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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13158	A briefe examination, of a certaine peremptorie menacing and disleal petition presented, as is pretended, to the Kings most excellent Maiestie, by certaine laye papistes, calling themselues, the lay Catholikes of England, and now lately printed, and diuulged by a busie compagnion, called Iohn Lecey	Sutcliffe, Matthew, 1550?-1629.	1606 (1606)	STC 23452; ESTC S117870	127,037	159

vāts seing lay mē are little skilled in tōgs stānd prohibited to reade them in vulgar tongs with out licēce furthermore these felowes art not so far trauelled as to know what is cōteined in scriptures fathers coūcels aūcient writers concerning matters in cōtrouersy if they resolue thēselues by relatiō of the massepreests friars thēar they most simple ideots to beleeue matters vpon heresay and to found themselues vpon the reports of such lying compagnions Lastly they seeme to haue theire braynes distempred that are made to beleeue that the popish sacrifice of the masse for quick and deade their carnall eating of Christs flesh with the mouths of men nay with the mouth of bruit beasts their transubstantiation halfe communions and idolatrous worship of the sacrament the popes vniuersall and plenary power conteined in decretales their 7. sacraments and doctrine of iustification by orders mariage and extreame vnction theyr worship of saints reliques and images and all the rest of their abhominable doctrine may be proued by authority of scriptures fathers saints doctors councels Parliamentes and that the same is confirmed dy vnitie vniuersality succession and. antiquity beside the testimony of virgins and Martyrs This we may affirme of the Apostles creed and the Catholike fayth taught and published in auncient Councels but by no meanes of the fayth of the moderne sinagogue of Rome Nay in our abridgemente or suruey of Poperie we haue plainely demonstrated that the same is contrary to scriptures fathers councels auncient writers and is deuoyde of the testimonies of martyres virgins and decrees of Parliaments and all other authenticall proofes Secondly they alledge that neuer any vniversall innouation in matters of religion hath been made but that the commission and vocation of the messengers hath beene authorised by signes and wonders But this allegation as it concearneth vs nothing so it vtterly ouerthroweth the petitioners cause For we haue made no vniuersal innonatiō Nay we do not alter or abrogate-any one article of the Christian faith but as in Spaine true teachers in former tymes caused Arianisme to cease and true religion to bee receiued and as the Christians in the land of Palestine some 400. yeares sence for a time caused the impieties of Mahomet to be suppressed Christian religion to be taught and practised so do we onely abolish the corruptions false doctrines heresies and impieties of popery and reteine euery article of the Auncient christian fayth But the massepreests friars and monkes adhering to the Pope haue made an vniuersall alteration in the worship of God bringing in the idolatrous worship of saints of images of the sacrament and receiuing many old condemned heresies and new deuised schoole doctrines and decretaline deuises and yet neither shew signes nor wonders vnlesse a man list to beleeue the wondrous lyes of their legends and breuiaries Thirdly they take it as a matter most euident and that cānot be denied that the first apostles and conuerters of Englād Scotland Ireland France and Germany were sent from the Church of Rome and deliuered vs the same fayth which the Papists now professe But they take boldly and affirme impudently that which no man either giueth them or yeeldeth to bee true Parsons hath spent much idle talke in this argument and proueth nothing Coleton is as mute as if hee were turned into a Codfish and replieth nothing to that which is answered to the petition of Masseprecstes the last session of parliament and their discourse touching this poynt As for these petitioners they shewe themselues ignorant of learning that beleeue that the doctrine of Romish traditions of the Popes authority of the masse of the 7. sacramentes of Purgatory and indulgences and such like matters was known to the anciēt Bishops of Rome but suppose old Rome had sent true preachers abroade to conuert nations to the Christian fayth what is that to new Rome that sendeth out false apostles to corrupt the true fayth and assassins Cut-throates to murder such as fauour the truth this false doctrine and cut throate practise certes was neuer confirmed with true signes and wonders Fourthlie they require vs to shew a Commission from God if we meane to conuince the papists that they haue not true scriptures or interpret them not right or that they are idolaters or hereticks a deuise likely to proceed from such idle heades For neither did those fathers that conuinced the Marcionists Arrians Manichees Angelicks and other hereticks either of corrupting or misconstruing the