reasons As in a great and noble house saith he Iarres and breaches falling out betwixt the goodman and the goodwife their eldest children may declare what they thinke with reuerence to both parts so in the church her Maiestie beeing our mother and the pope the spirituall father to all cacolikes Cardinall Allen Sanders Bristow Stapleton and such like as elder children may speake their mindes as well of the causes of the breaches betweene them as of the right of both parties This is the summe of his defence but how vnsufficient you shall easily iudge by the sequele First it standeth on false groundes Secondly it conteineth ridiculous matter Thirdly it maketh against him that made it For first we denie the pope to be any christians spirituall father For hée begetteth none by preaching but destroieth infinite soules by maintaining false doctrine and ruinateth christendome by warres murders and trecherous practises We deny also that Allen Sanders or any such trecherous companion hath any prerogatiue of birthright either in church or common-wealth Nay they haue declared themselues to be traitors and strange children enimies to their prince countrey We say further that no lawfull bishop much lesse the pope that is onely a bishop in name and title hath power to depriue a prince of his state We say finally it is a malepert part for a childe to determine that the father may put awaie his mother and such a one with a little helpe will declare his father a cruell husband his mother a dishonest woman and himselfe a bastardly sonne Secondly it is ridiculous to compare the pope to the goodman and princes to the good wife of the house séeing these two do neuer kéepe house togither and considering that the pope doth in his owne order vtterly condemne lawfull mariage Againe what more fonde then to compare the popes hostile procéedings to iarres that fall out betwixt man and wife in a priuate house Doth the goodman vpon euery iarre damne and curse his wife Doth he seeke to cut her throte as this good fellow doth the Quéenes Lastly how ridiculous is it to compare Allen Sanders Bristow Stapleton and such like to children when they haue declared themselues old knaues ouergrowne in all trecherie and villanie and run out of their natiue countrey Do children runne from their mother and forsake her house to follow a reputed father I knowe not where Is not this the part of bastardes and not of children Thirdly if children ought with reuerence to respect their mother then is this Allen a most vnnaturall sonne that hath with all villanous and reprochfull termes railed against his mother Then are the rinegued priests Iesuites and their consorts murdring parricides that by all meanes haue sought the destruction of their mother nay of the most kinde mother that euer this people of England had Againe if shée be as the good wife and the pope as the good man yet must not he take vpon him to be iudge in his owne cause Nor ought any woman to be dispossessed of her right but by lawfull iudges and orderly procéeding It is a strange kind of diuorce that is made by force of armes But what eyther Parsons the Iesuite talketh of the affection of parents that neuer knew his right father or bastardly traytors talke of the right of princes of which they are ignorant it greatly skilleth not Wherefore seeing nothing is more apparent then that Cardinall Allen conspired with the pope and Spaniardes to worke the destruction of his prince and countrey and came with them anno 1588. ready with fire and sworde to destroie this lande and when hée coulde do no woorse barked out a multitude of hellish slanders against the prince the state and all goodmen among all the traitors and enimies of this countrey he deserueth to be in the first ranke The same accompt also we are to make of N. D. and all his consorts that allow his villanies and treasons And thus much may suffice to answere our aduersaries in wordes The rest I referre to those that carry the sworde which no doubt will prouide as in such time of danger the magistrates of Rome were woont Ne quid resp detrimenti ab istis capiat CHAP. V. Of Iesuites and their disciples and consorts against N. D. his fift encounter THe dispute and controuersie betwixt our aduersarie vs béeing héere about Iesuites their leud and bloudie practises I woulde gladly knowe the reason why he runneth out into so large and ample a discourse of his father the pope in this chapter and the rather for that he hath reserued for him a proper and a peculiar tract and a place of great dignitie in that part that foloweth héereafter Was it not thinke you to let vs vnderstand howe nobly the Iesuites are descended hauing Antichrist for their father and the whoore of Babylon for their mother If this were not the cause then let Parsons the Iesuite the author of the Wardeword I trow and one that for want of a father is constreined to runne to the pope that is now the father of all ribaldes traytors murderers empoisoners and enimies to this state let him I saie shewe me what is the true cause He may do well also to shew vs in what bordell he left the honest woman his mother and to set downe his whole petigrée that hée may cléere himselfe of irregularitie and let his friendes vnderstand his descent and high nobilitie In the meane while let vs sée what he hath to say first for his holy father and next for himselfe and his consorts First he is much offended that the popes doctrine is called Dregs poison and superstition but assuredly without iust cause For who séeth not that the principall ground of poperieis tradition Themselues say that traditions are of equall dignitie to the Scriptures If then it be drawne out of cisterns of traditions and not out of the pure streames of gods word it is no maruell if in these cisterns there be found much dregs corruption Now adde vnto traditions all the popes decretals and scholasticall fancies and subtilties of friers and their followers and then the filth of popish doctrine must néedes séeme much greater Againe séeing they haue drawne into their synagogue many customes whereof some are Iewish other prophane and heathenish they haue no wrong to bee charged with superstition From the Iewes they draw their Leuiticall priesthood the formes of their sacrifice and all the furniture of the masse their paschall lambe their Iubiley and popedome From the heathen they borrow their sacrifices and praiers for the dead their purgatorie the parts thereof their stationarie obambulations about the limits of parishes the canonizing and worship of saints departed their holy water and many such like ceremonies Lastly they haue translated many points of old condemned heresies into their cacolike religion With the Simonians they buy and sell freely not onely benefices and things annexed to spirituall things but also sacraments not
three learned languages wherein they were written to wit Hebrew Greeke or Latin Secondly hée declareth vnto vs That the restreint of vulgar translations was made onely to this end that no translations shoulde be vsed except it were first examined by learned men by order of the bishop and ordinanarie and then he saith That such lay men were permitted by the ordinary to vse the saide translation as were thought fit and able to profite by it And this hée beareth vs in hande to bée the ordinance of the catholike church But first hée shoulde haue done well to haue shewed vs what catholike church did so ordeine For if hée meane the conuenticle of Trent hée is an absurd fellow to thinke that scum and sinke of priestes and friers which there gathered a councell against Christ and against his church to betray the same to Antichrist to be the catholike church Beside that their determinations were not onely contrarie to Christs doctrine but to the authoritie and practise of the church and namely in this that they limited the reading of Scriptures in vulgar toongs Secondly it is most ridiculous to permit lay men or women to read the Bible in Hebrew Gréeke or Latin when so few of them among the papists vnderstand those toongs and this permission is nothing but an excluding of vulgar translations and barring the people from reading scriptures Thirdly it is great ignorance to say the scriptures were first written in Latin and vnreasonable to permit the Latin vulgar translation more then others and ridiculous to call these thrée toonges learned séeing in times past vnlearned men vnderstood them and now diuers learned do not well vnderstand them Neither is it materiall that some hold that Saint Markes gospell was written first in Latine For their proofes are weake and that is but one part of scripture But here wée talke of reading all the scriptures Fourthly it is most plaine while they allow no translations but such as themselues make and either seldome make any or making any do most shamefully corrupt the text as the Rhemistes haue done in the translation of the new testament the Iesuites in their translation of the bible into French and lately printed at Lyons that they séeke either to exclude the people from reading scriptures or else to giue them poison for Scripture That is apparant for that hitherto they haue not translated the Bible into Italian Spanish or Dutch nor greatly allow the French This is most euident by the wicked peruersion of the text and that both by wrong translations and also by peruerse annotations as shal be shewed fully if God send me life and in the Rhemish Testament hath béene already shewed by doctor Fulke To prooue that the order of the Romish church in prohibiting reading of vulgar translations is good hée alleageth further that forasmuch as many translations are false it is fit to examine them Least for Gods word the simple might embrace mans worde Againe hée saith That albeit the translation bee true yet vnlesse the reader can gather out of it a true sense it is not fit hee shoulde be permitted to read that translation of Scripture And this hée beléeueth to bée meant by saint a 2. Cor. 3. Paul who saith That the letter killeth and the spirite quickneth But if translations bée false why are not some true translations published that the vulgar sort may haue benefit by them Againe if onely translations for their falshood bée condemned why doth the wicked synagogue of Rome b In indice libror. prohib condemne most true translations Do they not shew that they hate the light of the Scriptures Thirdly if none may read vulgar translations but such as are able to drawe true sense out of them why are all suffred to read the Latin being not able to drawe true sence out of it This assuredly is a course to debarre all men from reading of Scriptures and the Romish synagogue especially for that the same draweth most peruerse interpretations out of Scripture and vnder the name of wholesome Scriptures giueth to the people most poisoned doctrine contrarie to Scriptures Besides it is a course contrarie to the exhortation of our Sauiour that speaking to the people saide Scrutamini Scripturas and contrarie to antiquitie that exhorted the people to read the Scriptures Finally hée doth shamefully abuse the wordes of S. Paul 2. Cor. 3. to the condemning of reading of Scriptures For if because the letter killeth the lay people are not to read the scriptures then none is to read them seeing reading and not vnderstanding killeth which is most absurd Secondly if the apostle did meane the outward letter without sence yet woulde it make nothing against reading of Scriptures For if the bare letter without the sense killeth then ought euery man to read diligently that he may vnderstand the sense Thirdly this interpretation condemneth the practise of the papists in reading the Scriptures in an vnknowne toong in the church For if the letter kill without the meaning then do the papists kill Gods people that read Scriptures in Latin to the people which vnderstand nothing of the sense Fourthly the apostle cannot probably by the letter that killeth vnderstand the scriptures for then shoulde they bée verie vnprofitable contrarie to the saying of the apostle that saith a 2. Tim. 3. The Scripture is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and instruct in righteousnesse Lastly b Li. 1. de verb. dei c. 3. Bellarmine his companion may instruct him that none but the Zuencfeldians Drigenistes by the letter that killeth vnderstand Scriptures as this Noddie doth shewing himselfe therein a plaine heretike and enimie to Scriptures The true meaning therefore of Paules wordes is that the outward preaching of the worde being destitute of Gods spirite working internally doth kill to the profite or disprofite of reading Scriptures they make nothing He telleth vs further That the vnderstanding of Scriptures is a particular gift of God reserued to Christ especially and by him bestowed on the church which he prooueth by this place Tunc aperuit illis sensum vt intelligerent Scripturas and by the example of the Eunuch That without Philip the apostles helpe could not vnderstand the prophecie of Isaie Beside all this hée telleth vs That dim sighted people cannot discerne things without a guide All which reasons do shewe that notwithstanding his faire shewes hée hath but a dimme sight in diuine matters and is but a blinde guide that woulde drawe Gods people from reading of Scriptures and percase leade them to the reading of lying legends and such like fantasticall writings of the Romish synagogue Against the reading of holy Scriptures his fond reasons conclude nothing For if Christ bée the best interpreter where shoulde wée better vnderstand what his interpretations are then in holy Scriptures And if hée haue bestowed the gift of interpreting scriptures on the church how shoulde the people be better assured of the excellencie of the churches interpretation then by séeing the same confirmed by scriptures For which cause the Bereans red the Scriptures and
