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A00919	A Catholike confutation of M. Iohn Riders clayme of antiquitie and a caulming comfort against his caueat. In which is demonstrated, by assurances, euen of protestants, that al antiquitie, for al pointes of religion in controuersie, is repugnant to protestancie. Secondly, that protestancie is repugnant particularlie to al articles of beleefe. Thirdly, that puritan plots are pernitious to religion, and state. And lastly, a replye to M. Riders Rescript; with a discouerie of puritan partialitie in his behalfe. By Henry Fitzimon of Dublin in Irland, of the Societie of Iesus, priest.; Catholike confutation of M. John Riders clayme of antiquitie.	Fitzsimon, Henry, b. 1566.; Rider, John, 1562-1632. Rescript.; Rider, John, 1562-1632. Friendly caveat to Irelands Catholicks.	1608 (1608)	STC 11025; ESTC S102272	591,774	580

Ianuarie next in sueing as also their brethren what oathes soeuer they made to rest in peace they dispensed with them as aften as the least aduantage appeared Fiftly vnderstand that what woords you deseruedly tearme vehement and dredfull in the oath inforced vpon you them not to belong to any point of our Doctrin but altogether to be a parte of the Doctrin of our aduersaries as partly befor appeareth and is manifest in these their articles Buchanan pag. 6. 13. obed pag. 25. Vide Suruey of pret● h. discipline p. 283. 284. Dangerous Positions l. 4. c. 3. 4. Bellarm. in ep ad Blackvvellum The Ministers may excommunicat the greatest Prince and he that is excommunicated is not worthye to inioy any life vpon earth It were good that rewards were appointed by the people for such as kill tirants as commonly there are for uch as haue killed Wolues or beares c. That such Doctrin hath bene held by Catholikes the Apologist although he layeth downe Bellarmins demand wher was it euer heard that euer a Pope ether commanded to be killed or allowed the slawghter of any Prince whatsoeuer Yet lawncing only at the Frier that had killed the K. of France he wyndeth from the mater to carpe at pretended contradictions in Bellarmins controuersies But nether yf a Frier yea or Pope in mater of fact should transgresse may therfor it be sayd to be an impious heretical and damnable Doctrin or position of ours as the woords of the oath import that any such transgression should be committed Sixtly vnderstand that of these oathes of allegiance although the first eschue the name of supremacie and the second the name of Pope yet in substance both of them to be all one with the owld oath of supremacie This the Apologist most stoutly and vehemently denyeth but vnknowen to him selfe he danceth in a nett For how may these wordes of the oath be interpreted otherwyse then to impute supremacie to the K. and to denye it to the Pope I do vtterly testifie and declare in my conscience that the kings Highnes is the Only supreme Gouernour of this realme and all other his Highnes Dominions and contries as well in spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes as temporal And that noe forraine Prince person or Prelat hath or ought to haue any Iurisdiction power superioritie preheminence or authoritie ecclesiastical or spiritual within this realme c. Yf his Maiestie be only supreme Gouernour in all Spiritual and ecclesiastical things or causes yf noe Prelat hath any iurisdiction ecclesiastical then loude and palpable must be these vntrue assertions of the Apologist Apologie pag. 47. This last made oath only medleth with the ciuil obedience of subiects to their soueraigne only in meere temporal causes the sayd oath concerneth in noe case the Popes supremacie in spiritual causes Ibid. pag. 52. there can not one word be found in all this oath tending or sownding to mater of relgion Ibid. pag. 62. c. Who doth not behould how impudencie doth captiuat these men into voluntarie confusion to defende falshood But although we would silence how much this sworne supremacie of the K. sowndeth mater of religion yet his brethren yea and his Maiestie him selfe do testifie that among them selues it is a principal point and article or religion to professe the contrarie It appeareth first by Willet VVillet Synops contr 7. q. r. D. Morton par 2. Apol l 4. c. 18 p. 340. D. Field pag 228. D. Sutcliff subu p. 119 con Kellison p. 41. 42. 102. D. Ceuel against the plea of Innoc à pag. 103 ad 109. D. Dovvne ep Dedic contr con Bellarm. Hooker l. 5. eccl pos 77. Bel. motiues l. 2. a. fol. 78. ad 81. Hamp Confer p. 82. 