scriptures or any other poynt of false doctrine shew a commission immediatly from god neither doe the masse preests that dispute nowe against Turks Arrians and Anabaptists shewe forth any such commission All Christians and not onelie publike teachers haue commission sufficient to descry to take heed of false Prophets that come vnto them in sheeps clothing but inwardly are rauening wolues What needeth then this extraordinary authority Fiftly they tellvs that we had our scriptures from Rome and had been scripturelesse if we had not receiued them from thence He sayth also that the same bible which Angustine brought into England is yet reserued by gods especiall prouidence But firste it is not materiall from whence Christians receiue holy scriptures The Romaines receiued them from the Iewes and yet I trow Parsons and Coletou as they are turned Romanists will not turne Iewes Secondly that the Britous receiued the scriptures from the Romanes it is not likely they being as the common report goeth conuerted by Ioseph of Arimathaea Neither doe these petitioners shew where the Bible is to be foud that was brought in by Austen the Monk nor doe they make proofe that this which they shew is the the same Bible which Austen brought in Jf it bee the old vulgar translation it is not likely that Gregory sent it For he doth not alwayes follow that translation Heere also they tell vs that we haue reiected and discanonized diuers bookes of scripture because they be expresse testimonyes againste our religion which it pleaseth them to cal new and negatiue But neither doe we reiect any booke of canonicall scripture nor can any argument be drawne from the bookes apocryphall added in the vulgarlatin translation to the old testamēt that doeth hurt vs. Furthermore if we do onely deny the heresies of the papists then doe we not frame any new religion vnto ourselues and if the papists affirme matters not known to fathers then is theire religion new positiue if not wicked in the superlatiue For the sence of scripture they tell vs that we haue onely the warrant of our priuate spirit and they the assistance of gods holy spirit promised to his Church But absurdly they talke of the interpretation of scriptures following therein the priuate sence of a sencelesse pope and neither the interpretation consonant to the meaning of gods holy spirit speaking in scriptures nor to the iudgement of fathers vpon whome they bragge most fondly Lastly they tell vs againe of parliaments and

that it is repugnāt to the practise of the Primitiue church the authority of fathers and lawes of christian Emperours and finally that it prouoketh the wrath of God againste the Authors of it Neither neede we to make any question of the practise of Papistes in this behalfe if wee looke anto the actions of the pope and his bloody Jnquisitories In Italy they tolerate no religion contrary to Popery in Spaine they persecute such christians with fire and sword as are contrary to theire faction Jn the Low countries the cause of troubles proceeded principally from hence for that the people would not admitte the bloody inquisition of Spaine that was thoughte to be the fittest meanes to rooote out all religions but one Although then papists now think it no inconuenience in England to tolerate diuers Religions and to admit another religion then that which is alreadie receiued and stick not in plain termes to saye so yet it is apparant that they speake againste their conscience and that they contradicte their owne docttrine and practise Chapter 6. That Poperie is a false and erroneous religion I Might if J list enlarge the former discourse with diuers other reasons against toleration of diuers religions but what should further demonstrations neede to proue that which no papist will as I thinke deny let vs therefore shewe because these apologeticall petitioners stand much vpon the trueth and honesty of their religion that beside the former generall reasons there are diuers other particular matters to be obiected against popish religion euery one sufficient to crosse their desires For first it is a false and erroneous religion Next the same is superstitious and idolatrous Thirdly it is composed of diuers hereticall positions Fourthly it is a pack of nouelties Fiftlie it conteyneth diuers doctrines full of Blasphemies Sixtly it is enemie to kings and greeuous to their subiects Lastly it cōteyneth many pointes of doctrine condemned by the aduersaryes themselues and alloweth diuers practises disliked by all nations That Popery is a religion false and erroneous we prooue firste by the falshood of the groundes thereof and next by the erroneous positions and doctrines whereof it is composed Stapleton in his book entitled principia doctrinalia doth deliuer vnto vs. 7. grounds or principles of popish religion The first is the church of Rome the second is The Pope the third the meanes vsed by the Pope in iudgement the 4. the Popes infallible indgement in causes of controuersy the fist his power in taxing or consiguing the canon of holy