f Iames 4. saith hée that is able to saue and to destroy But in the church of Rome the pope beareth himselfe as a soueraigne monarke and hée taketh on him power to bind and loose in heauen earth and purgatorie And his agents say That his lawes binde in conscience and that hée hath power to saue and destroy The Romish church is gouerned by his lawes and acknowledgeth him to bée the supreme iudge of controuersies 29. The true church of Christ contenteth herselfe with the religion first taught by the apostles For as g Lib. 4. contr Marcion Tertullian saith Id verius quod prius id prius quod ab apostolis And as h Aduers haeres c. 26. Vincentius Lirinensâ—â— saith it is the propertie of heretikes Not to content themselues with the ancient rule of faith but to seeke nouelties from day to day and to desire to adde to change to take away But the church of Rome doth not content herselfe with the doctrine of the apostles nor with the ancient rule of faith but is still adding changing taking away as may appéere by the popes decretals 30. The true church is dispersed euery where For our Sauiour f commanded his apostles To teach all nations i Matth. 28. And wée beléeue not a particular church but The catholike church that is the societie of Christians of all times and places but the Romish church neither conteineth the Gréekes nor Africans nor men of Asia that haue for many ages béene diuided froÌ„ that church Nor doth it reach to the people before Christ but onely a Bellar. de eccles milit c. 2. conteineth such as liue in obedience to the pope How then can the church of Rome bee the catholike church Shall the church of that citie bée as great as the church of the whole worlde 31. The true church of Christ conteineth neither lyons nor tygres nor woolues but consisteth onely of shéepe and lambes Nay it maketh milde Christians of sauage and wilde atheistes and miscreantes and as Paule of a fierce persecutor by christianity was made a constant professor so the mildenesse of this our christian mother the church changeth mens cruell natures They shall not hurt nor kill saith b Isai 11. God by his prophet in all my holy mountain The wolf shall dwel with the lambe and the Pard shall ly with the Kid. c De incarnat verbi Athanasius saith that nothing but Christes faith caused barbarous nations to become peaceable Quis coegit barbaros gentesque alias in suis sedibus saith he immanitatem deponere pacifica meditari nisi Christi fides crucis signaculum d Lib. 2. contr Parmen Optatus speaking of catholikes Which of vs saith he hath persequuted any man Can you shew or prooue that any of you hath beene persequuted by vs But the church of Rome hath of late yéeres and yet doth murder infinite numbers of men that would not adhere to her Romish faith Their e Extr. de haeret per tot lawes are bloody and cruell their executions are more cruell In the time of Charles the emperor the fift of that name it is found in f Meteran de Belgicis tumultibus record That aboue fiftie thousand persons were by sentence of iudges executed to death for the profession of their faith in the low countries In France as their owne stories report at one g Anno 1572. time thrée score thousand Christians without order of law were most shamefully massacred Circiter sexaginta hominum millia saith h Lib. 23. p. 508. Natalis Comes speaking of the massacre varijs in locis per illud tempus trucidata fuisse dicta sunt in Gallia And so extraordinary was the furie of papists that they spared neither age sexe nor qualitie Vel puberes vel impuberes saith i Ibid. p. 507. he trucidati sunt neque vllius sexus vel aetatis vel dignitatis habita est ratio Neither may wée thinke that they haue shewed lesse crueltie against Christians in Spaine Italie Germany England and other nations The Romish church hath died her garments in the blood of saints and the prelates haue shewed themselues leaders to the people in these barbarous executions Well therefore may that bée applied to them which a Lib. 2. con Parmen Optatus spoke of the cruell Donatistes Lacerati sunt viri tractatae sunt matronae infantes necati abacti partus ecce vestra ecclesia episcopis ducibus cruentis morsibus pasta est Men haue béene tormented women haue béene abused infants haue béene murdred women forced to loose their children behold your church is fedde with crueltie and your prelates haue béene captaines to the vulgar sort in their cruell executions 32. The catholike church neuer shewed more fauour to the Iewes and Infidels then to Christians that disliked the bishops of Rome The Christian emperors b L. hac valitura Cod. de Iudaeis Caelieolis excluded the Iewes from all gouernment and authoritie in the common-wealth and c Ibidem restreined their insolencies with diuers sharpe lawes The like course they d Cod. de Paganis sacrif templ tooke also with Pagans and Infidels shutting their temples and forbidding their sacrifices and Idolatries But the Romish synagogue doth indure the impieties of Iewes in the midst of Rome albeit they denie and blaspheme Christ Iesus tormenting and killing christians that shall but once offer to speake against the pope Likewise e Onuphr in Alexandro 6. Alexander the sixt receiued Turkes and Maranes into Rome being erpelled out of Spaine and the popes are content that their subiects shall trade with Turkes albeit they cannot endure any christian that shall mislike the popes authoritie 33. The true church of God neuer sought by forging and falsifying of mens writings and by lying and slandering to aduance Christes religion For truth is strong enough of it selfe and néedeth not to bée supported with falshood f Prouerb 12. and a Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. False witnesses and slanderers in ancient time were so farre from beeing estéemed in the church that they were b excluded out of the church g Concil Agath c. 27. Concil Elâ—bert c. 73. 74. But the church of Rome perceiuing that she cannot otherwise preuaile goeth to worke by plaine forging and falsifying leauing nothing sound that once passeth her fingers h Canones apostolor constiutioneâ— Somewhat she commendeth vnder the name of the a apostles and many thinges vnder the name of ancient fathers There is no ancient father but she hath ascribed vnto him many children which were neuer begotten by him as the workes of Cyprian Origen Athanasius Hierome Augustine Chrysostome Gregory and others do plainely testifie For who séeth not how many vnlearned and vnsound treatises are dayly published vnder the names of ancient fathers Nay the Romanistes are much offended with Erasmus and other learned mens censures that haue gone about
now there is but one faith as there is but one baptisme and one God as the c Ephes 4. apostle teacheth vs. And this is the faith which the apostles and prophets haue taught and which wée in the church of England do professe Remember I say that true faith is Christes faith and apostolike faith It is not the popes faith nor his determinations nor vncertaine traditions It hath no other foundation but the doctrine of Christ and his apostles and holy prophets Beware therefore of the pretended cacolike Romish faith that hath no grounde but in the popes determinations nor support but lies fraude and violence If the doctrine and traditions of popish priests come not from Christ Iesus which is the foundation of our religion but is drawne out of vncertaine legendes and resteth on the popes determination remember what the apostle teacheth in this point If any man saith a Galat. 1. hée preach vnto you otherwise then that you haue receiued let him bee accursed Beléeue not euery spirite For many deceiuers are gone out into the worlde If any bring any doctrine not deduced out of holy Scripture suspect him and examine him and thou shalt finde him faultie And aboue all thinges beware of new doctrines For wée haue but one faith which hath his originall from Christ the fountaine of truth life Profanas vocum nouitates saith the b 1. Tim. 6. apostle deuita And if wée may not vse new termes or words in matters of faith then may we not receiue any newe articles of religion It is the part of true catholikes to adhere to holy fathers and to auoide nouelties as saith c Aduers haeres c. 36. Vincentius Lirinensis Nowe what fathers more holy then the prophets and apostles that are the fathers of fathers and the foundation of the church If the doctrine of poperie be for the most part a packe of old and newe heresies as hath bin shewed thée why shouldst thou bée abused by false teachers Why shouldst thou bée desirous as distempered stomackes are to feed vpon vnholesome doctrine Graues sunt haereticorum morsus saith Saint d In Euangel Luc. lib. 7. c. 10. Ambrose qui ipsis grauiores rapaciores bestijs nullum abaritiae finem impietatÃsque nouerunt They looke faire vpon thée but bite déepely They promise true religion and catholike faith but teach heresies and damnable opinions They come vnto thée with shéepes clothing and pretend sauing of soules but inwardly they are rauening woolues and séeke to destroie both thy body soule They giue thée honie but it is deliuered thée vpon a swordes point that when thou thinkest to licke honie thy hart may bée pearced with a sharpe pointed sword If the synagogue of Romanistes bée not the true church why takest thou delight to heare her teachers or to embrace her erronious doctrine Why doest thou not come out of Babylon Wilt thou remaine in her confusion and be partaker of her plagues Why shouldest thou go vp to Bethauen or delight in the congregation of wicked idolaters e Hoseae 4. Go not vp I say to Bethauen f 1. Cor. 10. flie Idolatrie g Apocal. 18. Come out of Babylon It is not I onely but Christ Iesus that calleth thée out of this confusion If thou wilt not heare him nor know him bée assured hée will not knowe thée nor heare thée It is not the pope that can saue thée nor his decretals that can warrant thee Leaue therefore the synagogue of satan and resort to Gods true church Forsake antichrist and adhere to Christ Quisquis saith Saint h Epist 152. Augustine ab ecclesia catholica abfuerit quantumuis laudabiliter se viuere existimet hoc solo scelere quòd à Christi vnitate disiunctus est non habebit vitam sed ira Dei manet super eum As without Noes arke in time past all flesh was drowned so there is no safetie out of Christes church And bée not lightly deceiued with the name of the church For antichrist as the i 2. Thes 2. apostle telleth vs shall sit in Christes church And with his followers as Saint Augustine teacheth vs shall bée accounted to bée the true church viz. by such as are abused The synagogue of satan in time past did take on them the name of Iewes and falshood is often set out with a faire lustre and shew of truth All Christians haue an interest in true religion Why then shoulde any suffer the damnable doctrine of poperie that is so full of heresies and erronious opinions Why shoulde any suffer the Scriptures to bée taken from the people of God so that they shall no more bée suffered to read them and in lieu thereof receiue the popes determinations and the synagogues of Romes traditions Can any true Christian indure the abominable idole of the masse where the bread and cup is adored for God or the idolatrous worship of Romish Babylon Those that honour God those hée will honour and such as are luke-warme and care not what religion they haue those God will cast out of his mouth as a lothsome race of atheistes and wicked men If religion mooue not euerie man yet if hée remember the slauerie of popish gouernment and how preiudiciall it is to princes to the nobilitie to the commons and all sortes of people hée will not much bée enamored of it The magistrate may not suffer either his authoritie to bée disputed of or doubted of or denied And yet the Iesuites and priestes and their adherents are suffred to teach and to do all this as appéereth by their answeres to the sixe Interrogatories by their cases of conscience and by their doctrine and actions Nay most boldly albeit secretly they practise against the life and state of her Maiestie as many particulars do shewe Happie are they that they haue encountred with such a prince and yet let them beware they abuse not her clemencie too farre For no state can stande where such contumacious and rebellious mates liue in open contempt of authoritie and lawes It behooueth also all them that carrie the sworde to looke that not onely Christ his shéepe bée defended from woolues but also that the state bée defended and maintained against professed traytors and rebels that lurke in all corners They haue not a sworde committed to them for naught But to the ende they may defende the quiet and peaceable subiect and roote out the wicked rebellious traytor Treason and notorious coÌ„tumacie against lawes cannot long be endured in any common-wealth Neither can magistrates in this case bée too watchfull God hath detected many secret conspiracies and attempts against her Maiestie and the state yet let vs not presume too farre vpon his goodnesse The way to settle peace to confirme the state to preuent all such trecherous attempts is to stop the head of rebellion and treason and to roote out all seditious priestes and Iebusites from whence all our troubles for this 43. yéeres
quod causa dispositiua schismatis Graecorum inter alias vna fuit propter grauamina Romanae ecclesiae in exactionibus excommunicationibus statutis saith Peter de Alliaco who doth shew many particulars of these gréeuances The Princes of Germany in a certaine diet at Nuremberg e 100. grauan Germ. in Fascic rer expet fugiend did complaine that the popes did offer thē A hundred greeuances and wrongs not sufferable which they declared by the particulars And yet none of those concerned corruptions of doctrine By her Maiestie we became frée from all the popes pillages exactions from the iniustice of his censures from the bondage of his decretals farre more gréeuous then the ceremoniall lawes of Moses whose yoke notwithstanding as the a Act. 15. apostle testifieth was so heauy that neither the people then nor their fathers were able to beare it Secondly where in Quéene Maries time the people had the Scriptures taken from them in their mother toong and liued in great ignorance of matters of saluation as seldome being instructed in matters of religion not onely the word of God began againe to be publikely read in Churches but also more sincerely expounded then before neither were any excluded from the knowledge of the same Thirdly the true administration of Christs Sacraments which by the abominable masse had beene abolished was restored and Gods people made partakers both of the Sacrament of his body and of the cup also and withall the true doctrine of Sacraments was publikely deliuered vnto the people of God Fourthly Gods true worship was againe restored according to his most holy worde and the practise of the Catholike church of Christ which before that had beene most shamefully corrupted with popish traditions and humane inuentions Fiftly the rodde of the oppressor by her peaceable gouernment was broken and the fires quenched that had burned so many innocents and true martyrs and the tortures remooued wherewith many honest men had beene greeuously afflicted and peace was giuen to the church so that all true Christians might without feare make profession of their faith and publikely meete to celebrate the name of God Those that were exiled returned and such true Christians as kept themselues secret did manifestly shew themselues Finally shée did not onely restore true religion and the right administration of Sacraments and Gods true worship but also abolished the manifold heresies and corruptions of popish doctrine Shee shut the mouthes of priests and friers preachers not of peace nor sent from God but sent by the pope and his adherents to maintaine heresie and faction whose preaching notwithstanding as saith Stapleton c In praefat ante relict princip doctrin Is the foundation of b Viz. according to the pope◠definition Christian religion Is it not a braue religion thinke you that is built vpon impious popes frier fraparts and massing priests mouthes Quomodo Christus saith hee ciúsque doctrina Christianae religionis fundamentum est sic alij nunc à Christo missi eorúmque doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locum habebunt And a Ibidem againe In hac docentis hominis authoritate in qua Deum loquentem audimus religionis nostrae cognoscendae fundamentum necessariò poni cernimus Note I pray you how he saith most blasphemously that God speaketh by the popes mouth and by the mouthes of such friers and priests as he sendeth for of them he speaketh and how vpon their preaching he buildeth his Romish religion Well this abusiue foundation is nowe discouered and we are taught to builde not on pope nor on friers nor on legends nor lies nor vncertaine traditions but vpon the word of God Now also by her Maiesties authoritie the most blasphemous and idolatrous sacrifice and seruice of the masse and the priests of Baal with their Balaamiticall friers are remooued out of the church The same is also purged of idols and idolatrie and men from worshipping of stockes and stones and rotten ragges and bones and from adoration of angels and men departed this life are brought to worship the true and euerliuing God Finally where héeretofore men were taught to séeke remission of sinnes by masses indulgences iubileies holy water and other humane deuises and beléeued that if they had not remission héere they shoulde at the least finde it in purgatorie nowe these abuses were quite remooued and men taught that Christ Iesus without these ceremonies was the onely way to heauen and that Christians obteined remission of sinnes by faith in him and that no workes pleased God but such as he commanded This then is the first and principall blessing which by her Maiesties most happie gouernment this land enioieth a blessing I saie farre excelling all others as farre as spirituall and eternall happinesse excelleth temporall commodities And yet as appéereth by the confession of strangers that woondred at the happinesse and tranquillitie of this state in the troubles and turmoiles of all our neighbors round about vs God hath accumulated vpon this people of England by the meanes of her gouernment diuers temporall blessings also Wée are therefore secondly to consider what temporall graces we haue obteined by meanes of her happy attaining to the crowne and by her gouernment albeit I make no doubt but that all these latter graces do flow from the first as from a fountaine For God saith a 1. Sam. 2. expresly That he will honor those that honour him and experience teacheth vs that God blesseth those nations which giue harbor to his church and with a true hart receiue his worde and serue him duly according to the same First then we may remember that by her meanes we were deliuered from the thraldome of the Spaniard and the feare of forraine lords into which dangerous state Quéene Marie with her poperie had brought this lande Now how great a blessing this is we may easily vnderstand if we do but looke either into the miserable bondage of our neighbours of the low Countries or else of the Spaniards themselues And better then these we coulde not hope for but many reasons might mooue vs to feare woorse of which we shall haue occasion to speake héereafter In the low Countries during the time of Charles the fift it is b Hist Belgi◠Meterani lib. 2. reported and prooued by record That aboue fiftie thousand were done to death about the cause of religion onely and yet then neither was there any inquisition established nor did the Spaniard command so absolutely as sithence he hath Since that time all the priuileges of the countrey haue béene broken and such intollerable wrongs offered and impositions and taxes laide vpon them that the most aboundant countrey in Europe is now consumed and brought to nothing In Spaine the people liueth in excéeding feare of the Inquisition and paieth the tenth of all things bought and sold in the market and beside that diuers customes and whatsoeuer burthens or impositions else the Princes can with any
