Catholicke no Papist can be so impudent as to deny if hee will pull off the Popes spectacles clouded with the mist of the Iesuites thirteenth rule For as I shewed before the Protestants teach no doctrine in the affirmatiue but what the Papists hold at this day viz. the Apostles Creede and that according to the ancient Catholicke interpretation of the Nicen and Athanasian Creeds and the first foure generall Councels They deny indeed the Popish addition of 12 other articles made by Pope Pius quartus because the Papists cannot proue any one of them Catholicke and Apostolicke And because the Apostle said If wee Cal. 1.8 or an Angell from heauen teach otherwise let him be accursed Saint Augustine saith of the Apostles Creed He that beleeueth more beleeueth too much and he that beleeueth lesse beleeueth too little The famous learned Friar Padro Paulo of Venice in his History of the Councell of Trent which confirmed that Creed of Pius quartus discouereth how that Counsell was ouer-ruled by the faction of the Iesuites and that it was there a common by-word euen among the Papists themselues that that Councell was guided by the holy Ghost which came euery weeke from Rome in a Cloakebagge If we may not beleeue an Angell of light teaching otherwise then the Apostles Creed then blame not the Protestants protesting against the Papists late additions and corruptions but rather beleeue and follow them because they teach nothing but that which the Papists themselues cannot deny to bee the Catholicke faith And deny such a Councell such a Creed so new and so branded by the Papists owne best and most learned Priests Mine old acquaintance propoundeth to me yet another question viz. How good Christians could conuerse and communicate with such a Church so corrupted before Luther This is lately well answered by the Bishop of Exeter in his booke entituled The old Religion and well prosecuted by others who make it plaine that one may communicate as they did with the Papists as wee may communicate with the Diuell when he said Thou art Christ the Sonne of the euerliuing God Not because the Diuell spake it but because it is Gods truth and consequently ours So we may communicate in the truth with any in errour with none For example Some Priests were as vehemently earnest and zealous denyers of Romes corrupted doctrine before Luthers time as Master Burton and others now And many then resisted the Roman errors euen to death as the Wiclifians and other learned and religious Priests as the Histories of the seuerall times and ages doe testifie Others more cooley and aduisedly sought the Reformation as Erasmus Cassaender Petrus de Aliaco and others who communicated with Rome in her truthes and scorned her errours as appeareth by their bookes written to men and to Councels to reforme the Church euen so long before Luthers dayes as the Councell of Constance It may be obiected why then should the Reformers now protest a separation more then the said Reformers did before Luther This is sufficiently answered in the dispute between Mr Burton and his Antagonists where Master Burton though accounted an ouer-zealous Separatist from the Church of Rome confesseth that they were not bound then and yet are bound now since the Councell of Trent to separate Because that since by the Councell of Trent men are sub anathemate bound to beleeue as well the errours as the truthes of the Church of Rome and as well the new Creed of Pius quartus as the ancient Creed of the Apostles Before the Councell of Trent publication of these new Articles men would ordinarily say when this new teaching was discouered Let them pipe what they will wee will dance what wee list Meaning that they thought themselues safe if they beleeued the old Creed and left the new Romish And I say further in the words of a learned Diuine In his Treatise of the Catholicke Faith that though we could then communicate with such a Church without euident danger of damnation as they did then yet in as much as we cannot communicate with it now vpon any better termes then legall seruants or bondslaues do with their Masters we are bound in conscience and religious discretion when lawfull occasion is offered as now it is to vse our liberty to seeke our freedome rather then to liue in bondage according to the rule of the Apostle giuen to seruants 1 Cor. 7.20 21. c. Let euery man abide in the same Calling wherein he is called Art thou called being a seruant care not for it But if thou maist be made free vse it rather for he that is called in the Lord being a seruant is the Lords freeman Likewise also he that is called being free it Christs seruant Yee are bought with a price be yee not the seruants of men that is yeeld not that absolute obedience to men as the Iesuites teach which is due onely to God Padr Paul