Christ I hope Antichrist the head of that false Church is no member of the Church of Christ or belonging to his family Thus in these and diuers other such questions wherein we haue bin distracted our princely Ecclesiastes as another Constantine that decided the controuersies betweene the Christian Bishops hath taken vp the strife like as Archidamus being chosen an vmpire betweene two brought them to the temple charging them not to depart till they were agreed If there yet be remaining any question or controuersie in our Church let his Maiestie iudge betweene vs his Catholicke and Christian iudgement may reduce vs to vnitie and consent in religion I say then with S. Paul Let vs therefore as many as are perfect be thus minded and if we be otherwise minded God shal reueale the same vnto vs. Augustine saith wel to Hierome Quiescamus ab his cōtētionib nostre vitae salutique parcamus minus certè assequatur illa quae inflat dum nō offendatur illa quae aedificat Let vs cease from these contentions and fauour our life and health let that which puffeth vp be amended while that which edifieth be not offended Now to such as haue a long time stood out and refused to cōmunicate with the Church of England I would exhort them now at the length to be wiser and not to suffer themselues any longer to be abused by that Romish generation of whom that saying of the Prophet is true Qui ducunt seducunt vos They that guide you beguile you Isay. 3.12 The variance and enmity that hath bin of late between your false teachers the ignatian Friers and Seminary priests doth shew that they seeke not you but themselues you may say of them as Tully of Pompey and Caesar that were fallen out Nosse se quem fugere ignorare quem sequi debeat That he knew whom to shun but not whom to follow I would they did embrace Hieromes counsel In mentem tibi veniat tunicam Saluatoris non à militibus fuisse conscissam fratrum inter se cernis iurgia laetaris imitari Ionam dicito Si propter me ista est tēpestas tollite me c. Remember that our Sauiours coate was not rent of the souldiers but you see the falling out of brethrē reioyce at it imitate Ionas say If this tēpest be because of me take me and cast me into the sea I do not wish these seditious sect-masters of Rome to be cast into the sea but I wold haue them cast out of the land and sent ouer the sea that our Church be no more troubled with them England would do full well without them it hath no neede of their Phisicke as Pausanias answered a certaine Phisitian that sayd he ayled nothing Because sayth he I vse not you for my Phisitian Come then Gentlemen and louing countrimen let vs go vp to Gods house together beware hereafter of the Pharisies leauen Let them alone they be blind leaders of the blind Mat. 13.14 Why should you pin your faith vpon the Popes sleeue hath not the Apostle said Ye are bought with a price be not the seruants of men 1. Cor. 7.23 See you not how that Caiphas of Rome seeketh his owne glorie and dignitie and would make kings and Princes his vassails and subiects Hierome said well Si pacem habere non potest cum fratre nisi cum subdito ostendit se non tam pacem cupere quà m sub pacis conditione vindictam If he wil no peace with his brother but as with a subiect he sheweth that he desireth not peace but vnder the colour of peace reuenge this may better be pronounced of the proud Pope of Rome then of the ambitious Patriarke of Ierusalem of whom it was first vttered Thanke God which hath sent a Prince that wil reforme your error not nourish you in your superstitiō stil God be blessed that hath raised vs vp so Christian a king that is as able by reason to perswade to the truth as by law to enforce for his constant resolution for religion we can neuer sufficiently be thankeful He shall neuer need with Constantius that fauored the Arrians to repent fidem à se immutatā that he had changed his predecessors faith but as Ambrose saith of Valentinian A fratre nollet se pietate superari he would not be exceeded of his brother Gratian in pietie so his Maiesty is not inferior for care of religion to his late renoumed sister Q. Elizabeth God giue vnto his Christian Maiesty long continuance and strength to proceed in his happy course and constancy to hold out his godly purpose to the end that he may still come downe like the raine vpon the mowē grasse as the showers that water the earth to be a comfort to his subiects a refreshing to the Church that as we find him a carefull Gouernor a godly Prince a louing father an example of all vertue and goodnesse better then the rest as Leonidas king of Sparta said I had not bene your King if I had not bin better then you so we again may shew our selues obedient and dutiful subiects to pray for him continually and dayly blesse him Psal. 72.15 That we neuer be vnthankful to God or vndutiful to him nor vnmindful of these great blessings of peace continuance of religion administration of iustice nor weary of so happy a gouernment as is expected as the inconstant Athenians were of Themistocles to whom he well said Are you wearied in receiuing of so many benefits frō one man but that it may truly be said of vs and all the faithfull subiects of the land They shall feare thee as long as the Sunne and Moone endureth from generation to generation Pal. 72.5 That his Maiestie now and his royall posteritie ouer vs may raigne in all happinesse godlinesse and peace from generation to generation which God graunt THE ANSWERE TO THE FIRST SECTION OF the Apological Epistle Sect. 1. The frailtie and pronenes of man to sinne after the fall of Adam WE see here verified the saying of S. Paul That false Apostles are deceitfull workers and transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ 2. Cor. 11.14 and as Sathan doth transforme himselfe into an Angel of light so his ministers can transforme themselues as though they were the ministers of righteousnes so playeth this cunning epistler who deuoting himselfe in this Libell to the seruice of Sathan in defacing the truth and disgracing the true Church of Christ which professeth it yet maketh a colourable entrance and plausible beginning setting in the forefront of this beadrole of lies an euident knowne and confessed truth of the fall of Adam and the generall corruption and deprauation of nature from thence issuing But as Hierome saith Venenum sub melle latet There lieth poyson hid vnder hony and as Ambrose Quia sub nomine suo culturam suadere non potest sub alterius nomine
many therefore of the renowned Kings and Queenes of this land are Saints in heauen is not by any Protestants denyed as he sayth by some it is confessed for they might be caryed away with some errors of the time then not reuealed yet holding the foundation thorough Gods mercie they might be saued It is a diuers case when a man sinneth of infirmitie or simplicitie and when he offendeth willinglie of obstinacie to stumble in the darke craueth pitie to grope at noone dayes is great follie I say therefore in this case as our Sauiour to the Pharisees If ye were blind ye should not haue sinne but now ye say we see therefore your sinne remayneth And as S. Paule sayth The time of ignorance God regarded not Act. 17.30 God therefore might shew mercie to them that erred of simplicitie which is no warrant for them that should now be seduced willinglie Cypriane to this purpose thus sayth as he is rehearsed by Augustine Ignosci potest simpliciter erranti c. He that erreth simplie may be pardoned as the Apostle Paule sayth of himselfe I was a blasphemer and a persecutor but I was receiued to mercie because I did it ignorantlie Then it followeth Post inspirationem verò reuelationem factam qui in eo quod errauerat perseuerat prudens sciens sine venia ignorantiae peccat But he which after the inspiration and reuelation of the truth should perseuere in error doth sinne wittinglie not ignorantlie and therefore must looke for no pardon or pitie This is then the different case betweene the parents erring in time of darknes and the sonnes stumbling in the day light Their saluation doth magnifie Gods mercie in pardoning their imperfections it doth not iustifie their religion in commending their superstitions Our parents errings are our learnings their wants are not our warrants We must not imitate and follow them as Plato his schollers his crookednes Aristoteles his stammering Alexanders courtiers his stouping The Apologie 1 THe 2. proofe Because all states that liue in England are indebted to those Princes Clergie men for learning the Noble for nobilitie men of armes for heroicall acts c. her Maiestie hath receiued life being Crowne Kingdome and Diademe won and conuerted c. augmented and enlarged by so many Henries Edwards c. They builded Churches Monasteries common Schooles c. What donations and free gifts were graunted to the English Clergie c. 2 For the defence of this religion all those princely prerogatiues were graunted by the free subiects of England to their Kings her Catholike predecessors which she still enioyeth by that title as alienations aduousions citations corporations escheates fooles forfeitures franchises deodands c. 3 The nobilitie possesse their lands castles c. titles of honor by their ordinance And that miserable people of England that vntrulie challengeth the name of the Clergie among Protestants Bishoprickes Deaneries degrees and titles of Schooles Vniuersities Colledges c. was deriued from our Catholike Kings c. The Antilogie 1 IS not here now great adoe about nothing and is not this a goodlie argument The auncient Kings and Princes haue been great benefactors to all degrees and states in England Ergo we are bound to receiue their faith and religion Who denieth but that all sorts of men and degrees of callings amongst vs are to giue great thanks vnto God for such worthie instruments of our outward peace and prosperitie and yet who taketh himselfe in religion to be tied by this bond to the same conformitie thankfulnes for benefites temporall ought not to abridge vs of things spirituall neither ought our dutie to men make vs forget our seruice to God If this perswasion were sound Constantine and other Christian Emperors must not haue forsaken the idolatrie of their predecessors by whom the Empire had been much enlarged and the Citie of Rome with many costlie Temples and buildings other goodlie foundations beautified many excellent lawes also for administration of iustice published and to whom for the outward state of the common-wealth the Empire was as much bound as any Christian Kingdome at this day to their auncient Catholike Kings and founders That saying of Pericles that wheÌ„ his friend would haue had him take a false oath for him said he was a friend only so farre as the altare might easily haue dissolued this doubt our worthie founders haue an interest in vs for our houses Colledges lands c. but not for Gods altare or matters of religion 2 First all those priuiledges and immunities were granted to the King as belonging to his princely prerogatiue not for the defence of the Popish religion as it may appeare by those seuerall statutes which the Apologist citeth in the margin which shal be examined in their order 1 Forfeyture 4.5 ann Edward 2.17 c. 16. the escheates of felons lands are giuen to the King 2 Franchise 20. The auncient prerogatiues and authorities of iustice which had been seuered by the gifts of sundrie Kings are restored as the pardoning of treasons murders man-slaughters making and appointing of Iustices c. ann Henr. 8.27 c. 24. 3 Intrusion 1. The heire of him that holdeth of the King in chiefe if he enter before he haue receiued seisin of the King shall gaine no freehold thereby Edward 2. ann 17. c. 13. here is no mention made of any such regard for maintenance of Poperie 4 Mortdauncester 1. The King shall haue the seisin of their lands that hold of him in chiefe ann 52. Hen. 3. c. 16. 5 Partition 1. If lands holden of the King in chiefe descend to many partners all the heires shall do homage to the King Prerogatiu regis 5 Ed. 2. 6 Patents 1. Aduowsions of Churches and dowers do not passe in the Kings graunts vnlesse expresse mention be made Ed. 2. ann 17. prerogatiu regis c. 15. 7 Primer seyson 1. The King shall haue primer seisin after the death of them that held of him in chiefe Ed. 2. an 17. prerogatiu reg c. 3. here as in all the rest there is no consideration pretended for defence of religion 8 Prouision 21. All the Statutes made against prouisions purchased from Rome in the time of Ed. 3. Ric. 2. are confirmed And it is further enacted that elections of Archbishops Bishops Priors Deanes be not in any wise interrupted by the Pope Hen. 4. an 9. c. 8. This acte ouerthroweth the iurisdiction of the Pope so farre is it from graunting any thing to the King for the defence thereof Thus like an vnskilfull Apothecarie taking quid pro quo he hath tempered a contrarie drugge which as a dramme of collâ—quintida marreth the whole potion though it had bene otherwise medecinable 9 Tenure 2. They that hold of lands escheated to the King shall do the same seruice to the King which they did before Mag. chart c. 31. 10 Ward 3. The King
factious crue and adulterous seede of that strumpet may in good time also bee dispatched thither to sucke their owne mothers breasts that both the bondwoman and her sonnes may be cast foorth and not be heires with Isaac And if they will with Iudas depart from the Ministers of Christ to the Pharisies we may wish vnto them Iudas end as one saith Iudas iuit ad Pharisaeos non iuit ad Apostolos iuit ad diâ—isoâ— diuisus perijt Iudas went to the Pharisies not to the Apostles he went to those which were diuided and being diuided in the midst perished And happie were it with the Church of England if it were honestly rid of such make bate companions that wee might dwell by none but good neighbours as it is said of Themistocles when hee offered his ground to sell caused it to be proclaimed that he had a good neighbour Now this aduersarie breaking off here his vncharitable accusations returneth to his former defence which how sillie and weake it is shall in the discouerie thereof appeare The fift Defence 1. WHat disloyaltie of behauiour to Commonwealths can be noted in Catholike religion doe wee not teach all dutie vnto Princes and superiours pag. 94. 2. What is there in that sacred function of Priesthood now treason by the proceedings of England that can be guiltie of so great a crime in the statute of treason in Edward 3. nothing is remembred but that which tendeth either to the betraying of King or countrie pag. 95. 3. What is in Priesthood now that was not in former times which euer in Parliament hath been reputed the most honourable calling c. the same Priesthood which was giuen to S. Peter and his Apostles the same which S. Augustine and his associates had that conuerted England pag. 96. 4. There is in that sacrament of Priesthood no renouncing or deniall of any authoritie in England no conspiracie to Prince no betraying of kingdome c. pag. 96. 5. That Priests do absolue from sinnes c. the cause is no temporall thing and yet it cannot be the cause of this treason for Deacons which haue no such authoritie are traytors by the same statute pag. 96. 6. That our Priests are consecrated in forraine countries is not the cause for in former times it hath been the greatest honour to our Clergie to be consecrated in those forraine countries and to be ordered in France to which we be friends and in England is equally treason pag. 97. 7. The Grecians and Germanes diuers in doctrine to the Church of Rome haue their Seminaries of Priests maintained by the Pope and yet they condemne not their Priests for traytors and it is as improbable that the Pope hath an intent to bring England vnder his temporall gouernment as it is vnprobable in those countries 8. How can those religious Schooles be such aduersaries c. where there is no Reader no professor no Lecture no doctrine against our English gouernment where prayer is continually made for her Maiestie The rules and gouernment there consent with the ancient foundations of Cambridge and Oxford pag. 98. 9. What disobedience can it be to denie to any temporall Prince supremacie in causes Ecclesiasticall a preeminence distinct c. which our Kings themselues euer approued in the Roman See which neuer any Turke or Goth or Vandale or Infidell challenged c. nor any temporall Prince vnlesse it be in England pag. 98. 10. The enemies to this See do not condemne it as a disobedience to appeale to Rome in spirituall cases to goe on pilgrimage to Rome to fetch any Crucifixe or picture from thence all Catholikes and Christians of the world without prohibition of their Princes haue accesse thither pag. 99. 11. Our most triumphant Kings haue performed those offices in visiting of Rome in their owne persons pag. 99. The Answere 1. DOe ye aske what disloyaltie there is in your Cacolike religion when by Popish doctrine Princes are not chiefe in their owne kingdoms ouer Ecclesiasticall causes and persons and the Pope hath authoritie by the same to excommunicate and depose Princes and absolue subiects from their oth of obedience And doe ye teach all dutie to Princes when the pestilent vipers the Iudasites doe hold that subiects ought to assist the Pope inuading a countrie by force for religion against their Prince and that they are bound to keepe secret the Popes designements to that end that they were no rebels which aided the Popes Cacolikes in Ireland against the Queene I would not so often alleage these matters but that this brablers confused tautologies can not otherwise be answered 2. There be other points in that statute beside betraying of King or countrie that are made treason as to violate the Kings wife or his eldest daughter or the wife of his eldest sonne but these matters are impertinent they serue only to shew the vntruth of his speech And euen by this statute popish Priests and Iudasites that maintaine a forren Potentate a knowne enemie to Prince and countrie are found to be traytors for they which are adherent to the Kings enemies in his realme giuing them ayde and comfort within the realme or elsewhere are by that statute iudged traytors 3. In popish Priesthood there are many things now which were not in former times as to haue power to make Christs bodie that it is a sacrament and hath an indeleble character their shauing greazing to haue dependance vpon the Bishop of Rome the vow of single life annexed to orders these things in the honorable calling of the Ministers of the Church the auncient and pure age of the Church did not acknowledge And though the popish priesthood for some hundred yeares past hath beene in great credite yet was it another manner of Ministerie which was honoured of the auncient Christian Emperors As the Bishops of the Nicene Councell whom Constantine so reuerenced that he would not sit downe till they had beckoned to him Meletius whose eyes lips and breast Theodosius kissed embraced Chrysostome whom Goinas the Goth did reuerence and caused his children to fall downe at his knees all these were Bishops of another order then the Popes creatures now are It is also a vaine boast that S. Peter had the same priesthood S. Peters presbyters were not Lords ouer Christs flocke as the Popes Clergie is 1. Pet. 5.3 Peter doth make himselfe a sympresbyter with the rest not lord ouer theÌ„ nor they to depend of him and confesseth Christ to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefe shepheard 1. Pet. 5.4 he dare not arrogate that title to himselfe as the Pope doth In some respects they may haue the same priesthoode which Augustine the Monke had though as yet the sacrifice of Christs bodie was not annexed to the priesthood nor many yeares after for he came from Rome and sought the preeminence of that See
