French king that is the king of Nauarre also will require satisfaction of the Pope and Spaniard that did him this wrong But in the meane while we may sée in this fact of Iulius the arrogance of the Popes that take vpon them to depose kings at their pleasure and to giue away their kingdomes This seditious course of the Pope in sentencing kings was also the sole pretence almost of the Leaguers rebellious stirres against Henry the third in France For when the Iebusites and their faction had declared that the king was iustly deposed then did the rebels take armes against him and ceassed not to pursue him to the death The Spaniards also for the same cause ayded them and concurred with them Likewise the execution of the Popes sentence against Henrie the fourth of France was the cause both of the reuolt of his subiects and of the warres made against him by the prince of Parma and the Spaniards Such a firebrand of warres do we find the Popes sentence to be No sooner was Henry the eight king of England pronounced excommunicate by Paule the third but he sent Cardinall Poole to stirre vp the French King to inuade his kingdome Afterward when he saw that the French could not be stirred to execute his pleasure he caused diuerse rebellions to be raysed against him by the seditious clamours of Masse-priests Monkes and Friars both in York-shire and Lincolne-shire and other parts of England Sanders confesseth that he commanded the Nobilitie and chiefe men of England by force and armes to oppose themselues against the king and to cast him out of his kingdome Principibus viris ac Ducibus Angliae caeteraeque Nobilitati praeeipit vt vi armis se Henrico opponant illumque è regni finibus eijcere nitantur The like course held Pius Quintus that wicked Pope against Quéene Elizabeth of pious memorie for he did not onely declare her depriued of her kingdome but by all meanes sought actually to depriue her of it and that first by dealing with the French and Spanish by force of arms to inuade her realmes and afterward stirring vp and comforting Malcontents and Rebels to set the realme in combustion by ciuill warres Hierome Catena in the discourse of the life of this impious Pius sheweth how he perswaded the Spaniard that he could not otherwise better secure the Low-countries then by ouerthrowing the Queene of England He declareth further how he induced the French to take part against her Likewise did Gregorie the thirtéene send forces into Ireland together with his legate Sanders Sixtus Quintus by all meanes hastened the Spanish fléete that came against England anno 1588. Neither haue they and others ceassed vpon all occasions to séeke her hurt and destruction This therefore is a most cleare case that no Christian king can be in safetie as long as he suffereth Iebusites and Masse-priests to aduance the Popes authoritie and to preach seditiously that the people hath power to put Princes out of their royall seate It is very dangerous also to foster any man within the Realme that beléeueth this seditious doctrine True it is that Papists cast many colours to hide the beformities of this doctrine but these colours are easily washed away as not being able to abide any weather First they alleage that diuerse popish Princes haue enioyed their kingdomes quietly without molestation But we are able to shew more Princes of late time troubled by the Popes practises then they are able to shew to haue liued peaceably by them Furthermore the reason why Popes do not trouble all is because it were not safe for them to fall out with too many at one time and not because their ouer large authoritie is not preiudiciall to all For if the Pope may depose all kings vpon cause then all kings stand in like danger séeing no man can auoide all causes of quarrell Bellarmine lib. 5. de pontif Rom. cap. 6. saith that the Pope doth practise this power for sauing of soules But experience teacheth vs that through his excommunications and sentences of deposition pronounced against diuers kings he hath ruined kingdomes and brought infinite people to destruction both of bodie and soule Theodoric of Niem speaking of the deposing of the king of Hungarie by Boniface the 9. saith There followed of it great slaughter of innumerable people destruction of churches and houses of religion the burning of cities townes and castles and infinite other mischiefes which follow long warres because kings without the hurt of many cannot be deposed His words are these Vndè clades hominum innumerabilium Ecclesiasticorum piorum locorum Monasteriorum enormis destructio incendia ciuitatum oppidorum villarum castrorum nec non infinita alia quae guerrae secum producunt diu vigentia subsequebantur quia non sine multorum dispendio reâ—es deponuntur Emanuel Sa in his aphorismes for confessaries doth signifie that this doctrine holdeth against tyrants only But what doth this reléeue the Papists when those which fall out with the Pope and yeeld not to his most vnreasonable requests are presently by Friers and priests proclaimed tyrants The very Papists themselues cannot deny but that Quéene Elizabeth was much renowned for her rare clemencie and that not without cause seeing she sparcd alwayes those that would not haue spared her if it had lien in their power to haue hurt her and yet they accuse her of tyrannie In the resolution of certaine cases of conscience set out by Allen and Parsons for instruction of English traytors Non gerit se vt Reginam say they sed exercet tyrannidem She doth not behaue her selfe as a Queene but doth exercise tyrannie The like words they gaue out against the French king now raigning albeit he hath shewed mercie to many deseruing none Duke Ernest sending away one that vndertooke to kill the Count Maurice amazzate said he quel tyranno that is kill me that tyrant Others alleage that the Pope proréedeth onely against heretikes and notorious offendors But that is a most notorious and palpable vntruth for no man is more eagerly prosecuted then religious pious and godly Christians as the executions of France and Flanders do shew And if they will not confesse it true in Christians of our time yet can they not deny it in the times of the Emperors Henry the third fourth and fifth of Fredericke the first and second and of Lewis of Bauier who made such confessions of their faith being declared heretickes as the Popes theÌ„selues could not contradict and yet did the Popes excommunicate them and sought to depose them as heretikes and tyrants Likewise did they prosecute other kings and Emperours albeit consenting with them in matters of faith Henrie the third of France of late was cruelly persecuted and murdred by the popish faction and yet was he very superstitiously addicted to popish religion Suppose then that the Pope would procéed against none but heretickes and tyrants yet it is an easie matter
that all the mischiefe she brought with her For beside the yoke of Spaniards she put vpon her subiects the yoke of the Popes tyrannie and of his Italians relinquishing the first fruits and tenths of Ecclesiastical liuings to the Pope and making her people subiect to all his extortions and pillages which not onely to this nation but also to all Christians hath alwayes bene very grieuous Matthew Paris speaking onely of one Popes Legate and his rauinous pillages sayth excepting church treasure there remained not so much mony behind as he had caried with him out of England Nec remansit eadem hora vt veraciter dicebatur in Anglia tantum pecuniae exceptis sanctorum vasis ornamentis Ecclesiarum quantum à regno extorserat Anglicano The same man beside all this as the same author testifieth bestowed thrée hundred benefices at his own and the Popes pleasure Vnde regnum quasi vinea exposita omni transeunti quam exterminauit aper de sylua miserabiliter languit desolatum Whereupō it fel out saith he that the kingdom did miserably languish being laid desolate made like a vineyard exposed to euery one that passeth by and which the bore of the wood did roote out He that shall reade that storie shall find strange inuentions to extort money from the people and vnderstand that great summes of mony were transported out of England by the Popes agents and countrimen Bonner in his preface before Stephen Gardiners booke De vera obedientia sayth that the Popes prey in England was so great that it amounted to as much almost as the reuenues of the Crowne The English nation complained to the Pope in the synod at Lyon in the dayes of king Henry the third of diuers enormous pillages and exactions made by him and his officers but could find no remedy The Emperour as Mathew Paris testifieth found fault with the King of England for that he suffered his countrey to be impouerished so shamefully by the Pope Imperator reprehendit regem Angliae saith Mathew Paris quod permitteret terram suam tam impudenter per Papam depauperari If we account the tenths first fruites rents comming of dispensations about Ecclesiasticall benefices for mariages and vowes money for licences to eate flesh and white meates to kéepe concubines to erect new societies and orders of Friers money for indulgences and pardons canonizations of saints erecting of Churches for rescripts of iustice for absolution from othes for sale of Masses and such like Babylonish merchandize we shall find that the summe doth farre excéed Bonners accompt So iniurious was the Pope in extorting and so patient was this land in bearing all burdens that worthily it deserued to be called the Popes asse Nay such corruption was entred into the Romish church that no act of religion could be executed without paying somewhat At christening they paid a chrisme cloth at buriall a herse cloth Neither could any be maried or housled or absolued but some what was paid At Candlemasse they offered candles at another day bread and because bread would not downe without drinke they offered also good ale in some places By these meanes the priests of Baal liued vpon the poore mans labour and got the husbandmans cow the artificers instruments and what euery man had from the owners and pressed the very marrow out of the common peoples bones To all these pillages from which king Henry the eight of famous memorie and his sonne king Edward had fréed vs Quéene Mary did make her people subiect She also put her people vnder the bloodie hands of the butcherly Romish inquisitors Bonner Gardiner Storie and their fellowes which contrary to iustice and all good forme of procéeding caused foure or fiue hundred to be put to most cruell death in a short space and were the occasion of the death of many hundreds more that either for want or by diseases died being driuen to leaue their houses and to shift for themselues Some also died in prison before they came to their triall Whosoeuer would not forsake the truth was driuen to forsake his countrey kinred friends and to flie into strange countries for succor So we sée murder tortures banishments bands and persecution of Gods saints were the monuments of her raigne Therefore it plėased God to afflict this countrey with a great penury and dearth the like was not heard of for many yeares before nor since Our histories say that wheats was for foure markes the quarter and mault for 44. shillings which considering the rate of things is twise or thrise so much as that summe amounteth vnto now Hereupon it came to passe that the people were constrained to make bread of acornes that had refused the bread of Gods word and that many died for extreme want and penury and yet was not the country halfe so populous as now Finally to her perpetuall dishonor and the shame of all Papists she lost Calice Ghines whatsoeuer by the kings of England was left her in France King Edward the third that most victorious prince wanne Calice and she like a most disastrous Quéene lost it neither did any thing prosper that she tooke in hand In the beginning of her raigne she was driuen to flie into Suffolke disguised and had by all likelihood lost both her life crowne and hope if the professors of the Gospell of Norfolke and Suffolke had not resorted vnto her and defended her against those that pursued her for the which she promised them liberally but performed nothing They deliuered her from danger and she eontrary to her promise deliuered them vp to the bloudy executioners to be pursued with fire and fagot She maried with a stranger to the great dislike of all true hearted Englishmen But well was she requited For her husband neuer did well like her and in the end he went from her and did in a manner forsake her Great hope she had to leaue vs a king of her owne body to raigne after her but her expectation was turned into a mockerie and all the Masses said and prayers deuised and offerings to Saints relikes for her safe deliuerie tooke no effect The saying of the Prophet Psal. 7. was fulfilled in her She conceiued griefe and brought foorth iniquitie Concepit dolorem peperit iniquitatem Salomon for that he was a iust Prince had a sonne giuen him to sit vpon his throne after him as we reade 1. King 3. Was not then this mercilesse Quéene iustly punished with barrennesse for making so many childlesse Without cause she fell at variance with the French entring into her husbands quarrell But she spent her labour and treasure in vaine left the state in debt and lost all she did aduenture for At the sea she was most vnhappie losing a goodly shippe called The great Harrie by fire and hauing no successe in any thing And so it appeareth that she liued and died disgracefully leauing no memorie behind her but of cruell persecution of Spanish slauerie