Defence of the State of Venice That obedience as the learned Venetian saith which God commands vs to performe to our Ecclesiasticall superiors is not a foolish or ridiculous subiection nor is the power of the Prelate an arbitrary iudgement but both the one and the other must be ruled by the Word of God according to the place Deut. 17. before cited Absolute obedience is due onely to God and whosoeuer supposeth any humane will to be infallible vttereth great blasphemy in ascribing that to the creature which is due onely to the Creator I once asked a learned Romish Priest within this seuen yeeres whether praying to Saints were a matter of Faith or not He answered that wee are not bound to pray to Saints So shall you finde many Romish Catholickes before Luthers dayes Respons ad apologiam Card. Bell. p. 9. and after the Councell of Lateran who would say at the Eleuation Adoro te si tu es Christus i.e. If thou be Christ I doe adore or worship thee So farre were the wiser sort of the Romish Catholickes then from beleeuing that Councels definition Thus you see how and why men did communicate without a separation then and why they may not now Likewise the Priest who answered me about praying to Saints told me that many things in Rome are taught inter piècredenda things to bee religiously beleeued As the Popes power to depose Princes which you see is denyed by Priests that daily say Masse to this day as well learned French as English who call it Nonam Catholicam fidem Iesuitarum The Iesuites new Catholicke Faith So that this late vp-sprung error in the Church of Rome wants not men visible in the same Church to teach truth and correct error as in all former ages some alwayes haue done So powerfull is God to defend his Church from errors euen by those that are members of that corrupt part of the Church according to that saying that there should be some Doctors some Pastors to teach the truth hee could haue
Hee that is an honest man by scruple and a religious bridle take heede of him and account of him as hee is and hee hath religion without honestie I will not say hee is more wicked but farre more dangerous than hee that hath neither the one nor the other Who so killeth you will thinke that hee doth an acceptable service unto God Not because religion teacheth or any way favoureth wickednesse as some very foolishly and maliciously from this place doe object for the most absurd and falsest religion doth it not but the reason is that having no taste nor image nor conceit of honesty but by imitation and for the service of religion and thinking that to be an honest man is no other thing than to be carefull to advance religion They beleeve all things whatsoever be it treason treachery sedition rebellion or any other offence to bee not onely lawfull and sufferable being coloured with zeale and the care of religion but also commendable meritorious and worthy canonization if it seeme for the progresse and advancement of religion and the overthrow of their adversaries Thus you may see what conceit that learned man had of yeelding to men that absolute obedience which is due to God alone So that he was farre from the doctrine of the Iesuites who in their 13 rule do teach that if the Superiour say that white is black we must beleeve it and obey And a Iesuite once avowed to my face before sufficient witnesse that this rule is orthodoxe Hee that will see more concerning this point let him reade De la Mar. against the Iesuites his open pleading in Parliament of Paris against Monthalon their chosen Advocate He that would beholde how the particular Church of Rome hath beene led by particular factions to forsake the universall Catholicke faith let him reade George Carleton since Bishop of Chichester his booke of Iurisdiction Regall Papall Episcopall If any man reade these and see not the universall faith there brought to particular fancie it must bee crassa ignorantia if hee have will to please God and capacity for to understand But the greatest motives yet to perswade me that Rome hath corrupted the Catholique faith are two The first is for that all the most religious the most learned yea the very Canonized Saints of Rome have in all latter ages cryed out of the corruptions in the Church of Rome as you may finde in a booke published both in Latine and in English by IAMES MAXVVELL a Researcher of Antiquities which no Romish Papist ever contradicting I presume that it cannot bee excepted against by the later yeares See what the Priests haue written against the Iesuites He that hath not meanes to come by the bookes themselues may reade the Collections made by Tho. Iames which I haue found truely cited out of the said books of the Priests The Collections of Tho. Iames printed at Oxford were sold by Iohn Barnes neere Holborne Conduite The