as may witnesse that bloodie massacre of France and the continuall ciuill warres for many yeeres together wherein not so few Christian people as 100. thousand haue perished England thankes be to God hath no such flowers growing in her garden neither I trust euer shall Neither doe wee desire nay wee would not for all the kingdomes of the world chaunge our state with any of those flower countries Italie France Spaine which in deede are flowers and leaues without true fruite Though the Popes iurisdiction hath been large yet can hee not compare with the pontifices maximi among the Romans which was an office of such high authoritie and great commaund that the title was afterward annexed to the Empire and the Emperours tooke vpon them to be called the high Priests The other Patriarchall Seas also did equalize Rome in largenes of iurisdiction especially Alexandria to the which was subiect al Egypt Libya Pentapolis with all the Christian Churches of Africa The Pope hath no great cause to brag of his greatnes for his wings are well clipped and I doubt not but to see yet more of this proud birds feathers pulled Neither is largenes of dominion a good argument for religion for then Pagane idolatrie which was more vniuersally receiued at once in the 〈◊〉 then Christianitie should thrust out the Gospell of 〈◊〉 And as for the King of Spaine◠〈◊〉 he may thanke the poore Indians for it whose throates the Spaniards haue cut for their gold neither is it such but that hee knoweth how to spend it and for all his great treasure his coffers are often emptie enough But let it be remembred how these popelings measure religion by riches and outward glorie which if it were a good rule the rich Chaldeans Assyrians Persians should rather haue bin the people of God thē the poore Israelites the rich Scribes and Pharisies should be preferred before the Apostles 2. Popish religion denieth dutie to God making other Mediatours beside Christ teaching inuocation of Saints adoration of images which are peculiar to God neither doth it giue honour to Magistrates abridging them of their lawfull authoritie in matters ecclesiasticall and giuing the Pope authoritie to excommunicate and depose Princes and to absolue their subiects of their oath Concerning the particulars of Popish profession what little comfort is in them how derogatorie to God contrarie to Scriptures I haue shewed before in the answere to the 5. section 3. The Pope so well appeased the quarrels betweene Henry the 2. and his Nobles that after the King had reconciled himselfe to the Pope for the death of Thomas Becket and yeelded to doe penance his troubles began afresh betweene him and his sonnes Richard and Iohn that he died for griefe And the Pope by his Legates and factors in England and other countries hath been a mouer not a compounder of strife a raiser rather then layer of warre Did not Gregorie the 7. set vp Rodolphus against Henry the 4. the Emperour betweene whom many bloodie battels were fought Did not Pope Paschalis incite Henrie the sonne against the Emperor Henrie the father and dispossessed him of the Empire Vrban the 2. did put downe Hugo Earle of Italie discharging his subiects of their oth and obedience Gregorie the 9. did excommunicate Fredericke the 2. and raised vp the Venetians against him And in England Pope Innocent the 3. commaunded vnder paine of his great curse that no man should obey King Iohn he gaue definitiue sentence in his consistorie that he should be deposed from his Crowne and appointed Philip King of France to execute this sentence promising him full remission of his sins to kill or expell King Iohn Vrban the 4. set Henrie the 3. and his Nobles together by the eares absoluing the king of his oth made to performe certaine articles agreed vpon at Oxford whereupon the Barons warres were renewed Pope Boniface set variance betweene England and Scotland in the raigne of Edward the 1. challenging Scotland as proper to the Sea of Rome But in steed of easing the people of rigorous exactions imposed by Princes the Pope himself hath vsed vnreasonable extortions Rigandus de Asteri◠the Popes Legate in England in Edward the 2. his raigne demaunded of the Clergie 8. pence in the marke toward the Legates charges but they graunted only 4. pence in the marke He also laboured to bring in a new manner of collection of Peter pence but was resisted by the King The like did Henricus the 3. Repressit impetum Legati propter violentiam denariorum He restrained the attempts of the Popes Legate touching his violent exactions of money The Bishops of England after great and forcible intreatie agreed to pay to the Pope 11000. markes The King of England saith the same author made payment to Pope Alexander the 4. vpon a very friuolous and fond matter 950000. markes Bonner himselfe witnesseth that the Popes pray in England came almost to as much as the reuenewes of the Crowne The Pope had the first fruites of all the Bishopricks in England which came to a great summe Canterburie paied 10000. Florences and 5000. for his pall Yorke as much Winchester 12000. Elie 7000. The whole summe of all the first fruites in Europe which came to the Popes coffers amounted to 2460843. Florences which maketh well nie 6. hundred 15. thousand two hundred and ten pound starling Iudge by this now Christian Reader what an impudent man this is to make the Pope a mitigator of great exactions whereas he hath been the most cruell extortor and exactor in the world As is his credit in this so let him be beleeued in the rest 4. Popish confession is so farre from keeping subiects from deuising against their Prince as that it hath been the speciall engine and instrument to contriue treacherie against the state Simon the Monke was confessed and absolued of his Abbot when he enterprised to poyson King Iohn Frier Forrest in secret confession declared to diuers subiects that King Henry the 8. was not supreame head of the Church and so abused confession to sedition Peter Barriere was confessed in the Colledge of the Iesuites in Paris and tooke the Sacrament whē he intended to murder the french King that now is Iohn Chaestell also that conspired the like had been often schooled in the Iesuites chamber of meditations These are the fruites of popish confession deuising of treasons reuealing of secrets seeking occasion to do euill for by this opportunitie diuers lewd Priests sollicited the parties that came to be confessed vnto euill As mention is made in the papall rescripts of one qui cum alterius coniuge frequenter in ecclesia dormiuit which oftentimes in the Church slept with another mans wife And this should seeme to be so vsuall a practise that for restraint thereof they decreed against it non debet episcopus vel presbyter commisceri
The Priests also thus write That there is no competitor vnto the Crowne of England that is a Catholike in whom any probabilitie in the world of enioying the Crowne can be imagined as al men know Thus the Masse-priests were bold to write not long since but simplie and suspiciouslie as though England would afford any competitor to stand vp against the lawfull title of his Maiestie who onely by his royall descent had enterest to succeede in the Crowne which God be thanked we see to all our comforts without any contradiction or opposition to be peaceablie deriued vnto his Maiestie which long may he possesse with honor to Gods glorie We trust then that God which in his mercie hath sanctified this land to professe his Gospell will consecrate it as his Temple to be the piller of truth and candlesticke to hold out the light of his word to the worlds end and that he wil put into the heart of our gratious Soueraigne and honorable Counsellers so to prouide that true Religion may be transmitted vnto posteritie and so blesse the Kings royall posteritie and especiallie his Maiesties dearest sonne and heire apparant Prince Henry that Religion may be so planted in his princely youth that it may grow vp and increase with him It ioyeth me here to remember that couragious farewell which that renowned King Henry the 8. gaue to the Pope England hath taken her leaue of popish crafts for euer neuer to be deluded with them hereafter Romane Bishops haue nothing to do with English people the one doth not traffike with the other at the least though they will haue to do with vs we will none of their merchandice none of their stuffe we will receiue them of our councell no more This Prophesie rather then Proclamation of that magnanimous King we gladlie accept and with all ioyfull acclamation say Amen vnto it Adde vnto this the propheticall exclamation of Roger Clearke Martyr at his condemnation an 1546. at Ipswich fight for your God for he hath not long to continue But most of all are we secured by the prophesie of the Reuelation that Babylon is fallen which we see in part alreadie fulfilled for the tenth part of the citie is fallen alreadie that is the tenth part of that politike bodie of Antichrist which consisted of Monks Friers Nunnes with their Abbeyes Priories Celles Chauntries is ouerthrowne as by a mightie earthquake in the kingdomes of England Scotland Ireland And we further are most sure that after Babylon beginneth to fall it shall not rise againe nor be found no more And howsoeuer God may in iustice deale with some nation in particular for their vnthankfull receiuing of the Gospell to suffer them to be misled againe yet we make no doubt but the generall bodie of Antichrist is decaying and hath receiued a wound irrecouerable Wherefore be it knowne vnto you ye Papists that your kingdome is withering and decaying and ye are they that wax worse and worse deceiuing and being deceiued 1. Tim. 3.12 but the Gospell of Christ shall flourish and they that loue him shall be as the sunne that riseth in his strength Only let vs that professe the Gospell be of good courage let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wauering let vs lift vp our hands that hung downe and our weake knees Let vs not be like as Hierome sayth to those that slacke their rowing Quomodo qui aduerso flumine lembum trahit si remiserit manus retro labitur fluentib aquis quo non vult ducitur Like as he which haleth a boate against the streame if he let go his hands falleth backe and is caried whither he would not so he that is remisse in religion is in danger to fall backe to superstition but the worst I hope is past the beginning of reformation is harder then the perfection as Lampis said of the getting of riches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he got great wealth easily and small hardlie So we hope in God that true religion may more easily be continued then it was at the first founded 3 This Iesuited or rather Iudasited Frier for of that rebellious and exorbitant order he is supposed to be proceedeth on in his frierlie vaine of lying he bringeth in Iohn Riuius to say that they meaning all Protestants be Atheists Epicures deniers of the soules immortalitie p. 11. l. 21. Whereas neither he speaketh of all Protestants but only of certaine dissolute liuers among them neither yet affirmeth them to be deniers c. but that they do runne headlong into sinne as though they did thinke c. that the foule perisheth with the bodie There is great difference betweene him that openlie denieth the immortalitie of the soule and him that by his licentious life may be thought not to beleeue the soule to be immortall Indeede we reade that in the Councell of Constance it was obiected to one of your Popes whom ye hold can not erre namely Iohn 23. Quinimo dixit pertinaciter credidit animam hominis cum corpore humano mori c. Moreouer he said and obstinately beleeued that the soule of man dieth together with the bodie and is extinguished as the soule of brute beasts But from among the Protestants you shall not be able to shew one that euer so affirmed or beleeued 4 Where he saith their owne generall and approued doctrine especiallie in England that true faith and good works are inseparable conâ—oc Londâ—n 1562. art 12. condemneth such men for infidels and misbeleeuers p. 12. l. 7. First it is vntrue that those words are found in that article though we admit and receiue the doctrine that article faith indeede that good works spring out necessarily of a true and liuely faith but it condemneth them not straight for infidels that haue not this working and liuely faith for there is great difference betweene him that hath the right knowledge of God though not effectual or working and him that hath no knowledge or the same erroneous And if it be admitted that some infidels or misbeleeuers might be found among Protestants and where the Gospell is professed is that any derogation maister Frier to the Church of God or profession of the Gospell which condemneth such Did the Church of Corinth cease to be a Church because some among them had not the knowledge of God and denied the resurrection Or is the popish Church free from infidels and misbeleeuers I would Atheisme and prophanenes had not inuaded the Popes chaire I thinke that Pope was little better then an infidell and misbeleeuer that said to one of his Cardinals quantum nobis profuit fabula ista dâ— Christo how much hath this fable of Christ aduantaged vs 5 Of the like credit and truth are these words that follow that the Protestants haue beene the onely cause of so many Infidelities Atheismes Epicurismes Iudaismes p. 12. l. 20. that euery man among vs is left
Albons gaue the Peter-pence to Rome and was a great benefactor to that See Sigebert King of West Saxons was a most cruell tyrant who caused the Earle Combranus to be most cruellie put to death because he admonished him to change his manners and was himselfe by the iust iudgement of God slaine by the Swineheard of the same Earle and yet this man is numbred among the Catholike Kings that wrought miracles Another Sigebert there was King of East Saxons who became a Christian but it is not like that this Legender meaneth him who was welnie 150. yeares before this Sigebert who is named after Offa in whose time he liued ann 748. he then putting these two together Offa Sigebertus may be thought rather to insinuate that Sigebert which liued in the time of Offa then the other who was almost 150. yeares before Thus verie skilfullie as we see he hath martialed and mustred his Mirabilists together 4 Concerning the cure of the Kings euill first obtained by King Edward 1. it is not to be imputed to the holines of his person but the efficacie of his prayers to the which that vertuous Prince was much giuen as Dauid by his godlie songs rather then his musicall instrument allayed Saules maladie 2. King Edward did not cure the woman brought vnto him so much by miracle as by ordinarie meanes as suppling and cleansing of the soare pressing out the corruption and bathing the flesh 3. He did not onely cure the woman of her disease but she became fruitfull being barren before He also healed a man that had been blind 19. yeares and caused him to see as the storie reporteth the credit whereof I referre to the Reader how commeth it to passe that these cures also are not hereditarie as well as the other 4. If this miraculous cure of this disease is to be ascribed to the Popish religion how coÌ„meth it to passe that a Protestant Prince our late Soueraigne Qu. Elizabeth therein was comparable to any of her predecessors who yet did not ascribe it to any desert in her self or holines of her person or vertue of her crown but to Gods mercy inuocated by her prayers 5. It is not yet proued that the beginning of this strange cure was founded vpon any point of Popish profession but vpoÌ„ the confidence which that good Prince had in God whom the Protestants more trulie worship then Papists 6. Whatsoeuer is here alleaged for countenancing of the religion of these Christian Kings the Paganes also can produce the like for theirs Traianus the Emperour made a blind man see and a lame man go Among the Argiues the posteritie of Alexida Amphiraus daughter are thought to cure the falling sicknes and are called Elasiae from driuing away of that disease Therefore this is no sound argument to grace that religion though all the rest were euident which yet wanteth proofe that this gift was first bestowed for the merit and desert of the popish beliefe which is thought rather to remayne as a grace from God of that sacred calling and a signe of his speciall assistance and protection of Princes though in his strange cure the conceit and opinion of the diseased may somewhat help some other meanes medicine and diet more but godlie prayers most of all that we neede not altogether pretend a miraculous worke Ambrose sayth Moses non imperabat sed impetrabat Moses precabatur Christus operabatur Moses intreated not commanded he was the prayer Christ the worker Another sayth Elizeus cum spiritu magistri haereditario scindere tamen aquas nisi sub Dei inuocatione non potuit Helizaeus though heyring his maisters spirit could not deuide the water without calling vpon God so this gift howsoeuer to Princes hereditarie pretended can not be without prayer and works of pietie effectuallie practised The Apologie THe proposition of the argument proposed that Princes are bound to the religion of their predecessors hath been thus handsomely proued as we see now it followeth that I examine his proofes of the assumption that all these Catholike Kings were Papists 1 They builded Monasteries and graunted diuers priuiledges for praying to God and Saints for the soules of them and their posteritie pag. 58. lin penultim 2 They voluntarily forsooke their Kingdomes and professed Monasticall life Kingylsus Iue Câ—lulsus c. pag. 59. lin 17. 3 Thirdly Christian Kings of the Britons from Lucius to Cadwallader ann 150. Kings of the English or Saxon Danish and Norman nation embraced it with all zeale themselues and promulged the same by all lawes c. to their posteritie pag. 60. lin 12. c. 4 Her Maiesties father obserued it all his life and of denying the Romane iurisdiction repented at his death pag. 60. lin 24. c. 5 My Soueraigne that is in the time of her Sister Queene Mary professed it with much deuotion pag. 6. lin 29. 6 The King ought to take his oath vpon the Euangelists and blessed relicks of Saints c. to maintaine holie Church with all integritie and libertie according to the constitution of his auncestors pag. 64. lin 30. Vpon these euidences he inferreth thus So that no man can doubt of what faith they were except it be a question whether he that prayeth to Saints prayeth for the dead offereth sacrifice of the Masse graunteth Church liberties honoreth the Sea of Rome buildeth Altars Monasteries Nunries c. be a Papist or Protestant pag. 59. lin 1.2 The Antilogie ALthough I might safely insist in the proposition that a Christian Prince ought not absolutely to be addicted to the religion of his forefathers yet that the weakenes of the Apologists defense may appeare I will discouer his nakednes in this behalfe that he hath not gayned by his slender reasons that those Christian auncient Kings were of the now Romaine religion 1 Though some Monasteries were built by the founders for the remedie of their soule yet all were not speciallie those which were erected at the beginning betweene ann 600. and ann 700. when as yet superstition had not got such deepe footing afterward they which had committed any murther or grieuous sinne that troubled their conscience they were perswaded to found some Monasterie for the remission of their sinnes as Offa builded S. Albones for the murther of King Ethelbert Ethelstane the Abbey of Midleton for consenting to his brother Edwines death Queene Alfrith the Nunrie of Amesburie because of the death of King Edward the Martyr which she had procured Yea in processe of time as religion decayed they had a conceit by such works to redeeme their soules as King Henry 3. built the Monasterie of Conuerts pro redemptione animae suae Iohannis patris sui c. for the redemption of his soule and the soule of Iohn his father Is not this good geare thinke you and sound Catholike doctrine that men should play Christs part and by their owne works redeeme their soules 2 Though
