and professed enemie who in diuers wicked libels and paltrie pamphlets hath endeuoured to obscure her great glorie and to deface her worthie actions Wherein that I may proceed with more perspicuitie I think it fit to reason first of matters Ecclesiasticall and afterward of ciuill and worldly affaires In Ecclesiasticall affaires which by her meanes grew to a better settlement we are to consider first what grace it is to haue a certaintie in religion and next what fauour God shewed to vs reducing vs to the vnitie of the true Catholicke Church Thirdly we will reason of true faith fourthly of the sincere administration of the Sacraments fiftly of the true worship of God sixthly of the Scriptures and publicke prayers in our mother tongue seuenthly of freedome we enioyed by her from persecution from the Popes exactions frō his wicked lawes and vniust censures from al heretical and false doctrine eightly of deliuerance from schisme superstition and idolatrie and finally of good workes and the happinesse of those that not onely are able to discerne which are good workes but also do walke in them according to their Christian profession auoiding pretended Popish good-workes that are either impious or else superstitious and vnprofitable Al which graces this land hath long enioyed by her Maiesties reformation of religion In matters politicall we purpose to consider first the happie deliuerance of this land out of the hands of the Spaniard from all feare of forreine enemies Next her famous victories both against rebels and traitors at home and open enemies abroade and her glorie and reputation with forreine nations Thirdly the restitution of all royall authoritie and preheminence to the Crowne of which the Pope before that had vsurped a great part Fourthly the peaceable estate of this kingdome in the tumults of other nations round about vs and lastly the wealth and multitude of her subiects CHAP. I. Of certaintie in Faith and Religion and of the vnion we haue with the true auncient Catholike and Apostolike Church FAith as saith the Apostle Heb. II. is the ground of things which are hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene If then we haue true saith we are assured of things hoped for although not séene When two of the disciples of Christ doubted of his resurrection he said vnto them O fooles and slow of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken Ideo fideles vocati sumus saith Chrysostom Hom. 1. in 1. Tim 4. vt his quae dicuntur sine vlla haesitatione credamus Therefore we are called faithfull that we may beleeue without doubting those thing which are spoken So then all Christians that beleeue do certainly beléeue and are perswaded and he that doubteth beleeueth not Further the obiect of faith is most certaine Heauen and earth shall passe but my words shall not passe saith our Sauiour Matth. 24. Saint Augustine doth attribute that onely to the writers of canonical Scriptures that they could not erre Neither need I to stand long vpon this point séeing our adusrsaries also confesse that nothing that is false can be the obiect of faith But our aduersaries take away from Christians all certaintie of faith and religion For first they teach that no Christian is to beleeue that he shall be saued and secondly they make mans faith vncertaine concerning the obiect That is taught by the conuenticle of Trent sess 6. cap. 16. where it saith Neque seipsum aliquis etiamsi nihil sibi conscius sit iudicare debet that is neither ought any to iudge himselfe although he be not conscious to himselfe of any thing And in the same session chap. 9. it determineth that no man by the certaintie of faith ought to assure himself that he shal be saued The second point doth follow of the diuers doctrines of the Papists Eckius holdeth that the Scriptures are not authentical without the authority of the Church And although Bellarmine dare not allow this forme of speech yet where he defendeth the determination of the conuenticle of Trent concerning the old Latine translation in effect he granteth it For if the Church onely can make Scriptures authenticall then without the Churches authoritie they are not authentical In his booke De notis Eccles. c. 2. he saith the Scriptures depend vpon the Church Scriptura saith he pendent ab Ecclesia Stapleton lib. 9. de princip doctrinal cap. 4. saith that it is necessary that the Churches authoritie should consigne and declare which bookes are to be receiued for canonicall Scripture Necessarium est saith he vt Ecclesiae authoritas Scripturarum canonem consignet And his meaning is that no man is to receiue any bookes for canonicall but such as the Church from time to time shall determine to be canonical and those vpon the Churches determination he will haue necessarily receiued Secondly the conuenticle of Trent maketh Scriptures and vnwritten traditions of equall value Bellarmine in his fourth book De verbo Dei speaketh no otherwise of traditions then as of the infallible writtē word of God Stapleton saith The rule of faith doth signifie all that doctrine which is deliuered and receiued in the Church and that very absurdly as I thinke no reasonable man can well denie For that being granted the rule and doctrine ruled should be all one But of that we shall speake otherwhere Thirdly they teach that the determinations of the Church are no lesse firmely to be beleeued and reuerently to be holden then if they were expressed in Scriptures Id quod sancta mater Ecclesia definit vel acceptat saith Eckius Enchir. cap. de Eccles. non est minore firmitate credendum ac veneratione tenendum quam si in diuinis literis sit expressum And all our aduersaries do beleeue that the Popes determinations concerning matters of faith are infallible and so to be accounted of Finally in the canon law c. in canonicis dist 19. they place the decretals of Popes in equall ranke with canonicall Scriptures Of these positions it followeth that as long as men beleeue the Romish Church they neither beleeue truth nor haue any certaine faith or religion And that is proued by these arguments First he that beleeueth not Gods promises concerning his own saluation is an infidel and hath no true faith But this is the case of all Papists For not one of them beleeueth that he shall be saued nor imagineth that God hath said or promised any thing concerning his owne saluation Secondly if the Scriptures depend vpon the Church and the Church is a societie of mē then the Papists beleeue Scriptures with humane faith and depend vpon men But that they do planely teach Thirdly if the Church ought to consigne canonicall Scriptures and the Pope ought to rule the Church then if the Pope either determine against canonical Scriptures or make fabulous scriptures equall with canonicall Scriptures the Papists are to beleeue either doctrine contrarie or diuers from Scriptures at the least
they are vncertaine what they shall beleeue But the Pope may both erre in denying Scriptures and adding to Scriptures To answer this the Papists are driuen to affirm that the Pope cannot erre in these determinations But this sheweth the vncertaintie of their faith that dependeth vpon one little rotten goutie Pope whose learning is not worth two chips and whose pietie is lesse then his learning Fourthly if the Popes consignation be necessary to make Papists beleeue Scriptures then is their faith most vncertaine and rather humane then diuine Especially considering that of this Popes consignation of Scriptures there is not one word in Scriptures But that is their doctrine Fiftly the doctrine and practise of the Church of Rome being the rule of faith the Romish faith must néeds proue vncertaine and variable The consequence of this proposttion is proued for that both schoole-men differ from schoole-men and late writers from the auncient and also Popes from Popes as I haue shewed in my bookes De pontif Rom. That the rule of faith is as I haue said it may be auerred by Stapletons words Sixthly if saith be grounded vpon traditions as well as vpon Scriptures then haue the Papists no certaine faith The consequence is plaine for that diuers ancient traditions are new ceased and neither Caesar Baronius nor any man is able to set downe which are authentical traditions which not Finally if the faith of Papists rest vpon the Popes determinations or else vpon the supposed Catholicke Churches decrees then is their faith a goutie fraile and rotten faith or rather a most doubtfull opinion For neither are they certaine who is lawfull Pope nor that his determinations are vnfallible nor is it an easie matter to know which are the Catholicke Churche's determinations the Papists themselues contending and varying continually about them These arguments do shew that the Papists haue either a vaine faith or else no faith at all And this Robert Parsons notwithstanding his obstinacie and peruersenesse must needs confesse For simple Papists haue only these meanes whereby to direct themselues viz. Scriptures Fathers or their owne Priests Scriptures they neither heare read in a tongue knowne nor do they much regard them The Fathers they vnderstand not The priests do often tel lies and too farre they dwell from the Pope to know of him the truth To omit to talke of ruder persons and to talke of spruce Robert Parsons gladly would I know of him how he is assured that the religion he teacheth is true Scriptures he denieth to be the rule of faith and will not beléeue them to be authenticall without the Popes determination The Pope is but one man If then he rely wholy on the Popes determination his faith is nothing but a foolish fancie grounded vpon one man If vpon the Church yet he knoweth not the Church but by his owne reason and sence as I thinke he will confesse Rule of faith he acknowledgeth none but the vniuersall Church which is not onely absurd but maketh much against him Absurd it is for that the Church is ruled and is not the rule no more then the Carpenter is his rule It maketh against him for that it is more difficult to know the Catholicke Church of all times and places then Scriptures or any proofe of faith else For to know that it is necessary to be well seene in the historie of all times