second motiue is that within this later hundred yeeres the Church of Rome hath vsurped authority to expurge reprint alter or change what they haue thought good out of both ancient and late Writers that speake against them as may appeare by their Indices Expurgatorij concerning which I referre you to D. Iames his Collections printed 1625. But concerning the credit of the Canonized Saints and others cited by Maxwell it is necessary you should heare what the greatest and learnedst Doctors of Rome haue thought of them Thus may you reade in Trithem Abbas in his booke of illustrious men That Pope Eugenius the third with the consent of 18 Cardinals and a great number of Bishops assembled in the Councell of Treiur And also Pope Boniface the ninth did Canonize diners of the Saints that spake against the corruptions of Rome Turrecremata Bellarmine and Baronius with the most famous learned men of Rome haue all highly commended the said Saints that thus cryed out of Rome and called out loud for reformation in their dayes The like was done by the good French Cardinall Peter de Aliaco in his booke of Reformation of the Church in his time presented to the Councell of Constance And the Councels both of Constance and Basil did vna voce disallow the Popes vsurpation in challenging himselfe to be aboue a generall Councell insomuch that the said Councell deliuered it as a deposite of the Church by vnanimous consent in forme of a Decree that it ought not to be so In these words The Pope tenetur obedire ought or is bound to obey the Councell etiam in fide moribus euen in matter of FAITH and manners Yea where was the Popes authority aboue a generall Councel when all Appeales to parts beyond the Seas were prohibited by the African Councell They are not then the late Protestants alone that haue called for Reformation of the Romish Church but euen also these ancient The late famous Sir Thomas Moore holden one of the lights of the Roman Church and defender thereof in his time seemeth to scorne that any man should beleeue that he was so farre corrupted in the Faith as to beleeue the Pope to be aboue a generall Councell Dial. l. 1. c. 26. His words are Neuer did I beleeue the Pope to bee aboue a generall Councell Notwithstanding the Papalins contrary to the Catholicke faith haue accounted the French Church to bee a schismaticall Church for holding the Vniuersall or generall Councell to be aboue the Pope as appeareth at large in the aforesaid pleadings of De la Martilire against the Iesuites Heare now what the Seminarie Priests speake against the faction of the Iesuites that hath swayed and ouer-ruled Rome at and since the Councell of Trent Watson Quodl pag. 82. doubteth that Antichrist may be already come for that the Iesuites be the fore-runners of Antichrist though it appeareth that Saint Bernard thought he was come before when as he saith Ep. 127. that Antichrist then sate in S. Peters chaire If then the godliest and learnedst of the Church of Rome haue in all Ages cryed out of the corruptions both of the doctrine and manners in the Church of Rome as you may see in the books aforesaid then we may say there haue neuer wanted Professors and Protestants in all Ages defending that Catholicke Roman Faith which Paul commended to the Romans resisting the tyranous vsurped innouated Doctrine of the Church or Court of Rome as may bee further seene in that from time to time euen generall Councels as well as Prouinciall haue refisted the innouations of Rome The African Councell and others of that time resisted Appeales to the Pope The later Councels of Constance and Basil haue concluded that the Pope is not aboue a Generall Councell As then Saint Paul saith that God hath set in the Church Apostles Prophets Euangelists Teachers for the perfecting of the Faith vntill all come to the vnity of the Faith Eph. 4.11 12 13. See Master Bernards booke entituled looke beyond Luther And
MORBVS ET ANTIDOTVS THE DISEASE WITH THE ANTIDOTE OR A Declaration of Henry Yaxlee of Bouthorpe in the Countie of Norfolke Esquire wherein he sheweth how he was a Papist and how by Gods grace he as now lately converteâ— Published by Authoritie Ieremy 6.16 Thus saith the Lord stand yee in the wayes and see and aske for the old pathes where is the good way and walke therein and ye shall find rest for your soules 1. Thess 5.21 Proue all things hold fast that which is good LONDON Printed by W. Iones for Nicholas Bourne and are to be sold at the South Entrie of the Royall Exchange 1630. To the Christian Reader CVrteous Reader J craue thy favourable Censure vpon what thou shalt reade in this booke What J speake therein of mine owne knowledge is vpon my conscience true and what J cite out of Authours J haue faithfully endevoured to relate truely If any indeed can advertise me of