truth and grant al others by her example to beware of the Popes and Iebusits most dangerous practises which neuer cease working mischiefe if they may haue fit oportunitie CHAP. X. That kings and Princes liuing in subiection to the Pope are but halfe kings and demi-princes BUt suppose the Pope and his conspiring and working crew should neither attempt to take away the crowne nor the life from a prince that beléeueth his lawes and yéeldeth to the Pope all that authoritie which he claimeth yet doth he lose halfe his reuenues authoritie and regall soueraigntie For first the Pope shareth the Kings reuenues claiming tenths first fruites subsidies confirmation and disposition of Ecclesiasticall liuings and infinite summes of money for pardons licences dispensations and all maner of rescripts Those which are acquainted with the Popes faculties and incrochments in former Kings dayes within this land and now in Spaine Italy and other popish countries know they are intelerable and no way inferior to the Kings reuenues Nay if a King néed a dispensation for an Ecclesiasticall matter he is forced to bargaine with the Pope and to buy it deare The absolution of King Iohn had like to haue cost him the Crowne of England Secondly not the King but the Pope is King of priests and ecclesiasticall persons Boniface the 8. in the chap. Clericis de immunit eccles in 6. doth excommunicate both Kings and others that impose taxes and subsidies vpon the Clergie He doth also lay the same censure vpon those clergie men that pay any subsidies to ciuill Magistrates which sheweth that he kept them for his owne selfe Alexander the fourth in the chap. Quia nonnulli de immunit eccles in 6. exempteth the possessions and goods of clergy men from toll and custome Bellarmine in his treatise De exemptione clericorum cap. 1. setteth downe these propositions In causis Ecclesiasticis liberi sunt clerici iure diuino à secularium principum potestate That is In Ecclesiastical causes clerkes are free from the commaund of secular princes by the law of God And by ecclesiasticall causes he vnderstādeth all matters which concerne the church and which by hooke or crooke the Popes haue drawne to their owne cognition Againe he sayth Non possunt Clerici à Iudice seculari iudicari etiamsi leges ciuiles non seruent That is Clerks are not to be iudged of secular Iudges albeit they keep not his temporall lawes His third proposition is this Bona clericorum tam ecclesiastica quà m secularia libera sunt ac meritò esse debent à tributis principum secularium That is The goods of clerkes whether they belong to the Church or be temporal are free from tributes of princes and so ought to be He sayth also that secular princes in respect of clerkes are not soueraigne princes and that therefore clerkes are not bound to obey them Now how is the King absolute in his kingdome if he haue neither power ouer the persons of the clerks nor their goods Emanuel Sa in his aphorismes In verbo Clericus in his book first printed and alleaged by him that wrote the Franc discourse hath these words Clerici rebellio in regem non est crimen laesae maiestatis quia non est subditus regi The rebellion of a clerk against the King is no treason because he is not the kings subiect This is plaine dealing and sheweth that the king is no king of the Clergie where the Popes lawes beare sway But because these words be somewhat too plaine therefore in a later edition of these aphorismes set out at Venice they haue for their owne ease cut out the words albeit in effect Bellarmine and others teach so much Their practise also declareth that this is their meaning for Thomas Becket stoutly resisted Henry the second and his parliament enacting that clerkes offending against the kings lawes should answer before the kings Iustices Further he would not agree that clerkes lay-fee should come in trial before them Sixtus quartus did enterdite the state of Florence for that they had executed the Archbishop of Pisa notoriously taken in a conspiracie against the State Xistus quòd sacrato viro Archiepiscopo it a foedè interfecto Cardinalem quoque captiuum fecissent Hieronymo instigante grauissimum Florentinis sacris omnibus interdictis bellū intulit saith Onuphrius That is Sixtus warred vpon the Florentines and enterdited them for that they had killed the Archbishop of Pisa being a priest and layd hands on a cardinall And yet he declareth they were actors in the conspiracie against Iulian and Laurence de Medicis that then ruled the State This was also the greatest quarrell of the Pope against Henry the third of France for that he caused the Cardinal of Guise to be killed being culpable of most enormous treasons against him Now what can Kings do against their subiects if they may not punish them offending in treason Thirdly the Popes do draw many temporall matters from the cognition of the King to themselues and their adherents Boniface the 8. c. quoniam de Immunitat Eccles. in 6. doth excommunicate all those that do hinder matters to be brought frō triall of temporall iudges to Ecclesiasticall courts and namely those that will not suffer all contracts confirmed by oathes to be tried before Ecclesiasticall iudges By which meanes almost all causes were brought before them and the Kings iurisdiction almost stopped and suspended The Kings of England therfore to restraine these incrochmēts made the law of Praemunire putting them out of his protection that wold not be tried by his lawes Is it not strange then that Christian princes should suffer such companions to vsurpe their authoritie and not onely in causes Ecclestasticall but also in temporall to beare them selues as iudges Finally they deny that Christian Princes haue power either to make Ecclesiasticall lawes or to reforme abuses in the Church or to gouerne the Church concerning externall matters All papists do so distinguish betwixt Ecclesiastical and politicke gouernement that they exclude temporall Princes from the gouernement of the Church and make them subiect to the Pope Bellarmine lib. 1. de Pontif. Rom. c. 7. determineth that temporall Princes are no gouernours of the Church Ifthen Christian Princes loose part of their reuenues and part of their iurisdiction and are quite excluded both from the gouernement of the Church and also disposing of the persons and goods of Ecclesiasticall persons most apparent it is that such Princes as admit the Popes authoritie are either but halfe kings or else not so much loosing more then halfe their authoritie by the Popes incrochments How contrarie this is to the doctrine of the Apostles and ancient fathers we néede not here dispute S. Peter teacheth Christians to honour the King and Paule exhorteth euery soule to be subiect to the higher powers Now what greater dishonour can be offered to a king then to take away his authoritie And how are they subiect that pay the King nothing and claime
the vniuersall Church then of one Realme Againe we call the King supreme gouernour for no other cause then for that he is the chiefe man of his Realme and chiefe disposer of externall matters But they giue one consistory to Christ and the Pope Furthermore in matters of faith we say all princes ought to submit themselues to the Apostles and their docrine The Pope will be equall to them if not aboue them and determine matters of faith as absolutely as Christ Iesus Finally he sayth Difference of habites or particular manner of life breaketh not vnitie of religion But the Apostle repzoueth those that sayd I hold of permitteth he forbiddeth all exposition of it vntill it be examined Let Parsons then shew where he appointed or permitted vulgar translations of scriptures if he wil not shew himselfe a lyar In the same encounter in setting downe the state of the controuersie in reporting the acts against Husse the procéedings of Luther Grinaeus and Bezaes disputations he doth nothing but cog and lie And for his witnesses he citeth AEneas Syluius Dubrauius Cochleus Genebrard Surius Claudius de Sainctes and a rabble of other lying rascals not worth a cockle shell What then doth he deserue but a crowne of foxe tailes counterpointed with whetstones for his labour Popelliniere in is seuenth booke of the historie of France sheweth that the Papists could neuer be brought to ioyne issue do they of the religion what they could which is quite contrary to his shamelesse narration 2. encounter fol. 39. he saith The Councell of Trent gaue libertie to all protestants so he calleth our Doctors to dispute their fill A most notorious vntruth For two onely going thither escaped hardly with their liues and were peremptorily denied licence to dispute publikely albeit they desired to be heard 2. encount c. 9. he denieth that the Papists meant to kéep their Indexes expurgatorie secret and sayth that they were deuised to purge bookes corrupted by heretikes But experience doth proue both to be lies For vnder this colour they haue corrupted the fathers and this deccit was not found vntill by Gods prouidence one copie came to Iunius his hands And this God willing shal be proued by particulars if God grant vs life Fol. 93. he telleth a storie as he saith or rather diuers lies of Monkes making hatchets to swim taising dead men to life multiplying milke and talking of monkes muies and doing other strange miracles Which if Parsons do compare with the miracles of the prophets and Apostles he blasphemeth if he beléeue as well as the miracles of the Bible he addeth no credit to monkish miracles but most wickedly maketh legends and fables comparable to holy scripture Fol. 101. he sayth Sixtus 4. did leaue it free for euery one to thinke what he would viz. in the article of the conception of our Lady in originall sinne But that this is false it appeareth first in that he did excommunicate all those that spoke against the feast of our Ladies conception And secondly for that he gaue indulgences to such as prayed to her as borne of Anna without originall sinne Fol. 103. he denieth that Sixtus Quintus compared the execrable murder of the French king Henry the third to the mysteries of Christ his incarnation and resurrection But the Cardinals that were in the Consistory when first the newes were brought to Rome can conuince him of lying and impudencie Likewise a French Papist that wrote a discourse against Sixtus Quintus called La Fulminante will testifie against him Speaking in an apostrophe to Pope Sixtus Tuappelles saith he ceste trahison vn oeuure grand de Dieu vn pur exploit de sa prouidence la compares aux plus excellens mysteres de son incarnation de sa resurrection He chargeth him further That he accounted this murder as a miracle and honored Iames Clement as a martyr Dieu quelle pieté qu'un suiect qui tue son Roy est à Rome vn martyr son assassinat vn miracle Parsons séemeth also to denie that Henry the third was excommunicate and will not acknowledge that the same was cause of his death both which points are testified in the discourse entitled La Fulminante which Parsons not séeing roueth he knoweth not at what Tu as proclamé saith he speaking to Sixtus Quintus vn ban sur la vie conuié tous les parricides à sa mort How then can these words vttered by a papist inueying against Sixtus Quintus with any probabilitie be denied Fol. 104. he chargeth vs with setting forward the Gospell which he calleth New with forcible attempts But if he shew not where we haue taken armes for this purpose these words will testifie against him that he setteth forth lies and is a lying companion whose mouth is full of slander In France poore men haue bene forced to take armes for defence of their liues against the Popes ministers but they neuer sought the life or hurt of their King as the rebellious leaguers did who trecherously murdred their soueraine Lord and King Fol. 105. 2. encount c. 12. he denieth that papists hold it sacrilege to dispute of the Popes doings And fol. 107. That albeit the Pope leade innumerable soules to hell yet no man may say to him Sir why do you so The first lie is confuted by Baldus in l. sacrilegij Cod. de crimine sacrilegij where in plain termes he affrmeth that it is sacrilege to dispute of the Popes power The second is conuinced by the words of the chapter si Papa dist 40. where it is said That although the Pope cary with him innumerable soules to hell yet no man may reproue him for his faults The words are plaine Huius culpas istic redarguere praesumit mortalium nemo The same words also which Parsons denieth are found in diuers Canonists and that not vnderstood in beneficiary causes onely as he would insinuate but absolutely Per omnia potest facere dicere quicquid placet saith Durand auferendo etiam ius suum cui vult quia non est qui ei dicat cur ita facis There also citing his author he saith Vicem non puri hominis sed veri Deigerit in terris Likewise dist 3. de poenit c. quamuis where the text sayth Quis audeat dicere Deo quare c. parcis The Glosse sayth Vel Deo vel Papae The like sayings are found in Baldus in praelud fend Col. 12 in l. fin Col. 1. in extr cod sent rescind Iason consil 145. c. 2. v. 2. AEmil Mar. Nanoless and cap. ad Apcstolatus de concess praebend extr Ioann 22. Gloss. in verbo continetur Fol. 106. he sayth That many of vs and other our friends do make princes so absolute in temporal and spiritual affaires as they may not be iudged by any mortall man And to this purpose he citeth Bellay But first Bellay is none of our friends And next he cannot shew any of vs that teacheth
