess Christ yea that the Emperour himself Marcus Aurelius then living began to be a Friend to Christians in respect of a famous Victory obtained by their Prayers all which things Baronius sheweth the Emperour's Legat in England to have told Lucius For these causes I say and for that he hated the Romans and their Old Religion to whom he understood the Christians to be contrary he resolved to be instructed in that Religion And understanding the chief Fountain thereof to be at Rome contented not himself either with Instructions he might have at home by Christians there nor yet from the Christian Bishops flourishing then in France as St. Irenaeus Photinus and others but sent men to Rome to demand Preachers of Eleutherius the Pope who directed to him two Romans named Fugatius and Damianus by whom the said King and his Countrey were converted about the year of Christ 180 as John Fox holdeth but as Baronius thinketh 183 from whom Pamelius Genebrard Nauclerus and other Chronographers do little dissent tho' Marianus Scotus doth put it in the year 177. And this Conversion of Britanny under King Lucius is testified both by the ancient Books of the Lives of the Roman Bishops attributed by some to Damasus as also by the ancient Ecclesiastical Tables and Martyrologies yet extant as Baronius proveth and by St. Bede in his History of England and after him by Ado Archbishop of Trevers and Marianus Scotus anno 177 and all Authors since 3. This then being so and John Fox the Father of Lies not â—â—â—ing openly to impugn the same yet granteth he the thing with such difficulty and strainings and telleth the story with so many hems and haws ifs and ands Interpretations and Restrictions as a man may see how greatly it grieveth him to confess the substance thereof I mean of this second Conversion by Pope Eleutherius and therefore he turneth himself hither and thither now granting now denying now doubting now equivocating as is both ridiculous and shameful to behold For as on the one side he would gladly deny the Truth of this Story so on the other side being press'd with the Authorities before alledged and general consent of all Writers he dareth not to utter himself plainly but endeavoureth to leave the Reader in suspence and doubtful whether it were true or no which is the effect most desired commonly of Heretical Writers to bring all things in doubt and question and there to leave the Reader And to this purpose doth the Fox tell us first That divers Authors of later Times do not agree about the certain year wherein this Conversion of King Lucius did happen some saying more and some saying less But what is this to the overthrow of the thing it self For that about the particular times wherein things were done there is often found no small variety among principal Writers and about principal Points and Mysteries of our Faith as about the coming of the Magi and Martyrdom of the Infants about the time of Christ's Baptism yea also of his Passion what Year and Day each of these things happened which yet doth not derogate from the certainty of the things themselves 4. And this is his first Cavil or rather light Skirmish whereby he would somewhat batter or weaken the credit of the Story before he cometh to lay the full Assault which ensueth immediately with seven double Cannons planted by him which he calleth seven good conjectural Reasons against the Tradition of Antiquity about this Conversion of Britanny from Pope Eleutherius Wherein notwithstanding you must note That he proposeth the Controversie as tho' his purpose were only to prove that Pope Eleutherius was not the first that converted England which thing as it might be granted in the sense before often touched if he spake or meant plainly so finding him to deal guilefully and to go about to prove in the end as appeareth by his Conclusion that Eleutherius converted not King Lucius at all but only helpt perhaps to convert him or to instruct him better in Religion being a Christian before I am constrained to examin briefly the Force or rather Fraud and Folly of these his seven Arguments to the end you may judge thereby how he behaveth himself in so main a Volume as his Acts and Monuments do contain seeing that in this one matter he beareth himself so fondly and maliciously And for brevities sake I will reduce the said seven Arguments to three general Heads or Kinds shewing first that all are Impertinent secondly that some besides Impertinency have also gross Ignorance thirdly that others besides these two commendations have Fraud and plain Imposture in them 5. To the first kind of Impertinent do appertain his fourth fifth and sixth Arguments handled by me before against the Magdeburgians to wit that St. Bede said in his time That the Britans celebrated Easter after the fashion of the East-Church that Petrus Cluniacensis testifieth the same in his days of some Scots and that Nicephorus saith that Simon Zelotes preached the Gospel in England All which three Arguments as they do serve to no purpose here but to shew that Fox stealeth all out of the Magdeburgians so no other Answer is needful to be made unto them than that which before hath been written seeing that all being granted that here is said yet proveth it nothing that the Faith of Britanny came not from Rome and consequently all is impertinent 6. Of the second sort both Impertinent and Ignorant Arguments are his second and third probations My second reason is saith he out of Tertullian who living near-about or rather somewhat before this Eleutherius testifieth in his Book contra Judaeos that the Gospel was dispersed abroad by the sound of Apostles in divers Countreys and then among other Kingdoms he reciteth also the parts of Britanny c. Thus you see how impertinent it is to the purpose we have in hand for that it concludeth not but that Pope Eleutherius after the Apostles time might convert King Lucius and his People publicly by Fugatius and Damianus as we affirm And then secondly it includeth notorious Error and Ignorance in that he saith Tertullian lived before Eleutherius for that it is prov'd out of Tertullian's own Works and Words especially in his Book de Pallio wherein he yieldeth the reason wherefore he changed his Habit from a Gown to a Cloak as Christians were wont to do in those days that he was converted to the Christian Faith in the tenth year of Pope Victor that was Successor to Eleutherius which was Anno Domini 196. And moreover he wrote
of Religion he wrote again to have the Civil and Imperial Laws sent over to him whereby to govern his Kingdom according to Christian Religion 19. All this I say doth Fox set down afterward very particularly shewing that after King Lucius and his Realm had received the Baptism of Christ were made Christians and had turned twenty-eight Heathen Flamens and three Archflamens that were before of Gentiles into so many Christian Bishops and Archbishops All this being done and well settled the foresaid King Lucius saith he sent again to the said Eleutherius for the Roman Laws thereby likewise to be governed as in Religion now they were framed accordingly Vnto whom Eleutherius again writeth after the tenor of these words following Ye require of us the Roman Laws c. 20. Whereby it is evident that this Letter of Eleutherius if it be true and not feigned by Fox was written to King Lucius some number of years after his Conversion seeing he could not setttle his Realm as here Fox describeth but in some good space of time Holinshead Hooker and Harrison Disciples also of this Fox in this do take upon them to determine the Time tho' I know not by what Authority saying That it was three years after King Lucius his Conversion and Baptism The Faith of Christ say they being thus planted in the Island Anno 177 it came to pass the third year of the Gospel received that Lucius did send again to Eleutherius the Bishop requiring that he might have some brief Epitome of the Order of Discipline then used in the Church c. 21. Thus hold they and that upon this second Embassage followed the foresaid Letter of Eleutherius to King Lucius Which if it be true then let them give Sentence of their good Father what an egregious Hypocrit and Deceiver he was to argue out of this Letter That forasmuch as it appeareth by the same that King Lucius was a Christian when this Letter was written Ergo King Lucius was not converted by Eleutherius but by some other before him tho' perhaps he might help somewhat to his Confirmation in Religion c. 22. But now to the substance of the Letter it self or rather of the piece or parcel that it hath pleased Fox and these his Scholars to impart with us You must note first That these good Scholars seeing their Master to have left us this English Epistle of Eleutherius so imperfect and curtail'd as it seemeth to have neither end or just beginning do say that the rest was lost which yet Fox telleth us not Secondly they seeing the Title to make much against them left it out as before hath been said Thirdly touching the very Corps it self of the Epistle set down by him they put it down so different both in Words Sentences Authorities and Texts of Scripture from that which Fox hath as it sheweth either the thing to be wholly feigned by Them or their Master or that they have a great Liberty and Priviledge to alter the same at their pleasures 23. And this would be sufficient for this matter but further perchance you might demand Why this Epistle of Eleutherius is alledged and urged so earnestly by them seeing it seemeth to make so little for them Whereunto I answer That the chiefest Causes seem to be two or three The first That Fox might frame thereupon his former foolish Argument That forasmuch as by this Epistle it appeareth that King Lucius was a Christian when this Epistle was written by Eleutherius it may seem that Eleutherius converted him not nor any other sent from Rome the falshood and childishness of which Argument hath been sufficiently laid open before 24. The second Cause is to found two points of Doctrin thereon The one That Scriptures only are sufficient to govern any Kingdom without other Ecclesiastical Civil or Temporal Laws which yet themselves do not practise where they have Dominion as experience teacheth us The other point is That every King is God's Vicar that is to say absolute and supreme Head in all Causes as well Spiritual as Temporal within his Realm and to this end is brought in the Testimony of this Letter of Eleutherius not only by Fox Holinshead Hooker Harrison Hastings and other of that Crew taking one from another that Argument but even their great Champion Jewell as Holinshead relateth in the first Volume of his Stories 25. The Reverend Father John Jewell saith he sometime Bishop of Salisbury writeth in his Reply unto Harding 's Answer That the said Eleutherius for general Order to be taken in the Realm and Churches here wrote his advice to Lucius in manner and form following Ye have received in the Kingdom of Britanny by God's Mercy both the Law and Faith of Christ ye have both the New and the Old Testament out of the same through God's Grace by the advice of your Realm make a Law and by the same through God's sufferance rule your Kingdom of Britanny for in that Kingdom you are God's Vicar c. 26. These are the words alledged by Master Jewel out of this Epistle which differ not much from that which is in Fox and Holinshead But both of them do add a third Clause out of the said Epistle which is this A King hath his name of Ruling and not of having a Realm You shall be a King while you rule well but if you do otherwise the name of a King shall not remain with you but you shall utterly lose and forgo it which God forbid And then maketh Holinshead this Annotation in these words Hitherto out of the Epistle that Eleutherius sent unto Lucius wherein many pretty Observations are to be collected if time and place would serve to stand upon them 27. So he saith but what Annotations these are he declareth not tho' it be easie to guess by others which he maketh in other places For that in the very next page before he maketh us a very grave Discourse How that Lucius sent to Rome the second time for a Copy of such politic Orders as were then used in the Regiment of the Church but that Eleutherius for divers reasons thought it best not to lay any more upon the Necks of the New Converts of Britanny than Christ and his Apostles had already set down to all men in the Scriptures And is not this a wise Discourse as tho' no Temporal Laws were to be made in a Christian Commonwealth but only those that are set down in Scriptures Who seeth not the madness of these Conclusions or Illations Nay who doth not consider how greatly this matter is against themselves That King Lucius dwelling so far off from Rome as he did yea being otherwise an Enemy to the Roman Nation as these men confess that he was did notwithstanding so highly respect even in those ancient days the See and Bishop of Rome that he submitted himself thereto and demanded from thence direction not
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