scriptures the sixt his certain interpretation when he expoundeth scriptures the seauenth the churches or popes power in deliuering doctrine not written The which grounds as they are defectiue not mētioning the canō of scripturs as a ground of fayth nor reputing the decrees of councels and writings of Fathers to be any matter of momēt deseruing to be placed among the principles of our aduersaries fayth so they are most absurde and false For first howe can the church of Rome be a principle or foundation to it self and againe why shoulde the Church of Rome where Peter taught be more a foundation or principle then the Churche of Hierusalem where our sauiour Christ himselfe taughte and suffered the apostle Rom. 11. doth threaten the Romanes and signifie that the Roman church was a branch that mighte bee cut of And Saint John Appocalyps 17. sheweth that the whore of Babilon which was a figure of Antichrist should haue her seate in Rome Secondly the Popes doctrine is notoriously declared to be erroneous and that in many materiall pointes as for example in the questions aboute the lawe the sacramentes transubstantiation the gouernement of the Church and diuers other important points But were it not a matter already knowne and resolued that the Pope cannot be supreme iudge in matters of religion yet the papists haue no reason to thinke that a blind man can iudge of colors or an ignorant man of Artes. Furthermore the pope hath no greater priuiledge then the high priest of the law Yet he erred in condemning Christ and his doctrine Lastly both the fathers shew that diuers bishops of Rome haue bene Herreticks as Liberius and Honorius and Adrian the. 6. in his booke de sacrament c. de confirmat cōfesseth that the pope may determine falselie by his decretall Thirdly it is ridiculous to trust to the popes meanes in iudgement when he vnderstandeth neither councels nor vseth any good meanes to know the truth Nay wee knowe whatsoeuer means are pretended that the pope either rūneth vpon his own head or followeth a few carnall cardinals or contentious friars Fourthly it is a blockish thing to distinguish the Pope from his iudgement For so the pope should be found to be without iudgement iudgmēt without the pope That this iudgmente is not infallible we gather infallibly out of his manifold erroneous doctrine iudgmēt The same appeareth also by his false decretalls and the variation of the popes iudgement Fiftly the scriptures being consigned by god and deliuered to the church by the prophets and Apostles need no new consignation nor taxation of the pope Nay very absurd it were if lawes receiuing their strength from the gouernors the scriptures shold not be authenticall without the approbation of the pope who for the moste part vnderstandeth no scriptures nor hath skill to reade them in theire originall tongs Sixtly the Pope is for the moste parte ignorante both of the sence of scriptures of the principal poynts of religiō hauing studied neither And very ridiculous it is after plain words of scriptures and exposition of counsels and fathers to runne to the pope for resolution Finally the resolution of matters of fayth dependeth not vpon the determination of the pope or his adherentes who are departed from the fayth but vpon the word of god that in matters of saluation is plaine and better expounded by the learned and by auncient fathers then by partiall Popes and their adherentes Stapletones groundes therfore are false and erroneous Neither are the principles deliuered by others more certaine The conuenticle of Trent sess 4. dooth seeme to found the faith of the Church partly vpon scriptures and partly vpon vnwritten traditions But first the same alloweth no scriptures authenticall but such as are found in the old latine of the bible which in many pointes digresseth from the originall bookes and is much inferiour vnto them Secondly they allow no interpretations of scriptures but such as are consonante to the doctrine of the church of Rome which in matters of controuersy are most peruerse erroneous and absurd as may appeare by diuers particulers in the suruey of popery Thirdly they make the bookes of Tobiah Iudith Ecclesiastieus Wisedome and Machabies together with certaine fragments not found in the original books of the old testamēt equal to other scriptures alwaies reputed canonicall the which is reproued by the common consent of auncient fathers and seemeth repugnant to reason Fourthly vnder

