in Christ by this Frierly glosse it is not enough vnlesse he also beleeue the Pope to be Christs Vicar Euen like as these Romanists would haue all Churches depend vpon Rome in the West so the Donatists being caried with the like humour did contend for the South that the Church of God was onely to be found in Africa thereto abusing that text Cantic 1.6 Vbi pascis vbi cubas meridie Where feedest thou and liâ—st at noone or in the South as they interpreted By the same reason saith Augustine Marcion vpon that text Psal. 48.2 Mons Sion latera Aquilonis Mount Sion the sides of the North might also chalenge a priuiledge for the North quia ponticus dicitur fuisse quae partes ad Aquilonem sunt Because he is said to haue been of Pontus which is toward the North. As these Heretikes did striue for the South and North so the Luciferians would haue the Church of God onely at Sardis in the East vnto whom Hierome saith Non ob Sardorum tantum mastrucam filium Dei descendisse That the sonne of God did not only descend for a Sardish mantill that is to saue onely the Sardians Euen so did hee not onely die to redeeme the Romanes Yea if any sect among Christians haue diuided and cut themselues off from Christ the Papists that chalenge most to be priuiledged are most like to be excluded 1. Idolaters shall not inherit the kingdome of heauen 1. Cor. 6.9 such are Papists notoriously knowne to be 2. Heresies also doe shut men out from the kingdome of God Galath 5.20.21 But the Church of Rome holdeth and professeth many apparant heresies as euen now shall be shewed 3. The Apostle saith Ye are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the lawe Galath 5.4 But the Papists do seeke to be iustified by the righteousnes of the lawe for these are their owne words True iustice is by keeping the lawe Rhemist in 2. Rom. sect 5.4 The scripture saith If any man shall adde vnto these things I will adde vnto him the plagues written in this booke Reuel 21.18 They which adde vnto the scriptures can not be saued Such are the Papists that beside the written word do receiue many traditions which they call verbum Dei non scriptum the word not written By these and sundrie other reasons which might be produced the pope-catholike is found to haue the least part in Christ vnlesse they do reuoke their errors and repent them of their misbeliefe 3 True it is that Christ will so preserue his Church and euery faithfull member thereof from error as that they shall not fayle in the foundation but as to infirmities of life so to errors of doctrine which are not fundamentall euen the true Church of Christ is subiect till God by his word do otherwise teach them as the Apostle saith if ye be otherwise minded God shall reueale the same vnto you But concerning any particular visible Church such as the Romane and the Latine Church is it is vntrue that it is absolutely preserued froÌ„ error but so long only and so farre-forth as it doth yeeld and submit it selfe to be guided by the direction of Gods word For what priuiledge hath one locall Church more then an other What can Rome challenge more for it selfe then Ephesus Sardis Smyrna and the other Churches of Asia to whom our Sauiour directed his Epistles Reuel 2.3 whose candlesticks are now remoued The earthlie Ierusalem had greater assurance for their continuance and more ample promises then euer Rome had for the Psalme testifieth thus the Lord hath chosen Sion and loueth to dwell in it saying this is my rest for euer yet is Sion now forsaken and Ierusalem become desolate for the promise is conditionall if thy sonnes keepe my couenants c. v. 12. Let not reachles Rome therefore presume before Ierusalem euen vnto the Romanes doth the Apostle speake if God spared not the naturall branches take heed least he also spare not thee Let the Romanists therefore take heed least it happen vnto them as vnto the Iewes as Origene saith alapa Christum caedentes alapam aeternam receperunt ab omni prophetia percussi priuati for giuing Christ a blow they receiued an euerlasting blow being shaken from and depriued of all prophesie The like deadlie stroke proud Rome must expect to be depriued of all propheticall spirite and true iudgement for striking and persecuting Christ in his members 4 Vntrue also it is that the Church of Rome hath condemned and extirped 400. heresies seeing that it may easily be proued that it doth maintaine at this present one hundred at the least of those auncient heresies which haue bene in former time condemned by Irenaeus Tertullian Hierome Augustine Epiphanius Damascene and other of the Fathers From Marcellina the companion of Carpocrates they haue receiued the adoration of Images of the Heracleonites extreame vnction with the Tatians they condemne mariage with the Pepuzians they allow women to be priests in that they authorise them to baptize with the Catharists that some are so iust that they neede no repentance with the Angelici they worship Angels with the Apostolici they admit none to orders as they did not to their communion that had wiues with the Hierarchites they haue brought in Monks and Nunnes with the Euchites canonicall houres with the Priscillianists they make Apocryphall writings equall to the scriptures with the Anthropomorphites they picture God the Father like an old man from the Pelagians they haue borrowed free-will from the Manichees the prohibiting of the eating of flesh Many such heresies are without any wresting or forcing fastned vpon the Romish professors as a learned writer of our Church hath alreadie challenged and charged them with fiftie heresies and another hath proued them guiltie of fortie more and so many as want of an hundred shall be supplied shortlie and the number made vp in the enlarging of the last recited worke as God shall giue strength and abilitie thereunto 5 Neither is it true that diuers generall Councels where the whole Christian world was assembled haue anathematized and condemned the religion of Protestants for whereas in the margent he referreth vs to the Concil Constant. Concil Florentin in Vnion Concil Trident. the first of these by our aduersaries confession was not a generall Councell for whereas Sess. 4. of the Councell of Constance it was decreed that the Pope ought to be subiect vnto the authoritie of a generall Councell Bellarmine telleth vs Non erat tum generale Concilium c. It was not then a generall Councell when as the third part only of the Church was present only those prelates which were vnder the obedience of Pope Iohn if it were not generall in the 4. session neither was it in the 8. session wherein the opinions of Wickliffe and Hus were condemned As for the Florentine
