master of Sentences Dist 1. lib. 1. the school-mē striue about the words vti and frui dissenting not only from their master but also from one another They differ also much about the distinction of diuine attributes Vtrum sit realis formalis an rationis tantùm This saith Dionysius a Charterhouse Monke is one of the chiefe difficulties of Diuines In dist 2. lib. 1 sent and about it betweene famous Doctors is great dissention and contention Aegidius doth lance Thomas and others runne vpon both Aegidius in lib. 1. sent dist 2. would haue the persons of the Trinitie to be distinguished by a certaine thing in one that is not in another but others condemne him for that opinion Writing vpon the 3. dist lib. 1. sent they denie their masters examples and one condemneth another Bonauenture saith that men may attaine to the knowledge of the holy Trinitie by naturall reason others say contrarie The Scotists lib. 1. sent dist 5. inuey against Henricus de Gandauo for his opinion about the eternall generation of the Sonne of God Aegidius holdeth that the son of God hath power to beget another son which displeaseth Thomas and Bonauenture and is very strange doctrine Thomas Aquinas part 1. q. 32. art 4. saith that Doctors may hold contrary opinions Circa notiones in diuinis He teacheth also that the holy Ghost doth more principally proceed from the Father then from the Sonne which others mislike If then they agrée not about the doctrine of the holy Trinitie it is not like that in matters wherein they haue libertie to dissent they will better agrée Scotus holdeth In 2. sent dist 1. that the soule and an Angell do not differ as two diuers kinds Others teach contrary Some Doctors hold that Angels consist of forme onely In 2. sent dist 3. others hold contrary They dissent also about the sin of our first parents Pighius in the doctrine of original sin dissenteth from his fellowes Innocentius in c. maiores de bapt eius effect misliketh the opinion of the master of the Sentences that held it to be pronitas ad peccandum that is a pronenesse to sinne The Thomists to this day could neuer be reconciled to the Scotists about the conception of our Ladie these denying she was conceiued in sin the others affirming it Gropper in his exposition of the Créed confesseth that among the Papists there are two diuers opinions about Christs descending into hell Bellarmine in his bookes of controuersies doth not more violently run vpon vs then vpon his owne consorts In euery article almost he bringeth contrary expositions of Scriptures and contrary opinions In the sacrament of the Lords supper which is a pledge of loue there are infinite contradictions among them as I haue shewed in my bookes de Missa against Bellarmine The like contentions I haue shewed in my Treatises de Indulgentijs de Purgatorio and shall haue occasion more at large to speake of them hereafter We are therefore to thanke God that the doctrine of faith in the Church of England is setled and that refusing all nouelties we agrée therein with the auncient catholike Church We acknowledge one Lord one faith one baptisme one head of the Church one canon of Scriptures with the auncient fathers The rules of all auncient and lawfull generall Councels concerning the faith we admit We haue one vniforme order for publike prayers administration of Sacraments and Gods seruice Neither do we onely agrée among our selues but also with the reformed Churches of France and Germany and other nations especially in matters of faith and saluation And as for ceremonies and rites it cannot be denied but that all Churches therein haue their libertie as the diuersities of auncient Churches and testimonies of Fathers do teach vs. Most vaine therefore and contumelious is that discourse of N.D. in his Warne-word 1. encontr ca. 4 5 6. where he talketh of the difference of soft and rigide Lutherans among themselues of them from Anabaptists and from Zwinglians of all from the followers of Seruetus and Valentine Gentilis For neither do we acknowledge the names of Lutherans Caluinians or Zuinglians but onely call our selues Christians nor haue we to do with the Arians or Anabaptists or Seruetus or Gentilis or any heretikes Nay by our Doctors these fellowes haue bene diligently confuted and by our gouernors the principall of them haue bene punished But these may Parsons reply haue bin among vs. Admit it were so yet do not our aduersaries take themselues to be guiltie of Arianisme and Anabaptisme because there are diuers guiltie of Arianisme and Anabaptisme among them We say further that the Churches of Germany France and England agree albeit priuate men hold priuate opinions Finally where we talk of the Church of England what a ridiculous sot was this to bring an instance of the Churches of Germany or Suizzerland nay not of the Churches but of priuat persons and that in matters not very substantiall if we admit their owne interpretations Hauing therefore talked his pleasure of Lutherans and Zuinglians he descendeth to speak of rigid and soft Caluinists as he calleth them in England He calleth them also Protestants and Puritanes But neither do we admit these names of faction nor is he able to shew that publikely any Christian is tolerated to dissent either in matters of faith or rites from the Church of England But if any there be that mislike our rites yet is not that contention about matters of faith nor can the disorder of priuate persons hinder the publike vnion of the Church Finally I do not know any man now but he is reasonably well satisfied concerning matters of discipline albeit the same be with the great griefe of Papists who go about to stirre vp the coles of contention as much as they can that heretofore haue bene couered CHAP. II. Of the restoring of Christian Religion and the reduction of the Church of England to the true faith TRue faith in time of Poperie was a great stranger in England most men being ignorant of all points of christian Religion the rest holding diuers erronious points and heresies Their ignorance we shall proue by diuers testimonies hereafter Their errors and heresies are very apparent and at large proued in my late challenge That which the Apostle calleth the doctrine of diuels 1. Tim. 4. that they imbrace for doctrine of faith For they forbid their Priests Monkes Friers and Nuns to marrie and commaund the Benedictines and their Charterhouse Monkes at all times to abstaine from flesh They also forbid men to eate flesh vpon all fasting dayes fridayes and saterdayes and in Lent dissoluing the commandements of God by their owne traditions The Manicheyes abstained from egges as Saint Augustine sheweth lib. de haeres cap. 46. Nec oua saltem sumunt quasi ipsa cùm franguntur expirent nec oporteat vllis corporibus mortuis vesci Cap. plurimi dist 82. So likewise did Papists at certain
words Fol. 81. he maketh sport with words of Scripture comparing Cadburie to the ruines of Hierusalem and yet this fellow is estéemed a worthy patron of poperie such a patron such a cause Fol. 101. he denyeth scriptures to be the rule of faith which is as much as if he meant either impiously to ouerthrow the canon of scriptures or else to preferre vncertaine traditions before them 2. enconter c. 5. fol. 32. 6. he compareth reading of scriptures to excesse of apparrell spending much and playing at dice like a cheating companion drawing similitudes from his owne practise to disgrace the word of God Chap. 6. encontr 2. he will not confesse his errour that sayd before Wardw. p. 14. that the words of the Apostle 1. Cor. 3. make against reading of scriptures Who can denie saith he but Saint Paul talking of scriptures as they were in the learned tongues saith of them litera occidit But to accuse men for reading of scriptures is impious and sauoreth of the error of the Origenists and Swenchfeldians errour that condemne the letter of the Scriptures Neither can he excuse himselfe saying that he meant rash reading For the Apostle where he saith that the letter killeth talketh not of reading but of the effect that the scriptures worke in mens harts shewing that the letter condemneth those which by grace are not moued effectually to embrace the word Chap. 11. encontr 2. most blasphemously he compareth Christs miracles to the miracles of Thomas Becket and his lying legend to the scriptures For which he deserueth to be marked as a miraculous blasphemer In the same place he saith that materiall honour in worshipping saints hurteth not the deuout nor diminisheth their merit Which is as much as if he should say that those that worship theeues and malefactors as saints offend not but rather merit with God And that men may worship they know not whom nor what Fol. 99. he maintaineth a blasphemous prayer wherein papists desire to come to heauen by the blood of Thomas Becket And to mend the matter saith it is no more then the Prophets did mentioning Abraham Isac and Iacob And yet no Prophet or godly man euer prayed to come to heauen by their blood 2. encontr c. 14. he defendeth those blasphemous verses Hic des deuotè caelestibus associo te mentes aegrotae per munera sunt tibi lotae Whereby the papists teach that mens sinnes are washed by almes which is derogatory to the blood of Christ wherein our sinnes onely are washed away and wée cleansed Fol 114. 2. encontr c. 14. cauilling with Sir Francis Hastings about his inference made out of the words of Durand that saith How that indulgences are not found in scriptures he affirmeth that the illation of those that dispute against the doctrine of the Trinity and the consubstantialitie of the sonne of God with his father and baptisme of infants is as good as that of Sir Francis against indulgences But it is most blasphemous to compare the doctrine of the highest mysteries of our religion which the ancient fathers proued and we doubt not but to proue out of scriptures with the trash and pelfe of indulgences that haue neither ground in scriptures nor fathers nor reason As at large I haue proued in my booke De indulgentijs against Bellarmine Fol. 126. Our doctrine of faith iustifying without works Parsons calleth an idle deuice and a mathematicall illusion the which toucheth the Apostle as well as vs. Gal. 2. For he saith That by the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified It toucheth also the fathers that say workes go not before but follow after righteousnesse The same also toucheth the papists themselues which confesse that our first iustice is not of works But whatsoeuer Christians are to think of works Parsons hath no reason to put any confidence in his owne workes vnlesse he hope to be saued by iugling lying cogging rayling cousening committing treason and villanie Neither hath he cause to talke of mathematicall illusions hauing himselfe egregiously deluded all those with whom he hath dealt and beléeuing as it séemeth no heauen but mathematicall If he hope to go thither by the Popes pardons tyed about his necke like necklaces and flying vpward like a yong dragō he is far deceiued That is no place for such dragons nor are pardons wings to flie so high withall We hope rather to sée him sent flying to his holy father with an hempen halter about his necke and led triumphantly in a dongcart to the gallowes as a due reward for his leud workes and treasons Is it not then strange that such an atheist should talke of religion Cic. lib. 1. 2. de nat deor The heathen Philosopher laugh edat Epicurus discoursing of God whose prouidence he denied and no man had euer reason to endure to heare the atheist Diagoras disputing of diuine matters How then can papists esteeme of this mans idle Directories and discourses in religion that is declared an atheist and a man all voyd of pietie and religion And yet is he not more impious then ridiculous ignorant and malicious CHAP. V. Of diuers ridiculous and childish errors and mistakings of the supposed great doctour Parsons IT is the part of hypocrites to espie a mote in another mans eye but they sée not the beames that are in their owne eyes This we may sée verified in our captious aduersary For albeit curious in espying faults in others yet could he not auoyd grosse errors in himselfe In the Epistle to the reader he speaketh of the author of the Wardword in the third person praysing him as a Catholike man And yet presently after forgetting himselfe hée speaketh of him in the first person where he talketh of enlarging himselfe and of his reioynder In his answere to my Epistle fol. 3. b. he supposeth that these words non tam despectum quà m vexatum dimittam are taken out of Tullies second Philippicke But the oration being read ouer will discouer the truants error For in all that oration there are no such words It may be he had read some such like words in Tullies oration in Vatinium But the poore ideot could not hit vpon it Fol. 5. b. he saith that this word maxime the end of doing any thing is first in our intention and last in performance and execution is taken out of Aristotle But the great doctor cannot tell where to find it And when he séeketh it he shall find that he mistooke later writers for Aristotle Fol. 13. b. he telleth vs that Irenaeus lib. 2. c. 54. and lib. 4. c. 2. doth call heresie pandoram whereas he lib. 2. c. 54. doth not once name pandoram and lib. 2. c. 55. and lib. 4. c. 2. where he hath that word he doth not by pandora vnderstand heresie but matrem spiritualis conceptionis the mother of spirituall conception of whom and their Sauiour the Valentinians imagined spirituall creatures to haue their originall as may be gathered out of
the thing ruled with the rule In the Warneword fol. 100. he saith the summe and corpes of Christian doctrine deliuered at the beginning by the miracles preachings of the Apostles is the rule of faith Which is contrary to the Popes profit For if this be true then vnlesse the Popes determinations and traditions ecclesiastical were preached by the Apostles and confirmed by mracles they are to be excluded from being the rule of faith Psal 7. Parsons therefore is like to those which dig pits for others but fall into them themselues He hath prepared weapons for vs but like a mad sot hath hurt himselfe with the same Finally Captaine Cowbucke like a noble woodcocke is caught in his owne springes CHAP. IX A catalogue of certaine principall lies vttered by Robert Parsons in his late Warne-word 1. Tim. 4. THe Spirit of God as the Apostle sayth speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue heed vnto spirits of errour and doctrines of diuels which speake lyes through hypocrisie and haue their consciences burned with a hote yron Which prophecy as in other heretikes so especially in the Papists we may sée most plainely and euidently to be fulfilled For they departing from the auncient and Catholike faith taught by the holy Apostles and Prophets and recorded in holy Scriptures haue giuen héed to spirits of error and beléeued the trash of vnwritten traditions and lying legends and therupon haue founded their prohibitions of certaine meates and mariages and such like doctrines of diuels confirming their opinions with grosse lies vttered with seared consciences and brazen faces contrary to all shew of truth They take to themselues the name of doctors and fathers but are false teachers and vnkind traitors In 1. Tim. 4. And as Theodoret saith of certaine heretikes Christianorum sibi appellatione imposita apertè docent contraria Calling themselues Christians or Catholikes they openly teach contrary I could specifie it by Caesar Baronius and Bellarmine by Sanders Stapleton and diuers other principall authors of the popish sect But I will not match any man of note with so notorious a dolt and so base a swad as Robert Parsons is of whom we are now to speake though not much to his commendation The onely example of Parsons and that in one of his fardles of lies which we are now to rip vp shall shew them to be notorious and bold lyers The diuellish and erronious doctrine of friars we haue touched before and shall haue often occasion to mention In the front of his booke he promiseth the issue of three former treatises and in the second page talketh of eight encounters But he falsifieth his promise and lieth grossely For of the thrée former treatises he toucheth onely two chapters and of eight encounters entreth onely vpon two Further he declineth the true issue of matters and runneth bias like a warped bowle of dudgeon into impertinent idle questions Doth he not therfore as Hierom saith of one Hierō epist 6◠make shipwwracke in the port In his Epistle to the Reader taking vpon him to deliuer the summe of the controuersie betwixt him and vs he wracketh himselfe likewise thinking to wreake his malice vpon vs and beginneth with a grosse lie There hapned saith he some few yeares past he noteth 1599. in the margent as often also before a certaine false alarme of a Spanish inuasion then said to be vpon the seas towards England Where I néed not to note the idiotisme of Parsons speech that talketh of a Spanish inuasion vpon the sea towards England being elsewhere noted but only I wil touch his impudencie in lying and denying that about this time the Spaniards were ready with forces at the Groyne for the inuasion of England And the rather for that this was the occasion that moued Sir Francis Hastings to giue warning to his countrey and also because the same sheweth that Parsons is very sorie that any man is acquainted with the desseines of the Spanish King and that he could not take vs sléeping and so closely and priuiliy cut his countrimens throtes I say then it is a lie most notorious to affirme that the alarme giuen vpon occasion of the Spanish preparations anno 1598. for an inuasion of some part of England was false And proue it first by the words of the King who recouering out of a trance and comming to himself asked if the Adelantado were gone for England Secondly by the prouisions of ships and men made at the Groyne and Lisbone and which coming thence shaped their course for England albeit they were by wether beaten back Thirdly by the testimony of one Leake a Masse priest that was dealt withall to come for England Fourthly by the testimonie of the Secular priests in their reply to Parsons his libell fol. 65. sequent who directly charge Parsons to be a solicitor of these pretended attempts anno 1598. Fiftly by Parsons his letters from Rome to Fitzherbert wherein he desireth to vnderstand the successe of the fleete that anno 1598. was to go for England Finally by the Adelantadoes proclamation made at the Groyne and whereof diuers printed copies were to be dispersed in England vpon his arriuall here The which for that it discouereth the pride of the Spaniard and the malice of the English traitors I haue thought it not amisse to set downe the whole tenour of the proclamation with some animaduersions in the margent This seemeth to be Parsons his stile Considering saith the Adelantado the obligation which his catholike Maiestie my Lord and master hath receiued of God almightie to defend and protect his holy faith and the Apostolicall Romane church he hath procured by the best meanes he could for to reduce to the (a) Popish religiō is neither auncient nor true auncient and true religion the kingdomes of England and Ireland as much as possibly hath bin in his power And all hath not bene sufficient to take away the (b) Goodly pretences of leud ambitiō offence done against God in dommage of the selfesame kingdoms with scandale of whole christianity yea rather abusing the clemency and benignity of his (c) The Popes vassall Catholike Maiestie the heads and chiefe of the (d) True teachers heretikes which litle feare God haue taken courage to extend their euill doctrine with the oppressing of (e) These cacolikes were traitors Catholikes martyring them and by diuers wayes and meanes taking from them their liues and goods forcing them by (f) A manifest vntruth and calumniation against the truth violence to follow their damnable sects and errours which they haue hardly done to the losse of many soules Which considered his Catholike Maiesty is determined to fauour and protect these Catholikes which couragiously haue defended the Catholike faith and not onely those but (g) Lurking and dissembling Papists such also as by pusillanimity and humane respects haue consented vnto them forced thereunto through the hard
