God as it is now established amongst vs is a wicked a sinful act yet notwithstanding for feare of punishment they conforme themselues they offend and are guilty though not of sin against the holy ghost Howlet as some late Puritan Seminarist doth affirme yet of sinne great and grieuous not in doing the thing which is lawfull and good but because they do it not well and Christianly that is in faith and true perswasion that such their doing is pleasing to God but contrariwise condemning it in their heart as vnlawfull them selues of hipocrisie so that while they dwell in that perswasion they can do nothing that may be acceptable vnto God Therefore such as are desirous to please him are with prayer to examine this their perswasion by the holy scriptures whereby finding as vndoubtedly they shall in due time whom the Lord will saue that it is not according to god they ought to chaunge their mindes by true repentance and then doing the dueties requyred of them in faith and certaine knowledge of pleasing God in them their doings shal be godly and acceptable in Christ Iesus But if they cōtinew obstinat still yet is not authority to be blamed for compelling them as the noble Kings Asa and Iosia did commaund and compel the people by seueritie of their lawes and punishments to serue the Lord what ignorant and vngodly perswasion so euer they haue to the contrary For this duety God requireth at the Magistrates hand to whom hee hath not committed his sword in vaine and in it selfe it is so necessarie that if this pretence were sufficient cause why men should be respected not onely the Magistrate should become gilty of not doing the duetie which God requireth of them but also no Christian estate or pollicie coulde stand For this would soone bee euery mans answere in case of being enioyned any thing concerning God or men howe holy or iust so euer it were that did dislike him that his cōscience is against it Therefore it can be no cause by the word of God after the procuring of such meanes for their instruction by the Gospell sincerely duely preached vnto thē as our Sauiour Christ hath appointed for the calling of men from their errors to the knowledge of the truth why your H. should forbeare eyther to require so godly a duety of them or to punish the disobediēt as their offence may deserue At their own peril be it if thorow ignorāce or wilfulnes they take darkenes for light and light for darkenes Such commandement punishment for disobedience is not of it selfe hurtfull vnto them but rather greatly profitable both by telling them what they ought to do and by threatning and punishing the obstinat whereby some may be wakened more seriously to examine their conscience so come to yeald obedience vnto God and to the law And thus far haue I dealt with his circumstances Now remayn his two other reasōs which are of substance and weight in deede in this matter if he were able to make them good For the one is a iustification of their cause the other a chalenge of the punishment layd vpon them But first hee blameth her M. iustice as extreeme and keeping no proportiō with the offence wherewith they are charged and secondarily mayntayneth their cause not onely to deserue no such punishment but to be worthy of all fauor First therefore I am to examine what he sayeth agaynst her M. iustice You persecute heauely saith hee vnto your H. and that in such measure as the like hath scarce been mentioned in Christianitie before albeit in some poynts more couertly then some other did This persecution he setteth out after by comparyson of the discipline as hee wryteth of the Catholicke church namely in the time of Queene Mary affirming this persecutiō in all respects far to surmount ouerreach that to be both greater incōparably more greeuous To the same effect he addeth many other like speeches in the end of his epistle which there shal receiue their answere By which complaint a man would thinke that might worthely be thought so if it exceede so far as he affyrmeth that most cruell and bloudie persecution of the true Catholicks and constant Martirs of God in Queen Maries time But of this he geueth occasion to speake more fully hereafter Now to answere his most vniust and slaunderous accusatiō of the iustice done vpon them I deny this to be tru wherw t he would charge the present State which I deny not only because they are no Catholiques and therfore no punishment of them can be properly called persecution but a iust execution of obstinate heretickes but also because that for meere conscience and matter of Religion no such thing is done or hath been done to any man since her M. most peaceable and happy Raigne Hee complayneth of the rackinges and stretching of their ioyntes the renting and dispersing of their bowels the dismembring of the partes of their bodies and maketh many such like greeuous complaints What may be done to such of them as are wilfull and obstinate seducers I leaue to your wisdomes to consider This being true that such are Heretickes seducing and deceiuing in as dangerous matters for men to be abused in as euer did any Heretickes before them which both hath beene often heretofore and may at any time b◠sufficient argumentes and vnanswerable of their part be prooued against thē But yet I say further that notwithstanding that it is so far of that these tragicall complaints should be true that no one of all their Catholickes for cause of his conscience and religion onely being no otherwise an offēder against the lawes hath lost either life or limme since the happie day of her M. coronation vntill this time All which gracious time there hath not beene for recusance nor for being at masse nor yet for saying masse how often soeuer they so offend neither by former Statutes nor those of the last Parliamēt which they most complaine off any further punishment appointed then of los of libertie and goods True it is that her Maiestye by the Sage aduise of youre Honours and of her whole Nobility and Commons hath prouyded by lawe for the punishmēt of such pretended Catholiques as shal be found gilty of any treasonnable practise against her H. estate and person being forced by most vrgent causes and many dangerous attempts of theirs dayly pressing her thereunto For considering first the bloudy resolution of the Councell of Trent the dayly attempts to put it in execution there was great and most worthy cause why your H. should seeke by all godly prouision to preuent their intended mischiefe The secret and detestable decrée of that Tridentine conspiracy against God and against his annointed was to make a League amongst all the Princes whom they had made drunck with the golden cup of their fornicatiō Buch. rerum Scot. lib. 17. to confer their meanes and ioyne all their forces
vnlawfull to tollerate their abhominable prophanation of the seruice of God as appeareth by the commaundement of the Sabboth forbidding the breaking of the Sabboth day in euery Sonne and Daughter in euery Seruaunt and Mayde in Israell with out exception of any yea in euery stranger within their gates it can not in any sound reason or iudgement be borne with all euen for the very annoyaunces and hurts which it bringeth to the states which doe admit it Neither is his marginal note of the example of the great Turke and of the Byshop of Bungo sufficient to perswade the contrary For first they esteeme not the manifold dishonour where with their Romish faith dishonoreth god and our Sauioure Christe Then also I deny that eyther of both suffer that doctrine and practise of theire Religion as they teach and exercise it in these partes For is it likely that they are suffered to teach that it is of the necessity of Saluation for euerye humaine creature to bee Subiect to the Pope or that it shoulde bee in the Popes power to depose them at his pleasure Doe they suffer the Pope to challenge appeales to his Courte from them to deminishe suche multitudes of their people and to draw out the Treasure of theire Countryes No none of all this nor manye other suche like poyntes which they easily see to bee preiudiciall to theire states But beeing Heathen and prophane Princes not regarding wherein they prophane the Honour of God by theire 〈◊〉 worship It may be they permit such exercise of their superstitions to some fewe of these pretended Catholickes as are scattered amongst them as doth not in any sort indāger or hurt their kingdom But our cause beeing so farre diuerse as hath been declared there is no reason why the Turke or the Pagane king of Bungoes doing should be any president to a christian Princes making profession of the holy faith of Christ and the truth of the Gospell or why their tollerating with a few in some pointes nothing preiudiciall to their estates shoulde perswade a bearing of such pointes and practises as in the nature of thē ouerthrow the state peace authoritie strength and wealth of the kingdom that shal receiue it Therfore I conclude this point that the doctrine and practise of the Romish religion such as it is at this daie and hath beene some hundreth yeares past beeing against the Lorde God and his annoynted Sonne Christ Iesu againste his holy worde the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophetes beeing againste the good state of any nation Kingdome and P. that shall receiue it hauing infinite occasions of all wicked life taking from them their cheefest royalties and dignities oppressing the consciences soules and bodies of their people hearkning out by thousandes of intelligencers and spyes the greatest secretes of their K. diminishing by cunning practises the number of theire people and drawing oute the Treasure of the lande to theire intollerable hindraunce weakning and impouerishing of them and their Subiectes ought by the worde of God and in all sounde Wisedome reason or pollicye to bee esteemed and iudged contrarye to the honour glory of almightye God the holye and honest conuersation of Christian men contrary to the safetie assuraunce establishment honour peace strengthe and riches of euerye K. and common weale The second part of the whol epistle Thus farre this instrument of the pretended Catholikes hath mainteined their cause to bee worthye more fauoure then it findeth by the profite he would perswade vs that the K. faith woulde bring to this K. Now drawing neere to a conclusion His full heart breaketh out into scornefull patheticall speeches Wherein first he requireth a disputation and after seeketh to mooue some compassion with a pitifull complainte of imagyned tormentes suffered by his companions for theire Religion The reason of this request is pretended to be the want of the proceedinges that haue beene hitherto vsed towardes them which is noted both in the ministers and in the state To the ministers he obiecteth that they are alwayes solliciting your honors againste them and that they dare admit no lawfull tryall of the cause they moue question of vnto vs. For whom to aunswere as I am bound in the Lorde I take it to be a very surmise of his owne head that there shoulde be any neere your Honors continuallye stirring you vp to drawe out the swoord vpon them But if any eyther publiquely by preaching or priuatly beeing vouchsafed that fauour to haue speech with any of your honours do vpon iust cause put your Lordships in mynde of the greate and high calling you are called vnto that you beare the swoord of God a swoord of protection for the godly and of vengeaunce for all the wicked if they declare by the word of God that hereticks which séek to seduce the Ll. people to a false worship and to carry them from the seruice of the liuyng God to the adoration of Idolles that traitours whiche practise a withdrawyng of her Maiesties Subiectes from her obedience and reconcilyng of them to a forraine power are suche wicked Malefactors against whom this sword of iust execution is to be drawne Thei doe herein nothing vnlawfull but discharge the duetie of good and faithfull seruauntes to God and loyall subiectes to her Maiestie For thus we reade it to be written if a false Prophet arise vp amongest you saiyng let vs goe and seeke other Gods that Prophet shall bee slaine because he hath spoken to turne you awaie from the Lorde your God to thrust thee out of the waie wherein the Lord thy God commaunded thee to walke so shall you take the euill awaie forth of the middest of you Of whiche sorte thei are conuicted to bee who leade men to the worship of Images whiche is all one with other Gods and Idolles how soeuer thei labour in vaine to distinguishe them For if it were allowed them that Idolles were the Images of Heathen men and Images the conterfaites onely of Christian men whiche is nothing so for the wordes are indifferent to bothe yet is the matter one and the same in effect For whether a man giue the honour of God to the counterfect and resemblaunce of a Heathen or Christian or to the creatures them selues what soeuer it is all one The rule is generall that he is gealous and will not giue his honor vnto an other Therfore the exhortation to the iust execution of suche false Prophetes is a duetie well becomming a seruaunt of God The other the Apostle also teacheth affirmyng that those which resist the higher powers procure condemnation to them selues And doe these men thincke that thei maie compasse Sea and Lande to seduce mens soules into destruction and Subiectes from their lawfull obedience and no man should take héede to their doyng and oppose hym self to their wicked proceedynges Yes the same God who is the watchman of Israell and sleepeth not no nor slumbereth I hope will stirre vp the care of all men accordyng
¶ AN ANSWERE TO A SVPPLICAtorie Epistle of G. T. for the pretended Catholiques written to the right Honorable Lords of her Maiesties priuy Councell By VVATER TRAVERS Minister of the worde of God Rom. 13.4 If thou do euill feare for he beareth not the sworde for nought for he is the Minister of God to take vengeaunce on him that doth euill Apoc. 19.20.21 But the Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet that wrought myracles before him VVhereby he deceiued them that receiued the Beasts marke and them that worshipped his image These were aliue cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone And the remnant were slaine with the sword of him that sitteth vppon the horse which commeth out of his mouth and all the foules were filled full with their fleshe AT LONDON Printed for Tobie Smith dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Crane ¶ An Answere to a Popish Treatise touching the persecution of Catholikes in England written to the R. H. LL. of her Maiesties priuie Councell The Preface to the R. H. LL. of the Counsell WHeras Right Honorable the reformation of those which refuse to serue God with vs in such holy exercises of religion as for this purpose are established amongest vs hath bene carefully sought by some punishment of their obstinacie according to the good lawes prouided in this behalfe there are which complaine of this moderate seueritie and both vnfitly vnduetifully terme it by the hatefull and odious name of persecution Of which sort one hath written a whole treatise of this matter by way of an Epistle to his friende which he intitleth of the persecution of Catholiques in England In which discourse the Authour is not afraide to offer most shamefull wrong to many faithfull officers of her Maiesties iustice charging them with rigorous and cruell dealing who haue soberly and temperatly caried themselues in the execution of such lawes vpon them as their ill merit had worthily made them subiect vnto By which bold slaunders he giueth himselfe occasion so to complaine and cry out of the persecution of Catholiques in England as if God had not set ouer vs and them a gratious Ladie of famous renoume for mildenes and clemencie who seeketh onely by a reasonable correction to winne them to obedience first to almightie God and then to her lawfull authoritie but rather some cruell Nero or persecuting Diocletian that desired nothing but their destruction and their bloud Which notwithstanding it can not be vnknowne to any that liue in this state to be a complaint most vniust and vntrue yet hath there stept vp an other as he would seeme to be an abetter a voucher of that most slaunderous libel yea a translator a printer a publisher of it vnto others who herein hath worse prouided for the credit of their vntruth then his authour had done before him For he first had cunningly put his large speach into the bosome of his fellow as ready as it séemeth to be abused as he was willing to deceiue him hauing the credulity of his friend the secrecy of his writing to conceale some part of his offence But this translator by printing and publishing of it and namely in our English tongue hath laide them both open to the iust