thereof are dissolued but I will establish the pillars of it Your Maiestie as another Moses can onely appease the strife betweene the Hebrewes and as another Constantine to reconcile the Church-ministers who wrote thus vnto them Let me enioy good daies and quiet nights without care if not my griefe will be the more When your Highnes hath wrought this cure you shal be no more troubled with petitions by day nor careful meditations by night Aristippus and Aeschines being fallen out one asked the first what was now become of their friendship he answered It was asleepe but he would awake it When your Highnesse hath awaked the peace of the Church you shal sleep more quietly your selfe and not be troubled any more with Constantines carefull nights You are our Salomon to iudge betweene vs they that loue diuision and to contend causlesse let them haue the least part Theodosius when Catholikes and Heretikes put vp their libels to him prayed God to direct him so your Maiestie well knoweth that your direction herein must come from God Diuerse complaints as lots are cast into your Princely lap but the disposition thereof is of the Lord. God we trust and for the same pray will so dispose your royall heart that the best cause may haue the first lot the most honest suite the happiest issue and the iustest quarrell the fairest triall Faile not their godly desire herein most gracious Prince that neuer would haue failed you who were resolued I speake herein of mine owne knowledge to haue aduentured their liues and states for your Maiesties iust title who waited for you as for the raine and for the consolation of Israell Faile not then O noble King the hope of Christs Church yea the expectation of Angels yea the trust that Christ hath committed vnto you to be a faithful seruant as Moses in his house so as one saith The eyes of men are not only cast vpon you and the whole land setled to behold your life but God and Angels expect your faithfull seruice God we verily trust will not faile you with his spirit but as the Prophet saith Whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued so your prayers and teares which you poure vnto God shall both saue you and your people as one said to Augustines mother Non potest perire tantarum lachrymarum filius the child of such prayers and teares cannot possibly perish or fall away Now as to our great comfort we enioy your Maiestie a norishing father of Christs Church at home so your Highnesse is expected to be a succour and comfort to other afflicted Churches abroad though you are not as a head to direct them yet you may be as a hand to helpe them though not a roote to giue them life and sap yet as a wall for the small branches to runne vpon to stay them vp as it is said of Ioseph It was Iosua his honour to ayde the Gibeonites their confederates against the combined Kings of Canaan Dauid was a captaine to all that were distressed and afflicted Hercules is honoured in heathen stories because he trauelled through the world to remoue cruell gouernours Noble Alexander is famous for the same who conquered a great part of the world reducing rude and barbarous people to ciuill life who charged all to esteeme the whole world as their countrey good men as their countrymen the bad as aliens and strangers Our English Chronicles do blame Henry the second for refusing to take the protection and defence of the distressed Christians in Ierusalem offered vnto him by Heraclius the Patriarke the troubles that befell him at home are ascribed to that cause But Ecclesiasticall stories make honourable mention of the Emperour Theodosius the younger whose loue was such to the afflicted people of God that being present to behold certaine publicke sights and shewes and there hearing of the death of one Ioannes a cruell rebell and tyrant presently left the playes and went to the Church to giue thankes to God Queene Elizabeth was a foster mother to all distressed Christians and I doubt not but all Protestants in the world shall receiue comfort in the cause of Religion from your Maiesties fauour in being a mediator for their peace or succour for their reliefe But of all other we the poore companie of schollers and students haue greatest cause to reioyce in your Maiestie whom now we haue obtained a learned and iudiciall patron of our labours and writings whereas before no gift or present was held to be more base nor lesse regarded of all hands Schollers bookes the trauaile of the soule the weakning of the bodie the care of the day and studie of the night were not not so welcome to the most as a Lawyers fee from the client or a tenants new-yeares gift to his Land-lord I your Maiesties poore subiect could speake herein by experience what small hartening I haue had in the world for my poore trauels in the Church but I will be sparing in mine owne cause And yet I speake not this as though we expected our reward from men though we be men and had need of terrene encouragement but I am bold a poore writer of this Church of England to poure forth the common griefe and complaint of students in this behalfe into your princely bosome Bookes were growne into such small request that many would scarce vouchsafe the reading of them but few beare in mind who presented them they were layed aside by the walles or set vp onely to make a shew as one saith Sacrorum opera ingeniorum in speciem cultum parietum comparantur The labours of sacred wits were vsed onely to beautifie the walles But now we trust as Homers Iliads were accepted of Alexander which he made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the furniture of his iourney Terence workes of Scipio Origens bookes of Ambrosius whom he called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because hee continually prouoked him to write and as Hieromes writings were esteemed of Damasus so I doubt not but scholers labours shall be as welcome to your Maiestie as any other subiects presents And in this confidence I haue bene bold againe to offer my seruice to your Maiestie For as he that made that harpe wherewith Thales appeased the tumult of the Lacedaemonians and he that built the ship wherewith Themistocles did defend Greece had cause more to reioice therein then in any worke beside so to none else we more willingly present our labours then to your sacred Maiestie a generall procurer of our peace and defender of Church and countrey whose vigilant heart careth for all whose diligent eye seeth for all whose liberal hand reacheth vnto all And not onely at this present but while I liue haue I purposed to consecrate my pen to the honor of your Maiestie if God will you please And I say with Hierome Quamdiu in hoc corpusculo sum scribam aliquid gratum
