alleadging the testimony of Anselme Deusdedit Leo nonus Petrus Damianus and such other forged deuises For first it is intituled Palea which argueth that it was thrust into Gratian and was for credit as light as chaffe Secondly this donation séemeth to be translated out of the legend of Syluester Thirdly all stories report contrary to this donation that Constantine was baptized at Nicomedia a little before his death Constantinus Nicomediae baptizatus est saith Theodoret paulò ante mortem Lib. hist 1. c. 32. distulerat enim vsque ad illud tempus in Iordane stuuio hoc promereri desiderans The same is also confirmed by the testimony of Eusebius Hierome Ruffin Socrates Sozomen and others But this donation doth signifie that he was baptized by Siluester and as it is in Siluesters legend cured of a leprosie and that before the warres with Licinius and Maximinus 4. This donation was granted as is sayd in the beginning of Constantines reigne But that cannot be true séeing it mentioneth ConstaÌ„tinople that was not so named nor founded by Constantine vntill long after In the Nicâ—ne councell Alexander was called episcopus Bizantij and Sozomen testifieth that Constantinople was founded in the height of Constantines prosperite 5. This donation preferring the bishop of Rome before the other patriarkes is playnly repugnant to the counsell of Nice that maketh all the patriarkes aequal 6. The bishop of Rome neuer enioyed any such prerogatiues as are giuen him by this counterfeâ—t grante either in Gréece or other places 7. He is called Vniuersalis episcopus by that grante yet did Gregorie the first refuse that title long after this time 8. The Popes now weare a triple crowne yet Siluester would not as this donation pretendeth weare an imperiall crowne 9. No authenticall history maketh mention of this great donation 10 Nay contrarywise histories relate that Constantines sonnes and successors did long after inioy those things which are in the gift preteÌ„ded to be deliuered to Siluester 11. Neuer were Constantine and Gallicanus consulls together Finally the rude and rascall stile and the circumstances of this grante nothing fitting Constantines time nor person nor yet the person of Siluester that yet scarce was secured from persecution doe playnly declare the same to be forged falsification 21 The constitution also of Ludouicus mentioned dist 63. c. ego Ludouicus Is most grosly forged For first the same contradicteth the donation of Constantine For what néeded this grant or donation if Constantine had giuen the same and much more before Againe if the Popes of Rome had béene in possession of this right the french that were greate benefactors to that see Theodiric a Niem Langius would neuer haue disturbed them 2. histories teach that vntill Boniface the 9. his time the popes were neuer possessed of the temporalties of Rome 3. there are diuers copyes extant of this grant as may appeare by Gratian and volaterran Geograph lib. 3. Which doe contradict one another But writinges repugnant one to another L. scripturae Cod. de fid instrument and contayning manifest contradictions deserue no credit Scripturae diuersae say lawyers fidem sibi iniuicem dero gantes nihil habere firmitatis possunt Neither can two contrary propositions be taken for true as lawyers hold in l. si is qui. § vtrum ff de rebus dub l. vbi pugnantia ff de regulis iuris 4. The Romanistes neuer did chuse the pope according to this grant nor did popes of late time grant that emperors had any authority to giue a forme for the election of the Pope Finally the rude and barbarous stile and termes of the grant and all histories that write of the gouerment of Rome about the time of this Ludouike do proue it to be conterfect falsification 22 The Popes also and their agents haue conterfected two certaine epistles vnder the names of Iustinian and Iohn bishop Rome which are now thrust into the code C. de sum trinit of fid Cath. s inter claras And are commonly alleged for the Popes authority and iurisdiction as appeareth by the disputes of Bellarmine and the fabulous narrations of Caesar Baronius the forgery is detected First by ancient manuscript bookes where these two epistles are not to be found as Alciat testifieth parerg lib. 5. c. 23. Secondly these epistles are repugnaÌ„t to the law next precedent For here the emperor doth signifie that he did then pubish this confession first L. cognoscere Cod. de summa Trinit fid Cath and sent it to Iohn bishop of Rome to be allowed or dissallowed wher-by the law precedent and law beginning cum saluatorem in the same title it is manifest that he had published the same a yeare before and sent it to Epiphanius bishop of Constantiople and to other Churches 3. Ado of Vienna in his chronicle and Platina in the life of Boniface the 3. testifie that the bishop of Rome was not called head of the Church before Phocas his time 4. the law decernimus C. de sancros ecclesijs and law Constantinopolitana in the same title doth giue that that to the bishop of Constantinople that is héere claymed by the bishop of Rome 5. Here the emperor promiseth to do nothing in causes ecclesiastical before he had made the bishop of RoÌ„e acquainted withall but that is refuted by the lawes called nouellae nu 6. 11. 123. concerning the creation and ordination of bishops the number of patriarkes archbisshops their iurisdictions and priuiledges and likewise by the nouel constitutions 3.5.16.58.133 137. al which concern mere ecclesiasticall causes Finally the letter being written in Gréeke to a Romayne bishop from a Romayne Emperor and translated after a most barbarous fashion doth playnly declare the same to be forged falsification 23 In the register of of Alexander the third vnder the colour of some counterfect grantes challenge is made by the popes to the crowne and souereinty of England it behooueth vs therfore to looke vnto the fingers of these impostors and falsaries that by one tricke of forgery are wonte to vsurpe a whole kingdome nouit prudentia tua saith Alexander the third Anglorum regnum ex quo Christi nomen ibi glorificatum est sub apostolorum principis manu et tutela extitisse his meaning is if he durst vtter it that the souerein dominion ouer England belongeth to the pope Whosoeuer list to read ouer Augustine Steuchus the popes bibliothecary or rather babling falsary shal find diuers counterfect instruments of the saÌ„e nature wherby the popes clayme the kingdomes of Croatia Aragon Dalmatia Denmarke Spayne Hungary Poland Russia yea and the empire of Rome to belong to their sea So gaynful hath the craft of forgery beene to that sée And so shamelesse are the popes agents in their forgeryes falsification 24 Most impudenly they make the Emperor Otho to sweare fealty to Iohn the 12. or as some recken the 13. dist 63. c. tibi domino A matter so against reason forged as
founders falsification 2 Gregorie the fourth saith that all bishops causes and the discussing of matters of religion belōgeth to the apostolike Romane See as the head of all Churches the place frō whence the Church tooke her beginning cum nulli dubium sit saith hée quod non solum pontificalis causatio C. praeceptis dist 12. sed omnis sanctae religionis relatio ad sedem apostolicam quasi ad caput ecclesiarum debeat referri inde normam sumere vnde sumpsit exordiū Anatorious lye For the law went out of Sion and not from Rome and bishops causes were handled in times past in councels and not before the bishops of Rome There also were matters of faith decided and not by the Romish bishops as this lying Pope affirmeth Nay the causes of the bishop of Rome himselfe as wel as of all other bishops were handled in councels falsification 3 Vnder the name of Athanasius the Church of Rome c. Septuaginta dist 17. teacheth that the counsell of Nice published 80. canons which were reduced afterward to the number of 70. according to the number of 70. disciples and that the copie brought to Alexandria was burnt by heretikes But authenticall stories doe refute this lye and shew that there were onely 20. Canons established in that councell Beside that Luke 10. Luke saith that Christ sent 72. disciples As the old latin transtation hath Thirdly if the canons were 80. it were a méere falsity to cut of or reduce 80. to 70. Finally of the burning of the canons of the Nicene counsell there is no recorde in any authenticall writer falsification 4 Marcellus saith that these words Psal 81. ego dixi dij estis are spoken of Preestes And thereby would proue them to bée aboue magistrates Si seculares in publicis iudicijs saith he C. synodum dist 17. libellis vtuntur appellatorijs quanto magis sacerdotibus haec eadem agere licet de qubus dictum est ego dixi dij estis The Pope therefore may bee conuinced of notorious lying and forging by all interpreters and not only by the text it selfe falsification 5 Vnder the name of Leo. c. ita dominus dist 19. They teach that Peter was assumed into an inseperable bond of vnitie with Christ hunc in consortium indiuiduae vnitatis assumptum id quod ipse erat voluit nominari a matter vntrue and blasphemous and vnworthy to be vttred by Leo. For albeit Christ consist of two natures yet no man euer yet sayed beside this counterfect◠Leo that Christ and Peter made one person falsification 6 Anacletus saith that Peter was made bishop when Christ sayd to him thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will builde my Church and the gates of hell shal not preuaile against it C. innouo dist 21. and I will giue thee the keys of the kindome of heauen He saith also that the rest of the Apostles made Peter their prince ceteri vero apostoli cum eodem pari consortio honorem potestatem