to come to heauen by the blood of Thomas Becket And to mend the matter saith it is no more then the Prophets did mentioning Abraham Isac and Iacob And yet no Prophet or godly man euer prayed to come to heauen by their blood 2. encontr c. 14. he defendeth those blasphemous verses Hic des deuotè caelestibus associo te mentes aegrotae per munera sunt tibi lotae Whereby the papists teach that mens sinnes are washed by almes which is derogatory to the blood of Christ wherein our sinnes onely are washed away and wée cleansed Fol 114. 2. encontr c. 14. cauilling with Sir Francis Hastings about his inference made out of the words of Durand that saith How that indulgences are not found in scriptures he affirmeth that the illation of those that dispute against the doctrine of the Trinity and the consubstantialitie of the sonne of God with his father and baptisme of infants is as good as that of Sir Francis against indulgences But it is most blasphemous to compare the doctrine of the highest mysteries of our religion which the ancient fathers proued and we doubt not but to proue out of scriptures with the crash and pelfe of indulgences that haue neither ground in scriptures nor fathers nor reason As at large I haue proued in my booke De indulgentijs against Bellarmine Our doctrine of faith iustifying without works Parsons calleth an idle deuice and a mathematicall illusion the which toucheth the Apostle as well as vs. For he saith That by the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified It toucheth also the fathers that say workes go not before but follow after righteousnesse The same also toucheth the papists themselues which confesse that our first iustice is not of works But whatsoeuer Christians are to think of works Parsons hath no reason to put any confidence in his owne workes vnlesse he hope to be saued by iugling lying cogging rayling cousening committing treason and villanie Neither hath he cause to talke of mathematicall illusions hauing himselfe egregiously deluded all those with whom he hath dealt and beléeuing as it séemeth no heauen but mathematicall If he hope to go thither by the Popes pardons tyed about his necke like necklaces and flying vpward like a yong dragō he is far deceiued That is no place for such dragons nor are pardons wings to flie so high withall We hope rather to sée him sent flying to his holy father with an hempen halter about his necke and led triumphantly in a dongcart to the gallowes as a due reward for his lend workes and treasons Is it not then strange that such an atheist should talke of religion The heathen Philosopher laugh edat Epicurus discoursing of God whose prouidence he denied and no man had euer reason to endure to heare the atheist Diagoras disputing of diuine matters How then can papists esteeme of this mans idle Directories and discourses in religion that is declared an atheist and a man all voyd of pietie and religion And yet is he not more impious then ridiculous ignorant and malicious CHAP. V. Of diuers ridiculous and childish errors and mistakings of the supposed great doctour Parsons IT is the part of hypocrites to espie a mote in another mans eye but they sée not the beames that are in their owne eyes This we may sée verified in our captious aduersary For albeit curious in espying faults in others yet could he not auoyd grosse errors in himselfe In the Epistle to the reader he speaketh of the author of the Wardword in the third person praysing him as a Catholike man And yet presently after forgetting himselfe hée speaketh of him in the first person where he talketh of enlarging himselfe and of his reioynder In his answere to my Epistle fol. 3. b. he supposeth that these words non tam despectum quà m vexatum dimittam are taken out of Tullies second Philippicke But the oration being read ouer will discouer the truants error For in all that oration there are no such words It may be he had read some such like words in Tullies oration in Vatinium But the poore ideot could not hit vpon it Fol. 5. b. he saith that this word maxime the end of doing any thing is first in our intention and last in performance and execution is taken out of Aristotle But the great doctor cannot tell where to find it And when he seeketh it he shall find that he mistooke later writers for Aristotle Fol. 13. b. he telleth vs that Irenaeus lib. 2. c. 54. and lib. 4. c. 2. doth call heresie pandoram whereas he lib. 2. c. 54. doth not once name pandoram and lib. 2. c. 55. and lib. 4. c. 2. where he hath that word he doth not by pandora vnderstand heresie but matrem spiritualis conceptionis the mother of spirituall conception of whom and their Sauiour the Valentinians imagined spirituall creatures to haue their originall as may be gathered out of these words Ireney lib. 4. cap. 2. Quem patrem volunt nos audire Hi quisunt pandorae peruersissimi sophistae vtrum ne bythum quem à semetipsis finxerunt an matrem eorum Fol. 14. b. he alleageth Ciceroes booke De Legibus not knowing that Cicero wrote thrée bookes De Legibus and not one booke onely as Parsons imagineth In the margent of the 15. leafe a. he alleageth part 29. of Augustines Enarration in psal 80. Whereas that expositiō is not diuided into parts He doth also cite Augustines Commentaries vpon the 27. chapter of Iosue where neither that booke hath more then 24. chapters nor Augustine euer wrote any Commentaries vpon Iosue He saith further fol. 15. a. That heretikes are the proper idolaters of the new testament and that all other externall idolatry is abolished by Christs coming Wherin he abuseth the termes of Gods testament vttering words as if idolaters were suffered by Gods testament and sheweth grosse ignorance For not onely Zigabenus in Sarracenicis but diuers other histories do testifie that the Sarracens are idolaters The same also is testified by Benzo and other writers of the Indians And no man can deny but that many hundred yeares after Christ idolaters liued in Italie and all other countries as the volumes of Baronius if he looke them will testifie Finally the papists that worship the sacrament the crosse the crucifire and the images of the trinitie as God must needs be idolaters But were papists no idolaters yet had Parsons no reason to shew it by mentioning idolaters and heretikes so intempestiuely and speaking of them so ignorantly Fol. 17. he saith Iohn the first bishop of Rome wrote a letter to the Emperour Iustinian whose title is this Gloriosissimo clementissimo filio Iustiniano Ioannes episcopus vrbis Rome Likewise in other places he ascribeth this letter to Iohn the first and yet Platina testifieth that Iohn the first Bishop of Rome died before the raigne of Iustinian the Emperour And if he will not beleeue him let him reade
without communion and the externall propitiatory sacrifice of the Masse and the hanging vp the Sacrament in the Pire and the diuine adoration giuen to it vpon tradition But all these obseruations are impious and contrary to Scriptures Some traditions are now abolished as the prohibition of Saterdayes fast the rite of standing when we pray betweene Easter and Whitsontide the formes of prayer in old time vsed in celebration of the sacrament of the Lords supper and diuers others whereof some are mentioned by Basil lib. de Spir. san c. 27. Bellarmine also lib. 4. de verbo Dei c. 2. confesseth that some traditions were temporarie But it is impious to say that the holy Scriptures are temporary or at any time to be abolished Diuers traditiōs are no where found but in the Legends Missals and Portesses and such books of smal account and credit as for example the ceremonies rites of the Masse the prayers of the canon the formall adoration of Saints and Angels the incredible narrations of S. Clement S. Nicholas S. Christopher S. George S. Catherine S. Dominicke S. Francis and infinite other Saints which no man may receiue with like affection as he receiueth holy Scriptures but he shall infinitly disgrace the Scriptures and shew him selfe to be no Catholike Furthermore if the Papists build their faith vpon traditions then is their faith humane as hauing no ground but the testimonie of this man and that man that speaketh of traditions Their faith is also most weake and fantasticall as being built vpon the lies reported in Legends and the fantasticall ceremonies contained in the Missall and Breuiary The holy Scriptures are called the old and new testament and the Apostle Ephes. 6. calleth the word of God the sword of the Spirit Writing to Timothy he saith holy scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect and absolute and wise vnto saluation But howsoeuer the blind Papists fauor their traditions yet I hope they will be ashamed to cal their fardle of traditions Gods eternal testament or the sword of the spirit or to say that traditions are able to make the man of God perfect or wise to saluation Finally no holy father did euer make Ecclesiastical traditions not written nor contained in Scriptures but only commended by the Church of Rome or kept by custome or taken vp by fancie and recorded only in humane writings of equall authoritie with canonicall scriptures Infidelitatis argumentum est c. saith Basil It is an argument of infidelity and a most certaine signe of pride if a man wil reiect any thing that is written or bring in any thing not written The like sayint he hath Moral 72. c. 1. 86. 22. Neither is it like that he should speake of traditions repugnant to scriptures as some do answer For euery Christian man knoweth that nothing is to be receiued contrarie to Scriptures and to admonish men of that had bene superfluous Si quid dicatur absque scriptura saith Chrysostome hom in Psal. 95. auditorum cogitatio claudicat nunc annuens nunc hasitans If any thing be spoken without proofe of scripture the mind of the hearers resteth in suspence now yeelding now denying Neither doth he speake onely of a mans owne inuention but also of all other mens reports or deuises without ground of scripture In his thirteenth homily vpon the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians he calleth Scriptures a most exact rule What néed then haue we of the additions of traditions not written if scriptures be a most exact rule Diabolici spiritus est saith Theophilus lib. 2. paschal aliquid extra scripturarum sacrarum authoritatem putare diuinum It is a signe of a diuellish spirit to thinke that any thing is diuine which is without the authoritie of holy scriptures What reason then hath Bellarmine to call traditions the word of God not written Hierome in his commentaries vpon the 23. of Mathew speaking of a certaine tradition Quod de scripturis authoritatem non habet eadem facilitate contemnitur qua probatur That which is not confirmed by authoritie of scriptures is with the same facilitie contemned that it is proued And writing vpon the first chap. of the prophet Aggey he saith That the sword of God doth strike all those things which men of their owne accord do find out and feine as it were Apostolicall traditions without the authoritie and testimony of scriptures Ubi de re obscurissima disputatur sayth Augustine lib. 2. de peccatorum merit remiss c. 36. non adiuuantibus diuinarum scripturarum certis clarisque documentis cohibere se debet humana praesumptio nihil faciens in alteram partem declinando Where we contend about some most obscure question there mans presumption ought to stay it selfe declining to neither side if the certaine and cleare documents of scripture helpe vs not The next ground of the late Romish faith is layd vpon the old latine vulgar translation For whosoeuer receiueth not the scriptures as they are contained in the old vulgar latine translation is pronounced accursed by the conuenticle of Trent Againe the same conuenticle purposing to declare what Latine edition or translation of scriptures is authenticall determineth that the old latin vulgar translation shall be authenticall so that no man vpon any pretence dare or may reiect it Vt nemo illam reijcere quouis praetextu audeat vel praesumat Canus in his theologicall common places as he calleth them doubteth not to affirme that the Iewes haue corrupted the Hebrew text of the old testament and this diuers other papisticall writers haue also supposed The glosse vpon the chapter vt veterum dist 9. affirmeth plainely that both Iewes and Greekes haue corrupted the copies of scriptures in those tongues But the old vulgar Latine translation most Papists now bold to be sincere incorrupt and pure and allow as authenticall Bellarmine in his second booke De verbo Dei cap. 2. saith that albeit the scriptures in Hebrew be not altogether corrupted yet they are not sound and pure but haue certaine errors Likewise lib. 2. ca. 7. speaking of the Greeke text of the new Testament he sayth that the same is not sound nor without errors and that it is not safe alwayes to correct the Latine by the Greeke But in the same booke cha 10. with all his force he endeuoreth to defend the old Latine translation as authenticall The which is not onely a plaine declaration of the weaknesse of the Romish faith that is built vpon so corrupt grounds but also of the absurd and vnreasonable procéeding of our aduersaries The prophet cryeth out against the Iewes that forsooke God the fountaine of liuing water and digged to themselues pits or cisternes that could hold no water Is it not then admirable that any should be so blind as to forsake the originall textes of Scripture and to flie to the corrupt cisternes of the Latine vulgar translation Hilary vpon the 118.