reasons which they alledge for the making and exhibiting this petition are these firste they tell vs that they are excluded as superstitious persons from that supreme courte of Parliament that was firste founded by and for catholike men Next that daily bills Books ar exhibited in Parliament againste them taxing them with odious names of haereticks sectaries superstitions persons idolaters Thirdly that his Maiestie is often solicited to extirpate the race and memory of papists out of his dominions and rather to admit miscreants and Iewes then Papists And lastly that a new motion hath beene made for the reuiuing of former capitall lawes and pecuniary payments and other penalties For these causes they say they haue emboldned themselues to present to his maiestyes view this apology and that firste Leaste god should be offended with theire silence in matter of his honor and next leaste the Christian world should condemne them of negligence in defence of theire distressed estate and thirdly leaste theire children and posterity shoulde argue them of carelesnesse and pusillanimity in a cause concerning theire liues estates and soules saluation and lastly least theire aduersaries shoulde insult ouer them and repute them tanquam confitentes reos But firste we answer that diuers maters heere alleadged are false and some wicked and. slanderous next that theire reasons are impertinent not concludent That papists are excluded out of parlia ment it may be proued false by the exāple of diuers particulers which I could name if I list Thisis most certain that no Papisticall burgesse or knight is refused in the lower house vnlesse he refuse to acknowledg his maiesties supreme anthority which if he doe he is not only to be excluded out of the house but out of the lād if he haue his right Jt is also an old trick of falsity to affirme papists to be catholikes they must shew that they hold Apostolike and Catholike doctrine or els renounce the name of catholikes Thirdly they erre grossely if they suppose that Parliaments wer founded by papists professing the puddle doctrine of the popish sect flowing out of the sink of the conuenticle of Trent or that they were made for such as impugne the Kings authority and adhere to forreigne enemies Fourthly they shew themselues not onely to be spreaders of false tales but also ignorant of Parliament causes that say that books wer exhibited against thē in parliament for that sacred senat is no place where to exhibit books But if in parliament time any Books were published abroad it was to answere theire iangling supplications and discourses which thought to be heard for theire much babling Fiftlie ridiculously in the superlatiue degree they call thēselues the kings most faithfull subiects The falsity thereof appeareth by the proceedings at VVinchester againste George Brooke a lay and lame papist and subiect and his complices but much more is the same made euident by the flagitious treason of Percie Catesbie Faux Owen Baldwine and theire consorts and the rebellion which thereupon ensued wherein they expected and the Iesuites and massepreests promised the aid and concurrence of al the papists in England and many no question woulde haue ioyned with them but that they were taken before their tyme and choked in the birth of their dangerous destinies Sixtly wickedly they slander the state if they suppose that any therein doe desire that eyther Iewes or other miscreāts may be admitted and wrong his maiesty if they say hee giueth eare to such motions Nay hee desireth rather the cōuersion then the destruction of papists albeit they are the onely miscreants that are to be feared in this land Finally it is no new matter to make motions for restraining the insolency of the massepriestes and their adherents For if these petitioners be not old such motions were made before they were borne King Henry the 8. at the motion of his subiects repressed such as shold attempt to maintain the popes authority which is a main ground of popery And long before his time were lawes of prouisions and praemunire made to stop the popes encrochements and dayly do recusants giue occasion to make new lawes against them But admit inassepriests and their adherents and the Popes truely deuoted creatures had been excluded out of parliaments and that in bills books they had been charged as sectaries superstitious persons hereticks and idolaters and further that his Maiesty had bin moued to take a course with them and the parliament to aggrauate their penaltyes and to prouide for the execution of lawes against them yet haue these lame witted lay papists no cause eyther to make these outcries or to publish these slanderous libells not onely to the disgrace of our late gratious Queen and King Edward that excellent spirite but also against his maiesty as if he meant to giue intertainment to miscreants and knew not how to keepe measure in punishing papists and other sectaries and heretikes For first the Parliament is no place for such as loue strangers better then their owne princes and depend vpon forrayners rather then their countrimen Secondly papists are no catholikes nor were parliaments founded eyther by such as beleeued the filthy doctrine of popery pomped out of the popes brest in the conuenticle of Trent nor for such caitiffs miscreants as beleeue that doctrine Thirdly if such as in England adhere to the Pope and positiuely hold his doctrine be called hereticks sectaries superstitious persons and idolaters they are not wronged For the same is clearly demonstrated in diuers treatises and partly in this answer And litle are these lame petitioners