diuers of those auncient Kings became Monks yet neither was the Monasticall life so farre out of square as now it is they made it not a cloake of idlenes and filthie liuing a nurserie of idolatrie and grosse superstitions but they desired that life as fittest for contemplation and free frō the encumbrances of the world Diuers of the heathen Emperors left the Imperiall administration and betooke thēselues to priuate contemplation as Dioclesian Maximinian Lanquet ann Christ. 307. Neither doth this one opinion of the excellencie of Monasticall life shew them to be resolute Papists for it followeth not because they were Monks that consequentlie they held transubstantiation worship of images and the more grosse points of the Romish Catechisme 3 He shall not be able to proue the tenth part of that great number of 180. Kings either to haue themselues professed the now Romane religion or by lawes to haue prescribed the same to others some instances I will produce In King Lucius dayes not the Pope but the King was Gods vicar in his kingdome and it was his part to gather the people together to the law of Christ as Eleutherius Bishop of Rome testifieth in his epistle Cedde and Colman dissented from the Church of Rome about the celebration of Easter Wilfride about the same time confesseth that Images were inuented of the Deuill which all men that beleeue in Christ sayth he ought of necessitie to forsake and detest King Alfred or Alured translated the Psalter into English and he was instructed by Ioannes Scotus who writ a booke de corpore sanguine Christi which was condemned by the Pope in the Synod Vercellens being of Bertrams opinion against the corporall presence which fansie was not as yet receiued in the Church as is apparant by the sermon of Elfricus against transubstantiation In King Edward Athelstane and King Edmunds time the Prince had power to constitute ecclesiasticall lawes and to prescribe rules and orders for ecclesiasticall persons as may appeare by diuers of their lawes In King Edgars time Priests mariage was lawfull which began then to be restrayned Many lawes and acts haue passed since in open Parliament to restraine the iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome to inhibite the purchasing of prouisoes frō thence arrests processes excommunications vnder paine of exile imprisonment forfeiture of goods and that not without expresse consent of the Clergie See Richard 2. ann 16. cap. 5. These then which allowed not the worship of images beleeued not transubstantiation gaue the Prince authoritie in spirituall causes approued the mariage of Ministers and the translation of the scriptures into the vulgar tongue restrayned the authoritie of the Romane Bishop may worthilie doubted of whether they were Papists 4 King Henry was so farre from repenting his proceedings against the vsurped Romane iurisdiction that if God had spared him life he intended a thorough reformation of Religion as was easilie to be seene both by his resolution for religion vttered not long before his death to Monsieur de Annebault the French Embassador and his answere made nearer to his death to Bruno Embassador to the Duke of Saxonie that he would take his part against the Emperour if the quarell were for religion 5 More vntrue it is that our late Soueraigne in the late dayes of persecution professed that religion with such deuotion The cruell and vnnaturall dealing toward her highnes then is a sufficient argument to conuince this large reporter of a great vntruth how she was sent for by commission in great extremitie of sicknes to be brought aliue or dead committed without cause to the Tower her seruants remoued from her straitlie examined her owne seruants restrayned to bring her diet denied the libertie of the Tower a strait watch kept round about her in danger to be murdered in continuall feare of her life her death by Winchesters platforme intended which by Gods prouidence she escaped Adde hereunto Stories desperate speech vttered in the Parliament house that he was not a little grieued with his fellow Papists for that they laboured onely about the young and little sprigs and twigs while they should haue striken at the roote c. All this euidentlie bewrayeth what opinion they had of her Maiesties resolution in religion and what she had of theirs In the meane time their cruell proceedings are laid open who if it were as this Coniecturer sayth would so persecute an innocent Ladie whom they commend for her deuotion 6.1 That euidence which he alleadgeth from M. Fox his mouth out of the Register booke of the Guildhall in London conteineth not the precise forme of the Princes oath to be taken at the Coronation which before I haue recited out of Magna charta but certaine monitions and instructions concerning the dutie of the King 2. He vseth great fraud in setting downe the words both inuerting the order and leauing out what he thinketh good as that the King ought to loue and obserue Gods commaundements then must he be an enemie to idolatrie and to the doctrines and commaundements of men such as many be obserued in the Romane Church Beside he sayth to maintaine holie Church whereas the words are to maintaine and gouerne the holie Church c. but they can not endure that Kings should rule and gouerne the Church 3. For the King to take his oath vpon the Euangelists and blessed reliques of Saints it sheweth not that the King did worship those reliques or sweare by them though he lay his hand vpon them no more then he doth sweare by the booke that putteth his hand vpon it or Abrahams seruant by his maisters thigh when he sware vnto him or Iacob by the heape of stones ouer the which he tooke his oath But as Ambrose well sayth Christianus imperator aram solius Christi didicit honorare A Christian Emperour hath onely learned to honor Christs altare And so Christian Princes haue learned to giue all religious honor to Christ and not to impart it to his seruants to make them sharers with their Maister Thus hath this sophisticall dialogist fayled as well in the probation of the assumption as in his enlarging of the proposition But whatsoeuer her Maiesties predecessors were she was not bound where they wandred out of the way to erre in their steps Iosias of idolatrous parents both father and grandfather was himselfe a religious Prince and a true worshipper of God Heathen stories will tell vs that noble Pericles came of an euill race Pompeius the great of despised Strabo Vlysses Aesculapius famous men of lewd parents The graue Poet also doth insinuate as much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sonne excels in vertues fame the parent euill of whome he came As of euill parents vertuous children may descend so out of superstitious antiquitie religious posteritie may issue and florish And as Ambrose well answered the obiection of Symmachus the Pagane Maiorum ritus
for men in their sicknes to be troubled with illusions of Deuils and terrible visions seeing it is so vsuall a thing in Poperie and often happening to popish professors Did he thinke so to blind the world and possesse men with his strange reports that they could not call to minde the fearefull examples of Pope Siluester the second of Innocentius the fourth of Cardinall Crescentius whereof the first gaue his soule to the Deuill to obtaine the Papacie the second in the night was striken on the side by a certaine Bishop that appeared to him in vision and was left for halfe dead and not long after dyed the third being vicegerent for the Pope in the late Tridentine chapter sitting vp late to write letters to his vnholie Fatherhood was so frighted with the sight of a great black dog which appeared with flaming eyes and long eares that he fell by conceit thereof into a grieuous sicknes whereof he not long after dyed 5 Sir Frauncis Walsingham neyther dyed miserablie nor in despaire as he was in his life faithfull to his Prince a louer of his countrie a great patrone of schollers and martiall men sound in religion so we doubt not but he ended his dayes in comfort and peace of conscience This worthie Counsellers memorie honorable among Protestants and all that loue their countrie is odious to Papists because by his industrie and vigilant eye many dangerous conspiracies against Queene Elizabeth were discouered and by name that most horrible treason of Babington and Ballard with their accomplices in the 28. yeare of her Maiesties raigne wherein those trayterous Papists intended the vtter ouerthrow both of their countrie and religion to such indeede that excellent man was an aduersarie and for this cause this vile raker in dead mens ashes spitteth his venome at him Where he obiecteth the filthie stinke of his bodie c. as herein the testimonie of an aduersarie is little worth speaking vpon his owne bare word so he might haue remembred what is truely reported of Cardinall Wolsey that his bodie being dead was black as pitch and so heauie that sixe could scarse beare it and that it did so stinke aboue the ground that they were constrained to burie it in the night season The like end had Stephen Gardiner that great patrone of Poperie whose tongue before he died hung out of his mouth all swolne and blacke And I pray you what a sweete coâ—se was Bonners faâ— bellied carcasse that was buried full honourably as hee deserued betweene two theeues in S. Georges Churchyard in Southwarke As for the wanting of funerall pompe it is no disgrace to the dead but it was rather an honour to him whose liberall expences in the seruice of his countrie and beautifull reliefe to the liuing could leaue very little to be bestowed vpon himselfe when hee was dead Lazarus had but an homely buriall in the world yet was his soule attended vpon by Angels Augustine well saith Si aliquid prodest impio sepultura pretiosa obâ—rit pio vilis aut nulla If the wicked be profited by their sumptuous sepulture the godly is hindred by his meane buriall furniture We may say in this case of this honourable man as noble Agesilaus who forbad that any picture or monument should be made of him when he was dead giuing this reason If I haue done any thing well that shall be my monument if not no tombes or pictures are any thing worth So this mans worthie acts while he liued shall be his monument now he is dead which doe more commend him then the sumptuous pillers of some that lie not farre from him of farre vnlike desert The third Defence 1. HE taketh vpon him to proue that the Popish religion hath made the professors thereof honourable and glorious It was neuer yet saith he accounted dishonourable to any to be a professor of that religion which made him glorious pag. 82. 2. The children of the greatest Princes and Nobles were Priests and Bishops in England pag. 84. as S. Guitlacke S. Suitbert Thomas of Hereford sonne of the noble Cantilupus c. Cedda Dunstane c. pag. 83. 3. The onely order of S. Benedict hath had twentie Kings aboue 100. great Princes many Popes 1600. Archbishops 400. Bishops 15000. famous men 4. He rehearseth diuers Archbishops of Canterburie most honourable in their time Baldwine Hubert Kilwarbie Peccham Stratford Offord Braidwarden Islip Langhton with others pag. 84. The Answere 1. THe Popish religion is a dishonour to such Princes and Nobles that professe it vnlesse any man be so simple to thinke it was an honour for the Emperour Henrie the 4. to waite vpon the Pope Gregorie the 7. three daies and three nights in winter at the gates of Canossus or for Fredericke the 1. to yeeld his necke to be troad vpon by Alexander the 3. and to be rebuked for holding Pope Adrians stirrup on the wrong side or for Henriricus the 6. to suffer Pope Celestine to set the crowne on his head with his feete and to cast it off againe or for King Iohn to kneele downe at the feete of Pandolphus the Popes Legate and to surrender his Crowne to the Pope Doth not now this Popish profession adde great honour to Princes submitting themselues vnto it 2. That the sonnes of Princes haue become Priests and Bishops in the time of Poperie is not denied and so haue Priests and Bishops been made Kings and Princes as Adelualphus sonne of Egbrichus being Bishop of Winchester was made King of England anno 829. Daniel a Priest was elected King of France anno 719. It was not deuotion but ambition that made Bishops pricke forward to be Lord Chancellors Lord Treasurers chiefe Iustices of England as we finde in former ages neither was it the sanctitie of Poperie but the riches of the Clergie and their brauerie that allured vnto them the Nobilitie 3. If Bennets order haue brought foorth so many of all degrees it is more like that their fat offerings great reuenewes and idle bellies procured it then any deuotion of that sect wrought it neither is it a good argument to preferre those colours because so many haue worne them The Epicures sect had more schollers and disciples then any of the rest The Scribes and Pharisies had more followers then Christ and Diana of Ephesus was worshipped of all Asia and the whole world Act. 19.27 He hath said yet no more for the Benedictines then the Epicureans Pharisies Dianas worshippers can alleage for themselues that many Kings Philosophers Priests and many famous men were of their sects Lastly if these Iudasites haue indeed such a good opinion of Bennets rule what ailed Frier Parsons to bee so fierce against poore Barkworth a Masse-priest of the Colledge of Valledolid to cause him to be expulsed to be buffeted vpon the face and drawne by the heeles vpon the pauement because he was a
maid in one of their chambers and these things were done in prison where it is most like if in any place their fasting and chastitie should be best performed I trow drunkennes commeth not by fasting and abstinence nor yet dallying with maides in corners 3 Concerning the great charge of Ministers progenie admit it come to so much in 40. yeare space as this Popes auditor hath layd his counters to fiue hundred thousand pound and odd as in deed it doth not as is before touched neither the number of them being so great nor the charge rising to such a summe but be it granted 1. may not the same obiection be vrged against any other order or calling of lawyers artificers labourers or such like might not euery parish in England spare an artisane or labourer some one or other whereas one Minister is necessarie for euery parish will not the progenie of any one either Tailor Shoomaker Weauer Husbandman through the land accounting for euery parish but one arise in like time to the like multitude And in his prophane and popish conceit are Ministers that draw the people to God no more necessary then botchers coblers hedgers c 2. If the ofspring of Ministers should all be of the same calling as the sonnes of the Leuites and Priests were and all be maintained of tithes and offrings as the other were they might with greater shew of reason be thought to be burdenous and yet the other were not but seeing they are dispersed into other callings and so diuerslie employed some in trades some in merchandise some in profession of learning some for the seas some for the warres and other seruices of the King the same exception might be taken as well against any other of the Kings subiects as against them 3. Who seeth not what a foolish reckoning he hath made he maketh account of an 100. thousand now after 40. yeares continuance and of 500. thousand pound now by the yeare increasing which he holdeth sufficient for the maintenance of warre and supplie of taxes c. But let him be asked what the number of the one was and the summe of the other 10.20.30 yeares since he must come short by so many parts and degrees of his account and yet so many yeares since the English warres began and subsidies were thought needfull to be leuied when as yet the increase of Ministers and of their charges came not to the fift part after that rate when as notwithstanding the yearely expences of the warres in Ireland and other places did rise to 200. thousand pound by the yeare 4. But what is this counter-casters meaning would he haue this summe of 500. thousand leuied yerely of the Clergie all their reuenues and liuings to a groat will not reach it wherefore would he haue it collected to maintaine warres and spare subsidies I trust they shall cease our greatest warres are like to be against the Pope and his adherents Let it be noted then that this popeling giueth counsell how warres might be maintained against the Pope his vnholie father who is the greatest enemie to this nation And for the sparing of subsidies and taxes raised vpon better subiects I answere first that both the occasion thereof the necessitie of warres being remoued and the Kings princely disposition so standing that he would haue subsidies rarely lifted vp I make no doubt but hereafter they will more sparingly be required that there neede no such supplie Againe the Clergie toward the raising of these subsidies were always most forward payed more for their number by fiue parts at the least then any of the Laitie for whereas they make not for their number the hundred part of the land and for their reuenew receiue nothing neere the tenth part so many impropriations being deducted yet their share in the subsidie was very neere the fift part of the whole if not more And therefore in this regard there were no better subiects then they as also in respect of their loyaltie in themselues and seruice to the Prince in retaining the people in due obedience But if they were no better subiects then trayterous Iesuites and Seminaries I say not it were no great matter if they were one hanged against another but if they were all shipped to the Sea and sent to the Indians and Cannibals or whither else so they were not in England I thinke the whole land would be in greater quiet and safetie 5. Lastly this cruell wretch sheweth himselfe another Haman who to haue the Iewes destroyed offered to bring in 10. thousand talents into the Kings cofers Esther 3.9 So this fellow offereth fiue hundred thousand pound to haue the Ministers and their ofspring rooted out like another Caligula that as he wished all the Romane citizens had but one neck that he might strike it off at once the same in his hart he desireth in the Ministerie of England But I doubt not but I shall sooner see the Frogs of Egypt that crauled in euery place with an East wind to be cast into the Sea then the Doues of the Church to be driuen to forsake their holes But whereas he addeth That the behauiour and disobedience of Protestants in common-wealths is worse then among Iewes Turks Paganes c. neither can it be imagined how amendment should be had except a reformation of Protestants disobedient doctrine be made pag. 94. His owne cauterized conscience knoweth that this is an abominable slaunder or fiction of Protestants but a true narration of Masse-priests and Iesuites for if Mortons rebellion in the North Saunders commotion to warre in Ireland Allen Parsons inuasion by the Spaniards Babingtons conspiracie Lopez poysoning Parries murdering be laid together with many other trayterous attempts both against Prince and countrie it will euidently appeare as cleere as noone day that neuer any such villanie was attempted against any Turke or Heathen Prince as hath been practised by those Papists And concerning doctrine Protestants teach obedience to Princes euen in Ecclesiasticall causes Papists denie it yea they maintaine monstrous positions that the Pope may excommunicate and depose Princes may absolue the subiects of their oth and fealtie that the Pope inuading a countrie for religion ought to be assisted by the subiects against the Prince that the Popes designement to inuade a countrie by force to the same end ought not to be reuealed to the state these are Parsons positions Adde vnto these the Iesuites conclusions at Salamanca that it was meritorious to assist the rebels in Ireland against the Queene that they which tooke part with the Catholikes against the Queene were by no construction rebels c. Wherefore seeing there can be no amendement or redresse of Popish trayterous practises till both they and their doctrine be auoyded the land we are to wish and hope in time that as Popish doctrine is already sent backe to Rome the mother thereof so the trayterous Iesuites and Priests and all their