psalme sayth That he hath often admonished his hearers that the Latin translatiō could not yeeld satisfaction for their vnderstanding Frequenter admonuimus saith he non posse satisfactionem intciligentiae ex latinitatis translatiene prestari Ambrose teacheth vs that where there is contention about the variation of Latine translations there the Greeke bookes are to be looked vpon Si quis de Latinorum codicum varietate contendit sayth he quorum aliquos perfidi falsauerunt Gracos inspiciat codices And in his booke De incarnat c. 8. So haue we found sayth he in the Greeke text whose authoritie is greater Hierome in an Epistle to Sunia sayth that in the old testament we are to haue recourse to the Hebrew text In his preface in 4. Euang. he sheweth that there is great variety of Latine bookes and that in correcting of errors and finding the truth we are to returne to the Gréeke originals Si veritas est quaerenda saith he cur non ad Gracam originem reuertentes ea quae malè ab interpretibus reddita vel addita vel mutata corrigimus Augustine also in his second booke De doctr Christ. cap. 10. saith That to correct Latine copies we are to haue recourse to the Hebrew and Greeke bookes of Scripture Ad exemplaria Hebraea Graeca saith he à Latinis recurratur And in the same booke chap. 15. Latinis emendandis Graeci adhibeantur codices Latine bookes of Scripture are to be mended by the Greeke originals The aduersaries also themselues are ashamed sometimes to say that either the old Latine vulgar translation is to be preferred before the originall Text of Scripture or that the same is authenticall The Canonists glossing vpon the Chap. vt veterum dist 9. affirme that where the Copies varie the originall is to be exhibited and that the Latine of the old Testament is to be corrected by the Hebrew and the Latine of the new Testament by the Greeke bookes Isidore Clarius Caietane Pagninus Forerius Oleastrius Erasmus and diuers others haue noted diuers faults in the old Latine vulgar translation Sixtus Senensis lib. 8. Biblioth sanct confesseth that diuers faults barbarismes solecismes and transpositions are found in the Latine translation And saith that the Church was moued by diuers iust causes to dissemble them Finally reason teacheth vs that the determination of the Romish Church that preferreth the Latin vulgar translation before the Hebrew and Gréeke text is most absurd For if the Latine bookes were to be preferred before the Hebrew and Greeke text or else to be estéemed authenticall then were we either to preferre or to giue like credit to Hierome and other authors that translated the old vulgar Latine bookes and to the holy Prophets and Apostles Againe transumpts and copies might by like reason be preferred before the originall instruments Thirdly the old Latine translation is proned false by diuers witnesses by comparing of places for that one edition of the old vulgar translation doth differ from another Non potest verum esse quod dissonat that cannot be true that is repugnant and contrarie to it selfe as Hierome saith in Praefat. in Iosuam in Praefat. in 4. Euang. But the edition of the vulgar translation set out by Clement the eighth doth much differ from that which Sixtus Quintus set out before Iosue 11. 19. Clement readeth quae se traderet Sixtus readeth quite contrarie quae se non traderet 2. Reg. 16. 1. Clement hath vtre vini Sixtus readeth duobus vtribus Ioan. 6. 65. Clement readeth qui essent non credentes Sixtus qui essent credentes And so it may appeare by diligent collation that there are notable differences throughout the whole Bible Lastly if the Latine text were more authenticall then the Hebrew or Greeke why do not our aduersaries shew that the auncient Fathers or some learned men of late time at the least haue corrected the Hebrew and Greeke according to the Latine and not rather contrariwise The fourth foundation of Romish religion is the determination of the Pope in matters of faith The Conuenticle of Trent teacheth that it belongeth to the holy mother the Church to iudge of the true meaning of Scriptures Now for as much as no man knoweth more certainely what is the holy mother Churches meaning then the Papists holy Father the Pope therefore they do hereof conclude that the Pope is to determine principally of the true sence and meaning of Scriptures In the Rubrike of the decrées cap. in canonicis dist 19. we find that the Popes decretals are to be reckened among canonicall Scriptures Bellarmine lib. 3. de verbo Dei cap. 3. saith that the Spirit of God he should say of the diuell is in the Pope and that he together with a Councell is chiefe Iudge in matters of controuersie of religion And in the same booke cap. 4. he holdeth that no man may recede from his iudgement or determination Stapleton in his booke of doctrinall Principles or grounds of his religion goeth about to prooue that the Popes sentence and determination is infallible And so much do these good fellowes rely vpon their holy Mothers and holy Fathers interpretation that they receiue the same without any long inquisition though neuer so foolish and contrarie to Scriptures Our Sauiour in the institution of the holy Eucharist said Take eate but they beléeue the Pope that saith Gape and gaze but take not nor eate but rather hang vp the Sacrament He said Bibite ex hoc omnes that is Drinke ye all of this but the Pope saith Drinke not all of this and they beléeue the Pope The Apostle saith It is better to marrie then to burne and that mariage is honorable among all men But the Pope doth interpret these words so as if he had said It is better to burne then to marrie and that mariage is reprochfull and vnlawfull to Priests and Papists beléeue the Pope So do they likewise in infinit false interpretations But that the Popes interpretations and sentences shold be the foundation of religion is a matter contrarie to religion and reason The Apostle Ephes. 2. saith that the Church is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the corner stone And therefore it is said to be built vpon them because both of them preach Christ. Apostolos habemus authores c. we haue the Apostles for authors of our doctrine saith Tertullian lib. de praescript aduers. baeret He saith also It lyeth not in mans power to determine any thing in matters of faith of his owne head Quamuis sanctus sit aliquis post Apostolos c. Howsoeuer holy or eloquent a man be saith Hierome in Psalm 86. yet comming after the Apostles he deserueth no authenticall credit The Lord declareth in Scriptures Augustine in his second Epistle to Hierome sheweth that no mans writings are comparable to holy Scriptures And this the Canonists themselues confesse in their glosses vpon the Chapter Noli meis and Ego
a tongue vnderstood restored vnto vs and read publikely and priuately without limitation or danger we are to accompt the same as a singular benefit bestowed vpon the people of England For what can be deenied more beneficiall then for the hungrie to obtaine food for naked souldiers to obtaine armes and prouisions for poore people in want to be enriched with such a treasure But saith N. D. Wardw. pag. 14. If the translator do not put downe the words of Scriptures sincerely in his vulgar translation then the simple reader that cannot discerne will take mans word for Gods word Secondly he saith that if a false sence should be gathered out of Scripture then the reader should sucke poison in stead of wholesome meate But these reasons make no more against reading Scriptures in vulgar tongues and translating them into those tongues then against reading Scriptures in the Latin and translating them into Latine For as well may the Latine Interpreter erre as he that translateth scriptures into vulgar tongues and aswell may a man draw a peruerse sence out of the Latine as out of the English If then these reasons conclude not against that Latin translation they are too weak to conclude against vulgar translations Againe if it be hurtfull to follow a corrupt translation and to gather a contrarie sence out of scriptures we are not therefore to cast away scriptures but rather to séeke for the most sincere translations and the most true sence and meaning of the holy Ghost reuealed in holy Scriptures Thirdly he alleageth these words out of the Apostle 2. Cor. 3. The letter killeth but the spirit quickneth against reading of scriptures in vulgar tongues But these words do no lesse touch them that follow the letter in the Hebrew Gréek theÌ„ in the vulgar tongs And yet Robert Parsons wil not deny but that it is lawfull to reade scriptures in Hebrew and Gréeke albeit he if it were vnlawfull would neuer be guiltie of this fault being most ignorant of these tongs Fourthly he asketh how vnlearned readers will discerne things without a guide As if lay-men because they haue teachers might not also reade the books from whence the principles of Christian doctrine are deriued This therefore séemeth to be all one as if Geometricians and other teachers of arts should debarre their schollers from reading Euclide and other authors that haue written of arts Furthermore albeit somethings without teachers cannot of rude learners be vnderstood yet all things that pertaine to faith and manners are plainely set downe in scriptures In ijs quae apertè in scripturis posita sunt inueniuntur illa omnia saith S. Augustine lib. 2. de doctr Chr. c. 9. Quae continent fidem moresque vivendi Fiftly he alleageth that the vnderstanding of Scriptures is a particular gift of God But that notwithstanding no man is forbidden to reade scriptures in Hebrew Greeke or Latine And yet if Robert Parsons vnderstand them at all he vnderstandeth them better in the vulgar English then in these tongues Furthermore albeit to vnderstand Scriptures be a peculiar gift of God yet no man is therefore to refraine from reading of scriptures but rather to reade theÌ„ diligently and to conferre with the learned and to beséech God to giue him grace to vnderstand them The which is proued by the example of the Eunuch Act. 8. who read the scriptures and threw them not away albeit he could not vnderstand all without the help of a teacher Sirthly he