brooke her reformation but looke backe to the abominations of Aegypt and Babylon I haue thought it conuenient not only to declare at large what benefites the people of England now fiue and fortie yeares almost enioyed by her gracious and happie gouernement but also to iustifie the same against the slaunderous calumniations and cauils of Robert Parsons her borne subiect but now a renegate Iebusite and professed enemie who in diuers wicked libels and paltrie pamphlets hath endeuoured to obscure her great glorie and to deface her worthie actions Wherein that I may proceed with more perspicuitie I think it fit to reason first of matters Ecclesiasticall and afterward of ciuill and worldly affaires In Ecclesiasticall affaires which by her meanes grew to a better settlement we are to consider first what grace it is to haue a certaintie in religion and next what fauour God shewed to vs reducing vs to the vnitie of the true Catholicke Church Thirdly we will reason of true faith fourthly of the sincere administration of the Sacraments fiftly of the true worship of God sixthly of the Scriptures and publicke prayers in our mother tongue seuenthly of freedome we enioyed by her from persecution from the Popes exactions froÌ„ his wicked lawes and vniust censures from al heretical and false doctrine eightly of deliuerance from schisme superstition and idolatrie and finally of good workes and the happinesse of those that not onely are able to discerne which are good workes but also do walke in them according to their Christian profession auoiding pretended Popish good-workes that are either impious or else superstitious and vnprofitable Al which graces this land hath long enioyed by her Maiesties reformation of religion In matters politicall we purpose to consider first the happie deliuerance of this land out of the hands of the Spaniard from all feare of forreine enemies Next her famous victories both against rebels and traitors at home and open enemies abroade and her glorie and reputation with forreine nations Thirdly the restitution of all royall authoritie and preheminence to the Crowne of which the Pope before that had vsurped a great part Fourthly the peaceable estate of this kingdome in the tumults of other nations round about vs and lastly the wealth and multitude of her subiects CHAP. I. Of certaintie in Faith and Religion and of the vnion we haue with the true auncient Catholike and Apostolike Church FAith as saith the Apostle Heb. 11. is the ground of things which are hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene If then we haue true faith we are assured of things hoped for although not séene Luke 24. When two of the disciples of Christ doubted of his resurrection he said vnto them O fooles and slow of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken Ideo fideles vocati sumus saith Chrysostom Hom. 1. in 1. Tim 4. vt his quae dicuntur sine vlla haesitatione credamus Therefore we are called faithfull that we may beleeue without doubting those things which are spoken So then all Christians that beléeue do certainly beléeue and are perswaded and he that doubteth beléeueth not Further the obiect of faith is most certaine Heauen and earth shall passe but my words shall not passe saith our Sauiour Matth. 24. Saint Augustine doth attribute that onely to the writers of canonical Scriptures that they could not erre Neither need I to stand long vpon this point séeing our aduersaries also confesse that nothing that is false can be the obiect of faith But our aduersaries take away from Christians all certaintie of faith and religion For first they teach that no Christian is to beleeue that he shall be saued and secondly they make mans faith vncertaine concerning the obiect That is taught by the conuenticle of Trent sess 6. cap. 16. where it saith Ne que seipsum aliquis etiamsi nihil sibi conscius sit iudicare debet that is neither ought any to iudge himselfe although he be not conscious to himselfe of any thing And in the same session chap. 9. it determineth that no man by the certaintie of faith ought to assure himself that he shal be saued The second point doth follow of the diuers doctrines of the Papists Enchâ—ridâ—e de Ecclesia Eckius holdeth that the Scriptures are not authentical without the authority of the Church And although Bellarmine dare not allow this forme of spéech yet where he defendeth the determination of the conuenticle of Trent concerning the old Latine translation in effect he granteth it For if the Church onely can make Scriptures authenticall without the Churches authoritie they are not authenticall In his booke De not is Eccles c. 2. he saith the Scriptures depend vpon the Church Scriptura saith he pendent ab Ecclesia Stapleton lib. 9. de princip doctrinal cap. 4. saith that it is necessary that the Churches authoritie should consigne and declare which bookes are to be receiued for canonicall Scripture Necessarium est saith he vt Ecclesiae aeuthoritas Scripturarum canonem consignet And his meaning is that no man is to receiue any bookes for canonicall but such as the Church from time to time shall determine to be canonical and those vpon the Churches determination he will haue necessarily receiued Sess 4. Secondly the conuenticle of Trent maketh Scriptures and vnwritten traditions of equall value Bellarmine in his fourth book De verbo Dei speaketh no otherwise of traditions then as of the infallible writteÌ„ word of God Stapleton saith Lib. 7 princ doct c. 1. The rule of faith doth signifie all that doctrine which is deliuered and receiued in the Church and that very absurdly as I thinke no reasonable man can well denie For that being granted the rule and doctrine ruled should be all one But of that we shall speake otherwhere Thirdly they teach that the determinations of the Church are no lesse firmely to be beleeued and reuerently to be holden then if they were expressed in Scriptures Id quod sancta mater Ecclesiae definit vel acceptat saith Eckius Enchir. cap. de Eccles non est minore firmitate credendum ac veneratione tenendum quam si in diuinis literis sit expressum And all our aduersaries do beléeue that the Popes determinations concerning matters of faith are infallible and so to be accounted of Finally in the canon law c. in canonicis dist 19. they place the decretals of Popes in equall ranke with canonicall Scriptures Of these positions it followeth that as long as men beléeue the Romish Church they neither beleeue truth nor haue any certaine faith or religion And that is proued by these arguments First he that beleeueth not Gods promises concerning his own saluation is an infidel and hath no true faith But this is the case of all Papists For not one of them beléeueth that he shall be saued nor imagineth that God hath said or promised any thing concerning his owne saluation Secondly if the Scriptures depend
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
Romanists For albeit the whole world cryeth shame vpon them for their corruptions in doctrine and abominations in liuing yet with them all Sodomiticall filthinesse is holinesse and all truth heresie and many corrupt points of doctrine religion Thirdly it is no flattery for Christians to commend religion or good subiects to like well of good gouernement Which being the case of Sir Francis how is the accused of slattery Finally this patch hath forgotten his Thomas Aquinas who 2. 2. q. 115. art 1. doth define flatterie to be immoderat prayse for hope of gaine Why then doth not the wizard conuince Sir Francis and shew that for gaine he hath falsely and immoderatly praysed the Quéene or some others as he and his consorts vse to commend and extoll the Pope and such as they like and take to be of their faction Likewise fol. 35. he chargeth me to be a famous flatterer But his argument to proue it doth excuse me For it is no flattery to report what Ozorius and Bizarus hath sayd of the Quéene Neither did they say more then is true or speake for hope of reward As for my selfe so farre am I from hope of receiuing of a good fee albeit Parsons obiecteth so much vnto me that I looke for nothing but hatred losse and persecution for defence of truth Parsons himselfe may looke for a Cardinals hat and Bellarmine and Baronius haue gotten Cardinals hats for lying But for vs here be no such rewards proposed Vnlesse therfore he bring better proofes and can shew that we haue praysed the Queene aboue her desert that for hope of gaine his friends wil confesse that he might haue done better to haue chosen some fitter exordium then this false accusation of flattery But the Papists for hope of gaine and preferment haue both immoderatly and immodestly set out the prayses of the Pope and his adherentes as infinite particulars do shew First some call the Pope their Lord and God as the glosse vpon the chap. Cùm inter nonnullos Extr. Ioan 22. de verb. signif credere Dominum Deum nostrum Papā conditorem dictae decretalis sayth the glosse istius non potuisse statuere prout statuit haereticum censeretur Pope Nicholas c. satis dist 96. sayth That the Emperour Constantine called the Pope God Augustine Steuchus in Vallam de donat Const lib. 2. c. 67. likewise alloweth well the name of God giuen to the Pope Audis summum pontificem sayth he à Constantino Deum appellatum habitum pro Deo that is Thou mayst heare the Pope called of Constantine God accompted a God Baldus in l. fin Cod. sent rescind and Decius in c. 1. de constitut and Card. Paris Cons 5. nu 75. say The Pope is a God in earth That is also the saying of Felin in c. ego N. in 1. col in text ibi canonice de iureiurand Others teach That the Pope is Gods Vicegerent in earth c. 1. 2. 