owne consorts So we sée Parsons his whole treatise of three conuersions easily subuerted in thrée words and with the turning of a hand The second part of Parsons his treatise wherein he pretendeth to make search for the religion professed in England is wholly without the compasse of his title of thrée conuersions So simple was he in his choise that he could not choose a title to fit his fantasticall worke Beside that he seemeth to be blind that could not find our Religion in the auncient Church of Christ for a thousand yeares after Christ and long after For there is no point or article of faith taught by the Apostles receiued by the consent of the whole Church in any auncient and lawfull Councell but we receiue it and embrace it Nor do we professe any thing in the Creed of the Apostles or of the Nicene and other auncient Councels which the auncient fathers did not also together with vs receiue and professe While therefore the light-headed frier ranne poasting through all ages and pretended to enquire for newes of our Church which he might sée if he would in all places he resembleth much that wise fellow that could not see wood for trées Neither is it material that in auncient time he findeth no opposition made against the Popes primacy or vniuersall power or to the Masse or to the doctrine of transsubstantiation the carnall presence in the Eucharist the sacrifice of the masse the 7. sacraments purgatory indulgences such like For who seeth not that it is most ridiculous to make search for opposition against popish doctrine heresie before the same was extant in the world But as soone as any began to chalenge the name of Oecumenical or vniuersal Bishop Gregory the first challenged him for it as the fore-runner of Antichrist The worship of images allowed after a sort in the second Councell of Nice though not in such grosse maner as now was oppugned in the Councell of Francford in the time of Charlemaine The carnall presence of Christs body in the sacrament was not beleeued by Gregory the 7. as Beno reporteth and was both thē and afterward disliked by many Transsubstantiatiō was disputed against by the schoolmen All the Easterne Church spurned against the Popes headship his purgatory and indulgences Neither since the time of the first beginning of these corruptions did the Albigenses Valdenses Wiclephians and Bohemians as they are called together with diuers others cease to exclaime against these popish abuses But saith Parsons these did not in all things agrée with vs. Yet if he speake of matters of faith he wrongeth them and vs. If of ceremonies it is not necessary that al churches shold agrée in all points Furthermore if the aduersaries had not calmniously layed diuers imputations of heresies vpon them which they neuer held the variation wold not haue séemed so great as they pretend Wherfore if Robert Parsons séeke no better it is not like that he wil find a Cardinals hat which as his friends charge him he hath long sought This is the summe of that which is materiall in Robert Parsons his treatise of thrée conuersions The rest is nothing else but froth of the mans fury and foolery and containeth only certaine idle inuectiues against M. Fox that good man against M. Bale other honest Christians together with certaine fond tales of king Alphreds dreames S. Cutberts apparitions such like woodden popish stuffe drawne out of lying legends He forgot not also to raile against our noble Quéene lately deceased and to call her old persecutor and to lay an aspersion of slaunder vpon the State as if the same did persecute Papists for religion a matter of which the secular Masse-priests are ashamed and sticke not to cleare those whom this conuertible Proteus most vniustly chargeth Finally his fardle of wast papers containeth diuers corruptions and deprauations of holy Scriptures miss-allegations of Fathers weake collections grosse errors rebellious positions notorious lies and calumiations which in a large treatise herafter are to be discouered K. Kellisons Suruey if any man list to suruey and peruse a certaine slaunderous and railing companions libell entituled Caluinoturcismus and with hatred more then Turkish to christian religiō set out by Gifford of Lile wil be found to be wholy stolne out frō thence albeit he yéeldeth no thanks to those from whence he borowed or rather stole his inuention This Plagiary therefore néedeth no other answer then that which is already made to Giffords Turky worke called Caluinoturcismus It séemeth the man is at a stand For albeit Gifford hate religion like a Turk yet he answereth no more then if by vertue of Parsons his thrée conuersions he were turned into a mute Turbot This K. also of his owne hath added a glozing and flattering Epistle to the King a certaine preface concerning inanimate and vnreasonable creatures percase like the Arcadian beasts of Doway and certaine fragments old ends of diuers stale declamations made as it seemeth at the drinking out of a pot of Renish wine His schollers I heare gape and wonder at his horrible eloquence But yet the wisest of thē see that they haue no affinitie with his purpose and onely serue to fringe his chapters like as mustie ends of mockado serue to stitch his iacket of perpetuana All the whole amounteth to nothing saue to declare the man to be a perpetuall railer and a most sottish declaimer The idle fellow in all his scuruy collection which he like a surueyor without commission hath made to litle purpose doth neither shew wisedome nor modestie nor learning If the fellow had bene wise he would not haue touched any matter of noueltie or absurditie For therein he giueth his aduersaries iust occasion not onely to iustifie their religion to be most ancient and consonant to holy scriptures but also to declare his popish religion refused by vs to be a packe of nouelties and a masse of grosse absurdities For who knoweth not that the Romish Church consisting of a triple-crowned and crosse-slippard Pope with his guard of Suizzers a consistory of purple Cardinals that hath neare affinitie to the purple whore of Babylon a rabble of rakehellike masse-priests filthy monkes friars and nunnes with a people worshipping idols and beléeuing the decretaliue doctrine of Popes and the decrées of Trent is new and neuer séene before vntill of late Who doeth not vnderstand that both the grounds of popery the doctrine thereon built is new For neither can K. shew that the auncient Church was founded vpon the Pope and his decretals or vpon traditions allowed by the Church of Rome or that the Church was tied to such senses of scriptures as the Romish Church alloweth or bound to follow the old Latine translation of the Bible Neither can he proue either out of fathers or ancient writers that Christs true body is both in heauen and earth and in euery pixe at one and the same time or that his body
A FVL AND ROVND ANSWER TO N. D. alias Robert Parsons the Noddie his foolish and rude Warne-word Comprised in three Bookes Whereof the first containeth a defence of Queene Elizabeths most pious and happie gouernment by him maliciously slaundered The second discouereth the miserable estate of Papists vnder the Popes irreligious and vnhappy tyrannie by him weakely defended The third toucheth him for his vnciuill termes and behauior and diuers other exorbitant faults and abuses both here and elsewhere by him committed and cleareth his vaine obiections and cauils PHILIP 3. Beware of dogs beware of euill workers LONDON Printed for GEORGE BISHOP 1604. TO THE MOST RELIGIOVS AND VERTVOVS PRINCE KING IAMES by the grace of God King of England Scotland France and Jreland Defender of the true auncient and Catholike faith AS Kings receiue their kingdomes and authoritie from God so most gracious and dread Soueraigne they prosper and flourish most when they empoloy their royall authoritie for the aduancement of the true seruice and honour of God 2. King 18. Of Hezekiah the holy Scriptures giue testimonie That he did vprightly in the sight of the Lord according to all that Dauid his father had done and that he tooke away the high places and brake the grauen images and cut downe the groues and brake in peeces the brazen serpent that Moses had made And againe that he claue to the Lord and departed not from him but kept his commandements Therefore it followeth So the Lord was with him and he prospered in all things that he took in hand The same we likewise find verified in your Maiesties predecessor Queene Elizabeth of glorious memorie At her first coming to the Crowne she brake downe grauen and molten Images she tooke downe high altars and remoued away all monuments of superstition out of the Church she feared not the malignitie of men but claue to the Lord resoluing to keepe his holy commaundements and to see God worshipped according to the prescript rule of his sacred word She was all her life long a harbor to the distressed children of God a refuge to the oppressed a protector of the persecuted for the testimonie of Christ Iesus a nursing mother of Gods Church Therefore God maruellously protected her both against the force of forreine enemies and also against the conspiracies of domesticall traitors and caused her to prosper in all her affaires She liued raigned long and happily and dying left behind her a sweet memory of many blessings by her meanes bestowed vpon her people Contrariwise such as either know not or did not remember from whence they receiued their kingly honor but either neglected the worship of God or else for Gods worship established superstition and idolatrie in the Church haue seldome long raigned or prospered in their kingdomes Ieroboam forgetting what great fauor God had done him aduancing him from low estate to the kingdome and renting it from the house of Dauid to giue it vnto him receiued a threatning message from the Lord by the hand of the Prophet Ahijah 1. King 14. The same also was shortly after accomplished For God brought euill vpon the house of Ieroboam and cut off his posteritie because he did euill in the sight of the Lord and erected idolatrie at Bethel Likewise Queene Mary who brought this land not onely vnder the commaund of Spaniards and Italians but also vnder the heauie yoke of Antichrist burdensome both to mens ciuill estates and also to their consciences erected superstition and idolatrie which before had bene banished and persecuted the Saints of God that would not bow their knees to Baal had a short troublesome and vnhappie raigne and left behind her nothing but hatred for her crueltie and infamy for her vnnaturall dealing with her subiects and misgouernement In both we find that accomplished which the Lord speaketh by the Prophet 1. Sam. 2. Them saith he that honor me I will honor and they that despise me shall be despised For neither will the Lord faile his inheritance Psal 94. nor hath the throne of iniquitie fellowship with God Dagon could not stand before the Arke of God 1. Sam. 15. nor shall the worshippers of Dagon preuaile against the seruants of God The which although both particularly in the diuers gouernement of Queene Elizabeth and Queene Mary and also generally by the examples of all that either fauoured or disfauoured true religion it appeareth most euidently yet because Robert Parsons an Apostate somtime from religion and now an vtter enemie to the state and a renegate Englishman for hatred to the truth and loue to Poperie in a large discourse doth endeuour to disgrace the proceedings of Queene Elizabeth in reformation of religion especially and to commend the State of the realme vnder Queen Mary and of all Papists vnder the Romish gouernement I haue thought good particularly to demonstrat I haue also wiped away both his malicious imputations encountred him in his railing inuectiues defending the honor of our dread Soueraigne whose memorie shall neuer die in the minds of her louing subiects and answering for true religion calumniated by the slanderous tongues of the supposts and slaues of Antichrist This discourse although not of that perfection that it may seeme worthy to be presented to so great a King yet for that it containeth a defence of your Maiesties predecessor which you honour and of that religion which you professe I am bold to consecrate to your Maiestie as the first fruites of my loyall affection towards you Therin also your Maiestie may see not only a precedent to follow but also a reward proposed to those that studiously and couragiously seeke to aduance pietie and true religion The aduersarie by all meanes seeketh to suppresse truth and to aduance idolatrie and popish errors misconstruing things well done imputing crimes to innocents excusing offenders denying things manifest forging and deuising matters neuer done nor imagined But while he hath sought to bring disgrace not onely vpon true religion but also vpon the restorers and defenders thereof he hath giuen vs iust occasion to shew that the doctrine religion and practise of Papists is not only repugnant to truth but also enemie to Princes and States grieuous to Christians and profitable to none but to the slaues and adherents of Antichrist Further I haue made it apparant that the state of popish Religion is no way to be maintained but by trecherie and massacres by lying railing and forgerie being hatefull both to God and man and the cause of many miseries and calamities Vouchsafe therefore most worthy and noble King to reade this discourse ensuing It shal declare vnto your Maiestie plainely by what meanes you may establish your estate Queene Elizabeth in her latter dayes was made beleeue that remisse dealing in matters of religion would assure her life often sought for by Papists and her State that they by all meanes haue sought to ouerthrow But this her remisnesse gaue her enemies oportunitie to
vpon the Church and the Church is a societie of mē then the Papists beléeue Scriptures with humane faith and depend vpon men But that they do plainely teach Thirdly if the Church ought to consigne canonicall Scriptures and the Pope ought to rule the Church then if the Pope either determine against canonicall Scriptures or make fabulous scriptures equall with canonicall Scriptures the Papists are to beléeue either doctrine contrarie or diuers from Scriptures at the least they are vncertaine what they shall beléeue But the Pope may both erre in denying Scriptures and adding to Scriptures To answer this the Papists are driuen to affirm that the Pope cannot erre in these determinations But this sheweth the vncertaintie of their faith that dependeth vpon one little rotten goutie Pope whose learning is not worth two chips and whose pietie is lesse then his learning Fourthly if the Popes consignation be necessary to make Papists beleeue Scriptures then is their faith most vncertaine and rather humane then diuine Especially considering that of this Popes consignation of Scriptures there is not one word in Scriptures But that is their doctrine Fiftly the doctrine and practise of the Church of Rome being the rule of faith the Romish faith must néeds proue vncertaine and variable The consequence of this proposition is proued for that both schoole-men differ from schoolemen and late writers from the auncient and also Popes from Popes as I haue shewed in my bookes De pontif Rom. That the rule of faith is as I haue said it may be auerred by Stapletons words Sixthly if faith be grounded vpon traditions as well as vpon Scriptures then haue the Papists no certaine faith The consequence is plaine for that diuers ancient traditions are new ceased and neither Caesar Baronius nor any man is able to set downe which are authentical traditions which not Finally if the faith of Papists rest vpon the Popes determinations or else vpon the supposed Catholicke Churches decrees then is their faith a goutie fraile and rotten faith or rather a most doubtfull opinion For neither are they certaine who is lawfull Pope nor that his determinations are vnfallible nor is it an easie matter to know which are the Catholicke Churches determinations the Papists themselues contending and varying continually about them These arguments do shew that the Papists haue either a vaine faith or else no faith at all And this Robert Parsons notwithstanding his obstinacie and peruersenesse must needs confesse For simple Papists haue only these meanes whereby to direct themselues viz. Scriptures Fathers or their owne Priests Scriptures they neither heare read in a tongue knowne nor do they much regard them The Fathers they vnderstand not The priests do often tel lies and too farre they dwell from the Pope to know of him the truth To omit to talke of ruder persons and to talke of spruce Robert Parsons gladly would I know of him how he is assured that the religion he teacheth is true Scriptures he denieth to be the rule of faith and will not beléeue them to be authenticall without the Popes determination The Pope is but one man If then he rely wholy on the Popes determination his faith is nothing but a foolish fancie grounded vpon one man If vpon the Church yet he knoweth not the Church but by his owne reason and sence as I thinke he will confesse Ward-word pag. 6. Rule of faith he acknowledgeth none but the vniuersall Church which is not onely absurd but maketh much against him Absurd it is for that the Church is ruled and is not the rule no more then the Carpenter is his rule It maketh against him for that it is more difficult to know the Catholicke Church of all times and places then Scriptures or any proofe of faith else For to know that it is necessary to be well seene in the historie of all times Churches and countries And if he refer himselfe to others and beléeue humane histories his faith is still grounded on men This being the case of Papists and of their agent Robert Parsons we may estéeme our selues happie that are deliuered from this great vncertaintie and taught to build our faith vpon Christ Iesus and the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets 1. Cor. 3. Other foundation can no man lay beside that which is laid that is Christ Iesus saith the Apostle And Eph. 2. Ye are built saith he vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone We know that faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. and hearing by the word of God We beléeue that the Scriptures are a perfect rule and therefore rightly called canonicall The Apostle speaking of the rule of faith 2. Cor. 10. Gal. 6. and Phil. 3. meaneth no other rule but that which was to be found in holy Scriptures The Fathers also procéeded by the rule of Scriptures both where they sought direction for themselues and also where they brought arguments against Heretikes Ireney lib. aduers Haeres cap. 1. calleth the Gospell deliuered in Scriptures the foundation and pillar of our faith Tertul. writing against Hermogenes saith He abode not in the rule of faith And why Inter Scripturas enim Dei colores suos inuenire nō potuerat He could not find his colours or fancies in Scriptures Athan. saith Orat. 2. contr Arian that Heretikes are to be stoned with arguments out of Scriptures Out of Scriptures the Arians in the Councell of Nice other Heretikes in other Synods were confuted And generally antiquitie doth call Scriptures the canon or rule of faith Agréeably therefore to Scriptures and Fathers the Church of England in the beginning of Quéene Elizabeths raigne acknowledged the canon of Scriptures and thence tooke the articles of our Christian faith And therefore I call Scriptures and that which is necessarily deduced out of Scriptures the rule of faith not separating the rule from scriptures as Parsons 1. Encontr cap. 15. of his Warn-word doth cauill but in the rule comprehending whatsoeuer is either expressed in termes or by necessarie consequence deduced out of scriptures And this I did to auoide the cauils of the aduersary which inferre because this word Trinitie or consubstantiall or baptisme of children is not found in Scriptures that scriptures are not a solide and entire rule of faith Against this Parsons in his Warn-word 1. Encontr c. 15. alleageth first certaine names of Fathers then certaine words out of Ignatius his Epistle ad Phil. Irenaeus lib. 3. 4. aduersus Haeres Tertullian de Praescript aduersus Haeretic and Vincentius Lirinensis But he spendeth his labour in vaine and abuseth his Reader Lib. 3. aduers Haerel cap. 4. For none of these Fathers speake of other matters then such as are to be proued out of Scriptures as the places themselues shew Ireney by Tradition proueth God to be the Creator and the mysterie of Christ his incarnation But Parsons will not deny this to be contained in Scriptures Tertullian de