absurd positions and principles in their religion TO recount and declare all the absurdities and heresies of the popish faction woulde require both time and labour they are so many and so intricate In number they passe the sande they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as saith a I'iad 1. Homer And no maruell séeing they are builte on the pope which albeit he be b Sanders rocke reputed as a rocke yet is nothing but a banke of sande whereon the papists haue wracked their faith But of the rest I shall haue time to speake héereafter Now I will onely mention those which sir Francis Hastings doth obiect and which his aduersarie goeth about to remooue I say therefore that it is most true which he doth obiect diz That the papists hould ignorance to be the mother of deuotion D. Cole a man of no obscure note among the papists in a certaine disputation at Westminster did openly affirme it I tell you saith he ignorance is the mother of deuotion neither is he singular in this point a Aduers proleg Brent l. 2. f. 71. Hosius saith that ignorance is not onely woorthy pardon but reward also The same b Ibidem l. 3. fol. 146. man also commendeth the Coliars faith which vnderstanding nothing said he beleeued as the catholicke church and being further demaunded what the church beleeued said as he beleeued and so persisted in that circle And in another c Confess Petricou de fid symb f. 17. place he affirmeth that Nihil scire est omnia scire and that it is sufficient for a man to beleeue that which the catholicke church beleeueth albeit he be not able to shew what it beléeueth And that the synagogue of Rome holdeth this opinion albeit not in plaine termes it appeareth by their practise For they do not willingly suffer the scriptures to be translated into vulgar toongs nor permit lay men to read them without licence which is not easily obteined Further their publike praiers and liturgies are all set foorth in vnknowne toonges The people vnderstandeth neither what they pray nor what they beléeue The priests for the most part are blind and so is the people and so the blind is set to leade the blinde Paule the second did so hate knowledge that he pronounced them heretikes which should once mention the word Academie Paulus haereticos eos pronuntiauit saith d In Paulo 2. Platina qui nomen academiae vel seriò vel ioco deinceps commemorarent Likewise they hold that princes are not to meddle with the externall gouernment of the church nor to make lawes for the establishment of faith and manners e Lib. 5. de pont Rom. cap. 7. Bellarmine doth distinguish ecclesiastical gouernment from ciuill gouernment whereby it may appéere that he woulde not haue the temporall magistrate to meddle with the church And in another place he directly f Lib. 1. de pont Rom. c. 7. saith That the gouernment of the church was committed to bishops and priests and not to princes and that princes ought not to determine a cause of the church Generally they all holde that the prince is not to reforme abuses in doctrine but the councell of priests which is a position very absurd For first wée sée that vnder the law kings reformed abuses and established orders in the church as appeareth by the example of Hezekiah Iosia Dauid and others Likewise among christians Constantine Valentinian Gratianus Theodosius and other princes did not onely reform abuses and condemne heresies but a Cod. de sum Trin. fide cath titulis sequentib establish orders and promulge the articles of christian faith Nay some there are that thinke it a matter vndecent and vnnecessary either to vnderstand or to argue of matters of religion Charles the fift as Meteranus in his story testifieth commaunded that no lay man should dispute of religion and many were executed for that cause onely The Italians say that it is matter for fryers to reason of religion E cósa da frati c. They hold and teach further that the pope determining matters of faith is to be beléeued vnder paine of damnation and this is that which Sir Francis meant and which both Bellarmine and all the popish crew writeth and beléeueth And yet we find that he approoueth many damnable heresies as that of the Angelickes Collyridians Staurolatrians Manichées in ministring the communion vnder one kinde the Pelagians in extolling the merits and force of works and diuers others Boniface the eight holdeth that none can be saued but such as be subiect to the pope And Bellarmine b Lib. 2. de Pontif. Rom. c. 12. coÌ„cludeth that it is a point of faith to hold that the bishop of Rome hath succeeded Peter in the vniuersall regiment of the church So that whatsoeuer he commandeth that must bée beléeued Neither may priuate men dispute of the popes power For that they say is sacriledge and no lesse then To open a mans mouth against heauen And yet his determinations wée finde to be hereticall and his commandements wicked and vnlawfull Lastly they teach that the pope hath power to pardon all sinnes And that is so true that it cannot bée denied For they giue him all Christes power in earth And in the taxe of penances there is set downe a taxe for indulgences for all sinne yea for Iudaisme apostasie Turcisme Maranie Paricide Sodomie and whatsoeuer heinous sinne else And albeit the more learned distinguish betwéene mortall and veniall sinne betwéene culpam and poenam yet if â—he pope can forgiue all the punishment then sure can he forgiue any sinne and the rude papists vnderstand no such subtilties If then sir Francis hath auouched any such matter against the papists hée hath done them no wrong Neither hath this Noddy any sufficient skill to shift off the matter Much be braggeth and faceth but what shoulde wée respect wordes when we sée no truth in his meaning To acknowledge Gods fauour towards vs in deliuering vs both out of the spirituall thraldome of Antichrist and the temporall slauerie of strangers and accumulating vpon the people of this land diuers other both spirituall and temporall blessings hée estéemeth to bée but flatterie and faire glosing and to charge the papists with ignorance and strange opinions hée counteth no better then cogging and lying mixing a number of wordes borrowed partly of cheating companions with whom it should séeme hée hath much conuersed and partly of railing sophisters among whom hée hath long triumphed But as I haue wiped away the accusation of flatterie so I doubt not but I shall easily answer this cogging mates brabling about lying and cogging Hée taketh in great scorne that it shoulde bée saide That a darke and mistie cloud of ignorance did couer the lande in Queene Maries time and saith That it was as wise and learned as Italy or Spaine is at this day where our teachers if they shoulde appeere dare not open their mouthes
any thing they accompt it no better then sacrilege to dispute of his dooing and b C. si papa dist 40. holde that if hée shoulde leade multitudes of soules to hell yet no man must say to him Domine cur ita facis that is Sir why do you so So generally the papists doe beléeue the pope and obey his commandements Which obedience and beléefe no man commendeth but those that embrace all his heresies and are readie to execute his treasons For although wée are to obey our superiors and that not for feare but for conscience sake and ought to harken to our pastors yet this is nothing to the pope that is not our superior nor a true pastour but a woolfe a hireling and antichrist or as some terme him The head of antichristes kingdome Beside that wée are not to beléeue euery thing that our pastors teach but as c Matth. 28. farre as they teach the doctrine of Christ Iesus Nor are wée absolutely to obey but when they command according to lawe O thrise vnhappie they that take these woolues for true pastors and beléeue their heresies and treasons to be true faith and obedience Finally it is most true that the papists when they haue committed most abominable offences and liued in all filthinesse are notwithstanding taught that the pope hath power to pardon them and absolue them Bellarmine d Lib. 1. de indulgent c. 10. faith That indulgences are profitable for all manner of persons and highly he extolleth the Iubiley and generall indulgences granted by the pope And for this cause many sillie soules with labour charge and danger trauell to Rome and all with great hope to haue their sinnes pardoned This therefore is no calumniation nor forgerie nor iugling tricke as this ingling companion telleth vs who himselfe hath many yéeres wandred vp and downe in forreine lands like the Egyptians or Cingari and hath in his time plaied many tricks of legierdemayne thinketh by his hopping skipping other apish trickes that he can make flesh and blood of a péece of bread and therefore imagineth others to bée like himselfe But saith hée The indulgence is not auaileable to remooue mortall sinnes but onely to take away the punishment either in this life or in the life to come And so the schoolemen commonly dispute But what is that to the purpose when the common people beléeueth otherwise and when in the indulgences they vse not so to distinguish Nay in the taxe of the popes indulgences it appéereth that for money they dispense with all sin For money they pardon Murder of children of men of women of wiues of neere kinred fornication adulterie incest and all vnnaturall abominations As for all irregularities they make small difficultie Nay they giue licence for Iewes to builde synagogues where Christ is blasphemed and pardon those that fall into Iudaisme and Turcisme Pro licentia erigendi de nouo publicam synagogam say a Taxa poenitent they taxa est Turon 60. ducat 15. Againe Marrania in amplissima forma componitur pro clerico Turon 15. ducat 15. pro laico Turon 4. ducat 10. So those that will not suffer Christians to liue and to breath giue priuileges and pardons to Iewes and dispense with apostataes maranoes and rinegued Turkes Neither do they distinguish so subtilly as our wise aduersarie woulde haue them Nor doe the papists respect more then that they may haue plenarie indulgence vnder seale But suppose that the pope shoulde onely take on him to remit the temporall punishment of mortall sinnes and to forgiue veniall sinnes yet that is contrarie to Christes doctrine to the apostles practise to the ancient orders of the bishops of Rome and of the catholike church and maketh carnall men more licentious in sinning when the penaltie is so easily redéemed and spoileth many poore Christians that giue al rather then they will endure the supposed extreme torments of purgatorie O miserable and simple papists that suffer your selues to be so deluded take paines trauaile far and powre out your money and all to get nothing but vaine wordes and bare lead and paper without any profite He telleth vs further That the popes pardons differ from absolution of priests by the keyes And therein taketh some paines to relate the schoolemens opinion as if it were materiall what such doting diuines and iangling friers do babble without all ground of scripture or allowance of fathers This is certaine that both the pope himselfe and all other priests do challenge their authority by one commission and by vertue of the keyes How then commeth it to passe that the popes power and authority is so ample and large and other inferior priestes so straite and restreintife both béeing ioyned in one patent héere the Noddy will be intricated if he shape not a better answere then any is héere declared Hée standeth also vpon this a P. 26. That it is not more capitall to transgresse the ordinances of the pope then to transgresse the lawes of God But what can impudent denialls auaile when the shamefull practise of the Romishe synagogue declareth the contrary doth not the whole faction hould that the popes lawes bind in conscience and is it not apparent that murders adulteries vnnaturall abominations yea Paganisme Iudaisme Turcisme and all atheismes are pardoned where such Christians as eate flesh on fasting daies and refuse to worship idoles and to fulfill other the popes lawes are declared a C. ad abolendam de haeretiâ—iâ— heretikes and burnt without remission Finally he saith It is a hard matter to frame his aduersaries ould head to vnderstand the depth of their catholicke religion Which I do beléeue séeing there is no bottome of their turning deuises But if he were wise he would rather séeke to defend himselfe then to teach his aduersaries We desire not to learne of any such ignorant masters He and his consortes flye to our Lady to Saintes to Angels to stockes and stones to rotten reliques to the pope and his pardons and trust by scourging themselues and by eating salt fish and playing vpon holy daies to be saued and this they learne out of the popes decretales Our onely hope is in Christ and his merits and all the doctrine of saluation we beléeue is contained in holy scriptures as not onely our Bishops and priestes but also all auncient bishops and fathers of the church haue taught vs. CHAP. III. That the Pope and his adhaerents both elsewhere abroad and also heere at home are most dangerous and malicious enimies to her Maiestie and this state and so haue alwaies declared themselues to be IF this aduersarie of ours had either bin a good Orator or a wise proctor he woulde haue taken great heed how he had touched any matter that béeing opened might haue hurt his Clientes cause especially where his aduersarie doth not greatly vrge him But what should we looke for better handling of so foule a cause sir Francis Hastings ayming at other matters
reasons First God commandeth b Deut. 13. vs strictly that wée shall not suffer either prophet or dreamer of dreames to liue that shall goe about to drawe vs from God to serue other gods Neither may wée thinke that either this law is abrogated standing vpon morall equitie or that the popish friers and priestes that teach the idolatrous worship of angels saints crosses and images and of their God of the altar are without the compasse of this lawe Secondly a Isai 49. God appointed Christian princes to bée Foster fathers Queenes to be nursing mothers to his church And therefore may they not sée either God dishonored by false religion and idolatrie or true Christians oppressed with force or trecherie They carrie not the sword for nothing and God requireth the maintenance of his truth at their handes Hee that honoreth me saith the b 1. Sam. 2. Lord him will I honour and he that despiseth me shall be despised No policie therefore will serue where Gods religion and his true honour is little regarded Thirdly the apostle c Rom. 16. would haue those That cause diuisions and offences to be marked and auoided and d 1. Tim. 1. giueth Timothy charge not to suffer such as woulde teach an other doctrine How then may they be suffred that would teach a cōtrarie doctrine to that of Christ Fourthly it was euer the custom of christian princes to punish false teachers as appéereth e L. Quicunque Cod. de haeretic by the law of Valentinian and Martian emperors Vltimo supplicio afficiantur say the emperors qui illicita docere tentauerint And that Hierome writing vpon the fift to the Galathians doth allow misliking that Arius escaped so long vnpunished Lastly the aduersaries will not suffer true preachers to teach truth Why then shoulde their priests and friers be suffered to teach heresie and falshoode Will they giue lawe to others and not endure themselues to be ordered by lawe Nothing can be deuised more vnreasonable or more repugnant to f L. 1. ff quod quisque iuris lawe Whatsoeuer libertie therefore is granted to simple people abuse by false teachers that concerneth Iesuites priests and other false teachers nothing The second point is prooued by lawes of nations and necessary rules of state For all nations do punish such as practise against the princes person and the security of the state as offending in the highest degrée of treason and mere simplicity it is reputed to suffer any to liue in a state that entendeth or practiseth the destruction of the state By the g 25. Edw. 3.2 lawes of this realme it is accompted treason To compasse or imagine the death of the prince or to adhere to his enemies By the Romayne h ff all Iud. m◠〈◊〉 l. ◠2 3. lawes it was treason To runne to the enemies to assist them with armes or meanes or intelligence and much more to stirre vp sedition or to draw enemies vpon the state or to practise the destruction of it All which seuerall lawes do shew that it is not possible to maintaine this state vnlesse such traytors be punished seuerely that either attempt against the princes sacred person or séeke to stirre sedition to alter the gouernment or that adhere to the pope or Spanyard or that endeuour to depose the prince from her gouernement and to ouerthrow this state or that intertaine intelligence with forraine enemies or that are eyther ayders or abettors or allowers of any such actes or treasons Neither is it materiall that these practisers be they Iesuites priestes or whatsoeuer else do pretend a certaine kinde of religion séeing their end is war and rebellion their meanes faction and diuision and their maintayners and vpholders publike enemies of the prince and state The third point is taught vs by the instinct of nature For euen light of nature sheweth euery liuing creature how to prouide for his owne safety and to decline and auoide such things as may séeme hurtfull And reason teacheth man to draw himselfe into some society and common wealth whereby he may be in safety from his enemies For this cause euery man that is not transported with strange passion loueth to liue vnder law and gouernment and to hate those that would dissolue lawes and lawfull gouernment Howsoeuer then we fauour seduced papistes yet vnlesse we will shew our selues deuoide of naturall reason we may not shew our selues negligent in séeking the safety of our selues and the mainteinance of lawes and gouernment wherein our safety in part consisteth We may not neglect the safety of those that depend vpon vs but euery man according to his place is to resist such as seeke our liues and the liues of those that are committed to vs or do depend vpon vs. In these thrée pointes or any of them it is not lawfull to offend by any law The papistes I thinke will not say that any man that eyther teacheth false religion or practiseth against the prince or state or by sedition séeketh to hurt his countrymen and to murder them is to escape vnpunished Wherefore then should they mislike any that teacheth that such offendors are to be punished If I say all were punished within these cases yet were it good iustice very necessary Howbeit such is the clemency of her Maiesties gouernement that she spareth Iesuites priestes and such false teachers as some thinke but too much Obstinate recusants if they be not taken in some practise of treason are not in danger eyther of life or landes or liberty they are not banished nor rigorously punished Nay their onely punishment is a pecuniary mulct and that of few exacted The poorer sort escape almost without punishment the richer do auoid the punishment by trauersing the enditement In Spaine and Italy our brethren would accompt such punishments great fauour Wherefore séeing this Noddy our aduersary knoweth the rigour of popish inquisitors against true Christians and by this may well perceiue her Maiesties great clemency extended not onely to quiet papistes that liue priuate without scandale but also to obstinate and factious recusantes yea and to notorious traitors hée was not wise either to challenge his aduersarie for speaking of Recusants so moderately or to accuse this state of iniustice that sheweth such extraordinarie fauour towards them that so little deserue it Hée chargeth his aduersarie With playing the Herodian bicause he saith that diuers Recusants vnder a visor of ciuill honestie do couer disloyall harts But if hée had done him right hée shoulde rather haue thanked him for commending their ciuill cariage which is more then their insolencie of late much encreased deserueth That it is true which sir Francis Hastings affirmeth if his face were not armed with a visor of impudencie hée woulde not haue denied Both reason and experience doth teach it to bée most true For if hée bée a true papist then must hée liue in subiection to the pope and acknowledge his authoritie a C. vnam
and all that professe the same And Secondly by their affection toward forreine enimies and cold deuotion to her Maiestie and the present gouernment Their hatred against religion is so extreme that they will not suffer any to liue that professe the same Their affection to the pope is excéeding when for his sake they forget their loue to their countrie and duty to their prince as appéereth euidently by many examples and as they hate true religion the present gouernment so they séeke the establishment of idolatrie and other points of poperie and the whole alteration of the present state Of which the first cannot bée done without the subuersion of the church nor the later without the desolation of this countrey Two points so materiall that no true Christian can endure the first nor true Englishman the latter Our aduersarie supposeth that the masse and the popes gouernment may well stande with her Maiesties securitie But popish religion hath many tricks beside the masse and the popes gouernment if it were receiued as the Iesuites teach it admitteth no other soueraigntie either in ecclesiasticall or politicall affaires beside the popes Neither masse nor pope can come into England either with the safetie of her Maiestie or the state And this wée do not speake by guesses at the wishes of papists as our aduersarie supposeth but by experience of former practises and reasons deduced out of the grounds of Romish religion and the practise of Romish procéedings Of which wée haue spoken héeretofore and shall also haue occasion to speake more at large héereafter The thirde point to be considered is Whether the Recusants do not dissemble deepely and in hart stand euill affected to her Maiestie their countrey and all that professe the Gospell In handling whereof our aduersarie passeth a little the limits of patience and giueth sir Francis euill language and P. 80. chargeth him That he hath no care nor conscience in accusing so many cacolike men of England and that of such heinous crimes But high treasons are not answered with high wordes Neither can heinous crimes bée dashed out with flat and bold denials We find by experience that all the troubles that since the beginning of her Maiesties reigne vnto this time haue happened to this state haue procéeded wholie from the malice of papists The rebellion in the north parts of this realme was raised by Nicholas Morton and other priests when as yet there was almost neither act nor lawe made against papists When they coulde not preuaile in England they raised great broiles in Ireland Beside domesticall rebellions they haue stirred vp forreine enimies and warres against this state Philip of Spaine at the instance of English traitors determined both by sea and land to make warre vpon vs. By procurement and practise of this faction the Duke of Alua the Duke of Guise and Don Iuan d'Austria became our enimies Likewise if wée looke into secret practises either against her Maiesties life or against the state wée shall finde that all the plots were contriued and determined to bée executed by papists William Parry Somerfield Arden Babington Ballard Patrick Ocollen and all those murderers and empoisoners that of late time haue practised against her Maiestie were papists and set on by papists Onely Lopez as is said was a Iew. So papists and Iewes conspire iointly against this state Of their hatred against religion and the true professors thereof there is no question to be made Darkenesse cannot stand with light nor canne the sonnes of Beliall abide Christs true disciples No papist will endure to be excommunicate by the pope but if hée shoulde not persecute Christians vpon his commandement he shoulde bée excommunicate and accursed Nay albeit they woulde be content to liue in peace yet will not the Iesuites and seditious priestes suffer them to rest These raised the league or rather the rebellion against the French king and warres against the professors of true religion These are the agents of antichrist to mooue princes to warre against the lambe and those that follow him Neither is it to bée presupposed that they can continue in their allegiance to her Maiestie when they acknowledge the popes authoritie Praecipimus saith a In bulla Pij 5. aduers Elizabeth Pius Quintus interdicimus vniuersis singulis proceribus subditis populis alijs ne illi eiusue monitis mandatis legibus audeant obedire How then dare they obey her Maiestie when hée commandeth them not to obey The traytor b In his letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland Allen hée doth not onely exhort her subiects to forsake her but to take armes against her If you should either sit stil saith he or refuse to help the Spaniard c. or any of you seeke to vphold which God forbid the vsurper or her complices being thus cursed you shall first encurre the angels curse c. and bee as deepely excommunicated as shee is Séeing then that papists of our times bée like to their predecessors and séeing they cannot choose but obey the popes command what is to bée looked for at their handes but sedition rebellion and cruell execution of the popes commands They may now temporize So do also all rebels vntill their matters grow ripe They may likewise professe and protest déepely For so did Parry Lopez and the earles of Westmerland and Northumberland But why shoulde any thinke our papists to be of other nature then the papists of France and other countries that neuer cared for promise nor oath so they might attaine their purpose Shall not wée while wee haue meanes prouide for our safety and the safetie of the state Our aduersarie a P. 78. 80. talketh much of the Conscience of papists and setteth them foorth as Examples of good life and modest behauiour and diuers other vertues and no maruell seeing apes séeme faire to apes and serpents to serpents and affection maketh foule thinges séeme faire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Eclog. 6. Theocritus But hée that nourisheth vp woolues must looke well to his shéepe Wee are well acquainted with their conscience and knowe they make no conscience to obey the popes commands though neuer so cruell Their behauior is such that wée finde no men more backewarde in publike seruice Wherefore as one saide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So wée may say the Spaniards are dangerous enimies the pope and his agents more the Recusant and domesticall malcontent is most dangerous Neither are they hard harted men and without piety and conscience that so thinke of them but these rather that oppugne true pietie and religion maintaine idolatrie and superstition and preferre strangers before their owne countreymen hazarding the destruction of their owne nation and countrey that is like to ensue if the popes purposes which they do fauour and vnder paine of his curse must fauour take effect And that they are not so honest men as is pretended appéereth