3. de transl episc de re iudicat c. ad apostolicae Clem. 1. ibi Card. Papa sayth the Glosse in prooem Clem. id est admirabilis dicitur à Papè quod est interiectio admirantis verè admirabilis So it appeareth he deriueth the Popes title of wonderment Others call the Pope Christs Vicar as if Christ had left him to rule the Church in his stead Bonauenture in breuiloquio calleth the Pope the onely spouse of the Church and Christs vicar generall Panormitan in c. licet and c. venerabilem de electione sayth That Christ and the Pope haue but one consistory and that the Pope can do as it were whatsoeuer Christ can do except sinne Likewise holdeth Hostiensis c. quanto de translat episcop Papa Christus say they faciunt vnum consistorium ita quod excepto peccato potest Papa quasi omnia facere quae potest Deus Nay Panormitan in the chap. venerabilem without qualification sayth Quod possit facere quicquid Deus potest And he alleageth this for a reason alias Christus non fuit diligens pater familiás si non dimisisset in terra aliquem loco sui Gomesius writing vpon the rules of the Popes Chancery sayth That the Pope is a certaine diuine power and sheweth himselfe as a visible God Papa est quoddam numen quasi visibilem quendam Deum prae se ferens Stapleton in his dedicatory Epistle to Gregory the thirtéenth before his Doctrinal principles doeth adore him and call him Supremum numen in terris that is His soueraigne God vpon the earth Hoping percase that his supreme God would looke downe vpon a terrestriall base creature and bestow vpon him some great preferment In praef in lib. de Pon. Rom. Bellarmine doth bestow Christs titles vpon the Pope calling him the corner stone of the church and a stone most precious and approued In his second booke De Pontif. Rom. he titleth him the foundation the head and spouse of the church Caesar Baronius his huge volumes containe most huge and many flatteries of the Popes of Rome the man contrary to all law of story setting forth their praises and concealing their errors and faults It would require a great volume to comprehend all and where so many examples are contained I should diminish his fault if I should set downe but few Simon Begnius a great doer in the conuenticle of Lateran directing his spéech to Leo the tenth Ecce sayth he venit Leo de tribu Iudah And againe Te Leo heatissime saluatorem expectauimus He calleth Pope Leo a lion of the tribe of Iuda and his sauiour Certaine rimes in the Glosse vpon the proeme of the Clementines call him the wonderment of the world Papa stupor mundi And againe say that he is neither God nor man but as it were neuter betweene both Nec Deus es nec homo quasi neuter es inter vtrumque Innocentius the third in cap. solitae de maiorit obed sayth the Pope as farre excelleth the Emperor as the Sunne excelleth the Moone That is as the Glosse doeth there calculate seuentie seauen times He compareth also the Pope to the soule and the Emperour to the bodie Tantū sacerdos praestat regi quantū homo praestat bestiae Quantum Deus praestat sacerdoti tantū sacerdos praestat regi Qui regē anteponit sacerdoti is anteponit creaturam creatori sayth Stanislaus Orichouius in Chimaera That is A priest doth so much excell a king as a man doth excell a beast As much as God is better then a priest so much is a priest better then a king He that preferreth a king before a priest doth preferre a creature before his creator Ioannes de Turrecremata calleth the Pope King of kings In sum de eccles lib. 2. c. 16 and Lord of lords And Herueus will haue him to be a king The glosse and Canonists in c. ad apostolicae de sent re iudicat in 6. hold That the Pope hath power to depose princes and Emperours and this
practise against her life and to make a strong partie against Religion and the State as your Maiestie very well knoweth For the same is lately broken out to the hazard of your royall person and the indangering of the State and God knoweth whether those that haue intended mischiefe against your royall Maiestie that neuer offended them did not worke mischiefe against her whom they tooke to be the obstacle of all their plots and desseines Your Maiestie I doubt not will wisely consider of these plotters and their abettors and all their practises Prouerb 20. A King saith Salomon that sitteth in the throne of iudgement chaseth away all euill with his eyes But his eyes must be in his head and he must sit in the throne of iudgement and execute his lawes He must not suffer them to escape vnpunished that maliciously seeke the bringing in of strangers and the subuersion of Religion and the State Ibidem A wise King saith a wise King scattereth the wicked and maketh the wheele to turne ouer them Who these plotters are I haue declared in the treatise following And that they excuse not themselues by Religion I haue discouered the deformities of their Religion as well as their wicked treasons All which I present to your Maiesties graue consideration beseeching him that is King of Kings to endue you with wisedome and all royall and heroicall vertues fit for the managing of so great kingdomes that you may both triumph ouer all your enemies and also long sit in the royall seate of these kingdomes to the honor of his diuine Maiestie and the comfort of all your louing subiects Your Maiesties most loyall and louing subiect Matthew Sutcliffe The Preface to all true Christians and loyall subiects HOw often the Spaniard and Pope and their agents haue attempted by secret practises to ruinate the Realme of England I doubt not my deare countrimen and friends but you haue heard The rebellion in the North-part of England an 1569. the pretence of the Duke of Guise an 1584. the diuers rebellions and troubles of Ireland the practises of Parrie Patrick Collein Williams and York to kil the Queen of Lopes Squire to impoyson her of Babington and Ballard and diuers other Masse-priests and Masse-louing Papists to subuert the State are yet fresh in memory And to forbeare to speake of such secret practises they haue endeuoured by open warres also to preuaile against the State In the yeare 1588. they prouided against England not onely great land-forces but also a great fleete in their owne conceit inuincible yet by Gods grace easily vanquished and dispersed Likewise anno 1597 and 1598. they made two attempts or rather offers of some enterprise against the State In the first one D. Stillington and other Masse-priests English and Spanish miscaried the Spanish fleete being wracked on the rockes of their owne country so that they could not come to sing Masse in England The other was disappointed by stormes and contrary winds so that no effect came of it The noise of these preparations and menaces comming into England and being bruited abroade partly by letters and partly by a proud proclamation set forth in print by the Adelantado of Spaine wherein he plainly discouereth that he meant no lesse then to cut all our throates if he could it is no maruell if the State and diuers men well affected to their countrey did prepare themselues to make resistance Among the rest Sir Francis Hastings a man of auncient nobilitie and one that hath adorned the honour of his parentage with excellent vertues and namely with true pietie loue of his countrey fortitude and magnanimitie scorning to heare that so base a rabble of Marranes and Bisognos as were assembled first at Lisbone and then at the Groyne should either talke or thinke of the conquest of England which the Adelantado in his bragging Rodomonts stile did threaten he armeth himselfe and prepareth his friends and countrimen to make resistance Perceiuing also the securitie of some and slacknesse of others especially such as were tainted with the pestilent infection of Italian atheisme or Spanish Marranisme but commonly titled Cacolike or popish religion he publisheth a little treatise called A watch-word giuing warning to the secure and stirring vp such as seemed euill affected to resist manfully and to withstand the Spanish incrochments and pretences This booke crossing the desseines of Robert Parsons and his consorts who by all meanes sought to set England in combustion that they might triumph in the ashes and sing Masse in the funerals of their natiue countrey we may perceiue by the sequele that it touched his cause and faction very nearely and therefore was taken by him very tenderly For presently he taketh pen in hand and writeth a most scornefull and bitter treatise against her Maiesties proceedings against Religion and all that professe it railing against Sir Francis and the professors of the truth and commending in the best sort he could both the professed enemies and the secret vnderminers of the State Wherein if we would but note the mans singular impudencie or rather his audacious foolerie it were argument sufficient to confound all his writings For at what time the Spaniard lay with forces at the Groyne and by a Proclamation set forth in print threatned fire and sword against the Realme Robert Parsons like a viperous traitor in his Ward-word talketh of nothing but peace and would make vs beleeue that both the Pope and Spaniards are our good friends Where Iesuites and Masse-priests and malcontent Papists were brewing of sedition and preparing themselues to ioyne with forreine forces this good fellow would make vs beleeue that traitors are good friends and that there was no hurt by them meant to the Queene or State Finally this babling Warder doth addresse all his discourse to the Lords of the Councell and chiefe dealers in matters of State albeit the same tended wholly to the destruction of the State And yet when I consider the practises of the enemies of the State I must cōfesse that he had great reason to enter into this shamelesse course For albeit there was no colour of truth in his discourse yet he supposed if the same were shewed to her Maiestie that it would make her stay her preparatiues He thought also it would proue a faire pretence to those that were loth to spend their money to forbeare to make resistance against the enemy Further he saw that the same would bleare mens eyes while both forreine enemies and secret traitors sought to cut our throates And finally the same being full of railing scorning and scurrilitie he doubted not but the same would deterre others or at least make them slow to take vpon them the defence of the common cause For what man considering the smal encouragement that forward men did find at the hands of friends and the rude entertainment they receiue at the hands of enemies would not leaue the patronage of the State to those that haue most interest
in publike gouernement All this notwithstanding sir Francis considering the obligation that Christians haue to maintaine sincere religion that bindeth true harted subiects to defend their country hath published an Apologie both in defence of the common cause and of his owne reputation against the scurrilous and railing libell which Parsons calleth A warde-word expecting no doubt reward at the hands of God rather then mā and respecting rather his own dutie then the praise of others But before either the booke came forth or that I knew the Knights resolution the impudencie of the man so boldly extolling traitors and forreine enemies together with his singular arrogancy despising his own nation and his foolish speakes for the Popes cause stollen out of others and put forth as his wont is in his owne name had extorted from me a reply to his Wardword Which certes might haue bin wel spared considering the sufficiencie of the Knights apologie if I had seene it before I had ended my reply For what is there in the Wardword worthy of answer seeing the same consisteth wholy of lies and patches and old ends stollen from others often refuted before And what answer can be deuised so slender that counteruaileth not such a hochpotch of words To these replies published by vs after long silence we see that Robert Parsons hath purposed to set forth a reioynder For we haue already receiued two parts of nine but so fraught with calumniations and lies malicious and scornful termes odious and filthy reproches that it seemeth he hath spent all his store of poison and despaireth to perfect the rest This booke albeit most contemptible containing nothing but disgracefull matter against her Maiesties proceedings that is lately deceased and childish disputes for some few points of poperie yet haue I thought good to handle not for any worth that can be in any such packe of pedlary stuffe set to sale by this petit merchant but for that iust occasion is thereby giuen vnto me to insist vpon the cōmendatiō of our late Queene for her heroical vertues and happy gouernment by this wicked traitor and vnworthy swad wickedly disgraced and especially for her singular