Churches and countries And if he refer himselfe to others and beléeue humane histories his faith is still grounded on men This being the case of Papists and of their agent Robert Parsons we may estéeme our selues happie that are deliuered from this great vncertaintie and taught to build our faith vpon Christ Iesus and the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets Other foundation can no man lay beside that which is laid that is Christ Iesus saith the Apostle And Eph. 2. Ye are built saith he vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone We know that faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God We beléeue that the Scriptures are a perfect rule and therefore rightly called canonicall The Apostle speaking of the rule of faith 2. Cor. 10. Gal. 6. and Phil. 3. meaneth no other rule but that which was to be found in holy Scriptures The Fathers also procéeded by the rule of Scriptures both where they sought direction for themselues and also where they brought arguments against Heretikes Ireney lib. ◠aduers. Haeres cap. 1. calleth the Gospell deliuered in Scriptures the foundation and pillar of our faith Tertul. writing against Hermogenes saith He abode not in the rule of faith And why Inter Scriptur as enim Dei colores suos inuenire nö potuerat He could not find hi◠colours or fancies in Scriptures Athan. saith Orat. 2. contr Arian that Heretikes are to be stoned with arguments out of Scriptures Out of Scriptures that Arians in the Councell of Nice other Heretikes in other Synods were confuted And generally antiquitie doth call Scriptures the canon or rule of faith Agréeably therefore to Scriptures and Fathers the Church of England in the beginning of Quéene Elizabeths raigne acknowledged the canon of Scriptures and thence tooke the articles of our Christian faith And therefore I call Scriptures and that which is necessarily deduced out of Scriptures the rule of faith not separating the rule from scriptures as Parsons 1. Encontr cap. 15. of his Warn-word doth cauill but in the rule comprehending whatsoeuer is either expressed in termes or by necessarie consequence deduced out of scriptures And this I did to auoide the causls of the aduersary which inferre because this word Trinitie or consubstantiall or baptisme of children is not found in Scriptures that scriptures are not a solide and entire rule of faith Against this Parsons in his Warn-word 1. Encontr c. 15. alleageth first certaine names of Fathers then certaine words out of Ignatius his Epistle ad Phil. Irenaeus lib. 3. 4. aduersus Haeres Tertullian de Praescript aduersus Haeretic and Uincentius Lirinensis But he spendeth his labour in vaine and abuseth his Reader For none of these Fathers speake of other matters then such as are to be proued out of Scriptures as the places themselues shew Ireney by Tradition proueth God to be the Creator and the mysterie of Christ his incarnation But Parsons will not deny this to be contained in Scriptures Tertullian de Praescript aduers. Haeret. disputeth against the heresies of the Valentinians and Marcionites drawing arguments from the Apostles preaching and tradition But that was because they denyed and corrupted Scriptures For no man can deny but that their heresies are clearely conuinced by Scriptures Quod sumus hoc sunt That we are that they are saith Tertullian speaking of Scriptures That is likewise the meaning of Vincentius Lirinensis de Haeres cap. 27. for that depost of which he talketh is nothing but the Christian faith contained in scriptures But if
Catholike Church doth beleeue them Alijs saith he qui sunt simplices vel laici sufficit quod credant eos scil Articulos fidei implicitè id est sicut docet credit sanctà Ecclesia catholica He saith also that such knowledge is sufficient for Clerkes that haue no meanes to maintaine themselues at schoole as some suppose But suppose they could say the articles of faith and beléeue them and the rest which Peccham in the constitution ignorantia de officio Archipres doth require at their hands yet should they be very ignorant For a man may beléeue as the Church beléeueth and yet know nothing nor be able to answer to any point of faith Thomas Aquinas 3. 2. q. 2. art 6. compareth Gods people to asses and their teachers to oxen holding that it is sufficient for them in matters of faith to adhere to their superiors because it is said Iob 1. Quòd boues arabant asinae pascebantur iuxta eos Whereby it appeareth he requireth no great knowledge at lay mens hands but would haue them beléeue as their teachers do without further enquiring He fetcheth his proofe out of Gregorie But whence soeuer he draweth it he vseth Gods people very rudely that compareth them to asses and oxen Yet thus much I am content to yéeld that the Masse-priests and their followers are like oxen and asses firmely linked together by the Popes cow-heards and muleters for the diuell their maisters seruice The same man 2. 2. q. 2. art 5. teacheth that lay men are to beléeue all the articles of the Creed and no more explicitè The which is no point of deep learning yet his scholer Siluester in sum in verb. fides 6. will not allow so much saying that it is not necessarie for a lay man to beleeue all the articles of the faith but as much as is sufficient to direct vs to the last end Nec tamen necesse est cuilibet saith he explicitè credere omnes articulos fidei sed quantum sufficit ad dirigendum in vltimum finem The author of Summa Rosella saith that it is sufficient for simple people and percase for lay men comming to yeares and discretion to beleeue that God is a rewarder of all good and a punisher of all euill And that other articles are to be beléeued implicitè that is beléeuing all to be true which the catholike Church teacheth Simplicibus fortè omnibus laicis discernentibus adultis sufficit credere Deum esse praemiatorem bonorum omnium omnium malorum punitorem alios autem articulos sufficit credere implicite credendo scil verum quicquid Ecclesia catholica docet But beside that this is an argument to proue the aduersaries allowance of the peoples extreme ignorance it is false and blasphemous to say that any man may be saued without notice or beléeuing in Christ as the author of Summa Rosella his words imply Loth the Pope is that the people should know too much and therefore he forbiddeth Scriptures to be either translated or read in vulgar tongues without licence In publike Liturgies it is not the fashion of Papists to suffer the people to heare Scriptures read in vulgar tongues The Papists also that vnderstand not Latine pray with their lippes but not with their vnderstanding and spirit For the Popes pleasure is that the publike Liturgie of the Church shall not be read in vulgar tongues whereupon the people must néedes grow dull and ignorant Iohn Billet in prolog lib. de diuin cffic complaineth of this abuse Quid nostris tēporibus est agendū saith he speaking of reading of Latin seruice vbi nullus vel rarus reperitur legens vel audiēs qui intelligat videns vel agens-qui animaduertat iam videtur impletum quod à Propheta dicitur Et erit sacerdos quasi de populo vnus He saith that there are few or none that reade or heare that do vnderstand or marke what is read or heard and that the saying of the Prophet is fulfilled That the priest shall be like one of the people Costerus saith That God and the Saints vnderstand all languages and therefore that it is sufficient if the people pray in Latine Which as it is blasphemous making Saints present in all places so it is an argument that he requireth litle vnderstanding in the people Hosius commendeth the Coliars faith that could not tell one article of his beléefe but onely answered that he beleeued as the Church beleeueth which is an argument first of the commendation of ignorance among the Papists next of Hosius his blasphemie that would haue a man saued beléeuing as doth the Catholike church albeit he beleeued or knew nothing of Christ Iesus Seeing then the Papists require so litle knowledge in the people and will not suffer them either to pray or to haue Scriptures read publikely in vulgar tongues and preach so seldome and so leudly is it likely that they should prooue great clearkes Furthermore the Priests in England were commaunded to teach the people the worship of the crosse of images of reliques and how farre the same reacheth as appeareth by B. Arundels prouinciall constitution beginning nullus de haereticis They were also taught what manner of men were S. Austin of Canterburie S. Bernac S. Dunstane and such good fellowes And were wont to heare many good tales of the miracles of S. Audrey and S. Cuthburge and other she Saints But all this tended litle to instruction in faith or reformation in manners Finally in stend of true doctrine they were taught the traditions of men concerning worship of Saints crosses images reliques fasting on Saints Gigils pilgrimages indulgences purgatorie and such like Petrus de Alliac lib. dereform Ecclesiae wisheth That Apocryphall Scriptures and new hymnes and prayers and other voluntarie nouelties should not be read in churches Quòd in huiusmodi festis Scripturae Apocryphae aut hymninoui velorationes seu aliae voluntariae nouitates non legerentur but he preuailed not Nay further they do not onely teach false doctrines and Apocryphall nouelties but also most wickedly rehearsing the commaundements they haue left out the second commaundement that concerneth worship of images albeit S. Augustine quaest ex vet test 7. do set it downe for a distinct commandement from the first Being then taught very litle truth and much falshood it must néeds follow that the Papists were in time past very ignorant and that Iohn Billet in prolog de diuin off plainely confesseth Experience also teacheth the same and manifestly sheweth that they scarce vnderstood any article of the Créed Acertaine Italian being asked not many yeares since by his confessor in Rome whether he beleeued the holy Trinitie answered yea Being further demaunded what the Trinitie was VVhat said he but our Lord God and our Lady and you our masters the priests and Friers They are so brutish that they verily beléeue that images walke and talke and haue life Certaine parishioners of a village not