acceperunt ipsumque principem eorum esse voluerunt But this second poynt is refuted by the whole tenor of the euangelical history and the actes of the Apostles recorded by Saint Luke For in no place we finde where the Apostles did ordaine or make Peter their prince or gouernor Nay we rather finde where Christ made all the Apostles equall The first point is contradicted also by the words of Christ who in the future tence said Dabo tibi and not Do tibi Bellarmine also holdeth that Peter in this place receiued nothing but a promise quorum verborum saith he planus obuius sensus est lib. 1. de pontif Rom. 10. vt intelligamus sub duabus metaphoris promissum Petro totius ecclesiae principatum Hee speaketh of the sence of the words rehersed by Anacletus and by his exposition it appeareth that Anacletus sayd vntruely that Peter was made bishop by christs words vttred Mat. 16. which may also be proued by Turrecremata in his treatise de ecclesia Finally all the Popes agents hold that Peter receiued the primacy from Christ and not from the Apostles falsification 7 Gelasius saith that the Church of Rome obtained the primacie not by any ordinances of synodes C quamuis dist 21. but by Christes owne words in the Gospell A matter most vntrue For the scriptures speake no where of the primacy of the Romish Church neither can it be proued out of the wordes tu es Petrus alledged by Gelasius Neither doth euery prerogatiue of Peter belonge to the Church of Rome Nor had the apostle Peter any such high primacy As the Pope nowe claymeth and practiseth falsification 8 Pope Nicolas saith that Dioscorus was not condemned for matter of faith C. in tantum dist 21. but for denouncing an excommunication against Leo bishop of Rome But the actes of the 2. councell of Ephesus being in fauour of Eutyches and the councell of Chalcedon do reproue him and playnly conuince him of vntruth The same also may be gathered by the chapter Canones dist 15. And therefore the glosse to salue this lye saith we must so vnderstand Nicolas his words as if he had sayd that Dioscorus was not condemned for matter of faith onely which was no part of Nicolas his meaning falsification 9 Omnes siue patriarchij cuiuslibet apices siue metropoleon primatus aut episcopatuum Cathedras vel ecclesiarum cuiuslibet ordinis dignitates C. omnes dist 22. saith Nicolas the Pope instituit Romana ecclesia But he telleth a grosse vntruth for the scriptures tell vs that the Apostle Paule ordeined bishops in Crete Ephesus and diuers places both in Europe and Asia and ecclesiasticall histories tell vs that neither the Church of Ierusalem nor Antioch nor other easterne Churches nor their dignities were founded by the Church of Rome Finally the actes of councels tell vs that councelles did appoynt the seuerall limits of bishops diocesses did enlarge their dignityes according to diuers occasions and that emperours and the dignities of greate cityes did adde dignity to the bishops falsification 10 The same Nicolas also affirmeth that Christ gaue to Peter terreni simul caelestis imperii iura that is the right both of the kingdome of heauen and kingdome of earth Ibidem But our Sauiour Christs words shew that he gaue him no earthly kingdome but promised him onely the keyes of the kingdome of heauen Nay if he be Christes vicar then he must clayme no earthly kingdome For our Sauiour Christs kingdome was not of this world falsification 11 Anacletus affirmeth that Peter and Paule were both crowned with Martyrdome in one day and at the same time C. sacro sancta dist 22. a matter denyed by Prudentius peri steph hym 12. Arator in Act. Apost lib. 2. and the author of the 18. Sermon de sanctis that goeth vnder Saint Augustines name and diuers others falsification 11 Pope Nicholas saith that Constantine called the bishop of Rome God Constat à pio principe
of one onely massacre committed anno 1572. variis in locis per illud tempus trucidata fuisse dicta sunt in Gallia and so extraordinary was the fury of the papistes that they spared neither age sex nor quality vel puberes vel impuberes saith he trucidati sunt neque vllius sexus vel aetatis vel dignitatis habita est ratio neither may we thinke that they haue shewed lesse cruelty against christians in Spaine Italy or Germany as for the realme of England it hath sufficient experience of the aduersaries extreme rage and cruelty by the short and bloody raigne of Queene Mary And can any christian man notwithstanding endure to nourish vp yong wolues and tygers within our bosomes The r Apocal. 17. Romish harlot is drunke with the blood of the saintes and hath her garments made red with the slaughter of innocentes that therefore which Optatus lib. 2. contr Parmen saith of the Donatistes may with good reason be applied to papistes Iacerati sunt viri tractatae sunt matronae in fantes necati abacti partus ecce vestra ecclesia episcopis ducibus cruentis morsibus pasta est for by the Romanistes many innocent christians haue bene tormented and murdered women haue bene abused infantes haue bene cut in péeces women haue bene forced to loose their children and they haue fedde themselues with cruelty and the popes of Rome and their agentes haue bene ringleaders in these cruell executions they are therefore professed enimies rather then members of Christes church argument 53 The catholicke church neuer shewed more fauour to Iewes and infidels then to Christians that misliked the pompe tyranny and corrupt doctrine maners of the popes or bishops of Rome for with her children the church dealeth like a kinde mother most mildely she correcteth them if they offend genly and instructteth them carefully contrariwise she auoideth those that will not heare her admonitions and conuerseth not with them Christian emperors Å¿ Hac valitura C. de Iudaeis Caellâ—olis excluded the Iewes from all gouernment and authority in the common wealth t ibidem they did also restraine their insolencies with diuers sharpe lawes the like u Cod. de paganis sacrif templ course also they tooke with pagans and infidels shutting vp their impious temples and forbidding their sacrifices and idolatries but the Romish sinagogue doth procéede by a contrary course for she massacreth and murthreth christians resembling that vnnatural whore that before Salomon would haue the childe in controuersy cutte in peeces but the Iewes and wicked atheistes she nourisheth so they meddle not with the popes scuruinesse the popes by their inquisitors and executioners torment christians and receiue tribute of Iewes that dwell quietly in Rome x Onuphr in Alexandr 6. Alexander the sixt receiued Turks and Maranes into Rome when the Spaniardes could not endure them in Spaine and all popes shew more fauour to Turks than to such Christians as come within the reach of the Spanish or popish inquisition argument 54 The true church neuer sought either by forgery and falsification of mens writings or by lying and slandering to aduance the cause of religion for trueth is sufficient and strong enough of it selfe and néedeth not to be supported with falshood and lies Among ancient Christians false witnesses and slanderers were so fare from being estéemed in the church that they were quite excluded out of the church as appeareth by the acts of the councell of Agatha c. 27. and councell of Eliberis in Spaine c. 73. 74. but the church of Rome perceiuing that she cannot preuaile by plaine trueth and honest dealing goeth now about by suppressing of trueth and forging of counterfeit canons and false writings and by all maner of vntrueths and slanders to abuse the ignorant and simple multitude the scriptures as much as she can she suppresseth in vnknowen languages and corrupteth by making the olde Latin translation authenticall she deuiseth and spreadeth abroad false traditions and setteth out falshood vnder the names of false canons and constitutions vnder the name of the apostles false canons of councels counterfeit treatises set out vnder the name of Origen Athanasius Ambrose Nazianzene Hierome Chrysostome Augustine Epiphanius and other fathers forged decretale epistles vnder the names of Clement Anacletus Euaristus and other ancient bishops of Rome that were neuer acquainted either with such matters or such a stile Of late time most audaciously the Popes agents haue taken vnto them power to put out and to put in and to change what they list in mens writings of which forgery their expurgatorie indexes do plainly conuince them Bellarmine he with all his witte wresteth scriptures and fathers to serue his cause Caesar Baronius out of Simeon Metaphrastes Iacobus de Voragine Surius and such like fabulous legends hath sent vs from Rome whole cartlodes of lies To help him Alanus Copus or rather Harpsfield Alfonsus Ciacone and diuers popish companions haue set out diuers notorious and ridiculous fables finally to disgrace the trueth by slanderous accusations of such as haue shewed themselues forward in defence of it the popish faction hath hired Sanders Robert Parsons Creswel Cope or rather Harpesfield Genebrard Surius Cochleus Stapleton Allen Ribaldineira Bolsecus Laingius and other such like sycophants to raile aswell against princes as inferiour ministers can this company then be the true church that delighteth in lying slandering railing cogging and plaine forging argument 55 That cannot be the true church that offereth sacrifice to other then the true God that made heauen and earth qui sacrificat dijs eradicabitur praeterquam domino soli saith y Exod. 22. God to Moyses S. z De ciuit Dei lib. 10. c. 4. Augustine saith that God only is to be serued with sacrifices of praises and thankesgiuing and to haue the worship of Latria done to him Iohn Apocalyp 22. fell downe vt adoraret ante pedes angeli that is that he might worship before the feet of the angel but the angel forbad him and said vide ne feceris see thou do it not and afterward Deum adora The papists also confesse that the worship of sacrifices is due to God alone Sacrificium saith a Lib. 1. de missa c. 2. Bellar. est externa oblatio facta soli Deo he addeth superfluously the word externa for if we may not offer externall sacrifices to creatures much lesse may we offer our internal deuotions and sacrifices vnto them But the Romish church doth offer the sacrifices of incense of praiers and thanksgiuing not only to God but also to angels to the virgin Mary and to other saints In their Letanies they call vpon the virgin Mary vpon the angels vpon saints they confesse their sinnes to them and yéeld them thanks for benefits receiued neither do they offer incense only to saints but to their images either planted on the altar or néere vnto it finally they confesse that they say masses in the honour