vseth the examples of Ioane Burcher a pudding wife as some suppose and qualified like his mother the Blacke-smiths wife and of Hacket William Geffrey and other heretickes In his Warne-word Encontr 1. cap. 8. he addeth George Paris Iohn More certaine Anabaptists and other heretikes and insinuateth that all these fell into heresies by reading of scriptures in vulgar languages But his collectioÌ„ is false and shamelesse and derogatorie to scriptures and contrary both to them and to fathers Our Sauior speaking of the Sadduceis Mat. 22. saith they erred for that they knew not the scriptures Erratis nescientes scriptur as The Apostle talking of reading of scriptures saith they are profitable to instruct men vnto saluation and not hurtfull or the cause of any mans destruction The ignorance of scriptures saith Chrysostome ho. de Lazaro hath brought forth heresies Scripturarum ignoratio haereses peperit And againe Barathrum est scripturarum ignoratio that is the ignorance of scriptures is a bottomlesse gulfe Finally to obscure the glorie of this benefite of reading scriptures in vulgar tongues in his out-worne Warne-word Encont 1. c. 8. he saith that such as vnderstand Latin or haue licence of the Ordinary to reade scriptures in vulgar tongues haue no benefit by this generall permission of reading scriptures as if euery one that vnderstandeth Latin durst reade vulgar translations without licence or as if the Church receiued no benefite vnlesse euery particular member were partaker of that benefite This therefore is a most ridiculeus conceit and likely to procéed from such an idle head Further the same might be alleaged against Latine translations And yet Robert Parsons will not deny but the Church receiueth benefite by Latine translations albeit the Greekes and such as vnderstand Hebrew and not Latin receiue no benefite by the Latine translation If then Robert Parsons meane hereafter to barke against the reading of scriptures that are commended vnto vs as light medicine food armes and things most necessary he must alleage vs better reasons then these lest he be taken for an hereticall or rather lunaticall fellow that spendeth his wit in the defence of fond senselesse and impious positions CHAP. VI. Of publike Prayers and administration of Sacraments and other parts of the Church liturgie and seruice in vulgar tongues LIke wise the Papists to take from Christians the effect and fruite of their prayers set out most of their prayer bookes in Latine and closely forbid the common seruice and liturgie of the Church to be said in vulgar languages In the â—2 session of the Conuenticle of Trent where they anathematise them that hold that the Masse should be celebrated in vulgar tongues their meaning is to establish the rites of the Romish Church and the Latine seruice and to prohibit the vse of vulgar tongues in publike liturgies And this is also proued by the practise of the synagogue of Rome that alloweth the prayers of such as pray in Latine albeit like Parrots they vnderstand not what they prattle and by the testimonie of Hosius Bellarmine and others writing vpon that argument But this practise is most barbarous fruitlesse and contrary to the custome of Christ his Church in auncient time Sinesciero virtutemvocis saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 14. ero ci cui loquor barbarus qui loquitur mihi barbarus that is If I vnderstand not the meaning of the words I vtter I shall be to him to whom I speake barbarous and he that speaketh shal be barbarous vnto me And againe If I
to be partakers of his couenant Fiftly Those which despise the Lord shall themselues be despised saith the Lord 1. Sam. 2. And as he promiseth blessings to those that worship him and kéepe his commandemēts so he threatneth cursings to those that refuse to heare the voice of the Lord and to kéepe his commaundents and ceremonies prescribed for his worship Quod siaudire nolueris vocem Domini Dei tui vt custodias facias omnia mandata eius caeremonias quas ego praecipio tibi hodiè venient super te omnes maledictiones apprehendent te saith Moyses Deut. 28. Let the Papists then consider well with themselues what they haue done in transforming the worship of God into the worship of creatures and seruing him not as he hath appointed but according to their owne deuises and fancies and let them beware that these plagues curses ouertake them not séeing they haue wholy neglected the true worship of God Sixthly Strange tongues are for a signe as the Apostle sayth 1. Cor. 14. not to them that beleeue but to them that beleeue not The Prophet also threatneth as a plague that God wil speake to his people by men of other tongues and in strange languages In loquela labij lingua altera loquetur ad populum istum It is therefore strange that the Papists féele not the hand of God vpon them when they heare scriptures read and prayers said publikely in a language which they vnderstand not and a thing to be wondred at that they chuse rather to liue in this blindnesse then to haue the word of God read in a toung which they are able to vnderstand and whereby they may learne to feare God Seuenthly the very heathen haue oft times chosen to die rather then to sée themselues oppressed by tyrants Yet such is the stupiditie of Papists that they suffer the Pope and his Priests to tyrannize ouer them loading their consciences with intolerable lawes and false doctrine and spoiling their goods by diuers kinds of exactions and endangering their liues by their Inquisitors and massacrers and such like executioners of their bloudie decrées 8. Most dangerous is euery diuision among those of one societie but most miserable it is when they which protesse themselues to be of Gods Church are deuided one frō another For the Church is a house of vnitie and not of dissention But among Papists one holdeth of Benet another of Francis another of Dominicke another of Clare and in no point of doctrine do all their Doctors agree together Superstitiously also they obserue dayes times and distinction of meates and consecrate salt water bread candles and paschal Lambes Finally they leaue the Creator and serue our Ladie Angels and Saints and other creatures Nay for reliques of Saints they worship oft times the ashes relikes and bones of wicked men and reprobates nay of bruite beasts 9. It is an vnseemely thing for those that professe hollnesse to shew themselues examples of all beastlinesse as the Popes and holiest men of the papists are wont to do Therefore séeing the dogs sorcerers whore-mongers murtherers idolaters and lyars shall be shut out of the kingdome of heauen they are not to looke to be admitted without spéedie reformation 10. No Prince liuing vnder the Pope can assure himselfe of his state nor can any subiect that liueth vnder such a prince assure himselfe either of his life or goods For if the Pope haue power to take away kingdomes and to bestow them vpon others how can any King or prince assure himselfe he will not attempt the same when occasion serueth considering his violent procéeding against Emperours and kings in time past and against our late noble Queene against Henry the third and fourth of Fraunce and diuers others And if euery one by him and his Inquisitors declared Hereticke is to lose life and goods who can assure himselfe of either if he acknowledge not his authoritie and refuse his religion 11. No man certes shall prosper that shall follow Antichrists sect or religion If any man worship the beast and his image saith the Angel Apocalyps 14. and receiue his marke in his forehead and in his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God of the pure wine that is powred into the cuppe of his wrath But that new Rome and the Popes gouernment is the image of the old Romaine Empire and that the Pope is Antichrist it plainely appeareth by diuers arguments which I haue declared in my fifth booke De pontif Rom. 12 Those Kings that liue vnder the Pope are but halfe kings For first their Cleargie in diuers cases is exempt from them and next they haue not to do with the rest of their subiects in ecclesiasticall causes O miserable kings that haue fallen downe to worship the beast and haue suffered such base bougerly Italians to take away more then halfe of their royall authoritie 13 We find that no kingdome can long liue in peace which is subiect to the Popes controlment For if the Pope do find himselfe aggréened then both he trouble the peace of the State if the same offend him not but pay what he requireth yet if he fall out with others then must that kingdome make warres at the Popes pleasure By the Popes solicitation both England France Flaunders Spaine and all Christian countries haue endured great troubles The Turkes liue farre more quietly vnder their Sultans then Papists vnder the Pope Finally considering the intolerable exactions of the Pope and his furious inclination to warre and bloudshed and the tyrannie both of the Pope and his adherents it is no maruell if the papisticall people be poore and much wasted Whether then we respect things of this life or of the life to come there is no creature more miserable then a Papist Do you not then wonder that any should like the popist gouernment It were certainely much to be wondred but that experience doth teach vs that the Cimmerians that dwell in darknesse care not for the light and that brutish beasts delight in brutishnesse and base people in seruitude and superstitious people in vanities and superstitions CHAP. VI. Of the contradictions of Popish Doctors in principall points of Religion Of the dissentions of popish Doctors in matters of religion I haue said somewhat before Yet because Papists make vnitie in matters of saith to be a marke of the Church and confidently deny that their Doctors dissent in any point of any moment I haue thought good to insist yet more vpon this point that the world may see not only their miserie that as men not resolued in most points of religion wauer betwirt contrarie opinions but also their notorious impudencie that deny it Therein also both appeare some Papists wonderfull simplicitie that séeing the contention of their Doctors do not vnderstand their differences and séeeing their differences and vncertaintie of popish Religion do notwithstanding sticke fast in the filthy dregs and abhominable corruptions thereof