Parsons the Iebusite their trumpet to blow out their victory throughout England as they haue alreadie done it at Rome and in other places For what victory can be pretended when as yet not one corruption or falsification coulde bée iustified against Monsieur Plessis and when wée are able to charge not onely Bellarmine Caesar Baronius Gregorie de Valentia Sanders Harding Stapleton and their consorts whose forgeries and falsifications are innumerable but also their holy fathers whose determinations they hold to bée infallible with infinite wilfull falsifications And least anie thinke wée fable of many wée haue begun to note some fewe The vanitie of their triumph may also appéere by diuers other arguments First our cause dependeth not vpon the testimonie of Scotus nor Durand nor Petrus Crinitus No nor vpon two or thrée testimonies of this or that father But vpon the euidence of Canonicall Scriptures testimony of the catholike church of all times which wée doubt not to prooue both by the scriptures themselues and also by the interpretation consent of the most ancient and sounde fathers As for the writings of other fathers wée examine them by the rule of Gods worde and receiue them as farre as they agrée with the rule and foundation of faith The testimonie of later writers and schoolemen wée produce as a confession of our aduersaries against themselues and not as a foundation or necessarie defence of the truth which they in so many pointes oppugne They are therefore put in to fill vp the rankes of our squadrons rather then to do vs any great seruice and rather because our aduersaries estéeme them then because we thinke them woorthie to bée estéemed If then these authorities had béene ouerthrowne which is not granted yet all our other squadrons standing firme the aduersaries cannot think they haue woonne the field Secondly admit one learned man of our societie and communion had mistaken some fewe places yet is not euery mistaking a falsification vnlesse it be wilfull and fraudulent nor is euery particular mans errour to be ascribed to the whole church Nay albeit Bellarmine and Baronius be now Cardinals and men of note among the papistes yet will not Parsons I trow take on him to defende whatsoeuer they haue written And albeit such a shamelesse mate shoulde not doubt to vndertake any impossibilitie yet the popes of Rome will not abide by all they haue written Why then shoulde they vrge vs to that which thēselues mislike in their owne cause Thirdly the place and forme of triall and procéeding was all in fauour of the aduersarie and disfauour of the Lorde of Plessis For neither had hée sufficient time to consider of matters obiected and to prouide himselfe of bookes to iustifie his assertions nor so indifferent iudges as was to be desired the king stil interrupting him and disputing against him and leading the iudges which way it pleased himselfe Nor was the auditorie indifferent being for the most part of contrary opinion Nor coulde he by any humble request obtaine that either his aduersarie might precisely be tied to his challenge or that his booke might be examined orderly or any thing else that is requisite in an indifferent triall Fourthly if a gentleman and no professed diuine vpon such vnequall termes was able to make head against his aduersaries much better I hope shoulde we be able to resist if professed Diuines might procure an indifferent triall allowed by both sides and more hardly woulde the aduersaries bée able to make good their challenges against vs. Certes if Eureux coulde not so well acquite himselfe before iudges determined to iudge for him he woulde neuer be able to appéere in a frée generall councell or before equall iudges Fiftly it is most ridiculous to thinke that this Thrasonicall challenger was able to make good that cause which neither with lying forging facing nor any wit or policie the greatest clerkes of that faction are able to maintaine Finally the very wordes of Eureux his challenge do plainly conuict him to haue performed nothing I do binde my selfe a In his answere and offer made to Monsieur Plessis saith hée to shewe that neither in this booke of his against the masse nor in his treatise of the church nor in his common wealth of traditions is there to be founde so much as one place among them all which is not either falsely cited or impertinent to the matter or vnprofitably alleaged Againe He protesteth and bindeth himselfe to shewe fiue hundred enormous and open falsifications without any amplification or exaggeration and all these conteined in M. Plessis his onely late booke against the masse And this hée saide hée woulde prooue by Gréeke and Latine copies But hée spoke these wordes as it shoulde seeme more of brauerie then out of iudgement for in the first part hee hath vtterly failed and I thinke meaneth neuer to performe it If hée would bée pleased we would be glad to sée his Latine and Gréeke allegations and all that performed which he promised in writing But many doubt of his abilitie and himselfe too no lesse then others For being desired To examine M. Plessis his booke leafe by leafe and in order he vtterly refused that course The second part he began to handle but hath no way accomplished his promise For promising to shew 500. enormous falsifications he onely quoted 60. places whereof onely nine were examined and yet no falsification prooued but onely in Eureux his challenge If then the defendant is to bée acquited where the plaintife prooueth nothing or not so much as hée affirmeth then is Eureux to bée condemned that in his challenge braggeth much alleageth little and prooueth nothing In the meane while our relator may do well to cease his vaine facing and vanting For vnlesse hée triumph to couer his owne shame and losse there will bée no cause of triumph for him founde in this triall It is not the vaine boasting nor the false report of this relator that can turne truth into falsehood and falshood into truth When Eureux or any other of his consorts shall go about to performe his challenge in writing which wel cannot be denied nor altered he shall finde that the Lord of Plessis will bee both able and most readie to defende himselfe against all the calumniations of his aduersaries and for the truth of his cause hée shall neuer want assistance as long as God shall enable vs to speake or write The Kinges pleasure in censuring M. Plessis we will not examine Neither do I thinke the aduersaries will allow him to be iudge in their cause The papistes therefore must deuise some better matter to grace their Romish cause then this For neither the triall of matters at Fontainebleau nor this relation can helpe them any thing CHAP. IIII. That Peter Martyr bishop Ridley bishop Iewell master Iohn Foxe master D. Fulke and other famous men of our communion are vniustly charged with falsifications and wilfull corruptions by the relator WE will not
and lewde companion according to his deserts My selfe also doe commende vnto them this whole cause and doubt not but they will maturely consider the pride of the enemie and the necessitie of iustice that all magistates good subiects wil concurre with them in this case Clemencie and debonnairetie is very coÌ„mendable but to suffer either Gods honor to be violated through idolatrie or superstition or the Christian magistrates life or person to be endangered or the commonwealth to be vndermined for want of due punishment of offenders is not to be termed clemencie but rather a remissenesse and dissolution of gouernment neither well agreeing with religion nor ciuill policie l 1. King 15. Asa king of Iudah is commended for that his hart was vpright with the Lord al his daies yet was it no smal blemish to him that he put not downe the high places where the people had established another worship then that which the Lord had appointed Manasses likewise although vpon his returne from Babylon he reformed religion and setled matters in Gods temple yet is he m 2. Chron. 33. noted for that he suffered the people to sacrifice in high places For idolatrous worship is not to be suffered in any corner nor by conniuencie to be dissembled Neither is it policie to giue too much libertie to such as giue open signes of malcontentment and either secretly vndermine the state or publikely transgresse lawes That state saith n In orat Aeschin Aeschines is good for nothing that hath no strength to represse offenders against lawe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither is there any greater maladie in a state as saith Euripides then when malcontents and offenders are suffered to flourish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tullie saith that dangerous and disobedient subiects are with mulctes imprisonment and corporall punishment to be restreined Magistratus saith o Lib. 3. de legibus he nec obedientem noxium ciuem multâ vinculis verberibusque coercento Neither can any commonwealth be maintained but where there is a correspondence of punishment to transgression of lawes Noxiae par poena esto saith a wise p Cicero lib. 3. de legib politike And so respectiue were the Romaine lawes in this point that where by sleight or want the offender could not haue the penaltie of the lawe laide vpon him they gaue power to the magistrate to lay an extraordinarie punishment vpon him that no offence might escape vnpunished Generaliter placet saith q L. quoties ff de poenis Vlpian in legibus publicorum iudiciorum vel priuatorum criminum qui extra ordinem cognoscunt praefecti vel praesides vt eis qui poenam pecuniariam egentes eludunt coercitionem extraordinariam inducant To spare rebels and traitors doth cause diuers inconueniences It discourageth loyall subiectes to aduenture in defence of the state it maketh the rebels more insolent it giueth more opportunitie to forreine enemies to practise and finally the example of sparing some doth embolden other euill disposed persons to attempt the like It is an olde saying Impunitas magna est peccandi illecebra Finally the lawe of God doth put a sword into the magistrates hand not for naught but to maintaine honest men and to punish the wicked Now as it is not safe nor profitable to let rebelles and traytors passe without due iustice so it is not religious nor pious to suffer hereticall and false teachers and spreaders of sectes and diuisions to escape vnpunished God hath r Deuter. 13. established a sharpe law against false prophets that shall entise men To go after other gods or shall go about to turne men from the Lord their God He commaundeth the magistrate to put them to death and Å¿ Ibidem forbiddeth priuate men To pity them or keepe them secret The apostle writing to the Romaines t Rom. 16. exhorteth them To marke such diligently as should cause diuision and offences among them contrary to the doctrine which they had learned and to auoide them The u L. omnes Cod. de haeret Manich. emperors Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius put hereticall teachers to perpetuall silence and charged inferior officers not to winke at them x L. cuncti ibid. Arcadius and Honorius depriued them of all exercises of their false religion y L. Ariani ibidem Theodosius and Valentinian the younger banished Arians Manichees and all heretikes out of the Romaine empire And for this cause did saint z Lib. 1. cont epist Parmâ—n c. 6. epist 166. Augustin highly commend the emperors iustice and a Epist. 62. teach That it was necessary that hereticall teachers should be repressed and corrected Certes if lawes had beene executed against popish priests Iesuites and other friers and false teachers neither would they haue insinuated themselues into this kingdome and into Ireland with that boldenesse nor could so many simple soules haue beene seduced to the eternall destruction of their soules and of some of their lâ—ues nor should they so much haue encreased the popish faction as some where they haue done I doubt not but magistrates both see those inconueniences and will remedy them And therefore I neede not to vse many words in this behalfe But because of late a certaine presumptuous and proude Iesuite calling himselfe N.D. hath taken vpon him not onely to plead for Iesuites and priests but also for forreine enemies and notorious rebelles and traytors aduancing the cause and power of the enemie and by a strange metamorphosis of words turning traytors into true subiectes and rebellious heretikes into martyrs and by his painted glosses burnishing out heresie superstition and idolatry for true religion catholike faith Gods true worship I haue vpon zeale I beare to Gods truth and loue I owe to her Maiesty and my country and not least of all for that harty affection which I beare to all my Christian countrymen whome these false teachers apparelled in sheepes clothing with their counterfeite sheepes blayting seeke to abuse vndertaken to answere all his pleading to iustifie the honest and religious intention of that noble knight Sir Francis that first aduentured to speake against them and to shew in generall that our enemies are no such bugs as we neede to feare them nor english fugitiues such innocents as they are pretended nor the factious papists so honest men that we are far to trust them And because he shall not complaine that we refuse any indifferent triall I haue thought it not amisse to vndertake his challenge and to meete him at euery turne and in euery encounter following him pase by pase and ioyning foote to foote He would percase bring it to another triall Vbi collato pede dimicandum est or as Virgil saith Vbi haeret pede pes densúsque viro vir and we refuse not when we shall see him and his consortes come against vs in plaine field But in the meane while we are to try our cause with words and
