vniuersall church Saint c Lib. 4. de Symbol c. 10. Augustine saith that Euery congregation that is gathered in one corner is a concubine and not the spouse of Christ How then canne the papistes be catholikes that are gathered out of the society of the vniuersall church into the communion of the church of Rome Writing to Vincentius the Donatist he d Epist 48. concludeth that the Donatistes and Rogatians were not the catholike church for that they tooke their names of others then of the christian church Thirdly the faith of catholikes is e Ephes 2. built Vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Iesus Christ beeing the chiefe corner stone And this foundation is no where to be found but in the writings of the apostles and prophets which shew vnto vs the doctrine of Christ Iesus The apostle saint f Rom. 10. Paul doth teach vs That faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Which we may not séeke in decretales nor legendes but in the most holy scriptures endited by the holy ghost And so the fathers teach vs. g Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 1. Irenaeus doth say that the apostles First preached and afterward deliuered the gospell in Scriptures that they might be a foundation and piller of our faith Per apostolos euangelium peruenit ad nos saith he Quod quidem tunc praeconiauerunt postea verò per Dei voluntatem in scripturis tradiderunt fundamentum columnam fidei nostrae futurum Athanasius in Synopsi doth call The canonicall Scriptures the anchor and staie of our faith Hée woulde not haue any thing spoken or heard of christians in matters of faith and religion beside the holy Scriptures Si diuersa à scripturis fabulari vultis h De incarr â—t verb. saith he cur nobiscum concertatis qui nec loqui nec andire sustineâ—â—s quod extraneum sit ab illis The church saith a Homil. 6. in Matthaeum Chrysâ—stome is Hierusalem whose foundations are placed vpon the mountaines of the Scriptures Hierome calleth the Scriptures the limites or bounds of the catholike church Non est egressa de finâ—l us suis saith b In Mich. â—â— he id est de Scriptuâ—â— fancâ—â— Finallie the c â—rir Aquin. 2. 2 q. 1. art â— papists theÌ„selues confesse that the obiect or grounde of faith is The fâ—â—st truth or God himselfe And we doubt not but that al certaine knowledge of God is to bee found in his written word which therefore is called the rule of our faith But the papists speake euill of scriptures and either will not haue them to be the proper foundation of our faith or sorge to themselues diuers other foundations whereupon they builde their church and their faith in the d In c. 3. epist 2. ad Corinth annotations vpon the Rhemish testament they call them A killing letter as if God had deliuered his will in writing to the end to kill the Readers They write e Annot. Rh. in c. 5. Ioan. also That they are hard to be vnderstood and would bring them in disgrace by f Ibid. in c. 4. Matth. saying That the diuell and heretickes alleadge scriptures Some call them A nose of waxe without any certeine sence as the Iesuites of Collen in their censure others call them Inken diuinity and account them no better then Matter of strife and contention Generally they g Censur Colon f. esteeme the canon of scripture to be a rule vnperfect and a maymed and lame péece of doctrine and condemne the reeding of scriptures As pernitious and hurtfull Stapleton h In praefat ante relect princip doct plainely denieth the scriptures to be the foundation of religion Aliud hodie saith he Christianae religionis fundamentum habemus and afterward Ab ipsis literis euangelicis apostolicis aliud The same man speaking of diuers principles and groundes of Christian religion i In analysi ante râ—lect p incip doct doth leaue the scriptures quite out of the reckoning Others also make small reckoning of scriptures but where they canne by forced interpretations draw them to their purpose and such as deny not the scriptures to be a foundation of religion do notwithstanding adioyne diuers other foundations to the scriptures and build their faith vpon them as well as vpon the Scriptures Vnto the canon of the scriptures of the ould testament consisting of two and twentie books l they adde first the bookes of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus k Synod Trideniâ—sâ—ss 4. and the story of the Machabees and secondly certaine additions found in the latine translation ouer and aboue the originall bookes and this contrary to the iudgement of most ancient and catholike fathers Neither is it materiall that saint a Lib. 2. doct Christ c. 8. Augustine and a certaine councell of Carthage and two or thrée more following them do number these bookes among canonicall Scriptures For they by Canonicall vnderstande such bookes as by order of the church were read publikely and commonly bound togither and were rather a rule for manners then for faith Legi voluerunt in ecclesijs saith b In exposit Symbol Ruffin non tamen proferri ad authoritatem fidei ex his confirmandam The same is also the iudgement of c In Synopsi Athanasius d In prolog galeato Hierome e De ponder mensur Epiphanius and of the most sound and ancient fathers of the church And if wée shoulde otherwise interpret the wordes of those that reckon these bookes among canonicall Scriptures wée should also put the 3. and 4. of Esdras among the bookes canonicall For they are also by saint Augustine and f Sixtus Senensis biblioth sanct lib. 1. others after a sort iudged canonicall and Athanasius in Synopsi doth attribute no lesse authoritie to the thirde booke of Esdras then to the bookes of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus and the Machabees The Gréekes also place the thirde booke of Esdras first although the assemblie at Trent excluded the thirde and fourth booke of Esdras out of the canon and Sixtus quintus in his new edition of the Latine Bible hath excluded them out of their ancient place They adde also vnwritten traditions to the Scriptures and builde their faith equally on them two giuing vnto them both equall authoritie Libros veteris noui testamenti saith g Sess 4. the assemblie at Trent nec non traditiones ipsas c. pari pietatis affectu ac reuerentia suscipit ac veneratur synodus ista h Lib. 3. de verbo dei Bellarmine accounteth of these traditions as of the most certaine worde of God and calleth them The worde of God not written i De fid Symb. q. 22. op Catech. Canisius woulde haue vs to beléeue these traditions Most firmely as reuealed by the holy Ghost The which is not onely derogatory to the sufficiencie of Scriptures but also vtterly ouerthroweth the
certaintie of faith For if traditions bée not certainly knowne of the aduersaries and if diuers ancient traditions be now growne out of vse how can the faith that is built on traditions be certaine Further the ancient fathers do not onely testifie the Scriptures to bée sufficient but also condemne vnwritten and vncertaine traditions Electa sunt quae scriberentur saith Saint a Tractat. 49. in Ioan. Augustine quae saluti credentium sufficere vide bantur b Aduer gentes Athanasius saith That the holy and diuine Scriptures are sufficient to instruct vs in al truth And diuers others testifie the same What saith c Regul 80. Basill is the propertie of a faithfull man Forsooth to beleeue with certaine fulnesse of minde whatsoeuer is conteined in Scripture and neither to reiect any part thereof nor to adde any newe thing vnto them Saint d Lib. de parad c. 12. Ambrose saith Wee may no more adde to Gods commandements then take from them And although the fathers talke ofttimes in commendation of traditions yet either they meane such things as are now conteined in Scriptures and from them to bée deriued and deduced by firme conclusions or else such matters as concerne order and decencie and yet do they not account of these as of diuine precepts Si aut in euangelio praecipitur aut in apostolorum epistolis saith e In Epist. ad Pompeâ—um Cyprian aut in actibus continetur obseruetur diuina haec sancta traditio Whereby it appéereth that other traditions which were not written were not had in like reuence and that the faith of papists that resteth on these vncertainties is most vncertaine Further the papists do builde their faith vpon most fabulâ—us martyrologies and lying legendes For vpon these narrations doth stande the holinesse of those saints whom they canonize and worship In these legends wee read of the moouing yea and speaking of stockes stones of restoring not onely dead men but also dead beastes to life of apparitions of Christ of the blessed virgine and of saints and infinite more miracles and prophecies then are conteined in holie Scriptures All which notwithstanding any absurditie ensuing our masters of Romish traditions must néedes receiue if they beléeue either traditions to bée the worde of God or else giue credence to f C. Sancta dist 15. Gelasius for hée saith That the histories of martyrs and their suffrings are to be receiued Gesta sanctorum martyrum saith Gelasius recipimus Let it therefore bée considered whether this faith can bée catholike that is builte vpon such fabulous vanities which not onely the strangenesse maketh suspected of vs but also euen of papists themselues g Ibid. Gelasius condemneth the legend of George of Cyricus and Iulitta of Abgarus of the inuention of the crosse and of Saint Iohn Baptistes head a Contra donat Constant Laurentius Valla laugheth at the follie of these legendes b Canto 29. Dante calleth them fooleries and vaine fables c In his historie to Clement the 7. Machiauel saith That these new myracles are repugnant to old christian religion The Germaines among other gréeuances account the vanitie of these fabulous legendes They do also take themselues bound to beléeue the doctrine of the church of Rome For this to d In praefat analys ante relect princip doctrin Thomas Stapleton séemeth a very firme foundation of his popish faith And as he supposeâ—h the voyce and testimony of this church is most certaine and infallible This sure we find by experience that they e C. ad abolendam de haereticis condemne for heretickes and most cruellie murder all that dissent from the church of Rome in matter of sacraments Nay they do ground their religion vpon the popes decretalles Decretales epistolae saith f C. Sancta dist 15. Gelasius quas beatissimi papae diuersis temporibus ab vrbe Romana pro diuersorum patrum consultatione dederunt venerabiliter recipiendae sunt The popes they honor as their supreme iudges and say they cannot erre Vnto them they haue recourse in all difficulties as vnto a rocke immooueable Stapleton doth g Princip doctrin lib. 6. teach That the pope is the principall subiect of ecclesiasticall authority and is not ashamed to write that his authority is the foundation of religion In hac docentis hominis authoritate saith h In praefat ante relâ—ct princip doctâ— he in qua deum loquentem audimus religionis nostrae cognoscendae fundamentum necessariò poni cernimus O noble religion that is founded vpon so firme and holy a foundation as is the popes holy authority But sure catholike it cannot be For neither the ancient church in times past nor the easterne and Africane churches did euer acknowledge any such foundation Neither do they account the popes authority onely to be the foundation of their faith but also for Christ the corner stone substitute the pope and make him the rocke of the church and of their faith For at his handes they receiue the scriptures and all the principles and pointes of their faith and account his determination more certaine then the letter of Scriptures Bellarmine calleth the pope The foundation and corner stone of the church i In praes ante lib. de Pontif. Rom. and commonly by the rocke Matth. 