ecclesia constituitur ex collectione omnium fidelium vnde omnes fideles orbis constituunt istam ecclesiam vniuersaleÌ„ cuius caput sponsus est ipse Christus Papa auteÌ„ est Vicarius Christi non verè caput ecclesiae vt notat glossa in Clem. ne Romani de elect Quae notabiliter dicit quod mortuo Papa ecclesia non est sine capite ista est illa ecclesia quae errare non potest For concerning maters of Faith euen the iudgement of one that is a meere Lay-man ought to be preferred before the sentence of the Pope if that Lay person could bring better reasons out of the old and new Testament then the Pope did And it skilleth not if one say that a Councell cannot erre because Christ prayed for his church that it should not fayle For I say that although a general Councell represent the whole vniuersall Church yet in truth there is not truely the vniuersall Church but representatiuely For the vniuersall Church consisteth of the collection of all the faithful Whereupon all the faithfull in the worlde make this vniuersall church which cannot erre wherof Christ himselfe is the head The Pope is the Vicar of Christ but not truely the heade of the church as noteth the Glosse vpon the Clementines which saith very well that when the Pope is dead the church wanteth not then an head and this is that Church which cannot erre Out of these wordes I note first that by the opinion of the great Papist Panormitan a meere laye mans iudgement euen in matters of faith ought to bee accepted and receyued before the Popes constitution if that Lay-man bring better reasons then doth the Pope I note secondly that through the wonderfull prouidence of God euen the enemies of the truth the Papists I meane are enforced to testifie the truth against themselues in their owne printed bookes For doubtles this Testimony of this Papist is the foundation of that doctrine which is this day established in the church of England and in all other reformed churches throughout the Christian world I note thirdly that a generall councell may erre because it is not the Catholike or vniuersall church indeed A generall councell therfore yeeldeth not any infallible iudgement CAP. VII Shewing that the holy Scripture is the sole and onely infallible rule of truth IN the former Chapters I haue shewed first that all Bishoppes may erre seuerally secondly that many Bishops may erre ioyntly together when they teach one and the selfe same thing Thirdly that the Pope or Bishoppe of Rome may erre not onely in his priuate opinion but also in his publike sentence and definition Fourthly that Prouinciall Councels may erre Fiftly that generall counsels may erre It therefore now remayneth that I find out and set down some such rule as is infallible and will not in any respect point or clause deceiue them that follow it and leane thervnto Which rule say I is the holy scripture the sole and onely written worde of God And I proue the same briefly first by the written word it selfe which telleth vs plainely that the holy scripture was written by the instinct of the holy Ghost euen as God himself appointed it to be done That prophesie came not in old time by the wil of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost That God is not as man that he should lie neyther as the sonne of man that he should repent I proue it secondly by the testimony of S. Dionyse Areopagita whose wordes are these Omnino igitur non audendum est quicquam de summa abstrusaque diuinitate aut dicere aut cogitare praeter ca quae nobis diuinitus scripturae diuinae enuntiarunt In no wise therfore may we make bold to speake or thinke any thing of the high and ineffable diuinity but that onely which holy writ hath reuealed to vs from aboue I proue it thirdly by the verdict of S. Austen in these wordes Ego solis eis scripturarum libris qui iam canonici appellantur hunc timorem honorem didici deferre vt nullum eorum authorem scribendo aliquid errasse firmissime credam Alios autem ita lego vt quantalibet sanctitate doctrinaque praepolleant non ideo veruÌ„ putem quia ipsi ita censuerunt sed quia mihi vel per illos auctores canonicos vel probabili ratione quod a veritate non abhorreat persuadere potuerunt I have learned to giue this feare and honour to those onely bookes of scripture which are called Canonicall that I firmely belieue no author therof to haue erred in any point but yet I reade others so that how holy or learned soeuer they bee I doe not by and by thinke it true because they say so but because they perswade me by those Canonicall Writers or by probable reason that that is true they say The same S. Austen in an other place telleth vs plainely that the holy Scripture is the rule of faith These are his wordes Sancta scriptura nostrae doctrinae regulam figit ne audiamus sapere