reproofe and condemnation of all the lande For what English man will not now condemne them both for false witnesses against the church of God and their own countrie when they shall reade or heare them in so many things to be so fowly defamed contrary to the knowledge of all the lande but especially I maruell with what face hee coulde once offer to present it to the reuerend senate of your most honourable chamber For howsoeuer he might flatter himselfe to bee able to make some of the people affected to his cause and dwelling farre from these parts to beleue some peece of his slanders yet coulde hee neuer be in anye hope so to abuse your H. who of your owne knoledge vnderstanding are able to conuict him of so many vntruthes Which notwithstanding this Author fearing no rebuke nor shame for it as speking out of a vaut or frō vnder a maske by concealing of his name hath imboldned him selfe to offer it euen vnto your Honors with an other discourse of his owne which he entituleth an Epistle to the Councell The substance of which his treatise is that the cause of our pretended Catholiques is such as it deserueth not the extremities which vpon the credit by like of his Author hee complaineth to be vsed against thē but rather is worthy to be well intreated if for the tyme it may not haue all the honour hee esteemeth to belong vnto it Of which two epistles the one being written in latine to a friend concerning this pretended persecution of Catholiques in Englande hath beene alreadie sufficiently answered by that reuerend Father Maister Doctor Humfrey in his late booke of Iesuitisme or of the practises of the church of Roome The other remaining yet vnanswered I was moued by some of my Friendes to the cause to take paines to make answere to it Which at the first I confesse I was loath to take vpon me notwithstanding I sawe the great aduantage I should haue of mine aduersary in the maintenance of a most holy and honourable quarrell For considering so many excellent wittes and so well able to deale in these causes to sit quyetly at their bookes or peaceably to edifie the Church by preaching of the gospel whether it be that they feare the diuers euents of writing by reason of the exquisite iudgements of the learned and the bitter malice of the enimy or that they esteeme it vnprofitable for the Church to leaue or slack their other worthy labours to striue with a contentious aduersary that will neuer be satisfied me thought their exāple was a good president for him to follow that commeth so farre behinde so many of them in al sufficiency for this purpose But especially I was willing to haue wtdrawen my selfe for the reuerence I most worthily haue of the graue sentences of your H. which I saw I could not escape dealing in a matter wherewith your H. table is seazed alreadie For knowing mine owne weakenes I iustly feared to beginne my simple practise of this kinde of pleadinge in so high and honourable a Court and before such Iudges whose wisedomes can so easily discouer any want of those which come before them But when on the other side I set before me the price of the cause which we striue for the qualitie of my vocation calling the most vnworthy slaunders wherew t the enimy chargeth the sacred truth of God and the lawful authoritie of this land I could not see that any of the former reasons ought so farre to preuaile with me as to withdrawe me from a seruice so holy so duetifull and so necessarie as I iudged this to be For as for the examples of such as like not to deale in these
publike causes I sawe there were also many contrarye presidents and that of many worthy men who in like times had stoode in the gap and in the breach against the enemie Moreouer Neh. 4.16.17 I considered this our time to be like that wherof we read in the booke of Neemie wherein because of the often and hot charges of these Samaritanes enuying the raysing vp againe of the new Ierusalem out of the ruines wherin they had ioy to see it we are constrayned so to buylde it as we may stand also redy armed to make head against the enemie and to beate him backe when he shal assayle vs. Which because the learned will see to be no matter of game and striuing for the golden pen but a necessarye seruice of God and his church I hope they will be satisfied better with that which may bee sure for defence then faire for shewe But chieflye this is my hope of all your H. both for the graue wisdome God hath endued you with and for the accustomed fauour you are wont to shewe to all such as to their power doe endeuour faithfully to serue the Lord. As for the enemie I know in deede his malice is bitter and his pen foule and shameful For so both others of them and especially the defendant of the late censure hath notoriously testified in his wicked slaunders of as worthie men as the sunne hath seene anye in this age of their profession But seing it lieth not in vs to make them modest and that we are called in good and il report yea in life and death to serue God his church I willingly commit any iniurie that may be done me by them for his cause to him to whome the punishment thereof appertaineth Iude Epist and who as Enoch prophecied long agoe commeth with thousands of his Saintes to doe iustice vpon them all and to reprooue those which are wicked amongst them of all the deedes which they haue wickedly committed and all the hard speaches which wicked sinners haue spoken against him Wherefore being satisfied for these doubtes and knowing no other sufficient cause to the contrary I haue thought this defence to be my most bounden duetie to almightie God to her most excellent M. to your H. and to this whole state and church Therefore I haue resolued by your LL. good fauour seeing no man els so long time had vndertaken to deale with this Plaintife to maintaine against him to my small power the glory of God in the iust defence of his trueth the honor of the authority I haue named in their most lawfull proceedings against such as vntruely are called Catholiques Thus hauing before your H. most humbly rendred some reson of this my doing I come now to ioyne with mine aduersarie The effecte of this Authours purpose is as he himselfe declareth in the beginning of his booke The answere and hath béene touched before in presenting your LL. with the Epistle intituled of the persecution in Englande with this treatise of his own is to complaine of intollerable extremities vsed agaynst the pretended Catholiques for their only conscience sake as he affirmeth and also to become suter to your Honors in behalfe of their cause that if for the time it may not be receyued as he thinketh it worthy yet at the least it may not be so hardly intreated as hee woulde make the world beleue it hath beene hetherto Which their cause being not of the thinges of this life wherin reason and discourse may trie and discerne but of religion he ought to haue taken his reasons to perswade the religion he would maintaine to bee good out of the holy and sacred bookes of the canonicall scriptures 2. Tim. 3.17 For of these we reade that they are able to make vs wise vnto saluation thorow the faith that is in Christ Iesus as the Apostle addeth in the same place they are giuen by inspiration from God to furnish vs and to make vs fully able to instruct in that which is truth and to conuict whatsoeuer agreeth not with it Therefore as in question of mettall the touch stone is called for to shew the good and to discouer the badde so should he haue touched with this true onely touch both our mettall and his that that which is base or fine in eyther religion might haue bene discerned In doubtful controuersies in the law they were commanded to repaire vnto the hie priest into whose brest the Lorde had put Vrim and Thummim Exod. 28.30 whereby he was able to giue aunswere in all causes Christ is our hie Priest and the holy scriptures as being that wisedome of God to be reuealed to vs the Vrim and Thummim whereby we are answered as by Oracle from God in al our controuersies Therefore in this most weightie cause counsell ought to haue bene sought for there where the brest of Christ is open vnto vs and where a perfecter light then that of Vrim Thummim shineth to our most safe direction Esay 8.9.10 But this Author that we may know by the testimony of the Prophet Esay that there is no sparke of true light in him leaueth the lawe the testimony and seeketh to humane reason as to a cunning enchantres and as Saul to seeke answere hee goeth from the liuing vnto the deade Heb. 4.12 Ephe. 2.1 for the worde of God is liuing and the sonnes of men are borne deade in their sins But let vs see his reasons such as they are and howsoeuer he would flie the saymasters furnace the subtile weight yet bycause we know there is no other certain way to try what goodnes it may be of that hee bringeth we must make a say of it by the fire of the Lords altar and weigh euery thing by the weightes of his sanctuarie The reasons he bringeth are principally two Reasons vsed to perswade fauor towardes the Romane catholiques whereof the one is of the punishment laide vpon them and the other of the cause wherin they stand He toucheth briefly two other reasons which are of lesse moment rather of complemēt circumstance thē of any great weighte or substance in this question which are of the person of the ende For if it fall out as by Gods grace I vndertake to show that the punishment and the cause is such as that these falsly named Catholiques are dealt with in iustice and that mitigated with great moderation and clemencie then do these with all receaue their answere Yet something I will answere perticularly to these reasons and first to that which is taken of the persons of those who are punished In this he alleadgeth that they are of our owne bloude and Nation The first reason answered and borne subiects of the lande Wherein what doth hee pleade for them that may not be with as good reason brought for all malefactors which the lawe doth punish And to whom els doth the lawe extende but to the borne
Church his vnity is nothing but a conspiracie and their hye consistory as the cōsistory of the hie priests cōfederat together against Christ and against his Apostles or as the agreemēt betwene Core Dathan Abiram with their rebellious companies against Moses and Aaron Further I say their Church is so farre off from that vnitie and agreement which he boasteth off that contrarywise it hath beene and is full of contentions and controuersies Which if we consider in the publike state of their Church is most manifest in the infinit varietie difference of Saintes meanes of saluation chosen to worship and to trust vnto by sundry Nations Townes companies and persons as it liked them best Likewise by the diuers Missales Breuiaries and Ceremonies vsed amongst them Further also by their sundry sectes of Monkes Nunnes which they haue so multiplied of late whereas not many hundred yeares agoe they had onely the order of Bennet But especially in the Popes counsels vniuersities and brotherhoodes of Monkes and Freers it appeareth that the Lorde burst their Church as a vessell of claye and an earthen pot stricken with a barre of yron into so many peeces and fitters that there scarse remayneth whole any one potsheard so big as might serue to fetch fire withall The agreement of the Popes was such about Formosus that for some yeares euery Pope disanulled his predecessors actes they condemned one another yea they followed their cause with such bitter mallice Platina their owne writer reporting it that Formosus was takē vp after his death and burned and his ashes cast into the riuer The scisme of two or three Popes at once which continued so many yeares and occupyed all Christian Princes to the perpetuall infamie of their malitious discordes doth witnesse to all posteritie how farre their Church is from this vnitie they would boast off Further their booke of decrees though Gratiā would force them to agree declareth what contrarie and repugnant sentences haue beene pronounced by them in sundry causes and poynts of great importance And this hath beene the vnitie of the Popes amongst themselues with others they haue agreed thus They haue moued and mainteyned wars both with Kinges and Kesars and those both Greeke French and Germans Many counsels haue beene excomunicated by them and they againe by the counsels Most famous and noble Churches haue likewise had experience what bitter spirit of contention and discorde hath possessed them They haue alienated and cleane cut off the renoumed Churches of Asia whereof a great manie were planted with the Apostles owne handes In like manner haue they contended and striuen with the Churches of Africa And in Europe the seate of their impietie neyther the Churches of Germanye Fraunce England Denmarke nor sondrie other but haue beene deuided and rent a sunder with their quarrels and in a manner brought to waste by meanes of the controuersies they haue had with them and others raysed and nourished by them But especially their owne Italy as other monumentes and the pertialities and factions of the Guelphes and Gibellines and their present estate doth witnesse Moreouer Clement the fift maintayned a great contention with the famous vniuersitie of Paris about his indulgences And other of them had a great quarrell with the begging Fryers concerning the order of Monkery And this hath beene the vnitie which the Popes haue had amongst themselues and with others Their Councels also as being the vnquiet bodie of so restlesse and contentious a head haue beene at variance one with annother as those of Basile and Constance and sondrie others Their Monkes and Fryers haue had greate warres both amongst themselues and with others both with the Popes themselues with the vniuersities and with their cheefe Prelates as that which they had with Gad with Clement the fift with the vniuersitie of Paris and the Archb. of Arnach with whome they agreed litle better then the Popes Nuntie at Paris this last yeare agreed with the Dominicans to the most shamefull reproch of their whole Church The Canonistes and the Scholemen byte one another according to the Apostle till they be consumed one of another The Scholemen they are also diuided amongst themselues into Reales and Nominals and acording to their captaines vnder whose auncient bāner they fight some are Thomists some Scotists some hold of Occam This is not according to him that said Ioh. 14.27 My peace I leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you Is Christ diuided According to these publike examples 1. Cor. 1.13 their priuat Doctors writers haue behaued thēselues euē of late yeares in writing one against another as Catharinus an Archb. and one of the Popes Minions Dominicus de Soto confessor to Charles the fift Caietanus Tapperus Pighius with sundrie other and the Fathers of the Councell of Trent all which so agreed that according as it is saide of Ismaell their handes were euery one against all others and all others against them Their agreement was like that which was amongst the Babilonians after the Lorde had striken them with the confusion of their tongues that one vnderstoode not another and like the discorde of the Madianites who thrust euery man his sworde into the side of his owne Countryman Which their contentions and debates were of no small matters but of originall sinne of iustification by faith of the certayntie of hope of the vertue of the death of Christ of the vertue of Baptisme of the supremacie of the higher authoritie of the Pope or of the Counsels of the Church or of the Scripture of the residence of Bishoppes and such like I might here also shewe howe their doctrine disagreeth with it selfe one poynt ouerthrowing another but this may suffice to rebuke the vanitie of the boast of their agreement and to laye out some part of the euidences which I am to shew against them to proue that their Church is not that friend that Doue that Spouse of Christ which is but one whereof they so often vaunt but a contentious and quarrellous company at continuall warres with others and amonst themselues as the posteritie of Ismael and as the host and tents of Madian Nowe let vs see with what dissention hee can charge our Church in Englād Wherin if he would haue proceeded soundly to the iust charging of vs he ought if he had bene able to haue brought out the publike confession and articles of faith agreed vnto in King Edwardes time and haue shewed any in England that professing the Gospell dissenteth from them Or if he would haue vs to answere for all that professe our faith in all the world yet ought he to haue sought out the ancient recordes and authentike confessions of faith which the professors in the seuerall Countries where they are haue exhibited by common consent and agreement vnto their Princes But being not able so to doe as shall appeare after in the particulers that hee alleadgeth he seeketh some fewe places out of the infinite