pietie and Zeale in restoring religion and abolishing Poperie O that she had bene so happy to keepe out the Ministers of Antichrist once expulsed as at the first to expulse them and put them out of her kingdome but what by yeelding to intreatie of some about her by this generation foully abused and what by tolerating of such as were sent in by forreine enemies to practise against her life and kingdome and what drawne backe by those that entertained intelligēce with publike enemies shew as perswaded to slacke execution of lawes if not to suspend them to her owne great trouble and to the hazard of Religion and the State but that God by his prouidence supplied the defects of mē By the aduersaries Warne-word I haue also bene warned to discourse of the miserable and dangerous estate both of kings and their subiects that liue vnder the thraldom of the Pope and that both in regard of matters of State and of Religion Finally albeit Robert Parsons hitherto hath vsed scurrilous railing for his warrant protection against those that haue dealt with him and like as a foxe pursued with hounds with the filthy stench of his stile endeuoureth to make them giue ouer the chase yet I shall so touch him for his impietie making a iest at Scriptures and Religion for his scurrilitie railing without wit or modestie for his doltish ignorance committing most grosse and childish errors for his lies and forgerie vsing neither respect of truth nor common honestie that I hope I shall turne his laughing into another note If I speak roundly to him and his consorts yet I do not as he doth speake falsly Sharpnes he ought not to mislike hauing begun this course Neither can others iustly reproue me considering my aduersaries audacious impudencie Si falsa dicimus saith Hilarie infamis sit sermo maledicus Contra Constant Si verò vniuersa haec manifesta esse ostendimus nō sumus extra Apostolicā libertatem modestiā If we tell matters false then let our sharpe speech be infamous If all we report be manifestly proued then are we not out of the limites of Apostolical libertie and modestie Howbeit what measure is to be required in him that is to incounter a man of such vnmeasurable and outragious behauiour In the first booke the honor of her Maiestie late deceassed and her proceedings in the alteration of religion is defended In the second the grieuances of Christians vnder the Popes gouernement both in matters of conscience and their temporal estate are plainely discouered In the last we are to incounter with the ridiculous manner of Parsons behauior and writing lest he might percase thinke himselfe wise therein God turne all to his glorie to the manifestation of truth the detection of errors and the shame of the shamelesse patrons thereof The first Booke containing a defence of Queene Elizabeths most pious and happie gouernement impugned in a scurrilous libell intitled A warne-word The Preface to the first Booke I Need not I trust make any large discourse in calling to remembrance the noble and heroicall acts of our late Queene and most gracious Soueraigne Ladie Elizabeth of famous and godly memory For as Iesus the sonne of Syrach * Eccles 44. said of famous men of auncient time so we may say of her that her name will liue from generation to generation Her kind loue to her subiects and gracious fauours done both to English and other nations will neuer be forgotten His * Ibidem words likewise concerning his famous ancesters may be well applied vnto her She was renowned for her power and was wise in counsel She ruled her people by counsel by the knowledge of learning fit for them She was rich and mightie in power and liued peaceably at home Her remembrance therefore is as the composition of sweete perfume Ibid. cap. 49. that is made by the art of the Apothecary and is sweete as hony in all mouthes as it is said of Iosias In his steps she insisted and behaued her self vprightly in the reformatiō of the people took away al abominatiōs of iniquity She reformed the abuses and corruptions of popish religion which through the working of the mystery of iniquitie had now won credit in the world and ouerthrew the idoll of the Masse and banished all idolatrie out of the Church She directed her heart to the Lord and in the time of the vngodly she established Religion She put her trust in the Lord and after that wicked and vngodly men had brought vs back into Aegyptian seruitude she deliuered vs from the bondage of the wicked Aegyptians and restored Religion according to the rules of Apostolicall doctrine But because as in the time of Iosias the Priests of Baal so in our times their of-spring the Masse-priests cannot
for thee he did spend make vs to climbe whither Thomas did ascend And againe Opem nobis ô Thoma porrige c. That is yeeld vs your help ô Thomas gouerne them that stand raise them vp that lie our manners actions and life correct and direct vs into the way of peace Which argueth that Thomas Becket had power not onely to intercede for vs but to gouerne and rule our actions Sixtus the fourth granted great indulgences to those that sayd this prayer Haile Marie full of grace the Lord is with thee blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe Iesus Christ and blessed is Anna thy mother of whom thy virgins flesh is proceeded without blot of originall sinne And yet it containeth a plaine corruption of the words of scripture and a contradiction to some of his owne decrees But the greatest fault is this that it is repugnant to plaine words of scripture 2. Encont c. 6. num 8. To excuse this great deformitie Robert Parsons endeuoreth to bring the best defence he can First saith he let this whipster tell vs where we were taught to say O stocke or O stone help vs. As if it were not absurd to pray before stockes and stones and to giue dumbe images the same honor that is due to the originals Or else as if they committed no fault because they say not O stocke or O stone This exception therfore declareth that the moule of this old hacksters cap was blockish and senslesse like as if it were made of stone Secondly he saith that S. Basil homil 20. in 40. martyres prayeth to the same martyrs that Nazianzen in laudem Cypriani martyris maketh his prayer to the said Cyprian and in his oration in praise of Athanasius to Athanasius in his oration in praise of Basil to S. Basil that Chrysostome prayed to S. Peter in a certaine sermon of Peters chaine and that S. Ambrose called on the same Apostle comment in cap. 22. Luc. and S. Ierome on S. Paula in epitaph Paulae And that S. Augustine prayed to S. Cyprian and other Saints lib. 7. de baptis contr Donatist cap. 1. But first there is an infinit difference betwéen the words of the Fathers and the blasphemous formes of popish prayers They by a figure called Prosopopoeia did speake to saints as Orators do to heauen or earth or cities or other things that heare nothing These pray to them as if they heard them saw them and could helpe them Secondly neither Ambrose prayeth to Peter nor Augustine to Cyprian and other saints in the places mentioned Thirdly neither can he proue that the sermon made vpon the adoration of S. Peters chaine is authentical nor that the oratiōs of Basil Nazianzene and other fathers are cléere of all corruptions which differ so much in diuers editions Finally we liue by lawes and not by the examples of three or foure fathers disagréeing from the rest if so be it were granted that they called vpon saints Thirdly he alleageth 2. Encont ca 12. num 9. that in the first prayer to Thomas Becket there is no more blasphemy contained then when the holy prophets did mention the name faith and merits of Abraham Isac and Iacob and other their holy fathers But what if the holy Prophets do not mention the merites of Abraham Isac and Iacob but rather desire God to remember his promise made vnto them Doth it not appeare that in speaking of holy Prophets he lyeth most shamefully and like a false prophet and teacher Againe he sheweth himselfe both shamelesse and senselesse that perceiueth no difference betwéene the Papists that pray they may attaine heauen by the bloud of Thomas Becket and the Prophets that neuer prayed in that fashion nor hoped to attaine heauen by the bloud of any but of the immaculate Lambe Christ Iesus Finally he answereth Ibid. num 10 That where Thomas Becket is prayed vnto to lend his hand for our helpe it is meant he shal do it by his prayer and intercession But this answer is as foolish as the prayer is blasphemous For there is great difference betweene the word helpe and this prayer Be a meanes that we may be holpen Againe albeit the meaning of the word were so yet it is a ridiculous thing to pray to any to gouerne direct and helpe vs that cannot gouerne direct nor helpe vs and farre from the meaning of Papists who in their Legends tell vs that Saints haue appeared holpen and healed such as haue called vpon them This excuse therefore will by no meanes reléeue the aduersaries whose prayers in their Missals and other rituall bookes are repugnant to Christian religion and the formes and practise of the auncient Church Finally they erred in the obiect of their worship adoring creatures in stead of the Creator or at the least aduancing creatures vnto honor not due vnto them The law expresly forbiddeth vs to worship strange Gods or to haue them But the Papists do worship the Sacrament newly made by the priest and call it their Lord and God which is a very strange God and neuer knowne to Christians for a god Neither can they pretend that they giue honor to the Sacrament as to the bodie of our Sauiour while he liued vpon earth For this honor was due by reason of the hypostaticall vnion of the two natures in one Christ But there is no personall vnion betwixt Christ and the sacrament That they call the Sacrament their Lord and their Maker it is apparent by the common spéech vsed by the Papistes Further in the canon of the Masse the priest looking vpon the Sacrament saith Domine non sum dignus Lord I am not worthie Innocentius lib. 4. de Missa cap. 19. speaking of Transsubstantiatiō by the priests words saith that so daily a creature is made the Creator Ita ergo quotidiè creatura fit Creator The author of the booke called Stella Clericorum saith that the priest is the creator of his Creator Sacerdos saith he est creator sui Creatoris Qui creauit vos dedit creare se Qui creauit vos absque vobis creatur a vobis mediantibus vobis The like words are found in the worthy book called Sermones discipuli ser 111. Secondly the law forbiddeth vs to make any similitude or image of things in heauen earth or vnder the earth to bow downe to it or to worship it But they make the images of God the Father and the holy Ghost and the crucifix bow downe to them and worship them and that according to the doctrine of Thomas Aquinas with the same worship that is due vnto God They do also make the images of Angels and Saints burne incense vnto them pray before them and kisse them Thirdly they confesse their sins to Angels and Saints saying Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti beatae Mariae semper virgini c. that is I confesse to God Almightie to the blessed and alwayes a virgin Mary to S. Michael the Archangell to S.