plusquam oportet The holy Scripture setteth downe the rule of our doctrine that we presume not to be wiser then it is meete and conuenient The Iesuite Bellarmine whose words are most forceable against Papistes because he is the mouth of all Papistes confesseth plainely that the worde of God is the rule of faith that the written word because it is the rule hath this prerogatiue that whatsoeuer is contained in it is of necessitie true and must bee beleeued and whatsoeuer is repugnant to it is of necessitie false and must be reiected But because it is a partial rule and not the totall rule of faith thereupon it commeth that something is of faith which is not contayned in the same Thus writeth the Iesuite Out of whose wordes euerie child may gather that the scripture is the infallible rule of faith For although the Iesuite would make vnwritten traditions to bee a ioynt rule together with the written word whose opinion I haue disproued in my Booke of Motiues yet neyther doth hee neither can he deny but that all must bee reiected whatsoeuer is repugnant to the holy scripture By this my discourse hetherto it is cleare and euident to euery indifferent Reader that neither Fathers Popes nor councels prouinciall or generall are or can bee the infallible rule of faith but the sole and onely written word of God that is the holy Scripture But now remayneth a most intricate and dâ—fficult question who must bee the iudge of the Scripture that is who must determine and set downe what writinges what opinions what preachinges what doctrines are grounded vpon the Scriptures and are consonant to the same againe what opinions what Writinges and what doctrines are not grounded vpon the Scriptures nor are agreeable to the same Hic labor hoc opus est I therefore proceede to the next
wordes Sed quia in Nouissimo tempore sanctorum remuneratio perpetua impiorum ventura est damnatio dictum est eis expectate But because in the last time Saints must receiue their rewardes and the wicked their damnation it is said vnto them Expectate ye must expect or doe ye expect a while I could alleadge the wordes of Ireneus of Euthymius of Oxigenes and others to the same effect and yet the doctrine taught by these Fathers is this day holden for a flat heresie euen of the Papistes themselues Caietanus a learned Papist and sometime Cardinall of Rome for which respect hee must perforce be of great credite among them doth grauely aduise the Reader in his commentaries vpon the Pentateuch of Moyses willing him to contemne nothing rashlie but to examine all thinges by the holy scripture and to embrace that which is agreeable thereunto although it swerue from the opinion of neuer so many Fathers His words are set downe at large in my booke of Motiues The great Schooleman and renowned popish Bishoppe Melchior Canus confesseth verie plainely that the consent of many Bishops and learned men doth not yeeld a sound argument for mans conscience to rest thereupon The same Canus in an other place auoucheth boldly that though al the Thomists with the Scotists late writers with the olde take part against him yet must he perforce haue the victorie because reason is on his side his wordes are set downe at large in my Booke of Motiues What neede long periods Austen Ambrose Bede Chrysostome Remigius Eusebius Bernardus Bonauentura Maximus Erardus Bernardinus Aquinas Hugo and almost all the rest affirme with one consent alledging expresse textes of Scripture for their opinion that the blessed Virgin Mary was conceiued in originall sinne and yet doth the late hatched nest of Iesuites with other Papistes this day auouch the contrarie for a truth if any man be desirous to know more of this point hee may find it at large in my books of Motiues and Suruay loe these cannot always be iudges in al matters of faith and religion CAP. III. Of the vncertainety of the Popes Iudgement whose faith say the Papistes can not faile ALbeit the Popes Canons and popish glosses thereupon tell vs that it is sacriledge to reason of the Popes power yet by his holines fauour I hope I may set downe without offence to any godly mā what I find in his own popish decrees and that I may proceede sincerely and plainly for the better satisfaction of the Reader I will distribute this Chapter into seuerall sections The First Section Of the manners liues and conuersation of the late Bishops of Rome ALthough the Bishops of Rome bee now a dayes termed by the name of Holinesse yet haue the liues and manners of manie Popes been most wicked most notorious and most scandalous to the Christian world I will passe ouer Pope Stephanus who disanulled all the Actes of Pope Formosus degrading those whome hee had made Bishops and priestes a rare and strange Metamorphosis in the Church of God