quae se non traderet 2. Reg. 16.1 Clement hath vtre vtra Sixtus readeth duobus vtribus Ioan. 6.65 Clement readeth qui essent non credentes Sixtus qui essent credentes And so it may appeare by diligent collation that there are notable differences throughout the whole Bible Lastly if the Latine text were more authenticall then the Hebrew or Greeke why do not our aduersaries shew that the auncient Fathers or some learned men of late time at the least haue corrected the Hebrew and Greeke according to the Latine and not rather contrariwise The fourth foundation of Romish religion is the determination of the Pope in matters of faith Sess 4. The Conuenticle of Trent teacheth that it belongeth to the holy mother the Church to iudge of the true meaning of Scriptures Now for as much as no man knoweth more certainely what is the holy mother Churches meaning then the Papists holy Father the Pope therefore they do hereof conclude that the Pope is to determine principally of the true sence and meaning of Scriptures In the Rubrike of the decrées cap. in canonicis dist 19. we find that the Popes decretals are to be reckened among canonicall Scriptures Bellarmine lib. 3. de verbo Dei cap. 3. saith that the Spirit of God he should say of the diuell is in the Pope and that he together with a Councell is chiefe Iudge in matters of controuersie of religion And in the same booke cap. 4. he holdeth that no man may recede from his iudgement or determination Stapleton in his booke of doctrinall Principles or grounds of his religion goeth about to prooue that the Popes sentence and determination is infallible And so much do these good fellowes rely vpon their holy Mothers and holy Fathers interpretation that they receiue the same without any long inquisition though neuer so foolish and contrarie to Scriptures Our Sauiour in the institution of the holy Eucharist said Take eate but they beléeue the Pope that saith Gape and gaze but take not nor eate but rather hang vp the Sacrament He said Bibite ex hoc omnes that is Drinke ye all of this but the Pope saith Drinke not all of this and they beleeue the Pope The Apostle saith It is better to marrie then to burne and that mariage is honorable among all men But the Pope doth interpret these words so as if he had said It is better to burne then to marrie and that mariage is reprochfull and vnlawfull to Priests and Papists beléeue the Pope So do they likewise in infinit false interpretations But that the Popes interpretations and sentences shold be the foundation of religion is a matter contrarie to religion and reason The Apostle Ephes 2. saith that the Church is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the corner stone And therefore it is said to be built vpon them because both of them preach Christ Apostolos habemus authores c. we haue the Apostles for authors of our doctrine saith Tertullian lib. de praescript aduers haeret He saith also It lyeth not in mans power to determine any thing in matters of faith of his owne head Quamuis sanctus sit aliquis post Apostolos c. Howsoeuer holy or eloquent a man be saith Hierome in Psalm 86. yet comming after the Apostles he deserueth no authenticall credit The Lord declareth in Scriptures Augustine in his second Epistle to Hierome sheweth that no mans writings are comparable to holy Scriptures And this the Canonists themselues confesse in their glosses vpon the Chapter Noli meis and Ego solis dist 9. Are not the Papists then most miserable that build their faith vpon the Popes Decretals that are contrarie to Scriptures to Fathers one to another and oftentimes void of truth wit learning religion or honestie The last foundation of Romish faith is the preaching of Masse-priests and Friars Quomodo Christus eiusque doctrina saith Stapleton Christianae religionis fundamentum est Praetat ante relect princip doctrin sic alij nunc à Christo missi eorúmue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me vim locum habebunt As Christ and his doctrine is the foundation of Christian religion so others now sent of Christ and their doctrine preaching and determination shall in my opinion haue the force and place of a foundation saith he And afterward he declareth that those whom the Pope sendeth are sent by Christ and the men which he meaneth But if this be the foundation of their religion then is the same built vpon old wiues fables forged traditions lying legends philosophicall subtilties scholasticall disputes popish Decretals humane inuentions and such like principles For of thē consisteth the greatest part of these fellowes sermons as both experience diuers Friars idle Homilies which euery man may sée do plainely testifie Furthermore if these be the foundations of popish Religion then is the same built vpon man and not vpon God vpon humane deuises and not vpon the infallible word of God vpon sand and not vpon a rocke Such also as these foundations are such is the building that is weake false and erronious such is the Romish religion which the Pope and his adherents by force of armes treasons murthers empoysonments lyes glozing flatterie and all meanes possible would thrust vpon vs and such are the conclusions that are built on these foundations Finally séeing no man can be saued that buildeth his faith vpon men vpon vnwritten traditions vpon vncertaine grounds and lying reports let the Papists consider with themselues in what miserable state they stand and returne to the true faith in time lest like the foolish man in the Gospell Mat. 7. they build their house on sand and be ouerwhelmed with the fall thereof CHAP. IIII. Of diuers other blasphemous ridiculous and absurd points of popish Religion TRue Religion is most true venerable and respectiue of Gods true seruice If then popish Religion containe any vntrue or ridiculous vaine and blasphemous doctrine then is it not true or Apostolicall or Christian nor can it stand with Christian Religion séeing no man can serue God and Baal nor Dagon could stand before the arke of God But notorious it is that popish Religion containeth many blasphemous ridiculous and absurd points First concerning the flesh of our Lord and Sauior Christ Iesus they teach falsly and blasphemously and say that a mouse or dog or hog may eate the body of Christ Nay they are not ashamed to affirme that his most holy body may be cast out vpon a dunghill or into any vncleane place Prima opinio saith Alexander Hales part 4. sum q. 53. m. 2. quae dicit quod corpus Christi defertur quocunque species deferunt vt in ventrem canis vel suis vel in alia lo ca immunda videtur vera And again p. 4. sum q. 45. m. 1. si canis aut porcus deglutiat hostiam consecratam non video quare corpus Christi non
c. that is Feele and see a spirit hath neither flesh nor bones as you see me to haue We do also professe in the Athanasian Creed that as he is perfect God so he is perfect man Ignatius Epist ad Polycarp Ambrose in Luc. 24. Theodoret dial 2. and diuers other fathers acknowledge that Christ his body is to be felt and seene and that he hath flesh blood and bones like vnto vs. But if our Sauiour Christ did no otherwise passe out of his mothers wombe then as light through glasse then was he no perfect man nor fleshly substance The same may also be concluded if his body did passe through stones or boords of doores For neuer did any man passe through stones or boordes in that sort nor did euer any man come out of his mother as light from glasse Further this sauoreth much of the heresie of the Marcionites that supposed that Christ had no naturall flesh nor true body and destroyeth the article of Christs incarnation and natiuitie If he haue a body that can neither be felt nor seene then hath he no true body Which also followeth if his body may be in infinite places at once and yet fill no place For neuer yet had any man such a body that could be in many places at once and yet fil no place Furthermore nothing could more repugne against reason then that a mans body should passe through stones and boords or be as subtile as the beames of the sunne or that a man should subsist without the natural properties of mans nature as weight height depth bredth colour grosnesse and such like And as well may a body be in all places as in euery altar For a body cannot be in two extreame termes but the same must be in the midst Furthermore if all the world may be turned into bread and bread into Christs body then may Christs body fill the whole world as Bellarmine lib. de incarnat c. 11. confesseth He doeth also confesse De Incar c. 12 that the vbiquity of Christs body is repugnant to the articles of our Creede concerning Christs conception natiuitie death buriall descension to hell ascension to heauen and comming to iudgement If then he be not able to defend the vbiquitie of Christs bodie in euery conserated hoast without yéelding simply to the vbiquitaries then it followeth that the reall presence of Christes body as it is taught by the Papistes doeth ouerthrow diuers articles of our Christian saith by the very confession of the aduersaries The same also may otherwise be proued if they should not confesse so much For how is Christ ascended if his body be hanging ouer euery altar How is it credible that he shall come from heauen to iudge quicke and dead if he be lurking in euery consecrate hoast How was he conceiued and borne of the virgine and suffered death on the crosse if he had a body of such a simple nature that it was like light in glasse and might be in many places at once without filling any Finally it implyeth a notorious contradictiō for Christs body to be in heauen visible and here inuisible to be there palpable and here impalpable to be continued and not continued eaten here and not eaten in heauen here without filling of a place there filling a place here in the priests hands and there not Absurdly also do the Papists talke of Christ his most holy sacrifice Christ sayth the Apostle Heb. c. 9. was once offered that he might take away the sinnes of many And Hebr. 10. Christ hauing offered one sacrifice for sinnes doth perpetually sit at the right hand of God And againe With one oblation he hath for euer sanctified those that are sanctified But the Papists say that our Sauior offered himselfe twise once at his last supper and the second time vpō the crosse Synod Trid. sess 22. c. 1. They teach also that the priest in euery Masse doth offer vp the body and blood of Christ really for a sacrifice for quicke and dead The which is not only contrary to Scriptures but derogateth much from the perfection and vnitie of Christs sacrifice For how is Christs sacrifice perfect if the same be so often reiterated How is Christ his sacrifice one and the same if euery pelting priest do offer vp this sacrifice The same is contrary to the doctrine of the Fathers which teach that the sacrifices of Christians are spiritual and no where say that they offer vp Christs body and bloud really Iustin in dial cum Tryph. saith that prayers and praises of God are the onely acceptable sacrifices of Christians With him concurreth Tertullian lib. 3. contra Marcionē This visible sacrifice saith Augustine lib. 10. de ciuit Dei ca. 5. speaking of the Eucharist is a sacrament of the inuisible sacrifice that is the same is a holy signe of it Likewise Chrysostome hom 17. in epist ad Heb. saith that our oblation is but a commemoration of Christ his death and a figure of that oblation which Christ made Finally it is most blasphemous For in the Masse the priest taketh on him to be a mediator for Christ and prayeth that God would looke on Christ with a propitious and serene countenance accept the sacrifice of his body as he vouchsafed to accept the offerings of Abel Abraham and Melchisedech The scriptures teach vs that Christ onely is a priest after the order of Melchisedech as we may reade in the 110. psalme in the fift and seuenth chapter to the Hebrewes The Lord hath sworne and it shall not repent him saith God by his Prophet thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech The same also is proued for that he onely continueth for euer He was without father concerning his humane nature without mother concerning his diuine nature and hath neither beginning nor ending But the Masse-priests continue not for euer nor are they without father or mother nor are they without beginning or ending Are they not theri presumptuous fellowes to enter vpon Christs office and to arrogate to themselues priesthood after the order of Melchisedech But were they priests after the order of Melchisedech yet did Melchisedech neuer offer the body and blood of any man nor do we reade that either he or Christ did offer for the quicke and dead at his last supper Are they not then flagitious fellowes that imagine themselues able to offer the son of God Are they not presumptuous priests that without warrant haue deuised such a sacrifice Our Sauiour Christ sayth that such do worship God in vaine which teach doctrines which are the commaundements of men But these fellowes deuise a worship of God contrary to his word crucifying Christ againe and laying violent hands vpon him according to their owne imaginations Christ hath taught vs to pray vnto the Father in his name saying Our father which art in heauen He hath also promised we shall obtaine our prayers which we shall so make If you shall aske my father any
Matth. and Gregory lib. 4. dialog c. 56. and other fathers do teach that it is not conuenient that al things which are handled in Church seruice praesertim in sacris mysterijs shold be vnderstood by all vnlearned people in their owne vulgar tongue A shamelesse lie most impudently auouched vpon the fathers credit by this bastardly frier For neither do they talke of vulgar languages nor seeke to exclude the people from vnderstanding of the tongue wherein God is serued Gregory and Chrysostome haue nothing to this purpose Fol. 66. a. citing Hieromes words he leaueth out these words vacua idolorum templa quatiuntur out of the midst of the sentence least the Reader should surmise he spoke against the temples of the Papists where euery corner is full of idols In his second encounter chap. 3. he corrupteth a place of Bede lib. 1. hist Angl. c. 1. by his wicked translation making him to say that the Latine tongue was then made common to English Britons Scots Picts and Latins when his meaning is that the knowledge of religion is made common to them by meditation of Scriptures in diuers tongs His words are these Haec in praesenti iuxta numerum librorum quibus lex diuina scripta est quinque gentium linguis Note that he saith they study diuinity in fiue tongues vnam candemque summae veritatis verae sublimitatis scientiam scrutatur consitetur Anglorum viz. Britonum Scotorum Pictorum Latinorum quae in meditatione scripturarum ceteris omnibus est facta commmunis He referreth the relatiue quae to the word Latinorum or to linguis which cannot be and not to summae veritatis and verae sublimitatis which both Latin construction and the sense wil admit The other cannot stand For we may not think that all the English Britons Picts and Scots vnderstood Latine Neither doth that make for the Romanists which in publike seruice continue the vse of the Latin tongue being now not vnderstood In his second encounter chap. 6. he doth produce not only counterfet homilies of Basil in 40. martyres and Chrysostome in adorat venerab caten S. Apostolorum principis Petri but also doth alledge them most falsly Basill prayeth not to the 40. martyrs nor Ambrose in c. 22. Luc. to Peter nor Hierome to Paula nor Augustine to Cyprian lib. 7. de baptism contra Donat. c. 1. as impudently Parsons auoweth Nor are the rhetorical spéeches of Nazianzen or Hierom or Chrysostome or others such blasphemous prayers as the Papists vse in their Missals and Breuiaries 2. encontr c. 6. he sayth that Ireney doth call Philip that baptised the Eunuch Act. 8. an Apostle But it is no Apostolicall practise to bely Ireney He must therefore either bring proofe or confesse that Ireney is wronged In the same place he would make vs beléeue that Tertullian lib. de praescript aduers haeret would exclude heretikes from triall by scriptures But he falsifieth the meaning of that father that dealeth against heretickes which neither allowed all scripture nor wold be tried by other scriptures then such as they had counterfeited themselues Ista haeresis sayth he non recipit quasdam scripturas si quas recipit adiectionibus detractionibus ad dispositionē instituti sui interuertit si recipit non recipit integras Séeing therfore Parsons like vnto these heretikes either corrupteth scriptures by false senses or else falsly alleageth auncient authors who will not henceforth detest him as a notorious falsary False expositions are as well repugnant to truth as the corrupting stile as saith Tertullian de praescript cōtra haeret Tantum veritati obstrepit adulter sensus quantum corruptor stilus It is a tricke of heretikes to vse matters of faith like to physitiōs that attemper themselues according to the diuersitie of mens affections altering them for their owne best commoditie Verbis fidei more medicorum sayth Basil epist 73. speaking of heretikes vtuntur pro commoditate aliter atque aliter sese ad affectionum rationem ac varietatem attemperantes And as sayth Irenaeus lib. 1. aduers haeret c. 1. They go about to fit the word of God to their idle fables Aptare volunt fabulis suis eloquia Dei What Parsons hath done herein the particulars aboue mentioned do testifie CHAP. VIII That Parsons his testimonies and allegations make for the most part against himselfe Cic. de Inuent lib. 1. AS it is a grosse fault in an Orator to vse such an exordium as may also be vsed by his aduersary or turned backe vpon himselfe so it is a fault to begin with a sentence that may as well fit our aduersaries as our selues But Robert Parsons litle regardeth this obseruation who fronteth his booke with this sentence of the Apostle Tit. 3. Flie an heretical man after one or two warnings knowing that such a one is subuerted and sinneth damnably against his own iudgement A testimonie that may fitly be applied to him For he is an hereticall man and hath bene often warned of his faults albeit we sée no amendment in him He sinneth also as may be guessed against his owne conscience allowing that which being in England somtimes he condemned and is vtterly subuerted and damned if God do not in his great mercie recall him If he denie himselfe to be an heretike let him shew how he can hold all the heresies of Papists which in auncient time haue bene condemned and yet be no heretike To vs he cannot apply these words seeing we hold nothing against the scriptures by which we are to iudge most certainely of the faith of the Catholike Church Neither doth Parsons alleage this place against vs impertinently but also falsly The words of the Apostle are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which emport thus much And sinneth being condemned by himselfe and not as Parsons translateth viz. And sinneth damnably against his owne iudgement Where this word damnably and iudgement is added to the Apostles sentence most falsly For euery heretike after once or twise admonition doth not sinne damnably against his owne iudgement as may appeare by the Popes their Cardinals and others that think they do well percase albeit noble and notorious heretikes But rather euery heretike doth by his leud opinions which he will not reforme seuer and diuide himselfe from the Church and as the Apostle saith sinneth being condemned by his owne act or by him selfe Likewise do the rest of his testimonies and authorities serue fitly against himselfe In the beginning of his answere fol. 1. he aymeth at the Apostles words 2. Tim. 2. Where he forbiddeth vs to contend about words which profit nothing but to peruert the hearers Robert Parsons turneth the Apostles words so as if he should say that contention of words tendeth to nothing but the subuersion of the hearers But the Apostle talketh of contention about words and not of contention of words and of the effect and not of tending to an end But to omit his error in translation I
is inuisible or impalpable or that there are iust seuen sacraments and neither more nor lesse and that Christians receiue Christs flesh with their téeth and mouth or that the Pope is the head and spouse of the Church or that he hath two swords or that any images are to be worshipped with latria or that diuels torment soules in purgatory or that the Popes indulgences deliuer soules frō those torments or such like points of popery Now what I pray you is more absurd then to beléeue that a man can eate himself as the Masse-priests say Christ did at his last Supper nay that a dogge or a hogge can eate Christs body or that a spider can be drowned in his bloud which saueth all destroyeth none that can receiue it Againe what is more senselesse then to adore crosses and dumbe images which neither see nor heare nor moue and whose honor is not séene or knowne of those saints to whō they belong for ought we know Thirdly what is more inconuenient then to make a blind Pope that is ignorant of all matters of religion for the most part supreme iudge of controuersies of religion Can blind men iudge of colours or ignorant atheists of religion Fourthly what is more blasphemous then to teach that the Scriptures to vs are not authenticall vnlesse the Pope consigne them vnto vs Shall not truth be truth vnlesse it please the Pope to say it Finally seeing faith ought to be most certaine and built vpon grounds most certaine the popish religion must néedes be an absurd faith and a false religion that is built vpon traditions as well as Scriptures of which traditions the papists can yéeld no certaine proofe but are driuen to alleage either lying legends or old motheaten missals or vncertain customes It were an easie thing to alleage infinite such like absurdities of which this surueying K. hath very foolishly offered vs occasion to discourse at large He doeth also very simply talke of the sacrifice of the Masse Suruey li. 4. c. 2. For if Papists say truly that Christs body and blood is really offered in the Masse and that euery externall sacrifice requireth a reall destruction then it followeth that these masse-mongers do really destroy Christs body and blood Bellarmine lib. 1. de missa c. 2. sayth that an externall sacrifice doth require a reall destruction Requirit realem destructionem Was then this fellow wise trow you to talke of this braue sacrifice Further do we thinke him wise that in a booke offered to the king doth rayle on the kings religion saying That it leadeth vnto atheisme Finally it is a note of desperate folly to affirme That our religion leadeth to Atheisme for want of a Pope or for want of the Popish masse or sacrifice The contrary hereof rather is to be gathered against the Popish religion wherein as we may collect out of the aduersaries owne confession in c. si Papa dist 40. the Pope may lead with him thousands of soules into hell The masse also is a masse and sinke of superstition and idolatry Neither is any thing more repugnant to Christs only sacrifice then the priesthood and sacrifice of the masse Modesty he sheweth none with a face as hard as a lopster affirming That we teach that God is the author of sin That we despoyle Christ of his diuinitie That we wrong him in his office of redemption and bereaue him of his title of lawgiuer and priest And doubt not to say that Christ dispaired Now what greater impudency can be imagined then to ascribe that to vs which we vtterly deny and disclaime Nay we pronounce him accursed whosoeuer shall hold any of these points But the Papists in some things rub very néere vpō these rocks namely where they giue to euery man power to satisfie for the temporall paine of his sins and yéeld that others beside Christ may be called redéemers and make the Pope a law-giuer able to bind mens consciences and giue power to the priest to intercede for Christs body and blood that God would be pleased to accept it as he accepted the sacrifice of Melchisedech Impudently also he belieth vs raileth vpon vs saying that we make euery priuate mans spirit supreme iudge of controuersies and that we reiect Fathers auncient Councels and ouerthrow all religion and worship of God Neither doth he onely raile vpon vs but also vpon scriptures where he sayth that founding our selues only on scriptures we open a gate to all heretikes and heresies As if the Fathers and auncient Councels which founded their faith vpon holy scriptures only opened a gap to all heresies Or as if this could be spoken without disgrace to holy scriptures that he that relieth vpon the word of God deliuered in scriptures doth open a gate to all heresies Finally he taketh vpon him the title of the legate of the great monark of heauen being but a base fugitiue renegued companion set on by Antichrist and his supposts to raile at religion and the professors thereof and lying without rule or order His want of learning doeth euery where appeare throughout his whole Suruey The Scriptures he citeth very rarely The Fathers he mistaketh and misalleageth In Ecclesiasticall histories he is but a nouice Nay albeit he talketh much of our Religion yet he vnderstandeth not what we professe what we reiect Finally although the fellow be but a poore translator and collector of other mens slanders yet could he not well relate that which is translated out of others His principal witnesses are Staphilus Cochleus Bolser Nicol Borne Stapleton Surius and such like railing and base authors Was it then likely that he should shew learning that is wholly conuersant in these trifling authors deuoyd either of learning or else of all religion and honestie And all this God willing shall by many particulars be verified by those who already haue vndertaken to controle his Suruey and to examine euery article of this leud libell Not that such an asses head deserueth any curious washing but because such a barking cur dog would be silenced with a sharpe censure It resteth now that I speak a word or two more of Walpool his cōfutatiō The man is a special friend of mine albeit vpō very smal acquaintance a cunning triacle seller also a mōtbank a master empoisoner as before is declared This onely I forgot to tell you that his braine is full of quicksiluer his memory like an old leather budget his crowne like the posterior parts of an ape and his head like the knop of the handle of a gittern with two strings If you méete any such fellow in the kitchin of the Romish colledge of English boyes commend vs to him and tell him that we haue at leisure perused his Mirificall confutation and therfore now he may bestow it vpon the cook to stop his bottels The stile biteth like pepper and therfore may do some good seruice there Onely thus much I must tel him that his words are too high