more then twentie of the Popes haue been giuen to that diuelish studie How Papists are confuters of Philosophers I leaue it to their owne report of one Maldonat an Ignatian sectarie that in a great auditorie in one lecture laboured to proue by naturall reasons that there is a God in an other that there is none and that the Iesuites do mainetaine at this day by the penne of Rene de la Fon that the Godhead must be proued by naturall reason 2 Vntrue also it is that Poperie hath conquered so many heresies retayning still a great number of them as is before sufficientlie declared neither haue they cause to brag of their vniuersalitie in subduing all nations for poperie was neuer so generall as pagane Idolatrie neither had the Pope euer commaund of all nations the Greeke Church hauing euer been deuided from him and I trust euery day his iurisdiction will be lesse and his account of nations come short as thanks be to God his nailes are well pared and his armes shortned in many famous cities and kingdomes in Christendome 3 Of the Papists it may be more truly said that they haue as many heads so many religions of the diuers sects and schismes in poperie and differences among their writers which rise to the computation of many hundreds relation hath been made before They are the deniers of scripture not Protestants that haue not blushed to say that the Pope may change the forme of words in baptisme that the Pope may dispense against the new testament that the Pope may dispense against all the precepts of the old and new testament that the scripture taketh authoritie from the Church of Rome that no man may lawfullie beleeue any thing by the authoritie of scripture against the determination of the Church Another saith the authoritie of the scriptures is founded in the allowance of the Church Another Apostoli quaedam scripserunt non vt praessent c. the Apostles writ certaine things not that they should rule faith and religion sed subessent but should be vnder Let any man now iudge if these men be not deniers of scripture which do derogate from the authoritie thereof that take vpon thē to chop change it to annihilate the precepts thereof and dispense against it So they not Protestants are the false translators of scripture who allow the vulgar Latine onely to be authenticall which in many hundred places altereth and corrupteth the Hebrue text As Genes 2.8 God planted a garden from the beginning for toward the East Genes 15. she shall breake thy head for he Gen. 4.13 they reade my sinne is greater then I can deserue pardon for then I can beare Gen. 6.5 their cogitation intent to euill for onely euill continuallie Gen. 12.15 and the princes told Pharao for the princes of Pharao saw her Gen. 26.9 why didst thou lye for why saidst thou v. 19. they digged in torrente in the brooke for in the vallie Gen. 35.16 he came in the spring time to the ground which bringeth to Ephratha for there was a little space of ground to come to Ephrah Genes 36.24 found out hoate waters in the wildernes for Mules Gen. 40.13 shall remember thy seruice for shall lift vp thy head Psal. 68.4 exalt him that ascendeth super occasum vpon the west or sunne-set for vpon the heauens v. 6. deliuereth prisoners in strength for in fetters v. 13. though ye sleepe betweene the lots for lien among the pots v. 17. tenne thousand for twentie thousand and a thousand such places might be alleaged wherein they haue corrupted the scriptures The Papists also are the men that forge scripture and other euidences for they thrust vpon the Church diuers Apocryphall bookes of Tobie Iudith Macchabees with the rest which the auncient Church of the Iewes to whom all the bookes of the old Testament and oracles of God were committed neuer receiued nor allowed So haue they forged and deuised diuers other writings as the Decretall epistles of the auncient Bishops of Rome which were Martyrs as of Zepherinus Calixtus Pontianus Vrbanus Fabianus with the rest which are all counterfeit stuffe as are also the leiturgie of S. Iames the writings that passe vnder the name of S. Martialis Abdias Hippolytus Dionysius and many such as is elsewhere declared more at large 4 Neither is it true that popish religion is founded vpon the infallible word of God conteyned in the scriptures but most of it vpon blind fallible and vncertaine traditions and many opinions the Church of Rome holdeth directlie opposite and contrarie to scripture as elsewhere hath been shewed Thus this friuolous aduersarie passeth on along heaping vp sclaunders and vntruths not remembring what the wise man sayth Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord but they that deale trulie are his delight But we neede not maruaile at it for this is familiar with thē with great boldnes to face out their owne forgeries and they may well say in Hieromes phrase domi nobis ista nascuntur we haue plentie of such stuffe at home But as the Lacedemonian magistrates said to Cephisophon the Orator when they expelled him that it was a good Orators part to make his speech answereable to his matter so should this sophister haue done and not to professe truth in his speech where none is in his matter The fift Perswasion 1 I Defend a religion where so much vertue is practised such obedience chastitie pouertie c. 2 Which brought the professors thereof to heauen as religious Heremites Monks Friers Priests Bishops Popes c. 3 Not that religion which made those which before were good chast obedient and contemners of the world to be wicked and giuen to impietie The Disswasion 1 WHat obedience poperie teacheth to their princes the late practises both in England and Fraunce do proclayme to all the world as the treacherous conspiracie of Parry incited by Cardinall Coomes letters of Somerfield and Arden sollicited by Hall a popish priest of Babington with other stirred vp by Ballard Lopez by Parsons Sauage and Yorke by Gifford Squire by Walpoole a Iebusite In Fraunce Iames Clement a Iacobine murdered Henry the third Barriere and Chastell attempted the like against the now King of Fraunce at the instigation of the Iesuites The Prince of Orange was by the like treacherie murdered and the death of the Chancelor of Scotland intended This may suffice to shew their obedience For their chastitie I appeale to the stories written of their vnholie fathers the Popes What place in the Christian world can afford more filthie spectacles of adulterers incestuous persons Sodomites then that Sea and citie of Rome I appeale to the inquisition made in King Henry the eights raigne at the suppression of the Abbeys when in some places the Priests and Monks were descried to haue kept some two some three some sixe some more one among the rest twentie concubines
