alleadgeth the Doctours most is most praysed of the audience as you vvell know which is a pittifull thing in thē and ridiculous in the Preacher vvho cannot but know if he haue read any of them himselfe that the Fathers detest vtterly that Doctrine which hee wresteth them to confirme and in the meane time the pore audience thinketh that they were of this new Religion vvhose simplicitie therein is most pittifullie abused by the Preacher THE XI REASON Triall of Trueth IT is manifest by the Holye Scriptures that it appertaineth to the Church to try to discerne spirits as also to determine to decide doubts And agreeably therunto shee hath in all ages mastered ouer-ruled captiuated the vnderstanding of euerye one were hee neuer so wise neuer so learned or had he neuer so extraordinary giftes except he obstinatly defended an errour which if he did hee was condemned for an heretike so came to nothing The Chatholike Church I saye directed by the Holye Ghost hath euer separated from the trueth all moales all singular opinions al errours and corruptions in euerie mans workes and writings in such sorte as that easilie and securelye euerie one maie knowe the trueth And certainelie the Protestantes although they saye that they giue no credite to the CHVRCH but so farre forth as they finde in their Scriptures doe can not otherwise but receaue the same Scriptures vppon the Catholike Romane Churches credit also the three Creedes of the Apostles of Athanasius and of Nice and some Articles of beleefe as the Holy Ghost to proceed from both the Father the Sonne yet as from one beginning and many tearmes as Person Trinitie Consubstantiall Sacraments c. which none coulde euer haue inuented but onely the Catholike Church Neyther is it possible for any man to know whether this Bible which is vsed amongest Christians be the true word of God indeede or some fained thing but onely vppon the Catholike Romane Churches credit And Saint Augustine confesseth plainely that he would not beleeue the Ghospell but that the authoritie of the Catholike Church moued him thereunto Con. Epist Manich. c. 5. lib. 2. de doct Chr. cap. 8. And by the same Churches authoritie hee was mooued to beleeue the bookes of Tobie Iudith Canticles Wisedome Ecclesiasticus Machabees c. as he himself sincerelie affirmeth And surely it is wōderfull to see how the Church of God receauing the Olde Testament from the Iewes and manifesting to the world the Canon of the Holy bookes of the new Testamēt hath in al times in so many alterations and chaunges kept from the destruction corruption of Heretikes Iewes and Panims the whole authenticall corps of Holy Scripture in such maner as no Heretike in the world can charge her with adding or diminishing the least iote thereof Iudge you here whether the madnes of these new fellowes be worthie to be wondred at or no who doe credit and beleeue the Church in this point and will not doe the same in others Why should they rather trust the Church in this thē in other things And I would euery man would here consider the wonderfull integritie of the Catholike Romane Church in keeping the Holy Bible so entire and vncorrupted these fifteene hundred yeares together at the least and the atheisticall treacherie of these of the the new Religion who occupying no Bible nor hauing to doe with the holy scriptures for a thousand yeares togeather as they themselues confesse haue after the vniust vvresting it out of the handes of the iust possessors thereof robbed the Church of so many whole bookes besides of so manie partes and particles of the same What these fellowes would bring the Holy Bible vnto in time if they shuld hold on they may easily gesse vvho know their manifold corruption therof in so few yeares And yet forsooth they vvill haue all controuersies to be tried by only scriptures which if they were not by them corrupted falselie translated yet could theye neuer finde out any secure truth by them only for that none of them alloweth anie other mans exposition but his owne and in so dealing they can but haue a gesse or an opinion or fantasie but no faith at all Which thing to declare more plainely I aske the Protestant how he relying vpon only scripture can shew mee certainely vvhich bookes be Scripture and which not And if hee be vnlearned how knoweth hee that the translation which hee vseth is truely made out of Hebrew Greeke Latine And then how is hee sure of the sence exposition And if he be neuer so learned haue neuer so many helps all that hee can search and finde out is but a priuate mans opinion and consequentlie his Faith which hee seemeth to haue is grounded vpon his owne particular iudgement and so indeed is no faith at all but an opinion onely as I said before for faith must haue Gods expresse authoritie for her foundation Here you may consider the miserable state and condition of your newe Ghospellers in that forsaking the Catholike and vniuersall faith of Christendome deliuered to thē by the vniuersal Church as founded vppon Scripture vvhich Church