farre from Florence coming to the citie to bespeake a Crucifixe the caruer séeing the simplicitie of the men asked them whether they would haue one aliue or dead The parties after some deliberation answered they wold haue a crucifire aliue For said they if the parish like him not we will kill him and so ridde our hands of him Most of them beléeue the lyes and fables that Priests tell them out of their legends And those are the best part of their knowledge A poore countrie man of ours beleeued that S. Tinnoc of Portlemouth in Deuon was a good guardian of shéepe and therefore offered euery yeare a fléece On a time passing ouer the water at Salcomb with his offering and being in danger vowed if he escaped to offer his horse which he did and the Saint with good glée and a becke accepted him But not being able well to returne on foote he prayed he might buy his horse of the Saint The priest was the broker and made the bargaine but it was so hard that the poore man said he was a good kéeper of sheepe but a cut-throate Saint to deale withall in buying and selling Commonly they neither vnderstood what they prayed nor what was said in the Church neither do they now vnderstand much more albeit the Priests in their new and salse Catechismes endeuour to teach them somewhat If men will not beléeue experience yet let them reade what Friars themselues in their Sermons and what others say in their writings Vincentius in his treatise De fine mundi speaking of the people of his time saith Praedicationes non audiunt articulos fidei nesciunt They heare not sermons they know not the articles of the faith Robertus Gallus in his 32. vision saith that all children except a few shall depart from their fathers leauing the examples and admonitions of their elders and that worldly minds shall remaine vnder counterfeit religion Apostat abunt filij omues except is paucis à patribus suis relinquentesque vitas monit a maiorum suorum sub palliata religione seculares animi permanebunt Brigit in her reuelations saith That the works and words of Christ were so neglected that few thought of them or remembred them Opera verba Christi sunt adeò neglecta vt iam pauci ea recolant Hosius disputing against Brentius telleth vs of a Coliar that could answer nothing of his faith but that he beléeued as the Church beléeued We may therefore assure our selues that the apostacie spoken of by the Apostle 1. Tim. 4. is plainely séene in the Komish church and that the smoke that ascended out of the bottomelesse pit like the smoke of a fornace and darkened the Sunne and the ayre as we may reade Apocalypse 9. was nothing else but the errors and ignorance of Papists that couered Christian religion and obscured the face of the Church Of this defection and darknesse Robertus Gallus doth speake in his visions ca. 3. shewing that the church should be ouerwhelmed with this darknesse and that the same should arise out of the Church Egressa est saith he caligo illa ab Ecclesia Sol saith another qui est spiritualis potentatus factus est niger quia non serenum coelum sed tetrum infernum aperit Proptereà peruersus Pontifex nuncupatur Angelus abyssi The Sunne which is the spirituall power was made blacke because he the Pope openeth not the cleare heauen but blacke hell Therefore a peruerse Pope is called the Angell of the bottomlesse pit And againe the seate of the beast that is the malignant Church is in the court of Rome whose kingdome is darke Francis Petrarch in his seuentéenth Epistle describing the court of Rome Nulla ibi lux saith he nullus dux nullus index anfractuum sed caligo vndique vbique confusio ne parum vera sit Babylon ac perplexitas mira vtque Lucani verbis vtar nox ingens scelerum tenebrosa inquam aeterna nox expers syderum aurorae nescia tum profunda iugis actuum opacitas There is no light there no guide no leader in turnings but darknesse round about and confusion euery where lest it should not seeme to be true Babylon wonderfull perplexitie and to vse Lucans words a great night of abhominable sins I say a darke and continuall night without star-light or glimmering of morning twilight and a deepe and continuall obscuritie of mens actions Most miserable therefore and calamitous is the state of the Papists For if eternall life consist in the knowledge of God and Christ Iesus as himselfe teacheth vs Ioh. 17. what hope can they haue that are ignorant of God and godlinesse of Christ and Christs true religion If they liue in darknesse and without light that want the light of Gods word then is the darknesse of poperie great where publike prayers and Scriptures read publikely are kept vnder the couer of strange tongues as a candle vnder a bushell If the people of God were led away captiue for that they wanted knowledge as it is Isa. 5. what possibilitie haue the Papists to frée themselues from the captiuity of the diuell and Antichrist that are ignorant of religion and led by the noses by impostors and false teachers suborned by Antichrist Finally if the people perish where there is no prophecying as we reade Prouerb 29. then are the Papists in a most fearefull and damnable state among whom the word of God is not sincerely preached and to whom wicked Masse-priests and Friars for the word of God preach humane deuises and lyes The very heathen vnderstood that the knowledge of God was the beginning the cause and rule of humane happinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Pythagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If then they vnderstand not their miserie that want the knowledge of God they are more ignorant and lesse excusable then heathen people Against this assertion I doubt not but Robert Parsons will take exception who in his Wardw. pag. 12. stormeth when he heareth vs but once to mention the ignorance of Quéene Maries times But the matter is too manifest for him to face out with bigge words He telleth vs of Tonstal Watson Christophorson Fecknam Gardiner and White But neither was the learning of these men extraordinarie as some of their doings yet extant declare nor was their learning great in the true knowledge of diuinity Nor was this a good consequence these men were learned therfore the people were also learned For these men seldome preached and but to few and to very litle ediftcation He addeth therefore in the Warn-word 2. Encountr cap. 6. that the learning and skill of Doctors and teachers maketh the people intelligent and skilfull But that is where they teach and instruct the people which these did not There also he telleth vs that in other countries the common people yea children and babes are able to answer in Christian religion But first this concerneth times past nothing And
examined I doubt not but to lay the shame vpon his doltish ignorance In my reply I alleage two places out of Hosius his confessioÌ„ the first where he sayth That ignorance is not only worthy pardon but reward also the second where he sayth That to know nothing is to know all things These places I say as he vseth the matter are Hosius his owne and not Hilaries or Tertullians For Hilary lib. 8. de Trinit where he produceth the like words speaketh of the ignorance of the meaning of these words Ego pater vnum sumus And Tertull. lib. de praescript aduers. haeret where he sayth That to know nothing is to know all things speaketh of curious knowledge beyond the rule of faith But Hosius imagineth that these words do proue That 〈◊〉 is sufficient to beleeue as the Catholike church did which neither of them euer thought To this purpose also lib. 3. de author sacr scripturae Hosius abuseth a place out of S. Augustine contr epist. fundam c. 4. thinking because he sayth That simplicity in beleeuing and not quicknesse of vnderstanding doth secure vs that who so beléeueth the Catholike Church is safe albeit he vnderstand nothing else But this is no part of S. Augustines meaning but Hosius his owne lend collection and Parsons his idiotisme and patchery that could not discerne it Fol. 60. 2. encontr he sayth The Knight talketh as fondly as if he had talked of the breeding of yong geese And why Forsooth because he sayth The Papists breed vp their children in blindnesse and ignorance And is not this manifest when they debarre them from reading or hearing scriptures read publikely in vulgar tongues and forbid them to argue of Christian religion Inhibeâ—â—â—s sayth Alexander the 4. c. Quicunque de haeret in 6. ne cuiquam laicae personae liceat publicè vel priuatim de fide Catholica disputare Qui vero contr à fecerit excommunicationis laqueo innodetur Nauarrus in Enchirid in 1. praecep c. 11. sayth It is mortall sinne for a lay man knowing this law to dispute of religion And Charles the fift as Neteranus reporteth expressely forbad it Fol. 62. he complaineth of abusing a place of Chrysostome homil 13. in 2. Corinth and sayth We vse legierdemaine in euery thing But if both his translation and that alleaged by Sir Francis be compared with Chrysostomes wordes in Gréeke which begin thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the same will easily discharge vs of legierdemaine and charge Parsons with doltish ignorance and idle and vaine cauilling because the words were not to his humour nor translation Fol. 118. 