Tennaunte at wyll hath no better pollicye then to please hys Lorde of whome hee holdeth so the greateste pollicye and soundest wysedome that maye bée vsed by Kynges and Prynces is to please the Lorde oure GOD in all obedience and namelye in the zealous aduauncemente of hys true religyon and seruice Therefore wycked and deuilyshe is thys rule and not to bee patyentlye hearde of Christyan Prynces that false Relygyon or anye dysobedyence vnto GOD Idolatry Hipocrisie Tyrannye or anye such lyke canne establyshe the seate of any Kinge or bring securitie wealth and honoure to anye state or people or that true religion and godlines that iustice and equitie shoulde diminishe any of these and make the state weaker or lesse assured To longe hath this moste false and wicked doctrine abused Princes of weake iudgement to the turninge of theire golde into drosse and their honor into dishonor for what can be more vnwise vnhonorable and vnprofitable in the ende then Idolatry dissimulation Iniustice and tyrannye Or what can be more vnwise and vnhonorable then a state whose wisedome is nothinge but déepe hipocrisie periury and licence of all impietie On the other parte what canne bee more wyse or honourable then a P and state by whome true relygion is zealouslye and sincerelye aduaunced iustyce vprightlye admynistred the royall othe woorde and promise of a P inviolablye obserued vertue rewarded vice punished good lawes wiselye made ryghtly construed and duelye executed and so good a course of gouernment with all christian and noble magnanimitie maintayned and auoued For surelye these two which conteyne all the rest religion and iustice pietie and equitie are the moste precious Pearles that may annorne the crownes of Princes they are Pillers stronge as Iacin and Boos which were erected in the Temple and are named of theyr stabilitye and strengthe wherby theyr state is vpholden Salomon the royall Patron of all true state and honoure by wysedome and vnderstandynge by counsell and magnanimitye by knowledge and the feare of the Lorde as by the sixe steppes of hys regall throne which were made for that purpose ascended into that glorious seate as it was noted by the Lyons at hys féete on eyther side aboue all Kynges of the earthe and satte hym downe as a Kyng of Kyngs and Lorde of Lordes Whose glorye so sittynge was suche as he séemed to bée a newe Adam reentred into the Paradyse of God or as the sonne of God whose glorye in a sorte was represented in him In which example the Lorde hath sealed vnto vs the assuraunce of the promise hée hath made to honor Princes which honoure him and to cause the states to prosper and to flourishe which builde vpp the Temple of the Lorde and neglecte not anye thynge which hee hath commaunded for the furtheraunce and aduauncement of it And as in olde tyme these promises were confirmed in the glorious and happy kyngdome of Salomon So may wée truely acknowledge to the greate glorye of GOD a notable testimonie of the fulfillynge of them in the blessed kyngedome of our moost noble Queene whome the Lorde hath so wonderfully blest to haue as it séemeth some notable example also in these dayes to seale agayne vnto all the worlde the certayne trueth of thys doctrine That happie is the King Prince vvhose God is the Lord For howe richlye hath the Lorde blessed her highnes and her people in comparison of all the Kinges and nations rounde aboute vs wyth peace and aboundaunce accordinge to the prayer of the Psalme for Ierusalem are in all the walles and Palaces of Englande Psal 122 Such a peace and such a plentye as our Fathers neuer knewe nor our Chronicles reporte to haue beene in the dayes of anye of her Maiesties moste noble Auncestors before her Our owne Countrye yéeldeth vs aboundance of all thinges that growe at home and forreine Nations serue vs wyth plentye of all commodities abroade So that what soeuer is in the Easte or West what soeuer in a manner is vnder the Poles or betweene them wée haue it brought vnto vs. Which continuinge so manye yeares in so calme a peace must néedes haue excéedingly enriched the land with wealth and treasure The peace of it is miraculous in so greate and longe troubles of all our neighbours about vs and in so manye Plots and practises layd and vndertakē by the Church of Roome and the rebellious Children thereof for the disturbaunce of our peace Further also the Lorde hath gyuen her highnes that honoure and glorye that neuer anye of her noble progenitours attayned vnto whych is in her owne so happye estate to sitte as iudge and honourable arbitratoure of the causes and controuersies of the greatest Kynges of Europe and of all her neyghbours weyinge the Ballaunce as it pleaseth her And what is the cause of all these so calme a peace so rich a treasure and so exceedinge greate honoure Surely the cause is the same for which the noble Kynge Ezechias was blessed likewise with ritches and honor Ezechias opened the doore of the temple of the Lorde which Ahaz his Father hadde shutte vppe Hée caste out the Sirian Aulters and sette vppe agayne the Aulter of the Lorde in hys place hee purged the Temple from the Idoles and abhominations wherewith it hadde bene polluted hee caused the presence Breade to be sette vppon the presence Table before the Lorde the Lampes of the golden Candlesticke to shyne and gyue lyghte in the Temple of the Lorde hee called home againe the Priestes and Leuites whiche were scattered abroade and appointed liberall prouision and mayntenance for them 2. Chr. 31 21 Finallye in all the worke which hée beganne for the seruice of the house of GOD in séeking his God bothe in the Lawe and in the cōmaundements hée exercised him selfe with all his soule and was prospered In lyke manner it hath pleased God that her highnes shoulde caste out of hys Temple amongste vs theyr Roomishe Aulters they re Idoles of Golde and Siluer of Woode and of Stone Legendes and lyinge Fables the abhominations of the Masse and all the wycked and heriticall doctrine of the Churche of Roome seruice in straunge and vnknowne tongue wyth a thousande superstitions vsed in it In steede whereof her Maiestie hath broughte in prayers in our owne tongue the holye woorde of God to be reade and truelye expounded vnto vs. The Sacramentes which are the seales of the Gospell duely administred the pure cleane and vndefiled Water of Baptisme the Lordes Table furnished as the royall Table of a Kynge at the marryage of hys Sonne wyth the swéete breade of the finest of the Wheate and wyth Wyne of a Grape of mooste noble kynde that is wyth the precious bodye and bloode of our Sauioure Christ Iesu Her highnes hath calde backe agayne the Ministers of the Gospell sled as Elias sometime dyd into the Wildernesse so to sundrye places where they mighte finde the Lorde as hee sawe hym in the Rocke in Mounte Horeb. Further also her
exhorting herevnto gathering to this end al the chief reasons which ought to ioyne vnite the faithful one with an other as one God one Lorde Iesu Eph. 4 4.5.6 one faith one baptisme one body one spirite one hope of their calling wold neuer haue forgotten this whervpon it seemeth by theÌ„ that al this vnity should depend of one supreme pastor whom all ought to obey As this reason of vnity is alleaged for the pope so is it for all the rest of his hierarchie the very image of the beast that is of the RomaÌ„e empire some shadow of the glory wherof this Antichrist would haue expressed in his Prelates after him to whom it hath as much reason as in himself Pity it is that in so faire and cleare a lighte of the day and in this fulnesse of the brightnesse of the sunne any state shoulde not sée that as not beeing appointed of God to be any meanes of the intertaining of good agreement in the Church so contrarywise thorow his wrath and iust iudgment for the peruerting of his lawfull and holy ordinances which onely should rule the church in these cases that it hath been and yet is the most effectuall instrument of Satan to hinder the prosperous and flourishing estate of the gospel For hereby in his supreame Vicar vppon earth he sitteth as the strong man of whome we reade in the Gospel harnesed and armed in the middest of his hall and Pallaice possessing al his house in peace till his weapons wherin he trusteth most whereof this is chiefe be taken from him by our sauiour Christe who is stronger then he and so cast out of his possession The ambition of P. and of the people hath béen one cause to vphold it so long who as the prophet coÌ„plaineth delight in it and take pleasure to haue it so that their priestes should exercise authoritie by their pomp increase the state honor of theÌ„ both An other the weakenes of iudgement euen in those which were wise who seeing worldly states thus gouerned and not knowing the ordinaunces of our sauiour Christe in this case thought it a thing conuenâ—ent And it is to be feared that the allowaunce of this popishe hierarchie springeth in some pretending to be Catholicke from a most bitter roote as seeing hereby that thorow the giftes they receiue of them they shall alwayes haue them at commaundement to apply religion as may be fittest to serue their turn But wheÌ„ the Lorde shall of his goodnes vouchsafe to weâ—de out this roote of wormewood out of their harts and to lighten their eies with true knowledge they shall see both that to be true which hath been in this matter declared and further that this supremacy and whole hierarchy as it is no meanes of vnity in trueth so is it the very cause of keeping out the truth in so many places and detaining the knowledge of God vniustly and in captiuitie For whereas the fathers in their couÌ„cels bind themselues by a solemne oth to do nothing against the present state of the Pope and his Church and that the greatest parte of the abuses which are to be reformed in the Church of Rome are such as their supreme pastor his Hierarchy are guilty of if they call neuer so manye counsels for the purpose Vrspergensis yet if they be sworne vowed one to another to maintaine al their abhominatioÌ„s stil and yet all men be to follow the determination of the pope his prelats what hope is ther that euer they shold condemne them selues their gainful errors what losse soeuer it be to the world For as if things were reformed according to the truth of the Gospel his fatherhood shold part with his triple crown and leaue his riding vpoÌ„ mens shoulders so euery member of his body for his place in it must make lesse of more theÌ„ they would be willing to parte withall Wherefore their couÌ„cels are but for the establishing of their own kingdoÌ„ in the world And as are their general councels such are their national lesser synodes of like men for like purposes To consult of the best way for the reformation of abuses of furthering the seruice of God and of his people not a worde is amongst them For the chiefe abuses are in themselues It were to be wished therfore that all Christian P. or if suche as pretend to bee catholique wil not yet at the least they which make holy profession of the trueth of the Gospell as farre as this aduise may be necessary for them regarded the reformation of so great abuses and established the onely lawfull discipline in the Church which is the meane that Christ hath appointed for the kéeping of the vnity of the spirite in the bonde of peace Further where he blameth vs to receiue no mans exposition but our owne and to despise councelles he is to vnderstande that wee receiue the exposition of anye man bee he neuer so simple whiche is agreeable to the word of God We allow desire we hold expedient and necessarye lawfull holy méetings of conferences of synodes councels would most willingly that our cause might be debated in a free lawful and generall Councell Which woulde to God we might see if it be the Lordes good pleasure so assembled and ordered by the meane of Christian Princes as the worde of God preuailing and all our controuersies taken awaye there might be but one flocke and one solde as there is but one shepheard Christe Iesu And if this cannot be obtained wtout most vnequal conditions of appointing him to be iudg of our cause whoÌ„ we are to charge before God his whol parliment of saints and the reuerend assembly of such a generall and frée counsel as we according to Gods word do desire to be the very same Antichrist whom the scriptures foretold shold come for iust punishmeÌ„t of the wicked by hauing power to seduce into errors apostasie suche as had not the loue of the truth and the very head of that harlot whom S. Iohn painteth out in her colours in the reuelatioÌ„ which hath made al kingdoms drunk with the cup of her fornicatioÌ„s we must for that remit ourselues to the gret day of trial wheÌ„ Christ shal come with thousands of his mighty angels to iudg the quick the dead and before men angels before heaueÌ„ earth al creatures bearing witnes of his iustice giue sentence with vs against our aduersaries But if this so greatly to be desired throw their vnreasonable demaÌ„ds to be iudges in their own cause being to stand arraigned endited of high treason against God al the states of christendom theÌ„ wold to God yet it might be obteined of such christian P. as profes the gospel that there might be a general free councel of al the churches wtin their dominions The benefit wherof thorow the blessing of god must néeds be inestimable both to the preseÌ„t state of the church
make the Temporall Prince heade of all whiche is oftentymes a child and maie easely bee driuen as the windes shall blowe hym Wherein he doeth vs as greate wrōg as in the former For as he vniustly charged vs there with not obeiyng any Pastour not receiuyng the expositions of the Fathers nor determinations of Councels who teache obedience to all lawfull Pastors and bothe receiue and vse all other good meanes to the vnderstandyng of the holie Scriptures as farre as thei maie so helpe vs and especially of the lawful Councelles and learned Fathers though wee giue no Pastour the place of Christ nor any Councel or Father that which is due onely to the word of God So likewise he doeth in this place chargyng vs to giue to Caesar that whiche is due to GOD. True it is we acknowledge the lawfull Kinges Queenes of this land in respect of any earthly power to be next and immediatly vnder God and our Sauiour Christ ouer all persons and in al causes as well Ecclesiasticall as ciuill supreme heads and gouernours that by their authoritie all the will and cōmaundements of GOD maie bee executed and obeyed Wherein nothyng lesse is ment then to derogate from our Sauiour Christ any parte of the hye honour and prerogatiue that appertaineth to the Kyng of Heauen whiche is to subdue our spirituall enemies vnder our feete to animate and quicken the whole body with his most holy Spirite giuyng life and strength to euery parte and member of the bodie to doe that worke for which it is placed in it or to rule it otherwise then he hath appointed But the meanyng is to acknowledge in them that iust and lawfull authoritie whiche the Churche of Roome taketh from them and whiche GOD hath giuen vnto them and all the noble Kynges of Israell and Iuda did with good right and interest exercise and inioye Wee are farre frō perswadyng our Princes to take the holy Censures into their handes a presumption for whiche Vzza the Kyng was striken with Leaprosie by the hande of God But yet wee acknowledge as wee ought notwithstanding thei doe not exercise nor maie not exercise the office of the Ministerie in their owne persones yet are thei the Lieutenauntes of God to see hym worshipped and obeyed by all persones as thei ought to obeye hym and by punishment to force the Transgressours to the doyng of suche duttie as belongeth vnto their places and callyng And thus we read that Dauid and Sulomon Ezekia Iosius and other worthie Kynges did Who reformyng the state of Religion whiche had been polluted and defiled before with shamefull Idolatries appoincted the Priestes and Leuites euery one to doe his office accordyng to his function and charge Agreeably whereunto the Apostle teacheth that euery soule ought to bee subiect to the hyer powers Whereby it is manifest that he comprehendeth the Ministers of what name soeuer thei bee as well as others And our Sauiour Christ submittyng hymself vnto them what professour is it that should not obeye them but suche a Seruaunt as will be better then his Lorde and suche a Scholler as will bee aboue his Maister Herein therefore we giue nothyng vnto them but theirs whiche God the Lorde of all hath bestowed vpon them And therefore if a Childe as Iosias was be Kyng wee acknowledge and reuerence the authoritie in hym aswell as in Dauid or Salomon Wherein wee