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A00908 A defence of the Catholyke cause contayning a treatise in confutation of sundry vntruthes and slanders, published by the heretykes, as wel in infamous lybels as otherwyse, against all english Catholyks in general, & some in particular, not only concerning matter of state, but also matter of religion: by occasion whereof diuers poynts of the Catholyke faith now in controuersy, are debated and discussed. VVritten by T.F. With an apology, or defence, of his innocency in a fayned conspiracy against her Maiesties person, for the which one Edward Squyre was wrongfully condemned and executed in Nouember ... 1598. wherewith the author and other Catholykes were also falsly charged. Written by him the yeare folowing, and not published vntil now, for the reasons declared in the preface of this treatyse. Fitzherbert, Thomas, 1552-1640. 1602 (1602) STC 11016; ESTC S102241 183,394 262

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matter passed and euidently see the supreme autoritie of the Bishops of Rome in those dayes it is to be considered that there hauing been from the tyme of the Apostles a different manner of keeping Easter in the Churche of Rome and the Churches of the lesser Asia the Romans keeping it alwayes vpon the sunday according to the tradition of the Apostles S. Peter and saynt Paule they of Asia obseruing the tyme and custome of the Iewes pretending the example and tradition of S. Iohn the Euangelist Pius the first of that name Bishop of Rome desyring to reduce all the Churche to vniformity made a decree that the feast of Easter should be celebrated only vpō sunday but for that the Churches of Asia made great dificulty to leaue their tradition as wel Pius as Anicetus Soter and Eleutherius forbore for peace and quietnesse sake to compel them by Ecclesiastical censures to the obseruation therof but afterwards Victor who succeeded Eleutherius noting that not only those which inclyned to keep the ceremonies of the old law were much confirmed therby in their opinion but also some in Rome namely one Blastus sought to introduce that custome there and Iudaysme withall cauled a councel of the Bishops of Italy neere adioyning and not only caused other councels to be assembled in France but also directed his commaundements to the Bishops of the east to do the lyke namely to Theophilus Bishop of Caesarea as that S. Bede reporteth in these words victor the Pope Bishop of the citty of Rome dixerit authoritatem that is to say directed a commaundement to Theophilus Byshop of Caesarea and Palaestina that it should be determined how the easter should be celebrated there where our Lord the sauiour of the world conuersed Therfore perceptae qutoritate the authority or commaundement being receiued Theophilus assembled Bishops not only out of his owne prouince but also out of diuers other cuntryes and when they were come togeather in great numbers Theophilus protulit autoritatem ad se missam Papae Victoris Theophilus shewed the autority or commaundment that Pope Victor had sent him declared quid sibi operis fuisset iniunctum what was enioyned him to do c. herein by the way I wish to be noted how the Bishop of Rome in those dayes that is to say in the tyme of Lucius exercised his autority in calling of councels both of the Byshops of the Latin or west Church also of the east seing Theophilus Byshop of Palaestina assembled the prelats not only of his owne prouince but also of diuers other by vertue of the commission geuen him by Pope Victor But to proceed yt being determined by all those coūcels that the feast of Easter should be kept on the sunday according to the custome of the Romā Churche Victor the Pope renewed the decree of Pius his predecessor and denounced excomunication against all the Churches of Asia that would not cōforme them-selues therto which though some holy and learned Bishops amongst other Irenaeus thought to bee rigorously done and not with such consideratiō as it seemed to them the peace of the Church required yet none of them nor any of the schismatykes themselues took any exception to his autority as though he had donne more then he might do which no dout they would haue done yf he had exceeded the limits of his power therfore Eusebius sayth that Irenaeus did admonish him that he would not cut of from the body of the whole Church so many Churches for obseruing a tradition vsed amongst them according to an old custome and Nicephorus testifieth that they aduised him vt benignius statueret that should determine therof with more benignity and myldnes wherin wee see Pope Victors authoritie and power to excommunicat all other Bishops sufficiently acknowledged though there was