16. they vnderstand not Peter onely but the popes of Rome which they imagine to be his successors Matters strange new absurd and most contrary to catholike faith To the vulgar latin translation they giue more authority then to the originall bookes of the ould testament in Hebrew and of the new testament in Greeke For that translation they make authenticall and do not giue like authority to the originall bookes That translation they will not haue any to reiect but the originall bookes themselues calumniate and reiect Which course is neither catholike nor reasonable Saint a In epist ad Sâ—niam Fretel ad Damasum Hierome saith That in the old testament in matters of doubt concerning the translation we must haue recourse to the Hebrew as to the fountein in the new to the Greeke Ad exemplaria Hebraea Graeca à latinis recurratur b Lib. 2. de doctr Christ c. 10. saith Augustin Hilary writing vpon the 118. psalme confâ—sseth That the latin translation cannot satiâ—fie the reader They holde also The doctrine and determination of priestes and Iesuites and others sent by the pope to be no lesse the foundation of Christian religion then Christ and his doctrine For so doth c In praef ante relect princip doctr Stapleton in expresse termes determine and generally they d C. ad abolendam de haeret condemne such for heretickes As the prelates and bishops do adiudge to be such Which is nothing else but to make the determination of popish prelates the foundation of the popish church But Christ sending foorth his disciples to preach commaunded them to teach all nations and withall
authenticall and preferred before the originall bookes of the old testament in Hebrew and of the new testament in Gréeke a matter very new and most vnreasonable and plainely contradictory to the ancient fathers In the same a Sess 4. councell because they would be sure of their groundes the doctors of the Romish Babylon decréed first that none should interpret Scriptures against that sence that the church of Rome holdeth and secondly that vnwritten traditions kept in the church by succession shoulde bee of equall value with canonicall Scriptures After this diuers friers and priests taking vpon them to plead the popes cause haue determined vnwritten traditions and customes of the church and the popes determinations and decretalles to be the foundations and principles of their popish faith b Loc. Theolog. Melchior Canus speaking of theologicall argumentes and Thomas Stapleton taking vpon him to declare which be vndoubted principles of popish doctrine do both principally relie vpoÌ„ these two They talke also of the church of councels fathers the latin translation and of rules of faith But when it commeth to the triall then whatsoeuer is not consonant to the popes doctrine and decretales that is reiected as of no value Now gladly would I haue any Iesuite that taketh himselfe to be learned for our aduersary is but a babler to prooue these groundes to be ancient Let him shew what those traditions are that are with equall reuerence to the canonicall scriptures to be receiued Let him iustifie by testimony of antiquitie that the popes decretalles are infallible rules of faith The apostle saith that the church is well and strongly built vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Iesus Christ béeing the corner stone and this foundation do all ancient fathers allow The testimony of Irenei and Athanasius I haue before alleadged Saluianus saith the church is best founded on scripture Videtur nostra ecclesia saith he c Lib. de prouid Dei 5. ex vna scriptura felicius instituta Aliae habent illam aut debilem aut conuulneratam Habent veterem magistrorum traditionem corruptam per hoc traditionem potius quà m scripturam habent Let him shew the like if he can of his decretals and traditions vnlesse he will haue his grounds to be condemned for new and naught Thirdly scriptures were neuer generally forbidden to be publikely read in vulgar toongs before the councell of Trent neither was it euer thought vnlawfull before that time for lay men to talke of matters of faith or to read scriptures priuately without the ordinaries licence Chrysostome and other ancient fathers were wont to exhort Christians to read scriptures and Christ our sauiour willed his hearers to search them and the apostle doth declare them to be very profitable which sheweth the practise of the Romish church in fraying men from scriptures to be of a late humour and inuention Fourthly the definition of the Romish church is new and of force made new to fit their new popish fancies a De eccles milit c. 2. Bellarmine defineth the church to be A company of men conioyned in one profession of faith and communion of sacraments vnder the gouernement of lawfull pastors and especially of the pope of Rome Which is neither to be shewed nor prooued out of any ancient authenticall writer For the easterne and Africane churches did neuer acknowledge this souereine authority of the pope Nor did our sauiour or his apostles teach vs any such obedience Nay they shew rather that the bishops of Rome are not to be obeyed For suppose Peter had béene bishop of Rome and the bishops of Rome his successors which will neuer be prooued in that sence as the aduersaries take it yet Paul resisted Peter and receiued no b Ibid. c. 9. authority nor grace from him which sheweth that other bishops haue no dependance or authority from the bishop of Rome albeit this proportion were granted Fiftly they make not the catholike church A communion of saintes as we professe in our créede but hâ—ld that all wicked men and c Ibid. c. 10. heretickes so they outwardly communicate with the church of Rome in faith and sacraments are true meÌ„bers of the church d Ibid. c. 2. Bellarmine saith That to make a man a part of the true church neither faith nor charitie nor any inward vertue is required Which is a méere new fancie and therefore receiued least they shoulde grant that the church in some respect shoulde be inuisible Sixtly the coÌ„fession of faith made by Pius quartus wherin al that take degrees in schoole professe a Confâ—t 28. That they firmely admit all ecclesiasticall traditions and constitutions and the Scriptures according to the Romish sence and beleeue that there are seuen sacraments and receiue the doctrine of the councell of Trent concerning originall sinne and beleeue the sacrifice of the masse and transubstantiation and the popes soueraine authority and other pointes of doctrine therein conteined is new and absurd This we shal other where declare that appeareth for that the papistes cannot produce any precedent of this confession or prooue the seuerall points of it by good argument 7. Where in our creede we beléeue the catholike church of late time the papistes haue added a word made it b Confess â—urdegaâ—ens The catholike Romaine church and in Canisius catechisme translated into Spanish by Hieronymo Campos they define him to be no catholike that beléeueth any thing beside that which the church of Rome beléeueth 8. They confesse their sinnes not to God almighty as do the ancient fathers but to the a Virgine Mary c Hortulus animae and to angels and saints 9. They haue of late b put out that commandement d Officium beatae Maria in catech that concerneth the making of grauen images like to God and worshipping them wherein they haue the worde of God and all antiquitie against them 10. In the doctrine of the law all those points wherein they shew theÌ„selues no catholikes of which wée haue spoken in the former chap. are meere nouelties as namely That all that is repugnant to the law of God is not sinne that it is mortall sinne to breake the popes lawes or commandements either concerning rites of the church or other matter which he doth vnder his curse will men to obserue that concupiscence in the regenerate is no sinne and yet that it is sinne not to faste the ember daies that the regenerate may be without sinne and that Christians may be iustified by the lawe of Moyses that the popes lawes binde in conscience and that he hath authoritie to make lawes and lastly that the law of God is not perfect but that wée are to obserue all the traditions of the church and the popes decretals 11. It is not long since they began to teach that othes do not so binde men but that the pope can dispence with them and that he is able to discharge children from