Christ and his Apostles gaue thē expresse Commission to beleeue which was properly Faith founded vpon a rocke which could not faile in that forsaking I say that fortres they cast themselues into the waues of new opinions whereby they haue no certaintie at all but euery one chuseth vvhat hee liketh to himselfe vvhich choise is properly called Heresie and so the word signifieth And let anie Protestant in our Countrie of England tell mee why he doth rather beleeue his owne iudgement in points of Religion then the iudgement of Luther Caluin and Beza whome he thinketh were so excellent men for euery one that hath any learning knoweth that they taught otherwise then now is taught in England This you may plainely see the only touchstone of truth to be the Catholike Church which cannot faile and that they who cleaue to her iudgement haue most vndoubtedly the truth whereas on the other side they who ground only vpon Scriptures expounding them according to their owne fantasie and braine playing the Maisters and Pilots and Boat-swaines themselues admitting no iudge no interpreter no antiquitie nor any other manner of tryall which is the greatest madnesse and malediction that can be must needes be destitute of all certaintie and of all Religion and of all stay and of all foundation and of all rule and of all order and must needes wrangle and iangle without end and without meanes to make an end and must needes cause Nouelties without number and libertie of life without feare or force of Ecclesiasticall Discipline to restraine them and to conclude they haue no meanes to rest vntill the end in Atheisme THE XII REASON The vse and custome of the Church THE vse custome and practise of the Church hath as it vvas in the prime thereof beene alvvaies an infallible rule to
mariage they permit no tapers nor lights in their churches they speak against worshiping of Saints and despise holie reliques of blessed Martyrs with Vigilantiu they take away the oblatioÌ„ of the sacrifice the hallowing of Chrisme with Eutyches Leo Epist 75. Aug. here 's 88. de pec merit lib. 3. cap. 5. loa Shutâ— lib. 50. causarum cap. 18. they teach that childreÌ„ may be saued without baptisme therefore that it is not of necessitie with the Pelagians they bragge with the Donatistes that all the world hath swarued from the right faith and they onely are the true Church And all the rest of theyr doctrine in a maner is borrowed thus of old heretiks which here particularly to set downe my breuity will not permit The like cobaerence agreement they haue with the old heretikes in deeds maners for I haue found by experience that the Protestant preachers expect Euseb l. 7. Hist c. 26. and desire great applause of their hearers as Paulus Samosatenus did of his followers they ouerthrow Aultars Opt. lib. 6 contr Do. abuse the blessed Sacrament handle despitefullie Holie Chrisme as the Donatistes did they faigne causes and come excuses why they will not goe to Generall Councels Aug. lib. 3. con Crescon Gram mat ca. 45. hist trip lib. 5. c. 34. as the saide Donatistes Macedonius and Dioscorus did The Donatistes also fained that diuers Bishops vvho were absent and that one who was dead did take theyr part against Catholickes therby to make theyr nuÌ„ber to seeme greater and there in England vvhen not somuch as one Catholicke Bishop could be induced by any perswations promises gifts or honours to consent to their Protestancy yet were not the Protestantes ashamed to abuse the Queenes Highnesse vvith this fained Supplication Anno. 1. Reginae Elizabethae Most humblie beseech your most excellent Maiestie your faithfull and obedient Subiects the Lordes spirituall and temporall c. The same Donatistes did torment moste cruellie Catholicke Priests plucking out the eyes of some Aug. Pon. com Epist 50. and of one Bishoppe they cut out the tongue and hand and murdered manie And the Protestantes of late in Fraunce did the like to Catholicke Priests and besides tying haulters about their neckes they drewe them dispiteouslie after theyr horses that done they cut off theyr eares noses priuie partes they ware their eares in their hats insteed of brooches and finally they either hanged vp their carcasses Claud. de Sanctis in lib. du SacrameÌ„t des eglyses or else shot them through with Pistolles of others they hackled and mangled their faces of othersome to trie force strength they did cleaue in two at one stroke their heades and of an old Religious man at Mans they first cut off his priuie parts then they fried them after they forced him to swallow them downe and last of all they did rip his stomake being yet aliue and see what was become thereof At S. Macharius they buried the Catholikes quicke they cut Infants in two they ripped the bellies of Priests and drew out their intrals by little little winding them about a sticke or tree At Patte a village some 6. leages from Orleaunce they burned Catholiks threw infants into the fire there to perish with the rest And manie other like outrages and barbarous cruelties