factious crue and adulterous seede of that strumpet may in good time also bee dispatched thither to sucke their owne mothers breasts that both the bondwoman and her sonnes may be cast foorth and not be heires with Isaac And if they will with Iudas depart from the Ministers of Christ to the Pharisies we may wish vnto them Iudas end as one saith Iudas iuit ad Pharisaeos non iuit ad Apostolos iuit ad diâ—isoâ— diuisus perijt Iudas went to the Pharisies not to the Apostles he went to those which were diuided and being diuided in the midst perished And happie were it with the Church of England if it were honestly rid of such make bate companions that wee might dwell by none but good neighbours as it is said of Themistocles when hee offered his ground to sell caused it to be proclaimed that he had a good neighbour Now this aduersarie breaking off here his vncharitable accusations returneth to his former defence which how sillie and weake it is shall in the discouerie thereof appeare The fift Defence 1. WHat disloyaltie of behauiour to Commonwealths can be noted in Catholike religion doe wee not teach all dutie vnto Princes and superiours pag. 94. 2. What is there in that sacred function of Priesthood now treason by the proceedings of England that can be guiltie of so great a crime in the statute of treason in Edward 3. nothing is remembred but that which tendeth either to the betraying of King or countrie pag. 95. 3. What is in Priesthood now that was not in former times which euer in Parliament hath been reputed the most honourable calling c. the same Priesthood which was giuen to S. Peter and his Apostles the same which S. Augustine and his associates had that conuerted England pag. 96. 4. There is in that sacrament of Priesthood no renouncing or deniall of any authoritie in England no conspiracie to Prince no betraying of kingdome c. pag. 96. 5. That Priests do absolue from sinnes c. the cause is no temporall thing and yet it cannot be the cause of this treason for Deacons which haue no such authoritie are traytors by the same statute pag. 96. 6. That our Priests are consecrated in forraine countries is not the cause for in former times it hath been the greatest honour to our Clergie to be consecrated in those forraine countries and to be ordered in France to which we be friends and in England is equally treason pag. 97. 7. The Grecians and Germanes diuers in doctrine to the Church of Rome haue their Seminaries of Priests maintained by the Pope and yet they condemne not their Priests for traytors and it is as improbable that the Pope hath an intent to bring England vnder his temporall gouernment as it is vnprobable in those countries 8. How can those religious Schooles be such aduersaries c. where there is no Reader no professor no Lecture no doctrine against our English gouernment where prayer is continually made for her Maiestie The rules and gouernment there consent with the ancient foundations of Cambridge and Oxford pag. 98. 9. What disobedience can it be to denie to any temporall Prince supremacie in causes Ecclesiasticall a preeminence distinct c. which our Kings themselues euer approued in the Roman See which neuer any Turke or Goth or Vandale or Infidell challenged c. nor any temporall Prince vnlesse it be in England pag. 98. 10. The enemies to this See do not condemne it as a disobedience to appeale to Rome in spirituall cases to goe on pilgrimage to Rome to fetch any Crucifixe or picture from thence all Catholikes and Christians of the world without prohibition of their Princes haue accesse thither pag. 99. 11. Our most triumphant Kings haue performed those offices in visiting of Rome in their owne persons pag. 99. The Answere 1. DOe ye aske what disloyaltie there is in your Cacolike religion when by Popish doctrine Princes are not chiefe in their owne kingdoms ouer Ecclesiasticall causes and persons and the Pope hath authoritie by the same to excommunicate and depose Princes and absolue subiects from their oth of obedience And doe ye teach all dutie to Princes when the pestilent vipers the Iudasites doe hold that subiects ought to assist the Pope inuading a countrie by force for religion against their Prince and that they are bound to keepe secret the Popes designements to that end that they were no rebels which aided the Popes Cacolikes in Ireland against the Queene I would not so often alleage these matters but that this brablers confused tautologies can not otherwise be answered 2. There be other points in that statute beside betraying of King or countrie that are made treason as to violate the Kings wife or his eldest daughter or the wife of his eldest sonne but these matters are impertinent they serue only to shew the vntruth of his speech And euen by this statute popish Priests and Iudasites that maintaine a forren Potentate a knowne enemie to Prince and countrie are found to be traytors for they which are adherent to the Kings enemies in his realme giuing them ayde and comfort within the realme or elsewhere are by that statute iudged traytors 3. In popish Priesthood there are many things now which were not in former times as to haue power to make Christs bodie that it is a sacrament and hath an indeleble character their shauing greazing to haue dependance vpon the Bishop of Rome the vow of single life annexed to orders these things in the honorable calling of the Ministers of the Church the auncient and pure age of the Church did not acknowledge And though the popish priesthood for some hundred yeares past hath beene in great credite yet was it another manner of Ministerie which was honoured of the auncient Christian Emperors As the Bishops of the Nicene Councell whom Constantine so reuerenced that he would not sit downe till they had beckoned to him Meletius whose eyes lips and breast Theodosius kissed embraced Chrysostome whom Goinas the Goth did reuerence and caused his children to fall downe at his knees all these were Bishops of another order then the Popes creatures now are It is also a vaine boast that S. Peter had the same priesthood S. Peters presbyters were not Lords ouer Christs flocke as the Popes Clergie is 1. Pet. 5.3 Peter doth make himselfe a sympresbyter with the rest not lord ouer theÌ„ nor they to depend of him and confesseth Christ to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefe shepheard 1. Pet. 5.4 he dare not arrogate that title to himselfe as the Pope doth In some respects they may haue the same priesthoode which Augustine the Monke had though as yet the sacrifice of Christs bodie was not annexed to the priesthood nor many yeares after for he came from Rome and sought the preeminence of that See
also against the Gospel which she called heresie With this hypocrite diuers Priests and Monkes were confederate and among the rest your great champion Bishop Fisher whereof some were attainted of treason and iustlie executed the Bishop with other were condemned to prison and forfeited their goods you cannot shew vs such a conspiracie of Protestants with the first Elizabeth as it is euident there was of Papists with this latter Now sir tell vs what haue you gained by referring vs to this place of the Chronicle 2. The Registers of London and Norwich will tell vs that some Anabaptists haue been burned for heresie and one Ket for Arrianisme and other impieties and that reuerend Synode mentioned hath condemned both these and other heresies what of al this vpon these premisses will you inferre the Protestants of England that â—oe thus proceede against heretikes to haue no true Church And that this Epistler may see his owne follie by the same reason one may conclude that because the first Nicene Synode condemned the Arrians the first Constantinopolitane the Macedonians the Ephesine the Nestorians the Councel Chalcedonens the Eutychians the 2. Constantinopolit the Trinitie or Patripassians the 3. Constantin the Monothelites because Augustine condemneth 90. heresies and Isidore as many that therefore these were not of the true Church Shall the Protestants Synode be reproued for condemning the same heresies which in generall Councels were anathematized and by the same reason that the Canons of our Synode are censured may not Gratianes decrees their owne darling be controlled which condemne 90. heresies Caus 24. q. 3. c. 39. these are but loose arguments he shooteth at the marke as a blind man at crowes and as that vnskilfull archer who shooting wide Stratonicus the Harper standing by ranne and stood at the marke and being asked why answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I be not hit as little need we to feare this blind archers darts for they come not neere vs. But as Hierome said to Vigilantius Risimus in te prouerbium vidimus camelum saltitantem We smile to see the prouerbe verified vpon you a Camell dauncing So as soone may we see a Camell daunce as this Cauiller performe what he taketh in hand 3. His third probation is from a particular enumeration of diuers heresies and infidelities pretended to be amongst vs as Arrians Eunomians Vigilantians Nestorians Eutychians Grecians c. pag. 6. Ans. 1. Some of these heresies are malicious slaunders of our Church as Arrians Eunomians Nestorians Eutychians Grecians Anabaptists Catharists Hernicians Iulianes our Church neither knoweth their names or any called by them nor yet their heretical opinions We neither denie the diuine nature of Christ with the Arrians Eunomians nor diuide his person with the Nestorians or confound his natures with the Eutychians nor denie his humanitie with the Anabaptists nor the proceeding of the holie Ghost from the Sonne with the Grecians neither doe we hold any to be pure without sinne as the Catharists nor denie the grace of baptisme to children with the Hernicians neither make two beginnings one of good another of euil as the Manichees nor affirme with the Donatists the Church of God to bee limited vnto a certaine place as they to Africa all these heresies we accurse and vtterly condemne But the Papists are the men rather which are blemished and spotted with these heretical opinions with the Arrians they hold Christ not to be God of himselfe with the Nestorians they in effect make two Christs one offered in the sacrifice of the Masse another to whom they offer in heauen with the Eutychians they take away the truenes of Christs bodie making it to bee in a thousand places at once with the Anabaptists they extenuate his humanitie denying that he opened his mothers wombe they affirme that the commandements may be kept and so in effect are Catharists for where the law is not transgressed there is no sinne they make a Sacrament of Confirmation as a supplement of Baptisme and so denie grace of Baptisme to be sufficient and are herein like the Hernicians with the Manichees they condemne the mariage of Priests as the Donatists did tie the Church to Africa so they to the Papacie of Rome Some of these as they are imputed to Protestants wee denie to be heresies at all as that of Vigâ—lantius that reliques are not to be adored of Iouinian that neither fasting nor virginitie is meritorious of Aerius that prayer is not to be made for the dead of Wickleffe such opinions we receiue as are agreeable to the Scriptures if either he or any of those before named held any thing vnsoundly not warranted by the word wee binde not our selues to their opinions Some of the heresies and schismes rehearsed the Church of England condemneth though such wee denie not but haue been found amongst vs as Brownists Barrowists Kettists not many pretenders to be Prophets very fewe Some of them are obiected to the popish sectaries by their owne fellow popelings as Anabaptists Antichrists damned crew Atheists The Iesuites are charged with Anabaptistrie by their fellow Catholikes binding themselues so by the vowe of obedience to their superiors that they are disloyall to their Princes And it is certaine that the Anabaptists hold the Pope to be better then Luther which sheweth that Poperie commeth neerer to Anabaptistrie then Protestancie They also call the Iesuites the chiefe captaines of Antichrist out of whose sect it is very probable say they that man of sinne shall rise In like sort the Priests call the Iesuites plots the infernall consistorie The Iesuites say some of the Priests stand in the state of perdition thus by their owne testimonie it appeareth who is the damned crew Likewise who are the Macheuils and Atheists of these dayes they shall speake themselues The Priests say of the Iesuites that they are the societie of the Deuill and schoole of Macheuelisme And Parsons chargeth all them againe to be Atheists Heretikes Apostataes that inueigh against him The Popish Priests call the Iesuites Donatists reuiued Arrians the Iesuites againe charge the Priests with Anabaptisme Thus then we see by the confession of our aduersaries themselues who are the Atheists Antichrists damned crew the Anabaptists Arrians Donatists of these dayes May we not now say vnto him with the words of the Gospell with thy mouth will I iudge thee ô euil seruant And as Hierome saith Sententias vestras prodidisse superasse est Your owne confession is your conuiction And herein our aduersaries as Democritus said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they bring foorth blinde accusations as bitches do blinde whelps so being blinded with malice against the Gospell they lay those things to our charge which they themselues are guiltie of 4 His fourth probation is from the writings of diuers chiefe Protestants in Germany who do condemne euery one another to hell for heresie and infidelitie in the greatest question