these Men deny it flatly for so much as they say that our first Faith received from Rome was not the true Faith of Christ nor of Christendom but a particular Romish Faith full of Error Superstition and Idolatry as you have heard yea worse if we will believe Holinshed Hooker and Harrison than was the Paganism which Englishmen professed before their Conversion And then followeth that for so much as they hold also that the longer Religion endured in England the worse it waxed needs must they conclude that when Luther began his Gospel our Fathers and Grandfathers were no Christians at all and much less true Christians And this for them 23. But if we will talk of our selves that now live in England we must needs also conclude the same to wit that after all Mutations made in England about Religion since Luther began the Protestants cannot be sure with any Reason that they are true Christians or have yet received the right Faith or Gospel unto this day Which I prove thus First for that the Gospel preached by Luther was never yet admitted wholly into England For at the very beginning thereof under King Henry it was contradicted by him and the State during his whole Reign yea condemned for Heretical as by many Decrees as well of Parliaments as otherwise by particular Ordinances is manifest his Majesty always holding Luther's Opinions for Heresies and according thereunto burned the Professors thereof for Heretics unto his dying day as is notorious Tho' in one Article about the Popes Supremacy he concurred with them but not as taking the same from Luther or his Doctrin So as Luthers Gospel if it were a Gospel as John Fox calleth it every where in his Acts and Monuments was never yet received in England For that in King Edwards days the Doctrin of Zuinglius and not of Luther was admitted Which Doctrin Luther always held for opposite to his and for plain Heresie as before at large hath been declared 24. And as for her Majesties time that now is clear it is that neither of both the former Doctrins or Gospels have formally or fully been admitted I mean neither the Lutherans or Zwinglians but rather the Doctrin of a third opposite in many Points to them both to wit of John Calvin And yet neither hath this Gospel been so frankly or generally received or practised as the chief Professors thereof and such as take themselves to follow the same most exactly I mean the Puritans do remain content but rather complain that their true Doctrin indeed and Gospel was never hitherto truly established in our Country as in the first Encounter against Sir Francis we have shewed abundandtly 25. So as if the first Gospel of St. Augustin brought into England from Rome wherewith our Ancestors lived and professed Christianity for 900 years together were not the true Gospel of Christ indeed nor the other Gospel of Martin Luther that appeared to the World in the year 1517 was ever admitted into England in King Henry's time that died in the year 1547. And if from thence forward under King Edward Zwinglius's Doctrin and not Luthers was established for the English Gospel of that time And if under her Majesty that now is neither of these two but Calvins Doctrin and Gospel hath been admitted tho' yet with such Restrictions and Alterations as the purest Patrons thereof say it is not their Gospel but a patched thing as before at large we have declared what followeth then I say but that we Englishmen have yet no true Gospel at all nor ever had and consequently we were never yet true Christians nor are at this day For that the Christianity of the antient English from King Ethelbert to King Henry VIII was no true Christianity as these men say and much less will they grant of the Religion established by King Henry as opposite as well to Protestants as to Catholics That also of King Edward's days was different from all and that which now is in England is contradicted as well by Lutherans Zuinglians and Puritans as by Catholics Where then and among whom shall we find the true Gospel 26. One only shift these people do pretend which is to run to the Britans Religion at that time when St. Augustin came into England for this both Fox and Bale do acknowledge to have been the right Religion and to use their words the naked unspotted Gospel and far different from the Romish Religion that Augustin brought in from Gregory wherefore that point resteth now to be examined And albeit you have heard a little before how Holinshead accuseth the Britans Religion of Pelagianism and other Heresies yet Bale writeth thus Priùs illic fuerit Christianismus c. Christian Religion was in Britanny before the coming of Augustin and his Fellows But it was not to their commodity for that it was without Masses and without distinction of Meats or Days and the Britans observed the bare naked Gospel without Jewish Ceremonies c. 27. So writeth he And Fox as before you have heard said That for 400 years after Pope Eleutherius and King Lucius Religion remained in Britanny uncorrupt and the Word of Christ truly preached till about the coming of Augustin and his Fellows from Rome c. And yet he cannot deny but that in this space both the Pelagian and other Heresies had entred also among them and that some Reliques thereof remained even when Augustin arrived And whereas they say that the British Religion before the coming of Augustin was uncorrupt and free from all Jewish Ceremonies it is ridiculous forasmuch as we have shewed before that the chiefest difference between these two Religions at that day was about a Jewish Ceremony observ'd by the Britans against the Order and Faith of the Church of Rome to wit the superstitious keeping Easter day upon the fourteenth of the first Moon of March together with the Jews 28. But as for other substantial points of Faith especially such as be at this day in controversie between Us and Protestants as Mass Sacrifice Fasting observing of Holydays and the like here named the old Britans Religion did agree with that of Rome brought in by St. Augustin and so hath continued until this day and this shall we shew in the Chapter following So as if the old British Faith was the true Faith We have it among Catholics at this day and not Protestants as shall be declared CHAP. IX That the Roman Religion brought into England by St. Augustin under Pope Gregory was the very same that was brought in before under Pope Eleutherius by Fugatius and Damianus and continued afterward among the Britans until the coming of St. Augustin to the English Nation WE have shewed before how that the Christian Faith preached in England in the Apostles time was the Roman Faith and that the increase or public Establishment thereof again under King Lucius was also from Rome and finally that the third
Calixtus the Second Whereby appeareth that the Britans were not only Papists in those days before the coming of St. Augustin but had Papist Gods and Saints also there Yet this Man might live according to Bale to have seen the times of St. Augustin's entrance for that he saith he flourished in the year 440. and lived in all 146 years tho' Gerrad Cambrensis Polydor and others do make him somewhat more ancient 10. And for that we have talked here of John Bale and that the testimonies taken from Enemies themselves are of greatest weight against themselves we shall in this place touch certain Points briefly of the chief Preachers and Pastors among the Britans in those days to wit for the next two hundred years before the coming of St. Augustin into England Which Preachers are mentioned and much praised both by Fox and Bale as true Teachers in those days whereof Fox writeth thus In this Age to wit after the Peace restored to the Church by Constantine followed here in the land of Britanny Fastidius Ninianus Patricius Bacchiarius Dubritius Congellus Kentegernus Helmotus David Daniel Sampson Elnodugus Assaphus Gildas Henlanus Elbodus Dinothus Samuel Nivius and a great sort more which governed the Britan Church by Christian Doctrin a long season albeit the civil Governours for the time were dissolute and careless as Gildas very sharply doth lay to their Charge and so at length were subdued by the Saxons And all this while about the space of 400 years to wit from the time of King Lucius Religion remained in Britanny uncorrupt and the word of Christ truly preached until about the coming of St. Augustin and his Companions from Rome c. 11. Here now you see the chief Teachers of the British Church Nineteen in number for the space of 400 years as Fox avoweth set down in order and highly praised by him but neither his Order or Argument is worth a rush For as for his Order he beginneth with Fastidius that lived not two hundred years before St. Augustin's coming tho he name four hundred And then he putteth some before that lived long after the rest and sometimes skippeth over 100 years together from one to another as you shall see by the Examen And for his Argument how many lies and errors it containeth shall easily appear by the Sequel of this Discourse For first concerning two of the chief in this Catalogue contained to wit Dubritius and David Archbishops of the Britans you have seen before that they were Roman Catholics and canonized many Ages after their Death by Roman Bishops which they would never have done if they had differed from them in any Point of Religion But now let us see of the rest for I see not what reason there is why Fox should so commend these two 12. The first four are Fastidius Ninianus Patricius and Bacchiarius all which are found to have been Catholic Men and held the common Faith of Rome in those days nor any of them ever favoured any of these new Doctrins brought in by our new Gospellers Trithemius maketh mention of Fastidius whose Sirname was Priscus Bishop of the Britans a Man of rare Life and great Learning in the Scriptures and a singular Preacher and lived in the time of Honorius and Theodosius the Emperors about the year of Christ 420. The same do write of him both Honorius Gennadius and Bergomas And John Bale concurreth with the rest adding that he was Archbishop of London and that amongst other his Works he wrote one De Viduitate servanda of keeping Widowhood without marryig again By which only work you may know that he was not of John Bale's Religion What we have written also of the Religion of St. German and his fellow Bishops that came into England may easily declare what Religion this Man was of who being then Archbishop of London must needs be presumed to have had a great part in their calling in as also to have joyned with them against the Pelagians which he would not have done if they had not been all of one Religion And thus much of him 13. Of St. Ninianus who converted the Picts to Christian Religion St. Bede maketh most honorable mention in the Third Book of his Ecclesiastical History and the Roman Martyrologe doth cite him for a Saint upon the Sixteenth day of September Which would never have been permitted if he had been in any one thing different from the Roman Faith. Nay John Bale writeth of him thus Ninianus Bernitius ex Regio Britannorum sanguine procreatus Italiam adhuc adolescens petiit Romae apud divini verbi ministros mysteria veritatis edoctus ad plenum celer in patriam remigrabat c. miraculis ac sanctitate clarissimus obiit anno 432. St. Ninian Bernitius being descended of the Blood of the King 's of Britanny went in his youth into Italy and being fully taught the Mysteries of Gods Word in Rome he returned swiftly to his Country again where he flourished exceedingly in Miracles and Sanctity of Life and after died in the year of Christ 432. Mark here that Princes Children became Priests in those days and went to Rome to learn Divinity and that this Man having done so and brought back into Britanny the Christian Doctrin of Rome wrought Miracles thereby Ergo he was no Protestant so that here Bale testifieth against himself 14. There followeth of Patricius in John Fox but indeed he should have put Palladius before Patricius For so doth Bale and he hath Reason for that he was a famous Teacher in Britanny and sent from Rome by Pope Caelestinus before Patricius as Bale doth note saying first of Palladius Hic à Caelestino Romanorum Pontifice Antistes mittebatur c. This Man was sent Bishop from Caelestinus Pope of Rome to drive out of Britanny the Pelagian Heresie which at that time had infected the greater part thereof and to reduce the Scots to true Piety c. He flourished about the year of Christ 431. c. So saith he And the same is confirmed by that which Prosper a far better Author than Bale writeth in his Chronicle where he saith that Palladius was sent by Caelestinus Pope in the year 432 into Britanny but especially to the Scots as testifieth also St. Bede in his Story So as in this time also the Popes of Rome had Supreme Care in Spiritual Affairs both among the Britans and Scots seeing he appointed them Bishops from Rome 15. And this is confirmed also by the other Example of Patricius who as John Bale saith was sirnamed Mangonius and was born in Britanny of the Family of Senators and thereby called Patricius but yet of kindred by his Mother to St. Martin Bishop of Tours study'd Divinity in Rome and thence sent by Caelestinus the Pope to preach to the Irish-men Istum saith he ad Scotos Hibernos post Palladium Graecum misit ut eos à Pelagianorum tueretur
what they say or avouch so they say somewhat against Rome and those that any way favoured the same wherein passion doth so greatly blind them as they cannot discern when they alledge matters plainly against themselves as you have seen in the former enumeration of British Teachers Pastors and Prelates whom they would have us think to have been of a different Religion from that of Rome whereas their own words testimonies condition and state of life do testifie the contrary And so I leave these men to their folly and impudency in this behalf CHAP. XI The Deduction of the aforesaid Catholic Roman Religion planted in England by St. Augustin from his time to our days And that from King Ethelbert who first received the same unto King Henry VIII there was never any public interruption of the said Religion in our Land. HAving shewed before how that the Roman Catholic Faith was first preached in our Island under the Apostles and then again in the next Age under Pope Eleutherius and thirdly four Ages after that again under Pope Gregory and that all this was but one and the self-same Religion continued renewed and revived in divers times under divers States and People of the Realm there may seem to remain only now two other points considerable in this affair The first Whether this Religion brought in by St. Augustin to England were held at that day for the only true Religion of Christendom and so accepted by all the World The other Whether that Religion then planted hath come down and been continued in England ever since by continual Succession until the first public alteration made thereof in our days For if this be so then is the demonstration easie to be made even from the Apostles Times to Ours 2. And for the first tho' we have handled the same somewhat before yet briefly we will add now That there can be no doubt at all in this matter with men of Reason and Judgment but that St. Augustin and his Fellows brought in with them the whole Body of Religion as well touching Articles of Belief as Ceremonies and Ecclesiastical Customs which were at that time in use at Rome whence they came and in other Catholic Countreys by which they passed namely Italy France and Flanders from which Countreys Pope Gregory himself exhorteth them by his Letters to take such good Ecclesiastical Uses as they should see most agreeable to Piety Edification and Devotion which is a sign that all those Countreys agreed fully in Faith and Belief with Rome at that day and were perfectly Catholic tho' in some external Ceremonies belonging to Devotion there might be difference And forasmuch as the French Bishops St. German St. Lupus and St. Severus 150 years as hath been said before the entrance of St. Augustin planted in Britanny the French Catholic Faith against the Pelagians and these men coming from Rome found no fault therewith most certain it is that all was one And finally if we do consider the Works Writings and Actions of Pope Gregory related by us before partly out of St. Isidore living at that time in Spain partly out of his own Epistles yet extant written to the chiefest Bishops of the Christian World and their Answers to him again together with their agreement in Faith and Religion If we do consider also the Heresies condemned in his days by Him and his Authority as the Eutychians Monothelites and others which our Protestants also do condemn for Heresies at this day By all this I say and by infinite other Arguments and Demonstrations that may be made it is most evident that either Christ had no Visible Church or Catholic Religion in those days which were most foolish and wicked to imagin or that the Religion of St. Gregory and his Church of Rome and others of others of the same Communion was in that Age the only true Catholic Church and consequently had in it the only true Catholic Faith and Religion of Christ whereby Christians might be saved which also is proved most evidently by infinit Miracles wrought in England and in divers other Countreys upon manifold occasions during this time of our Primitive Church