warde-word expecting no doubt reward at the hands of God rather then mā and respecting rather his own dutie then the praise of others But before either the booke came forth or that I knew the Knights resolution the impudencie of the man so boldly extolling traitors and forreine enemies together with his singular arrogancy despising his own nation and his foolish speakes for the Popes cause stollen out of others and put forth as his wont is in his owne name had extorted from me a reply to his Wardword Which certes might haue bin wel spared considering the sufficiencie of the Knights apologie if I had seene it before I had ended my reply For what is there in the Wardword worthy of answer seeing the same consisteth wholy of lies and patches and old ends stollen from others often refuted before And what answer can be deuised so slender that counteruaileth not such a hochpotch of words To these replies published by vs after long silence we see that Robert Parsons hath purposed to set forth a reioynder For we haue already receiued two parts of nine but so fraught with calumniations and lies malicious and scornful termes odious and filthy reproches that it seemeth he hath spent all his store of poison and despaireth to perfect the rest This booke albeit most contemptible containing nothing but disgracefull matter against her Maiesties proceedings that is lately deceased and childish disputes for some few points of poperie yet haue I thought good to handle not for any worth that can be in any such packe of pedlary stuffe set to sale by this petit merchant but for that iust occasion is thereby giuen vnto me to insist vpon the cōmendatiō of our late Queene for her heroical vertues and happy gouernment by this wicked traitor and vnworthy swad wickedly disgraced and especially for her singular pietie and zeale in restoring religion and abolishing Poperie O that she had bene so happy to keepe out the Ministers of Antichrist once expulsed as at the first to expulse them and put them out of her kingdome but what by yeelding to intreatie of some about her by this generation foully abused and what by tolerating of such as were sent in by forreine enemies to practise against her life and kingdome and what drawne backe by those that entertained intelligēce with publike enemies she was perswaded to slacke execution of lawes if not to suspend them to her owne great trouble and to the hazard of Religion and the State but that God by his prouidence supplied the defects of mē By the aduersaries Warne-word I haue also bene warned to discourse of the miserable and dangerous estate both of kings and their subiects that liue vnder the thraldom of the Pope and that both in regard of matters of State and of Religion Finally albeit Robert Parsons hitherto hath vsed scurrilous railing for his warrant protection against those that haue dealt with him and like as a foxe pursued with hounds with the filthy stench of his stile endeuoureth to make them giue ouer the chase yet I shall so touch him for his impietie making a iest at Scriptures and Religion for his scurrilitie railing without wit or modestie for his doltish ignorance committing most grosse and childish errors for his lies and forgerie vsing neither respect of truth nor common honestie that I hope I shall turne his laughing into another note If I speak roundly to him and his consorts yet I do not as he doth speake falsly Sharpnes he ought not to mislike hauing begun this course Neither can others iustly reproue me considering my aduersaries audacious impudencie Si falsa dicimus saith Hilarie infamis sit sermo maledicus Si verò vniuersa haec manifesta esse ostendimus nō sumus extra Apostolicā libertatem modestiā If we tell matters false then let our sharpe speech be infamous If all we report be manifestly proued then are we not out of the limites of Apostolical libertie and modestie Howbeit what measure is to be required in him that is to incounter a man of such vnmeasurable and outragious behauiour In the first booke the honor of her Maiestie late deceassed and her proceedings in the alteration of religion is defended In the second the grieuances of Christians vnder the Popes gouernement both in matters of conscience and their temporal estate are plainely discouered In the last we are to incounter with the ridiculous manner of Parsons behauior and writing left he might per case thinke himselfe wise therein God turne all to his glorie to the manifestation of truth the detection of errors and the shame of the shamelesse patrons thereof The first Booke containing a defence of Queene Elizabeths most pious and happie gouernement impugned in a scurrilous libell intitled A warne-word The Preface to the first Booke I Need not I trust make any large discourse in calling to remembrance the noble and heroicall acts of our late Queene and most gracious Soueraigne Ladie Elizabeth of famous and godly memory For as Iesus the sonne of Syrach said of famous men of auncient time so we may say of her that her name will liue from generation to generation Her kind loue to her subiects and gracious fauours done both to English and other nations will neuer be forgotten His words likewise concerning his famous ancesters may be well applied vnto her She was renowned for her power and was wise in counsel She ruled her people by counsel by the knowledge of learning fit for them She was rich and mightie in power and liued peaceably at home Her remembrance therefore is as the composition of sweete perfume that is made by the art of the Apothecary and is sweete as hony in all mouthes as it is said of Iosias In his steps she insisted and behaued her self vprightly in the reformatiō of the people took away al abominatiōs of iniquity She reformed the abuses and corruptions of popish religion which through the working of the mystery of iniquitie had now won credit in the world and ouerthrew the idoll of the Masse and banished all idolatrie out of the Church She directed her heart to the Lord and in the time of the vngodly she established Religion She put her trust in the Lord and after that wicked and vngodly men had brought vs back into AEgyptian seruitude she deliuered vs from the bondage of the wicked AEgyptians and restored Religion according to the rules of Apostolicall doctrine But because as in the time of Iosias the Priests of Baal so in our times their of-spring the Masse-priests cannot brooke her reformation but looke backe to the abominations of AEgypt and Babylon I haue thought it conuenient not only to declare at large what benefites the people of England now fiue and fortie yeares almost enioyed by her gracious and happie gouernement but also to iustifie the same against the slaunderous calumniations and cauils of Robert Parsons her borne subiect but now a renegate Iebusite
had a most gainefull trade of begging And such was their shamelesse dealing that of the house of God they made a shoppe of merchandize or rather a denne of theeues In England the Popes had a contribution called Peter pence and yet not content therewith or with the ordinarie gaine of their faculties annates contributions they imposed extraordinarie subsidies as oft as themselues listed The English did make a grieuous complaint against the Popes court in a certaine Synode at Lyon in the dayes of Henry the third as Matth. of Paris testifieth The same man affirmeth that the Romish Court did swallow vplike a gulfe euery mans reuenues and tooke almost all that Bishops or Abbots possessed Quae curia saith he instar barathripotestatem habet consuetudinem omnium reditus absorbendi imò ferè omnia quaecunque Episcopi possident Abbates Bonner in his Preface before Stephen Gardiners booke de vera obedientia speaking of the spoile made in England by the Pope saith it did almost amount to as much as the kings reuenues Prouentus regios ferè aequabat saith he In Fraunce king Lewis the ninth complaineth that his kingdome was miserably brought to pouertie by the Popes exactions and therefore he expresly forbiddeth them Exactiones saith he onera grauissima pecuniarum per Curiam Rom. Ecclesiae regni nostri impositas vel imposita quibus regnum nostrum miserabiliter depauperatum existit siue etiam imponendas vel imponenda leuari aut colligi nullatenus volumus In Spaine euery one of any qualitie is inforred to pay for two ordinarie pardons whereof the one is for the dead the other for the liuing Beside this the Pope vpon diuers occasions sendeth cruciataes and general pardons by which he procureth great commoditie Iosephus Angles in 4. sent cap. de indulgentijs signifieth that the king sometime payeth an hundred thousand duckats for one pardon and afterward remburseth himselfe playing the Popes broker Adde then vnto this reckening whatsoeuer the Pope getteth out of Spaine by dispensations licences priuiledges contributions and other trickes and the summe of his collections-will appeare a very great matter The Germaines in their complaints exhibited to the Popes Legate affirme that the burthens laid on them by the Romish Church were most vrgent intolerable and not to be borne Vrgentissima atque intolerabilia penitusque non ferenda â—nera Generally all Christians complaine of them Matth. Paris in Hen. 3. speaking of the times of Gregory the 9. and of the couetousnesse of the Romish Church saith That like an impudent and common whore she was exposed and set to sale to al men accounting vsury for a litle fault symony for none Permittente vel procurante Papa Gregorio adeo inualuit Ecclesiae Romanae insatiabilis cupidit as confundens fas nefasque quod deposito rubore velut meretrix vulgaris effrons omnibus venalis exposita vsuram pro paruo symoniam pro nullo inconuenienti reputauit Theodoric à Niem nemor vnion tract 6. ca. 37. speaking of the Popes Exchequer sayth It is like a sea into the which all flouds run and yet it floweth not ouer He sayth further that his officers do scourge poore Christians like Turkes or Tartarians Ipse Romanus pontifex saith Ioannes Sarisburiensis lib. 6. Polycrat cap. 24. omnibus ferè est intolerabilis Laetatur spolijs Ecclesiarum quaestum omnem reput at pietatem prouinciarum diripit spolia ac si the sauros Croesi studeat reparare The Pope to all men is almost become intolerable he delighteth in the spoyles of the Church he esteemeth gaine to be godlinesse he spoyleth countries as if he meant to repaire Croesus his treasures Ioannes Andreas in 6. de elect elect potest c. fundamenta in Glossa saith that Rome was built by robbers and yet retaineth a tack of her first originall Baptista of Mantua sheweth that in Rome Churches priests altars and al monuments of Religion are sold. And yet he forgot to tell of the great reuenue the Pope getteth by common wheres It is shame to consider how many benefices the Pope bestoweth on one man Quae vtique abominatio saith Gerson tractat de statu Ecclesiae quod vnus ducenta alius trecenta beneficia occupat What an abominatioÌ„ is this that one should possesse 200. another 300. benefices We may imagine what spoiles are committed in other things when the Pope selleth so many benefices to one and one man spoyleth so many Churches Therefore saith the Bishop of Chems oner eccles cap. 19. that as in the Romaine Empire so in the Church of Rome there is a gulfe of riches and that couetousnes is encreased and the law perished from the priest and seeing froÌ„ the Prophet Heu saith he sicut olim in Rom. Imperio sic bodie in Romana curia est vorago diuitiarum turpissima Crcuit auaritia perijt lex à sacerdote visio à Prophcta Petrarch calleth Rome couetous Babylon L'auara Babylonia ha colmo il sacco de l'ira de Dio. And this is the common crie of all men that are subiect to the synagogue of Romes tyrannie Is it not then a great fauor of God that by the gouernment of Quéene Elizabeth we were so happily deliuered from the Popes manifold exactions against which so many haue complained and exclaimed and yet neuer could find conuenient remedie Is it not an ease to be deliuered from intolerable burthens and a great contentment to be fréed from such vniust pillages Robert Parsons Encont 1. cap. II. would gladly haue the world to say no as hauing some share in the spoile and like a begging Fryer liuing on the labors of others But his exceptions are such as may greatly confirme our yea First he saith There hath not bene so many exactions in time past as since the yeare 1530. and for proofe he referreth vs vnto the exchequer bookes But both his exceptions and his proofes are ridiculous For albeit much hath bene paid to the king yet it doth not therefore follow that we are to pay much to the Pope Againe it is ridiculous to séeke proofes of the Popes exactions in the Exchequer bookes being so many that they can hardly be registred in any bookes Beside this it is false that the people of England hath paid more to the King then to the Pope as may appeare by the conference of particulare But suppose we should pay more to the king then to the pope yet these two contributions are euill compared together For to the King we owe dutie and tribute to the Pope we owe nothing but many hitter execrations for all our charges and troubles For his malice is the root of all our troubles and the cause of all our payments He saith further that notwithstanding the exactiens of the Pope the Clergie in time past did farre excell our Clergie in ease and wealth But that is no great commendation if ours excell them in vertue and pietie Beside that Matthew of Paris in Henry