Praescript aduers Haeret. disputeth against the heresies of the Valentinians and Marcionites drawing arguments from the Apostles preaching and tradition But that was because they denyed and corrupted Scriptures For no man can deny but that their heresies are clearely conuinced by Scriptures Quod sumus hoc sunt That we are that they are saith Tertullian speaking of Scriptures That is likewise the meaning of Vincentius Lirinensis de Haeres cap. 27. for that depost of which he talketh is nothing but the Christian faith contained in scriptures But if Parsons will prooue his rule of faith he must shew a faith grounded vpon tradition that is not deduced out of Scriptures Nay if he will not be contrarie to himselfe he must shew that not the Apostles tradition as he saith in his Warn-word 1. Encoun cap. 15. but the Catholike church is the rule of faith as he holdeth Ward-word Encontr pag. 6. He doth also obiect against vs diuers alterations of religion in England in king Henry the eight his raigne Warn-word Encontr c. 16. and in king Edwards dayes and then asketh by what authoritie our rule of faith was established But first he might as well haue spoken of the alteration made in Q. Maries dayes when the impieties of Popish religiō were established by act of Parliament Secondly the alterations in religion made in England of late time make no variation in the rule of faith that is alwayes one but in the application and vse of it Thirdly albeit by act of Parliament the articles of religion were confirmed wherein the canon of scriptures and the substance of our confession is set downe yet was that rather a declaration of our acceptance then a confirmation of the rule of faith that in it selfe is alwayes immoueable Our rule of faith therefore is certaine albeit not alwaies in one sort approued or receiued by men But the rule of Popish faith neither in it self nor in the approbatiō of Parliaments or Churches is certaine or immoueable Finally he asketh a question of Sir Francis in his Ward-word p. 5. how he knoweth his religion to be true And saith he hath only two meanes to guide himselfe in this case and that is either Scriptures or the preaching of our Ministers But this question as I haue shewed toucheth himselfe that busideth his faith vpon the Pope nearer then Sir Francis who groundeth himselfe his faith only vpon the holy Scriptures and is assured of his faith not by these two meanes onely but by diuers others For beside Scriptures he hath the help of the Sacraments of the Church of Gods spirit working within him of miracles recorded in scriptures of auncient Fathers of the practise of the Church of the consent of nations of the confession of the aduersaries of the suffering of Martyrs and testimonies of learned men and such like arguments In this question therefore Robert Parsons shewed himselfe to be a silly Frier and to haue had more malice then might In time past also we were as shéepe going astray and out of the vnion of the Catholike and Apostolike Church Diuers of our auncestors worshipped the crosse and the images of the Trinitie with diuine worship Some like bruite beasts fell downe before Idols crept to the crosse and kissed wood and stone Others worshipped Angels the blessed Virgin and Saints praying vnto them in all their necessities trusting in them saying Masses in their honour and offering incense and prayers to their pictures and images For so they were taught or rather mistaught by popish Priests The Romish synagogue in the very foundations of religion was departed from the Apostolike and Catholike Church The schoolemen brought their proofes out of the Popes Decretals and Aristotles Metaphysickes Est Petri sedes saith Bellarmine in Praefat. ante lib. de Pont. Rom. lapis probatus angularis pretiosus in fundamento fundatus The See of Peter is an approued corner stone precious and laid in the foundation The same man lib. 2. de Pont. Rom. cap. 31. calleth the Pope the foundation of the Church Sanders calleth him the Rocke Alij nunc à Christo saith Stapleton relect princip doctr in Praef. eorúmue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locū habebūt That is Others now beside Christ and their doctrine preaching and determination shall be esteemed of me as a foundation This he saith where he talketh of the foundation of religion and the Church But the catholike Church had no foundation beside Christ Iesus and his holy word and Gospell taught by the Prophets and Apostles The Apostle Gal. 1. denounced him accursed that taught any other Gospell then that which he had preached The holy Fathers proued the faith by holy Scriptures and not by popish Decretals and philosophicall Principles Concerning Christs bodie the Romanists taught that the same is both in heauen and in the Sacrament albeit we neither could see it there nor féele it But the scriptures teach vs that his bodie is both palpable and visible Luk. 24. Mar. vlt. and is now taken vp into heauen So likewise teach the Fathers Vigilius in his fourth booke against Eutyches speaking of Christs bodie When it was on earth saith he surely it was not in heauen and now because it is in heauen certainely it is not on earth They haue also brought in new doctrine concerning Purgatorie and indulgences and which is no more like to the auncient catholike faith then heresie and noueltie to Christian religion They teach that whosoeuer doth not satisfie in this life for the temporall punishment of mortall sinnes committed after baptisme and remitted concerning the guiltinesse must satisfie for the same in Purgatorie vnlesse it please the Pope by his indulgences to release him Of the tormentors of soules in Purgatorie and of the nature qualitie and effect of indulgences they talke idlely and vnlike to the schollers of Catholikes The Catholicke doctrine concerning the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords supper they haue quite changed in Baptisme adding salt spittle hallowed water exorcismes blowings annointings light and other strange ceremonies In the Lords supper taking away the cup from the communicants and not deliuering but hanging vp or carying about the Sacrament and worshipping it as God and finally beléeuing holding transubstantiation They haue also deuised other sacraments and taught that they containe grace and iustifie They were wont to kisse the Popes toe and to receiue his dunghill decretals worshipping Antichrist and intitling him Christs Vicar All which nouelties superstitions and heresies by her Maiesties godly reformation are abolished who hath restored the auncient Catholike and Apostolike faith which the Popes of Rome for the most part had altered suppressed She hath also by her authoritie brought vs to the vnitie of the Catholike faith and by good lawes confirmed true Christian religion Before our times there was no settlement in matters of Religion Durand denieth Diuinitie to be Scientia Thomas and Richard Middleton hold that it is Writing vpon the
ought we to celebrate the memory of our gracious Quéene that gaue libertie to all Christians to professe the truth that caused diuers assemblies of learned men and ratified the Christian faith by her authoritie CHAP. III. Of the true and sincere administration of the Sacraments of the Church restored in England OF the holy rites and sacraments of Christian religion we cannot speake without griefe of heart when we consider how shamefully they were abused mangled and corrupted by the synagogue of Antichrist Where Christ ordained onely two Sacraments to wit Baptisme where he said Teach all nations Matth. 28. baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost and the sacrament of his body and blood where he said Take eate this is my body and drinke ye all of this for this is the blood of the new testament and do this in remembrance of me that synagogue hath added fiue other sacraments giuing the same vertue to their extreme vnction and to mariage and orders concerning iustification that they giue to Baptisme the Lords supper Lib. sent 4. dist 2. The master of the Sentences rehearsing the seuē sacraments for the Lords supper putteth Panis benedictionem that is the blessing of the bread excluding the cup either from the Lords supper or from the number of sacraments He doth also differ from the rest in describing the vertue of the sacraments Ibidem Alia remedium contra peccatum praebent saith he gratiam adiutricem conferunt vt baptismus alia in remedium tantùm sunt vt coniugium aliae gratia virtute nos fulciunt vt eucharistia ordo That is some of the sacraments yeeld vs a remedy against sin and withall bestow on vs helpfull grace others are onely for remedy as mariage others do strengthen vs with grace and vertue as the eucharist and holy orders But Bellarmine lib. 2. de sacrament c. 12. doth shew that the common currant opinion now is otherwise and that all these sacraments do iustifie ex opere operato that is by vertue of the worke wrought As if all maried men and priests of Baal were iustified or as if iustification and grace came by greasing scraping crossing and such other ceremonies But neither are they able to iustifie this doctrine nor to shew either institution or promise of confirmation or extreme vnction or certaine signe of mariage or repentance or order or the other two new deuised sacraments Furthermore mariage repentance and priesthood were as well vsed in the time of the law as in the Gospell How then can these be sacraments of the Gospell They haue also altered corrupted and mangled Christ his institution concerning the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords supper In baptime they salt and coniure the water in which the party baptized is to be dipped They put salt into his mouth and touch his eares and nosthrils with spittle which is oft times very noisom They annoint him also on the head and giue him a candle in his hand and embroyle Christ his institution with diuers other ceremonies Finally to make water more effectuall they poure oyle into the font In the sacrament of the Lords supper instituted in bread and wine they leaue neither the substance of bread nor wine but say that the same is transsubstantiated into Christs body and blood and that either his body and blood or the accidents of bread and wine subsisting without their substance make the sacrament Secondly they hold that Christs body and bloud are conioyned without any distance to the accidents of bread and wine albeit they are not there either felt or seene Thirdly they haue turned the sacrament of our communion with Christ and of our mutuall coniunction one with another into a priuate action of one Priest that eateth and drinketh all alone vncharitably and very directly contrary to Christ his institution who ioyntly said Accipite manducate hoc est corpus meum and bibite ex hoc omnes Take eate this is my body and drinke ye all of this contrary to the practise of the auncient Church that neuer solemnized this action without distribution of the sacrament and contrary to the vse and reason of the sacrament For why should not the faithfull be made partakers of that sacrament which is a signe of their vnion both with Christ and among themselues Fourthly Christ and his Apostles administred the cup to as many as receiued the holy eucharist But they by a solemne decrée of priests at Constance take away the cup from all saue the priests that say Masse Fiftly Christ ordained that the sacrament of his body and bloud should be distributed and receiued in that action these fellowes kéepe the sacrament in a boxe and cary it about in solemne processions Sixthly they worship the sacrament and call it their Lord and God contrary to all rules of Christianity Seuenthly Christ appointed a holy sacrament and gaue not his body and bloud to be offered continually in the Masse as a sacrifice auaileable for quicke and dead as these good fellowes do beléeue Finally the Apostle sheweth that as oft as we celebrate this holy action we shew forth the Lords death vntill his comming againe But the Papists forbid this action to be celebrated in a vulgar tong which is commonly vnderstood of the people as much as in them lyeth hindring them from shewing forth the Lords death they hold also that he is already come and present in the sacrament But the Church of England doth religiously obserue Christ his institution and that doctrine which the Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs. The same admitteth no sacramēts but two that is Baptisme and the Lords supper In Baptisme we refuse the idle and superstitious ceremonies brought in lately by Papists That which the Apostle had receiued of Christ Iesus and deliuered to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11. that we diligently obserue renouncing their nouelties heresies and blasphemies concerning the grosse carnal and corporall presence and eating and drinking of Christs body and bloud in the sacrament the late deuised transsubstantiation the blasphemous idole of the Masse the diuine worship of consecrated hostes the mangled communion vnder the forme of bread their celebration in a tongue not vnderstood of the communicants and all the rest of their abuses which without either authoritie of scriptures or allowance of the most auncient and sincere fathers they haue brought into the Church The sacraments therefore of the new Testament being pledges of Gods loue and seales of Gods graces whereby he worketh in vs we are not lightly to prize the true and sincere administration of them according to Christs holy institution nor to esteeme this a small benefite that the doctrine concerning the holy sacraments being reformed according to the canon of Gods word both the superstitious ceremonies in Baptisme and the idolatrous Masse with al abuses depending thereon were abrogated and remoued out of the Church and the celebration of Christs holy sacraments
Iohn Baptist and as it followeth in the common confessiō But if they did not beléeue that Angels and Saints can forgiue sinnes they would not so pray vnto them Fourthly they make their vowes to saints as appeareth by the common formes of vowes of such as enter into Religion Bellarmine also lib. 3. de cult sanctor c. 9. confesseth that vowes may be well made to saints But the scriptures teach vs that this is an honor due vnto God Pay thy vows to the most high saith the prophet Psalm 50. and Deuter. 23. when thou shalt vow a vow to the Lord thy God Finally they pray to the crosse saying Auge pijs iustitiam reisque dona veniam that is increase iustice in the godly and graunt pardon to sinners as if a stocke could encrease iustice or pardon sinners We are therefore herein to acknowledge Gods fauour and continually to praise him for his goodnes who gaue vs such a Queen as with al her heart sought to pul downe the altars and groues of Baal to root out idolatry and superstition and to restore Gods true worship In the beginning of her reigne the holy scriptures were restored to the people in their mother tongue and Gods true worship established in the Church according to that rule God was serued in spirit and truth and the seruice of the Church brought back to the auncient forme of Christs primitiue Church CHAP. V. Of the translations of Scriptures into vulgar tongues and reading them publikely in tongues vnderstood HE that doth euill hateth the light No maruel then Ioh. 3. if the Pope his crue of Masse-priests shun the scriptures their workes and doctrine being euill and the scriptures being compared to light Psalm 119. and to a candle shining in a darke place 2. Pet. 1. they would if they durst plainely prohibite scriptures as appéereth by the practise of the begging Fryers in the time of William de sanct amore who hauing brought all their fancies and traditions into one volume Doctores Paris de penc nouis temp and calling the same the eternal Gospel preached that the Gospel of Christ should cease and that their eternal Gospel should be preached and receiued to the end of the world The Pope also could hardly be enduced to condemne this blasphemous booke of the Fryers In the end I confesse he was forced for shame to abolish it yet he conceiued infinite displeasure against the Doctors of Paris and fauored the Fryers as much as he could And now albeit he hath not simply prohibited the translation of scriptures and reading them in vulgar tongues yet he hath so limited the same as in effect they are as good as prohibited For first he will not permit that scriptures translated into vulgar tongues shall be read publikely in the Church as both the Trent conuenticle and the practise of the Romish Church declareth Secondly Regulae Ind. lib. prohib Pope Pius the fourth doth simply forbid all translations of scriptures into vulgar tongues such onely except as are made by his adherents and followers which are not onely false and absurd in diuers points but also corrupted with diuers false and wicked annotations as the Rhemish annotations vpon the new testament being examined do manifestly declare Thirdly we do not find that the Papists are hastie in setting forth translations of scriptures in vulgar tongues nor can I learne that the Bible is hitherto translated into the Spanish Italian and Dutch tongue by them Fourthly they will haue no Booke-sellers sel Bibles though translated into vulgar tongues by them selues without leaue Fiftly they wil not permit any man to read Bibles so translated by themselues without leaue Sixtly they graunt leaue to none to reade scriptures in vulgar tongues albeit allowed by themselues but to such onely as they suppose to be resolued or rather drowned in the dregges of Popish errors and to lay men seldome or neuer do they grant the same I do not beleeue that Robert Parsons albeit well acquainted in Spaine and Italie can name a doosen lay men of either nation that haue licence to reade Scriptures in vulgar tongues or that had licence in England in Quéene Maries time to reade Scriptures translated into their mother tongue If he know any such he may do well to name them If he name them not his silence wil bréed suspition if it be not taken for a plaine confession Finally if any among the Papists be taken with other translations then such as themselues allow or not hauing himselfe obtained licence according to the foresaid rule he is presently taken for suspect of heresie and seuerely punished if he acquite not himselfe the better So we sée that among them it is lawfull to reade all prophane bookes if they fall not within the compasse of their prohibition and to tumble ouer the lying legends of Saints and the fabulous booke of Conformities of Saint Francis with Christ and that without leaue But Scriptures translated into vulgar tongues no man may reade without leaue Now how contrarie this course is to the word of God to the practise of Gods Church and to all reason we may easily perceiue by these particulars God would haue the words of the law not onely a continuall subiect of our talke and meditations Deut. 6. but also to be written at the entrances and doores of our houses Our Sauiour Christ preaching to the Iewes willed them to search the Scriptures But how can this be done if Scriptures be not translated into tongs which we vnderstand and if no man may reade them without leaue In the primitiue Church they were publikely read in the Syrian Egyptian Punicke other vulgar tongues By the testimonie of Bede hist Angl. lib. 1. it appeareth they were translated into the British tongue and into other vulgar tongues the mysteries of religion being made common to diuers nations by the meditation of Scriptures Lib. 2. aduers haeres cap. 46 Irenaeus speaking of all the Scriptures saith They may be heard alike of all Hierome in an Epistle to Laeta and in another to Celantia exhorteth them to reade Scriptures But how can they be heard alike if they may not be translated nor read publikely in vulgar toungs And why should it be more lawfull for Laeta and Celantia to reade Scriptures then for other men and women In his Commentaries likewise vpon the 86. Psalme he saith that Scriptures are read to all that all may vnderstand Scriptura populis omnibus legitur vt omnes intelligant But how can the common people vnderstand a strange toung Chrysostome homil 9. in Epist ad Coloss teacheth that the Apostle commandeth lay men to reade scriptures and that with great diligence The Apostle teacheth vs that the word of God is the sword of the spirit And before I haue shewed that it is light Our Sauiour saith that the word of God is food to our soule Basil homil 29. saith That the old and new Testament are the treasure of the Church