they coÌ„mittd which who so desireth to know Victor de persec vaÌ„ l. 1. cap. 3. l 1. cap. de offic praef praetor lib. 3 Episc Egipti Epist ad Marcum Papaem may find them set downe by Claudius de Saintes in his booke noted before iâ— the margent The ArriaÌ„ heretikes troadeth B. Sacrament vnder their feet they ouerthrew the churches in Africa made of theÌ„ stables for their horses of Altars clothes vestments they made shirts and breeches they burned the bookes and carried the ornaments of the Churches away And how the Protestants haue abused the B. Sacrament spoiled churches burned bookes and haue not onlie made breeches shirts cushions but euen coats for players dizzardes of holy vestments Aultar clothes you cannot but know Theod. lib 1. cap. 6 Iulian that wicked Aapostata robbed Churches spoiled the Cleargy of their priuiledges banished the Priestes ouerthrew Aultars caused the sacrifice to cease reproued the Christians for doing reuerence to the Crosse Cyrill lib. 6. contra Iulian. l. 10 coa eundem and for making the signe thereof in their foreheades for painting it vpon the dores of theyr houses and for worshipping the Reliques of Mattyrs for visiting their tombes for praying to them at theyr graues Zozom li. 5. cap 12. and Sepulchres and termed them deadmeÌ„ hee ouerthrew destroyed the images pictures of Christ he brake open the shâ—ne wherein the bones of S. Iohn Baptist vvere religiouslie kept Theod. lib 5. cap. 6. burned them dispersed abroad the ashes Now whether the Protestants haue iumped iust into the steps of this wicked Apostata in doing the like or no I leaue to your iudgement knowledge consideration Zozom li. 5. cap 21 Athan. lib. de passion imag Chr. The Panims or heatheÌ„ men brake the image of christ the Iewes crucified it as theyr Elders had done Christ himselfe the Iew in in whose house it was fouÌ„d was troubled for it brought before the high priest for that he seemed by keeping that picture that hee was a Christian And doe not the Protestants euen as the Heathens and Iewes did The Iew was thought to be a fauourer of Christ because he kept his picture in his house and why should not Catholikes by the like reason be iudged fauourers and louers of Christ for hauing his Image in theyr Churches houses and chambers Or why should not Protestantes be deemed aduersaries and enimies to Christ as the Iews and Heathens were seeing they can no more endure his Picture or Crosse then they could The old Heretikes as Nestorius Socrat. lib. 7. hist cap. 23. Eus lib 6. cap. 55. lib. 7. c. 24. Nicephor lib. 6 cap. 30. Theodor. lib. 1. cap. 4 Nouatus Paulus Samosatenus the Arrians others were out of measure proud arrogant and wonderfullie conceited of themselues contemning the Doctours of the Church which had writttn before them and preferring them-selues before all others whatsoeuer the verie same doe the Protestants in a most proude and arrogant manner and the ringleader and Father of them all is not ashamed to breake out into these speeches Lutherus col mens I haue Excommunicated Origine long agoe there is nothing singuler in Athanasius fol. 474. 460. 932. 476 477. 17. Tertullian is very superstitious I make no count of Chrisostome for he is but a pratler Basil plainely is nothing worth hee is altogether a Monke Cyprian the Martyr is a weake Diuiner Hierome ought not to be numbred amongst the Doctours of the Church for he was an Heretike amongst all the
Doctors scarselie one except Augustine ToÌ„ 2. ger fol. 443. 449. vnderstood what the spirit the letter were in all theyr books there is great darkenesse of Faith Gregories Sermons are not worth a deafe nut the diuell deceaued him grosselie in his Dialogues Thus doe they censure the auncient Fathers but of themselues they speak farre otherwise for the same Arch-Protestant saith that hee himselfe is a faithfull Prophet an Apostle an Euangelist Tom 2. Ger fol. 522. fol 79. Tom. 3. f. 334. Coll. mens fol. 488. a liuing Saint c. And further he said of himselfe that hee is Esay the Prophet Phillip MelancthoÌ„ Ieremie Was there euer any Thraso so impudent as thus to bragge of him-selfe And yet his followers were not ashamed to extoll and praise him in such sort as I cannot without shame and offence to Christian eares declare the same but yet to giue you a little taste thereof I vvill here set downe a distichon which his Disciples made in praise of him In parte contra Stephanum Agricolam ca. 4. b. 9. a. and which Cyriacus Spangenbergius one of his principall followers stoutlie maintaineth to be true and allowable the distichon is this Christ is habet primas habeas tibi Paule secundus Ast loca post illos proxima Luther habet ¶ Which thus maie bee Englished The chiefe of all is Christ himselfe the next is Paul by grace Backe Saints Apostles Angels all for next is Luthers place Col. mens fol. 159. And Luther himself in another place coupleth himselfe with the same holie Apostle Saint Paule But to see vvhat staffe his adhaerentes vse in his commendation and praise is too redicu-to behold Col. mens ger fo 354 159. Beza in lib Icom r 4. a in praef in nouum test f. 144. a. Luth. in praefati in commeÌ„ Phill. in Epist ad RoÌ„ p. 2. tom 2. Ien. fol. 79. in li. coa regeÌ„ ang toÌ„ 2. IeÌ„ f. 119 col meÌ„ f. 144. f. 474 toÌ„ 2. Lat. Witten f 457. in l. deâ—eruoarbit Stigel l. 2. Poemat n. 4. Amsd desc Luth. Ab. coÌ„ Carola an l. 7. b. Eus l. 7. cap. 24 Soc. li. 6. c. 8. ZozoÌ„ li. 8. c. 8. Nicph l. c. 16. idem li. 11. cap 12. Tertul. in lib. de preser aduers hers Epip her 49. 