2. encontr ch 15. where we say that king Iohn was poysoned by a Monke of Swinestead Abbey and that the Monke was before hand absolued of his Abbot he cryeth out that this example is more grosse and absurd then the former viz. of king Henry the 3. of France But in the former example we haue shewed that there is no other grossenesse or absurditie but that such a wicked sect as the Iebusites should be permitted to liue on the face of the earth vnder the protection of Christian kings séeing they séeke to murder all of them that are excommunicate by the Pope The history which we report of king Iohn is neither absurd considering the hatred of the swinish rable of polshorne priests nor vntrue Caxtons Chronicle sayth he dyed of poyson giuen him by a Monke Polychronicon lib. 7. c. 33. and Polydore virgil deny not but that this was a common spéech Those that mention not poyson say that he dyed of a surfeit Now who knoweth not that surfeits and poyson haue often the same symptomes and effects The absolution giuen him is proued by the common practise in those cases As for the allegations made to the contrary they are like Robert Parsons that is absurd and ridiculous Polydore saith Parsons affirmeth that he dyed of heauinesse of heart Radulphus Niger that he dyed of surfeting Roger Houeden that he dyed of a bloody flixe But all this doeth rather increase the suspition of poyson then otherwise Iohn Stow is a poore author and sauouring as much of Popery as of his pressing yron and Taylery What then if he should endeuour to cleare an old suspition that maketh against Papists Much lesse then should Parsons stand vp on his testimony if he name neither Monke nor poyson Monkes and Papists ordinarily suppresse all things that tend to the disgrace of their kingdome and more credit is to be giuen to one or two witnesses affirming a truth against their will then to twenty lying Monkes or Friers or pelting Popish writers that write for affection rather then for truth Wherefore albeit he crye loud as the Iewes did against Christ Iesus and stand much vpon his stout arguments and obiections as Sophisters vse to do yet nothing is more vaine then his clamours and outcryes nor more feeble then his obiections Nazianzen epist. 31. sheweth vs That often times it falleth out that those that are wronged are also accused Iidem iniura afficiuntur accusantur saith he And experience sheweth vs that then Robert Parsons cryeth loudest when his cause is weakest As for his disputes and obiections they are more easily ouerthrowne then brought into forme Multò difficilius est nosse quà m vincere sayth Hierome of Iouinians discourses The same we may sée of Parsons his patcheries For more hard it was to bring them to a forme then to refute them CHAP. XII Parsons his poore shifts and fond and ridiculous answeres examined SOmetimes silence maketh fooles seeme wise So sayth the wise man Stultus si tacuerit sapiens reputabitur But Frier Parsons could neither speake wisely nor yet modestly kéepe silence Cùm loqui nesciat tacere non potest In my Epistle to his Noddiship I obiect First that he published certaine chartels against his friends in Oxford Next that he was the authour of an infamous libell against the Earle of Leicester Thirdly that he made a libell entituled A Confutation of pretended feares Fourthly that he holp Cardinall Allen to make that rayling discourse which he directed to the Nobilitie and people of England and Ireland Lastly I say he made foure other books of like quality Now obserue I pray you what the wizard answereth to all this For the first foure sayth he I neuer heard any man of notice and iudgement ascribe them to him before and if I be not deceiued other particular authors are knowne to haue written them He dare not deny them being knowne to be his least his owne friends should cry shame vpon him nor dare he confesse them because such infamous writings haue no grace among honest men What doth he then Forsooth he answereth that which euery man may take as he list Afterward he maketh a face as though he would deny the other foure bookes to be his But in the end passeth by them in silence Where I do signifie that the letters N. D. do stand for
blood of the new testament and do this in remembrance of me that synagogue hath added fiue other sacraments giuing the same vertue to their extreme vnction and to mariage and orders concerning iustification that they giue to Baptisme the Lords supper The master of the Sentences rehearsing the seuē sacraments for the Lords supper putteth Panis benedictionem that is the blessing of the bread excluding the cup either from the Lords supper or from the number of sacraments He doth also differ from the rest in describing the vertue of the sacraments Alia remedium contra peccatum praebent saith he gratiam adiutricem conferunt vt baptismus alia in remedium tantùm sunt vt coniugium alia gratia virtute nos fulciunt vt eucharistia ordo That is some of the sacraments yeeld vs a remedy against sin and withall bestow on vs helpfull grace others are onely for remedy as mariage others do strengthen vs with grace and vertue as the eucharist and holy orders But Bellarmine lib. 2. de sacrament c. 13. doth shew that the common currant opinion now is otherwise and that all these sacraments do iustifie ex opere operato that is by vertue of the worke wrought As if all maried men and priests of Baal were iustified or as if iustification and grace came by greasing scraping crossing and such other ceremonies But neither are they able to iustifie this doctrine nor to shew either institution or promise of confirmation or extreme vnction or certaine signe of mariage or repentance or order or the other two new deuised sacraments Furthermore mariage repentance and priesthood were as well vsed in the time of the law as in the Gospell How then can these be sacraments of the Gospell They haue also altered corrupted and mangled Christ his institution concerning the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords supper In baptime they salt and coniure the water in which the party baptized is to be dipped They put salt into his mouth and touch his eares and nosthrils with spittle which is oft times very noisom They annoint him also on the head and giue him a candle in his hand and embroyle Christ his institution with diuers other ceremonies Finally to make water more effectuall they poure oyle into the sont In the sacrament of the Lords supper instituted in bread and wine they leaue neither the substance of bread nor wine but say that the same is transsubstantiated into Christs body and blood and that either his body and blood or the accidents of bread and wine subsisting without their substance make the sacrament Secondly they hold that Christs body and bloud are conioyned without any distance to the accidents of bread and wine albeit they are not there either felt or seene Thirdly they haue turned the sacrament of our communion with Christ and of our mutuall coniunction one with another into a priuate action of one Priest that eateth and drinketh all alone vncharitably and very directly contrary to Christ his institution who ioyntly said Accipite manducate hoc est corpus meum and bibite ex hoc omnes Take eate this is my body and drinke ye all of this contrary to the practise of the auncient Church that neuer solemnized this action without distribution of the sacrament and contrary to the vse and reason of the sacrament For why should not the faithfull be made partakers of that sacrament which is a signe of their vnion both with Christ and among themselues Fourthly Christ and his Apostles administred the cup to as many as receiued the holy eucharist But they by a solemne decrée of priests at Constance take away the cup from all saue the priests that say Masse Fiftly Christ ordained that the sacrament of his body and bloud should be distributed and receiued in that action these fellowes kéepe the sacrament in a boxe and cary it about in solemne processions Sixthly they worship the sacrament and call it their Lord and God contrary to all rules of Christianity Seuenthly Christ appointed a holy sacrament and gaue not his body and bloud to be offered continually in the Masse as a sacrifice auaileable for quicke and dead as these good fellowes do beleeue Finally the Apostle sheweth that as oft as we celebrate this holy action we shew forth the Lords death vntill his comming againe But the Papists forbid this action to be celebrated in a vulgar tong which is commonly vnderstood of the people as much as in them lyeth hindring them from shewing forth the Lords death they hold also that he is already come and present in the sacrament But the Church of England doth religiously obserue Christ his institution and that doctrine which the Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs. The same admitteth no sacramēts but two that is Baptisme and the Lords supper In Baptisme we refuse the idle and superstitious ceremonies brought in lately by Papists That which the Apostle had receiued of Christ Iesus and deliuered to the Corinthians 1. Cor. II. that we diligently obserue renouncing their nouelties heresies and blasphemies concerning the grosse carnal and corporall presence and eating and drinking of Christs body and bloud in the sacrament the late deuised transsubstantiation the blasphemous idole of the Masse the diuine worship of consecrated hostes the mangled communion vnder the forme of bread their celebration in a tongue not vnderstood of the communicants and all the rest of their abuses which without either authoritie of scriptures or allowance of the most auncient and sincere fathers they haue brought into the Church The sacraments therefore of the new Testament being pledges of Gods loue and seales of Gods graces whereby he worketh in vs we are not lightly to prize the true and sincere administration of them according to Christs holy institution nor to esteeme this a small benefite that the doctrine concerning the holy sacraments being reformed according to the canon of Gods word both the superstitious ceremonies in Baptisme and the idolatrous Masse with al abuses depending thereon were abrogated and remoued out of the Church and the celebration of Christs holy sacraments conformed according to the prime institution Many godly Emperors and Kings haue deserued praise in going about to reforme abuses crept into the administration of sacraments before their time but none more then our late most gracious Queene that from extreme abuses brought all to a most excellent order CHAP. IIII. Of the true worship of God established in the Church of England HOw the worship of God was corrupted among the Papists before the late reformation wrought by her Maiesties authoritie in the Church of England it wil hardly be of posteritie beléeued but that there are monuments of like corruptions yet remaining in diuers other countries and good records and memorials yet remaining of their notorious abuses in this countrie The faithfull Ministers that were yet remaining vpon the comming in of Quéene Marie wept to see the desolation of the Church as the people of