by Queene Elizabeth but by that vnhappie woman Quéene Mary and her bloudy and butcherly priests Moreouer if King Philip fell at variance with vs the same was not the Quéenes fault that kept good correspondence with him albeit he betrayed her to the French at her first comming to the crowne and succored the rebels of the North anno 1569. and conspired with that lonzie Frier Pius the fift to ouerthrow her Neither haue we lost any thing but rather gotten by his falling from vs being vnited to the Low countries and able to maister him at the sea if the king of England will be pleased to follow his aduantage He chargeth her further with supporting rebels heretikes and Atheists and obiecteth vnto her familiaritie with the Turke But neither shall this railing companion and principall proctor of popish traitors rebels and atheists proue them rebels whom she hath succoured nor can the Spaniard iustly challenge her in this course beginning himselfe first and falling out with her for the Popes pleasure As for that contract which her Maiestie had with the Turke it was onely for trade of merchandise as the articles will shew and not for amitie And yet if by this means she had any credit with the Turke she vsed it to the good of Christians as the Polonians and Transiluanians can testifie But king Philip ended his warres with the Turke to fight against Christians And therefore no maruell if vpon his death bed he confessed that he neuer reaped other fruite of his trauell and expence but sorrow and losse To shew that peace was no ornament of Quéene Elizabeths praise he saith we haue had more stirres within this seuentie yeares then in a thousand yeares before But he should haue spoken of tumults and stirres in her raigne for that is the time we speake of Againe he should haue declared that these stirres haue proceeded from vs and not from wicked Popes that haue bene the firebrands to set all Christendome on a flame For if by wicked Popes and their agents rebellions were stirred in Yorkeshire and Lincolneshire in king Henry the eight his dayes and in Cornewall and Deuonshire and other places in the raigne of king Edward and in the North and Norfolk and Ireland in Queen Elizabeths dayes then are they to be charged for these disorders and not we But suppose great stirres had bene raised before Quéene Elizabeths time yet that was her commendation rather then disgrace that she was able notwithstanding the malice of traiterous Masse-priests to gouerne her countries a long time peaceably which her auncestors could not He doth also talke very impudently of the patience of Papists as if their mild and bearing natures and not the Queens moderation had bene cause of our long peace But the storming of the butcherly Prelates at the Quéenes first comming to the Crown the rebellion in the North anno 1569. the Norfolcian stirres the practises of Allan with the duke of Guise of Allan Englefield and diuers other traitors with the Pope and Spaniard for an inuasion anno 1588. of Parsons and others 1597. the conspiracies first of Parrie then of Throckmorton then of Someruile and Arden then of Ballard and Babington and afterward of Lopez and Squire and finally the massacres and bloudie warres in Fraunce and Flaunders do shew that they neither are mild nor patient nor seek any thing else but murder and bloudshed If then any patience they haue had at any time it is as the French men say the patience of Lombardes that rest when they cannot moue stirres Furthermore it is apparant to the world that the Quéene was wholy resolued to follow peace neuer taking armes but when she was constrained and refusing to accept of the Low countries offered into her hands because she would not intricate her selfe with warres albeit she might with great honour and safety haue accepted them long before Hauing nothing to alleage against her Maiesties peaceable gouernement at home he telleth vs that she hath had almost perpetual warre with all our neighbours round about vs. But neither doth he speake truly the attempts of Newhauen and Lieth being of short continuance and her Maiestie not entring into the Low countries quarrell before the yeare 1586. Nor to purpose our discourse concerning principally the Quéenes peaceable gouernment at home Beside this the forces her Maiestie employed in the Lowe countries were so small and the course so certaine that the action doth scarce deserue the name of warres being with so litle trouble to our nation and intended rather to resist a few cut-throates that sought to murther men then the armie of a king that sought with force to subdue a countrie by iust warres As for the Spaniards whom Parsons ridiculously calleth our surest allies although they haue without cause dealt against vs as perfidious enemies they can not say but the Quéene dcalt iustly defending her selfe against publike enemies that sought her destruction and the ouerthrow of her people To proue that the land hath not increased in wealth in the late Quéenes time he obiecteth that the Nobilitie and Gentrie keepe not so great houses nor families as in times past But the witlesse fellow speaketh against himselfe For the lesse is spent the more remaineth But that many are able to kéepe as great houses as in time past it cannot be denyed Further if he knew the state of the countrie he might know that many houses are built and kept where in time past there was neither house-kéeping nor house He telleth vs further of tributes and other duties But his talking and dealing therein is but friuolous For compare all that is paid in subsidies and other duties with former payments yet is it not halfe of that which was exacted by the Pope and spent in superstition and vaine deuises But were our subsidies greater yet being bestowed vpon our owne souldiers and people the land is neuer a whit the poorer but rather poore men employed by those that can well spare all which they giue and more Finally he would insinuate that increase of people is no blessing séeing the Turkes by multitude of wiues haue many children and holy Eunuches are commended that haue no children He doth also vnder hand glaunce at the mariage of Ministers But first he denyeth that which the spirit of God doth directly teach biz that children are the blessing of God and that God did promise the multiplication of his séede to Abraham as a great blessing Secondly albeit particular men that kéepe themselues chast for the kingdome of heauen are commended yet that concerneth the lecherous and bougerly Masse-priests and Monkes nothing that rather for sweare mariage then kéep themselues chast Neither is that a commendation to a whole State or kingdome if some liue chastly Thirdly albeit Turkes haue many wiues yet God doth not so blesse them with children but that they are compelled to vse the children of Christians and to exact a tribute of them To conclude this bastardly fellow
to be partakers of his couenant Fiftly Those which despise the Lord shall themselues be despised saith the Lord 1. Sam. 2. And as he promiseth blessings to those that worship him and kéepe his commandemēts so he threatneth cursings to those that refuse to heare the voice of the Lord and to kéepe his commaundents and ceremonies prescribed for his worship Quod siaudire nolueris vocem Domini Dei tui vt custodias facias omnia mandata eius caeremonias quas ego praecipio tibi hodiè venient super te omnes maledictiones apprehendent te saith Moyses Deut. 28. Let the Papists then consider well with themselues what they haue done in transforming the worship of God into the worship of creatures and seruing him not as he hath appointed but according to their owne deuises and fancies and let them beware that these plagues curses ouertake them not séeing they haue wholy neglected the true worship of God Sixthly Strange tongues are for a signe as the Apostle sayth 1. Cor. 14. not to them that beleeue but to them that beleeue not The Prophet also threatneth as a plague that God wil speake to his people by men of other tongues and in strange languages In loquela labij lingua altera loquetur ad populum istum It is therefore strange that the Papists féele not the hand of God vpon them when they heare scriptures read and prayers said publikely in a language which they vnderstand not and a thing to be wondred at that they chuse rather to liue in this blindnesse then to haue the word of God read in a toung which they are able to vnderstand and whereby they may learne to feare God Seuenthly the very heathen haue oft times chosen to die rather then to sée themselues oppressed by tyrants Yet such is the stupiditie of Papists that they suffer the Pope and his Priests to tyrannize ouer them loading their consciences with intolerable lawes and false doctrine and spoiling their goods by diuers kinds of exactions and endangering their liues by their Inquisitors and massacrers and such like executioners of their bloudie decrées 8. Most dangerous is euery diuision among those of one societie but most miserable it is when they which protesse themselues to be of Gods Church are deuided one frō another For the Church is a house of vnitie and not of dissention But among Papists one holdeth of Benet another of Francis another of Dominicke another of Clare and in no point of doctrine do all their Doctors agree together Superstitiously also they obserue dayes times and distinction of meates and consecrate salt water bread candles and paschal Lambes Finally they leaue the Creator and serue our Ladie Angels and Saints and other creatures Nay for reliques of Saints they worship oft times the ashes relikes and bones of wicked men and reprobates nay of bruite beasts 9. It is an vnseemely thing for those that professe hollnesse to shew themselues examples of all beastlinesse as the Popes and holiest men of the papists are wont to do Therefore séeing the dogs sorcerers whore-mongers murtherers idolaters and lyars shall be shut out of the kingdome of heauen they are not to looke to be admitted without spéedie reformation 10. No Prince liuing vnder the Pope can assure himselfe of his state nor can any subiect that liueth vnder such a prince assure himselfe either of his life or goods For if the Pope haue power to take away kingdomes and to bestow them vpon others how can any King or prince assure himselfe he will not attempt the same when occasion serueth considering his violent procéeding against Emperours and kings in time past and against our late noble Queene against Henry the third and fourth of Fraunce and diuers others And if euery one by him and his Inquisitors declared Hereticke is to lose life and goods who can assure himselfe of either if he acknowledge not his authoritie and refuse his religion 11. No man certes shall prosper that shall follow Antichrists sect or religion If any man worship the beast and his image saith the Angel Apocalyps 14. and receiue his marke in his forehead and in his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God of the pure wine that is powred into the cuppe of his wrath But that new Rome and the Popes gouernment is the image of the old Romaine Empire and that the Pope is Antichrist it plainely appeareth by diuers arguments which I haue declared in my fifth booke De pontif Rom. 12 Those Kings that liue vnder the Pope are but halfe kings For first their Cleargie in diuers cases is exempt from them and next they haue not to do with the rest of their subiects in ecclesiasticall causes O miserable kings that haue fallen downe to worship the beast and haue suffered such base bougerly Italians to take away more then halfe of their royall authoritie 13 We find that no kingdome can long liue in peace which is subiect to the Popes controlment For if the Pope do find himselfe aggréened then both he trouble the peace of the State if the same offend him not but pay what he requireth yet if he fall out with others then must that kingdome make warres at the Popes pleasure By the Popes solicitation both England France Flaunders Spaine and all Christian countries haue endured great troubles The Turkes liue farre more quietly vnder their Sultans then Papists vnder the Pope Finally considering the intolerable exactions of the Pope and his furious inclination to warre and bloudshed and the tyrannie both of the Pope and his adherents it is no maruell if the papisticall people be poore and much wasted Whether then we respect things of this life or of the life to come there is no creature more miserable then a Papist Do you not then wonder that any should like the popist gouernment It were certainely much to be wondred but that experience doth teach vs that the Cimmerians that dwell in darknesse care not for the light and that brutish beasts delight in brutishnesse and base people in seruitude and superstitious people in vanities and superstitions CHAP. VI. Of the contradictions of Popish Doctors in principall points of Religion Of the dissentions of popish Doctors in matters of religion I haue said somewhat before Yet because Papists make vnitie in matters of saith to be a marke of the Church and confidently deny that their Doctors dissent in any point of any moment I haue thought good to insist yet more vpon this point that the world may see not only their miserie that as men not resolued in most points of religion wauer betwirt contrarie opinions but also their notorious impudencie that deny it Therein also both appeare some Papists wonderfull simplicitie that séeing the contention of their Doctors do not vnderstand their differences and séeeing their differences and vncertaintie of popish Religion do notwithstanding sticke fast in the filthy dregs and abhominable corruptions thereof