put foorth the constitutions of the apostles vnder the name of Clement which sauour nothing of the apostles diuine spirite and are likely to be the deuises of heretikes Thirdly they haue most shamefully corrupted the councels and haue not onely forged diuers new actes and péeces of actes but also newe councels In the sixt councell of Carthage the popes agents exhibited a counterfeit canon of the councell of Nice and were conuicted k Acta synodi Carth. 6. of that falshoode by authenticall copies sent from other churches Pius Quintuâ— when the emperour repined for that hée had made Cosmus of Florence duke of Tuscane alleaged for himselfe a forged canon of the councell of Nice E sentenza saith he l Girol Caten in literis Pij quinti. di tutti theologi è canonisti determinatione di concilij massimamente del Niceno che ' l successor di San Pietro sia signore rettore di tutti i principi del nome Christiano de tutte le prouincie tutte le genti anathematizando chiunque cio ardisse contradire Parsons may do well to exhibite this canon where the pope is made Lorde of all princes and prouinces and all excommunicated that dare say contrarie vnlesse hée will haue his holy father condemned of impious forgerie Ruffine and other authors say there were but twentie canons made in that councel But these good fellowes by a counterfeit letter of Athanasius woulde bring in a great number more Carranza saith many more canons were there established Where the second councell of Constantinople a C. 36. decréed that the sea of Constantinople shoulde bée equall to the sea of old Rome as appeereth by the actes both in Greeke and Latine in their b C. Renouantes dist 22. c. antiqua extr de priuileg decrées the popes haue turned this canon quite contrarie as if that councell had decréed that the sea of Constantinople shoulde not bée equall to old Rome The councell of c Carthag 6. c. 105. Carthage decréed against the church of Rome Vt qui ad transmarma putauerit appellandum à nullo ad communionem intra Africam reciperetur But Gratian in the chap. Placuit 2. q. 6. addeth these wordes Nisi fortè Romanam sedem appellauerit out of a certaine councell of Carthage that woulde haue priestes to abstaine from their wiues in proprijs terminis in the chap. Placuit dist 32. they haue put out proprijs terminis In the d Can. 35. councell of Laodicea where the worship of angels is forbidden they haue turned angelos into angulos and so marred the whole sence To end this point vnder the name of Syluester Syricius Gelasius and other popes they haue forged whole councels whereof in authenticall writings there is neither prooâ—e nor memoriall to bée found Fourthly their manifolde corruptions of the writings of the fathers cannot in fewe wordes bée described First vnder the names of fathers they haue published most childish toies vaine fables and vnlearned patcheries as by their additions to the works of Cyprian Origen Athanasius Basill Ambrose Hierome Augustine Chrysostome Gregorie and diuers others is euidently testified For Caesar Baronius Bellarmine and others do in part confesse so much and if they shoulde not yet woulde the stile and doctrine diuers from that of the fathers to whom they are ascribed conuince these treatises to bee misbegotten and not to belong to the fathers whose name they beare yet are they offended with those that censure these counterfeit sermons orations and treatises and cease not to vse them Next they haue taken diuers wordes lines and sometimes whole chapters out of the fathers writings and vnder colour of correcting haue quite corrupted the fathers As appéereth by their Rubarbatif or as they cal them expurgatorie indexes that are daily increased and may bée prooued further by comparing the old bookes with the newe editions approoued by the Cananites and Iebusites that cannot endure either truth or the professors thereof Another practise also they haue to abuse and disgrace the fathers of the church that they adde wordes now and then and alter the text of their true writings as also comparison of bookes will â—asily shew Fiftly vnder the names of the ancient bishops of Rome they haue published méere fooleries and false constitutions refuted plainly by the stories of the times wherein they liued by the estate of that church in time of persecution and by the barbarousnesse of the Gothike language wherein they are written sauoring of otherages and authors then those whose names they beare Of this stampe are the epistles that carrie the names of Clement Anacletus Euaristus Alexander Telesphorus Hyginius Pius and such like Sixtly for the enlarging of their dominion and authoritie the popes haue set out l C. Constantinus dist 96. first a false donation surmised to bée made by Constantine and therein they say hée gaue them Rome Italy France Germany and all the west empire and also most ample priuileges authoritie A matter so false and vaine as it may bée woondred with what saâ—e the popes can alleage so manifest a forgery being contradicted by the m Socrat. hist lib. 3. c. vlt. Sâ—xt Aurel. Victor Zosimus emperour Constantines testament and by ancient histories by the state of the Romaine bishops for many yéeres after and by the brutish and barbarous fashion and frame of the instrument and therfore disallowed euen by the n Antonin 1. part hist tit 8. c. 1. Cusanus de concord cathol 3. aduersaries themselues that haue either modesty or learning They haue also set out another donation vnder the name of o Ego Ludouicus dist Ludouicus almost to the same purpose but yet not so large as the other That the same is forged it may appéere both for that it contradicteth Constantines donation and for that the two diuers copies that are p Volater Geograph lib. 3. extant do contradict one another For writings that are diuers and derogatorie one to another make no strong proofe Scripturae diuersae fidem sibi inuicem derogantes nihil habere firmitatis possunt as saith the q L. scripturae Cod. de fid instrument emperour Neither can two contrarie propositions bée taken for true as lawyers holde l. sâ—is qui. § vtrum ff de reb dub l. vbi pugnantia ff de regulis iuris To giue colour also to the counterfect clayme made by the popes of Rome for their vniuersall power euer the whole Church they haue r Cod. de sum trinit fide cath l. inter claras thrust a counterfect epistle of Iustinian the Emperour and an epistle of Iohn bishop of Rome among the imperiall lawes of the Code whereby they would prooue that the Emperour here did subiect himselfe and the church of Constantinople to the bishop of Rome and made him head of the church That these letters are forged it may appéere First for that they are not found in
of papists and telleth what monuments of learning they haue left behinde them and what vniuersities they haue built All which maketh nothing to the purpose For albeit there bée many learned men among them yet their common people may be very vnlearned and ignorant notwithstanding which is that whereabout we contend Againe if their learning be so great the greater shall bée their condemnation which in the knowledge of Christ Iesus are so ignorant themselues and suffer also the people to liue in ignorance Lastly albeit we will not deny them to be learned yet we doubt not but to match them with men of our profession and if we compare them with the ancient fathers they will be ouermatched But whatsoeuer their learning is good it were for them if they would vse it not to their owne but to Gods glory Likewise they teach That lay men may not meddle with matters of religion that is that Princes haue no power to reforme the church nor to make ecclesiasticall lawes And our aduersary confesseth That onely priests haue authority to define and determine matters of religion What reason then hath hée to quarrell with sir Francis Hastings séeing in effect he confesseth as much as hée laieth to his charge Forsooth saith he Because these words To meddle with matters of religion may haue a double sence But what if they might receiue a treble sence if the papists doe so remooue lay men from gouerment in ecclesiasticall causes that they néede not to care how God is serued then are they not wronged by him For hée doth not meane care in their owne behalfe but in respect of others And therefore his example of ministers wiues is very impertinent Neither hath hee reason to condemne lawfull mariage when he and his consorts wallow in all filthinesse to condemne I say the apostles doctrine which alloweth a bishop To be the husband of one wife when hée teacheth the doctrine of diuels that forbiddeth to marrie Finally Parsons the Iesuite hath no reason to condemne priests wiues when his true father as they say was a parson of a parish his mother also had béene more honest if shee had béene maried to the parson his father These iestes therefore if hée looke no better to his businesse may prooue him to bée irregular and vncapable of priesthood But what is that may hée say when a bastard maketh as good a Iesuite as hée that is well borne Where wée say that the papists stande more on externall complements and ceremonies then inwarde faith and other vertues onely requiring an outward profession and outward obseruations of going to masse to shrift and such like hee is much displeased with the matter and saith That his aduersary hath neither eies nor witte And yet this is the doctrine of the Romish church Vt aliquis absolutè dici possit pars verae ecclesiae saith a Lib. de ecclesia c. 3. Bellar. non putamus requiri vllam internam virtutem sed tantùm externam professionem fidei sacramentorum communionem quae sensu ipso percipitur And albeit he shoulde not so say yet it is apparent that those are accompted good Cacolickes that liue in obedience to the pope and obserue his lawes whatsoeuer they are otherwise Nay of late time they haue canonized murtherers traitors and rebels as for example Iames Clement that murthred Henry the thirde of France diuers of the rebels that rose with the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland in the north and such trecherous priests as came from the pope to betraie their countrey to strangers In times past also Thomas Becket was canonized for a saint albeit he was a traitor to his prince and countrey stirring vp forreine enimies against them moouing the pope to depriue his prince of his crowne running to professed enimies and consulting with them to the hurt of his prince causing the land to be enterdited and giuen as a spoile to forreine enimies which neither Iohn Baptist nor the holie fathers Athanasius Ambrose Hilary or Chrysostome either did or allowed to bée done And therefore as these examples fit not Thomas Beckets cause so Thomas Beckets example doth fitly shewe how loose men and disobedient subiects are enterteined by the pope and made saints in heauen albeit they deserue not to liue on earth Lipomanus and Surius and others I know tell many goodly tales of this saint but wée must remember that all the grounde they haue is their lying Legend and percase the popes sentence grounded vpon hearesaie Sir Francis saith further that Albeit the pope and his clergie commanded blasphemies and disloialties yet blind papists were made beleeue that the pope must be obeied vpon paine of damnation And his meaning is most true For although popes command matters impious against God and disloiall against princes yet their friers and flatterers do cōmend them for glorious merits woorthie of celestiall glorie Iames Clement the Dominican frier that murdred king Henry the