yeelding our obedience to God and to that authoritie which GOD hath sett ouer vs can giue hereby no cause of innouations as he blameth vs or daungerous hazardes to a Common-wealth nor hinder any good meanes of keepyng the Churche in a holie vnitie But monsterous in deede is the heade whiche thei make appoinctyng one man sometymes who often were vnfitte for any little charge to bee heade and gouernour of all the worlde and that in all causes bothe Temporall and Spirituall A thyng without all comparison more vnfitt and absurde then if a Sculler should bee taken from the Thames to be made Admirall of all the Ocean Sea Nay a thyng vtterly impossible for the infinite varietie of tongues and of causes and the great distaunce of places And what power doe thei attribute to this monstrous head of the worlde surely that which thei can not giue without beyng giltie of blasphemie and high Treason against our Sauiour Christe in makyng common his regalities and honors of giuyng Lawes to the Church ruling the conscience and sittyng in the middest of the Temple of God with the Vicar of Rome whiche maie not be attributed neither to any man of what giftes soeuer nor to any Angell or creature in the worlde Moreouer thei offende also against the state of worldlie Princes withdrawyng their alleagiaunce from thē as a nomber of them doe now from her Maiestie to giue it to this head and raising for it many Insurrections Rebellions and Treasons in the state and many quarrelles contentions and Scismes in the Churche Wherefore seyng that the true causes of all holie vnitie and agreement are with vs and not with them that is the obediēce to God and his holy word and a desire of free Christian and lawful cōferences Sinodes and Councelles and that the promises of blessyng are giuen to the precious faith we holde and not to their wicked false worshippe I conclude that these his general reasons are vtterly insufficient to proue that benefite by meanes of vnitie to bee in their Romishe faith for a Commonwealth whiche he pretendeth or to disproue it to be in the Gospell of our Sauiour Christe which through his grace we professe Now he proceedeth to particuler commodities of a Chistian state Particuler commondities alleadged to growe to a Common wealth by Poperie which he saith their Religion bryngeth vnto it and ours the contrary inconueniences makyng the comparison in our owne Countrey Which if I graunted all yet were not his generall position true that their Religion doeth make a Commonwealth to prosper and ours doth hinder it sufficiently proued For Idolatrie and Paganisme maie in some respect bryng a commoditie whiche true Religion will not yeelde Shall wee then esteeme Religion by that whiche in some one regarde is best for our ease profite and peace Ieroboam perswaded the tenne Tribes by suche a like reason to leaue the true Religion whiche GOD had deliuered vnto them by Moses and the Prophetes and to receiue the worshippe of the Idolles whiche he had errected because his Idolatrous Religion brought them this particuler commoditie that thei might tarie at home in their houses and auoyde greate charge cost and expenses in goyng from Dan or Bethel the vttermost partes of the lande of Israell to worshippe in Ierusalem whereas the other required of them at certaine tymes in the yeare to leaue all they had with greate perrill and daunger of beyng spoyled of all in their absence as he would haue had them to think and to take a greate and costly iourney to their so greate expenses and trauaile Yet
a two edged sword to the diuision of the soule and of the spirit of the ioynts and of the marrowe of the thoughts and cogitations of the hart For there is no creature hidden in his sight but all things naked and as cut vp in anatomy before him with whō we haue to deale His confirmation is a fond lewd tale of a priest that was cōmitted not for any such matter as he pretendeth but for being discouered to be suspicious of beeing a dealer in the popishe practises against the state And thus much for his first point The second point of vowes The second is their doctrine of the obseruation of vowes made to god which they teach being made of thingss lawful honest possible ought to be kept If this were their doctrine thē shoulde our doctrine in this point agree and consequētly the benefit of it to be reaped aswell by vs as by thē but their doctrine accounteth the vowes of pilgrimages of offering to Idols which they call saints a thousande suche like abhominations honest lawful vowes being in deed wicked prophanations of the name seruice of God in this behalf Likewise they hold that a vow of perpetual single life is an honest lawfull possible vow but in al such as in their single life cānot cōtein it is neither honest nor lawful The commādemēt of god by the apstole is contrary to it if they conteine not let them mary speaking in the forme where in commaundements are vttered But he will say it is possible by spirituall exercise so to preuaile against the lust of the fleshe as the single lyfe may be both honest and lawfull I graunt in some to whome God shall vouchsafe it it may beso but God hath made no promise to giue anye man that gifte what exercise soeuer he vse to obtaine it Therefore such vowes as hauing beene vngodly and vndiscreetely made of perpetuall sole lyfe by any not hauing the gift of continēce if for a time not hauing it al his life and bynding him to continue in restlesse burning and vnquietnesse distracting him from all his businesse and disabling him from doing any acceptable seruice to God or men but flaming in his lustes and defyling continually his soule and his bodye with dishonourable thoughtes and deedes We affirme in deede that such vowes hauing been rashly vnaduisedly and vngodly made ought discreetly and godly to be broken that the lawefull remedy appoynted of God being vsed he may possesse his soule and bodye in cleannesse and honour in the honourable and vndefiled estate of marriage who in his single life was not able to doe it And all this we teach most agreeably to the scriptures Contrariwise they teach that such a vow is neuer for any cause to be broken casting a snare vpon the conscience which the Apostle would not doe and forcing a state of life contrary to Gods commandement The consequēce wherof what it hath beene heauen and earth can witnesse against them whether the spirituall fornications of this whore of Babilō as s Iohn speaketh in his Reuelation or the fornications of her body committed by this occasiō of vowes of single lyfe were more may wel be doubted but in both she hath iustified her two elder Sisters Egypt for Idolatry and Sodome for the vile and shamefull abuses of the body I am loth to discouer the filthy nakednesse and shame of this harlot La polygamie le cabinet du Roy. Balesvotaries in suche sorte as she deserueth and therefore referre the Reader to such Writers as haue not spared to stripppe her and laye open her iust confusion to all the worlde As the Authours of the polygamie of the Popish Churches and of the Cabinete and Bale our countreimanne in his votaries haue done For which causes worthilye saide a Bishop of their owne that there was greater reason to allow them againe to marye then euer there was to forbid them For which and the like causes we also say that such vowes as binde men to liue in a wicked and vncleane life not onely lawfully maye but in duetie ought no lesse to bee broken then the wicked vowes of Herode and of the 40. men which had vowed the killing of Paule the Apostle As for other vowes that are lawefully made may be kept in the feare of god we teach they ought inuiolably to be obserued denouncing to those which shall not keepe them that the Lorde will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine And this touching vowes is the doctrine of both our Churches The commodities of their doctrine saieth hee is iuste and true dealing with men who wil reason thus with them selues that if a vowe to GOD be to be kept then also a promyse whiche is a kinde of vowe that byndeth more then any obligation to a man is to be obserued The benefit of not their but of our doctrine I graunt by an exercise of the feare of God in keeping lawefull vowes maye bee a meanes to woorke faythfull and iust dealinges amongst men Which if the professours of the Gospell should not vse their blame offence should be exceeding great to lie in darkenesse after the day be broken and the Sunne bee vpp But yet the doctrine remayneth still without reproofe which teacheth faithfulnesse both to God and man But this kinde of reasoning affirmatiuely from the greater to the lesse that if they will keepe promise to God they will keepe also to men is such as cannot deserue the logicke Lecture in either of their Seminarie Colledges And that a word and as we commonly speake a bare word and promise shoulde binde more then a solemned instrument and obligation as he writeth is neither good diuinitie nor humanitie And this is my aunswere to the seconde poynte The third and fourth he pretendeth to be great common welth poyntes as hee tearmeth them but let vs see what they are The 3. is of abstinence whereof they teach that 106. dayes in the yeare flesh is to bee abstayned from and the vse thereof forborne for punishing the bodye for the more feruent seruing of God beesids the religious obseruances perticuler deuotions the commoditie whereof hee saieth is inestimable to a common wealth For aunswer to this I saye that let the cōmoditie of it be what it may be we haue as many besides euery Wedensday thorowe out the yeare wherin a certeine rate is appointed to be obserued of fishe which wee haue more then they to counterpease their obseruaunces and deuotions But whereas he saieth they abstain from fleshe to punish the bodye for more feruent seruing of God This is a new deuice of this old learning that when men will more seuerelye serue God at certeine tymes then other they should then abstain from flesh For that purpose of fasting we read to haue bin cōmāded at such times but of abstinence from flesh in no place This neither our Sauiour Christ nor his Apostles nor anye other of the
holy Priestes or Prophets before them did comaund The Nazarites in deede for the time of their vowe abstayned from wine and strong drinke by the expresse commaundement of God But yet their profession beeing to serue God more exactlye at such tymes were not commanded to abstain from flesh Neyther was this generally commanded at any time to al the Iewes but a rule for such particulars as should take this vow of the Narite vppon them these contrariwise when they will giue them selues the more to punishe their bodyes and to serue God abstain from fleshe and leaue free the vse of wyne and of all fishe wherof many are more deintie then anye fleshe for which cause the Grecians called their dayntiest and finest feeding men eaters of fishe and all other iunkettes of infinite varietie And as they left them free so they forgate not for the most part to vse their lybertie no not their obseruaunces whereas a temperate and sober dyet of Beefe and Mutton breade at home would neuer haue coste halfe so much as the forreine commodities of wines and delicates of al sorte nor pamper the bodye or make it so vnfitte for any good seruice Which abstinence how it punished their bodyes appeared well in them for their Abbotes and Monkes and other such like were commonlye not the worst fead nor in worst lyking By which kinde of punishing the bodye and abstayning from flesh many times they grew so proude as that they coulde not abstaine from other flesh which God in deed had forbidden them This was but a meere hypocrisie vnder coulour of a straite lyfe to vse a diet that the Epicure and Philoxenus culd not haue wshied a better nor daintier for their own mouth The excesse and daintinesse of which diet being taken out of that hee reckoneth the sauing of flesh woulde come to I suppose that whiche woulde remayne ouer and aboue that woulde proue but a small matter of benefit to a common Wealth As for their obseruing of this and other pollitike and Ecclesiasticall lawes for conscience sake is after in the eight article vpon more expresse and full occasion to be answered His vnreuerent speeches of the Nobles and Iudges of the Lande and of Ecclesiasticall personnes is not anye theirs but his owne iust reproche to touch all degrees and States of the Lande without anye cause For in the myddenyght of Poperye and the verye deepest blindenesse it was lawefull to haue a lycense vppon such dayes to eate fleshe whiche beeing had it was no offence What reason then why they that haue lycense and take heede of offence shoulde nowe bee thought for to transgresse for to God in it selfe and without contempte of the authoritie of the Magistrate it is no sinne as after is more fully to be declared Concerning fasting which is the 4. article it is to bed vnderstood that the Church of God alwayes kept it by abstaining from all manner of meate and drinke vnto the euening which was in deed a fast when as theirs is onely the forbearing of their Supper when they haue well dined or rather the eating at one glutton meale the sober diet of 2. ordinary meales By which account nothing is gayned to the common Wealth but sinne and the punyshment due vnto it But if it were not so yet for so little a gaine nay for no gaine the right order of true fasting were to bee altered into a superstitious faste of certeine dayes and tymes which of necessitie and vppon payne of euerlasting death shoulde be obserued And of this there is vtterlye no neede in the common Wealth GOD hauing so abundauntlye blessed the Lande with all store of all victuall necessary for the vse of our life This were an necessarye pollycie in tyme of famyne good counsell for a shipp that had spent her victualles or a besieged Citie to wey euery man his meat to share him at his pittaunce for one meale a daye But to lay this vpon a free people whom GOD hath blessed with a land of Ryuers of Mylke and Honny to eate but one meale a daye for almoste halfe the yeare is no necessarye pollicye for this lande and people Naye neyther necessarye nor fitte but in cause of distresse as I sayde before neyther for this nor for anye other For with what reason or conscience shoulde the labouring man that hath helde the plough by the end all the daye or traueiled faithfullye in anye other good calling for the seruice of the Common Wealth and to prouide for his owne necessities and those which depende vppon him comming weary and trauayled home at nyght so great a parte of the yeare bee sent fainte and feeble to his reste and not according to the blessing of GOD eate the fruit of his labour Whye shoulde hee not strengthen his hearte with a sober relyefe and gyue the due portion to his houshold to his wife the moste precious parte of his possession as the vine of his house his children stāding like Oliue planttes rounde aboute his Table and his seruauntes after they haue wayted on him and after he haue eaten and dronk that they also eate for the refreshing of their faynt weary bodyes so cōfort him self after his wearie trauail with his houshold This sauing is no husbandry at al where there is meate enough to withdrawe from the people that which in al lawe of God of nature and of nations is due vnto them and necessary for the intertainment of their bodyes in health and strength to be able for the seruice of such calling as they are called to in the Common Wealth This was neuer thought anye needefull pollycie in Israel as populous as it should seeme by the Stories and more then Englande and hauing infinite more cause without comparison of spendinge the prouision of the Lande by so manye Sacrifices and oblations as they were bounde to offer then we haue which are bounde to none of those things whereof if an estimate were made I think it wold fal out that such sacrifices offrings spēt more of their victual thē their 160. dais of abstinence saued al the yeare And besides this that there is no necessarye nor lawefull pollycie in it expereince hath taught vs that it hath beene cause of damnable superstition houldinge men in that captiuitie that they thought it a greater offence to eate flesh in any of those dayes or to eate any thinge at night then eyther to commit adultery or murder or to break any of Gods commaundements Wherefore the superstitious fast which this good husbande for a Common W. woulde perswade is vtterly needelesse in regarde of the great store of the Land thorowe the blessing of GOD and vnlawefull as beeing contrarye to al law and example of anye well pollycied state and gouernement that euer was in the worlde to take from him that laboureth without anye cause so ordinarylye his necessarye foode It is also vngodlye for the snare it casteth vppon mennes consciences and for the
