fire and fagot for the same Howbeit they cannot for shame denie that their famous Bishops Boner of London Tunstall of Durham and Gardiner of Winchester wrote sharply against the vsurped and falsly challenged authoritie of the Bishoppe of Rome Who for all that were neuer termed turne-coates neither by your Popes nor by any of your crew the like I might say of your famous Doctor and Proctor maister Harding and of many others But no man is a turn-coate with you your cursed brood that turneth from the Gospell to your superstitious and Idolatrous Poperie Thirdly I affirme constantly though I glorie not in that behalfe that I neither am Parson Vicar or Curat though the shamelesse lying Libeller charge mee with ietting vp and downe like a cocke of courage vpon the dung-hil and of mine own parish neither did I euer to this day celebrate the holy Communion but the Popish Masse too often neither euer was I authorized by the lawes of our English church to doe it Howbeit I was authorized in time of need where I taught the schoole to reade the common prayers of the Church But all that I did in that behalfe had an ende within the terme of one onely yeare which being true as it is most true indeede I must needes tell our shamelesse Libeller that hee is a shamelesse and impudent lyar Let him remember that a faithfull witnesse will not lie as also that God will destroy them that speake lyes This for the second lye 3 Our shameles lying Libeller telleth his readers that Bels bookes haue long since receiued their answere Marrie Syr he by by addeth a merie iest by way of correction in these expresse words but the answere hath beene hitherto suppressed vpon iust occasion and in another place he telleth vs another like merry iest for he seemes to be the Popes owne iester that fiue Bookes are written against my Motiues and my Survey of Poperie and to giue a grace to his tale he addeth that this supposed answere was finished fiue yeares agoe here is a most cozening legierdemain Here the Iesuites play their parts and shew themselues not onely egregious lyars and most cursed deceiuers but also as the priests write of them the most wicked men that liue vpon the earth it was not without great cause that the learned Papists in France published a booke against them which they named the Iesuites Catechisme in which booke shew at large that the further a Iesuite goes the louder he lyes An other booke intituled the Franke discourse affirmeth constantlie that the Iesuits neuer harboured in their heartes any other proiect but the subuersion of States disauthorizing of Magistrates seducing of subiects from their allegeance The aforenamed Catechisme saith in another place that the whole processe of Iesuits is nothing else but a particular cozening of our priuate families and a generall villanie of all the countries where they inhabite Now sir that we may the better perceiue the legierdemain of this cozening companion impudent Sycophant and shamelesse Libeller who like a deceitfull Iugler tucketh vp his sleeues layeth open his hands before our eyes and maketh a pretence of the plainest dealing that can be vsed we must call to our remembrāce what a brother of his E. O or the selfe same Robert Parsons if ye will told vs aboue three yeares agoe viz. that the confutation of my Bookes was then vndertaken and to bee published if it should bee thought expedient This is a matter of great importance and therefore will I make rehearsall of his owne wordes These are they as they came from his own forge pen To these former he speaketh of two very famous writers M. Doctor Sutcliffe and M. Willet I was once determined to haue adoyned a reformed brother of theirs one Thomas Bell natiue of Rascall in Yorkeshire who since his last illumination hath published certaine bookes against the Catholique Church vaunteth mightily and with insolent words braueth all Seminaries But I altered my purpose partly vpon other considerations but especially because the confutation of his worthy works is already vndertakē to be published if it shall bee thought necessarie Thus writeth E. O or Robert Parsons the brasen faced Iesuit whom we now know right well Out of these wordes of these two Iesuits as they would seeme but both are one onely indeed euē Robert Parsons a most notorious cozening trick is offered to our considerations For the detector marke well my wordes telleth vs that the confutation of my bookes when he published his Libel was but vndertaken by his fellowes that is to say it was then concluded amongst his brethren that my Bookes should bee answered Nowe the supposed answere to my Bookes being then at the most but in fieri not in facto esse as the Schooles terme it viz. being at that time but in hand or in doing at the most and not done or finished indeed Nay it was but then resolued amongst them that some answere should bee made vnto my Bookes And therefore saith Parsons the detector that hee was once determined to haue said somthing against my books but hearing that his fellowes were about the same matter he altered his purpose Well this detection was published but in the yeare 1602. let the time be remembred Nowe sir the fore-runner singeth another song and affirmeth desperately but to his vtter shame and confusion that forsooth my Bookes were answered fiue yeares agoe And least some should obiect against him that it seemes otherwise because no man can see them reade them or heare of them hee to preuent that obiection telleth vs that the answere is suppressed and vpon iust occasion stayed from the publication Because indeede there is no such answere in Rerum natura or else which is worse when they had well viewed their said answer it seemed so deformed and ill fauoured in their eyes that they were ashamed to publish it Let vs put together these two seueral assertions Out