83. Nether do we giue vnto the Prince absolute power then noe supremacie to make Eccl●siastical lawes Secondly by D. Mortion A general cowncell is the supreme Iudge Thirdly by D. Field The supreme binding and commanding authoritie is only in Bishopes in a general Cowncell Wherunto consent D. Couel D. Sutcliffe D. Dowram Hooker Bel and all those preachers mentioned by his Maiestie that preaching euen befor him selfe eschue to intitule him the supreme head of the Church God graunt these oppositions make the Apologist knowen to him selfe for suer they detect him to others to be of the described by Terence Imperarunt ipsimet sibi omnia assentari principum ingenia admirari quicquid Principes dicant laudare id si negant laudare id quoque Such as swimme with the streame and sway with the tyme yf Princes would be supreme heads of the Church to iustifie that their determination yf they would in substance so remayne but in shew disclaime to challenge any such prerogatiue to iustifie also such dissimulation Vpon all these premisses I conclude that seing the heade of the Church condemneth the sayd oathes seing also the Apologist fayleth so fowlye in iustification of them Theodor. l. 4. c. 19. in depth of constant Catholikes resolution you are to say with S. Basil he being in like maner sollicited to some vnlawfulnes by the Emperour Valens That you esteeme much his Maiesties fauor with pietie but pietie debarred that it is pernicious And for your loialtie that you will neuer fayle to demonstrat it at all occurrents but to sweare these present oathes that you may not because they containe ane abiuration of his authoritie to whom Iesus Christ hath committed the charge of all his flocke S. Nazian orat 1. in Iulian. So that the oath representeth the sleight of Iulian the Apostata who not being able to constraine Christians to worshipp idols placed them in the portraicts of the Emperours befor whom they bowed reuerently therby causing diuers by deceit at least in ane indirect and remote maner to worship them Which yf they did not then were they afflicted as dispisers not of idols but of the Emperours So now with a lawfull allegiance the oath implyeth a secret lawles abiuration which being therfor not accepted you are accused to be disloial and enemyes to your Soueraignes dignitie But as I sayd giue him that is Cesars and to God what to God belongeth The Archpriests fall is noe block in your way noe more then it of Origen or Tertullian to the primatiue Church Conc. Later c. 43. He did against his priuilege and his fidelitie for which he is to answer as you are to be rewarded reciprocatly by Christ our Saluiour for professing him befor men couragiously And giue me credit they that haue sworne the oath are not esteemed euen by the state so trustfull as they that haue not but as Syr Iohn Perrot sayd to one shrinking schismatike accepting the oath of supremacie among manifould resolutly refusing it Beleeue me I should trust thee least of all this compagnie because I know that in thy conscience thow thinkest as the residue yet dissemblest to giue me satisfaction Cic. orat pro Rosc com Nom

Schut l. 50. causarum cap. 13. Fox acts and Mō pag. 666. 667. Buchanan hist Scotic l. 15. pag. 523. Suingl to 2. expos fid Christ fol. 563. 564. Bulling in ep ad Hebr. c. 10. that commandeth the woords of Christs institution to be redd in ministring the supper Witnes Iohn Scut that the Caluinists do so hate the woords of Christs institution that they cannot abyde ether to see or to heare them Witnes Ihon Lassels one of Foxes martyrs that Christs woords should not be spoken in the institution considering that S. Paul durst not mention them Witnes one George Sephocard a Scotish protestant martyr ministring the communion without Christs woords of institution Witnes the protestants in Switzerland wher by declaration and approbation of Zuinglius and Bullinger the people sitt all a long in ordre vpon formes and giue eare to one reading the 13. chapter of S. Ihon without Christs institution In the mean season is bread caryed about in paniers and wyne in glasses one giuing bread wyne to another and so endeth say they the communion Witnes others of England also practising the same prophane indecencie toward their supper of whom we haue treated numb 39. Witnes Beza aduising to ministre the communion Beza epist. Theol. 2. pag. 27. when ther is no bread or wyne at hand in any other food contrary to Christs institution and Christendoms practise Witnes the Scotishe communion booke In the administration of the L. supper Luth. 10.7 de ens verb. caene fol. 383. where the woords of Christs institution are carefully auoyded Witnes lastly Luther saying of this sorte of people They feare least they should stumble and breake their necks at euery sillable which Christ pronounced Yf I were a good preacher I should not so long haue omitted my text Oh damnable heresie that renounceth Christs institution and followeth mans inuention I might haue more amplie witnesed their hatred against Christs woords yf I had intended to florish in abundance and prolixitie Only to conclude let vs not be ignorant that Swenkfeld flowteth Christs words by testimonie of Schlusselburg Schlusselb l. 2. theol Cal. art 32. Dialog Comment in lib. Reg. Vide her apud Feuardent in entromāgerit Peter vermil otherwyse called Peter martyr first tearmeth hoc est enim corpus meum for this is my