immunitat in 6. nos iustitiam nostram saith he ecclesiae sponsae nostrae nolentes negligere argument 90 The ancient fathers neuer called the pope vniuersall bishop for n Lib. 4. ep 32. Gregory the first doeth much mislike that title and calleth it sacrilegious and profane and a certeine councell of Africa cited by Gratiam dist 99. c. primaesedis importeth that the bishop of Rome should not be called vniuersall but now euery lousie frier made pope will be called vniuersall bishop and the papists dare not deny him this title argument 91 Ancient Christians neuer called the pope god nor supremum numen in terris but the canonistes doe not sticke to call him and honor him as God as appeareth by the chapter satis dist 96. and by Augustine Steuchus in lib. de donat Constantini and Stapleton in his epistle dedicatory before his booke intituled doctrinalia principia calleth him supremum numen in terris that is the soueraigne god of the world argument 92 In ancient time the church was gouerned by the lawes of councels and Christian emperors as appeareth by the acts of councels and lawes of Iustinians Code it appeareth also that in the time of Charles the great and his sonnes the church was gouerned for externall matters by lawes of princes but now the popes exclude both emperors kings and princes and take on them the sole gouernment of the vniuersall church argument 93 In the councell of Constance it was holden that the councell was aboue the pope the same also appeareth for that diuers popes haue answered and some haue béene deposed by councels but now the papists holde contrary and say that the pope is aboue the councell neither doe they allow any councels to be authenticall but such as are called and confirmed by the pope argument 94 The apostles their successors were subiect to emperors princes and paid tribute vnto them the apostle S. Paul taught all bishops and priests to be subiect to higher powers but now they hold that the pope is aboue all princes and kings whatsoeuer Papa est dominus dominantium saith o In c. ecclesia vt lite pendente Baldus ius regis regum habet in suos subditos and p De pontific Rom. lib. 5. Bellarmine holdeth that the pope hath power to depose kings and to take their crownes from them argument 95 The apostles and their successors in ancient time exhorted subiects to obedience now the popes of late haue exhorted subiects to rebellion as appeareth by their execrable bulles against Henry the 8. king of England and his daughter Elizabeth now reigning against Henry the 3. of France and against diuers emperors argument 96 In ancient time bishops spoke reuerently of kings and princes and in the q C. 83. canons of the apostles the censure of deposition is inflicted vpon such of the clergy as vtter words of reproch against princes but now the popes raile against princes as is euident by their wicked bulles and when railing will not serue by assassins and murdrers hired and aposted they séeke to cut their throates as appeareth by the fact of Iames Clement that murdred Henry the 3. Chastell that assaulted Henry the 4. of France and diuers assassins hired to kill our noble Quéene argument 97 Before Gregory the firsts time the popes made no bishops either in England or France or Germany or Afrike or Asia but al nations and prouinces were frée from his vsurpations neither did any bishops sweare fealty to the pope but now all this is quite changed and the pope claimeth a generall power to ordeine bishops ouer the world and maketh them r C. ego N. de iurtiurando sweare fealty vnto him as to their souereigne argument 98 In S. Cyprians and Augustines time the bishops of Afrike would suffer no appeales to be made to Rome now Bellar. disputeth that it is a point of the popes right to heare appeales out of all the world argument 99 Now also the papists make the pope supreme iudge in all causes and controuersies of faith but the ancient church nâ—uer imagined that such matters could be decided without a councell argument 100 The pope now Å¿ C. vnam extr de maior obed challengeth both swords but our Sauior Christ taught that his kingdome was not of this world and the apostle Paul said that the weapons of his warfare were not carnall The ancient bishops of Rome certes neuer vsed swords nor souldiers but sincerely taught the Gospel argument 101 Vntill Boniface the ninth his time the city of Rome was either vnder the emperors or vnder her owne magistrates as Å¿ Lib. 2. de schism Theodoric à Niem testifieth is it not then strange that the emperor will suffer his imperiall state and empire to be holden from him which is so lately vsurped and by fraud intercepted by the pope argument 102 It is not long since the pope began to weare a triple crown and to be borne on mens shoulders and to tread on princes necks and to make others to kisse his pantofle Let Robert Parsons shew that this was done before Gregory the seuenth and Celestine the third argument 103 Neither is it many hundred yéeres since the pope challenged annates and tooke money of archbishops for their palles argument 104 The popes prouisions reseruations translations and other extraordinary dispensations were vnheard of in the ancient church argument 105 Finally whether we respect the foundations of popish religion or the doctrine of the Law and Gospel or the doctrine and ceremonies concerning sacraments praiers and the worship of God or the gouernment and lawes of the popes chamber chancery and consistory we may boldly say that so much as we reiect in this church is nothing els but a packe of nouelties CHAP. III. That the papists are no true catholikes nor holde the catholike faith if they beleeue the popes decretals and his schoole diuinitie IF false teachers as they secretly broch erronious doctrine so would openly manifest their malicious and wicked natures we should not néed so watchfully to looke to their procéedings nor so earnestly to exhort all Christians to beware of their deceits and entisements but séeing like wolues in shéeps clothing they come abroad with the names of catholiks and catholike religion and abuse simple people I thinke it very necessary to take this maske from their false visages and to shew that they are woluish papists and not Christes shéepe or true catholiks the which that we may with all plainnesse and sincerity performe we will first declare what is meant by the catholike church which we professe in our Creed and next what is the catholike faith which euery Christian is to embrace and with all constancy to mainteine The catholike church therefore is the vniuersall societie of Gods saints and it comprehendeth all the faithfull from the beginning vnto the end of the world This catholike church saith S. a In Psal 56. Augustine is
pennance that is inioyned them Otherwise in his life time he is shut out of the Church and after his death prohibited christian buriall The councell of Trent Sess 14. c. 6. saith that auricular confession is necessary vnto saluation by the law of God Francis à victoria lib. de sacrament c. de confessione saith that a man being at the point of death is bounde by Gods law to confesse to a Priest If I say he had but one sparke of honestie or graine of modestie he would not haue affirmed that this maner of auriculer confession had béene ordayned by Christ hauing neither testimony of scriptures nor standing with the doctrine of the fathers Delicta sua quis intelligit saith the Prophet Psalm 18. How then can a man confesse all his sins which no maÌ„ is wel able to conceiue nor the papists in their multiforme cases of consciences able to eâ—presse Secondly the Prophet saith that at what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne God will put all his wickednesse out of his remembrance If a sinner therefore repent he may haue remission of sinnes without auriculer confession Thirdly the fathers doe refell this confessionall doctrine nondico vt confitearis peccata conseruo tuo saith Chrysostome Homil. 