princes stand vpon loosing their crownes at the Popes pleasure then are they in poore estate and without any assurance of their kingdomes considering especially the malice of the Pope against such as professe the truth and his ambition in encroching vpon his neighbors dominions Ghineard a Iebusite was hanged in Paris anno 1594. for writing and holding diuers seditions positions wherof one was that the crowne of France might and ought to be translated into another family then that of Bourbon Neither néed any man make question by whom he meant that this feat should be wrought séeing the Pope is the man whose authoritie the Iebusites and Cananites seeke to aduance aboue Kings Finally Robert Parsons in his Warnword part 2. f. 117. 6 alleageth a booke entitled De iusta Henrici tertij abdicatione that is of the iust deposing of the French King Henry the third whereby it is apparent that he also holdeth that the Pope may iustly depose Kings Neither is it likely that he would so busily haue sought to stirre vp rebels in England and to suborne cut-throtes to kill the Quéene or that he would haue desired that Pius the fift his bull against her might be suspended for a time concerning Papists if he had not taken her to be deposed by the Pope But because this doctrine of the Popes authority that of it selfe is litle worth would auaile nothing vnlesse the people also can be drawne to fauour the Popes faction therefore the Pope and his schollers giue also a power to the people to depose Kings and princes especially if once they proue tyrants that is as Iebusites teach if they be excommunicate by the Pope or else séeke to maintaine their state or the truth against the biolence and practises of the popish saction Gregory the seuenth tooke away all regall power from Henry the fourth and gaue the same vnto Rodulph of Saxonie commaunding all Christians to receiue Rodulph for their King and not to obey the Emperour Henry in any thing as being absolued from their othes which they were wont to giue vnto Kings Regiam ei potestatem adimo saith Gregory the seuenth interdicoque Christianis omnibus illo iuramento absolutis quo fides regibus dari consueuit ne Henrico vtla in re obtemperent Rodulphum in regem suscipiant But this could not be executed vulesse the people had some power giuen them to put by the one and to receiue the other Nor can princes stand firme if seditious Popes can giue the people this power Innocent the fourth likewise deposed Friderick the second forbidding his subiects to obey him and commanding them to whom it appertained to chuse another King As if it lay in the power of the people to do the one or the other or as it the princes authoritie stood in this case vpon the peoples pleasure Pius the fift declared Quéene Elizabeths subiects to be fréed from their obedience and not onely commaunded them not to obey her but by all perswasions moued them to depose her Is not this then a plaine and euident argument that the Pope doth giue power to the people contrary to the doctrine of the Apostle Rom. 13. and Tit. 3. to rebell against princes and to depose them William Raynolds a renegate Englishman in a treatise set out vnder the counterfeit name of William Rosse and entitled De iustaereip Christianae suprareges impios haereticos authoritate iustissimaque Caetholicorum he should say cacolicorū ad Henricum Nauarraeū quemcunque haereticum à regno Galliae repellendum confederatione doth in expresse termes giue the people power to depose Kings and maintaineth impudently the wicked league of the French rebels against their King In the 2. chap. of that booke he affirmeth that the right of al the Kings kingdoms of Europe is laid vpō this foundation that common wealths or people may depose thir kings His words are Quodius omnium Europae regum regnorum hoc fundamento nititur quodresp possint suos reges deponere But therein he sheweth himselfe and his consorts to be the most notorious traitors of all Europe Likewise Robert Parsons our aduersary if such a base companion may deserue that name and a notorious firebrand of sedition in his booke of succession to the crowne of England made against the iust title of King Iames and in fauour of the infanta of Spaine in his first booke chap. 1. endeuoureth to proue that succession to gouernement by nearenesse of blood is by positiue lawes of the commonwealth and may vpon iust causes be altered by the same His intention is to shew that they which made that law may also alter it In the third chapter he striueth with himselfe to shew that not onely vnworthy pretenders may be put backe but that Kings in possession may be chastised and deposed The first part of which proposition is directed against our most worthy and rightfull King before his comming to the crowne the second aymeth at him now that by Gods grace he is attained to the Crowne In the fourth chapter he sayth that othes in diuers cases bind not subiects and that sometimes they may lawfully proceed against Princes Matters so seditious and odious that it séemeth to me admirable that such a leud companion should be suffered so impudently to barke against the authority of Kings or that the Archpriest or the Iebusits or Masse priests that depend vpon him and allow this doctrine and percase yet stand for the infantaes title together with their cōsorts shold be suffered to liue by the lawes of that King whom by their wicked doctrine they haue sought to dispossesse of his right and to depose from his royall throne Neither is this the doctrine of these base companions only but also of other more famous Doctors and of the most illustrious ring-leaders of the Iebusites Bellarmine lib. 5. de pontif Rom. c. 6. saith It is not lawful for Christians to tolerate a King that is an infidel or an hereticke if he go about to draw his subiects to his heresie or infidelitie His words are these Non licet Christianis tolerare regem infidelem aut haereticum si ille pertrahere conetur subditos ad suam haeresim aut infidelitatem Now it is well knowne that such as receiue not the superstition and heretical doctrine of the Romish synagogue are by the sect of Papists accompted heretikes and litle better then infidels Emanuel Sa a Iebusite also in a booke called Aphorismi confessariorum holdeth these aphorismes ensuing In verbo Princeps That the Prince may be depriued by the common-wealth for tyrannie and also if he do not his dutie or when there is any iust cause and another may be chosen of the greater part of the people But some saith he suppose that onely tyrannie is a iust cause of deposition His words stand thus Potest princeps per remp priuari ob tyrannidem si non faciat officium suum cum est causa aliqua iusta
holpen by that good spirit that hath moued you he granteth you his blessing and plenary indulgence and remission of all your sinnes assuring you beside the merite you shall haue in heauen that his Holinesse will make himselfe your debtor to acknowledge your deserts in the best fort he can c. Where note I pray you that the Pope promiseth heauen and not only reward in earth to such as desperately aduenture to kill Kings The said Parrie was not onely encouraged by the Pope but also resolued by Palmio a Iebusite at Venice and other Iebusites at Lyon and lastly by Anniball Codret to put his disseine in execution And so hauing receiued the sacrament at Paris he came for England with full assurance to be made at the least a martyr and with a desperate purpose to murder his dread Soueraigne matters not onely made manifest by witnesses and presumptions but also confessed by himselfe and recorded in publike acts and histories It appeareth also that Robert Parsons whose head is now become a mint of treasons had a finger in this businesse His owne letter dated the 18. of October an 1598. will conuince him if he deny it For therein he confesseth how when he perceiued that a certaine English gentleman meant to discouer Parries practise against the Queene that he did disswade him and so wrought with the man that he was content Parry should proceed on without being by him bewrayed When as D. Gifford at Paris and other priests at Rhemes had perswaded Sauage to kill the Quéene as the onely obstacle of their purposes yet did he seeme cold in his resolutiō vntill such time as a Iesuite méeting with him at Ewe in France did perswade him to go on resolutely and without doubting That Ballards and Babingtons conspiracie tended to the destruction of the Quéenes person it cannot be denied For not onely witnesses and presumptions but also their confessions declare so much Neither did Babington giue ouer his wicked purpose being taken but wrote to Sauage by all means to haften his enterprise for the killing of the Quéen which was the cause that brought both them and others to their ends Neither are we to doubt but that diuers Papists of note both in England and other places knew of this treason séeing alwayes it was their fashion in generall termes at the least if not in particular maner to giue notice of such matters For Ballard went ouer of purpose to Paris to acquaint D. Allen and the Duke of Guise and others with his owne and his consorts determination Someruile was so resolute in his purpose and so iocund that he could not kéepe his owne counsell secret but would néedes professe to his friends that he was determined to kill the Queene but being detected he wilfully made away him selfe to saue the hangmans labor Aiden was executed for the same treason Sir William Stanley and Iaques his Lieutenant with the helpe of two Iesuites called Holt and Sherwood and certaine other traitorous English Masse-priests perswaded one Patricke Collen an Irish man and a desperate fencer to go ouer secretly into England and to murder the Queen shewing by what means he might do it without any great danger To encourage him the better they gaue him thirty pound sterling for to put himself in order and to defray his charges and loaded him with large promises of further reward and preferment all which the man being apprehended did voluntarily confesse as the acts and processe do declare and was therefore condemned and adiudged to die Edmund York and Williams being charged with the like treason confessed also that partly by the perswasion of Holt the Iebusite who abused the consecrated host to induce them and resolue them and partly vpon hope of an assignation of fortie thousand crownes shewed them by Hugh Owen they promised to vndertake the killing of the Quéen They said further that D. Gifford D. Worthington that vnworthy knight Sir William Stanley together with diuers other English fugitiues beyond the sea were acquainted with this their resolution and practise and encoraged them by all meanes to go forward Afterward when these seditious Iebusites and Masse priests and their abbettors perceiued that by the sword they could not take away the Quéenes life then they set on empoysoners to do the fait And that is apparant first by the fact and confession of Lopez and his consorts and next by the treason of Edmund Squire and the Iebusite Walpoole Unto Lopez for this execution fiftie thousand crownes were promised and the onely stay of assurance was the safetie of the Quéene The billes of payment directed to Carrera and Pallacio for the summe aforesayd are yet extant and will alway conuince the actors in this most execrable attempt of notorious billanie Walpoole deliuered a poyson to Edmund Squire wherewith it was agréed that he should annoint the pummell of the Quéenes saddle He coniured the man with all the violent adiurations he could deuise He caused him to receiue the sacrament and to damne himselfe if he did not both meane truly and resolutely execute that which he had promised In the end he promised him the state of a glorious saint in heauen if he died in the performance of the act The which things the partie himselfe constantly confessed without all torture and persisted in his confession to the end Litle therefore doth it auaile Martin Aray and Fitherbert or rather Fitzputain Parsons or others to denie it grounding themselues vpon the violence of the rackmasters as they call them and the reuocation of his confession at the gallowes For neither was the man euer put to the racke nor euer did he recant that which he had sayd before of VValpoole and his practise whereof the first is testified by publike acts the second by infinite witnesses yet liuing Are they not then both shamelesse and witlesse that vpon méere fancies and hearesayes deny publicke actes confessions of parties depositions of witnesses plaine presumptions and most euident proofes Wherefore if Christian princes will either beléeue the doctrine and grounds or looke into the practise and procéeding of this Satanicall race of king-killers empoysoners I doubt not but they will prudently beware of them and neither suffer them nor their abettors to come néere them or to remaine within their dominions If they haue not hitherto looked into matters which so neere concerne their liues and safetie I pray God they may yet do it in time Quéene Elizabeth being a most mild prince was told that Pope Clement and his faccion thought well of her and meant her no harme But wise men considering the maner of her death and effects of some drugs that are wont to exulcerate the mouth to greeue the stomacke to bereue men of sence to worke a stipticity and stupidity and the concourse and whispering and preparations of the popish faction about the time of her sicknesse do much feare that the was not well dealt withall I pray God reueale the