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
regnat per munera quaeque reguntur sayth one in hist citiz Pauli Langij Theodoric à Niem lib. 2. de schism c. 7. Vsura saith he tantum inualuit vt foenus non putaretur peccatum that is Vsurie did so preuaile that it was accounted no fault Paul the fourth and Pius the fourth set vp shops of vsury as their acts testifie and Onuphrius recordeth Neither the Popes nor their adherents obserue oath or promise as their acts do at large shew and many poore Christians brought into snare by their perfidiousnesse haue felt Theodoric à Niem lib. 3. de schism speaking of Pope Gregorie the twelfth saith that with his vowes and othes he deceiued the world Votis iuramentis suis decepit mundum Gregorie the seuenth contrary to his oath tooke vpon him the papacie as is recorded in the life of Henrie the fourth He did also absolue all the Emperors subiects frō their othes of allegiance to their soueraigne Prince The like practise did Pius the fift vse in discharging the subiects from their othes to the late Quéene The articles of the pacification of Gant anno 1578. were confirmed by solemne oath of the old King of Spaine and yet presently and wilfully broken Neither had the Popes faction in France any better colour to intrap poore Christians then othes For whiles the Admirall and diuers of the religion in France trusted solemne othes they were brought within danger and most cruelly and perfidiously massacred Neither need we to maruell if this sect obserueth no othes seeing in the conuenticle of Constance the same determined that faith was not to be kept with heretikes in which number they reckon all that yéeld not to the Popes will The Doctors of this sect hold that the Pope can dispence with othes and absolue men that are periured Finally those that haue trauelled France Italy and Spaine do know that the common sort of Papistes can scarce vtter thrée words without swearing and blaspheming The Popes and their faction haue caused all the warres and troubles in Christendome as histories do recount If a man do but look in the life of Sixtus the fourth Iulius the 2. he may easily sée what seditious and turbulent spirits they cary But what néed we looke so high seeing the flames of ciuil discension in Germanie France Flanders England and Ireland burning so bright by the solicitation of Paul the third Pius the fifth Gregorie thirtéenth and fourteenth and this Clement that now possesseth the throne of Antichrist do so plainely declare them to be firebrands of warre and trouble Well therefore said Petrarke that in Rome all those mischiefes were hatched that are now spread through the world and neuer shall Christian Princes haue loyall subiects as long as seditious Masse-priests are suffered to lurk within their kingdomes In countries subiect to the Pope they count it a little fault to murder mē now frō thence are come certaine assassins which for hire and by perswasions are induced to kill men There also impoysonments are most common The Popes themselues vse to drinke of poysoned cups and that by the iust iudgement of God séeing by the cup of their poysoned doctrine according to the prophecy Apoc. 17. they haue empoysoned many Christian nations To conclude this large discourse there is no state of men vnder the Popes iurisdiction but it is growne to great dissolution and corruption of manners and may be conuinced of diuers sinnes and abominations by infinite witnesses and confessions if we would stand vpon it but I will content my selfe with two or three Breidenbach in the historie of his peregrination speaketh generally and sayth Recessit lex à sacerdotibus c. that is the law is departed from priests iustice from princes counsell from elders good dealing from the people loue from parents reuerence from subiects charitie from prelates religion from Monkes honestie from yong men discipline from clerkes learning from masters study from schollers equitie from Iudges concord from citizens feare from seruants good fellowship from husbandmen truth from merchants valor from Noblemen chastitie from virgins humility from widowes loue from maried folks patience from poore men O time ô manners And Walter Mapes that liued in the time of Henry the second King of England Virtutes cunctae saith he en iacent defunctae All vertues lie now dead Charitie is no where to be found And againe In truth I find that the whole Cleargy doth studie wickednesse and impietie enuie raigneth truth is exiled The prelates are Lucifers heires They being now aduaunced tread downe others blinde guides they are and blinded with idolatrie of earthly things Robert Bishop of Aquila in his Sermons of which Sixtus Senensis maketh mention in the third booke of his Biblioth sanct speaketh thus to his countrie of Italie O Italia plange ô Italia time ô Italia caue ne propter obstinationem tuam in te desaeuiat ira Dei c. Tu in dies durior efficeris in peccatis malitia perseuerando Fiunt iam vbique vsurae publicae omnia foedata sunt spurcissimis vitijs carnis ignominiosae Sodomiae superbia pomparum iam occupauit omnes ciuitates terras blasphemia Dei periuria mendacia iniustitiae violentiae oppressiones pauperum similia superabundant O Italie saith he lament ô Italie feare ô Italie beware lest for thy obstinacie the wrath of God waxe not cruell against thee c. Thou euery day art more and more hardened perseuering in thy sinnes and maliciousnesse Euery where men set vp bankes of vsurie all things are defiled with most foule vices of the flesh and most shamefull sodomie Pride in pompous shewes haue now filled cities and countries blasphemies against God periuries lies iniustice violence orpression of the poore and such like vices do superabound I would further insist vpon this argument but that I referre diuers matters ouer to the second booke where I shall haue occasion more particularly to examine the good workes of Papists But the Church of England neither alloweth publike shewes nor bankes of vsurie nor dispenseth with oathes of subiects to Princes or alloweth periurie nor shall Robert Parsons find such filthines and abhominations among the professors of our religion as are commonly practised by the Popes Cardinals Masse-priests Monkes Friars and Nuns and their followers All corruptions in doctrine concerning good workes are reformed and diuers abuses concerning manners among the Papists taken away The which séeing it procéeded wholly of that reformation of religion which Quéen Elizabeth of pious memorie wrought by her regall authoritie among vs we are most gratefully to accept that worke and by exercises of pietie and charity to indeuour to shew our selues not vnworthie either of our profession or of so great a blessing Against this discourse Robert Parsons talketh very scornfully and saith first that the experience of the whole world will deny that good workes are fruites of our religion But if he had bene well aduised he would haue forborne to
written this discourse he could neuer haue spoken more foolishly nor impertinently For first I haue shewed that the state of the kingdome for diuers respects was neuer more flourishing Secondly if any danger hanged ouer our heads the same might easily be auoyded if lawes had bene executed against traitors Thirdly it is now apparant to the world that want of issue in her Maiestie hath not hurt vs God sending vs so gracious and magnanimous a king Fourthly his royall Maiestie succéeding in her throne hath declared that she wanted no succession The same act also sheweth that Parsons and all his consorts are a packe of false Prophets Parsons his booke of succession doth also declare him to be a false traitor Fiftly it is a ridiculous thing to tell vs of vnion with the Pope and his mediation of peace For there ought to be no agréement betweene Christians and Antichrist Here the Noddie will storme that his holy Father should be called Antichrist But let him answer my reasons in my fifth booke De Pont. Rom. against Bellarmine and then let him storme while his heart break Sixtly we haue so litle losse by breaking with the Spanish king that all men of knowledge pray that either he may chaunge his former courses or that the warres may still continue Finally this land hath no reason either to feare forraine warres or domesticall treasons vnlesse we will vncouple the Popes hounds that come hither to teare the kings Maiestie and State in péeces which I hope he and his Councell of state will looke vnto Whether then we looke into the Church or the State we must needes say that Quéene Elizabeths raigne was most happie And that so much the rather for that all her aduersaries wit and malice doth not affoord any one sound argument that doth any way sound to her disgrace Robert Parsons hath long barked in vaine against her procéedings But he should remember that the end of mad barking curres is beating if not hanging The second Booke shewing the miserable estate of Papists both in England vnder Q. Mary and elsewhere vnder the Popes irreligious tyrrannie weakely defended by N. D. in a leud Libel intitled the WARNE-WORD The Preface to the second Booke THE nature of man being subiect to change it is no maruell good Christian Reader if naturally all men desire change But that such as professe religion and haue experience in the world should desire to change for the worse and seeke from libertie and peace to returne to miserable captiuitie and slauerie vnder the grieuous yoke of popish gouernment it seemeth to me not onely strange but also repugnant to the rules of religion and reason Stand fast saith the Apostle in the libertie Gal. 5. wherewith Christ hath made vs free and be not intangled againe with the yoke of bondage Philip. And Tully would haue men contend for libertie vnto the death The poore slaue in Plautus could say that all men had rather be free then bond In Capt. Omnes profectò saith he liberi libentiùs sumus quà m seruimus Yet such is the ouerthwart humour of some men that rather then they will continue long in one and the selfe same setled state will not doubt to hazard their life and libertie vpon hope of better happe in a new gouernment The children of Israel had not long continued in the wildernesse after their wonderfull deliuerance out of Aegypt but they began to murmure vpon the first pinch of hunger And all the congregation of the sonnes of Israel saith the Scripture murmured against Moyses and Aaron in the wildernes and the sonnes of Israel said vnto them would to God we had died by the hand of God in the land of Aegypt So much it grieued them to remember their bellies which were wont to be filled in Aegypt not remembring the slauerie wherein they once liued nor the land whereto they were going So likewise some there are among vs that not knowing or not remembring the grieuances of the popish gouernment nor wel considering their present freedome and happie state looke backe to Rome and the Popes golden promises and rather will venture their soules and bodies then still enioy that libertie and freedome which they haue receiued from their auncestors Of this sort are first a sort of rinegued English fugitiues that runne to the Pope and Spaniard and are by them perswaded to become sacrificing Priests and traitors and secondly such as are seduced by them all of them