Popes decretals and by the common opinions of their principall Doctors Clement the fift in the Chapter beginning Romani de iure iurando declareth that the Romane Emperours take an oath of sealtie and subiection to the Pope Romani principes saith he orthodoxae fidei professores c. That is the Emperours of Rome professing the faith with feruour of faith and readie deuotion honoring the holy church of Rome whose head is Christ our Redeemer and the Bishop of Rome our redeemers Vicar haue not thought it an indignitie to submit their heades and to bind themselues by oath from whom they haue receiued not onely the approbation of their person assumed vnto the imperiall dignitie but also vnction consecration and the crowne of the Empire But if the Emperor receiue his Empire from the Pope then may he be deposed by the Pope And if he take an oath of fealtie and obedience to the Pope then is he forsworne if he obey not his sentences and censures as the Canonists teach Likewise the same Pope affirmeth that the Emperor is bound by oath to roote out the enemies of the Romish church and not to make any confederation or league with any enemie of the Pope or any suspected vnto him Which being graunted it followeth that no King or Emperour can make peace with others then such as the Pope liketh and that he is to make warres vpon such as he misliketh A matter which now presently much concerneth all Christians For if the Spaniards or other the Popes vassals haue respect to this law as no question but they haue then all capitulations betwixt them and Christian princes of our profession are made by his dispensation and to hold no longer then it shall stand with the Popes good liking The Author of the glosse vpon the same chapter both also plainely declare that the Emperour is subiect to the Pope Modo quaero sayth he nonne Iesus voluit c. Now I aske saith he whether Christ Iesus would not that these Princes to whom he hath giuen temporall iurisdiction c. should be in some sort subiect vnto his Vicar that is to the Bishop of Rome and whether he would not that these Princes should giue oath to the Bishop of Rome and whether he would not that they should submit their heads to the same Bishop VVhereunto Clement aunswereth in the text that they should And very plaine it is that this was the meaning of Clement séeing he determineth that the Emperor ought to take an oath offealtie and obedience fidclitatis obedientiae but if he sweare fealtie and obedience then is he to shew himselfe obedient and the Pope may punish him if he sweare false So we see that if the Popes law hold then the Emperor for his Empire is tenant at the Popes will and may hold it no longer then he continueth in his obedience vnlesse he will either refuse to sweare or be forsworne In the chapter Pastorelis Clement de sent re indicata the Pope declareth that he hath superioritie ouer the Empire and that in the vacancie of the Empire himselfe ought to succeed the Emperour Thereupon also he contradideth the Emperors procéeding and declareth the Emperours sentence against Robert king of Sicilie to be void and without effect But if the Emperour cannot procéede against rebels but that his sentence shall be reuersed by the Pope then is he the Popes vassall and subiect and cannot longer hold the crowne then it shall please the Pope Neither may other princess looke for greater fauour at the Popes hands then the Emperor Boniface the eight in the Chapter Vnam sanctam extr com de maiorit obedient doth expressely determine that the Pope hath both swords and that he hath power both to make kings and to depose them Spiritualis potestas potestatem terrenam instituere habet iudicare si bona non fuerit That is the spirituall power hath right to ordaine the earthly power and to iudge the same if it be not good And againe if the earthly power go astray the same must be iudged by the spirituall power That is by the Pope But if he haue right to iudge kings then hath he right to pronounce iudgment against them and to take their crowne frō them This decretal was published against Philip the French King but no doubt but the Pope taketh himselfe to haue the same right against all other kings Nay albeit the same sentence séemeth to haue bin suspended in regard of the French king by the chapter Meruit extr com de priuilegijs yet haue later Popes procéeded against some French Kings as for example Lewis the twelfth and Henry the third How may then other Kings hope to escape their censures that are not priuiledged Now if any man except and say that this is not the doctrine of Rome that now is he shal shew himself to be but a nouice that thinketh that any Papist dare depart from the doctrine of his holy fathers decretals Beside that if we search the bookes of late writers we shall find that they do not digresse from their elders Iosephus Vestanus in his treatise De osculatione pedum Pontificis p. 137. among diuers principles and dictates of the Popes doctrine deriued as he saith from Gregory the seuenth setteth downe these two first that it is lawful for the Pope to depose the Emperor and next that he hath power to absolue subiects from their oath of obedience to tyrannicall princes But if he haue power to depose princes and to loose the subiects from the band of their obedience vnto them then is it manifest that princes can no longer hold their crownes then it shall please the Pope Bellarmine likewise lib. 5. de Pontif. Rom. c. 6. speaking of the Pope saith he hath power to change kingdomes and to take from one and to giue vnto another if that be necessary for the sauing of soules And this he offereth to proue Potest mutare regna saith he vni auferre atque alteri conferre siid necessarium sit ad animarum salutem vt probabimus Pius the fift in his bull against Quéene Elizabeth affirmeth that the pope is made a prince and set ouer al nations and kingdomes to pull vp to destroy to dissipate and spoile to plant and build Hunc vnum saith he super omnes gentes omnia regna Principem constituit qui euellat destruat dissipet disperdat plantet adificet The Iebusites of France in their booke entitled La veritè defendue a booke as true as Celsus his book written against Christian religion entitled by him Vera oratio or a true discourse do defēd the authoritie of the Pope which he chalengeth in iudging and deposing temporall princes Nay which is more strange they blush not to affirme that this great soueraignety in the Pope is profitable for princes that stand in more doubt of loosing their tēporall kingdoms then of any other losse But howsoeuer it is if
truth and grant al others by her example to beware of the Popes and Iebusits most dangerous practises which neuer cease working mischiefe if they may haue fit oportunitie CHAP. X. That kings and Princes liuing in subiection to the Pope are but halfe kings and demi-princes BUt suppose the Pope and his conspiring and working crew should neither attempt to take away the crowne nor the life from a prince that beléeueth his lawes and yéeldeth to the Pope all that authoritie which he claimeth yet doth he lose halfe his reuenues authoritie and regall soueraigntie For first the Pope shareth the Kings reuenues claiming tenths first fruites subsidies confirmation and disposition of Ecclesiasticall liuings and infinite summes of money for pardons licences dispensations and all maner of rescripts Those which are acquainted with the Popes faculties and incrochments in former Kings dayes within this land and now in Spaine Italy and other popish countries know they are intelerable and no way inferior to the Kings reuenues Nay if a King néed a dispensation for an Ecclesiasticall matter he is forced to bargaine with the Pope and to buy it deare The absolution of King Iohn had like to haue cost him the Crowne of England Secondly not the King but the Pope is King of priests and ecclesiasticall persons Boniface the 8. in the chap. Clericis de immunit eccles in 6. doth excommunicate both Kings and others that impose taxes and subsidies vpon the Clergie He doth also lay the same censure vpon those clergie men that pay any subsidies to ciuill Magistrates which sheweth that he kept them for his owne selfe Alexander the fourth in the chap. Quia nonnulli de immunit eccles in 6. exempteth the possessions and goods of clergy men from toll and custome Bellarmine in his treatise De exemptione clericorum cap. 1. setteth downe these propositions In causis Ecclesiasticis liberi sunt clerici iure diuino à secularium principum potestate That is In Ecclesiastical causes clerkes are free from the commaund of secular princes by the law of God And by ecclesiasticall causes he vnderstādeth all matters which concerne the church and which by hooke or crooke the Popes haue drawne to their owne cognition Againe he sayth Non possunt Clerici à Iudice seculari iudicari etiamsi leges ciuiles non seruent That is Clerks are not to be iudged of secular Iudges albeit they keep not his temporall lawes His third proposition is this Bona clericorum tam ecclesiastica quà m secularia libera sunt ac meritò esse debent à tributis principum secularium That is The goods of clerkes whether they belong to the Church or be temporal are free from tributes of princes and so ought to be He sayth also that secular princes in respect of clerkes are not soueraigne princes and that therefore clerkes are not bound to obey them Now how is the King absolute in his kingdome if he haue neither power ouer the persons of the clerks nor their goods Emanuel Sa in his aphorismes In verbo Clericus in his book first printed and alleaged by him that wrote the Franc discourse hath these words Clerici rebellio in regem non est crimen laesae maiestatis quia non est subditus regi The rebellion of a clerk against the King is no treason because he is not the kings subiect This is plaine dealing and sheweth that the king is no king of the Clergie where the Popes lawes beare sway But because these words be somewhat too plaine therefore in a later edition