as shall appear more in particular in the deduction of our second point which is the continuance of this same Religion from St. Augustin to Thomas Cranmer the first and last Archbishops of Canterbury following by Succession the one the other for the space of above 900 years the first dying a Saint the last ending in Apostacy as after shall be shewed 3. Wherefore to come to the second point about the deduction of Catholic Religion in our Nation from St. Augustin downward first of all St. Bede talking of the planting thereof and of our first Primitive Church whose progress and increase he describeth for the space of almost 140 years after the entrance of St. Augustin hath these words Gregorius Pontifex Divino admonitus instinctu servum Dei Augustinum alios plures cum eo Monachos timentes Dominum misit praedicare verbum Dei genti Anglorum c. Gregory the Pope being admonished by heavenly Instinct did send God's Servant Augustin and others Monks with him that feared God to preach his Word to the English Nation in the 14th year of Mauritius the Emperour which was of Christ 596 and the 4th after that St. Gregory was made Pope 4 These holy men landed in the Isle of Thanet belonging to the Kingdom of Kent for that the whole Dominion of the Saxons in those days which was all the Land except Scotland and the other part now called Wales whither the reliques of Britans were retir'd was divided into seven several States and Dominions which they called Kingdoms The first whereof to speak of them according as they received the Faith was the Kingdom of Kent whose King Ethelbert being the fourth in number from Hengistus that began the same about the year of Christ 450 afterward first of all other received the Christian Faith at the preaching of St. Augustin about the year of Christ 600 that is to say an hundred and fifty years after they had reigned as Pagans there 5. The second Kingdom was of the East-Saxons and contained the Shires now called Essex Middlesex and Hartfordshire The first founder of which Kingdom was Erchenwine about the year of our Lord 527 as Stow and some others do hold tho' Malmesbury doth write otherwise but both do agree that under King Seebert or as Bede calleth him Sabered those Provinces were converted to Christian Religion by the preaching of St. Mellitus Fellow to St. Augustin and first Bishop of their chief City of London whither he was sent by St. Augustin from Centerbury in the year of Christ 604. 6 The third Kingdom was of the East-Angles which contained the Shires of Norfolk Suffolk Cambridge and the Isle of Ely. Which Kingdom was begun about the year of Christ 492 by one Vffa but converted after to
the first an earnest Lutheran the other two Zwinglians 14. All these demonstrations I say King Henry made this year of his Catholic Opinion and Judgment in all points except in matter of Supremacy which was his own Interest And for the other six years which he lived afterwards he vary'd not from this but rather confirm'd the same as we may see by his burning of Anne Askew for denying the Real Presence in the Sacrament not many months before his death and by his own hearing of Mass in his bed and receiving the blessed Sacrament on his knees when he was not able to stand on his feet but especially by that which Bishop Gardiner testified while he lived and preached the same in a public Sermon at Paul's Cross that the said King not long before his dying day when he sent him Embassador to a Diet in Germany gave him special Commission in secret to procure by the means of some Catholic Princes and of the Pope's Legat and Nuntio there some honorable condition for his Majesty's reconciliation with the Pope and See of Rome again which tho' God of his secret Judgment permitted him not to effectuate by the shortness of his life yet appeareth it by this what his sense in matters of Religion was 15. So then now we have that Catholic Church and Religion continued in England during King Henry's Reign both in Prince and People tho' much turmoil'd by Faction Schisms and Heresie wherein notwithstanding she no more lost her possession and continuance than she did in time of the raging Arians Donatists or other Sectaries that prevailed in power for the present time either generally or in some particular Provinces as Lutherans and Zwinglians also did in King Henry's days in divers places or do at this day which yet was and is so as they are easily distinguished from the other not only by the Divisions and Differences among themselves but also for that the Union of the Catholic Religion doth ever shew it self in some Regions adjoyning yea commonly also even in those very places where these Sects do range and bear most rule some Catholics do remain to contradict them openly and to plead for their old possession and the greater the Persecution is the greater and more eminent is this Catholic contradicting part stirred up and increased by the very Power and Vertue of the Cross of Christ in Persecution as before hath been noted 16. And this was the state of Catholic Religion in King Henry's Reign to wit that it was held and defended publicly except only the Article of Ecclesiastical Supremacy denied to the Pope whereunto notwithstanding many thousands of the Realm never agreed and consequently were truly Catholics Heretics also were punished especially those three Sects that principally ranged at that time to wit Lutherans Anabaptists and Zwinglians all three taking their Origin from Luther so as of all these three Sects King Henry burned many and albeit of the fourth sort of men that opposed themselves against him to wit Catholics he put divers also to death under the name of Papists yet both this very Name as also the different manner of their Deaths but above all the nature of their Cause doth evidently distinguish them from the other and shew that their Deaths were true Martyrdoms and the others due Punishment for their Wickedness 17. For first the name of Papists that signifieth them to hold with the Pope as Supreme Head of their Church importeth no more hurt or offence than if any Sedition moved within any Realm those that hold with the King should be called Kinglings or those for example that hold part with the Mayor of London when any Apprentices would raise Rebellion against him should scornfully be called Mayorists and generally for a man to hold with his Lawful Superiour cannot be termed a Faction and much less an Heresie 18. Secondly the very difference and manner of punishment used by King Henry towards both parts the one by Fire the others by Beheading and Hanging doth evidently shew what difference he made of them the one as of Heretics and the other as of men offending against his State and Person after he had made the Supremacy Ecclesiastical to be a matter of his State and of his Royal Dignity whereby also he shewed that he was no Gospeller 19. But now for the third point which is the most important of all the rest to shew the difference in these mens Causes and that the Catholics suffered innocently for their Conscience and consequently were true Martyrs and that the other sorts of Sectaries were punished deservedly as Malefactors it is not hard to prove to him that is of any mean consideration or indifferency in matters For first who will not grant but that he that is an honest and good man when he goeth to bed for example cannot easily be made an evil man in his sleep without any motive of his affection or free will at all And again He that is a good and true Subject towards his Prince and Countrey this day how can he well to morrow be judged a Traytor the highest sin of all other if in the mean space he change not his mind nor do any act of word or deed contrary to that he did before And yet this was the Cause of the Catholics put to death under King Henry for the Supremacy 20. As for Example Sir Thomas More was Prisoner in the Tower of London upon some displeasure in the year 1534 where he attending only to his Prayers as himself testifieth and to the Writing of some Spiritual Books pertaining to the contempt of this present transitory World there passed in the mean time a Statute in the Parliament-house appointing that whomsoever did not believe the King's Majesty to be Supreme Head of the Church of England in causes Ecclesiastical should be a Traitor and suffer death for it which seeming a new and strange thing unto him and contrary to the belief of all his Forefathers he could not so soon conform himself thereunto and consequently refused when he was demanded to subscribe to the Statute and to make so great a change in his Faith upon the change of others for which soon after he was put to death not for that he had attempted altered or innovated any thing as you see but for that he would not alter and make innovation And this was the proper true cause of all Catholics that suffered for the Supremacy under King Henry VIII 20. But on the contrary side the others that were put to death by him as Sectaries did wickedly and presumptuously alter and innovate of their own heads many things about Belief and Doctrin different from that which they had received and contrary to the Belief of all their Forefathers ancient Christians for many Ages together and that with such obstinacy as no Reason Authority Discipline or Order no Witness Human or Divine could prevail with them and albeit for this obstinacy
each Sect pretended Scriptures for themselves yet the vertue and substance of Scriptures consisting in their true meaning and interpretation thereof it was intolerable pride and insolency in them to arrogate to themselves the said true Interpretation and Exposition before the whole Church of God that went before them And hereof ensued the justness of their punishment which in Catholics can have no place as before hath been shewed Yet one Example of each sort of these men shall we here alledge thereby better to declare the Case 21. King Henry during his Reign caused sundry sorts of men to be put to death about matter of Religion as is notorious and first certain Anabaptists and new Arians namely in the 27th and 30th years of his Reign In the former of these two Condemnations were nineteen Men and six Women as Stow and others do relate and in the second were three Men and one Woman condemned These Anabaptists denied amongst other points that Children ought to be baptized before they come to years of discretion and can actually believe for defence of which Doctrin they stood resolutely upon many clear places of Scripture as to them then seemed to wit Qui crediderit baptizatus fuerit salvus erit Marc. 16. He that shall believe and be baptized shall be saved Lo say they it is necessary to believe as well as to be baptized which Infants being not able to do ought not to receive Baptism in their Infancy or if they do they must be rebaptized again when they come to years of discretion Thus reasoned they And besides this Text they and their chief Masters do alledge almost thirty places of Scripture more which seem most plain and evident to them as by their Books that are extant appeareth 22. The like places they do alledge also for that other absurd Position of theirs That no Magistrate may punish by death as for example those words of God Exod. 20. Non occides Thou shalt not kill and again the saying of our Savior Omnes qui acceperint gladium gladio peribunt Matth. 26. All that use the sword shall perish by the sword Thus said the Anabaptists from which by no means could they be drawn but went willingly to the fire for testimony of their Opinions The Arians also denying the Equality of God the Son with the Father alledged no less plain places as they would have them to seem namely that of Christ himself in St. John's Gospel ch 14. Pater meus major me est My Father is greater than I and many other which were too long here to recite And this of them who burned together obstinately in one fire in England 23. But what shall we say of the Lutherans Do not they alledge plain places also both against Us and Calvinists as themselves think For against Calvinists in defence of the Real Presence in the Sacrament they urge the plain words of Christ as we do Hoc est corpus meum This is my Body And against us for their gross Opinion that the substance of Bread and Wine remaineth together with the Body of Christ they alledge many places of Scripture where it is called Bread which places the Zuinglians accepting do turn the same against the Lutherans affirming that for so much as it is so oftentimes called Bread in the Scripture it is not the true Body of Christ at all And this passed between Fryer Barns and the two Apostata Priests Gerard and Jerom burned with him The first a fervent Lutheran the other two earnest Zuinglians all three consumed by Fire at one Stake in Smithfield by King Henries appointment in the Thirty-second year of his Reign 24. But now was there a third or fourth sort of Sectaries in K. Henries days who were neither Anabaptists Arians nor yet perfect Lutherans or Zwinglians but would have the Controversie of the Blessed Sacrament and Real Presence to be an indifferent thing to be believed or not believed as every Man should think best So held William Tyndall as also his Scholar John Frith whom John Fox doth compare to St. Paul and Timothy Frith being Burned in Smithfield by the Kings express Commandment in the Twenty-sixth year of his Reign and Tyndall not long after in Flanders by the said Kings procurement as more largely we shall declare in the Third Part of this Treatise when we come to examine John Fox his Calendar of Martyrs Now it shall be sufficient for proof of that we say to alledge Fox himself who setting down the Articles of Frith for which he was Burned assigneth this for the first First saith he the matter of the Sacrament is no necessary Article of Faith under pain of Damnation c. But may be believed or not believed as every Man shall think best And for proof thereof alledgeth divers Arguments out of Scripture that the Fathers forsooth of the Old Testament were saved by the same Faith that we are and yet were not bound to believe the Real Presence c. And Fox seemeth to like well both of this Argument and of the Heresie 25. Now then here be four or five sorts of Sectaries Condemned by King Henry and all defended themselves by shew of Scriptures but for that each of them doth reserve the interpretation of Scripture to themselves and thereby teacheth new Doctrin contrary to that which was received generally in the known Church before them to whose judgment and interpretation they will not yield themselves Hereof it followed that the indictment of Heresie lyeth truly and justly against them and that they were worthily Condemned and Burned for this Pride self-will and obstinacy But on the contrary side against the Catholics that died for the Ecclesiastical Supremacy of the Pope none of these Accusations can justly be laid for that they do neither stand upon their own judgment nor have invented any thing of new nor do adhere to their own Interpretations or Exposition of Scriptures but being accused do make their Plea and Defence far otherwise to wit that they found this Doctrin of the Popes Supremacy in use and practice before they were born as a thing received from Age to Age by the known Catholic Church time out of mind that they see all Christian Kingdoms and Princes to have embraced the same and General Councils to have allowed thereof That the Texts and Examples of Scripture alledged for the proof of this Article and all others whereon they stand are not inventions of their own but so expounded by Ancient Fathers and uniform consent of the Catholic Church that all our Christian English Kings from our first Conversion unto King Henry the Eighth acknowledged this Spiritual Authority of the Bishop of Rome and King Henry himself defended the same most earnestly with his own Pen not many years before against Luther and Lutherans That it is not a thing devised but delivered as Tertullian said of the Catholic Faith and therefore if any point thereof were to