of the forerunner wee haue it affirmed for a truth such a truth euer vnderstand as is currant amongst the Iesuits that my bookes my Motiues and Suruey were answered fiue yeares agoe that is to say almost three whole yeares before the answere was begunne For the answere was finished saith the forerunner fiue yeares agoe viz. An. 1599. and the same answere was but vndertaken in the yeare 1602. as the detector telleth vs. These Iesuits their asseuerations are much like to Sampsons Foxes That is to say their tailes are tied together but their heads and mindes are farre asunder So then this must needes be the conclusion that my bookes were answered fiue yeares agoe and yet vnanswered two yeares agoe This in my conceit is not onely a Riddle but a plaine miracle Yet such a miracle vnderstand as the Iesuits wrought vpon Sebastian the late King of Portingall of which miracle I haue written
elsewhere more at large couple these Iesuits by their tailes for their heades and wits can neuer meete Well all the world may see by this their dealing that they haue published the best answere they had in store and are at their wits end what to say or write turning themselues this way that way and euery way by cozening lying iugling by what other meanes they possibly can deuise how to stay the outcries of the people and their popish vassals for beeing so long silent touching the answere of my books Alas alas who seeth not the miserie and nakednesse of the late hatched Romish Religion to what impudent desperate and damnable shifts are the Papists driuen for the defence thereof how are they not ashamed to confesse to the whole world that they haue beene buzzing about the answere of my Bookes almost the space of sixe whole yeares and that when the answere was framed after their best maner they haue suppressed the same for the space of fiue yeares These are the expresse words of the Fore-runner Bels bookes haue long since receiued their answere though vpon iust occasion it hath hitherto bin suppressed yet shortly viz. ad Calendas Graecas by Gods grace to bee set foorth Thus writeth our shamelesse Fore-runner By whose words it is apparāt to al the world that my bookes are this day vnanswered albeit it hath been auouched againe and againe with open mouthes yea audaciously affirmed to my face that their answere was abroad For no Papist may reade either my books or any other bookes against poperie without a speciall licence from the Pope himselfe For if all were permitted to reade thē the Pope would soone haue but a small company in this kingdome of England Yet the wiser sort I hope will borrow a dispensation for the safegard of their soules For O miserie of all miseries seeing they may not reade my bookes they must beleeue what their Maisters tell them to wit that this Fore-runner hath answered me gallātly Although he hath confuted himselfe vnawares when he saith the answere is yet to bee published and that that which he hath done is but a taste When the Iesuits and Seminarie-priests consulted with Garnet their Prouinciall what course was best to be takē in hand that my books might be answered because their silence in that behalfe was very dāgerous vnto their Pope poperie the father Iesuit hauing on his cappe of consideration answered very peremptorily though neither clarkely nor honestly that they must either not meddle with the matter at all or els deale rather with my person then with my doctrine yet he addeth very grauely these words Neuerthelesse for this matter as you shal all agree For I doubt not but so many such will see what is best Where we haue to learne by the way in perpetuam reimemoriam that not onely Iesuit or Seminarie-priest writeth against mee but euen the whole broode tagge ragge haue bēt their bowes to shoote their arrowes at me For though one odde cōpanion be singled out to take the quarrell in hād yet is the same fellowe garded and assisted with the ioynt counsel aduise iudgement helpe of all the rest Alas alas poore answere how art thou turmoiled with these shamelesse cozening Iesuits after they haue spent 5. or 6. whole years in consultation about an answer after they haue employed other 5 or 6. yeares with all might maine to giue thee a being in the end for al that thy beeing is so vglie so vnsightly so deformed so euilshapen euery way that themselues are ashamed on thy behalfe and thererfore haue they kept the 5. whole years if we may trust thē vnder a Pipkin Their meaning peraduenture is to keepe them from sunne-burning They haue learned saith our fore-runner by some of iudgement that not any was thought necessarie But is this possible trow wee doth not the Iesuite Garnet their prouinciall tell vs that they were both many and very wise I wote hee doth so wee haue heard his owne words Alas alas that so many will be caried away with your foolish vaine ridiculous and late vp-start Romish religion were all your Iesuits their Iesuited vassals with your fathers the secular priests so sottish so doltlesse and so senselesse noddies that they could not for the space of fiue whole years perceiue vnderstand penetrate the nature of the subiect against which they bent their force and might and tooke so great paines so many years for answering the same must the iudgement of some few stay them from publishing that answer which they tooke in hand with the consent of al or at least of the wiser sort that answer I say vpon which they had bestowed so much time so great paines studie No no this is but your vsual kind of cozenage old legierdemain for you tel vs that it must be published shortly And for the better credite of your report you tel vs the number of the books the particular contēts of the same Touching the nūber the Fore-runner saith they are 5. But the man is so swift in running especially in lying that I dare not for my life