2. in Psalm 50. qui exprobret dicito deo qui curet ea I say not confesse thy sinnes to thy fellow seruant which may reproch it to thee but speake to God which careth for such matters Ambrose vpon the 10. of Luke c. 96. saith hee readeth of Peters teares but not of his satisfaction And againe let teares saith he wash your sinnes that by word you are ashamed to confesse Lib. 10. confess c. 3. what haue I to doe saith Saint Augustine with men that they should heare my coÌ„fessions as if they were to heale my griefes Cassian also collat 20. c. 9. teacheth men to confesse to God such thinges as they blush to confesse to men Fourthly it is an absurd thing to say Christ ordained coÌ„fessioÌ„ not to be able to proue it out of the scriptures Fiftly if confeson of all sinnes were necessarie then who should escape damnation Sixtly Papistes themselues bring diuers cases wherin they say coÌ„fession is not necessary the Pope dispenseth in case of omisssion of confession which sheweth that confession is not iuris diuini nor necessary to saluation Finally Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople tooke a way a kind of auriculer confession for publike sinnes which was vsed in that Church as Sozomenus testifieth And this is sufficient to cleare me of all vntruth obiected against me by Owlyglasse If he thinke otherwise or if any man will not be perswaded let him orderly answere this and other latin treatises which I haue written concerning diuers of these seuerall causes If they cannot let them leaue for shame to belche out their wicked slaunders against vs that shall alway be able to iustifie our allegations and writings better then the aduersaries that care not much how falsely they speake or write CHAP. II. An answere to Owlyglasses exceptions concerning thirteene falsifications pretended to be committed in M. Sutcliffes late Challenge Sect. I. Of two allegations of Epiphanius and Augustine pretended to be falsified SICVT canis qui reuertitur ad vomitum suum saith Salomon Prouerb 26. sic stultus qui iterat stultitiam suam for if a foole haue a toye or fancie in his head you shall hardly bring him from it This appeareth plaine by the foolish and fond deuises of our aduersaries who hauing a conceit to worke vs some disgrace vnder pretence of vntruths and falsifications are still talking and prating of falsifications wherein notwithstanding the cause being examined all the disgrace will fall vpon themselues Robert Parsons being at Rome and hearing of the conference that had passed betwixt M. Plessis and M. d' Eureux would needes forsooth send a pamphlet concerning that matter into England with a request that a triall might also be made concerning allegations by men of our side with vs as it had passed before in France The which pamphlet albeit he might sée to haue beene answered two yeares agone and his challenge concerning matters of falsification to be accepted by me and that I haue begone to obiect against him diuers notorious and most materiall falsifications whereupon Romish religion séemeth to depend yet is Owlyglasse our aduersarie still returning to his vomit and still babling of falsifications himselfe being not able either to answere one word in defence of those falsifications which I shewed to haue beene committed by the Romish church and principall men actors in the Popes cause or well able to declare what falsification is albeit by practise he be most cunning in it And that appeareth by the first section of his third chapter page 47. for albeit I doe not set downe any words either of Saint Augustine or Epiphanius yet he pretendeth that I haue falsified both A strange matter that a man should commit a forgerie in writing and yet neither make nor preduce any writings at all But I quote them in the margent for that hée may alleadge in excuse of his dizardrie as if euery man that quoted an author in the margent either vnfitly or erroneously were to be charged with the crime of falsification The worst therefore that he is able to say against me is error and mistaking but if I haue not erred or mistakene ither Saint Augustine or Epiphanius I hope some cacolike massepriest will tell Owlyglasse that himselfe was much ouerseene in the verie first setting out of the harbour which is a verie euill presage and a most certaine signe that he will make no good voyage as long as he dealeth with me in this cause That I haue said truely it will appeare by comparing S. Augustines and Epiphanius his words with mine I say the Heracleonites did annoint their followers departing out of this life and gaue them a certaine kinde of extreme vnction And I quote Augustine de haeres c. 16. and Epiphanius de haeres 36. Let vs then sée whether S. Augustine and Epiphanius doe not prooue my words true Heracleonitae saith he feruntur suos morientes nouo modo quasi redimere id est per oleum balsamum aquam Likewise saith Epiphanius H quandoque aliqui ex ipsis oleum aqua mixtum capiti defuncti immittunt I say further that those heretikes said prayers for the dead and that is prooued both out of Augustine and Epiphanius Augustine said they vsed certaine inuocations inuocationes saith he quas Hebraicis verbis dicebant super capita scilicet morientium Hoc faciunt saith Epiphanius vt hi qui has inuocationes in vitae exitu accipiunt cum aqua oleo aut vnguento permixtis incomprehensibiles siant So it appeareth that these heretikes did annoint their Disciples with oyle hoping thereby to redéeme them and saue them It appeareth also that they said praiers ouer the dead in a tongue not vnderstood Do not then the
at Grotta Ferrata if that were materiall it will be verified by diuers priests if they be asked on their othes Why any man should beléeue this lying compagnion that speaketh without proofe or probabilitie there is neither colour nor cause He excepteth also against that which I say of the number of Priests that were likewise to come with the Spanish army and thinketh that a hundred Priests could not then bee found there being then but two Seminaries Rome and Rhemes and not aboue fiftie in both But he should be an eloquent fellow that could perswade me to beléeue that lying mate without all proofe Why I should beleeue the contrary I can alleadge good reasons For first this being the ende of the erection of the Seminaries to reduce England vnderneath the Popes yoke we are not to doubt but that all the English of the Seminaries should haue béene emploied in that action and the whole sinke of treason let out Secondly albeit in the Seminaries there were not so many Priests to be found yet might that number haue béene filled vp by diuers other priests that liued here and there dispersed Her Maiesty hauing dismissed and banished aboue fiftie priests that deserued death by her lawes rather then banishment not past two or thrée yeares before These therefore and others should haue come into England Neither would that barking curre Stapleton haue fayled if he could haue séene opportunitie to hurt those against which he had so long barked Thirdly diuers priests now in EnglaÌ„d testifie that many priests were to come with the Spanish forces Finally Allen in his wicked libell reporteth that priests came with the Spanish forces to serue euerie mans spirituall necessities But how could that be vnlesse the number were competent Among the rest I am enformed that R. Parsons should haue come with his assistants and whole councell of reformation and that to auoide idlenesse in the meane time he holpe to write and publish the most wicked declaration of Sixtus quintus against her Maiestie It may be also Owlyglasse had an ore if not in the fléete yet in the army or els was in England to attend the comming of it Let him therefore thanke God that he is not sought out and punished as a traytor that endeuoureth to plead the cause of traytors And let all indifferent men iudge whether I haue not said truely and he most falsely both concerning Allen and the Priests The third obseruation as he saith is that my dealiâ—… doth declare the weakenesse of the cause I maintaine the little conscience I possesse and small learning I am maister of For so it pleaseth our great maister Owlyglasse in a pang of popish zeale to rayle And his reasons are for that a good cause needeth not the helpe of lies and a good conscience will not be strained beyond the limits of truth and sinceritie These venerable sentences the execrable Iebusites and massepriests pare and pole most dispiteously as their poling indexes expurgatorie and their treatises in the Popes cause plentifully declare nor pare nor pole the venerable sentences of antiquitie nor a man of learning frame such arguments as flie ouer his aduersaries and may be driuen backe vpon his owne head And this he speaketh standing vpon his tiptoes and looking vpon himselfe very prowdly and verily beléeuing that he hath spoken very brauely and almost eloquently But if he had better looked vpon himselfe his conscience and cause he would haue extended more fauour to vs his poore friends himselfe being a sot of 24. carats and deuoid of all learning and conscience hauing giuen proofe of his learning in his miserable detection and hauing his conscience grounded on the cases of conscience resolued by Allen and Parsons and Peter Nauarrus that teach men against all conscience to play the villaines and so a man stand for the Pope to sweare and forsweare and finally to doe what a man list so he haue the Popes faculties for it And what face had he to talke of sinceritie his cause standing vpon falsifying of fathers lying of legends counterfaiting traditions rayling vpon innocents cogging of fabulous histories and vpon deuising of fraudes and impostures to abuse the world His want of learning I say is proued by his weake and base talent of writing wherein it appeareth he could not so much as tell how to frame a sentence or how to vnderstand the things he handleth Alleadging but two words of latin pag. 30. he sheweth he can no latin vsing the plurall for the singular saying prope initia where a latinist would haue said prope initium or rather in principio quoting one verse he marreth it pag. 4. his testimonies are Hierom Verdussen and English almanacks such proofes as a man may haue three or foure for a groate his arguments are such as I haue declared in my answere His want of