their soules with God and the resurrection of their bodies to come 4 It is Poperie rather that consisteth of negatiues as it is euident by their manifold oppositions to the doctrines before rehearsed as that the scriptures conteyne not all things necessarie to saluation that the Church can not erre that the scriptures are not fit to be read in the vulgar toong that the Pope is not Antichrist that faith onely iustifieth not that there be not two onely sacraments that Christ onely as one mediator is not to be inuocated These negatiues with a number more the Romane separation maintayneth And where they affirme and set downe any thing positiuely they affirme their owne fantasies the doctrine of the Trinitie onely and some few other points excepted and oppose themselues therein to the scriptures 5 First what if many Churches haue bene erected in poperie Were not many Temples also built in the time of Paganisme as at Rome to Diana to Honor. q. 13. to Matuta q. 16. to Bona. q. 20. to Saturne q. 42. to Horta q. 46. to Vulcane without the citie q. 47. to Carmenta q. 56. to Hercules q. 59. to Fortuna Parua q. 74. to Aesculapius without the citie q. 94. to Apollo at Delphos q. 12. to Ocridion at Rhodes q. 27. to Tenes at Tenedos q. 29. to Vlysses at Lacedaemon q. 48. with many other Not the building therefore of Churches Temples and other Monuments but the end whereto they were first founded maketh them commendable Secondly let it be considered to what intent these Monuments were erected in the popish time and so many Monasteries builded not for the most part of any true deuotion or to the honor of God but pro remedio animae pro remissione peccatorum in honorem gloriosae virginis for the remedie of their soule for the remission and expiation of their sinnes to the honor of the glorious Virgin As King Ethelstane after the death of his brother which he had procured builded in satisfaction two Monasteries of Midleton and Michelenes Elfrida for the death of Ethelwold her husband builded a Monasterie of Nunnes in remission of sinnes Queene Alfrith in repentance of her fact for causing her sonne King Edward to be murdered founded two Nunries one at Amesburie by Salisburie the other at Werewell let any man now iudge what good beginning those Monasticall foundations had Thirdly it will be an hard matter for them to proue that all the founders of Churches Colledges and other Monuments were of the Romane opinion 〈◊〉 â—eligion as now it is professed For Charles surnamed the Great who is said to haue builded so many Monasteries as be letters in the A B C held a Councell at Frankeford where was condemned the 2. Nicene Councell with Irene the Empresse that approued the adoration of Images which is now maintayned by the papall corporation In King Ethelstanes time the Prince was acknowledged to haue the chiefe stroke in all causes whether spirituall or temporall as it may appeare by diuers constitutions by him made for the direction of the Cleargie In this Kings raigne diuers Monasteries were builded as the Abbey of Midleton and Michelenes In King Edmunds time the opinion of transubstantiation was not generallie receiued but then newly hatched by certaine miraculous fictions imputed to Odo Vnder this King the order of the Monks of Bennets order increased and the Abbey of S. Edmundsburie with great reuenues indowed In King Edward the Martyrs raigne Priests were suffered to haue their wiues and were restored to their Colledges and Monks thrust out by Alpherus Duke of Mercia In this Kings time were founded the Nunries at Amesburie and Werewell I trust then that in these times when neither images were adored nor the Princes authoritie in ecclesiasticall causes abridged nor transubstantiation beleeued nor the mariage of Ministers inhibited all went not currant for Poperie as it is now receiued Fourthly this age of Protestancie for this 40. yeare in England vnder the happie regimeÌ„t of our late Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth hath beene more fruitfull of pious works in building of Hospitals Almes-houses free Schooles Colledges in the Vniuersities speciallie in Cambridge founding of fellowships schollarships erecting of Libraries speciallie the Vniuersitie Librarie at Oxford by the liberall charge christian care of Maister Bodlie a religious and well disposed Gentleman then any like space of time which can be named vnder the regiment of the papall Hierarchie See more of this elsewhere And concerning the godlie care of the foresaid vertuous and liberall Gentleman he deserueth to be compared either to Pamphilus which erected or Acacius and Euzonius which enlarged and amended the famous Librarie of Caesarea in whom that sentence of Hierome vttered of Pamphilus is now verified Beatus Pamphilus cum Demetrium Phalereum Pisistratum in sacrae bibliothecae studio voluit â—quare imagines ingeniorum quae vera sunt aeterna monumenta toto orbe perquireret Blessed Pamphilus equalizing Demetrius Phalereus and Pisistratus in taking care for Libraries he sought for the images of mens wits the only true and eternall monuments through the whole world 6 I suppose rather that all things requisite to true religion are wanting in Poperie where the people are nusled vp in ignorance no edifying in their Churches where all the seruice is muttered in an vnknowne toong no reading of scripture which should make them wise to saluation no comfort in prayer to saluation which they vnderstand not seldome receiuing of the sacrament and that but in one kind and so it is maymed and defectiue in the sacramentall effects where then there is no knowledge in themselues no edifying toward others no true prayer to God no comfort in meditation of scripture no strength in the celebration of the sacraments where men are taught not to relie only by faith vpon Christ but to trust in their merites not to rest in Christs mediation but to seeke for the intercession of Angels and Saincts not to be content with a spirituall worship of God but to prostitute themselues to dumbe Idols not to cleaue only to the scriptures in matters of faith but to runne vnto traditions How then doth this religion obserue all things nay rather how are not all things there wanting that are requisite to true religion And as the liuing haue small comfort so as little hope is there of the dead whose soules after they haue passed the troubles of this life they send to Purgatorie flames there to suffer more then euer they endured before like as a Ship hauing escaped the dangerous surges of the Sea should suffer wracke and be lost in the hauen Of such comfortlesse doctrine that saying of Plutarke is verified Death to all men is the end of life but to superstition it is not so for it extendeth feare beyond a mans life then hell gates are set open fierie streames and infernall riuers are let go and horrible darkenes
their seruice craftily to build the temple It is not for you but for vs to build the house vnto our God And as Valentinian made answer to the Romaine Embassadors that made petition for the restoring of the idoll temples That which my brother Gratian taketh away how can you thinke I should restore In so doing I should both hurt religion and do my brother wrong Postulet parens Roma alia quaecunque desideret Let our mother citie Rome aske any thing else which she desireth This good Emperour Valentinian being yet but young was so resolute to continue the puritie of religion that notwithstanding the instance of the Romaine Orators and the counsell of all his Senatours that approued their petition he would not graunt any libertie to Romaine idolatrie Lycurgus answer was very fit to one that perswaded that the gouernement might be committed to the people Do thou first make triall in thy house giuing thy seruants the rule So these that would haue diuerse religions in the CoÌ„mon-weale yet mislike that there should be any but their owne profession in their houses and families their children and seruants being for the most part if they may haue their desires like affected to themselues We thanke God for your Maiesties firmenesse and constancie herein praying heartily for the encrease of Christian zeale strength and corage in your princely heart But as your excellent resolution is to haue the state of the Church and Commonwealth no worse so we reioyce to heare of your princely consultation to make them both better Alwaies the noble Princes Reformers haue added somewhat to their predecessors worke and where the other left they began Dauid brought the Priests and Leuits to order Salomon built the Temple Asa tooke away Idolatrie Iehosaphat remoued the high places Hezekiah brake downe the brasen Serpent Iosias restored the feast of the Passeouer to his first integritie vnder Nehemiah the feast of Tabernacles was reuiued So in England Henrie the eight expelled the Pope and abolished Idolatrie King Edward proceeded and abrogated the Masse Queen Elizabeth weÌ„t yet further took order for recusants seminary seducing Priests Iudasits and somewhat it may be is yet remaining either to be amended or added by your Maiestie for we doubt not but that you haue set your heart to seeke the Lord and with Hezekiah to do that which is good in his sight That saying of Alexander doth well fit a Christian Prince It profiteth not to possesse all things and to do nothing As we ioy to see you a possessor of the Crowne so we desire to behold you an agent in Christs Church we ioy from our hearts to see what reformation your Mâ—â—estie hath begun in the Common-wealth in staying of monopolies redressing of oppression and extortion by officers restraining vnlawfull games vpon the Lords day We do also as much reioyce to thinke of your princely resolution for matters Ecclesiasticall In restoring the reuenues of the Church and misliking the law of Annexation in maintaining the three estates of Parliament in seeing that all Churches in your dominions be planted with good Pastors And that euery Church may be thus planted with a good Pastor one should no longer be suffered to haue many nor he that is no good Pastor nor able to teach any and if the Pastor must be planted in his Church then to be plucked and pulled from thence by long absence is not fit Thus so many hundred Churches that want teachers shall be supplied and diuers hundred Preachers not yet called abroade shall be employed But seeing a great cause of an vnlearned Ministery is want of maintenance we thanke God for your Highnesse Christian care also herein that sufficient prouision be made for the sustentation of Ministers which may be fitly done if patrons were vrged to bestow their liuings freely and better order were taken for impropriations that such as are of the Churches fee be demised for the old rent to the incumbent Preacher such as belong to others be charged with some conuenient portion to issue forth for the maintenance of the Pastor But I presume not to prescribe a course but onely to giue my simple aduice To our great comfort also your Maiestie hath declared your princely care and desire that the doctrine and discipline be preserued according to Gods word whereas the first hath bin in this Church by some with vnsound teaching corrupted as I haue partly shewed in the Preface following the other by some much neglected by others not vsed well There are bookes abroade maintaining offensiue doctrine too much declining to poperie which haue done great hurt it might please your Maiestie that such dangerous bookes might be inhibited and because they are dispersed into many hands that they receiue some answer by publike allowance or sufficient satisfaction from the authors lest the infection spread further We also with thaÌ„ks to God take knowledge of your Highnesse