sent the helue after the head and found both so I hope this simple present added to the former may make a way for me vnto your Maiestie not to speake for my selfe but in the behalfe of the Church of Christ. Now because I know not whether in this kind I may euer hereafter haue occasion to speake to your Maiestie let me be bold in the feare of God to vtter my mind to your Highnesse not onely with reuerence as to a King but plainely in singlenesse of hart as to a Christian a good man and louer of Gods Church Hierome of Sicile was wont to say That none that spake freely to him did importune him or was vnseasonable much more to your Christian Maiestie free and plaine speech deliuered in dutie I trust shall not be vnpleasing First then as we all do praise God for your happie succession in the kingdome by whom we are vndoubtedly perswaded religion and peace shall be coÌ„tinued and maintained that we haue all cause to say with Israell The Lord hath done great things for vs whereof we reioyce the times fall out much better and the change more happie then was of some feared of others expected It hath not happened vnto vs as aged Leontines foretold to the Antiochians who pointing to his gray and white haires said When this snow is melted much mire will follow that is sedition and trouble But after the dissolution of the white snowie haires of our last aged Soueraigne no such trouble God be thanked hath followed the Lord hath not left vs as sheepe without a shepheard We are the same sheepe to be led foorth still to the waters of life though another sheepheard As the Church of England acknowledgeth Gods great goodnesse herein so your Christian Maiestie shall do wel to recogitate with your selfe as you do the Lords great mercies toward you who in your infancie from many perils most prouidently preserued you and in your former raigne from many dangers miraculously deliuered you and now to a most flourishing kingdome most honourably aduaunced you I doubt not but as your Highnesse hath the like occasion so with the Prophet you will vtter the same affection My soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefites as well appeareth to the great comfort of vs all by that religious weekely erected exercise in your Highnesse Court Your Maiestie well remembreth Moses counsell to the king that he should reade in the law of God all the dayes of his life that his heart be not lifted vp aboue his brethren Princes are set in slipperie places if God stay them not abundance of honor pleasure wealth may soone intangle theÌ„ This appeared in Salomon who strangely fell and declined from his integritie Alexanders example in forraine stories is notable who in iustice temperance chastitie was a mirror to all Princes before he tasted of the pleasures of Asia Dionysius for a while delighted in Plato and seemed to be studious of Philosophie but he quickely fell away therein well resembled to a booke wherein that which was before written was soone blotted out But in Christians the mutabilitie of nature is corrected by the stabilitie of grace and God with whom there is no variablenesse nor shadowing by turning shall so strengthen your royall heart as that it be neither ouer-cast with shadow nor turned by change There are two enemies to Christian constancie enuie and flatterie the one practiseth the other perswadeth that pulleth backe this letteth to go forward the last is the worst the first least to be feared Enuie followeth vertue flatterie nourisheth vice the first Themistocles well perceiued who being yet young said he had done no excellent thing because he was not enuied the other Phocion was not ignorant of to whom when the people gaue applause for his oration What saith he to his friends haue I spoken any thing amisse vnawares shewing that popular applause and flatterie doth often worke vpoÌ„ some infirmitie Many haue preuented trecherie that could not take heed of flatterie Dauid whom neither Abner and Amasaes valour nor Achitophels wit could subdue Ziba his false tale seduced and smiling ease and prosperitie corrupted Nehemiah could wel beware of Tobiah and Sanballat that were threatning aduersaries but he was most in daunger by Shemaiah and Noadiah dissembling Prophets The way for Princes to auoide such flatterers is to haue faithfull seruants and followers as Dauid saith The faithfull in the land shall dwell with me the vpright in heart shall serue me Lysippus the Caruer did worthily reproue Apelles the Painter because he had made Alexanders picture with a thunderbolt in his hand as a God the other with a speare honouring him as a valiant Prince I doubt not but they are more pleasing to your Highnesse that giue you that is due then which ascribe that you will not take Against enuie and trechery your Maiestie must oppose your Christian innocencie and carefull circumspection against flatterie your Princely humilitie As Ambrose well describeth the penitent king of Niniuie that humbled himselfe in sackcloth He forgetteth himselfe to be a king while he feareth God the king of al a straunge thing while he casteth away his purple robes and remembreth not that he is a king he beginneth to be a king of Iustice he did not lose his kingdome but chaunged it to the better God graunt that to your Princely humilitie and Christian pietie may be added diuine constancie that although archers shoot at you some with darts of enuy trechery some with the bolts of flatterie yet with Ioseph your bow may abide strong and the hands of your armes strengthened to the end Agesilaus well said I do so vse my selfe that in no chaunge I be chaunged We all trust that this speech will be more truly verified in your Christian Maiestie then in that heathen Prince which your firme and we hope vnchaungeable constancie hath manifested it selfe in your stedfast resolution for the continuance of religion in sinceritie without mixture Some haue preasâ—ed alreadie if not presumed to make request for toleration of their Masse or rather Misse-seruice for all is amisse in it but they might know that the Arke and Dagon cannot dwell together that Hezechiah will not suffer the brasen serpent to stand nor Iosias permit the Chemarims to execute their idolatrous seruice They wold seeme to condition with your Maiestie whose lands and persons are at your courtesie much like the Athenians who being forced to giue vp their citie to the Spartans desired that Samos might be left to whom one wittily answered When you are not your owne you would haue others to be yours Whereupon grew this Prouerbe He that hath not himselfe would haue Samos We haue an English by-word Beggers must be no choosers so neither must petitioners be prescribers Your Maiestie can answer such importunate vnreasonable suiters as Zerubabel answered the aduersaries of Iudah that offered