Pope Romanus did reproue and abrogate all the Actes of Pope Stephanus and Pope Sergius the third did so hate the name of Formosus that he caused his bodie to be beheaded after it was buried and laide in the ground yea hee commaunded his dead corps to be cast into the riuer Tyber as vnworthy to bee interred in Christian sort Pope Bonifacius the eight entered into his popedome as a Foxe raigned in it as a Wolfe and died in the end as a dogge Pope Christopher was depriued of his pontificall dignitie and enforced to be a Monke Pope Bonifacius the seuenth and Syluester the second aspired to their popedomes by Necromancy and Diabolicall meanes Syluester the third obtayned his popedome by sedition and Damasus the second was made pope by violent meanes without consent either of the Clergie or of the people pope Gregorie the fift was by sedition thrust out of his throne and pope Iohn the 18 by tyranny occupied the popedome But I may not let passe to speake at large of Pope Syluester the second of that name the storie is most memorable well worthy for edification sake to bee engrauen in golden letters of the truth thereof no man can stand in doubt For Martinus Polonus the popish Archbishop of Consentina and high Penitentiarie as also the chiefe Chaplain to the Popes Holines hath published the same in writing to the view of all the world Which thing doubtles hee world neuer haue done if he had not thought it a thing necessary to be known Thus therefore doth he write Pope Syluester the 2. was first a Monke a Frenchman borne Gilbertus by name he promised homage to the Deuill so long as he did accomplish his desires which his request the Deuil vndertooke to bring to passe he being very ambitious did so often expresse his desire to the deuill as hee made homage vnto him the Deuill procured him to be made Archbishop first at Rhemes then at Rauennas and at the last to be Pope of Rome for the Deuill knowing his ambitious mind brought him to honour by begrees being made Pope he would needes know of the Deuil how long he should liue in his Pontificall glorie the Deuill aunswered him that he should liue so long as he did not say Masse in Ierusalem the Pope receyuing that aunswere was very ioyfull within himselfe thinking that hee was as farre from death and from the ende of his worldly pompe as hee was farre of in his minde from going on pilgrimage to Ierusalem beyond the Sea But what will yee more The Pope in Lent said Masse in the Church Sanctae crucis which they call in Ierusalem my self know the place Yet the Pope as it seemeth infatuated with pride and excessiue desire of honor had quite forgot the name While he was at Masse O holy sacrifice he heard a great noyse of Deuils and so remembred not the place onely but also his death to bee at hand Hee therefore wept though hee were afore most wicked disclosing his offence to all the companie nothing doubting of Gods mercie withall he cōmaunded to cut away from his bodie all the members with which hee had done sacrifice to the Deuill This hystorie I haue truly set down as I find it recorded by the said Martinus Polonus Archbishop of Consentina a man most deare vnto the Pope so as no Papist can without blushing denie the truth therof me thinks it is an vnfit thing that the faith of all the Christian world should depend vpon the resolution of such wicked Popes Benedictus the ninth as writeth the said Polonus appeared to a man going by a Mill in the likenes of a monstrous beast who had a head and tayle like an Asse and the rest of the bodie was like a Beare And when the man that saw the Monster fled away for feare the monster cryed after him
came I will it not deny that the West and Occidentall Churches did so greatly reuerence the Church of Rome and many times to appease controuersies and dissentions had recourse to it as to the Mother Churche and auncient Nurse of the Faith But for all this they neuer ascribed this prerogatiue to the Bishoppe of Rome that hee could not erre neyther euer did they acknowledge him to be the sole and onely iudge in questions and controuersies of religion This to bee so one onely testimonie will suffice For S. Cyprian an auncient Father a very learned Bishoppe and blessed Martyr although hee greatly honoured the Church of Rome and the Bishoppes therof for respectes aboue mentioned yet was he so farre from acknowledging the supposed prerogatiue of the Bishoppe of Rome that his faith could not faile or that hee was the sole and only iudge in questions and controuersies of religion that hee flatly reiected his opinion contemned his definitiue sentence and derided his iudiciall decree calling him blinde bussarde and arrogant Prelate The controuersie was this whether they which were baptized of Heretiques ought to bee rebaptized