drinking of the golden cuppe of the whoore of Babylon and as if they had drunke of Circes cuppe from men being transformed into beasts and brutish Papistes Wherefore to reclaime these haggard English if it be possible and to stay the stirring humours of others as I haue in the former Treatise recounted diuers excellent graces bestowed vpon our countrie and nation by meanes of the pious and prosperous gouernment of our late Queene that broke down the altars of Baal and established Christs true religion among vs so now in the Discourse ensuing I purpose by Gods grace to enter into a due consideration of the calamities and miseries wherto our natiō was subiect during the raign of Queene Marie and whereto all Papists liuing vnder the Popes iurisdiction are ordinarily subiect Wherein that I may proceede more perspicuously first I will speak of matters of the Church and then of matters of ciuill pollicie and that first as they concerne the King and next as they concerne his people Now because Robert Parsons according to his best skill indeuoureth to aduance popish gouernment I haue thought it not amisse now and then as the course of my Discourse carieth me to enterlace his idle arguments and to refute them Not that I suppose any man of reason will giue credit to such a lying companion that shutting his eyes against light commaundeth his tongue to walke and talke against all truth but that by his trifling obiections you may perceiue our plaine dealing and his parasiticall and palpable glosing I may well say of this wicked Atheists wranglings as Origen sayd of Celsus in his discourse against Christian Religion Lib. 1. contra Celsum Non est periculum vt eis subuertatur vllus fidelium Absit enim vt inueniatur aliquis in charitate Dei quae est per Christum Iesum tam frigidus vt Celsi verbis aut similium dimoueatur à proposito There is no danger least any faithfull man be ouerthrowne by them God forbid that any should be so cold in the loue of God which is through Christ Iesus that be should be disturned from his godly purpose by Parsons his wrangling Wardwords and Warne-words or by such friuolous deuises of any of his consorts But as the Apostle sayth All haue not faith And many want both the loue of God and the loue they ought to beare to their Prince and countrey Against these I dispute and for those I labour that persist in their first loue Marke therefore I pray you
spiritualem salutem earum sunt facienda corrigenda That is Thou doest rauish and take from me innumerable soules for thou sendest to hel almost al that come vnto thy court because thou attendest not those things that belong to my court Because thou art a prelate and a shepheard of my sheepe therfore it is thy fault that thou doest not discreetly the things that for their soules health are to be done and performed And againe Papa qui clamare deberet saith Brigit venite inuenietis requiem animarum vestrarum clamat 6. Brig 96. venite videte me in pompa ambitione plusquam Salomonem Venite ad curiam meam exhaurite bursas vestras inuenietis perditionem animarum vestrarum The Pope which ought to crie Come and you shall find rest to your soules cryeth come and see me aduanced in pomp and ambition aboue Salomon Come vnto my court and emptie your purses and you shall find the destruction of your soules Occham in the second booke of the first part of his Dialogue confesseth the ignorance and vnskilfulnesse of Popes in Scriptures and sayth that no Popes since Innocent the thirds time were excellent in the knowledge of them Few Popes studie the law of God many studie the laws of men some study neither but giue themselues to worldly delights Quotidiè perstrepunt in palatio leges Lib. 1. de consid saith Bernard sed Iustiniani non Domini Dayly lawes sound in thy pallace but the lawes of Emperors not of the Lord. But now it is far worse For neither law nor reason is there to be heard but all is gouerned by the Popes will Is it not then a ridiculous thing that the Pope should be called the chiefe pastor that feedeth not all and that he should be made the chiefe Iudge that in matters of faith hath neither learning nor iudgement Likewise the Cardinals popish Bishops and prelates are both vnlearned and negligent For their learning I refer my self to experience and to diuers histories that record their notorious ignorance Their defect in preaching is notoriously knowne There be few of them but would take great scorne of it So far are they departed from the steps of their auncesters Lois Mersilius an Augustinian Frier as sayth Poggius being asked what the two points of a Bishops miter signified answered the old and new testament Being asked further what the two strops meane that hang downe from the miter on the Bishops backe said that the Bishops knew neither old nor new testament In ore Episcoporum saith he that wrote the treatise titled Onus Ecclesiae est lex vanitatis pro lege veritatis The law of vanitie is in the mouth of Bishops in stead of the law of truth They should build the Church of God 2 Brig 10. but as Brigit saith they build the diuel two cities Catherine of Siena cap. 129. saith that vnprofitable pastors do not driue the woolues from the sheepe for that they want the dog of conscience and staffe of iustice She saith also that they feed not their sheepe in the pastures of saluation nor leade them the way of truth Quid hodiè erant Episcopi Syluius de gestis concil Basil lib. 1. saith the Cardinall of Arles in the méeting at Basil nisi vmbrae quaedā Quid plus eis restabat quà m baculus mitra What are Bishops of our time but shadowes What remaineth to them more then a staffe and a miter If any be more studious then other yet it is not in Scriptures but in laws and matters of state and storie The Masse priests in time past vsed not to studie Scriptures nor to preach It was sufficient for them either by themselues or by others to expound in English the Créed Law and some few things more and that onely at foure times in the yeare as appeareth by the chapter Ignorantia sacerdotum de officio Archipresbyteri in our prouinciall constitutions Now to do this litle learning was required and lesse vnderstanding Clerkes saith Math. Paris in the life of VVilliam the Conqueror were then so vnlearned that those that vnderstood grammer were a wonderment to their fellows Adeo literatura carebant vt caeteris esset stupori qui grammaticam didicisset The Friers were then the onely preachers vpon whose teaching the edification of the popish Church wholy relied vnlesse percase some will suppose that faith may come by gazing on the priest at Masse or on the crucifixe and dumb images which as the prophet saith are teachers of vanity But these Friers were for the most part vnlearned as the sermons of Menot Maillard Bromeyard others wil testify Secondly they preached onely in Aduent and Lent some few extraordinary times And thirdly the ground of their sermons were either fables or else philosophicall positions or idle questions litle tending to edification or matters for their owne profit And finally they came without lawful mission to teach lies rather then the truth to destroy rather then to build to make a schisme and diuision rather then to reduce men to loue vnitie and concord Dante sheweth Ca. 29. parad that the Friers of his time wrested scriptures and litle regarded them Quando e posposta la diuina scrittura quando e torta Againe he sayth they desired their owne glorie and preached their owne inuentions hiding the Gospell in silence Per apparer ciascun s'ingegna face Sue inuentioni quelle son trascorse Da predicanti è l uangelio si tace He telleth vs that they tel fables and feede ignorant and simple people with wind No ha in Fiorenza tanti Lupi Bindi Quante si fatte fauole per anno In pergamo si gridan quinci quindi Si che le pecorelle che non sanno Tornan dal pasco pasciute di vento Agnellus generall of the Minorites Chronic. Citizent Long. hearing the Doctors dispute whether this proposition there is a God be true exclaimed against this maner of dealing and detested such questioning Cornelius Agrippa speaking of schoole doctors sayth De vanit scient c de Theolog scholast that for the Gospel and the word of God they preach meere toyes and humane words preaching a new gospel and adulterating the word of God Pro Euangelijs pro verbo Dei meras nugas humana verba crepant praedicantes euangelium adulterantes verbum Dei Likewise doth Orthuinus Gratius in Praefat. ante lib. Petri de Alliac de reform Eccles speake against scholasticall Diuinitie saying that the same is ingenious to lay burthens on mens soules and againe cunning in deuising excuses for sinne Est ingeniosa cum ad aggrauandas conscientias tum rursus adinueniendas excusationes in peccatis multo solertissima Robertus Gallus vis 34. saith that the Friers preaching idle and curious questions were designed by a vision wherin a man appeared loaden with bread but gnawing a long stone with a snakes head appearing at either
the hand of God vpon them when they heare scriptures read and prayers said publikely in a language which they vnderstand not and a thing to be wondred at that they chuse rather to liue in this blindnesse then to haue the word of God read in a toung which they are able to vnderstand and whereby they may learne to feare God Seuenthly the very heathen haue oft times chosen to die rather then to sée themselues oppressed by tyrants Yet such is the stupiditie of Papists that they suffer the Pope and his Priests to tyrannize ouer them loading their consciences with intolerable lawes and false doctrine and spoiling their goods by diuers kinds of exactions and endangering their liues by their Inquisitors and massacrers and such like executioners of their bloudie decrées 8. Most dangerous is euery diuision among those of one societie but most miserable it is when they which professe themselues to be of Gods Church are deuided one frō another For the Church is a house of vnitie and not of dissention But among Papists one holdeth of Benet another of Francis another of Dominicke another of Clare and in no point of doctrine do all their Doctors agree together Superstitiously also they obserue dayes times and distinction of meates and consecrate salt water bread candles and paschal Lambes Finally they leaue the Creator and serue our Ladie Angels and Saints and other creatures Nay for reliques of Saints they worship oft times the ashes relikes and bones of wicked men and reprobates nay of bruite beasts 9. It is an vnséemely thing for those that professe holinesse to shew themselues examples of all beastlinesse as the Popes and holiest men of the papists are wont to do Therefore séeing the dogs sorcerers whore-mongers murtherers idolaters and lyars shall be shut out of the kingdome of heauen they are not to looke to be admitted without spéedie reformation 10. No Prince liuing vnder the Pope can assure himselfe of his state nor can any subiect that liueth vnder such a prince assure himselfe either of his life or goods For if the Pope haue power to take away kingdomes and to bestow them vpon others how can any King or prince assure himselfe he will not attempt the same when occasion serueth considering his violent procéeding against Emperours and kings in time past and against our late noble Queene