giue any credite to his words Well for the number I must receiue when I can catch them 5 for 2. Here is great aduantage encrease it seemes they would make me a pettie Vsurer But I thanke God I haue published one whole booke against that subiect for the contents vou shall heare them in due time order Our Fore-runner auoucheth audaciously but with lying lippes after his wonted maner that he wil take the paines to view oueral my bookes which came forth after my Motiues suruey But he faileth aswel in the naming as he doth in the performing In the naming because he maketh mention only of the hunting of the romish Foxe of the golden Ballance of the downfal of popery as for the Anatomie of popish tyrāny hee durst not so much as once name it their hearts pant so oftē as they remēber it I haue in that booke so anatomized them and so pourtraied them in their best beseeming colours as all the world may behold with all facilitie their murders their thefts their cozenage their cogging their lying their iugling their tyrannie their counterfeite miracles and other their manifold and vnspeakable villanous knauerie al which I haue sincerely collected out of the bookes of their owne deare brethren the secular priestes Which my collection I haue beene am and euer shall be ready during life to iustifie vpon the perill of my life against any Iesuit or Iesuited Papist whosoeuer that shall dare to encounter me and to cast me his gauntlet vpon the like perill for the due tryall of the truth thereof Shame and confusion must needes befall them for not accepting this challenge seeing sundrie yeares are now expired since it was made and published In the performance because he saith Ne gry quidem
or to my Survey or to any other of my bookes written against them and their pâ—tâ—â—ed Hotch-potch Religion Yet this last moneth of Februarie one shamelesse and namelesse Iesuite hath published not a direct and full answere but a Fore-runner forsooth against mee In which Pamphlet hee turneth himselfe this way that way and euery way saue onely to the marke at which hee neuer aymeth He perceiueth right well that many of the Popelings beginne to stagger at their doctrine and Romish faith because they haue beene so long silent and dare not answere my Bookes For the procuring of which mortall wound he telleth them of a most rare and soueraigne medicine which the Iesuits haue brought out of the new found worlde viz. That my Bookes were answered fiue yeare agoe and that the answere is suppressed hitherto for speciall vnknowne causes but must shortly come abroad Hereof more at large in the proper place Now so it is most excellent King that the Fore-runner would seeme desirous though indeed he desireth nothing lesse to haue a publique dispute and so to fight the combate with me Viua voce and therefore doth hee challenge me daring and redaring me to the same Who if he knew how willingly gladly I am ready to cast him my Gauntlet would doubtlesse vse his words more sparingly in this behalfe In regard hereof most gracious and dread Soueraigne I now prostrate vpon my knees doe most humblie beseech your most excellent Maiestie that it will please your Highnes of your most Princely fauour to graunt your Royall licence and safe conduct for any English Iesuite or Iesuited Papist in the whole worlde that shall haue courage to appeare for the true performance of the challenge in such manner as is in this replie expressed Oh most gratious Soueraigne I am joyfull when I remember this future combat I wish in my heart that it may bee effected with all expedition for I confidentlie perswade my selfe in our Lorde Iesus that his Name shall thereby bee glorified your Maiestie highlie honoured the Papists stricken dead and all true hearted English subiects receiue vnvnspeakeable endlesse comfort If it shall fall out otherwise and that I shall not be found euen in your Maiesties iudgement to haue the victorie and vpper hand I will be content to loose my life for my iust reward as one that hath dishonoured your Maiestie and the cause The Almightie blesse your Maiestie with a long and most happie raigne vpon earth and with eternall glorie in the world to come Amen From my studie this eighteenth of March 1605. Your Maiesties most humble subiect Tho. Bels. How faults escaped in the first Booke may be corrected by the Reader THe Booke for expedition sake was committed to three seuerall Printers by reason whereof the Pages could not bee distinguished with numbers Hence it commeth that the Reader can not so easily find out the faults corrected as he may in some other Bookes Howbeit if hee shall marke the Booke and the Chapters and reckon the Pages from the Chapter vntil he come to that page line in which the fault is named he can not but haue his desire in that behalfe How faults of the first Booke escaped in the Printing are to be corrected In the first Chapter seuenth page and first line the word but must be added before the word here Chap. 1. page 9. line 1. the word worlde must be added before the word well Chap. 2. P. 4. l. 23. the word and must be taken away Chap. 2. P. 4. l. 6. the word were must followe the word and. Chap. 2. P. 5. l. 24 the word they must be added before the word shew Chap. 2. P. 6. l. 14. the word two must be added for the word three Chap. 2. p. 10. l. 20. the word one must goe before the word onely Chap. 2. p 11. l. 5. the word them must be made the chap. 2. p. 11. l. 15. the word doltlesse must be made doltish Chap. 2. p. 13. l. 19. many words are superfluous Chap. 3. p. 2. l. 20. for nor reade not Chap. 3. p. 4. l. 8. for soule in the margent reade soyle chap. 4 p. 2. l. 10. for discourse read discouerie In the Caveat p. 1. l. 16. for OperaepertiuÌ„ reade Operaepretium Ibid. p. 7. l. 20. How faults escaped in the second Booke are to be corrected Chap. 2. p. 