or not The mater and Saint Cyprians words are set downe at large in my Booke of Motiues And the matter it selfe is partly already proued in the Chapters afore going and shall bee more fully confirmed in the Chapters following CAP. V. Shewing that Prouinciall Councels may erre THAT Prouinciall Councels may erre euen in matters of Faith it is so cleare and manifest that famous and verie learned Papistes affirme the same to witte Adrianus who was sometime Pope himselfe Iohannes-Gerson sometime Chauncellor of Paris Almainus and Alphonsus both of them renowmed Papistes For they all hold as the Iesuite Bellarmine graunteth that the infallibility of iudgement touching matters of faith resteth solely in the church and generall Councels this assertion being confessed by great learned Papistes were enough to satisfie the indifferent Reader if more could not be said Saint Cyprian assembled in councell togither with fourescore learned bishops defined against the truth that such as were baptized of Heretiques ought to be baptized againe This decree is extant in the first tome of Councels and is this day reputed for a grosse errour throughout the christian worlde The Prouinciall Councell holden at Iconium decreed with Saint Cyprian and his fellow Bishops that rebaptization was lawfully ministred to those that were baptized of Heretiques The Councell of Sardis erred grossely condemning two Catholike Bishops Iulius the Bishop of Rome and Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria The third Councell of Carthage decreed the Apocryphall bookes of Tobias Iudith Baruch Wisdome Ecclesiasticus and the Machabees to be Canonicall But the Councell of Laodicea which was confirmed in the sixt generall Councell condemned that decree long before it was made and denied the said bookes to be Canonicall The Councell of Varmes decreed that secret theft should be knowne and tried by the deliuerie and receyuing of the holy Eucharist Which is a notorious error and a wicked decree as the great papist Aquinas witnesseth in his Theologicall summe The Councell of Rome celebrated by Pope Stephanus disanulled all orders giuen by Pope Formosus and the Councell of Rauennas called by Pope Iohn disanulled the Actes of the Councell vnder Pope Stephanus In fine a Councell holden at Rome vnder Pope Nicholas decreed and enforced Berengarius to confesse the same that the true body of Christ was broken with the Priests hands and consumed with the teeth of the faithfull And yet is this a notorious error manifest to all the worlde Wherefore the Popish Glosse to saue the credite of the decree of the Pope and Councell if it would bee addeth these wordes for explication sake Nisi sanè intelligas verba Berengarii in maiorem incideshaeresim quam ipse habuit ideo omnia referas ad species ipsas Nam de Christi corpore partes non facimus Vnlesse thou vnderstande soundly the wordes of Berengarius thou wilt fall into a greater heresie then hee had and therefore thou must referre all things to the formes For of Christ bodie no partes are made Loe the Popish glosse saith plainly which is the truth in deed that Christ bodie cannot bee broken or diuided into partes And for all that the Pope with his popish Councell enforced Berengarius to beleeue the contrarie and to cōfesse the same The Apostles words are these Christ being raysed from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion ouer him But certes if the true bodie of Christ Iesus be broken in deede and torne in peeces with mans teeth then doubtlesse must it bee corrupted and Christ himselfe must die againe This veritie doth so gall the Papists that the Iesuite Bellarmine who is the mouth of all the Papists is inforced will he nill he to confesse the truth vnawares These are his owne wordes which I wish the Reader to marke attentiuely Certum est semper fuit Christi corpus incorruptibile nunc existens non posse frangi teri nisi in signo siue sacramento ita vt dicatur frangi ac teri cum signum eius id est species panis frangitur teritur Sequitur verum Christi corpus ibi praesens existens frangitur teritur non tamen inse sedin signo It is and euer was certaine and without doubt that Christs bodie now being incorruptible cannot bee broken and torne but in the signe or Sacrament So that it may be said to be broken and torne when the signe thereof that is to say the forme of bread is broken and torne The true bodie of Christ there present is broken and torne yet not in the bodie it selfe but in the signe thereof Thus writeth our Iesuite most Christanly but vnawares agaynst himselfe if his words be well obserued I therefore note first that by Bellarmines owne confession Christs bodie is now immortall and incorruptible I note secondly that Christs bodie can not now bee