Poole in Rome only for his reliefe But to make appeales to Rome as to a higher Court and to the Pope as to a superior Iudge is a great derogation to the imperiall dignitie and no well reformed common-wealth can endure it Neyther is England here alone as he vntruely saith but other reformed Churches of Scotland Geneua the Heluetians haue cut off such vnnecessarie and vnnaturall appeales 11. What Kings and Princes haue done in times past in visiting Rome and going in Pilgrimage in their owne persons when they were led with blind deuotion it maketh nothing to vs Of auncient time Princes were wiser and I trust God will open their eyes at the last to acknowledge their error and shake off the yoake of Antichrist according to the prophesie of the Reuelation that they shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked c. Reuel 18.16 Thus with all his subtilties and shifts of descant this Masse-priests proctor hath endeuoured to free that order from suspicion of treason But as the Prophet Ezechiel sayth He hath daubed vp a wall with vntempered morter Ezech. 13.10 with like workemanship hath he made a bulwarke for his order But as it is in the lawe Particeps criminis non idoneus testis He that is partner in the crime is no sufficient witnes So is he an vnfit aduocate for the Ignatian order being himselfe of that treacherous brotherhoode I could aduise them if they had grace to receiue good counsell that they would not suffer themselues to be any longer abused by their vnholie father to runne vpon the pikes at his pleasure and hazard both their bodilie life and the saluation of their soules not to be so desperate as Scipio his souldiers of whom he boasted that at his bidding they would cast themselues headlong into the Sea What though you would reduce your countrie to your opinion and the obedience of the Pope your purpose is not good your counsels prosper not you are deceiued in the disease which you would cure at the least with perill of bodie and soule you vse too costlie a remedie as Marius to the Phisician that came to cut him of a certaine disease made this answere that the remedie was not worthie of so much griefe The sixt defense 1. FIrst he standeth vpon the glorie of the popish kingdome Consider sayth he the glorie of King Henry the 8. and this kingdome before his fall and their infamie after the short or turbulent season of King Edward and for this present what it is and what like to be c. I leaue to the lamentable consideration of all men now and the pitifull experience of those which shall proue it afterward France Spaine Italy may be named the floures of the world the power and iurisdiction of the Pope more glorious then was euer any Regiment of any spiritual superior the kingdome riches reuenues of the K. Catholike are the greatest of any Monarch p. 100.101 2. Their religion consisteth of all affirmatiue positions teaching dutie to God honor to Magistrates equalitie to all oppression to none c. pag. 101. 3. Quarels and contentions betweene King and subiects Nobles and Nobles as in the time of Henry the 2. haue beene comprimitted by the spirituall Romane authoritie c. rigorous onerations imposed by Princes eased vnappeasable wars with France and other nations brought to an end pag. 101. 4. The Protestants deniall of restitution and confession what wrongs and abuses hath it wrought c. who can now keepe subiects from deuising against Soueraignes c. for want whereof so many suites and actions of law such a multitude of Lawyers what dilatorie pleas non suites c. practised and vncontrolled by Protestants doctrine c. pag. 102.103 5. The Religious Clergie enioyed the third part of the substance of our nation c. which was employed toward the necessaries of their poore chast and single life they did furnish armies more then all the Ministers and Abbey gentlemen the poore were relieued c. were they not better bestowed then in hunting hawking carding courting c. pag. 103.104 6. Catholike Religion left and kept England in amitie and league with the Popedome Empire Spaine c. whereas no historie maketh relation of so chargeable and prolonged wars of this kingdome with other nations as our late and now present Spanish Irish Flemish pag. 104. 7. Lastly he sheweth that by separation from the Roman religion Noblemen and Gentlemen haue lost much learning and knowledge in seeing other Princes Courts and countries Souldiers the skill and honor in armes Schollers the benefite of studie in other Vniuersities Merchants their trade and traffique c. and so he concludeth to this effect that these things considered it were better to be in such condition as England was in in the 22. yeare of Henry the 8. when this reformation began then euer it was by Protestancie since now is or by probabilitie will grow to be in time to come pag. 106. The Answere 1. KIng Henrie his gouernment was as glorious his battailes as victorious his successe as prosperous after the reformation of religion as before if not much more As in appeasing the commotions in Yorkshire and Lincolneshire anno 28. Againe another in Yorkshire suppressed anno 3â— Notable victories obtained against the Scots anno 34. And againe anno 36. And in the same yeere he preuailed against the French when Boloigne was yeelded to him King Edwards raigne was neither so short nor troublesome as Queene Maries was which both at home was plagued with mortalitie and famine and abroad dishonoured with the losse of Calice that had been English well neere 300. yeeres This is too vnshamefast dealing to obiect the one and conceale the other Queene Elizabeths raigne hath been most flourishing with loue of subiects at home and honour of other nations abroad and as his Maiestie truly witnesseth She did so long with such wisedome and felicitie gouerne her kingdomes as I must in true sinceritie confesse the like hath not been read nor heard of either in our time or since the daies of the Romane Emperour Augustus As for your lamentable consideration and pitifull experience what England is like to be you shew your selfe herein but one of Baals false Prophets that prophecied good successe to Ahab as you promised to your selues at the next chaunge of the kingdome a glorious day in England and an vtter subuersion of the Gospell As his brother Frier or father Parsons vttereth with the like boldnes God will most certainly at his time appointed restore the realme of England to the Catholike faith againe But the Lord be blessed that hath disappointed their vaine hope and frustrate their wicked desires I trust thorough Gods mercie that England still vnder the Gospell shall see as flourishing daies as euer before As for those flowers of the world c. some of those haue brought foorth but simple flowers
pag. 11. lin 16. his meaning is that he is halfe a subiect as he is English to the Prince as he is Catholike to the Pope for if hee be a Iesuite that thus writeth how can they bee faithfull subiects which call these positions wicked pernicious erronious hereticall trayterous that the Pope hath no authoritie to restraine punish or force by way of armes either by himselfe or others any temporall prince for heresie Apostasie c. that if the Pope attempt any such matter he may bee resisted by Catholike subiects that if they should know of any designement or treatise of the Pope by way of force in England they would reueale the same Thus these popish Iudasites count those heretikes and traytors that are not traytors to their Prince From this ground haue proceeded these diabolicall not theologicall conclusions resolued vpon at Salamanca 7. of March 1602. concerning the inuading of Ireland 1. That the Catholikes in Ireland may fauour the Earle of Tyrone in his warres and that with great merite and hope of euerlasting reward 2. All Catholikes sinne mortallie that take part with the English against Tyrone 3. They are in the same case that helpe the English with any victuals 4. The Catholikes of Ireland that fight against the Queene are by no construction Rebels To these Articles subscribed the Popish Diuines and preachers Iohn de Sequenza Emmanuel de Royas Iasper de Mena Peter Osorio Loe these are the Iesuited Catholike subiects of England If he be a secular Priest that thus professeth himselfe a Catholike subiect he shall giue vs leaue also to doubt of his obedience and loyaltie for what profession soeuer they make of their faithfull seruice and subiection to the Princes Maiestie I feare me their hearts are not sound For whereas the Priests are charged by Parsons to say that the Pope hath no authoritie by way of force or armes immediatly or by others to restraine punish or represse any temporall prince for heresie c. they vtterly renounce this position and call it a spitefull collection They say further that the Popes indirect authoritie in temporalibus in temporall things is not called in question neither is the power of deposing of princes examined And whereas Parsons laboureth to proue that although the Pope directly haue no temporall dominion or iurisdiction ouer Christian temporall princes c. yet indirectly for conseruation and defence of religion c. he may also vse the sword or helpe of temporall forces either immediatly from himselfe or by other princes at his direction c. The Priests to this answere that they labour about a matter not in controuersie So then it is their opinion that although the Pope not as a Bishop or Ecclesiasticall person yet as a temporall Prince may depose Kings and inuade kingdomes Then it is to be vehemently feared least that this should be their euasion that if the Pope should make an inuasion they would obey him though not as a spirituall Prelate yet as a temporall Prince I may therefore here say with Hierome Non bonae suspicionis est cum in eodem sensu verba dissentiunt It is no good suspition when as in the same sense the words differ For this cunning circumlocution of words bewrayeth a diuers sense May we not now thinke that these Catholike subiects are like vnto the Popish Bishops in King Henry the 8. his time that professed themselues good subiects to the king and yet were obliged by oath to the Pope swearing in this manner Their counsell to me credited by them their messengers or letters I shall not willingly discouer to any person the Popedome of Rome the regalities of S. Peter I shall helpe and retaine and defend against all men the rights honours priuiledges authorities of the Church of Rome of the Pope and his successors I shall cause to be conserued c. I shall not be in councell treatie or any act in the which any thing shall be imagined against him or the Church of Rome their rites states honours c. if I know any such to be moued I shall resist it to my power c. Let any man now iudge whether any taking this oath to the Pope could be good subiects to their Prince no more can they that stand for the regalities priuiledges and iurisdiction of the Church of Rome as both Priests and Iesuites doe for ought I can see 2. He calleth this the decaying and withering age of the Protestants pag. 11. lin 18. It is strange to see how bold and confident these vaine people are that notwithstanding God hath hitherto subuerted all their trayterous deuices and made frustrate their vaine hope yet they doe flatter themselues in their purposes and doe expect an encrease of their kingdome and a decay and extirpation of the Gospell The Priest he dreameth that Priests may be raised vp out of our owne Vniuersities and from among the Ministers themselues But Parsons himselfe saith that this is a reason to be laughed at But the Iesuite is yet more bold God will at his time appointed most certainly restore the realme of England to the Catholike he meaneth Popish faith And againe We shall not finde that difficultie and resistance by the grace of God in England which good men doe finde in other countries for bringing in of any reformation that is attempted Yea he taketh vpon him to prescribe what his Catholike Prince shall doe when he hath him and how he shall demeane himselfe toward his Nobilitie Indeede we will goe thus farre with Frier Robert that God at the time appointed may restore c. But wee verely trust that no such time is appointed or shall euer come and by the grace of God as they haue found I thinke more difficultie hitherto to plant Popish religion in England then in any other countrie so shall they finde still And concerning his Catholike Prince whom Parsons stil meaneth to be the Catholike King of Spaine or some to bee brought in by him I will answere him with their owne Priests words God forbid that time should euer come neither doe I trust in God it euer shall And that it may yet further appeare what a vaine hope is hatched in their breasts first during her Maiesties daies they had small reason to looke for reiuing of superstition whose constant resolution and setled iudgement against al mixture or toleration of contrarie religion we al were perswaded of while she liued they needed not to doubt her Maiestie her selfe had professed in the late Proclamation not long before her peaceable departure to the comfort of all her subiects And the Iesuite himselfe further confesseth that there is no hope that the King of Scotland now our Soueraigne Lord King of England Scotland France and Ireland will be a Catholike which the whole Church of England beleeued before and now to their great comfort seeth and with thankes to Iesus Christ acknowledgeth
hath rooted out all other heresies beside Who haue now impugned the heresies of the Tritheists Anabaptists Familie of loue of Seruetus Valentinus Gentilis with others then Protestant writers witnesse the learned workes of Caluin Beza Bullinger Peter Martyr Iunius with the rest He hath therefore here made a good argument for the Protestants whose faith is therefore worthie to be of all receiued because thereby all heresie and impietie is subdued as Hierome saith Fides pura moram non patitur vt apparuerit scorpius illico conterendus Pure faith seeketh no delaies as soone as the scorpion appeareth it nippeth it on the head The second perswasion I Meane not the religion of Martin Luther so often recanted altered chaunged c. nor of licentious Caluin and a few artificers of Geneua or of Knox that galley-slaue of Scotland or of Edward Seimer or of King Edward a child of nine yeere old c. The Disswasion HEre many shamelesse vntruths are powred out together 1. It is vntrue that Luther at any time recanted his iudgement in religion in departing from the Church of Rome and forsaking her trumperie you would threap kindnes vpon Luther as you haue done of late in a lying pamphlet of reuerend Beza that he died one of your Catholikes If Luther altered in some priuate opinions it is nothing to vs who depend not vpon Luther Caluin or any other for our faith And if he did so it is no maruaile seeing it was hard for one man all at once to finde out the truth in euery point seeing the Apostle saith to the Philippians If ye be otherwise minded God shall reueale euen the same vnto you Faith is not perfected at once and as in other things the inuention of a thing and the perfection come not together as the Greeke Poet saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God at the first all things doth not shew But in processe of time they better doe grow So is it in religion But howsoeuer Luther might varie from himselfe what is that to vs the Protestants of England who are the greatest eye sore to these bleare-eyed Popelings It is well you cannot vpbraide the Church of England with any innouation of doctrine for these three score yeeres well nie since the first thorough reformation of religion in blessed King Edwards raigne 2. As for licentious Caluin and galley-slaue Knox the one is a malicious slaunder the other a scurrilous terme These men were both famous for their learning and reuerenced of all that knew them for their godly life I doe not a whit maruaile that the memorie of these men is odious to all Papists for Caluin hath so decalued made bare and bald their naked religion and Knox hath giuen it such a knocke and deadly blow in Scotland that I trust in God it shall neuer there rise vp againe 3. That King Edward a child of nine yeere old without any assent or assemblie of Parliament or other as Fox himselfe is witnes did reforme religion is a fiction of your owne First Master Fox witnesseth no such thing for although the King by the aduice of his Councell appointed a generall visitation ouer all the land for the redressing of certaine disorders yet was not the Masse abolished nor religion wholy altred till the Parliament held ann 1. Edward Nouemb. 4. Secondly indeed true it is that in Queene Maries time the Papists came before the law Preachers were prohibited Bishops depriued and diuers imprisoned as Bishop Cranmer Latimer Ridley Hooper Rogers Masse publikely solemnized Thirdly you had forgotten that the vsurped authoritie of the Bishop of Rome which you make the chiefest ground of your Cacolike religion throughout your whole dispute was with common consent of Parliament consisting of the three estates of the land the Lords spirituall and temporall and Commons abrogated by King Henry the eight of famous memorie so that no new acte was requisite in that behalfe in the entring of King Edwards raigne Fourthly King Edward a King of nine yeares of age by the aduice of the Parliament repealeth diuers Statutes and among the rest one made against Lollards ann 1. Richard 2. who was then but eleuen yeeres old I pray you what great ods in their ages might not the one build vp true religion at those yeeres when as the other pulled it downe or will you take exception against Iosias because being yet but a child he began to seeke the Lord and to purge religion or is the authoritie soueraigntie of the Prince the lesse because he is young or is the spirit of God tied to age and limited to yeares Doth not the Scripture say Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength And hereunto agreeth that saying of Cypriane Impletur apud nos spiritu sancto puerorum innocens aetas c. The innocent age of children with vs is filled with the holie spirit And so was it in this princely child the Iosias of this age of whom we may say with Ambrose Non moueat aetas imperatoris perfecta aetas est Est enim perfecta aetas vbi perfecta virtus Honorius iam pulsat adolescentiae fores prouectior aetate quā Iosias We should not respect his yeares the Emperours age is perfect age is perfect where vertue is perfect Honorius is now growing to be a young man elder then Iosias 4 Further it is a great vntruth which followeth the will and testament of King Henry being violated and his Bishops and Clergie committed to prison or depriued For neither doth he shew wherein the testament of the King was violated in the entrance of King Edwards raigne and therefore may be iustly suspected to be a falsarie neither doth he cite any author for it no such thing either by Maister Fox or Stowe to whom in these matters he appealeth being affirmed so that it seemeth his own phantasticall braine hath forged this fansie True it is indeede that the Protestant Bishops were depriued and excluded both from the Parliament and their Bishoprickes as Doctor Taylor Bishop of Lincolne Doctor Harley Bishop of Hereford with others in the entrance of Queene Maryes raigne But vntrue also it is that the Popish Bishops were depriued or committed to prison during the time of the Parliament when the act passed for reformation of religion which was in Nouember ann 1547. the Bishop of Winchester was not sent to the Tower til the morrow after S. Peters day the yeare following ann 1548. nor depriued before ann 1551. And Bonner was not commaunded to keepe his house till the 11. of August ann 1549. in the third yeare of King Edwards raigne This shamelesse man we see dare aduenture to vtter any thing 5 Of the like truth is that which followeth That the Protestants of this time without any disputation or aduice of any learned or Parliamentall
was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such is the shauing of Monks and for the like signification of a crowne as hath bene shewed before 8 The Priest of the Sunne among the Phenicians did weare a vestment of purple wrought with gold to shew the dignitie and excellencie of that priesthoode for the same cause haue Masse-priests their rich and costlie copes of diuers colours 9 In Boeotia they vsed to couer the Bride with a vaile and crowne her with flowers which vse is yet retayned in Poperie 10 The heathen vsed to cleanse themselues with sprinkling of water thinking thereby to be purified Thus in Poperie they thinke to purifie their houses the people with casting of holie-water vpon them Is not this now a goodlie religion that retaineth still the idolatrous and superstitious vsages of the heathen that instructeth the people by signes and figures euen as the Paganes preached to theirs May we not iustly returne vpon them the rebuke of the Apostle to the Galathians Seeing you know God how turne yee againe vnto impotent and beggerlie rudiments whereunto as from the beginning you will be in bondage againe Hierome sayth Ego libera voce reclamante mundo pronuntio ceremonias Iudaeorum perniciosas esse mortiferas Christianis quicunque eas obseruauerit in barathrum diaboli deuolutum I do freelie pronounce though the world say nay that the ceremonies of the Iewes are pernicious and deadlie to Christians and whosoeuer obserueth them to be throwne downe to hell much more are they in danger which obserue Pagane ceremonies and inuentions Therefore we take no great care to answere them for this matter resting vpon the words of our Sauiour Let them alone they are blind leaders of the blind Their owne blindnes and grossenes in their superstitious corruptions doth sufficiently bewray the badnes of their cause and madnes of their religion to whom that saying of Plutarch may fitlie be applied You neede not draw a superstitious man out of the temple for there is his punishment and torment So that which this figurecaster hath taken for an argument of their profession is found to be but a torment to their conscience and a punishment of their superstition The twelfth Perswasion 1 I Defend not that religion which denieth all things c. as their opinions all negatiue do witnesse 2 That hath taken away and conuerted from spirituall religious vses to priuate and temporall pleasures and preferments all monuments and foundations of deuotion c. 3 Vsing nothing necessarie to saluation 4 But that religion whose opinions are all affirmatiue 5 That hath founded Churches Schooles Colledges Monasteries 6 That obserueth all things that wanteth or omitteth nothing belonging or that can be required to true religion The Disswasion 1 NEither doth that religion which I defend denie any thing much lesse all things as it is falselie sclaundered that are found to be agreeable to the scriptures neither doth it consist of all negatiues affirming the scriptures to be sufficient and to conteyne all things necessarie to saluation that the Church and generall Councels may erre that the Pope is Antichrist that the scriptures ought to be read in the vulgar toong that Magistrates haue authoritie in spirituall causes that all sinnes in their owne nature are mortall that faith only iustifieth that Christ onely is our alone sufficient mediator that there are onely two sacraments of the new testament an hundred more opinions it holdeth affirmatiuely and the negatiues to these doctrines it refuseth And if our religion should be condemned because it holdeth some negatiues exception likewise might