third of France is estéemed a martyr of the popish synagogue Pope a The oration of Sixtus quint. la fulminante Sixtus quintus in the consistory of Cardinals commended this detestable act as A worke of God a miracle a rare exploit of Gods prouidence and compareth it to The most excellent mysteries of Christ his incarnation and resurrection Cardinall Como in his letter to Parry that went about to murder her Maiestie calleth the worke Meritorious Sanders doth greatly commend the rebels of the north that vpon the popes commandement went about to depriue their liege Souereigne of her crowne and kingdome And what hath either Parsons the Iesuite or this personate Noddy be hée what hée will to obiect against vs in this point Hée saith it is a shamelesse slander to say The pope commandeth either blasphemies against God or disloialties against princes And for the rest hée telleth vs That obedience to the pope is a commendation to catolike religion But the first is prooued by his decretales legends missals portuisses and other rituall bookes full of blasphemies The second is manifest by their practise There hath no such treason almost béene wrought against princes of late time but the same hath procéeded from the pope and béen managed by Iesuits and other friers and priests All the rebellions in England against Henrie the eight Edward the sixt Elizabeth now reigning had no other cause nor originall The late league or rather late rebellion of France against Henry the third and Henrie the fourth was made by the pope and enflamed by the vermine of friers his agents The Iesuites professe obedience to the pope as to Christ Boniface the eight maketh subiection to the pope to be a matter of saluation a De eccles milit c. 2. Bellarmine maketh it an essentiall part of a Cacolike or true member of the popes church And such trust haue papists in his iudgements concerning matters of faith that they thinke hée cannot be deceiued Nay if hée once either command or determine
and deuised most slanderous letters in the emperors name against the yoong man And lastly for that the yoong earle was suspected for religion so giuen to his affectiōs that he did not himselfe desire any such matter nor if he had desired it could he haue bin liked by Winchester Neither skilleth it whether Winchester called him his spiritual childe or no. If he did then was hée an vnkinde spirituall father that gaue counsell to sende his childe away into Italy where by a most shamefull practise of this wicked generation he was poisoned and made away Resteth then that this practise of Winchester to bring in the authoritie of the pope and tyrannie of Spaniards was most dangerous to this state and ought to be most hatefull to this nation If he did not please the pope nor emperor neither as this our aduersarie pretendeth then was he odious to all the worlde His sermon certes preached at Paules crosse before the king and Quéene and popes legat declared that as in times past he had vsed his authority to persecute poore Christians so here he did abuse gods word to please the popes agent and those that fauoured his faction His text was Hora est iani nos de somno surgere which is taken out of Saint Paules epistle to the Romaines And out of this he went about to shew that since the church of England had departed from the subiection of the pope the people had continued as it were in a sléepe therefore did he conclude that euery man must awake and returne againe to the pope as if the apostle in those wordes had willed men to submit themselues and to returne to the obedience of the pope and to embrace his most vaine superstitions and his fantasticall and impious traditions which god wot was no part of the apostles meaning Nay he rather speaketh of the pope 2. Thes 2. where he mentioneth the man of sinne that shall sit in the temple of God and aduance himselfe aboue all that is called God And in this place he rather exhorteth worldlinges that are drowned in sensuality and pleasures and forget God while they follow the vanities of this world to awake and call themselues to a serious cogitation of spirituall matters For security and sencelesse stupidity is an image of sleepe or death rather And it may very well be applyed to those that eyther are besotted with popish ignorance not knowing any point of Christian faith or that walke in darkenesse of popish errors and will not awake out of their sencelesse sléepe and come to the light of Gods word that is offered to them For to speake truely the doctrine of popery is nothing but a doctrine of darkenesse of sleepe of death But let vs sée how our aduersary defendeth this noble sermon first saith he It was preached before the king and Queene the popes legat the embassadors of diuers princes and a great audience As if many great fooleries and vaine toyes had not béene declared before great princes and many auditors The more were present here the more witnesses there were of the mans great simplicity in mistaking and shamelesse impudency in peruerting the scriptures Secondly he telleth vs How Gardiners discourse was to shew how long the people of England had runne astray and beene in darkenesse of diuision and strife But first he séemed himselfe to be as it were in a sléepe when he talked of darkenesse and should haue spoken of sléepe For betwéene these two there is no small difference For many awake in the night and others sléepe at noone daye Secondly he committeth no smal error where he calleth the separation from popery Darknesse of diuision and strife For he that is ioyned to Christ walketh in light and they that liue vnder the pope continue in Egyptian darknesse Beside this darknesse doth rather worke confusion then diuision Thirdly he saith that Gardiner vttered two thinges that greatly mooued the whole auditory The first was the harty accusation of himselfe for his booke de vera obedientia Which he vttered wéeping like a great calfe and as our aduersary telleth vs With such vehemency as he was forced diuers times to make some pauses And that these teares were not feyned saith he It appeared in this that drawing to his end he said negaui cum Petro exiui cum Petro sed nendū amarè fleui cum Petro. The second was a relation how king Henry a litle before his death dealt with him secretly and seriously to go into Germany to a certaine diet and there to take some course that he might be reconciled to the pope But what maketh all this to the true expounding of this text Hora est iam nos de somno surgere Surely no more then if he should haue talked of clypping of goates or shearing of swine and such idle fancies as be represented to men in their sléepe Besides that here are many vntruthes conteined of which I haue great cause to doubt whether euer they were vttered in so famous and publike an auditory or no. First it is a most shamelesse vntruth to affirme that euer the king desired to be reconciled to the pope his words his actions yea all his procéedings tended to the contrarie and of this point he was so well resolued that rather he sought to perswade others to renounce the pope then determined himselfe to returne to the pope Finally what coulde be deuised more absurd then to feine that such a noble and magnanimous prince did voluntarily submit himselfe to a base enimie which by no force nor perswasion he coulde bée induced to do Secondly it is an absurd thing to thinke that if the king meant to do any such matter he would impose the charge vpon him that had written against the popes power and forsworne it and vntill the protectors death in king Edwards daies did acknowledge the princes supremacie Thirdly it is apparent that the king long time before his death suspected him for a secret traitor and coulde no way abide that he shoulde come in his presence as the Lord Paget and sir Anthonie Browne the Duke of Suffolke and diuers others testified And therefore if any such thing had béene in the kings head he woulde rather haue vsed any other then him At least he woulde haue declared his minde to some of his Counsails beside Gardiner Fourthly I cannot learne that euer the bishop of Winchester did speake these wordes at Paules crosse And therefore most like it is they haue béene forged since and fathered vpon him Lastly if the king woulde haue any such matter handled he woulde not haue sent into Germany but to Rome neither néeded hée to haue doubted but hée shoulde most willingly haue bin receiued if he had entended any such submission Al these points therefore séeme to haue bin deuised by some lying companion stand onely vpon the bare credite of this our wise aduersarie without proofe of any one witnes or record and therefore we may well conclude that the second
no more eare to these hispaniolized English combined with traytors for the destruction of the country For he canne hardly séeme honest whome such rinegued traytors so highly do praise In the end of this chapter he goeth about to teach his disciples the recusantes how farre they are to yéelde obedience to their prince But if his teaching be no better in schooles then in these encounters I doubt he will make but few good schollers First he doth not shew vs whome he taketh for a lawfull prince which for determination of this controuersie would certainly be knowne For if he do not beléeue that a prince excommunicate by the pope and by him deposed is to be reputed lawfull and to be obeyed notwithstanding the popes spite then whatsoeuer he talketh here of obedience to princes concerneth her Maiestie nothing a P. 88. Secondly he would haue recusantes to serue their prince With body goods and life Where we are to note that he neither mentioneth the heart nor the inward affection Do we not then thinke that the recusantes will do her Maiestie good seruice that are deliuered vnto her without soule hart or harty affection Thirdly least vpon his promise they might perhaps be too forward in seruice he draweth them backe with a limitation and teacheth that their seruice and obedience is to stretch no further Then to iust causes of which he maketh eyther the recusantes themselues or the pope their holy father to be iudge So that her Maiestie if the pope procéede against her is to looke for no seruice at the recusantes handes Nay Allen in his traytorous exhortation to the nobility and people of England and Ireland hopeth to draw them to assiste forreine enemies against her Behould I pray you this goodly doctrine Fourthly he teacheth That Christian princes haue no more commaund nor authority in ecclesiasticall causes then heathen magistrates for that