conscience may I say appeare by the most damnable resolutions of cases of conscience of Nauarrus and other Romish casuistes and especially the resolutions of Allen and Parsons Vide resolut casuum conscientiae nationis Anglicanae per A. P. two rather diuels then diuines teaching nothing but how their schollers may forsweare themselues deny their names and profession and play the traitors in which cases of conscience Owlyglasse without conscience séemeth to be well practised The third is made manifest by the fabulous lies of Caesar Baronius lying Romish legendes counterfeit canons and writings lately published and such euidence as I shall in part hereafter discouer and that to the great griefe of this detector if he be not a man stupide altogether and sencelesse This also doth touch the cause of poperie in generall for if a good cause néede not to be supported with lies and fables then is the Popes cause very bad that cannot stande without lies If a good conscience will not be strayned beyond the limits of truth and sinceritie nor pare nor pole the venerable sentences of antiquitie then hath Bellarmine and Parsons no good conscience For Parsons maketh no conscience to tell any lies as I haue prooued in my answere to his woodden wardword and the priestes haue notoriously prooued in all their bookes against him and his trecherous faction Againe then haue the Iebusites no conscience that lie and falsifie according to the rules of their order and that most shamefully Le catechisme de Iesuites as is proued in their Catechisme Thirdly then hath the Pope no conscience that by his lewde and trecherous indexes and by his Talmudicall traditions and peruerse expositions hath taken a course to corrupt both scriptures and fathers If they haue no learning whose arguments conclude not effectually but may be retorted backe vpon the faces of the proponentes then if Owlyglasse be iudge neither hath Bellarmine nor Stapleton any learning For in diuers of our treatises we haue made their arguments to rebound backe vpon them As for my selfe I referre my cause to be tried by any indifferent man that shall reade Owlyglasses obiections
flocke by teaching and that he doth administer the sacraments of the Lords supper and baptisme orderly and ordinarily as other bishops doe wherein I beléeue he will faile Fourthly I haue proued that the pope is Antichrist aduanced aboue all that is called God and the principall Patriarke of Antichrists kingdome But light and darkenesse shall as soone concurre as the tyrannie of Antichrist and the office of a bishop in one person I haue prooued that he is Antichrist in my fift booke de Pontifice Rom. against Bellar. which because he so aboundeth in learning and I haue none I would pray him to answere with his great learning and especially séeing it maketh so much for the credit of his father the pope that begot him on a strumpet the hore of Babylon his maships mother A braue fellow he is no doubt that is so well borne of father and mother And if his stomack wil brooke no latin let him refute my answere to Parsons wardword if not all yet so much as toucheth the Pope Finally the Pope is an heretike an apostata and a most notorious simoniacal person entring by brigues and faction and composition with the Spanish king and cardinals as is notorious to the world and appeareth in euery coÌ„claue and is not dissembled by popish writers but such by canoÌ„s albeit otherwise bishops are suspended froÌ„ ordaining bishops or coÌ„ferring orders That they are heretikes it cannot be denyed vnlesse Owlyglasse can shew that the points we haue handled in the 4. chapter of our former discourse are no heresies which if he be able to shew I doubt not but the pope for his paynes will make him cardinall That the Pops are apostatates it apeareth for that they haue declined from the ancient faith as I haue likewise declared in my former challenge That they are simoniacal creatures their buying and selling of the papacy and of all ecclesiasticall liuings of masses of sacraments of faculties doth manifestly declare and that this is a common fault of Popes it appeareth by their rules of chancerie by the Penitentiaries taxe Vid. regul Cancellar paenitent by the glosses of their canons by Albericus de Rosate in verbo Roma by Theodorica Niems treatise of schisme by baptist of Mantua and all stories that write any truth Neither is this a faulte of late crept into that see queÌ„ dabis mihi de tota maxima vrbe saith Bernard lib. 4 de consid ad Eugenium quite in papam receperit pretio seu spe pretij non interueniente He signifieth that the Pope was chosen by simony without simony certes no cardinall can sée to finde the Popes chayre By this it may also appeare that the Romish church hath no true bishops or priestes for first they are ordained by the Pope that is no bishop Secondly the Bishops neither preach nor administer the sacraments nor accompt that any parte of their episcopall function Thirdly Pope Ioane had noe power to ordeine Bishops or priestes being a woman But all that haue liued in the Church of Rome along time haue béene ordeined by none but such as were ordeined by her or by bishops that were made by her Fourthly all préests are ordeined to sacrifice for quicke dead As appeareth by Machabeus in lib. de missis episcoporum pro ordinibus conferen dis Bellarmine also saith that preistes are made by these words accipe potestatem offerendi sacrificlum that is receiue power to offer sacrifice Which is no sufficient ordination nor giueth préestes power either to preach or administer sacraments but rather a power in ancient time neuer belonging to préests as I haue proued against Bellarmine in my booke de sacrificio missae Fiftly no simoniacall persons or heretikes haue power to order others and if they doe it their ordination by canons is declared voyd they are pronounced irreguler and this I thinke Owlyglasse will not deny but he will answere percase that the Popish bishops are neither heretikes nor simonicall persons let him therefore if he will make his answere good make answere to my obiections concerning the heresies and simonyes of the Church of Rome Sixtly the popish bishops are all slaues of Antichrist as appeareth by their slauish oth c. ego N. de iureiurando If then the pope be proued Antichrist and the aduersary of Christ and his Church his adherents caÌ„not be déemed true bishops Finally albeit the Popish Church had a certaine forme of ordination and bishops and préestes so called yet nether can the ordination be accouÌ„ted lawful being contrary to canons nor can they be déemed true bishops and priests that neither preach that which Christ commanded nor obserue his commission nor administer the sacrameÌ„ts according to Christs institution Oftentimes also the Pope hath ordeined boyes ignorant persons vtterly vncapable of episcopall function bishops and preests And such being so ordeined neuer did any part of ministeriall function if then the Romish Church be like her bishops then as she hath false and defectiue bisshops so is shee a false and defectiue Church But saith Owlyglasse Pag â—2 the councell of Trent hath made such holsome decrees concerning the diligent and often teaching and preaching of bishops and preests as Master Sutcliffe can finde no iust cause of complainte But if he had let downe these wholsome decrées he would haue béene much ashamed of the decrées themselues and more of the slender exequution of them For Concil Trid. Sess 5 c. 2. they decrée that bishops shall teach by theÌ„selues or others so that by this rule women may be préests for they may teach by others this may be fulfilled if bishops neuer teach at all Beside that we doe not reade that the first bishops of Rome did preach by others or set vp louzy fryers to prate in pulpits as now is the fashion of the Romish Church Our Sauiour Christ bad his Disciples preach themselues or els he would not haue sent them And S. Peter preacheth himselfe and vsed no deputation for the matter as now the Romanistes doe furthermore now the execution of this lawe is so neglected that I doe not beléeue that Owlyglasse albeit he hath well frequented all corners of Rome hath heard the pope preach And when the old Cardinall of Lorrein offerd to preach he was derided for his labor of all his compagnioÌ„s so vnséemly a thing it séemeth for a Cardinal bishop to preach He answereth further That I would be loth that our church should continue no longer then bishops doe their duties in preaching and feeding But he doth wrong our bishops to compare them to Romish prelats that neither preach nor thinke that preaching belongeth to them and for the most parte vnlesse it be some frier or foxe inroabed with bishops apparell preach not nor speake more then stockes and images in Churches He doth also mistake me much if he thinke that I conclude that any congregation is not the true church where bishops doe not their duties For that is