body but a fiue woorded proofe next he trembled not to say non tam verbum diuinum quam etiam verba naturae sequenda esse in theologia The diuine woords owght not to be followed so muche in Diuinitie as the woords of Nature victorius no lesse blasphemously saythe Sinistro oculo respiciendum est ad verba Christi dexrro vero ad naturas c. we must looke with the left eye at the woords of Christ but with the right at naturs of things This disdayne towards Christs institution reuealed let vs next examin the causes therof I finde them seueral Some thinke that Christ had not power to giue vs his body and together to be in heauen I finde it in Caluin in Robert Bruce in Beza in Sureau Calu. l. 4. Instit c. 17. n. 29. Instit l. 3. c. 23. n. 2. Cōmēt in cap. 23. Isa l. de eterna prodest Admonit vult L'Espine yea Caluin thryse to my owne knowledge denyeth God to be almightie absolutly And Beza sayth that the Angels speeche to our Lady Beza l. 2. con Heshus Disputatio Parisiēsis Rob. Bruce in his sermons pag. 158. how nothing is impossible to God owght to be beleeued vniuersaly The residue affirme that God could nether vnderstand nor will not woorcke that the body of his sonne Iesus Christ could be together in many places nor any other thing contrary to the course of nature once by him as Bruce sayth established Goe and tell these men that Christs body can as well exceed nature in being in many places together as be borne of a virgin walke on the sea be inuisible issue out of a sepulchre enter among his closed disciples penetrat the heauens Articles of the familie of Loue printed in London an 1578. art 43. c. They will aunswer cōfidently For the first of Christs merueylous birthe I meane them of the familie of loue that he was borne of the virgin Marie no otherwyse then he is borne of their fleash For the second of his walking on the sea I remembre not to haue heard them disproue it nor for his inuisibilitie For the third of his resurrection Colloq Malbrun Act. 6. Marlor in nou test fol. 167. in 20. Ioan. Thalmā in c. 28. mat Calu in Ioan. c 20. 19. Et lib. 4. Instit c. 17. n. 29. Et in harm Luc. 24.36 Pet. Mart. in dialog de loco Corporis Christi fol. 94. 95. Vtenhouius pag. 185. 186. Feuard Entremangeries pag. 263. they tell that the angel had made passage that ther was noe miracle perceaued therin For which opinion of Vermil Gautier Sureau L'Espin Beza diuers of them selues haue repyned as appeareth in the conference of Malbrown in Marlorat in Benedict Thalman c. For the fouerth of entring among his inclosed disciples I can hardly relate their variable shifts to escape it in few woords yet I will attempt to comprise succinctly their diuersities abowt it Caluin sayth First that he fownd the doores shutt but knocked obtayned entrie Secondly that by his diuine vertu he secreatly had opened them Bullinger sayth that an Angel had opened them Aretius that they opened of their owne grace Peter Martyr that he entred by the windoe Simonius that he entred by the chinkes of the doore Thalman that his body diminished it selfe lyke a threed and so passed therat Others that he entred at the tonnel of the chimnie c. And yf you tell them the Scripturs declare a miracle wherby the Apostles were affraid c. they will awnswer as to the woords of Christs institution aforsayd you must looke wih you left eye at Scripture c. For the last they affirme contrary to Scripture that by many weightie reasons they are perswaded Pag. 57. the heauens not to be hard but easely passable and consequently that Christ might haue entred or passed throwgh them not only without miracle but also without resistance So speaketh Ihon Brouant in his Aphorisms and replications Note All this outrage proceedeth against Christs institution of the B. Sacrament because yf it be true these miraculous mysteries of Christs natiuitie resurrection ascension c. may stand Yf it be not allowed in the literal sense these other mysteries testifying Christs true substantial body to haue surpassed the bonds of natu●re as much as yf it should be in many places at once must lykewyse ●n this protestant guise specifyed be contradicted Abissus abissum ●nuocat One bottomless miserie and absurditie trayleth with it another For this same cause Beza professeth to haue trāslated falsly the 21. Beza in cap. Act. 3. v. 21. verse of