Christian disposition to peace that no coÌ„tention shold be in the Church about ceremonies in your princely iudgement indifferent whereabout the Church of England hath bene much distracted Lycurgus is said to auoide drunkennesse to haue forbid the vse of vines Your Highnesse in good time may more easily remoue the iust occasions of offence or so indifferently moderate them that they breede no strife God giue your Maiestie strength in due time to reforme both those and what other abuses are in Church or Commonwealth Some perhaps would haue your Maiestie to minister no phisicke at all as though the Church ayled nothing which were nothing else but with Herodotus Selymbrianus in Plato to make a long and lingring sickenesse who falling into an incurable disease deuised how to prolong death where he could not preuent it Some would haue Heraclitus phisicke vsed to do nothing but purge who being sicke of a dropsie desired the Phisitian to purge him throughly to turne the abundance of showers into drought so they would haue all purged not the superfluous humors onely but some profitable parts as the very calling it selfe of reuerend Pastors and Bishops who while they attend the sincere preaching of the word and the vncorrupt administration of discipline may no doubt do the Church much good But the better sort desire neither with Heroditus nothing to be purged nor with Heraclitus all things to be euacuated and purged but rather approue Hippocrates method that what is euill may be purged the rest to be coÌ„forted strengthened This was Saint Pauls course to purge out the old leauen that there might be a new lumpe We would not the leauen lumpe of dough and all to be cast out but the lumpe to be renewed the old sower leauen to be reiected Thus shall your Maiestie shew your selfe as Hierome saith of one to be Hippocrates Christianorum A right Hippocrates of Christians indeed that you may say with the kingly Prophet Dauid The earth and the inhabitants
Christ I hope Antichrist the head of that false Church is no member of the Church of Christ or belonging to his family Thus in these and diuers other such questions wherein we haue bin distracted our princely Ecclesiastes as another Constantine that decided the controuersies betweene the Christian Bishops hath taken vp the strife like as Archidamus being chosen an vmpire betweene two brought them to the temple charging them not to depart till they were agreed If there yet be remaining any question or controuersie in our Church let his Maiestie iudge betweene vs his Catholicke and Christian iudgement may reduce vs to vnitie and consent in religion I say then with S. Paul Let vs therefore as many as are perfect be thus minded and if we be otherwise minded God shal reueale the same vnto vs. Augustine saith wel to Hierome Quiescamus ab his cōtētionib nostre vitae salutique parcamus minus certè assequatur illa quae inflat dum nō offendatur illa quae aedificat Let vs cease from these contentions and fauour our life and health let that which puffeth vp be amended while that which edifieth be not offended Now to such as haue a long time stood out and refused to cōmunicate with the Church of England I would exhort them now at the length to be wiser and not to suffer themselues any longer to be abused by that Romish generation of whom that saying of the Prophet is true Qui ducunt seducunt vos They that guide you beguile you Isay. 3.12 The variance and enmity that hath bin of late between your false teachers the ignatian Friers and Seminary priests doth shew that they seeke not you but themselues you may say of them as Tully of Pompey and Caesar that were fallen out Nosse se quem fugere ignorare quem sequi debeat That he knew whom to shun but not whom to follow I would they did embrace Hieromes counsel In mentem tibi veniat tunicam Saluatoris non à militibus fuisse conscissam fratrum inter se cernis iurgia laetaris imitari Ionam dicito Si propter me ista est tēpestas tollite me c. Remember that our Sauiours coate was not rent of the souldiers but you see the falling out of brethrē reioyce at it imitate Ionas say If this tēpest be because of me take me and cast me into the sea I do not wish these seditious sect-masters of Rome to be cast into the sea but I wold haue them cast out of the land and sent ouer the sea that our Church be no more troubled with them England would do full well without them it hath no neede of their Phisicke as Pausanias answered a certaine Phisitian that sayd he ayled nothing Because sayth he I vse not you for my Phisitian Come then Gentlemen and louing countrimen let vs go vp to Gods house together beware hereafter of the Pharisies leauen Let them alone they be blind leaders of the blind Mat. 13.14 Why should you pin your faith vpon the Popes sleeue hath not the Apostle said Ye are bought with a price be not the seruants of men 1. Cor. 7.23 See you not how that Caiphas of Rome seeketh his owne glorie and dignitie and would make kings and Princes his vassails and subiects Hierome said well Si pacem habere non potest cum fratre nisi cum subdito ostendit se non tam pacem cupere quà m sub pacis conditione vindictam If he wil no peace with his brother but as with a subiect he sheweth that he desireth not peace but vnder the colour of peace reuenge this may better be pronounced of the proud Pope of Rome then of the ambitious Patriarke of Ierusalem of whom it was first vttered Thanke God which hath sent a Prince that wil reforme your error not nourish you in your superstitiō stil God be blessed that hath raised vs vp so Christian a king that is as able by reason to perswade to the truth as by law to enforce for his constant resolution for religion we can neuer sufficiently be thankeful He shall neuer need with Constantius that fauored the Arrians to repent fidem à se immutatā that he had changed his predecessors faith but as Ambrose saith of Valentinian A fratre nollet se pietate superari he would not be exceeded of his brother Gratian in pietie so his Maiesty is not inferior for care of religion to his late renoumed sister Q. Elizabeth God giue vnto his Christian Maiesty long continuance and strength to proceed in his happy course and constancy to hold out his godly purpose to the end that he may still come downe like the raine vpon the mowē grasse as the showers that water the earth to be a comfort to his subiects a refreshing to the Church that as we find him a carefull Gouernor a godly Prince a louing father an example of all vertue and goodnesse better then the rest as Leonidas king of Sparta said I had not bene your King if I had not bin better then you so we again may shew our selues obedient and dutiful subiects to pray for him continually and dayly blesse him Psal. 72.15 That we neuer be vnthankful to God or vndutiful to him nor vnmindful of these great blessings of peace continuance of religion administration of iustice nor weary of so happy a gouernment as is expected as the inconstant Athenians were of Themistocles to whom he well said Are you wearied in receiuing of so many benefits frō one man but that it may truly be said of vs and all the faithfull subiects of the land They shall feare thee as long as the Sunne and Moone endureth from generation to generation Pal. 72.5 That his Maiestie now and his royall posteritie ouer vs may raigne in all happinesse godlinesse and peace from generation to generation which God graunt THE ANSWERE TO THE FIRST SECTION OF the Apological Epistle Sect. 1. The frailtie and pronenes of man to sinne after the fall of Adam WE see here verified the saying of S. Paul That false Apostles are deceitfull workers and transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ 2. Cor. 11.14 and as Sathan doth transforme himselfe into an Angel of light so his ministers can transforme themselues as though they were the ministers of righteousnes so playeth this cunning epistler who deuoting himselfe in this Libell to the seruice of Sathan in defacing the truth and disgracing the true Church of Christ which professeth it yet maketh a colourable entrance and plausible beginning setting in the forefront of this beadrole of lies an euident knowne and confessed truth of the fall of Adam and the generall corruption and deprauation of nature from thence issuing But as Hierome saith Venenum sub melle latet There lieth poyson hid vnder hony and as Ambrose Quia sub nomine suo culturam suadere non potest sub alterius nomine
three proofes are produced First the multiplicitie of suites Secondly the multitude of statutes Thirdly the testimonie of Protestant writers that complaine of the impietie of these times pag. 8.9 For the first he appealeth to the testimonie of Iudges records of Courts c. contentions betweene tenant and tenant Lord and Lord Lord and tenant c. to the rich estate of so many Lawyers pag. 8. Ans. 1. Although the multiplying of suites and aptnes to goe to law and that for trifles be not commendable yet it is no sufficient argument to disable and make a nullitie of a Church for euen the Corinthians to whom S. Paul doubteth not to ascribe the name of the Church of God were contentious and full of quarrels as the Apostle saith vnto them Now therefore there is vtterly a fault among you because ye goe to law one with another why rather suffer you not wrong c. 1. Cor. 6.7 2. If suites haue encreased since the expulsion of the Popes iurisdiction out of England religion is not the cause thereof but other probable reasons may bee yeelded without any blame to the Church or Religion first because since the dissolution of Abbeys and the dispersing of those lands into many mens hands which before were vnited and annexed to those Corporations it could not otherwise be chosen but that questions about titles and priuiledges should grow as infinite were the suites which were commenced before betweene Abbots and Bishops the Priors and their Couents betweene one Cell and another which controuersies haue had their time and now begin to slake as Westminster Hall can testifie and in the next succeeding age are like to be fewer and we wish they may so be As for Lawyers wealth it is no disparagement to the Gospell though it may be a blot to their conscience if it bee not rightfully gotten neither are there many that haue of late daies gained so much by the law though some I confesse by the confluence of Clients and if I may so say the monopolie of causes haue gotten enough for it is thought that scarse the tenth man of the whole number that are called to the Barre do get their maintenance by it And it is well knowne that some of your friends and welwillers Frier Robert or Richard or what els the first letter of your name R. betokeneth haue helped to share and shaue in the law among the rest Secondly whereas many appeales were made to the Sea of Rome and infinite causes promoted thither Bishops fetcht vp their Chapters Priors their Couents by processe to Rome Archbishops their Suffraganes yea sometime the subiects their King Is there not great cause since this forraine course in prosecuting of suites was stopped that much more busines thereby be procured at home so that the floods of causes which streamed into that sea being turned an other way must needes make an inundation and ouerflowing of suites at home Thirdly the Gospell hath not caused such multiplicitie of suites but it is an abuse of this long peace which hath increased the wealth of the land and riches breede quarrels and make men impatient of wrongs I make no doubt but that in our neighbour kingdome of France suites haue beene multiplied and Lawyers thereby farre more aduantaged since the appeasing of the ciuill warres then in many yeares before which change can not be layed vpon their religion which is not there changed but vpon the alteration of the times This then is not an effect of the Gospell but a defect in those that know not to make vse of this peace and abundance procured by the Gospell 3 This obiection of vnkind and vnnaturall suites and debates doth most fitlie rebound vpon their owne heads for neuer was the Clergie fuller of stomacke nor more readie to reuenge and apt to quarrell then vnder the yoke of Poperie What contentions then hapned sometime betweene the King and the Archbishop as between King William and Lanfranke King Henry the first and Anselme King Stephen and Richard Henry the second and Becket King Iohn and Ste. Lancton King Henry the third and Boniface sometime between Archbishops and their Suffraganes Bishops and Monks Deane and Chapter secular Priests and Monks betweene Friers of one sort and Friers of another Such were the sturres and broyles betweene the Archbishop of Canterburie and Richard of Yorke