pray in a strange tongue my spirit prayeth but mine vnderstanding is without fruite And a little after I will pray with the spirit but I will pray with the vnderstanding also I wil sing with the spirit but I wil sing with the vnderstanding also Else when thou blessest with the spirit how shall he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen to thy blessing when he knoweth not what thou sayest These words are most direct against the Latine seruice of the Papists shewing first that the priest speaking in Latine when the people vnderstandeth nothing taketh a barbarcus course Secondly that songs and prayers without vnderstanding profit nothing And lastly that it is ridiculous for the people to say Amen to the priest when they vnderstand not his prayer or blessing Vt quid loquatur saith S. Ambrose in 1. Cor. 14. quem nemo intelligit Why should he speake whom no man can vnderstand And againe What profite can he reape that vnderstandeth not what he speaketh And afterward An vnlearned man saith he hearing but not vnderstanding knoweth not the end of the prayer nor answereth Amen that is true that the blessing may be confirmed And finally Si ad edificandam Ecclesiam conuenistis ea dici debent quae intelligant audientes that is if ye be come together to edifie the church then must such things be spoken as the hearers vnderstand Omnis sermo qui non intelligitur saith S. Hierome in 1. Cor. 14. barbarus est that is Euery language that is notvnderstood is barbarous And againe If any speake with tongues not vnderstood of others his vnderstanding is made without fruite if not to himselfe yet to others And lastly Sic est loquendum vt intelligant alij We must so speake that others vnderstand Saint Augustine expounding these words of the Psalmist Beatus populus sciens iubilationem nullo modo beatus es saith he nisi intelligas iubilationem that is thou art no way blessed vnlesse thou vnderstand thy song of reioycing or iubilation And againe in Psal. 99. he mistiketh that our voice should only sing a song of reioycing or iubilation and not our heart Vt vox nostra solae iubilet cor non iubilet which is iust the case of Papists chanting with a loud voice and not vnderstanding what they chaunt or pray This place our aduersary encont 1. c. 9. nu 8. would take from vs by saying that S. Augustine doth not speake of any corporall singing psalmes but rather of inward iubilation But S. Augustine mentioning our voice and speaking of those that sing and exhorting men in this and such like psalmes to praise God doth refute the fellowes foolery Beside that if iubilation be with vnderstanding of the hart then by S. Augustines iudgement those cannot reioyce or vse iubilation that vnderstand not what they say as the Papists do in their iubilations and iubilies chanting like pies and parrots they know not what and not conceiuing any inward ioy of any thing is spoken by the priest that is as well vnderstood as a Monkie chattering with his téeth and squealing out an indistinct voice Theophylact also and Oecumenius writing vpon the first to the Corinthians c. 14. confirme our cause and ouerthrow the aduersaries Dicit quod expediat saith Oecumenius eum qui alia lingna loquitur siue in psalmodia siue in oratione siue in doctrina aut ipsum interpretari intelligere quid dicat ad vtilitatem auditorum aut aliū hoc facere conuenit He saith that it behoueth him that vseth a strange tongue either in singing praier or teaching either to interprete himselfe and to vnderstand what he saith for the profit of the hearers or that it is fitting another should do it Theophy lact saith that the Apostle in the whole course of his speech doth shew that he that speaketh with a tongue not vnderstood profiteth himselfe nothing Iustine in his apologie and Dionysius in his Ecclesiastical hierarchie describing the practise of the Primitiue Church do plainely shew that the people vnderstood the Bishop answered him and concurred with him Hierome in prolog 2. in Epist. ad Galat. and Gregorie Nazianzene in orat in laudem Basilij do testifie that the people did answer Amen to the priests prayer But how could they say Amen to his prayer not vnderstanding what he said Ephrem made diuers praiers and songs in the Syriake tongue which were frequently vsed in the Churches of Syria Iustinian the Emperor made a law that the prayers vsed at the celebration of the sacrament should be pronounced with an audible voice But to what purpose if it were sufficient that the people should be present onely and not vnderstand what is said or praid This practise is clearely testified by Nicholas Lyra writing vpon the fourtéenth Chapter of the first to the Corintmans In the primitiue Church blessings and other common thing viz. in the Liturgie were in the vulgar tongues saith he The aduersaries also enforced by the euidence of truth confesse it were more profitable to haue prayers and the publike Liturgie of the Church in tongues vnderstood of the people rather then otherwise as may be gathered out of the words of Strabus Lyra Caietane and others writing vpon the first to the Corinthians chap. 14. Finally reason maketh against the vse of a tongue not vnderstood in publike prayers For if such are condemned as come neare to God with their lippes hauing their hearts farre from him then are not they to be allowed that in their prayers ioyne not their heart with their words Secondly the Apostle sheweth that it is a curse laid vpon infidels when God speaketh to them in other tongues Thirdly the tongue seruing to vtter our conceipts it is a most ridiculous thing for men to vtter things neither conceiued nor meant Lastly if the Romaines and Greekes in auncient time might vse vulgar tongues in their publike Liturgies why is not the same both lawfull and commendable now Friar Robert Encont 1. cap. 8. endeuoureth to shew reason to the contrarie But his reason is weak and friuolous Compating prayers with Scriptures he saith there is much lesse necessitie of publike seruice in vulgar tongues But if he had meant to defend the Popes cause and his owne and to propound the state of the contreuersie betwixt vs aright he should haue said that there is no profit or vse at all of vulgar tongues in the publike seruice in the Church and that it is rather inconuenient and hurtfull then otherwise For if it be profitable and no way inconuenient why should not the publike Liturgie of the Church be in vulgar tongues Notwithstanding let vs sée how he proueth that which himselfe propoundeth albeit not the point in question First he saith that publike seruice is appointed to be said or sung to the praise of God and in the name of all the people by publike Priests and other ecclesiasticall officers appointed thereunto But if publike seruice be appointed
complained of the abuse of popish excommunications That which our Sauior Christ saith If he heare not the Church let him be to thee as a heathen man or Publican that the popish faction translateth to the rediculous censure of the Pope And therefore excommunicateth al that place not the Churches vnwritten traditions in equall rancke with diuine Scriptures or that beléeue not that Christians can performe the lawe perfectly and are iustified before God by the workes of the law or that hold not the doctrine of the Romish Church concerning their seuen Sacraments or that do not worship Images or that receiue not their doctrine of indulgences and purgatorie and all the heresies and abhominations of the Pope or that submit not themselues to his tyrannie or that refuse to pay his annates or taxes or whatsoeuer he and his suppostes require Nay they excommunicate the subiects that rebell not against their lawfull Kings After that Pius the fifth that wicked and cruell hypocrite had commanded that neither the Lords nor people of England should obey Quéene Elizabeths commandements or lawes it followeth Qui secus egerint eos anathematis sententia innodamus That is Those which shall do otherwise we pronounce accursed or anathema Neither did the Pope onely in time past thunder out these curses but also gaue leaue to euery base companion and for euery small trifling cause to inflict most grieuous censures Petrus de Alliaco speaking of the Pope and his excommunications complaineth that he gaue leaue to his Collectors to thunder out excommunications to the offence of many and that other Prelates for debts and light causes did cruelly excommunicate poore men Saepè saith he per suos Collectores in multorum scandalum fulminauit aly Praelati leuiter pro leuibus causis vt pro debitis huiusmodi pauperes excommunicatione crudeliter percutiunt The Germaines complaine that many Christians were excommunicated at Rome for prophane causes and for gaine to the trouble of diuers mens consciences Romae say they caeterisque in locis per Archiepiscopos ac Episcopos aut saltem corum ecclesiasticos iudices multi Christianorum ob causas prophanas ob pecuniae denique ac turpis quaestus amorem excommunicantur multorumque sedeorum in fide infirmorum conscientiae per hoc aggrauantur in desperationens pertrahuntur Scotus in 4. sent dist 19. complaineth that the Church did too often strike with this sword and Petrus de Alliaco saith that by this abuse the sword of the Church was in his time growne into great contempt Oflate time the Popes of Rome haue excommunicated Emperours and kings if they would not depart with their townes countries and crownes and yéeid to their legats what they demaunded How intolerable this abuse was we may perceiue if we consider the heauinesse of this censure being rightly inflicted by the true Church Our Sauiour sheweth that the partie excommunicate is to be holden for a heathen man and a Publican Tertullian Apolo 39. doth call it the highest fore-iudgement of the future iudgement Summum futuri iudicy praeiudicium Cyprian doth esteeme them as killed with the spirituall sword Superbi contumaeces saith he spirituali gladio necantur dum de Ecclesia eijciuntur Commonly excommunication is called Anathema and Chrysostome homil 70. ad populum Antioch calleth it the bond of the Church We are therefore no lesse to be thankfull for our deliuerance from the Popes vniust lawes then the