their seruice craftily to build the temple It is not for you but for vs to build the house vnto our God And as Valentinian made answer to the Romaine Embassadors that made petition for the restoring of the idoll temples That which my brother Gratian taketh away how can you thinke I should restore In so doing I should both hurt religion and do my brother wrong Postulet parens Roma alia quaecunque desideret Let our mother citie Rome aske any thing else which she desireth This good Emperour Valentinian being yet but young was so resolute to continue the puritie of religion that notwithstanding the instance of the Romaine Orators and the counsell of all his Senatours that approued their petition he would not graunt any libertie to Romaine idolatrie Lycurgus answer was very fit to one that perswaded that the gouernement might be committed to the people Do thou first make triall in thy house giuing thy seruants the rule So these that would haue diuerse religions in the CoÌ„mon-weale yet mislike that there should be any but their owne profession in their houses and families their children and seruants being for the most part if they may haue their desires like affected to themselues We thanke God for your Maiesties firmenesse and constancie herein praying heartily for the encrease of Christian zeale strength and corage in your princely heart But as your excellent resolution is to haue the state of the Church and Commonwealth no worse so we reioyce to heare of your princely consultation to make them both better Alwaies the noble Princes Reformers haue added somewhat to their predecessors worke and where the other left they began Dauid brought the Priests and Leuits to order Salomon built the Temple Asa tooke away Idolatrie Iehosaphat remoued the high places Hezekiah brake downe the brasen Serpent Iosias restored the feast of the Passeouer to his first integritie vnder Nehemiah the feast of Tabernacles was reuiued So in England Henrie the eight expelled the Pope and abolished Idolatrie King Edward proceeded and abrogated the Masse Queen Elizabeth weÌ„t yet further took order for recusants seminary seducing Priests Iudasits and somewhat it may be is yet remaining either to be amended or added by your Maiestie for we doubt not but that you haue set your heart to seeke the Lord and with Hezekiah to do that which is good in his sight That saying of Alexander doth well fit a Christian Prince It profiteth not to possesse all things and to do nothing As we ioy to see you a possessor of the Crowne so we desire to behold you an agent in Christs Church we ioy from our hearts to see what reformation your Mâ—â—estie hath begun in the Common-wealth in staying of monopolies redressing of oppression and extortion by officers restraining vnlawfull games vpon the Lords day We do also as much reioyce to thinke of your princely resolution for matters Ecclesiasticall In restoring the reuenues of the Church and misliking the law of Annexation in maintaining the three estates of Parliament in seeing that all Churches in your dominions be planted with good Pastors And that euery Church may be thus planted with a good Pastor one should no longer be suffered to haue many nor he that is no good Pastor nor able to teach any and if the Pastor must be planted in his Church then to be plucked and pulled from thence by long absence is not fit Thus so many hundred Churches that want teachers shall be supplied and diuers hundred Preachers not yet called abroade shall be employed But seeing a great cause of an vnlearned Ministery is want of maintenance we thanke God for your Highnesse Christian care also herein that sufficient prouision be made for the sustentation of Ministers which may be fitly done if patrons were vrged to bestow their liuings freely and better order were taken for impropriations that such as are of the Churches fee be demised for the old rent to the incumbent Preacher such as belong to others be charged with some conuenient portion to issue forth for the maintenance of the Pastor But I presume not to prescribe a course but onely to giue my simple aduice To our great comfort also your Maiestie hath declared your princely care and desire that the doctrine and discipline be preserued according to Gods word whereas the first hath bin in this Church by some with vnsound teaching corrupted as I haue partly shewed in the Preface following the other by some much neglected by others not vsed well There are bookes abroade maintaining offensiue doctrine too much declining to poperie which haue done great hurt it might please your Maiestie that such dangerous bookes might be inhibited and because they are dispersed into many hands that they receiue some answer by publike allowance or sufficient satisfaction from the authors lest the infection spread further We also with thaÌ„ks to God take knowledge of your Highnesse Christian disposition to peace that no coÌ„tention shold be in the Church about ceremonies in your princely iudgement indifferent whereabout the Church of England hath bene much distracted Lycurgus is said to auoide drunkennesse to haue forbid the vse of vines Your Highnesse in good time may more easily remoue the iust occasions of offence or so indifferently moderate them that they breede no strife God giue your Maiestie strength in due time to reforme both those and what other abuses are in Church or Commonwealth Some perhaps would haue your Maiestie to minister no phisicke at all as though the Church ayled nothing which were nothing else but with Herodotus Selymbrianus in Plato to make a long and lingring sickenesse who falling into an incurable disease deuised how to prolong death where he could not preuent it Some would haue Heraclitus phisicke vsed to do nothing but purge who being sicke of a dropsie desired the Phisitian to purge him throughly to turne the abundance of showers into drought so they would haue all purged not the superfluous humors onely but some profitable parts as the very calling it selfe of reuerend Pastors and Bishops who while they attend the sincere preaching of the word and the vncorrupt administration of discipline may no doubt do the Church much good But the better sort desire neither with Heroditus nothing to be purged nor with Heraclitus all things to be euacuated and purged but rather approue Hippocrates method that what is euill may be purged the rest to be coÌ„forted strengthened This was Saint Pauls course to purge out the old leauen that there might be a new lumpe We would not the leauen lumpe of dough and all to be cast out but the lumpe to be renewed the old sower leauen to be reiected Thus shall your Maiestie shew your selfe as Hierome saith of one to be Hippocrates Christianorum A right Hippocrates of Christians indeed that you may say with the kingly Prophet Dauid The earth and the inhabitants