question of the iustnesse of the cause and conueniency of the fact neuerthelesse yt appeared afterwards by the determination of the whole Churche of God yea of the greatest part of the Asian Churches themselues that Victor had reason in that which he did for as Nicephorus testifieth not only Asia did at lēgth yeild therin but also vbique terrarum in orbe decretum est it was decreed through out the world that the feast of Easter should be celebrated vpō the sunday in so much that those which would not yeild therto were held for heretykes cauled quarta decimani for so they are accounted and termed by Nicephorus saynt Augustin Epiphanius Philastrius and the councels of Antioch and Laodicea and to conclude this poynt yt shal not be impertinent to the matter in hād to consider how this controuersy about the keeping of easter ended many yeares after in England betwyxt the English Byshops mayntayning the custome of Rome and the Scottish that were Schismatykes and obserued the custome of Asia which venerable Bede recounteth saying that Bishop Colman with his Scotish elergy being assembled in Northumberland with Agilbert Bishop of the east Saxons his Priests Wilfred and Agathon in the presence of King Oswy after long debating the matter on both sydes Wilfred answered to Colman who relyed vpon the autority of Anatholius and Columba his predecessors although quoth he Columba was a holy man yet could he not be perferred before Peter the most blessed Prince of the Apostles to whome our Lord sayd thou art Peter and vpon this rock I wil buyld my Churche hel gates shal not preuayle against it and to thee I wil geue the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen when Wilfrid had sayd this King Oswy who had ben brought vp by the Scots and infected with their schisme asked Colman wheather he could proue that so great autority was geuen to Columba and Colman answered no and do you on both syds sayth the King grant without controuersy that this was sayd principally to Peter and that the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen were geuen him by our Lord and both parts answered yea nay then quoth the King merily I assure yow I wil not in any thing contradict that porter but as farre as my knowledge and power shal extend I wil obey his commaundments least perhaps when I shal come to heauen and haue him my enemy that keepeth the keyes no man wil open me the gates The King hauing sayd thus all that were present both litle and great sayth saynt Bede allowed therof and yeilded to receiue the Catholyke custome of keeping Easter on the sunday Thus wee see this great controuersy ended also in England neere a thousand yeres agoe by the autority of the sea Apostolyke so that to returne to Pope Victor wee may truly say he had the victory or rather that saynt Peeter by him and his successors vanquished all such as opposed themselues to this traditiō of the Roman Churche Seing then in the tyme of K. Lucius the Bishops of Rome both claymed and exercised supreme authority ouer all
and cauled him Cephas to signify the same the which word Cephas is interpreted Petrus in our Latin translation and Peter in English for where as the Euangelist himselfe expoundeth Cephas by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in greeke saying quod interpretatur Petús that is to say which is interpreted a rock the Latin translator saith quod interpretatur Petrus which is interpreted Peter meaning therby also a rock or a man that metaphorically was a rock for other wyse he geueth not the true sence of Cephas nor of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agayne in this sentence tu es Petrus super hanc Petram thow art Peter and vpon this rock c. these words super hanc Petram do playnly expound Petrus to signify a rock for that the pronoun this can not haue so proper relation to any other word as to the next antecedent which is Petrus so that the sence must needs be thus thou art a rock and vpon this rock I wil buyld my Church Here also may be considered the correspondence that the words of our sauiour to S. Peter haue with S. Peters words to him for when our sauiour asked his Apostles quem me esse dicitis who say you that I am he asked not what they called his name but what they sayd was his quality dignity and therfore saynt Peter answered not thou art Iesus which was the name that was geuen him at his circumsision but thou art Messias that is to say the anoynted or as we commonly say Christ the sonne of the liuing God which our sauiour recompensed not by telling him his name which was Simon but by giuing him another name and such a one as signified the office qualitie and dignitie that he bestowed vpon him and therfore he sayd vnto him thou art Cephas