most beastly and swinish fellowes He shameth not also to affirme that I was forced to retire out of Ireland for certaine iniurious speeches against the Earle of Ormond and the Irish nation But what if the Earle of Ormond and the Irish nation will cleare me Is not he a busie fellow to meddle with their matters without fée Againe what if I came away with the leaue and liking both of the generall and others Wil it not appeare that he lieth like a shamelesse fellow without leaue or liking of any but himself who like a monky liketh best his own deformitics But he may learne both if he list to informe himselfe either by English or Irish that knew those matters how they passed As for those whom he stileth witnesses Omni exceptione maiores they neuer receiued any greater disgrace then in medling with me and haue since declared themselues to be men rather to be lamented for their folly then credited for their dignitie But nothing is more ridiculous then that Robert Parsons should find fault with my intemperancy of spéech séeing I do but answer his intemperate and exorbitant inuectiues that in scurrility and rayling are superlatiue But if he will néeds find fault let him bring reason least his writing séeme to want both wit and reason His last charge against me in his answer to my Epistle concerneth discontentment and complaints against the State But it is like the rest that is fond false and friuolous For neither is it likely that I should be discontent with the present state or grieued with any ordinary charge when both in most honorable actions and in my publike writings I haue to the vttermost of my power defended the State and haue willingly put my self to extraordinary charge in all seruices for my countrey This resolution also is both in my selfe and others not onely to spend our goods but our liues also in defence of our country and of the truth against all malignant firebrands of sedition and miserable slaues of Antichrist that shall dare to assayle the Realme Finally if in any thing I haue shewed discontent it is in of writing did not both hate and séeke to hurt her Maiesty Next whether such as do allow such malicious railing and livelling do not concurre with them in hatred and deserue to be hated and expulsed out of all kingdomes well gouerned as leud libellers benimous serpents and damnable traitors Let any man reade the first page of the Wardword sayth Parsons and then tell me whether this minister haue any forhead at al though his head be great inough who saith I do not so much as go about to proue any such matter that he flattered the state And this saith he forgetting his owne brazen face and forehead and the blacksmiths his mothers husbands forked head and his mothers litle honestie recorded in so many bookes of the secular priests and spoken of commonly in the country Beside that it is most apparent that he doth not once mentiō sir Francis in the first page of his book saue in the title much lesse proue him a flatterer And if as he saith that was the but of his discourse then like a blind archer he missed the but shot wide and far off It appeareth also that he was not in his wits when he began thus to exclaim and cry alarme Fol 35. he imputeth vnto me idle babling and calumniation whereas all his wast Warne-word is nothing but a fardle of idle words and méere babling and foolery except where he addeth some additions of knauery that not only in calumniation and lying but also in diuers kinds of villany and trechery Fol. 36. he sayth I flatter to get a bigger benefice But if a man should aske him how he knoweth my mind he wil like a restie iade be at a stop Onely he imagineth me to be like himselfe who caused a solemne supplication to be presented to the King of Spaine subscribed with the hands of diuers base knaues and whores for want of more worthy witnesses declaring that to vphold the cacolike cause it was necessary that Robert Parsons should be made forsooth no lesse then a Cardinall He made meanes also for the Kings letters to the Pope to the same effect And no doubt they had taken effect but that he had iugled too much aboue the boord and was knowne to be a bastardly base resuse ribaldicall rascall fellow Fol. 72. speaking of sir Francis like Scogan he scorneth and like an impudent companion accuseth him as not abounding in good workes whereas himself aboundeth in all euil workes as for example impietie heresie trechery filchery lying cogging lechery beastly filthinesse and all knauery As for sir Francis his pietie charitable dealing the same is sufficiently knowne and greatly should I wrong him if I shold compare him with any of Parsons his consorts which was begotten on the backside of a smiths forge in that cuntry where sir Francis hath an honorable charge In his second Encounter ca. 13. such ruffianlike and rauenous companions saith he do possesse buy and sell Catholike benefices forgetting that himself wandred long vp down England and France sometime in the habite of a souldier sometime like a ruffianlike Leno sometime like a knitter of thrummed caps and that himselfe liued long by rapine cosinage and knauery He forgot also how the Popes Cardinals and Masse-priests buy and sell benefices masses indulgences and such Babylonical wares as I haue heretofore shewed As for Ecclesiasticall liuings they belong to true Catholikes indéed and not the priests of Baal nor the limbes of Antichrist nor to idolatrons Monks Friers and such vermine vpon which kind of dogs we do not vse to cast away the childrens bread The rest of his charges accusations being like to these I should greatly wrong the Reader if I should stand longer about them Now then that we haue answered for our selues listen I pray you what we haue out of this foolish Warneword to obiect against Parsons And first because religion is a point among Christians of speciall consideratiō we will see how atheistical and irreligious he hath declared himselfe to be like Prometheus sacrificing bare bones couered with shew of fat and himselfe taking the best for himselfe and making a profession of the name of Iesus and hauing a shew of godlinesse but not with standing denying the power thereof CHAP. IIII. Containing notes of certaine speeches arguing Robert Parsons his impietie and atheisme I Néed not to insist much vpon this point the man being already conuinced by the testimony of the secular Masse-priests his consorts that haue often holpen him to heaue at the end of a Masse to be a méere Machiauelian an irreligious person and an Atheist VVilliam VVatson a famous fellow Quodl 8. art 5. calleth him a beast a diuell and a monopoly of mischiefe But if any doubt of it these testimonies out of his VVarne-word against which we dispute may assure him The holy Scriptures
thinketh of himselfe I hope hereafter he will not contemne others pendir of the acts of that Councell Alexander the firt was a man without religion Humana iura nec minus caelestia ipsosque sustulit deos saith one of him that is He tooke away the lawes of man lawes of God and God himselfe Leo the tenth did no otherwise accompt of the Gospel then as of a fable as his words to Cardinall Bembus testifie The like may be affirmed also of many impious Popes Let Parsons therefore beware that he proue not his consorts to be infidels and himselfe a consort and slaue of infidels Fol. 41. he saith D. Giffard hath his Deanry by true adoption Which is a matter most ridiculous For others haue their Deanries by election and not for respect of kinred by adoption much lesse for dealing against his country or for treason Fol. 43. he talketh of chirping of sparrowes cackling of hennes pratling of dawes chiding of women and of a foole that said to one that had a great nose that he had no nose Which argueth that the man had neither nose nor braine nor good sence cackling like a broode henne chirping like a sparrow pratling like a daw scolding like a butter womā braying like an asse and barking like a curre Fol. 81. he talketh of the patience of papists which I wonder that any man can reade with patience For neither do they teach patience nor practise it if any occasion be giuen to the contrary Was not this then a ridiculous sot to talke of the patience of Lombards or papists Fol. 100. he affirmeth That the sum corps of Christian doctrine was deliuered at the beginning by miracles Now we confesse it was confirmed by miracles but how it can be deliuered by miracles Parsons will be much encombred to shew without shewing himselfe a wondrous wisard Fol. 106. he would haue the actes of the wicked conuenticle of Trent confirmed and allowed by kings as auncient Emperours confirmed the faith published in the Nicene Councell But it is folly to desire matters so absurd and plaine impiety to compare the hereticall decrées of Trent with the faith of the Nicene Councell To proue the saintlinesse of Thomas Becket in his 2. encontr c. 10. he alleageth the Popes canonization But what is more ridiculous then to talke to vs of the Popes canonizations who proceed commonly by hearesay without party and as it seemeth for mony would canonize a horse Secondly he alleageth for witnesses Herbert Hoscan Iohn Salisbury Allen of Teuxbery William and Edward Monkes of Canterbury Peter Bloys and others But all these witnesses are not worth a messe of Teurbery mustard For what auaileth it to rehearse names of dumbe idols that passe by and say nothing Againe if I may be so bold I will answere Parsons in his owne termes You see what cogging it is one of them to alleage another Fol. 77. rehearsing the words of Th. Becket out of Houeden Do you not seeme to heare in this place saith he the voice of S. Iohn Baptist to his king Herod Where I may answere him with his owne words and say not vnfitly Do you not see a fellow with a face as hard as a lopster that doth compare Th. Becket and his cause to Saint Iohn Baptist and his constancie the first contending for profit and idle panches the second for the law of God Ridiculously also he compareth Thomas Becket to S. Ambrose a holy doctor of the Church the said Thomas being nothing else but an idle preacher of priueledges preiudiciall to Princes and not so holy nor so learned as S. Ambrose by many degrees Where he is charged to haue threatned vs with broken heads and Bastonadoes a logike very familiar with papists he answereth fol. 73. That he speaketh figuratiuely But experience teacheth vs that where they can do it they do it literally It were therefore good to beware of the woodden daggers of these woodden fellowes Fol. 110. b. he affirmeth that by indulgences are distributed the treasures of the Church A matter of meere foolery of which may be said the saurus carbones that is our treasures proue coles For poore people hoping to receiue a treasure receiue méere cole dust and yet for that trash wast great treasures Iosephus Angles signifieth that the Pope now and then receiueth an hundred millions of duckets for an indulgence which is no small matter for such small wares In the same place he telleth vs of the Popes doctrine of indulgences which is nothing else but a fardle of foolery as in my discourse against Bellarmine I haue shewed at large This Patch if he had remembred himselfe would haue proued somewhat and not haue told vs a tale of the Popes tub full of mustie indulgences more nastie then an old mustard pot 2. encontr c. 15. fol. 117. I shall alleage sayth he most authenticall testimonies to wit foure bookes for the negatiue written and printed at Lyon presently vpon the fact it selfe intituled De iusta Henrici tertij abdicatione But this allegatiō serueth vs better then him and is a most authenticall testimony of Parsons foolery and of the Popes trechery For what is more repugnant to law conscience and reason thē to beléeue a notorious rebel and traitor declaiming against his liege soueraigne most trecherously and wickedly murdred by a louzie frier And what is more intollerable then that the Popes of Rome and their adherents being aduanced by Christian princes should now be praised for deposing of princes and cutting their throtes This authenticall testimony therfore might well haue bin spared wherein Parsons a traitor produceth his fellow traitor for a witnesse in discharge of his owne and his fellowes treasons and villanies Fol. 123. he talketh most foolishly of penance repeating what he hath sayd before in his Wardword But whatsoeuer he bableth of penance and satisfaction and passing through a néedles eye yet if a man can gaine a plenary indulgence which for mony is easie to be had then al penance inioyned and satisfaction ceaseth and God is plainely mocked If he had bene wise therefore he would haue forborne to talke of penance the doctrine whereof by the Papists is wholly corrupted and ouerthrowne Finally albeit he talketh much of law and of Catholike Religion yet he sheweth himself to be like those of whō the Apostle speaketh which would be doctors of the law and yet vnderstand not what they speake nor wherof they affirme And like old heretikes which as Hilary lib. 8. de Trinit saith although they lie foolishly yet they defend their lies farre more foolishly Cum stuliè mentiantu◠sayth he stultiùs tamen in mendacij sui defensione sapiunt Compare their doings with Parsons his foolish Warneword and you shall sée he farre passeth them all in foolery CHAP. VII Containing diuers false allegations and falsifications of Fathers and others committed by Parsons THere are diuers kinds of falsifications as we may learne by the Romane lawes ff ad l.