able to say for themselues to the contrary Nay they haue fauor considering their intelligence and practises of late with the pope and his agents that they are not called far worse Lastly they haue no reason to complaine of penall lawes made against lay-papists for the penalties are only pecuniary and very remissely pursued but the bloudy inquisitors and the popes adherents murdre and massacre all that professe true religion in places where they command and this had Percie and his compagnions doon in England if they had preuailed Further themselues will not deny but that idolaters heretikes and sectaries may lawfully be punished And if they should deny it yet woulde the examples and practise both of Hezekiah Iosiah and other godly kings before Christs time and of Constantine Theodosius and other christian emperors since christianity began to be professed plainly proue it But it hath been and shall alwayes be plainly proued that papists are sectaries superstitious persons heretikes and idolaters Their feare therefore least God wold-be offended with them for their silence in this cause is superstitious and very foolish For god is rather displeased with such as seeke to erect open idolatry and to maintaine grosse superstition and heresie as these ignorant lay papists or rather lame Masse-priestes seek to do then with such as keep themselues within the lists of their ignorance and hold their peace Secondly true it

and their hereticall adherents that abuse Gods seruauntes with their hereticall docttrines The scriptures also teache vs that as god prospered their endeuours which with seruent zeale sought to remooue all monuments and reliques of idolatry so nothing succeeded to those that shewed themselues either fauourers of false religion or negligent and cold in maintaining the purity of his seruice The angel of the lord Iudges 2 threatned the Jsraelits that they shoulde not preuaile because they had made a league with the Cananites and doe we thinke that contractes made with seditious hereticks can be either successefull or of long continuance Salomons seate was established so long as hee soughte the lord with his whole hart but giuing him selfe to women and suffering by their meanes idolatrous worshippes to creepe into his kingdom his glorye began to decline and his troubles to encrease Asah prospered so long as he put away the Sodomites and his fathers idols but when he sought to the Assyrians for help gods help and fauour began to faile him Hezekiah was highly fauorued of god because he tooke away the high places and brake downe the images and Iosiah as hee was greatly loued of god so was he much commended by men for that he put away the idoles and killed the idolatrous priests that were the maintainers of false Religion Contrarywise Ierobvam Rehoboam Abiah Amaziah Manasseh and other kings of Iudah and Israel for permitting idolatry were forsaken of god and continually vexed by their enemies Jt is a dangerous thing to fauour such as deuide themselues from gods Church to company with idolaters and impious perions Hardly shal a man touch pitch not be defiled Therfore Moyses Numbers 16. speaking of Corah Dathan Abiram and theire company exhorteth gods people to depart from the tents of those wicked men least they shoulde perish in all their fiunes Josuah Chapter 23. threatneth the Israelites if they shall cleaue vnto the nations and make mariages with them that they shall be a snare and destruction vnto them and a whippe on theire sides and thornes in theire eyes Such are the scandales that arise of tolerating and consorting with wicked compagnions Jehosophat hardly escaped with his life ioyning in societye and giuing aide to the wicked King Ahab and was sharpelie reprooued for it The 2. Corinthians 6. teacheth Christians not to company with idolaters or profane persons what communion saith he hath lighte with darknesse and what concorde hath Christ with Belial and what part hath the beleeuer with the infidell and what agreemente hath the temple of god with idoles Sainte John in his second Epistle forbiddeth vs to communicate with such as bring not Apostolike doctrine or to salute them and his reson is very important He that biddeth such a one god speede saith hee is partaker of his euill deedes Seeing then holy scriptures are the canon of fayth we may not thinke that toleration of false religion can well stand with the rules of faith and religion being so repugnant to holy scriptures Chapter 3. That conniuence and toleration of false religion and heresy and of the professors thereof is reproued by the authority both of the Fathers of the Church and of ancient Christian Emperors WITH the doctrine of scriptures both the Canons of councells and writings of the fathers of the Church do also well agree And with them all the lawes of godly Christian emperors doe concur the Canons of the Apostles c. 11. doe pronounce him excommunicate that prayeth or talketh with an excommunicate person c. 45. they forbid cleargie men to communicate with heretikes The