not any Religion builded vppon the deceitfull and vaine coniecture or blowne abroade to be beleeued with the whirling spirite of priuate men Quot capita tot religiones so many heades so many religions as Luther saide vnlearned deniers of Scriptures and their sense at their pleasure liers deceitfull false translators corrupters and forgers of holy euidence deuisers of new Doctrines for temporall pleasures and respects to be exempted from obligation and vowe of obedience chastity pouertie to be obeyed liue in lasciuiousnesse and pompe of wealth without any other argument at all as those innouators did But a Religion founded vpon the most certaine and infallible worde and reuelation of God expounded by those vndeceiuable Rules before remembred and that holy and euer-during society and Church of Christ for which he gaue himselfe and ordained Religion where so much virtue is practised such obedience chastitie pouertie and contempt of all impediments of heauen is vowed and professed which societie if it might erre no preseruance of true Religion is to be hoped for where none shoulde truely beleeue all should be in errour I defend that religion which in all times and places hath beene witnessed and approued with such Arguments as are disabled to be vntrue by infallible and vndeceiuable signes by thousandes of supernaturall miracles and wonders which by no meanes could be counterfaite or falsely reported So many naturally vncurable blinde restored to sight deafe to hearing lame to going sicke to health dead to life by most famous and notorious knowne Catholikes or Papists as it pleaseth Protestants which all Philosophers agree no naturall cause or arte of Diuells themselues could bring to passe neither God graunt vnto man for confirming falshoode Not that Religion which as it was taught of the Diuell father of lies as the Authours themselues shall witnesse and certainely by all arguments of reprobation condemned them their fellows and followers to hell But that which by all testimonies and vndeceitfull arguments brought the professors thereof to heauen and the most earnest and zealous therein as religious Heremites Monkes Freers Nunnes Priests Bishops Popes as all Calenders Histories and approued Recordes giue euidence to the greatest happines Not that Religion which made those that before were good chaste obedient and contem ners of the world to be wicked and giuen to al impietie as their owne writings witnesse but that Religion which those it reclaymed from false worships made them so holy and such Saints that all creatures haue done homage and duety vnto them the sea and waters against nature supported them the wilde sauage and deuouring beasts adored them the rauening foules in desarts nourished them the windes tempests ayre fire earth all elements simple compounded sensible and vnsensible things the Diuelles themselues those triumphing and tyrannicall enemies against humane nature commaunded and ouer-ruled by authoritie with trembling obeyed them Not a Religion tossed and tennised vp and downe with so many boundes and reboundes choppes and changes vniuersally both in head members containing so many falsities by their owne proceedings so many contradictions in essentiall things as there bee essentiall questions Neither doe what it could hauing the temporall sword and all iurisdiction in it selfe hath hitherto condemned vs such as I will proue the Religion of English Protestants and others to be but a Religion which in this space of almost 1600. yeeres neuer chaunged one poynt of Doctrine neuer admitted errour in faith or the least contradiction therein eyther in Decree of Pope or confirmed Councell but clearely condemned and confuted all misbeleeuers Not a Religion that contrarie to the name nature and office of true Religion separateth man from his God and Creator by so many sinnes and iniquities and yet hath no grace no Sacrament for men of reason and actuall offences no meanes or preseruatiue to preuent them no helpe or remedy to redeeme them but suffereth man to lie loaden vnder so mighty a masse of impieties and to be drowned in hell for that instrument of their iustifying faith can be no benefit to them which as before by their owne grounds haue no faith at all and as I will demonstrate heereafter haue not one property or condition of true beleeuing or matter tending to mans saluation But that Religion which as it teacheth and counselleth the way of perfection vnto all by renouncing Honours and wealth the Temptations and snares of the Diuell as the Apostle calleth them by professing Chastitie more perfect and better then the matrimoniall state as the same saint Paul witnesseth and by abnegation of a mans owne will and forsaking terrene and temporall dignities which might hinder his heauenly iourney such as our Sauiour his Apostles the Primitiue Church all reason and experience teacheth to be the path of perfection and readiest way to Heauen when and where nothing is left to hinder it That Religion which taking compassion of the frailetie of man to sin in euery state hath a stay to keepe from falling and a remedy for those that haue offended For the state of all vntil they came to such discretion and iudgement as may be cause of sinne the Sacrament of Baptisme both taking originall offence away and arming the soule against new and actual infection To confirme the former grace of that tender age and enable vs against so many temptations and persecutions as Christians haue the Sacrament of Confirmation To feede and foster all estates in the whole course and circuite of this life the foode of diuine Eucharist and Sacrament of the most holy body and blood of Christ and seeing all are subiect vnto sinne the Sacrament of Penaunce for the cure and comfort of all offenders And because the agonies and temptations at the time of death be vrgent most against vs the Sacrament of Annointing or extreame vnction to remooue the relickes of sinne and giue strength in that extremitie And for the particular helpes and assistance of particular states particular Sacraments the Sacrament of Orders to dignifie the calling of Clergy men and make them worthie and fit instruments to performe so many holy supernaturall functions as are belonging to that preeminence And lastly for the consolation and defence of married people such as encomber themselues with the cares of the world and practical life the Sacrament of Matrimony giuing grace and strength against the difficulties and cares of that condition No state no sexe no age no time no place order or degree among men is left vnprouided of spirituall comforte and protection Not a Religion whose grounds and principles ouerthrowe all christian and true Religion where God is made author of all sinnes and thereby worthy no Religion where the decision of spirituall doubtes appertaine to temporall and vnlearned Princes men women or children where such sentences although neuer so much disagreeing euen to them selues and apparantly false must be obeyed for the infallible woord of God where man hath not libertie and freedome