Arundel Shrewsbury Paget and others they all died Catholicly and most of them in this Queens days when with much favour of the State they might have shewed themselves Heretics 40. And thus much for the Reign of King Edward after whom Queen Mary succeeding restored Catholic Religon to her seat and ancient possession again which having endured only five years it pleased God to give another trial and probation to his Servants by a new alteration in the beginning of her Majesty's Reign that now is but yet not so forsaking them nor their Cause but he left sufficient testimony in our Realm at that time what Religion had born rule unto that day and how and when the change began For first of all the Bishops and chief Prelates of the Realm not only resisted this mutation but most of them suffered Imprisonment or Banishment for the same as London Winchester Durham Carlisle Worcester Lichfield Ely Lincoln Peterborough Asaph Chester tho' some few other were not at first put in Prison but detained only in Custody and deprived as York Exceter Bath and Wells I will omit other principal men as Deans and Archdeacons of Churches as Dr. Cole of London Dr. Steward of Winchester Dr. Robinson of Durham Dr. Setland of Worcester Dr. Rambridge of Litchfield Dr. John Harpesfield of Norwich Dr. Joliff of Bristol Dr. Boxall of Windsor Dr. Nicholas Harpesfield of Canterbury Dr. Dracott of York Dr. Peter of Buckingham Dr. Cheasey of Middlesex and many others which were over-long to rehearse all I omit also Dr. Fecknam Abbot of Westminster and the two learned Priors of the Carthusians Chasey and Wilson and many other Religious Men that left their Livings and the Realm not to be forced to yield to this change Which multitude of learned Witnesses not to speak of infinite others of less degree being the chief throughout all Shires of England where they dwelt did well shew by their constant profession unto their dying days what root and foundation Catholic Religion had in England at that time and hath yet I doubt not as after shall be shewed 41. And albeit in these forty years and more that have endured since the beginning of this change the Temporal State of our Realm hath for our sins been opposite and enemy to this Religion with full intent to extirpate and extinguish the same yet such is the everlasting force of Truth and so faithful is the holy Providence of Almighty God for defence thereof in times of most need and pressure that the Catholic Faith and Profession thereof hath never been more eminent and illustrious in England than in this time of so grievous affliction there having been above an hundred Priests not to speak of others of other Degree that have made profession thereof at the Bars and Benches of most of all the Tribunals and Judgment-seats of England and have sealed also their Confession with most willing offering of their Blood. 42. And indeed that which is most rare and worthy noting in this affair is that most of them were born and bred in England during the time of her Majesty's Reign and were brought up in the Religion that now is professed within the Realm divers of them also had study'd at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge where they had heard the adverse Part alledge for themselves what they could and themselves had read and examined with no small diligence what grounds the Protestants had for their Opinions which being done they went over the Seas to hear and see the Catholic Party and so resolve themselves more substantially in such matters as nearest concerned their eternal Salvation wherein being throughly satisfied in all their doubts they passed further and became Priests and so returned into England again to impart to others the hidden Treasure of Truth which themselves had found out And albeit divers of them were of that Kindred and Parentage and so qualified also in themselves that they might have lived both wealthily and at their ease if they would have followed the World and present course of Times yet made they choice rather to fall into manifold Dangers Imprisonments and Death it self than to forsake the truth of Catholic Religion or forbear to communicate the same to others which is another manner of ground and foundation for their Constancy than John Fox recounteth in many of his Martyrs who upon toys became Protestants and of meer ignorance and obstinacy went to the Fire for the same as namely Joan Lashford a married Maid as he saith of twenty years old that took aversion from the Mass when she was but eleven years old upon very good grounds you must imagin in those years of her Age as also Agnes Potten and Joan Trunchfield the Wives of a Beer-brewer and Shoe-maker of Ipswich resolved to go to the Fire upon a certain Vision that one Samuel a Minister told them that he had in the Prison with them And upon the same ground it seemeth another Wench called Rose Nottingham embraced the said Minister and kissed him in the street as he went towards burning 43. Andrew Hewit in like manner an Apprentice of London of nineteen years old determined to die with John Frith then in the Tower of London for the Opinions that he would die for tho' yet he did not know what his Opinions were William Hunter also another Apprentice of London and of the same age of nineteen years running away from his Master and finding an old English Bible lying in the Chappel of Burntwood fell to reading thereof and thereby presently became a Protestant in divers Opinions and would needs burn for the same Rawling White likewise is recounted by Fox to have been an old poor Fisher-man in Wales and hearing of a certain new fresh Doctrin to be had out of the Scriptures in English and grieved that himself was not able to read them he put his little Boy to School to learn to read who being somewhat instructed in that Art he caused him to read Scriptures unto him and profited so much therein within a little time that the old Fisher-man began to be a Preacher and so leaving his Occupation went up and down Wales with his Boy after him bearing the Bible out of which he took upon him to preach at every Town and Tavern thereof seeking thereby to pervert such as were no wiser than himself nor could he be restrained from his wilful folly until the Bishop of Cardiff apprehended him whom afterward also he was forced to burn for that he stood obstinate in his fantastical Opinions which were such as scarce agreed with any Sect whatsoever And finally Laurence Sanders a famous scarlet Martyr of theirs being a married Priest and seeing a little Bastard of his brought to him in Prison by the Woman that bare it he was so tenderly affected thereunto as in great vehemency of spirit he said to the standers by What man of my Vocation would not die to
established over the World than in any other former Ages And to come unto the particulars there sate in the See of Rome as High-Bishops of the Universal Church from Pope Alexander II. that sent a Banner blessed unto William the Conqueror at his entrance into England and was the 162 Pope from St. Peter to our time unto Pope Gregory XI under whom Wickliff began his Doctrin 45 Popes and in the Roman Empire from Henry IV. unto Charles IV. succeeded 19 Emperours and in the Crown of England 10 or 11 Kings from the Conqueror to Edward III. under which Kings there succeeded by Election in the Metropolitan See of Canterbury from Stigand and Lanfrank unto Thomas Arundel 20 Archbishops All which both Popes and Emperours of the Universal Church as also the Kings and Archbishops of our Island agree uniformly in Faith and Religion without any difference at all and so it continued in our Island For albeit towards the end of this time John Wickliff with his Followers and some other Sectaries especially the Lollards rose up in our Country and caused many troubles both in England and other places yet neither the State of England nor any of our Princes and much less any Bishops or Archbishops ever suffered themselves to be infected therewith So as for the manifest continuation both of Men and Doctrin in these Ages we have no less visible Succession both of Bishops Doctors and Faith than before we have shewed in the former Ages the Succession of Bishops being evident in every Country and Church by their particular Stories and Records as also of Teachers and Doctrin as now we shall shew 18. The principal Learned Men also and Doctors of this time from the Conquest to Wickliff are known As for Example Burchardus Petrus Damianus Lanfrank Anselmus Oecumenius Marianus Scotus Ivo Carnotensis Lambertus Schafnaburgensis Rupertus Abbas Enthymius St. Bernard Peter Lombard Gratianus Albertus Magnus St. Thomas of Aquin Nicephorus Calixtus and many other downward In which time there are accounted some ten or eleven Synods and Councils to have been held in divers Countries for suppressing of Heresies and Sects that did from time to time peep up and reforming of abuses in former times and two of them to have been General to wit that of Lateran and of Constance wherein Wickliff was condemned 19. The most notorious Sects also of this time which against these Doctors Councils and Synods did strive were the Bogomilians the Petrobusians the Arnardistes the Waldenses or poor men of Lyons the Albigenses of Tholosa the Cathari or Puritans the Flagellantes or Whippers the Begardians the Beguisnes and Fraticelli or little Brethren the Lollards and Wickliffists and the rest that ensued Against all which the Church proceeded in all this time by Censures of Councils and Bishops as in all other times before against such men and must do to the Worlds end 20. And now this being so tell me good Reader whether it be not true which St. Augustin saith That it is as easie in all Ages to see where the true visible Church goeth as to see the Sun at noon day when it shineth clearest And where will John Fox go now to seek himself a private hidden Church among Christians except he patch it up of those Heretics by me named and other like as he doth And therein dealeth as if one having shewed the Descent and Continuance of the most Noble and most Ancient House of England by their Arms and Actions would condemn them all presently to have degenerated and bring in a Company of Beggars or Brothers that have run out of that House or were beaten from thence affirming These only to be of the ancient Race of that Family Or as if a man would say of the City of London that for these thousand years and more all those Men or Women that have been punished by the same City for Malefactors were the true Citizens indeed and the others that punished them only Intruders 21. In which Examples notwithstanding tho' they be ridiculous yet is there much more reason or probability than in the other for that any temporal House or Family whatsoever may degenerate and be wholly perverted and any City whatsoever may err alter or be turned upside-down by disorder but the Catholic Church cannot except we deny both the Promise Power and Godhead of Christ himself as our Heretics in effect do tho' not in words whilst they make to themselves a new scarce-visible Church of elect people to wit of their own Election and thereby are forced to say that the great visible Church begun by Christ and continued for many Ages together did at length about the time appointed by Fox tho' they cannot agree at what time wholly forsake Christ and fall to Apostacy becoming the Synagogue of Sathan an Enemy to Christ instead of his Family Kingdom and dearly-beloved Spouse which is so foul and foolish yea ignominious and monstrous an absurdity that it doth not only contradict the whole course of Scriptures which did prophesie and foretell the visible durance and continuance of this Church until the Worlds end but that it should also be the Pillar and Firmament of Truth and so assisted by Christ and his holy Spirit that it should never err nor bring into error and much less fade away or perish 22. The most Learned Father St. Augustin doth handle this matter every-where against the Donatists who like our Protestants would needs have the Universal visible Church in their time to have erred and fallen from Christ and they only as elect Vessels make the true Church tho' scarce visible to the eyes of the World as Fox saith of his Church gathered up of lurking Heretics here and there as after you shall see declared Against which absurdity St. Augustin disputed most learnedly solving first the Arguments which they allege of some evil Men or Popes that may have been in the Church if all were true as they say Nullius hominis quamvis sceleratum immane peccatum c. That no man's sin being never so heinous can prejudicate the promises of God for the visible continuance of the Church to the Worlds end neither can any Impiety of any men whatsoever within the Church bring to pass that the Faith of God which was contained in the promises made to the ancient Fathers concerning the Church of Christ to come and to be spread over the World and now fulfilled in our days should be made void c. 23. And again Albeit this Church be sometimes obscured and shadowed by multitude of scandals yea even then doth she shine and is eminent in her most firm Members c. And yet further Sed illa Ecclesia quae fuit omnium gentium non est periit hoc dicunt qui in illa non sunt O impudentem vocem Illa non est quia in illa tu non es But perhaps you will say saith he to the Donatists that that