of these aphorismes set out at Venice they haue for their owne ease cut out the words albeit in effect Bellarmine and others teach so much Their practise also declareth that this is their meaning for Thomas Becket stoutly resisted Henry the second and his parliament enacting that clerkes offending against the kings lawes should answer before the kings Iustices Further he would not agree that clerkes lay-fee should come in trial before them Sixtus quartus did enterdite the state of Florence for that they had executed the Archbishop of Pisa notoriously taken in a conspiracie against the State Xistus quòd sacrato viro Archiepiscopo it a foedè interfecto Cardinalem quoque captiuum fecissent Hieronymo instigante grauissimum Florentinis sacris omnibus interdictis bellū intulit saith Onuphrius That is Sixtus warred vpon the Florentines and enterdited them for that they had killed the Archbishop of Pisa being a priest and layd hands on a cardinall And yet he declareth they were actors in the conspiracie against Iulian and Laurence de Medicis that then ruled the State This was also the greatest quarrell of the Pope against Henry the third of France for that he caused the Cardinal of Guise to be killed being culpable of most enormous treasons against him Now what can Kings do against their subiects if they may not punish them offending in treason Thirdly the Popes do draw many temporall matters from the cognition of the King to themselues and their adherents Boniface the 8. c. quoniam de Immunitat Eccles. in 6. doth excommunicate all those that do hinder matters to be brought frō triall of temporall iudges to Ecclesiasticall courts and namely those that will not suffer all contracts confirmed by oathes to be tried before Ecclesiasticall iudges By which meanes almost all causes were brought before them and the Kings iurisdiction almost stopped and suspended The Kings of England therfore to restraine these incrochmēts made the law of Praemunire putting them out of his protection that wold not be tried by his lawes Is it not strange then that Christian princes should suffer such companions to vsurpe their authoritie and not onely in causes Ecclestasticall but also in temporall to beare them selues as iudges Finally they deny that Christian Princes haue power either to make Ecclesiasticall lawes or to reforme abuses in the Church or to gouerne the Church concerning externall matters All papists do so distinguish betwixt Ecclesiastical and politicke gouernement that they exclude temporall Princes from the gouernement of the Church and make them subiect to the Pope Bellarmine lib. 1. de Pontif. Rom. c. 7. determineth that temporall Princes are no gouernours of the Church Ifthen Christian Princes loose part of their reuenues and part of their iurisdiction and are quite excluded both from the gouernement of the Church and also disposing of the persons and goods of Ecclesiasticall persons most apparent it is that such Princes as admit the Popes authoritie are either but halfe kings or else not so much loosing more then halfe their authoritie by the Popes incrochments How contrarie this is to the doctrine of the Apostles and ancient fathers we néede not here dispute S. Peter teacheth Christians to honour the King and Paule exhorteth euery soule to be subiect to the higher powers Now what greater dishonour can be offered to a king then to take away his authoritie And how are they subiect that pay the King nothing and claime
saith to demaund iustice against him Christopher Bagshaw his fellow priest testifieth that being burser he disfurnished the colledge library of many auncient bookes and rare manuscripts A true man he is as it seemeth being conuinced both of forgery filchery and periury But because he was sworne to be true a true thiefe to the colledge For these and other misdemeanors he had the fauour to resigne being first lawfully expelled as saith Bagshaw in his apologie against Parsons slanders and with such fauour he departed that no man seemed desirous he should remaine in the colledge any longer I thinke he may remember that he was rung with belles out of the house which was either a signe of triumph or else of his dismall departure out of the world At the same time he made a submission with many teares as saith Bagshaw and promised that he would euer after carry himselfe in a good sort but if he forgot his oth made first it was no maruell if he forgot his promise made after Hauing receiued this disgrace not long after he fled like a fugitiue out of his countrey and became a Iebusite For note that periured fugitiues make prime Iebusites So that was verified in him that is commonly found true in others Quod desperatio facit monachum For desperatly hee cast himselfe away into a monkish order although not long before he had deepely protested that he would neuer become a papist What religion was in him it may appeare for that suddenly he tooke on him a religion which he had a litle before forsworne Beside that being in England he alwaies professed the same religion that we doe and in priuate communication with his friends seemed desirous to learne some good course of study of diuinitie Being burser hee bought many bookes written by learned men of our side and placed them in the library of Bailioll colledge in Oxford What is then to be collected of all his demeanour and actions but that disgrace and malice and no other reason made him a papist a friar and an apostata Departing out of the countrey hee went not away empty handed For he carried away diuers summes of money which he had receiued of his schollers friends without rendring accompt Promising also to make a match betwixt one of his schollers and a gentlewoman his mothers neighbour he tooke money of both the parties friends albeit neither of the parties knew any such matter nor their friends had talked together A very prety tricke to be plaid for his first prize of cosinage The seculer priests charge him with mispending the almes that is bestowed on the english Seminaries vpon his intelligencers spies in postage and vpon his priuat pleasures After his departure out of England the man cosined the Prince of Parma the Spanish king and others offering like a montebanke the crowne of England to sale to any that would buy it A thing certes of good price if he could haue made his sale good He may remember that Marforio in Rome touched him in a certaine ticket for this grosse cosinage But great wonder it is that the Pope hath not trussed him ere this finding all his promises of intelligences treasons and packes in England to be nothing else but méere cosinage mockery and knauery to procure himselfe to be made Cardinall And this both himselfe and his brother and friends did so greedily looke for that on a time being aduised to weare a péece of scarlet before his stomacke and giuing order that a péece might be brought from the marchant his witlesse brother thinking the time of his aduancement had bene come caused as much scarlet to be brought to him as would make him a Cardinals robes But with great confusion and blushing like as if his face had bene died scarlet Parsons conueyed the man and his scarlet out by a posterne gate But the scorne and blemish still stucke to him Of his vertuous life in Spaine and in the colledge at Rome we neede not to stand much seeing the markes of his honesty appeare in the pustules of his face but especially in his scabbed legs The which mysteries of Iebusites least they should be reuealed they haue a graunt of the Pope to haue Physitions of their owne company While the stirres continued betweene the Iesuits and the English schollers in Rome one Harward gaue out that he could name seuen Sodomites in that colledge But may Parsons friends answere That is no nouelty among the fiery Ignatians that forsweare mariage For seeing they refuse honourable mariage it is Gods iust vengeance vpon them that they should fall into these filthie abominable disorders Euery one of the masse-priests according to the formulary of Rome doth say and confesse quòd peccaui in Sodomia that is I haue sinned in Sodomy The man naturally is a coward yet when he passeth through strange countreyes he goeth disguised and calleth himselfe Captaine Cowbucke But albeit he be no souldier nor worthy of that profession yet should he haue come anno 1588. with the Spanish forces against his countrey And so many hath he suborned to kill the Queene and to stirre rebellion in England and Ireland that he hath caused more blood to be shed then the greatest souldier of our time His impudency in lying and great cunning in iugling may be conuinced by his bold assertions and denials against all truth and by his shifting and cogging in all his writings which giue plaine euidence that the man when he sted from his countrey left honesty shame and conscience behind him if euer he had any as by diuers arguments in the treatise ensuing shall god willing be verified In the meane while see what his fellow traitors say of him He that set foorth the reply to Parsons libell doth testifie that he will affirme or deny any thing and saith that he hath a brasen forehead and prayeth that God would send him more shame more honesty and more truth Speaking of his cunning conueiance he saith he will neuer leaue his iugling trickes and againe that like a Gipsey he playeth at fast and loose His life vnto the rest of his consorts is so scandalous that the martrized Quodlitelist with admirati ō doth thus exclaime quodl 8. art 5. pa. 238. ô monster of mankind fitter for hell then middle earth and afterward thou giuest occasion for diuers to thinke thou art not a mere man but some fairies brat or begotten by some incubus or aerish spirit vpon the body of a base woman and quodl 6. art 7. and discouery pa. 70. Blackewell saith a certaine masse-priest must depend vpon Garnet and Garnet vpon Parsons and Parsons on the deuill Doe not you thinke then that this is a braue dependance and that the warneword is braue stuffe that is calfreted and deuised by a dependant vpon the deuill but may his friends say this was spoken out of choller Heare then what the archpriest said when he heard that Robert Parsons was first come into