farre more faire then Helene of the Grecians We ought therefore more to striue for it then they did for the other Beside I haue not held vp my shield at a shadow no man striking me or made answer where no man called me or run forward no man thrusting me for in three seuerall places it hath pleased this Popes champion to challenge me and so hath to my thinking bid me the base and cast downe his gauntlet for me to take it vp I considered that it was not fit in this case to do as children that being stricken do lay their hands vpon the sore place and crie but to requite him with the like that first gaue the aduēture to returne the smart of the blow vpon his face that first bent his fist I say therefore with Hierome Si superbum sit respondisse multò sit superbius accusasse If it be thought an insolent part to answer it is much more to accuse and he is iudged contentious not which preuenteth a further mischiefe but first prouoketh thereunto Neither can I conceale that to this enterprise I was incited and stirred vp by the reuerend Lord Bishop of London by whose aduise and counsell I addressed my selfe thereunto saying with Augustine Ad compellendum non potest esse molestus exactor quando ad reddendum deuotus est debitor The exactor is not troublesome in requiring when the debtor is willing in rendring I haue hitherto shewed the motiues that induced me to this worke now also I will briefly declare what I haue done I haue discouered in this treatise aboue two hundred vntruths and slaunders by this libeller without al conscience forged without all modestie vttered I haue answered all the politicke obiections by him cunningly against the Protestants faith deuised I haue his owne engines wherewith he would haue battered ours vpon his owne forts returned The businesse I thanke God was not great which I found in the vnfolding of this Alogicall I should say Apologicall Epistle But as Caesar said of a certaine citie which at the very first view he ouercame Veni vidi vici I came to it I saw it I tooke it so may I say with Hierome Sententias eius prodidisse superasse est The very laying open of his sayings is a sufficient confutation His obiections required no long time to answer to refell his arguments it was sufficient to see them and to ouerthrow his cause it was enough to open his book And as Lueullus said of his enemies that came against him in compleat harnesse That it would be more labour to spoyle them then to foyle them so had I as much a do to collect his reasons as to confute thē The gaining of diuerse peeces of this book which were negligently lost was more trouble to me thē the first framing of that which I had carefully writtē Now I haue also the more willingly thrust my selfe into this businesse to make knowne to the people of God the Lords vnspeakeable goodnesse towards vs who hath giuen vs a Prince resolued to professe in himselfe and protect in vs the same faith of the Gospell which was by Q. Elizabeth maintained that still we may exercise our pens against the common aduersarie Of his Maiesties raigne we may truly pronounce as the Prophet of Salomons In his dayes shall the righteous flourish Psal. 72.7 All those shall be sure we verily trust to liue in peace and enioy his fauour that loue the truth and follow righteousnes God hath sent vs another Theodosius of whō Ambrose saith Cùm omnes homines vobis militent tum ipsi vos omnipotenti Deo sacrae fidei militatis As al men do war fight for you so you for Almightie God and the sacred Faith Phocion being asked of the Orators what benefit he had bestowed vpon the city None but this saith he that while I was gouernor none of you had cause to make a funeral Oratiō So I trust that Religion hath gotten such an honourable patron that Preachers the Orators of Christians shall haue no cause to mourne for the persecution trouble and imprisonment of such as professe the Gospell as in former times of persecution vnder Popish tyranny but to reioyce in the peaceable fruition of the Gospel And how much are we to ioy in so Christian a Prince who doth not onely publickely professe himselfe to be no Papist but hath declared so sound a iudgement in some questions controuersed among Protestants that we may all frō his princely mouth take out a new lesson and learne to reforme our erroneous conceits Our kingly Ecclesiastes saith That all that is necessarie to saluation is contained in the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 19 otherwise then some haue affirmed that the light of nature and the light of Scripture ioyntly not seuerally are compleat to saluation for hence it followeth that the Scripture seuerally and alone is not compleate to saluation We are taught to vse onely Scripture for interpretation of Scripture if we would neuer swarue from the analogie of faith in expounding as Scripture is interpreted by Scripture so the Scripture is drawne by Scripture not by the authoritie of the Church Beware to beleeue with the Papists the Churches authoritie better then your owne knowledge How say some then that the word cannot possibly assure vs that we do well to thinke that it is the word of God No man is able to keepe the law or any part thereof as the Apostle saith That which was impossible to the law inasmuch as it was weake because of the flesh c. how then is it not impossible in any sense to be preserued frō all sin in this life How can a man do more and God approue more then is commaunded as some haue taught if we come farre short of that which is commaunded If Faith onely iustifieth as Protestants hold and since we could not be saued by doing we might at the least be saued by beleeuing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 8. how then can our workes be any meanes to blot out sinne or to procure pardon If it be the property of faith to apply the promises for faith is a sure perswasion and apprehension of the promises of God applying them to our soule p. 11. as the Apostle saith By grace are ye saued through faith Eph. 2.8 how can the Sacraments giue grace and be causes of Iustification and as necessarie in their place as beliefe it selfe If whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 13. how can naturall workes be acceptable to God If we cānot think any thing as of our selues and if al that do good are inspired of God therto how is mās wil apt naturally to take or refuse any particular obiect whatsoeuer If the Pope be Antichrist and the head of a false hypocritical Church how then cā the Church of Rome be the family of