haue enough to do to prouide for themselues and their children as many times for all their care they are so little able to do as they leaue a nūber of poore orphanes behynd thē at the charge of the parish Touching thē I graunt it in part to be true that he saith of their hospitality offals buyldings but I deny their single life to haue bin the only cause or any greate cause of it For if they had contented themselues with such conuenient maintenance as had beene fit for their calling notwithstanding their single life they should neuer haue bin able to haue kept the houses he speaketh of haue builded churches with the surplussage of their liuings But this it was that made thē rich they woorshipped him that promised our sauiour Christ vpō like conditiō to giue him al the K. glory of the worlde They were neuer satisfied like the graue but heaped liuing vpon liuing office vppon office and that with the iniury and wrong of all the worlde They impropriated benefices and annexed them to their Abbeyes monasteries other places to their prelacies dignities a thing vtterly vnlawfull For how should it be lawful when the poore parish as he saith giueth the tithe of al they haue to the end they may haue a mā of God amongest them who may teache them the right way to serue and honour God and to saue their soules that this tithe should be taken from them and giuen to an idle cloyster of Friers or other that doe no duetie for it and leaue the poore people spoyled of their goodes and vnfurnished of one that should be their guide to euerlasting life By which prophane couetousnesse they made them selues guiltie not onely of their robbery of the goodes of the people which they enioyed without any iust title but also of the destruction of their soules in taking from them the meanes wherby they might be taught vnto saluation And shall wee then esteeme it a great liberalitie that if anie of the poore parishe had occasion to trauell by them that way to make him drinke or to giue him a meales meate Euen as one that had robbed a man shoulde giue him a pennie when hee mette him in the high way These are the cuppes and dishes for whiche our Sauiour Christ thundereth in the Gospell Yee Scribes Pharisies and Hypocrites you make cleane the outside of the cups and dishes but within they are full of robbery and wrong for indeede those theyr cuppes and dishes so filled were full of spoyle nay of bloud and that of the soules of menne whiche is one of the commodities they occupie as it is in the Reuelation Apoc. 18.3 with like impietie they annexed benefices vnto their Abbeyes and other houses and dignities by Popish dispensations of commendamus non residences Pluralities tot quots other more the like abhominations And not content herewith they had a thousande other cunning shiftes howe to drawe the riches of the people yea the wealth of all the lande into their handes as it well appeared at the putting of them downe in the late raigne of the renowmed K. Henry the eight It was signified to the King in a supplication how those iolly idle beggers as they are called there had robbed all the poore of the lande al the hospitalles and other almes houses and that they had drawn more then the third part of the whole lande into their possession With this manie times the common Wealth founde it selfe agreeued and prouided diuers and sundrie good lawes as of mortmayne mortuaries and sundry others against their couetousnesse because they gathered all to them as if they woulde haue dwelt alone in the lande and yet exempted themselues from the burdēs charges of the Common W. Therefore in this excesse couetousnesse and insatiable spoyle if for pollicy to keepe the more quietly the possession of so greate riches in their handes they spared some meales and offalles to the poore people or buylded Colledges and Abbayes they cannot bee esteemed to haue increased the wealth and riches of the people whom so diuersly they spoyled and impouerished It had beene as it is nowe without comparison more profitable for the common wealth that euery man had enioyed his propriety in suche a portion as the Lord by any good title shall blesse him with by tylling and manuring whereof hee might haue beene able to maynteyne the estate GOD hath called him vnto and not to stande wayting for offalles But this was indeede a politike poynt for theyr owne gayne For heereby they assured theyr estate by such benefits and pleasures and bound men the more to depende vpon them and to fauour their wicked superstition for the gayne sake Nowe if married ministers doe not the like what hinderance is this to the common wealth which hath in a great parte recouered agayne into her owne handes the landes and liuinges whereby that Hospitality was kept and these houses buylded whiche in all good reason must needes bee both more profitable and more honourable for the common wealth For that euery man sitteth at home in his owne house and eateth the fruite of his owne ground and drinketh his owne water is it not a thousand tymes more profitable and more to his iust contentation yea and more honourable then to seeke it els where and to haue it at an other mās doore Further if of that liuing they lawfully inioy the ministers prouide competently for their house childrē Doth not the lawe of God and of all nations allowe them so to doe Yea bynde them to it For he that prouideth not for his house sayeth the Apostle hath denyed the fayth and is woorse then an Infidell As for the pouertie of our ministery whereby hee obiecteth that many times they leaue a number of poore orphanes at the Parishes charges notwithstanding in the ministery a number be sufficiētly prouided Yet is it indeed to be acknowledge that our ministerie in many places is greatly vnprouided contrary to the cōmandemēt of God to the iust cause of feare of his indignation against vs for it if it bee not some way in tyme relieued But this especially ariseth of the spoile which they made by impropriating the liuing of so many particular churches to the maintenance of their cloisters nests of their superstitious corruptions for remedie wherof we are most hūmble cōtinuall suters to god the authority he hath set ouer vs as indeed it must be acknowledged that in all christiā dutie the minister ought to be mainteined For the Lord hath expresly cōmāded both in the law in the gospel that the Preachers of the Gospell should to liue of their holy labours To which duetie oftentimes the people are exhorted encouraged with promise of increase of blessing if they bee carefull that the Leuite which is amōgst thē be not forsaken And surely seeing they leaue as they ought all other trades wherein occupying thēselues they might thorow
the blessing of God be sufficiently prouided to attende their studies for the seruice of the people in the ministerie of the gospel it is a most necessarie dutie which the people owe to them againe to see that they suche as depēd vpon them may sufficiently honestly liue in theyr seruice as may be seemly for the good credit of the worthie calling which God hath called them vnto The contrary whereof as I haue said wee haue from thē who by impropriating the liuings of the Ministers from the places where vnto they appertein haue left the ministery so marueylously vnprouided as that in some places there are to be found many parishes together whereof all the liuings that now remaine to thē for such vse are not sufficiēt for the compitent maintenance of one man his family which lamentable estate of our ministery must needs be an infinite hinderance to the Gospel both in the iustice of GOD who will punishe so great a contempt of his worde and so carelesse a negligence of the saluation of the people and also in the nature of the thing it selfe For by this occasion such as are in some acceptable measure able to doe good seruice in the ministery withdrawe themselues from it For perceyuyng it to bee suche a calling as besides the manifolde burdens lying vpon all faithfull ministers dooing their duties is subiect to beggerie also and the discredit and other inconueniences that followe it they bestowe them selues in some other lawefull calling wherein doeing their dueties they may be able to liue both in wealth and credite by which meanes this insufficient and vnlearned ministerie whiche nowe so pestereth the land is entred into the possession of the Churche to the infinite hinderance of the Gospel and the losse of thousandes of the soules whiche Christ Iesu hath redeemed with his precious blood Which spoyle of the Church notwithstanding it to be so sore a wound as yet since the beginning of the restoring of the gospel amongest vs could not bee healed yet our hope and most humble prayer to God is that her maiestie by your HH mediation vnto her highnesse may so relieue it with her precious balme so binde it vp with her gracious handes as in time it may bee cured healed againe I am bolde to speake of your H H. mediation in this cause as in other places of such like because the dutie I owe to Almightie God and to the Lorde Iesu his only begotten sonne whom I am called to serue doth necessarily inforce me to it But it doth greatly comfort incourage mee in the performance of so necessary a duetye that I doubt not but your godly wisedomes doe consider the seruice of GOD to bee the right ende and vse of the high and honourable seates wherein hys owne right hande hath placed you Which the Lord ingrauing in your noble and Christian mindes surely hauing of God this honorable fauour to be so neere her highnesse your HH will godly and faithfully aduise her grace both of the necessary cause of the redresse of suche other matters and namely of this that all the people vnder her H. Dominions may haue the meanes by a godly sufficient learned ministerie planted amongest them to come to the knowledge and faith whereby they may the better obey God and her Ma. and saue their soules for euer to euerlasting life Whiche so necessarie seruice of Almightie GOD of her Excellente Maiestie and of the Churche of Christe amongest vs as it is nowe attended and looked for of your HH into whose handes not next vnder her Highnes God hath committed the managing guiding of this noble state and kingdome so no doubt but in that day it will be required when the Lord shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead Wherefore my good LL. as before in the behalfe of the whole Church professing the Gospel so now agayne for the Churche within her Ma. moste noble dominions of Eng. and Irel. I moste humbly vpon my knees beseech your HH to take so to hart this estate of the Church and ministery amongest vs that all abuses beyng remoued good order established all duetifull subiects may besides all other blessinges whiche nowe they enioy by your LL. meanes haue this so woorthy a cause also to prayse GOD for hauing sette so Godlye and H. Gouernours ouer them It hath a promyse to breake the Bread vnto the hungrye and to make the thrysty drinke and not to turne away the eare from him that cryeth for reliefe in his necessity Nowe so it is that this Churche in manye of her children cryeth for bread euen for the bread of life and there is no man that breaketh it vnto thē the tongues of many cleaue to their roofe for thirst whiche they are in daunger to perish in and no man giueth them the pure water of life to quicken their soules And as our Churche heretofore by other meanes hath cryed oftentimes euen till shee haue almost lost her voyce so now agayne she cryeth by this most humble supplication to your Honours to regarde her necessitie if wealth peace wisdome authoritie or any other thing be needeful for this worke the Lorde hath bountifully furnished the lād with al that needeth Some reasonable way without the iniurie of any might by your wisdomes be found whereby euery parishe might recouer againe their own to the maintenaunce of a worthy ministerie amongste them Alas that for anye cause so manye soules of the people committed to your charge should perishe Wherfore my good Lords turne your eares I beseech you to heare the humble suite of this Church that the Lord your redeemer may turn his eares vnto you in the day when you shall call vppon him So shall the saued soules of thousandes prayse God for you so shall the Lord blesse you and your noble posteritie and so both all this and suche other slaunderous mouthes shall be stopped which are now so wide open against vs. To the aunswering to whome I returne againe for my moste humble request relying vpō the godly zeale and wisdomes of your Honours 6. of raysing of rents The sixt Article is of raysing rentes which hee saieth their religion prohibiteth except vpon some great cause and with great moderation euen to the solemne cursing of them and woulde insinuate that ours alloweth it The cōmoditie of which not raysing of rentes aboue measure and to the extreame vsing of the Tenauntes he saieth is manifest to bee great in a common wealth For the commoditie that commeth of it I graunt but for the doctrine I affirm that ours doeth in no sorte more fauour any extreame raysing of rents then theirs A moderate rysing of them in the raysing of the pryces of all other thinges wee allowe as they doe when it is necessarye and moderate for otherwise it shoulde bee better with the Tenante then with the Lord. And them selues when they let their farmes of the old rent were wont to binde
to their callynges to looke to the doynges of these busie and sedicious Seminaristes and to further suche lawfull iustice against them as they maye by their vnlawfull deedes make them selues subiecte vnto and that your HH accordyng to the noble care you haue had hitherto of the maintenaunce of Gods true Religion of the sacred person of her most excellent Maiestie and of all the people against al which thei haue wickedly set them selues will still holde your eyes open night and daie ouer them to discouer the secrete practises of their enemies and to bryng to knowledge and iustice their vngodly and cruell deuises whiche thei conspire of vnder pretence of their confession Concernyng triall of disputation he chargeth vs with two thynges that wee refuse all triall by writyng preachyng or lawfull disputation and that wee are readie onely when we haue the aduauntage What triall he could make of any cause by preachyng I can not tell except he haue a confidence in persuasible wordes of humaine learnyng and supposeth that if it were as free for thē to preach as it is for vs that then thei should worke miracles For to trie the truth of pointes of Religion by preachyng I think was neuer taken for any waie of triall since the Gospell was first preached Therefore this part of their three waies he might well haue spared except he hope of suche their abilitie If he haue any suche confidence he is to learne that the Apostles preuailed not by preachyng in suche order but that their speeche was such as caried with it an euidence read and vnderstoode in the hartes of the hearers that thei spake by the spirite of God For their doctrine as also our sauiour Christs before was with power not as that of the Scribes and Pharises And therefore if he haue hope in this his hope is a Spiders webbe and as a brokē Reede that wil deceiue him There were many eloquent Oratours many profounde Philosophers and many wisemen accordyng to humaine reason when the Apostles were sent to preache And thei came against them neither with persuasible woordes of mannes teachyng nor with any depe Philosophicall skill nor with any greate reachyng witte but with the worde of the Crosse as farre from any outwarde pompe of speeche as the Crosse of Christ was frō any worldly honor Yet by this woorde bare and naked in shewe by this breathe of the Lordes mouthe thei preuailed against all the enemies of the Gospel and subdued the wise and deepe the flowyng and eloquent men to the obedience of the faithe of Christe Therefore hauyng not this worde for hym but against hym if he had the tongues of Angelles yet should he no more preuaile to the subuertyng of the faithe of the electe of God then either Tertullus the Oratour or the false Apostles in the Churche of Corinth did against Paule the true seruaunt of Christe If the armour we fight with against thē were but carnall as theirs is wherewith thei striue against vs then might thei hope in deede to match learnyng with learnyng skill with skill knowledge with knowledge Eloquence with Eloquēce finally any of these giftes cōmon vnto all men with as greate giftes to maintaine warre against vs. 2. Cor. 10. ◠But the weapons of our warfare are spirituall and through the might of him that worketh all thynges of power to ouerthrowe euery high Tower and euery strong Bulwark that is exalted against it To vs it is who professe by the grace of God and teach the Gospell to