or Petrus that is to say a rock or Peter and vpon this rock I wil buyld my Churche which saynt Leo expresly noteth saying in the person of Christ to S. Peter thus as my father hath made knowen vnto thee my diuinity euen so I make knowne to thee thy excellency that thou art Peter that is to say a rock c. and S. Hierome expounding the same words of our sauiour and speaking also in his person sayth thus because thow Symon hast sayd to mee thou art Christ the sonne of God I also say to thee not with a vayne or Idle speeche that hath no operation or effect but quia meum dixisse fecisse est because my saying is a doing or a making therfore I say vnto thee thow art Peter or a rock and vpon this rock I wil buyld my Churche thus farre S. Hierom signifieng that Christ both made him a rock and cauled him a rock which yet he declareth more playnly in that which he addeth immediatly as Christ sayth he being himselfe the light granted to his disciples that they should be cauled the light of the world ita Simoni qui credebat in Pertam Christum petri largitus est nomen so to Simon who beleued in Christ the rock he gaue the name of a rock for yf we expound not Petri so the similitude is to no purpose and therfore it followeth immediatly and according to the metaphor of a rock it is truly sayd to him I wil buyld my Churche vpon thee here yow see S. Hierome vnderstandeth Petrum Petram that is to say Peter a rock to be all one and so doth S. Ambrose expounding tu es Petrus thow art Peter he is cauled saith he a rock because he first layd the foundation of fayth amongst the gentils and lyke an vnmoueable stone doth hold vp or susteyn the frame and weight of the whole Christian woork This may be confirmed out of saynt Basil who sayth Petrus dixerat tu es filius deiviui vicissim audierat se esse Petram Peter sayd thou art the sonne of God and heard agayne that he him selfe was a rock which according to our Latin and English translation of the scripture is not trew if Petrus and Peter do not signify a rock and thus wee see that Petrus being spoken in the scriptures of S. Peter and especially in those words of our sauiour Tu es Petrus doth signify a rock no lesse then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the greeke or cepha in the Hebrew which in our Latin translatiō is interpreted Petrus in our English Peter In this respect Tertulian in K. Lucius tyme cauleth S. Peter aedificandae ecclesiae Petram the rock where vpon the Church was to be buylt Origen in the same age for he was borne about the tyme of King Lucius his conuersion or within fyue or six yeres after tearmeth him magnū illud ecclesiae fundamentum Petram solidissimam super quam Christus fundauit Ecclesiam that is to say the great foundation of the Churche and the most solid or stedfast rock where-vpon Christ founded his Churche S. Cypriā who florished also within 40. or 50. yeres after the conuersion of K. Lucius hauing rehearsed these words of our sauiour thow art Peter c. concludeth thus super illum vnum adificat ecclesiam suam ills pascendas mandat oue● suas that is to say vpon him beiug one he buyldeth his Churche and to him he commendeth his sheep to be fed and after declaring the cause therof and the reason why our sauiour made him cheese or head of his Apostles though they were otherwyse equal with him in honour and power of the Apostleship yet sayth he to manifest vnity he cōstituted one chayre and so disposed by his autority that vnity should haue beginning from one and a litle after Primatus Petro datur vt vna Ecclesia Christs Cathedra vna monstretur the supremacy is geuen to Peter that the Churche of Christ may be shewed to be one and one chayre wherby he signifieth that our sauiour to conserue vnity aswel amongst his Apostles as also in his whole Church and to auoyd the occasion of schisme which ordinarily ryseth of pluralitie of heads ordeyned and appoynted one head ouer all to wit S. Peter the which reason ys also obserued by Optatus Miliuitanus and other most learned and auncient fathers who acknowledge neuerthelesse an equalitie of Apostolical autoritie in all the Apostles which I note here the rather for that our aduersaries are wont to obiect the same agaynst the supremacy of S. Peter as though the one did contradict or ouerthrowe the other whereas they may learne of saynt Hierome that although all the Apostles receiued the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen yea and that the strength of the Churche was established vpon them equaly that is to say aswel vpon one of them as vpon an other though not in lyke degree vpon euery one yet sayth he one was chosen amongst twelue to the end that a head being appoynted all occasion of schisme may be taken away and S.