betweene Lanfranke and Archbishop Thomas betweene Theobald A. B. of Canterbury and Siluester Abbot of S. Austens betweene William of Canturbury and Ieremias Prior betweene Boniface Archbishop of Canterbury and the Canons of S. Paule betweene the said Boniface and the Monks of S. Bartlemew that sate there in harnesse in his visitation betweene the Abbots of Westminster and the Monks of the same house between William of Winchester and Boniface of Canterburie betweene the said Boniface and the Canons of Lincolne betweene the Monks of Canterbury Canons of Liechfield a number of such hote contentions and friuolous quarels might be produced which haue raigned in Poperie what Bishops sea what Abbey Nunrie Chappell what Church cathedrall conuentuall or collegiate was free from these broyles And as these contentions were many so they grew vpon small occasions as betweene Boniface of Canterbury and the Canons of Lincolne for giuing of a prebend betweene Edmond of Canterbury and the Monks of Rochester for the election of the Bishop between Gilbert of Rochester and Robert the Popes Legate for sitting at his right hand betweene the Abbot of Bardney and the said Robert for the visitation of the Abbey betweene William of Elie and the Canons of Yorke for not receiuing him with Procession Thus the Popish Clergie vpon the wagging of euerie strawe were readie one to offend an other And concerning vnnaturall suites among kinsfolks brethren parents and children and for vnsufferable abuses he might for shame here haue held his peace seeing all these haue so abounded and ouerflowed in Poperie when the husband became a betrayer and persecutor of his wife as Iohn Greebill of Agnes his wife a poore woman that was burned at Exceter was persecuted of her husband the father betrayed his children as Woodman his sonne Richard the children accused their parents as Christopher and Iohn Greebill their mother Agnes Greebill children were constrained to set fire to their parents as Ioane Clearke to her naturall father William Tilsworth and the children of Iohn Scriuener did the like the brother conspired his brothers death as Alphonsus Diazius a Spaniard most trayterouslie sent vp his man with a Carpenters axe wherewith he killed his brother Ioannes Diazius at Nuburge in Germanie himselfe staying and waiting belowe till the bloudie act was performed Who seeth not now how shamelesse and impudent these men are to obiect these things to the Protestants vntruly which are verified and iustified vpon themselues Such vnnaturall and wicked practises as these are shall they neuer be able to produce against vs. This accusation
Councell neither was it by the same reason generall for at the same time the generall Councell of Basil was celebrate which beareth this stile sacrosancta generalis synodus Basiliensis in spiritu sancto legitimè congregata vniuersalem ecclesiam repraesentans the most holie generall Synod of Basill lawfullie assembled in the holie spirit representing the vniuersall Church The 31. Sess. beareth date ann 1438. in which yeare began the Councell of Ferraria adiourned afterward to Florence as it appeareth in the proeme to the Councell And least it might be thought that the Synode Basiliens was now determined it is manifestlie apparent that it both began before ann 1431. and continued after being not dissolued before ann 1442. which date the 45. sess beareth But the Florentine Councell was ended ann 1539. as it appeareth by the date of the letters of Vnion How then could the Florentine be Generall representing the whole Church whereas another generall Synode at the same instant was congregate at Basill Neither yet was any thing concluded in the Synode of Florence against the Protestants faith The question there handled and for the deciding whereof both the Greeke and Latine Church were assembled was concerning the proceeding of the Holie Ghost from the Father and the Sonne And whereas the Greekes were requested by the Pope that the Synode would discourse of the transmutation of the bread they refused affirming they had no authoritie so to do being called together pro illa tantum spiritus sancti processione onely for and about the procession of the holie-ghost As for the letters of Vnion wherein other articles are conteined they were not made by the consent of the whole Synod for as the storie saith Multi prinsquam huiusmodi subscriptio fieret discesserunt Many were departed before any such subscription was made neither did the Greeke Church obserue this vnion afterward though Pope Eugenius cunningly made two of the Greeke Bishops Bessarion and another Cardinals of Rome to keepe the Greeks in obedience to the Romane Church but all would not serue Concerning the Tridentine Conuocation there subscribed onely vnto it of Cardinals Archbishops Bishops not aboue 42. and the most of them were of Italy Sicily Spaine though since an other tale is told vs from Collen that there subscribed 25. Archbishops and 168. Bishops but they are all summed in grosse their names are not expressed Is not this sillie chapter or conuenticle of popish Bishops worthie the name thinke you of a generall Synode with the which neither the Kings of England and France nor yet the Princes of Germany consented or communicated Many prouinciall Synods haue made as great an apparance of Bishops and some haue exceeded In the second Councell of Carthage there were present 214. Bishops In the fift Councell of Carthage ann 438. Bishops 73. In the Synode Epaunens 70. In the fourth Toletane 70. Bishops subscribed an 681. why then should this late chapter of Trent presume beyond these prouinciall Synodes to be called Generall or Vniuersall consisting of so small a number of popish Bishops conspiring together neither in number honestie or learning to be compared vnto the Bishops of diuers prouinciall Synods we therefore force not whatsoeuer this conuenticle hath decreed 6 It is a notable vntruth that in the popish Church there is not neither euer was any disagreement or contradiction in matters of beleeuing whereas the contrarie is most manifest apparant as these particulars do shew The Councell of Constance excommunicateth all those which communicate in both kinds sess 13. The Councell of Basile doth graunt to the Bohemians the vse of both kinds Both the said Councels decree that a Generall Councell is aboue the Pope and that it is veritas catholicae fidei a veritie of the catholike faith so to beleeue and that pertinaciter repugnans est censendus haereticus that he which obstinately resisteth is to be iudged an heretike and it is de necessitate salutis credere c. of the necessitie of saluation to beleeue that a generall Councell hath supreme authoritie and yet for all this the contrarie was decreed that the Pope is aboue a Generall Councell Lateran sub Leon. sess 11. The Franciscane Friers did teach that the Virgin Mary was conceiued without originall sinne the Dominicanes held the contrarie The Rhemists hold that none are absolutely elected without respect had to their works Annot. Hebr. 5. sect 7. Bellarmine proueth the contrarie that we are elected freelie without any foresight of works Some of the popish writers extoll free-will giuing vnto the same a naturall power of it selfe vnto good Scotus Durandus Gabriel Some do affirme the contrarie as Capreolus Marsilius Some of them hold that Episcopalis ordinatio the ordaining of Bishops is no sacrament Dominicus a Soto Caietanus Durandus Bellarmine with the rest affirme the contrarie Some that Matrimonie is no sacrament of the new testament as Durand Alphonsus Petrus a Soto Bellarmine with the rest hold the contrarie Concerning the indeleble character which they say is imprinted in the soule by the sacraments Scotus saith it can not be proued by the scripture Gabriel doubteth whether the Church haue determined it Bellarmine maintaineth the contrarie Some thinke that in the Eucharist the substance of Christes bodie is present but without quantitie as Durand others that it hath quantitie but no distinction or order of parts as Ockam Bellarmine saith it hath both Nicolaus 3. defined that Christ had no propertie in any thing Sext. decretal lib. 5. tit 12. c. 3. Iohn 22. decreeth that opinion to be hereticall that affirmeth Christ and his Apostles to haue had nothing And at this present there is no small diuision and discord betweene the popish seculars and Iebusites euen in matters of iudgement and doctrine not only in externall points of difference 1 The Priests deliuer this position that a Catholike may commit of frailtie any sinne that an infidel heretike or schismatike committeth Replie p. 50. b. This Parsons denieth and proueth the contrarie Manifest p. 28. 2 Father Parsons holdeth that if a man do deteine an other mans goods wrongfullie and be possessor malae fidei he is absolutely bound by all possible meanes to restore them to the true owner Manifest f. 45. a. The Priests hold the contrarie that a man is not bound to restore when it can not be done without imminent danger as to deliuer a man his sword wherewith he purposeth to kil an other Replie f. 63. b. and they are in the right The Ignatian diuines at Salamanca in Spaine resolued vpon these conclusions to be sound in popish diuinitie that the Catholikes in Ireland might with great merit ayde that Rebell Tyrone that the Catholikes sinne mortallie that take part with the English that they are by no construction Rebels that fight against the Queene Replie f. 66. b. All which positions the secular
such also is their chastitie Much agreeable also is their pouertie for Abbeys and Monasteries grew to be so poore that they had gathered a third part of the land and more into their hands in so much that the Kings of this land were forced to make prouision by statutes of Mortmaine that no more lands should be giuen to religious houses without the Kings licence The annuitie which the fiue orders of Friers gathered amounted to an hundred thousand pounds yearely for they had fiue pence a quarter of euery house twentie pence by the yeare which will arise counting but tenne housholds in euery parish and parishes tenne thousand to little lesse summe then is named The new vpstart Ignatian fathers haue also entred the vow of pouertie with the rest And what poore soules they are contemning all worldly riches and pleasures their owne fellowes the secular priests can very well certifie vs. They tell vs that Frier Hawood did ride vp and downe in his Coach and that his pomp and trayne was such that where he came it seemed to be a little Court by his presence Frier Garnets pomp and expences could not be gessed at lesse then fiue hundred by the yeare his apparell very costlie with his two geldings of thirtie pound a peece Frier Oldcorne was able to keepe at once eight good geldings his apparell worth thirty or fortie pound Frier Gerard got by one two hundred pound by another seauen hundred pound of another 160. pound of another 500. pound beside the disposition of 100. pound by the yeare Another Iesuite is reported to haue worne a girdle hangers and rapier worth tenne pounds and a ierken that cost no lesse his apparell with his horse and furniture was valued at one hundred pound He was thought to dispend foure hundred by the yeare and yet had no patrimonie And such is their vowe of pouertie and contempt of the world which this punie Ignatian on his fellowes behalfe and his owne boasteth of 2 As I denye not but that diuers aunciēt Monks Heremites Bishops some Popes of Rome might be and are saued yet that by the popish faith as it is now professed they were saued I much doubt nay I assuredly beleeue they were not it will be an hard matter for him to proue that all these of whom there is hope that they are in heauen were idolaters worshippers of images artolaters adorers of bread inuocaters and worshippers of angels freewill men reposing themselues vpon their merits maintayners of traditions against the scriptures followers of Iewish rites and ceremonies such as the moderne Papists are Nay we are sure they were none such for the auncient Bishops of Rome the Monks and Heremites of former time were of a diuers faith and iudgement in religion then now the Poperie and Monkerie of the Romish Church is for otherwise the Apostle telleth vs directlie that no idolaters shall inherit the kingdome of God And if it be so likely a matter that your Popes are saued why did one of your great Rabbines so peremptorilie giue his sentence of Sixtus 5. none of your worst Popes that he was gone to hell I make no question but welnie an hundred Popes might be named in all probabilitie more like then he to goe to that Limbus whereof some were necromancers some