be taken against the Decalogue wherein of ten two commaundements only are affirmatiue the fourth in the first table and the first in the second all the rest are negatiuely propounded 2 An impudent sclaunder it is that the religion of Protestants hath taken away all foundations of deuotion 1. Seeing that Bishoprickes Cathedrall Churches all Colledges in the Vniuersities Hospitals parish Churches erected for maintenance of learning reliefe of the poore for the edifying of the people are yet standing and flourishing among vs. 2. Only those vncleane Cels of Monks the seminaries both of spirituall and corporall fornication are remoued though I denie not but they might better haue beene disposed of as was intended by example and warrant of vertuous Princes As Iosias ouerthrew the foundation of the Chemarims an idolatrous order of Priests erected by his superstitious predecessors Iehu destroyed the house of Baal and made a draught-house of it And things abused to idolatrie are iustlie confiscate to the Prince as Ambrose defendeth the taking away of the lands which were giuen to the maintenance of Pagane idolatrie Sublata sunt praedia quia non religiose vtebantur ijs quae religionis iure defenderent Their lands and manors were taken away because they did not religiouslie vse them which they defended vnder colour of religion 3. Neither were all Abbey-lands conuerted to temporall pleasures and preferments though we graunt too many were but diuers were giuen to Hospitals and Colledges and to other good vses And this is warranted by the imperiall lawes that things abused by false worshippers should be giuen to the vse of the Orthodoxall Church as may appeare by that lawe of the Emperours Valentinian and Martian Domum vel possessionem c. That house or possession which belongeth to heretikes Orthodoxae ecclesiae addici iubemus We will to be annexed to the orthodoxall Church 4. These lands and possessions were surrendred into the Kings hands by the voluntarie act of the owners thereof thereto not forced or constrained as is extant in the publike acts of Parliament and at such a time wherein the popish religion was not altered sauing in the Popes supremacie and therefore this is a false imputation to the Gospell And yet as is before shewed possessions abused by men of false religion by the Imperiall lawes are confiscate to the Prince as it was decreed by Anastasius Praedia possessiones quae in haereticas personas quocunque modo collata vel translata fuerunt fisci nostri iurib decernimus vendicari Lands and manors howsoeuer conferred or translated vpon hereticall parsons we decree to be forfeited to vs. 3 A foule slaunder is vttered of our Religion in the next place for nothing necessarie to saluation is wanting in the profession of the Gospell There is Baptisme for infants catechising for children preaching to beget faith the law to perswade repentance the Gospell for comfort the reading of scripture to increase knowledge the Sacraments to confirme it prayer prescribed if any be afflicted singing of Psalmes for those that are merrie in the Lord godly visitation for the sicke with assurance of remission of sinnes vpon their repentance comfort ouer the dead in the hope of the present rest of
with fearefull sights and terrible scritches c. A right description of popish Purgatorie grounded vpon a faithlesse superstitious feare And such is popish doctrine neither affoording comfort to the liuing nor ioy to the dead that a man can not say of them as a certaine Thessalian being asked who are at most ease answered they which haue made an end of warfare But these which dye in poperie after they haue made an end of the warfare of this life by their doctrine enter into their greatest labours and paines Thus haue we heard with how many cunning sleights this glozing Frier hath endeuoured to perswade vnto his profession he hath wrapped vp together in this one section no lesse then halfe an hundred vntruths and as he began so he endeth with a lye that they were all vnius labij of one language before the Gospell was reuiued for it is certaine that the Greekes alwayes vsed the Greeke toong the Sclauonians the Sclauonian the Aethiopians the Aethiopian language And how vntrue this is their owne canons shall testifie for Innocentius decreed that in great Cities where people resort of diuers languages that the Bishops should prouide fit men qui secundum diuersitates rituum linguarum diuina illis officia celebrent which according to the diuersitie of their rites and languages should celebrate diuine seruice Lastly he telleth vs that he will proue by aboue an hundred arguments that their religion is only true lawfull c. in a certaine booke which he calleth a Resolution pag. 47. li. 32. which pamphlet when he hath hatched it to his perfection and sent it out of the owlelight into the sunne-shine which as yet so farre as I can learne is not come from vnder the brooders wings it may be either I or some of my brethren will plucke a feather with it And thus is this Section ended and with such successe as all lyers and sclaunderers must looke for And though this false accuser might be thrust vnder the old canon which decreeth Vt qui primum obiectum non probarunt ad caetera non admittantur That they which proue not the first thing obiected should not be admitted to the rest yet I will examine whatsoeuer he can say and cast his light stuffe into the balance and lay his counterfeit coyne to the touch that the vanitie of the one and deceit of the other may appeare THE SIXT SECTION WHAT MOVED the Author to dedicate his worke to the Counsell The Answere THis Section comming out of the same forge bewrayeth the same author it is so patched together with vntruths falshoods like the former He abuseth those honorable persons and deceiueth himselfe to thinke to win grace with wise men by telling of fables Simonides being asked why of all other he deceiued not the Thessalians answered because they were more simple and vnlearned then could be deceiued by me sayth he But their honors are too wise and prudent then to be deluded with such a fablers fictions His seuerall motiues confusedlie shuffled together I will bring into some order if I can 1. Motiue As this cause which I handle is most honorable of all so I am bold to offer the defence thereof to your honors the most honorable and noble consistorie of our nation c. Yet he limiteth this honorable authoritie before saying that the ends and offices of a religious and spirituall common-wealth are diuers from those of a temporall and ciuill gouernment and in that respect matters handled in the one do not so properlie appertaine to the redresse and iudgement of those which rule in the other but are to be decided and reformed by the gouernors of that profession to which they are belonging c. The remooue 1. I had thought that the generall end both of the ciuill and ecclesiasticall bodie had beene one and the same though the offices and functions be diuers namely preseruation not onely of peace but the maintenance of true religion to bring the people vnto God I am sure S. Paule so teacheth that prayer be made for Kings and all that are in authoritie not only that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life but in all godlines and honestie It belongeth then not onely to the ciuill state to prouide for peace that the people may liue quietlie but for true religion that they may liue also godlie honestlie In these two points Eleutherius sometime Bishop of Rome sheweth the office of a King to consist thus writing to Lucius King of Britaine The people and folke of the Realme of Britaine be yours whome if they be deuided you ought to gather together in concord and peace to call them to the faith and lawe of Christ and to the holie Church c. 2. It is an absurd speech that reformation of religion belongeth not properlie to the iudgement and redresse of the Prince her noble Counsellors Thus these pragmaticall Friers would both pull out their right eye of iudgement that they should not be able to discerne and cut off their right hand of power that they should not reforme what is amisse in religion for if the most soueraigne care of pietie and religion do properlie belong to the Prince then the Counsellers of state the most honorable Ministers vnder the Prince can not be excluded And therefore the Apostle in the place recited maketh not mention only of Kings but also of all that are in authoritie vnder them This also hath beene the auncient practise of this land Eleutherius aduiseth King Lucius with the Councell of his realme out of the scriptures to take a lawe to rule his people by The Statute of Praemunire made against prouisions and presentments of Bishoprickes and other benefices from the Pope was enacted by King Edward the third by the assent only of the great men of his Councell and Nobilitie and of the comminaltie without the Spirituall Lords The like Act was made vnder Richard 2. that all they which procured such presentations from Rome or any excommunications from thence in those causes should be banished to the which acte the great men only of the temporaltie without the Cleargie gaue their assent Yea of late in Queene Maries raigne the greatest friend to the Pope that euer he had in England the Prince aduised most like by her Counsell did of her owne authoritie send certaine articles concerning religious matters as reteining of ceremonies vsing of processions manner of baptizing admitting to orders and such like to the Bishop of London presently to be put in execution Yea this discourser soone forgetting what he had said confesseth whose chiefe care speaking of the honorable Counsell must be in taking order for such causes meaning of religion p. 49. l. 14. then as they may receiue direction from the spirituall state which we denie not so the correction and administration belongeth vnto them Thus as a man
running in a maze and not knowing where he is he speaketh contraries affirming vnawares what he before vntruely denied that the Magistrates chiefe care and sollicitude must be in taking order for such causes he meaneth of religion pag. 49. lin 13. And thus as Augustine fayth Impij in circuitu ambulant qui in gyrum it nunquaÌ„ finit c. The vngodlie walke in a maze as he that goeth in a compasse neuer is at an end And thus this obliuious discourser runneth himselfe out of breath saying and vnsaying for if the Magistrates chiefe care must be in taking order for causes of religion how do they not properly belong to the iudgement and redresse of those which rule in the common-wealth Much like he is to the roape-maker in Purgatorie who as fast as he twisteth the roape an asse behind deuoureth it So his wrested speeches as the ouer-runnings of his mouth are licked vp by a contrary breath Now right honorable this Popes-creature at the first discouereth himselfe he is his grand-masters factor to engrosse all ecclesiasticall causes to his vnholines and would cut your honors short both of iudgement and power in matters of religion And thus full well like a wise Orator he doth wisely at the first exasperate them to whom he would insinuate himselfe But go on my Lords in your honorable course to whom I do not only wish all excellent knowledge and iudgement in religion as S. Paule said vnto King Agrippa I would to God that not only thou but all that heare me to day were both almost and altogether such as I am c. but prosperous successe also in the defense thereof And I say with Hierome to euery one of your honors Cur qui in seculo primus es non in Christi familia primus sis Why should ye not that are chiefe in the world be chiefe also in Christs familie 2. Motiue Because you are sworne Councellers to assist our Princesse whose chiefe stile and title is graunted to her father King Henry the 8. by Pope Leo the 10. defender of the faith for defending the Catholike Romane religion against Luther c. The remooue 1. This title to be defender of the Church or faith was due vnto the Prince and giuen to the Kings of England long before King Henry in Edward the Confessors time Illos decet vocare reges qui vigilanter defendunt regunt ecclesiam Dei It is meete to call them Kings that vigilantly defend and gouerne the Church of God 2 Her Maiestie according to her princely stile hath shewed her selfe in deede while she liued a most constant Defender of the faith and to none of her predecessors was this stile more truely giuen for it is not conteyned in her Maiesties stile to be defender of the Romane or Papall but simplie of the faith 3 What if it were bestowed vpon King Henry for writing against Luther c. that famous King did not receiue it in that sense or at the least reteined it not neyther is it now annexed to the imperiall Crowne in that regard for writing c. which concerned the King only then being not his succession nor yet as a gift from the Pope but as a right due to all Christian Princes to defend the faith What the occasion first was of this title it skilleth not neither by whom nor for what it was taken vp so long as it is not a vaine title but the Princes proceedings are answereable to the stile 4 The heathen Emperors of Rome first vsed in their stile to be called Pontifices maximi High Priests as it may appeare by the Epistle of Antoninus Pius to the people of Asia yet the Christian Emperors continuing that stile to be named Pontifices maximi as Flauianus Valentinianus pontifex Inclytus Flauius Marcianus pontifex Inclytus c. yet were not bound by their stile to maintaine the idolatrous religion of the Pagane Emperors from whom it was descended but they in another sense did call themselues high priests as hauing the chiefest care of the Christian faith as the other had before of idolatrie So the Queenes highnes then and the Kings Maiestie is now called a Defender of the right Christian faith howsoeuer their predecessors might be defenders of another religion And as Pilate did write Christ King of the Iewes ignorantlie confessing the truth so did the Pope name the King of England Defender of the faith prophecying as Caiphas against himselfe and foretelling vnawares that the Princes of this land should become true defenders of the faith indeede 5 This title of Defender of the faith is more truly annexed to the Crowne of England then the stile of Holines to the Popes chaire and of Catholike to the King of Spayne who I could wish indeede were that which they are called But I feare me these titles do agree vnto them euen as the titles of benefactors and of Sauiours were vsurped of Antiochus and the Ptolomies which were cruell tyrants And as Dionysius the yonger called his daughters by the names of vertue chastitie iustice being an enemie to them all Who herein are like vnto those qui titulos potentiorum praedijs suis affigunt who the better to hold their lands do entitle great men with them against which fraude Arcadius made a lawe And as Augustine sayth Haeretici ad defensionem possessionis suae Christi titulos ponunt sicut nonnulli faciunt in domo sua c. Heretikes to defend their possession pretend the title of Christ as many vse to do in their houses entitling some great men with them to keepe them from wrong Ipse vult possessor domus frontem domus suae de titulo alieno vult muniri He will be the owner of the house himselfe yet will haue another beare the name So the Pope will be the master of faith himselfe yet pretendeth the name of Christ of holines of Catholike religion So are not our late Queene and now soueraigne Lord defenders of the faith but their Christian proceedings thankes be giuen vnto God are answerable to their honourable titles The third motiue Our vniust persecution vnder your predecessors requireth amends and I hope at the least shall receiue a toleration The Remoue 1. The punishment which hath been inflicted vpon treacherous Iudasites is no more persecution then for felons and murderers to be executed at Tiburne they suffer worthily for their traiterous conspiracies and practises shamelesse men they are that complaine of persecution when as they hold most traiterous positions against the Prince and state as whereas the secular Masse-Priests professe if it bee in truth that if the Pope should attempt by force of armes to inuade the land they would resist him in person and that if they knew of any designements by the Pope to enter by force c. to reforme religion they would reueale it to the State Disloyall Pâ—rsons in the name of that
you say you haue not gained much by it For neither our Prince then nor Church did ascribe any vertue to the signe it selfe or adore and worship it as Papists do The signe of the crosse may be vsed in banners and streamers and set into the Diademe of Princes as a ciuill signe of honour as Ambrose if that oration be his writeth of Helena Sapienter Helena egit quae crucem in capite regum leuauit Helena did wisely in rearing vp the crosse in the head of Kings And though this signe is not any waies to be adored neither yet doe we thinke it ought to be contemned As that law of Honorius was commendable wherein the Iewes are prohibited speciem crucis incendere to burne the fashion of the crosse And that of Theodosius which decreeth a great punishment to him qui in solo vel scilice crucem depinxerit which painteth the crosse in the ground or pauement to trample and tread vpon it Or if any should vse the signe of the crosse which notwithstanding wee allow not as in Basils time not with a superstitious opinion of it or confidence in it but as an outward testimonie of their inward faith as Basile saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they which trusted in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ were marked with the signe of the crosse Whosoeuer shall vse the signe of the crosse in any of these manners is yet farre off from Popish superstition And I am verily perswaded that if his Maiestie or the Church of England did thinke that the ciuill reuerent significant vsing of the crosse without a superstitious opinion of it were in deede or could iustly be taken as a badge or cognisance of Poperie as it hath bin an offence to many good Christians it should bee more sparingly vsed and may in time if it seeme so good to his Maiestie without preiudice of the truâ—h or religion be wholy remoued that there might not be the least exception taken against our Church But this quarrell picker according to the saying will play at small game before he will sit out and so doth he here by fastning his hold of so small an occasion Her Highnes then and his Maiestie now and the Church of England holdeth a reall and true presence of Christs bodie to the faith of the worthy receiuer in the Sacrament but her Highnes was not perswaded of any grosse carnall presence as is euident by her royall assent to the articles of religion therefore herein her Maiestie was much abused and slaundered 4. Lastly whereas the Romane profession is altogether repugnant to Princes prerogatiues as in that it alloweth the Pope to excommunicate Princes to depose them to transferre their Crownes appeales to bee made to the Pope from the Prince that the Pope may absolue subiects from their oath of fealtie that the Pope not the Prince in his owne kingdome is supreame in all Ecclesiasticall causes that the Pope inuading a kingdome by force vnder pretence to reforme religion is to be assisted against the Prince all which positions the Iesuites the Popes parasites doe hold as it may appeare in their seditious bookes and answeres to the Secular Masse-priests And these all being directly repugnant to the prerogatiue royall of the Crowne as it hath been adiudged by by publike acts of Parliament not of late onely since the reuiuing of the Gospell but euen while Poperie raigned and that by the expresse consent of the Popish Clergie How is not this man to be thought to be past all shame that perswading to Poperie saith hee will teach nothing contrarie to the Princely dignitie c. Wee may say truly to him which Petilian the Donatist vntruly obiected to Augustine that he had ingenium Carneadis Academici Carneades the Academikes wit who disputed Nigras niues esse cum albae sint nigrum argentum c. That snow was blacke and siluer blacke whereas they are both white so he goeth about to perswade things that are quite contrarie We need not here follow the counsell of Seneca Quaedam falsa veri speciem ferunt dandum semper est tempus veritatem dies aperit Some false things make a shew of true wee must giue some space for time trieth the truth But the falsenes of these improbable speeches appeareth at the first we neede no time to descrie them The second Apologie FRom pag. 55. to pag. 66. the Apologist runneth as it were in a maze now in and now out as though he had lost himselfe in a wood I will doe my best to trace him and finde him out I shall not neede to follow him in all his wandrings and turnings nor to answere all his tautologies and vaine repetitions but I will gainecope him and crosse him the next way and reduce his idle and superfluous speeches into some order and forme All these leaues containe but one argument which may be collected thus Her Maiestie and the state are bound to maintaine the religion of her famous noble Christian progenitors Kings and Queenes of this land But they were all knowne to be of the Romane religion and as he himselfe saith Papists pag. 59. lin 7. Ergo. First let vs see how he proueth the proposition or first part of this argument and then how the second 1. Many of them were holy Saints and miraculously witnessed of God to be in heauen euen by Protestants testimonie c. whom the Protestant Ministers must needes condemne to hell and damnation if they will leaue any little hope for themselues to be saued for one heauen cannot possesse them both The Antilogie 1. IF this were a good argument then Christians borne at their first conuersion of idolatrous parents in many ages succeeding together should neuer haue changed their religion but continued in Pagane idolatrie still for feare of condemning all their progenitors to hell neither Constantine the great in the Romane Empire nor Lucius in England should haue become Christened Kings If Idolatrous parents be in state of damnation shall the children tread in their steps to goe the same way The scripture teacheth otherwise that though the father dye in his iniquitie yet if he beget a sonne that seeth all his fathers sinnes which he hath done c. he hath not lift vp his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel nor defiled his neighbors wife c. he shall not dye in the iniquitie of his father but shall surely liue 2 If the sonne be bound to his fathers false religion as idolatrie superstition wherein he erred least he should thinke him to be condemned he were likewise obliged to imitate his auncesters vices and corruptions of life as adulterie oppression violence whereby they were polluted should a man certainely condemne himselfe to belieue that his predecessors are vncertainely saued Their sinnes being of ignorance might be pardoned whereas the sonnes seeing his fathers sinnes and not amending are more surely sealed 3 That