Christ altered nothing at all in temporall gouernement But that is a position contrary to the law of God to the practise of Gods church and most absurd sencelesse The law of God referreth ambiguous matters aswell to the iudge or prince as to the priests or leuites For in the Sanedrin of which that law is the foundation the soueraine magistrate was chiefe b Deut. 17. and the king was commanded To read in the law that he might kéepe it by his authority restraining offendors In auncient time vnder the law the kinges and soueraigne magistrates gaue lawes to priests leuites and not contrarywise In the church of Christ for a thousand yéeres or more there were no lawes obserued but those of princes Bellarmine would fetch it higher but his proofes faile him In their Bullary which containeth a summe of the popes lawes they begin with Gregorie the seuenth but in truth Gregorie the ninth was the first that gaue authoritie of lawe to the popes constitutions and gathered them into the booke of decretals Before this time bishops priests deacons and the whole church was a Cod. de sum trin fid â—ath tit sequentib gouerned by the lawes of Christian princes as appéereth by the lawes of Constantinus Magnus ValentiniaÌ„ Gratian Theodosius Arcadius b Ansegisus de leg ib. Caroli Ludouic Charles the great Ludouicus Pius and diuers others And certes very absurd it were if heathen princes that are strangers from Gods church shoulde haue as much authoritie as Christian magistrates that are principall parts thereof and to whom the execution of Gods law is committed Neither is it materiall that Christ altered nothing in the office of magistrates for it did alwaies belong to the magistrate that was of the church to gouerne the church in externall matters and to sée true doctrine published and the sacraments sincerely administred by those to whose office it appertained So we sée that by this false position he would exclude her Maiestie from all gouernement in ecclesiasticall causes and that notwithstanding his pretence of teaching obedience he teacheth flat disobedience to princes ecclesiasticall lawes and their commaundements Fiftly he c P. 88. teacheth That ecclesiasticall and temporall gouernment is so distinguished that he that ruleth in the one ought not to rule in the other The which doth vtterly ouerthrow the popes temporall kingdome which our aduersary would so willingly maintaine For why should he gouerne a kingdome pretending to be a bishop rather then a king gouerne a particular church of one nation in externall causes especially Secondly we do deny this distinction of authority vpon which our aduersaries fancies are founded And our reason is for that in Christian common wealthes where the same persons are members both of the church and common-welth there the chéefe gouernours ought to haue care both of church and common-welth and most absurd it were if the prince which is a principall member of Gods church shoulde haue no gouernment therein and that inferior persons shoulde haue supreme command ouer the prince Sixtly hée doth insinuate that the pope is Christs vicar the apostles successor in supreme gouernment of the church And this hée teacheth is Recusant schollers least percase they shoulde faile to obey him But this is nothing else but to draw her Maiesties subiects from their due allegiance and to perswade them to listen to the pope as pretending to bée Christs vicar and the apostles successor and supreme gouernour and head of the vniuersall church of Christ which is quite contrarie to his faire pretenses and purpose in this place where hee shoulde perswade the Recusants to obedience towarde their prince Beside that it is so false as nothing more Let this Noddy if he canne shew foorth the popes commission eyther for his vicegerentship or for his pretended apostolicke office and supreme gouernement let him prooue it vnto vs or else forbeare impudently to assume it and to affirme it wée doe shew that bishops are the apostles successors and yet that is no preiudice to the princes supreme authority nor neuer was What then is that which hée bableth of the pope that is neither bishop nor the apostles successor Finally hée affirmeth That ecclesiasticall gouernment stood distinct from ciuill 300. yeeres after Christ and that euery emperour and mortall prince conuerted to the faith and entring into the church submitted themselues to this ecclesiasticall gouernment and so continued vntill certaine heretikes confounded all And so still cunningly hée speaketh for the popes authoritie and secretly disableth not onely her Maiesties power in ecclesiasticall matters but her title also to the crowne standing as shée doth excommunicate by the pope He doth also abuse his reader with the ambiguitie of ecclesiasticall gouernment For if by ecclesiasticall gouernment he meaneth the power of the keies consisting in the censures of the church and power of priestly function which is properly ecclesiastical we grant that such ecclesiastical gouernment belongeth not to princes so that they are to execute the same in their owne persons But if by
and murder Christes lambes Our aduersary he passeth this ouer without touch and onely telleth vs That the popes power hath beene acknowledged in all Christendome for many yeeres and ages But he lyeth and forgeth in this also For the easterne churches neuer acknowledged this power nor could the pope euer sell his commodities in those countries for any mony The churches of Africke likewise resisted the popes vsurpations and forbad their people to runne to Rome eyther for fauour or iustice The Frenchmen neuer would receiue the sixt booke of decretalles His prouisions the kinges of England would neuer admitte his pilling legates were odious generally to all Christendome Finally albeit his tyranny preuailed much in latter times yet haue a Petr. de Alliac de refor eccl Conciâ— Basil grauam Gâ—â—man honest men declared the discontentement which they haue receiued by his burdensome lawes iniurious excommunications and most shameful exactions and pillages He telleth vs moreouer How Christ said to his Apostles Luk. 10. He that heareth you heareth me and he that contemneth you contemneth me But first he is mistaken in the persons to whome these wordes were spoken For these wordes were deliuered to the seuentie disciples and not to the twelue Beside were these wordes to be vnderstood of the apostles and their successors yet they concerne the pope nothing For he is no apostle béeing neither called immediately of God nor sent into al the world nor ledde into all truth nor being able to make his decretals of authenticall credite Hée is not the apostles successor for hée féedeth not nor preacheth nor doth anie part of apostolicall function Nay hee doth contrary to the apostles fashion murder Gods saints trouble Christian people and resist Christes doctrine The apostles taught such things as Christ gaue theÌ„ in instructions The popes publish nothing but fond decretals and strange doctrine not onely diuers but also in manie points contrarie to Christes Gospell and holy Scriptures But saith N. D. The bishops of Rome be successors in the apostle Saint Peters seat Which I do not altogether deny if he meane the first bishops of Rome which were indéede true bishops and succéeded Peter and other apostles teaching apostolicall doctrine So all other true and godly bishops also were successors of Peter albeit they claymed not this vniuersality and fulnesse of power which the pope pretendeth to belong to him But whatsoeuer the first bishops of Rome were yet this concerneth the pope nothing for he is no bishop nor teacher nor successor in Peters chaire but rather Simon Magus his successor buing and selling not onely sacraments and benefices but also mens soules He succéedeth also the Angelicks in worshipping angels the Carpocratians in dissolutenesse and worshipping images the Collyridians in worshipping the virgin Mary the Manichées in his halfe communions and forbidding of mariage to priests the Pelagians in extolling the force of nature and merit of works and infinite other heretickes in seuerall points of leud doctrine He succéedeth also Nero in the Empire of Rome rather then Peter that was subiect to Neroes gouernement He alleadgeth also the example of the scribes and pharisées and saith That Christ commaunded his disciples to obserue and do whatsoeuer the scribes and pharisees that sate in Moses chayre said to them And to speake truth he hath more reason to compare the pope to scribes and pharisers corrupters of the law then to the successors of Christes Apostles But yet will not this serue his purpose for our Sauiors meaning was to shew that such as sate in Moses seat and taught his law were to be heard albeit otherwise bad men But the popes do not sit in Peters seat nor in Moses chaire nor teach apostolicall or true doctrine Hée telleth vs further That railers shall not inherite Christes kingdome especially such as raile against Magistrates All which wee admitte For it is a sentence condemnatorie against the pope of Rome and his faction that of late time haue taken to themselues infinite libertie in all their writings to raile against christiaÌ„ princes and others not sparing any that is contrarie to their procéedings For witnesse proofe héereof I referre my selfe to the railing buls of Paule the third against Henrie the 8. of Pius quintus and Sixtus 5. against Elizabeth his daughter of Sixtus 5. and Gregorie the 14. against Henrie the third and fourth of France and of Sixtus 5. against the prince of Condey To Sanders Ribadineiraes Rishtons Anniball Scotus the author of the commentarie of the popes late constitutions and other most slanderous and railing libels against Quéene Elizabeth The wise fellow doth also condemne his owne scurrilous railing against sir Francis Hastings Against vs it maketh nothing that onely in plaine termes declare our aduersaries leud dealings sparing all euill termes as much as we can Neither doth this concerne the pope that is neither Magistrate nor good Christian For that which this Noddy writeth How the pope is a spirituall Magistrate and hath a higher degree of authoritie then temporall magistrates and that he doth represent immediately the person of Christ Iesus is nothing but a péece of his frierlike folly and ignorance in spirituall and temporall matters For if such high authoritie had béene giuen him no doubt but wée shoulde long ere this haue séene authenticall writings of this donation and haue heard of the particulars Now wée must take these words as procéeding from a writer of antichristes marke that for Christ woulde commend vnto vs antichrist He telleth vs That all ancient diuines and doctors for aboue a thousand yeeres togither haue taught that it is blasphemie to raile at the bishop of Rome appointed by Christ to gouerne in his place and damnation not to acknowledge his authoritie And yet he is not able to shew either one sound diuine or doctor that hath so taught Nay he is not able to name many canonistes no nor schoolemen that haue so written or spoken Thomas Aquinas a 2.2 q. 13. teacheth him That blasphemie is against God Syluester Prierius b Summa in verb. blasphemia saith Blasphemy is a sinne against God properly which he prooueth by the authoritie of Saint Ambrose and improperly against saints But the pope is neither God nor saint Nay if it bée blasphemy to attribute to man that which is proper to God as the foresaide schoolemen teach then do the papists blaspheme that giue to the pope Christs power to remit sins sticke not to call him a god on earth All ancient fathers of the church had the bishop of Rome in no other estéeme then they had other godlie bishops neither did euer any one suppose that it was damnation not to acknowledge his authoritie Nay his vniuersall authoritie ouer all the church and infinite power in deposing princes not Caluin and Luther but all ancient writers doe gainsay and denie So that vnlesse the Reader haue great patience in this place hée will hardly endure to read so shamelesse and