that is nothing to the cause which by priuat mens errors cannot be eyther charged or preiudiced But if the Pope of Rome to whom the papists flie in all controuersies and extremities commit falsifications then is the cause of poperie quite ruined and ouerthrowne For he is the Sanders Rock Bellar. in praefat in lib. de pontif rocke and Bellar. ibid. lib 2. de pontif Rom. Stapleton doctrinal princip foundation vpon whom the papists build all their religion Againe if the Church of Rome haue practised these falsifications then is no trust to be giuen to her If both the Pope himselfe and the Church of Rome doe deliuer vnto vs lyes and fables then is the pope no vpright iudge but a lying hypocrite and the Church of Rome is not the true Church nor a mistris of truth but a mistresse of errors and lyes Let vs therefore sée whether the pope or Church of Rome may not in this poynt be more iustly charged then we and whether they be cleare of this fault or no. For that is a point farre more materiall then any thing which the aduersary can deuise against vs. Let vs also consider how Bellarmine Baronius and others the Popes agents haue acquited themselues in their narrations and allegations For so it may best appeare how vnaduisedly this detector began his quarell our aduersaries being so notorious offenders in telling vntruthes and committing most grosse and wicked forgeryes and wée so cleare and innocent at the least from all willfulnesse violence and malice if not from error L. qui testameÌ„tum ff ad leg Corneliam de falsis Whosoeuer shall conceâ—e or hide away a testament or take it from a man or shall blot it or adde by interlining or else shall forge or write a false testament or exhibite it or signe it or vse it and fraudulently reherse it is punishable as guiltie of forgery by the lawe Cornelia concerning forgery and falsitie And this is the determination of Paulus the lawyer and allowed by all men of vnderstanding and iudgement in law Qui testamentum amouerit celauerit eripuerit deleuerit interleuerit subiecerit resignauerit saith Paulus the lawyer quiue testamentum falsuÌ„ scripserit signauerit recitauerit c. legis corneliae Poena damnatur Those also are guilty and by this law punishable Ibidem quorum dolo malo id factum est by whose procurement and fraude any of the foresaid points are committed But the pope and Church of Rome many wayes offende against this lawe as is most euidente by many particulers falsification 1 First they do suppresse as much as they can the eternall testament of almightie God conteined in the bookes which we for this cause call the old and new testament For simply do they prohibit all translations of scriptures made by any of our doctors not without streite limitatioÌ„s do they permit chrâ—stiaÌ„s to haue scriptures translated into vulgar tonges by theÌ„selues publikely by no meanes will they haue scriptures red being translated into tonges vnderstood of the multitude And all these thrée points are manifestly proued by the index of prohibited bookes set out by Pius quartus and by the decrée of the councell of Trent speaking of our mens translations librorum veteris testamenti versiones viris tantum pijs doctis Index lib prohib regul 3. saith he iudicio episcopi concedi poterunt And afterwarde versiones noui testamenti c. nemini concedantur Speaking of vulgar translations of scriptures Ibid. regula 4. he saith hac in parte iudicio episcopi aut inquisitoris stetur vt cum consilio parochi vel confessarij bibliorum a catholicis authoribus versorum lectionem in vulgari lingua concedere possint So it appeareth they first absolutely forbidde al vulgar translations made by any of our doctors and Secondly with harde conditions grant licence that to very few to reade their owne vulgar translations of scriptures and Thirdly that they doe forbid all latin translations made by vs of the new testament and with conditions and limitations permit our translations of the old testament to be read and that of very few Concil Trid. Sess 22. c. 9. In publike liturgies of the Church they also signifie that scriptures are not to be read in vulgar tongues And by their practise we gather that they thinke the publike reading of scriptures in vulgar tongues to be nothing for their profit and purpose Who then seeth not that by al meanes the pope and Romish Church endeuore to suppresse Gods testament and shew themselues therein notorious falsaries falsification 2 Secondly they burne the holy scriptures vnder pretence of false translations as may be prooued by diuers witnesses and by their owne practise And I thinke they will not deny but that they haue burned scriptures traÌ„slated by our doctors wil defend it yet to corrupt or teare or spoyle a testament is the part of a falsary as these wordes declare si quis testâ—mentum deleuerit Neither could the lawe speake more playnely against Papistes vnlesse it had sayd si quis testamentum dei combusserit falsification 3 Thirdly they haue depriued the Lords people of the cup which our Sauiour Christ calleth the newe testament in his bloud hic est calix saith he nouum testamentum in sanguine meo Luc. 22. In the conuenticle of Constance they decrée vt sacramentum a laicis sub vna specie tantummodo recipiatur that is Sess 13. that lay men are to receiue the sacrament onely vnder one kinde In the conuenticle of Trent they pronounce them Anathema or accursed that shall say that the faithfull ought to receiue the sacrament vnder both kinds Sess 21. c. 1. 2. or that shal denie that they tooke away the cuppe from the communicants and ministred the communion vnder one kinde onely for iust and reasonable causes Whether then the Lords cup be the new testament or the seale of the new testament it is euident that the Pope and Church of Rome doe shew themselues to be notorious falsaryes the words of the law are cleare si quis testamentum celauerit amouerit c. that is whosoeuer doth concele or keepe a testament out of the way he is to be punished as a falsary the same also is apparant for that they goe about to breake the seale of Gods testament And although man cannot or will not punish this falsity in the Romish Church and in the masse préests yet God will assuredly punish so notorious a falsification of his eternall testament falsification 4 Fourthly the Pope and Romish Church haue added to Gods eternall testament corrupting the same by their traditions and makg ivnnwritten traditions equall to the canonicall scriptures omnes libros tam veteris quam noui testamenti Sess 4 concil Trid. say the Popes slaues assembled at Trent cum vtriusque vnus deus sit author nec non traditiones ipsas tum ad fidem tum ad mores pertinentes tanquam vel oretenus a Christo vel
conuinced by actes of the councell sent from diuers places to haue foisted in a false canon into the actes of the councell of Nice His agents auerred that the councell of Nice had decréed vt si episcopus accusatus fuerit iudicauerint episcopi regionis ipsius de gradu suo deiecerint eum appellasse episcopus videatur confugerit ad beatissimum ecclesiae Rom. episcopum voluerit audiri c. That the appeale should be receiued but the whole councel did take him in the very act of forgerie The same also may be proued by the true actes of the councel and by all authenticall writers that report the actes of that councel truely falsification 14 Paschasius one of the Popes agents in the 16. action of the councel of Chalcedon according to instructions giuen him alleadged a piece of a counterfeit canon of the councel of Nice beginning thus Ecclesia Rom. semper habuit primatum That these words are foisted into the sixth canon of the couÌ„cel it appeareth by the view of the canons themselues as they are set downe not onely by Ruffinus in his ecclesiastical history but also by Peter Crabbe Surius Carranza and other Romanists falsification 15 The 36. canon of the sixt synode is thus reported in the â—omes of councels and in Carranza Renouantes quae à sanctis patribus 153. qui in hac regia vrbe conuenerunt 630. qui Chalcedone conuenerunt deceâ—nimus vt thronus constantinopolitanus aequalia priuilegia cum antiquae Romae throno obtineat in ecclesiasticis negotijs vt illa emineat secundus post illam existens post quem Alexandrinorum metropolis numeretur deinde Antiochiae post eum Hierosolymitanae ciuitatis But this canon is diuersly falsified by the Romanists for first they cut out certaine wordes as they are found in the 18. canon of the greeke copies of the actes of the councell of Chalcedon and this canon of the sixth synode they turne contrarie to the meaning of the Fathers setting it downe in these termes C. Renouantes dist 22. Renouantes sancti constantinopolitani decreta concilij petimus vt constantinopolitana sedes similia priuilegia quae superior Roma habet accipiat nec non in ecclesiasticis rebus magnificetur vt illa sed haec secunda post illam existens prius quam Alexandrina sedes numeretur deinde Antiochena post eam Hierosolymitana Thus is it set downe in the canon lawe corrected by Gregory the thirteenth and yet differeth much from the originall but in all auncient copies we reade non tamen in ecclesiasticis rebus magnificetur vt illa which is a farre greater corruption then the other falsification 16 The fift councell of Carthage c. 3. determineth that bishops and priests and deacons should abstaine from their owne wiues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as Balsamon interpreteth it teÌ„pore vicis suae or during the time of their turne of seruice to make the best of it yet can it not signifie propria aut priora statuta Yet the Romanistes dist 33. c. placuit haue falsiffed the canon adding subdeacons that were left out of the canon and making this canon absolutely to exclude Bishoppes Priestes and Deacons from their wiues at all times falsification 17 In the councell of Milâ—uis c. 22. African priests deacons and inferiour clerkes are forbidden absolutely to appeale beyond the seas But Gratian like a falsary hath added to the canon nisi forte sedem Romanam appellauerint that is vnlesse they appeale to the fee of Rome which is quite contrary to the meaning of the canon And therefore Gregory the thirteenth in his bookes of the canon lawe hath set downe these wordes in an other letter but he rather hurteth then helpeth the matter testifying that all the Romanists that alleadged or vsed the canon thus before his late correction