broken in deed but onely in the signe or Sacrament thereof I note thirdly that Christes bodie is truly said to be broken as our Iesuite affirmeth because the signe of his bodie is truly broken Out of whose wordes and graunt this proposition is inferred of necessity to wit that Christ bodie is truly said to be present to the faithfull and to be truly eaten of them when the signe of Christes bodie is truly present and truly eaten of them Againe it must needs follow vpon the Iesuites grant and exposition of the Romish faith which is a wōder to bee heard that when Christ vttered these wordes to his Apostles this is my bodie his meaning and the true sense of the wordes was this This is my bodie that is to say this is the signe and Sacrament of my bodie The reason hereof is euident because Christes naturall and true body can no more be truely eaten then it can be truely broken And
vnderstande the primatiue Church which is most truly and properly called the ancient Church VVhich Church doubtlesse knewe no Popish inuocation of Saintes as I haue proued in my Suruey For aunswere to which booke or to any of the rest published now many yeares ago neither this hote-spurre mate E. O. nor any other English Iesuite or Iesuited Seminarie dare for their lugges encounter with mee So then there is a sweet harmonie but no discord at all in the writings of maister Sutcliffe of maister Gough and of my selfe In an other place this Libeller sayth that I holde auricular confession to haue beene established in the yeare 254. and doe but proue it by my bare worde onely This is a lie with a witnesse For I haue proued it in the second booke of my motiues and that by the testimonie of Iosephus Angles a Popish Frier and Bishop of Bosana euen in the second to me of that worke which he dedicated to the pope himselfe Sixtus Quintus These are the expresse wordes Ante Concilium Later erat Haereticum negare necessitatem confessionis negantes tamen non erant Haeretici Ratio est quia nondum erat ab Ecclesia declaratum Before the Councell of Lateran it was hereticall to denie the necessitie of confession but they were not Heretiques that denied it The reason is because the Church of Rome had not declared it to be an article of faith In the said second booke of Motiues in the ninth Chapter and fift conclusion the Reader shall finde these expresse wordes Albeit popish auricular confession be so magnified with Papists that euerie one is commaunded vnder paine of damnation to beleeue the same as instituted by Christ himselfe yet was it not an article of popish fayth for the space of one thousand and fiue hundred yeares after Christ. These are my expresse wordes in that place Here I heartily desire all people that are careful of their saluation especially such as are deuoted to the Iesuites and I craue it for the tender mercy of God in the bowels of Christ Iesus to marke attentiuely what I shall sincerely deliuer as I will answere God at the dreadfull day of generall doome I therefore say first that the author of this lewde Pamphlet and scurrilous libell intituled the detection of vntruthes who concealeth his name not daring to auouch it to the world but seemeth to be Robert Parsons the Iesuite alias Bastard Cowbucke expelled out of Baliol Colledge in Oxford for his illegitimation libelling and factious dealing who will affirme or denie anie thing as his owne deare brothers the secular Priestes write of him hath incurred the censures of their church and is become an excommunicate person for publishing this lewde libell and slaunderous Pamphlet I proue it because the generall councell of Lateran celebrated in the yeare 1515. prohibiteth vnder the paine of excommunication to print or cause to be printed any booke or scripture whatsoeuer in any Cittie or Diocesse wheresoeuer vnles the same be first diligently examined by the Bishop of the same Diocesse or by his Deputie and subscribed by their owne hand And it will not serue the Iesuites turne to say or pretend for his excuse that the pope hath dispenced with their sect to print bookes and libels at their pleasure For a generall councell hath power to make constitutions which the Pope is bound to obey but the Pope hath no such power ouer the councell to which he is and must be subiect This doctrine is flatly decreed in two famous popish generall Councels Constance and Basill Yet to this day was it neuer heard of in the world that an inferiour could make lawes to tie his superior or by his owne power exempt himselfe or others from the obedience hee oweth to the lawes of his superior I say secondly that this shameles Iesuite must of necessitie condemne himselfe in his own conscience when he sayeth that I affirme auricular confession to haue been established in the yeare 254. and