obey the magistrate commanding them to go to church And so gladly woulde hée finde a knot in a rush and as if hée had founde out great matters hée despiseth his aduersarie and calleth him Seely man and simple soule and bible-clerke knight and guilt-spurre doctor rayling at his pleasure and according to his fashion yea and without iust cause For first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is better translated Humane ordinance then Humane creature For properly men neither create nor are created by men Moreouer if wee shoulde translate humane creature then shoulde this subiection be not to magistrates ordeined by man but generally to all men And therefore the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying both creature and ordinance or election wée are to choose the fittest signification Secondly it is no part of sir Francis his meaning to teach an absolute obedience to bée due to temporall princes Nay hée thinketh it neither due to temporall nor ecclesiastical magistrates saue onely in things lawfull But this the papists denie to princes in ecclesiasticall externall gouernment simplie and in temporall causes too if the pope do excommunicate them or depose them Thirdly sir Francis did not alleage this place to prooue that papists were to go to church vpon the princes commandement but rather to shewe that they ought not to rebell against princes vpon the popes warrant as they do very often And thus all this matter about which the Noddy maketh so great exclamations is easily cléered and all his calumniations and cauillations at his aduersaries person and writings answered It resteth therefore nowe that we consider a little of his braue speake made in the latter end of this chapter to the Recusants Perhaps he is better able to teach them what they are to do héereafter then to defend that is done already First hée telleth vs That hee can say no more to cacolike Recusants then that which followeth Which sheweth that hée hath little to say in their defence and lesse for their instruction Then hée pronounceth in his graue voice That the course which they haue taken is most honorable and pious before God and man and that forsooth in three points first in shewing their dutie towards God by standing constantly and suffering for their conscience Secondly in offring all loyal obedience in temporall causes to their liege prince and lastly in edifying their neighbors by their good life and behauiour But what if they haue neither shewed their dutie to God nor suffered for their conscience nor offered loyall obedience to their prince nor haue so taken her nor haue either by their beléefe or life edified their neighbors May we not then conclude that their course is neither pious nor honorable and that albeit they escape the censures of men yet assuredly they shall answere before God Nay what if for religion they maintaine superstition for loyaltie nourish in their bosomes trecherie and disloialtie and ruinate their neighbours by their euill example doth it not hence follow that their course is impious and disloiall and odious both in the sight of God and of man and that not in thrée points but in many points resulting partly of their impieties and errors in religion and partly of their malcontent humours in ciuill actions It is most apparent For this Warder their good friend hath laide those grounds whereof this conclusion ariseth First then I say that no papist since her Maiesties raigne hath suffred death or losse of landes or liberty méerely for his conscience vnlesse he make it conscience not to commit treason Let the recordes be sought and their causes be examined and this will easily appeare And albeit some haue béene imprisoned yet was the same not directly for not comming to church but for refusing to pay the mulct Secondly compare their penalties and sufferinges with the sufferings of true Christians whome they imprison spoile torture and murder and that onely for matters of faith and then they will appeare nothing in comparison But were they much greater then they are yet it is the cause and not the suffering that maketh their patience commendable Haue they a See the conclusion of the 4. encountres following thâ—â— treatise suffered for their impieties idolatries treasons and felonies and for adhering to Antichrist Then is their shame great and their reward nothing Thirdly I deny that they haue shewed their duty towards God Nay in refusing to heare his word and to receiue the sacraments ordeined and instituted by Christ Iesus and administred according to his holy institution and embracing a fond and false religion standing partly on traditions and popish decretalles and partly vpon leud customes and lying legendes and partly vpon wicked heresies and false positions they haue declared themselues impious towardes God and aliens from Christ his church And that they shall well perceiue by a speciall encounter concerning that point Fourthly it is méere impudence to affirme that the recusantes haue offered to her Maiestie all loyall obedience in temporall causes or that they haue acknowledged her to be their liege prince For who knoweth not that the rebellions both in the north parts of England and also in Ireland were raysed by recusants and papists The same men haue diuers times attempted the destruction of her Maiestie and the alteration of gouernment as appeareth by the practises of Parry Somerfield Throgmorton Ch. Paget and others These are the men that Cardinall Allen hoped would ioyne with the Spanyard and helpe to depose her Maiestie And although now they stir not yet it appeareth that their a Those be the words of Campians facultie obedience must onely continue Rebus sic stantibus And call you this yéelding of loyall obedience Beside that the b Bulla Pij Quinti pope curseth all that will obey her or repute her as lawfull Quéene Whether is it then more likely that they will obey the popes sentences whom they take to be their soueraigne iudge in these cases or her Maiesties commaund which they respect not But suppose they would yéelde loyall obedience in temporall causes yet that is not sufficient to make the recusantes seeme loyall subiectes For the princes authority in commaunding for true faith and abolishing errors and abuses for establishing externall orders remoouing disorders both in the time of the law and in the auncient Christian church hath alwayes béene estéemed great Lastly I would aduise these cacolike malecontentes or recusantes or what you will haue them called not to bragge too much of their good works least they giue others iust occasion to make their vncharitable dealing and dishonest liuing knowne Now I will onely say this that he that fauoureth forraine enemies and entertaineth eyther practise or intelligence with them or receiueth markes of faction from them whatsoeuer his pretenses are cannot séeme much to edifie his neighbors Surely he leaueth for himselfe no place in the state that loueth not the state Let them therefore if they will néedes boast of their workes giue
no more eare to these hispaniolized English combined with traytors for the destruction of the country For he canne hardly séeme honest whome such rinegued traytors so highly do praise In the end of this chapter he goeth about to teach his disciples the recusantes how farre they are to yéelde obedience to their prince But if his teaching be no better in schooles then in these encounters I doubt he will make but few good schollers First he doth not shew vs whome he taketh for a lawfull prince which for determination of this controuersie would certainly be knowne For if he do not beléeue that a prince excommunicate by the pope and by him deposed is to be reputed lawfull and to be obeyed notwithstanding the popes spite then whatsoeuer he talketh here of obedience to princes concerneth her Maiestie nothing a P. 88. Secondly he would haue recusantes to serue their prince With body goods and life Where we are to note that he neither mentioneth the heart nor the inward affection Do we not then thinke that the recusantes will do her Maiestie good seruice that are deliuered vnto her without soule hart or harty affection Thirdly least vpon his promise they might perhaps be too forward in seruice he draweth them backe with a limitation and teacheth that their seruice and obedience is to stretch no further Then to iust causes of which he maketh eyther the recusantes themselues or the pope their holy father to be iudge So that her Maiestie if the pope procéede against her is to looke for no seruice at the recusantes handes Nay Allen in his traytorous exhortation to the nobility and people of England and Ireland hopeth to draw them to assiste forreine enemies against her Behould I pray you this goodly doctrine Fourthly he teacheth That Christian princes haue no more commaund nor authority in ecclesiasticall causes then heathen magistrates for that Christ altered nothing at all in temporall gouernement But that is a position contrary to the law of God to the practise of Gods church and most absurd sencelesse The law of God referreth ambiguous matters aswell to the iudge or prince as to the priests or leuites For in the Sanedrin of which that law is the foundation the soueraine magistrate was chiefe b Deut. 17. and the king was commanded To read in the law that he might kéepe it by his authority restraining offendors In auncient time vnder the law the kinges and soueraigne magistrates gaue lawes to priests leuites and not contrarywise In the church of Christ for a thousand yéeres or more there were no lawes obserued but those of princes Bellarmine would fetch it higher but his proofes faile him In their Bullary which containeth a summe of the popes lawes they begin with Gregorie the seuenth but in truth Gregorie the ninth was the first that gaue authoritie of lawe to the popes constitutions and gathered them into the booke of decretals Before this time bishops priests deacons and the whole church was a Cod. de sum trin fid â—ath tit sequentib gouerned by the lawes of Christian princes as appéereth by the lawes of Constantinus Magnus ValentiniaÌ„ Gratian Theodosius Arcadius b Ansegisus de leg ib. Caroli Ludouic Charles the great Ludouicus Pius and diuers others And certes very absurd it were if heathen princes that are strangers from Gods church shoulde haue as much authoritie as Christian magistrates that are principall parts thereof and to whom the execution of Gods law is committed Neither is it materiall that Christ altered nothing in the office of magistrates for it did alwaies belong to the magistrate that was of the church to gouerne the church in externall matters and to sée true doctrine published and the sacraments sincerely administred by those to whose office it appertained So we sée that by this false position he would exclude her Maiestie from all gouernement in ecclesiasticall causes and that notwithstanding his pretence of teaching obedience he teacheth flat disobedience to princes ecclesiasticall lawes and their commaundements Fiftly he c P. 88. teacheth That ecclesiasticall and temporall gouernment is so distinguished that he that ruleth in the one ought not to rule in the other The which doth vtterly ouerthrow the popes temporall kingdome which our aduersary would so willingly maintaine For why should he gouerne a kingdome pretending to be a bishop rather then a king gouerne a particular church of one nation in externall causes especially Secondly we do deny this distinction of authority vpon which our aduersaries fancies are founded And our reason is for that in Christian common wealthes where the same persons are members both of the church and common-welth there the chéefe gouernours ought to haue care both of church and common-welth and most absurd it were if the prince which is a principall member of Gods church shoulde haue no gouernment therein and that inferior persons shoulde haue supreme command ouer the prince Sixtly hée doth insinuate that the pope is Christs vicar the apostles successor in supreme gouernment of the church And this hée teacheth is Recusant schollers least percase they shoulde faile to obey him But this is nothing else but to draw her Maiesties subiects from their due allegiance and to perswade them to listen to the pope as pretending to bée Christs vicar and the apostles successor and supreme gouernour and head of the vniuersall church of Christ which is quite contrarie to his faire pretenses and purpose in this place where hee shoulde perswade the Recusants to obedience towarde their prince Beside that it is so false as nothing more Let this Noddy if he canne shew foorth the popes commission eyther for his vicegerentship or for his pretended apostolicke office and supreme gouernement let him prooue it vnto vs or else forbeare impudently to assume it and to affirme it wée doe shew that bishops are the apostles successors and yet that is no preiudice to the princes supreme authority nor neuer was What then is that which hée bableth of the pope that is neither bishop nor the apostles successor Finally hée affirmeth That ecclesiasticall gouernment stood distinct from ciuill 300. yeeres after Christ and that euery emperour and mortall prince conuerted to the faith and entring into the church submitted themselues to this ecclesiasticall gouernment and so continued vntill certaine heretikes confounded all And so still cunningly hée speaketh for the popes authoritie and secretly disableth not onely her Maiesties power in ecclesiasticall matters but her title also to the crowne standing as shée doth excommunicate by the pope He doth also abuse his reader with the ambiguitie of ecclesiasticall gouernment For if by ecclesiasticall gouernment he meaneth the power of the keies consisting in the censures of the church and power of priestly function which is properly ecclesiastical we grant that such ecclesiastical gouernment belongeth not to princes so that they are to execute the same in their owne persons But if by
to worke wonders and the worlde shall beléeue his signes and wonders 22. He shall prescribe a certaine forme of ceremonies lawes to all his folowers Finally he shall rise obscurely receiue power of princes encrease by force be folowed with all wicked traytors heretikes atheistes and shall be destroyed with the breath of Gods spirite All which conditions as they are proper and well agrée to the pope of Rome and his kingdome so the aduersaries themselues cannot shew any other vnto whome these qualities canne agree He calleth himselfe Christs vicar and yet opposeth himselfe against Christ and his kingdome He declareth himselfe a plaine aduersary in suppressing Gods word and extolling his owne constitutions and aduancing himselfe aboue all that is called God He taketh to himselfe the name power and honor that is proper to God excelling all mortall creatures in pride and arrogancy His life is full of all abominations He taketh no shame albeit his dooings be most shamefull nay albeit his ignorance in religion be excéeding great yet doth he vant himselfe that he cannot erre in decyding of matters of faith Presently vpon the decay of the Romayne empire his kingdome beganne to shew it selfe Neyther did he rise but vpon the ruines of that state Hauing gotten credite among Christians he brought in infinite nouelties into religion and by his euill example and facilitie in granting pardons wrought a great dissolution in mens manners At Rome hée now reigneth and none but hée Nay hée is reputed to bée head of the church although head of the societie of wicked and feined Christians His kingdome is plainly described in the figure of the purple whoore and of Babylon Finally his mysticall impieties persecutions of Christians merchandizing of mens soules and all those properties of antichrist which before I described appéering in him and in no other declare him to bée antichrist Neither can any medicine which the papists haue deuised helpe this gréefe As for the Noddy our aduersarie hée doth not vnderstand those reasons which hée draweth out of Bellarmine Much lesse is hée able to enforce them First hée telleth vs That antichrist shall be one singuler man But that cannot stande with the apostles wordes that teacheth vs that the mysterie of iniquitie began to worke in his time Againe the kingdome of Antichrist could not bée erected attaine to such greatnes by one man onely nor is one onely man opposite to Christ Further the state of antichrists kingdome is called an apostacie but the terme of apostacie cannot fit one man Finally Saint a 1. Ioan. 2. Iohn saith that that antichrist that was prophecied of was in the world in his time And b Tract 30. in Matthaeum Origene maketh antichrist a state or succession of men Generaliter saith hée vnus antichristus est species autem eius multae Neither haue the Scriptures or fathers any thing whereof the contrarie may directly be concluded Onely the scriptures by the figure of one beast do set out a state and the fathers do firmely adhere to the manner of spéech vsed in Scripture which by one particular man vnderstand diuers men succéeding in one state Nay the aduersaries themselues beléeue that Christ by the rocke Mat. 16. whereupon he said he would build his church vnderstood not onely Peter but all the bishops of Rome Secondly he saith That the Iewes shall receiue Antichrist for their Mesâ—ias And therefore that it is not likely that the pope should be Antichrist whome they canne neuer admit for their Messias But the antecedent is a méere fancy taken vp without ground For albeit our sauiour â—an 5. saith that the Iewes Will receiue another if he come in his owne name yet canne it not be gathered that he speaketh there of Antichrist For he speaketh indefinitely and saith if any come in his owne name that him they will receiue And so doth d In Ioan. 5. Nonnus expound it And if we should otherwise take it then would it folow that Antichrist should come in the apostles times that he might be receiued of those to whome our sauiour then spoke Thirdly he reasoneth out of Matth. 24. and 2. Thes 2. That the gospel of Christ must first be preached to all nations before the comming of Antichrist which saith he is not yet fulfilled But in the 2. Thes 2. there is no mention made of preaching the Gospell to all nations In the 24. of Matthew wée finde that the preaching of the Gospell to all nations shall bée fulfilled before Christs second comming and not before the comming of Antichrist But were this a signe of the comming of antichrist yet it is long since the sound of the Gospell hath passed throughout the world Fourthly That antichrist should be a Iewe and of the tribe of Dan is but a méere conceite of some few vpon false vnderstanding of scripture for how shall a Iewe that establisheth the ceremoniall law of Moses bée receiued among Christians Wherefore this notwithstanding the pope may bée antichrist Fiftly it is a Iewish fancie That antichrist shall reigne in Hierusalem and restore Salomons Temple Neither is anie such matter gathered out of the eleuenth chapter of the Apocalypse where it is saide not that the bodies of Henoch and Helias as this falsarie hath but That the bodies of the two prophets shall lie in the streetes of the great citie For he speaketh not of the persecution by antichrist but by the Gentiles and vnderstandeth all godly men that shall beare witnesse of the truth of Christ Iesus a Lib. 18. in Isai ad Algas q. 11. Hierome saith that all these imaginations of restoring the citie and temple ceremonies procéede from the heresie of Cerinthus And truely very strange it were if antichristes reigne continuing but thrée yéeres and a halfe as our aduersaries hold hée shoulde reedifie the citie and the temple and founde so large a kingdome as that of antichrist shall bée Sixtly it cannot bée prooued That antichrist shall expresly deny Iesus and vtterly abolish the sacraments instituted by Christ and openly professe that either hee is Messias or God himselfe Neither in the 1. of Ioh. 2. v. 22. nor Ioh. 5. nor 2. Thes 2. which places are cited to this purpose is any such thing to be founde Nay his dooings they shall bée mysticall and hée shall deceiue many But if hée shoulde plainly denie Christ and abolish his Sacraments he coulde not deceiue any Christian Saint b In Ioan. Tract 3. Augustine therefore calleth them antichrists That by their workes denie Christ And cunningly shall antichrist peruert the Sacraments and take to himselfe diuine worship All which wée sée verified by the pope and therefore rightly take him to be antichrist Seuenthly that antichrist shall worke lying miracles it is not denied For it is very apparent that popish religion doth much stande vpon miracles and the legendes red in churches are full of them But that hee shall make fire come really and visiblie downe from heauen