not haue kept secret Lastly where it is saide That the king had laide a plot for the destruction of the Ladie Elizabeth now Queene of England hée answereth That the worlde knoweth that the king at that day was her chiefe stay and defence and that for the reasons before alleaged and that finding her when he came into England in prison and hardly pressed about Wyats insurrection hee deliuered her and brought her to the court and yeelded her most carefull protection In the end hée concludeth That it is barbarous ingratitude not to acknowledge his fauour towards her But if this were a matter knowne to the worlde it were a great woonder if it shoulde neuer bée knowne in England where men haue greatest reason to know the same No no hée abuseth his Reader very much that imputeth the cause of her safetie to king Philip. For albeit for some causes hée had reason to respect her then when he hoped to haue issue by Quéene Mary yet afterward no doubt hée consulted and that for many and potent considerations to bée ridde of her Yea albeit her innocencie in Wyats cause was sufficiently knowne yet if God almightie had not béene her chéefe protector and stirred vp meanes for her safetie neuer thought of by man it was not the kings fauour that coulde haue defended or deliuered her But suppose God shoulde vse the king likewise for an instrument of her deliuerance yet did hée neuer any thing in regard of the Ladies innocencie but rather in regard of his owne profite as the Noddy vnawares confesseth in his third encounter and as is very apparent by the procéedinges of the king in that action But what if the king shoulde do a fauour to any person is it barbarousnesse for all others not to acknowledge the same In ancient time those that receiued a benefite were déemed vnthankefull if they did not acknowledge the same and endeuor to requite it but our barbarous Warder will haue all condemned for barbarous and vngratefull that either know not or acknowledge not the kings fauour extended to others Other points of his answere I haue before touched and refuted The premisses considered he doth woonder How sir Francis his booke which hée termeth a libell could bee suffred to passe to the print especially conteining so reprochfull calumniations against so great and potent a prince as the king of Spaine is But rather it is to bée woondred that Parsons or any Iesuite shoulde once open their mouth to speake of calumniations and libels when their common course is by libels and slandrous writings to denigrate all such as oppose themselues to their factious courses Parsons is not onely a practitioner but also hath passed master in this facultie Against my Lord of Leycester hée a Leycesters common-welth began to play his masters prises yet was not that his first libell as his friends of Oxford know The booke which hée published vnder the name of Andreas Philopater toucheth her Maiestie and all her cheefe Counsellors very rudely beside that hée set out a booke against the old Lord Treasurer and his whole house After that followed Dolmans booke which hée will not denie to bee both calumnious and iniurious and to haue béene written by him Hée is also charged by a friend of his to bee a principall actor in the infamous libell set out anno 1588. by Allen against the Quéene at the least hée ouersawe the presses and diuulged certaine copies thereof Nowe hée hath set out this fencing Ward-word comparable to the rest of his satyricall writings for the bitternesse thereof A certaine a A discouerie of a counterfeit conference p. 6. priest of his owne religion doth call his booke of succession set out by Dolman An infamous babling cartell or libell Iohn b Discouerie of the errors of William Criton Iesuite Cecil a popish priest doth not onely taxe Criton a Scottish Iesuite for setting out a Satyr pasquinado and libell against himselfe and others but condemneth all these pestilent courses of libelling and killing practised by the Iesuites Neither do I thinke that any can allow Ribadineiraes booke of schisme As for sir Francis Hastings Watch-word it is a discourse of another nature conteining neither satyricall inuectiue nor iniurious calumniation but a iust accusation and declaration of our enimies most wicked and malicious purposes against vs which none can mislike but such as professe themselues either enimies to our nation or traitors to their prince In the end of this discourse hée goeth about to cléere king Philip the second Of all supicion of hiring Lopez to poison her Maiestie yea of being priuie and consenting to that execrable fact But hée doth his client no pleasure in mentioning that wherewith hée is not charged and refuting the charge so loosely as if hée were hired to betray the kings cause as hée hath héeretofore long gone about to betray his prince countrey Wée I say do not charge the king with any such matter but onely referre our selues to Lopez his confession and to Manoel Lois and Stephen Ferreiraes depositions and to the bil of exchange for fifty thousand crownes to be paid to Lopez The witnesses and parties do all blot the king and his principall agents in the Low countries the Count of Fuentes and Ibarra Such a great summe coulde not bée paide without the kinges notice héereto may bée added a certaine token or iewell sent from Christopher Moro the kings counsellor and a message from the king brought to Lopez by one Andrada But nothing doth bréede more suspicion then this Noddies defence for the king Hée saith That this matter coulde neuer probably be knowne to the king And why not Coulde neither Lopez himselfe by letters nor Andrada by message nor secretarie Ibarra tell him of the purpose It is no question Nay it is confessed and deposed that they did Secondly hée saith That Lopez neuer gaue any signification of any such matter But his confession in writing testifieth the contrary And many heard him say more then his confession importeth Thirdly hée alleageth That the king was not to haue correspondence with Lopez being a Iew. As if the Spaniards vse not to haue correspondence both with Iewes and Turkes to serue their owne turnes or if any coulde bée more fit to execute such horrible factes then Iewes and Infidels Lastly hée asketh If the king had no agents neere to plot such matters but he must be made priuy himselfe But it may bée answered that no warrant coulde bée graunted for so great a summe but by the king that would not let fiftie thousand crownes go for nothing and that Lopez woulde do nothing vnlesse hée had the kings warrant both for the money and his further preferment It is therefore no Turkish impietie to talke of such matters but a course Turkish and heathenish or woorse to do or consent to such execrable empoisonments Neither would Parsons haue taken vpon him the defence of the king in this foule fact if he
sinnes which are not conuinced by Gods law and yet are more grieuous then diuers transgressions and sins committed against the law as namely the breaches of the lawes of the pope and preceptes of the church For to breake the law of God in some pointes they make it either no sinne as hath béene said or else a veniall sinne But to condemne the popes anathematismes and to breake the commaundements of the church they make it mortall sinne Nay they make it sinne to mislike the abominable worship of images and inuocation of saintes But the apostle doth teache vs That the knowledge of sinne doth come by the law And it is flagitious to thinke that the law of God is not perfect and that mans traditions are of equall value with the law of God Finally the a Iames 4. apostle Iames teacheth vs That we haue but one law giuer and one iudge viz. that canne binde our consciences Which doth further conuince them to be no true catholikes They teach and holde that the regenerate cannot onely performe the law of God perfectly but also do workes of supererogation and more then is commaunded But the apostle Iames teacheth vs That we do sinne all and that in many things and our Sauiour Christ taught his most holy apostles to pray for remission of sinnes Yea when wée haue done what we can yet wée are taught to say That wee are vnprofitable seruants Saint Iohn saith That they that say they haue no sinne deceiue themselues Saint b Lib. 1. aduers Pelag. Hierome therefore saith That then we are iust when we confesse our sinnes Saint De spiritu litera Augustin saith that Wee shall then performe the lawe of God with all our soule and all our hart and loue our neighbour as our selfe when we shall see God face to face that is in the life to come They teach vs that wée are iustified by the workes of the law and that All our life and saluation doth d Ceâ—sur Colâ—n f. 22. consist therein The councell of e Sess 6. c. 10. Trent condemneth those that say We are iustified formally by Christes iustice All holde that charitie is the formall cause of our iustification But the catholike church teacheth vs farre otherwise Non iustificatur ex operibus legis vlla caro No flesh saith the apostle f Galat. 