Pope 6. But what did he from his breach forward Did he spare the new Gospellers any thing more for his breach with the Pope Truly it cannot be denied but that for some years he wink'd at their doings somewhat more than before considering the new difficulties wherein he had cast himself by his new disunion and breach as before we have noted in the end of the former Part. But as soon as he had put his Domestical Affairs in some quiet and security he returned again to his former course and custom of restraining these new unruly Spirits by calling them to account for their Innovations and proceeding juridically against them according to Church Canons and according to his former judgment in matters of Religion Which as I might shew by divers ways of proof as well of Acts of Parliament as Proclamations Injunctions and other Declarations of his Will and Opinion in this behalf so will we allege only two or three Examples in the first kind besides those which we have set down in the former Part. 7. In the 31st year of his Reign which was seven or eight years after his breach with the Pope there was made an Act for abolishing of diversity of Opinions about Christian Faith which beginneth thus Whereas the King 's most Excellent Majesty is by God's Law Supreme Head immediately under him of the whole Church of England c. intending the conservation of the same Church in a true sincere and uniform Doctrin of Christ's Religion c. Thus beginneth his Preface And then he determineth together with the Parliament That whosoever shall deny the Real Presence in the Sacrament of the Altar or affirm that the Communion is necessary under both Kinds or that Priests may by God's Law take Wives after Priesthood or that Vows of Chastity are not to be observed or that private Masses are not to be said or that Sacramental and Auricular Confession is not necessary c. All these he condemneth as Heretics and for such to be Apprehended Arraigned Condemned and Burned as at large is to be seen in the Statute 8. And the very next year after perceiving that notwithstanding his former Statute against Protestant Opinions the same did grow and were spread abroad in England he ordained another Statute which beginneth thus Whereas the King 's Róyal Majesty of his blessed and gracious disposition c. well weighing that out of sundry outward parts and places there have sprung been sown set forth divers heretical erroneous dangerous Opinions Doctrins in the Religion of Christ whereby his Grace's Leige-people may be induced to unfaithfulness misbelief miscreancy and contempt of God to the utter confusion and damnation of Souls c. For this cause his Majesty according to the very Gospel and Law of God meaneth to have matters determined and declared c. Thus he writeth in the Statute remitting himself to his further Declaration which is wholly against Protestants whose Faith and Religion you see here called by the King unfaithfulness misbelief miscreancy contempt of God heretical erroneous and dangerous Doctrin tending to utter confusion and damnation of Souls c. And this proved by the pure Word of God and the very Gospel it self as his Majesty affirmeth 9. And will you have more clear testimony of his settled judgment against Protestants than this But yet hear further For that the same King divers years afters after this again towards the end of his days having had good experience of the falshood of Protestants in corrupting the very Scriptures themselves by their crafty Translations Notes and Commentaries he was forc'd to forbid under grievous punishments the reading of the foresaid Scriptures in English which before he had permitted as appeareth by a peculiar Statute made for that purpose and for inhibiting Protestants Books Sermons and Preachings in the 34th and 35th years of his Reign this Statute being entituled An Act for the Advancement of true Religion saying therein as followeth Whereas the King 's most Royal Majesty Sumpreme Head of the Church of England and also of Ireland perceiveth that notwithstanding such holy Doctrins and Docucuments as his Majesty hath hitherto caused to be set forth besides the great liberty granted unto them in having the New and Old Testament among them which notwithstanding many seditious arrogant and ignorant Parsons pretending to be Learred have the perfect and true knowledg understanding and judgment of sacred Scriptures c. intending to subvert the very true and perfect Exposition thereof after their perverse fantasies have taken upon them not only to preach teach declare c. but also by printed Books Ballads Plays Rhythmes Songs and other fantasies subtilly to beguile his Majesty's Leige-subjects c. 10. Behold King Henry's description of Protestants their Wit Nature Condition and Doctrin But now followeth the Remedy Wherefore to ordain and establish a certain form of pure and sincere Teaching agreeable to God's Word and true Doctrin of the Catholic and Apostolical Church c. Be it enacted That all manner of Books of the Old and New Testament in English being of the crafty false and untrue Translation of William Tyndall and all other Books or Writings in the English Tongue teaching or composing any matter of Christian Religion contrary to that Doctrin which since the year of our Lord 1540 is hath or shall be set forth by his Majesty is clearly and utterly abolished c. Thus ordained King Henry of the Protestants Books and Doctrin and this Censure he gave of William Tyndall's Truth and Honesty in translating the Scriptures whom John Fox calleth not only the true Servant and Martyr of God but the Apostle also of England in this our latter Age. 11. Wherefore I do not see how Fox can with any reason make King Henry to be a Gospeller of his Religion or so earnest a Defender of the same or why he should paint him with the Bible in his hand holden up by Cranmer and Cromwell as before hath been said and seen in his Painting seeing he contemned ever their Doctrin and burned the Professors thereof as notorious Heretics unto his dying-day Which is evident by many Examples but most clear and notorious by that of John Lambert a famous Zuinglian with whom in solemn public Audience he disputed in presence of all his Clergy and Nobility of the Realm and caused Cranmer to do the like and in the end made Cromwell as his Vicar-General to give the Sentence of Death against him and burn him in Smithfield and this not two years before Cromwell's own Condemnation for like Heresie by the King 's own pursuit as may appear by the Act of his Condemnation yet extant And the same no doubt would he have done with Cranmer which was the other Upholder of his Arm to maintain the new Gospel according to Fox his Picture if he had known or suspected him not only for an Upholder of
certain Alterations did not take counsel nor direction from the new Gospellers to do it but rather set forth a Book of his own entituled thus Articles devised by the King's Highness So do testifie both Hall Hollinshead and Stow. And then Hall who lived in those days addeth further In this Book are especially mentioned but three Sacraments with the which the Lincolnshire men were offended And then again afterwards he writeth This Book especially treated of no more than three Sacraments where always before the people had been taught seven Sacraments c. Which Articles being delivered to the people the Inhabitants of the North parts being very ignorant and rude and not knowing what true Religion meant c. said Now you see Friends that four Sacraments of seven are taken from us and shortly you shall lose the other three also except you look about you c. Thus writeth Hall of the beginning of the Insurrection of Lincoln York and other Shires by occasion of these new-devised Articles in Religion Whereby notwithstanding we see that King Henry thinking best to make some alteration tho' he meant not indeed to take away any Sacrament as afterwards appeared yet disdained he to take his Platform from the Protestants or Gospellers of those days but devised of himself the Innovation which for the present he meant to make Whereof I have heard of a certain Story not unpleasant nor from the purpose which therefore here I will set down 17. A certain Courtier at that day some say it was Sir Francis Bryan talking with a Lady that was somewhat forward in the new Gospel about this Book of the King 's then lately come forth she seemed to mislike greatly the Title thereof to wit Articles devised by the King's Highness c. saying That it seemed not a fit Title to authorise matters in Religion to ascribe them to a mortal King's device Whereunto the Courtier answered Truly Madam I will tell you my conceit plainly If we must needs have devices in Religion I had rather have them from a King than from a Knave as your Devices are I mean that Knave Frier Martin who not yet 20 years agone was Deviser of your new Religion and behav'd himself so lewdly in answering his Majesty with scorn and contempt as I must needs call him a Knave tho' otherwise I do not hate altogether the Profession of Friers as your Ladyship knoweth Moreover said he it is not unknown neither to your Ladyship nor Us that he devised these new Tricks of Religion which you now so much esteem and reverence not for God or Devotion or to do Penance but for Ambition and to revenge himself upon the Dominican Friers that had gotten from him the preaching of the Pope's Bulls as also to get himself the use of a Wench and that a Nun also which now he holdeth And soon after him again three other married Priests his Scholars to wit Oecolampadius Carolstadius and Zuinglius devised another Religion of the Sacramentaries against their said Master And since these again we hear every day of other fresh Upstarts that devise us new Doctrins and there is no end of Devising or Devisers And I would rather for my part stick to the devising of a King that hath Majesty in him and a Council to assist him especially such a King as ours is than to a thousand of these Companions put together 18. It is true said the Lady when they are Devices indeed of Men but when they bring Scriptures with them to prove their sayings then are they not Mens Devices but God's Eternal Truth and Word And will you say so Madam quoth he And do you not remember what ado we had the last year about this time with certain Hollanders here in England whom our Bishops and Doctors could not overcome by Scriptures notwithstanding they held most horrible Heresies which make my Hairs to stand upright to think of them against the Manhood and Flesh of Christ our Savior and against the Virginity of his Blessed Mother and against the Baptism of Infants and the like wicked Blasphemies I was my self present at the Condemnation of fourteen of them in Paul's Church in one day and heard them dispute and allege Scriptures so fast for their Heresies as I was amazed thereat and after I saw some of these Knaves burned in Smithfield and they went so merrily to their Death singing and chanting Scriptures as I began to think with my self whether their Device was not of some value or no until afterward thinking better of the matter I blessed my self from them and so let them go 19 Oh said the Lady but these were Knaves indeed that devised new Doctrins of their own heads and were very Heretics not worthy to be believed But how shall I know quoth the Courtier that Your Devisers have not done the like seeing These alleged Scriptures no less than They and did one thing more which is that they went to the fire and burned for their Doctrin when they might have lived which your Frier and his Scholars before named have not hitherto done And finally Madam I say as at the beginning I said If we must needs follow devising we Courtiers had much rather follow a King than a Frier in such a matter For how many years Madam have Friers shorn their Heads and no Courtier hath ever follow'd them hitherto to therein But now his Majesty having begun this last May as you know to poll his Head and commanded others to do the like you cannot find any unshorn Head in the Court among us Men tho' you Women be exempted And so I conclude that the device of a King is of more credit than the device of a Friar And with this the Lady laugh'd and so the Conference was ended 20 And thus much for the first devising or setting up of new Religion in England Now for the going forward thereof let us hear a large testimony of John Fox himself and thereby judge how Apostolic the manner was of promoting the same To many which be yet alive saith Fox and can testifie these things it is not unknown how variable the state of Religion stood in those days how hardly and with what difficulty it came forth what chances and changes it suffered even as the King was ruled and gave ear sometime to one and sometime to another so one while it went forward and another season it went as much backward again and sometime clean altered and changed for a season according as they could prevail which were about the King c. 21. Here now you see both the beginning and progress of Fox's Gospel whereof in the Margin he maketh this Note The course of the Gospel interrupted by malicious Enemies Here you do hear him say that the Birth of his Gospel came forth hardly and with great difficulty and straining and then that it grew or went backward as the King was ruled by others and gave credit
distributing first the Gospellers of our time that have proceeded of Luther and by occasion of his Doctrin since the year of Christ 1517 into three or four Classes whereof the first is of plain Lutherans divided among themselves into eleven Sects and these again being subdivided into other three Classes of soft rigid and extravagant Lutherans do make above thirty other divisions and Sects 28. The second general Classis is of Semi-Lutherani Half-Lutherans that do partly agree with Luther and partly disagree but yet with eleven differences which being obstinately held by their Authors and Professors do make eleven different Sects The third Universal Classis or Order of new Gospellers are of Anti-Lutherani those that are quite opposite to Luther as Sacramentaries and the like whereof are set down fifty-six distinct Sects and the first of these is of Sacramentaries being subdivided into nine Sects you may imagin to what Number the Sum will rise 29. The fourth general Classis of new Gospellers of our time are the Anabaptists begun by Bernard Rotman an unlearned Fellow of the Laity but a Scholar and Son of Luther about the year of Christ 1524 that is seven years after Luther began and this sort of men are divided again into thirteen Sects as in the foresaid Authors may be read All which deduction and distinction was not made nor known in England except very confusedly in King Henry's time but all were accounted good Gospellers and of one Church and Faction and so would John Fox have them accounted also now For proof whereof wheresoever they were contradicted restrained punished or burned for what Opinion soever John Fox putteth them down expresly for Confessors and Martyrs of his Church excepting only the Anabaptists which openly he doth not admit for that now also They are burned in England by the Protestant Magistrate but yet neither doth he reject them by Name but holdeth himself silent in their Affair tho' he doth set down sundry for Martyrs in his Calendar which held of their Opinions as in the next Part of this Treatise we are to shew by many Examples And thus much of the first Point concerning the Confusion Obscurity Impurity and Imperfections of John Fox's Church under King Henry which was not yet strained from her Suds if Fox at that time may be said to have had any Church at all 30. There followeth the other Point of Antipathy Contradiction and Exposition among themselves that were held by Fox to have been the chief Pillars of his Church in those days And as for the King Queen Ann Cranmer and Cromwell we have spoken of already The other if we believe himself were Thomas Bilney John Frith William Tyndall all three rubricated Martyrs in his Calendar And then in black Letters but of the same Order of Martyrdom Robert Barns William Jerome Thomas Gerard John Lambert Peter German Andrew Hewit John Colyns William Cowbridg and divers others that not