murderers some atheists some adulterers some theeues and robbers some blasphemers all which sinnes by the Apostles sentence exclude from the kingdome of heauen 3 It is a sclaunder that the Gospell hath made those which were before chast obedient c. licentious wicked the contrarie is manifest that they which were in poperie irreligious lewd prophane being conuerted to the Gospell became vertuous holie deuout persons witnesse George Tankerfield Maister Greene Iulius Palmer Mistresse Lewes Roger Holland who of blind and licentious Papists were wrought by the Gospell to be godlie Christians zealous Protestants and constant Martyrs the contrarie hath appeared in Protestants reuolting from the Gospell to poperie who after their apostasie waxed worse and worse This is exemplified in Gardiner Bonner Harding with others the first two of halfe Protestants hauing taken the oath in King Henries raigne against the Pope afterward did violate their oath and a good conscience and beside their licentious life fell to be deadlie enemies to the truth The other of an earnest and modest Protestant was turned to be an intemperate and rayling Papist as his hastie writings do declare We see then what little conscience this man hath thus to charge the glorious profession of the Gospell he shall not be able to shew one example of any that being truly conuerted to Protestancie from Poperie thereby was made worse for the contrarie experiment many instances may be exemplified and that common by word doth shew as much An Englishman Italianate is a deuill incarnate which phrase is not onely vsed of Protestants but it is currant among the Romanists as the secular priests do giue out of one that was a fauorite to the Ignatian friers that he was an Italianated companion and a deuill incarnate Now then against this accuser of the brethren that saying of the Prophet may be well applied he hath conceiued mischiefe and bringeth forth a lye Psal. 7.14 We see the fruites of his long trauaile such as the conception is such is the birth mischiefe in his heart and a lye in his lips Cypriane telleth vs from whence this commeth Scias hoc opus esse diaboli vt seruos dei mendacio laceret vt qui conscientiae suae luce clarescunt alienis rumorib sordidentur this is the diuels worke to belye the seruants of God that they which in their cōscience are vnspotted by others reports should be taynted Democritus said well that enuie was as the truths vlcer so the enuie of our aduersaries would make the truth vlcerous by their malitious reports But our true defense shall be as a salue to this sore and where they would fester with biting corrasies we doubt not to cure with wholesome cordials and against their vaine sclaunders to vse the defensatiue of true dealing that all this roauing shooters darts shall be I trust but as bulrushes and his endeuour as of one that worketh against the streame who while he laboureth to disgrace the Gospell shall gaine shame to himselfe to whome that saying of Hierome may be returned Frustra niti neque aliud fatigando nisi odium quaerere extremae dementiae est to striue in vaine and to purchase hatred with wearines is extreame madnes The sixt Perswasion I Defend a religion approued by infallible signes by thousands of supernaturall wonders which by no meanes could be counterfeit or falslie reported so many naturallie blind restored to sight deafe to hearing dead to life c. which no naturall cause or art of deuils themselues could bring to passe I defend that religion which made them so holie that it
much lesse to Princes and Magistrates that are but members though principall ones of the vniuersall Church Indeede it is the doctrine of Papists that the decrees of their Church must be taken and obeyed as the infallible word of God One sayth Determinatio ecclesiae appellatur Euangelium The determination of the Church is called the Gospell Another sayth Quicunque non innititur doctrinae Romanae ecclesiae ac Romani pontificis tanquam regulae dei infallibili à qua sacra scriptura robur trahit authoritatem haereticus est Whosoeuer doth not leane vnto the doctrine of the Romane Church and of the Romane Bishop as the infallible rule of God from the which the sacred scripture doth draw the strength and authoritie is an heretike The Rhemists say We must beleeue the Church nay beleeue in the Church and trust it in all things 4 It is also vntrue that we take away freewill We affirme that mans will is free vnto euill without coaction and free vnto good by diuine operation as the scripture sayth If the sonne make you free then are you free in deede Iohn 8.36 So there is a free will and a will freed as Augustine well distinguisheth Peccant per liberum arbitrium non liberatum they sinne by free will not will freed Will is always free to sinne but vnto good it is freed by grace Good works also we hold to be necessarie in respect of Gods prescience for that thing must needs be which God foreseeth shall be Qui si hoc praescierat quod non est praescientia iam non est as Augustine sayth who if he foresee that which is not it is now no prescience But in respect of the will of man good works are not necessarie or compulsorie but voluntarie and so both vertuous actions and commendable therefore that is an impertinent speech of the libeller who can either praise or discommend that which is done whether the doer will or no For good works are done by the faithful willingly though wrought by grace for as Augustine sayth Deus ex nolentib volentes facit God of nilling maketh vs willing But you might with greater reason haue apposed your graund Maister senior Robert Parsons with this question of necessitie who putteth an absolute necessitie and ineuitabilitie in those actions which are subiect to mans will Manifestat f. 100. Reply f. 98. a. 5 Neyther doth the doctrine of predestination and election among Protestants take away the libertie or freedome of the will for though Christ by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God were deliuered yet Iudas was not thereunto forced Augustine saith well Dei praescientiam non cogere hominem vt talis sit qualem praesciuit Deus sed praescire talem futurum qualis futurus erat quamuis sic non eum fecerit Deus That Gods prescience doth not force a man to be such as God foresaw him but foreknew him to be such as he should be though God made him not to be such Like as in a Ship vnder sayle though it be carried one certaine way to the hauen yet the Marriner may walke in the Ship which way he will yet so that at length he must be brought to the hauen where the Ship arriueth so all the actions of man though they be done freelie not forciblie yet they must fall out according to Gods foreknowledge and be ouerruled to the end appointed by Gods prouidence 6 But it is an hard matter for the popish religion to accord the eternall predestination of God with the temporall cooperation of mans will for some of them hold that a man may fall from his election and predestination Yee can not be saued say the Rhemists though ye be predestinate except ye keepe Gods commaundements As though it were possible for them which are predestinate either not to walke in obedience of Gods commaundements or in the end not to be saued How then is Gods eternall predestination maintained where the same by mans free will may be reuersed Againe if whom God predestinateth he calleth and iustifieth and maketh conformable to the image of his sonne then it is not in mans power or freewill to be called and iustified as they say men beleeue not but of their owne free will but their vocation and iustification dependeth vpon their election so that it is not of him that willeth or runneth but of God that sheweth mercie Wherefore the certaintie of Gods election can not stand with the naturall libertie of mans will and actions for if it be in mans power to belieue or not to belieue then is it not in the mercie of him that calleth and electeth but in the will of him that receiueth and accepteth Wherefore according to the sentence of the law Particeps criminis non est testis idoneus That he which is partner in the crime is no fit witnes So this opponent being guiltie of that which he obiecteth may be worthilie excepted against as an insufficient witnes It is strange to see how his toong and penne runne along without all honestie or modestie to coine and deuise fables not against one or two but the whole companie of all that professe the Gospell as Bernard sayth Vides quam ingentem multitudinem velociter currens sermo tabe maliciae inficere posset See what a great multitude his swift running speech with the plague of malice might infect But the best is his words are but wind he hath so often fabled vnto vs that we may well thinke he keepeth the same tract still And as Aristo said of a bathing or speaking that purgeth not there is small need so is this Friers prattle that prooueth not like to a bath that purgeth not it might well haue been spared The tenth perswasion 1. I Defend not that religion that diuideth the militant and triumphant Church depriuing Angels and glorified soules of that honour and dignitie which God required men in earth and the militant Church of that helpe it needeth 2. Which spoyleth the patient Church of the faithfull departed of the reliefe which euer they receiued of those aliue 3. Where no memorie is left of the passion of Christ except in most sacrilegious and blasphemous swearing c. no signe image or representation no commemoratiue sacrifice c. 4. Where no order c. no consecration or distinction of callings except the Letters Patents of a temporall Prince can giue that to others which is not in the giuer c. 5. But that religion which consisteth of a most perfect hierarchicall regiment of Pope Patriarkes Archbishops Bishops Priests Deacons Subdeacons c. 6. The meanest of these by calling and consecration of greater honour then any ministeriall preferment among Protestants being no reall thing but an ens rationis an Idol of the minde as the making of Purseuants Apparitors c. 7. Our Pope is
so ample in iurisdiction that no temporall Prince Christian or Infidell no professor of regiment in ecclesiasticall causes c. was by many degrees possessed of so large a regiment 8. Our priuate Priests the most reuerend and learned fathers of the societie of Iesus are honoured of the greatest Princes in the world c. The disswasion 1. NEither doe I defend that religion that diuideth the militant and triumphant Church in robbing God of his honour in giuing it to Angels and Saints against their wils who refused to bee worshipped here in earth as the Angell of Iohn and Peter of Cornelius And therefore God requireth no such honour to be giuen vnto them so that as our Sauiour saith of Moses There is one which accuseth you euen Moses in whom ye trust euen so the Angels and Saints shall be witnesses and accusers of popish superstitious worshippers who honour the creature in steed of the Creator But the religion which Protestants professe and I defend doth make but one familie in heauen and in earth Ephes 3.15 ioyning them together in an holie societie and communion we in earth giuing thankes for them whom God hath deliuered from these terrene miseries and they longing to see vs also with the whole Church to be made partakers of their ioy As Cyprian saith Magnus illic charorum numerus nos expectat parentum fratrum filiorum de salute sua securi de nostra solliciti A great number of our friends doth there looke for vs of our parents brethren sonnes secure of their saluation and sollicitous for ours Other entercourse betweene the Church militant and triumphant there is none neither of our prayers to them that were superstitious for the Lord saith Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee Psal. 50.15 nor of their help and assistance to vs that were superfluous God is able alone and sufficient to defend his Church as the Angell saith None holdeth with me in these things in the defence of the Church but Michael your prince which is Christ. Dan. 10.21 2. Which doth not that wrong to the faithfull departed to thrust them downe into the extreame paines of purgatorie which they say exceede all the paines of this life when as the Scripture saith that they which dye in the Lord doe from thencefoorth rest from their labours and all teares are wiped from their eyes They neede not therefore any reliefe from the liuing being in ioy and happines 3. Which doth not make any representation of Christ by Images for wee are commaunded not to corrupt our selues in making any grauen image or representation of any figure Deuter. 