Fourthly after the decay of the Romaine empire for a while Christian religion began to flourish in Rome and that citie of a wicked citie became the church of God But after the desolation of Babylon or new Rome it shall be made The habitation of diuels and the hold of all foule spirits and a cage of vncleane and hatefull birdes Which must néedes be vnderstoode of the destruction of Rome vnder the pope Diuers other reasons also are alleaged in a late treatise a Lib. 5. de pontif Rom. siue eius apost c. 11. De apostasia Pontificis Rom. that most apparently shewe that Rome as it is the seate of the pope is that Babylon and that beast with seauen heades of which Saint Iohn speaketh in his Reuelation Hauing talked his pleasure of Rome and Babylon b P. 94. the Warder with many idle wordes returneth backe to talke of his déere father the pope which sheweth that Babylon and antichrist are of néere affinitie and cannot well bée sundred But what hath hée to say of the pope Forsooth it gréeueth him much that hée shoulde bée called The proud priest and arch-prelate of Rome And yet sir Francis hath therein done him great fauour For if wée will rightly estéeme hée neither deserueth the name of priest nor arch-prelate nor bishop hauing giuen ouer all priestly and bishoplike function and occupying himselfe about worldly affaires and his terrestriall kingdome which to erect hée ouerthrew the empire the whole strength of Christendome and gaue leisure to the Turke to rauage so many christian prouinces and to maintaine it hée hath caused the destruction of infinite Christian people And calling him Proud and Ambitious yet he doth him no wrong For hee taketh to himselfe diuine power and authoritie in his commandements and iudgements and aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is called God Hée taketh on him also power to canonize saints and to giue diuine honors to others and beareth himselfe as lord of the Calendar of saints Hée is borne high on mens shoulders and maketh great princes to attende on him like squires or pages giuing his toe to kisse for a speciall fauour Neither doth hee content himselfe to bée called lord of lordes and Christes Vicar but will néedes bée called c C. satis dist 96. God at the least honored as God on the earth Hée aduanceth himselfe high aboue all earthly princes and presumeth to depose them and take away their kingdomes at his pleasure Oh that Christian princes woulde open their eies and consider how by his pride he hath abused the honor of kinges and troden the maiestie of the emperor and other christian magistrates vnder féete Hée is also greatly offended that the pope is called Bloody monster and in great sadnesse telleth vs That wee must not speake euill of the prince of the people and alleageth the law that condemneth him to death that spoke euill of his father But the â—eely fellow shoulde haue remembred that wée haue shewed him to bee neither the prince of Gods people nor a friend of Gods people And hee himselfe hath declared howe vnwoorthie hée is of the name of father that seeketh to murder and ruinate his children Nay hée is the father of lies heresies wicked practises and of all that either by wicked doctrine or trecherous practise seeke the destruction either of the church or of this state When William the conquerour came against England the pope a Matth. Paris in Wâ—llelm conquest blessed his banners Another pope sent his blessing to the French that in king Iohns time inuaded this countrey Paule the third by all meanes hée could sought the ouerthrow of our nation in king Henrie the eights daies stirring vp forreine enimies abroad and wicked rebels at home to hurt vs and to destroy our countrey Of late time Pius Quintus Gregorie the thirtéenth and Sixtus Quintus haue not onely brought the Spaniards vpon vs but also wrought diuers rebellions in England séeking if they could vtterly to ruinate this state And as they haue done in England so haue they procéeded in France and in the Lowe countries and by their rebellions and practises haue brought to destruction diuers millions of Christians In summe if wée please to read histories we shall finde that the popes are the onely firebrands and enflamers of all the warres of Christendome which Machiauel in his b Lib. 1. Florentine historie doth in plaine termes confesse And haue not wée then reason to call the pope bloodie monster c In Gregorio 6. Platina calleth thrée popes for their cruelties shewed one to another and for their wickednesse Tria teterrima monstra And shall not wée that haue farre greater cause to doe so call them by their names But saith hée More bloud hath beene shedde in London for religion in one yeere then in all the popes territories this twentie It is also maruell that hée saith not that lambes are more cruell then woolues For hée is ashamed of nothing This which hée héere writeth is a most shamelesse and impudent slander For hée cannot shew that for popish religion any at all hath béene executed to death Papists I confesse to the number of some fiftie or thréescore haue béene executed but they were such as either practised treasons at home or came from forreine enimies abroad to the entent to worke mischiefe against the state Who albeit they were woorthily put to death for their offences yet the pope that sent them and set them on is to answere for their blood Compare then the number of those that haue béene massacred in France and executed in Flaunders and that haue by the crueltie of Inquisitors béene done to death in diuers places of Christendome and you shall sée that the pope and papacie is that bloodie purple whoore whose vestures are redde with the blood of saints and whose cruelties haue farre surmounted all other tyrants Now least he should séeme to speake without booke he layeth on his aduersary with textes of scriptures and saith That euery soule should be subiect to higher powers and that there is no power but of God and how he that resisteth power resisteth Gods ordinance And of this he would inferre that those stand in bad tearmes That resist and reuile the pope But all this maketh much against the pope that hath shaken off his princes yoke and stirreth vp rebelles to resist lawfull princes promising them his blessing for their wicked and cursed treasons For the pope this allegation is most fond and sencelesse For it canne neuer be prooued that the popes tyrannicall gouernement both in church and common wealth is of God Let any learned papist for our aduersary is but a séely Noddy shew that the popes gouernement and fulnesse of power which he claimeth ouer all churches is of God Let him also prooue that God hath giuen him an earthly kingdome and authority to depose princes to translate kingdoms to raise warres and rebellions and to cut the throte of Christians
nomine armamini contra ecclesiam dimicatis and our sauiour founde no greater enimies then the Priests Scribes and Pharisies which stoode most vpon the succession of Moses and title of Gods people The diuell h 2. Cor. 11. Transformeth himselfe into an angell of light and brasse is often set out with a glorious lustre as if it were golde But nothing can be deuised more counterfait then the papist who albeit hée maintaine a religion full of nouelties and improbable fantasies yet taketh on him as if hée were the onely catholike christian and ietteth vp and downe with a maske of catholike religion So apes clad with purple iackets beare themselues verie proudly among other beasts and all for their gaie apparell But as apes by their apish trickes bewray themselues to bée apes so papists by their apish popish and fonde deuises shewe themselues to be factious heretikes and no true catholikes That they are no true catholikes the very name of catholike and true signification of this worde declareth For Catholike doth signifie that which is vniuersall or generall And the church is called catholike bicause it conteineth all the people of God and all Christians whether of time past or time to come or time present and in what place soeuer they remaine dispersed The christian faith likewise is called catholike for that it is and euer was and euer shall bée generallie taught and receiued of faithfull christians In time past God was peculiarly knowne of the people of Israell and to them was the law giuen and prophets were sent But our Sauiour Christ sent his apostles into all the world a Matth. 28. Docete saith he omnes gentes Hée also tolde them they shoulde witnesse his truth to al nations of the earth Eritis mihi testes saith b Act. 1. he in Hierusalem totaÌ„ Iudaeam Samariam vsque in totam terram So that we are to vnderstand that there is but one catholike church into which al true catholikes are to be gathered This Catholike Church c In Psal 56. saith Saint d In Psal 44. Augustine is spred throughout the world and conteineth not onely those that are present but those also that are past and are yet to come And Saint d In Psal 44. Hierome saith That this church is one and is founded by the apostles doctrine and conuerteth men to Christ Wée belée also that there is but one apostolike and catholike faith which all true catholikes both haue holden do holde and must holde vnto the worlds end In this catholike church saith e De haeres c. 3. Vincentius Lirinensis wee are to holde that which alwaies hath beene beleeued of all christians for that is truely and properly catholike Hée f Ibid. c. 34. teacheth vs also That the propertie of catholikes is to keepe the doctrine committed to them and left with them by the ancient fathers and to auoide prophane nouelties Further hée g Ibid. c. 25. determineth That those onely are truely and rightly called catholikes which onely holde and beleeue that which the catholike church in olde time did vniuersally holde With him also doth Leo sometimes bishop of Rome agrée Vna est vera singularis perfecta inuiolabilis catholica fides h Epist 81. ad Mâ—â—naâ—h paâ—aest epist 95. saith hée cui nihil addi nihil minui potest That is there is one true singular perfect inuiolable catholike faith whereunto nothing can be added and from whence nothing is to be diminished This grounde then being laide and I thinke confessed by the aduersaries themselues that those onely are catholikes that holde the catholike faith receiued vniuersally of all true christians of all times and all places and that the catholike faith is that which Christ commaunded vniuersally to bée taught and which of all the catholike church hath béene generally receiued and which is most perfect and absolute and admitteth no additions alterations nor innouations it may easily bee prooued that the papists are neither catholikes nor hold the catholike faith of Christ Iesus For first they do not beleeue that which the catholike church euer beleeued but that which the church of Rome beleeueth Pius quartus a In constit Pij 4. ordeineth that all that are preferred in schooles shall openly professe That they beleeue all things conteined in that creede which the church of Rome vseth The forme of their profession is this Ego N. firma fide credo profiteor omnia quae continentur in symbolo fidei quo sancta Romana ecclesia vtitur Likewise are they bound to condemne all doctrines which that church condemneth and anathematizeth In the Spanish b Manual de oraciones por Hieron Campos catechisme set out vnder the name of Canisius he is termed a true Christian That holdeth nothing but that which the church of Rome holdeth Y no tiene cosa fuera de lo que tiene la yglesia Romana Finally the papistes c C. ad abolendam de haeret condemne all for heretikes That either teache or thinke otherwise of the sacrament of the altar or of confession of sinnes or other Romish sacramentes then the church of Rome How then can we estéeme them catholikes that for a generall and catholike faith embrace a particular or peculiar faith of the church of Rome and openly professe so much Secondly they do not beléeue the catholike church but the Romish church nor do they make themselues members of the catholike church but of the church of Rome subiect to the pope whome they beléeue to be their head d De eccles militant c. 2. Bellarmine doth define That to be the true church which is vnited in confession of faith and communion of sacraments and obedience to the pope of Rome e C. vnam ext de maior obed Boniface the eight determineth That all that will be saued must of necessity be subiect to the bishop of Rome In the f Manual de Hieron Campoâ— catechisme published vnder the name of Canisius the church is defined A congregation gouerned vpon earth by the pope the onely head of the same Vna congregacion regida en la tierra por el papa vnica cabeza de toda ella Finally the a Confessio Burdegalens Iesuites of Bourdeaux do professe That to be the church onely which hath communion with the church of Rome whereof the pope is the chiefe gouernor But the auncient fathers teach vs that the catholike church is not tyed to one city or one country or one pope or bishop but vniuersally spredde ouer the whole earth as hath in part béene declared Si dei est ecclesia saith a Chrysostome b In homil 1. in epist 1. ad Corinth vna est non Corinthi solum sed vniuersi orbis So I may say if the Romanists were the catholike church then should not their vniuersall church be termed by the name of the church of Rome but of Gods
vniuersall church Saint c Lib. 4. de Symbol c. 10. Augustine saith that Euery congregation that is gathered in one corner is a concubine and not the spouse of Christ How then canne the papistes be catholikes that are gathered out of the society of the vniuersall church into the communion of the church of Rome Writing to Vincentius the Donatist he d Epist 48. concludeth that the Donatistes and Rogatians were not the catholike church for that they tooke their names of others then of the christian church Thirdly the faith of catholikes is e Ephes 2. built Vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Iesus Christ beeing the chiefe corner stone And this foundation is no where to be found but in the writings of the apostles and prophets which shew vnto vs the doctrine of Christ Iesus The apostle saint f Rom. 10. Paul doth teach vs That faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Which we may not séeke in decretales nor legendes but in the most holy scriptures endited by the holy ghost And so the fathers teach vs. g Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 1. Irenaeus doth say that the apostles First preached and afterward deliuered the gospell in Scriptures that they might be a foundation and piller of our faith Per apostolos euangelium peruenit ad nos saith he Quod quidem tunc praeconiauerunt postea verò per Dei voluntatem in scripturis tradiderunt fundamentum columnam fidei nostrae futurum Athanasius in Synopsi doth call The canonicall Scriptures the anchor and staie of our faith Hée woulde not haue any thing spoken or heard of christians in matters of faith and religion beside the holy Scriptures Si diuersa à scripturis fabulari vultis h De incarr â—t verb. saith he cur nobiscum concertatis qui nec loqui nec andire sustineâ—â—s quod extraneum sit ab illis The church saith a Homil. 6. in Matthaeum Chrysâ—stome is Hierusalem whose foundations are placed vpon the mountaines of the Scriptures Hierome calleth the Scriptures the limites or bounds of the catholike church Non est egressa de finâ—l us suis saith b In Mich. â—â— he id est de Scriptuâ—â— fancâ—â— Finallie the c â—rir Aquin. 2. 2 q. 1. art â— papists theÌ„selues confesse that the obiect or grounde of faith is The fâ—â—st truth or God himselfe And we doubt not but that al certaine knowledge of God is to bee found in his written word which therefore is called the rule of our faith But the papists speake euill of scriptures and either will not haue them to be the proper foundation of our faith or sorge to themselues diuers other foundations whereupon they builde their church and their faith in the d In c. 3. epist 2. ad Corinth annotations vpon the Rhemish testament they call them A killing letter as if God had deliuered his will in writing to the end to kill the Readers They write e Annot. Rh. in c. 5. Ioan. also That they are hard to be vnderstood and would bring them in disgrace by f Ibid. in c. 4. Matth. saying That the diuell and heretickes alleadge scriptures Some call them A nose of waxe without any certeine sence as the Iesuites of Collen in their censure others call them Inken diuinity and account them no better then Matter of strife and contention Generally they g Censur Colon f. esteeme the canon of scripture to be a rule vnperfect and a maymed and lame péece of doctrine and condemne the reeding of scriptures As pernitious and hurtfull Stapleton h In praefat ante relect princip doct plainely denieth the scriptures to be the foundation of religion Aliud hodie saith he Christianae religionis fundamentum habemus and afterward Ab ipsis literis euangelicis apostolicis aliud The same man speaking of diuers principles and groundes of Christian religion i In analysi ante râ—lect p incip doct doth leaue the scriptures quite out of the reckoning Others also make small reckoning of scriptures but where they canne by forced interpretations draw them to their purpose and such as deny not the scriptures to be a foundation of religion do notwithstanding adioyne diuers other foundations to the scriptures and build their faith vpon them as well as vpon the Scriptures Vnto the canon of the scriptures of the ould testament consisting of two and twentie books l they adde first the bookes of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus k Synod Trideniâ—sâ—ss 4. and the story of the Machabees and secondly certaine additions found in the latine translation ouer and aboue the originall bookes and this contrary to the iudgement of most ancient and catholike fathers Neither is it materiall that saint a Lib. 2. doct Christ c. 8. Augustine and a certaine councell of Carthage and two or thrée more following them do number these bookes among canonicall Scriptures For they by Canonicall vnderstande such bookes as by order of the church were read publikely and commonly bound togither and were rather a rule for manners then for faith Legi voluerunt in ecclesijs saith b In exposit Symbol Ruffin non tamen proferri ad authoritatem fidei ex his confirmandam The same is also the iudgement of c In Synopsi Athanasius d In prolog galeato Hierome e De ponder mensur Epiphanius and of the most sound and ancient fathers of the church And if wée shoulde otherwise interpret the wordes of those that reckon these bookes among canonicall Scriptures wée should also put the 3. and 4. of Esdras among the bookes canonicall For they are also by saint Augustine and f Sixtus Senensis biblioth sanct lib. 1. others after a sort iudged canonicall and Athanasius in Synopsi doth attribute no lesse authoritie to the thirde booke of Esdras then to the bookes of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus and the Machabees The Gréekes also place the thirde booke of Esdras first although the assemblie at Trent excluded the thirde and fourth booke of Esdras out of the canon and Sixtus quintus in his new edition of the Latine Bible hath excluded them out of their ancient place They adde also vnwritten traditions to the Scriptures and builde their faith equally on them two giuing vnto them both equall authoritie Libros veteris noui testamenti saith g Sess 4. the assemblie at Trent nec non traditiones ipsas c. pari pietatis affectu ac reuerentia suscipit ac veneratur synodus ista h Lib. 3. de verbo dei Bellarmine accounteth of these traditions as of the most certaine worde of God and calleth them The worde of God not written i De fid Symb. q. 22. op Catech. Canisius woulde haue vs to beléeue these traditions Most firmely as reuealed by the holy Ghost The which is not onely derogatory to the sufficiencie of Scriptures but also vtterly ouerthroweth the
authenticall and preferred before the originall bookes of the old testament in Hebrew and of the new testament in Gréeke a matter very new and most vnreasonable and plainely contradictory to the ancient fathers In the same a Sess 4. councell because they would be sure of their groundes the doctors of the Romish Babylon decréed first that none should interpret Scriptures against that sence that the church of Rome holdeth and secondly that vnwritten traditions kept in the church by succession shoulde bee of equall value with canonicall Scriptures After this diuers friers and priests taking vpon them to plead the popes cause haue determined vnwritten traditions and customes of the church and the popes determinations and decretalles to be the foundations and principles of their popish faith b Loc. Theolog. Melchior Canus speaking of theologicall argumentes and Thomas Stapleton taking vpon him to declare which be vndoubted principles of popish doctrine do both principally relie vpoÌ„ these two They talke also of the church of councels fathers the latin translation and of rules of faith But when it commeth to the triall then whatsoeuer is not consonant to the popes doctrine and decretales that is reiected as of no value Now gladly would I haue any Iesuite that taketh himselfe to be learned for our aduersary is but a babler to prooue these groundes to be ancient Let him shew what those traditions are that are with equall reuerence to the canonicall scriptures to be receiued Let him iustifie by testimony of antiquitie that the popes decretalles are infallible rules of faith The apostle saith that the church is well and strongly built vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Iesus Christ béeing the corner stone and this foundation do all ancient fathers allow The testimony of Irenei and Athanasius I haue before alleadged Saluianus saith the church is best founded on scripture Videtur nostra ecclesia saith he c Lib. de prouid Dei 5. ex vna scriptura felicius instituta Aliae habent illam aut debilem aut conuulneratam Habent veterem magistrorum traditionem corruptam per hoc traditionem potius quà m scripturam habent Let him shew the like if he can of his decretals and traditions vnlesse he will haue his grounds to be condemned for new and naught Thirdly scriptures were neuer generally forbidden to be publikely read in vulgar toongs before the councell of Trent neither was it euer thought vnlawfull before that time for lay men to talke of matters of faith or to read scriptures priuately without the ordinaries licence Chrysostome and other ancient fathers were wont to exhort Christians to read scriptures and Christ our sauiour willed his hearers to search them and the apostle doth declare them to be very profitable which sheweth the practise of the Romish church in fraying men from scriptures to be of a late humour and inuention Fourthly the definition of the Romish church is new and of force made new to fit their new popish fancies a De eccles milit c. 2. Bellarmine defineth the church to be A company of men conioyned in one profession of faith and communion of sacraments vnder the gouernement of lawfull pastors and especially of the pope of Rome Which is neither to be shewed nor prooued out of any ancient authenticall writer For the easterne and Africane churches did neuer acknowledge this souereine authority of the pope Nor did our sauiour or his apostles teach vs any such obedience Nay they shew rather that the bishops of Rome are not to be obeyed For suppose Peter had béene bishop of Rome and the bishops of Rome his successors which will neuer be prooued in that sence as the aduersaries take it yet Paul resisted Peter and receiued no b Ibid. c. 9. authority nor grace from him which sheweth that other bishops haue no dependance or authority from the bishop of Rome albeit this proportion were granted Fiftly they make not the catholike church A communion of saintes as we professe in our créede but hâ—ld that all wicked men and c Ibid. c. 10. heretickes so they outwardly communicate with the church of Rome in faith and sacraments are true meÌ„bers of the church d Ibid. c. 2. Bellarmine saith That to make a man a part of the true church neither faith nor charitie nor any inward vertue is required Which is a méere new fancie and therefore receiued least they shoulde grant that the church in some respect shoulde be inuisible Sixtly the coÌ„fession of faith made by Pius quartus wherin al that take degrees in schoole professe a Confâ—t 28. That they firmely admit all ecclesiasticall traditions and constitutions and the Scriptures according to the Romish sence and beleeue that there are seuen sacraments and receiue the doctrine of the councell of Trent concerning originall sinne and beleeue the sacrifice of the masse and transubstantiation and the popes soueraine authority and other pointes of doctrine therein conteined is new and absurd This we shal other where declare that appeareth for that the papistes cannot produce any precedent of this confession or prooue the seuerall points of it by good argument 7. Where in our creede we beléeue the catholike church of late time the papistes haue added a word made it b Confess â—urdegaâ—ens The catholike Romaine church and in Canisius catechisme translated into Spanish by Hieronymo Campos they define him to be no catholike that beléeueth any thing beside that which the church of Rome beléeueth 8. They confesse their sinnes not to God almighty as do the ancient fathers but to the a Virgine Mary c Hortulus animae and to angels and saints 9. They haue of late b put out that commandement d Officium beatae Maria in catech that concerneth the making of grauen images like to God and worshipping them wherein they haue the worde of God and all antiquitie against them 10. In the doctrine of the law all those points wherein they shew theÌ„selues no catholikes of which wée haue spoken in the former chap. are meere nouelties as namely That all that is repugnant to the law of God is not sinne that it is mortall sinne to breake the popes lawes or commandements either concerning rites of the church or other matter which he doth vnder his curse will men to obserue that concupiscence in the regenerate is no sinne and yet that it is sinne not to faste the ember daies that the regenerate may be without sinne and that Christians may be iustified by the lawe of Moyses that the popes lawes binde in conscience and that he hath authoritie to make lawes and lastly that the law of God is not perfect but that wée are to obserue all the traditions of the church and the popes decretals 11. It is not long since they began to teach that othes do not so binde men but that the pope can dispence with them and that he is able to discharge children from