examined I doubt not but to lay the shame vpon his doltish ignorance In my reply I alleage two places out of Hosius his confessioÌ„ the first where he sayth That ignorance is not only worthy pardon but reward also the second where he sayth That to know nothing is to know all things These places I say as he vseth the matter are Hosius his owne and not Hilaries or Tertullians For Hilary lib. 8. de Trinit where he produceth the like words speaketh of the ignorance of the meaning of these words Ego pater vnum sumus And Tertull. lib. de praescript aduers. haeret where he sayth That to know nothing is to know all things speaketh of curious knowledge beyond the rule of faith But Hosius imagineth that these words do proue That 〈◊〉 is sufficient to beleeue as the Catholike church did which neither of them euer thought To this purpose also lib. 3. de author sacr scripturae Hosius abuseth a place out of S. Augustine contr epist. fundam c. 4. thinking because he sayth That simplicity in beleeuing and not quicknesse of vnderstanding doth secure vs that who so beléeueth the Catholike Church is safe albeit he vnderstand nothing else But this is no part of S. Augustines meaning but Hosius his owne lend collection and Parsons his idiotisme and patchery that could not discerne it Fol. 60. 2. encontr he sayth The Knight talketh as fondly as if he had talked of the breeding of yong geese And why Forsooth because he sayth The Papists breed vp their children in blindnesse and ignorance And is not this manifest when they debarre them from reading or hearing scriptures read publikely in vulgar tongues and forbid them to argue of Christian religion Inhibeâ—â—â—s sayth Alexander the 4. c. Quicunque de haeret in 6. ne cuiquam laicae personae liceat publicè vel priuatim de fide Catholica disputare Qui vero contr à fecerit excommunicationis laqueo innodetur Nauarrus in Enchirid in 1. praecep c. 11. sayth It is mortall sinne for a lay man knowing this law to dispute of religion And Charles the fift as Neteranus reporteth expressely forbad it Fol. 62. he complaineth of abusing a place of Chrysostome homil 13. in 2. Corinth and sayth We vse legierdemaine in euery thing But if both his translation and that alleaged by Sir Francis be compared with Chrysostomes wordes in Gréeke which begin thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the same will easily discharge vs of legierdemaine and charge Parsons with doltish ignorance and idle and vaine cauilling because the words were not to his humour nor translation Fol. 118. 2. encontr ch 15. where we say that king Iohn was poysoned by a Monke of Swinestead Abbey and that the Monke was before hand absolued of his Abbot he cryeth out that this example is more grosse and absurd then the former viz. of king Henry the 3. of France But in the former example we haue shewed that there is no other grossenesse or absurditie but that such a wicked sect as the Iebusites should be permitted to liue on the face of the earth vnder the protection of Christian kings séeing they séeke to murder all of them that are excommunicate by the Pope The history which we report of king Iohn is neither absurd considering the hatred of the swinish rable of polshorne priests nor vntrue Caxtons Chronicle sayth he dyed of poyson giuen him by a Monke Polychronicon lib. 7. c. 33. and Polydore virgil deny not but that this was a common spéech Those that mention not poyson say that he dyed of a surfeit Now who knoweth not that surfeits and poyson haue often the same symptomes and effects The absolution giuen him is proued by the common practise in those cases As for the allegations made to the contrary they are like Robert Parsons that is absurd and ridiculous Polydore saith Parsons affirmeth that he dyed of heauinesse of heart Radulphus Niger that he dyed of surfeting Roger Houeden that he dyed of a bloody flixe But all this doeth rather increase the suspition of poyson then otherwise Iohn Stow is a poore author and sauouring as much of Popery as of his pressing yron and Taylery What then if he should endeuour to cleare an old suspition that maketh against Papists Much lesse then should Parsons stand vp on his testimony if he name neither Monke nor poyson Monkes and Papists ordinarily suppresse all things that tend to the disgrace of their kingdome and more credit is to be giuen to one or two witnesses affirming a truth against their will then to twenty lying Monkes or Friers or pelting Popish writers that write for affection rather then for truth Wherefore albeit he crye loud as the Iewes did against Christ Iesus and stand much vpon his stout arguments and obiections as Sophisters vse to do yet nothing is more vaine then his clamours and outcryes nor more feeble then his obiections Nazianzen epist. 31. sheweth vs That often times it falleth out that those that are wronged are also accused Iidem iniura afficiuntur accusantur saith he And experience sheweth vs that then Robert Parsons cryeth loudest when his cause is weakest As for his disputes and obiections they are more easily ouerthrowne then brought into forme Multò difficilius est nosse quà m vincere sayth Hierome of Iouinians discourses The same we may sée of Parsons his patcheries For more hard it was to bring them to a forme then to refute them CHAP. XII Parsons his poore shifts and fond and ridiculous answeres examined SOmetimes silence maketh fooles seeme wise So sayth the wise man Stultus si tacuerit sapiens reputabitur But Frier Parsons could neither speake wisely nor yet modestly kéepe silence Cùm loqui nesciat tacere non potest In my Epistle to his Noddiship I obiect First that he published certaine chartels against his friends in Oxford Next that he was the authour of an infamous libell against the Earle of Leicester Thirdly that he made a libell entituled A Confutation of pretended feares Fourthly that he holp Cardinall Allen to make that rayling discourse which he directed to the Nobilitie and people of England and Ireland Lastly I say he made foure other books of like quality Now obserue I pray you what the wizard answereth to all this For the first foure sayth he I neuer heard any man of notice and iudgement ascribe them to him before and if I be not deceiued other particular authors are knowne to haue written them He dare not deny them being knowne to be his least his owne friends should cry shame vpon him nor dare he confesse them because such infamous writings haue no grace among honest men What doth he then Forsooth he answereth that which euery man may take as he list Afterward he maketh a face as though he would deny the other foure bookes to be his But in the end passeth by them in silence Where I do signifie that the letters N. D. do stand for
rebels destroy these murtherers and burne these sodomites and hang vp these traitors of the King and Realme And this they sayd of the friars But Wickleffe alwayes detested and spoke both against such abominations and such rebellions It is a common tricke also of Papists to proue their doctrine with lies fables To proue transsubstantiation they make a crucifixe to speake these words Benè de me scripsisti Thoma Thou hast written wel of me Thomas when shal I be able to requite you for your paines To proue the real presence they make tales of bloud appearing in the sacrament and sometimes they say Christ appeared like a litle child which are toyes to mock children withall To proue purgatory they tel vs tales of S. Patrickes purgatorie of soules complaining and crying for more masses of apparitions of Angels diuels and soules The same lies they abuse also to proue prayer for the dead For the iustification of their doctrine concerning the worship of saints and their images they tell lies of images mouing talking working walking and of wonderfull apparitions and miracles done by them Our Ladies image is said to speake to Hiaciullyus Goodrike saw a boy come out of a crucifixes mouth as Mathew Paris relateth Finally the Popes and their agents without lies and notorious forgeries cannòt maintaine their cause as by infinite lies of Bellarmine Baronius Parsons yea and of the Popes themselues I haue iustified Doeth it not then appeare that in lying they haue set vp their rest And will not the world see the abominations of popery that cannot be maintained but by lying forgery and force God graunt that truth may once appeare and open the eyes of all Christians that they may sée that which now lieth hidden and come to the perfect knowledge of truth AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER CONCERNING FOVRE OTHER INFAMOVS Libels lately diuulged and sent into England by Parsons Kellison and Walpoole BEfore the fornter answer could be finished and published there came to my hands foure other bookes all penned by our malicious aduersaries and sent ouer frō Rome and other places into England to disturne simple people from the loue of the truth of which I haue thought good most Christian Reader here at the end of this work briefly to aduertise thée I hope also that the same aduertisement wil serue for present satisfactiō to those which percase expect a spéedie answer to such hastic calumniations and most wicked libels The first is set out vnder the name of T. F. alias Thomas Fitzherbert a man euill reported of by his owne conforts and therefore no maruell if hatefull to all men wel affected to their prince and countrey Long he hath bene a spie and pensioner of the king of Spaine But now perceiuing belike that the trade is become odious groweth out of request he is turned Masse priest and set to sing for the soules of his friends after thrée farthings a Masse And least he might forget his old art of spiery he is now set to spy for his holy father if by any good aduenture he can sée Christs true body lurking vnder the accidents of the Masse-cake his bloud by a necessary concomitance as they say being not farre off This fellow as a Masse-priest was thought a fit person to speake for the Masse and as a spie and renegate Englishmā to speake shame of his country and to defend traitors And yet the poore man is as fit to dispute of the massing religion and popish subtilties as an asse to play an antheme vpon a paire of organs The true author of the booke as his stile declareth and the dealers in the edition must néeds witnes is Robert Parsons an old hackster in missifical quarels and a great dealer in matter of conuersion of England and one that vseth at his pleasure to borrow other mens names now calling himselfe Captaine Cowbucke now Dolman now Iohn Houlet now N. D. or Noddy now T. F. or Tom Fop now Robert Parsons Under the name of Dolman he set out his traitorous seditious booke of succession in disgrace of the Kings title Under the name of Iohn Houlet he published certaine idle reasons of refusall himselfe neuer refusing to attempt any mischiefe against the State Under the title of N. D. he set out-his VVardword and VVarneword stigmatizing his manship with the perpetual note of a Noddy implied by those two letters N. D. And this course he tooke in T. F. his Apologie The second is entitled A treatise of three conuersions of England and was set out by Robert Parsons also vnder the old stampe of N. D. whose signification euery child now knoweth to be Noddy But why he should write of the conuersion of his countrey to religion we can sée no reason séeing we haue knowne him alwaies more studious of the subuersion then of the conuersion of England and his consorts the Masse priests do testifie that he is a Machiauelian packing fellow boyd of religion and honesty The turnings of the Masse or turning of iackets had bene a more fit subiect for him to handle seeing he furneth skippeth so oft about the altar like an ape dauncing about a maypole and hath turned his coate so often from English to Romish from Scottish to Spanish from all to French that some of his friends feare vnlesse he turne Cardinall that he will turne Turke The third is called A Suruey of the new religion and was deuised by a renegued fugitiue Englishman who hath surueyed diuers other countries and yet neuer found any settlement in his braine or habitation Like Caine he hath bin long a vagrant fugitiue fellow Vagus profugus in terra and séeketh if not to kill yet to slander his countrimen and friends imputing vnto them most horrible opinions and crimes It resteth then that we set vpon him a mark as vpō Caine that euery man may know him for a suppost of Satan although herein we néed not much to trauell seeing the first letter of Kellisons name who fathereth this monstrous moonecalfe is K. and the man is noted among his companions for a great quareller about his commons The poore fellow is but a kettle doctor or rather a Tinker of broken schoole distinctions and a professor rather then a performer of any diuine learning The fellow talketh idly of new religion but neither doeth he know what is new nor what is old nor what belongeth to religion that taketh popery for religion and esteemeth the masse and decretaliue doctrine which this Church of England refuseth to be auncient and the apostolike faith which we professe to be new The fourth is termed A briefe and cleare confutation of a new vaine and vanting challenge and is directed against a treatise set out some two or thrée yeares agone by mee wherein is proued that the Masse-priests and their adherents are neither Catholikes nor good Christians But so learnedly and wisely hath the author of this braggard confutation handled the matter that his good