of iustification sacraments originall sinne predestination of faith of the law of the Gospell of the nature of Christ his descending to hell c. p. 7. Ans. First these dissensions giuen in instance are betweene those which are called Lutheranes and vs who wherein they differ and dissent from vs come neerer to the Papists then Protestants as in the opinions of the corporall presence in the Eucharist of the vbiquitie or omnipresence of Christes bodie of free will vniuersall grace hypotheticall election faith of infants and such like but among the Protestants that purely professe the Gospell of Christ and especially in England there is no difference or dissent in any of these points or those before obiected or in any other substantiall point of faith If it shall be obiected that among vs some question there is concerning the descent into hell it is not of the truth and substance of the article which no Protestant denieth but of the manner onely wherein there is as great a difference in the popish Church for Durand a principall Doctor of that side maintaineth contrarie to the opinion of the rest that Christ did not descend into hell secundum substantiam suam sed per effectus quosdam not in the substance of his soule but onely by certaine effects whom Bellarmine of purpose confuteth Secondly neither needeth the aduersarie to obiect against Protestants this diuision betweene them and the Lutheranes seeing there is as great a rent in the Papall Church for the whole Church of France dissenteth from the common opinion of the Romanists in very principall points they to this day do not acknowledge the Pope to be aboue generall Councels and for this cause they do not submit themselues to the decrees of the late Tridentiâ—e Synode neither take it for a generall Councell They refuse also the sixt booke of the Decretals and of late by a publike Edict they haue expelled the whole order of Iesuites out of the kingdome of France who are in other places of the Popes dominion of greatest credite and estimation Thirdly though the intemperate heate of some Lutheran writers can not be excused against the Ministers of the reformed Churches as fayling both in the cause which they handle and in the manner of handling for among our selues such bitter inuectiues are not vsed yet of all other the rayling of popish sectaries one against another most exceedeth as may plentifullie appeare in the late writings and bookes of the Popish Priests and Iesuites set forth against themselues The Priests call their Iesuited Arch-priest traiterous a vassall parasite idoll of the Iesuites a puppie dauncing after the Iesuites pipe Manifestat p. 25. a. The Iesuites they call knaues conspiring companions Man p. 32. b. They charge them with traiterous blasphemous words Mans. p. 35 a. with coggerie blasphemie Manifes 53. b. with erroneous and hereticall doctrine Manif p. 106. a. damned for heretikes p. 105. a. progenie of vipers blasphemous wretches proud pharisees Man 108. a. traiterous positions hatched in hell Replie p. 67. a. Against Frier Robert Parsons in particular the Priests thus bestirre them they compare him to Robin Goodfellow Rep. p. 79. b. they call him the foxed father Rep. 67. a. a diabolicall vnnaturall wicked fellow Man p. 107. a. cursed be the houre wherein he was borne this child of sinne of sacriledge of iniquitie of the deuill ib. b. he hath shaped the declaration of the spirit of Sathan Rep. p. 102. a. And of all the Iesuites in generall they thus speake and write the Iesuiticall ghosts and such wicked spirits as traÌ„sforming theÌ„selues into angels of light do leade more soules to hell then the feends of most vglie shape appearing in their owne proper colours Man p. 81. b. Now on the other side let vs see how Frier Parsons requiteth their kindnes he chargeth them with follie phrenzie Maâ— fol. 11. with erroneous hereticall positions f. 13. perfidious sycophants f. â—7 with lyes false calumniations little conscience f. 41. He further saith they lye notoriouslie against their conscience f. 46. egregious foolerie Man f. 65. wicked companions consciencelesse rayling people f. 90. franticke possessed mad insolent f. 94. Apostata in heart traiterous and Iudas like natures f. 98. vsed of the deuill f. 83. diuelish detraction f. 94. diuelish hatred f. 98. assault of Sathan vnder Priests coates c. f. 99. So I trust that the saying of Christ will shortly be verified vpon this Sathanicall broode as it beginneth thanks be to God to be in part fulfilled in England alreadie that because Sathan maketh insurrection against Sathan his kingdome is at an end Mark 3.26 Now I hope by this it is euident who they are that condemne each other to hell not Protestants but Papists for thus as we see they hew one at another and one whet an other as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one yron sharpneth an other as Salomon sayth Prou. 27.17 and though their toongs be also whet against the truth yet shall they not preuaile the more they hewe at it the more shall it flourish like as the plant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being cut doth sprout and contendeth with yron But because they brag in their talke and swords are in their lips Psal. 59.7 this reward they shall haue which we see now come to passe their owne toong shall fall vpon them Psal. 64.8 And as Origen saith surget gens contra gentem i. haeresis contra haeresin one nation shall rise against another that is one heresie against another as the heresie of the Iesuites against the Priests The fift probation is from a particular induction of diuers sects among the Germanes to the number of 37. and affirmed by the computation of Caspar Vlenbergius to be 260. knowne sects by Oecolampadius 77. diuisions are confessed and Luther is produced a witnesse affirming as many religions to be among them as men p. 7. Ans. 1. If all this were admitted without contradiction that so many diuisions were among the Protestants it were no sufficient argument to condemne our religion for then by the same rule the Idolatrous Paganes might haue disproued the Christians faith because they were diuided into so many sundrie sects Simonians Menandrians Basilidians Nicolaites Gnostickes Carpocratians Corinthians Nazarites Ebionites Valentinians and diuers others to the number of fourescore and tenne rehearsed by Augustine 2. These sects by him noted hauing their beginning in Germanie disgrace not the Protestancie of England that is not so distracted And whereas the freedome of that countrey and of many chiefe cities there forcing no mans conscience but tolerating diuers religions might seeme to giue way to this diuersitie therein the fault is rather to be imputed to the politike state then to the Religion professed 3. It is vntrue that Vlenbergius Caus. 22. numbreth 260. diuisions among Protestants for in that place he treateth of no such thing And Caus. 9. where he professedly setteth