only professed his Gospel as he saith but willingly also gave their Blood in a holy and lively Sacrifice for testimony thereof And to these he addeth divers holy Confessors of the same Confession to wit Erasmus Roterodamus Picus Mirandula Philip Melancthon King Edward VI. and the like 31. But now if I should go about to draw all these Martyrs and Confessors of his Church into any one form of Faith and Belief good or bad which is necessary you know to make a Church it would prove a far harder Enterprize than to couple all the Cats of any great City by the Heads together and to make them stand so for an hour of their own will looking one upon the other without turning their Heads aside For as for Bilney you shall perceive by my Treatise in the next part that he never held but very few of the Protestants Opinions and very many against Them and with Us and abjured those few of the Protestants at two several times and died in that Abjuration Frith also and Tyndall were most opposite to Fox in many Points of Belief I mean opposite both to Luther and Zuinglius in the Controversie of the Sacrament holding the Real Presence to be indifferent and to be believ'd or not believ'd as every man thinketh good with other notable particular Heresies of their own as in due place we are to shew Robert Barns was an earnest Lutheran as Tyndall testifieth to Frith And as for Gerrard Hierom Lambert tho' they were Zuinglians yet not after Fox's fashion but different from him in many Points of Doctrin as we shall declare when we come to handle of them severally as also of Ridley Hooper Rogers Latymer in the next part of this Treatise shewing that under King Henry they were only Lutherans if so far forward at that time 32. And as for Andrew Hewit he was of no Religion in particular when he died but said only that he would die for the Religion that John Frith held whatsoever it were as before we have noted Peter German inclin'd indeed to Zuinglianism But together with that as when we come unto his Holy-day we shall shew he denied Christ to have taken Flesh of the Virgin Mary and other like holy Assertions As for Colyns and Coubridge burned also for Heresie under King Henry and assigned for Calendar-Martyrs by Fox upon the 10th and 11th days of October himself confesseth afterwards upon better consideration That he thinketh them not worthy of the number of God's professed Martyrs but yet holdeth as he saith That they are belonging to the holy Company of Christ's Saints The first of these two held up a Dog to be worshipped of the People instead of the blessed Sacrament the second denied the Name of Christ flatly Which Fox not denying excuseth the matter thus saying That the one and the other of them were mad and distracted of their Wits as more largely we shall shew afterwards in the discussion of the Calendar And thus much of his Martyrs 33. Now for his Confessors Erasmus Roterodamus Picus Mirandula Friar Bucer Philip Melancthon King Edward VI. and others which he setteth down for Saints in the end of his Calendar and Month of December they do agree in Religion as just as Germans Lips to use the vulgar Proverb either with Fox or among themselves For as for Erasmus whom every where Fox maketh as it were the Father and first Master of new Gospelling in England you shall so hear him defend himself by his own words in the next Part of this Treatise as you will say they abuse him egregiously to hold him for any Protestant at all having written so sharply against their first Captain Luther as he did repeating often-times these words Christum agnosco Lutherum non agnosco Ecclesiam Romanam agnosco I acknowledge Christ I do not acknowledge Luther I acknowledge the Roman Church c. 34. And the like Injury they offer to Picus Earl of Mirandula who never held any
one Protestant Opinion in his life as we shall shew when we come to his place in the Calendar And as for Bucer and Melancthon they were Lutherans indeed and open Enemies for many years against Zuinglius and Zuinglians that are the Flower of John Fox's Church And tho' Friar Bucer afterward to have the free use of his Woman in England dissembled egregiously in some things to please the Protector for a time and seemed to bear with the Sacramentaries yet told he the Lord Dudley then Duke of Northumberland being asked confidently his opinion of the Sacrament by the said Duke in the presence of the Lord Pagett then a Protestant who testified the same publicly afterward that for the Real Presence it could not be denied if we believe all that the Evangelists do write But whether all be to be believed or no he said merrily that was a matter of more disputation 35. And lastly concerning King Edward VI. set down also by Fox in red Letters for a solemn Confessor of his Religion If we talk of King Henry's time he was a very young Confessor for that he was scarce nine years old when his Father died And it is very probable that the Religion which he at that Age could receive was rather such as his Father had caused him to be taught during his life than such as it pleased Fox to assign unto him afterwards But if Fox mean that he was a Confessor of their Religion after his Fathers death albeit it be hard to say of what Religion the Child would have been if he had lived yet do I think him rather worthy to be accounted a Martyr of Fox's Church than a Confessor Seeing it is probable that the bringing in of that Religion and change of state left by his Father was the cause of his immature death For that if matters had remained as his Father left them and no Protector chosen as he appointed nor Wriothesley the Chancellor put out of his Office nor other Catholic Councellors most faithful to the conservation of the Kings Blood had been disgraced and displaced by that unlucky change like it is that the good young King might have lived many fair years more and his two Sisters never have fallen into those imminent dangers of present destruction which they once saw themselves in by the ambition of the new Gospelling Faction But enough of this and of all the Reign of King Henry VIII Now shall we pass briefly over the rest that remaineth CHAP. XII Whether Fox's Church hath had any Place under King Edward Queen Mary and Her Majesty that now Reigneth and how far it hath been admitted or is admitted at this day ALbeit John Fox did Paint out King Henry VIII in the first page of his Life sitting with his Feet upon the Popes back and the Gospel in his Lap with his Sword lifted up in his right-hand to defend the same as before you have heard yet did he Paint Cromwell and Cranmer staying up the said Sword least it should fall upon the Protestants themselves as we have shewed that in effect it did But now in the first page of King Edward's Reign Fox hath a much more ample and triumphant Pageant for the Child above his Father Who though he were but nine years old yet seemeth Fox to make him a fuller Head of the Church than his Father placing him in a high Throne of Majesty and his stretched out Sword in the right Hand and with the other which is the left he delivereth the Gospel unto the People and Prelates that stand round about him Where Fox writeth in the Margent this Note King Edward delivering the Bible to the Prelates c. As tho' the Bible had taken Authority from the Childs delivering Who being so tender of Age as he was and of likelihood scarce able to read the same and much less to understand it as well he might have delivered them the Poem of Chaucer or the Story of Guy of Warwick or of Bevis of Southampton if it had been put into his Hand to deliver as this was by his Uncle the Protector that knew full near as little of the Contents as the Child himself 2. But besides this Majestical representation of delivering the Gospel there be two or three other Pageants in the same page The first is of pulling down Images with great diligence every where and burning them with this Sentence written under The Temple well purged And then is there a great Ship painted with Men Women and Children carrying their Church-Stuff into that Ship to wit Bells Books Images and Candles and amongst other things also the Blessed Sacrament And over the Ship is written thus The Ship of the Romish Church And on the side this Sentence Ship over your Trinkets and be packing you Papists And thus is John Fox's pleasant Head delighted with these Fancies But who seeth not how childish this folly is Seeing scarce six years after this triumph when Queen Mary came in a Man might have said to him again and his Fellows Ship over your Trinkets and be packing you Protestants 3. But if we consider indeed the different Wares and Trinkets which this Catholic Roman Ship carried away from England at that time and those which the new Protestants Ship brought in soon after from Germany Geneva Switzerland and other Places we shall easily discover whether the loss were greater for our Nation by the departure of the one or by the coming in of the other For that in the Roman Ship was carried away not only the blessed Sacrament as Fox saith and Painteth it out which yet is the highest and most precious Treasure that Christ hath left to Christians upon Earth but with that also all kind of vertue and honesty for the most part For that all Modesty Gravity Learning Piety Devotion Peace Concord Unity and Charity was carried away And in the new Gospelling Ship came in all the contrary Vices namely of Sedition Division Pride Temerity Curiosity Novelties Sensuality Impiety and Atheism And in place of many sober honest and grave men that retired themselves upon this change there came running into England a main number of wanton Apostata Priests and Friars each one with his Mate and Dame at his side hungry and turbulent people as Friar Bale Friar Bucer Friar Coverdale Friar Martyr and other like Who joined with other of their own Sect in England in such a vein of Innovations as quickly brought all upon their own Heads And so tho' after all these foresaid three Pictures and Representations to wit the Bible distributed the Churches spoiled and the Catholic Roman Ship sent away John Fox doth make a fourth fair Pageant of the Protestants kind and comfortable meeting together at their Communion Table and their peaceable breaking of Bread. Yet if you consider what presently ensued in their actions I mean of their changing chopping pulling down and setting up in those few years that it
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-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
of a worshipful and honorable Knight that afterwards was of Queen Mary's Privy Councel and was either present when these things were spoken by Joan of Kent or heard it from them that were present from whom also I received divers other Particularities which in this Chapter and the former are touched by me Knowing the Man to be of such Wisdom and entire Credit as I can hardly follow a better Author in things of his time 16. Well then this is the first point obtained in this first Parliament of King Edward that all Sects had impunity whereof Fox glories much in these words These meek and gentle times of King Edward under the Government of this noble Protector have this one Commendation proper to them that during the whole time of the Six years of this King 's much tranquillity and as it were a breathing-time was granted to the whole Church of England c. Neither in Smithfield nor any other Quarter of this Realm was any heard to suffer for any matter of Religion either Papist or Protestant either for one Opinion or other except only two one an Englishwoman called Joan of Kent the other a Dutchman named George Paris who died for certain Articles not much necessary here to be rehearsed Behold here Fox unwilling to rehearse the Articles of these two new Gospellers which were no other but the Denial of Christ himself And for that he saith no man suffered for Religion it self either Catholic or Protestant in all King Edwards days I would ask him what he would say to so many hundreds as were slain and put to death in Somersetshire Devonshire Cornwall Lincolnshire Norfolk Yorkshire and other places in the Third year of King Edward's Reign that were forced to take Arms for defence of their Religion violently wrested from them against all Truth Reason Law and Order Was not this Suffering also for Religion But let us hear John Fox himself confess unto us the manner of entrance of his Gospel into England 17. After softer beginnings saith he by little and little greater things followed in the reformation of the Churches and a new face of things began now to appear as it were on a Stage new Players coming in and the other thrust out For the most part the Bishops of Churches and Dioceses were changed c. Bonner Bishop of London was committed to the Marshalsea and deprived Gardener Bishop of Winchester and Tonstal Bishop of Durham were cast into the Tower c. Lo here by Fox his own Confession what Peace and Meekness there was used in these gentle times of King Edward under the Government of this noble Protector tho' they were but Six years in all And let the Reader confess that Fox hath a special Gift to contradict himself tho' it be in the self same page But now to the second point concluded in this Parliament about matters of Religion 18. The second Point was about the blessed Sacrament of the Altar and use thereof which as it was a very important and principal Point for these New Gospellers of King Edward's days to declare their Opinions whether they would be Lutherans or Sacramentaries so they being wholly divided among themselves in this point some of them coming from Wittemberg and other places of Saxony which followed Luther some other from Strasburg Basil and other Towns among the Switzers where the Doctrin of Zuinglius bare Rule others that were home-Protestants and desired to pass no further in neither of these two particular Sect and Factions but only so far as was needful for holding their Women they had taken as Cranmer and his Fellows they could in no case come to any accord or agreement in this matter but only to publish an Act or Statute like a Ship-man's Hose that determined neither the one nor the other the Title whereof was this An Act against such persons as shall unreverently speak against the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ commonly called the Sacrament of the Altar and for the receiving thereof under both kinds And then beginneth the Statute thus 19. The King 's most Excellent Majesty meaning the Governance of his most loving Subjects to be in most perfect Vnity and Concord in all things and especially in the true Faith and Religion of God and wishing the same to be brought to pass with all Clemency on his part as his most Princely Serenity and Majesty hath already declared c. This is the Preface and after coming to the matter they say In the most comfortable Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ commonly called the Sacrament of the Altar c. which Sacrament was instituted by no less Author than our Savior both God and Man when at his last Supper he did take the Bread into his holy Hands and did say Take you and eat This is my Body which is given and broken for you c. Which words spoken of it being of eternal infallible and undoubted Truth yet the said Sacrament all this notwithstanding hath been of late marvelously abused by such manner of men before rehearsed who of Wickedness or else of Ignorance and want of Learning for certain Abuses heretofore committed of some in misusing thereof have condemned in their hearts and speech the whole thing and contemptuously depraved despised or reviled the same most holy and blessed Sacrament and not only disputed or reasoned unreverently and ungodlily of that high Mystery but also in their Sermons Preachings Readings Talks Tunes Songs Plays or Tests do name and call it by such vile and unseemly words as Christian Ears do abhor to hear rehearsed For reformation whereof be it Enacted c. 20. This is their Narration and according thereunto they do set down remedy and punishment for them that shall speak any contemptuous words to deprave despise or revile this Sacrament But what the words or sense thereof are in particular or what they mean by this despising or depraving they do not set down as they ought to have done if they had meant plainly tho' by the words of their said Narration it may appear this Statute was made principally against Sacramentaries that deny the Real Presence of the Body and Blood of our Savior and do dispute and reason unreverently and ungodly thereof this being the highest Injury Contempt or Depravation that can be done to it But it pleased not the Makers of this Statute to be understood or to deal clearly for the present in this behalf but rather to speak obscurely and doubtfully to the end they might afterward have a starting-hole to get out at and become Zuinglians or Calvinists when they would The other Clause of administring the Sacrament under both kinds to all sorts of people they put down more clearly with this Exception only except necessity otherwise require By which words they allow also the use under one kind in time of necessity which is far from that which since