against Henry the third and fourth of Fraunce and diuers others And if euery one by him and his Inquisitors declared Hereticke is to lose life and goods who can assure himselfe of either if he acknowledge not his authoritie and refuse his religion 11. No man certes shall prosper that shall follow Antichrists sect or religion If any man worship the beast and his image saith the Angel Apocalyps 14. and receiue his marke in his forehead and in his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God of the pure wine that is powred into the cuppe of his wrath But that new Rome and the Popes gouernment is the image of the old Romaine Empire and that the Pope is Antichrist it plainely appeareth by diuers arguments which I haue declared in my fifth booke De pontif Rom. 12 Those Kings that liue vnder the Pope are but halfe kings For first their Cleargie in diuers cases is exempt from them and next they haue not to do with the rest of their subiects in ecclesiasticall causes O miserable kings that haue fallen downe to worship the beast and haue suffered such base bougerly Italians to take away more then halfe of their royall authoritie 13 We find that no kingdome can long liue in peace which is subiect to the Popes controlment For if the Pope do find himselfe aggréeued then doth he trouble the peace of the State if the same offend him not but pay what he requireth yet if he fall out with others then must that kingdome make warres at the Popes pleasure By the Popes solicitation both England France Flaunders Spaine and all Christian countries haue endured great troubles The Turkes liue farre more quietly vnder their Sultans then Papists vnder the Pope Finally considering the intolerable exactions of the Pope and his furious inclination to warre and bloudshed and the tyrannie both of the Pope and his adherents it is no maruell if the papisticall people be poore and much wasted Whether then we respect things of this life or of the life to come there is no creature more miserable then a Papist Do you not then wonder that any should like the popish gouernment It were certainely much to be wondred but that experience doth teach vs that the Cimmerians that dwell in darknesse care not for the light and that brutish beasts delight in brutishnesse and base people in seruitude and superstitious people in vanities and superstitions CHAP. VI. Of the contradictions of Popish Doctors in principall points of Religion OF the dissentions of popish Doctors in matters of religion I haue said somewhat before Yet because Papists make vnitie in matters of faith to be a marke of the Church and confidently deny that their Doctors dissent in any point of any moment I haue thought good to insist yet more vpon this point that the world may see not only their miserie that as men not resolued in most points of religion wauer betwixt contrarie opinions but also their notorious impudencie that deny it Therein also doth appeare some Papists wonderfull simplicitie that séeing the contention of their Doctors do not vnderstand their differences and séeeing their differences and vncertaintie of popish Religion do notwithstanding sticke fast in the filthy dregs and abhominable corruptions thereof Pighius lib. 1. Eccles hierarch cap. 2. saith That Scriptures are not aboue our faith but subiect vnto it Stapleton Princip doctrin lib. 12. cap. 15. holdeth that the Church and Scriptures are of equall authoritie Eckius in enchirid loc com cap. de Eccles saith That the Scriptures are not authenticall without the authoritie of the church Bellarmine thought best not to dispute this question Nicholas Lyra Hugo Dionysius Carthusianus Hugo Cardinalis Thomas de Vio and Sixtus Senensis lib. 1. Biblioth sanctae reiect the last seuen Chapters of the booke of Hester as not canonicall Scripture The Conuenticle of Trent Bellarmine and most popish Doctors of late time hold them to be canonicall and thinke hardly of those which teach contrarie Iohn Driedo lib. 1. de Scripturis dogmat Eccles denyeth the booke of Baruch to be canonicall Scripture Bellarmine lib. 1. de verb. Dei and most of his fellowes be of a contrarie opinion Caietan and Erasmus in their Commentaries vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes of Iames Iude the second of Peter the second and third of Iohn do dissent from the rest of their fellowes partly concerning the authors and partly concerning the authoritie of those Epistles Iames bishop of Christopolis in Praefat. in Psalm And Canus lib. 2. cap. 13. de locis theologicis affirme That the Iewes haue depraued and corrupted
the Scriptures An opinion false and blasphemous and therefore contradicted by Bellarmine lib. 2. de verb. Dei and diuers others Sainctes Pagninus in Praefat. interpretationis suae Biblior And Paulus bishop of Foro-sempronij lib. 2. cap. 1. de die passionis Domini deny that the vulgar Latine translation was made by Hierome Augustine of Eugubium and Iohn Picus of Mirandula hold contrarie Bellarmine and Driedo say that it is part his and part others Alexander Hales and Durand hold that the diuine attributes are not distinguished but in respect vnto creatures Henricus and Albertus Magnus in 1. Sent. dist 2. hold contrarie Richardus in dist 3. lib. 1. sent holdeth that the most holy Trinitie may be demonstrated by naturall reasons Scotus and Francis Maronis and Thomas affirme contrarie About the faculties of the soule called potentiae the schoolmen are deuided into three sects Vid. lib. 1. se◠dist 3. dd Some hold that they are al one with the substance of the soule others that they are accidents the third that they are betwéene substances and accidents Abbas Ioachim and Richardus de sancto victore taught diuinam essentiam generare gigni Ibidem The contrary is taught by Peter Lombard and his followers Peter Lombard lib. sent 1. dist 17. taught that charitie wherewith we loue God and our neighbor is the holy Ghost and that it is not any thing created But now most of his followers haue in this point forsaken him and hold contrarie In the 24. distinct of his first booke the same Peter Lombard saith that words of number spoken of God are spoken onely relatiuely and that the word Trinitie implieth nothing positiuely but onely priuatiuely Which because it contrarieth the mysterie of the holy Trinitie is denied almost by all his followers In the 44. distinction of the same booke he saith that God can alwayes doe whatsoeuer he could euer do and willeth whatsoeuer he would at any time and knoweth whatsoeuer he he knew at any time But his disciples hold direct contrarie Thomas p. 1. q. 46. art 2. holdeth that the world or at the least some creature might haue bene from euerlasting So likewise holdeth Bonauenture and some others Richardus doeth maintaine the opposite opinion The Maister of Sentences in 4. dist 1. and Gabriel and Vega lib. 7. in concil Trident. c. 13. hold that not onely substances but accidents are also created Alexander Hales q. 9. m. 6. q. 10. m. 1. and Thomas p. 1. q. 45. art 4. affirme that only substances are created About this question An omnium aeuiternorum sit vnum aeuum vel multiplex there are fiue different opinions the first of Scotus the second of Thomas the third of Durand the fourth of Henricus the fift of Bonauenture Likewise about this question Quae sit ratio formalis cur Angelus sit in loco there are fiue diuers opinions all repugnant one to another Thomas and Richardus do affirme that two Angels cannot be in one place together Scotus Occham and Gabriel hold the contrary Thomas teacheth that Angels haue not intellectum agentem possibilem Scotus doth directly contradict him Scotus and Gabriel teach that diuels and good Angels do vnderstand naturally both our thoughts and the thoughts one of another but to Thomas p. 1. q. 57. art 4. this seemeth absurd Antisiodorensis lib. 2. sum teacheth that Christ had Angelum custodem other schoole-men denie it Scotus sayth that the will is the onely subiect of sinne Thomas denieth it Concerning the place of paradise there are thrée different opinions Some hold that it reacheth to the circle of the Moone Thom. in 2. dist 17. and Bonauenture doe place it vpon a high mountaine The rest place it in the East Concerning the nature of frée wil there are diuersities of opinions among schoolemen and others as Iosephus Angles sheweth in lib. 2. sent dist 24. 25. Richardus holdeth that frée will cannot be chaunged by God Others for the most part hold the contrary Thomas Bonauenture and Sotus hold that grace is not a qualitie infused but a qualitie inherent in the soule Alexander Hales and Scotus hold that it is a qualitie infused Iosephus Angles in lib. 2. sent dist 26. rehearseth thrée seuerall opinions of schoole doctors about the diuision of grace in gratiam operantem cooperantem whereby it may appeare that in talking of grace they do endeuor to shut out grace Certaine schollers of Thomas beléeue and teach that no man being of yeares of discretion can be iustified by the absolute power of God without the act and concurrence of frée will Scotus Vega and Caietane say quite contrary Both their opinions are touched by Iosephus Angles in 2. sent dist 27. Richardus in 2. dist 27. art 2. q. 1. Scotus in 1. dist 17. q. 1. art 1. and Durand in 1. dist 17. q. 2. others hold that a mā may merit the first grace de congruo Gregorius Ariminensis in 2. di 26. Lyranus in Ioan. 1. Waldensis and others do denie it Sotus li. 2. de nat grat c. 4. saith that the former opinion is neare to pelagianisme Gregorius Ariminensis in 2. dist q. 1. and Capreolus in 2. di 27. q. 1. hold that no man without the illustration of Gods speciall grace can attaine to the knowledge of any morall truth But Thomas and Scotus in 2. dist 27. do hold contrary Durand placeth originall sinne in the carnall appetite Thomas placeth it in the whole substance of the soule Scotus differeth from both and placeth it in the will of man Iosephus Angles rehearseth thrée diuers opinions in 2. dist 37. about this question whether a sin of omission may be committed without a positiue act The same man reckeneth fiue different opinions about the difference of mortall and veniall sinnes And thrée opinions concerning this question What is sinne of malice Bellarmine lib. 1. de pontif Rom. c. 12. saith that the keyes of the Church are nothing but order and iurisdiction Caietan in tractat de iustit authorit Romani pontificis holdeth that the keyes of the Church include somewhat more Pighius lib. 4. hierarch eccles cap. 8. holdeth that the Pope cannot fall into heresie nor be deposed Turrecremata lib. 4. sum part 2. c. 20. saith that the Pope falling into heresie ipso facto is deposed before God and cast out of the Church There also he saith that some held that the Pope neither for manifest nor secret heresie is deposed or could be deposed Caietane in tract de author Papae concil c. 20. 21. holdeth that the Pope prouing a notorious hereticke is not deposed ipso facto but that he may and ought to be deposed by the Church Bellarmine himselfe lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 30. holdeth that if the Pope be a notorious hereticke he then of himselfe ceaseth to be Pope Iansenius denieth that the comming againe of Helias can be proued out of the 48. of Ecclesiasticus Bellarmine lib. 3 de pont Rom. c.