any errour therein J shall thanke him and reforme my selfe Jn one thing I cary still the same minde which I did when I was a Papist viz. To haue myne heart the thing which God most desiereth alwayes studious to finde and ready to embrace the true Religion And I make no doubt but that God in mercy hath guided me vnto the same and will therein further enlighten and establish me vnto my liues end O that my deare kindred countrymen would but reade without preiudice what is so plentifully written on either side or be content to heare indifferently what can be pleaded Then should they clearely see that what auncient truth soever the Papists doe holde the Protestants also doe beleeue and maintaine the same and that that is all novell ungrounded and not Catholique wherein the Protestant dissenteth from the Papist But herein is their misery they dare not reade nor seeke any light but from those whose chiefe care is to keep them in darknesse least it should appeare vnto them that the Protestant is truely so called for protesting against the hay straw and stubble of the additions and innovations of Popery And so I rest in charitie Charitate etiam non ficta beseeching Almighty God that ye may all become what in his unspeakable mercy he hath made me The obedient sonne of my deare Mother the true Church of ENGLAND Henry Yaxlee A DECLARATION OF HENRY YAXLEE OF BOVTHORP IN THE COVNTY of Norfolke Esquire wherein he sheweth how he was a Papist and how by Gods grace he is now lately converted I Was a Recusant because I was taught from my cradle to beleeue the Catholique Church by my Creede And withall I was by all our teachers then perswaded that Rome being the successiue seate of St. Peter could teach no other but the true Catholique Faith though all other Churches failed But when I found in Bellarmines booke a De Rom p. lib. 4. cap. 11. that Pope Honorius is numbred among those who were condemned by the 7. Councell for Heretiques And in Melch. b Lib 6. cap. 1 et vltim Canus that Celestinus 3. had decreed that the woman whose husband falleth into heresie may marie an other And in Alfon. c Alfons a Castro coÌ„ ra haere ses lib. 1 cap. 4. de Cast that Omnis homo errare potest in fide etiamsi Papa sit Nam de Liberio constat fuisse Arrianum et Anastasium Papam fuisse Nestorianum 1 Every man though he were the Pope himselfe may erre in matter of faith for it is manifest that Liberius was an Arrian and that Pope Anastasius was a Nestorian And in the same chapter Cum constet plures eorum esse adeo illiteratos vt Grammaticam penitus ignorent quî fit vt sacras literas interpretari possent i. When it is manifest that many of them were so ignorant as that they did not at all understand the Grammar how can it be that they should interpret the holy Scriptures By this I conceived that it were safest for every Christian that feareth God to beleeue the article according to the Apostles C … Catholicam without addition of Romanam 〈◊〉 is the Catholique not the Roman Church swarving from the Catholique But I was further confirmed when I found many godly learned and vertuous Priests as D. Bagshawe and Master Iohn Collington whose names I remember are to their bookes laying open in their writings that the Iesuites specially Father Parsons haue misled the Popes to doe the most Antichristian iniustice that ever was heard of to those Priests that were appellants to the Popes for justice as you may reade in Bagshawes answer and Collingtons defence as also in divers other whereof I giue you this Catalogue viz. 1. A letter written by A. C. 2. A relation of the faction at Wisbiche 3. A Dialogue betweene a Seculaâ—â—riest and a lay Gentleman 4. Declaratio motuum ac turbationis Angliae 5. Doct. Elies notes Notes vpon the Apologie 6. Important Considerations written in the name of the Priests 7. A sparing Discoverie of Father Parsons These Priests being Roman Catholickes doe plainly declare in the said bookes that the Pope is guided by the violent faction of the Iesuites to do the most Antichristian injustice even to those Priestes who tooke a journey to the Pope by the consent of their brethern by appeale to lay open the wrongs offered unto them by the Iesuites Yea Father Parsons caused them when they were come to Rome to be layd in the jaole where they might haue been starved before ever they had spoken with the Pope if the French Kings Embassador had not with much difficultie procured them audience as appeareth in the aforesaid booke of Important Considerations written in the name of all the Priests distressed and oppressed by the Iesuites Hereupon Collington in his defence printed 1602. fol. 24. is bould to affirme in capitall letters that Father Parsons was so notoriously given to practise treason and to bring an invasion of Forreiners upon this Realme