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
aloud some in secret some in one form of words and others in an other And after Consecration some did hold up the Host to be Adored after the old fashion and some did not And of those that were present some did kneel down and Adore others did shut their Eyes others turned their Faces aside others ran out of the Church Blaspheming and crying Idolatry 28. And as this Confusion was in Spiritual Matters during these two first years of King Edward's Reign so no less was it in Temporal Affairs especially in tne City of London where a great Mortality and Pestilence was among the People as Stow saith And no less amazement to see three chief Bishops sent to Prison Gardiner of Winchester Bonner of London and Tonstall of Duresme But the greatest banding was betwixt the Protector and his Brother the Admiral and between their Wives Queen Katherine Parre and the Duches of Somerset In which Contention divers Chief Ministers and Apostate Friers were sticklers but especially Hugh Latymer that inveighed in his Sermons against the Admiral in favor of the Protector On the other side Frier Bale was wholly addicted to Queen Catherine and her praises having Printed and set her forth in those very days for a famous Writer and one of the Miracles of Womankind in his Book De scriptoribus Britannicis For so he saith Ingenii viribus literarum peritia verborum elegantia animi generositate foemine as dotes exuperat c. She doth exceed the Gifts of Womankind in the force of her Wit in the skill of her Learning in the elegancy of her Words and generosity of Mind And again Magnarum virtutum ac unicum hoc saeculo pietatis exemplar c. She is the only Example of great Virtues and Piety in this our Age. With which excessive praises the Duches of Somerset that thought her self as Wise and Learned as the other was so offended that Frier Bale could get no Preferment while her Husband was in Authority 29. But now came on the second Parliament which was upon the 4. day of November 1548. and second year of King Edward's Reign The Protector and his Gospellers had made all the preparation possible to get Voice therein for Establishing of that which they desired in Religion As it is no marvel if it were not hard to do seeing the chief Bishops were now restrained terrified or put in Prison some other of the Laity also disgraced as the Earl of Southampton Arundell and others The Lord Protector and Dudley Armed with the remainder of their Forces made for Scotland And the displeasure of the said Protector being held now for so dreadful a matter to any that resisted his Designs as it was expected daily that his own Brother the Admiral should be made away by him upon like displeasure 30. But to speak of this Parliament begun now as we have said two things as you remember were excluded in the last Parliament that could not pass though never so much desired and urged by the Protector and his Friends To wit the new Communion Book and the allowance of Priests and Friers Marriages but now both of them passed albeit the second with a greater limitation as you may see for the Title of the Statute is only this An Act to take away all Positive Laws of Man made against the Marriage of Priests Whereby you see that the Parliament being importuned by Priests and Friers that had gotten them Women to have them allowed by Parliament they only obtained to be free from Temporal Punishment appointed for the same leaving them to God for the rest whether after their Vows made of Chastity they were bound to observe the same or no. Nay in the very Act it self they do highly commend Chastity in Priests saying That it were not only better for Priests and Ministers of the Church to live Chast sole and separate from the company of Women c. But that it were most to be wished that they would willingly and of themselves endeavor to keep a perpetual Chastity and Abstinence from the use of Women Yet forasmuch as the contrary hath been seen c. Be it Enacted that all Laws Positive Canons or Constitutions heretofore made by Authority of Man only which doth Prohibit or forbid Marriage to any Ecclesiastical Person c. Shall be utterly void and of none effect together with the Pains Penalties Crimes Actions thereunto Annexed c. 31. Thus goeth the Statute Wherein you see there is nothing but Impunity given to Incontinent Priests and Friers to use Women without fear of Punishment in this World. And thereby you may consider that the first and chief endeavors of these new Gospellers tended principally to break down Hedges and to dissolve Catholic Discipline and to take away Punishments appointed as well to Heretics and Heresie in general as by the former Parliament you have seen as also to loose and Incontinent Clergy-men for their dissolute life And thus much of the first Point Let us come to the second about the new Communion Book 32. This Book though it were made new again by great diligence both of the Composers which the Protector and his Followers had chosen for that purpose as also by the view of Cranmer Ridley and others of chief Authority in the Clergy yet had it marvellous difficulty to pass as may appear by very Act of Parliament it self For that it was not only contradicted by Catholics but also by many Protestants themselves Misliking not only the Rites and Ceremonies therein appointed but the very Articles of Doctrin also And in this were most vehement the foresaid Faction of Hooper Rogers Latymer and some others being at that time Puritans as before we have noted 33. But the chiefest and hottest Contention of all whereof the principal Point of their new Religion seemed to depend was whether they should be Lutherans or Zwinglians concerning the blessed Sacrament Seeing they longer well could not dissemble the same as they had done in the former Parliament though otherwise as I have said it was somewhat hard to determin For that to the Lutherans enclined not only Cranmer Ridley and other in Ecclesiastical Authority that had lived and born Rule under King Henry VIII before But many of the Noble Men also and Counsellors that were half Catholics and half Protestants Protestants for liberty of eating of Flesh on forbidden days Possessing Church-Livings disobligation of Confession and Restitution and other such Motives But yet for other matters were rather Catholic in judgment and with these concurred such as were come out of Saxony and had Studied under Luther as Bucer Bale Coverdale and others All which seemed to stand for the real Presence at that time But against these were the Sacramentaries whose Profession being of the fresher Frame more pleased the Protector and some other itching Ears and thereby did overbear the other side at length by the number of some few Voices in Parliament but yet
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-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
The Use of Epact Golden Number and Cycle of Dominical Letters for observing Easter day * Euseb lib. 5. Ecc. hist c. 23. S. Amb. ep ad Episcopos per. Aemiliam constitutos and St. Bede l. de ratione temp c. 57. Where also they do yield the reasons of this Ordination The Sectaries of our time allow of the celebrating Easter with the Jews Camp. in ration reddit cap. 1. Luther 's Opinion of Easter Lib. de Concil Gal. 4. John Bale defendeth the Jewish keeping of Easter lib. 3. c. 25. Bed. l. 3. c. 25. l. 4. c. 3.14 An. Dom. 677 678. Bal. cent 1. script Brit. Bed. l. 3. c. 25. Act. 20. Bal. cent 1. script Brit. in Colman Absurd calumniations of John Bale Bal. ibid. Bal. cent 1. in Wilfrid A most malicious speech of Bale against St. Wilfrid Crimes objected by Bale to St. Wilfrid * Bal. cent 5. descript Brit. fol. 244. Cent. ibid. See the Martyrology of Vsuard and the Annot. of Molan die 12. Oct. and Baron upon the Rom. Martyr eodem die Epiph. haeres 50. Aug. har 29. Philast in catal hares Tert. de praescrip advers Haeres Concil Ant. cap. 1. Concil Laod. cap. 7. Theod. l. 3. c. ult de fab haer Niceph. l. 4. hist c. 36. Damasc haeres 50. Theod. l. 6. c. 9. Euseb l. 3. de vit Constant c. 17 18. Socrat. l. 6. hist c. 10 20. Tert l. de praesc cont haeres Why the Asian Custom of celebrating Easter was condemmed Gal. 2. Gal. 5. How the celebrating of some Ceremonies or Customs for a time might be lawful Acts 15.29 Acts 16.3 How the Roman Use began of celebrating Easter upon a Sunday Bed. l. de ratio temp c. 42. Ignat. ep 6. ad Magnes 8. ad Philip. Apoc. 1.10 Euseb in Chron. an 148. De consecrat dis 3. cap. Nosse ibid. dis 4. cap. Celebritatem Euseb l. 5. hist c. 23 24. Ibid. cap. 22. The Decree of Pope Victor about keeping Easter Niceph. l. 4. c. 36. Theod. l. 6. c. 9. The testimony of Constantine the Emperor Euseb l. 3. de vit Constant c. 17. Euseb ibid. c. 8. The wicked Spirit of our Sectaries Reasons moving King Lucius to enquire of Christian Religion Baron in annal Ecc. an Christi 183. tom 2. When K. Lucius was converted * Bed de gestis Angl. l. 1. c. 4. de sex aetat sub Ant. Vero. Ado in chron sub Commodo Imp. Mar. Scot. in 6. atat Pol. Virg. l. 1. John Fox his Tergiversation Fox Act. and Mon. p. 96. col 2. First Cavil The effect of 7 Cannons planted by Jo. Fox to batter the story of K. Lucius conversion from Rome Fox his first kind of Arguments Impertinent The second kind of Arguments Impertinent and Ignorant Fox pag. 95. The Age of Tertullian falsified Tert. lib. de pallio c. 3. n. 42. Jac. Pamelius in vit Tertull. pag. 29. Fox ibid. col 2. n. 73. Orig. hom 4. in Ezechiel circa medium The Age of Origen perverted Euseb l. 7. hist c. 1. A request and prevention to the Reader Fox pag. 96. A forg'd Gildas brought in by Fox Pol. Vir. l. 1. hist pag. 16. Fox pag. 96. Fox's last and falsest Argument Contempt of the Testimony of Antiquity About the Epistle of P. Eleutherius to K. Lucius cited by Fox Fox pag. 96. col 2. n. 40. Fox's subtilty in concealing the Original in Latin. Fox pag. 96. Fox Act and Monument pag. 96. col 2. n. 30. Act Mon. ibid. Holinsh p. 24. descript Angl. col 2. n. 40. The contrariety between Fox and his Scholars About the substance of Eleutherius's Epistle to K. Lucius 183. First Cause Second Cause Hol. l. 4. hist Ang. c. 19. p. 52. Jewell fo 119. Fox Acts and Mon. p. 96. Hol. descript Brit. pag. 25. The first point of Eleutherius's Epistle How Temporal Princes are God's Vicars also Rom. 13. Ephes 6. Reasons which make the Epistle of Eleutherius suspected John Fox playeth Reynard the Fox Encount 2. c. 4. Fox 's Confession Act Monum pag. 96. 1 2 3 4. Comparison between the Fox and the Cub Wast p. 192. Points of Religion not expresly handled or determined by the Church within the first two hundred years Two ways of Proof the one negative the other affirmative The first way of argument negative against Protestants The first ground of St. Augustins rule Ang. l. 4. de Bapt. cont Donat c. 6. Lib. 4. de bapt c. 24. Two reasons why that which is generally received in the Church and hath no known beginning may be presumed to come from the Apostles Ioan. 14.15 16. Mat. 16. The second ground of St. Augustin's rule The proper state of the Question Transubstantiation ever in the Cath. Church Amb. l. 4. 5 9. de Sacramentis The Council of Lateran under Innocentius III. Anno 1215. A silly shift of the Heretics The Inference upon all the former Negative Argument That Heresies could not creep into the Church without being espied An experimental deduction A Consideration of much importance The difficulty of bringing in five new Sacraments * Sess 7. cap. 1. * 4 dist 5. q. 10 art 2. part 3. q. 64. act 4. Sess 21. c. 7. Impossibilities The difficulty of bringing in the use of Confession Two means of proofs by citing Authors Ordinary cavillation of the Adversary The story of the Magdeburgians A proud title against the Fathers Writings Magd. in praef Ep. dedicat ad Elizab. Angl. Reginam in cent 4. Magdeburgians against the Calvinists Cent. ib. pag. 9. Tom. 4. The Magdeb. speech to her Majesty against Calvinists Iren. l. 3. c. 3. advers haeres A notable speech of Irenaeus that lived with Eleutherius A collection upon Irenaeus's words About the Primacy of the Pope and Ch. of Rome Cent 2. cap. 4. pag. 63. Ignat. epist ad Rom. Tert. l. de praescrip Cent. 3. cap. 4. pag. 84. Cyp. l. 1. ep 8. Cyprian egregiously abused by the Magdeburgians Cyp. c. 4. ep 8. Tract de simplic Praelat Cyp. l. 1. ep 6. l. 4. c. 4. ep 9. Origen tract 1. in Mat. hom 15. in Levit. Greg. de Valent. The ridiculous manner of proceeding of the Magdeburgians About Mass and Sacrifice Three manner of fraudulent shifts in alledging discrediting the Fathers Cent. 3. c. 4. Cent. 2. c. 4. p. 55. The judgment of the Magdeburgians concerning the second Age. Cent. 3. c. 4. p. 17. Magdeburgians Quips against the Fathers About Freewill Cent. 2. c. 4. p. 53. Iren. l. 4. c. 72. Clem. Alexan. All Doctors in Eleutherius's time said to be in darkness about Free-will Cent. 3. c. 4. p. 77. Cent. 4. c. 4. p. 291. The Controversie of Justification Cent. 2. p. 59. Cent. 3. p. 79. Cent. 4. p. 191. About the Sacrament of Penance Cent. 2. p. 62. Cent. 3. p. 81. Cent. ib. About Good Works Ibid. p. 59. Clem. l. 5. strom Enc. 2. c. 16. Ibid. p. 80. Orig. l 8 in Ep. ad Rom. Cyp. l.
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.