obiect his owne faults to others Of his scurrilitie I do meane to make a whole chapter Of his turpitude his baudy and filthie rimes against Beza in the defence of his rayling censure against master Charke yeeld proofe sufficient I may therefore vse Optatus his words to Parmeniam against him Cùm pro his erubescere debueras catholicos innocentes accusas That is where thou shouldest blush for thine owne faults thou accusest others that are innocent As for my stile and termes they shall alwayes be iustified when Parsons hath any matter to obiect against them Ibidem Descending from his magistrall throne of his royall pedantery to speake of my epistle it pleaseth him to diuide it into three principall parts to wit into notorious folly apparant falshood and ridiculous vanitie in bragging and vanting But seeing he hath diuided no more wisely he must take the parts all to himselfe being a notorious sot a false packer and a vaine and ridiculous bragger Such a one the wise man describeth Prouerb 6. Homo apostata saith he vir inutilis graditur ore peruerso annuit oculis terit pede digito loquitur prauo corde machinatur malum omni tempore iurgia seminat It seemeth a proper description of Parsons an apostate from religion a man of little worth that goeth vp and downe with a peruerse and wide mouth which winketh with his eyes giueth a signe with his feete speaketh with his fingers deuiseth mischiefe in his wicked heart and at all times foweth discord and contention It followeth therefore that he looke for the execution of that which followeth Huic exemplo veniet perditio sua subitò conteretur nec habebit vltrà medicinam This mans destruction will come quickly and he shall suddenly be broken in peeces and shall find no further remedie As for the folly falshood and vanitie he talketh of they are so surely fastened vpon himselfe that he shall neuer put them vpon me To conuince me of folly he hath alledged the words of Tully that calleth him a noddy orator as he saith that alledgeth such matter as maketh no lesse for his aduersarie then for himselfe But if this be the part of a noddy then is Parsons a threefold noddy who alledgeth almost nothing but it may with better reason be reiected vpon himselfe then cast vpon others as for example where he talketh of heresie rayling bloody pamphlets folly and such predominant humors and qualities in himselfe Against me the words of Tully make nothing For albeit I do call him noddy that taketh for his deuise N.D. which with the addition of two vowels make noddy yet cannot he by any meanes make noddy out of O. E. which letters I assume to shew his folly vnlesse he will lend me his owne name which I do not meane to borrow at this time Againe if he may come vpon the stage with the maske of N.D. why may not he that defendeth take the two next letters O. E 1. ff quod quisque iuris The lawes are plaine that no man may refuse to stand to that law by which himselfe meaneth to receiue aduantage Furthermore talking of two letters where I say he is a man of two or three letters he answereth but by halfe and therefore is like to rest a noddy and a man of three letters that is Fur and the rather for that like a thiefe he came into England entring not by the doore but stealing in some other way with picklocke faculties and trecherous instructions from the Pope Finally the man sheweth himselfe to be not an orator but rather a foolish grammarian that calleth consonants the material part vowels the formall part of words For if this were true then should no word be compounded of vowels nor should vowels stand without consonants nor should forme and matter be proper to bodies but common to words also and fancies Thus we sée how Robert Parsons since he ran out of England hath outrun both grammer and logike is now learning to spell N. D. It may be if he passe Tiburne cleanly he wil shortly enter into his Puerilis and learne to construe stans puer ad mensam or percase pendens in patibulo To conuince me of apparant falshood he saith albeit he might remit himselfe to a multitude of examples in the encounters ensuing yet he will shew one for a proofe of the ministers talent in this kind But whosoeuer list to compare my answers with his examples shall find that his multitude of examples doth shew the multiplicitie of his vanities and that his whole Warneword is but a fardell of foolery As for this one example which he alleadgeth it may serue to iustifie my honest dealing throughout the whole booke and to shew that he hath neither wit nor honesty In my reply I charge him that he hath written diuers odious chartels and bookes both against particular men and the State and namely First certaine chartels against some in Oxford Next Leicesters common-wealth Thirdly a libell intitled a Confutation of pretended feares Fourthly the booke set out vnder the name of Andreas Philopater Fiftly the Libell to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland set out vnder Card. Allens name Sixtly Dolmans booke of titles Seuenthly the Wardword Eightly the relation of the dispute betwixt M. Plessis and Eureux But because I doe not mention other bookes written by him as for example Houlets reasons of refusal the Discouery of Nicols the Censure against Charke the Epistle of persecution and his Directory he saith that in recounting eight bookes I tell nine lies fiue priuatiue and foure positiue But in talking of priuatiue lies hée sheweth himselfe not onely a positiue but a superlatiue dizard For if euery one lyed that reckned not vp all his paltry pamphlets he would bring himselfe and his owne friendes within the compasse of lying He must therefore iustifie this fiction of priuatiue lies for else he doth nothing It standeth him also vpon to shew that euery one is to take notice of his fooleries and patcheries For such is the howling of Parsons Houlet and the Epistle of persecution where he taketh that which is in question for granted The Censure of Charke and Discouery of Nicols do consist principally of rayling The Directory is stollen out of Gaspar Loarti Granatensis others He hath no reason therefore to brag of such bald inuentions Where he obiecteth falshood to me for charging him with certaine libels written against some in Oxford and with the libell called Leicesters Common-wealth the treatises entitled a Confutation of certaine pretended feares Letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland his friends are much ashamed in his behalfe For the stile and phrase of these bookes compared with the Wardword and other pamphlets confessed to be his the testimony of diuers priests in England that ordinarily charge him with these bookes the confessions of some of his friends do conuince to lie most shamefully Nay his owne
at because I vnderstand he is descended of a scolding whore and was begotten by a filthie Monke and hath ben of late among cutthrotes and robbers that came against his countrey But if I do not touch all yet will I giue you a taste of some that by a few you may vnderstand the fellowes disgustful humour in many In the front of his book for feare of loosing time he draweth out his Copiam verborū scurrilium and without further aduisement calleth me Insolent and vanting Minister Termes well fitting a bastardly scurrilous and scuruy frier and euill applied to a minister of Gods word whose state is as honourable as the vocation of a Iebusite is odious antichristian and damnable As for the termes of insolency and vanting they rather belong to him that insolently hath taken vpon him to conuey the crowne of England vnto the Infanta in his booke of Titles which like a falsary he hath put vpon an ideot masse-priest called Dolman and hath also vanted to the Pope that he will subdue England to the Popes erroneous religion Againe fol. 1. he termeth my Epistle vaine and arrogant And yet neuer did I vainely and arrogantly desire a Cardinals hat as Parsons hath done nor doth my Epistle containe a supplication for some preferment as did certaine letters procured by Parsons What a vaine man then is Parsons thus vainely to talke of vanitie and arrogancy In his Epistle to the reader he saith Sir Francis is known to be one of the Puritan crew and as if he were a blind harper he is stil harping vpon this string of Puritanisme But I must tell him that which he will be much grieued to heare that the contention about ceremonies and gouernement of the church raysed by some more zealous then wise and set forward by the enemies of the Church is by the Kings great wisedome now ended As for the terme Puritan it will farre better agree with the pharisaicall Papists then with any of our communion For they hold that all men if they will are able to performe the whole law and that the precepts of God are easie Of which it followeth necessarily that a man may be without sinne For he that transgresseth not the law is without sinne But to hold that is Pelagianisme and true Puritanisme Verum ne est sayth Hierome in the person of one Atticus Lib 1. aduers Pelag. to one that defended Pelagianisme quod à te scriptum audio posse hominem sine peccato esse si velit facilia esse Dei praecepta Is it true that I heare you haue written that a man may be without sinne if he will and that Gods commandements are easie And in the beginning of his third booke against Pelagius he sheweth that it is Pelagianisme to affirme That after baptisme Christians haue no sinne and if they are without sinne that they are iust and when they are once iust if they worke carefully that they may perseuere in iustice and eschew all sinne In my last challenge also I haue shewed by diuers other authorities and arguments that the Papists are flat Pelagians true Puritans Hoping that Robert Parsons will hereafter the rather forbeare to talke of puritans himselfe being an impure puritan and Iebusites being nothing else but right puritan Papists In the same place he sayth My volume is more intemperate and malignant then that of Sir Francis rayling fastest as his fashion is vpon him that is next his hand But what if my booke be more temperate then his Wardword Will he yet still call it Intemperate calling his Wardword temperate This therefore by indifferent men is to be iudged and not by such an intemperat malignant mate Againe séeing I dispute against the malignant rable of Antichrist against Parsons and such like malicious rake-hels that séeke to bring their countrey into bondage vnder the Pope and Spaniard he hath no reason to talke of malignitie being himselfe especially a malignant traytour In the answere to my Epistle he calleth me contentious minister and afterward formall noddy But if it be lawfull for him to striue against his countrey and against religion he must giue me leaue to contend for my countrey against traytors and for truth against falshood We ought all to contend to please God as the Apostle did 2. Cor. 5. and not to please Antichrist Furthermore seeing the Apostle Paul disdaineth not to be called a Minister of Christ Iesus this squib Frier Rom. 15. 1. Cor. 3 4. that is of the number of locusts spoken of Apocal 9. would not scorne the title but that he would declare himselfe to be a slaue of Antichrist As for the title of formall Noddy I doubt not but to remoue it from my selfe to him His materiall and grosse foolery is so palpable that if Cardinals had bene chosen of formall Noddies he could not haue missed the Cardinals hat with an appendix of a coxcombe and a bell In the same place possessed with a pang of rayling he calleth me Terentian Thraso and Philistian Goliah And because these words did not answere his swelling conceit he addeth Behemoth and Leuiathan and saith I challenge like a giant But all his bombasted words will not make me swell so big as Toadlike Parsons with his barrel belly who albeit he hath sometimes playd Thraso called himselfe Captaine Cowbucke yet is indeed nothing but a cow-baby and the whore of Babylons Ballio Afterward he sayth That vnder a vizard I play the Vize as if Vizes in England plaid with vizards But in Italy euery Mountbanke and Zanni playeth with a vizard This therefore may better fit Parsons who since he came into Italy hath neuer ceased to play the Vize now taking the vizard of Howlet now of Philopater and lastly of N.D. alias a noble Dizard deseruing to be called Noddy and Zanni He wanteth nothing but his boxes of drugs and serpents to be a perfect mountebanke standing now in the state of perfection of dizardry Speaking of my stile he calleth it a vaine stile of scolding and scurrility belike to preuent me that I should not obiect scolding and scurrilitie to him that hath the same both by the fatherside and motherside and imployeth it most vainely for the defence of the whore of Babylon his second whore mother In his obseruations vpon Sir Francis his Epistle fol. 6. he toucheth him with termes of bloody Sycophancie But he doth himselfe and others wrong to giue his owne ornaments to those that litle deserue them For who so will looke into the libels set out by this bastardly barking curre he cannot chuse but giue him the garland of Sycophancie before all his fellowes And certes no man knoweth his plots for inuasion for conueying the crowne of England to strangers and other stratagemes but he will rather take him to be the sonne of a bloody butcher then of a blacke-smith He rayleth also against M. Crane M. Sipthorpe and M. VVilkenson calling them doctors and Rabbins of the