councel of Laodicea c. 31.32 and 33. dooth directlye condemne communion with heretiques either in mariage or prayer The fourth councel of Carthage c. 70. forbiddeth cleargy men all feasting and felowshippe with heretikes and schismatikes So zealous likewise haue the fathers shewed themselues against false teachers that they haue bothe shunned theyr companie and disallowed all participation with them and their followers Tertullian in Scorpiaco wold haue such compelled and not praied to do their dutie Athanasius de Synodis writing of heretiks spreading theyr erroneous doctrine How I pray you saith hee are they not woorthye of all punishmentes when they write such things When impietie beginneth to shewe it selfe openlie sayeth Gregorie Nazianzen in orat pro pace wee oughte to resist it as much as we may by sword fire or by any other meanes least we be partakers of euill leuen or consent vnto such as he infected with pernicious doctrin And againe in homil in dict euangel Cut off sayeth he the Arian impietie cut off the pernicious error of Sabellius This I speake to lay men this I speake to the cleargie and this I speake to the Magistrates My wordes fighting for the holy trinitye shall not haue so much efficacye as thy edict shall if thou wilte represse such as are infected with pernitious opinions Hierome in cap. 5. epist. ad Galat. sheweth that as soon as the sparkes of heresie appeare they must presently be extinguished and that Arrius in Alexandria was but one little sparke yet because he was not presently oppressed that the flame arising thereof consumed the whole world Saint Augustine epist 48. ad Vincentium proueth that Christiā men are to be forced to embrace truth both by the example of Paul that by violent compulsion was conuerted to Christe and by these words of the Gospell compell all that you find to come in The same father Epist 50 ad Bonifacium sayth that Kings then serue god when they forbid and punish with religious seuerity those things which are done against the commandements of god The like sayings and arguments he hath lib. 2. contra Gaudentij epist c. 17. and lib. 4. contr Crescon grammatic c. 2. contr lit Petil. lib. 2. c. 83. To these fathers we may also adde the testimonies of Ambrose epist 32. ad Valentin imperat and in orat ad Auxentium de Basilicis non tradendis in Luc. c. 10. of Chrysostome homil de auaritia and of Optate of Mileuis contra Parmenian lib. 3. and of diuers others But what need many proofs in matters so apparant Irenaeus aduers haeres lib. 3. c. 3. sheweth how Saint Iohn the Euangelist fled out of the bath wherein the heretike Cerinthus was least it should fall vpon him There he sheweth also howe the ancient fathers refused to communicate so much as in speeche with such as adulterated the truth Eusebius lib. 7. hist. c. 6. by the authority of Dionysius and Heraclas proueth that such as conuerse with hereticks are excommunicate The pious Christian Emperors did likewise establish that by law which the fathers by their doctrine and practise taughte Constantin the great was no soner setled in his state but he forbad idolatrous sacrifices caused idoles to be defaced and demolished as is testified by Eusebius in diuers places of his books de vita Constantini Augustine lib 1. contr Parmen c. 7. and contra Petil.

lib. 2. c. 92. testifieth that he disabled heretiks tomake any testaments Eusebius de vita Constantini lib. 3. c. 62. 63. declareth that he prohibited the exercise of all hereticall religions and held heretikes and sectaries to be no better then traitors to himselfe and enemies to truth The Emperors Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius l. 1. Cod de sum trinit fid Cath. commaund all their people to embrace one religion the somme whereof they do set downe in forme of a law and in the law omnēs C. de haereticis they commaund all heresies to keep silence omnes vetitae legibus diuinis imperialibus constitutionibus haereses say they perpetuò quiescant Arcadius and Honorius as appeareth by the law Cuncti C. de haeret Manich. tooke away all churches from heretiks least they shold teach or doo the exercises of their false religion in them Theodosius the yonger and Valentinian his consort made diuers lawes against heretikes as we may read in Codice Theodosiano The like course was held by Martianus and Iustinian as is euidentlye declared by their lawes yet extante in the Code and nouells Finally if at any time Christian Emperors grew cold eyther in setting forth the true faith or in punishing or suppressing errors then we find that the auncient fathers fayled not both to admonish them of their duty and to reprehend them for their slacknesse Chapter 4. That to admitte the exercise of false religions formerlie forbidden is contrary both to christian policie and reason THE gentils by the light of reason perceiued that religion was not lightly to be changed and god dooth therein taxe his people by his prophet that they were more easily induced to change the euerliuing god then the Heathen nations were to chāge