shall not haue the custodie of the heire that holdeth of the king by free soccage of another by Knights seruice Hen. 3. an 9. Mag. chart c. 27. Ward 13.14 15. The King shall haue the ward and mariage of all that hold of him in chiefe Ed. 2. ann 17. praerogatiu reg c. 1.2.6 11 Women 2. That widowes of them that hold of the King in chiefe shall not marrie without the Kings licence praerogat reg c. 4. ann 17. Ed. 2. 12 Wreck 2. The King shall haue the wrecke of the sea throughout the realme praerogat reg c. 11. ann 17. Edward 2. Thus it is euident that these lawes by this pettifogger alleaged do not serue his turne at all neither is there to be found so much as one syllable sounding that way that these priuileges and graunts were for that reason and intent giuen vnto the Kings of England as he saith for the defence of the Popish faith so that he is euidētlie conuinced of so many vntruths as he hath here quoted lawes And beside let it be considered that all these prerogatiues were graunted in the raignes of Hen. 3. and Edw. 2. who impugned the iurisdiction of the Romane Bishop and therefore are reckned vp in the number of Kings of vnhappie successe by this Popes Register p. 77. How then is it like that these priuiledges were graunted them for defence of the papall seignorie to the which they so much opposed themselues 3 But concerning the dignities of the Church of England founded as he saith by their Catholike Kings we do possesse them with better right then the Popish Clergie did For 1. whereas they erected them to the honor of God which was the principall end of their deuotion though they fayled in the meanes we doubt not but that these erections are now better employed to Gods glorie then euer they were in time of Poperie and that they not we vsed those franke gifts contra formam collationis against the forme of collation and mind of the founder employing them to superstitious and idolatrous and riotous vses not pious and religious and therefore did forfeit their state according to the equitie of the lawe 2 Beside this is consonant to the lawes Imperiall that edificies abused to heresie and superstition should be added vnto the true Church and the reason of the lawe is yeelded Certum est quicquid à fide Christianorū discrepat legi Christianae esse contrarium It is certaine what soeuer differeth from the Christian faith is contrarie to the Christian lawe Such things then as were abused against true religion were out of the lawes protection 3 These ecclesiasticall dignities were first erected for the preaching of the word as the Apostle saith If wee haue sowen vnto you spirituall things is it a great thing if we reape your carnall things Therefore an vnpreaching Clergie such as the Popish Hierarchie is hath no right vnto them they were but vsurpers no true owners Therefore ye Popish Masse-priests and Baals shauelings are the miserable people spoken of worthie with Elie his posteritie to beg a morsell of bread and a piece of siluer rather then to beare the Priests office To whom that saying of Ambrose may fitlie be applied Nomen inane crimen immane honor sublimis vita deformis ne sit religiosus amictus irreligiosus profectus Let not your name be vaine your crimes certaine your honor hie your life awrie your habit holie but your hearts and works vnholie Such as Alexander said Antipater was He did weare white garments without and was all purple within Such is the Popish Clergie outwardlie clothed with sanctitie inwardlie full of hypocrisie The Apologie 1 NO place of error was left for those Kings pa. 66. li. 7. Ergo their religion is to be receiued that it is not likely that those auncient Catholike Kings could erre he would proue 1. by the confession of the Protestants That it doth appertaine to the title and iurisdiction of Christian Kings to determine matters and questions of religion pag. 64. lin 10. 2 Because of the zeale and deuotion of those Kings c. there is no comparison but rather Protestant Princes should erre then they pag. 64. lin 32. 3 Because of the number learning and pietie of them by whom they were counsayled pag 64. lin 30. as Cedde Anselme Dunstane Thomas Becket Lanfranke pa. 65. li. 30. 4 There was no place of error left for those Kings c. because no decree of faith without generall consent of the whole Christian word generall Councels c. except God would permit the whole world to be deluded c. pag. 66. lin 6.10 c. The Antilogie 1 TO proue the former Catholike Kings not to haue erred he beginneth himselfe with an error and fiction of his owne that Protestants referre the deciding and determination of questions of religion vnto Princes as though the resolution of all such doubts were layd vp and locked in the Princes breast We do attribute vnto our Christian Princes no absolute power to determine what they will nor priuiledge them from error as they do their Pope The allegations in the margent affixed are friuolous for neither did the Conuocation ann 1562. referre the deciding the questions of religion to her Maiestie but they were first agreed vpon by the Archbishops Bishops and the rest of the Clergie by the word of God whereunto her Maiestie afterward gaue her royall assent Neither can any such thing be shewed out of any acte of Parliament ann 1. ann 5. ann 13. Elizab. as he cunninglie according to his fraudulent manner foisteth into the margent only the chiefe gouernment of all estates and in all causes is giuen to her Maiestie and that they ought not to be subiect to any forraine iurisdiction artic 37. The author of Synopsis is also in this behalfe sclaundered for he speaketh not where that question is handled of deciding of questions of religion but of the constituting of Ecclesiasticall lawes the authoritie whereof is shewed to belong to the Prince with three limitations 1. The Prince is not to prescribe any lawes but such as require the true worship of God 2. He is to consult in these cases with the learned and godlie of his realme 3. Such canons and ordinances the execution whereof properlie belong vnto the Ministers of the Church are excepted and so it is concluded that no lawes ought to be made without the authoritie of the Prince which the Prince is bound to execute Now sir doth it follow hereupon that Christian Princes are absolutely to be obeyed in all ecclesiasticall lawes whatsoeuer vnlesse you could shew this by the confession of Protestants which you shall neuer do your reason is not worth a rush 2 Neither doth it follow because some of them were men of great sanctimonie as instance is giuen in King Alured of his deuout prayers godlie exercises charitable works pa. 64. whose singular vertues
are as much magnified by Protestant Historiographers as by any or because they were disposed to iustice personallie sate in iudgement c. pa. 56. li. 26. made good lawes that therefore in matters of religion they might not erre and be deceiued The mercie of Antoninus Pius that said he had rather saue one Citizen then destroy a thousand of his aduersaries the charitie of Adrianus that neuer saw poore man whom he did not relieue the gentlenes and clemencie of Titus who neuer dismissed any man from him without hope to obtaine his suite the iustice of Alexander Seuerus who when he met any corrupt iudge was readie to thrust his fingers in his eyes Iulians liberalitie which built Hospitals for strangers gaue great store of wheate and wine for reliefe of the poore people These noble vertues much to be commended in Princes do not therefore iustifie Pagane idolatrie to the which they were addicted And to exemplifie this matter in Christian Emperours Constantius was a iust and temperate Emperour yet an Arriane Anastasius otherwise a good Emperour yet erred about the Trinitie who published that men should worship not three but foure persons in the God-head Iustinian a wise and iust Emperour yet infected with the heresie of Eutyches who held that Christ had two persons and so in effect made two Christs In like manner might diuers auncient Kings of England be men of noble and excellent vertues and yet carried away with the errors of those times in matters of religion 3 Neither were they the freer from error because they were assisted with Dunstones Anselmes Lanfranks Beckets they were so much the more like to be deceiued because they were ruled by such superstitious deceiuers for if the blind leade the blinde they are both like to fall into the ditch As for Cedde who is numbred with the rest as he was some hundred yeares before them so in iudgement he was vnlike them as shall euen now be shewed Neither was vertuous King Alured wholie for them or of that faith which the Church of Rome now holdeth as followeth presently to be declared 4 We do not thinke that the whole Christian world can be or was euer deceiued but God alwayes therein in some part or other had his Church which held the truth though the same not alwayes glorious and visible to the world and so we doubt not but that in all ages and times since our Sauiours ascension there haue beene that professed the Gospell Neither can it be shewed that euer Poperie possessed the whole Christian world But concerning Generall Councels we know they haue erred and may erre againe As the generall Councell of Antioch where Athanasius was condemned Another at Antioch wherein the heresie of the Macedonians was confirmed the Synode Arriminens concluding for Arrius the second Ephesine that fauoured Eutyches and diuers other generall Councels haue erred as is confessed by our aduersaries And not only those assemblies of heretikes and their fauorites but euen of Catholikes by the confession of the Papists themselues haue erred as the generall Councels of Constance and Basile which decreed that Generall Councels had authoritie aboue the Pope which the Ignatian Diuines hold to be an error For ought then that hath yet been alleaged the auncient Catholike Kings of this land were not priuileged from error and therefore in matters of religion they might be deceiued So then though Abimelech sayd to the people What ye haue seene me do the like yet in religious affaires it is no sufficient warrant to do as others haue done afore But like as sayth Ambrose in militarie affaires the sentence of men therein exercised and experienced must be expected Quando de religione tractatus est cogita Deum So when religion is treated of thinke vpon God God in his word must be consulted with Mens errors in faith are no more to be imitated then their faults of life for herein should we be like Dionysius followers who because he was dimme-sighted they fayned themselues to be so stumbling one vpon another The Apologie THe supernaturall signes and miracles written as is confessed by the Protestants themselues in the liues of Saint Oswald S. Edmunds S. Edwards Lucius Kingylsus Offa Sigebertus c. testifie the truth of their religion whereof some for the sanctitie of those Princes are hereditarie to their posteritie not by any desert of Protestants as the miraculous curing of the naturallie vncurable disease called the Kings or Queenes euill obtained by the holines of S. Edward pag. 66. lin 12. deinceps The Antilogie 1 TO this argument of miracles I haue answered before that they are no certaine demonstration of a true religion because the Paganes also boasted of miracles done amongst them And whereas the heathen are supposed to haue forged many things so it is not to be doubted but that many of these miracles giuen in instance were the dreames and fictions of idle and fabulous Monks as Berinus walking vpon the sea hauing not one threed of his garment wet and how Aldelmus caused an infant of nine dayes old at Rome to speake to cleare Pope Sergius suspected to be the father of that child and how he drew a length a piece of timber that went to the building of the Church in Malmesburie The like tale goeth of Egwine who hauing fettered both his feet in yrons fast locked and cast the key into the Sea to do penance vpon himselfe for certaine sinnes committed in his youth a fish brought the key to the Ship as he was sayling homeward from Rome Of like truth is that fable of Bristanus Bishop of Winchester who as he prayed walking in the Churchyard for the soules of men departed whē he came to these words requiescant in pace a multitude of soules answered againe Amen I report me now to the indifferent reader whether we haue not iust cause to suspect the credit of these legend miracles 2 But these miracles which he sayth were wrought by those Christian Kings being admitted he shall neuer be able to proue that these were of the Popish Church or beliefe Lucius Oswald Iua Ceolulfus with others as in the next defense in the answere to the probation of the assumption shall God willing be made plaine 3 Whereas he nameth Offa and Sigebert among the miracle-makers he hath committed a great ouersight or vsed a cunning sleight to face out the matter with bare names for Offa by the entisement of his wife was accessorie to the cruell death of King Ethelbert who came peaceablie to sue for the mariage of his daughter and therefore it is not like that God would endue a murderer with such a miraculous gift But the cause is soone coniectured why the Popes Clergie doth so much honor the memorie of Offa for in part of penance and satisfaction for that wicked acte he gaue the tenth of his goods to the Church builded the Monasterie of S.
to Rome for sorrow he dyed 6 Neither was the Empire translated from the French to the Saxons for disobedience to the Sea of Rome but the line of Charles ending in Chunrade the Emperour he appointed Henry the first Duke of Saxonie to succeede him in the Empire who yet was neuer crowned of the Romane Bishop his sonne Otho the first not Otho the third as this blind historian shuffleth at it was after his father admitted to the Empire which Otho to whom he supposeth the Empire to be translated did curb the Romane Bishops as much as any before him for he reproued Iohn the 11. for his adulterous life condemned him in a Councell and deposed him This instance then which he hath produced sheweth rather the euill successe of the Romane Bishops then of the Christian Emperours 7 This Otho the third to whom he saith the Empire was transferred was not such an obedient child as he thinketh to the Sea of Rome for he caused one Crescentius that had set vp Iohn the 17. to be Bishop of Rome to be put to death and the Bishop to be deposed and bereft of his sight and elected in his place Gregory the 5. 8 Henry the fourth was a most couragious Prince and of happie successe he raigned 50. yeares and in 62. battailes encountred his enemies Gregory the 7. assoyled most treacherouslie his subiects of their oath and set vp Rodolphus against Henry the fourth whom he ouercame in foure battailes and in the last Rodolphus was slaine Paschalis the 2. incited Henry the 5. against his owne father and mooued him most vnnaturallie to make warre against him during which warre the aged Emperour for sorrow died He might then haue spared this example which sheweth more the Popes pride and tyrannie then the Emperours miserie for about this time when the Popes thus ruffled with the Emperour a certaine Bishop of Fluentine taught that Antichrist was come 9 True it is that Frederike the 2. was strangled to death by his bastard sonne Manfredus set a worke as is supposed by Innocentius 4. who also poisoned Conradus the next Emperour Frederikes sonne being vnder the Popes curse and this treacherous parricide Manfredus was afterward for his good seruice rewarded by Alexander the 4. with the Kingdome of Sicily this example bewrayeth the Popes treacherie more then the Emperours infelicitie 10 Concerning the excommunicating and deposing of Otho the 4. Lewes the 4. King Alibret the Henries of Burbon c. the Pope was an agent in all these affaires and a iudge in his owne cause shewing himselfe the right Antichrist taking vpon him to depose Emperours and Kings at his pleasure Thus did Pope Zacharie depose Childerick King of France and set vp Pipinus in his stead Thus Innocentius the 3. serued King Iohn interdicting his whole realme causing him to surrender his Crowne Vrbanus 2. put downe Hugo Earle of Italy discharging his subiects of their oath Innocentius the 2. tooke the Dukedome of Sicily from the Emperour and made Roger King thereof Adrianus the 4. did excommunicate William King of Sicily and would haue deposed him of his kingdome if he had not been superior in battaile The same Adrian did excommunicate Frederike the first for setting his name before the Popes in writing This insolencie of the Popes and their tyrannizing against Kings and Emperours was iustlie suffered of God because they had giuen their power to the beast and helped to aduance his proud throne and are iustlie recompenced not for their disobedience to that Sea but for their disobedience to God in submitting their princely estate which is Gods ordinance to Antichrists coÌ„maund These calamities then not brought vpoÌ„ these Emperors by Gods handie worke but wrought by the Popes malice in his owne cause do conuince him of Antichristian tyrannie not them of disloyal obstinacie They may as well condemne Gedeons sonnes that were wickedly murdered and iustifie Abimelech that cruellie put them to death and magnifie Zimri that preuailed against the King his master and slue him And as well may the theefe that robbeth by the high way killeth boast of his good successe as these treacherous Popes that rebelled against the Emperours and Kings their Lords and Masters 11. In that Constantinople was taken in the festiuitie of Pentecost and of the holie Ghost concerning whose proceeding the Greekes are in error as he saith this sheweth that not for denying of the Romane iurisdiction but their corruptions in the Christian religion and for their idolatrous superstition as hath been before shewed that famous citie new Rome was surprised Let old Rome in time take heede least being partaker of new Romes corruption it taste not eare long also of their destruction for the Scripture saith Be not partaker in her sinnes that ye receiue not of her plagues Reuelat. 18.4 And I say vnto them with Hierome Maledictionem quam vrbi saluator in Apocalypsi comminatus est potes effugere per poenitentiam habens exemplum Niniuitarum Thou maist escape O Rome the curse threatned in the Apocalypse by repentance hauing the example of the Niniuites Seneca said well Fulmina paucorum periculo cadunt omnium metu Thunderbolts fall to the hurt of few to the feare of all So it were good for old Rome to feare that punishment which is fallen vpon new Rome for the same sinnes The fourth Demonstration HE telleth vs further of the miserable ends of Luther Oecolampadius Zuinglius Caluine Cranmer of the Duke of Saxonie and the Lantgraue taken prisoners of the pitifull deaths of the Prince of Condie and the Admirall like â—ezabel cast downe at a window of the Prince of Orange miserably slaine in Flaunders of Iames the bastard in Scotland dishonourably put to death of Christierne King of Denmarke deposed from his kingdome c. pag. 71. The Remonstration 1. LVther Oecolampadius Caluine as they were men of vertuous life so was their end not miserable but comfortable what railing Cocleus saith it skilleth not Sleidane Beza with others that had better cause to know them doe report no otherwise of them This blind Censor had forgotten the pitifull ends of some Popish champions of that time as of Hofmeister Eckius Iacobus Latomus which all three died roaring and raging in desperation 2. Zuinglius was slaine in the field dying in defence of the truth so was good Iosias wounded in battaile and thereof died Cranmer was put to death for the Gospell as Stephen was stoned for the faith of Christ you may as well vrge the examples of the one as iudged and punished of God as of the other 3. Much better was the Duke of Saxonies and the Lantgraues case that were persecuted of the Emperour and taken prisoners then he whose captiues they were for they would rather die then forsake their faith but the Emperour that great Charles the 5. the Popes stout