obedience to parents and subiects from obedience to princes a Lib. 2. regest f. 109. apud Ioseph Vestan de oscul pâ—d pontif Gregory the seuenth in his dictates began first to broch these fancies and to declare Quod papa â fidelitate subiectos possit absoluere The canonistes continued and increased this wicked doctrine And now the Iesuites defend it and themselues drawe children to forsake their godly and Christian parents to créepe into a Sodomiticall cloister of monkes 12 Wée do now lately learne that vnder the commandement of sanctifying the Sabaoth is conteined the obseruation of all the feasts of saints canonized by the popes of Rome For so doth b Op. catech de 3. praeâ—â—p c. 11. Canisius teach and that is now a common doctrine but certes very new 13. The precepts of the Romish church as they are called are but new deuises For if wée seeke all antiquitie wée shall not finde where the church of Christ hath coÌ„manded vs to kéepe this popes day and that popes day and to abstaine from worke on saint Francis and saint Dominikes and other canonized friers daies or where the same hath enioined Christians to heare masse or to faste Lent and imber daies and vigiles of saints and other tides according to the fashion of the church of Rome or to confesse our sinnes to Romish friers and priests or not to solemnise mariage on daies forbidden which now the c Short Catechisme and Canisius church of Rome doth kéepe more deuoutly then the lawes of God For these are those humane doctrines and voluntary worships deuised by mens owne fancies which our d Matth. 15. Sauiour Christ and the e Coloss 2. apostle condemneth The f Dâ—ut 4. law of God also forbiddeth any such additions 14. It is not long since the Franciscane friers began to dispute That the virgin Mary was conceiued without original sinne which if they had affirmed of other saints they had runne into flat Pelagianisme Lately also haue papists begun to diminish the guilt of originall sinne In the councell of Florence vnder Eugenius the fourth they first determined albeit couertly that it deserued not Poenam sensus but onely Poenam damni and that is now their common opinion 15. They haue of late deuised a multitude of new sinnes as appéereth by the enchiridion of Nauarrus which are nothing but transgressions of their newe lawes And yet they doubt not to affirme that the regenerate may liue without sinne albeit contrary to all antiquitie Nay they make it sinne ofttimes to obey the lawes of God condemning those that will not worship saints stockes and stones and rotten bones and rags and which obey lawfull princes vnlawfully excommunicate by the pope 16. It is but a late fantasie that all men are to satisfie for the guilt of actuall sinnes for which they haue not satisfied in this life in purgatorie For Gregory the Dialogist albeit hée allow purgatorie for veniall sinnes yet hée hath not one word of these satisfactions Neither were the same determined before the councell of Florence vnder Eugenius the fourth 17. The rules of monkes and friers whereby they pretend that they follow euangelical counsels are also very new Hée that first brought in the orders of monkes into the westerne church was Benet of Nursia The friers were founded by Francis and Dominike The Iesuites had their patron Ignatius his rule allowed first by Paul the third And he is their founder and the ground of their antiquitie 18. The scholasticall diuinitie which is a mixture of fathers authorities philosophicall subtilties and papall decretals began from Peter Lombard some eleuen hundred yéeres after Christ The canon law began from the time of Gregory the ninth and this is the originall of their late diuinitie and lawe 19. a De verbo Dei Lib. 1. c. 3. Bellarmine saith That the new testament is nothing else but the loue of God shed in our harts by the holy ghost Which sheweth that the gospell and new testament of papistes is a new gospell differing from that of Christ Iesus For Christes testament was b Matth. 26. established by his bloud and is a couenant concerning remission of sinnes most especially but charity is wrought by the holy ghost in those that are already reconciled by the blood of the testament Chrysostome Theodoret and others writing vpon the second to the Corinthians chap. 3 Say That the spirite quickning is the grace of God that remitteth our sinnes And if charity were the new testament then Christ died in vaine For charity might then haue satisfied for all and established this new testament albeit Christ had not died which is most vntrue and blasphemous The perfection of the gospell they place In c Bellar. de monach c. 7. 8. 9. voluntarie pouerty abstinence from mariage and obedience to monasticall rules But this is a new perfection and a new gospell For Christes gospell neither commaundeth nor counselleth any to liue vnder monasticall vowes nor wilfully to make himselfe poore nor to forsweare mariage Neither did Christ euer account widowers or vnmaried men or wastefull giuers of their goods to monasteries or monkes more perfect then his apostles or other Christians 20. The holy apostle doth a Rom. 3. teach vs that we are iustified by grace and faith in Christ without workes and this he b Rom. 4. prooueth by the example of Abraham who albeit he was faithfull and the father of the faithfull yet was he not iustified by workes But the Iesuites and papistes speake of philosophicall iustice and say that none is iustified nor obteineth eternall life but by his workes and by charity 21. The distinction and doctrine of our First iustice and Second iustice and of Explicit and Implicit faith and likewise of Faith formed and Informed is all new and borowed rather from Philosophers then diuines Nay a great part of their faith standing vpon new decretals and the determinations of their Romish church is new and scarce yet setled séeing they are bounde to beléeue the future determinations of the church as well as those that are alreadie passed c Lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 12. Bellarmine saith It is a matter of faith to beleeue that the pope hath succeeded Peter in the gouernment of the vniuersall church The which the church neuer receiued albeit the popes flatterers haue gone much about to perswade it 22. That by congruitie a man may deserue grace and that men vnregenerate may dispose themselues to receiue grace by force of their frée will is both new and false if wée looke backe to Christes true religion The apostle saith that Without faith it is impossible to please God And Saint d De vocat gent. lib. 1. c. 3. Ambrose saith That without true religion that which seemeth to be vertue is sinne Saint e De vera innocentia c. 56. Augustine saith That the whole life of Infidels is sinne And the councell of f Can. 6.
Arausicane condemneth all those that say That grace or mercy is conferred on those that will seeke and endeuour and not by Gods spirite conferred on vs and which so doth cause vs to will seeke and endeuour And certes strange it were if men dead in trespasses and sinnes coulde worke or that a man could liue the life of grace without faith 23 The doctrine of doubting of remission of sinnes of Gods fauour and of our saluation was first established by the late a Sâ—ss 6. councell of Trent and is contrarie to the Scriptures and faith of ancient fathers and the nature of faith that worketh in vs not a doubting but a sure perswasion and finally it maketh faith a doctrine of vniuersal propositions without application Nay it doth not onely frustrate the truth of Gods promises and effect of the sacraments and powrefull working of the holy Ghost but doth take away all comfort from Christians 24. That there are iust seuen Sacraments and neither more nor lesse was first b In instruct Armen deliuered by the councell of Florence vnder Eugenius the fourth and afterward confirmed by the c Sâ—ss 7. councell of Trent about 40. yeeres agone then also was it d Ibid. determined that All these seuen sacraments were instituted by Christ Iesus and those pronounced accursed that should say contrary How falsly I haue before shewed how newly it may appéere by the aâ—uersaries silence that being vrged to shew testimony of antiquitie rest mute 25. That the forme of confirmation now vsed by the Romanistes is new the decrée of the e In Instruct Armen Florentine councell about the yéere 1423. that then established it may ascertaine vs. The papists themselues being vrged ad exhibendum cannot prooue this forme Signo te signo crucis confirmo te chrismate salutis to bée more ancient 26. That spirituall gossips might not entermarrie and that such mariages being contracted shoulde not bée of force and that mariages contracted may bée dissolued by entring into religion or that by consent the husband and wife may sunder themselues proceedeth onely from the new forge of popish inuention 27 From thence also procéede diuers greasings saltings spittings and other ceremonies in baptisme From the apostles certes or their next successors they cannot be deriued 28. The doctrine of transubstantiation was first f C. firmiter de summa Trin. fid Cath. established by Innocent the third about the yéere 1212. and after that renewed in the councell of Florence Trent Before that councell it was scarce named any where But were it by any named yet can it not either by scriptures or fathers be prooued as Scotus and Petrus de Alliaco and others writing vpon the sentences do seeme to confesse 29. Vrbane the fourth vpon a reuelation of a certaine Anachorete called Eue did first institute the feast of Corpus Christi and the same was reordeined by Clement the fift in the councell of Vienna about the yéere of our Lord 1311. Honorius the third about the yéere of our Lord 1220. did first ordeine that the sacrament shoulde be worshipped But this idolatrous adoration of the sacrament and the carying of it about in procession and kéeping it in pyxes sauoureth of noueltie 30. In ancient time it was neuer heard that dogs and mise and other brute beastes did receiue Christs glorified bodie Nay the schooles themselues are deuided about this question although the more blasphemous opinion bée nowe approoued and the woorst side hath gotten the victorie 31. In ancient time the Lords supper or eucharist was neuer receiued of one alone The auncient a Can. apost 9. canons of the church excommunicate all those which are present at the oblation do not communicate Our Sauiour Christ did institute it to bée deliuered and distributed to others and not to bée deuoured by the priest alone But in the masse the priest eateth and drinketh all alone 32. Among ancient Christians it was neuer taught nor beléeued that either the accidents of bread and wine did subsist without dependance on their substance or that Christes bodie was in the sacrament without all dimensions or properties of a naturall body which all authoritie of fathers notwithstanding of late time the schoolemen haue taught and the popes of Rome haue established and confirmed by their decretals 33. In the ancient fathers of the church Species sacramentales do neuer signifie accidents as the deceiued papistes take it Speciem pro veritate accipiendam legimus saith b de ijs qui initiantur mysterijs c. 4. Ambrose c Ibid. c. 9. Et ante benedictionem alia species nominatur where species doth signifie a substance Idem cibus illorum qui noster saith d In Psal 77. Augustine sed significatione idem non specie e Apud Bedam in 1. Cor. 11. Againe Vt sit visibilis species panis multa grana in vnum consperguntur And that is the signification of the Latine worde species 34. That the sacrament of the Lordes supper is also an externall and propitiatorie sacrifice auaileable for quicke and dead and to so many purposes as the papists pretend is also a late fantasie of priestes deuised for their owne gaine and receiued of the people of méere ignorance of Christes institution 35. Our Sauiour Christ did ordeine that as many as receiued the Sacrament of the Lordes body shoulde also receiued the sacrament of his blood and that this was the true institution it appéereth by the a 1. Cor. 11. apostles doctrine that diligently setteth downe the wordes of the institution The same also was b Ignat. ad Philadelph Dionys eccles hierarch Chrys hom 18. in 2. Corinth continued in the church of Christ for many ages Neâ—ther was the contrarie established before the late councels of Constance and Trent 36. The partes of the masse were first formed by one scholasticus and encreased and altered by diuers popes and in diuers hundred yéeres coulde not bee brought to any perfection 37. In ancient time Scriptures were publikely read and praiers saide in toongs commonly vnderstoode of the people If I pray in a strange toong saith the c 1. Cor. 14. apostle my spirite praieth but my vnderstanding is without fruite Neither was there euer act made to the contrary but by the d Conc. Trent sess 22. Constit Thom. Arundel Romish synagogue of late time 38. In the apostolike churches neither were there masses nor praiers made in honour of angels of the blessed virgin and other saints Nor had the blessed Virgin a peculiar Psalter and office dedicated vnto her If wée search all antiquitie wée shall not finde where after the Lordes praier the salutation of the blessed virgin with a praier to her is placed Nor are there speciall Litanies to her and to saints in old liturgies to be found 39. The apostles and their successors neither taught vs to make the images of God and of the holy Trinitie nor to
worship the crosse with diuine worship or the images and reliques of saints with all deuotion and seruice Nay this worship is contrary to the second commandement and condemned by the councell of Eliberis by Epiphanius and all ancient fathers 40. The Romish missals breuiaries offices and psalters of our Lady primers and other rituall bookes wherein the whole worship of the Romish church is conteined receiue all their authoritie from Pius quintus Gregory the 13. corrected the Calendar and published the same after his owne fashion neither agréeing with truth nor with antiquitie 41. It is not long since the popes of Rome tooke vpon them to a De reliq venerat sanct c. 1. 2. in gloss canonise saints and after a heathen fashion to put them in the calendar of popish demy Gods Neither the apostles nor the auncient fathers did euer know anie such thing 42. The b Manual di Geronymo Campos rosaries and beades of our Lady conteining 63. Aue mariaes and .7 Pater nosters which are now much reckoned of in Spaine and Italy are but a new tricke of some late pope to get mony 43. The manner of the sanctifying of the paschall lambe as it is prescribed in the Romish missall is very strange in the church of Christ All ancient fathers condemne it as an odde tricke of Iudaisme 44. Ancient Christians had no mediators but Christ Iesus neither did they pray to our lady or to saintes or to angels but to God in the name of Christ Iesus 45. Neither had they any priests consecrated to sacrifice for quicke and dead as haue the papistes Nay as the apostle saith they beléeued that Christ was a priest after the order of Melchizedech without succession and that the sacrifice which he made was not to be reiterated 46. The doctrine of penance which the schoolemen first began to talke of was not setled before the councell of Florence and Trent If our aduersaries will néedes maintaine the contrary let them shew first where the ancient fathers teach that priuate penance consisteth of thrée parts to witte Contrition Confession and Satisfaction and how these are nothing without Absolution which they account to be the forme of penance Secondly let them shew that auriculer confession was receiued in the Westerne church before the c C. omnis vtriusque sexus de Poenit. remiss constitution of Innocent the third that first established that order Thirdly that certaine cases were specially reserued to the bishop of Romes absolution in time of the ancient fathers Fourthly that all Christians did make satisfaction to God for their actuall sinnes Lastly that in times past either contrition differed from satisfaction or absolution went before satisfaction or that noâ—e were reconciled to God but such as were confessed to priests and did satisfie according to their pleasures 47. The councell of Trent did likewise innouate diuers things iâ— the ordination of bishops and priests For the friers there determined that there were 7. orders and euery of these a sacrament and yet but all one sacrament which séemeth very enigmaticall They decréed That priests should be shauen and greazed that by the act of ordination there was a print made in their soules which they call An inuisible character matters very new and strange 48. In ancient time neither were monkes permitted to execute the office of priests nor were any ordeined bishops but such as did feede their flockes The dumbe bishops and boy-cardinalles and prelates of the Romish synagogue are but new creatures of the pope brought in onely to confirme and establish his new tyranny 49. Purgatory was not established before the late councels of Florence and Trent Neither was any part of it knowne in ancient time Saint Augustine began first to talke of purgatory for veniall sinnes and after his time Gregory that made the dialogues beléeued that veniall sinnes were indéede remitted in purgatory The schoolemen added that satisfactions for penance inioyned and not accomplished in this life were there to be performed They also haue of late begun to talke much of the popes power and of the merites of masses in purgatory but as yet they are not agréed about the same nor about many other such like matters 50. The yéere of Iubiley was a Constit Pauli 2. ordeined first by Boniface the eight and afterward altered by Clement the fift and last of all brought to twentie fiue yéeres by Paul the second But not borrowed from Christians but either from the heathen that euery hundred yéere had Luâ—os seculares or from the Iewes that euery 50. yeeres celebrated a Iubiley and now agréeing neither with Iewes Gentiles nor christians 51. That the popes indulgences depend vpon the late popes authoritie without proofe out of Scriptures or fathers the patrons of them that are ingenuous do confesse b Artâ— 18. aduers assert Lutherâ— Fisher sometime bishop of Rochester saide That before purgatorie was feared no man sought for indulgences and that in the beginning of the church there was no vse of them Quamdiu saith hée nulla fuerat de purgatorio cura nemo quaesiuit indulgentias And afterward In initio nascentis ecclesiae nullus fuerat earum vsus Such indulgences as are mentioned in the booke of Pardons of Rome are meere forgeries and fooleries In the church of Saint Paule at Rome saith the booke Yee haue 48. thousand yeeres of pardon on the day of his conuersion a hundred yeeres of pardon on Childermasse daie fower thousand yeere of pardon For kissing two iron crosses at S. Peters church doore fiue hundred yeeres of pardon On the feast day of Saint Peter 1000. yeeres of pardon And for looking on one of the pence for which our Sauiour was solde 1400. yeeres of pardon In the church of Saint Marie maior yee haue fowerteene thousand yeeres of pardon And Blessed be the mother saith our author that beareth the childe that heareth masse on Saturday at Saint Iohn of Lateran For he deliuereth al them that he desireth out of purgatory to the number of 77. soules Hée saith further That on the tower of the church standeth a double crosse that was made of the sworde that Saint Iohn was beheaded with and that at euery time that a man beholdeth that crosse hee hath 14000. yeeres of pardon and as many karines of all penance And infinite such indulgences are granted by popes in that booke Pope Gregory the 13. a In Constit Gregor per Petr. Matth. sent ouer his indulgence of Iubiley into England and no doubt but that this pope either hath or will do the like O simple creatures that buie such trash and suffer themselues to be abused with such nouelties and fooleries as beséeme neither christian religion nor common reason 52. The popes penitentiaries taxe which conteineth the rates of absolutions For murders Parricides Rapines Periuries Adulteries Incests Sodomitry yea and Apostacy and Turkish blasphemies I thinke our aduersaries will not denie but that it is most new 53.