as that even Pasquin in Rome speaketh of him in these words If there be any man that will buy the Kingdome of England let him repaire to a Merchant in a square blacke capp in this Cittie and he shall haue a very good peniworth thereof And in another of the Priests books you shall finde that the Iesuites guide the Church of Rome by murthering Kings Popes and Cardinalls as in Quodl p. 295. The Iesuites and their faction doe devise and publish such a kinde of doctrine that subiects are not bound to obey wicked Princes in their temporall Lawes and commandements but untill they be able by force of armes to resist him Quodl p. 228. And the qualification being pretended that though they seeke to kill Kings yet it may be they will spare Popes Cardinals and Bishops it is peremptorily answered Surely no. ibid. pag. 24. And as there are shrewd suspitions in Rome concerning the death of two Popes two Cardinals and one Bishop already so I make no question at all
had become proficient in this doctrine Now it appeareth what this new doctrine hath done in matters of fact so it is also too manifest how it worketh upon faith and beleefe For hereby they are made carelesse what or how they doe beleeve For they must not search or know whether the Romish Church doth teach the Catholicke faith or no but they must beleeve it as it were by an Attorney because the Iesuites say so and tell them that Boniface hath decreed it and that they must give accompt for their soules So that the people neede take no further care Whereby many Romane Catholickes take their liberty to frequent tavernes and worse matters which I could name but that discretion and modesty doth restraine and yet thinke that upon the Satturday shrift they shall be cleared of all by the Priests absolution For so long as they beleeve as the Church of Rome beleeveth whether that beleefe be true or false they are confident that the Priest must give account for their soules And this is the new doctrine and holy obedience taught by the Iesuites But least any one should thinke that I slander them I will cite Peter Maffe a Priest of their Society in a booke by him written of the life of Ignatius with the approbation of their Generall Aquauiua lib. 3. cap. 7. Where hee calleth the aforesaid obedience Sapientem hanc sanctamque stultitiam caecae obedientiae This wise and holy folly of blinde obedience Hee that will may reade more hereof cap. 17. and 18. of the second booke of the Iesuites Catechisme printed 1602 by the united Priests of France and England as appeareth in the Epistle of the English Priests prefixed with this title The secular Priests Preface to the English Catholiques And that all may the more fully understand how unreasonable a thing this blinde obedience is I will here produce some passages out of the writings of that late famous Philosopher Charroun a Romish Priest and a Doctour of the Civill Law in Paris as I am informed of whom I have heard high commendations from Master Martin the Iesuite for his sanctity of life and for his learning who in his booke of wisedome lib. 2. cap. 2. hath divers passages of speciall use in this point as Sect. 1. To judge is to examine and weigh the reasons and counter-reasons on all parts the weight and merit of them and thereby worke out the truth And in the same page he teacheth That a man should holde himselfe alwayes ready to entertaine better if it appeare Yea not to be offended if another shall contest with him against that hee thinketh better if it appeare Yea not to be offended if another shall contest with him against that which he thinketh better but rather desire to heare what may be said And in the next page in the same sect But I see and perceive a sort of people glorious affirmative which would rule the world and command as it were with a rod and as others in former times have sworne to certaine principles and married themselves to certaine opinions so they would that all others should doe the like whereby they oppose themselves to this noble liberty of the Spirit And then in the next sect To judge of all is the property of a wise and spirituall man Spiritualis omnia dijudicat à nemine judicatur The spirituall man judgeth all things and is judged of none And is not this sutable to the Scriptures which are the unerring word of almighty God which saith Beleeve not every Spirit but try the Spirits Because many false Prophets are gone into the world 1 Ioh. 4.1 Search the Scriptures Ioh. 5 39. But to returne to the words of Master Charroune Thus it followeth The true office of a man his most proper and naturall exercise his worthiest profession is to judge Why is a man discoursing reasoning understanding Why hath he a spirit to build castles in the ayre to feed himselfe with fooleries and vanities as the greatest part