behauiour against King Henry his father who finding his sonne Iohn to be numbred amongst his enemies in a certaine schedule exhibited to him thereupon sickned with griefe and gaue his sonnes Gods curse and his which he would neuer release till his dying day 7. King Henry the third was not punished with ciuill warres for opposing himselfe against the Pope but rather for being too much ruled by him for after that in a Parliament held at Oxford in the 42. yeare of his raigne he had condescended to certaine auncient lawes and ordinances whereunto he had before refused to yeeld and for conseruation whereof those douzen peeres which hee speaketh of were ordained the King Ann. 44. procured an absolution of his oath from Rome whereby he had before obliged himselfe to maintaine the said auncient lawes whereupon followed those intestine warres betweene the King and his Nobles in the which the King and his sonnes were taken This contention then was caused not for the Kings disobedience to the Pope but his too great confidence in the Popes authoritie to absolue him from his oath to abrogate the lawes enacted 8. True it is that many miseries and calamities as ciuill warre famine strange diseases happened vnder the raigne of Edward the second and he himselfe at the last lost first his Crowne and then his life but as vntrue it is that these troubles fell vpon him for medling too farre against the See of Rome It is most euident in histories that he was deposed for misgouernment following the counsell of couetous cruell and wicked persons Pierce Gaueston and the two Spencers in whose quarell he in a short space put to death 22. of the greatest men in the realme 9. The like cause is shewed in histories of the great troubles that happened betweene Richard the second and his Nobles and of the great miserie he fell into namely his negligent administration of the commonwealth the intolerable exactions of his officers his crueltie in causing his owne Vncle Thomas of Woodstock and other Nobles to be cruellie put to death for these and the like causes he was deposed and depriued of his Crowne and regall dignitie It was not then his medling in ecclesiasticall iurisdiction as this wisard calculateth but his loose vniust and carelesse gouernment that wrought him this wo. And if it were enacted in this Kings time that Vrbane the Pope should be acknowledged for head of the Church as is here affirmed small reason there was in this discourser to exemplifie this King for his disobedience to the See of Rome which is the scope of all this senselesse section 10. King Henry prospered well in all his affaires after he tooke vpon him to be the supreme gouernor in Ecclesiasticall matters so did his sonne vertuous King Edward the 6. so did not Queene Mary nothing had good successe almost that she enterprised whose raigne was shortest of all her predecessors vnlesse it were vsurping Richard He therefore speaketh vntrulie and vncharitablie that King Edward was not vniustlie punished in his fathers fault for neither had his father of famous memorie faulted herein nor himselfe punished for the same but blessed of God with a godlie raigne and an happie end And thus hath this fabulous chronicler held vs with a long tale feeding the reader with his owne fansies for among all these examples by him produced he hath not verified his coniecture in any one of them that they were punished of God for resisting the papall iurisdiction But the contrarie may easily be shewed that no Kings had worse successe then they which were deuoted to the papall vsurped authoritie and none better then they which impugned the same and for the proofe hereof I will not go farre from home And first concerning the euill hap of Princes made slaues to the Pope other countries yeeld plentifull choice of examples as of Ladislaus King of Bohemia a great enemie to the doctrine of Iohn Husse who died sodainely of the Pestilence Another Ladislaus much about that time King of Polonia at the incitement of Eugenius the 4 brake truce made with Amurathes the great Turke was miserablie slaine Rodolphus rebelled against the Emperour Henry the 4 being set vp against him by Gregory the seauenth and was slaine in battaile The strange ends and bloudie deaths of Henry the second Charles the ninth Henry the third Kings of Fraunce great patrones of popish religion are very well known the first slaine with a shiuer of a speare as he iusted against Montgomery the second dyed of bleeding at the eares and nose and diuers other parts the third was murdered by a Frier But leauing to make mention of forraine stories this one Island of Britannie doth afford sufficient supplie who was more deuoted vnto the Pope and Popes religion before the Conquest then Offa and Edgar and yet none were more punished in their posteritie King Offa first gaue the Peter-pence to Rome he founded the Abbey of Bath and of S. Albons and was himselfe at the length shorne a Monke he most vniustly caused Ethelbert King of East-Angles who gentlie came vnto him mistrusting nothing to be beheaded But what befell the posteritie of this Offa not one of them prospered Eg fredus raigned but foure moneths the rest that succeeded were either slaine or expulsed Kenulphus Kenelmus Ceolwulphus Bernulphus Ludecanus Withlacus of the which Ceolwolfus was banished all the rest were slaine the last two Kings of Offa his race were Berthulfus and Burdredus which were expulsed of the Danes and so the Kingdome of Mercia was extinguished This Offa had a daughter called Ethelburga which was maried to Brithicus King of West-Saxons which first poisoned her husband then she fled into France and became Abbesse of a certaine Monasterie from whence for committing adulterie with a Monke she was expelled and ended her dayes in pouertie and miserie And such successe had Offa his posteritie Edgar was a great friend to the Pope and one of the greatest Patrones of Monkerie he restored and new founded 47. Monasteries but it fared full euill with his posteritie his base sonne Edward was slaine by the counsaile of his step-mother Queene Alfrede his other sonne Ethelred was expelled his Kingdome by Swanus the Dane and constrained to liue in exile in Normandie his sonne Edmund surnamed Ironside was forced to deuide his Kingdome with Canutus the Dane Since the Conquest Richard the first was much addicted to the Church of Rome and the Ministers thereof he tooke his scrip and staffe at Canturburie to go in pilgrimage to Ierusalem to recouer the holie land as they called it from the Infidels and he betooke the regiment of his Kingdome to William Longshamp Bishop of Ely the Popes Legate In Palestina he fought many battailes prosperouslie yet returning home he was taken captiue by the Duke of Austria and sent to the Emperour paying for his raunsome an hundred thousand
cum mulierib c. the Bishop or Priest ought not to lye with the women that come to be confessed Wherefore seeing auricular confession gaue occasion and opportunitie to such euill they shall not easily perswade that for want of such confession such abuses and iniuries haue growne Concerning restitution Protestants allow it and require it to be made approuing of that sentence non tollitur peccatum â—isi restituatur ablatum that of sinne there is no remission where there wanteth restitution But we affirme and teach that satisfaction to God by vs can not be wrought we must let that alone for euer that worke Christ only hath performed Multitude of suites dilatorie pleas corrupt iudgements are not vncontrouled by Protestants doctrine but we mislike and condemne them and trust by our prudent Prince in time conuenient to see many of those disorders redressed Neyther were the popish times free of such vnnecessarie suites and contentions betweene Bishop and Bishop Bishop and Prior Prior and Couent among the Friers and Monks as I haue shewed before at large in my answere to the second section pag. 8. Yet these quarrels and suites of law notwithstanding our Church Religion is not for that abuse to be condemned no more then the Church of Corinth ceased to be of Christs familie because they went to lawe one with another that before heathen Iudges 1. Cor. 6. But sure it is that these abuses haue not sprung because auricular confession is intermitted which was as a heauie yoke and burthen vpon Christians shoulders and did rather terrifie then certifie the conscience which superstitious vse the wiser heathen condemned as Antalcidas being asked of the Priest what great sinne he had committed in his life made this answere if I haue done any such thing the Gods know it he thought it superfluous to declare it to men 5. And was it not thinke you a very poore life that had the third part of the substance of the land as is confessed to maintaine it Neither is it true that the Abbeies furnished more armies then all the Ministers and Abbey-gentlemen for I thinke not but the Clergie in England alone hath contributed more in subsidies tenths beneuolences yearely toward the maintenance of the Princes warres then all the Abbeies in England yeelded to the Crowne for they stood vpon their priuiledges and immunities and gaue but what they list themselues The poore you say were relieued so many statutes against them and to burthen the countrie were not knowne True it is that the Abbeies maintained the idle vagrant life of rogues beggers and it is verily thought that the frie of theÌ„ which was bred then hath so spawned forth into the whole land that vnto this day this nation could not be disburdened of them You seeme to mislike the statute of late made for the restraint of vagrants and vagabonds then the which a more wholesome lawe could not be made in that kind if it were well executed neither is the countrie more but lesse burthened in relieuing their home-borne poore being eased of other coÌ„mon walkers But it is no maruaile that this Frier holdeth with beggers for he is cosen-germane himselfe to the begging friers no thanks then to Abbeies and Frieries in relieuing of lay beggers when they sent out such a number of irreligious beggers of their owne they should haue done better to haue kept their owne begging mates at home that the lay people being rid of such vnshamefast beggers might haue beene better able to maintaine their owne But concerning this relieuing of common beggers wherein he giueth such praise to Abbeies their own canons haue vtterly misliked it sint autem mendicantib validis non solum hospitalia clausa c. To valiant beggers let not only the hospitals be shut but let it be vtterly forbidden them to beg froÌ„ house to house for better it were to take bread from the hungrie least being prouided of his bread he should neglect equitie and iustice that is liue idlie Coloniens part 11. ca. 5. You aske if they were not better bestowed then in hunting hawking carding courting c. I answere 1. that although we wish that Abbey-lands had beene conuerted to better vses yet they were abused as much before as now and much more 2. for beside that it is not to be otherwise thought but that the lord Abbots and fat Monks disported themselues with hunting of wild game abroad and tame at home in carding and courting of Nunnes and pretie pewling cloyster virgines more then I thinke Abbey gentlemen now vse to do those lands then serued to maintaine idle and vnprofitable persons whereof there was no vse in the common-wealth whereas now many seruiceable gentlemen are thereby brought vp and sustained fit for the dispensing of iustice in peace and to stand for the defense of the land in time of warre 6. It is a great vntruth here vttered for neuer did this land enioy greater peace and of longer continuance with other countries Spaine only excepted then it hath done for the space of these 40. yeares vnder the Gospell What bloudie and cruell warres haue been in time past between England and France in Henry the 2. King Iohn Edward the 3. Henry the 5. with Scotland in Edward 1. Edward 2. Henry the 8. But vnder the Gospell peace with these countries hath been firmely established and we trust is like to continue still 7. As for knowledge and experience gotten by trauaile our Gentlemen and Noblemen of England are not therein vnfurnished Rome and Spaine are not so safe and free for trauailers that would preserue a good conscience but there is little lost by that for few are there that visit those countries but are made worse thereby according to those auncient prouerbs The neerer Rome the further froÌ„ Christ He that goeth once to Rome seeth a wicked man he that goeth twice learneth to know him he that goeth thrice bringeth him home with him But there are other Countries more safe to trauaile vnto and more profitable to be conuersant in then either Rome or Spaine Neither are all martiall feates there learned England since this diuision from Rome and Spaine hath sent forth as valiant Captaines and commaunders both by sea and land as euer it did nay former ages therein can not compare with these times What Captaines are more famous in our histories then Generall Norris Captaine Williams Morgane the noble Earle of Essex and others in land affaires who more renowned then Captaine Drake Furbisher Hawkins Candish with the rest in Sea trauailes Our Merchants indeede haue been somewhat hindred of their traffique and entercourse in the King of Spaines dominions but that hath been as much losse to them as to English Merchants neither hath England wanted any necessarie merchandize notwithstanding this restraint And we doubt not but religion and the Gospell standing and florishing still in England that passage hereafter may be more open and free for
was the holinesse and meeknesse of these proud papal Archbishops 3. For their miracles they were meere forgeries such as are reported of Dunstane that he caused an Harpe to sing and play alone hanging on the wall how he held the diuel by the nose with a paire of tonges tempting him with women such were the fained miracles of Thomas Becket which were condemned by the great men of the land as fables Magnates interdixerunt ne quis martyrem Thomā nominaret ne quis miracula eius praedicaret the great men forbad that no man should call Thomas a martyr or speake of his miracles 4. Neither were many of them such learned Clarkes though some of them I confesse had more learning then true pietie or honestie as Lanfranke Anselme yet for the rest what were they Was not Augustine the founder of that Sea a great Diuine that must needs send to Gregory for resolution in these profound questions Whether a woman great with child may be baptized after how many dayes the infant ought to be receiued to baptizme and such like And it should seeme that learning in their Archbishops was not greatly requisite when Robert Burnell Bishop of Bath and Thomas Cobham two reuerend and learned men being elected were refused and Peccham a gray Frier and Reinald Bishop of Winchester an ambitious man better acquainted with suites of law being Chancellor then questions of Diuinity were appointed in their stead 5. But as I hold Bishop Cranmer in true learning and sound Diuinity to be equall to any his prodecessours so in godly constancie to go before them for he was the first and onely Martyr of that Sea that died for the truth Elphegus the 26. Archbishop was stoned to death for denying tribute to the Danes Simon Sudbury was beheaded of the rebels because he gaue counsell that the king should not come at them to heare their complaints But neither of these died in the cause of religion 6. Neither did the truth want witnesses from among these auncient Archbishops Cuthbertus the 11. Archbishop forbad all funerall exequies to be made for him after he was dead Elfricus the 26. did write certaine Sermons against transubstantiation the authenticals thereof are yet extant in the libraries of Exceter and Worcester Simon Islip forbad vpon paine of excommunication that no man should abstaine from bodily labours vpon certaine Saints dayes Therefore euen amongst them the Lord left not himselfe altogether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without witnesse as the Apostle sayth Wherefore he hath gained nothing by this mustering of his Popish Archbishops of whō we may say as our Sauiour of the Pharises They are blind leaders of the blind Math. 13.14 Hierome sayth well of such Quòd me damnant episcopi nō est ratio sed conspiratio quorum authoritas me opprimere potest docere non potest In that the Bishops condemne vs it is no reason but treason their authority may impeach me but not teach me Metellus because he was blind was forbidden among the Romaines to exercise his Priesthood and they had a law that no Augurs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hauing any soare or disease should execute their office As litle regard is to be had to these blind prelates lame and diseased in iudgement as in the same place it is expounded that it is not fit for them that are corrupted and diseased in their soules to handle Diuine things The third Inuectiue 1. IN the lawes of Henry the 8. Edward the 6. and Queene Elizabeth I will ouerthrow them 2. If they alleadge Vniuersities they are ouer-matched Oxford hath had in Catholike times thirty thousand students all euer of the same mind with vs. 3. For other Clergie men we haue had an hundred thousand more Synodes two to one in number two hundred to one p. 116. 4. If they vrge Scriptures by resorting to the Originall tongues the Greeke and Hebrew c. the victory is ours We vse more Scriptures for numbers of bookes more for diuersitie of tongues Our expositors of Scripture professed students in Diuinity c. excellent linguists many naturall borne Greekes and Hebrewes Their expositors of Scripture neuer were to be compared to those In the Parliament where their religion was decreed there was no person present that vnderstood either Greeke or Hebrew p. 117. The Defensatiue 1. THis is as like to be so as if I should say that by the Popes lawes now in force at Rome the faith of Protestants is maintained and yet I will shew twenty Canons amongst them that giue testimonie to our faith to one decree that he can alleadge amongst vs making for them this I haue already performed in Synopsis throughout Wherefore in this so shamelesse and vnreasonable assertion I will vouchsafe him no other answer but say with Augustine Non inuenio quomodo te refellerem nisi vt aut iocantem irriderem aut insanientem dolerem I know not how else to answer you then either as a iester to scorne you or as a mad man to pity you 2. The most famous Vniuersities in the world as of Herdelberge Magdobing Wittenberge Basile Geneua Vtricke Lepden Cambridge Oxford with manie more are with the Protestants King Henry for his diuorce had the consent of the most famous vniuersities in Europe Oxford was not wholly yours no not in the grossest times of popery for they cleared vnder their common seale Iohn Wickliffe and his doctrine of the suspition of heresie 3. We confesse Papists haue bene and yet are more in number so did the Pagans in multitude exceed the Christians but the Scripture hath taught vs not to follow a multitude to do euill Eccles. 23.2 Synodes both generall and prouinciall Protestants haue more on their side then Papists I referre the Reader for the truth hereof to Synopsis 4. If you would as ye say be tried by the originall Scriptures the controuersie would soone be at end but your sayings and doings agree not Why should ye be afraid to preferre the Hebrew and Greeke text before the vulgar Latine making this onely authentike in Sermons readings disputations as it was concluded in the Tridentine Chapter why did they not amend their vulgar Latine according to the originall reading still Genes 3.15 She shall breake thine head for he or it Genes 8.4 for seuenteene seuen and twenty Psal. 68.13 for liue among the pots sleepe betweene the lots and in diuerse hundred such places they swarue from the originall Ye vse indeed more Scriptures for number as all the Apocryphall workes which were neuer recorded of the Church of God vnder the law neither written by Prophets or approued by Christ and his Apostles but not for diuersitie of tongues For the Canonicall Scriptures are extant in the Hebrew Greeke and Latine the Apocripha some in the Greeke and Latine some in the Latine only You haue litle cause to brag of your popish expositors such as