4.16 Neither doth it presume to offer vp Christ in sacrifice as the Papall priesthood doth because the Scripture saith that Christ doth not offer himselfe often but he appeared once to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe And with one offering hath hee consecrated for euer them that are sanctified But our religion prescribeth the holie Sacrament of the bodie and bloud of Christ to bee vsed according to his institution in his remembrance as our Sauiour himselfe saith Doe this in remembrance of me Whereupon it was thus concluded and resolued in a generall Councell Ecce viuificantis illius corporis imaginem totam panis scilicet substantiam quam mandauit apponi Behold the whole or all the image of that quickening bodie the substance of bread which he commaunded to be vsed We haue then no other commemoration or representatiue image of Christ but onely the Sacrament celebrated according to his owne institution As for blasphemous swearing by instruments of our redemption though too many among Protestants are addicted to that euill custome yet he might haue bin ashamed to obiect it to vs knowing how common a thing it is among Papists to sweare as it appeareth by their own Synode which thus complaineth Quo colore nunc consuetudo passim iurantium in omni negotio excusari possit non videmus With what colour the custome of such which sweare vpon euerie occasion can be excused wee see not Those sacrilegious oathes to sweare by the Masse by the crosse nailes bodie bloud of Christ his wounds by S. Peter S. Anne S. Mary and the rest where els had they their beginning but in Poperie Yea it seemeth that swearing by such is not onely vsuall among them but commendable also for one Sanpaulinus for reprouing one of swearing was suspected to be a Lutherane and thereupon further examined sifted condemned and burned at Paris ann 1551. 4. It is also vntrue that there is no consecration or distinction of callings among vs for both Bishops haue their consecration from the Metropolitane with his Suffraganes and Ministers their ordination from their Ordinaries by imposition of hands which ought to be and is assisted with other Presbyters The Prince doth not challenge any power or authoritie of the Ministrie of any diuine offices in the Church or to conferre orders or consecration but onely by the Letters Patents conferreth the temporalties of Bishoprickes the Metropolitane with his assistance consecrateth as other Patrones present to benefices and the Ordinarie instituteth And this hath been the ancient vse and custome of England and prerogatiue of the Crowne that licence should be demaunded of the King to chuse and his royall consent to be had after election made as it is euident in diuers ancient statutes 5. As for the Papall Hierarchie it is altogether imperfect and out of order 1. The office of the Pope is iniurious and Antichristian taking vpon him to haue iurisdiction and prerogatiue ouer all other Bishops contrarie both to the Scriptures which gaue vnto all the Apostles the same authoritie and to them al the keyes were equallie committed and power to binde and loose Mat. 18.18 And to the Canons for Nicen. 1. can 6. parilis mos the like custome and iurisdiction is decreed to the Patriarke of Alexandria as to the Bishop of Rome Chalcidonens action 16. equall priuiledges are yeelded to Constantinople which is called new Rome as to old Rome The like may be shewed out of the eight first generall Councels The offices of Archbishops and Bishops as wee condemne not absolutely when they are vsed not as titles of ambition but as holesome meanes to preserue vnitie as they should be exercised among Protestants so in the Papall policie wee mislike them being but the Popes creatures and fit props to vphold his Antichristian and vsurped power But concerning your seuen orders of Priests Deacons Subdeacons Acolythists Readers Exorcists Doorekeepers wee hold them as superfluous and vnnecessarie seruices The Apostle sheweth that Christ hath giuen some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some pastors some teachers for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the Ministrie for the edification of the bodie of Christ c. If these bee sufficient to
edifie the Church and to labour in the Ministerie then are these Popish degrees vnnecessarie and not giuen of Christ neither belonging to the ministerie of the Gospell And if they will needes bring in Doorekeepers to bee an order of the Clergie why not Sextins also Belringers graue-makers Church-sweepers Waxe-chandlers water-bearers whip-dogs and what you will for all these there is vse of in the Church and so for seuen orders wee shall haue twice so many This is the goodly Hierarchie which this Ignatian Nouice boasteth of 6. I doubt not but the meanest office of the Gospell is more honorable before God then the greatest Antichristian dignity which are plants not of the Lords planting and therefore shall be rooted out The indeleble character which they say is by their Popish orders imprinted in the soule of the receiuer whereby they are made partakers of Christs priestly power and really distinguished from others is indeede nothing but an Idol of the minde and an imaginarie phantasie for spiritually in the soule and before God there is no difference betweene the Priest and the people Christ hath made vs Kings and Priests vnto God his father and all Christians are a chosen generation a royall Pristhood And as for your ens rationis it is the very opinion of some Papists that the character of Priesthood is no reall qualitie of the minde but onely rationalis respectus a relation or rationall respect Durand Scotus holdeth that it cannot be prooued by any manifest testimonie of Scripture Gabriel doubteth whether the Church haue defined it They are your owne Church-seruitors Sextins Doore-keepers Church-sweepers that are made no otherwise then Purseuants Apparitors c. The Ministers of the Gospell though they are not really distinguished from the people by any inherent qualitie of greater holines and more merit yet are diuers in the ecclesiasticall Oeconomie and dispensation of the Church in their different functions and offices whereunto they are set apart first by the probation and examination of their gifts Secondly by the imposition of hands with prayer of the Elders and pastors Thirdly by their endowment and abilitie of gifts for the execution of their Ministrie all which the Popish priesthood wanteth 7 A manifest vntruth it is that the Pope hath had more ample iurisdiction then any Prince Christian or Infidell for the halfe of those countries neuer submitted themselues to the Popes deuotion which were vnder the Emperours obedience Constantine the great had commaund ouer all Europe Africa all Asia minor Arabia Armenia Phrygia as it may appeare by the assemblie of Bishops called by the Emperours authoritie out of all these countries to the generall Nicen Councel And at this time both the great Turke in Europe and Asia and Prester Iohn in Africa haue larger dominions and greater authoritie then euer the Romane Bishops haue had That iurisdiction which now the Pope hath is thankes to God brought into a narrower compasse though it bee too much and I trust shall euery day bee more confined And whatsoeuer power hee hath or euer had ouer other Churches is but vsurped for Peter from whom he claimeth was but the Apostle of the Circumcision S. Pauls lot was ouer the vncircumcision 8. This last article containeth nothing but vntruth For neither haue these Ignatian fathers which cal themselues proudly of the societie of Iesus conuerted by their preachings many kingdomes to the regiment of Christ but rather subuerted and corrupted them in faith The Spaniards tyrannie hath subdued the poore Indians not the Iebusites hypocrisie though they tell vs of many fabulous and lying miracles wrought by Xauiere and other of that order in those coasts as hath been shewed before Indeed it is well knowne how they haue attempted to reduce diuers kingdomes to the temporall gouernment of the Pope-catholike King of Spaine by their treacherous conspiracies and wicked deuices to take away the liues of Princes Such were the accursed attempts of Commolet a seditious Iebusite in France and Varade another false brother of that order cōfederate with Barriere to take away the life of the now King of France and of Guignard and Guerret Iebusite Priests conuicted of treason and Iohn Chastel brought vp in that societie who was worthily executed for attempting the Kings death In England such haue been the practises of Saunders Allen Campion Parsons Walpoole with diuers other of that ranke who by their traiterous plots haue practised against the life of our late Soueraigne to bring this famous Countrie into slauish seruitude to Spaine which I assuredly trust shall neuer be And these are the fruites of the preaching and paines of this irreuerent order Vntrue also it is that they are honoured of the greatest and richest princes in the world for the renowmed King of France who in riches puissance and greatnes is not inferiour to any Christian Prince neither honoureth or fauoureth them but the whole order for working against the peace of that state was by decree of the Parliament of Paris anno 1594. exiled and expelled that nation Let it also be noted by the way that this Ignatian and Iebusited brother much like the rest of his order counted the Queene of England his then Soueraigne none of the great puissant rich or Catholike Princes for I thinke he is not so blinded to imagine that either her Highnes then or his Maiestie now and the state fauoureth them or hath any cause so to doe That Iesuites are so familiar with some Princes that haue giuen their power to the beast I do not maruell seeing this hath bene prophecied of before for they are the frogs that come out of the Dragons mouth that goe vnto the kings of the earth Reuel 16.13.14 But if such Princes were not blinded or had but like experience of their cloaked holines and mysticall impietie as their neighbour Princes haue they would soone find thē to be vnfit Courtiers but more vnwholesome Counsellors And me thinks these Polypragmon friers ietting in Princes Courts and intermedling in State-affaires are much-what like to limping Vulcane in Homere that taking vpon him to be a skinker to the Gods a great laughter sodainely was taken vp among them But it were happie that such Princes would take counsell of thēselues and not endure to be caried away with these seditious frierlie humors Hieromes counsell were good to such Verba ei de alieno stomacho non fluant faciat quod vult non quod velle compellitur Let not their words and sentence depend of anothers will but let them do as their owne mind moueth them not as an others humor forceth them As for the noble kingdomes of England Scotland Fraunce they haue sufficient experience of this kind of vermin no more to be bitten by them But as Pythagoras gaue this precept to his schollers not to tast of such things as had blacke tayles that is not to conuerse with men of