whom is promised Mat. 10. and to whō it hath often been performed a mouth and wisedome against whiche all our enemies should not be able to stande Wee are the weake ones by whom the Lorde confoundeth the strong the base by whom the noble the thinges of no accompt by whom he ouerthroweth those of greatest reckenyng in their opinion that the glory maie be the lordes Besides he must nedes think vs verie loose and dissolute in the administration and discipline of the Churche that should thinke it a likely matter to persuade that thei should bee suffered to come emongest vs to preache their wicked heresies of Idolatrie and all abhominations Where did the Apostles euer suffer this in any church established by thē Where did euer christian prince hauyng receiued the truth wittyngly and willyngly admitte false Apostles and erronious teachers emongest their people If the woorde of God had not made vs thus wise yet might wee haue learned this of all the worlde and of theim selues Thei themselues doe thei suffer the true Preachers of the Gospell freely and without restraint to preache emongest thē Did thei euer offer this at Rome or in any parte where their Idolatrie is established If the children of darcknesse haue so muche vnderstandyng to maintaine their Kyngdome of blindnesse muche more the childrē of light ought to be able to discerne of that whiche appertaineth to the mainteinaunce of the kyngdome of Christe This then neuer hauyng been any waie of triall nor in deede beyng not of that nature to trie a truthe there remaineth to satisfie hym for the reste He requireth yet a triall by disputation and that in twoo sortes by writyng or speeche For triall by disputation it hath been admitted alwaies and many tymes offered by the professours of the Gospell vnto them and that in bothe sortes of speaking writyng Martin Luther Phililp Melancthon Luthers worthie companion with sondrie others of the learned famous men of Germanie maintained the most holy and honorable cause of the Gospell by disputation before many of the great states of Germanie against as subtill cunnyng Instruments of Satan as euer since haue risen vp to oppugne the truthe of the Gospell In Fraunce at Poyssie Theodore Beze Peter Martir men of rare excellencie of knowledge and vtteraunce with sondrie other worthy learned menne so disputed this cause with the choise of Sorbone and of all the Papistes of Fraunce as the Cardinal of Loraine hym self wished that Beza that day had bin dombe or some of his auditours noting the chiefest had been deafe meaning thereby that God by him that daie had so laied open the truth and disciphered their errours as he feared least those that were in aucthoritie should haue receiued it I leaue to mention the disputation of Zwinglius Oecolampadius and others at Bearne Basile Strausborough and other free Citees In all which the Lorde so assisted his seruauntes the ministers of the Gospell as vpon suche triall the truthe was found to be with them And to speake here of the like at home in Kyng Edwardes tyme and also in Queene Maries when thei brought those worthy men and constant Martyrs of Christ Cranmer Ridley and Latimer and others to dispute at Oxford with the most vnreasonable inequalitie that might be yet thei so receiued and put out all the fierie dartes of the Deuill and his instrumentes cast against thē and so foiled and wounded their enemies that bothe all
that were present whose eyes the Lorde had vouchsafed to open to see the truthe and whosoeuer shall yet reade it to this daie maie easily see that the sheilde of faithe was their defence that thei fought valiauntly with the sworde of the spirite to the confusion of those that stroue againste theim And though their bodies were vsed afterward at the pleasure of their aduersaries hauyng no regard of their callyng no reuerence of their learnyng no respecte of their age yet after the example of Samson and the true Samson Christ Iesus by death thei obtained victorie against theim In the beginnyng of the happie raigne of her Maiestie now sittyng in the Royall seate of her Fathers their Bishoppes and greatest Clerkes were prouoked and appoincted by aucthoritie to dispute if thei were able to maintain their doctrine with suche ministers of the Gospell as were called to deale with them in it Which action as it appeareth by the storie and testimonie of many that were present at it was so fōdly and ridiculously handled on the parte of the greatest Pillers of their pretended Catholike Churche that al men maruell that the memorie of the confusion and shame of that daie doeth not with hold them once to moue the matter of disputatiō with vs. For after a little impertinent speeche thei gaue ouer their cause in the plain field But thei saie he that runneth awaie maie fight againe and so peraduenture these men haue now gotten more harte of grace then thei had before or els these Romistes and Remistes thinke peraduenture their Bishops were vnlearned but that thei in so many yeres trauell and study abroad haue better furnished theim selues for the battaill But their weakenesse was notably discouered in their greate Champion and Father Iesuite who offeryng defiaunce with Goliah to the hoste of Israell as if the staffe of his Speare had been as a Weauers beame he was bolde to caste vs his Gloue and throw vs his Gauntlet to prouoke vs to fight with hym boastyng to maintaine his cause by Scripture Councells Fathers by all Lawes Common Ciuill and Canon and all Stories A man would thinke suche a Chāpion had been able to haue doen great matters but whē he was after encountred with his glorie was tourned to shame and the Diuinitie he boasted of was founde to bee but certaine of the boldest and moste vnreasonable asseuerations of the fondest and moste absurde distinctions that euer were heard of wherby he supposed to haue been well armed againste all obiections For a taste whereof I offer the gentle Reader some fewe whiche I heard beeyng present at the disputation In the matters of iustification of faithe onely whereas he had falsly and slanderously charged vs of late to haue brought into the Church this new doctrine of iustification by faith onely and that there were places cited out of the Fathers Greeke and Latin who liued aboue 1000. yeares agoe expresly hauyng these words that faithe onely iustifieth He aunswered that it was to bee vnderstoode of the vngodly wherein hauyng confessed a truthe for so the Apostle saieth that God iustifieth the vngodly by faithe that is holdeth hym godly in Christ in whom he beleeueth who in himself is vngodly by suggestiō of his companion he fought againe to ouerthrowe that he had saied by a fond distinction of two iustifications a thyng meerely deuised in the braine of man For who euer read in the Scriptures that a man is iustified before God any more then once but that thei whō GOD had once reputed for iust he holdeth them so for euer Otherwise the reason of the Apostles iustification by faithe were nothyng if the Iewes might haue aunswered thus that when he was first conuerted from Idolatrie Abraham was in deede iustified by faithe onely but after he was circumcised and had offered vp his sonne he was iustified againe and that was by his workes but this was a fancy not once dreamed of by them Therefore the Apostle taketh it for a grounde that beyng once iustified by faith onely he was alwaies iustified before God by faithe alone An other folly of a suche like distinction was ioyned with this that onely in the Fathers alleadged shatteth out onely the workes goyng before his faith whereby he forgat that he ouerthrewe their workes of congruitie whiche thei pretende to confirme out of Cornelius exāple but not the grace giuen together with faith whiche is hope and charitie whiche aunswere is as flat contrarie to the doctrine of the Apostle as darkenesse is to light For if Abraham were iustified by faithe hope and charitie then was he not iustified without the woorkes of the lawe for hope and charitie are workes of the lawe It is contrarie also to their owne doctrine for if the first iustification be by faithe hope and charitie what second iustification can there be or what other thyng will thei require besides faithe hope and charitie to iustifie with a seconde iustification This seconde iustification he would haue confirmed by the helpe of their vulgare Latine translation whiche hath Qui iustus est iustificetur adhuc but very corruptly for the Greeke is he that doeth iustice let him doe iustice stil as if he should saie he that doth well let hym doe well still and he that doeth ill lett hym doe ill still whiche is as farre from the question of iustification as the East is from the West In the question of transubstanciation to the place of Ireneus that there is a spirituall thyng in the Sacrament and also a materiall whiche he expresly speaketh of the very substaunce of bread His aunswere was that the materiall thing was the accidentes that appeared the whitenesse lightnesse roundnesse c. To Oregen affirmyng that whiche is receiued at the mouthe to goe to the stomacke and to nourishe the bodie and to bee cast into the draught His aunswere was that the accidentes doe nourishe and that the accidentes are voyded Contrary to all lawe and order of nature whiche God hath appointed For it is no more possible that accidents being not in any substance should nourishe as it is that darkenesse should at the same tyme bee bothe darkenesse and light To Theodor affirmyng the nature and substaunce of the bread to remaine He aunswered that Theodor vnderstoode it of the substaunce of the accidentes and a generall substaunce whereby an accident hath a beyng and not of the speciall substaunce of bread whereas it is as cleare as the daie at noone that Theodor meant plainly that the very substaunce of the bread remaineth still in the speciall substaunce of breade and is not altered otherwise then in the vse whereto it is applied that is that beyng naturally appoincted of GOD for the feedyng of the bodie it hath hereby the institution of that Sacrament a heauenly vse whiche is to feede our soules A nomber of these fonde and vnreasonable absurde and vnlearned distinctiōs of his I could alledge but thei are now at large reported and published to
whiche shall be alleadged Herevnto maie be added if there bee cause the testimonies of the Councelles Fathers Stories or other authorities of credite not to argue or proue any truthe or to cōuince or disproue any vntruthe for this appertaineth to God not to man to his infallible woorde and not to the writinges of men who are all liars but as witnesses to testifie what the doctrine of the Churche was in suche a question in the sondrie ages times of the church Which beyng doen by either partie then that either of them bothe aunswere the argumentes of the other and strengthen again his owne in suche place as the aduerse partie shall thinke to be weake Which passyng thus to and fro till bothe haue said what thei are able for thē selues will leaue suche a meanes for those whiche are willing to informe their cōsciences of the truthe as by gods grace it wil be easie to discerne His secōd reason wherby it maie appeare that their standyng in this cause is not without substanciall warrant is noted to be the vncertaintie of temporall fauor in matters of Religiō but that sectiō wherevpon it is noted conteineth no suche matter but onely this that it is not inough to perswade them that we saie we haue the Gospell because other also condemne vs and saie thei haue it we are not ignoraunte that euery one maketh claime to haue the Gospell and condemne those whiche ioyne not with them Amōgest whom that he reckeneth Luther and a Scholer of his I referre him to my answere where this is alledged of hym before which answere maie serue for his Scholer too As for the Trinitaries and Anabaptistes it is but his his malice and hatred against the Gospell to recken vs with theim whom wee are as vnlike in all their vngodly opiniōs as thei are vnlike the true Churche of Christ and her moste holy faith But this were an aunswere if we had nothing but the bare word and boastyng of the Gospell Wee haue made God be praised for it sufficient profe to all equall Iudges that it is bothe in woorde and in deede the true Gospell and pure woorde of GOD and the lawe of the lorde whiche is now the Religion through the goodnesse whiche hath visited vs from aboue established and preached emōgst vs. The twoo next sections haue some matter in them like this title for in the firste of thē he affirmeth the holie Religion whiche is now established to haue been brought in by an noble man after king Henries daies whiche he saieth could doe moste by bryngyng in twoo Caluinistes as he tearmeth them to read in the two Vniuersities here Whiche he so laieth out as if we had no other staie for Religion but that noble mannes pleasure who he saith if he would haue brought in twoo of any other secte might aswell haue established it whervpon he cōcludeth that seyng that seculer magistrate nor temporall law is no sufficiēt ground in religiō there is no cause but thei should be excused to continue stil in their opinion as thei doe And thus he retourneth againe to his request of disputation But first for this his second reason He maie remember hym self that their Dagon was fallen to the grounde though not with so greate hurte as after euen in the tyme and raigne of Kyng Henry the eight of noble memorie So that to speake in any reason he cannot laie the foundation of the Gospell now emongest vs vpon the onely meanes of the noble manne whom he noteth He might haue remembred that worthie thinges wer doen in K. H. tyme. For God had giuē that noble king besides his owne abilitie to discouer the ambitious pride and greedie couetousnesse of the Clergie the repugnance of the Popes supremacie with the souerantie of his roiall croune and dignitie the abhominations of the Dispensations of the Pope and sondrie suche like weightie and materiall poinctes of true Religion For GOD gaue vnto hym by sides some other meanes chiefe furtheraunce to the sight of these thynges by that moste vertuous and excellent Princes Ladie Anne Bulleyne the moste honourable mother of our dreade Soueraine Ladie now raignyng ouer vs whose eyes God hauyng opened to see the truthe her religious and zealous mynde louyng the wisedome that is greater then Salomon whiche the famous Queene of Saba was so delighted with and beeyng carefull for Gods people as Queene Hester was a worthy meanes to draw the noble kyng to better iudgement and knowledge in Religion then he had been of before whiche was also Godlie continued by the good and gracious Ladie Queene Katherine Par. Further also besides many other he had two as wise faithfull coūsailors as euer had Christian kyng before hym The one that reuerend and learned father Crāmer and the other the wise lord Cromwel counsellours worthie of eternall memorie for their Religious stout and wise dealyng against the misterie of iniquitie For hauing not to do onely with the Popes Consistory and Vestrie with his Cannon lawe beggerly wardrope with his discipline ceremonies but with his whole bodie with his whole house and tēple and that so rooted and groūded as if the foūdations of it had been layd in the centre of the earth yet God poured suche a Christian magnanimitie into their noble hartes to vndertake and such a sound iudgement to deuise the way to performe the ouerthrowe of it and to vndermine those deepe foundations as if the lord had giuen theim a pouder to rende vp those stately houses as Bulwerkes of Sathan and Castles of superstition and Idolatrie which seemed to haue been builded to continue to the ende of the worlde Further the Gospell was taught bothe in other places and also here in Englande and was receiued beleued and professed most constantly to the death by sondrie true professors of it and constaunt martyrs of Christe long before that tyme he speaketh of Wherefore there is no reason to make the entrance of those two readers the beginning of true religiō with vs. Moreouer also in the beginnyng of the raigne of that noble princely king Edward Who knoweth not that the state of religiō was established within this land by act of Parlament before the commyng in of those readers into the vniuersitees so that this reason is vtterly voide of all reason to make thē the beginnyng of religion emongst vs who came in twoo yeres after it had been throughly and quietly established as it is at this present daie After in deede by the worthie meanes of the noble Duke of Sommersett Lorde Protector and the right reuerend Cranmer twoo famous clearkes that then were of the moste renoumed for their vertue and learnyng in all these partes of Europe Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr wer procured ouer and placed the one in Cambridge the other in Oxford to the greate seruice of almightie God and of this his Churche For thei accordyng to the Apostles exhortatiō deliuered ouer a forme of sound doctrine to many