2. l. 12. for obiection reade contradiction Chap. 3. page foure l. three and thirtie for so reade Saint Chap. 3. p. 2.23 for his reade the. chap. 7. in the 4. reason for dialogue reade decalogue Some other faults there are but the Reader may very easily discerne them A Table containing the principall contents of all the Chapters Chapters of the first booke Chap. 1. Of the Methode of the discourse with the reason of the same Chap. 2. Of the Libellers notorious vntruthes lyes and slaunders Chap. 3. Of the libellers foolish arrogaÌ„t challenge of the name Chap. 4. Of the Romish hotch-potch Religion with the reason Chapters of the second booke Chap. 1. Of dissention among Papists Chap. 2. Of the marriage of Priests Chap. 3. Of a terrible monster without both head and foote Chap. 4. Of Card. Bellermines opinion and doctrine Chap. 5. Of the condigne merite of workes Chap. 6. Of S. Austens opinion touching involuntarie motions Chap. 7. Of Pope Martins dispensation THE POPES Funerall The first Booke of certaine ridiculous scandalous slaunderous godlesse shamelesse and senselesse extravagants vttered and made salable for a Souse by a most impudent brasen-faced brainelesse and namelesse Libeller in the behalfe of the whole rabble and most cursed crewe of English traiterous Iesuites and others their Iesuited and deuoted vassals CHAP. I. Of the Methode obserued in this discourse together with the reason of the same THe abiect and forlorne cursed crew of Iesuites who by the verdict iudgement and testimonie of the popish Secular Seminarie-priests are notorious lyars coozeners theeues traitours and most wicked men vpon earth feeling them selues pricked galled and deepely goared with the strong reasons euident proofes irrefragable testimonies and invincible demonstrations laid open before the eyes of my readers throughout all my bookes as most strong forts towers stony rockes harder then any flint enuironed on euery side with well fortified bulwarkes rampiers especially seeing and with inward sighs and sobs perceiuing their Pope and Poperie to be turned vpside downe and with deadly woundes to lye a bleeding and all this to be verified by the constant verdict doome of their most famous best learned best approued popish writers thereupon bestirring themselues this way that way euery way like mad-men hopping and skipping in the Alpes and as vagarant persons vpon the stonie Rockes of mount Synai seeking passages but finding none haue at the length called to mind and bethought themselues how they might cunningly though shamefully falsly most damnably dazel the eyes and steale away the hearts of my readers
neither against my golden ballance nor yet against my hunting of the romish Foxe Which hunting I performed with seuen couple of such well mouthed Romish Houndes as all the Iesuits and Iesuited Popelings in England and else where are neuer able to heale cure the wounds of their Pope He is so gashed so bitten and so wounded with the teeth of his owne dogges that his sores are become incurable What the sillie Libeller saith against my other bookes is as harmelesse to the truth thereof as the biting of a toothlesse beagle is to a Beare Bull or Lion And I must needes giue him to wit that it is as good nothing at al as neuer a whit the better that it is as good nothing at al as neuer a whit the better Touching the contents of their answere if any such can be found our Libeller telleth vs that their answere to my Motiues and Suruey is contained in fiue bookes I would once haue a sight of it it is long in comming I thinke it comes as neere the matter as if one should aske how farre to London and another should answere a poke full of Plumbes For so it falleth out with this Libeller as partly wee haue seene alreadie and more plainly it wil appeare hereafter The first book of their supposed answere saith our Libeller containeth many of my notable vnvntruthes corruptions and falsifications The second presenteth a gallant and desperate fray betwixt the reformed Minister of Baskall and Thomas Bell Preacher of the word The third handleth a couple more of extraordinarie and choise contradictions The fourth entreateth of the weake grounds of my workes The fift and last answereth the recapitulatiō of my Suruey The Libeller hauing thus gallantly discouered theirs his owne treacheries got bread cheese went laughing away But soft and faire good sir haue once about with you if yee goe but one mile a day My answere to this forged tale of a meere chimericall imagined answere flying in the aire and congealed in the middle region standeth thus First the Libeller protesteth in sad earnest that he would haue none to beleeue him vpon his bare word I for my part agree thereunto and wish all others to doe the same And consequently there is no answere at all against my bookes And why because forsooth he bringeth no reason to proue it and as we haue heard wee may not beleeue his bare word Secondly if there were notable contradictions falsifications found out by his brethren in my bookes of Suruey Motiues it had bene more for his credite to haue alleaged some one of them at the least then to stand buzzing about things of smal or rather no importāce neither can go thorow-stitch with the same And it wil not serue his turne to say that he will not meddle with my Suruey Motiues for that his brethren haue dealt therewith The reason is euident because he hath made choise of a sentence taken out of my Motiues which mightily galleth goareth himselfe as shall God-willing be seene when I come the second booke Thirdly not one of the fiue imagined bookes of answere doe directly touch either my Suruey or my Motiues the last onely excepted as euery child may conceiue by their cōtents expressed set down by the Libeller And that last book as we heare is afraid to encounter me and to