were falsaries falsification 18 In the councell of Laodicea the Fathers can â—5 forbid Christians idolatrously to worship angels ad angelos idololatriae abominandae congregationes facere But the Romanists being guilty in their owne conscience of the idolatrous worship of angels for angelos haue set downe angulos as appeareth by Surius Carranza and diuers late editions of councels Now that this is a falshood it is to be proued by the testimony of Chrysostomes homilies and Theodorets commentaries vpon the Epistle to the Colossians and Bellarmine in his first booke de cultu sanctorum cap. 20. falsification 19 Pius the fift in a certaine contention betwixt him and the Emperor Vita di Pio. 5. in literis to helpe his owne cause doth most falsely alleadge a canon of the councell of Nice whereby he would prooue that by the determination of that councell the Pope of Rome was made Lord and gouernour of all Princes that bore the name of Christians and that the councell did anathematise all that dare say contrary E sentenza saith he di tutti theologi è canonisti è determinatione de concilij massimamente del Niceno Ch' il succcessor di san pietro sia signore è rettore di tutti i principi del nome christiano de tutte le prouincie tutte le genti anathematizando chiunque cio ardisse contradire A wonderfull great principalitie certes if he should he made gouernour of all christian Princes of all prouinces and nations But this principality is grounded vpon no other foundation then lewd lies and forgeries For in the actes of the Nicene councell there is no such matter as may appeare both by the testimony of Ruffin and confession of Surius Carranza Bellarmine and Baronius that are not able to shew vs any such act in the Nicene councell We must therefore pray Robert Parsons otherwise Howlet and his disciple Owlyglasse to shewe vs this noble canon alleadged by Pius their holy Father vnlesse they meane that the world shall be made acquainted with the impostures and falsifications of the Romish church For as lawes determine they are falsaries that shall adde to lawes constitutions and canons and are as falsaries to be punished L. si quis falsis ff ad l. cornel de falsis Si quis saith Modestinus falsis constitutionibus nullo authore habito vtitur lege cornelia aqua igni interdicitur falsification 20 But it nothing els were yet the counterfeit donation which the Popes of Rome pretend to haue béene made by Constantine is sufficient to conuince them of falsification for therein by a tricke of forgery they claime not onely a souerainty ouer the whole cleargy but also a great part of the Westerne empire And so stifly doe they stand in the maintenance of this grant that they will hardly bee induced to heare the contrary Augustine Steuchus in a large volume goeth about to defend it But notwithstanding all his pleading he is a simple fellow that doth not sée this grant to be counterfeit and very bolde if not impudent that will defend it as doth the glosse set out by Gregory the thirtéenth
his meaning quoniam haec opinio tunc fuerat exorta saith Saint Augustine scilicet vt praecepta professa fide opera iustitiae contemnantur aliae apostolicae epistolae Petri Ioannis Iacobi Iudae contra eam dirigunt maximè intentionem vt vehementer astruant fidem sine operibus nihil prodesse These wordes Parsons translateth thus for that this wicked opinion of onely faith was sprong vp in the Apostles time by ill vnderstanding of Sâ—int Paul c. he addeth to Saint Augustines wordes wicked and where he speaketh of a sole faith or rather solitary faith deuoide of workes hee maketh him to speake against these that say that faith onely iustifieth or applyeth iustice vnto vs which Saint Augustine misliketh not for in that same chapter he saith that workes follow him that is iustified and go not before iustification falsification 10 Pag. 269. he alleadgeth a counterfeit writing vnder the name of Athanasius wherein Saint Anthonies the ermites life is described and of the liues of Paul and Hilarion supposed to be Hieromes but altogether false like Dolmans booke of titles falsification 11 In his directory page 353. he maketh Cyprian to say that Christ appeared to a bishop in the forme of a goodly young man He saith also Serm. de Mortalit that Saint Augustine did often vse to recount this example and alleadged Posidonius for his witnes He saith further that Cyprian writ a booke de Mortalitate But first this discourse is but one poore sermon and no booke Secondly it is vncertaine whether this sermon was his or no. Thirdly he saith not that Christ appeared but that a goodly young man appeared to that Priest Finally he lyeth of Saint Augustine as well as Cyprian and in his allegations forgeth as fast as if he were the sonne of a blacksmith and brought vp in his forge falsification 12 In the same place ridiculously he alleadgeth certaine sermons ad fratres in eremo which he fathereth most falsely vpon Saint Augustine and this his owne side as well as the learned men of ours could haue tolde him if he had but had so much sence as to vnderstand them In the two pages following he telleth certaine fables of the apparitions of good and bad angels and layeth them vpon Gregory the dialogiste and Bede whose bookes are much corrupted by monkes and such like falsaries falsification 13 To prooue purgatory he alleadgeth a certaine counterfeit booke that is attributed to Saint Augustine intituled de vera falsa poenitentia and a forged prayer supposed to be said by Saint Ambrose when he went to say masse and such like counterfeit stuffe as may be found in his directory pag. 369. and the pages following falsification 14 Lib. 1. p. 1. c. 11. of his directory he alleadgeth a place out of Saint Ambrose ser 2. in psal 118. where hee supposeth him to speake of popish purgatory but he speaketh of purging onely in this life and of such a purgatory as that some passed through it to hell But the papists teach that no man passeth out of their purgatory into hell He is therefore fitter to talke of the fire of his putatiue fathers forge then of the fire of purgatory which he shall neuer be able to prooue with any forgery falsification 15 Lib. 1. p. 2. c. 1. he maketh Saint Augustine to say confess lib. 6. c. 12. that his owne passions and the diuell would needes perswade him before his conuersion that he should neuer be able to abide the austerity of a vertuous life But S. Augustine hath neither any such wordes nor any such meaning For first he speaketh not of a vertuous life but of abstinence from mariage to attaine to wisedome Secondly he saith the Diuell or Serpent went about through him to perswade Alypius and speaketh nothing of the Diuels perswasions to himselfe Thirdly he doth not so much as mention austere life in that place neither is it so austere a matter to forsweare mariage as is pretended especially if God giue men grace to liue chaste The Iesuits and massepriests certes haue no reason to talke of austeritie of life albeit they forsweare mariage especially if they liue at ease and fare daintily and wallow in all filthinesse as they shall heare particulerly hereafter if they content not themselues with this present payment falsification 16 Likewise he citeth certaine Meditations and Sermons vnder the name of Saint Augustine pratum spirituale vnder the name of Sophronius the legend of Barlaam vnder the name of Damâ—scene and diuers other forged and counterfeit writings He doth also abuse both the scriptures and fathers most impudently as I shall at more leysure particulerly demonstrate Especially if he or any other dare vndertake to answere my challenge and to reply vpon my answere to his disciple Owlyglasse falsification 17 Fift reason of refusal Where Saint Paul 2. Tim. 4. speaketh of Alexander the copersmith he changeth his words and saith he commanded Timothy not to consent to Alexander the heretike And this corruption séemeth to be committed in fauor of his putatiue father the blacksmith whose occupation percase he was loth to sée disgraced falsification 18 Reason 6. Alleadging Saint Augustine contra Maximinum he séemeth to signifie that he wrote but one booke Againe he would make Saint Augustine to say that it was the fashion of heretikes to haue scriptures in their mouth But Saint Augustine in all his thrée bookes against Maximinus hath no such wordes nay himselfe in those bookes alleadgeth scripture often and reasoneth out of them and plainly signifieth that his instructions were drawne from thence De diuinis scripturis instructi saith he falsification 19 Reason 7. Speaking of the Pope hee giueth his reader to vnderstand that Cyprian de simplic praelat and epist 47. 55. and Chrysost lib. 2. de sacerdot Innocentius epist 93. apud Augustinum and Leo epist 84. and the Synode of Alexandria apud Athanasium and Theodoret lib. 2. hist c. 4. call the Pope the high priest of the Church the bishop of the vniuersall Church the pastor of the Church the iudge of matters of faith the repurger of heresies the examiner of all bishops causes and finally the great priest in obeying of whom all vnitie consisteth and by disobeying of whom all heresies arise But scarce doth he speake truely of any one of these fathers or councels as any man may sée both by examining the places and in my booke de Pontifice Rom. against Bellarmine would Parsons set downe the fathers words he might also sée it himselfe if he pleased falsification 20 Where he saith that the fathers of the primitiue Church with one consent affirme that the body and bloud of Christ was by Christ appointed to be offered vp daily for remission of sinnes of quicke and dead and quoteth Dionyse Ignatius Tertullian Augustine Chrysostome Gregory Hierome Cyprian and others with one breath he falsely alleadgeth them all as I haue particulerly demonstrated in my third booke de missa against