from p. 887 to 912. and again from p. 949 to 957. That K. Henry after his breach with Rome was still an enemy to Protestants Religion * Cap. 12. See Stat. 31 H. 8. cap. 14. Statutes in Religion made by K. Henry against Protestants Stat. an 32 H. 8. c. 26. The very Gospel against our new Gospellers by K. Henry's judgment K. Henry forbiddeth the Protestant Translation of the Scriptures Stat. an Reg. H. 8.34 35 c. 1. The very true and perfect exposition of Scriptures prescribed by K. Henry against the Protestants Will. Tyndall's Translation of the Scriptures condemned together with the Protestants Books Fox p. 981. The solemn Judgment Condemnatian of Lambert by the King. Anno 32. H. 8. Fox p. 1026. col 1. n. 78. Fox and King Henry fallen out Fox p. 1086. The Protestation of Cromwell at his death that he was a Catholic John Fox is sore pressed about the L. Cromwell Fox p. 1084. Tyndall's judgment testimony of the first motives towards Protestancy in K. Henry Fox p. 977. Hall. in chron an Reg. H. 8.28 fol. 228. The first Book of alteration of Religion in England devised by King Henry A certain Conference between a Courtier a Lady about devising Novelties in Religion Cocl in vit Luther Sur. ann Dom. 1516 1517. The Reply of the Lady with the Courtier 's Answer * Of these Hollanders see Holinshead an 27 H. 8. mensè Maii 1535. * See Holinsh and Stow of this Polling an 1535. The growing and going forward of the new Gospel under King Henry Fox p. 1036. Fox ib. See before cap. 7. Fox p. 991. col 2. n. 30. King Henry's beginning of alteration af-the death of Q. Anne Bullen The chiefest credit of Cromwell when new Gospellers were most punished by King Henry Hol. an 1540. pag. 950. The first point of spiritual misery of the Gospellers Church under King Henry Confusion Luth. in parva Confess de coena Domini Melancthon lib. de suo Judicio ad Elect. Rhen. an Dom. 1560. Freder Staph. l. de Concord Luth. Lyndan in dubitant Praet initio lib. de vit sectis haeret The different Classes and sorts of Sectaries sprung from Luther since the year 1517. How John Fox coupleth all Sectaries in his Church The second spiritual misery of J. Fox's Church contradiction among themselves in their Belief See part 3. of Bilney die 10. Martii an 1531. Tho. Bilney Jo. Frith Will. Tyndall * Part 3. die 2 Jan. die 6 Octob. Frier Barns Gerrard Jerom Lambert Ridley Hooper Rogers Latymer Andrew Hewit * Part 1. c. 12. Peter German * See his day part 3. 13 Octob. Colyns and Coubridge made Martyrs Fox p. 1033. Fox's Confessors under King Henry Erasmus Roterodamus * die 26 Decemb Erasm l. 16. ep 11. Picus Mirandula Bucer Melancthon Friar Bucer's Answer to the Duke of Northumberland Of King Edward VI. Two fond Pageants of King Henry and K. Edward Other ridiculous Paintings of Fox What the Roman Ship carried away and what the Protestants Ship brought into England A Picture of the Protestants Agreement Promotions made by the Protector in the beginning of King Edward's days Holinshead Stow and others an Dom. 1547. The Journey into Scotland why it was devised in King Edward's time The rushing in of Apostates into England Bernard Ochinus Vid. Sander l. de visib Monarch p. 627. The causes of jars between the new Protestant Preachers Stow. Anno 1539. Statut. Anno Domini 1547. Edw. 6. An. 1. Liberty and Impunity granted to all Heretics Joan Knell condemned and burned by Cranmer Sto. in Chron. An. 1549. Sir Francis Inglefield Fox pag. 1180. col 2. n. 40. Fox his impertinent Brag of impunity under King Edward The suffering of Catholics under King Edward Fox pag. 1180. n. 14. The 2d Point handled in the first Parliament about the Blessed Sacrament Stat. an 1. Ed. 6. cap. 1. The Statute about the B. Sacrament Mat. 26. Luc. 22. 1 Cor. 11. Deceitful dealing in this Statute The first Communion Book in English rejected The allowance of Priests and Friers Marriages rejected in this Parliament The resolute proceeding of the Lord Protector Fox p. 1183. Candles Ashes Palms forbidden by the Protector Fox ib. Col. 2. Images taken away by the Protector 's Letter before the Parliament A new Communion Book thrust upon Catholics by the Protector 's only Authority Fox p. 1184. Col. 1. The Confusion that insued in England upon the first Innovation The troubles and garboils in Temporal Affairs ensuing upon Ecclesiastical Confusion Bal. de script Britan. fol. 238. The second Parliament of King Edward An. 1548. 4. Novemb. Statut. Anno 2. Edw. 6. cap. 21. Anno Domini 1548. The Statute of Impunity for Priests and Friers to Marry The second Contention about their new Communion Book The Zwinglian Faction did over-bear the Lutheran in King Edwards days Two men cast into Prison by Cranmer for speaking against the Sacrament of the Altar Fox p. 1180. 1181. The perpl ex ty of Peter Martyr in Oxford about expounding Hoc est Corpus meum Dissembling and tergiversation of Peter Martyr Stat. an 2 Ed. 6 cap. 1. The new Communion-Book made upon the frailty and weakness of Subjects The judgment and speeches of the purer sort of Protestants against the foresaid Communion-Book Fox p. 1355. Catholics excepted from pardon in the Statute The apprehension and condemnation and death of the Lord Thomas Seymor by his Brother and other new Gospellers Stat. an 2 Ed. 6. cap. 18. Anno Dom. 1548. The Revel that ensued presently upon this Parliament of 4th of Novemb. 1548. Holinsh Stow. Anno Dom. 1549. The Protector cast into the Tower Octob. 4. an 1549. Stow an 3 6. 1555 The conclusion concerning the occasions means events and fruits of the new Gospel A consideration of much importance Holinsh An. Dom. 1553. pag. 1089. Stow in Chron. An. 1553. The Duke of Northumberland's Confession of his Faith at his Death Fox pag. 120. The form and fashion of Fox's new Church and Religion Pag. 8. The sleights and shifts of John Fox in his Writings A Comparison expressing the different dealing of Catholics and Protestants about seeking the true Church and Religion Three differences 1. The different estimation of the Church and lineal descent thereof between Catholics and Protestants Aug. l. 1. cont Crescon c. 33. Lactant. lib. 4. divin Instit cap. ult Lactant. ibid. All Heretics do challenge to be the true Church Cyp. l. de simpl Praelat Aug. Ep. 204. ad Donatum Presbyt Donatist No man can be saved out of the true Church Cypr. Tract de unit Ecclesiae How much it importeth each man to consider whether he be in the true Ch. or not The benefits by being in the Church Marc. ultim Mat. 18. Joan. 20. a The contemptibility of the Protestants Church even among themselves b See Luth ep ad Alb. March. Prusiae ep ad Jacob. Brem Aurif tit haer West ph l. cont Calvin Stanch l. de Trin. Mediat Heshus in defens con Calvinum Calv. admonit contra West ph Kemnit ep ad Elector Brandiburg Confess Tigur tract 3. c. c See also the two English Books the one called Dangerous Positions the other A Survey of Disciplinary Doctrin c. August cont ep fund c. 5. Lactan. l. 4. c. ult What Church S. Cyprian and S. Augustin do call Catholic Aug. l. 3. contra Gaudent Donat. cap. 1. Cypr. l. de unit Eccl. Fox's Protest pag. 8. The baseness and obscurity of the Protestant Church by their own confession Fox in Protest ibid. See S. August of this very Point Tract 1. in ep Joan. lib. contra ep Petil. c. 14. in Psal 30. conc 2. alibi Chrysost Hom. 4. de verbis Isaiae vidit Dominum c. Fox ibid. Fox in the difference c. betwixt the old Roman Church and the new pag. 26. Acts and Monuments pag. 1560. Fox p. 1561. col 2. n. 74. August contr ep Fundam cap. 5. What John Fox taketh from his Church The Protestants believe the Devil as much as their own Church The second principal point wherein Catholics and Protestants do differ Cypr. l. 4. ep 2. Epiph. in haer Cathar Aug. l. de haer c. 69. 88. l. 3. contr Par. men c. 2. The Conference at Carthage between Catholics and Donatists Aug. in Breviculo Collat. 3. cap. 3. The first point discussed between S. Augustin and the Donatists about the Name Catholic The second point between the Doatists and Catholics August Coll. 3. cap. 8. The third point discussed between the Catholics and Donatists at Carthage Câ—llat 3. cap. 8. A contention about the Parables of Christ concerning the Church Matt. 13. Matt. 3. Luc. 3. Marc. 3. 13. Mat. 29. Collat. 3. c. 9.10 11. The third principal difference about the proprieties marks of the true Church A Comparison of different giving of notes to find a thing by Proprieties and Marks the true Church given by Catholics Luth. lib. de conc parte ult The marks of the Church fondly set down by Heretics Magdeb. cent 1. lib. 2. c. 4. Calv. l. 4. Instit cap. 1. Protestant Ministers do flie publick Conference as the Donatists did Aug. in Brevit Praefat. ad coll 1. diti Coll. 1. cap. 8. The tergiversation of the Donatists to flie publick Trial. Coll. 1. c. 11.12 13 14. How English Ministers have fled publick Conference hitherto Coll. 3. c. 25.
more impudent and more greedy to deceive than they as you shall much more perceive by his last Argument ensuing 12. For my seventh Argument saith he I may make my probation by the plain words of Eleutherius by whose Epistle written to King Lucius we may understand that Lucius had received the Faith of Christ in this Land before he sent to Eleutherius for the Roman Laws for so the express words of the Letter do manifestly purport as hereafter followeth to be seen Thus saith he and citeth for his proof in the Margin Ex Epistola Eleutherii ad Lucium and by this last and strongest Argument of his the silly Fellow thinketh to strike the Nail dead and to prove that King Lucius was a Christian before he received Preachers from Pope Eleutherius and consequently that all is false which Antiquity hath held attributing the Conversion of that Kingdom and of the King himself to the Bishop of Rome For which cause Fox addeth presently Peradventure Eleutherius might help something either to convert the King or else to increase the Faith newly sprung up then among the People 13. So defineth he the matter and consider I pray you what he attributeth to Eleutherius in this Conversion Peradventure saith he he might help something to King Lucius his Conversion And is not this a great matter especially being qualified as it is with the restriction Peradventure If a man should say of Aesop's Fables that peradventure some of them in some points might be true were it not as much as John Fox doth attribute to all this Consent of Authors for this Conversion under Pope Eleutherius seeing he saith not absolutely Eleutherius did convert King Lucius or help indeed thereunto but that peradventure he might help something c. You may mark the diminutives used by Fox to lessen the benefit to wit peradventure might something c. and thereby consider what a holy stomach he hath to Rome and what little account he maketh of the Authority or Consent of all Antiquity when they make against him 14. But now let us weigh further his Proofs and by them also his Frauds and Impostures First of all for Proofs that King Lucius was a Christian before he dealt with Eleutherius he alledgeth the Epistle it self of Eleutherius which he setteth down as authentical citing only in the Margin Ex vetusto codice Regum antiquorum taken out of an old Book of old Kings but telleth not where we shall find this old Book and it may be perhaps of as good credit if it were found as the Book of Gildas before alledged De Victoria Aurelii Ambrosii or as many other fabulous things be in the Story of Geffrey of Monmouth and John Fox after him 15. And indeed if we consider the beginning of the first words of the Epistle it self we shall find certain doubts which neither Fox nor his Fellows will ever be able to solve as first of all that it was written after Eleutherius was dead for so it appeareth by the Account of Time noted in the Title which is this in Latin as Fox relateth Anno Domini 169 Ã Passione Christi scripsit D. Eleutherius Papa Lucio Regi Britanniae ad correctionem Regis Procetum Regni c. Which words Fox omitteth to translate into English for that they make against him and therefore would not have his unlearned Reader to understand the absurdity thereof for they say That Pope Eleutherius wrote this Epistle to Lucius King of Britanny to correct both Him and the Nobility of his Kingdom in the year 169 after the Passion of Christ To which 169 years if we add other 33 which Christ lived before his Passion they make 202 which is 19 years after Eleutherius's Death who dy'd in the year of Christ 184 as all Authors agree For which cause Fox himself in this very place and elsewhere often doth appoint the Conversion of King Lucius to have been in the year of Christ 180 and the 10th of Eleutherius his Reign but this Epistle appointeth it 22 years after to wit Anno Domini 102. So wise a man is Fox in bringing it in 16. Secondly this Epistle was written in Latin and so should Fox have delivered the same unto us wholly if he had dealt plainly But he hath not so done but only giveth us the Title in Latin without any Interpretation as now hath been said and the remnant or at leastwise so much as he thought convenient in English only and this of his own Translation without letting us see the Original and so he playeth the Fox in every thing But to return again to this Latin Title of the Epistle there is another cause why John Fox would not translate it into English and this is for that it is said therein that it was written by the Pope ad correctionem Regis Procerum Regni c. to correct the King and Nobility of the Realm which proveth that the Pope took himself to be their Superior also in those days and they to be subject to his correction For which causes Fox's Scholars Holinshead Hooker and Harrison do leave out this Title altogether in their Chronicles for that the word Correction upon the King and Nobility is an odious thing in these days especially from Popes 17. And thus much of the Title and Fraud used therein Now let us pass to the Body of the Epistle Thus it beginneth in John Fox's Translation Ye require of us the Roman Laws and the Emperours to be sent over unto you which you may practise and put in are within your Realm The Roman Laws and the Emperours we may ever reprove but the Law of God we may not You have received of late through God's Mercy in the Realm of Britanny the Law of Christ c. Thus saith the Epistle and out of these last words John Fox doth frame his former seventh Argument That King Lucius had received the Faith of Christ before he sent to Eleutherius for the Roman Laws Well suppose it was so and that this sending was a second Embassage some years after his Conversion how doth this infer that King Lucius was a Christian before he dealt with Eleutherius or before he sent the first time unto him and so that he was rather converted by Grecians than by Romans as the next immediate words of Fox are And that hence it may be inferred that Eleutherius did rather help perhaps to his Conversion or to increase the Faith newly sprung up than convert him Are not these notorious shifts and shameless windings of our Fox to delude his Reader 18. But you will ask me perhaps how I do prove that this was a second Embassage sent by King Lucius to Eleutherius and the Pope's Answer to the same Whereto I say that this is confessed and proved by Fox himself who writing of King Lucius saith That some years after his Conversion when he had put his Realm in Order for matters