auncient Christians for their exemption from the yoke of the Pharisies and from humans traditions from which by the preaching of the Gospell they were freed Neither may we think it a simple fauour that we are made to vnderstand that the crackes of the Popes thundring excemmunications are no more to be feared then the ratling of Salmoneus that impious fellow that with certaine engines went about to counterfeit the noise of thunder We knew alwaies that a man vniussly excommunicated and by a Iudge vnlawfull was no way preiudiced Origen in Leuit. homil 48. speaking of a person excommunicate saith that he is not hurt at all being by wrongfull iudgement expelled out of the congregation Nihillaeditur in eo quod non recto iudicio ab bominibus videtur expulsus And the aduersaries confesse that excommunication pronounced vniustly and by him that is not our Iudge bindeth not C. nullus 9. q. 2. and C. nullus primus 9. q. 3. and C. sententia 11. q. 3. But few vnderstood the iniustice and nullitie of the Popes lawes and that he neither was nor is a competent iudge vntill such time as by true preaching of the Gospell which by Queene Elizabeth was restored vnto vs the man of sinne beganne to be reuealed CHAP. X. Of our deliuerance from heresie schisme superstition and Idolatrie These things therefore considered it cannot be denied but that her Maiesties godly resermation brought great profite to the Church of England Yet if we please to looke backe to the heresies of the Papists and to remember how they liued in heresie schisme superstition and idolatry we shall the rather praise God for that great deliuerance of his Church which he wrought by the meanes of our late Quéene For heresie and false doctrine is the bane and canker of the Church The Apostle Paul Ifan Angel from heauen should teach vs any other Gospel or doctrine beside that whith himselfe had taught the Galathians doth pronounce him accursed S. Iohn in his second Epistle forbiddeth vs to receiue into our houses or to salute such as bring not his doctrine Heresie schisme and idolatrie are reckoned among the workes of the flesh the workers whereof shall not inherit the kingdome of God Flie saith Ignatius those that cause heresie and schisme as the principall cause of mischiefe Quod maius potest esse delictū saith Cyprian lib. 2. Epist. 11. aut quae macula deformior quà m aduersus Christum stetisse quà m Ecclesiam eius quà m ille sanguine suo parauit dissipasse What offence can be greater or what blot more vgly then to haue stood against Christ then to haue scattered his church which he hath purchased with his blood Those which do perseuere in discord of schisme saith S. Augustine lib. 1. de bapt contra Donatist c. 15. do pertaine to the lot of Ismael Superstition is the corruption of true Religion and although coloured with a shew of wisedom yet is condemned by the Apostle Col. 2. Lactantius speaking of the superstition of the Gentiles doth call it An incurable madnesse Dementiam incurabilem and afterward vanitie Iustine in ser. exhort ad Gentes sayth that idolatry is not only iniurious vnto God but also voide of reason Principale crimen generis humani saith Tertullian summus seculireatus tota causa iudicy idolclatria That is Idolatrie is the principall crime of mankind the chiefe guiltines of the world and the whole cause of iudgement No maruell then if Iohn the Apostle
the Bishops knew neither old nor new testament In ore Episcoporum saith he that wrote the treatise titled Onus Ecclesiae est lex vanitatis pro lege veritatis The law of vanitie is in the mouth of Bishops in stead of the law of truth They should build the Church of God but as Brigit saith they build the diuel two cities Catherine of Siena cap. 129. saith that vnprofitable pastors do not driue the woolues from the sheepe for that they want the dog of conscience and staffe of iustice She saith also that they feed not their sheepe in the pastures of saluation nor leade them the way of truth Quid hodiè erant Episcopi saith the Cardinall of Arles in the méeting at Basil nisi vmbrae quaedā Quid plus eis restabat quà m baculus mitra What are Bishops of our time but shadowes What remaineth to them more then a staffe and a miter If any be more studieus then other yet it is not in Scriptures but in laws and matters of state and storie The Masse priests in time past vsed not to studie Scriptures nor to preach It was sufficient for them either by themselues or by others to expound in English the Créed Law and some few things more and that onely at foure times in the yeare as appeareth by the chapter Ignorantia sacerdotum de officio Archipresbyteri in our prouinciall constitutions Now to do this litle learning was required and lesse vnderstanding Clerkes saith Math. Paris in the life of VVilliam the Conqueror were then so vnlearned that those that vnderstood grammer were a wonderment to their fellows Adeo literatura carebant vt caeteris esset stupori qui grammaticam didicisset The Friers were then the onely preachers vpon whose teaching the edification of the popish Church wholy relied vnlesse percase some will suppose that faith may come by gazing on the priest at Masse or on the crucifixe and dumb images which as the prophet saith are teachers of vanity But these Friers were for the most part vnlearned as the sermons of Menot Maillard Bromeyard others wil teftify Secondly they preached onely in Aduent and Lent some few extraordinary times And thirdly the ground of their sermons were either fables or else philosophicall positions or idle questions litle tending to edification or matters for their owne profit And finally they came without lawful mission to teach lies rather then the truth to destroy rather then to build to make a schisme and diuision rather then to reduce men to loue vnitie and concord Dante sheweth that the Friers of his time wrested scriptures and litle regarded them Quando e posposta la diuina scrittura quando e torta Againe he sayth they desired their owne glorie and preached their owne inuentions hiding the Gospell in silence Per apparer ciascun s'ingegna face Sue inuentioni quelle son trascorse Da predicanti e'luangelio si tace He telleth vs that they tel fables and feede ignorant and simple people with wind No ha in Fiorenza tanti Lupi Bindi Quante si fatte fauole per anno In pergamo si gridan quinci quindi Si che le pecorelle che non sanno Tornan dal pasco pasciute di vento Agnellus generall of the Minorites hearing the Doctors dispute whether this proposition there is a God be true exclaimed against this maner of dealing and detested such questioning Cornelius Agrippa speaking of schoole doctors sayth that for the Gospel and the word of God they preach meere toyes and humane words preaching a new gospel and adulterating the word of God Pro Euangelijs pro verbo Dei meras nugas humana verba crepant praedicantes euangelium adulterantes verbum Dei Likewise doth Orthuinus Gratius in Praefat. ante lib. Petri de Alliac de reform Eccles. speake against scholasticall Diuinitie saying that the same is ingenious to lay burthens on mens soules and againe cunning in deuising excuses for sinne Est ingeniosa cura ad aggrauandas conscientias tum rursus adinueniendas excusationes in peccatis multo solertissima Robertus Gallus vis 34. saith that the Friers preaching idle and curious questions were designed by a vision wherin a man appeared loaden with bread but gnawing a long stone with a snakes head appearing at either end Which resemblance is not altogether vnfit séeing those that leaue the instructions of Scripture to scanne such endlesse questions leaue bread to gnaw a stone being in the end stung with their owne curiositie Seeing then that the preaching of popish Doctors is so mixed with idle tales endlesse questions and philosophicall discourses what profit can thereof redound to the people of God Quid Athenis Hierosolymis saith Tertullian de praescript aduers. haeret quid Academiae Ecclesiae What concord is there betweene Athens and Hierusalem betweene Philosophers schooles and the Church Cardinall Prat Archbishop as he calleth himselfe of Sens in Fraunce in his visitation made a law against such preachers as like vile buffons rehearsed ridiculous old wiues tales to moue their auditorie to laughter which sheweth that this was wont to be a common fault Their preaching was also very contentious and full of quarrels one calling another hereticke schismaticke sacrilegious false Prophet and rauening wolfe and endeuouring to proue the same by Scriptures and arguments as appeareth by the testimonie of the Waldenses in their confession to Ladislaus Vbertinus affirmeth that the locustes mentioned in the Apocalypse of S. Iohn do signifie the begging Friars because they are scurrilous and light skip-iackes liue carnally and gnaw the Scriptures Quia scurriles leues volatiles carnales rodentes sacras literas Commission for their preaching these Friars can shew none The Apostle where he talketh of pastors and teachers and other Ministers of the Gospell leaueth no roome for such vermine The Doctors of Paris say that Friars come without canonicall mission that they preach against the truth of Scripture that they bragge of their knowledge and preach for gaine How then is it like that such fellowes can build the Church of God Can we looke for truth at the hands of false Prophets or edification by them that come without calling In the prophesie of Hildegardis we reade that the principall studie and indeuour of these false teachers shall be to resist true teachers and to bring them to the slaughter by their intelligence with great men Séeing then the Papists haue no other teachers then these false Apostles or rather seducers and heare nothing but tales and idle questions it is not possible they should profit by such Sermons Much lesse therefore is it likely they should grow in knowledge séeing neither their leaders are desirous to teach them nor they to learne of their teachers Linwood speaking of the articles of the Créede saith It is sufficient for lay and simple men to beleeue them with an implicit faith that is to beleeue as the