Vetus nouum Testamentum saith he thesaurus Ecclesiae In his Commentaries vpon the first Psalme he sheweth that the holy Scriptures are a storehouse for all medicines for mans soule Chrysostome Homil. in Psalm 147. saith the Scriptures are our armes and munitions in the spirituall warfare which we haue against the diuell Armae comeatus eius belli quod est inter nos diabolum sunt Scripturarum auditio Doth it not then appeare that the Papists are enemies to Christians and séeke to murther their soules that by all meanes séeke to expose them naked vnto their enemies weapons and wold willingly depriue them of medicines munitions armes and foode and leaue them in darknesse without the comfort of Scriptures For how can they vse Scriptures that vnderstand them not And how can they vnderstand them when they are read in toungs vnknowne And how can they come to reade them when there are so many difficulties in obtaining licence to haue them Séeing then at her Maiesties first entrance into her gouernement we were fréed from the thraldome and slauery of Antichrist and had the Scriptures in a tongue vnderstood restored vnto vs and read publikely and priuately without limitation or danger we are to accompt the same as a singular benefit bestowed vpon the people of England For what can be deemed more beneficiall then for the hungrie to obtaine food for naked souldiers to obtaine armes and prouisions for poore people in want to be enriched with such a treasure But saith N. D. Wardw. pag. 14. If the translator do not put downe the words of Scriptures sincerely in his vulgar translation then the simple reader that cannot discerne will take mans word for Gods word Secondly he saith that if a false sence should be gathered out of Scripture then the reader should sucke poison in stead of wholesome meate But these reasons make no more against reading Scriptures in vulgar tongues and translating them into those tongues then against reading Scriptures in the Latin and translating them into Latine For as well may the Latine Interpreter erre as he that translateth scriptures into vulgar tongues and aswell may a man draw a peruerse sence out of the Latine as out of the English If then these reasons conclude not against the Latin translation they are too weak to conclude against vulgar translations Againe if it be hurtfull to follow a corrupt translation and to gather a contrarie sence out of scriptures we are not therefore to cast away scriptures but rather to séeke for the most sincere translations and the most true sence and meaning of the holy Ghost reuealed in holy Scriptures Thirdly he alleageth these words out of the Apostle 2. Cor. 3. The letter killeth but the spirit quickneth against reading of scriptures in vulgar tongues But these words do no lesse touch them that follow the letter in the Hebrew Gréek thē in the vulgar tongs And yet Robert Parsons wil not deny but that it is lawfull to reade scriptures in Hebrew and Gréeke albeit he if it were vnlawfull would neuer be guiltie of this fault being most ignorant of these tongs Fourthly he asketh how vnlearned readers will discerne things without a guide As if lay-men because they haue teachers might not also reade the books from whence the principles of Christian doctrine are deriued This therefore séemeth to be all one as if Geometricians and other teachers of arts should debarre their schollers from reading Euclide and other authors that haue written of arts Furthermore albeit somethings without teachers cannot of rude learners be vnderstood yet all things that pertaine to faith and manners are plainely set downe in scriptures In ijs quae apertè in scripturis posita sunt inueniuntur illa omnia saith S. Augustine lib. 2. de doctr Chr. c. 9. Quae continent fidem moresque vivendi Fiftly he alleageth that the vnderstanding of Scriptures is a particular gift of God But that notwithstanding no man is forbidden to reade scriptures in Hebrew Greeke or Latine And yet if Robert Parsons vnderstand them at all he vnderstandeth them better in the vulgar English then in these tongues Furthermore albeit to vnderstand Scriptures be a peculiar gift of God yet no man is therefore to refraine from reading of scriptures but rather to reade thē diligently and to conferre with the learned and to beséech God to giue him grace to vnderstand them The which is proued by the example of the Eunuch Act. 8. who read the scriptures and threw them not away albeit he could not vnderstand all without the help of a teacher Wardw. p. 6. Sixthly he vseth the examples of Ioane Burcher a pudding wife as some suppose and qualified like his mother the Blacke-smiths wife and of Hacket William Geffrey and other heretickes In his Warne-word Encontr 1. cap. 8. he addeth George Paris Iohn More certaine Anabaptists and other heretikes and insinuateth that all these fell into heresies by reading of scriptures in vulgar languages But his collectiō is false and shamelesse and derogatorie to scriptures and contrary both to them and to fathers Our Sauior speaking of the Sadduceis Mat. 22. saith they cried for that they knew not the scriptures Erratis nescientes scripturas The Apostle talking of reading of scriptures saith they are profitable to instruct men vnto saluation and not hurtfull or the cause of any mans destruction The ignorance of scriptures saith Chrysostome ho. de Lazaro hath brought forth heresies Scripturarum ignoratio haereses poperit And againe Barathrum est scripturarum ignoratio that is the ignorance of scriptures is a bottomlesse gulfe Finally to obscure the glorie of this benefite of reading scriptures in vulgar tongues in his out-worne Warne-word Encont 1. c. 8. he saith that such as vnderstand Latin or haue licence of the Ordinary to reade scriptures in vulgar tongues haue no benefit by this generall permission of reading scriptures as if euery one that vnderstandeth Latin durst reade vulgar translations without licence or as if the Church receiued no benefite vnlesse euery particular member were partaker of that benefite This therefore is a most ridiculous conceit and likely to procéed from such an idle head Further the same might be alleaged against Latine translations And yet Robert Parsons will not deny but the Church receiueth benefite by Latine translations albeit the Greekes and such as vnderstand Hebrew and not Latin receiue no benefite by the Latine translation If then Robert Parsons meane hereafter to barke against the reading of scriptures that are commended vnto vs as light medicine food armes and things most necessary he must alleage vs better reasons then these lest he be taken for an hereticall or rather lunaticall fellow that spendeth his wit in the defence of fond senselesse and impious positions CHAP. VI. Of publike Prayers and administration of Sacraments and other parts of the Church liturgie and seruice in vulgar tongues LIkewise the Papists to take from Christians the effect and fruite of their prayers set
Romaines and Greekes in auncient time might vse vulgar tongues in their publike Liturgies why is not the same both lawfull and commendable now Friar Robert Encont 1. cap. 8. endeuoureth to shew reason to the contrarie But his reason is weak and friuolous Comparing prayers with Scriptures he saith there is much lesse necessitie of publike seruice in vulgar tongues But if he had meant to defend the Popes cause and his owne and to propound the state of the controuersie betwixt vs aright he should haue said that there is no profit or vse at all of vulgar tongues in the publike seruice in the Church and that it is rather inconuenient and hurtfull then otherwise For if it be profitable and no way inconuenient why should not the publike Liturgie of the Church be in vulgar tongues Notwithstanding let vs sée how he proueth that Warn-word Encentr 1. cap. 8. which himselfe propoundeth albeit not the point in question First he saith that publike seruice is appointed to be said or sung to the praise of God and in the name of all the people by publike Priests and other ecclesiasticall officers appointed thereunto But if publike seruice be appointed to be said or song to the praise of God then vnlesse he exclude the people from the praises of God the people also is to concurre with the Priests in praysing of God which they cannot do vnlesse they vnderstand the language of the seruice But I trow he will not denie but that the people ought to ioyne in singing Psalmes and giuing thankes to God in the open congregation And therefore the Psalme 95. Come let vs sing vnto the Lord is commonly vsed in the beginning of Gods seruice and the people in auncient Liturgies were wont oftentimes to answer the Priest Againe it is false that publike seruice was appointed to be said and sung onely by ecclesiasticall officers and that the people did not as well pray for things necessarie as praise God for benefites receiued But how could they do this not knowing what they sayd or prayed If a man should present himselfe before the Pope and speake ghibrish or a language not vnderstood by the partie would he not thinke himselfe mocked He addeth further that it is not needfull for the people to be alwaies present at publike seruice but onely in spirit and consent of heart But the fellow doth plainely contradict himselfe For how can a man be present in spirit and consent of heart when he is absent with his vnderstanding and knoweth not what is done or said Beside that he ouerthroweth that which he would proue For if consent of spirit and heart be requisite in publike seruice then is it requisite the people should vnderstand what is said without which vnderstanding he cannot consent Lastly if it be profitable that the people be present in the congregation where God is serued that is sufficient for vs to proue our assertion For why should not the people méete to celebrate the praises of God being commaunded to kéepe his Sabboths And why should they rather be enioyned to heare Masse which is a profanation of Gods seruice then to come to the Church to praise God and to pray vnto him and to heare his holy word And if the people ought to do this then is it not sufficient that in time of seruice they should gape on the Priest or patter their Pater nosters or Aue Mariaes or rattle their beades as the ignorant Papistes vse to do Thirdly he supposeth he can proue seruice in an vnknowne tongue out of the ceremoniall law of Moyses For because it is said Luk. 1. That all the multitude of the people was praying without at the houre of incense while Zacharie offered incense within he would inferre very willingly that it is not necessarie the people should pray with the Priest in a tongue vnderstood But if this might be applyed to the Masse then would it also follow that the Priest might offer the sacrifice of the Masse without a Clerke and the people attend without in the church yard It would also follow that the people might not heare nor sée Masse For that the people might not enter within nor sée what was done in the sanctuarie Against vs this example fitteth not For neither can any strong argument be drawne from the ceremonies of the law that are now abrogated nor can Frier Robert shew that the Priests of the law prayed in a tongue not vnderstood or that they vsed any publike prayer which the people heard not Fourthly he alleageth that the three learned languages of Hebrew Greeke and Latine were sanctified by Christ in the title of his crosse But neither is he able to shew why these thrée languages should be called learned rather then others nor doth it follow that in publike seruice we should vse only these thrée languages because they were vsed in the title of the crosse vnlesse our aduersarie will graunt that it also followeth because Christ rode vpon an asse that he and his consorts are onely to ride vpon asses Fiftly he telleth vs that auncient Fathers testifie that it is not conuenient that all things that are handled in Church seruice praesertim in sacris mysterijs should be vnderstood by all vnlearned people in their owne vulgar languages And to prooue this he citeth Dionysius Origen S. Basil Chrysostome and Gregorie But herein he sheweth himselfe a shamelesse fellow albeit all men knew it before For none of these speaketh one word against vulgar languages Nay all of them shew that the people vnderstood the language of publike Liturgies Againe they deny not that it is conuenient that the people should vnderstand the mysteries of Christian religion but rather shew the difficultie of it But what is that to vulgar languages when the Priests themselues vnderstand not the mysteries of Christian religion A sixth argument he draweth from the practise of the Iewes supposing that in Iurie and Ierusalem the publike seruice was in Hebrew and that Hebrew was not vnderstood of the common people But neither was publike seruice in all Syria in Hebrew as appeareth by the songs and prayers of Ephrem in the Syrian tongue nor is it likely that the Iewes did not vnderstand Hebrew in Christs time seeing now all the Iewes as it is said teach their children Hebrew In Esdras lib. 2. cap. 8. it appeareth they vnderstood Hebrew Intellexerunt verba quae docuerat eos They vnderstood the words which he taught them That therefore which is spoken of interpretation is meant of the meaning and not of the words as very simply our aduersaries suppose His seuenth argument is taken from the example of the Apostles that as he saith appointed the order of seruice But this ouerthroweth our aduersaries cause For if the Apostles neuer appointed the Masse or the canon or that seruice should be said in a tongue not vnderstood but rather ordained another forme of celebration of Sacraments as I haue shewed in my bookes de Missa against
he sayth that the vniuersal Church was the direct rule and squire which we ought to follow and in the Warnw. Enc. 1. c. 15. nu 10. he teacheth that it is the summe and corpes of Christian doctrine deliuered at the beginning by the miracles and preachings of the Apostles Where I omit to tell Robert Parsons that it is absurd to make the same thing to be a rule and a squire the rule being direct and the squire being square It is also ridiculous though I do not tell him of it to say that Christs doctrine was deliuered by miracles for it was deliuered by writing and preaching and confirmed by miracles But I cannot forbeare to tell him that there is great difference betwéene the Catholike Church and the Catholike doctrine How then can these two make one rule Next he taketh exception to my words where I say that the Church of England hath a certaine rule to follow in matters of faith as if the canon of scriptures and those conclusions which are to be drawne out of them were no certaine rule or else as if traditions that are no where certainly described or set downe were a more certaine and authenticall rule then scriptures and necessary deductions out of them Fourthly he giueth out Warnw. 1. encont cap. 17. that we despaire of all certaine rule or meane to trie the truth which is a most desperate and impudent kind of dealing For directly I told him before and now I tell him againe that our rule is most certaine being nothing else but the canonicall Scriptures and the conclusions necessary drawne out of them Nay this rule may in part be confirmed by Parsons his owne confession For if the corps of Christian doctrine preached by the Apostles be the rule of faith as he saith VVarnw 1. encont c. 15. where are we to find it but in holy Scriptures He holdeth percase that it is to be found in the Popes bosome But if he say so in schooles he shal not want a greater plaudit then he had when hauing ended his comicall dealings in Bayliol colledge he was rung and hissed out of the house For who knoweth not that scabs and villany are rather to be found in the Popes bosome then any corpes of Apostolicall doctrine for that is very rife with them With the corpes of Apostolicall doctrine the Italian atheisticall Popes are litle acquainted We tel him further that for trial of any point of doctrine we are not to run to the Popes sea which is as much able to resolue vs as his close stoole but to the word of God reuealed in Scriptures and if there be any difference about a place of Scriptures we are then to compare the same with other places to search the resolutions of Councels of auncient and later Fathers of the Church of England and learned men Prouided alwayes that nothing be receiued as a ground of faith which is not to be deduced out of the word of God Whether then S. Augustine or Hierome or Ambrose or Luther or Caluin or any preacher among vs bring vs the word of God it is to be receiued But if they teach without that we are not necessarily to credit them nor to beléeue them in grounds of faith Out of the Scriptures we learne that Christ hath giuen some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some pastors and teachers albeit all particular matters are not precisely set downe So likewise we are taught that these words this is my body are most true that the sacramēt is Christs body in a mysterie or sacramentally albeit how the Sacrament is called Christs body there may be some differences Likewise out of Scripture we are taught that the King is the most principall man in his Realme and not to be subiect to any other in externall gouernement albeit euery one percase vnderstandeth not the seuerall points of his supreme authority These differences therefore notwithstanding our rule of faith is most certaine Fiftly he would insinuate that as vertue houskéeping true dealing is much decayed since her Maiesty came to the crowne so pride in apparel gluttony drunkennes lechery swearing and other vices are much increased But the man should shew that these vertues are decayed and vices increased in men that are truly of our Religion If he say so then let him name the men that are guiltie of these faults If the men that are guilty be Papists that for the most part are knowne to be carnall and cruel and most vitious he striketh himselfe and not vs. If they be Atheists or hypocrites then his allegation maketh not to purpose This I will speake to his téeth that if our Ministery be no more honest and vertuous then the Popes Cardinals Friers and Masse-priests and our true professors then zelous Papists it were pitie they should liue on the face of the earth Some proofes I haue brought before and more I shall alleage herafter Let Parsons do the like against vs and leaue his hypocriticall ostentation and generall declamation that maketh men rather to wonder at his impudency then to beléeue that he dealeth truly or sincerely Wardw. p. 3. Warnw. 1. encoutr cap. 18. Sixthly he very impudently imputeth all the troubles wars and calamities that haue happened in Scotland Ireland Flanders France to alteration in Religion and wold lay the blame wholy vpon vs. But if he looke into their immediate causes he shall find that the mint of this money was the Popes consistorie and that he and his agents are the onely firebrands of all mischiefe In Ireland Gregorie the thirtéenth stirred vp rebellion by the traitor Saunders his legate in England Pius Quintus by his agent Ridolphi and by Morton his messenger moued the two Earles to rise in the North Anno 1569. The same Pope animated the Spanish King to make warres against the Quéene of England and against them of the Low countries The same Pope sent not onely his agents to stirre the French but ayded them both with men and mony Gregorie the thirtéenth likewise sent ayde to Irish rebels The wars of Germanie were enflamed by that butcherly Pope Paule the third To make short all massacres trecheries warres and troubles haue wholy procéeded from their malice against the truth If the Pope and his adherents therfore haue bene troubled so was Herode and all Ierusalem with him at the birth of Christ If they blame vs for their troubles so did the Pagans impute all their troubles to Christians and their religion But the true cause was not religion but the hatred of impious Papists against religion Finally he saith that if her Maiestie had not altered religion then her kingdome had bene flourishing and secure and that she would haue had issue and her succession certaine and continued in friendship with the Pope and auncient confederates and neither had wars abroad nor treason at home and insinuateth that by reason of alteration of religion al is fallen out contrarie But if Wil Sommer had