yeeld proofe sufficient I may therefore vse Optatus his words to Parmeniam against him Cùm pro his erubescere debueras catholicos innocentes accusas That is where thou shouldest blush for thine owne faults thou accusest others that are innocent As for my stile and termes they shall alwayes be iustified when Parsons hath any matter to obiect against them Descending from his magistrall throne of his royall pedantery to speake of my epistle it pleaseth him to diuide it into three principall parts to wit into notorious folly apparant falshood and ridiculous vanitie in bragging and vanting But seeing he hath diuided no more wisely he must take the parts all to himselfe being a notorious sot a false packer and a vaine and ridiculous bragger Such a one the wise man describeth Prouerb 6. Homo apostata saith he vir inutilis graditur ore peruerso annuit oculis terit pede digito loquitur prauo corde machinatur malum omni tempore iurgia seminet It seemeth a proper description of Parsons an apostate from religion a man of little worth that goeth vp and downe with a peruerse and wide mouth which winketh with his eyes giueth a signe with his feete speaketh with his fingers deuiseth mischiefe in his wicked heart and at all times soweth discord and contention It followeth therefore that he looke for the execution of that which followeth Huic exemplo veniet perditio sua subitò conteretur nec habebit vltrà medicinam This mans destruction will come quickly and he shall suddenly be broken in peeces and shall find no further remedie As for the folly falshood and vanitie he talketh of they are so surely fastened vpon himselfe that he shall neuer put them vpon me To conuince me of folly he hath alledged the words of Tully that calleth him a noddy orator as he saith that alledgeth such matter as maketh no lesse for his aduersarie then for himselfe But if this be the part of a noddy then is Parsons a threefold noddy who alledgeth almost nothing but it may with better reason be reiected vpon himselfe then cast vpon others as for example where he talketh of heresie rayling bloody pamphlets folly and such predominant humors and qualities in himselfe Against me the words of Tully make nothing For albeit I do call him noddy that taketh for his deuise N. D. which with the addition of two vowels make noddy yet cannot he by any meanes make noddy out of O. E. which letters I assume to fhew his folly vnlesse he will lend me his owne name which I do not meane to borrow at this time Againe if he may come vpon the stage with the maske of N. D. why may not he that defendeth take the two next letters O. E The lawes are plaine that no man may refuse to stand to that law by which himselfe meaneth to receiue aduantage Furthermore talking of two letters where I say he is a man of two or three letters he answereth but by halfe and therefore is like to rest a noddy and a man of three letters that is Fur and the rather for that like a thiefe he came into England entring not by the doore but stealing in some other way with picklocke faculties and trecherous instructions from the Pope Finally the man sheweth himselfe to be not an orator but rather a foolish grammarian that calleth consonants the material part vowels the formall part of words For if this were true then should no word be compounded of bowels nor should bowels stand without consonants nor should forme and matter be proper to bodies but common to words also and fancies Thus we sée how Robert Parsons since he ran out of England hath outrun both grammér and logike is now learning to spell N. D. It may be if he passe Tiburne cleanly he wil shortly enter into his Puerilis and learne to construe stans puer ad mensam or percase pendens in patibulo To conuince me of apparant falshood he saith albeit he might remit himselfe to a multitude of examples in the encounters ensuing yet he will shew one for a proofe of the ministers talent in this kind But whosoeuer list to compare my answers with his examples shall find that his multitude of examples doth shew the multiplicitie of his banities and that his whole Warneword is but a fardell of foolery As for this one example which he alleadgeth it may serue to iustifie my honest dealing throughout the whole booke and to shew that he hath neither wit nor honesty In my reply I charge him that he hath written diuers odious chartels and bookes both against particular men and the State and namely First certaine chartels against some in Oxford Next Leicesters common-wealth Thirdly a libell intitled a Confutation of pretended feares Fourthly the booke set out vnder the name of Andreas Philopater Fiftly the Libell to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland set out vnder Card. Allens name Sixtly Dolmans booke of titles Seuenthly the Wardword Eightly the relation of the dispute betwixt M. Plessis and Eureux But because I doe not mention other bookes written by him as for example Houlets reasons of refusal the Discouery of Nicols the Censure against Charke the Epistle of persecution and his Directory he saith that in recounting eight bookes I tell nine lies fiue priuatiue and foure positiue But in talking of priuatiue lies hée sheweth himselfe not onely a positiue but a superlatiue dizard For if euery one lyed that reckned not vp all his paltry pamphlets he would bring himselfe and his owne friendes within the compasse of lying He must therefore iustifie this fiction of priuaâ—iue lies for else he doth nothing It standeth him also vpon to shew that euery one is to take notice of his fooleries and patcheries For such is the howling of Parsons Houlet and the Epistle of persecution where he taketh that which is in question for granted The Censure of Charke and Discouery of Nicols do consist principally of rayling The Directory is stollen out of Gaspar Loarti Granatensis others He hath no reason therefore to brag of such bald inuentions Where he obiecteth falshood to me for charging him with certaine libels written against some in Oxford and with the libell called Leicesters Common-wealth the treatises entitled a Confutation of certaine pretended feares Letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland his friends are much ashamed in his behalfe For the stile and phrase of these tookes compared with the Wardword and other pamphlets confessed to be his the testimony of diuers priests in England that ordinarily charge him with these bookes the confessions of some of his friends do conuince to lie most shamefully Nay his owne conscience doth accuse him and conuict him For listen I pray you what he answereth I neuer heard saith he any man of notice and iudgement ascribe them to him before and if I be not deceiued other authors are knowne to haue written
them Now what is this but to confesse that couertly that he denyeth coldly And what traitour or fellon or séely fellow being charged at the barre with notorious treasons and fellonies cannot answere thus albeit he be charged with things most manifest For what traitor cannot say I neuer heard any man of iudgement or notice ascribe this treason vnto me And againe If I be not deceiued others are knowne to haue committed this treason But if Ro. Parsons answere no better he will soone be conuicted and trussed for a traitor In the meane while he shall here onely rest conuicted of lying and foolery Of which he may also be conuicted in that taking on him to disproue me where I charge him to be the authour of the Wardword he doth afterward plainely confesse it He doth also make me to say that he hath written in all eight contemptible treatises which are no words of mine but cogged in by him and chargeth me with suppressing his bookes where I confesse plainely that he hath written other base and paltry pamphlets Whosoeuer therefore will estéeme the rest of my discourse by this against which he taketh such exceptions as he would haue it may see that as I haue dealt in all things plainely and sincerely so this fellow dealeth most childishly impudently idleiy in most of his discourses To conuince me of ridiculous vanitie in vaunting as he calleth it he alleageth nothing but only a challenge made by me to himselfe in fiue new encounters I do also request if himselfe be busie about some packe or practise of treason or els percase about some plotto win a Cardinals hat wil not or hath no leisure to answere that either Creswel or some other babling Iebusite may be set forth to try his skill in this combat But neither is it a ridiculous matter to defend the truth nor any vanity to challenge Parsons or his paltry schollers and seditious companions Beside that if it be vanitie in vs to challenge some few then should Robert Parsons be a most notorious vaine fellow that in defence of his Censure against matter Charke doth most proudly challenge the whole Church of England to dispute and in his Wardword vanteth that we dare not to deale with him and his fellowes Campian also challenged all commers in his ten reasons as if a common fencer should challenge all men at ten weapons And yet Parsons I trow will not accuse him of ridiculous vanitie in vanting Neither will the seditious crew of traitorous seminary companions giue the title of Thraso Goliah Behemoth or Leuiathan to all challengers For then could not ruffling sir Robert nor cauilling Campian escape their censure considering especially that in all their pamphlets they breath furie out of their nostrils and folly out of their dried sculs bragging and vanting most vainely and excessiuely But Parsons speaking against others forgetteth alwaies to looke backe vpon himselfe or else age perhaps hath dried vp his wit Omnia fert aetas animum quoque saith the Poet age decayeth all things Parsons vnderstanding also His braine is dryed with Spanish sacke and Spanish seabbes haue seized on his scull Afterward not being able to iustific his thréefold accusation against my Epistle he roueth at certaine personall matters farre from the questions in controuersie First he saith I haue bene a souldier but what of that was not Ignatius the first founder of his sect a lame souldier And were not Pope Clement the seuenth Iulius