was in the end excommunicated vexed with rebellions most shamefully murdred by a Dominican frier Don Caesare d'este duke of Ferrara was not I trow of our religion yet did the pope excommunicate him and most wrongfully take his state from him Lastly if religion now professed were the immediate cause and originall of any trouble like to ensue then should not the papistes haue béene the principall meanes to mooue warres and rebellions against the state nor the onely practisers against her Maiesties person and safetie as we haue found them to haue béene Wherefore if we will rightly estéeme we shall finde that as true religion is the cause of all those blessings we enioy so poperie and the faction that maintaineth it is the cause of all practises against her Maiestie and the state and of all rebellions and warres and mischiefes entended against vs. Againe as we were without danger as long as God was truely worshipped and idolatrie repressed and Iesuites and priests and their abettors diligently sought out and punished according to lawes and all concurred resolutely to maintaine true religion and the state so since Recusants began of some to finde fauour and masse-priests and Iesuites haue béene suffered to practise without punishment and idolatrie is begun to be priuily erected and some mens mindes grow colde in maintaining true religion and the present gouernment it is no maruell if some inconuenience be feared But remooue this there is no cause why any shoulde either doubt or feare For the pope hath businesse inough to maintaine his owne state no meanes to worke vs trouble but by English traitors In times past he was Stupor mundi the woonderment of the world now he is Fabula mundi that is a matter for idle priests and friers to prate of but not to be feared vnlesse wée liste The Spaniard hath more reason to feare vs and our associates of the low Countries that may be lordes of the sea if we please and may take what part of the Indies we list then we to feare him Sure if his force had béene such as is pretended neuer would he haue suffred such scorne nor descended to such dishonorable courses as he hath done Both the pope and Spaniard depend vpon the aide of English fugitiues and malcontents Draw from them this hope then haue you the end of these supposed feares and a full answere to this traitors painted tales and fables Thus you see this noddy hath neither reason nor truth in his discourse And yet that is not all the fault it hath For it is also impertinēt to the purpose For what if there were some cause of feare or doubt doth it therefore follow that we haue receiued no benefits nor blessings by her Maiesties most happie gouernment the abolishment of idolatrie and restoring of true and catholike religion If then there be no iust cause of feare and onely certaine pusillanimous companions quake at the popes thundring and Spanish bragging or else pretend to do it bicause they looke backe to the fleshpots of Egypt and glory of Babylon then are we to acknowledge Gods fauour that hath not onely giuen vs many graces by her Maiesties meanes but also meanes to maintaine them and to secure our selues And for such cowards as feare forreine enimies we are to put them into the next ranke to English traitors alreadie conspired with the enimie Hée telleth vs further That by alteration of religion in England Scotland Ireland Flanders and France haue tasted of many miseries tumults calamities and desolations Hée should haue said of many blessings and friendly fauors For kindnesses and fauours all our neighbors haue receiued from vs but those calamities and desolations that he speaketh of haue procéeded from the popes furie and malice and from his adherents persecuting quiet people for the profession of true Christian religion But let vs heare the rest of his wise tale Beside battels murders destructions of countries prouinces townes cities houses and particular men saith hée three Princes two Queenes and one King haue beene all brought to their bane by this occasion He saith further That the noble houses and linages of Hamiltons Douglasses Stuardes in Scotland of Desmondes and other peeres in Ireland haue been thereby ruinated and finally That in France and Flanders there is no end of the accompt of those that haue beene destroied by this change of religion as if we had procured all these battels murders destructions or as if wée or our religion were the occasion of the destruction of princes or kings or as if the massacres of France and those bloodie executions had béene committed by vs. What a shamelesse fellow is this to impute the cause of warres and troubles to vs that euer auoided warres as much as we could and offered force to no man nor euer stirred but as defendants for sauegard of our liues Are lambes the causes of the crueltie of wolues or were Christians the authors of the bloodie persecutions of heathen Emperors all these bigge wordes therefore are nothing else but arguments of the Noddies distracted mind and furious hatred against truth that exclameth and crieth out vpon religion and imputeth al calamities vnto it whereas in truth all the cause of this wracke and destruction both of states and priuate families proceeded wholy from want of conscience and hatred of true religion For if wee will looke backe and search the histories of our times wée shall finde that all those tragicall stirres and hurly-burlies that haue brought not onely millions of christians but also a great part of Christendome to destruction haue taken their beginning from the implacable hatred of popes and papists against Christian religion Paule the third enflamed the warres against the princes of Germanie which consumed a great part of that countrey himselfe sent thither great forces both of horse and foote fearing not a little least Charles the fift should make any composition with the Germans In the low Countries the people liued in peace and obedience to their gouernours vntill such time as the popish faction fearing the ruine of their Babylon beganne not onely to make cruell edicts and decrées against the professors of true religion but also by force of armes sought to establish both the Spanish inquisition and an absolute tyrannie a Vita de Pio. quinto Pius the fift when the kings of France and Spaine grew wery of troubles sent his messengers to negotiate with king Philip and the Cardinall of Alexandria to set forward the French king against his subiects He sent also money and soldiers to aide the king to destroy his subiects In king Henrie the eightes daies Paul the third in this Quéenes daies Pius the fift and Gregorie the thirtéenth and other popes a Sanders de Schism stirred vp diuers rebellions in England and Ireland against lawfull princes By the solicitation of the popes agents many thousands of innocent people were massacred in France contrarie to faith and promise These therefore are
heretikes but also against men of their owne religion a Theodor. à Niem de schism lib. 6. c. 36. Plantina Innocent the seuenth caused the principall Romaines to bée murdered that séemed studious to defende their libertie Vrbane the sixt tormented and killed diuers of his owne Cardinals b Platina Iohn the 22. drew off the skin of the bishop of Cahors being aliue c Idem Paul the second by diuers torments vexed diuers learned and good men for small causes Alexander the sixt For euerie light word against him put men to death as saith d In Alexandro 6. Onuphrius His base sonne Caesar Borgia passed all tyrants of former ages in crueltie e De asse Budaeus called Iulius the second for his crueltie Sanguinarium cleri magistrum Leo the tenth among whose praises aposted flatterers accompted clemencie the chéefe committed many cruell executions The cruell murders of Paul the third and succéeding popes are innumerable Bartholomew de las casas in his relation to king Philip the second concerning the state of the Indies calleth the Spaniards Tigres lupos leones crudelisimos sheweth that through their extreme crueltie the people of Hispaniola from thrée millions were reduced to 300. Omne ius saith f In prologo he ludibrio habentes effusi humani sanguinis stillantibus riuis delectantur Neither haue the papists more cause to bragge of their virginitie and chastitie then of their gentle conditions and clemencie Their priests forsweare mariage but few obserue the lawes of chastitie Sacerdotes fornicationibus coinquinantur g C. 23. saith he that wrote Onus ecclesiae curati sordescunt in coÌ„cubinatu h Lect. 182. in lib. sap William Holcot therefore calleth them Priapus his priests priests of Dagon Petrus de Alliaco confesseth in his treatise of reformatioÌ„ That the whole order of the popish clergie is corrupted with luxuriousnes and other vices to the great scandale of the people Long it were to recount all their abominations not onely now publikely knowne but also whilome testified to the worlde by Picus Mirandula Baptista of Mantua Palingenius diuers others Boccace testifieth that in the most holy citie of Rome i Nouell 2. From the greatest to the least they offended in luxuriousnes and that not onely naturall but also against nature which testimonie for very shame they haue of late corrupted and razed The popes that should bée examples of holinesse being termed Holy fathers are more defiled then the rest of that synagogue with all carnall beastlinesse Themselues in their stories do not dissemble the filthie liues of Iohn the 12. Clement the 5. Iohn the 22. and 23. Sixtus the fourth Alexander the sixt Iulius the second and third Leo the tenth Paule the third and diuers others Neither is it to bée doubted but that the rest were like to these Iohn the eight being a woman plaied the whoore in the papacie to declare that the synagogue of Rome is the whoore of Babylon The monasteries of women are little better then common stewes a C. 2â— Veneris prostibulo saith the authour of Onus ecclesiae sunt similiora quà m dei sacrario Virginum septa in meretricios fornices obscaena latibula conuersa sunt as saith Picus b In orat ad Lâ—on 10. Mirandula Palingenius of monkes saith c In leone they are Raptores moechi puerorum corruptores Petrus de d De reformat eccles Alliaco complaineth of their beastly manners And this experience teacheth to be most true Publikely in Rome and other cities of the popes communion there are publike bordels Yea and popish priests as saith e De arte lenon Agrippa are woont to set out thrée or fower women to hire for encrease of their reuenues Is it not maruell then that these fellowes are not ashamed to talke of mortification of the flesh penance and continency when they wallow in such filthinesse and commit such abominations as with modestie may not be named The papists also praie and do almesdéeds but sure they haue no reason to proclaime them For vnder colour of their praiers the monkes and friers deuour the houses of widowes and orphanes Nay simple people praie they know not what and call vpon mortall men that cannot helpe and before stockes and stones that cannot heare Besides that their almesdéedes being bestowed vpon monks and friers that liue in all licentiousnesse and voluptuousnesse and are now become the onely practisers either to ouerthrow princes and their states or else to bring them in slauerie of Antichrist are woorthie no reward Neither do papists either kéepe better houses or take lesse fines or vse lesse swearing forswearing then other men For with vs most of them breake vp houses and binde their tenants to as great inconueniences as any men Now of their othes to their princes and others they cannot make any great reckoning when they are taught that othes to princes binde no longer then it pleaseth the pope and in so manie places haue rebelled against their lawfull magistrates The Noddy hée braggeth also of marying poore mens daughters But yet is not able to tell of so many maried as dishonested by popish priests and papists Now if he please to name the one he shall heare the names of the other Most absurdly also doth hée take on him to talke of penance mortification of the flesh and fasting when popish penance is nothing but externall punishment consisting for the most part in lashing of the bodie and other workes either veluntarilie performed or by the priest enioined Neither is their mortification of the flesh any thing but hard lying going as they call it woolward wearing haire-cloth and such like afflictions of the body Fasting likewise with them is nothing but eating of fish But such penance such mortification such fasting is no where enioined Besides that Christ no where commandeth any to forsweare mariage or to kéepe themselues virgins but such as haue the gift thereof Neither doth hée command any to giue away his goods and créepe into a monasterie Nor may wée thinke that they renounce the world or embrace pouertie that as the Iesuits and other friers do liue in goodly palaces and haue all things which they wanted before in great abundance If this were the way to heauen the way thither were verie plaine and large and most pleasant and easie Wherefore if wée may iudge those to be blessed of God that liue according to true religion and those vnhappie whose actions are fierce and cruell whose liues are filthy and abominable and farre disagréeing from the truth of Christian pietie then wee haue reason to lament the damnable estate of papists and to reioice that God hath giuen vs better grace then to follow them in their filthinesse sauage cruelties and notorious impieties Our aduersarie saith He hath touched before the bloody tragedies raised in France Flanders Scotland and might adde Swizzerland and Germany where aboue