of their primacy in causes ecclesiastical Seing then your religion so far as it is distinct from others hath no other ground then reason of state I doubt not but yf the matter were wel examined what God they beleeued in that persuaded her Ma tie therto or yow and your fellowes that manitayne it vpon the same reason and by such vnchristian practises as yow do yow would be found to be cōprehēded in the third diuisiō of varro who said that 3. kynds of men had three different kynds of Gods the Poëts one the Philosophers an other and statists or Polityks a third that euery one of them had a different religion according to the difference of their Gods as that the religion of the Poets was fabulous the other of the Philosophers natural the third of the Statists polityke and accomodated to gouernment And this is that which yow professe For the God yow beleeue in is the Prince your scriptures are the actes of Parliament your religion is to conserue the state persas uefas and therfore as all good Christians do measure the reason of state by religion which is the true rule and the end therof and from the which it cannot in reason dissent or disagre so yow on the other syde reduce and frame religion to your fals reason of state and by that meanes peruert all the order both of nature and grace preferring the body before the soule temporal things before spiritual humayn before deuine earth before heauen the world before God and which is more yow subiect both earth heauen body soule the world yea God and all to the priuate pleasure and profit of the Prince as though he were the end the Lord and God of all the world and of nature it self whervpon ensew those monstrous pollicies which wee fee fraught with all frand hipocrisy periuries slaūders murders and all kynd of cruelty oppression and impiety which haue ruined infinite Kinges with their countries Kingdomes and what they wil bring our poore country vnto in the end tyme wil tel wherto I remit me for as the Italian prouerb sayth La vita il sine ●l di l●da La sera the end prayseth the lyfe and the euening the day OF THE TRVE CAVSES OF more moderation vsed in the beginning then afterwards of the difference made by the Lawes betwixt Seminarie and I Mary priests CHAP. XXIII BVt to proceed in your obseruations you go forward to geue example that there is moderation vsed in ecclesiastical causes where matter of state is not mixt with religion saying for els I would gladly learne what should make the difference the temper of the lawes in the first yeare of the Queene and in the 23. and 27. but that at the one tyme they were papists in conscience and at the other they were growne papists in faction or what should make the difference at this day in law betwixt a Queene Marie priest a Seminary priest saue that the one is a priest of suspition and the other a priest of sedition Hereto I answere that because you say you would gladly learne and that I take yow to be of a good wit and docile I wil take paynes to teach you this poynt that you say you would so fayne learne Know you therfore that there were diuers causes of more moderation and lenity vsed for some yeares in the beginning then afterwards yet not those which you speak of and so you shew your self eyther ignorant or malitious in both The first an ordinary rule of state which those great statists that procured this change could not neglect I meane in case of innouation to vse no suddayne violence but to proceed by degrees especially in matter of religion which is seldome changed without tumult and trouble wherof they had seene the experience in the tymes of both the kings Henry and Edward therfore they had great reason to water their wyne at the beginning and to vse moderation at least for some yeares vntil the state and gouernment were setled The second cause was the doctrine of your owne gospellers in Q. Maryes tyme who because some of their folowers were burnt for heresy according to the Canons and lawes of the Churche cryed out that they were persecuted and published in their bookes and sermons that faith ought to be free and not forced that therfore it was against all conscience to punish or trouble men for their religion in which respect the authors of the change that serued themselues of them in the ecclesiastical and pastoral dignityes could not for shame at the very first vse the bloody proceeding which afterwards they did though neuerthelesse they forbore not in the very beginning to imprison and otherwise to afflict all Bishops and cheif pastours and such others as would not subscribe come to their Churches for the which cause I remember that besydes a great number of ecclesiastical and temporal persons some of my owne kindred and familie were called to London and imprisoned in the second yeare of her Maiesties raigne and so remayned prisoners many yeares after The third cause was the vayne hope that those polityks had that a religion so sensual and ful of liberty as theirs authorized with the power of the Prince vpholden with lawes promulgate with all artifice of writers preachers and perswaders would easely within a fewe yeares infinuate it self into the hartes of all men especially of the youth wherby they made accompte that the elder sort being worne out there would be within a fewe yeares litle memorie or none at all left of Catholike religion but when they saw after some yeares experience how much they were deceiued of their expectation and that through the zealous endeauours of the learned English Catholikes abroad learned bookes written Colledges Seminaryes erected priests made and sent in therby infinite numbers reduced to the vnity of the Catholike Churche not only of the schismatiks that fel at the first eyther by ignorance or for feare but also of the Protestāts themselues and amongst them euen many ministers and principal preachers and none sooner conuerted or more zealously affected to Catholike religion then the yongest and fynest wits wherwith our new Seminaryes beganne to be peopled when those statists I say saw this they thought it then tyme to bestyrre themselues and to persecute in good earnest and yet to do it in such sort as they might if it were possible auoyd the name suspition of persecutors both at home and abroad and therfore they vsed the same pollicy that Iulian the Apostata did of whom S. Gregory Nazianzenus writeth that he professed not externally his impiety with the courage that other persecutors his predecessours were wont to do neyther did he oppose himself against our faith lyke an Emperour that would gayne honour in shewing his might and power by open oppression of the Catholyks but made warre vpon them in a cowardly and base māner couering