the second and other Popes whom he dare not disclaime great men of warre Let him therefore beware least desiring to strike others he wound the lame souldier his founder and the Popes his holy fathers and himselfe that counterfeiteth sometime to be a souldier and calleth himselfe captaine Cowbucke being but a cow and a coward But it may be percase that he accompteth it irregularitie for a man of the Church to be a souldier for so he seemeth to insinuate But he is much deceiued in his own canons For albeit to be a bastard is irregularity yet is it not so to be a souldier And if it were so by the Popes laws who because the Iews said it was not lawfull for them to put any to death do therefore exclude their clergie from iudging of matters of death yet it is ridiculous to exact the obseruation of the Popes lawes of Christians when the papists do reason so absurdly from the words of the Iewes and regard their owne constitutions nothing at all Beside that if such traitors as himselfe and the Iebusites of Paris thinke it lawfull to beare armes against their liege Souereignes I hope he cannot disproue them that haue serued their princes against foreine enemies and traitors He saith also I haue bene a pirate But that sheweth he is badly informed and worse affected that calleth all that serue their countrey by sea pirats As for me I count it honour to be rayled on by professed enemies of their Prince and countrey and shall the rather endeuour to do seruice both against enemies traitors and railers Further saith he I vnderstand that he hath bene iudge marshall among souldiers But while he thinketh to offer me disgrace he saith more honour of me then I would percase haue sayd of my selfe if I had not vene occasioned by him For that is a place of honour as the Auditors generall of the Spanish armies can assure him Neither is the same incompatible with my calling although I serued the Queene in that place in the low countries before I had any function in the Church He is also much offended that I haue sometime taken vpon me the trayning of yong souldiers that were to be led against such villeines and traitors as himselfe comming with Spainiards and forraine enemies against their country But if he be sorie that he and his consorts could not cut his countrimens throats without resistance I am glad if I haue made my countrimen the more able to serue both against common enemies and such cut-throate traitors and I doubt Hot but to vse my skil to the benefit of my country if euer such traitors as himselfe is offer to bring with him any bougerly Italians or bragadocio Spaniards against England He proceedeth and saith I am married and matched as a minister ought to be In an other place he glanceth at my wiues French hood But what if I was married before I entred into the ministery and be able to maintaine her so without any profits of my Ecclesiasticall liuings Beside that himselfe being a filthy bastard and borne of a base queane as the Quodlibetist being a goodly martyr in the Calendar of traitors telleth him he sheweth himselfe both witlesse and shamelesse to speake against honorable mariage and such as are knowne to be descended of worshipfull parentage Furthermore he giueth vs occasion to detest the filthie masse-priests monkes and Iebusites that abiuring lawfull marriage burne in vnlawfull lustes and are knowne to be adulterers fornicators sodomites and
thinketh of himselfe I hope hereafter he will not contemne others pendir of the acts of that Councell Alexander the firt was a man without religion Humana iura nec minus caelestia ipsosque sustulit deos saith one of him that is He tooke away the lawes of man lawes of God and God himselfe Leo the tenth did no otherwise accompt of the Gospel then as of a fable as his words to Cardinall Bembus testifie The like may be affirmed also of many impious Popes Let Parsons therefore beware that he proue not his consorts to be infidels and himselfe a consort and slaue of infidels Fol. 41. he saith D. Giffard hath his Deanry by true adoption Which is a matter most ridiculous For others haue their Deanries by election and not for respect of kinred by adoption much lesse for dealing against his country or for treason Fol. 43. he talketh of chirping of sparrowes cackling of hennes pratling of dawes chiding of women and of a foole that said to one that had a great nose that he had no nose Which argueth that the man had neither nose nor braine nor good sence cackling like a broode henne chirping like a sparrow pratling like a daw scolding like a butter womā braying like an asse and barking like a curre Fol. 81. he talketh of the patience of papists which I wonder that any man can reade with patience For neither do they teach patience nor practise it if any occasion be giuen to the contrary Was not this then a ridiculous sot to talke of the patience of Lombards or papists Fol. 100. he affirmeth That the sum corps of Christian doctrine was deliuered at the beginning by miracles Now we confesse it was confirmed by miracles but how it can be deliuered by miracles Parsons will be much encombred to shew without shewing himselfe a wondrous wisard Fol. 106. he would haue the actes of the wicked conuenticle of Trent confirmed and allowed by kings as auncient Emperours confirmed the faith published in the Nicene Councell But it is folly to desire matters so absurd and plaine impiety to compare the hereticall decrées of Trent with the faith of the Nicene Councell To proue the saintlinesse of Thomas Becket in his 2. encontr c. 10. he alleageth the Popes canonization But what is more ridiculous then to talke to vs of the Popes canonizations who proceed commonly by hearesay without party and as it seemeth for mony would canonize a horse Secondly he alleageth for witnesses Herbert Hoscan Iohn Salisbury Allen of Teuxbery William and Edward Monkes of Canterbury Peter Bloys and others But all these witnesses are not worth a messe of Teurbery mustard For what auaileth it to rehearse names of dumbe idols that passe by and say nothing Againe if I may be so bold I will answere Parsons in his owne termes You see what cogging it is one of them to alleage another Fol. 77. rehearsing the words of Th. Becket out of Houeden Do you not seeme to heare in this place saith he the voice of S. Iohn Baptist to his king Herod Where I may answere him with his owne words and say not vnfitly Do you not see a fellow with a face as hard as a lopster that doth compare Th. Becket and his cause to Saint Iohn Baptist and his constancie the first contending for profit and idle panches the second for the law of God Ridiculously also he compareth Thomas Becket to S. Ambrose a holy doctor of the Church the said Thomas being nothing else but an idle preacher of priueledges preiudiciall to Princes and not so holy nor so learned as S. Ambrose by many degrees Where he is charged to haue threatned vs with broken heads and Bastonadoes a logike very familiar with papists he answereth fol. 73. That he speaketh figuratiuely But experience teacheth vs that where they can do it they do it literally It were therefore good to beware of the woodden daggers of these woodden fellowes Fol. 110. b. he affirmeth that by indulgences are distributed the treasures of the Church A matter of meere foolery of which may be said the saurus carbones that is our treasures proue coles For poore people hoping to receiue a treasure receiue méere cole dust and yet for that trash wast great treasures Iosephus Angles signifieth that the Pope now and then receiueth an hundred millions of duckets for an indulgence which is no small matter for such small wares In the same place he telleth vs of the Popes doctrine of indulgences which is nothing else but a fardle of foolery as in my discourse against Bellarmine I haue shewed at large This Patch if he had remembred himselfe would haue proued somewhat and not haue told vs a tale of the Popes tub full of mustie indulgences more nastie then an old mustard pot 2. encontr c. 15. fol. 117. I shall alleage sayth he most authenticall testimonies to wit foure bookes for the negatiue written and printed at Lyon presently vpon the fact it selfe intituled De iusta Henrici tertij abdicatione But this allegatiō serueth vs better then him and is a most authenticall testimony of Parsons foolery and of the Popes trechery For what is more repugnant to law conscience and reason thē to beléeue a notorious rebel and traitor declaiming against his liege soueraigne most trecherously and wickedly murdred by a louzie frier And what is more intollerable then that the Popes of Rome and their adherents being aduanced by Christian princes should now be praised for deposing of princes and cutting their throtes This authenticall testimony therfore might well haue bin spared wherein Parsons a traitor produceth his fellow traitor for a witnesse in discharge of his owne and his fellowes treasons and villanies Fol. 123. he talketh most foolishly of penance repeating what he hath sayd before in his Wardword But whatsoeuer he bableth of penance and satisfaction and passing through a néedles eye yet if a man can gaine a plenary indulgence which for mony is easie to be had then al penance inioyned and satisfaction ceaseth and God is plainely mocked If he had bene wise therefore he would haue forborne to talke of penance the doctrine whereof by the Papists is wholly corrupted and ouerthrowne Finally albeit he talketh much of law and of Catholike Religion yet he sheweth himself to be like those of whō the Apostle speaketh which would be doctors of the law and yet vnderstand not what they speake nor wherof they affirme And like old heretikes which as Hilary lib. 8. de Trinit saith although they lie foolishly yet they defend their lies farre more foolishly Cum stuliè mentiantu◠sayth he stultiùs tamen in mendacij sui defensione sapiunt Compare their doings with Parsons his foolish Warneword and you shall sée he farre passeth them all in foolery CHAP. VII Containing diuers false allegations and falsifications of Fathers and others committed by Parsons THere are diuers kinds of falsifications as we may learne by the Romane lawes ff ad l.