of papists and telleth what monuments of learning they haue left behinde them and what vniuersities they haue built All which maketh nothing to the purpose For albeit there bée many learned men among them yet their common people may be very vnlearned and ignorant notwithstanding which is that whereabout we contend Againe if their learning be so great the greater shall bée their condemnation which in the knowledge of Christ Iesus are so ignorant themselues and suffer also the people to liue in ignorance Lastly albeit we will not deny them to be learned yet we doubt not but to match them with men of our profession and if we compare them with the ancient fathers they will be ouermatched But whatsoeuer their learning is good it were for them if they would vse it not to their owne but to Gods glory Likewise they teach That lay men may not meddle with matters of religion that is that Princes haue no power to reforme the church nor to make ecclesiasticall lawes And our aduersary confesseth That onely priests haue authority to define and determine matters of religion What reason then hath hée to quarrell with sir Francis Hastings séeing in effect he confesseth as much as hée laieth to his charge Forsooth saith he Because these words To meddle with matters of religion may haue a double sence But what if they might receiue a treble sence if the papists doe so remooue lay men from gouerment in ecclesiasticall causes that they néede not to care how God is serued then are they not wronged by him For hée doth not meane care in their owne behalfe but in respect of others And therefore his example of ministers wiues is very impertinent Neither hath hee reason to condemne lawfull mariage when he and his consorts wallow in all filthinesse to condemne I say the apostles doctrine which alloweth a bishop To be the husband of one wife when hée teacheth the doctrine of diuels that forbiddeth to marrie Finally Parsons the Iesuite hath no reason to condemne priests wiues when his true father as they say was a parson of a parish his mother also had béene more honest if shee had béene maried to the parson his father These iestes therefore if hée looke no better to his businesse may prooue him to bée irregular and vncapable of priesthood But what is that may hée say when a bastard maketh as good a Iesuite as hée that is well borne Where wée say that the papists stande more on externall complements and ceremonies then inwarde faith and other vertues onely requiring an outward profession and outward obseruations of going to masse to shrift and such like hee is much displeased with the matter and saith That his aduersary hath neither eies nor witte And yet this is the doctrine of the Romish church Vt aliquis absolutè dici possit pars verae ecclesiae saith a Lib. de ecclesia c. 3. Bellar. non putamus requiri vllam internam virtutem sed tantùm externam professionem fidei sacramentorum communionem quae sensu ipso percipitur And albeit he shoulde not so say yet it is apparent that those are accompted good Cacolickes that liue in obedience to the pope and obserue his lawes whatsoeuer they are otherwise Nay of late time they haue canonized murtherers traitors and rebels as for example Iames Clement that murthred Henry the thirde of France diuers of the rebels that rose with the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland in the north and such trecherous priests as came from the pope to betraie their countrey to strangers In times past also Thomas Becket was canonized for a saint albeit he was a traitor to his prince and countrey stirring vp forreine enimies against them moouing the pope to depriue his prince of his crowne running to professed enimies and consulting with them to the hurt of his prince causing the land to be enterdited and giuen as a spoile to forreine enimies which neither Iohn Baptist nor the holie fathers Athanasius Ambrose Hilary or Chrysostome either did or allowed to bée done And therefore as these examples fit not Thomas Beckets cause so Thomas Beckets example doth fitly shewe how loose men and disobedient subiects are enterteined by the pope and made saints in heauen albeit they deserue not to liue on earth Lipomanus and Surius and others I know tell many goodly tales of this saint but wée must remember that all the grounde they haue is their lying Legend and percase the popes sentence grounded vpon hearesaie Sir Francis saith further that Albeit the pope and his clergie commanded blasphemies and disloialties yet blind papists were made beleeue that the pope must be obeied vpon paine of damnation And his meaning is most true For although popes command matters impious against God and disloiall against princes yet their friers and flatterers do cōmend them for glorious merits woorthie of celestiall glorie Iames Clement the Dominican frier that murdred king Henry the third of France is estéemed a martyr of the popish synagogue Pope a The oration of Sixtus quint. la fulminante Sixtus quintus in the consistory of Cardinals commended this detestable act as A worke of God a miracle a rare exploit of Gods prouidence and compareth it to The most excellent mysteries of Christ his incarnation and resurrection Cardinall Como in his letter to Parry that went about to murder her Maiestie calleth the worke Meritorious Sanders doth greatly commend the rebels of the north that vpon the popes commandement went about to depriue their liege Souereigne of her crowne and kingdome And what hath either Parsons the Iesuite or this personate Noddy be hée what hée will to obiect against vs in this point Hée saith it is a shamelesse slander to say The pope commandeth either blasphemies against God or disloialties against princes And for the rest hée telleth vs That obedience to the pope is a commendation to catolike religion But the first is prooued by his decretales legends missals portuisses and other rituall bookes full of blasphemies The second is manifest by their practise There hath no such treason almost béene wrought against princes of late time but the same hath procéeded from the pope and béen managed by Iesuits and other friers and priests All the rebellions in England against Henrie the eight Edward the sixt Elizabeth now reigning had no other cause nor originall The late league or rather late rebellion of France against Henry the third and Henrie the fourth was made by the pope and enflamed by the vermine of friers his agents The Iesuites professe obedience to the pope as to Christ Boniface the eight maketh subiection to the pope to be a matter of saluation a De eccles milit c. 2. Bellarmine maketh it an essentiall part of a Cacolike or true member of the popes church And such trust haue papists in his iudgements concerning matters of faith that they thinke hée cannot be deceiued Nay if hée once either command or determine
potent reason Lastly it is most-false to say that the papistes sought to preferre Queene Elizabeth before the Quéene of Scotts For why then did they set her title on foote at the beginning of the Quéenes reigne why haue they continuallie sought to preferre the Scottish title and to dishable her Maiesties right To conclude why did the a Vita di Pio quinto pope and his adherents declare the Scottish Quéene to bée the true and lawfull enheritour of the crowne So it appéereth that these reasons are of no force to conclude that the papists ment her Maiestie any good But why they should purpose her hurt and destruction diuers most forcible reasons may be alleadged First they knew that her title right and reigne could not stand with the popes authority which is the onely line and leuell of the actions of papists and especially in matters of faith They knew I say that pope Clement had pronounced sentence against her mothers mariage with the King and that pope Paul the third had seconded him and declared her illegitimate which sentences could not well be retracted Secondly they considered that she had alwaies béene brought vp in true religion and hated Romish superstitions Thirdly diuers feared to be called to accompt for their iniustice and cruelty shewed to Gods saintes if she should once attaine to the crowne Fourthly they feared least she would remember the wronges which they had offered to her selfe during hir sisters raigne Fiftly they saw they should either turne from their Romish religion or forgoe their honors and liuings and that they meant not to do they had so farre engaged themselues already Lastly the Spanyards and Italians and all the popes agentes saw that if she succéeded their hopes were ended and that they must be packing out of England Other reasons also may be alleaged to this purpose but what should we search out reasons to prooue that a thing was likely to be done when it plainely appeareth it was doone Secondly he much misliketh that Sir Francis Hastings should say that Her Maiestie came to the crowne with the good liking of all true harted Englishmen both clergie nobles and commons and that then satan and his ministers beganne to fret and chafe And what reason hath he so to do trow you Forsooth because as he saith Papists placed her in possession of the crowne Which is nothing else but a plaine confession against himselfe and his clients the papists that they are no true harted Englishmen For if her Maiestie were placed in her seat by all true harted men then albeit the papists concurred in that action yet hath this Noddy no reason to take exception to these words of his aduersary But percase he is offended that Sir Francis should say that the papists were angry and fretted inwardly when they saw Quéene Elizabeth established in her kingdome As if it were not apparent how much it gréeued them Cardinall Poole and some other popish bishops séeing how matters went died for sorow others fled beyond the seas the rest hung downe their heads being sick for extreme gréefe Neither of al the popish prelates could any one be founde to celebrate the act of consecration but one albeit it was no small danger and disloialtie to refuse to performe it Hée that had séene their faces and countenances that daie woulde haue easily coniectured how much it gréeued the papists inwardly and how falsely this false frier N. D. auoucheth that they Placed her freely and willingly So willing they séemed that nothing gréeued them more then that they had suffred her to liue To make his tale séeme better hée saith That most of the nobilitie and commons and all the bishops were papists when the Queene came to the crowne But hée fouly mistaketh the matter For the Papisticall prelats were no true bishops but woolues and hirelings hated for their crueltie and abominations of all the people generally and those of the nobilitie that were in opinion addicted to popish religion yet were not then factiously combined with the pope Thirdly hée goeth about to answere for doctor Story who vpon the Quéenes first comming to the crowne did much repine at it togither with other papists and saide If they had followed his counsell they had strooke at the roote meaning no doubt her gratious Maiestie But if hée had ment to put in an answer that might haue caried colour cleered his client from suspicion of treason hée ought to haue vnderstoode the mans faults and cause better and to haue answered particularly to euery point of his accusation But that as it séemeth he cannot doe that acquiteth himselfe so badly in this one First he saith These wordes were neuer spoken by doctor Storie to his knowledge As if nothing coulde be spoken by doctor Storie which came not to his knowledge but saith he doctor Storie neuer confessed these wordes As if it were necessarie or likely that euery traitor and malicious enimie of the state shoulde confesse his treasons and malicious purposes or as if it were not sufficient that being examined vpon these words hée did not denie them but refused to answere which refusall in that case purporteth as much as a confession But suppose hée shoulde haue denied the wordes yet might he haue béene conuinced by diuers witnesses that heard him speake them Hée saith further that doctor Storie had no reason to speake any such wordes As if a man neuer did nor could do any thing but by reason Secondly hée woulde willingly mollifie Stories wordes by a gentle interpretation and woulde make vs beléeue that By striking at the roote hée ment not rooting out of Quéene Elizabeth but rather punishing certaine great men fauorers of heretikes for so they terme true catholikes and for proofe of this hée alleageth how Story on a certaine time was in a great chafe because hée coulde not bée suffred to apprehende a certaine gentleman and cut his throte at his pleasure and saide hée woulde no more serue as an Inquisitor if he shoulde be so crossed But both the answere and the proofe is nothing but vaine trifling For who can doubt but hée ment her Maiestie seeing otherwise hée had giuen counsell to take away her life and at that time talked of no other Againe what roote coulde hée vnderstande but her that was the roote and foundation of that state which coulde not stande with the kingdome of poperie and Antichristianisme As for those gentlemen that this fellow speaketh of they were neither the roote nor the great boughes of our religion Lastly granting that Storie had so spoken and ment yet he saith That there was no reason why he should therefore be executed as a traytor for that he spoke those wordes as a counsellor to his prince But first he must vnderstand that the question is not whether Story was iustly executed or no but whether the papists did not seeke the Queenes most innocent blood And this wise disputer doth in effect yéelde so much and confesse