suffered to raise against the lawes of England and this state as they haue done in their railing libels entitled Aduersus persecutores Anglos Andreas Philopater Sanders de schismate and diuers other of that nature or why should any be suffered in corners to whisper against so lawfull and godly procéedings The papists will not yéeld to vs sufficient safeconduct and libertie to dispute in Milan Paris Collen and Salamanca Why then do they bragge as if they were desirous to dispute and trie their cause in Cambridge and Oxford and what a ridiculous point is it to desire that for papists which themselues will not yéeld to vs They will not suffer any bookes of ours to be published in Rome or other places where popery is professed if they conteine matter of religion and most seuerely doe they punish such as either sell such bookes or reade them or kéepe them without licence Why then should not papists confesse that we haue great reason to take a more strict course than hitherto we haue done with all their books and pamphlets and with all that haue them especially now séeing that few of them come foorth but they are fraught with slanders against the state lies and impostures against religion and doctrine tending to sedition and corruption of maners observation 6 We may further obserue that no man euer had lesse reason to talke of conscience than Rob. Parsons and his disciple Owlyglasse and their damnable consorts deuoid of all conscience for conscience is grounded onely vpon the lawes of God and is nothing but the inward iudgement of euery man of his owne actions according to the knowledge which he hath of Gods law and his word And this is gathered out of the apostles words Rom. 1. where he saith that the Gentiles do shew the worke of the law written in their hearts their conscience bearing them witnesse and their thoughts either accusing them or excusing them S. Iames 4. Iames he also sheweth vs that we haue one lawgiuer and iudge which is able to saue and destroy S. In exposit proposit ex epist ad Rom. Augustine expounding the wordes of the apostle Rom. 1. sheweth that conscience is nothing but the iudgement of euery mans soule of his owne actions Si cor nostrum nos reprehenderit saithe he rehearsing the words of Iohn 1. epist c. 3. maior est Deus conscientia nostra But the papists ground their conscience vpon the decrées of the pope vpon the customs of the Romish church vpon the vaine opinions of euery louzy canonist vpon the wicked and treasonable conceits of Parsons and Allen in their resolutions of cases of conscience for the English nation vpon the damnable commandements of their superiors breaking their necks running headlong into hell as soone as they are commanded and that blindly wilfully for other priuat mens pleasures and this appeareth first by Martin Aspilcuetaes enchiridion of cases of conscience by the compendium of the Iesuit Alagona and all the doctrine of Casuistes which as the aduersaries cannot deny is grounded as wel vpon the popes decretales and customes and vpon the lawes traditions and customes of the Romish church and opinions of canonists as vpon the law of God nay there are farre more cases that concerne the popes law then that concerne Gods law Secondly Lib. 4. de Pontif. Rom. c. 15. seq Bellarmine teacheth that the pope hath power to make lawes that binde in conscience semper creditum est saith he episcopos in suis dioecesibus Romanum Pontificem in tota ecclesia esse veros principes ecclesiasticos qui possint sua authoritate etiam sine plebis consensu vel presbyterorum consilio leges ferre quae in conscientia obligent héereof it followeth also that all papists are bound in conscience to beléeue the popes decretales concerning faith and to obserue his rules concerning manners and that for conscience sake and I thinke no papist will deny it Thirdly Allen and Parsons in their most wicked resolutions teach their traitorous schollars first to weare long haire secondly not only to change their names but also to deny their names thirdly to deny their country parentage Resolut cas nation Anglic. cap. 1. cas 1. fourthly to deny her Maiestie to be lawfull Queene her officers to haue power ouer masse priests for that is also taught in the resolution albeit not propounded in the case Ibid. cap. 3. cas 5. finally to forsweare themselues and to dissemble and practise all maner of trechery they also shew how they may eat flesh on fasting daies and come in company with men of our religion neglect the popes lawes also in case of danger in summe their resolutions tend to no other end but to shew how masse priests with a good conscience well wrought suppled by Robert Parsons may by helpe of a good Romish conscience betray their countrey to the Spaniard and cut their countrimens throats Fourthly the Rhemistes in their expositions of the new Testament writing vpon the 23. of the Acts teach their disciples how to forsweare themselues and resolue that vpon paine of damnation they must breake their othes are these fellowes then Christians trow you that handling the most sacred word of God doe by their wicked expositions teach men to violate their othes and to abuse the holy name of God Finally the Iesuits hold that the inferior being enioined by the pope or the generall of that wicked race of Iebusiticall impostors and traitors to doe any act or to beléeue any thing is not to dispute of the matter but resolutely to execute what they are commanded and this they call obedientiam caecam If then the pope or the generall of the Iesuits command Parsons or Garnet to kill the Quéene or any principall man of England or their owne mother by this doctrine it followeth that they are bound to doe it is it not strange then that any Christian state can suffer such traitors and parricides or their adherents to liue among them observation 7 The seuenth obseruation shall be for the edification and instruction of the Romish cacolicks they call themselues catholicks and would so be called but I haue declared them to be in a grosse error by very plaine euidence to them therefore I say that if they desire to be made members of Christes true church they must come out of the Synagogue of Rome and forsake the whore of Babylon and drinke no more of her cup full of all abominations Secondly if that religion which is sprong vp of late time and long after the times of Christ and his apostles cannot be true then the Romish doctrine must néeds be false and counterfeit Thirdly if papists desire to be true catholicks then must they renounce the particular religion of Romanists that hath not either of all christians béene knowen or at all times generally béene receiued Fourthly if no hereticks deserue the name of Christians then must they forsake the hereticall opinions of the popes and their proctors if they will be accounted Christians and true beléeuers Fiftly if idolaters shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen let them beware of the notorious idolatries maintained by the doctrine and practise of popish religion finally if the Iesuits and massepriests be a faction adhering to the pope and forrein enemies then had they néed to take hede how they receiue them aide them ioine with them or haue any dealing with them observation 8 Finally I obserue that popish religion is nothing else but a packe of lies and impostures and cannot stand without falsification fraude and violence I haue already verified the same by many particulers and euery man shall hereby discerne that I haue said trueth for that neither Parsons nor any of his consorts will vndertake from point to point to answere my chalenge and to iustifie both all such allegations as I haue said to be falsified and also all such narrations as I haue challenged to be lies and false reportes I doe rather looke for such a bald ribald like railing libell as this was and such pamphlets as Parsons vseth to set forth vnder counterfect names All you therefore of the Romish religion beware of the abominations of Babylon and of the falshood and fraud of that whore which sitteth vpon the 7. hils I haue as you may perceiue touched but few particulars in comparison of those which I could haue obiected if time laisure would haue serued but if Parsons come forth againe you shall haue the rest I will also adde the notorious forgeries lies calumniations of Posseuin Gregory de Valentia Professores quinti euangelij Andreas Iurgiuits Vilnensis that denieth vs to beléeue the articles of the apostles créed and other such villenous companions not forgetting Alan Copus alias Harpesfield nor Stapleton nor any notorious stickler of that wicked crew In the meane while marke I pray you how the pope with his Italians and Spaniards laugh and enioy their ease while a number of English youthes are drawen into danger both of body and soule running headlong of a blind and furious zeale into treason and séeking how to maintain the popes tyranny and to teach his errors and heresies God for his mercy sake if it be his holy will open their eies that they may sée their owne grosse errors and forsake these pernitious courses and in the end ioine themselues with the rest of their friends kinsmen and countrimen in a firme resolution not onely for the maintenance of the honor of their prince country and nation against all forrein enemies but also for the defence of true religion against the attempts and assaults of antichrist and false doctrine of all idolaters and hereticks the onely vpholders of the kingdome of antichrist