2. is iustified by the workes of the lawe Hee saith also g Galat. 3. That as many as are of the workes of the lawe are subiect to the curse and denieth that the law hath power to giue life Nay hée h Rom. 4. denieth That Abraham was iustified by the workes of the law Iustitia nostra non ex proprio merito sed ex dei consistit misericordia Our iustice saith l Aduers Pâ—lag lib. 1. Hierome doth not consist in our merites but in the mercy of God And k Aduers hares lib. 3. c. 20. Irenaeus teacheth vs That the lawe being spirituall doth onely manifest 〈◊〉 and not kill it Neither is it likely the law should iusâ—â—t vs when it pronounceth vs accursed and sheweth wée are all sinners For none are iustified by the lawe but those that performe the lawe But how can wee acquite our selues séeing as saint a Dâ— interpelat Dauid Ambrose saith Dauid doth acknowledge his sinne Paule doth confesse himselfe guiltie Saint b De lib. ach c. 16. Augustine saith That we are therefore commanded to do things which we cannot that wee may vnderstand what we are to desire of God To conclude this point they haue not onely changed the catholike doctrine of the law mingling the same with Pelagianisme but also brought in a new law giuer Bicause the c Heb. 7. apostle saith That the priesthood being changed the law must needes be changed the d De constitution 6. translato canonistes gather That Christs vicar hath authoritie to make lawes And these lawes say they binde mens consciences So the pope is now forsooth become a lawgiuer and a newe Lycurgus in the Romish church But the e Iames 4. apostle Saint Iames telleth vs That there is but one lawgiuer that is able to saue and destroy And for a thousand yéeres after Christ the catholike church of Christ did neuer sée any pope that durst take vpon him authoritie to giue lawes to the whole church Of which wée haue proofe euen by the bookes of popish decretals that began first by Gregorie the ninth to bée brought in forme and were neuer authorized before his time Sixtly the papistes hold doctrine both concerning original and actuall sinne diuers from the doctrine of the catholike church For first they deny that originall sinne passed ouer all men and f Decretal Sixti 4. synod Trid. sess 5. exempt the holy virgin Mary and some say that saint Iohn Baptist and the prophet Hieremy were sanctified from this sinne in their mothers wombe and so not borne in originall sinne which is contrary to the doctrine of the apostle that g Rom. 5. teacheth That through the offence of one all men were subiect to condemnation and to the words of the blessed virgin that calleth Christ Her Sauiour Againe they say that originall sinne is the least of all sinnes hauing so litle force of our will As if that deserued to be accounted litle which bringeth with it death and damnation and which without Christs death could not be purged and forgiuen They h Thom. Aq. â—d in 2. sent dist 33. teach that children departing without baptisme and with originall sinne onely shall not be punished with hell fire nor with any sensible paine As if at the last iudgement all that stand on the left hand as it is written in the 25 of Matth. shall not depart into euerlasting fire or as if that sinne Rom. 5. That brought condemnation vpon all should not be punished with sensible paines or as if there might be a place in hell without sensible paine Saint a Lib. 1. de Orig. anim c. 9. Augustine saith There is no middle place betweene the kingdome of heauen and damnation b Lib de fide ad Petr. c. 3. Fulgentius doth plainely affirme That children dying without baptisme shall susteine endlesse punishmentes And Gregory in his c Lib. 8. c. 16. morals saith That they shall endure perpetuall tormentes of hell They d Bellar. de purgat lib. 1. hold that all Christians canne satisfie for the penalty of all actual sinnes though neuer so gréeuous and yet for originall sinne which they account the smallest of sinnes they say no satisfaction could be made by any but by Christ Iesus But saint e 1. Iohn 1. Iohn saith That the blood of Christ clenseth vs from all sinnes And absurd it were if man could satisfie for most gréeuous sinnes and could not satisfie for the least sinne Of their false and erroneous doctrine concerning concupiscence and concerning the transgressions of the popes lawes which
exeuntes quia ipsi sunt scurriles leues volatiles rodentes sacras literas virides paganicae philosophiae sequaces quasi equi currentes sic illi in vanam disputationem 22. True catholikes haue alwaies shewed themselues obedient to their princes and performed their othes of allegiance They neither sought to murder them nor to depriue them of their crownes Dauid albeit he was gréeuously and vniustly persecuted by Saule yet did he not lay his hands vpon his prince albeit God had taken away the kingdome from Saul and giuen it to him The Israelites rebelled not against their kinges although they were wicked But papistes rebell against princes and neglect all promises and othes made to them as oft as the pope shall excommunicate them Nay the pope and his adherents excommunicate lawfull princes and pronounce sentence of deposition against them their associates make warres vpon them popish subiects are encouraged to rebell and are promised great rewardes and eternall blessednesse if they can kill the Lordes annointed as hath béene sufficiently alreadie declared by diuers examples In the rules or a Apud Ioseph Vestan de oscul ped pontif dictates of Gregorie the seuenth the twelft is That the pope hath power to depose the emperor The eight That hee may lawfully vse the ensignes of the emperour The 27. That hee hath power to absolue subiectes from their alleageance And this diuers late popes haue attempted and practised The which as it sheweth them to bée no catholikes so it prooueth them to be woorse then Turkes and Infidels which alwaies haue had a reuerend regard of their princes and superiors 23. True catholikes beléeued onely to haue remission of sinnes from Christ Iesus and neither trusted in indulgences nor Iubilies nor in pilgrimages to Rome or to other places But the Romanists without the popes pardons thinke themselues in no securitie and presuming of his fauour commit murthers and marie incestuously and do many outrages and villanies 24. True catholikes embrace all that doctrine which our Sauiour Christ commanded his apostles to preach to all nations throughout the worlde and refuse to heare those that preach otherwise and teach another kinde of doctrine But the papists haue not onely embraced diuers nouelties of which Christes apostles knew nothing but false heresiâ—s contrary to the doctrine of Christ and his apostles Which for that it is a principall argument to conuince them to bée no catholikes shall particularly God willing be demonstrated in the two chapters following Héeretofore wee haue shewed them to bée no catholikes for that their doctrine was neither generally taught nor receiued of al true catholikes now they shall bée prooued to bée no catholikes for that diuers points of their religion are either new deuises and fantasies not taught by the apostles nor receiued of the apostolicall and catholike church or else olde heresies condemned for such by the catholike church of ancient time CHAP. II. That diuers positions and principles of popish religion are meere nouelties and new deuises vnknowne to the most ancient and true catholike church of Christ IT may percase séeme strange especially to such papists as are but yoonglings and nouices in the Iesuites schoole that the religion of popes which is commonly called The olde religion shoulde now bée charged with noueltie and condemned by testimony of antiquitie Yet if wee please not onely to consider these later ages but also to looke backe to the apostles times and the ages next succeeding we shall assuredly finde by enumeration of many particulars that popish religion as it differeth from the religion now generally receiued and professed in the church of England is a new vpstart religion and full of nouelties and late receiued fancies For in religion that is onely to bée accounted ancient that is deriued from Christ and from his apostles Antiquitas mea saith a In epist. ad Philadelph Ignatius Christus est That is Christ is the originall from whence wée fetch our antiquitie b Lib. 4. contr Marcion Tertullian saith that the religion taught by the apostles is most ancient and from the beginning and most true Id vertus quod prius saith hée id prius quod ab initio id ab initio quod ab apostolis Saint c Epist 65. ad Pammach Ocean Hierome reiecteth all for newe that was not taught by the apostles Cur profers in medium saith hée quod Petrus Paulus edere noluerunt d Contra haeres c. 25. Vincentius Lirinensis calleth him a true catholike That doth onely beleeue and holde whatsoeuer the ancient catholike church did vniuersally beleeue Qui quicquid vniuersaliter antiquitùs ecclesiam catholicam tenuisse cognouerit id solum sibi tenendum credendumque decernit But the ancient church is not this late Romish church within this fiue or sixe hundred yeeres but the apostolike and primitiue church Now whatsoeuer commeth from late popes albeit the same hath had some hundreds of yéeres coÌ„tinuance yet is the same new and no part of the ancient catholike religion for that it hath no beginning from Christ nor from the apostles nor was vniuersally receiued of the most ancient church of Christ That corruption I say of poperie is new which the church of England refuseth as appéereth by diuers particular points First the very chéefe groundes and principles of popish religion and the lawes whereby they stande haue no greater antiquitie then from Iohn the 22. Clement the fift Boniface the eight Gregorie the ninth or to go to the highest from Hildebrand otherwise called Gregory the seuenth for from him doth a Bullarium hée that made a collection of all the popes buls and lawes fetch their first originall Before that it may be diuers bishops and popes wrote decretall epistles but vntill this time they had no force of law Nay before this time all histories do teach vs that the church was gouerned partly by the lawes of Emperors and partly by the canons of councels Now that the decretals of the popes being receiued and authorized for lawes are the foundation of popish religion it is apparent For therein all the nouelties of the Romish church are confirmed and established And b In praefat ante relect princip doctr Stapleton doth in plaine termes affirme so much In hac docentis hominis authoritate saith hée in qua deum loquentem audimus religionis nostrae cognoscendae fundamentum necessariò poni credimus And generally all papists confesse that the pope is the souereigne iudge in matters of religion Whereupon it followeth that his determinations and decretals are the chéefe groundes of popish religion Secondly the apocryphall Scriptures of Toby Iudith Wisdome Ecclesiasticus the two bookes of the Machabees and the additions extant in the Latine translation and not in the original bookes which are as second grounds of popery were not declared of equall authoritie with other canonicall scriptures before the councell of Trent At that time also was the Latin vulgar translation made