Gregory the first albeit he would not haue images of saintes broken downe yet condemned the worship of them and Epiphanius vtterly misliked the vsing them and setting them vp in churches which sheweth the antiquitie or rather noueltie of imagery or to say better idolatry in churches The second Nicene councell celebrated about the 774 yéere of our Lord and the fathers there were the first that went about to establish the worship of images but that idolatrous synode was oppugned by the councell of Francford and of long time after could not generally be receiued 54. In times past Christians were wont reuerently to entombe holy Martyrs and to call vpon God at their monuments But now the miserable papistes of late time haue begun to dig them out of their graues and to kisse rotten bones and ragges and to worship them and to pray to the martyrs nay to worship those that are no martyrs And euery day as there is no end of mans curiositie they make more saints and institute more pilgrimages and masses in their honor Of late time they haue begun to frequent the Lady of Loreto of Monserrat of lames of Compostella and infinite other such like saintes and places 55. By a late decrée of the councell of Florence about the yéere of our Lord 1434. The pope was declared to be head of the vniuersall church and Christes true vicar and Peters successor in the gouernment of the vniuersall church which declareth the noueltie of the papacie 56. That the pope was aboue the councell was decréed in our fathers time by Leo the tenth in the Councell of Laterane Which sheweth that till then it was commonly holden that the gouernment of the vniuersall church was aristocraticall and not monarchicall and that the councell was reputed supreme iudge of controuersies of faith and all ecclesiasticall matters and not the pope 57. In ancient time the pope neither was borne vppon mens shoulders nor had his féete kissed of great princes nor wore the crosse in his slippers to shew that hée treadeth down religion with his féete Nor had hée a triple crowne on his head nor was hée garded with bandes of soldiers nor attended on by princes and cardinals nor had he swarmes of friers and monkes to defend all his pretenses and claimes Quod solius papae pedes principes de osculentur wée read first in Gregorie the seuenth his dictates the rest we find in later records of the popes ceremonies 58. It is not long since that the pope hath vsurped power ouer generall councels and taken vpon him sole power to call them dissolue them and confirme their actes For in ancient time the councell iudged the pope as appéereth by diuers councels of Rome and by the late councell of Pisa where Alexander the fift was chosen pope and by the councell of Constance where thrée popes were deposed and by the councell of Basilea that deposed Eugenius the fourth 59. Of late time the pope hath taken on him power to make lawes to binde the whole church and to place and displace bishops and prelats at his pleasure Lately also hath hée begun to beare himselfe as supreme doctor and iudge in matters of religion in hearing of appeales out of all prouinces and in excommunicating of princes and emperors throughout the worlde 60. Vntill Boniface the 9. his time he was not Lord of Rome nor did hée beare himselfe as a temporall prince for that is testified by Theodorie of Niem and diuers other writers of histories 61. Gregorie the seuenth was the first that tooke on him to depose emperors as appeareth by his dictates and by his bloody warres Before his time it was a rare matter to sée a pope intermeddle with warres or gouernement of kingdoms After the time of Gregory these that pretend to be Peters successors prooued the onely firebrandes of all the warres and troubles in christendome 62. Before Innocent the third his time it was neuer adiudged a matter capital to thinke otherwise of religion or the sacraments of the church then the pope of Rome beléeued and taught He first persequuted Christians with all extremities and now it is the popes common practise to kill all religious Christians that shall contradict his vsurpations 63. In ancient time the popes were confirmed by emperors and neuer durst pretend a right to depose princes Now they deny any to be emperor but such as is sacred by the pope and do take to themselues power to depose princes and to cause subiectes to rebell against them 64. The first Christians albeit not tyed to emperors by oath yet neuer rebelled against wicked emperors But now the pope causeth Christians to breake their othes and they are made to beléeue that it is meritorious to rebell against princes excommunicate by the pope and to murder them Neither may we thinke it was want of meanes that made them to be obedient For a Ad Scapulam Tertullian saith that where they were the strōger yet they neuer tooke on them to fight against their princes 65. The first Christians serued God in spirite and truth and were knowne by their modestie and vertue But the religion of papists consisteth all in eating red herrings and fish in fasting knocking knéeling greasing shauing crossing ringing and outward ceremonies At Rome and in Spaine Italy are common bordels and bankes of vsurie and such dissolution that the very heathens might not compare with them Swearing whooring killing are small faultes among them so they meddle not with the popes authoritie and religion Finally for that it is not possible to rehearse all particulars I say and by Gods grace shall prooue that the whole religion of papists which wée reiect is nothing but a packe of nouelties and heresies and the corruption of true catholike and Christian religion Wherefore as in this chapter we haue noted their nouelties so in the chapter ensuing wée purpose to make good our challenge concerning their heresies which being performed I hope it will largely appéere that they are no catholikes CHAP. III. That the papists do publikely professe and teach diuers erronious points of doctrine by the ancient catholike church condemned for heresies AS in deceitfull language so in erronious iudgement the Iesuites and Romish priestes are not vnlike to the women called a Philostrat in Apollonio Horat. carm Lib. 1. Lamiae For as the flattring Lamiae by their externall shewes and faire wordes deceiued and spoiled many yoong men so these flattering and fawning fauorites of the whoore of Babylon abuse many simple youthes with their faire glosses and allure them to like the errors and heresies of poperie to their vtter ruine and destruction And as the Lamiae were verie quicke sighted when they came abroad and pierced farre into other mens matters yet were altogether blinde at home and ignorant in their owne affaires so these good fellowes although they are alwaies prying into other mens matters and pretend that they can looke through mill-stones yet are they altogither
blinde and see nothing in their owne causes They do very well verifie that which Sophocles saide long since 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their eies are as sharp as eagles when they looke a farre off and they sée small motes in other mens eies but sée nothing at home nor féele the beame that is in their owne eies If any of vs offend neuer so little nay ofttimes when wée maintaine true doctrine they presently exclaime that wée are heretikes and with their cries stirre vp the worlde against vs but they do little consider their domesticall matters and sée not how many heresies themselues maintaine Nay when wée shew it plainly vnto them they will not open their eies nor acknowledge any But howsoeuer their impudence maketh them confident in their denials yet shall it appéere to all men of discourse and iudgement that no sect did euer maintaine so many and so diuers heresies as the papists do Neither when I charge them with heresie do I impute vnto them Peter Lombardes Thomas Aquinas Caietanes Eckius Gregorius de Valentia Bellarmines or other their priuate doctors particular opinions for then shoulde wée make no ende in rehearsing their heresies but onely such matters as papists commonly and publikely do maintaine and the popes of Rome authorize and our aduersaries I thinke will not denie First as the a Rom. 2. 3. Iewes and especially the scribes and b Luk. 18. pharisées rested in the law and gloried in their workes and c Rom. 2. Galat. 3. sought to be iustified by their workes and by the law so the papistes do define iustice to be nothing else but charity and the obseruance of the law and by this iustice they hope to merite eternall life and this the assembly of doctors at d Sess 6. Trent doth determine and all papistes hold Neither may we thinke that the apostle condemneth those onely that sought iustice by the workes of the ceremoniall law or of frée will before regeneration for he e Rom. 4. saith That Abraham was not iustified by workes of the law And speaking of himselfe he f 1. Cor. 4. saith That although he was not conscious to himselfe of any thing yet he was not thereby iustified Secondly the sect of the pharisées was condemned for that They a Marc. 7. made voide the law of God by their owne traditions Reprobastis mandatum dei per seniorum vestrorum traditionem saith our Sauiour speaking to the pharisées They were likewise reprooued for their diligence in making proselytes Circuitis mare aridam saith our b Matth. 23. Sauiour vt faciatis vnum proselytum accessoriū cum factus fuerit facitis illum filiū Gehennae duplo plus quà m vos estis The pharisées also stoode much vpon externall ceremonies but deuoured widowes houses They loued preheminence in méetinges and to be called Rabbi Dicebantur pharisaei saith c Haeres 16. ante Christum Epiphanius eo quod separati essent ab alijs propter spontaneam superfluam religionem apud ipsos receptam He doth also mislike in them their vowes of cōtinency and their sléeping on thornes and boords and their superstitious fashions in praying and lastly condemneth them for that they allow fatum or destinye All which notwithstanding the papistes make speciall reckoning of their traditions and d Sess 4. Concil Trid. account them equall to Gods written word and yet they are in diuers pointes repugnant to Gods lawes and holy scriptures as for example the tradition of making images of the holy trinity and worshipping of stockes and stones and saintes departed is contrary to the first and second commaundement The Iesuites and priests trauell land and sea to reconcile men to the pope and to make recusants and proselytes to the synagogue of Rome and whē they haue inueigled simple people they go about to make them as vnnaturall traytors as themselues they deuour widdowes houses and impouerish poore orphanes by séeking meanes and reuenues to maintaine their owne faction and colledges They striue much for externall ceremonies and are called Fathers and Rabbi and are now the ringleaders of all the popish faction They say they are more perfect then others and seuer themselues from other Christians They lye vpon the ground and lash themselues sometimes and in their manner of superfluous religion are very singular Finally both they and the e Thom. Aqu. 1. p. q. 116. art 2. 3. 4. schoolemen do allow of fatum and subiect all second causes vnto it and in diuers of their opinions and fashions are very pharisaicall The scribes were likewise f Epiphan in haeres 15. ante Christ reputed sectaries and heretickes for that They brought in a superfluous and sophisticall exposition of the law Epiphanius doth call it Supersophisticam expositionem They were likewise a Ibidem condemned For their often washings and purifyings and for that they accounted themselues more holy then others Why then should not the popish schoolemen and other doctors be likewise reputed heretickes and sectaries for their vaine and sophistical expositions whereby they haue forced the scriptures to contrary and not onely to diuers purposes from that of the holy ghost Do they not also vse often puryfyings and halowings of altars churches vestementes and diuers instruments of their profane priesthood Do they not wash themselues with holy water and account their sectes of monkes and friers in the state of perfection and far more holy then the vulgar sort of Christians It cannot be denyed The papistes do likewise dayly sprinkle themselues with holy water thinking thereby themselues to be purged and clensed from veniall sinnes Yet as b In haeres 17. ante Christum Epiphanius saith Neither can droppes nor riuers of waters nor the whole ocean wash away sinnes The Hemerobaptistes for these continuall washings and for that they imagined that they were thereby clensed from their sinnes are by c Ibidem Epiphanius numbred in the catalogue of Iewish heretickes d Epiphan haeres 13. ante Christum The Dositheans were a sect of heretickes among the Iewes and so reputed for their affectate virginity and abstinence from the vse of mariage béeing married Likewise for their voluntary fastings and for the diuers voluntary afflictions of their bodies What then is to be thought of the papists that allow these voluntary whippings and afflictions and extraordinary fastings and thinke to merite heauen by them Among them likewise diuers account it great holynesse for married couples to liue a sunder and to creepe into monasteries for which they do wel deserue to créepe into the catalogue of heretikes Among the heretikes that rose after the first planting of Christian religion Simon Magus and his followers are commonly reputed the ringleaders Of them the papistes haue learned to buy and sell benefices churches masses and all spirituall things Nay these e Apocal. 18. merchantes of Babylon sell mens soules Venalia nobis saith f
places and altars as the sacrament is Who doth not perceiue that Christes humanitie was abolished if as the fathers holde the vnion of the natures was like to the vnion of Christes body in the sacrament especially if the substance of bread wine be quite abolished This is most certaine that both a Vbi supra Theodoret and b Contra Eutychen Gelasius do confute Eutyches by this reason for That the substance of the bread remaineth in the Sacrament which being denied by the papists it is plaine that they bring in Eutychianisme The papists also in many points conspire with the enimies of the grace of God the Pelagians First both Pelagians and papists define sinne to bée not whatsoeuer is repugnant to gods law but that is committed of frée will and by him that vnderstandeth what hee doth Propriè vocatur peccatum saie the Pelagians quod libera voluntate à sciente committitur This is the grounde of Pelagius going about to ouerthrow the traduction of originall sinne in the posteritie of Adam as appéereth by Saint Augustines disputations against him concerning this point And that also the c Censur Colon. fol. 44. Iesuites of Collein expressely do hold The Pelagians do teach that a iust man in this life may be without sinne Hoc Pelagiani audent dicere hominem iustum in hac vita omnino nullum habere peccatum saith Saint d De bono perseuerant lib. 2. c. 5. Augustine The papists likewise beléeue that the regenerate are cléere of mortall sinne and not onely that but also may liue without sinne The Pelagians teach That concupiscence by baptisme is sanctified and being before euill afterward beginneth not to be euill which doctrine Saint e Contra Iulian. lib. 6. c. 6. Augustine calleth very absurd yet is that the doctrine of the councell of Trent and of all papists Both papists and Pelagians do builde vpon one foundation and say that therefore concupiscence after baptisme is no sinne for that the guilt is remitted in baptisme The Pelagians would not grant that the Gentiles and Infidels sinned in all their actions nor that their actions were sinne as done without faith as Saint f Contra Iulian lib. 4. c. 3. Augustine sheweth proouing the contrarie The same doctrine the papists receiue for catholike The Pelagians sometimes were a Augustin contra 2. epist Pelag. c 19. woont to say In omni bono opere homineÌ„ semper adiuuari à gratia b Ibidem lib. 4. c. 6. gratiam adiuuare bonum euiusque propositum But their meaning was that God gaue his grace to them that disposed themselues and whose frée will was ready to receiue grace Which is also the doctrine of preparations and dispositions commonly taught by papists so that notwithstanding their faire pretenses of grace they yéeld a great part of the glory of our conuersion to our owne frée will The papists say That sinne is subiect to our will so likewise the Pelagians say c Augustin lib. 1. de gratia Christi c. 28. Nos forte firmum habere ad non peccandum liberum arbitrium And saint d Lib. 2. de baptis Augustine teacheth vs that this doctrine is Pelagianisme The papists say that God is ready with his grace if hée sée a mans soule readie and prepared to receiue it They also beleeue that a naturall man may desire his owne conuersion But Saint e Contr. epist Pelag. lib. 4. c. 6. lib. 2. c. 5. 8. de Gratia lib. 1. c. 14. Augustine teacheth vs that these were the propositions of the Pelagians They also both do vse the same reasons to prooue the strength of frée will as first that wée are commaunded to choose secondly that God woulde not commaund vs thinges impossible Magnum aliquid se scire putant Pelagiani quando dicunt non iuberet Deus quod sciret ab homine non posse perfici as Saint f De Grat. c. 16. cont epist Pelag. lib. 2. c. 10. Augustine testifieth Therefore Thomas Brandwardine doubteth not to call the popish schoolemen Pelagians Totus penè mundus g Lib. 1. de Grat. aduers Pelag. saith hée post Pelagium in errorem abijt exurge Deus iudica causam tuam Hée wrote about thrée hundred yéeres agone The Donatistes as Saint h De haeres c. 69. Augustine writeth beléeued that the church was onely conteined in Afrike and in the obedience or part of Donatus quod ecclesia Christ in Africa Donati parte remanserit as he saith They did also rebaptize catholike Christians So likewise the papists beléeue that to be the church that continueth in the obedience of the pope and reteineth communion with the church of Rome and of late time haue not doubted in France and Flanders to rebaptize children before baptized The Circumcellions thought it meritorious to kill those that were contrarie to their sect Immania facinora perpetrando as S. a De haeres c. 69. Augustine saith Nay that holy man had much a doe to escape their handes So likewise the papists teach that it is meritorious to kill princes opposite to the popish faction Sixtus quintus that shamelesse frier did highly commend b La fulmiminante Iames Clement that killed Henry the third of France Iohn Ghineard a Iesuite did maintaine this doctrine and was therefore by arrest of the parliament of Paris executed By these desperate assassins the papists haue diuers waies sought to murder the Quéenes Maiestie haue most shamefully murdred the Prince of Orenge Iames the Regent of Scotland and diuers other christian princes Alphonsus Diazius did most wickedly murder his owne brother trauailing as farre as froÌ„ Rome into Germany to commit that act and for the same was by the pope not onely defended but commended The Auâ—â—ans or Anthropomorphites did imagine God to haue a humane shape and partes like a mortall man Cogitatione carnali saith c De haeres c. â—0 Augustine Deum fingebant in similitudinem hominis corruptibilis And likewise do the papists imagine when they make the images of God the father and the holy ghost and the whole Trinitie The d Sess 25. councell of Trent doth permit the diuinitie to bée figured Diuinitatem ex primi figurari But how can this bee done vnlesse they beléeue either their god to bée like their images or their images like their god Origen beléeued that sinnes might bée purged and done away after this life and therefore e Augustin de haeres c. 43. imagined That euen the wicked after a long time shoulde bee saued And certes if sins may bée purged by fire why shoulde not mortall sinnes as well bée washed away as veniall And if man bée able to satisfie for the guilt of mortall sinne after this life and so bée quited from them why shoulde not euery one satisfie in hell for his sinnes And why shoulde a debt bée exacted when satisfaction is made In this