and deuised most slanderous letters in the emperors name against the yoong man And lastly for that the yoong earle was suspected for religion so giuen to his affectiōs that he did not himselfe desire any such matter nor if he had desired it could he haue bin liked by Winchester Neither skilleth it whether Winchester called him his spiritual childe or no. If he did then was hée an vnkinde spirituall father that gaue counsell to sende his childe away into Italy where by a most shamefull practise of this wicked generation he was poisoned and made away Resteth then that this practise of Winchester to bring in the authoritie of the pope and tyrannie of Spaniards was most dangerous to this state and ought to be most hatefull to this nation If he did not please the pope nor emperor neither as this our aduersarie pretendeth then was he odious to all the worlde His sermon certes preached at Paules crosse before the king and Quéene and popes legat declared that as in times past he had vsed his authority to persecute poore Christians so here he did abuse gods word to please the popes agent and those that fauoured his faction His text was Hora est iani nos de somno surgere which is taken out of Saint Paules epistle to the Romaines And out of this he went about to shew that since the church of England had departed from the subiection of the pope the people had continued as it were in a sléepe therefore did he conclude that euery man must awake and returne againe to the pope as if the apostle in those wordes had willed men to submit themselues and to returne to the obedience of the pope and to embrace his most vaine superstitions and his fantasticall and impious traditions which god wot was no part of the apostles meaning Nay he rather speaketh of the pope 2. Thes 2. where he mentioneth the man of sinne that shall sit in the temple of God and aduance himselfe aboue all that is called God And in this place he rather exhorteth worldlinges that are drowned in sensuality and pleasures and forget God while they follow the vanities of this world to awake and call themselues to a serious cogitation of spirituall matters For security and sencelesse stupidity is an image of sleepe or death rather And it may very well be applyed to those that eyther are besotted with popish ignorance not knowing any point of Christian faith or that walke in darkenesse of popish errors and will not awake out of their sencelesse sléepe and come to the light of Gods word that is offered to them For to speake truely the doctrine of popery is nothing but a doctrine of darkenesse of sleepe of death But let vs sée how our aduersary defendeth this noble sermon first saith he It was preached before the king and Queene the popes legat the embassadors of diuers princes and a great audience As if many great fooleries and vaine toyes had not béene declared before great princes and many auditors The more were present here the more witnesses there were of the mans great simplicity in mistaking and shamelesse impudency in peruerting the scriptures Secondly he telleth vs How Gardiners discourse was to shew how long the people of England had runne astray and beene in darkenesse of diuision and strife But first he séemed himselfe to be as it were in a sléepe when he talked of darkenesse and should haue spoken of sléepe For betwéene these two there is no small difference For many awake in the night and others sléepe at noone daye Secondly he committeth no smal error where he calleth the separation from popery Darknesse of diuision and strife For he that is ioyned to Christ walketh in light and they that liue vnder the pope continue in Egyptian darknesse Beside this darknesse doth rather worke confusion then diuision Thirdly he saith that Gardiner vttered two thinges that greatly mooued the whole auditory The first was the harty accusation of himselfe for his booke de vera obedientia Which he vttered wéeping like a great calfe and as our aduersary telleth vs With such vehemency as he was forced diuers times to make some pauses And that these teares were not feyned saith he It appeared in this that drawing to his end he said negaui cum Petro exiui cum Petro sed nendū amarè fleui cum Petro. The second was a relation how king Henry a litle before his death dealt with him secretly and seriously to go into Germany to a certaine diet and there to take some course that he might be reconciled to the pope But what maketh all this to the true expounding of this text Hora est iam nos de somno surgere Surely no more then if he should haue talked of clypping of goates or shearing of swine and such idle fancies as be represented to men in their sléepe Besides that here are many vntruthes conteined of which I haue great cause to doubt whether euer they were vttered in so famous and publike an auditory or no. First it is a most shamelesse vntruth to affirme that euer the king desired to be reconciled to the pope his words his actions yea all his procéedings tended to the contrarie and of this point he was so well resolued that rather he sought to perswade others to renounce the pope then determined himselfe to returne to the pope Finally what coulde be deuised more absurd then to feine that such a noble and magnanimous prince did voluntarily submit himselfe to a base enimie which by no force nor perswasion he coulde bée induced to do Secondly it is an absurd thing to thinke that if the king meant to do any such matter he would impose the charge vpon him that had written against the popes power and forsworne it and vntill the protectors death in king Edwards daies did acknowledge the princes supremacie Thirdly it is apparent that the king long time before his death suspected him for a secret traitor and coulde no way abide that he shoulde come in his presence as the Lord Paget and sir Anthonie Browne the Duke of Suffolke and diuers others testified And therefore if any such thing had béene in the kings head he woulde rather haue vsed any other then him At least he woulde haue declared his minde to some of his Counsails beside Gardiner Fourthly I cannot learne that euer the bishop of Winchester did speake these wordes at Paules crosse And therefore most like it is they haue béene forged since and fathered vpon him Lastly if the king woulde haue any such matter handled he woulde not haue sent into Germany but to Rome neither néeded hée to haue doubted but hée shoulde most willingly haue bin receiued if he had entended any such submission Al these points therefore séeme to haue bin deuised by some lying companion stand onely vpon the bare credite of this our wise aduersarie without proofe of any one witnes or record and therefore we may well conclude that the second
heard them say that it was lawfull to kill the king for that hee was out of the Romish church and that it was not lawfull to obey him nor holde him for king vntill he shoulde be approoued by the pope Hée affirmed the same likewise in his second examination and for that wicked attempt was executed Ghineard did not onelie allow and praise the execrable murder committed by Iames Clement a Dominican frier vpon Henry the third but also affirmed That Henry the fourth if hee were not killed in the warres must bee killed otherwise and in diuers bookes and papers written by him prooued That it was lawfull to kill kings declared by the Pope to bée out of the church Finallie for this wicked doctrine the Iesuites were b In the monument erected in Paris banished France As a pernitious sect teaching that it was lawfull for any to kill kings and as it is conteined in the arrest against them As perturbers of peace and enimies of kings Christ neuer taught subiectes to breake their faith giuen to their princes nor to rise in armes against them nay the ancient Christiās albeit they neither c Tertullian apologet ad Scapulam wanted meanes nor opportunity yet did they neuer go about to take away the crowne from eyther infidels or apostataes or heretickes but rather obeyed them and prayed for them But Iesuites they hould that it is lawfull for subiectes to take armes and to rebell against their princes and teach that the pope hath power to loose them from the bond of their allegiance This doctrine Parsons and Campian meant to haue practised in England And Claudius Matthew anno 1585 did practise in France being a principall worker of that rebellion that was made against Henry the third The rebelles of Paris that held out against their kings were principally directed and comforted by Comolet and other Iesuites Nay when mony victuals grewe scarce in Paris yet woulde not the Iesuites suffer the rebelles to giue ouer but rather came into the trenches and brought with them of their owne store to giue to the soldiers By the practises of this seditious sect the cities of Perigueux Agen Tholose Verdun and diuers others tooke armes against the king In Scotland all late stirres haue béene raysed by the practise of Crichton Gourdon and Haies Iesuites Neyther is any thing doone in the rebellion of Ireland but by their direction and counsell Christ neuer taught children to shew themselues vnnaturall and vnkinde to their parents or women froward and rebellious to their husbandes But these steale children from the parentes and conuey them where they are neuer more heard of as is apparent by the example of Airault of Angiers his sonne and infinite others In Friburg they perswaded the women to deale with their husbandes to entertaine a practise against the cantous of contrary religion and when they could not otherwise obtaine it by the counsell of Iesuites they refused to lye with their husbandes The first Christians were examples of méekenesse bounty liberality to the poore of gentlenesse and clemency and all virtue These counterfeit Christians that call themselues Iesuites are proud hauty disdainfull couetous cruell vindicatiue While they perswaded the Duke of Bauier to go on foote to visite the reliques of some saint these gallantes road in wagons The princesse of Tyrole built the Iesuites a house hard by hers but it was not long before they had gotten into the princes palace and thrust her into their owne meane house Likewise did they exclude the bishop of Herbipolis out of a church which himselfe had built for them They encroch not onely vpon the liuinges of secular priestes and take away their tithes and prebendes but also vpon all other regular orders They aduance themselues and despise others those that confesse themselues to other priestes they accompt litle better then Atheistes In Milan they onely beare the sway in hearing womens confessions and did the like at Venice vntill they were forbidden By meanes of their confessions they haue drawne to themselues excéeding great riches empouerishing many rich houses and leauing little to the widowes and orphanes Maldonat a Iesuite of Paris caused the president Monbrum S. Andrè through his perswasions in confession to giue the Iesuites all his mooueables and halfe his reuenues The president Goudran of Dijon making his testament by their practises gaue onely halfe a crowne to his sister and to the colledge of Iesuites seuen thousand pounde French money in rent In Bordeaux they haue ruined the house of Bollans and impaired the state of the house of Large baston They haue gotten into their societie the onely brother of the Marques of Canillac lieutenant of the king in Auuergne In the countrey of Grisons they haue perswaded a seely old man called Lamberting to sell all hée had and to take their habite who gathering twentie thousand duckats ment to giue all to them from his onely daughter So cruell they are that they spare none that is repugnant to their purposes Maffaeus complained that the elder Iesuites managed all matters absolutely but hée was sent for his labour into Portugall They brought Harbort and Glisel two famous preachers in Vienna in danger onely enuying their excellencie How many they haue vpon small causes brought into the Inquisition the recordes testifie It is death to speake a word against them One Lupus a Franciscane in Milan calling them False prophets escaped hardly with his life Cardinal Borrhomeus restreining their encrochments was by them accused before the pope Of their forced chastitie what fruites insue I referre me to the report of Hazenmyller and others that haue liued amongst them I hope they do no otherwise then other monkes before them And if they had béene so chaste as they pretend the Venetians woulde not haue dissolued the colledge of yoong gentlemen in Padua where these fellowes were teachers and regents for auoiding of publike scandale Neither hath the Noddy our aduersary either iust exception to auoide this accusation or witte to cleare his Clients Gretzerus hath long trauailed to purge his companions of this slaunder but all in vaine And therefore small reason hath this petit companion to attempt that wherein his betters haue failed But séeing he hath gone about to face out matters let vs consider of his allegation In defence of the Iesuites of Paris charged with the allowance of the act of Iohn Chastel that attempted to murder king Henry the fourth he saith That the said Iohn Chastell examined vpon the torture constantly denied that any Iesuite liuing was priuy to his intention of killing the king or had giuen him therein counsell courage or instruction and that his father beeing examined did likewise deny it But the recordes of his examination which are yet to be séene do affirme flat contrary as before I haue shewed And the sentence of the court of parliament of Paris doth plainely porport that this fact was attempted by the Iesuites counsell and instruction