There is no light there no guide no leader in turnings but darknesse round about and confusion euery where lest it should not seeme to be true Babylon wonderfull perplexitie and to vse Lucans words a great night of abhominable sins I say a darke and continuall night without star-light or glimmering of morning twilight and a deepe and continuall obscuritie of mens actions Most miserable therefore and calamitous is the state of the Papists For if eternall life consist in the knowledge of God and Christ Iesus as himselfe teacheth vs Ioh. 17. what hope can they haue that are ignorant of God and godlinesse of Christ and Christs true religion If they liue in darknesse and without light that want the light of Gods word then is the darknesse of poperie great where publike prayers and Scriptures read publikely are kept vnder the couer of strange tongues as a candle vnder a bushell If the people of God were led away captiue for that they wanted knowledge as it is Isa 5. what possibilitie haue the Papists to frée themselues from the captiuity of the diuell and Antichrist that are ignorant of religion and led by the noses by impostors and false teachers suborned by Antichrist Finally if the people perish where there is no prophecying as we reade Prouerb 29. then are the Papists in a most fearefull and damnable state among whom the word of God is not sincerely preached and to whom wicked Masse-priests and Friars for the word of God preach humane deuises and lyes The very heathen vnderstood that the knowledge of God was the beginning the cause and rule of humane happinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Pythagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If then they vnderstand not their miserie Apud Stobaeum that want the knowledge of God they are more ignorant and lesse excusable then heathen people Against this assertion I doubt not but Robert Parsons will take exception who in his Wardw. pag. 12. stormeth when he heareth vs but once to mention the ignorance of Quéene Maries times But the matter is too manifest for him to face out with bigge words He telleth vs of Tonstal Watson Christophorson Feckham Gardiner and White But neither was the learning of these men extraordinarie as some of their doings yet extant declare nor was their learning great in the true knowledge of diuinity Nor was this a good consequence these men were learned therfore the people were also learned For these men seldome preached and but to few and to very litle edification He addeth therefore in the Warn-word 2. Encountr cap. 6. that the learning and skill of Doctors and teachers maketh the people intelligent and skilfull But that is where they teach and instruct the people which these did not There also he telleth vs that in other countries the common people yea children and babes are able to answer in Christian religion But first this concerneth times past nothing And next this fashion of catechizing is but in few places exercised and by the Iebusites in imitation of true teachers For so the diuels ministers imitate Christs Apostles Thirdly the Catechisme of Papists is nothing but the Creede the Pater noster the Law and seuen Sacraments as Bellarmine deuideth his doctrine in his Italian Catechisme and of Aue Maria and other deuises as other Catechismes shew Fourthly there is much mixture of ceremonies and false doctrine Finally the Italians and Spaniards are litle wiser for this catechizing He telleth vs also in his Wardw. p. 12. of the profound learning of the school-doctors in Spaine and Italie and saith We dare not once appeare to dispute with them But neither maketh the skill of the diuers sects of Friars for the Priests or the people that are not taught by them Nor is their learning skill in Scriptures or Fathers which few of them reade as appeareth by the confession of Ferdinand Vellosillo in his preface vpon his aduertences on the Doctors Nor are there so many learned as is pretended True it is that they are now more diligent then they were in time past but it is rather to suppresse truth then to teach truth For they teach seldome and talke of vaine speculations and desire nothing but that the people should be ignorant in Gods word which popish ignorance is now almost as much in Italie and Spaine as in time past God enlighten those nations and make them once sée the truth and vnderstand their ignorance CHAP. II. Of the common workes of Papists BVt may our aduersaries say albeit in time past men were not so learned yet they liued better then men of our times And true it is that S. Augustine saith Li. 3. conf c. 8 That men vnlearned earnestly contend for heauen while learned men without vnderstanding wallow in flesh and blood if we vnderstand it of those that onely had learned Christ Iesus and him crucified and were vnskilfull in other matters and not of those rude and ignorant people that albeit cunning in worldly affaires were notwithstanding vtterly ignorant of Christ Iesus Wherefore as we haue before proued the Papists to be commonly most ignorant of diuine matters so now we will briefly touch their liues and actions to see if their manners correspond with their skill And the rather I follow this course De indulgen for that Schoppius telleth vs of their braue workes done in the times of Iubileys and Robert Parsons is euer talking of good workes as if that were the proper possession of his consorts Wherein I would not haue any to thinke that when I name Papists I meane to speake against all our forefathers who indeed positiuely held not all points of popery but rather professed Christianitie positiuely albeit they did not resolutely denie popish errors but onely such as are the chiefe founders teachers and maintainers of popish Religion and which with great zeale persecute all that resist it or refuse it These fellowes therefore I say haue no cause to glorie or boast of their workes For whether we looke into the diuersitie of times of states of men or else consider euery vertue and good worke by it selfe or looke into the countries drowned in Popery I doubt not but we shall find the zelators and chiefe pillers of popery very defectiue and no way answerable to the commendation which their hired Proctors do commonly giue them For the times before the yeare of our Lord 1500 I haue already alleaged the testimonies of Brigit Petrarch Catherine of Siena Boccace Breidenbach Hugetin Robertus Gallus Math. Paris and diuers others vnto which I will adde the testimonie of Platina In Marcellino Vspergensis and VVernerus I need not say saith Platina how excessiue the couetousnesse of Priests is and of those especially that are in principal places nor how great is their lust ambition pompe pride sloth ignorance of themselues and of Christian doctrine how corrupt their religion is and rather dissembled then true and how corrupt are their manners in prophane men whom
hearing of Masses and such like Nay they accompt it meritorious to massacre Christian Princes and others when the Pope doth excommunicate them But part of these workes are flagitious part superstitious none good If then they alleage vs not their good workes and proue them their glory and boasting of their workes will proue vaine and odious Finally they must shew vs where these workes are done for which the Papists looke to merit eternall life and by which they claime iustification If they say at Rome as no doubt they will calling the same the holy citie then we shall wonder at their impudencie For that citie both in regard of Priests and people of all others is knowne to be most flagitious Lib. Calam. 3. Peters pallace saith Mantuan is polluted and rotten with luxuriousnesse Petrique domus polluta sluenti Marcescit luxu And againe Sanctus ager scurris venerabilis ara Cynaedis Seruit venerandae diuum Ganymedibus aedes The same man lib. 4. fastorum telleth Leo the tenth that he was to reforme thrée things first the bloudie broiles of Italie secondly the poyson of the court of Rome that infected all countries and thirdly the abuses of religion that was much oppressed The manners of Italie Robert Bishop of Aquila rehearseth The sinnes of Rome are noted by Petrarch in his Sonnets beginning Fiamma dal cielo and L'auara Babylonia and Fontana di dolore where he signifieth that she deserueth to be consumed with fire from heauen for her notorious wickednesse Capricorn Palingenius bringeth in the diuell affirming that both the men and women of Rome were his for that all did apply themselues to luxuriousnesse gluttonie theft and fraud contending who should excell others Cuncti luxuriae saith he atque gulae furtisque dolisque Certatim incumbunt nosterque est sexus vterque If then pure religion is to visite the fatherles and widowes in their aduersitie and to liue an vnspotted life in this world as Iames the Apostle teacheth then is not Popish religion true nor vndefiled If such as do the workes of the flesh described Galat. 5. shall not inherite the kingdome of God then is the state of Papists most miserable vnlesse they repent They may say to themselues Peace peace and boast themselues that they can do mischiefe But there is no peace to the wicked neither shall their mischieuous malice and bloudie massacres alwaies escape vnpunished CHAP. III. Of the erronious and absurd doctrine of Papists concerning the foundations of Christian Religion WRetched is the state of those that liue in darknesse and ignorance and without the knowledge of religion and vertue Ignorantia magnum malum and as Tully saith nescire turpe It is a shame not to know But not to know God nor his lawes is both shamefull and damnable Qui ignorat ignorabitur saith the Apostle that is 1. Cor. 14. God will not know him that is ignorant of God Yet farre worse it is to do maliciously and wickedly then onely to liue in ignorance and blindnesse But worst of all it is to hold obstinately dangerous and false opinions contrarie to the faith of Christ If then beside their ignorance and leudnes the Papists hold diuers erronious and false opinions concerning religion then cannot their estate be otherwise then miserable Let vs therefore sée what they hold both concerning the foundations and also concerning diuers necessarie points of religion The Papists giue out that the Pope is the foundation and the rocke vpon which the Church is built Bellarmine lib. 2. de pontif Rom. cap. 31. talking of the Popes titles saith that he is called a foundation and that he is fundamentum aedificij Ecclesiae the foundation of the building of the Church In his Preface before his bookes de Pontif. Rom. speaking of these words of Isay Ecce ponam in fundamentis Sion lapidem lapidem probatum angularem saith that these words not vnfitly may be applyed to the Pope as if he were that corner stone that is placed in the foundations of Sion Stapleton likewise in his Preface before the relection of his doctrinall principles affirmeth desperately that God speaketh in the Pope and that the foundation of Christian religion is necessarily placed in his authoritie teaching vs. It was much to say that he was any way the foundation of religion But to make him a necessarie foundation was a greater presumption then I find in his fellows His words are these In hac docentis hominis authoritate in qua Deum loquentem audimus religionis nostrae cognoscendae fundamentum necessariò poni cernimus Neither can any of them well deny but that the Pope is the rocke vpon which the Church is built and against which the gates of hell cannot preuaile séeing generally they proue the Popes authoritie out of Christs words to Peter Mat. 16. For if these words be not meant of the Pope but of Christ whom Peter confessed then are they fondly alleaged for iustification of the Popes authoritie In summe all their practise sheweth that the Pope to them is summa summarum and the corner stone and chiefe foundation of the popish Church For alleage Scriptures they quarrell about the interpretation and admit no sence but that which the Pope alloweth although his glosses and interpretations be neuer so contrarie to the text Againe alleage Councels they enquire if the Pope haue allowed them Alleage Fathers speaking against the Pope they reiect them But alleage the Popes determination there they stop like restie iades and will not be drawne further So the Pope and his resolutions are the foundations nay they are all in all with Papists But this is not onely contrarie to the words of Scripture Isay 8. and 28. Mat. 16. and 1. Cor. 3. and Ephes 2. where Christ is made the corner stone and sole foundation of the Church but also contrarie to all Fathers and good interpreters of Scriptures The same is also most absurd and contrarie to reason For first if the Pope were the foundation of the Church then should there be as many foundations as Popes Secondly the Church should be built vpon foundations diuers from Christ Thirdly the foundations of the Church should differ one from another one Pope contradicting and crossing another Fourthly the Popes being sometimes reprobates and damned hell should preuaile against the foundation of the Church which is most absurd Fiftly the Church during the vacation should be without foundatiō and a woman being Pope the Church should be built vpon a woman Finally the Church should be built vpon men subiect to infirmities errors and mutations and not vpon Christ Iesus the vnmoueable rocke The Conuenticle of Trent talking of the bookes of the old and new Testament Sess 4. and of traditions as well concerning faith as manners doth receiue both with equall affection and reuerence as it were either deliuered vnto vs either by the mouth of Christ or by the holy Ghost and kept by continual succession in the Catholike church Omnes
libros tam veteris quà m noui testamenti cùm vtriusque vnus Deus sit author nec non traditiones ipsas tum ad fidem tum ad mores pertinentes tanquam vel ore tenus à Christo vel à Spiritu Sancto dictatas continua successione in Ecclesia catholica conseruatus pari pietatis affectu ac reuerentia suscipit ac veneratur Those likewise among the Papists that procéede Doctors or take any degrée in schooles do professe that they most firmely admit and embrace the traditions of the Apostles and the Church and other ecclesiasticall obseruances and constitutions Apostolicas ecclesiasticas traditiones reliquasque eiusdem Ecclesiae obseruationes constitutiones firmissimè admitto saith euery one of them Bellarmine lib. 4. de verbo Dei cap. 1. beginning to speake of traditions hitherto saith he we haue disputed of the written word of God now we will begin to speake briefly of the word of God not written accompting traditions to be the word of God as well as holy scriptures Praefat ante relect princip doctrin Aliud hodie religionis Christianae fundamentum saith Stapleton habemus non quidem à Christo aliud sed ab ipsis literis Euangelicis Apostolicis aliud That is we haue now another foundation of Christian religion not diuers from Christ but diuers from the Euangelicall and Apostolical scriptures So either he excludeth scriptures from being the ground of Christian religion or else maketh vnwritten traditions equall vnto them Afterward in his Analysis prefixed before his Doctrinall principles deliuering to his disciples the grounds of Christian religion he vouchsafeth the scriptures no place among them But first if by the books of the old testament they vnderstand all the bookes contained in the old latine vulgar translation of the Bible then they admit the third and fourth bookes of Esdras and all additions to the originall text to be canoniall scriptures which contradicteth their owne decrées concerning the canon of Scriptures Secondly it is absurd to make vnwritten traditions equall with the holy Scriptures For these are certainly knowne to procéed from God But of vnwritten traditions the aduersaries can bring no proofe but from men Now who is so presumptuous as to match the testimonies of men with the word of God Augustine in his 48. epistle to Vincentius speaking of the fathers writings saith they are to be distinguished from the authoritie of the canon And in his eight epistle which is to Hierome he saith that vnto the Scriptures alone this prerogatiue is to be giuen that none of them containeth any errors All other authors he wold haue censured and examined by them being not free from errours The holy Scriptures are alwayes consonant and agréeable to themselues But traditions do not onely contradict one another but also are repugnant to holy Scriptures Polycrates as Eusebius lib. 5. Eccles hist c. 23. reporteth maintained the obseruance of the feast of Easter according to the practise of the Churches of Asia to be according to the Apostles traditions Victor and the Church of Rome thought contrary Some maintained the fast vpon the Sabbath others denied it and both held by tradition Siue hodiè Christus natus est c. whether Christ was borne or baptized as this day saith Hierome serm de nat to 3. there is a diuers opinion in the world and according to the diuersitie of traditions there are diuers iudgements The Romanists do found their communion vnder one kind and their Masses without communion and the externall propitiatory sacrifice of the Masse and the hanging vp the Sacrament in the Pixe and the diuine adoration giuen to it vpon tradition But all these obseruations are impious and contrary to Scriptures Some traditions are now abolished as the prohibition of Saterdayes fast the rite of standing when we pray betweene Easter and Whitsontide the formes of prayer in old time vsed in celebration of the sacrament of the Lords supper and diuers others whereof some are mentioned by Basil lib. de Spir. san c. 27. Bellarmine also lib. 4. de verbo Dei c. 2. confesseth that some traditions were temporarie But it is impious to say that the holy Scriptures are temporary or at any time to be abolished Diuers traditiōs are no where found but in the Legends Missals and Portesses and such books of smal account and credit as for example the ceremonies rites of the Masse the prayers of the canon the formall adoration of Saints and Angels the incredible narrations of S. Clement S. Nicholas S. Christopher S. George S. Catherine S. Dominicke S. Francis and infinite other Saints which no man may receiue with like affection as he receiueth holy Scriptures but he shall infinitly disgrace the Scriptures and shew him selfe to be no Catholike Furthermore if the Papists build their faith vpon traditions then is their faith humane as hauing no ground but the testimonie of this man and that man that speaketh of traditions Their faith is also most weake and fantasticall as being built vpon the lies reported in Legends and the fantasticall ceremonies contained in the Missall and Breuiary The holy Scriptures are called the old and new testament and the Apostle Ephes 6. calleth the word of God the sword of the Spirit 2. Tim 3. Writing to Timothy he saith holy scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect and absolute and wise vnto saluation But howsoeuer the blind Papists fauor their traditions yet I hope they will be ashamed to cal their fardle of traditions Gods eternal testament or the sword of the spirit or to say that traditions are able to make the man of God perfect or wise to saluation Finally no holy father did euer make Ecclesiastical traditions not written nor contained in Scriptures but only commended by the Church of Rome or kept by custome or taken vp by fancie and recorded only in humane writings of equall authoritie with canonicall scriptures Infidelitatis argumentum est c. In serm de fid confess saith Basil It is an argument of infidelity and a most certaine signe of pride if a man wil reiect any thing that is written or bring in any thing not written The like saying he hath Moral 72. c. 1. 86. 22. Neither is it like that he should speake of traditions repugnant to scriptures as some do answer For euery Christian man knoweth that nothing is to be receiued contrarie to Scriptures and to admonish men of that had bene superfluous Si quid dicatur absque scriptura saith Chrysostome hom in Psal 95. auditorum cogitatio claudicat nunc annuens nunc hastans If any thing be spoken without proofe of scripture the mind of the hearers resteth in suspence now yeelding now denying Neither doth he speake onely of a mans owne inuention but also of all other mens reports or deuises without ground of scripture In his thirteenth homily vpon the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians he calleth