the slaunder of this noble Earle he confesseth that if that action had taken effect the Popes authoritie would not haue bene still holden out By which it may appeare that by the trechery of some hollow hearted Papists this noble Earle was brought to destruction Fol. 9. most impudently he affirmeth that nothing is answered to his discourse of Emoluments of tolleration of popish religion and of the hurts that haue come of alteration of religion As if popish religion being proued false idolatrous and disastrous to all kingdomes all his discourse did not fal to the ground But this is the fashion of such combatants to crie victorie when they are beaten out of the field Likewise he crieth out manifest vntruths because Sir Francis saith he was first called into the field by Parsons But as wel may the théefe say that the peaceable traueller that giueth warning to all to beware of théeues prouoked the théefe to set vpon him The Spaniards were ready to come for England Sir Francis giueth the alarme Out commeth captain Cowbucke like a cutthrote and setteth vpon him in his Wardword Is it not he then that beginneth this braul And doth not he in fauour of publike enemies make himselfe ready to cut our throtes Fol. 11. he saith my Preface tendeth wholy to bloodshed But this grieuous accusation required some more proofe then he bringeth Notwithstanding let vs heare what he alleageth His first perswasion saith he is by extolling exceedingly her Maiesties extraordinary clemencie As if the praising of a Princes clemencie were a perswasion to crueltie Or as if Parsons commending Pope Clements clemencie perswaded him to rigour Who euer heard such a witlesse speake Another reason he imagineth me to haue drawne from the meanings of papists But like an vnskilful archer he neither hitteth my reason nor intentiō He is therfore to learne that my purpose was to arme her Maiesty againft Parsons and his consorts treasons and rather to secure the State then to vse violence to any but such as by all means oppugned the State and sought by trechery to vndermine the State Where I shew that heretikes idolaters traitors are to be punished therfore factious papists he saith thus to reason at randō is much like to boies argumēting in sophistry And yet he with all his logick shal neuer answer this argument considering that I haue proued Robert Parsons and his consorts to be heretikes idolaters and traitors Nay W. R. in his cleere Confutation confesseth so much not answering any of my arguments But saith he shew me one example from the beginning of Christendom that euer man or woman in any age was punished as an heretike by the Christian common wealth for sticking to the religion of the Pope of Rome As if I had not shewed that Angelikes Carpocratians Marcionists Manicheys Prince-killing circumcellions and Assassins Pelagians Collyridians crosse-worshippers and diuers others holding the same points which now the Pope professeth haue bene condemned and punished for heretikes Fol. 15. he crieth out folly and impudency in prouing that idolaters and heretikes are by lawes to be repressed But he dissembleth cunningly whatsoeuer is otherwise brought by me to proue Papists to be idolaters and heretikes He passeth by also two Gréeke sentences taken out of Euripides and AEschines for to him Gréeke is of hard digestion Finally whatsoeuer is said of the Papists for railing against the Quéene in the booke De schismate Anglicano set out vnder Sanders his name and in other libels Parsons doeth wholly omit and yet he maketh a shew as if he would answer all writhing his face like an old ape swallowing pilles In the same place he noteth as he sayth a contradiction betwixt Sir Francis and me But the contradiction was in his vnderstanding and not betwéen vs. For neither would I nor he haue simple Papists punished with death which is the opinion of S. Augustine concerning simple heretikes Nor doth Sir Francis denie but that factious dogmatizing and obstinate heretiks ought to be put to death which both S. Augustine and I my selfe affirme Fol. 16. b. he giueth out that the words of Paul Rom. 16. where he would haue such marked diligently as caused diuision and offences contrary to the doctrine which the Romanes had receiued make directly against vs and not against the Papists But then he must shew that we haue forsaken the doctrine preached to the Romanes and they not He must I say shew that S. Paul taught that Clernent the eight is the fpouse and rock of the Church that there are seuen sacraments that Christs body is corporally vnder the accidents of bread and wine and in as many places as is the sacrament that the accidents of bread and wine subsist without their substance that a Christian may liue without sinne that latria is due to the crosse that we are to pray to saints after the fashion of the Romish church and such like points of popish doctrine Or else he shall make a direct lie where he saith these words make directly against vs. Hauing rchearsed the law Cunctos populos Cod de summ Trin. fid Cath. he crieth out and willeth vs to tell him whether the same touch not vs. But if we tell him true it will make little for his comfort For we neither refuse to communicate with the Church of Rome nor the Church of Alexandria that was in Damasus his time Nor do we digresse from the faith mentioned in that law which Parsons like a falsary cut out seeing it made not for his purpose But séeing true Christians do not communicate with the Church and Bishop of Alexandria that now is why should Christians communicate with the Pope and his sect séeing they haue embraced a number of nouelties and heresies and published them in the Conuenticle of Trent which were vnknowne to Damasus and to the Church of Rome long after his time Fol. 20. he complaineth of iniuries offered by the Watch-word as a famous libell as well to great forreine princes and nations as to honourable worshipfull and honest subiects whereas whosoeuer readeth the book shal find that Sir Francis spcaketh onely against forreine enemies and notorious traitors If then Parsons put his consorts among them it is maruell they spit not in the rascals face and defie him Againe if Sir Francis be reprehended for writing against forreine enemies and domesticall traitors what doth Parsons deserue that hath set out Sanders de schismate Allens wicked Exhortation to the Nobility and people of England and Ireland and diuers other libels to the disgrace of his liege soueraigne and nation and hath taken vpon him the defence of publike enemies and traitors Fol. 24. he would make vs beléeue that the Knight flyeth the true combat that he runneth behind the cloth of Estate But in the first he sheweth himselfe a false accuser in the second a vaine bangler For the controuersie arising about Sir Francis his discourse what was required at his
examined I doubt not but to lay the shame vpon his doltish ignorance In my reply I alleage two places out of Hosius his confessioÌ„ the first where he sayth That ignorance is not only worthy pardon but reward also the second where he sayth That to know nothing is to know all things These places I say as he vseth the matter are Hosius his owne and not Hilaries or Tertullians For Hilary lib. 8. de Trinit where he produceth the like words speaketh of the ignorance of the meaning of these words Ego pater vnum sumus And Tertull. lib. de praescript aduers. haeret where he sayth That to know nothing is to know all things speaketh of curious knowledge beyond the rule of faith But Hosius imagineth that these words do proue That 〈◊〉 is sufficient to beleeue as the Catholike church did which neither of them euer thought To this purpose also lib. 3. de author sacr scripturae Hosius abuseth a place out of S. Augustine contr epist. fundam c. 4. thinking because he sayth That simplicity in beleeuing and not quicknesse of vnderstanding doth secure vs that who so beléeueth the Catholike Church is safe albeit he vnderstand nothing else But this is no part of S. Augustines meaning but Hosius his owne lend collection and Parsons his idiotisme and patchery that could not discerne it Fol. 60. 2. encontr he sayth The Knight talketh as fondly as if he had talked of the breeding of yong geese And why Forsooth because he sayth The Papists breed vp their children in blindnesse and ignorance And is not this manifest when they debarre them from reading or hearing scriptures read publikely in vulgar tongues and forbid them to argue of Christian religion Inhibeâ—â—â—s sayth Alexander the 4. c. Quicunque de haeret in 6. ne cuiquam laicae personae liceat publicè vel priuatim de fide Catholica disputare Qui vero contr à fecerit excommunicationis laqueo innodetur Nauarrus in Enchirid in 1. praecep c. 11. sayth It is mortall sinne for a lay man knowing this law to dispute of religion And Charles the fift as Neteranus reporteth expressely forbad it Fol. 62. he complaineth of abusing a place of Chrysostome homil 13. in 2. Corinth and sayth We vse legierdemaine in euery thing But if both his translation and that alleaged by Sir Francis be compared with Chrysostomes wordes in Gréeke which begin thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the same will easily discharge vs of legierdemaine and charge Parsons with doltish ignorance and idle and vaine cauilling because the words were not to his humour nor translation Fol. 118. 2. encontr ch 15. where we say that king Iohn was poysoned by a Monke of Swinestead Abbey and that the Monke was before hand absolued of his Abbot he cryeth out that this example is more grosse and absurd then the former viz. of king Henry the 3. of France But in the former example we haue shewed that there is no other grossenesse or absurditie but that such a wicked sect as the Iebusites should be permitted to liue on the face of the earth vnder the protection of Christian kings séeing they séeke to murder all of them that are excommunicate by the Pope The history which we report of king Iohn is neither absurd considering the hatred of the swinish rable of polshorne priests nor vntrue Caxtons Chronicle sayth he dyed of poyson giuen him by a Monke Polychronicon lib. 7. c. 33. and Polydore virgil deny not but that this was a common spéech Those that mention not poyson say that he dyed of a surfeit Now who knoweth not that surfeits and poyson haue often the same symptomes and effects The absolution giuen him is proued by the common practise in those cases As for the allegations made to the contrary they are like Robert Parsons that is absurd and ridiculous Polydore saith Parsons affirmeth that he dyed of heauinesse of heart Radulphus Niger that he dyed of surfeting Roger Houeden that he dyed of a bloody flixe But all this doeth rather increase the suspition of poyson then otherwise Iohn Stow is a poore author and sauouring as much of Popery as of his pressing yron and Taylery What then if he should endeuour to cleare an old suspition that maketh against Papists Much lesse then should Parsons stand vp on his testimony if he name neither Monke nor poyson Monkes and Papists ordinarily suppresse all things that tend to the disgrace of their kingdome and more credit is to be giuen to one or two witnesses affirming a truth against their will then to twenty lying Monkes or Friers or pelting Popish writers that write for affection rather then for truth Wherefore albeit he crye loud as the Iewes did against Christ Iesus and stand much vpon his stout arguments and obiections as Sophisters vse to do yet nothing is more vaine then his clamours and outcryes nor more feeble then his obiections Nazianzen epist. 31. sheweth vs That often times it falleth out that those that are wronged are also accused Iidem iniura afficiuntur accusantur saith he And experience sheweth vs that then Robert Parsons cryeth loudest when his cause is weakest As for his disputes and obiections they are more easily ouerthrowne then brought into forme Multò difficilius est nosse quà m vincere sayth Hierome of Iouinians discourses The same we may sée of Parsons his patcheries For more hard it was to bring them to a forme then to refute them CHAP. XII Parsons his poore shifts and fond and ridiculous answeres examined SOmetimes silence maketh fooles seeme wise So sayth the wise man Stultus si tacuerit sapiens reputabitur But Frier Parsons could neither speake wisely nor yet modestly kéepe silence Cùm loqui nesciat tacere non potest In my Epistle to his Noddiship I obiect First that he published certaine chartels against his friends in Oxford Next that he was the authour of an infamous libell against the Earle of Leicester Thirdly that he made a libell entituled A Confutation of pretended feares Fourthly that he holp Cardinall Allen to make that rayling discourse which he directed to the Nobilitie and people of England and Ireland Lastly I say he made foure other books of like quality Now obserue I pray you what the wizard answereth to all this For the first foure sayth he I neuer heard any man of notice and iudgement ascribe them to him before and if I be not deceiued other particular authors are knowne to haue written them He dare not deny them being knowne to be his least his owne friends should cry shame vpon him nor dare he confesse them because such infamous writings haue no grace among honest men What doth he then Forsooth he answereth that which euery man may take as he list Afterward he maketh a face as though he would deny the other foure bookes to be his But in the end passeth by them in silence Where I do signifie that the letters N. D. do stand for