of the world doth Quis unquam oculos tenebrarum causa habuit Why have men eyes but to see withall Doubtlesse to understand to judge of all things And therefore is he called the governor the superintendent the keeper of nature of the world of the workes of God To goe about to deprive him of this right is to make him no more a man but a beast And a little further he procedeth thus It is then strange that so many men who either are or make shew of understanding and sufficiency depriue themselves willingly of this right and authority So naturall so just and excellent who without the examining or judging of any thing receive and approove whatsoever is presented either because it hath a faire semblance or because it is in authority credit and practise Yea they thinke that it is not lawfull to examine or doubt of any thing in such sort doe they debase and degrade themselves They are forward in other things and glorious but in this they are fearefull and submisse though it doe justly appertaine unto them and with so much reason Seeing there are a thousand lyes for one truth a thousand opinions of one and the same thing and but one true why should not I examine with the instrument of reason which is the truer the more reasonable honest and profitable Goe to then the wise man shall judge of all nothing shall escape him which hee bringeth not to the barre and to the ballance It is to play the part of prophane men and beasts to suffer themselves to bee ledde like oxen What can a wise man have above a prophane if hee must have his spirit his minde his principall and heroicall part a slave It is an hard thing to bridle the libertie of the spirit and if a man would doe it it is the greatest tyranny that may be I can by no meanes beleeve that Captivare intellectum in re fidei to captivate the understanding in the matter of faith belongeth absolutely unto any but unto God alone and unto man conditionally viz. Cùm docuerint juxta legem when their doctrine is sutable unto Gods word But as you have seene how the learned Charoun doth condemne and confute that wicked doctrine of blinde obedience so I will also adde his censure upon the effects and practises which that Doctrine produceth For in the same booke cap. 5. sect 28. thus I reade What execrable wickednesse hath the zeale of religion brought forth Is there any other subject or occasion that hath yeelded the like Tantum Relligio potuit suadere malorum Quae peperit saepè scelerosa atque impia facta Religion workes so farre in evill men As wicked deedes it acteth now and then Not to love him yea to looke upon him with a wicked eye as upon a monster that beleeveth not as hee beleeveth To thinke to be polluted by speaking or conversing with him is one of the sweetest and most pleasing actions of these kinde of people
that vn till Christs comming againe 1 Tim. 6.14 So if you looke beyond Luther you shall finde that there neuer wanted a visible company of Pastors protesting against the innovated doctrines of the Church of Rome which made as I suppose the Iesuite disputants in Sir Humphrey Linds his house ashamed to try the succession of doctrine offering their blinde buttery booke of names For if they durst try their succession of their doctrine Why did they not either then vndertake it or since make supplication to his Maiesty that they might proue the same and so saue their Credits And since that I had digested and set downe in writing these former inducements I haue beene yet further confirmed by the reading of two bookes the one of Sir Humphrey Linds intituled via tuta wherein is manifestly proued that whatsoeuer the Protestants hold positiuely for matter of faith no learned Papists can or euer could deny And that whatsoeuer the Protestants deny of the things held by the Papists the same cannot be prooued to be Catholicke and Apostolicke agreeing with the Apostles Creed The other is Doctor Fauours booke entituled Antiquity triumphing ouer Nouelties wherein is as plainely proued that the Papists doe speake contemptuously and disgracefully of the Scriptures to deterre men from reading of them Contemne those first and best generall Councels wherin they speake against them and for the Protestants And in the later they take what parts make for them and reiect what makes against them as reprobate as I find Cardinall Bellarmines distinction of them to bee partim probata partim reprobata L. 1. c. 4. de concil eccl The like doe they by the Fathers and also by Histories as you may see if you reade cap. 7 8 9. of the said booke of D. Fauour And all this it seemeth will not serue the turne for they haue set vp shops and Inquisitors of purpose called their Indices Expurgatorij to blot out in the Catholicke Writers what makes against them with a deleatur and to adde what may serue their