saith d Lib. 2. paert 1. Occham est dogma falsum fidei contrarium orthodoxae e Apud Matth. Paris in Hen. 3. Robert Grosthed saith That heresie is an opinion chosen of humane vnderstanding contrary to Scripture and either openly taught or defended f Apud Dionys Carth. in 3. sent dist 31. Durande signifieth That heresie is onely an opinion contrary to canonicall Scripture Opinio ista g Aen. Sylu. de gest concil Basil lib. 1. saith he non est haeretica quia non est contra canonicam scripturam The h councell of Basill doth determine him to bée an heretike That doth reiect the catholike faith deduced out of canonicall scriptures and prooued by fathers Séeing then the papists haue caused a great diuision from the apostlike and ancient church and haue taught other doctrine contrarie to that of Christ Iesus and haue corrupted the verie déepest mysteries of Christian religion and haue digressed from apostolicall rules and taught doctrine contrary to Christian faith to the catholike church of former times and finally to canonicall scriptures as may appéere by their groundes of faith by their legends and decretals by their Tridentine doctrine concerning the Gospell and the lawe by their idolatrous masse by their worshipping of saints nay of stockes and stones ragges and rotten bones by their rebellion against princes and their allowance of the gouernment of the pope there is no question to bée made but that papists are cleerely heretikes CHAP. IIII. That the church of Rome is not the true church of Christ NOw if the pope and his faction the papists bée heretikes then doth it necessarily follow thereof that they are not the true church For the true church kéepeth the faith sounde and intire But these a 1. Tim. 1. Haue made shipwracke of faith Heretikes are gone out from vs bicause they are not of vs as saint b 1. Iohn 2. Iohn saith Those of the true church are of the houshold of faith and the apostles heires But heretikes are strangers as c De praescrip aduers haeret Tertullian saith and maintaine doctrine contrary to the apostles Heretikes as d In dialog contr Lucifer Hierome saith Are not the church of Christ but the synagogue of antichrist Againe if the church of Rome haue altered and innouated Christes religion then can it not bée the true church for That e 1. Tim. 6. doth faithfully keepe the faith committed to her in deposte and auoideth all prophane nouelties shée f Ibidem kéepeth Gods commandements without addition or blemish Catholica ecclesia sedula cauta depositorum apud se dogmatuÌ„ custos nihil in ijs vnquam permutat nihil minuit nihil addit as saith g Contra haeres c. 32. Vincentius Lirinensis Contrariwise h Ibidem c. 36. Heretikes not content with the ancient rule of faith are daily seeking out nouelties and are desirous to adde to change to take away Further if the faith of the church of Rome bée not catholike and generall and that which our Sauiour commanded his apostles to teach all nations then is not that the true church For as wée beléeue the church to bée catholike so we beléeue that the faith thereof is catholike and vniuersall We may not follow the pope of Rome nor the bishop of Ierusalem or Alexandria but the catholike church and that wée shall do if wée embrace that faith which the whole church throughout the worlde confesseth Sequemur vniuersitatem saith i Aduers haeres c. 3. Vincentius Lirinensis si hanc vnam fidem veram esse fateamur quam tota per orbem terraruÌ„ confitetur ecclesia If any haue a singular faith beside that which alwaies and in all places hath béene taught by the apostles and their true successors wée are not to harken to them No a Deut. 13. Although a Prophet or great learned man rise vp among vs yet are wée not to listen to him This may bée sufficient to teach vs that the synagogue of Rome is not that church whereto wée are to resort and adioine our selues But forsomuch as heretikes as apes imitate men so counterfeit to bée the true church as b Epist ad Iubatan Cyprian telleth vs and euery societie and company of heretikes do thinke themselues to bée christians and beare themselues bolde on the name of the catholike church as c Lib. 4. instit c. 30. Lactantius writeth and considering that the church of Rome hath long abused the worlde with the maske of the true church I thought it very requisite in this chapter briefly to set downe such arguments as may cléerely demonstrate what shée is and so much the rather for that many simple soules haue héeretofore béene seduced and perswaded that Rome is the citie of God and that chaste spouse of Christ which loueth and serueth none but him If our aduersary will needes call the same the catholike church yet let him first peruse and answere our arguments as they are héere laide downe in order First then we both confesse that the church of Christ is built vpon Christ Iesus No man saith the d 1. Cor. 3. apostle can lay any other foundation beside that which already is layd which is Christ Iesus He is e Isai 28. that Corner stone that is e Isai 28. placed in the foundation of Sion He is that f Matth. 16. Rocke vpon which the church is built Super hanc petram quam confessus es saith saint g Ser. 13. de verb. Dom. Augustine super hanc petram quam cognouisti dicens tu es Christus filius dei aedificabo ecclesiam meam id est super meipsum filium dei viui aedificabo ecclesiam meam Other fathers h Ambros in c. 9. Luc. Cyrill lib. 4. de Trinit that say the church is built either vpon The confession or faith of Peter or else vpon Peter himselfe do vnderstand indirectlie Christ Iesus whome he confessed and on whome he beléeued and on whome Peter was built But the church of Rome is built vpon the pope and vpon the papacy Est Petri fedes saith i In praefat in lib. de pontif Rom. Bellarmine lapis probatus angularis pretiosus in fundamento fundatus He k Lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 3. saith also That the pope is the foundation of the building of the church and goeth about to prooue it by certeine words of Hierome who neuer thought any such matter a Sanders his rocke of the church Sanders doth endeuour to prooue That the popes are the immooueable rocke of the church b Contr. Saâ—eelâ—â— Turrian because Christ saith Aedificabo ecclesiam meam non aedifico ecclesiaÌ„ meam concludeth that the popes of future times are vnderstood and this is the common opinion of all papists How then can that be the true church that is built vpon a diuers foundation and either neglecting or not greatly caring for Christ Iesus the
principall rocke doth wholy rely vpon the popes of Rome men neither like to Christ nor like to Peter nor like to a rocke Vnlesse it be in that they deny Christ and are as hard harted against Christians as if they were rockes Secondly the faith of the true catholike church is built vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets and their canonicall doctrine The apostle c Ephes 2. saith That the houshold of God and citizens of saintes are built vpon the foundations of the apostles and prophets S. d Apocal. 25. Iohn sheweth That the wall of the city of God hath twelue foundations and in them the names of the twelue apostles The church is built not vpon Peter onely as saint e Lib. aduers â—â—in Hierome saith but vpon all the apostles At dicis super Petrum fundatur ecclesia licèt id ipsum in alio loco super omnes apostolos cuncti claues regni caelorum accipiant ex aequo super eos ecclesiae fortitudo solidetur The church of God saith f In Ephes 2. Theophylact is built vpon the apostles and prophets And all this is therefore affirmed of them because they preached not themselues but Christ Iesus and wrote the canonicall scriptures that they might be as g Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 1. Irenaeus saith The foundation of our faith Vnto this foundation the ancient fathers do all giue testimony But the faith of the Romish synagogue is built vpon the determinations decretals of popes They count their determinations to be infallible and make them souereine iudges of all controuersies in Christes stead Alij nunc à Christo missi saith h In praefat in relect in prinâ—ip doct Stapleton eorumue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locum habebunt He plainely i Ibidem confesseth that the papists haue another foundation of their faith besides the scriptures Christianae religionis fundamentum habemus saith he ab ipsis literis euangelicis apostolicis aliud And k Lib. 4. de verb. Dei c. 4. Bellarmine disputing of traditions calleth them the word of God not written and saith That the scriptures are neither necessary nor sufficient without them Demonstrare conabimur saith hée scripturas sine traditionibus nec fuisse simpliciter necessarias nec sufficientes Nowe if they cannot shewe that the church of God in times past did builde their faith vpon the popes decretals and traditions they must néeds confesse that they are not the true church Thirdly neuer did the church of Christ speake euill of Scriptures a Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 2. Irenaeus saith It is the propertie of heretikes when they are conuinced by Scriptures to fall into dislike of them and to accuse them The children of God certes cannot calumniate their heauenly fathers testament or refuse to heare his voice My sheepe saith our b Iâ—hn 10. Sauiour heare my voice But the papists say they are neither necessary nor sufficient as doth Bellarmine or no sufficient foundation of the church as doth Stapleton in the places aboue mentioned and speake euill of them as if they were c Annot. Rhem. in 2. Cor. 3. A killing letter and most pernicious or as if they were a nose of ware d Ceâ—sur Colon. or a matter of contention and will not suffer them to be publikely read in a toong that is vnderstood of the vulgar fort 4. The church of God doth keepe the doctrine of the apostles without addition and alteration auoiding all prophane nouelties The Gal. 1. apostle pronounceth him accursed That teacheth any other Gospell then that which he taught So f Aduers haeres c. 34. Vincentius Lâ—rinensis saith Catholicorum hoc ferè proprium deposita sanctorum patrum commissa seruare damnare prophanas nouitates sicut dixit iterum dixit apostolus si quis annuntiauerit praeterquam quod acceptum est anathematizare But the synagogue of Rome hath added vnto the doctrine of the apostles infinite nouelties as hath béene declared aboue in the second chapter Their doctrine concerning the grounds of faith concerning the law the Gospell and diuers points of Christian faith their worship of God their massing seruice and popish gouernment is newe as their newe decretals and late Tridentine doctrine the decrées of other late councels whereupon all their popish faith dependeth do plainly testifie 5. The true church cannot abide heretikes that teach doctrine contrary to that of the apostles Christ Iesus speaking of his shéepe g Iohn 10 saith They will not follow a stranger but flye from him for that they know not the voice of strangers that the apostles gaue the faithfull Christians in charge If there come any vnto you saith a 2. Iohn saint Iohn and bring not this doctrine receiue him not to house neither salute him Tantum apostoli horum discipuli saith b Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 3. Irenaeus habuerunt timorem vt neque verbotenus communicarent alicui eorum qui adulterauerant veritatem Let vs separate our selues saith c Lib. 1. ep 3. Cyprian as far from them as they separate themselues from the church Neither can the true church embrace erroneous doctrine For true Christians will not heare the voice of strangers Si haeretici sunt saith Tertullian d De praescrip aduers haeret Christiani esse non possunt But it is apparent that the popes of Rome are heretikes which are the great maisters and Rabbines of the Romish synagogue as may appeare by the examples of Liberius Felix Vigilius Honorius thâ— first Iohn the two twentith Eugenius the 4. and diuers others We haue also shewed that the synagogue of Rome hath embraced diuers heresies and doth wholy addict her selfe to embrace heretikes and to persecute true teachers 6. The church of God is the mistresse and teacher of truth and admitteth no falsehood nor vntruth The e 1. Tim. 3. apostle doth call her The piller and ground of truth Est fons veritatis faith f Instit diuin lib. 4. c. vlt. Lactantius hoc est domicilium fidei She is the fontaine of truth that is to say The house where true faith dwelleth but the synagogue of Rome is not onely a receptacle of leud opinions but also the mother and mistresse of lyes and vanities She not onely receiueth false traditions but also teacheth them She embraceth lying legends and old wiues fables and apocryphall deuises And this is the word of God not written which they so much commend and make equall to holy scriptures That church g In breuiar in festo Cathar beléeueth That saint Catharine was a maiden of Alexandria so well learned that at eighteene yeeres of age she passed the most learned and ouercame fiftie philosophers conuerted Faustina the empresse and Porphyrius a captaine of his to the faith and broke the tormenting wheele with her oraysons They say also that her body was buried by angels
church neuer taught nor thought so basely of the most holy body of our Lorde and Sauiour Christ Iesus that they imagined that a mouse a dogge a hogge or other brute beast did eate it and presse it with teeth and swallow it downe For they beléeued as wée beléeue that Christ is in heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God and is farre from those pressures and contumelies But the synagogue of Rome beléeueth that a brute beast may eate Christs body If a dogge or hogge saith a Part. 4. q. 45. Alexander Hales shoulde eate the whole consecrated host I see no cause but the Lords body shoulde go therewithall into that dogs or hogs bellie Some haue said as it is in b Part. 3. q. 8. art 3. Thomas Aquinas his summe that Assoone as the sacrament is taken of a mouse or a dogge straightway the body and bloud of Christ cease to bee there but this is a derogation to the truth of this sacrament And where the master of c Lib. 4. dist 13. sentences abhorreth from this position saying that it may bée well saide that the body of Christ is not receiued of brute beastes the masters of Paris put this in the margent that d Hîc Magister non tenetur Heere the master is not beleeued 22. The true catholike church did neuer sell the holy sacrament nor beleeue that it was a meanes to satisfie for sinnes both of quicke and dead Nor did the same promise health to the sicke sigâ—t to the blinde gaine to merchants husbands to maidens being present at the sacrament But the Romish synagogue doth sell Christ Deteriores sunt Iuda e C. 23. saith the author that made Onus ecclesiae alleaging the authoritie of saint Bâ—git Qui pro solis denarijs me vendidit illi autem pro omni mercimonio And no traffike is more coÌ„mon in the Romish church then the traffike for masses They make men beléeue that this sacrifice of the masse is expiatorie both for the sins of quicke and dead Hoc sacrificium saith f De valore missae parad 12. Guernerus est expâ—atiuum debitae poenae tam hîc quam in futuro exoluendae Hée g Ibid. parad 9. sheweth also that It hath miraculous effects against thunder danger of enimies and all other dangers and that he that frequenteth the masse shall bee directed in all thinges Neither can any man desire any thing that priestes by their masses will not promise to obtaine for him 23. The true catholike church did neuer vse to make holy water nor to consecrate paschal lambes nor oyle nor candles nor such like thinges Nor did the same beléeue that by holy water veniall sinnes were remitted or that it was good to driue away mise or make barren women conceiue or that the other hallowed thinges haue such effectes as the schoolemen teach But the Romish church doth h Missal Rom. in fin consecrate holy water and paschall lambes oyle candels and other creatures and hath a great opinion of these consecrate thinges Non mane institutâ—â—â—n est saith i In lib. Numer c. 19. Augustin Steâ—chus quod aquas sale orationibus sanctificamus vt ad â—orum aspersum delicta nostra deleantur a In dialog Alane Copus telleth vs that holy water is good to driue away mise and to make barreine women to conceiue 25. The true church standeth not much vpon externall ceremonies as in the time of Moyses law The b Coloss 2. apostle writing to the Colossians would not haue men condemned In respect of meate or drinke or of holy dayes Nor would haue them burdened with traditions As touch not tast not handle not And c Iohn 4. Christ saith that in his church True worshippers should worship God in spirit and truth But the seruice of the Romish church for the most part consisteth in externall obseruances as for example in absteining from certaine meates and drinkes and widowhoode and abstinence from mariage in singing ringing going on pilgrimage painting knocking greasing kéeping feastes and holy daies and worshipping the sacrament and externall signes 26. The true church of God neither made the image of the godhead nor set vp images in churches to be worshipped knowing that the same is directly contrary to the commaundement of God d Aduers Gentes lib. 8. Arnobius saith That the first Christians had no altars nor temples nor images worshipped in open shew Ne simulachra quidem veneramur saith e Contra. Celsum lib. 7. Origen quippe qui dei vt inuisibilis ita incorporei formam nullam effigiamus f Lib. 2. Diuin instit c. 19. Lactantius saith There is no religion where there is an image The councell of g C. 36. Eliberis forbad pictures in churches Arnobius saith that Christians do not worship the crosse Cruces saith he nec colimus nec optamus lib. 8. aduers gentes h Lib. 9. ep 9. Gregory himselfe would not haue images worshipped albeit he would not haue them broken downe De cultu imag lib. 1. Ionas Aurelianensis writing for images condemneth the popish manner of worshipping them Creaturam adorari eÃque aliquid diuinae seruitutis impendi proh nefas ducimus huiusque sceleris patratorem detestandum anathematizandum libera voce proclamamus But the popish church doth make the images of God the father and the holie Ghost and worshippeth them with diuine worship Likewise do the papists worship the crucifixe and crosse and with seruice kissing and crouching do they worship the images of Saints 27. The ancient church did alwaies serue God in a toong vnderstood of the people The Gréekes had their Liturgie in the Gréeke toong the Italians in the Italian toong the Syrians in the Syriake the Armenians in the Armenian language the Slauonians in the Slauon toong a Lib. 8. contr Celsum Origen saith That God that is Lord of all toongs heareth those that praie in any toong and that euery one praieth in his natiue and mother toong b In Epitaph Paulae ad Eustochium Hierome saith that Psalmes were song at the buriall of Paula not onely in Hebrew Gréeke and Latine But in the Syrian toong In an other Epistle of his written to c Epist 17. Marcella he sheweth That euery nation that came to Bethlehem had their seuerall languages in their church seruice For as the apostle saith d 1. Cor. 14. Hee that praieth in a toong not vnderstood profiteth nothing But the papists and church of Rome will haue no other toong vsed in the common Liturgie of the Westerne churches but the Latine of which the vulgar people scarce vnderstand one word 28. The true church is the kingdome of Christ and there hée onely raigneth by the scepter of his worde Transtulit nos saith the e Coloss 2. apostle in regnum filij Dei The apostle Saint Iames saith that hée alone is our law-giuer and our iudge There is one law-giuer
all saintes Nay sometimes they flie to their images and reliques Neither can the distinction of mediators of intercession helpe them For the true church in her liturgyes neuer vsed to call vpon any mediator or intercessor beside Christ Iesus Beside that the Romish church crauing of saints all thinges necessary and attributing to saintes the merite of remission of sinnes do make them more then mediators of intercession 36. In the church of Christ we neuer heard nor read that christians did vse to scourge themselues before crucifixes and other images But the priestes of Baal were woont to launce themselues before their idols And the priestes of Cybele in honour of their goddesse were woont to cut themselues So likewise the papists do scourge theÌ„selues and punish their bodies and are thereby declared to more bée like to Pagans heathen then to the people of God 37. The true church is a societie of faithfull people vnder lawfull pastors For a Ephes 4. Christ Iesus hath giuen them for The worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ vntill wee all meete togither in the vnitie of faith and acknowledging of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man b Lib. 4. epist 9. Cyprian saith That the church is a people vnited to their bishop and a flocke adhering to their pastor Est ecclesia saith hée plebs episcopo adunata pastori suo grex adhaerens So likewise saith c In Dial. aduers Lucifer Hierome Ecclesia non est quae non habet sacerdotes That is there is not the church where there are no priestes or bishops But the church of Rome hath long wanted true priestes and bishops For the Romish bishops haue no authoritie nor mission but from the pope to whom they also d C. ego N. de ureiurando sweare fealtie But he hath no authoritie to sende them or ordeine them being himselfe no bishop Secondly the Romish bishops neither teach nor féede nor do the worke of a bishop Neither do the priestes of that synagogue obserue their commission in teaching that which Christ hath commaunded Thirdly in ordination of bishops and priestes they neither kéepe the apostles rules 1. Tim. 3. and Tit. 1. nor the ancient canons but ordeine boies and men vnlearned and infamous and vnable to teach and neither duly examine them nor orderly choose them nor canonically ordaine them Fourthly they do not ordaine priestes to teach and gouerne their flocks but e Machab. in lib. de missis episcopor pro ordinib confe rendis To offer sacrifices and to say masses for quicke and dead Which forme neither did either Christ or his apostles prescribe or the ancient church euer practise or know Fiftly they are ordeined simoniacally and by excommunicate persons and by apostataes from Christes true faith Lastly they are all f C. ego N. de iureiurando sworne to antichrist and therefore no ministers of Christ Iesus nor true pastors That the pope hath no authoritie to sende foorth pastors to féede Christes flocke it is appaâ—ent for that hée is a hireling or rather a woolfe and no successor of Peter or of the apostles varying so much from their doctrine and liuing nor true bishop doing not the function of a bishop nor teaching of Christes flocke That he is antichrist and of the temple of God hath made a denne of idolatrie and théeuery is prooued in the former discourse Most apparant therefore it is that the bishops of the Romish synagogue are no true bishops nor pastors Which is also prooued by their manners and doctrine For they murder Christes lambes and féede them not if they teach at all or if their priests and fryers teach it is not Christe faith but heresie which they teach 38 The true church of Christ cannot adhere to antichrist Our sauiour Christ speaking of his shéepe a Ioan. 10. saith they will not follow a stranger but will fly froÌ„ him But the church of Rome doth manifestly adhere to antichrist that exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God and that sitteth in mens consciences that persecuteth all true Christians and yet pretendeth that he is Christs vicar That the Papists adhere to the pope they will not denie for they b C. Vnam ext de ma. obed make it a matter necessarie to saluation to be subiect to him That the pope is antichrist his pride his crueltie his doctrine the time of his rising the place of his kingdome and many arguments declare which we haue touched in the former discourse 39 As the true Church is figured by Ierusalem which was the holy citie of God so the malignant church is signified partly by Babylon Apocal. 18. and partly by the purple whore Apocal. 17. that had a cup of gold in her hand full of abomination and filthinesse If then the state of Rome vnder the popes be represented by this purple harlot then must it necessarily follow that the Church of Rome is not the citie of God but rather the city of Babylon and synagogue of Satan adhering to antichrist But that the state of new Rome as it is subiect to the pope and is the fountaine and metropolitane church of all idolatrie and heresie is meant by the purple whore and by Babylon Apocal. 17. 18. diuers arguments do teach vs. First the order of Saint Iohns historie doth shew it For after that in the 12. chapter and in the beginning of the thirtéenth he had described the state of olde Rome vnder the emperors and the decay of that empire it is not likely that he should returne againe to describe the flourishing state of the empire in the seuentéenth chapter and so to relate the same things confusedly Secondly he representeth vnto vs the rising of antichrist out of the earth and vpon the decay of the Romane empire in the end of the thirtéenth chapter and therefore whatsoeuer followeth may séeme better to belong to antichrists kingdome and new Rome than old Rome Thirdly after the destruction of the purple whore and of Babylon the Apostle describeth the end of the world and last iudgement as if the one were to follow the other But the end of the world doth not follow presently vpon the destruction of the empire but rather after the ouerthrow of Antichristes kingdome Fourthly the beast which Iohn saw and vpon which the purple whore did sit was not then as she should be Non adhuc erat a saith Saint Iohn ex abysso ascensura erat Apoc. 17. But the empire then did most flourish And therfore that beast must signifie another empire which in Rome was to be erected after the Romane empires decay Fiftly those tenne kinges which were signified by tenne hornes did not arise during the time of the olde empire but vpon the rising of antichrist neidid they giue their power to the Romane empire but to the pope and therefore this must néeds be a figure of the papacie and not of