answere directly either of my bookes For it professeth onely to answere the recapitulation of my Suruey Alas alas who can but blush on their behalfe who doth not see their backes at the wall who will beleeue them any longer who seeth not the weakenesse nakednesse of late Romish religion who will not detest abhorre poperie we see they are not able to defend their late vpstart religion They dare not by their own cōfessiō answere directly to any one Chapter of any one booke Onely they will answere the end or recapitulation of my Suruey That is to say they dare not deale with my grounds reasons proofes but onely with my bare recital of the contents of my bookes As if they had said we wil plead for the cōtinuance of our Church after our olde wonted manner so still to seduce the people as we haue done But with his grounds reasons and authorities with which he battereth down our Popes vsurped Primacie and confuteth our Religion we will not deale at all For in my recapitulation I onely tell the Reader plainly and briefely what I haue proued in my whole booke so to helpe the memorie and vnderstanding of the ignorant And I pray you my good friends is this your manner of answering then doubtlesse you neede not haue staid so long simpering vpon the matter VVell let mee haue your answere such as it is about which you haue beene buzzing aboue tenne yeares and I promise if God graunt mee life and health to returne my replie vnto it within the space of one yeare Thus much for the third lie The Libeller gageth his credite many waies and sets it a sale for a souse so to worke my discredite if it would or could be brought to passe These are his wordes hee giueth them most iust cause to suspect him of playing bootie and that his heart is still an harbourer of Poperie or at least not replenished with the liuely liquor of the new Gospell These are his glorious wordes It were enough for his answer to tell him that by his owne lawe his wordes without proofe are of no credite at all But I will answere himselfe with himselfe and confound him with his owne wordes and beate him with his owne rodde In another place he hath these wordes we make no doubt but that he mightily enuieth her felicitie he meaneth their Romish Church and greedily thirsteth after her destructiō haec ille Now if the Reader wil couple and combine the former sentence where he impudently auoucheth like a wretched Caterpiller and bondslaue of Satan that I am an harbourer of Poperie in my heart together with this other in which he maketh it out of doubt that I thirst greedily the destruction of their Romish Church he cannot but see euidently a flat contradiction with a manifest lye implied in the same For I cannot both harbour Poperie in my heart and greedily desire the ruine thereof Thus much for the fourth lye Many other lies he hath which I let passe of purpose in regard of breuitie But some of them shall be touched Obiter God willing when I come to his supposed answere in my second booke CHAP. III. Of the Libellers foolish arrogant shamelesse and senselesse Challenge THus writeth our shamelesse and namelesse Libeller but in the name of Robert Parsons and the rest of our Iesuits and Iesuited Papists I challenge this challenging coward dare and redare this daring dastard that he will for the honour of his cause the credite of his learning and defence of his bragging and insolent lookes labour effectually
chapter I haue handled two thirty articles of dissentions amongst the Papists all which I haue proued by the testimonies of very learned and famous Popish writers among the which 32. articles this rouing ranging Iesuitical Libeller can find but this one for his purpose In this very same book being the first that euer I published in print against thē I haue impugned battered to the ground ten special articles of popish fayth religion First I haue shewed the insufficiency blasphemy and absurdities of popish pardons Secondly that the Pope both may erre and hath erred de facto not only as a priuate person in priuate opinion but euen as Pope and publike person and that in his iudiciall and definitiue sentence Thirdly that general Councels in these latter daies are nothing els but a meere mockery and sophisticall subtility to deceiue Gods people withall Fourthly that the Popes dispensations are wicked licentious and intolerable Fiftly that Kings are aboue Popes that their power royall is independant that they are subiect to none but to God alone Sixtly that popish dissention is of matters most important and incredible to such as are not wel acquainted with their books I haue set down 32. in number of their dissentions Seuenthly that the writings of the ancient fathers are to bee receiued with great reuerence yet so as we acknowledge them to be men to haue their errours and to bynd vs to their authorities no further then they accord and agree to the holy scriptures Eyghtly that all things necessary for our saluation are contayned in the holy scriptures and that popish vnwritten traditions are so vncertaine as the best learned Papists cannot agree therein Ninthly that after this life there is neyther merit nor demerit nor satisfaction to be made and that the bookes of the Machabees cannot establish popish purgatory Tenthly that the specificall enumeration and confession of all our sinnes is not onely not commaunded by the Scriptures but flat repugnant to the same impossible to be accomplished by the power of man All which poynts and articles I haue proued not only by scriptures authorities and reasons but euen by the expresse testimonies of the Popes owne deare Doctors and best learned Papists A demonstration so forceable against the Papists as nothing can be more This book was extant in print about 12. yeres ago The Iesuits haue bene long fiddling buzzing about some answere to this