Antilogie 1 HE that should reade Cardinall Wolseys stile thus writing Ego Rex meus I and my King would thinke that this vaine craker trode in his steps saying here and in other places My Catholike Queene c. And whether for this or other of their proud tricks the secular Masse-priests haue well matched them together these are their words Neuer shall the Catholike Church or commonwealth of England find so wicked a member as a Wolsey a Parsons a Creswell a Garnet a Blackwell But if this suger-toonged fellow would haue had her Highnes then and his Maiestie now thinke that he wisheth so well vnto them let him tell vs whether he were not brought vp in the Ignatian schoole of treacherie and if he be not of Parsons mind that it is treason if the Pope should inuade England to beare armes against him or agreeth he not with the Ignatian brood of Salamanca that resolued it was no rebellion for the Queenes subiects to fight against her in Ireland or what thinketh he of Parsons Walpooles Giffords Allens attempts against their countrie and their suborning and exciting of trayterous Parry Lopez Squire Sauage Yorke with the rest of those detected parricides for all these wicked conspiracies were forged in the Ignatian ignited and fierie shops These were the actors but they the inuentors as it was sayd of Laelius that he was the deuiser and Scipio the performer of diuers actions And yet for all this we must beleeue this dissembling Frier that is by all likelihood consorted and confederate with the rest of that crue that he wisheth her Highnes then and his Maiestie now as well as if they were of his religion 2 Concerning the vow made in baptisme I haue answered before that the vow is made to Christ not to the Pope and therefore baptisme receiued in poperie doth not bind the partie baptised to maintaine and receiue poperie It was the heresie of Petilian the Donatist whom Augustine confuteth that Conscientia dantis attenditur quae abluat accipientis That the conscience of him that giueth baptisme doth cleanse him that receiueth it Against whom Augustine sheweth that it is the baptisme of Christ if it be giuen in his name whosoeuer is the minister thereof Baptismum Christi nemo Apostolorum ita ministrauit vt auderet dicere suum The baptisme of Christ none of the Apostles so ministred that he durst call it his much lesse may the Pope or popish Priest challenge the baptisme which he giueth in the name of the Trinitie to be his It was Cyprians error confuted by Augustine that Baptisme and the Church could not be separated Si baptisma saith he in baptizato inseparabiliter manet quomodo baptizatus separari ab ecclesia potest baptisma non potest If baptisme remaine inseparable in the baptized how can he that is baptized be separated from the Church and not baptisme with him Concerning the Princes stile to be called Defender of the faith I haue likewise said enough before Now because he doth so often inculcate the Princes oath that all men may see his false dealing I will set downe the same before omitted as it is in Magna charta expressed This oath then is prescribed to be taken by the Prince at the Coronation and to be ministred by the Metropolitane or other Bishop Seruabis ecclesiae dei Clero populo pacem ex integro concordiam in deo c. You shall keepe peace and concord in God to the Church of God the Clergie and people according to your power he shall answere I will You shall cause to be done in all your iudgements right and equall iustice and discretion in mercie and truth according to your strength he shall answere I will You shall graunt iust lawes and customes to be held and promise them to be protected by you and confirmed to the honor of God which the people shall choose according to your strength he shall answere I do graunt and promise All these things pronounced let him confirme that he will keepe them all Sacramento super altare protinus praestito c. By an oth presentlie taken vpon the altare c. What is there now in this oath that bindeth the Prince to the defence of the Popish religion there is not so much as one word tending to any such thing conteyned in the oath it selfe only mention is made of the altare which was so called in time past though it were made of wood because it represented the true altar which was Christs bodie for so Hesychius interpreteth the Altar And Augustine speaking of the violent outrages of the Donatists saith Effractis altaris lignis Hauing broken the boords of the Altar Their Altars which were no other but Communion Tables were then of wood the making them of stone is but a late deuice as Beatus Rhenanus testifieth Araerum superaddititia structura nouitatem prae se fert This building of Altars added to the rest doth shew noueltie And it is most euident that when the name of altar was first vsed as in Augustines time there was no opinion in the Church of the carnall presence or of the sacrificing of Christs bodie but onely spiritually as it is euident by these sayings of Augustine Christ is our priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech which offered himselfe a sacrifice for our sinnes and hath commended the similitude of that sacrifice to be celebrated in remembrance of his passion that the same thing which Melchisedech offered to God now wee see to be offered in the Church of Christ through the whole world But Melchisedech offered not Christs flesh but onely bread and wine Againe he saith The flesh and bloud of this sacrifice before the comming of Christ was promised by sacrifices of similitudes in the passion of Christ it was giuen by the truth it self after the ascension of Christ it is celebrated by the sacrament of remembrance therefore now Christs bodie is not sacrificed verily and truly but only sacramentally non rei veritate sed significante mysterio not in veritie but in mysterie And I pray you what kinde of argument is this the Prince at the Coronation taking his oath laieth his hand vpon the Altar Ergo she sweareth to maintaine the Popish sacrifice of the Altar as though hee that prayeth or taketh his oath in the Churches which haue been consecrate to idolatrie thereby giueth consent to maintaine idolatrie Naaman though hee kneeled with his master the King leaning vpon his hand in the house of Rimmon yet gaue not consent to that idolatrous worship yet this example is very vnlike and not to be imitated onely I alleadge it to shew the weaknes of this argument 3. As for the signe of the crosse wherewith you say her Maiestie vsed to signe her selfe or women with child c. as you speake here but vpon hearesay so if it should be true as
diuers of those auncient Kings became Monks yet neither was the Monasticall life so farre out of square as now it is they made it not a cloake of idlenes and filthie liuing a nurserie of idolatrie and grosse superstitions but they desired that life as fittest for contemplation and free frō the encumbrances of the world Diuers of the heathen Emperors left the Imperiall administration and betooke thēselues to priuate contemplation as Dioclesian Maximinian Lanquet ann Christ. 307. Neither doth this one opinion of the excellencie of Monasticall life shew them to be resolute Papists for it followeth not because they were Monks that consequentlie they held transubstantiation worship of images and the more grosse points of the Romish Catechisme 3 He shall not be able to proue the tenth part of that great number of 180. Kings either to haue themselues professed the now Romane religion or by lawes to haue prescribed the same to others some instances I will produce In King Lucius dayes not the Pope but the King was Gods vicar in his kingdome and it was his part to gather the people together to the law of Christ as Eleutherius Bishop of Rome testifieth in his epistle Cedde and Colman dissented from the Church of Rome about the celebration of Easter Wilfride about the same time confesseth that Images were inuented of the Deuill which all men that beleeue in Christ sayth he ought of necessitie to forsake and detest King Alfred or Alured translated the Psalter into English and he was instructed by Ioannes Scotus who writ a booke de corpore sanguine Christi which was condemned by the Pope in the Synod Vercellens being of Bertrams opinion against the corporall presence which fansie was not as yet receiued in the Church as is apparant by the sermon of Elfricus against transubstantiation In King Edward Athelstane and King Edmunds time the Prince had power to constitute ecclesiasticall lawes and to prescribe rules and orders for ecclesiasticall persons as may appeare by diuers of their lawes In King Edgars time Priests mariage was lawfull which began then to be restrayned Many lawes and acts haue passed since in open Parliament to restraine the iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome to inhibite the purchasing of prouisoes frō thence arrests processes excommunications vnder paine of exile imprisonment forfeiture of goods and that not without expresse consent of the Clergie See Richard 2. ann 16. cap. 5. These then which allowed not the worship of images beleeued not transubstantiation gaue the Prince authoritie in spirituall causes approued the mariage of Ministers and the translation of the scriptures into the vulgar tongue restrayned the authoritie of the Romane Bishop may worthilie doubted of whether they were Papists 4 King Henry was so farre from repenting his proceedings against the vsurped Romane iurisdiction that if God had spared him life he intended a thorough reformation of Religion as was easilie to be seene both by his resolution for religion vttered not long before his death to Monsieur de Annebault the French Embassador and his answere made nearer to his death to Bruno Embassador to the Duke of Saxonie that he would take his part against the Emperour if the quarell were for religion 5 More vntrue it is that our late Soueraigne in the late dayes of persecution professed that religion with such deuotion The cruell and vnnaturall dealing toward her highnes then is a sufficient argument to conuince this large reporter of a great vntruth how she was sent for by commission in great extremitie of sicknes to be brought aliue or dead committed without cause to the Tower her seruants remoued from her straitlie examined her owne seruants restrayned to bring her diet denied the libertie of the Tower a strait watch kept round about her in danger to be murdered in continuall feare of her life her death by Winchesters platforme intended which by Gods prouidence she escaped Adde hereunto Stories desperate speech vttered in the Parliament house that he was not a little grieued with his fellow Papists for that they laboured onely about the young and little sprigs and twigs while they should haue striken at the roote c. All this euidentlie bewrayeth what opinion they had of her Maiesties resolution in religion and what she had of theirs In the meane time their cruell proceedings are laid open who if it were as this Coniecturer sayth would so persecute an innocent Ladie whom they commend for her deuotion 6.1 That euidence which he alleadgeth from M. Fox his mouth out of the Register booke of the Guildhall in London conteineth not the precise forme of the Princes oath to be taken at the Coronation which before I haue recited out of Magna charta but certaine monitions and instructions concerning the dutie of the King 2. He vseth great fraud in setting downe the words both inuerting the order and leauing out what he thinketh good as that the King ought to loue and obserue Gods commaundements then must he be an enemie to idolatrie and to the doctrines and commaundements of men such as many be obserued in the Romane Church Beside he sayth to maintaine holie Church whereas the words are to maintaine and gouerne the holie Church c. but they can not endure that Kings should rule and gouerne the Church 3. For the King to take his oath vpon the Euangelists and blessed reliques of Saints it sheweth not that the King did worship those reliques or sweare by them though he lay his hand vpon them no more then he doth sweare by the booke that putteth his hand vpon it or Abrahams seruant by his maisters thigh when he sware vnto him or Iacob by the heape of stones ouer the which he tooke his oath But as Ambrose well sayth Christianus imperator aram solius Christi didicit honorare A Christian Emperour hath onely learned to honor Christs altare And so Christian Princes haue learned to giue all religious honor to Christ and not to impart it to his seruants to make them sharers with their Maister Thus hath this sophisticall dialogist fayled as well in the probation of the assumption as in his enlarging of the proposition But whatsoeuer her Maiesties predecessors were she was not bound where they wandred out of the way to erre in their steps Iosias of idolatrous parents both father and grandfather was himselfe a religious Prince and a true worshipper of God Heathen stories will tell vs that noble Pericles came of an euill race Pompeius the great of despised Strabo Vlysses Aesculapius famous men of lewd parents The graue Poet also doth insinuate as much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sonne excels in vertues fame the parent euill of whome he came As of euill parents vertuous children may descend so out of superstitious antiquitie religious posteritie may issue and florish And as Ambrose well answered the obiection of Symmachus the Pagane Maiorum ritus