turne And likewise in their citations they make vse of Bastard and counterfeit Fathers acknowledged by themselues to be such as you may see more plainly and particularly in Doctor Iames his booke printed 1612. entituled A Treatise of Scripture Councels Fathers corrupted by the Romish Pastors And as for their contempt of the Fathers When Tertullian pleaseth Bellarmine he is with him granissimus Author A most graue Author a famous Doctor a Catholike Writer Bellar. de Rom. pont l. 2. c. 5. But if he speake against or please not Bellarmine then he is an Heretique and he will answer fidem non esse omnino adhibendam Tertulliano in hac parte that no credite at all is to be giuen to Tertullian in this case ibid. lib. 4. cap. 8. And as for the vse which the Papists doe afford vnto that euidence of antiquity which is histories Doctor Fauour proposeth certaine examples to make it plaine that in this case the Romanists either miserably or doggedly snarle at all antiquity or vtterly reiect and deny it Cap. 9. § 20. the most expedite course they can deuise to ouerthrow that which in truth would ouerthrow them His first instance is in the matter of Pope Ione The truth of which historie when he hath confirmed by the witnesse of more then a double Grand-iurie of sufficient Authors older and later Greekes and Latines domesticall and forraigne Diuines Lawyers and Physitians Philosophers Poets and other humanitians Priests Bishops in their accompt Saints and Cardinals Fryars Monkes and Canons yea and whole Vniuersities not one of them an enemy nay not so much as one of them not a friend to the Roman Catholicke Court and Religion c. At last hauing named the seuerall Authors in the Margin of his page hee saith Yet because this story doth preiudice the vaunt of their perpetuall succession doth make vncertaine their pretended onely sufficient ordination giues a shrewd shake to their counterfeit rocke c. Fiue or sixe and thirty Authors constantly in diuers countries in many Ages in Catholicke Vninersities Citizens of Rome and Officers in the Popes Court secular religious are all corrupted falsified denyed discredited shaken off and branded with infamy and all must be without sap or sense truth or honesty learning or credit onely to salue that frothy Sea from this filthy Queane And all this begun and set on foot by that one consciencelesse Onuphrius De Rom. pon◠l. 2. c. 6. whom Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe reiecteth as a contradictor of all antiquity and for auouching that for which he hath no authority Who was borne some hundreds of yeares after some of the said Historians which is strange that any man should beleeue it fit that he alone is sufficient to out-beard and out-face all former antiquity And saith D. Fauour I maruell how they laugh not one at another when they see how they gull the simple world as the Auruspices did among the Gentiles His second example is the story of Pope Silvester the second infeofing Antichrist in the Sea of Rome by liucrie and seisin about which he sheweth that they vse the like dealing as about the former story of Pope Ione And while I considered these foule abuses in the Church of Rome there came to my minde an answer which a Iesuite Father Floyd made vnto me when I told him that King Iames his answer to Cardinall Perrone his speech in the Parliament of Paris did charge the said Cardinall with manifold falsifications of the holy Scriptures to proue the Popes power to depose Princes And that if the King were not answered the cause would be much scandalized The Iesuite answered mee that there was too much written already and that he must be answered another way I was afraid then to aske him any more fearing it might be another Powder-plot the rather because I heard Master Smith my old Lady Kneuets Priest affirme that he had heard a zealous Catholicke say when he first heard how the Powder-plot had missed that it was the onely way in the world that could haue beene deuised to haue rooted out the Protestants And now I am easily drawne to beleeue Father Floyd that they will answer no more with bookes or writings but with force and plots if as the Scripture saith Ex ore tuo te iudico a man may iudge according to their owne words specially if we consider how the secular Priests do charge the Iesuites with ambitious vsurping authority in the Church of Rome corrupting it with their treasonable doctrines as is euident in the said Priests bookes whereof I haue already giuen the Reader some taste And I thinke good here to adde more the rather because that the bookes are not easily to be had for that the Iesuites making vse of a rich Spanish Ladies purse for the buying vp and burning of hereticall bookes they tooke vp as many as they could of these Priests books which they counted worst