my other books yea they haue many yeres ago promised the world that they would speedily frame an answere to the same but while the grasse growes as the cōmon saying is the horse dyes My selfe am now wel stricken in yeres by the course of nature shortly to go the way of al flesh They are so nettled so pricked and goared and their religion so battred with their owne best learned Doctors most skilfull Proctors that gladly they would satisfy their Iesuited Popelings wipe away that discredit which hangeth at their beards for which end they vse many coozening tricks iugglings legierdemains so to stay the out-cries of the people vntill I be dead and then by your fauour they will come vpon me with good speed for Canis mortuus non mordet But before that day my life I gage in that behalfe they dare not for their guts publish any direct and full answere to my bookes I say any direct and full answere because to snatch here a piece and there a piece is no answere at all but a meere toy for yong children to play withall Secondly this silly dissention which our Libeller Robert Parsons that honest man if yee will hath picked out of all the two and thirty in number as that with which hee thought himselfe best able to grapple doeth vtterly confound him and strike him dead I proue it first because he graunteth as much as I desire or affirme for these are his wordes Wee willingly graunt it bee it so what then This forsooth you graunt the dissention among your best Doctours which is all that I tooke vpon me to proue O sweet Iesus who seeth not these Iesuites so besotted and blinded with malice that they cannot perceyue their owne dotage They impugne that in one sentence which they graunt in another Who will not perswade himselfe that my booke of Motiues being the first I writ is most sincerely and soundly penned No man can but doe it the reason is euident because all that the malicious Iesuite durst impugne who no question made choyce of his best aduantage is by his owne confession as true as the trueth it selfe but sayth he it is no dissention in matters of fayth Fye fye fye Popery cannot stand vnlesse it bee supported and vnderpropped with slaunderous lyes He would haue his Reader to beleeue that I affirmed the dissention to be a matter of fayth which if I had done as I did not yet would it nothing serue his turne This is one notorious lye that I affirmed it to bee a matter of fayth Where I must needes put him in mind of his coozening trickes in suppressing the name of the Pope with c. which he did lest the Reader should bee dismayed when hee should perceyue the Popes owne Doctours yea and Pope Adrian himselfe whose name hee likewise suppresseth as hee did the name of Pope Gregorie to withstand the Pope and to tell him flatly that hee was a man and therefore both might erre and erred indeede egregiously Loe Pope Adrian with sundry learned Papists taught this doctrine That none but Bishops could be the true Ministers of Confirmation Pope Gregorie with other learned Papists taught the contrary doctrine and put the same in execution Pope Gregorie Alexander Paludanus and Bellarminus hold it for a constant doctrine that Confirmation ministred per Sacerdotem simplicem by a single Priest which is no Bishop so he haue the Popes dispensation is a true Sacrament of their popish church But Pope Adrian a very learned man indeede and Durandus a famous Schoole-doctor hold Confirmation so ministred to be no Sacrament at all If this be not a dissention of importance and touching popish fayth let the indifferent Reader iudge for the silly vulgar people must beleeue that their children being confirmed after the popish maner haue receyued a Sacrament and yet sayth Pope Adrian and Bishop Durand that it is no Sacrament at all I therefore conclude that the Libeller is a notorious lyar and that the doctryne contayned in my Motiues is so sound true and sincere as no Iesuite or Iesuited Papist can by any meanes gaynsay any thing contayned in the same CHAP. II. Of the marriage of Priests ABout three yeres agoe Robert Parsons that scurrilous Libeller traytrous Iesuite who will affirme or deny any thing as his owne deare brethrē the secular Priests write of him published a scādalous rayling libell which he termed a Detectiō c. in which libel he findeth himself grieued for the
books which I haue written against their Popes their late Romish Religiō for which respect he frameth himselfe this way that way and euery way to find out some fit matter against me so to be auēged of me At the last he hath stūbled on a silly so supposed contradiction in my book of the Suruey of Popery This Detectiō was written published in the yere 1602. my Suruey in the yeere 1596. so that my Suruey had thē bin in their hands 6. whole yeres howbeit after so many yeeres they can find nothing at all in it sauing one onely contradiction falsely so supposed and yet the seeking out of it hath so troubled them that they were enforced to huddle vp and mingle together three seueral places far distant one from another which supposed contradiction if it were as they falsely imagine would bee too deare of one quatryne If they could haue picked out of the sayd Suruey or my Motiues or my Hunting of the Romysh Fox all which three were published long before their Detection any one thing of moment they would not for very shame haue published in a printed book such a silly obiection as this Now in the yere 1605. an other Libeller in his Forerunner which runnes as speedily as a Snayle after the truth hath ripped vp the same quarrell againe so to be auenged vpon the poore booke for the masters sake which booke they found so fortified with strong Bulwarks so inuironed with inuincible Rampiers that neyther the brazen-faced Detector nor this shamelesse Libeller was able to picke out any fitter matter for them