130. b. for Augustin Steuchus Eugubinus he alleageth S. Augustine Stechus Eugobinus Againe this cogging knaue must shew why he alleageth a cogging Epistle set out vnder the name of Nicholas and that sottish donation that is published vnder the name of Constantine being notoriously a counterfeit and forged thing as I haue proued by diuers arguments in my answere to the cauillations of a base masse-priest called E. O. He will also néeds haue these words Audis summum pontificem à Constantino Deum appellatum habitum pro Deo to be spoken by Constantine and not by Augustine Steuchus in his booke Contr. Vallam de donat Constant But the words following hoc viz. factum est which no doubt are Steuchus his words prouing Constantines donation and not the words of Constantine or Nicholas do plainely testifie against him If then these be his words and be annexed to the former without diuision then both must be his Fol. 65. he cryeth out Marke the fraudulent manner of these men alleaging fathers And yet Hierome in Prol. 2. in comment in Galat. and Augustine in Psal 99. do well proue that the people praying did in time past and ought to vnderstand the language of their publike prayers which is the thing against which he cryeth Where I argue thus that the Pope and his agents haue bene the stirrers of all the warres and troubles that of late haue happened in Europe for the most part and therefore not we that haue alwayes desired peace he cryeth out fol. 88. That the deuill hath taught me to make this malicious consequence But the deuill as I suppose oweth him a shame to denie it and he sheweth himselfe a dolt to giue me occasion so often to touch his owne and his consorts deuilish practises The consequent is most true and necessary For that which is done by these bloodthirstie wolues is not to be imputed to vs whose onely labour is to resist their malice Nay it appeareth that Pius Quintus was cause of the wars of France and the low countryes and that he stirred sedition both in England and Ireland The diabolicall Iebusites also were the instruments to stirre the rebellious leaguers in France and haue alwayes done their best to trouble Suethland England and Ireland The angels of Satan possessing the heads of Iebusites and masse-priests wrought the massacres of France and troubles of Flanders Anno 1588. the Spaniard and Pope sent a fleete against England and not we against Spaine Finally all stories almost testifie and declare that the consistory of the Pope and his agents heads are the forges to frame mischiefe and trouble Fol. 90. and 91. he cryeth out of lyes and impudencies But for my part I say shame take him that lyeth For first it is notorious that in the Romish Church although the aduersary would deny it there is and hath bene great variety in their liturges as the missals and formularies of Toledo Seuil Sarum Paris Rome Yorke and Millan do shew Neither hath Parsons any thing to answere but that in the substance of the sacrifice they agree As if that were all or the most part of the Romish seruice or as if I had not shewed that this is most false in my bookes De Missa Secondly it is true that the Conuenticle of Trent hath abolished diuers old missals and formularies as the bull prefixed before them shew Thirdly it is true that Iustine and Dionyse describe the forme that Christians vsed in their Liturgies as Iustines second Apologie and Dionyse his bookes of Ecclesiasticall hierarchie testifie Fourthly the instruction of the Armenians was no act of the Conuenticle of Florence but of some odde Masse-priest that vsed that conuenticles name It is no lie therefore notwithstanding this instructiō that the Conuenticle of Florence did not by any canon establish seuen sacraments Fifthly the Conuenticle of Lateran vnder Innocentius the third doth mention penance but giueth the name of sacrament as I sayd most truly to Baptisme and the Eucharist Finally it is most true that the popish sacrifice of the Masse was not knowne of the auncient fathers and I haue proued it in my third booke De Missa against Bellarmine Which if Robert Parsons confute I shall be content that the Pope bestow on him a Cardinals hat But if he be not able to answer and yet will néedes cry out famous falshood I will bestow on him a pointed cap with a bell and a capons feather to let all the world know that at that house dwelleth a sot Ignatius Irenaeus other fathers that he doth mention speake not of the body and bloud really offered in the Masse but of an oblation made in commemoration of that sacrifice Our writers albeit they mislike the fathers in some things yet no where do they yéeld that they speake of the popish sacrifice of the Masse offered after the damnable fashion of the synagogue of Satan Fol. 107. he calleth for two reall differences betweene papists in the points of faith And therefore I count my selfe bound to shew him not two onely but many more It may please him therefore to reade what I haue sayd before and to answere to euery point particularly and then I hope he will cease his harsh and currish bawling He must also shew that his consorts differ not in matters of moment or in any thing if he will defend their vnion Fol. 111. he crieth out and in his dogges voyce sayth If this woodcocke or any of his crew can shew any one noueltie as an article of faith in our religion c. And againe If O. E. or his mates can shew any one heresie taken for an heresie by the generall Church What then forsooth he saith He will yeeld in the rest Which I would pray him to remember For if I do not make him in this poynt a foote length of nose like a Curliew let the Pope if it be his pleasure make him king of the Canaries Nay I haue already shewed diuers both nouelties and heresies to be contained in Popish religion and no Popish woodcocke yet hath thrust out his beake to answere shewing themselues by their wits to be woodcockes and by their silence Codfish Onely one woodcocke of Rome vnder the maske of W. R. aliàs Walphoole or wicked Richard flusheth forth with his long bill But his answere is such as confirmeth my challenge very much the man being not able to answere any one argument Parsons also toucheth the heresie of the Collyridians which among many other I obiected to him and answereth that Papists differ from Collyridians manifestly But it is not inough to shew a difference vnlesse he also shew that his consorts hold no one point condemned as heresie in the Collyridians But that the congerhead cannot do For like to the Collyridians they pray to the Virgin Mary and offer in her honour This answere therefore sheweth him to be of the lignage of woodcockes But of these matters we shall talke elsewhere In his 2. enconter
sée Christs true body lurking vnder the accidents of the Masse-cake his bloud by a necessary concomitance as they say being not farre off This fellow as a Masse-priest was thought a fit person to speake for the Masse and as a spie and renegate Englishmā to speake shame of his country and to defend traitors And yet the poore man is as fit to dispute of the massing religion and popish subtilties as an asse to play an antheme vpon a paire of organs The true author of the booke as his stile declareth and the dealers in the edition must néeds witnes is Robert Parsons an old hackster in missifical quarels and a great dealer in matter of conuersion of England and one that vseth at his pleasure to borrow other mens names now calling himselfe Captaine Cowbucke now Dolman now Iohn Houlet now N.D. or Noddy now T.F. or Tom Fop now Robert Parsons Vnder the name of Dolman he set out his traitorous seditious booke of succession in disgrace of the Kings title Vnder the name of Iohn Houlet he published certaine idle reasons of refusall himselfe neuer refusing to attempt any mischiefe against the State Vnder the title of N. D. he set out his VVardword and VVarneword stigmatizing his manship with the perpetual note of a Noddy implied by those two letters N. D. And this course he tooke in T.F. his Apologie The second is entitled A treatise of three conuersions of England and was set out by Robert Parsons also vnder the old stampe of N. D. whose signification euery child now knoweth to be Noddy But why he should write of the conuersion of his countrey to religion we can sée no reason séeing we haue knowne him alwaies more studious of the subuersion then of the conuersion of England and his consorts the Masse priests do testifie that he is a Machiauelian packing fellow voyd of religion and honesty The turnings of the Masse or turning of iackets had bene a more fit subiect for him to handle seeing he turneth skippeth so oft about the altar like an ape dauncing about a maypole and hath turned his coate so often from English to Romish from Scottish to Spanish from all to French that some of his friends feare vnlesse he turne Cardinall that he will turne Turke The third is called A Suruey of the new religion and was deuised by a renegued fugitiue Englishman who hath surueyed diuers other countries and yet neuer found any settlement in his braine or habitation Like Caine he hath bin long a vagrant fugitiue fellow Vagus profugus in terra and séeketh if not to kill yet to slander his countrimen and friends imputing vnto them most horrible opinions and crimes It resteth then that we set vpon him a mark as vpō Caine that euery man may know him for a suppost of Satan although herein we néed not much to trauell seeing the first letter of Kellisons name who fathereth this monstrous moonecalfe is K. and the man is noted among his companions for a great quareller about his commons The poore fellow is but a kettle doctor or rather a Tinker of broken schoole distinctions and a professor rather then a performer of any diuine learning The fellow talketh idly of new religion but neither doeth he know what is new nor what is old nor what belongeth to religion that taketh popery for religion and estéemeth the masse and decretaliue doctrine which this Church of England refuseth to be auncient and the apostolike faith which we professe to be new The fourth is termed A briefe and cleare confutation of a new vaine and vanting challenge and is directed against a treatise set out some two or thrée yeares agone by mee wherein is proued that the Masse-priests and their adherents are neither Catholikes nor good Christians But so learnedly and wisely hath the author of this braggard confutation handled the matter that his good friends are sory to sée so worthy a worke misnamed For if he had done me right he should haue called his pamphlet A confirmation of my challenge for so in truth it is the author answering nothing to the purpose and rather by silence consenting then by good answering contradicting our arguments The most of his discourse standeth vpon bitter railing vaine talking and childish trifling about serious matters If any man doubted whether popery were heresie before I doubt not but that this weake discourse that yéeldeth no satisfaction to any indifferent Reader may resolue him The author of this deuise as we are credibly informed is VValpoole the ruler of the kitchin or porredge pot of the colledge of yong English popish traitors in Rome In Italian they call him Padre ministro or padre de minestra or Lord chiefe steward of the schollers porredge The same man is that Walpoole that gaue poyson to Squire and corrupted him by promises of great rewards both in this life and the life to come if he would vndertake to empoyson Quéene Elizabeth the late Earle of Essex and hauing gained a promise at his hands swore him vpon the sacrament to performe the same The fellow is recorded in publike act bookes for these infamous stratagems and knowne to be a notorious traitor and an atheist We are not therfore much to maruell if this wicked Iebusites libel be ful of bitternes atheisme and poison procéeding from so impious an atheist and so cunning a master in the art of empoisoning If any thing wanted in Walpool whose wits are grosse muddy like a standing poole or sink of villany yet was the same bountifully supplied by Robert Parsons the Rector of the quire of Romish conspirators You may then imagine what a loade of leasings calumniations and fooleries such two coach horses were able to draw out of their miry inuentions Much are the simple papists to be pitied that listē to such wicked traitors and suffer themselues to be abused by such notorious and infamous impostors Vnto all these libels there are seueral answers in making If they be not presently answered maruel not They are of too large a blocke to be read ouer hastily My countrimen thinke if the whole impressions of these foure books might be had that they would wel serue to paue Shaftsbury causy There would onely be this difference that for cobble stones and rough slates we should haue cobbled bookes and rough hewne libels as fit to be troden vpon as read ouer Others think because they are in forme octagonall and for the most part as thick as long made like brick-bats that they would finely serue séeing the holy father is said to be the foundatiō of the Pope holy church to lay vpon him for the rearing vp of the wals of some Romish synagogue so it wold be like foundatiō like wals As soone as such huge thick volumes may be run ouer they shall God willing receiue an answer fitting such indiabolated authors and such wicked railing stuffe In the meane while receiue this censure of them al. First they
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