in custodiendis rescriptis alacritas in perferendis nec fides in reddendis He wanteth not neither diligence in keeping my rescripts nor cheerefulnes in carying them nor trust in deliuering them But this talebearer in reporting of Protestants opinions wanteth all these he is neither diligent in vnderstanding them nor willing to remember them nor faithfull in rehearsing them Where he would foyle others he sheweth his owne follie where he would blame vs he shameth himselfe he pretendeth to accuse others and had more neede himselfe to be excused much like to the souldier that Cato so much misliketh which in walking vseth his hands and in fighting his feete when he should in walking stirre his feete he vseth his hands and when in fighting he should exercise his hands he runneth away with his feete So playeth this freshwater souldier when he should lay on sound stroakes in telling the truth he runneth on with fables thinking so to carrie all before him The third Obiection NOw this quarrell-picker proceedeth and taketh exception to the mariage of Ministers which he would proue to be preiudiciall to the Common-wealth I will abridge his discourse being confused and follow his sense though it be needlesse to rehearse all his words There haue been accounted 40. thousand parish Churches in England admit the least suruey of thirteene fifteene or sixteene thousand There being so many maried Ministers for among all those it is a dishonour at this day to be vnmaried if 75. persons of the Israelites descending into Egypt in the space of 400. hundred yeers multiplied to 603550. people there being for euery maried Israelite a thousand maried Ministers in the like space of time they will amount to 603550000. a greater number then many Englands are able to maintaine vnlesse they should be sent out to the warres to be slaine But to permit multiplication of men to such ends to vtter them by slaughter is wholy Turkish c. pag. 90. to pag. 92. The Satisfaction 1. TO let passe his vncharitable slaunder that it is a dishonour among Protestant Ministers to be vnmaried whereas we honour the gift of true chastitie and reuerence them that haue it and there are diuers among the Protestant Ministers both Bishops and others which haue imbraced single life likewise not to touch his false account of the number of Parish Churches which neither maketh 40. nor yet 13. or 15. thousand The whole summe vpon a diligent suruey taken in the 44. yeere of Edward the 3. not exceeding beside London 8600. Parish Churches and London containeth 108. Parishes In the whole they are not aboue 8700. or at the most 9000. Parish Churches But to let this matter passe 2. If mariage by the word of God be free for all men as the Apostle saith For auoyding of fornication let euery man haue his wife 1. Cor. 7.2 And Mariage is honourable among all men Hebr. 13.3 then how absurdly doth this fellowe inferre that for feare of some inconuenience Gods ordinance should be restrained and some forbidden to marrie shall men presume to controule Gods workes or to infringe his ordinance or to seeme to be wiser then he as the Prophet saith Who hath instructed the spirit of the Lord or was his counseller or taught him 3. By as good and much better reason may the mariage of the poorer sort and common people be forbidden who are tenne to one for euery Minister and haue lesse prouision for their maintenance This Pope polititian belike would giue aduice that least people should multiplie too fast there might be a law that a certaine number onely should attend vpon the duties of mariage and bee set apart for procreation that as it is among horse and other cattell that the goodliest beast is kept for a stale so it might bee among men such seeme his prophane conceits to be And with as good right may any other order be restrained from mariage as Ministers in respect of the Common-wealth seeing that they haue the best meanes of education for their children And wee see by experience that from their families haue issued foorth many worthie men both for Church and Common-wealth whom the world should haue been depriued of if this wizards conceit might take place 4. And if the mariage of Ministers were like to be so burdensome to the Common-wealth how came it to passe that Moses that wise lawgiuer could not foresee it in the mariage of the Leuites who were the 13. part of the Israelites and all liued vpon the tithes and offrings of their brethren whereas the Ministers now are not the 200. part of the people What intolerable presumption is it in this shallow braine to sound a depth beyond his plumme and as another Hobab to take vpon him to teach Moses but without either wit or honestie both which Moses father in law had and the direction of the spirit withall 5 The scripture sayth The multitude of the people is the honor of a King Prou. 14.28 Among the heathen Lycurgus and Solon depriued those of certaine honors which liued single or had no children Among the Romanes they had great priuileges that were increased with many children A certaine Spartane yong man doing no reuerence to the Captaine Dercyllidas as he passed by among whom it was ignominious not to reuerence old age gaue this reason because you haue begotten none to rise vp vnto me when I am old which saying was misliked of none If the heathen then did count it such a benefit to haue procreation of children shall Christians skoffe at the fruites of generation and despaire of prouision for such a multitude As though God which feedeth the foules of the aire and vpon whom all creatures depend could not prouide for his people otherwise vnlesse they should be sent to the warres that the sword might deuour them For thus this seraphicall Apologist concludeth if warres had not bene to preuent so many mariages and kill so many thousands of men how could this nation haue prouided for so many pag. 92. What could sensuall Epicures prophane Diagoras or skoffing Lucian haue said more to the derogation of Gods prouidence What is it to limit Gods prouidence if this be not as though God seeth not an hundred wayes to prouide for his without this bloudie stratageme in appointing them to the sword 6 But whatsoeuer he ridiculouslie hath obiected against Ministers mariage that it is against a common-wealth is truely verified vpon popish monasticall single life what horrible pollutions whoredomes fornication incest sodomitrie bastardie secret murders of infants then raigned by reason of forced and dissembled virginitie it would offend Christian eares to heare In Gregory the first his time there were found sixe thousand infants heads in a Moate or Fish-pond which he perceiuing to haue been caused by forced single life reuoked his decree made before for the same It was one of the greeuances of the Germanes exhibited by the Princes
cum mulierib c. the Bishop or Priest ought not to lye with the women that come to be confessed Wherefore seeing auricular confession gaue occasion and opportunitie to such euill they shall not easily perswade that for want of such confession such abuses and iniuries haue growne Concerning restitution Protestants allow it and require it to be made approuing of that sentence non tollitur peccatum â—isi restituatur ablatum that of sinne there is no remission where there wanteth restitution But we affirme and teach that satisfaction to God by vs can not be wrought we must let that alone for euer that worke Christ only hath performed Multitude of suites dilatorie pleas corrupt iudgements are not vncontrouled by Protestants doctrine but we mislike and condemne them and trust by our prudent Prince in time conuenient to see many of those disorders redressed Neyther were the popish times free of such vnnecessarie suites and contentions betweene Bishop and Bishop Bishop and Prior Prior and Couent among the Friers and Monks as I haue shewed before at large in my answere to the second section pag. 8. Yet these quarrels and suites of law notwithstanding our Church Religion is not for that abuse to be condemned no more then the Church of Corinth ceased to be of Christs familie because they went to lawe one with another that before heathen Iudges 1. Cor. 6. But sure it is that these abuses haue not sprung because auricular confession is intermitted which was as a heauie yoke and burthen vpon Christians shoulders and did rather terrifie then certifie the conscience which superstitious vse the wiser heathen condemned as Antalcidas being asked of the Priest what great sinne he had committed in his life made this answere if I haue done any such thing the Gods know it he thought it superfluous to declare it to men 5. And was it not thinke you a very poore life that had the third part of the substance of the land as is confessed to maintaine it Neither is it true that the Abbeies furnished more armies then all the Ministers and Abbey-gentlemen for I thinke not but the Clergie in England alone hath contributed more in subsidies tenths beneuolences yearely toward the maintenance of the Princes warres then all the Abbeies in England yeelded to the Crowne for they stood vpon their priuiledges and immunities and gaue but what they list themselues The poore you say were relieued so many statutes against them and to burthen the countrie were not knowne True it is that the Abbeies maintained the idle vagrant life of rogues beggers and it is verily thought that the frie of theÌ„ which was bred then hath so spawned forth into the whole land that vnto this day this nation could not be disburdened of them You seeme to mislike the statute of late made for the restraint of vagrants and vagabonds then the which a more wholesome lawe could not be made in that kind if it were well executed neither is the countrie more but lesse burthened in relieuing their home-borne poore being eased of other coÌ„mon walkers But it is no maruaile that this Frier holdeth with beggers for he is cosen-germane himselfe to the begging friers no thanks then to Abbeies and Frieries in relieuing of lay beggers when they sent out such a number of irreligious beggers of their owne they should haue done better to haue kept their owne begging mates at home that the lay people being rid of such vnshamefast beggers might haue beene better able to maintaine their owne But concerning this relieuing of common beggers wherein he giueth such praise to Abbeies their own canons haue vtterly misliked it sint autem mendicantib validis non solum hospitalia clausa c. To valiant beggers let not only the hospitals be shut but let it be vtterly forbidden them to beg froÌ„ house to house for better it were to take bread from the hungrie least being prouided of his bread he should neglect equitie and iustice that is liue idlie Coloniens part 11. ca. 5. You aske if they were not better bestowed then in hunting hawking carding courting c. I answere 1. that although we wish that Abbey-lands had beene conuerted to better vses yet they were abused as much before as now and much more 2. for beside that it is not to be otherwise thought but that the lord Abbots and fat Monks disported themselues with hunting of wild game abroad and tame at home in carding and courting of Nunnes and pretie pewling cloyster virgines more then I thinke Abbey gentlemen now vse to do those lands then serued to maintaine idle and vnprofitable persons whereof there was no vse in the common-wealth whereas now many seruiceable gentlemen are thereby brought vp and sustained fit for the dispensing of iustice in peace and to stand for the defense of the land in time of warre 6. It is a great vntruth here vttered for neuer did this land enioy greater peace and of longer continuance with other countries Spaine only excepted then it hath done for the space of these 40. yeares vnder the Gospell What bloudie and cruell warres haue been in time past between England and France in Henry the 2. King Iohn Edward the 3. Henry the 5. with Scotland in Edward 1. Edward 2. Henry the 8. But vnder the Gospell peace with these countries hath been firmely established and we trust is like to continue still 7. As for knowledge and experience gotten by trauaile our Gentlemen and Noblemen of England are not therein vnfurnished Rome and Spaine are not so safe and free for trauailers that would preserue a good conscience but there is little lost by that for few are there that visit those countries but are made worse thereby according to those auncient prouerbs The neerer Rome the further froÌ„ Christ He that goeth once to Rome seeth a wicked man he that goeth twice learneth to know him he that goeth thrice bringeth him home with him But there are other Countries more safe to trauaile vnto and more profitable to be conuersant in then either Rome or Spaine Neither are all martiall feates there learned England since this diuision from Rome and Spaine hath sent forth as valiant Captaines and commaunders both by sea and land as euer it did nay former ages therein can not compare with these times What Captaines are more famous in our histories then Generall Norris Captaine Williams Morgane the noble Earle of Essex and others in land affaires who more renowned then Captaine Drake Furbisher Hawkins Candish with the rest in Sea trauailes Our Merchants indeede haue been somewhat hindred of their traffique and entercourse in the King of Spaines dominions but that hath been as much losse to them as to English Merchants neither hath England wanted any necessarie merchandize notwithstanding this restraint And we doubt not but religion and the Gospell standing and florishing still in England that passage hereafter may be more open and free for