psalme sayth That he hath often admonished his hearers that the Latin translatiō could not yeeld satisfaction for their vnderstanding Frequenter admonuimus saith he non posse satisfactionem intciligentiae ex latinitatis translatiene prestari Ambrose teacheth vs that where there is contention about the variation of Latine translations there the Greeke bookes are to be looked vpon Si quis de Latinorum codicum varietate contendit sayth he quorum aliquos perfidi falsauerunt Gracos inspiciat codices And in his booke De incarnat c. 8. So haue we found sayth he in the Greeke text whose authoritie is greater Hierome in an Epistle to Sunia sayth that in the old testament we are to haue recourse to the Hebrew text In his preface in 4. Euang. he sheweth that there is great variety of Latine bookes and that in correcting of errors and finding the truth we are to returne to the Gréeke originals Si veritas est quaerenda saith he cur non ad Gracam originem reuertentes ea quae malè ab interpretibus reddita vel addita vel mutata corrigimus Augustine also in his second booke De doctr Christ. cap. 10. saith That to correct Latine copies we are to haue recourse to the Hebrew and Greeke bookes of Scripture Ad exemplaria Hebraea Graeca saith he à Latinis recurratur And in the same booke chap. 15. Latinis emendandis Graeci adhibeantur codices Latine bookes of Scripture are to be mended by the Greeke originals The aduersaries also themselues are ashamed sometimes to say that either the old Latine vulgar translation is to be preferred before the originall Text of Scripture or that the same is authenticall The Canonists glossing vpon the Chap. vt veterum dist 9. affirme that where the Copies varie the originall is to be exhibited and that the Latine of the old Testament is to be corrected by the Hebrew and the Latine of the new Testament by the Greeke bookes Isidore Clarius Caietane Pagninus Forerius Oleastrius Erasmus and diuers others haue noted diuers faults in the old Latine vulgar translation Sixtus Senensis lib. 8. Biblioth sanct confesseth that diuers faults barbarismes solecismes and transpositions are found in the Latine translation And saith that the Church was moued by diuers iust causes to dissemble them Finally reason teacheth vs that the determination of the Romish Church that preferreth the Latin vulgar translation before the Hebrew and Gréeke text is most absurd For if the Latine bookes were to be preferred before the Hebrew and Greeke text or else to be estéemed authenticall then were we either to preferre or to giue like credit to Hierome and other authors that translated the old vulgar Latine bookes and to the holy Prophets and Apostles Againe transumpts and copies might by like reason be preferred before the originall instruments Thirdly the old Latine translation is proned false by diuers witnesses by comparing of places for that one edition of the old vulgar translation doth differ from another Non potest verum esse quod dissonat that cannot be true that is repugnant and contrarie to it selfe as Hierome saith in Praefat. in Iosuam in Praefat. in 4. Euang. But the edition of the vulgar translation set out by Clement the eighth doth much differ from that which Sixtus Quintus set out before Iosue 11. 19. Clement readeth quae se traderet Sixtus readeth quite contrarie quae se non traderet 2. Reg. 16. 1. Clement hath vtre vini Sixtus readeth duobus vtribus Ioan. 6. 65. Clement readeth qui essent non credentes Sixtus qui essent credentes And so it may appeare by diligent collation that there are notable differences throughout the whole Bible Lastly if the Latine text were more authenticall then the Hebrew or Greeke why do not our aduersaries shew that the auncient Fathers or some learned men of late time at the least haue corrected the Hebrew and Greeke according to the Latine and not rather contrariwise The fourth foundation of Romish religion is the determination of the Pope in matters of faith The Conuenticle of Trent teacheth that it belongeth to the holy mother the Church to iudge of the true meaning of Scriptures Now for as much as no man knoweth more certainely what is the holy mother Churches meaning then the Papists holy Father the Pope therefore they do hereof conclude that the Pope is to determine principally of the true sence and meaning of Scriptures In the Rubrike of the decrées cap. in canonicis dist 19. we find that the Popes decretals are to be reckened among canonicall Scriptures Bellarmine lib. 3. de verbo Dei cap. 3. saith that the Spirit of God he should say of the diuell is in the Pope and that he together with a Councell is chiefe Iudge in matters of controuersie of religion And in the same booke cap. 4. he holdeth that no man may recede from his iudgement or determination Stapleton in his booke of doctrinall Principles or grounds of his religion goeth about to prooue that the Popes sentence and determination is infallible And so much do these good fellowes rely vpon their holy Mothers and holy Fathers interpretation that they receiue the same without any long inquisition though neuer so foolish and contrarie to Scriptures Our Sauiour in the institution of the holy Eucharist said Take eate but they beléeue the Pope that saith Gape and gaze but take not nor eate but rather hang vp the Sacrament He said Bibite ex hoc omnes that is Drinke ye all of this but the Pope saith Drinke not all of this and they beléeue the Pope The Apostle saith It is better to marrie then to burne and that mariage is honorable among all men But the Pope doth interpret these words so as if he had said It is better to burne then to marrie and that mariage is reprochfull and vnlawfull to Priests and Papists beléeue the Pope So do they likewise in infinit false interpretations But that the Popes interpretations and sentences shold be the foundation of religion is a matter contrarie to religion and reason The Apostle Ephes. 2. saith that the Church is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the corner stone And therefore it is said to be built vpon them because both of them preach Christ. Apostolos habemus authores c. we haue the Apostles for authors of our doctrine saith Tertullian lib. de praescript aduers. baeret He saith also It lyeth not in mans power to determine any thing in matters of faith of his owne head Quamuis sanctus sit aliquis post Apostolos c. Howsoeuer holy or eloquent a man be saith Hierome in Psalm 86. yet comming after the Apostles he deserueth no authenticall credit The Lord declareth in Scriptures Augustine in his second Epistle to Hierome sheweth that no mans writings are comparable to holy Scriptures And this the Canonists themselues confesse in their glosses vpon the Chapter Noli meis and Ego
termes Tully in his oration pro Caelio calleth rather railing and scolding then accusing Fourthly he sheweth himselfe an absurd fellow to talke either of bitter and bloodie pamphlets or of odious calumniations or of bloodshed and crueltie or of Catholickes when as himselfe is a senslesse hereticke and an apostate from religion and hath spent now this twentie yeeres and vpward in rayling and libelling in laying plots of treasons in soliciting inuasions and such like practises séeking nothing else but to cut the throtes of his countreymen and to bring them into subiection vnto the Spaniards and Italians as before hath bene declarcd at full We are therefore to beséech his knaueship seeing he pleadeth for enemies and traitors and heretickes to giue vs leaue to speake for our countrey our Soueraigne our Religion and libertie Fiftly Catholikes are they which beleeue and hold that which the Catholicke church in old time did vniuersally hold as sayth Vincentius Lirinensis de haeres c. 34. But the Catholike church in old time did neuer vniuersally hold either the popish reall presence of Christs body without any distance from the accidents of bread and wine or that the accidents did subsist without their substance or that Christs true body was impalpable and inuisible and both in heauē and earth at one time or transsubstantiation or the popish Masse or communion vnder one kind or the rest of the popish sacraments or popish purgatory and indulgences or such like Nor did Catholikes euer prefer the Latin translation of the old and new testament before the originall text or place traditions in equall ranke with Scriptures Saint Augustine sheweth that catholikes and true beleeuers are all one But Papists are not Orthodoxi nor true beléeuers as I haue shewed in my challenge Sixthly when we speake against Papists we meane properly the factious adherents to the Pope and Spaniard and Parsons his crew of seditious archipresbyterial and diabolical practisers against the state against whom when we discourse our whole intention is to saue not to spill blood which they séeke to do and will if they be not speedily restrained Finally séeing Robert Parsons is so braue a disputer we must pray him to bring good arguments or else to lay aside his great bombasted Iebusiticall words of slander and calumniation He may do wel also to shew vs the difference betwéene slaunder and calumniation which he in great heate hath distinguished especially being so excellent a practiser in calumniation as his publication of Sanders de schismate and Philopater and other libels do proue him to be It would finally be knowne why this fellow that neuer knew his true father and loued so well his mother should be called Andreas Philopater rather then Andreas Philiometer It is a question also why he should be called Andreas rather then Robertus Philôpater But percase on his toombe he will haue this grauen Hic iacet Andreas qui lapidauit eas Pro Andreas Philopater dic Aue Maria and Pater noster Speaking of sir Francis Hastings in his Epistle to the Reader he would gladly fasten vpon him a suspicion as if he desired some diuidend of the liuings of Papists And againe 1. encont c. 11. he chargeth him and other knights with dayly féeding vpon papisticall fellows goods In his obseruations vpon my preface fol. 11. b. he sayth I watch for scraps and that I and my hungrie crew stand by and for desire licke our lips hoping to haue some share in the deuidend Drawing metaphors from his owne and his hungry companions practise who couching like dogs at the Popes féete are still looking for scraps and bare bones gaping for diuidends and to satisfie their extreme néed sometime like curres run grinning vp and downe the stréetes of Rome and cannot be satisfied Others fall together by the eares for bishoprickes and promotions in England and Ireland which they hope will be conquered daily But their ambitious desire is like a hungry mans dreame that thinketh he eateth and yet ariseth in the morning sore ahungred In his table he noteth that I am poore needy but if he had not bene a poore and needy pamphleter he would haue bene morewary then thus desperatly to lie vpon the credit of his intelligencer For it is well knowne that Sir Fr. Hastings liueth in honorable reputation without desire of any mans goods I albeit I had no preferment of the Church yet could I liue of my patrimony Neither of vs nor any knight professing the Gospell doth liue in such estate that he being a begging Friar by his profession and by birth a poore blackesmithes wiues sonne may well obiect either neede or gréedie scraping for other mens goods vnto vs. Nay we are so farre from desiring the goods of papists that we with them as Saint Augustine epist. 