obey the magistrate commanding them to go to church And so gladly woulde hée finde a knot in a rush and as if hée had founde out great matters hée despiseth his aduersarie and calleth him Seely man and simple soule and bible-clerke knight and guilt-spurre doctor rayling at his pleasure and according to his fashion yea and without iust cause For first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is better translated Humane ordinance then Humane creature For properly men neither create nor are created by men Moreouer if wee shoulde translate humane creature then shoulde this subiection be not to magistrates ordeined by man but generally to all men And therefore the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying both creature and ordinance or election wée are to choose the fittest signification Secondly it is no part of sir Francis his meaning to teach an absolute obedience to bée due to temporall princes Nay hée thinketh it neither due to temporall nor ecclesiastical magistrates saue onely in things lawfull But this the papists denie to princes in ecclesiasticall externall gouernment simplie and in temporall causes too if the pope do excommunicate them or depose them Thirdly sir Francis did not alleage this place to prooue that papists were to go to church vpon the princes commandement but rather to shewe that they ought not to rebell against princes vpon the popes warrant as they do very often And thus all this matter about which the Noddy maketh so great exclamations is easily cléered and all his calumniations and cauillations at his aduersaries person and writings answered It resteth therefore nowe that we consider a little of his braue speake made in the latter end of this chapter to the Recusants Perhaps he is better able to teach them what they are to do héereafter then to defend that is done already First hée telleth vs That hee can say no more to cacolike Recusants then that which followeth Which sheweth that hée hath little to say in their defence and lesse for their instruction Then hée pronounceth in his graue voice That the course which they haue taken is most honorable and pious before God and man and that forsooth in three points first in shewing their dutie towards God by standing constantly and suffering for their conscience Secondly in offring all loyal obedience in temporall causes to their liege prince and lastly in edifying their neighbors by their good life and behauiour But what if they haue neither shewed their dutie to God nor suffered for their conscience nor offered loyall obedience to their prince nor haue so taken her nor haue either by their beléefe or life edified their neighbors May we not then conclude that their course is neither pious nor honorable and that albeit they escape the censures of men yet assuredly they shall answere before God Nay what if for religion they maintaine superstition for loyaltie nourish in their bosomes trecherie and disloialtie and ruinate their neighbours by their euill example doth it not hence follow that their course is impious and disloiall and odious both in the sight of God and of man and that not in thrée points but in many points resulting partly of their impieties and errors in religion and partly of their malcontent humours in ciuill actions It is most apparent For this Warder their good friend hath laide those grounds whereof this conclusion ariseth First then I say that no papist since her Maiesties raigne hath suffred death or losse of landes or liberty méerely for his conscience vnlesse he make it conscience not to commit treason Let the recordes be sought and their causes be examined and this will easily appeare And albeit some haue béene imprisoned yet was the same not directly for not comming to church but for refusing to pay the mulct Secondly compare their penalties and sufferinges with the sufferings of true Christians whome they imprison spoile torture and murder and that onely for matters of faith and then they will appeare nothing in comparison But were they much greater then they are yet it is the cause and not the suffering that maketh their patience commendable Haue they a See the conclusion of the 4. encountres following thâ—â— treatise suffered for their impieties idolatries treasons and felonies and for adhering to Antichrist Then is their shame great and their reward nothing Thirdly I deny that they haue shewed their duty towards God Nay in refusing to heare his word and to receiue the sacraments ordeined and instituted by Christ Iesus and administred according to his holy institution and embracing a fond and false religion standing partly on traditions and popish decretalles and partly vpon leud customes and lying legendes and partly vpon wicked heresies and false positions they haue declared themselues impious towardes God and aliens from Christ his church And that they shall well perceiue by a speciall encounter concerning that point Fourthly it is méere impudence to affirme that the recusantes haue offered to her Maiestie all loyall obedience in temporall causes or that they haue acknowledged her to be their liege prince For who knoweth not that the rebellions both in the north parts of England and also in Ireland were raysed by recusants and papists The same men haue diuers times attempted the destruction of her Maiestie and the alteration of gouernment as appeareth by the practises of Parry Somerfield Throgmorton Ch. Paget and others These are the men that Cardinall Allen hoped would ioyne with the Spanyard and helpe to depose her Maiestie And although now they stir not yet it appeareth that their a Those be the words of Campians facultie obedience must onely continue Rebus sic stantibus And call you this yéelding of loyall obedience Beside that the b Bulla Pij Quinti pope curseth all that will obey her or repute her as lawfull Quéene Whether is it then more likely that they will obey the popes sentences whom they take to be their soueraigne iudge in these cases or her Maiesties commaund which they respect not But suppose they would yéelde loyall obedience in temporall causes yet that is not sufficient to make the recusantes seeme loyall subiectes For the princes authority in commaunding for true faith and abolishing errors and abuses for establishing externall orders remoouing disorders both in the time of the law and in the auncient Christian church hath alwayes béene estéemed great Lastly I would aduise these cacolike malecontentes or recusantes or what you will haue them called not to bragge too much of their good works least they giue others iust occasion to make their vncharitable dealing and dishonest liuing knowne Now I will onely say this that he that fauoureth forraine enemies and entertaineth eyther practise or intelligence with them or receiueth markes of faction from them whatsoeuer his pretenses are cannot séeme much to edifie his neighbors Surely he leaueth for himselfe no place in the state that loueth not the state Let them therefore if they will néedes boast of their workes giue
in these Iohn 21. Feede my lambes feede my sheepe In the wordes written by Matthew he telleth vs That the principalitie of the church is promised to Peter as the words themselues do shew and the consent of ancient fathers both Greeke and Latine doth expound In the latter hée saith Peter was made pastor generall of all Christes flocke as both the words themselues do import and all antiquitie with one consent hath euer taken the sense to be And this is the commission these are the recordes these the proofes which he vanteth of But if hée acquit not himselfe the better he will be taken and conuicted for a forger of false patents and commissions for a falsifier of recordes and for a corrupter of fathers and a vaine pretender of antiquitie And all that read his vaine writings with iudgement will condemne him woorthie if not to haue his eares clipped because our procéeding is not before the tribunall of iudges yet to haue his coxcombe pared for crowing and crying so loude and so proudly vpon so little cause For first the wordes of Christ are not Thou art Peter or a Rocke As hée forgeth changing a proper name into a noune appellatiue but simply Thou art Peter Secondly he confesseth himselfe that Christ in the first place giueth nothing but onely promiseth Now it is no warrant for any to alledge a promise of a commission vnlesse he canne prooue an act passed or else exhibite the commission it selfe Thirdly nothing is here promised to Peter but the keyes of the church But those keyes are common not onely to the apostles but also to all true pastors and successors of the apostles and therefore cannot signifie any sole monarchicall or supreme gouernement of the whole church Fourthly suppose that Peter were in this place promised to be made the rocke and foundation of the church which as the fathers expound it was onely in respect of his confession or of Christ the rocke which he confessed yet that is no priuiledge nor matter properly belonging to Peter but a common graunt made to all the apostles who in respect of their doctrine and after a sort may be termed the a Ephes 2. Apoc. 21. foundation of the church Fiftly it cannot be shewed that any gréeke or latin fathers do so expound the wordes Matth. 16. as if Christ meant to giue to Peter the sole monarchicall gouernement of the church Let them speake in their owne wordes and he shall perceiue it to be as I say Nay it appeareth by Bellarmine himselfe that no such matter canne be prooued by the fathers Sixtly Christ saying to Peter feed my sheepe and redoubling his charge thrée times gaue him not any new authority but rather stirred him vp to the execution of his office and sought to draw from him a thréefould confession to answere his former thréefould deniall And so saith Nazianzen in Orat. in sanct epiph lumina and Cyrill vpon Iohn Lib. 12. c. 44. and Augustin tract 123. in Ioan. de vtilit poenit c. 1. serm 149. de tempore Seuenthly the charge of féeding was as well committed to all the apostles Matth 28. as to Peter Iohn 21. Lastly not one of the fathers doth by these wordes prooue that Peter was ordeined the monarchicall and sole supreme gouernour of the church Saint b In c. vlt. Luc. Ambrose saith That Peter was preferred before all the apostles but he speaketh not of his office or function but of loue affection For speaking of all the apostles he saith c Ibidem Similiter praedicandi his per totum orbem mandat officium Saint d In c. Ioan. vlt. Augustine saith onely That Christ committed his sheepe to be fedde of Peter But so hée did also commit them to be fedde of the rest of the apostles when he gaue them authoritie to teach all nations e In c. 21. Ioan. Chrysostome saith That Christ committed to Peter the care of his brethren but we may not imagine that other apostles were carelesse or had no care committed to them neither may we imagine that all are supreme and sole gouernors that haue care committed to them Epiphanius doth a In Anchirat testifie That Christ committed his sheepefold to Peter So do the holy scriptures testifie that the apostles had all commission to féede Christes shéepe and to gouerne his folde But saith our wise aduersarie b P. 101. These wordes Pasce ouesmeas were spoken to Peter in preeminence and highest degree But Saint c De simplic Praelat Cyprian and d C. In nouo dist 21. Anacletus that were wiser then he make all the apostles equall in power and apostolicall dignitie and the common commission giuen to all doth prooue them equall And least any might surmise that the apostles receiued any power from Peter the apostle e Gal. 1. 2. Saint Paule saith hée had his authoritie from God and not from man and Receiued nothing from the rest of the apostles Most vaine therefore and foolish is all this our aduersaries discourse concerning the supposed monarchie of Peter But whatsoeuer is to be supposed of Peter yet that concerneth the pope of Rome that is more like to Nero and Heliogabalus then Peter iust nothing For he is not the Rocke of which Christ speaketh he hath not the keies of heauen deliuered vnto him hée féedeth not Christes shéepe nor liueth in poore estate and contempt nor suffereth persecution as did the holie apostle saint Peter But saith the woordy Warder our aduersarie All the christian worlde hath made euer this most certaine and infallible deduction that Christ gaue not Saint Peter these eminent prerogatiues for himselfe alone but for his posteritie and successors also that should ensue him in his seat to the worlds end As if whatsoeuer Saint Peter had must necessarily descend to his counterfect successors the popes of Rome Beside that the vanitie of this bragge of all the christian worlde and of the infallibilitie of this collection may appéere in diuers particulars First it is cléere that diuers of Peters prerogatiues were personall as to haue his name changed to bée called Cephas to worke miracles to speake with toongs to confesse Christ thrée times and such other like And therefore strange it is that this ignorant fellow durst either talke of all the christian worlde wherein he is but a stranger or woulde say that all the christian world beléeued these prerogatiues of Peter to belong to the popes of Rome Secondly it can neuer be prooued that Peter had or that the worlde beléeued that hée had power to depose kings to translate kingdomes to dispence with othes to grant pardons to release out of purgatorie to heare appeales out of all the worlde and such like points of the popes power Thirdly admit Peter had apostolicall power ouer the whole worlde yet neither was that proper to Peter nor did any sounde doctor of the church or true Christian imagine that whatsoeuer belonged to