l proue it by an euident demonstration For though I made mention of the time in three seueral bookes to witte in my Motiues in my Suruey and in my hunting of the Romish Foxe yet did I that but obiter in the two latter bookes referring the Reader to my first Booke that is to my Booke of Motiues In which booke I handled the question indeede and decided it by popish approbation there affirming in expresse wordes that Popish auricular confession was not an article of Popish faith for the space of one thousand fiue hundred yeares after Christ. Which number is set down without figures in that place and so lesse subiect to falshood or corruption But in the other bookes the number is put downe in figures and so more easily subiect to alteration especially seeing my self was distant from the Presse well neare two hundred miles I say thirdly that to obiect to me my reuolt from falshood and my returne to God with remorse for mine errours which this libeller recounteth for want of better matter doth nothing else but argue his owne imperfection and insufficiency to defend the matter hee tooke in hand CAP. IIII. Of the finding out of the endes of the Gordian knot I Say first that Gordius as stories doe relate was first a poore husbandman and afterwarde elected to be the king of Phrygia by the oracle of an Idoll who being made king caused his yokes to be hanged vp in the temple of Iupiter and the cordes to bee knit in such knots that it seemed a thing impossible to vntie or loose the same I say secondly that this masked libeller E. O. or if ye will Parsons that trayterous Iesuite seemeth greatly to fauour Gordius his knot because forsooth as Gordius by the helpe of an Idol became of a poore husbandman a mighty Prince so hee by treasonable plottinges with the King of Spaine forsooth one day of a poore Fryer to be made the Viceroy of England For which end he bestirreth himself to deuise such knots of bloudy treacheries as hee thinketh mans power not able to resist or vntie I say thirdly that all the difficultie in vntying this knot consisteth precisely and specially in this because forsooth I say in my Suruey that the Bishops of Rome were godly men till S. Austens time and long after him and yet withall I doe charge Pope Siricius to haue published wicked doctrine and Pope Sozomene to haue falsified the councell of Nice This is the knot that as our Iesuite E. O. thinketh cannot bee vntied If I can find out the endes of this knot a more large subiect saith he must be prouided for my learning to worke vpon A worthy reward of so mighty a Personage for the vnfolding of one silly knot Well I vndertake in Gods name to find out the ends of this knot expecting that E. O. will for his credites sake performe his promise made herein For the clearing of which difficultie and vnfolding of which knot I desire the
will see what is best If it bee done it must be verie short and rather made to describe the man then to vnfold at large his doctrine For if it bee long neither the time nor commoditie of transporting vp and down nor the securitie of doing it can be correspondent That shall bee done on my part which may be This gentle Reader is there whole narration which for the exact examination and confutation thereof I will repeate by particular members one after an other euer adding a particular seuerall answer to the same The Iesuite Concerning the answere to the wrangler I am euen as I was before vncertaine what were expedient The Answere To these wordes I answere first that the Iesuites haue beene long buzzing about an answere to my bookes and haue vsed as great speede therein as hee that shoulde driue a snaile from Paris to Rome For after my bookes haue beene eight or nine yeares in their handes and vnder their malicious censure they are still at the same poynt where they began That is to say they neither haue made neither can they make any answere to my bookes I answere secondly that though the Papists be greatly troubled about my bookes and doe often consult among themselues how to frame some aunswere therevnto yet can they not this day tell what is expedient for them to doe in that behalfe But euery wise man can easily discerne that if the truth were on their side and that they could confute the doctrine laid downe in my bookes they would vndoubtedly performe the same The Iesuite The man desireth nothing but wrangling And besides that which I feare most is that which I haue seene by experience in other his writings that is exceeding and outragious choller The aunswere To these wordes I answere first that if I did but wrangle they might with facilitie haue aunswered me so many yeares ago Secondly that the Priestes and Iesuites are of a verie shallow iudgement and small reach if they can not tell in