50. did the Donatists that they were Catholikes and honest men and so we would not onely leaue them that is theirs but giue them also part of that is ours With vs they deale as the Donatists did with S. Augustine and we answere Parsons as he did them Quòdnobis obijciunt saith he quodres corum concupiscamus auferamus vtinam Catholici fiant non solùm quae dicunt sua sed etiam nostra inpace nobiscum charitate possideant If this wish content them not I would wish them together with all their goods in Italie with their owne holy father Which if the Spaniards and Italians and the bloody Inquisitors would permit to men of our profession they would accompt it a great fauour But now such is the crueltie and extremitie of the papists that they torment and put to death all that professe the truth and not onely share and deuide but also take all most gréedily without respect of their poore widowes fatherlesse children or their poore kinsfolkes This hauocke the Inquisitors make in Spaine and this spoyle was made by our butcherly enemies in the dayes of Queene Mary Parsons therefore in putting this vpon vs did nothing els but put vs in mind of the rapines of papists in Quéene Maries dayes and shew what detestation we ought to haue of that cursed rauinous and woluish broode that dealeth with Christians in this sort He findeth also fault with my stile as outragious and intemperate and obiecteth scurrilitie and turpitude vnto me But if he would haue men to beléeue him he should haue conuinced me by proofes For no man I thinke that is wise will beléeue such a bankerout disputer on his bare word Againe he should haue shewed good example himselfe that requireth such respectiue termes in others He is still rayling and raging like a butter wife and most intemperatly and furiously Hauing therefore declared himselfe a scurrilous filthy fellow he sheweth himselfe an impudent sot to obiect his owne faults to others Of his scurrilitie I do meane to make a whole chapter Of his turpitude his baudy and filthie rimes against Beza in the desence of his rayling censure against master Charke
the moderne Romish Religion is all one with the auncient Christian Religion But his negatiue ridiculous proofe is denied His affirmatiue is rather a bare affirmation then a proofe For first against his negatiue we offer to proue that not onely the points of Romish doctrine which the Church of England refuseth are brought in long after the Apostles time but also that they are contrary to the Apostles doctrine But suppose we knew no originall of some of the Romish heresies are they therefore no heresies Is idolatry no idolatry because the first beginning thereof is not knowne Or are the Angelikes Archontikes Crosse-worpers Nadipedals Monothelites and diuers other heretikes true Catholikes because the Papists cannot shew who first broached these heresies Secondly albeit the Magdeburginns and some other learned men find fault with some termes used by the fathers as of sacrifice altar priest purgatorie free-will and some other yet that sheweth not either that all the fathers vsed these termes or that any of those that vsed them consented with the Papists which from new termes are growne to new and strange doctrine Beside that Parsons disputcth ridiculously which ascribeth the particular and priuate opinions of some one or few among vs to the whole Church He himselfe albeit he affirme many things desperately will not yéeld be this point against his owne consorts So we sée Parsons his whole treatise of three conuersions easily subucrted in thrée words and with the turning of a hand The second part of Parsons his treatise wherein he pretendeth to make search for the religion professed in England is wholly without the compasse of his title of thrée conuersiens So simple was he in his choise that he could not choose a title to fit his fantasticall worke Beside that he seemeth to be blind that could not find our Religion in the auncient Church of Christ for a thousand peares after Christ and long after For there is no point or article of faith taught by the Apostles receiued by the consent of the whole Church in any auncient and lawfull Councell but we receiue it and embrace it Nor do we professe any thing in the Creed of the Apostles or of the Nicene and other auncient Councels which the auncient fathers did not also together with vs receiue and professe While therefore the light-headed frier ranne poasting through all ages and pretended to enquire for newes of our Church which ho might sée if he would in all places he resembleth much that wise fellow that could not see wood for trées Neither is it material that in auncient time he findeth no opposition made against the Popes primacy or vniuersall power or to the Masse or to the doctrine of transsubstantiation the carnall presence in the Eucharist the sacrifice of the masse the 7. sacraments purgatory indulgences such like For who seeth not that it is most ridiculous to make search for opposition against popish doctrine heresie before the same was extant in the world But as soone as any began to chalenge the name of Oecumenical or vniuersal Bishop Gregory the first challenged him for it as the fore-runner of Antichrist The worship of images allowed after a sort in the second Councell of Nice though not in such grosse maner as now was oppugned in the Councell of Francford in the time of Charlemaine The carnall presence of Christs body in the sacrament was not beleeued by Gregory the 7. as Beno reporteth and was both thē and afterward disliked by many Transsubstantiatiō was disputed against by the schoolmen All the Easterne Church spurned against the Popes headship his purgatory and indulgences Neither since the time of the first beginning of these corruptions did the Albigenses Valdenses Wiclephians and Bohemians as they are called together with diuers others cease to exclaime against these popish abuses But saith Parsons these did not in all things agrée with vs. Yet if he speake of matters of faith he wrongeth them and vs. If of ceremonies it is not necessary that al churches shold agrée in all points Furthermore if the aduersaries had not calmniously layed diuers imputations of heresies vpon them which they neuer held the variation wold not haue séemed so great as they pretend Wherfore if Robert Parsons séeke no better it is not like that he wil find a Cardinals hat which as his friends charge him he hath long sought This is the summe of that which is materiall in Robert Parsons his treatise of thrée conuersions The rest is nothing else but froth of the mans fury and foolery and containeth only certaine idle inuectiues against M. Fox that good man against M. Bale other honest Christians together with certaine fond tales of king Alphreds dreames S. Cutberts apparitions such like woodden popish stuffe drawne out of lying legends He forgot not also to raile against our noble Quéene lately deceased and to call her old persecutor and to lay an aspersion of slaunder vpon the State as if the same did persecute Papists for religion a matter of which the secular Masse-priests are ashamed and sticke not to cleare those whem this conuertible Proteus most vniustly chargeth Finally his fardle of wast papers containeth diuers corruptions and deprauations of holy Scriptures miss-allegations of Fathers weake collections grosse errors rebellious positions notorious lies and calumiations which in a large treatise herafter are to be discouered K. Kellisons Suruey if any man list to suruey and peruse a certaine slaunderous and railing companions libell entituled Caluinoturcismus and with hatred more then Turkish to christian religiō set out by Gifford of Lile wil be found to be wholy stolne out frō thence albeit he yéeldeth no thanks to those from whence he borowed or rather stole his inuention This Plagiary therefore néedeth no other answer then that which is already made to Giffords Turky worke called Caluinoturcismus It séemeth the man is at a stand For albeit Gifford hate religion like a Turk yet he answereth no more then if by vertue of Parsons his thrée conuersions he were turned into a mute Turbot This K. also of his owne hath added a glozing and flattering Epistle to the King a certaine preface concerning inanimate and vnreasonable creatures percase like the Arcadian beasts of Doway and certaine fragments old ends of diuers stale declamations made as it seemeth at the drinking out of a pot of Renish wine His schollers I heare gape and wonder at his horrible eloquence But yet the wisest of thē see that they haue no affinitie with his purpose and onely serue to fringe his chapters like as mustie ends of mockado serue to stitch his iacket of perpetuana All the whole amounteth to nothing saue to declare the man to be a perpetuall railer and a most sottish declaimer The idle fellow in all his scuruy collection which he like a surueyor without commission hath made to litle purpose doth neither shew wisedome nor modestie nor learning If the fellow had bene wise he