pleade vnsufficiently But wée charge them with leud opinions held by all the papists and most wicked and abominable actions allowed by publike authoritie Further the papistes alleage the testimonies of Lindanus Staphylus Cochleus Rescius Reynoldes and their owne consorts fellowes to bée receiued as witnesses before no indifferent iudge for their basenesse leudnesse and partialitie But wée are able to conuince them by their owne recordes and by witnesses authenticall to be such as they woulde haue vs to bée and farre woorse too And if Parsons maintaine the contrary hée shall soone receiue his answere and perceiue his owne inabilitie and the weakenesse of his owne cause Further he obserueth in Luther That at the first hee contemned the fathers and that afterward when wee began to shew how the fathers did witnesse for our cause that we alleaged them falsly But neither did euer Luther contemne all the fathers but where they spoke contrary to the prophets and apostles nor shall this counterfeit relator shew that wée haue alleaged the fathers vntruly as I will bée alwaies readie to iustifie against him Hée noteth also That we make plaine demonstrations of distrust in maintaining our cause And that hée prooueth first For that diuers bookes written in English by papists were forbidden by proclamation Secondly For that by a statute it was made death to reconcile men or perswade them to the Romish faith Thirdly for that Streite orders were set downe to restraine the resort of people to the papistes that are prisoners in Wisbich But if these be arguments of distrust then are the papists most distrustfull and fearefull to haue their matters come in scanning For they forbid all our bookes to be solde among them And if any disswade from poperie or talk against it it is present death Neither may any talke with prisoners in the inquisition As for our selues we are but too confident in these causes For there is no bald lousie friers book commeth forth but it is commonly sold in Paules church yard and any learned man may buy any of their bookes publikely Yea diuers simple soules not being able to iudge are often times deceiued by them So that it were fitting more care were had in this point But the true reason why our superiours haue forbidden English bookes popish perswasions and common repaire to popish prisoners is for that diuers simple soules not being so well able to iudge haue by such meanes béene drawne not only into leud opinions but also dangerous practises of which we should not offend if we did take more care then we do Finally he noteth that we cannot abide confession satisfaction restitution or the like which is true if by confession he meane auricular coÌ„fession made in a priests eare and by satisfaction scourging a mans selfe or walking in pilgrimage with hope thereby to satisfie God for his sinnes and such like satisfactions and by restitution such summes of money as papists are enioyned in lieu of true restitution to parties offended to bestow vpon priests Iebusites and notorious traitors It is not long since these companions drew from a drie fellow a little before his death two thousand pounds with the which the Iebusites their consorts now make merrie But if order be not taken for such deuises to draw mony out of the subiects purses and to take away these means from traitorous practisers the same in the end will make this state very sorrowfull And therefore I doubt not but the magistrates and iudges will looke to that verie diligently In the meane while I hope I haue taken order with this Relators lying obseruations CHAP. VII An answere to our aduersaries two petitions annexed to his former relation WHat successe our aduersarie is to hope for in his petition annexed to the Ward-word I hope may in part appeere by our answere And yet not expecting an answere he hath presumed to come to her maiestie with a new petition and to vs with another So copious and fluent he is in his libels and petitions a Homer Iliad ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is like a flye or rather because he speaketh so much for Spaniards a Spanish mosqueta that albeit she be beaten off from a mans bodie yet is bold to come againe and bite And b Non missura cutem nisi plena cruoris hirudo Horat. leaue as it séemeth he will not vntill like the horseleach he hath filled himselfe with some mans blood First he desireth that her Maiestie would be pleased to admit such a tryall heere as passed in Fraunce of late assuring vs that the same would be pleasant to her Maiestie and all other assistants and verie briefe and easie As if Parsons the Iebusite and rector of the English seminarie of traytors were now verie carefull to yéeld satisfaction and contentment to her Maiestie and subiects that not long c Anno. 1588. since ioyned himselfe to the Spanish armie that came against vs and in the interim that the Spanish fléete was expected and while our commissioners were treating of peace holpe to make print and diuulge the most infamous d Aâ—lens letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland libell against her Maiestie and her faithfull subiects that could be deuised or euer was set out in this kinde Furthermore euer since he hath béene busie either in stirring vp forrein enimies against vs or broching some treasonable practise against the state or writing seditious libels against one or other as appéereth by former proofes Nay when a certaine gentleman and one of the Spanish agents séeming more moderate then the rest disliked all practises for the murther of the Prince by the direction of Parsons others of his faction he had a cuchillada and dangerous blow with a falchion ouer the face as he was going to the church to heare masse An vnhappie masse might he call it if the blow had hit right He doth also much abuse his reader where he saith that the tryall will be briefe and easie and maketh a vaine brag offering himselfe to be the champion that must performe the challenge The first is euident for that they pretend so many falsificatious against vs and we haue so many false allegations and forgeries to charge our aduersaries withall and that most iustly that the examination cannot chuse but prooue long and difficult especially if they yéeld to vs that which they demaund themselues The second I thinke we shall finde true by experience For it is not Parsons I thinke that can performe all that is offered Nay little doth he vnderstand the galles of his owne cause that once dare obiect forgerie or falsification to others Beside that he is fitter to make a clerke to make libels and exhibit petitions then to make a good disputer to iustifie the popes broken cause In that he hath some prettie facultie in this we doubt of his abilitie His other petition is that some one or other would come forth against him and defend bishop Iewel Peter Martyr and M. Foxe whom hee purposeth as he pretendeth to loade with many and grieuous falsifications the points whereof we haue already e Chap. 4 noted and this I thinke is but a copie of his grimme countenance also and a Thrasonicall bragge For I do not thinke that he wil or dare put his cause vpon this trial Neither do I thinke that his consortes will come to an equall examination of all falsifications and coruptions passed on both sides for the causes that I haue f Chap. 1. alleaged Vnto both his petitions vntill further order be taken let him receiue this answere from me First that we very well like of such a triall here as passed lately in France For as the papists found themselues wronged or at least pretended to be wronged in M. Plessis his bookes so we doe say and offer to prooue that we are wronged nay that the whole world is wronged and abused by millions of forgeries and falsifications committed by Bellarmine Caesar Baronius Greg. de Valentia Suarez and their consorts yea by the popes of Rome whose sentences they hold to be infallible If then this pratling or rather scribling relator or any of his consorts do find himselfe agrieued with this assertion and offer as M. Plessis did in France being charged publikely with falsifying and corrupting authours by him alleaged I shall God willing either in publike schooles or els which is farre better in publike writing iustifie as much as I haue sayd and I take this to be the case of papists in England if they will obtaine that which M. Plessis desired in France Secondly I do offer my selfe partie do accept of Parsons his challenge do offer my self to proue that those men whom he challengeth haue dealt more iustly theÌ„ Bellarmine and Caesar Baronius and the rest of that side Nay I dare simply defend them against any crimination which this frapling frier hath to lay to their charge Let him begin when he dare In the meane while he may do well to answere the points deduced in the first chapter of this treatise wherein I haue charged not only priuate men but the whole synagogue of Rome with plaine forging and falsification and laid downe the particulars and not as the relator doth who hauing made a great bragge of falsifications shutteth vp his relation and iustifieth nothing Somewhat I had more to say to Parsons and to his associates the whole combination of them But I reserue it to some other time By this which alreadie is sayd I hope it will appeare that neither Iames Peron hath gained any thing against the Lord of Plessis nor Parsons hath reason to hope that he shall haue better successe against the Church of England God which is light truth grant all christians the light of his grace that they may not only sée the truth but also truly iudge what is truth and falshood And then I doubt not but it will appeare to them all that we are cleare of that crime which the aduersary imputeth vnto vs and that our aduersaries through the operation of errours beleeue lies and haue by all fraud and false dealing sought to oppresse the truth Laus Deo