Vigilius that because Peter is called Cephas which signifieth a stone inferreth that he was Cephas that is caput the head of the Church deriuing one from another because of the similitude of the letters such a proper interpreter was Pope Innocent that applyed that saying of Saint Paule They that are in the flesh cannot please God against marying Your best Linguists and most learned Interpreters as Paguinus Arius Montanus approue not the vulgar Latine and do differ in iudgement therin from the Church of Rome Protestants are not inferiour for the knowledge of tongues excellent linguists and learned interpreters but do farre exceed the Romish Church Witnesse hereunto Tremellius a borne Hebrew Iunius Mercerus Caluin Beza Stephanus with others whose fit translations apt expositions and most learned Commentaries do obscure all their popish scholasticall Tractates silly allegories and sophisticall disputes What knowledge in the Hebrew and Greeke the parliament men had as it is vncertaine to guesse so neither is it necessarie to know sure I am that they receiued direction from most learned men Whitehead Elmer Horne Iewell with others with whom none of the contrarie side in the knowledge of the tongues and studie of Diuinitie were to be compared Thus we see what are the chiefe grounds of popish religion The multitude of professors generall consent of Vniuersities schooles synodes these are but weak grounds a few professing the truth should be heard before a multitude in error Iosua doth not so reason though all the people beside shold haue forsakeÌ„ God yet I my house which were but a small company to the rest will serue the Lord Epiphanius writing to Hierome saith quasi multitudo peccantium scelus minuit non numerositate lignoruÌ„ maior gehennae ignis succrescat as though the number of sinners doth lessen the sinne the more the wood is the greater is the fire of hell Seneca well saith Ne pecorum ritu antecedentium sequamur gregem Let vs not be like to sheepe still to follow those which go before Argumentum pessimi turba est quaeramus quid optimè factum non quid vsitatissimum The multitude is an argument of the worst part let vs enquire what is best done not what is most in vse Titus Flaminius said well to Philopoemenes the Captaine of the Achaians that was furnished with a great number of souldiers but wanted money That he had armes and legs but no belly So our aduersaries contending with multitude but bringing no truth do shew vs legges and armes enough but the substance of truth which is as the belly and bowels of religion they haue not He breaketh off here his bitter inuectiues and cometh after his Ignatian humour by cunning perswasions to insinuate himselfe The fourth Article his Insinuation HEre the Epistler seemeth thus to reason If Catholikes be in error then either they wilfully or ignorantly erre 1. But neither the first seeing we vndergo many penalties and punishments for our profession p. 218. We follow a profession so austere and rigorous p. 220. Their Religion is pleasant and by professing it they liue in honors and delights which haue enticed Protestants to be Mahometanes c. 2. Not the second We haue all authorities times and places for our defence c. we haue trauelled all countries studied in all Vniuersities we want wiues riches honors the impediments of true Diuinitie and studie If Religion can be found in this world we haue sought and found out all meanes they none p. 218. The Repulse 1. THey suffer not punishment for their profession but for their practising not for religioÌ„ but their rebellion Which of them hath bene put to death for his opinion in holding transubstantiation adoration of images inuocation of Saints Purgatorie or any such like popish error but because they submit themselues to the papall iurisdiction and are sent hither by his authoritie to corrupt and seduce the subiects We may say then vnto them as Augustine to the Donatists Tribunus noÌ„ est persecutor vester sed persecutor persecutoris vestri id est erroris vestri The magistrate doth not persecute you but that which persecuteth you which is your error 2. Neither is poperie such an austere and rigorous life nor their imprisonment so hard as they complaine seeing their leisure suffered them in Wisbich prison to contend for superioritie and highest placeâ— at the table they one accused another of dicing carding drunkennesse fornication euen in prison these are not the fruites of an austere and rigorous life The Priestes tell Frier Parsons that if laughing will serue their turne they can laugh as fast as he They haue reported of the Ignatians that some of them ride in coaches haue their stables of chaunge of geldings do spend after fiue hundred pounds a yeare go richly apparelled this seemeth to be no such rigorous and penitentiall life 3. The honours and riches of protestants are not to be compared to the glory of the Cardinals in Rome Bishops of Spaine Abbots in Fraunce but for the most part of the Protestant Ministery I thinke they in their imprisonment and affliction as they call it haue liued in greater fulnesse and plentie and more at hearts ease That some Papists are turned Protestants for honor and pleasure sake I do easily beleeue but that Protestants haue become Mahometanes he cannot shew vnlesse they be such temporizers and corrupt conuerts as he speaketh of Poperie is a fitter stocke to graffe an Atheist and Mahometane in then protestancie according to the common by-word An English Italianate a diuell incarnate 4. Neither is austeritie of life a sufficient argument of the truth The Pharises were more giuen to fasting then Christs disciples among the Mahometanes there are Hermites and bare-footed Friers the Donatistes were very desperate and would cast themselues downe from the hils and rockes and breake their neckes As Augustine saith I would know who first of your side did cast himselfe downe headlong Valdè illud granum fertile fuit vnde tanta seges praecipitatorum cadauerum pullulavit sure it was a very fruitfull graine from whence haue budded foorth so many precipitated carkases Wherefore notwithstanding any thing yet said they may be guiltie of wilfull error although they did which may be done with an obstinate and peruerse mind suffer and endure much for their profession 5 And this lastly â—erueth if it proue any thing to cleare the Protestants from suspition of wilfulnesse who haue endured more by imprisonment famishment whipping racking tormenting burning and many more torments by an hundred fold at Papistes hands onely for their conscience then the other haue felt for their offence against the State 1. Wiues being chosen in the feare of God are no impediment to studie they are helpers rather and a means to ease the mind of Ministers from worldly busines that they may be more fit for meditation There was no place more apt for heauenly meditation then Paradise
very marrow of Poperie continued and the whole bodie of the Romane doctrine the opinion of the supremacie excepted And ye had beside a breathing time in Queene Maries raigne such as that of Saul who breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord. Act. 10.1 such a breathing as I trust ye shall neuer haue againe in England I hope this was no time of your captiuitie And againe you are somewhat too forward to looke for the reuiuing of the papall kingdome so soone after 70. years stay till you be equal to the captiuitie of protestants that 7. times 70. yeares endured the tyrannie of your terrene god the Pope as long as Israel soiourned in Canaan and AEgypt 430. yeares Exod. 12.40 and much longer and then after that time expired lift vp your heads if you can But because you plead prescription of 70. years you shall haue your mind yet they shall not be the seuenty yeares determined for Iudaes deliuerance but the 65. years which want not many of seuentie which were limited for Ephraims destruction Within fiue and threescore yeares Ephraim shall be destroyed from being a people Isa. 7.8 And we trust in God that the proud idolatrous Ephramites of Rome according to this time taking beginning from the first reformation in England shall haue Ephraims portion and their kingdome come to desolation Concerning your Popes Iubile enioy you the benefite thereof get you packing to Rome and solace your selues there England careth not for Iubile pardons nor for such paltrie pardoners as ye are Protestants haue enioyed through Gods mercie a full Iubile vnder the Gospell in King Edward and Queene Elizabeths happie raignes and now we trust beginneth another ioyfull Iubile vnder our noble King and so our hope is that the Church of God vnder his M. his royall posteritie shall enioy the profession of the truth frō Iubile to Iubile till we all come to celebrate an euerlasting Iubile in heauen The Pope hath lately solemnized his Iubile like as the Iewes kept their Iubile when Christ was put to death who brought deliuerance to his Church but destruction to the Iewes before the next Iubile came So this Popes Iubile wherein they haue confederate to persecute Christ and his members is like to be ominous to that blodie generatiō prosperous we hope to the church of God This Romish Iubile lately celebrated in new Babylon may fall out to be like Balthasars feast which he made in old Babylon the destruction of the citie followed the same night to whō fitly agreeth that verse of the Poet Namque vt supremam falsa inter gaudia noctem Egerimus nosti It was our last and onely night That we thus spent in false delight So may this happily be the last popish Iubile and this great solemnitie may end with a Sardonian laughter according to the saying of the wise man Pride goeth before destruction and an high mind before the fall Prou. 16.18 2. If religion be the bond of peace then can there be no sound peace betweene the Church of God and the synagogue of Rome which is declined and fallen away from the true religion and seruice of God The Popes peace we desire not as we feare not his curse if he loue quietnesse protestants will not offend him if he seeke trouble they can requite him But if Scotland be comprehended in this league and amitie as among other nations this Popes muster-maister hath numbred it I hope England shall haue a share that is now one with Scotland It is vntrue that England can agree with none in religiō it accordeth with Scotland Geneua Heluetia Belgia with the protestants of Fraunce some diuersitie in external right maketh no difference in religion And as vntrue it is that no two protestant Princes can haue this peace together seeing it is most manifest that for 45. yeares there was a firme peace betweene England and Scotland being vnited in religion such as for so long a time was not knowne for fiue hundred yeares while both these kingdomes professed poperie And indeed it is a rare thing to see one protestant Prince offend another with warre but it is very cōmon for Princes and States addicted to the popish profession to wage battel one with another France Spain Naples Millaine the Venetians Geanes Florentines Romaines haue often one with fierce war assaulted another As we shall reade among the Paganes how in Graecia the Spartans Athenians Corinthians Thebanes Argiues Megarensians with other cities did with cruell warre one afflict another so that as the Scripture saith In that time there was no peace to him that did go out and go in but great troubles were to all the inhabitants of the earth Such is the peace among the Romanists neither sound and in truth nor of any long continuance but like vnto Iudas kisse so is the Popes peace and amitie as Ambrose saith Amoris pignore scelus implet pacis instrumento odia serit By a token of loue he worketh mischiefe and by an instrument of peace soweth hatred So his vnholy Fatherhood faineth peace if it be for his aduantage and breaketh it at his pleasure if it may serue his turne better as Eugenius the fourth caused Ladislaus to breake the truce made with Amurathes the great Turke to the great losse and disaduantage of all Christendome Wherein the Pope very well resembleth Cleomenes the Spartane King who hauing made truce with the Argiues for certaine dayes set vpon them the third night after and slue them alleadging for himselfe that he had made truce for dayes not for nights 3. Popish religion can neither make vs at peace with God whom it robbeth of his due honour making other Mediators inuocating Saints worshipping idols nor with Angels who refuse to be worshipped Reu. 22.8 nor with Saints who while they liued refused that adoration which is now ascribed vnto them in poperie as Peter wold not suffer Cornelius to worship him Act. 10.26 To the soules imagined to be in purgatorie it offereth wrong keeping them in torment that by the Scriptures are to rest from their labours Reu. 14.13 Neither can popish professors haue peace in themselues seeing they deny iustification onely by faith by which we are at peace with God Rom. 5.1 That religion agreeth with none but diuels for it maintaineth lying wonders which are by the working of Sathan 2. Thess. 2.9 It forbiddeth to marie and to abstaine from meates which are the doctrine of diuels 1. Tim. 4.1.3 It persecuteth casteth into prison the seruants of Christ which is the worke of Sathan Reu. 2.10 Poperie therefore which derogateth so much from God cannot reconcile vs or make vs agree with God superstition doth not draw vs nearer to God but maketh vs further off Hierome well saith hoc nobis praestat Dei timor vt omnes alios contemnamus timores The feare of God doth make vs to cōtemne all other
August lib. 3. cont Petilian c. 16. Pag. 55. l. 24. c. Pag. 55. lin 4 5. c. Vntruth 109. We doe not condemne them to hell Parents corrupt religion not to be followed Ezech. 18.14 Errors of simplicitie in times of ignorance by Gods mercie pardoned Iohn 9.41 Lib. 4. de baptism ca 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 56. Pag. 57. Pag. 58. Pag. 61. Pag. 62. How farre we are bound to our predecessors for benefites receiued by and from them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vntruth 110. Vntruth 111. Acts of Parliament examined falâ—ely alleaged by the Apologist Vntruth 112. Vntruth 113. Vntruth 114. Vntruth 115. Vntruth 116. Vntruth 117. Vntruth 118. Vntruth 119. Vntruth 120. Vntruth 121. Westmâ—n 2. ca. 41. Edw. 1. ann 13. Aedificia coruÌ„â—cclesiis vendicentur Cod. lib. 1. tit 12. l. 11. Honor. ☞ Theodos. Popish hierarchie vsurpeth places of the Church 1. Cor. 9.11 1. Sam. 2.35 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The third proofe What power Protestants yeeld to Princes in causes ecclesiasticall Vntruth 122. Vntruth 123. Vntruth 124. Synops. contr 7. qu. 1. par 3. Fox pag. 143. Princes ciuill and morall vertues do not iustifie their religion Sozomen lib. 4.15 Math. 15.14 The whole Christian world not deceiued Generall Councels may erre Bellar. lib. 1. de concil ca. 7. Iud. 9.48 Epistol 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The fourth proofe Answ. to sect 6. Fox pag. 122. ca. 1. Popish legend miracles Fox pag. 125. col 2. Fox ibid. Ex histor Iornalens Fox p. 129. Stow an 757. Sigebert a cruell tyrant Stow an â—16 Of the cure of the Queenes euill Stow in Edward Confessor Ex Suetonio Cure of straÌ„ge diseases amoÌ„g Paganes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch quaest Graec. 50. Serm. 18. in Psal. 119. Hieron de vir perfect Vntruth 125. Vntruth 126. Vntruth 127. Falsificat or vntruth 117. Ex histor Iornalens Fox pa. 159. Monasteries built for redemption of soules Fox pa. 279. Stow ann 179. Auncient Kings of England dissenting from the Church of Rome ann 664. Fox pa. 123. Fox ibid. col 2 lin 8.9 Ann. 880. Pag. 144. Ann. 996. Fox pa. 1142. Fox pa. 147. to pag. 151. Histor. Iornalens in vit Edgar Ann. Edw. 3.38 c. 1 2. Rich. 2. ann 13. stat 2. c. 2. Henr. 4. ann 9. c. 8. King Henries purpose to reforme religion Fox pag. 1291. Fox pag. 2091. Pag. 2092. Pag. 2093. Pag. 2095. Queene Elizabeths troubles and dangers in her sisters time Fox p. 166. c. 1. The King sweareth not by relickes at the Coronation Genes 24.2 Genes 31.53 Ambros. contr Symmach Homer Iliad â— Vntruth 128. Vntruth 129. Vntruth 130. Vntruth 131. Vntruth 132. Vntruth 133. Vntruth 134. Vntruth 135. Vntruth 136. De incarnat ca. 5. Psal. 132.14 Math. 4.19 De ciuitat Dei lib. 18. ca. 23. Lâ—â—quet Rome often taken and sacked since it was Christian The great miseries and calimities of Rome Hieron ad Principium SecuÌ„dum computationem Lanquet Cooperi 2. Thessal 2.8 Deâ—ad 1. lib. 2. Coâ—peri chrâ—ni anno 455. Blondus dec 1. lib. 10. Cooperi Chronic ann 738. Lanquet anno 414. Anno 460. Cooperi anno 701. Anno 755. Lanquet anno 769. Ann. 773. Anno 525. Ann. 6â—6 Ann. 963. Anno 966. Anno 995. Anno 1053. Cooperi Chronic ann 1009. Fox pag. 988. Why the Pope in times past so much preuailed Opâ—scul tripartit lib. 2. cap. 11. The causes of the ouerthrow of the Greeke Empire Cooperi anno 778. Opuscul tripartit lib. 1. cap. 2. Vntruth 137. The miserable end of Popes Ex Platinae Functio Balaeo de act Roman pontificum Ex Balâ—o Platina Functio c. The short raigne of Popes Fox pag. 134.170.394.675.778 edition 1583. Caranza Concilior sum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vntruth 138. Bucanan lib. 5. reg 54. Cooper an 646. Vntruth 139 Bucanane vntruly reported lib. 5. reg 52. Cooper an 630. Vntruth 140. Conestaggius lib. 3. de reb Portugall Munster lib. 4. c. 5. Vntruth 141. Munster lib. 4. c. 3. Vntruth 142. Lanquet chron ann 1060. Ann. 1098. Fox pag. 341. Fox pag. 343. Fox pag. 348. Vntruth 142. Vntruth 143. Chron. Cooper ann 920. Vntruth 144. Cooper an 995. Vntruth 145. Lanquet ann 1106. Ann. 1108. Hieronym Mâ—â—ius Petr. de vineis Platin. in Innocent 4. Lanquet ann 1254 Vntruth 146. The ruffling of Popes against Emperours Caus. 15. qu. 6. c. alius Caus. 15. qu. 6. c. 5. Naucler Vitae pontific Bull. Adrian Vntruth 147. Iudg. 9. 1. King 16.9 Vntruth 148. Demonst. 2. artic 9. Lib. 2. aduers. Iouinian Vntruth 149. a Ex Jllyric de vocabul fidei b Carion fol. 250. c Fox p. 2106. Vntruth 150. Fox pag. 2112. col 1. Vntruth 151. Bucanan lib. 13. Fox pa. 127â— col 1. Vntruth 152. Vntruth 153. Beda lib. 3. histor gent. Anglor c. 1. Beda lib. 2. c. 20 Lib. 3. c. 9. Lib. 3. c. 18. Vntruth 153. Fox pa. 119. Fox pag. 161. Vntruth 154. Fox pag. 152. col 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cod. lib. 4. tit 20. leg 9. Gratian Vntruth 155. Stow anno VVillel 20. Stow. A notable benefactor euill requiâ—ed Stowe Ex Math. Parisiens Fox pag. 185. Fox pag. 189. Stowe Vntruth 156. Fox pag. 191. col 1. Cooper Fox pag. 199. col 1. Vntruth 157. Fox pag. 185. col 1. Vntruth 158. Fox pag. 228. col 2. Histor. de regib Angl. Stowe Vntruth 159. Fox pag. 227. col 1. Stowe Cooper Ann. 1174. Vntruth 160. Vntruth 161. Stow in King Iohn Caxton lib. 7. Gisburâ—e Cooper in King Iohn Stow in Henry the second Vntruth 162. Stow in Henry the third Lanquet in Henry the 3. Vntruth 163. Stowe in Edward the 2. Lanquet anno 1320. annoâ—387 â—387 1397. Vntruth 164. Vntruth 165. The vnhappie end of Princes deuoted to the Pope Ex Aenea Siluio in histor Bohem. Fox pag. 741. col 1. Fox pag. 180. Lanquet anno 1080. Fox pag. 2112. Ex histor Iornalens Stowe Fox pag. 111. Stowe Fox pag. 132. Stowe ex Asserio Stowe Stovv Lanquet Rich. 2. ann 2. c. 7. Stovv Lanquet Fox pag. 523. col 1. Stovv Lanquet Stovv ex Thom. Mor. Fox pag. 29â— Ed. 1. anno 7. Kings of England prosperous that bent themselues against the Pope Ed. 1. ann 25. Ed. â— ann 25. Fox pag. 1071. col 1. ex orat Dom. Radulp. Saâ—ler The prosperitie of Queene Elizabeths raigne The vaine hope and expectations of Papists made frustrate Psal. 118 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Popish Bishops what learned Clarks Fox pag. 949. Fox pag. 1266. col 2. Fox pag. 1274. Lib. 7. in Lucam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 81. Pag. 82. Vntruth 165. The Lord Cromwell defended Stowe anno Henric. 32. Fox pag. 1069. col 1. Fox ibid. Vntruth 166. The good Duke of Sommerset defended Fox pag. 1372. col 2. Vntruth 167. Fox pag. 1408. col 1. Vntruth 168. Visions of Deuils not strange in Poperie Ioannes Stella Platina Ioann Baleus Math. Parisiens Flores histor Sleidan lib. 23. Vntruth 169. The commendation of worthie