noe place they were so much ouertaken in theire wisdome as in Geneua by the politicke reache of Caluin who beinge admitted anno 1536. by onlye title of their preacher and teacher he moste deceitfully insinuated him selfe ouer their gouerment and for being therein too insolent and imperious he was banished within nine months Caluin epist 6. together with his chefe consorts Farrel and Viret with this allegation Tiranni esse voluerunt in liberam ciuitatem voluerunt nouum pontificatum reuocare They woulde haue bin tyrants ouer a free cittie they would haue reuoked a new papacie This Caluin him self confesseth tearming the Senat of two hundred by whō he was so exiled tumultuosam perditorum hominum sactionem Ibidem a tumultuous faction of damned companions Yet according to the depth of his capacity he purchased such fauorable commendatorie letters of al reformed places he wrote so againste Catholicke religion he dissembled such temperate moderation that within litle more then two yeares after he was reuoked to his former chardg of teaching in Geneua 4. His fiirst fauoure was to be licensed to frame betwixt him selfe and other Ministers a forme of ecclesiastical discipline yet so as to remitte it to the consideration of the Senate to be allowed or no. This forme contaynd that twelue cheefe townes men should be conioyned with six Ministers those to be changed yearly these to be during lyfe Their Iurisdiction should extend only to ecclesiastical causes This forme they intituled a consistorie discipline It was no sooner viewed and lightly approued but the maner of it and proceeding examined in the Senat house great dislyke was as soone conceaued against it In so much as Caluin confesseth in labouring to support it Calu. epist. 54. Calu. epist. 73. 82. 165. he was almost oppressed Also he complaineth of impediments saying we haue to many of a hard and vntamed neck by all occasions aspyring to shake of the yoake c. But not withstanding all possible imployments in pulpits publick and priuat conferences suborning of suffrages yet the Magistrat suspended the execution of this discipline vntill they had consulted with other reformed Churches Wherin also Caluin beyond all comparison ouermatched them For he preuented their informations inueigled the states to whom they appealed beutifyed in such good colours his forsayd Consistorial disciplyne implored the solicitation of the ministers there resident disgraced so all repugners epist. 164 165. and so to be breefe frustrated all hindrances that what by woorking abroad what by slye compassing at home he purchased forraine resolutions and the Senats approbations to his contentment All this narration is contayned in his owne Epistles wherin is manifested that neuer could any attempt be more impugned and yet by slightnes of his witt established then this discipline This ecclesiastical authoritie disalowed the name of Bishops Priests and Canon law exchanging them into teachers Deacons Elders Consistorian discipline c. 5. The cause of this repugnance against it was first by reason they perceaued how all others besyds Caluin serued only for a shew Secondly because vnder the coloure of conscience by degrees all law Read hereof the ordre of Excommunication in Scotland Ae 2. all authoritie all controuersies were subiected to this consistorian discipline Thirdly because all small maters were aggrauated and punished more tyranicaly then deseruedly One instāce I thinke good to inculcat out of Caluins owne information In one widdow Baltasars howse daunced diuers of the best of the Citie Among whom was one of the fower that yeare in cheefe office as also a minister Perrin the Captaine of the towne c. Caluin not being inuited to the sporte him selfe sommoned them all Caluin Farello epist 71. They for more seare flatly denyed the mater Whervpon saith Caluin impudenter nobis Deo mentiti sunt they impudently lyed to vs and to God Behould by the way how he preferreth him selfe to God He then adiured them to confesse their fault but all in vayne After he tendred a corporal oathe which they refused The conclusion was Omnes in carcerem coniecti all were committed to prison except the forsayd Captain who trusting tyme would pacifie this angrie Prince retyred But sayd he quicquid agat paenam non effugiet VVhatsoeuer he did he should not escape Ibidem He being then returned tasted of the same sower cupp The issue was sayth Caluin him selfe that the people perceaued nullam esse spem impunitatis cum primarijs non parcatur there was noe escape when the principal were not spared I might here insert how by the same holy consistorial discipline Valentin Gentil Budneus in annot Nou. test ●on Bezam and Michael Seruet great Reformed preachers and by Budneus called godly searchers of the truth for displeasing Caluin and Beza were put to deathe Fowerthly what with it selfe what with the abuses following not only ciuil Magistrats but also Reforming preachers Bullinger ad quendam Episcop Angliae 10. Mar. 1574. otherwyse Caluins frends signifyed their great discontentment against the forsayd discipline Bullinger wryteth thus therof They imitate in my opinion those seditious Tribuns of Rome who by vertue of the Agrarian law bestowed the publick goods that they might inrich them selues that is that bishops being ouerthrowen they myght inioye their places c. Gualter ad Episc London Ieem in epist ad Episcop ●lien 26. Augusts 1574. Idē in ep ad Episcop Tands Barlow in his book of the summe of the Conferēce befor the kings Maiestie edit an 1605. pag 37. Gualter saith I greatly seare