haue wholy and almost soly procéeded If wée looke not to them assuredly they will not spare vs. All true Englishmen are to defende their countrey their wiues and children from forreine enimies which these vnnaturall rinegate Iebusites and priestes haue sought to bring vpon vs as the practises of Allen Parsons Englefield and others do declare and some priestes more honester then the rest confesse and séeme to mislike But séeing they like the popes authoritie and doctrine they do but dissemble when they séeme to mislike that which followeth necessarily of it as a conclusion vpon premisses All that possesse landes or goods haue reason to looke that they bée not diuided as spoiles either by publike enimies or seditious and mutinous mal-contents Let them therefore haue an eie to those whose comming is to maintaine an opposite faction and whose end is to execute the popes bull and to ouerthrow the gouernment which bringeth with it diuision spoile and confusion The reuerend Bishops and clergie especially are to oppose themselues not onely against their doctrine which through some mens securitie and the diligence and watchfulnesse of the enimie beginneth to take more roote and in more places then in times past but also against their trecherous practises The ouerthrow of religion and their death aboue all others is resolued as appéereth by the testimony of a certaine k In a treatise of causes why he did not submit himselfe to the Iesuites priest speaking of the determinations of the rebels and enimies anno 1588 if God had not crossed their deseignes He sheweth also that a certaine special note is made by one of their adherentes of all abbey landes and church liuings and in whose handes they are which is the spoile that our Iesuites gape and thirst after It is also a dangerous matter for lawyers when matters come to be diuided by force and not ordred by law and would quite ouerthrow all their practise It behooueth therefore the honorable Iudges and learned lawyers diligently to looke to these fellowes procéedings to prouide that matters be not brought from the barre in Westminster hall to a triall in open fielde from pleading of lawes to violence and blowes Neither haue you papists that fauour your holy father whom you know not and blindly condemne true religion which you vnderstand not cause to trust your Iesuits priests too farre For they for truth deliuer you heresie and superstition for religion and if you take not better héede will engage you so farre in practise and treason that you shall not bée able to winde out of their labyrinthes plots Their perswasions are like Pontike honie of which l Natural hist lib. 21. Pliny speaketh which albeit it be faire in shew yet by reason it is gathered vpon noysome vnholsome herbes flowers prooueth ranke poison So these false teachers with a smooth countenance do giue you verie swéete and hony words and make you beléeue that the Spaniardes are your swéete friendes and that it will bée honie moone with you if once you may get vp your masses your roodes your images your beades holy water and other trash But beware that your hony be not mixed with gall and poyson and that it prooue not Pontike or rather pontificall and papall hony and remember that I haue tolde you that to séeke by forreine force or domesticall sedition or practise against the prince or state to bring in your intended deuises is a matter of high treason and a matter most dangerous to your selues your houses associates and followers If then you will not giue ouer your ouerthwart course for the loue that euery natural Englishman beareth to his Prince and countrey nor for the inward detestation that euerie man ought to haue of treason and disturbation of lawes and gouernment yet may the danger that hangeth ouer your owne heads as well as ours mooue you to consider better of matters before you runne headlong into those attempts into which the popes agents would drawe you If you be taken packing the state standing as it doth you know you stand in bad termes And if you should prooue so strong that lawe cannot be executed against you yet may you not suppose to runne away with the spoyle without contradiction You must imagine that other mens swords will cut as well as yours and that the sway of authoritie and countenance of the magistrate commaunding for truth and iustice will alwaies be able to daunt the pride of rebels or malcontents The effects of ciuill dissension are alwaies lamentable to both sides and neuer hath rebellion yet had good successe Of your selues you may not thinke to preuaile being the weaker and worst side and if you bring in strangers first you shall make your selues odious to your owne nation next you shall be made the first spoyle both to friends and foes and in the ende must submit your selfe to those that obtaine the victorie and receiue that at the hands of others which now you possesse quietly by the benefit of her Maiesties gouernment Content your selfe therefore if you be wise with the fauour you enioy and intricate not your selues with those that séeke to trouble the peace of this state and to make you the instruments of their wicked and trecherous intentions Finally this generation of rebellious malcontents that séeke by forrein force to establish their authoritie and Romish religion ought generally to be hated of all true christians and true harted patriots and subiects Of Christians for their factious courses against religion contrarie to the practise of all truely religious and catholike Christians For neither did Christ establish his doctrine by force nor did Christians euer vse force or seeke to take crownes from Princes Of all true patriots for that they seeke to destroy their countrey and to giue it as a spoyle to the Spaniards as the practises of Allen and Paâ—sons and all their consorts doe declare Of all true subiects for that they seeke to depriue vs of so gracious a Princesse and to subiect the crowne to the pope that is a most wicked and cruell tyrant and the publike enimie of our religion and this state Parsons will percase denie this to be true and great reason he hath so to doe but we haue conuicted him and all his consorts and all the schollers of the trayterous seminaries combined with him and with the pope and Spaniard of so many treasons as no wordes nor protestations nor oathes will cleere them I doubt not therefore but the magistrate will muzzell the mouthes of these wolues and prouide that these traytors that are continually working mischiefe to the state be not any longer let loose to doe hurt It behooueth also all true Christians and loyall subiects to open their eies that they be not taken sléeping In time past men did not imagine that Allen Parsons Campian Holt Englefield and other Iebusites and priestes and their consorts and adherents had any other intention then to plant their popish and
what might be done if the chiefe teachers of our side were vpon good conditions to dispute before indifferent iudges auditors All this by Gods grace we meane to iustifie in this briefe discourse ensuing Therein also for thy further satisfaction we purpose both to examine his relation and to answer his obseruations and petitions and to remoue this reproch as a 1. Reg. c. 17. Dauid offering to go against the Philistim said from Gods people For what is this incircumcised Philistim that he should dare to speake euill of the army of the liuing God or of his Church If Parsons meane to reply let him pul off his visor and come barefaced into the field and he shall not want those that will encounter him This small Treatise together with the rest that go before I commend to thy reading to let thee vnderstand the great pouertie of the aduersarie a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch lib. de auscultando that vpon so small causes maketh so great brags and triumphs and with braue words b setteth out his musty mustard pots The principal points haue beene sufficiently handled both in French English before yet shall it not be amisse to remoue all their cauils and to encounter such winding serpents in al their turning deuises If the matter answere not thy expectation thou must impute it to the basenesse of the subiect and the vanitie of the relators narration The discourse will not bee long and therefore much labour it cannot cost thee to reade it Reade therefore and iudge who they are that are to be charged with false and fraudulent allegations which is now the different betwixt Parsons and vs. A briefe refutation of a certaine calumnious relation of the triall betwixt the Lord PLESSIS MARLI and the pretended bishop of Eureux the 4. of May last with an answere to the relators obseruations and petitions CHAP. I. That the popish faction hath no reason to charge others with falsification IT is an old custome among our aduersaries when they cannot answere directly to our arguments to cauill at our allegations as if all were vntrue or defectiue bicause some errors are pretended in some authorities or quotations This course did Harding and his consortes take against bishop Iewell of reuerend memorie others against that painfull and zealous seruant of God master Iohn Foxe and diuers others eluding with scorne that which in earnest they are not able to answere Now Iames Peron calling himselfe the bishop of Eureux in France and this relator by his scornefull letters sent into England attempt the same waie against the painfull labours of the Lorde of Plessis in his most learned treatise against the idolatrous masse most ridiculously supposing if hée haue mistaken Scotus or Durandus or Bernard or some homily of Chrysostome or some other author that all his other allegations and arguments wherein no error can be founde or iustly pretended are weake and of no moment But while they charge others they séeme vtterly to forget themselues and their owne notorious corruptions and falsifications They put them all into that part of Aesops wallet that hangeth at their backes and remooue both faultes and wallet out of their sight a Catull. in Scazonte Non vident manticae quod in tergo est They as the hypocrites of whom our b Matth. 7. Sauiour speaketh Espie a mote in their brothers eie and see not the beame in their owne eies Nay being blinde themselues they are much offended and exclaime at euerie blemish which they espie in other mens eies For neuer did any sect either of heretikes or philosophers vse such fraude and falsification in maintaining their errors as the papists haue done to make good their most abominable doctrine and practise To relate all were a matter of great time and labour Wée will therefore onely touch so much as may serue to prooue them to be most culpable in that whereof they accuse others First then wée say and against Parsons and the whole route of Iebusites and Cananites God willing shall prooue that they haue falsified and corrupted the most holie worde of God and his holy Testament For if those which haue hidden or kept away the Testament or last will of a mortall man or haue taken away the same by force or abolished it or torne it or made a newe or written a false Testament or vsed it signed it or procured it to bée done then much more the papists that haue falsified Gods eternall worde are to bée condemned as guiltie of falshood But that is confirmed by the words of the lawe Committitur falsum saith the c ff de falsis Hostiens de crim fals §. qualiter committatur ad l. Cor. de fals law si quis testamentum celauerit amouerit rapuerit deleuerit interleuerit subiecerit vel falsum testamentum scripserit signauerit recitauerit dolóue malo ea fieri procurauerit The consequent is prooued by the practise of the papists For first they haue of a long time hidden Gods worde as it were a candle vnder a bushell and couered it ouer with the plaster of their traditions and popish interpretations Secondly they haue remooued the scriptures from the eies of the multitude and kept the same from them in a toong vnknowne not suffring any to read them but such as they are assured will not profite by them Thirdly such as by any meanes haue gotten them they haue taken and punished seuerely taking the testament of God violently out of their handes Fourthly they haue d Index librorum prohibit abolished not onely all vulgar but also all Latine translations except such as they made themselues Fiftly they haue burnt and torne and abused Gods holy Testament Sixtly for Gods worde they haue giuen vnto vs a most corrupt translation and made that more authenticall then the originall Seuenthly they haue made a false testament conteined in their vnwritten traditions Eightly they will haue no other testament exhibited or vsed or alleaged in schooles but their old Latine vulgar translation Lastly they haue taken away that Sacrament from the people wherein the newe testament is established and made frustrate Christ his institution and last will omitting no meanes that coulde bée deuised for the corrupting falsifying and abolishing of Gods eternall testament and the seales thereof Nay certaine f Matth. Paris Carmelites about 300. yéeres agone hauing made a testament of their owne deuise were not afeard to teach that Christes Gospell shoulde cease and that their Gospell shoulde for euer after be receiued Bonauenture likewise falsifying the Psalmes of Dauid turned the praises of God to the praises of our Ladie Secondly they haue falsified the canons of the Apostles g In epistola ad Siculos Zepherinus alloweth 60. h Contra epist. Nicet Abbatis Leo the ninth receiueth onely fiftie others 85. i C. Sancta c. canones dist 15. others condemne them as apocryphall writings forged by heretikes They haue also