simul traijceretur in ventrem canis vel porci If a dog or hog should swallow a consecrate host saith he I see no reason why the body of Christ should not withall passe into the belly of a dog or hog Thomas Aquinas likewise although made a saint by the Pope yet shameth not to hold this prophane and vnholy opinion part 3. q. 80. art 3. And in his comment in 4. sent dist 9. q. 2. The same is also stiffely maintained by Brulifer in 4. sent dist 13. quest 5. And this is the common opinion of schoolemen That the priest is able to make his Creator they make no question Bonner counted this among the prerogatiues of priesthood in his absurd spéech which he made in the Conuocation house in the beginning of Quéene Maries reigne And Innocentius in the mysteries of the Masse lib. 4. cap. 19. holdeth the same very confidently Panis in Christum transubstantiatur saith he ita in creatorem Sic ergo creatura quotidie fit creator Bread is transubstantiate into Christ and so into the creator and therfore a creature euery day is a creator The like sayings are to be found in the booke called Stella clericorum and diuers other authors Neither do these men doubt but that the communicants do eate their Maker But this is most absurd and offensiue to the Turkes and heathen that Christians should be sayd to eate vp their God and for this cause Auerroes said that of all other Religions that of the Papists was most ridiculous It is absurd also to say that man can make God or the creature his Creator They affirme also that Christ at his last supper did truly and really eate vp his owne body whole and entire As if Christ had come into the world not onely to be eaten carnally of others but also to deuoure and eate vp himselfe a matter most absurd and clearely repugnant to scriptures fathers and sense For Scriptures and Fathers teach that Christ took bread and called it his body And sense and reason teacheth vs that it is vnnatural for one man to eate vp another and impossible for the same man to eate vp himselfe For then there should be no difference betwixt the termes of relation and the same man should be the eater and the thing eaten the thing containing and contained and the same person should be a relatiue to himselfe which is against all rules of Logicke sense and common reason While they say that Christians do really and carnally eate Christs flesh and drink his blood they make them Canibals and wsrse then the barbarous Scythians and Sarmatians that drunke their horses blood For it is more inhumane to drinke mans blood then horses blood and Canibals are nothing else but barbarous eaters of mans flesh Neither can they defend themselues by the words of our Sauior Iohn 6. who sayth vnlesse we eate his flesh and drink his bloud that we cānot haue life in vs. For he addeth that the spirit quickneth and the flesh profiteth nothing condemning the Capernaites that imagined that his flesh was to be torne with téeth and his blood swallowed downe into the belly carnally as the Papists also imagine and reprouing all carnall and literall interpretations of his words Haec inquam omnia carnalia mysticè spiritualiter intelligenda sunt All these carnall things sayth Chrysostome hom 46. in Ioan. are to be vnderstood mystically and spiritually Likewise Origen in Leuit. 7. sayth that the literall vnderstanding of these words Vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the son of man c. killeth Augustine also teacheth that these words are to be vnderstood sacramentally and that being spiritually vnderstood they quicken But what should I speake of the Fathers of the Church séeing Homer and Virgil talking of Polyphemus do condemne the eating of mans flesh as a thing both barbarous and monstrous Concerning Christ his incarnation they teach strangely Catech. Rom. in Symbol saying that he being borne of the virgin Mary did no otherwise passe out of the womb then as the Sun beames do passe through the substance of the glasse their words are Vt solis radij concretam vitri substantiam penetrant which do plainely ouerthrow the mystery of his natiuity For how was he true man if neuer man passed through his mothers womb as the sun passeth through glasse or how was he like to vs in all things sinne onely except if he were not borne like to vs They beleeue also and teach that Christ his body did passe through the graue stone when he rose from death and through the doore when he entred the house where his Disciples were assembled after his resurrection The Fathers hold saith Bellarmine lib. 3 de Eucharist cap. 16. that Christs true body came out of the sepulcher being shut Quod per clausum sepulchrum verum corpus exiuerit And his meaning is that his true body passed through the stone at the graues mouth as may wel be gathered by the drift of his discourse where he refuteth the opinion of those that held that the graue stone yeelded and gaue place to Christs body Likewise in the same place speaking of Christs comming to his Disciples the doores being shut he affirmeth that Christ passed his solide body through another solide body Quod Dominus corpus suum solidum per aliud solidum introduxerit In the sacrament they say that Christ his true body is really and by consequent confesse that the same is in as many diuers places at once as is the sacrament They hold also that the same body is there neither felt nor seene and that he is not extended according to the nature of an humane body nor occupieth any place being in the sacrament But these are matters direct contrary to the doctrine of the Apostles and fathers they also repugne against reason and imply notorious contradictions They brought him to Ierusalem sayth Luke c. 2. to present him to the Lord as it is written in the law euery male child that first openeth the wombe shall be called holy to the Lord. Matris vulua sayth Origen hom 14. in Luc. eo tempore reserata est quo partus editus The mothers wombe was then opened when her child was brought forth Tertullian lib. de resurr carnis speaking likewise of Christs birth Who sayth he was truly holy but the sonne of God Who did properly open the wombe but he which opened it being shut The same sayth Ambrose lib. 2. in Luc. c. 7. Neither is this any blemish to the blessed virgins perpetuall virginitie For that is not lost nor perished by ouerture of the matrix which may diuersly happen but by the carnall knowledge of man Further we reade Heb. 2. that Christ tooke mans nature and not of Angels and that it behoued him in all things to be like to his brethrē In Luke the foure and twentith chapter when our Sauior Christ would proue himselfe to be man not a spirit he sayd Palpate videte
Christ in heauen then to any one of our brethren militant on earth But therein he lyeth notoriously For commonly they call the virgine Mary mother of mercy and desire her to protect them and to do away their sinnes Likewise they pray to be saued by the blood of Thomas by the merites of other saints which I trow is more then they will giue to euery one of their brethren in earth Bellarmine saith that it is not lawful to ask glorie or grace Lib. 1. de sa◠beatit c. 17. or other meanes tending to blessednesse of saints as authors of Gods benefites But this is contradicted as well by the doctrine as by the practise of the Romish church Sotus in confess cath saith that saints in heauen are our coadiutors and fellow-workers in the worke of our saluation Saltzger writing vpon this argument affirmeth that we pray to saints for two benefites the first is to the end they may pray for vs the second is that either visibly or inuisibly they may bestow their helpe vpon vs. Clichtouey teacheth that saints haue seuerall graces to bestow on them that call vpon them Alexander Hales sayth Sanctos oramus vt mediatores per quos impetramus We call vpon saints as mediators by whom we obtaine Thomas sayth we receiue benefites from God by the meanes of saints Beneficia Dei sumimus mediantibus sanctis Antoninus part 3. sum Tit. 3. sayth that Gods benefites descend downe to vs by the mediation of Angels and holy soules And againe p. 4. Tit. 15. Maria ita aduocat interpellat vt Deum patrem placet conuersos in gloriam inducat Mary is so our aduocate and intercessor that she doth pacifie the Father and bring repentant sinners into glory Bernardine in his booke of Mary sayth that no grace commeth from heauen vnto the earth but by Mary and vnlesse the same passe by the hands of Mary for that all graces do enter into Mary and from her are cōmunicated to vs and for that she is the mediatrix of saluation of coniunction of intercession of communication Commonly they pray to the virgin Mary in this forme Giue vs peace protect me To S. George they addresse themselues saying this same let him saue vs from our sinnes that we may rest in heauen with blessed soules Hic nos saluet say they à peccatis vt in coelo cum beatis possimus quiescere And if they did only intercede for vs not bestow vpon vs the things we pray for why do some beg of S. Anthony the health of their swine and of S. Winnoc the good standing of their sheepe Why do they pray to S. Luis for their horses and to S. Nicolas for good passage at the sea Why do Painters call on S. Luke and Phisitions on Cosmas and Damianus and Shoo-makers on S. Crespin Finally why do they tell vs in their legends of the apparitions of diuers saints in time of warre pestilence and other sicknesses and working diuers feates For if they did onely intercede for vs then one saint might serue for al purposes and then should they onely appeare as suppliants to God and not as bestowers of graces and workers of wonders Finally then should we not say helpe me heale me defend me but pray to God that I may be holpen healed and defended Are not the Paists then in miserable state that forgetting for the most part their onely Mediator and Redéemer run to saints and Angels nay runne to such as are no saints nor euer were in the world as George that killed the Dragon Catherin the daughter of Costus Christopher that bore Christ and such like Are they not mad to pray vnto such as they know not whether they heare them or not And do not some say that they are euery where present to heare our praiers Others that they heare such prayers as God reuealeth vnto them Others that they sée all things in Gods face Others that they vnderstand by relation of Angels It cannot be denied For Bellarmine confesseth it lib. 1. de Beatitudine sanct ca. 20. and that which he affirmeth that saints do sée all in God from the first beginning of their blessed estate is most absurd For what is seeing to hearing Againe how can things temporarie be imprinted in the essence of God or can Saints sée some things and not all if they comprehend that which is in the incomprehensible essence of the Deity Most wretchedly also they do worship dumbe images knéeling vnto them kissing them and burning incense vnto them saying to the crosse O crux aue spes vnica auge pijs iustitiam reisque dona veniam All haile ô Crosse my only hope increase iustice in the godly and grant pardon to sinners And crying to the Crucifixe Thou hast redeemed vs Bellar de imagin c. 23. thou hast reconciled vs to thy Father and calling a blocke mother of mercie and saying before stockes and stones Our Father and Aue Maria and knocking their breasts and whipping themselues before Images as the idolatrous Priests did before their idols The Apostle when he laid before the Corinthians the miserable state they stood in while they were yet Gentils he vseth no other tearmes then these Ye know that ye were Gentiles and were caried away vnto dumbe Idols as ye were led Which is as much as if he should say You were miserable and blind when ye were caried away vnto dumbe Idols Why then may we not say the same to Papists They may percase deny the case to be like But in my challenge I haue by many arguments proued them to be grosse Idolaters haue clearely shewed that they haue no better excuse for their worship of Images then the idolatrous Gentiles had for their worship of idoles Are they not then likewise blind and miserable Thinking to thrust others out of their societie which they call the Church they haue flatly excluded themselues from the societie and communion of the Catholike Church For if their Church be a companie of men professing the same faith and participating the same Sacraments vnder the rule of lawfull pastors and especially of the Pope as Bellarmine saith lib. 2. de Eccl. milit cap. 2. then are they not the catholike Church For that Church was long before either Pope or Bishop of Rome Beside that false it is that either the Apostles or whole Apostolike Church was subiect to the Bishop of Rome or that Iohn the Euangelist that liued long after Peter was subiect to Linus Cletus or Clement in whose time he liued Finally false it is that God appointed the church to be gouerned by the Bishops of Rome there is nothing thereof in Scriptures The Fathers shew that the chiefe authoritie in externall matters was in generall Councels and Emperors And Bellarmines idle disputes concerning his Pope are long since ouerthrowne That they are not the true Church it appeareth also for that they heare not the voice of Christ but follow a stranger for that
And out of Tertullian de praescr contra haeret That lies hardly stand one with another Both which do excéedingly wel fit Rob. Parsons For neither hath the man shame nor honestie nor do his lies hang together as appeareth by this whole discourse Fol. 52. out of M. Knoxe he alledgeth as a dangerous position and so it is That princes may be deposed by the people And yet that is his owne traiterous assertion in his booke of Titles set out vnder the name of Dolman The title of the third chapter part 1. is of Kings lawfully chastised by their common wealths That is likewise his and Allens drift in their trecherous libell directed to the Nobility and people of England and Ireland where they perswade them to take armes against the Quéene of England Fol. 53. he condemneth in Buchanan that which he and Bellarmine and their crew of rebellious consorts hold viz. that if Christians deposed not Princes in the Apostles times it was for want of temporal forces and for that S. Paul wrote in the infancie of the church That is also in termes holden by Bellarmine lib. 5. de Pont. Rom. c. 7. In his first encounter chap. 10. he goeth about to proue that S. Bernard and S. Augustine iumpe with Papists in the doctrine of merits of good workes But vnlesse he shew out of them that workes are meritorious not by reason of couenant or promise or mercy but for the workes sake as Bellarm. lib. 5. de Iustif c. 17. holdeth and that there is a proportion or equality betweene the worke and reward merited and that workes are meritorious ex condigno and that charity differeth not really from grace as Bellarmine teacheth lib. 1. de libero arbit c. 6. and that men are able to prepare themselues to receiue grace and finally proue the distinction de congruo and condigno Parsons laboureth but in vaine But this is contrary both to scriptures and fathers He first loued vs sayth Ioh. 1. Ioh. 4. And the Apostle sayth We are saued by grace and not of workes Nullus saith Augustine in Psal 142. vnquam bonū opus fecit tanta charitate quanta potuit debuit No man did euer performe a good worke with so much loue as he could and ought And 1. Confess chap. 4. Qui reddis debita nulli debens Thou which restorest debt yet owest to no man Bernard lib. de grat lib. arb promissum quidem ex misericordia sed iam ex iustitia persoluendum Promised of mercy but to be payd according to iustice And in his first sermon de annunt Thou canst not sayth he merite eternall life by any workes vnlesse the same be also giuen freely or gratis And againe Mens merits are not such that eternall life should be due for them of right or that God should do wrong if he did not giue them eternall life Fol. 75. he saith theeues the worst sort of mē do not suffer persecution one of another which is verified by the example of Parsons and his consorts For albeit like wolues they teare and like théeues they steale and spoile Christs lambs yet they do not alway teare and spoyle one another Neither would the kingdome of Satan stand if it were diuided in it selfe The words of S. Augustine contra Iulian. lib. 1. c. 7. alleaged by Parsons fol. 77. b. fall right vpon his head For both his ignorance and boldnesse is intollerable Fol. 80. b. he saith Calis was lost by heretical treason which cannot be true vnlesse Quéen Mary and the Papists were heretikes For none but they did lose that towne Fol. 83. he talketh of the chastitie of Friers Monkes and priests which as he signifieth haue ghelt themselues for the kingdome of heauen And yet the Monk Heywood his true father was not very chast when he begot him Nor was Parsons ghelt for the kingdome of heauen when he begot children on his owne sister as A.C. sayth or when he got his hurts in Italy and Spaine which yet sticke to his rotten shins nor are the Popes and Cardinals and Massepriests that commonly kéepe concubines if not worse very holy eunuches Of D. Giffard and Weston I shall haue occasion to speake otherwhere Furthermore he is often talking of great heads alwayes forgetting the branched head of the blacke smith his putatiue father Fol. 84. and 85. he is not ashamed to talke of ciuil wars murders and other calamities in France Flanders and other countries when he cannot denie but that the Popes bloody buls and the Iebusites the firebrands of sedition and their agents haue bene the beginners of all these troubles and the principall massacrers of innocent men Was he then wel in his wits trow you to talk of his owne deare fathers cruelties and to accuse Christs sheepe as cause of the woluish Papists notorious murders and cruell executions Whereas Parsons asketh Sir Francis whether he hath certaintie of faith by his owne reading or by the credite of some others we may aske his friarship likewise or because he is but a doogeon dunce of the Pope who is as it were an oracle of Papists the same question And if he answer that he hath it by his owne reading then we shall much wonder at his impudencie For Parsons knoweth that Popes reade litle or nothing and for the most part are ignorant of schoole diuinitie If he say his Popeship hath it by the vertue of his close stool then is the same but filthy learning especially the Pope being laxatiue as was Gregory the fourteenth If he say he haue it from his Masse-priests and friars then are they more certaine oracles then he and this learning must come from the tayles of friars and not from the head of the church Parsons therefore to cleare this doubt fol. 110. saith That they do not depend on the Pope as a priuate man but as he is head and chiefe pastor of Christs vniuersal Church He saith also That his rudenesse is turned into wisedome But that the Pope is the head of Christs vniuersall Church is the thing in question That a man should be a sot as he is a priuate man and wise as he is a publike person is ridiculous That he is made wise and learned being made Pope is most false So it appeareth Parsons is ensnared in his owne question and must confesse that the faith of papists is nothing else but the Popes priuate fancie and grounded on the Popes chaire and most absurd and sottish which can not be obiected to vs séeing we ground our selues vpon the Apostles and Prophets who in matters of faith saluation speake plainely and alwayes the same things most constantly In his first encounter chap 15. he spendeth much talke about the rule of faith But most of his words are direct contrary both to himselfe and to his holy fathers profite For in the Wardword page 6. he said the vniuersal Church was the squire and pole-star which euery one was to follow confounding like an ideot