least they bring vs first into the gouernement of the multitude which will shortly be conuerted in to the rule of a few and lastly ende in a new Papacie Agayne I behould nothing to be more ambitious nothing more insolent nothing more vntoward then these men c. Agayne many do repent that euer they admitted these mens Councell 6. Omitting the scanning of an apt definition of a Puritan giuen by one Butler in Cambridge that he is a Protestant frayd owt of his wits I say vpon the premisses that the Puritans now called in our cōtryes are such as repyning at all other ordōnances and iniunctions of highe parlaments and of their soueraigne princes indeuoure by hooke and crooke to bring in this forme of presbiterie and of Geneua Cōsistorian discipline into England with exclusion of all other authoritie Temporal and Spiritual as I am breefly to manifest by theire owne expresse protestations But first I certifie The begynners not so peremptorily to haue impugned such authoritie as the successours For the first malcontented reformers with the state seemed conducted therto only by emulation as Hooper and Rogers who aspiring to be equal with Cranmer and Ridley disliked the communion booke published by them Fox acts and monuments Pag. 1355. and sett foorth another of them selues wherof Fox is to be perused These were Puritans of the meaner sorte standing only vpon tippett cappe rotchet and the

bloud be things inward the one sensible the other spiritual and intellectuall as much difference is betwixt them as there is betwixt outward and inward sensible and intellectuall so much difference there is betwixt the outward seales of Christs body and bloud his bodie and bloud And if the seales cannot be changed into the communion of Christs bodie bloud but remaine still in their seuerall natures and substances euerie one performing his seuerall distnct office much lesse can they be reallie and substantiallie changed into Christs bodie and bloud which are things more remote but most impossible And if you had added the next verse the Apostle had made it plaine in shewing you a double communion sealed in this Sacrament The first our communion with Christ and his benefits The second our communion amongst our selues 1. Soli. 2. Omni. 3. S●per which both are proper onely to gods church to euery one of gods church and allwaies to gods Church Now let the learned iudge whether you or we misconster scripture wrest fathers deceaue Christs flocke and the Queenes subiects peruert the true meaning of this Text. And now to the next 102. Is not this a worthy proctor for protestancie Fitzsimon He bringeth an allegation of three Fathers and therupon he inferreth saying First he sayth Which he of the three can you conceaue by these woords His meaning is of S. Chrysostom But he hath no such mater but cleane contrary as appeareth in his affirming in the precedent number that vessells are sanctifyed and separated from prophane or common vses which sanctification is that we call blessing Secondly he telleth the text among other conforts offereth vs Christs body crucified and Christs blood shedd Which he will neuer be able to expounde but by saying as we say that it is giuen vs by the breaking of bread and the benediction of the chalice or wyne contayned in the chalice Of his talking of seales he hath nether writt nor scale for it toward this or any other sacrament of Christ in all the new testament For the communion betwixt him and his brethren I haue spoken in the examination of the creed To say that Chrysostom affirmeth benediction in this place to be referred to him that shed his bloud for vs that this text offereth Christs bodie and bloud with all his purchased merits that the bread and cupp vz. it in the cupp are not our communication with Christ c. these I say are beyond vntruethes and in propre name Riderian discourses S. Cyril sayth The mystical benediction maketh Christ corporaly to dwel in vs by communication of his fleash Li. 10. in Ioan. c. 13. Such cōmunication M. Rider not only vnderstandeth not but also denyeth May not then the wicked laugh at his follie and the godlypitie his ignorance The second Proofe by Councills and Fathers Catholicke Priests This councell consists of 318. Fathers Concilium Nicen cap 14. Anno 363. No rule or custome doth permitte th● they which haue not the authority to offer the sacrifice should giue it to then that offer the bodie of Christ. Rider 103. GEntelmen you are posessed with a threfold error which is the cause whe● you read the scriptures Councells fathers you misunderstand them Your first error is when you vnderstand that spoken of the outward Elements which a meant of the inward inuisible grace Your second error is when you referre that to the visible partes of the bodie which they intended to the inuisible powers of the minde and soule VVith these three Seph●ticall points you peruert all the fath● you bring for this pur●ose deceaue the Catholickes Thirdlie