eight whole yeares what to answere to a wrangler or wrangling disputation Thirdly that the Iesuite as is confessed alreadie can not yet tell what is expedient to be done in that matter Whereupon it followeth of necessitie that it is a matter of great moment and of no smal importance For otherwise a man of rare wisedome and deepe iudgement such as our Iesuites vsually be especially those Iesuites who are elected to be prouincials and rulers of all others within a whole Prouince could not but know in much lesse time then 8 or 9. yeares what were fit meete expedient to be done concerning the answering of my bookes And yet as this great father of wisdom freely granteth he is still as vncertain as he was afore what aunswere were best to be made Fourthly that our father Iesuite lieth flatly vpon his head when he saith that hee feareth nothing more then my exceeding and outragious choller For first he and his brethren do not spare at all to write against their owne brethren the secular Priests who shew more choller in one leafe of paper then I haue done in all my Bookes Againe he and the other Iesuites doe disgorge more choller agaynst the Seculars in the least page they haue written then my selfe haue done in all my bookes Hereof none can be ignorant that shal seriously peruse my booke intituled the Anatomie of Popish tyrannie The Iesuite Whereby he will be moued to vtter not onely vll imperfections which he knoweth of our fellowes but also those things which ought to be most surely sealed vp The Answere I answere first that hereby euerie one may see that the Iesuites and their fellowes are full of notorious imperfections which they feare shall be made knowne vnto the world Secondly that if the Iesuites be guiltie in their own consciences of greater crimes offences then the secular Priests haue discouered to the world then certes they are so farre from being Saints that they are more like the Diuels of hell Thirdly that they haue damnable practises among them which must be sealed vp and not be made knowne vnto the world But hereof Watson the secular Priest seemeth to haue spoken sufficiently in his Quodlibets My book of Anatomie will tell them more Fourthly that the Iesuite doth vnawares confesse me to be an honest man For it must needes bee the part of an honest man to speake nothing of his enemie but onely that which he knoweth to be true The Iesuite The man being past all grace and shame The Answere I say first that it is no maruaile if this lewde Iesuite write thus of me to his felowes couertly seeing both hee and his fellowes write most bitterly and impudently against their owne brethren the secular Priests men of better deserts by many degrees then themselues Secondly they are arrant traitors cruell murderers impudent lyars notorious coozeners full of enuie pride malice and all vices vnder heauen as the secular Priests write of them and consequently this Iesuites tongue can not or at least ought not to be of credite against any man Thirdly all that this rayling impudent companion can truly say of me is nothing else in deede but that I haue renounced lately inuented popish Religion For the olde Roman religion practised in the primatiue church I allow and defend in al my bookes and will perseuere in the same God willing vnto my liues ende It is the superstition and Idolatrie of latter yeares crept into the Church of Rome by little and little the originall whereof I haue proued in my booke of Suruey agaynst which proofe this proude Iesuite can say nothing that I impugne condemne in all my writings Fourthly this rayling fellow hath graunted alreadie that I will vtter nothing of them but known truths consequently I must haue some grace and honestie left by his owne confession The Iesuite Neuerthelesse for this matter as ye shall all agree For I doubt not but so manie and such will see what is best The Answere Loe they that haue consulted how to answere my bookes are not onely many in number but also of the best iudgement and reputation among them For you heare his wordes so many and such will see what is best And yet these men so many and so worthie haue not in so many yeares found out any answere to my bookes But as he truly sayth they see what is the best to be done As if he should haue said the best is to passe ouer the matter with silence as wee haue done heretofore For his doctrine is sound grounded vpon the Scriptures Councels Fathers and the practise of the ancient Church and we are not able to gainsay the same It is better to sit still then to rise vp and fall The Iesuite If it be done it must be verie short and rather made to describe the man then to vnfold at large his doctrine For if it belong neither the time nor commoditie of transporting vp and downe nor the securitie