here obiected that Hieroms words in Ezech. cap. 4. make nothing against prayers to saints But it must be remeÌ„bred that the coÌ„trouersie here was not whether M. Plessis had well concluded out of that â—lace but whether he had rightly alleaged it Beside that we answer that it is no weake argument to conclude thus we must not trust in the prayers of men and therefore are not to rely vpon the prayers of men departed this life Finally writing vpon the epistle to the Galathians c Hierome doth flatly condemne prayers made to Saints departed and for dead men b Lib. 2. in epist ad Galat. Obscurè licèt docemur saith he per hanc sententiam nouum dogma quod latitat 〈◊〉 praesenti seculo sumus siue orationibus siue consilijs inuiâ— posse nos coadiuuare Cum autem ante tribunal Christi venerimus non Iob non Daniel nec Noe rogare posse pro quoquam sed vnumquemque portare onus suum He saith when we are here we may helpe one another signifying that men departed this world can neither helpe others nor be holpen by prayers of others The sixt place which the Lord of Plessis was charged to haue corrupted was drawne out of Cyril contra Iulianum lib. 6. And why was he charged thinke you Forsooth because hée alleaged him to proue that adoration was not to be yeelded to the signe of the crosse But herein there could not be any falsification vsed and that first for that he did not alleage the authors words and secondly for that he doth well conclude according to Cyrils meaning For where Iulian obiected to Christians that they worshipped the crosse Cyril answereth that these words proceeded of bad thoughts and extreme ignorance So likewise saith Minutius Felix in his apology cruces nec adoramus nec optamus That is we neither worship nor desire crosses The seuenth place was out of Petrus Crinitus where the L. of Plessis is charged to leaue out the word humi alleaging the law of Theodosius and Valens against the making of the signe of the crosse But his accusers should haue remembred that he did alleage not the words as now they are found in bookes falsified by idolaters and crosse-worshippers but out of Petrus Crinitus which citeth the law out of authenticall records Our wise relator here to make the matter séeme more heinous saith he falsified the law of Theodosius Valens Iustinian as if they had béene ioynt authors of that law when as Iustinian was not yet in the world when that law was made Neither is it much materiall if Tribonian in the Emperours name had put in the word humi For we are rather to rely vpon the originals then vpon Tribonians honestie that put words in and out and altered lawes at pleasure Neither was the law of Theodosius and Valens to be reputed new albeit the word Humi had béene left out séeing both Epiphanius and the councell of Eliberis in Spaine and diuers other fathers had condemned paintings of images The eight place was taken out of S. Bernard Epist 174. she needeth no false honors saith Bernard speaking of the virgin Mary being as she is at the fulnesse therof Againe he saith that it was no honour but a taking away of honor and that the feast of her conception was neuer well instituted Here his accuser charged the Lord of Plessis to haue omitted these words Magnifica gratiae inuentricem mediatricem salutis restauratricem seculorum As if it were necessarie where diuers places are alleaged out of one authour to write out all that commeth betwixt one other This is a new trick of Eureux who albeit he He hath set out a treatise to proue this position hold the scriptures to be insufficient and therein hath tried his poore talent of writing yet would haue more then is sufficient alleaged out of fathers and other authours Beside that the Lord of Plessis alleaging the authoritie of Bernard doth not dissemble in what estéeme he held the holy virgin Mary Finally he alleaged Bernard not as an authentical witnesse but as a man fauouring his aduerse party whose confession is strong against the papists but not for them béeing nourished in monasticall errours and superstitions Nay the papists themselues doe not allow all Bernards opinions for they celebrate our Ladies coÌ„ception which he disallowed and do not hold our Lady to be mediatricem salutis as he termeth her but rather mediatricem intercessionis and yet giue her such extrauagant honour as both he and Epiphanius writing against the heretikes called Collyridians much misliked The last place was taken out of Theodoret. God doth what he pleaseth saith a In Psal 113. hée But images are made as pleaseth men they haue the places of senses but they haue no sense Héere M. Plessis was charged first for translating Simulachra or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 images and next for leauing out these words à gentibus culta As if euery one that did translate amisse were to be charged with falsification or as if all bad translations in the old Latin interpreter of the bible were so many falsifications Beside that hée offred to prooue and most true it is that euery image hauing idolatrous or heathenish worship done to it is idolum Isai 40. where the old Latine interpretor hath Simulachrum the Gréeke worde is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Deuter. 4. that word which the Latine interpreter translateth Simulachrum the Gréeke interpreter translateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither do either Gréeke or Latine authors of any antiquitie put such a difference betwixt the wordes Simulachrum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and imago as our papistes do To the second it was answered that the wordes à gentibus culta being set downe in the allegation do rather hurt then helpe the papistes that worship images with kissing crouching censing praying as the Gentiles did their idols Those reasons therefore that are forcible against the idols of the Gentiles are also most forcible against the popish worship of images which is more grosse idolatrie in some pointes then that of the heathens For they neuer did giue that worship that is due to the originall to the image But the idolatrous papistes with one worship honour the holy Trinitie and the image of the Trinitie made by a painter our Sauiour Christ and a woodden crucifixe And yet this woodden relator is bounde to defende this woodden cause If then the aduersarie coulde not get any grounde of M. Plessis in these places which were chosen as principall and placed first as places of most aduantage we may well suppose if the triall had procéeded that hée woulde haue receiued farre more disgrace in the rest CHAP. III. That our aduersaries haue no such great cause as they imagine to boast of their victorie in the conference passed betwixt the Lord of Plessis and Eureux BY this which hath béene spoken it may sufficiently appéere that the papistes had no great reason to make
The kings iudgement in matters of religion is not allowed by the aduersaries themselues The glorious challenger in his letters to Rome compareth his king to Hunnericus an Arian heretike and a persecutor of the church And saith that as Eugenius bishop of Carthage would not dispute with the Arians without making the bishop of Rome acquainted albeit required by Hunnericus king of Vandals so he would do nothing without the cōsent of the bishop of Rome before the French king In other points neither his letters nor the popes Nuntioes letters nor that other good fellowes letters deserue any credit To conclude all this great stirre which Parsons maketh about nothing doth shew the great pouertie of the aduersaries cause that as men wracked at sea are glad to lay hold vpon euerie broken planke to saue their liues CHAP. VI. The notorious vanitie of the relators obseruations vpon the former narration is detected AFter our relator had trussed vp his fardle of fooleries to make the same more vendible he garnisheth his packet with certaine painted glosses which hee termeth obseruations And to make his eloquence séeme more admirable hée doth excorticate certaine Latin words according to his Romish fashion reflecting as he saith what occurred to his contemplation Which reflections occurrents obseruations and contemplations to do him pleasure we are content particularly to consider and sée whether he were not in a sounde sléepe when he thought himselfe to be in a profound contemplation And first verie wisely he obserueth Gods prouidence in conseruation continuation of the olde catholike faith deliuered first at the ascension of our Sauiour vnto his visible Church as he saith But if he speake of Christs faith then this obseruation cōcerneth him nothing For that faith hath alwaies continued and shall continue notwithstanding the opposition of the Iebusites and Cananites and all their adherents and néedeth neither their letters disputes nor practises to preserue it If he speake of the Romish faith as it is no question but hée doth then wée must tell him that wée denie that that faith is either the catholike faith or was deliuered at the time of Christ his ascension or in many ages after to any Church or procéeded euer from the apostles We doe therefore here obserue that hée is but a bad obseruer that marketh no better what was deliuered by Christ and his apostles Againe wée obserue that it is a strange fashion of spéech to say that the faith began to bée deliuered first at Christ his ascension For then it followeth that not onely the apostles before that time but also the patriarkes and prophets shoulde either be deuoide of faith and saued without faith which is impious to say or that they had faith before it first began It is also a strange doctrine to saie that the apostles at the ascension of Christ deliuered the faith to the visible church For that church is not now visible neither was that church that is now visible then Naie to saie that the whole catholike church is visible is an assertion repugnant as well to reason as to Christian faith Hée obserueth also That though new fantasies and deuises of particular men haue sprong vp with fresh and glistering titles that in the end God bringeth the same to confusion All which wée hope will prooue true in the glorious ruffle of the Iebusites and Romish synagogue For albeit these wicked Cananites will bée termed Iesuites and do pretend perfection in themselues and reformation in others yet their glorie beginneth to fade and their trecherous and Machiauelian practises begin to bée discouered not onely by vs but by their owne consorts The synagogue of Rome also and the kingdome of antichrist albeit it hath long triumphed troden the truth vnder foote yet beginneth to decay and is now oppugned of many and in the end shall bée ouerthrowne It resteth onely that they looke for aeternum opprobrium of which himselfe speaketh Finally the golden idole of the masse is now in most places abolished and where it remaineth is not valued at thrée-halfepence This obseruation therefore maketh much against the obseruer and against vs nothing and is verie farre wide from the matter of this conference out of which these obseruations shoulde be drawne The third point that hée obserueth is That the shame and confusion of heretikes and heresies consisteth principally in 4. points as holy fathers do note viz. First in diuision among themselues secondly in contradiction of sectaries thirdly in atheisme and coldnesse of religion fourthly in open lying and falsifications of authors to serue their purpose But hée leaueth out the very principall cause of the confusion of heretikes And that is partly for that they séeke their owne glorie and not the truth partly for that forsaking the direction of holy Scriptures they follow lying legendes and fables false traditions vaine opinions and determinations of popes and humane fansies Neither is hée so well versed in fathers that hée can tell what they say These 4. points certes which he alleageth the fathers do not say alwaies to bée proper to heretikes For neither are all heretikes diuided into partes nor do all seeme colde in religion some pretending superfluous and superstitious zeale neither haue all heretikes vsed open falsification and lying When hée commeth to exhibite the fathers which hée pretendeth I beléeue he will be driuen to falsifie them or else they will not serue his purpose But were it granted that these qualities are incident to heretikes yet doth the same make little for the aduersaries aduantage who are diuided into diuers sectes and religions and infinite diuers opinions and are not onely atheistes but also the grossest liers and falsificators of authors that euer were heard of in any recorde or historie With their atheisme also they ioine superstition and idolatrie and defende their matters not onely with falshoode and fraude but also with fine force and crueltie As for those of our cōmunion they cannot iustly be charged either with contradiction or diuision or impiety or falsificatiō either by Parsons or by his two friends Rescius and William Reynoldes as hath béene shewed in a treatise called Turcopapismus wherin the spite of those two dogs that haue long barked against religion and belched out al the slanders they could deuise is encountred and their bookes intitled Caluinoturcismus and de Atheismis and Phalarismis refuted and beaten backe vpon the papistes that in Turkish and tyrannicall crueltie and contempt of all religion surpasse all others If the machiauelian Iebusite Parsons dare oppose himselfe and will say no let him answere that bóoke If hee will not answere let him cease to bragge of bookes beaten to dust and refuted to the shame of him and his consorts In this place this may bée sufficient for auoiding this relators slāderous imputatiō that those two railing companions obiect other mens faults to vs and charge vs with priuate mens actes and opinions which neither the church nor we particularly allow and therefore