your former two errors beget a third error which is your mistaking the state of our question And so wheras you should proue the maner of Christs presence in the Sacraments You offer to proue the matter but of that we haue spoken before Thus if you will reade the scripturs fathers and Councells with these 3. cautions or derections you shall easily see how farre thus longe you are gone from the truth and misled the Queenes subiects Now with Gods permission wee will proceed to the due examination of your proofe as it is alledged out of your owne Colen print Ex officina Iohannis Quintell Typographi Anno Domini 1561. which you cannot denie it is in the first Tome and the fourteenth Chapter and the two hundreth fiftie fiue page of the first edition and the Chapter beginneth thus Peruenit ad sanctum Concilium quod in locis quibusd●m ciuitatibus presbyteris Sacramenta Diaconi porrigant Then followes your fraction verie abruptlie in the midst of a sentence Hoc neque regula neque confuetudo c. The sacred Councell is aduertized that in certaine places and Citties the Deacons doe reach and giue the sacramēts to the Priest al this you leaue out and then followes your weake warrant Noe rule or custome doth permite c. I praie you what one word of this prooues your Carnall presence Let me knowe it for my learning and the Catholickes better Instruction if you would gather out of this word Sacrifice then you are deceued for that Councell in another place calles it Sacrificium Eucharisticum a Sacrifice of praise thanksgiuing not propitiatorie And if out of these wordes The bodie of Christ the councell expounds their meaning in that which you omitte and purposely conceale when they call that Sacrifice and the bodie of Christ by the name of Sacraments giuen by the Deacons to the priests for the Deacons deliuered them after Consecration to priestes ad still were Sacramēta Sacraments not the bodie or bloud of Christ made of bread wine by the Priest for the Sacrament and Christs bodie differ as much as the lambe the Passouer circumcision the couenant the washing of new birth and regeneration for the one is the outward seal the other the inward grace and here is another error of yours of the second and third kinde in referring that to the mouth which is proper to our faith and still mistaking the matter for the manner The second proofe of Catholicks for the real presence By Councils and Fathers The first parte of the second proofe Of the Concil of Nice 103. I Craue remembrance be retayned Fitzsimon how Protestants accompted this first general Concil of the world contayning 318. most famous Fathers Beza epist thecl 81. but a congregation of Sophisters as before is declared in our examination of the Creed Cartwright so famous a Puritan as none of that crew but reuerence his remembrāce as may appeare in the Suruay of pretended discipline wherin one calleth him the most reuerent another made a sermon Cap. 29. pag. 379. and sang psalmes for his releasment another saith the gouernement by him set downe is commanded by God another thanked God to haue seene him another expected to trauaile 50. myles to see him by way of derision saith such concil to

Puritans it is suppressed is made a mater of the starre chamber These fynes are vnmeasurable to our qualities Yet yf we consent not suddenly to satisfie them first they clapp vs vpp into prisons and then they them selues in all tulmutuous maner resort to our howses take notice of all our substance valueing euery thing at a ridiculous rate to all but to them that are intituled in the goods and of all together gould marchandise corne howsowld stuff euidences appareil they make vp their fyne yf it exceede not all the means of the partie conueying away as much as serueth their owne turnes and intending to returne by some pretext or other yf their remaine any thing to their aduantage The Author A Lamentable declaration Wherin the commissioners Martials searches synes violēce oppressiō and impouerishmēt of innocent subiects do altogether make vp a noble persecution comparable to some of them of primatiue Christians I reade a relation of Dyonisius Bishop of Alexandrie recorded bv Eusebius in his historie and altogether lyke but that it cōtaineth farr greater calamitie sustained by primatiue Christians information deseruing for your consolation to behould the fayth then persecuted yet to florish and in vayne to be impugned to be imparted to you Euseb lib. 6. hist c. 34. Befor any Edict or proclamation of the Emperor for the space of a whole yeare began our persecutiō Wherin it seemed the greatest sacrifice that they could offre to their idols to imbrue thē selues with the bloud and slaughter of Christiās They crushed the bodie and picked out the eyes of ould Metra and in the end stoned him because he would not recant They drue the vertuous Quincta to their temples and whē she detested their sacrilege they trayled hir by the heeles through the streets