their gods They cōsidered that ther was but one truth cōstantly beleeued that their religion was true This was the reason why the Romanes did so violētly persecute the primitiue christians and refused the superstitious rites of Bacchanalia which priuilie began to creepe in among the people But Christians proceede vpon better groundes of policie in prohibiting the exercise of all false religions For firste they consider that the wrath of god is reueiled from heauen against such as with-holde the truth in vnrighteousnes But who doe herein offend more greeuously then they which either grant liberty to false teachers or winke at the exercises of a wicked and false Religion doe not they manifestly giue way to errors and stop the course of truth Secondly they know well that god despiseth those which despise him as we reade 1. Samuel 2. and that hee casteth such out of his fauour as are neither hote nor colde Jf then such as regard not to see god rightly serued rest despised and luke-warme professors are reiected how will it goe with such as are colde in setting forth true Religion and care not what false doctrines are stirring abroade in the world Thirdly they vnderstand the greeuous threatnings of the law against all idolatrous false worship of god I am a iealous god saith the Lord and will visit the sinne of the Fathers vpon the Children to the third and fourth generation of those that hate me Fourthly as there is but one god so they know that there is but one true religion Christian policie therefore may teach them to admit no religion but that which is founded vpon the writings of the Apostles and Prophets and which they are resolued is most true Fiftly diuersities of religions breed distractions of mens minds and diuers seditious stirres and tumultes as the leagues of France and practises of the popes agentes in France Flanders England Scotland Germany and other countries doe declare of late the Papists seeking to replant their superstition in Englād went about to set the land on a flame and to drown true religion in blood But wise politicks are by all means to roote out these seedes of Ciuil dissension Sixtly all changes in matters of state are dangerous But admitte a false and erroneous religion where nothing but the true faith hath been professed then no doubt but the chāge will be great Finally nothing is more absurd then to change lawes with out cause and to admitte a religion condemned by lawes and to restore such as are condemned by the state For that is rather a subuersion then an alteration both of lawes and state If then we respected nothing but the danger of state in the mutation of religion yet woulde all pollitick and wise men bee well aduised howe they admitted a newe and false religion contrary to that which hath formerly beene receiued by the state Chap. 5. That toleration of diners religions is contrary to the doctrine and practise of Papists BVT where the Pope and his adherents may fit as iudges little reasoning may serue to perswade thē to dislike of toleration of diuers religions For not onelie their doctrine but also their long continued practise condemneth it in the Chapter ad abolendam de haereticis They adiudge them Hereticks that dissent frō the Romish church in the doctrine of the sacramentes and such both by ecclesiasticall and by ciuill lawes they persecute to the death Nay oftētimes without forme colour of law they massacre them empoysō thē by all means seek to root out the race memory of them out of the earth Their goods they confiscat their liuings they take away their bodyes they burne and although malice doth oftentymes end with death yet such as are of a cōtrary religion all those that fauour them they persecute both aliue and deade killing those whom they can ouercome and cursing whome they cannot kill In France they massacred many thousāds without forme of law and gladly wold they haue massacred vs in England if theire treasons had not beene discouered Bellarmine lib. de laicis C. 18. determineth that it is not lawful for any magistrate or prince to grant libertie of conscience or toleration of religion to his subiectes He saith further that hee oughte to defend one onely religion with all his force Non licet vlli magistratū vel principi saith he consciētiae libertatem seu pacē religionis subditis suis concedere sed vnam tantum religionē sum ma vi defendere tenetur Posseuin his consort lib. 1 select biblioth 2.6 doth not onely deliuer the fame doctrine but also sheweth reasons why two religions may not in one state be tolerated Firste hee saith it is a diuelish inuention 2. that it is contrary to gods ordinance 3 that it repugneth against the law of nature 4. it is contrary to the substance and property of the christian faith 5. that it taketh away the truth and certainty of christian religion 6. that it taketh away the certaintie of gods deuire worship and of the Church 7 that it taketh away christian discipline 8. that it cutteth asunder the vnit ye of the church 9. that it is contrary to the worde of god 10.