and honourable Parentes it is no harde matter to poinct out bothe the Parentes and tyme of the natiuitie of it But as of a base sonne of a common Harlott no man can tell the father So their Romishe Superstition beyng the base issue of the whore of Bablilon no maruell though wee can not tell who it was that begot it That Harlot hath had so many louers as it is not easie for her selfe to tell who was father of her sondrie Bastards But though neither their father nor tyme of birthe be knowne is it therefore to bee concluded that thei are right and noble borne nothyng lesse But any other Parentes and Authours of our faithe then our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles neither he nor all the sonnes of Romulus at Roome nor of Remus at Rhemes shall euer bee able to shewe Thei maie easily shewe by whose blessed ministerie the Lorde of late hath restored vnto vs this Gospell again as it was easie in Iosias tyme to saie that the booke of the lawe was founde in Iosias tyme the 13. yeare of his reigne by Hilcia the Priest whiche was no preiudice to the lawe For if it had not been founde till of late when the Gospell accordyng to the truthe of it was found yet had it been neuerthelesse the law of God and that most holy and auncient law whiche had been giuen sometymes by the ministerie of Moses So likewise thei may name in what Kynges daies what yeare of his reigne Luther began to discouer the abhomination of the Popes indulgences after both he and others restored to vs againe after a lōg apostasie time of darknesse the knowledge of the truth yet were thei no Authors of it no more then Helcia of the law but Moses of the law and Christ of the Gospell whiche thei preached and other Authors shall thei neuer be able to shewe But for their Romishe faithe we will ioyne this issue with them to shewe it is not of Christ nor of his Apostles Further also notwithstandyng that thei and others who haue ruled the worlde haue wasted all the recordes of many auncient Writers that we can not haue the writynges of all that did controlle them and that in some fewe 100. yeares in the beginnyng their faithe crept in by little and little by soft and flowe paces and that with greate hypocrisie that it could not bee well discouered and therfore not easily controlled for suche tyme yet will wee shewe that when the buildyng and seede appeared aboue the grounde the seruauntes of God discouered Antichristes Sinagoge and his Tares and haue freely complained to the Lorde against it The reason why it is hard to discouer the Authors and tymes of the seuerall pointes of this Popishe heresie are these First it entered not into the Churche all at once but in sondry ages declined from the truthe of the Gospell till it came to this full apostasie wherein it hath beene now some hundred yeres The degrees of which declination were so small at the beginnyng that thei were not easily to be spied Reasons why this issue is not to be ioyned For as the grasse and wheate growe as wee reade in the Gospell yet no man can discerne the growyng of it or see how muche of it shooteth vp in a daie So likewise doe the Tares A man maie well discerne them when thei are growne but while thei are growing it is not easie to discerne Secondly the hypocriticall shewe that these beginnynges of declination caried with them was a greate meanes to deceiue the worlde For if it bee not easie to know the Wolfe in a Sheepes skinne nor the Beast in his shewe of two hornes like a Lambe nor the Angell of darknesse when he transformeth hymself like to an Aungell of light so most of all this hath place in little and small beginninges of Superstition couered and clothed with a shewe of good deuotion For these and suche like causes the auncient Fathers within the first 4. or 500. yeares tooke no greate heede to the little and small beginnynges that were then laied of this misterie of iniquitie Further also those tymes were exercised greatly in striuing with maine Heretickes seekyng to ouerturne openly the groundes and foundations of our faithe concernyng the twoo natures and vnitie of the persone of Christ Iesu Thei had to striue with Ebion Cerinthus Arius Eutiches Eunomius Nestorius and after with the Donasties Pelagians and many other who euidently and manifestly sought the subuersion of the chiefe groundes of Christianitie Wherfore hauyng to deale with many open enemies and of those some of greate abilitie to hurt the churche for speciall giftes of knoledge and eloquēce thei set them selues as there was great cause thei should to resist the forcible violence of those mightie enemies whereby it was scarse possible for those worthie learned fathers to take heede to those degrees of superstition that by little and little so suttely and hypocritically crept into the church Besides this if any of them did discerne the soft slidyng awaie from true religion and deuotion into superstition yet sure thei neuer feared the issue would haue been suche as experience hath taught vs. And if thei gaue any token of their dislike hereof the wastes and confusions of the world since that time haue been suche as it maie be well enough that some of them reproued more thē can now be shewed by any workes that are extant There were many worthie and famous mē which wrote infinite volumes of whō now little remaineth and some nothyng but their names Origen wrote exceedyng muche yet there remaineth now little in comparison of that he wrote and that which remaineth is so corrupted that it nothing aunswereth the famous reporte of learnyng which Origen had in the church in his tyme. To this maie be added that the B. of R. by meanes of the R. Emperors whiche were Monarches of the worlde with whom thei were in credit had the meanes to deface abolishe all writynges rolles and recordes whiche might hinder the growyng of their superstitions And that this is no vaine surmise of a thyng that might bee it appeareth that thei were so diligent to doe it as ther was nothyng so authentike and reuerende that for their purpose thei were not ready to corrupt and falsifie What was more reuerēd in Austens tyme then the famous councell of Nice and the Cannons agreed of by the Fathers assembled together in that reuerend Consistory Senate yet the B. of R. corrupted falsified the 9. Cannon of that Councell to lay the foūdations of the Primacy whiche thei pretended vnto ouer all Churches For so the Story reporteth that Faustine the B. of R. Legate or Deputie alledged that Cannon for the Supremacy which being after diligently sought for by Austen the rest of the Fathers was found to bee corrupted and so thei wrote vnto the B. whiche foule act to corrupt the Cannōs of so reuerende a Councell and to seeke to abuse
therby the cheefest and worthiest seruauntes of God in those daies and best able to discouer his falshoode doeth euidently shew that in other writynges which should neuer come to like examination and tryall they would make small conscience of like corruptions so thei might serue their turnes Further the creditte they obtained in the Church by some good Bishoppes of Roome in the beginning and cōstant Martirs of Christ was a great meanes whereby these whiche succeeded in their places but not in their pietie and holye profession togeather with the power and authoritie which they had gotten of the Emperours coulde not so easily and openly bee discouered as that the tyme of their beginning to fall awaie and theire secrete procéeding and growing forwarde shoulde bee openly controlled Which we may see in the declinations and conuersions of common welths For the lawfull gouernement of Kinges or of a senate of Princes or of the states of a land after an equall and iust regiment of some yeares either of purpose or thorow the weaknes of mans nature which is not able to maintaine thinges long in any perfect state may decline in time to a tyranny or confusion But if the whéele of such a state be not turned with any suddaine violent motion but softly in many yeres almost without any noyse then I say that in a certaine periode of tyme the lawfull and iust gouernement will be chaunged in déed into an vnlawfull tyranny or confusion But yet while it is a turning especially in the beginning when the motions are leaste and hardest to be discerned no man almoste can bee able to saye when this wheele was firste moued or whose hand first began to turne it And this shal yet be harder if such as haue finest senses to discerne euen of the most still and insensible motions vppon their discouering of them be charged and condemned as traitours to the state For by this meanes others which perceiue no sensible alteration are greatly hindred to discerne of their exact and exquisite iudgement and thinke rather that they were deceiued worthely executed for some Treason against the state Whereas notwithstanding after when the motions grow more forcible and violent euerye meane wit will be able to discerne it and in the ende no man so blind nor dull but must needes perceiue it And such hath beene the conuersion of the Church of Rome In the tyme of the Apostle Paules preaching in it for of Peters beeing there we haue no certaine ground in the scriptures The state of that Churche both for doctrine and discipline was perfect and such as the Lorde Iesu him selfe had appoynted After his tyme it continued in good state while it was vnder persecution euen to Constantines time yet so that euen then the whéele began to turne And tho the motions were so easie stil as all men perceiued them not yet some of exquisite iudgement did discerne in it a slyding forwardes to this supersticion and tyrannie Amongest whome Ireneus noted Victor in the Question of the daye to bee kept for Easter daye to haue beene to peremptory and to take to much vppon him to excommunicate the East churches for it the matter being in it selfe indifferent and Victor hauing no authoritie ouer those Churches After when it had peace and rest from persecution the motions grew faster and swifter For then it began to seeke for wealth after wealth taking occasion by the honour of the place being then the seat of the Empyre began to affect some like preeminence in the church and to draw as it were in the church the image of the Empyre Whereof tho the rough draught was imperfect and a shadow of lyues not easie to be discerned yet after the cole came the pensill and then the colours til at the last the whole image of the Empyre was to be seene in the state of the Church In which tyme fell out the falsification of the Canons of the counsell of Nice reprooued by Austen and all the fathers of that coūsell Which liberty of theirs and the free estate of other churches as counterwholes so checked his course that it could not goe fast forward til by the authoritie of Phocas hee had obtained the name of vniuersall Byshop Which being once obtained with in a while after it grew to be such as all were declared Heretiques which should speake against it And then the wheele was violently carried to this apostasie from the trueth of the Gospell and as the motions were more sensible so more there were which perceyued it and spake against it But notwithstanding al the difficulties which might hinder this purpose it appeareth for all the secresie subtletie hipocrisie authoritie force and cunning whereby they sought to hide their wickednesse from the worlde yet by the grace of God the beginners and authours of certaine of the degrees of this mysticall iniquitie are to bee discouered Concerning the reste we vndertake to prooue that what time or by whom soeuer they were brought in that they were not taught by Christ nor his Apostles nor in their tyme which is our immoueable ground where on we build that at what time or by whome so euer it began it is not to be alowed nor receiued M. Iewell of reuerend memory did vndertake and perfourme againste them that twenty nine points Wherin they differ from vs the primitiue church Whensoeuer after they were brought in yet were not knowne nor taught in the church for sixe hundred yeres after Christ Amōgst which this is one which he nameth of the real presence and consequently Their masse which is another for their Masse can not stande without a real presence And if neither in the time of Christ nor sixe hundred yéers after they can prooue them to haue beene receiued to what purpose is it to aske when they began let them rather shewe vs when they began and prooue that so many points as haue beene offered them were receiued in so manye sundry ages and times of the Church Which if they can not doe then let them acknowledge their iuste cause of satisfaction and their wilfull ostinacy against the truth but to satisfy him further in the particulers he hath set down I say first touching the question of the real presence it began to be moued after the daies of Charles the great in the raigne of Charles his neuew At what time Bertram an excellent clarke wrote a large volume of it and prooued the words of the Supper were to be vnderstood in a mistery and figure and not really After whom Paschasius began to write for the vnderstanding of the words of a real presence And after thē both Bertrams iudgemēt was maintained by Berengarius the French churches and the opinion of Pascasius by Lanfranc and others Thus diuersly was this controuersie handled till the Laterane counsell defyned of it which yet the French churches especially of Aniou and Yours for a long time yéelded not vnto Of this errour
disobedience Some of them haue beene executed according to the auncient lawes of this land without any extraordinary extremitie nay rather with fauor in case of high treasō And yet of this sort the epistle of the persecution in England Whervnto he referreth him selfe For proofe wherof he mentioneth only pretended Catholiques that haue been so executed In deed since some more vpon like reason their cause being first iudicially heard at the K. bench and orderly proceeded in according to the course of law and iustice in such case beeing found guilty of hie treason receiued like execution And this is the greatest extremety which they can complaine of to this day But he denieth that any one act word or thought was founde in them of treason wherin he is conuicted of manifest truth both by so many as were officers of her maiesties iustice vpon them and by their owne confessions as well of other matter as also of reconciling of diuers her highnesse subiects to the pope as it appeareth by that hath bin published hereof by authoritie Whereby they acknowledge the Popes most vniust sentēce against her H. as lawfull draw her Ma. subiects from her obedience which the law of this land hath declared to bee high treason againste her Highnes royall crowne and dignitie Nether is it heere inough to say that they do it in conscience of their religion for in many good consciences they can not do it the B. of Rome by the worde of God hauing no more to do in England then any minister in Englād hath to do in Rome And if without the word of God they will be caried in such a course as cannot stand in any truth of religion or sound pollicie with the safetie of the state and securitie of oure moste lawfull Soueraigne oure whole common Wealth and Countrie should they cry out as if extreame cruelty were executed vpon them if their excuse of a pretensed conscience be not taken for a sufficient aunswer These cries complaints might worthely haue bene made by the poore faithful people of Merindall of the valley of Anagrogne the rest when the Popes executioners wasted destroied 7. townes of theirs Also by our brethren in Q. Maries daies which were burnt by dosens together in a fire Likewise by our brethren cruelly without any forme or processe of iustice murdred and slain in the late butcheries and massacres of France Then was it time to haue shewed compassion but the bowels of Christ were not in them Then was a time to haue shewd pitty but their merciles harts were void of grace mercye They were filled with gal and bitternes no fire was hot inough for them no sworde was sharp ynough The honourable and the common was all one to them the learned and vnlearned the reuerēd age and the comly youth the man and the woman the father and the sonne the mother and the babe borne out of time and murdered as soone as hee was born by their sauage and barbarous crueltie These cry yet behinde the altar against them O Lord when wilt thou reuenge our bloud and the Lord will not refuse to hear them and reuenge their cause vpon their bloudy enemies in the day of his wrath Another reason is alleaged of the fauour they find in the Indies and vnder