to worke vpon then one onely silly so supposed obiection I say so supposed because it is none indeede as shall God willing be proued out of hand In one place of my Suruey I affirme the Bishops of Rome to haue bin very godly men till S. Austens time and long after him In another place for all that I doe charge Pope Siricius to haue published wicked doctrine and in the third place I charge Pope Sozimus to haue falsified the Councell of Nice This is all that our two Iesuites the one after the other can say against my Suruey after their many yeres studies how to pick a quarrell against the same They are neither content that I cōmend their good Bishops of old time nor yet that I set before their eyes the bad dealing of their Bishops of later dayes A man would thinke that they would rather haue imployed their wits industry and learning to haue purged their Popes frō most hainous sinnes imputed to them viz. from the publishing of false doctrine and from the falsifying of the famous generall Councell of Nice These matters these most execrable sinnes they doe not once touch but smoothely passe them ouer with deepe silence and yet as the cōmon saying is Qui tacet consentire videtur The trueth is as euery child may easily perceiue that the crimes obiected and imputed to their Popes cannot be defended nor yet any other matter poynt or article of doctrine or maners which I haue published against the late Romish religion Well since it will bee no otherwise let vs view what they say of the supposed contradiction I replyed in my Counterblast to the answere of E. O. or to Robert Parsons where by sixe seuerall answeres I shewed the supposed contradiction to bee none at all It shal now suffice to alledge one of them which is the answere of their Cardinall Bellarmine in another like subiect viz. that it is the maner of the scripture so to speak of many as of all And therfore did I very modestly honestly commend the olde Bishops of Rome for very godly men because sundrie of them were holy Martyrs about the number of 30. after S. Peter and diuers others were good men taught the same doctrine which S. Peter had done afore them yet our silly Libeller beholding as in a glasse of cristall not his owne shame and confusion only but of his brethren the Iesuits of the whole rabble of Papists in like maner to bee concluded by the generall iudgement of the whole world vnlesse they did answere the bookes which I haue published against them and their superstitious idolatrous and plaine Antichristian Romish religion deemed it the best course for himselfe for the safegard of the life of their mouse-eaten and rotten Popery to let passe vntouched my Reply to Parsons his fellow Iesuite and to set abroach some new foolish and odde conceit so to keepe the peoples heads occupied for their only drift and shift is this to seduce the people with coozening trickes of their counterfeit legierdemain as they dealt with Sebastian the late King of Portugall Well what saith he Forsooth that I haue charged the Iesuite E. O. or if ye will haue it so Robert Parsons to be a lyar This is my answere First that I see not how I can offend in calling him a lyar to whō the zealous Papists the secular Priests giue this Epitheton as being his proper and peculiar Badge that hee hath a brazen face and will affirme or deny any thing Secondly that it is most true which I sayd of him viz. that hee set downe his owne wordes in stead of mine and with lying lips affirmed them to be mine thus doth he write Pope Siricius as Thomas Bell affirmeth was seduced by Satan published wicked doctrine and taught the flat doctrine of the deuill These are the expresse words of E. O. in his Detection But these are my expresse words in my Suruey After that Christ had graunted marriage for all men appoynting all such to vse it for an wholsome medicine as wanted the gift of continency after that S. Paul had pronounced freely marriage to bee lawfull in all sorts of men after that the Apostles had decreed that neither Bishops Priests nor Deacons should leaue the company of their wiues vnder pretence of Religion after that many holy Bishops Priests Deacons had liued laudably in the church and had the help of holy wedlock aboue three hundred eightie and fiue yeres all which I haue already proued then one Siricius aduaunced to the Popedome in the yere three hundred eighty fiue seduced by Satan published wicked doctrine and prohibited marriage as an vnlawful thing So then E. O. omitting my wordes and prohibited marriage as an vnlawfull thing and placing these words for them and taught the flat doctrine of the deuill declared himselfe to bee a lyar and the child of the deuill let the Reader iudge No English Iesuite or Iesuited Papist in Christendome this is a big word dare send me a full direct answere to those 2. chapters of Priestes marriage in my booke of Suruey I meane the 3. and 4. chapters of the third part and make due tryall of his answere when he hath done I dare and redare all English Iesuites and Iesuited Papists whosoeuer and whersoeuer to