the old empire Sixtly the kings of the earth committed fornication with the purple whore and receiued abominable doctrine from her But they did not loue nor honour the Roman empire nor receiued any idolatrous worship from Rome But from the pope they haue and with this purple whore they haue committed fornication Seuenthly the kings of the earth lamented not the destruction of the Romane empire but rather reioyced at it deuiding the same among themselues But diuers help the pope and are sorie to sée his goodly kingdome ruinated Eightly this whore is called the mother of fornication or idolatry which sheweth that this belongeth to popish idolatrie rather then vnto the emperours ciuill gouernement Ninthly after the empire began to decay religion began to flourish in Rome and therefore this description cannot belong to old Rome but to new Rome Which indéede is now become the habitation of diuels and vncleane spirits Tenthly this Rome which is héere described shal persecute the saints to the end of the world Eleuenthly the description of this woman and of Babylon doth best fit the state of Rome vnder the pope For he ruleth by fraud periurie cunning and his religion is full of mysteries he persecuteth the saints of God to him the kings of the earth giue their power being ready to execute his excommunications and commandements And after his destruction it is not likely that Rome shall be restored and reedified which cannot be sayd of the Roman empire Lastly a In Apocalyps Arethas and Ambrosius Ansbertus affirme that new Rome may be vnderstood by this Babylon and the bishop of b Auentin lib. 7. Salisburg c Cant. 106. epist 19. sine nomine Petrarch and d Michael Cesenas Pâ—trus Blesensis Ioan Huss diuers learned men doubt not in plaine tearmes so to call her 40 The church of Christ did neuer woâ—ship Peter or any of the apostles nor did c Cant. 106. epist 19. sine nomine Peter suffer himselfe to be worshipped of Cornelius d Michael Cesenas Petrus Blesensis Ioan Huss Nay the Church did not fall downe and worship angels The same did not kisse any bishops slipper nor beare him high vpon mens shoulders Nay Valentinian and Theodosius forbad any crosse to be g Apocal. 19. graueÌ„ or painted on the ground o Act. 10. But the Romish Church doth fall downe vpon the ground and worship the pope q Cod. Nemini licere signum c. The bishop of Modrusa in the councel of Lateran cried out to Leo the tenth Te beatissime Leo saluatorem expectauimus They say to the pope Haue mercie vpon vs. They kisse his féete and he hath a crosse vpon his slipper They beare him on mens shoulders and worship him as an earthly god 41 The true Church did alwayes reuerently thinke of the mysteries of Christian religion But the Romish Church albeit they beléeue that the consecrate Hoste is God and worship saints and crosses yet vse them oft times but homely For they beleeue that dogs and other brute beasts may eate their corpus Domini The pope when he goeth abroad doth send his corpus Domini before accompanied with the baggage and h Monluc de la religion à la roine mere basest seruants of his house The conspirators suborned by Sixtus quartus to kill Laurence and Iulian de Medicis were commanded to do it in the church and at the eleuation of the sacrament Dato signo cum eucharistia tolleretur saith i Lib. geograph 5. Volaterran k In vita Hiâ—debrand seu Gregorij 7. Gregorie the seuenth cast the corpus Domini into the fire Hildebrandus saith Beno the cardinal sacramentum corporis Domini responsa diuina contra imperatorem quaerens iniecit igni OfteÌ„times they cast their images into the water to stop the flâ—wings of water l Girol Catena in vita Pij 5. Pius quintus cast one Agnus Dei into the water of Tiber and another into the fire Cresciuto il Teuere Pio vi gittò vn ' Agnus Dei il fuoco appreso in vna casa piena di fieno vi si gittò vn ' altero And this is the honour that they beare to their religion 42 The true church did alwayes reuereÌ„ce magistrats The a Rom. 13. Apostle Paul commandeth euery soule to be subiect to higher powers S. b 1. Pet. 2. Peter exhorteth Christians to submit themselues to kings and gouernours The ancient c 1. Tim. 2. Church did pray to God for kings and for all in authoritie and punished such as should vse reprochfull words to emperours or magistrates In the d C. 83. Canons of the apostles it is thus decréed Quisquis imperatorem aut magistratum contumelia affecerit supplicium luito Neither if we search all antiquitie shall we find where the Church of Christ did discharge subiectes from their othes to princes or taught rebellion or murther of princes or signified that it was lawfull either to murther princes excommunicate or to rebell against them But the church of Rome hath taken vpon her to dispence with oathes of alleageance to discharge subiects from their due obedieÌ„ce The same also hath published most slaunderous and railing bulles or rather libels against princes as appeareth by the bull of Paul the third against Henrie the 8. and Pius the fift and Sixtus quintus against Quéene Elizabeth Sixtus quintus against the French king now reigning then king of Nauarre and against Henry the third and of Gregorie the seuenth and of Alexander the third and Gregorie the ninth against ancient emperours They haue also commanded subiects to rebel against their princes and taught that it is meritorious to murther them or depose theÌ„ matters quite contrarie to Christian religion the custome of Christs Church 43 The markes of the Church brought by e Lib. de notis ecclesiae Bellarmine doe also plainly shew that the Romanists are not the true Church For neither are they catholikes nor are they so called of others then themselues vnlesse it be of such as scorne their presumption that take on them that name Nor is their doctrine ancient as we haue by many particulars proued Nor hath it alwayes continued in one and the same state For they haue in their late conuenticles of Constance Florence and Trent altered the whole frame and forme of their faith And f Epist 2. ad Bohem. Nicholas of Cusa saith that scriptures are to bee fitted to the time and to be diuersly vnderstood and that God doth alter his iudgement according to the iudgement of the church Fourthly their doctrine was neuer vniuersally receiued as shall appeare when our aduersary shall dare to answer vs in these encounters Fiftly they haue no succession of bishops certaine For neither are the Popes bishops nor do they succéede the apostles nor haue they any certainty in their succession Sixtly the doctrine of that church hath béene prooued to be dissonant
contrary in diuers maine points to the doctrine of the apostles Seuenthly they do neither retaine vnion with Christ Iesus nor with the ancient Church nor among themselues Eightly their decretaline doctrine is neither sound nor holy nor hath any efficacie in it nor hath other fountain then the popes fancie Ninthly their legendary miracles and prophecies whereupon a great part of the credit of the Romish faith dependeth are nothing but lies and forgerie and those ofttimes very ridiculous Tenthly their strange nouelties and heresies haue béene by many both olde late writers reproued and condemned Lastly as the authours of it haue liued vnhappily and died miserably for the most part so those that haue gone about to restore true religion and to roote out Romish idolatrie and heresie haue for this onely cause felt Gods great fauour towardes them both in their liues and ends 44 The Church of Rome is also conuicted not to be the true Church by the confession of a Relect. doct princip cont 1. q. 5. Stapleton For if the true Church began at Hierusalem and is vniuersally dispersed and hath continued in all ages and hath a true succession of bishops from the apostles and disagreeth not about matters of faith nor dissenteth from the head of the church and which hath planted christian religion preserued the same throughout the world and hath kept the apostolike forme of gouernment and preuailed against all heresies and temptations keeping the rule of faith sound and intire and which also sheweth the true way of saluation and keepeth the scriptures sound and pure frō corruption and finally which holdeth the decrees of all generall councels as blundering Stapleton not only confesseth but after his most odious and tedious fashion with multitude of words goeth about to proue then is not the church of Rome that now is the true church of christ Iesus For to say that the church of Rome began at Hierusalem is as absurd as to say that Rome is Hierusalem or to affirm that Rome now is like to old Rome Our aduersarie should do vs great fauour to shew that the glorie and fulnesse of power that the pope challengeth together with his cardinals dumbe bishops masse-priests idle monks lying fryars and all the popes decretals and ceremonies are come from Hierusalem He may doe also well to proue that the latter scholasticall and decretaline doctrine was vniuersally receiued throughout the world either in the apostles times or in the times of the ancient Fathers of the Church The rocke of succession vpon which they build so huge conclusions we haue shewed to be nothing but a banke of sand We haue shewed also that their doctrine is not only diuers but contrarie to the doctrine of Christ the head of the Church and of his apostles And how great contentions haue béene in the Romish church not onely the schismes and warres betwixt popes and princes but also the differences about all points of religion which is apparant both in the disputes of schoolmen and also in the writings of Bellarmine and his consorts do declare That the Romanists haue corrupted the faith not onely with nouelties but also with diuers heresies and haue changed both the ancient forme of apostolike gouernement and also the principles and grounds of faith established both by Fathers and councels and by the apostles themselues and haue yéelded to heresies and béene ouercome of the gates of hell I thinke no man can doubt that readeth this discourse and compareth the late procéedings of the Romish church to the rule deliuered vnto vs by Christ Iesus 45 Finally the testimony of a In his motiues Bristow doth vtterly ouerthrow the Church of Rome and declareth it not to be the true church For he commendeth that for the true church that is catholike and apostolike and which abhorreth all nouelties and heresies and idolatrie and whose doctrine is confirmed by scriptures most certaine traditions councels fathers and practise of the ancient church and which teacheth the narrow way and maketh subiects obedient and hath infallible iudges and is sure to continue But the Romish church is neither catholike nor apostolike neither doth it abhorre either heresie or idolatrie nor shun profane nouelties The doctrine of that church hath neither ground of scripture ancient councels nor fathers neither can the Romish doctors bring any certaine proofe of their traditions It teacheth a broad way and maketh rebellious subiects In iudgemēt it hath no other certaintie then the popes determination Finally already that tower of Babel which is built so high doth begin to totter and as we trust cānot long stand Further he saith that euerie church that is risen after the first planting of religion and gone out of the catholike church and from the apostolike doctrine and is not the communion of saintes nor euer visible and lastly that is not the teacher of all diuine truth and the vndoubted mother of Christs children is not the true church of Christ But the Church of Rome as it is now visible in the pope and cardinals and officers of the popes chamber in popish prelates sacrificing priests monkes friers and nunnes and their officers and adherents rose out of the earth long after the apostles times and went out of the catholike apostolike church and hath for the popes quarrell opposed it selfe against Christ and his true doctrine The same is also departed from the ancient faith and is no more to bée tearmed Christs Church which is a communion of saints linked together in the profession of Christs true faith but rather the combination of antichrist and the synagogue of Satan Such a church as is now to be séene at Rome and in the prouinces adhering to it was not visible many ages after Christ neither was any such church for a long time extant in the world neither when the same began to shew her selfe in great ruffe did she either teach all truth or refuse all heresie false doctrine or beare or bring forth children to Christ but to antichrist And therfore we may safely conclude that the Romish church of these times is the synagogue of Satan and not the true church of Christ Iesus The nature and propertie of the true and vnspotted spouse of Christ the inseparable qualities of true faith and such as truly professe the same and finally the confession and doctrine of the aduersaries themselues when they speake of the true church and true faith and true professours and matters incident vnto them in generall do declare it to be so CHAP. V. That no papists haue beene executed in England since her Maiesties comming to the crowne for meere matter of religion but for their treasons or other capitall offences HItherto wée haue spoken in the defence of our religion and Christian profession It resteth therefore nowe séeing our aduersary doth not onely calumniate our religion but our lawes also and gouernment that wée speake somwhat in defence of iustice especially so farre foorth as it
pleade vnsufficiently But wée charge them with leud opinions held by all the papists and most wicked and abominable actions allowed by publike authoritie Further the papistes alleage the testimonies of Lindanus Staphylus Cochleus Rescius Reynoldes and their owne consorts fellowes to bée receiued as witnesses before no indifferent iudge for their basenesse leudnesse and partialitie But wée are able to conuince them by their owne recordes and by witnesses authenticall to be such as they woulde haue vs to bée and farre woorse too And if Parsons maintaine the contrary hée shall soone receiue his answere and perceiue his owne inabilitie and the weakenesse of his owne cause Further he obserueth in Luther That at the first hee contemned the fathers and that afterward when wee began to shew how the fathers did witnesse for our cause that we alleaged them falsly But neither did euer Luther contemne all the fathers but where they spoke contrary to the prophets and apostles nor shall this counterfeit relator shew that wée haue alleaged the fathers vntruly as I will bée alwaies readie to iustifie against him Hée noteth also That we make plaine demonstrations of distrust in maintaining our cause And that hée prooueth first For that diuers bookes written in English by papists were forbidden by proclamation Secondly For that by a statute it was made death to reconcile men or perswade them to the Romish faith Thirdly for that Streite orders were set downe to restraine the resort of people to the papistes that are prisoners in Wisbich But if these be arguments of distrust then are the papists most distrustfull and fearefull to haue their matters come in scanning For they forbid all our bookes to be solde among them And if any disswade from poperie or talk against it it is present death Neither may any talke with prisoners in the inquisition As for our selues we are but too confident in these causes For there is no bald lousie friers book commeth forth but it is commonly sold in Paules church yard and any learned man may buy any of their bookes publikely Yea diuers simple soules not being able to iudge are often times deceiued by them So that it were fitting more care were had in this point But the true reason why our superiours haue forbidden English bookes popish perswasions and common repaire to popish prisoners is for that diuers simple soules not being so well able to iudge haue by such meanes béene drawne not only into leud opinions but also dangerous practises of which we should not offend if we did take more care then we do Finally he noteth that we cannot abide confession satisfaction restitution or the like which is true if by confession he meane auricular coÌ„fession made in a priests eare and by satisfaction scourging a mans selfe or walking in pilgrimage with hope thereby to satisfie God for his sinnes and such like satisfactions and by restitution such summes of money as papists are enioyned in lieu of true restitution to parties offended to bestow vpon priests Iebusites and notorious traitors It is not long since these companions drew from a drie fellow a little before his death two thousand pounds with the which the Iebusites their consorts now make merrie But if order be not taken for such deuises to draw mony out of the subiects purses and to take away these means from traitorous practisers the same in the end will make this state very sorrowfull And therefore I doubt not but the magistrates and iudges will looke to that verie diligently In the meane while I hope I haue taken order with this Relators lying obseruations CHAP. VII An answere to our aduersaries two petitions annexed to his former relation WHat successe our aduersarie is to hope for in his petition annexed to the Ward-word I hope may in part appeere by our answere And yet not expecting an answere he hath presumed to come to her maiestie with a new petition and to vs with another So copious and fluent he is in his libels and petitions a Homer Iliad ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is like a flye or rather because he speaketh so much for Spaniards a Spanish mosqueta that albeit she be beaten off from a mans bodie yet is bold to come againe and bite And b Non missura cutem nisi plena cruoris hirudo Horat. leaue as it séemeth he will not vntill like the horseleach he hath filled himselfe with some mans blood First he desireth that her Maiestie would be pleased to admit such a tryall heere as passed in Fraunce of late assuring vs that the same would be pleasant to her Maiestie and all other assistants and verie briefe and easie As if Parsons the Iebusite and rector of the English seminarie of traytors were now verie carefull to yéeld satisfaction and contentment to her Maiestie and subiects that not long c Anno. 1588. since ioyned himselfe to the Spanish armie that came against vs and in the interim that the Spanish fléete was expected and while our commissioners were treating of peace holpe to make print and diuulge the most infamous d Aâ—lens letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland libell against her Maiestie and her faithfull subiects that could be deuised or euer was set out in this kinde Furthermore euer since he hath béene busie either in stirring vp forrein enimies against vs or broching some treasonable practise against the state or writing seditious libels against one or other as appéereth by former proofes Nay when a certaine gentleman and one of the Spanish agents séeming more moderate then the rest disliked all practises for the murther of the Prince by the direction of Parsons others of his faction he had a cuchillada and dangerous blow with a falchion ouer the face as he was going to the church to heare masse An vnhappie masse might he call it if the blow had hit right He doth also much abuse his reader where he saith that the tryall will be briefe and easie and maketh a vaine brag offering himselfe to be the champion that must performe the challenge The first is euident for that they pretend so many falsificatious against vs and we haue so many false allegations and forgeries to charge our aduersaries withall and that most iustly that the examination cannot chuse but prooue long and difficult especially if they yéeld to vs that which they demaund themselues The second I thinke we shall finde true by experience For it is not Parsons I thinke that can performe all that is offered Nay little doth he vnderstand the galles of his owne cause that once dare obiect forgerie or falsification to others Beside that he is fitter to make a clerke to make libels and exhibit petitions then to make a good disputer to iustifie the popes broken cause In that he hath some prettie facultie in this we doubt of his abilitie His other petition is that some one or other would come forth against him and defend bishop Iewel Peter Martyr and M. Foxe whom hee purposeth as he pretendeth to loade with many and grieuous falsifications the points whereof we haue already e Chap. 4 noted and this I thinke is but a copie of his grimme countenance also and a Thrasonicall bragge For I do not thinke that he wil or dare put his cause vpon this trial Neither do I thinke that his consortes will come to an equall examination of all falsifications and coruptions passed on both sides for the causes that I haue f Chap. 1. alleaged Vnto both his petitions vntill further order be taken let him receiue this answere from me First that we very well like of such a triall here as passed lately in France For as the papists found themselues wronged or at least pretended to be wronged in M. Plessis his bookes so we doe say and offer to prooue that we are wronged nay that the whole world is wronged and abused by millions of forgeries and falsifications committed by Bellarmine Caesar Baronius Greg. de Valentia Suarez and their consorts yea by the popes of Rome whose sentences they hold to be infallible If then this pratling or rather scribling relator or any of his consorts do find himselfe agrieued with this assertion and offer as M. Plessis did in France being charged publikely with falsifying and corrupting authours by him alleaged I shall God willing either in publike schooles or els which is farre better in publike writing iustifie as much as I haue sayd and I take this to be the case of papists in England if they will obtaine that which M. Plessis desired in France Secondly I do offer my selfe partie do accept of Parsons his challenge do offer my self to proue that those men whom he challengeth haue dealt more iustly theÌ„ Bellarmine and Caesar Baronius and the rest of that side Nay I dare simply defend them against any crimination which this frapling frier hath to lay to their charge Let him begin when he dare In the meane while he may do well to answere the points deduced in the first chapter of this treatise wherein I haue charged not only priuate men but the whole synagogue of Rome with plaine forging and falsification and laid downe the particulars and not as the relator doth who hauing made a great bragge of falsifications shutteth vp his relation and iustifieth nothing Somewhat I had more to say to Parsons and to his associates the whole combination of them But I reserue it to some other time By this which alreadie is sayd I hope it will appeare that neither Iames Peron hath gained any thing against the Lord of Plessis nor Parsons hath reason to hope that he shall haue better successe against the Church of England God which is light truth grant all christians the light of his grace that they may not only sée the truth but also truly iudge what is truth and falshood And then I doubt not but it will appeare to them all that we are cleare of that crime which the aduersary imputeth vnto vs and that our aduersaries through the operation of errours beleeue lies and haue by all fraud and false dealing sought to oppresse the truth Laus Deo