79 Aug her 27 Hieron ad Etesiph aduers pelagianos Euseb which you may see at large in their writings and thus they do not only write of their master captaine but euen one of another and of theÌ„selues in a most shameful lying maÌ„ner They follow also the fashion of old heretiks in that they disagre so greatlie in Doctrine are so contentious doe affect seek after eloquence and smooth speeches more than after the truth as they did And neuer any Arch-heretike among them is coÌ„uerted as there neuer was in the auncient time for that their sin was ouer heynous against the Holy Ghost neither doe they put any difference betweene Ecclesiasticall persons and ciuill as they old heretiks did not And they season their errours with songes ballades in the vulgar tongue to the end that the common people delighting to heare and singe them might thereby sucke theyr errours as you see them doe by the Geneua Psalmes which women children and all sorts confusedlie sing so did the old heretiks as historiographers make mentioÌ„ The women among the heretikes in times past were so shameles malapert that they tooke vpon them to dispute and to reason of matters of religion they helped foreward the Heresie by teaching preaching prating wraÌ„gling iangling prophecying and by all meanes possible 5. And doe not p. 14. Niceph. l. cap. 22. Tom 1. IeÌ„ Ger. f. 336 f. 17. 341. I pray you the women amongest the Protestantes the like following therin their Father Luthers aduise who licenseth them to doe such thinges namely to preach The olde Heretikes were verie inquisitiue and desirous to heare of the sinnes and faults of Priests and of other Ecclesiasticall persons Aug. Epist 137. and when they heard any such they greatlie reioyced thereat and blazed it abroad with great exaggerations and additions and doe not the Protestants the same Yea it were more sufferable if they blazed abroade onelie thinges which were true but they most impudentlie faine make vpon their own fingers the greatest part of such tales as are tolde of Ecclesiasticall persons Wherein they shewe how farre they are from the spirit and minde of that most Religious Emperour Constantine the great Zozom li. 1. cap 6. Niceph. li. 8. cap. 16. who would not in any wise heare the faults of Bishops Priests but affirmed that if he should chaunce to finde such an one violating wedlocke hee would couer him with his purple cloake for feare of scandale I could heere alleadge manie moe things both of doctrine and manners in which the Heretikes of old and the Protestants of these dayes doe agree and iumpe togeather and because of breuitie I will surcease praying you warily to weigh whose steps you tread in and whose examples you follow THE XXIIII REASON Peace and tranquilitie THE Catholike Romane religion according to the prophecies of the old Testament began with meeknes mildnes and with all quiet and peaceable meanes by which it also encreased and dilated it selfe the teachers and professours thereof vsing all patience and humilitie but neuer any violence or force in the planting thereof whereas the Protestants both haue begun and holde on theyr course vvith seditious tumults wars cruelties and other outragious Tragedies as vvith ouerthrowing noble families making away honourable personages with destroying all before theÌ„ where they set foot as Germany where they begaÌ„ can sufficiently witnes where were slaine within one yeere by rebellion war for this new religion Sledâ—n aboue one hundred thousand people country-men taking armes against their Lords subiectes against their Princes for the same And what rule and reuell they haue kept about their Gospell in Fraunce in Flaunders in Poland in Switzerland in Denmarke is wel known where they haue gathered sundry armies pitched many campes fought many battailes made many insurrections destroyed Countries Citties Townes Villages caused such slaughter and hauocke of Christian blood as euery man abhorreth to hear of And what tragedies I praye you haue they raised in Scotlande Haue they not murdered their Princes and ouerthrowne Noble houses and Lynages as the houses and Lynages of Hamiltons of Duglasses of Stewardes and of others Neither hath Ireland escaped scot free But to speake of our owne Countrye I cannot without teares recount sommarily the troubles calamities destructioÌ„s vtter ruines of noble families honorable worshipfull personages of the coÌ„mon-wealth it selfe caused by the Protestants or for the controuersie of religion In k. Henry the 8. his time two the chiefest