complained of the abuse of popish excommunications That which our Sauior Christ saith If he heare not the Church let him be to thee as a heathen man or Publican that the popish faction translateth to the rediculous censure of the Pope And therefore excommunicateth al that place not the Churches vnwritten traditions in equall rancke with diuine Scriptures or that beléeue not that Christians can performe the lawe perfectly and are iustified before God by the workes of the law or that hold not the doctrine of the Romish Church concerning their seuen Sacraments or that do not worship Images or that receiue not their doctrine of indulgences and purgatorie and all the heresies and abhominations of the Pope or that submit not themselues to his tyrannie or that refuse to pay his annates or taxes or whatsoeuer he and his suppostes require Nay they excommunicate the subiects that rebell not against their lawfull Kings After that Pius the fifth that wicked and cruell hypocrite had commanded that neither the Lords nor people of England should obey Quéene Elizabeths commandements or lawes it followeth Qui secus egerint eos anathematis sententia innodamus That is Those which shall do otherwise we pronounce accursed or anathema Neither did the Pope onely in time past thunder out these curses but also gaue leaue to euery base companion and for euery small trifling cause to inflict most grieuous censures Petrus de Alliaco speaking of the Pope and his excommunications complaineth that he gaue leaue to his Collectors to thunder out excommunications to the offence of many and that other Prelates for debts and light causes did cruelly excommunicate poore men Saepè saith he per suos Collectores in multorum scandalum fulminauit aly Praelati leuiter pro leuibus causis vt pro debitis huiusmodi pauperes excommunicatione crudeliter percutiunt The Germaines complaine that many Christians were excommunicated at Rome for prophane causes and for gaine to the trouble of diuers mens consciences Romae say they caeterisque in locis per Archiepiscopos ac Episcopos aut saltem corum ecclesiasticos iudices multi Christianorum ob causas prophanas ob pecuniae denique ac turpis quaestus amorem excommunicantur multorumque sedeorum in fide infirmorum conscientiae per hoc aggrauantur in desperationens pertrahuntur Scotus in 4. sent dist 19. complaineth that the Church did too often strike with this sword and Petrus de Alliaco saith that by this abuse the sword of the Church was in his time growne into great contempt Oflate time the Popes of Rome haue excommunicated Emperours and kings if they would not depart with their townes countries and crownes and yéeid to their legats what they demaunded How intolerable this abuse was we may perceiue if we consider the heauinesse of this censure being rightly inflicted by the true Church Our Sauiour sheweth that the partie excommunicate is to be holden for a heathen man and a Publican Tertullian Apolo 39. doth call it the highest fore-iudgement of the future iudgement Summum futuri iudicy praeiudicium Cyprian doth esteeme them as killed with the spirituall sword Superbi contumaeces saith he spirituali gladio necantur dum de Ecclesia eijciuntur Commonly excommunication is called Anathema and Chrysostome homil 70. ad populum Antioch calleth it the bond of the Church We are therefore no lesse to be thankfull for our deliuerance from the Popes vniust lawes then the auncient Christians for their exemption from the yoke of the Pharisies and from humans traditions from which by the preaching of the Gospell they were freed Neither may we think it a simple fauour that we are made to vnderstand that the crackes of the Popes thundring excemmunications are no more to be feared then the ratling of Salmoneus that impious fellow that with certaine engines went about to counterfeit the noise of thunder We knew alwaies that a man vniussly excommunicated and by a Iudge vnlawfull was no way preiudiced Origen in Leuit. homil 48. speaking of a person excommunicate saith that he is not hurt at all being by wrongfull iudgement expelled out of the congregation Nihillaeditur in eo quod non recto iudicio ab bominibus videtur expulsus And the aduersaries confesse that excommunication pronounced vniustly and by him that is not our Iudge bindeth not C. nullus 9. q. 2. and C. nullus primus 9. q. 3. and C. sententia 11. q. 3. But few vnderstood the iniustice and nullitie of the Popes lawes and that he neither was nor is a competent iudge vntill such time as by true preaching of the Gospell which by Queene Elizabeth was restored vnto vs the man of sinne beganne to be reuealed CHAP. X. Of our deliuerance from heresie schisme superstition and Idolatrie These things therefore considered it cannot be denied but that her Maiesties godly resermation brought great profite to the Church of England Yet if we please to looke backe to the heresies of the Papists and to remember how they liued in heresie schisme superstition and idolatry we shall the rather praise God for that great deliuerance of his Church which he wrought by the meanes of our late Quéene For heresie and false doctrine is the bane and canker of the Church The Apostle Paul Ifan Angel from heauen should teach vs any other Gospel or doctrine beside that whith himselfe had taught the Galathians doth pronounce him accursed S. Iohn in his second Epistle forbiddeth vs to receiue into our houses or to salute such as bring not his doctrine Heresie schisme and idolatrie are reckoned among the workes of the flesh the workers whereof shall not inherit the kingdome of God Flie saith Ignatius those that cause heresie and schisme as the principall cause of mischiefe Quod maius potest esse delictū saith Cyprian lib. 2. Epist. 11. aut quae macula deformior quà m aduersus Christum stetisse quà m Ecclesiam eius quà m ille sanguine suo parauit dissipasse What offence can be greater or what blot more vgly then to haue stood against Christ then to haue scattered his church which he hath purchased with his blood Those which do perseuere in discord of schisme saith S. Augustine lib. 1. de bapt contra Donatist c. 15. do pertaine to the lot of Ismael Superstition is the corruption of true Religion and although coloured with a shew of wisedom yet is condemned by the Apostle Col. 2. Lactantius speaking of the superstition of the Gentiles doth call it An incurable madnesse Dementiam incurabilem and afterward vanitie Iustine in ser. exhort ad Gentes sayth that idolatry is not only iniurious vnto God but also voide of reason Principale crimen generis humani saith Tertullian summus seculireatus tota causa iudicy idolclatria That is Idolatrie is the principall crime of mankind the chiefe guiltines of the world and the whole cause of iudgement No maruell then if Iohn the Apostle
exhort all men To keepe themselues from idols this sinne being direct against the honor of God and nothing else but spirituall fornication Let vs therefore see whether the Papists may not be touched with the aforesaid crimes of teaching hereticall and false doctrine and of long continuance in schisme superstition and idolatry That the Papists teach false doctrine and heresie the acts of the conuenticle of Trent of Florence and Constance compared with the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles and faith of the auncient fathers will plainely declare For as Tertullian said of old heretikes so may we say of them That their doctrine compared with the Apostolicke doctrine doth by the diuersitie and contrarietie thereof declare that it proceedeth from no Apostle or Apostolicke man Ipsa doctrina eorum cum Apostolica compar at a ex diuersitate contrarietate sua pronunciabit neque Apostoli alicuius autoris esse neque Apostolici saith he The Apostle teackech vs That the Scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect They say that the Scriptures are but a péece of the rule of faith and very imperfect without traditions S. Peter 2. Pet. 1. compareth the scriptures of the Prophets to a candle shining in a dark place they teach that scriptures are darke and obscure God commaundeth vs to heare his beloued Sonne Mat. 3. they commaund vs not to heare Christ speaking in scriptures to vs but to heare the Pope and his carolike crue which they endue with the name of the Church The Apostle saith That no other foundation could be laid beside that which is alreadie layd which is Christ Iesus These fellowes say the Church is built vpon the Pope and that he is the foundation of the Church although we find plainely that there was no such Pope for many ages in the Church Christ said Reade the Scriptures these say directly to the vulgar sort reade not Scriptures in vulgar tongs without licence S. Iohn teacheth vs that sinne is whatsoeuer is contrary to the law these teach that many sins there are not repugnant to Gods law viz. such things as are contrary to the Popes law The Apostle Paul saith that concupiscence is sinne these affirme the contrary He saith originall sinne passed ouer al they deny it He saith no man is iustified by the workes of the law they teach flat contrary The law directly prohibiteth the making of grauen images to the end to bow down to them and to worship them These notwithstanding make the images of the holy Trinitie bow downe to them and worship them The Apostle Coloss. 2. speaketh against the worship of Angels They regard him not but in humblenesse of mind inuocate and worship Angels notwithstanding Our Sauior instituting the holy Sacrament of his body and bloud sayd Accipite manducate take and eate and drink ye all of this They say sacrifice and worship and drink not all of this To rehearse all their contradictions to the word of God and to the Apostles doctrine were too long for this short discourse let these therefore serue for an introduction Of their heresies I haue before spoken Pius the fourth hath set forth a new forme of faith of which that may be said which Hilarie speaketh to Constantius Quicquid apud te praeter fidem vnā est perfidia non fides est Whatsoeuer this wicked Pope hath set forth beside the faith of Christ the same is perfidiousnes and not faith Of this qualitie is his doctrine of Romish traditions of superstitious ceremonies of the blasphemous Hasse of purgatorie of indulgences of the fiue new deuised sacraments and such like doctrines That the Papists are by schisme rent from the Catholike and vniuersal Church of Christ it may be proued by diuers particulars First Christs Church hath but one head that is Christ Iesus But the Romish Church hath as many heads as Popes and heads that teach doctrine both diuers and contrary to Christ our sole head Secondly Christ his Church hath no other spouse but Christ Iesus But the adulterous Romish synagogue acknowledgeth the Pope to be her spouse and therefore must needes haue as many spouses as Popes and be not Virgo but Polygama that is one that hath many husbands or spouses Thirdly the Catholike Church is built vpon the foundations of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the corner stone and hath beside this no other foundation But the Romish Church acknowledgeth the Pope to be her foundation Whereupon it followeth that she is sometime without foundation at least during the vacancie of the popedome and hath as many diuers foundations as Popes Fourthly the synagogue of Rome doth acknowledge the Pope to be her law-giuer and iudge that he hath power not onely to bind mens consciences but also to saue and destroy which doth shew that she deuideth her selfe from Christes Catholicke Church which for many ages after Christs time had no such conceit Fifthly the same doth rely no lesse vpon traditions not written and vpon the Popes determinations in matters of faith then vpon the written word of God which the Catholike Church doeth not Sixthly this synagogue consisteth of a Pope and his Cardinals together with a rabble of Monkes Fryers and sacrificing priests But in the prime Catholicke Church there was no such state nor orders of men to be found Finally the members of the Romish synagogue are not onely deuided from the Catholike Church in doctrine sacraments externall gouernement and fellowship but also one frō another the Thomists differing from the Scotists the Monkes from begging Friars the regular orders from secular Priests one Doctor from another and one Pope oft-times from another If then Schismatickes be no true members of the Church as their Doctors teach then are not the Romanists of the Church Againe if they differ from the Catholike Church and among themselues then haue they long continued in Schisme The nature and propertie of superstition doth shew the Papists to be also most superstitious For if it be the nature and propertie of superstition either to giue religious honor and worship to such things as are not capable of it or else to worship God after humane deuises and otherwise then he hath commanded then do they grossely offend in superstitiō But it is most notorious that they grosly offend in both those points For first they inuocate Angels On the feast of Michael the Archangell they say Holy S. Michael defend vs in battell that we perish not in the fearefull iudgement They pray also to the Angell that kéepeth them whom they know not and this adoration of Angels in the Romane Catechisme is allowed if not commaunded Secondly they worship the Virgin Marie and call her the mother of grace and port of saluation Bernardin doth call her the mediatrix betwixt God and vs and the helper of our iustification and saluation They pray vnto her for helpe per amorem vnigeniti filij tui as if Christ were a