brusing hir against the stones after they tore hir with scourges and in the ende they also stoned hir to death Then with one consent without all commission or warrant they rushed into the howses of Godly Christiās euery one betraying his neighbour and extruding him out of doores ransaking and spoiling all his wealth and howsehowld stuff purloining what soeuer was to his purpose or all that was pretious and throuing into the street or fiar the residue so that euery corner seemed a place giuen vp to the pillage of rauenous enemies c. This was in dede a merciles martial law not subiect to the lawes of all nations nor to it of the twelue tables among the Romans Deut. cap. 13.6 c. 19.15 nor to it in Gods law that nemo indēnatus c. none withowt lawfull witnes should be condemned To thinke that you were so vsed in a Christian commō wealth wherin euery one was foorthcoming vpon all citations and warnings and wherin iustice without all impediment might hould hir natural course pardon me it cānot for the enormitie sinke into my mynde nether will it enter into the conceit of any Christiā imagination that the rigor of iustice should not be thought sufficiently seuer against innocent Catholicks without extending against them the martial iniquitie or lawlesnes which is no wher followed but where effusion of blood or probable destruction of a whole armie is preuented by a hastned priuat execution without ordinarie processe And yf it be true Suruey of the booke an common prayer pag. 123. which I reade in the puritan suruey that parlement Acts may not be explaned but by authoritie of parlamēt and consequently lawes made by parlament as all true lawes yf I he not deceaued should be can not be infringed but by contrary acts of parlament then haue I greater cause to distrust this informatiō by how much Puritās the bloudie trompetors to all crueltie against Catholicks do repute by this testimonie such violence to be vnlawfull because it is not warranted by any acts of parlament I take hould in this place obiter of part of a speach had at Norwich 4. of August befor the Assises to testifie what their owne opinion is of promotors printed at London this very yeare 1607. vnder the title of the L. Coke his speech and charge Tovvard the ende Wherin is sayd The promoter is both a begger and a knaue A litle after their office I confesse is necessarie and yet it seldome hapeneth that an honest man is imployed in it A good verdict or rather A good sentence being from that sage iudge But cōcerning your heauie disasters Yf such course as you speake of was followed it was most pertinent to dismaie dastard mynds I say dastard mynds For the iust Christian is cōfident as a lion Prou. 28.1 sayth the woord of God adding after Prou. 30.30 which as the strongest of beast is neuer terrified at any incowntre Therefor in the busines of God or professiō of our beleefe sayth Christ Feare yee not them that kill the bodie Mat. 10.28 and are not able to kill the sowle Againe see that you be not trubled for these things must be done Mat. 24.6 Brother shall deliuer brother vnto death and the father his sonne and the children shall rise against their parents and shall woorke their death And you shal be odious to all men for my name But be that shall indure to the ende shal be saued A most happie conclusion of the former sorrow and fare greater good then in comparison wherof the greatest greefe might not be thowght the cheefest gaine Rom. 8.18 So esteemed S. Paul saying For I thinke that the passions of this tyme are not condigne to the glorie to come that shal be reuealed in vs. So that all that euer you haue or might loose by such aduersitie accompt it more gaynefull then had you putt it to greatest vsurie Christ Iesus is our assurance therof Mat. 19.29 affirming Euerie one that hath left howse or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wyfe or children or lands for my names sake shall receaue a hondred fowld and shall possesse lyfe euerlasting Which S. Paul as euery true Christian is bound did beleeue when he sayd Philip. 3.7.8 The things that were gaynefull to me those haue I esteemed detriments Yea but I esteeme all things disproffitable for the passing knowledge of Iesus my lord for whom I haue made all things as detriment and do esteeme them as dung that I may gayne Christ So did the Hebrues beleeue them to whom the same Apostle gratulateth The spoile of your owne goods Hebr. 10.34.35 you tooke with ioye knowing that you haue a better and permanent substance Do not therfor leese your confidence which hath a great remuneration Which being soe true as being affirmed by the trueth it selfe what merchants aduenturing all their stock what husband man spending all his seede what vsurer exposing all his welth what gamester hazurding all his thrift vpon vncertainties but may exclame at vs yf we thinke that stock lost which is layd out for so excessiue gayne that seede perished which is spent in so