the Turke which I haue aunswered before and answere here again that neither do they suffer that doctrine and practise of their religion which they holde in these parts neither if they did are Christian P. to rule their Subiectes by the examples of Turks and heathen but by the law of God Who hath giuen to them this commandement to be obserued in all their dominion that neither anye man nor his children nor seruaunts that neyther home borne or strangers be suffered to prophane his Sabboth and to pollute his holy seruice leest the rest of the people of the lande learne of them and so the wrath of God come suddenly vpon vs for being accessaries to Idolatrie As for the tolleration of the Iews whosoeuer they be that suffer the exercise of their religion with the blasphemies they commonly vse against Christ make themselues giltie of al their wickednes which the Lord keepe this lande from as well as from the abhomination of the masse But they maye remember that their Holye Father can tollerate the Blasphemye of the Iews and the filthinesse of all the Curtesains and Stewes and take a yeerely rent of them for it and for no respect will allowe the exercise of our most holy religion eyther in his own dominions or wheresoeuer he may preuaile againste vs but by all meanes seeke to burne all the professors of it to ashes and to shed their bloude as water to runne downe the Streetes Further if no protestāt Prince elswhere haue executed any of these Catholiks for religiō as he cōfesseth no more hath any for the cause bin put to death with vs as I haue shewed alredy which being so that neuer any professyng the Gospell put any of them to death for meere matter of their conscience let the Lorde iudge the wicked seruaunt by his own mouth Now for the barbarous crueltie and most sauage immanitie vsed by them against vs we haue shewed againe that pacience towardes thē hitherto as we haue not touched the life of any one of them But if the Catholiques had practised Rebellions and Treasons in the Dominions of other Princes professyng the Gospel as thei haue doen here with vs no doubt but thei should haue found the same reward of their wickednesse that thei haue doen here For our doctrine it is vtterly vntrue that any of the churches professyng the Gospell or this of England vnder persecution did euer thinke it vnlawfull to put to deathe a Rebell and a Traytour Naie it hath beene alwaies taught in all the reformed Churches that bothe thei and also obstinate Heretickes amongest whom thei haue alwaies accounted and doe still account all obstinate and wilfull spreadors of the Romishe faithe sett doune by the Councell of Trent are moste worthie of death that as it is in the Lawe the false Prophett and the seducyng Idolater maie bee taken from amongest vs that all Israell maie heere and feare and not dare to committ the like Wee acknowledge in deede faithe to be the gift of God whiche commeth by the preachyng of the Gospell by Ministers sent by the commaundement of God but we do not therefore think it vnlawfull for the Magistrate to execute the Lordes iust vengeaunce vppon the obstinate Heretickes and seducyng Idolaters Repentaunce and holinesse of life is also the gift of GOD and commeth by the same meanes and yet the Magistrate not onely in a good conscience maie but in duetie to God ought as he will answere it to him that shal iudge the quicke and the dead drawe out the Lordes sworde of execution of iustice and of vengeaunce against all ill doers to wounde and to kill accordyng to the qualities of the
bee imbraced for Religions sake and not for policie and that therefore how soeuer it please GOD to deale with those whiche shall receiue it in this life thei are notwithstandyng to abide by that truthe whereby onely their soules maie bee saued to euerlastyng life and also that the doctrine and practise of true Religion bothe by the nature thereof and by reason of the promise of blessyng annexed to it aboue is the only religion which may prosper a K. or common wealth therefore no false worship what shewe so euer it may haue of some particuler cōmodity for a season can in trueth and in the end proue commodious to it I proceede further to answeare that he obiecteth of certayne particular commodities and discommodities of our holy faith and their Idolatrous superstition The first point he dealeth with is of restitution of goodes wrongfully gotten An answeare to the first point of the aduersaries profitable doctrine for a common weale which their Churche he saith teacheth so precisely as neither by absolution nor dispensation of any Prelate hee may bee pardoned without will of restitution but dying so is esteemed a reprobate and not prayed for in their Churche And this faith hee is their doctrine the commodities whereof hee adioyneth but first let vs examyne both our doctrines That their doctrine and practise is such as hee here affirmeth I deny for they haue sundry waies to hinder the actuall restitution of goodes wrongfully gotten Whereof that is chiefe and principall whiche hee heere denieth of the dispensations of the chiefe Prelate for if his Fatherhoode may dispense with the sinnes to be committed in time to come and giue a sealed pardon afore the offence as it is notoriously knowen to all the worlde he taketh vpon him to doe if neede be the buls thē selues may bee shewed other most sufficient and strong proofes of it are to be made then in case of any wrōg extortion theft vsury brybery Symony or such like after committed he hath his pardon afore hand and is dispensed with for it many yeares before hee haue done the deede Further he that may dispense with the greater may surely pardō the lesse but his Fatherhoode taketh vpon him to dispense with greater sinnes then these for proofe wherof all the world is wittnesse of his dispensation with marriage of the neece and that he gaue leaue to the brother to marry with his brothers wife can not hee then dispence wiih a petilarcin or a bribe What power they affirme hee hath herein appeareth by theyr shamelesse Flatterers that attribute vnto him power to dispense with al things and that what soeuer GOD maye geue pardon of that may hee As for his owne prophane holinesse it is as the Canons say a Sacriledge to dispute of his doynges whose offences sayeth the Canon are to be excused as the thefte of the Hebrewes the murders of Sampson and the incest of Lot If the Pope bee a Theefe or an Extortioner and yet to be excused as the Israelites then if he dispense with all he maye not bee accused And if his murder and incest bee not to bee iudged who shal iudge him for giuing pardon for extortion Their Canons teache that hee hath full power of God to dispense aboue right and lawe and make iustice of iniustice in chaunging and correcting of rightes He alone hath the right to take from one and giue to another all the worlde is his Dioces he is the ordinary of all hauing full and entyre power in thinges spirituall and temporall For he is L. of L. and K. of K. hauing the right of K. ouer his Subiectes Hee is all and aboue all and it is necessarye to Saluation to bee Subiect to the Pope of Rome seeyng that God the Pope haue but one consistory I am loth to turne vp this dunghill and such lyke the odyous noysome stinke whereof may infect the worlde but that as the Prophete saith their owne dung is to be caste in their faces What a shamefull and Diuelishe presumption is this to take vppon him these things and yet this man woulde make vs beleeue that no Prelate can dispense for goodes vniustly gottē True it is that they cannot indeede but that he taketh vppon him to be able to doe it is too too manifest For besides that hath beene alleadged out of the Canons if wee regard either his dealing in this age or in former times we shal find he hath not onely giuen pardon for the doing of it but expresly commanded committed such violent wrongful oppressiōs what part of Europe hath not the Pope oppressed with as grieuous exactions as euer Roboam did Israel His little finger hath been heauier to the people which admitted his tyrannie then the whole bodie of any other tyrant For they haue beaten their people with rods but he hath scourged them with whippes of wyre Oftentimes both this noble Island other greate states kingdoms of the West haue groned vnder these his burdēs as the Israelites did vnder the exactions of Pharao the Egyptians grieuously complained of thē besides many vniust paimēts which he hath imposed vpon the people he hath not spared to do wrōg to Princes thēselues that in their regal crownes dignities taking thē from whom he liked to spoyle bestowing them vpon whō it pleased him as sundry exāples of the K. of Englād of France yea of the Emperours doe aboundantly testifie yet he wil seeme an enemy to thefte and himselfe cōmit spoiles robberies like those which the pirate obiected to Alexander The warre for recouery of the holy land the Pope hath bin Author incourager of with giuing for that purpose pardons of sins to al that would fight in the quarrell of what an infinitie of warres vniust oppressions haue they beene causes both in other places in the West Indies wherby their own story since the inuasiō of such as he hath sent thither hath bin partly by warres partly by cunning and crafty dealing toyling the people with extreame labor to the death wasted cōsumed of that poore and harmles people 1500000. But these warres they will say were lawfull tēding to the inlarging of the faith of Christ which is cleane contrary For besides that if they receaue that faith he bringeth they shal be litle the better if it were indeed the true faith of Christ which they would plant there yet for that reason it were not lawfull to inuade a people with whom there is no cause of any other iust quarrell For God hath as wel determined the dominions of Princes as he hath the possessions of priuate mē without which parke wherin they are impaled by him they may not walk without iust cause of their necessarye defence Wherefore this was very bolde that hee durste affirme no Prelate to haue power to forgiue it Nay not onelye the Pope taketh this vppon him but euerye hedge Priest will vsurpe a
power to doe greater matters then this As for example the wicked Priest that confessing that infamous Iauregui As the Abbot here in Eng. did the Mōke that poysoned K. Iohn absolued him aforehande for the murther hee should haue committed in kylling the most Noble and wise Prince of Orange And if they doe this and the life bee more woorth then the goodes surely they will not doubte to take vppon them to doe the other Whereby it appeareth not onelye that their doctrine hyndereth by this meanes the restitution of goods vnlawfully gotten but also how pernitious it is in generall to al states and common wealths what an enemy it is to all holines vertue For what greater incouragement may there be to sin thē impunity what more vnassurance to a state thē that al mischief euē to the murders execrable attempts against K. and P. and may be not onely forgiuen but also encouraged with inriching and ennobling of the executioners of such desperate and dyuelish actes in this life and promise of the kyngdome of heauen for thē all their fathers house in the world to come Whereof I doubt not but your HH will haue especial regard seeing not onely this such like horrible acts haue been attempted and done by thē vpō many worthie princes round about vs neere vnto vs but also by that late discouery of like most mischiuous detestable purpose against her most excellent maiestie whom God alwayes preserue from theyr blooddy hands by a priest of theyrs for that cause arraigned endyghted adiudged and executed according to the lawe in that behalfe Besides all these what are their cloysters sāctuaries but euen dens of theeues whereunto whosoeuer flyeth though he be a bankrupt or felon a murderer a traitour or any malefactor whatsoeuer yet are they protected there so as no iustice may proceede against them The alter of the Lord could not protect Ioab for wise K. Salomō well vnderstood that god protecteth not offendours from iustice and the sworde of the magistrate Yet they arrogate this vnto the abhominable alter of their Idoll of bread yea and to their Cloysters and other such priuileged places But this may suffice to shew the doctrine or practise of the church of Rome touching goods wrongfully gotten the restitution of thē If I should speake of their simonie their pluralities and non residences and all other their practises of spoyling the people vniustly of their goods It might easily bee shewed that from the Pope to the pardoner from the B. of Rome to the begging Fryer and the soule Priest not one but is guiltie of the crime which hee woulde make vs here to beleeue they so earnestly detest One the other part our doctrine is that true repentance without which no offendor is saued doth requyre a hatred of the wickednesse committed whiche can neuer bee in him who deteineth still the vniust Mammon For if he hated it hee would as the Prophet exhorteth the Idolaters repenting to say to the garments of theyr Idols Get thee hence If they haue the repentance of Dauid in acknowledging their sinne and hauing it alwayes as a heauie spectacle before them If they heard the noyse and crie which the beames of the houses builte with oppression and blood doe make one to another both of them in the eares of the Lord they must needs be carefull to amend themselues to take out such a beame as may pull downe al the building And if Zachee restore again fourefold according to the law surely the same must needs be restored if it be possible or at the least there must bee a will of restitution As for not praying for thē when they are dead which he maketh a great note and boast of wee esteeme and agreeably to the Scripture that to pray for the dead is an abuse of the name of god a profanatiō of the sacred part of his holy seruice therfore do not this only for no theeues but not for the Saints of God being departed out of this life as hauing neither precept promise nor example of it The commodities he pretendeth that they reape of their practise in this behalf are 2. wherof the first is the staying of these people frō al iniustice Our practise moreouer is such as that we haue no dispensatiōs nor multitude of sanctuaries to protect the wrong doer Nowe therefore cōcerning this first point this being our doctrin practise which hath bin declared be the cōmodities of it neuer so many those states are to hope in the goodnes of god they shall inioy thē which receiue the gospel cōtrariwise the K. cōmon W. which receiueth the R. superstition with it the dispensations absolutions santuaries authorised by it cā haue no cause to expect that the like blessing shoulde bee bestowed vpon them For whereas it is due punishmente that maketh men slower to offend It appeareth that this not beeing with them they cannot reape the fruite whereof he speaketh that is to haue their people stayed from extortion theft brybery vsury simony and such like And indeed what stay there is amongst thē is manifest vnto al that either cōsider out of the story theyr deeds in former ages or take heed to their doings in this present time For wher was ther euer greater extortiō then was vsed by the pope his Dataries Nuncios Legates other ministers of his extortions And what els doth al this hierachie but extort without all reason order both of the people one vpon another the inferiour alwayes contributing to the maintenance of the pomp pryde of the superiour the greater of them according to the life of fishes as the prophet speaketh feeding thēselues with the little ones against whō they may preuaile For brybery where was euer the like corruptiō and to this day who haue fouler hands in all callings then such as receiue their R. fayth As for theyr vsury and symony the Iewes are not so great vsurers as they that professe theyr Idolatry and the chiefest amongest them Theyr Symony is notoryously knowne to be such as scarce one of an thousand of them entereth into his Benefice according to the Canons but by bargening with the patrone or some appointed for him to make the match betweene them whiche theyr wicked example hath so poysoned the world as hardly will it bee possible thorowe out to recouer the world from this detestable corruption The seconde commoditie that many by this meanes haue receiued theyr own again is that which riseth from our doctrine and practise whereof I haue knowen some memorable examples not frō theirs though possibly sometimes euen theyr most ignorant people may haue some conscience to bee no theeues Whiche in vaine doeth hee labour to prooue to bee otherwise because wee want auriculer confession For it is not that can effectually moue the conscience but the liuing word of God which is amongst vs which pearceth as