c. 2. he cryeth out ô cogging ô cousinage and all because Sir Francis reporteth that the blood of a Ducke was worshipped as the blood of Hales and that D. Bassinet confessed his ignorance and that the archbishop of Aix called the Pope God on earth and spoke foolishly But what if all this were true May not we then with more reason say O coggers O cosiners O Scogans O cods-heads But that appeareth plainly For the imposture about the duckes blood was openly detected and the rest is reported in the acts of Bassinets examination Neither is it vnlikely that vnlearned prelates should speake vnlearnedly or that schoole-doctors should be ignorant in scriptures séeing all their diuinity is grounded vpon Thomas his fardle of questions and answers But saith Parsons how could a duckes blood be discerned from others blood after so many yeares As if it were not detected also by the confession of the false priests that from time to time they renewed that blood as they do other false relikes in many places Here therefore Parsons sheweth himselfe to haue a shallow capacitie and the Papists are declared to be miserably seduced by cogging and cousening priests and caried away most simply and idiot like to the worship of idoles and false reliques Fol. 43. b. of his second encounter he cryeth out Who shall be iudge Meaning to conuey the highest authoritie in iudgement concerning matters of controuersie about the interpretation of scriptures to the Pope But that is a shamelesse and most absurd course to place a beetleheaded ignorant and impious Pope aboue al learned holy fathers and Councels Beside that the Popes sentence is alwayes vncertaine For what can one Pope do that his successor cannot vndo Lib. de resurrectione carnis Tertullian he sheweth that scriptures are to be interpreted by scriptures Si quid pars diuersa turbat c That is If the contrary part do trouble vs in any thing by pretence of figures or aenigmatical speeches those places that are more manifest ought to preuaile the certaine to prescribe against vncertaine Encontr 2. c. 8. where he should answere my obiection out of Hosius he cryeth out of deceitfull fraudulent and shamefull shifts and notorious cousinages But the matter being examined I doubt not but to lay the shame vpon his doltish ignorance In my reply I alleage two places out of Hosius his confessiō the first where he sayth That ignorance is not only worthy pardon but reward also the second where he sayth That to know nothing is to know all things These places I say as he vseth the matter are Hosius his owne and not Hilaries or Tertullians For Hilary lib. 8. de Trinit where he produceth the like words speaketh of the ignorance of the meaning of these words Ego pater vnum sumus And Tertull. lib. de praescript aduers haeret where he sayth That to know nothing is to know all things speaketh of curious knowledge beyond the rule of faith But Hosius imagineth that these words do proue That it is sufficient to beleeue as the Catholike church did which neither of them euer thought To this purpose also lib. 3. de author sacr scripturae Hosius abuseth a place out of S. Augustine contr epist fundam c. 4. thinking because he sayth That simplicity in beleeuing and not quicknesse of vnderstanding doth secure vs that who so beléeueth the Catholike Church is safe albeit he vnderstand nothing else But this is no part of S. Augustines meaning but Hosius his owne leud collection and Parsons his idiotisme and patchery that could not discerne it Fol. 60. 2. encontr he sayth The Knight talketh as fondly as if he had talked of the breeding of yong geese And why Forsooth because he sayth The Papists breed vp their children in blindnesse and ignorance And is not this manifest when they debarre them from reading or hearing scriptures read publikely in vulgar tongues and forbid them to argue of Christian religion Inhibemus sayth Alexander the 4. c. Quicunque de haeret in 6. ne cuiquam laicae personae liceat publicè vel priuatim de fide Catholica disputare Qui vero contrà fecerit excommunicationis laqueo innodetur Nauarrus in Enchirid in 1. praecep c. 11. sayth It is mortall sinne for a lay man knowing this law to dispute of religion And Charles the fift as Neteranus reporteth expressely forbad it Hist Belg. Fol. 62. he complaineth of abusing a place of Chrysostome homil 13. in 2. Corinth and sayth We vse legierdemaine in euery thing But if both his translation and that alleaged by Sir Francis be compared with Chrysostomes wordes in Gréeke which begin thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the same will easily discharge vs of legierdemaine and charge Parsons with doltish ignorance and idle and vaine cauilling because the words were not to his humour nor translation Fol. 118. 2. encontr ch 15. where we say that king Iohn was poysoned by a Monke of Swinestead Abbey and that the Monke was before hand absolued of his Abbot he cryeth out that this example is more grosse and absurd then the former viz. of king Henry the 3. of France But in the former example we haue shewed that there is no other grossenesse or absurditie but that such a wicked sect as the Iebusites should be permitted to liue on the face of the earth vnder the protection of Christian kings séeing they séeke to murder all of them that are excommunicate by the Pope The history which we report of king Iohn is neither absurd considering the hatred of the swinish rable of polshorne priests nor vntrue Caxtons Chronicle sayth he dyed of poyson giuen him by a Monke Polychronicon lib. 7. c. 33. and Polydore virgil deny not but that this was a common speech Those that mention not poyson say that he dyed of a surfeit Now who knoweth not that surfeits and poyson haue often the same symptomes and effects The absolution giuen him is proued by the common practise in those cases As for the allegations made to the contrary they are like Robert Parsons that is absurd and ridiculous Polydore saith Parsons affirmeth that he dyed of heauinesse of heart Radulphus Niger that he dyed of surfeting Roger Houeden that he dyed of a bloody flixe But all this doeth rather increase the suspition of poyson then otherwise Iohn Stow is a poore author and sauouring as much of Popery as of his pressing yron and Taylery What then if he should endeuour to cleare an old suspition that maketh against Papists Much lesse then should Parsons stand vp on his testimony if he name neither Monke nor poyson Monkes and Papists ordinarily suppresse all things that tend to the disgrace of their kingdome and more credit is to be giuen to one or two witnesses affirming a truth against their will then to twenty lying Monkes or Friers or pelting Popish writers that write for affection rather then for truth Wherefore albeit he crye loud Iohn 19. as the Iewes
because they take his iudgement to be infallible albeit the Neapolitans will not follow their Viceroy in his rebellions Likewise doeth he absurdly shift off the obiection concerning the absolute obedience required of Christians by Boniface the 8. He sayth also that it standeth with Gods prouidence to preserue the Church from error As if the Pope were the Church and not rather Antichrist and the enemy of Christ and his Church or as if the church could not stand if the Pope were dead and Parsons hanged by him to beare him company and to leade him through purgatory being not able to walke of himselfe being troubled with the gout Fol. 113. 2. encont c. 14. he saith That Parry in his letter to Gregory the thirteenth discouered no intentiō at all of any particular enterprise he had in hand and thereby would shift off our obiection concerning the intelligence the Pope had of his purpose to kill the Quéene But his shift is very simple For albeit he said nothing yet the letters of credit included frō some great man to whō he imparted the secret disclosed all Now it is euident by Cardinall Comoes letter that the Pope receiued Parries letter together with the letters of credit included La santitá di N.S. sayth Cardinall Como ha vedute le lettere di V.S. con la fede inclusa By this then it appeareth that the Pope granting a plenary indulgence to a murderer that went to kill an innocent Queene was also a most execrable murderer and no shepheard a limb of Satan that was a murderer from the begining and not the head of the Church a wolfe and no Christian Bishop Yea but saith Parsons this indulgence tooke effect if Parry were contrite and confessed of his sinnes As if these wicked murderers did not account it an act meritorious to kill a Prince excommunicated by the Pope So it appeareth that in this respect rather he obtained this indulgence Nay if Ch. P. say true Robert Parsons was also acquainted with Parries particular treason so that this will not onely remaine as a perpetuall blot of indulgences but also of the barbarous trechery both of the Pope and of his bastardly proctor that set on this cutthrote to murder an innocent Lady Doeth it not then plainly appeare howsoeuer closely Parsons wold séeme to cary matters that he doth confesse more in shifting and concealing then he doth deny disputing Ita opertus ac tectus incedis sayth Hierom to one epist 6. vt plus confitearis tacendo quà m renuas disputando This we may truly say of Parsons that his shifts and answers which he bringeth to couer the wounds of his cause do make the matter far more suspicious then before What then are we to think of such a shifting and iugling fellow Will you heare Parsons giue sentence in his owne cause If he do I hope you will say we do produce no witnesse that wil deale partially in fauor of our cause But he in his 2. encon c. 9. fol. 62. saith that he which vseth a trick of legierdemain but once of known and set malice to deceiue is neuer to be trusted againe What then remaineth now but that such a shifting trecherous companion be rather trussed then trusted haltred then harbored baffulled then beléeued CHAP. XIII Parsons his patcherie in begging things in controuersie discouered THe very name of an aduersary and often mention of controuersies if nothing else me thinkes might haue moued Robert Parsons to looke better to his proofes and to haue presumed lesse of his begging For albeit he be of the Ignatian sect and by profession a mendicant friar yet hath he no reason to beg of his aduersaries nor to take as granted things that hang in controuersie Nor haue we cause to maintaine of almes such vagarant sturdy roging beggars as the laws iudge worthy of hanging It may be he wil stand vpon termes and sweare like a hackster that he is no beggar Testified by the secular priests in diuers of their treatises bestowing many thousands of crownes vpon spies and cutthrotes But the truth will appeare by the sequele of his doings Fol. 1. b. he accuseth me of deportment against all kind of Catholike men though neuer so learned vertuous worshipful or honorable But he shold haue proued himself his traitorous consorts which are the men that I do meane to be both Catholikes and learned vertuous worshipfull and honorable We of the plainer and simpler sort could yet neuer learne that it was a thing either honorable or commendable to betray his prince or countrey or to take part with Italians or Spaniards against his owne nation Fol. 7. talking of priests put to death in England he calleth them and others seruants of Christ and sayth they suffered for auncient religion But we looked for proofes and not for bare and beggarly affirmations For the seruants of Christ came neuer to depose Princes from their thrones Nay our Sauior Christ saith plainely that his kingdome is not of this world But these Massepriests as appeareth by records and by their confessions and the Popes faculties granted to them came for that purpose Secondly we haue proued in our challenge that their religion as it differeth from the faith which we professe in England is neither Catholike nor anciēt Lastly we haue there also declared them to be culpable of treason and to haue died for that not for their religion though otherwise very louzy and beggarly vellacos and as beggarly defended by this begging and cousining companion In the same leafe also he affirmeth that Christ is the Masse-priests captaine and master and that he assureth them on his honour and power that no one haire of their head shall perish In the end he doubteth not to call thē martyrs But to proue his matters he alleageth neither testimony of scripture nor sentence of fathers Nay where the Romish Church teacheth that no man can be certaine of his saluation without speciall reuelation yet this disciple of Antichrist affirmeth that Christ vpon his honor hath assured Campian Ballard Babington and I thinke Lopez too that they shall not perish For of these I thinke he speaketh To shew them to be no martyrs I haue alleaged diuers reasons Reason then would that if he would haue wonne credit he should haue either answered our reasons or proued his owne cause by argument In his obseruations vpon my Preface and in diuers places of his book he giueth the name of Catholikes to papists And yet he knoweth that this is a maine controuersie betwixt vs. What punishment then doth he deserue that wittingly and wilfully wil beg or rather steale that which belongeth not vnto him Fol. 14. most impudently he giueth the title of the Catholike Christian church and the vniuersall body of Christs commonwealth vnto papists that are neither the whole church nor part of the Church Vnto vs he giueth the title of Protestants Puritanes and Lutherans which we renounce professing onely the faith of Christ
for such a low subiect as he handleth Euery where he raileth like a man beside himselfe and calleth me mad man sycophant franticke fellow lunatike satanicall iugling minister dolt foole noddy foolman irreligious atheist ideot asse drowsie heretike and such like names and these are the common flowers of his dogged eloquence Yet I assure him that I am not offended with his rough stile For although he giue me very hard words and raileth like a tal fellow of his tongue yet I thanke him he is well content to passe by all my arguments in sober silence to confirme as much as I affirme by his cold deniall Now what greater argument I pray you can we bring to proue that Walpoole and his consorts are neither Catholikes nor members of the true church nor hold the ancient religiō of Christ Iesus but rather are a pack of heretikes idolaters and traitors then that our aduersary that taketh vpon him their defence hath nothing to answer in their behalfe It was not modesty certes that made him silent but méere imbecillity of his cause and want of iust defence Will it please you to take a tast of his insufficiency before we broach the whole barrell of his foolery In the preface of his booke he vanteth that he hath spent his time in exact studie of Diuinitie and with particular care read the Scriptures Councels and Fathers O happy youths that heare so exact a spender of his time in study of Diuinity O hard aduenture for vs that are to encounter this giant that hath deuoured so many Councels and Fathers But in the meane while Parsons was much too blame that put him to it thus impudently to praise himselfe We for our parts do admire his singular folly and arrogance who praiseth himselfe with such impudency His great reading to vs is inuisible his great ignorance in all maner of learning and not onely in theology is euery where apparant Fol. 2. he telleth vs how Heraclitus affirmed that the snow was blacke But vnlesse he produce his author his friends with Heraclitus may wéepe to sée his pittifull ignorance We haue heard such a thing of Anaxagoras but this of Heraclitus is ridiculously forged In the same place he writeth also how Zeno taught That it was impossible for any thing to moue A matter very stupendious But this he findeth that hath read exactly the fathers Would he name his author he will make a Stoicke to laugh Fol. 8. he sayth that Christs body hath a being in the sacrament like to a soule But our Sauiour Luke 24. sheweth a notorious difference betwixt a body and a spirit Out of his reading of the fathers he neuer learned that Christ had a body vnlike to ours Fol. 16. he compareth Christs body to God that is in diuers places A matter that tendeth to the destruction of the article of Christs incarnatiō and much repugnant to scriptures and fathers Vnto these words of Hilary lib. 8. de Trin. Of the truth of the flesh and blood of Christ there is no place of doubting left he addeth diuers words falsifying them in this sort Of the true presence of the flesh and bloud of Christ in the blessed sacrament there is no place of doubting left Belike his great and exact study of diuinity and particular care in reading will beare him out in it Yet Hilary talketh of Christs true incarnatiō and not of the presence of Christs body and bloud in the sacrament Fol. 31. he sayth That our bodies are nourished with the body and blood of Christ But the holy fathers teach vs that Christs body and blood is food for the soule and not for the body Cyprian De Coena Domini sayth We sharpe not our teeth to bite And Augustine tractat 26. in Ioan. sayth We are not to prepare our teeth viz. when we receiue this holy sacrament Here therefore this fellow followed his fathers the Capernaites and not the fathers of the Church Fol. 174. he distinguisheth Peter Martyr from Vermilio whereas this is Peter Martyrs surname He telleth vs also that Flauianus taught that God was the author of all sinne But if he produce not his author it will be an easie matter to shew that he belyeth Flauianus and mistaketh one for another through pitifull ignorance To bely falsify the fathers with this bastardly Iebusit is but a peccadillio Fol. 18. he auoucheth boldly that Gregory speaketh not of satisfying for the guilt but for temporal paine But the words of Gregory do plainly cōuince him of this falshood For in him these termes subtilties are not to be foūd Fol. 23. he is very bold with Lactantius maketh him to assigne thrée notes by which heretikes may be discerned from true Christians But this is more then euer Lactantius spoke or thought He doth also giue suspition by his corrupt translation as if Lactantius had spoken of popish auricular confession and penance theron enioyned which was neuer the authors meaning Fol. 25. he writeth the Cyprian demonstrated Peter to be the head root of the church Which if Walpool had had a true tong in his head he wold neuer haue affirmed Beside that what a ridiculous toy is it to trāslate Peters prerogatiue to the Pope that is liker to the Calipha of Babylon then to Peter Fol. 27. 31. 34. he corrupteth Irenaeus most grosly making him in the first place to speak of those traditions of which he neuer thought in the 2. to maintaine the vniuersal power of the Pope which he neuer knew In the third place where Irenaeus hath imaginibus he blotteth out the word putteth in the word magia least he might seeme to speak against images Neither doth he onely bely the fathers but his aduersaries also Fol. 114. he sayth that Aurifaber Snepfius Heshusius Vergerius Beza Musculus Socinus and other ministers in this agree that the auncient fathers are against them and for the Papists A matter neither agreed vppon by all nor in these termes confessed by any As for Socinus he was an Italian heretike cast out and condemned by our church Why then is he ranked with honest men Doth this ranke fellow in this multiformelie think it reason to range together men of such disformitie In another place he affirmeth boldly that Luther Caluine Peter Martyr and Melancthon make God the author of sinne not considering as it séemeth what a sinfull act it is to calumniate and bely honest men That they are desperatly belied their words and writings where they professe and declare the contrary of this which Walpoole affirmeth do manifestly demonstrate But this monster hath filed his tongue to speake vntruth Fol. 157. speaking of popish purgatorie and limbus patrum he sayth they were taught by all antiquitie A lie most notorious and which shal make him famous to all posteritie For neither is this word Limbus patrum nor the popish distinction of the parts of hell nor the popish doctrine concerning Limbus patrum and purgatory held by any one much lesse by all the ancient fathers And thereon I ioyne issue with this disioynted companion requiring him to answer that which I haue written De Purgatorio and contra limbum patrum papisticum to this purpose Of his great skil in Latin his words fol. 57. b. wil giue testimony For there he hath Vnae ecclesiae sole for Vno ecclesiae sole as Hierome hath or at least Vnius ecclesiae sole if hee would haue spoken in any congruity Of his skil in the Gréeke we find good proofe fol. 54. b. where in two words he maketh thrée faults First he deuideth this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and maketh it two words Next he writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thirdly he putteth an accent of aspiration in the midst of a word If he had bene put to vse much Greeke we should haue had good stuffe that find him so faulty in this only one Gréeke word To conclude with our partie for this time neither in obiecting against his aduersary nor in defending himselfe his consorts his cause doth he acquite himself in any tolerable sort Vnto me he obiecteth that I vnderstād not the state of the question A matter ridiculous For he himself cannot deny but I report the aduersaries meaning and words truly He chargeth me also with vntruths Yet is it no vntruth that I say that Stapleton denieth the scriptures to be the foundatiō of religion For I cite his words truly And euery man that readeth his booke entitled Principia doctrinalia shal find that scriptures are excluded out of the number of Principia doctrinalia With the like facility I shal cleare all the rest of his foolish obiections Where I bring many arguments all concluding that papists are no true Catholikes as maintaining rather particular then catholike doctrine this wise confuter or rather confounder of himself flieth out like a wild goose into a long discourse of the name of Catholike and the causes of the amplitude of the Church matters scarcely questioned betwixt vs. He doth also lode vs with sacks of authorities of the Fathers concerning the vniuersality of the Church which are not to the purpose But in all this discourse he doth not once attempt to answer any thing said by vs. Likewise in the Challenge wherein Papists are declared not to be the true Church he flieth al encounter like a foolish combatant fighting with his owne shadow And this we do not doubt but to declare shortly in a larger answer most fully In the meane while thou maist easily perceiue the vanity falshood forgery and insufficient dealing of our aduersaries Parsons in his booke set out vnder the name of T.F. doth most grosly and impudently praise himselfe In his booke of thrée conuersions he citeth Ado Treuirensis for Ado Viennensis and often mistaketh one for another Both his and their other faults I haue before briefly noted The rest if thou wilt haue patience with vs God willing thou shalt receiue shortly Now I could bestow no more time in polling these Arcadian fellowes The Lord if it be his holy will discouer all the impostures of hereticall Papists and grant that the rayes of his most glorious Gospell may shine in all mens hearts to the vtter confusion of the seate of Antichrist and the full establishment of the kingdome of Christ Iesus Laus Deo FINIS