diuers of those auncient Kings became Monks yet neither was the Monasticall life so farre out of square as now it is they made it not a cloake of idlenes and filthie liuing a nurserie of idolatrie and grosse superstitions but they desired that life as fittest for contemplation and free frō the encumbrances of the world Diuers of the heathen Emperors left the Imperiall administration and betooke thēselues to priuate contemplation as Dioclesian Maximinian Lanquet ann Christ. 307. Neither doth this one opinion of the excellencie of Monasticall life shew them to be resolute Papists for it followeth not because they were Monks that consequentlie they held transubstantiation worship of images and the more grosse points of the Romish Catechisme 3 He shall not be able to proue the tenth part of that great number of 180. Kings either to haue themselues professed the now Romane religion or by lawes to haue prescribed the same to others some instances I will produce In King Lucius dayes not the Pope but the King was Gods vicar in his kingdome and it was his part to gather the people together to the law of Christ as Eleutherius Bishop of Rome testifieth in his epistle Cedde and Colman dissented from the Church of Rome about the celebration of Easter Wilfride about the same time confesseth that Images were inuented of the Deuill which all men that beleeue in Christ sayth he ought of necessitie to forsake and detest King Alfred or Alured translated the Psalter into English and he was instructed by Ioannes Scotus who writ a booke de corpore sanguine Christi which was condemned by the Pope in the Synod Vercellens being of Bertrams opinion against the corporall presence which fansie was not as yet receiued in the Church as is apparant by the sermon of Elfricus against transubstantiation In King Edward Athelstane and King Edmunds time the Prince had power to constitute ecclesiasticall lawes and to prescribe rules and orders for ecclesiasticall persons as may appeare by diuers of their lawes In King Edgars time Priests mariage was lawfull which began then to be restrayned Many lawes and acts haue passed since in open Parliament to restraine the iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome to inhibite the purchasing of prouisoes frō thence arrests processes excommunications vnder paine of exile imprisonment forfeiture of goods and that not without expresse consent of the Clergie See Richard 2. ann 16. cap. 5. These then which allowed not the worship of images beleeued not transubstantiation gaue the Prince authoritie in spirituall causes approued the mariage of Ministers and the translation of the scriptures into the vulgar tongue restrayned the authoritie of the Romane Bishop may worthilie doubted of whether they were Papists 4 King Henry was so farre from repenting his proceedings against the vsurped Romane iurisdiction that if God had spared him life he intended a thorough reformation of Religion as was easilie to be seene both by his resolution for religion vttered not long before his death to Monsieur de Annebault the French Embassador and his answere made nearer to his death to Bruno Embassador to the Duke of Saxonie that he would take his part against the Emperour if the quarell were for religion 5 More vntrue it is that our late Soueraigne in the late dayes of persecution professed that religion with such deuotion The cruell and vnnaturall dealing toward her highnes then is a sufficient argument to conuince this large reporter of a great vntruth how she was sent for by commission in great extremitie of sicknes to be brought aliue or dead committed without cause to the Tower her seruants remoued from her straitlie examined her owne seruants restrayned to bring her diet denied the libertie of the Tower a strait watch kept round about her in danger to be murdered in continuall feare of her life her death by Winchesters platforme intended which by Gods prouidence she escaped Adde hereunto Stories desperate speech vttered in the Parliament house that he was not a little grieued with his fellow Papists for that they laboured onely about the young and little sprigs and twigs while they should haue striken at the roote c. All this euidentlie bewrayeth what opinion they had of her Maiesties resolution in religion and what she had of theirs In the meane time their cruell proceedings are laid open who if it were as this Coniecturer sayth would so persecute an innocent Ladie whom they commend for her deuotion 6.1 That euidence which he alleadgeth from M. Fox his mouth out of the Register booke of the Guildhall in London conteineth not the precise forme of the Princes oath to be taken at the Coronation which before I haue recited out of Magna charta but certaine monitions and instructions concerning the dutie of the King 2. He vseth great fraud in setting downe the words both inuerting the order and leauing out what he thinketh good as that the King ought to loue and obserue Gods commaundements then must he be an enemie to idolatrie and to the doctrines and commaundements of men such as many be obserued in the Romane Church Beside he sayth to maintaine holie Church whereas the words are to maintaine and gouerne the holie Church c. but they can not endure that Kings should rule and gouerne the Church 3. For the King to take his oath vpon the Euangelists and blessed reliques of Saints it sheweth not that the King did worship those reliques or sweare by them though he lay his hand vpon them no more then he doth sweare by the booke that putteth his hand vpon it or Abrahams seruant by his maisters thigh when he sware vnto him or Iacob by the heape of stones ouer the which he tooke his oath But as Ambrose well sayth Christianus imperator aram solius Christi didicit honorare A Christian Emperour hath onely learned to honor Christs altare And so Christian Princes haue learned to giue all religious honor to Christ and not to impart it to his seruants to make them sharers with their Maister Thus hath this sophisticall dialogist fayled as well in the probation of the assumption as in his enlarging of the proposition But whatsoeuer her Maiesties predecessors were she was not bound where they wandred out of the way to erre in their steps Iosias of idolatrous parents both father and grandfather was himselfe a religious Prince and a true worshipper of God Heathen stories will tell vs that noble Pericles came of an euill race Pompeius the great of despised Strabo Vlysses Aesculapius famous men of lewd parents The graue Poet also doth insinuate as much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sonne excels in vertues fame the parent euill of whome he came As of euill parents vertuous children may descend so out of superstitious antiquitie religious posteritie may issue and florish And as Ambrose well answered the obiection of Symmachus the Pagane Maiorum ritus