vnto Bel. And why I pray you doth he desire and wish that all his books had bene burnt and that none of thē had escaped to bring newes to Bel doubtlesse because his own conscience condemned him for that silly patched answere which hee had framed against Bell which he knew himselfe very vnable to defend And for that end if all the Copies had beene consumed vp of Vulcan he would haue rested in peace and neuer haue bickered with Bel at all Marry seeing all the Copies could no way bee kept from Bels knowledge hee thought it a matter of great consequence pollicie to inuent some cozening trick point of legierdemain by help wherof he might set such a braue face on the matter as though he were innocent and no way to be touched This is the first point which I haue thought good to intimate to the Reader The Libeller in one place of his first Fore-runner telleth vs that wee shall haue more choyse of wares at the next Mart and in another place he affirmeth that by the next Poste we shall know more of his meaning Now sir both the next Poste is come and the next Mart is past and yet haue wee receiued no other wares nor any further meaning saue that onely which is already touched The Libeller therefore must perforce either confesse that this cozening tricke and point of Legierdemaine was the thing which hee intended or else that he is a notorious lyar Vtrūhorum mavis accipe gentle Fore-runner This is the second point which I haue obserued for the good of the Reader The Libeller in his second Fore-runner telleth his Reader that vnlesse I stay my selfe from answering him vntill I heare another manner of peale rung of fiue Bels hee will commend mee to my friends for a wrangler and contemne me for a captious cauelling companion Oh sweete Iesus what maner of people are our English Iesuits and other Iesuited Popelings My Bookes haue beene in their hands many yeares they haue volued and reuolued them they haue read and perused them againe and againe they haue tossed and turned them ouer and ouer they haue a long time borne all simple Papists in hands that my books haue bene answered many yeares agoe To which most impudent and false assertion the sillie ignorant Papists who dare not once reade or turne ouer one leafe of any booke which looketh awry against the Pope or popish doctrine haue giuē such credite that they haue audaciously affirmed to my face that my bookes were answered by the Iesuites Although such is the force of truth the libeller both in his first second forerunner cōfesseth plainly without all dissimulation which is not his vsuall maner that albeit my bookes haue fiue yeares agoe if his tongue were not a lyar I would belieue it receiued their answere yet is that answere hitherto suppressed vpon iust occasion Now if you demand of me what occasion that is I knowe not doubtlesse how to answere you more truly then in this plaine and simple maner viz. That either they haue no answere at all in store or else that it is such a sillie one that they are ashamed to publish it or at the least that the answere which they speake of is meere deepe silēce And so I grant willingly that my books haue receiued their answere in very deede For as they haue hitherto answered me with silence so I thinke they mean to do in future times vnlesse perhaps they purpose to publish some sillie counterfeit answere after it shall please God to call me to his mercie and to take me out of this vale of mortalitie For indeed they haue no reall answere in store as I haue proued out of their own bookes which the indifferent Reader will perceiue with all facilitie in due peruse of this my present discourse This is the third point which the gentle Reader is to obserue The Libeller telleth his Reader if hee may beleeue him that in this spirituall fight we haue the aduantage of the ground and they both sunne and wind against them And the Iesuits with their Iesuited Popelings doe often complaine of the inequalitie of time But it is a false complaint and wholy swaruing from the truth in this present case of writing publishing of bookes For first they are many and my selfe but one Secondly they either al or the best learned amongst them haue consulted and laid their heades and wits together how and in what sort to answere me as I haue already proued in this short discourse But my selfe haue consulted with none saue onely with God alone how or in what sort to writ against thē as I protest vpō my saluatiō Thirdly they haue better store of bookes though they complaine of want therein so to saue their credite if it would be then I either haue or am able any way to procure I proue it many waies First because the Iesuites in other countries haue most excellent Libraries are indeed many of them very profound learned men By meanes whereof our English Iesuites are able to write and publish moe bookes in three moneths then my self can do in three whole yeares if the truth were on their sides For their father generall hath all the Iesuites in the world at his cōmand who must lay their heades and wits together to doe at a becke whatsoeuer hee shall designe to be done Hence commeth it that our English Iesuites haue written and published this day doe write publish bookes at their good pleasure But the truth doth and will preuaile maugre their malice and in spight of the diuell Secondly the Iesuits haue all the Libraries of all the Papists in this land to vse them at their pleasures and commaunds Thirdly the Iesuits can command the purses of the ablest and richest Papists in this kingdome for the prouision and buying of all such bookes as they desire Fourthly they can haue what bookes they will to be sent out of other countries to them Fiftly they haue such store of Gold and mony that as the secular Priests their brethren write of them the Iesuite Garnets pompe expēces amounted yearely to fiue hundred pounds at the least The extraordinarie excesse of Iohn Gerard that gallant and swaggering Iesuite was valued at an higher rate then the priests could for shame expresse the horses of the same Gerard were many and of no small price He had two Geldings in a Gentlemans stable at 30. pounds a Gelding besides other elsewhere and horses of good vse When he was Prisoner in the Clinke he rode into the countrie at his own pleasure oh grieuous imprisonment and he maintained two horses in the towne with seruants in them continually The apparell of the Iesuite Oldcorne though but a pettie Iesuite was seldome lesse worth then thirtie or fortie poundes Beside hee had eight good geldings at one and the selfe same time Another Iesuite had a girdle hangers at