An Apologicall Epistle Directed to the right honorable Lords and others of her Maiesties priuie Counsell Seruing aswell for a Praeface to a Booke entituled A Resolution of Religion as also containing the Authors most lawfull Defence to all estates for publishing the same The Argument of that Worke is set downe in the page following Printed at Antwerp with licence the fiue and twenty day of March 1601. Stilo novo The Argument of the booke intituled A Resolution of Religion promised and defended in this Epistle THe Resolution of Religion being deuided into two parts entreateth in the first of the absolute Necessitie of a Diuine worship against all Atheists Epicures Doubters or Deniers thereof proouing aswell the most infallible certainty and preeminences of this supernaturall Reuerence as the manifold grosse absurdities of that vnnaturall and prophane People Secondly it demonstrateth against Iewes Pagans Mahumetanes and all externall Enemies of Christ that onely the Religion which he taught is true and all others blasphemous and ouerwhelmed with manifest and intollerable errours In the second part it sheweth by aboue an hundred vnanswerable Arguments against all Heretikes and internall Aduersaries that among so many professions of Christ onely Catholike Romane Religion is true and deliuered by him and all others especially the Protestancie of England not onely by all those Reasons but by their owne grounds and proceedings false and damnable IHS MAR To the right honourable Lordes and others of her Maiesties priuie Counsell RIght Honorable and renowmed Regents If the first created Ruler in earth had not broken the Rule of his Creator and supreame Ruler in Heauen vnrulinesse had not entred Superiours had not found so many disorders to reforme Inferiors had wanted so greeuous causes of complaint For when by that infinite and inerrable power of God all creatures were framed in perfection man as he was made according to his similitude and to be his Viceroy ouer this inferior world so he was constituted far more perfect than the rest replenished with all kinds both of spirituall and corporall fauors and had an especiall Charter of priuiledged habilitie had hee not wilfully lost it to be enfranchized from all defects of soule or body defended from the first by the armour of originall Iustice and exempted from the second by refuge and sanctuary to the tree of life In that happy condition and estate no infirmitie had beene bewailed no errour in the vnderstanding no froward affection in the will no King Senate Councell or Ruler had beene entroubled with rules of Reformation no subiect had complained no man had beene iniured For where no offence either against God or man no disobedience of the inferiour appetite to Reason or of Reason against her Ruler had raigned nothing could be amisse to be complained of by the one or corrected by the other SECT I. The frailetie and pronenesse of man to sinne after the fall of Adam BVt after our protoparent made forfeiture of that tenure broke conditions with God our Writte of Priuiledge was reuoked and Citty of refuge taken away and humane nature left to it selfe naked and disabled among so many enemies and allurements of iniquitie came to that impotent and poore degree wherein we are insomuch that Philosophers and such as were onely conuersant in naturall affaires prouing by pittifull experience the still continuing and vncured scarres of that combat ignorance errour concupiscence sinne sickenes death and other afflictions which they found in themselues and vnacquainted what they had lost in their first ancestor deplored the state of man so much that they affirmed Nature onely in the production of him behaued her selfe like a stepmother and not as a naturall mother such were the complaints of Cicero Homer Empedocles Heraclitus Plinius and others and it was the primordiall stumbling blocke to the blockish and beastly Epicures as Lactantius witnesseth to deny the prouidence of God and all religion of man vnto him And although this complaint was vniust and proceeded of ignorance yet the wound which was then inflicted hath so festered in the whole posteritie of Adam that vntill this corruptible hath put on incorruption and this mortall immortalitie and death whose companions they are is swallowed vppe in victorie in the triumph of our glorious resurrection there is no hope of cure And touching sinne and iniquitie which as it was the most deadly and deepest sore so most to be bewailed the transgression of the first law-breaker was so venomous a seede to bring foorth wickednesse and disobedience in the race of man that neuer any law-maker magistrate or superior spirituall or temporall either by example in themselues as a president to subiects or any law ordinance reward or preferment for vertue penalty and punishment for vice or any other engine or instrument could roote it out no Bohemas among the Bohemians no Tuball among the Spaniardes no Belus among the Assyrians no Ceres or Rhadamanthus no Draco or Solon among the Athenians Mercurius among the Egyptians no Minos Lycurgus Charandes Phoroneus Romulus Pithagoras or Apollo among the Cretensians Lacedemonians Tyrians Grecians Romans Italians Arcadians no Mulmutius Dunwallo Alfrede Edward or any other politicke or vertuous king ruler or law-maker in England or any other Nation could weede it vp neither any spirituall law promulged and deliuered either by Adam the first which knew best the difference of the estates of innocencie and sinne hauing prooued both and preached it first to the primitiue world or Noe to those that were drowned in the deluge or Abraham Lot Iob Moses to the Cananites Sodomites posteritie of Esau or others And Christ Iesus the sonne of God wisedome of his Father and God himselfe the most prudent law-maker perfect exemplar and president without all sinne and exception although he became our Priest sacrifice and redeemer and offered so rigorous a ransome that the least drop of his immaculate and vnvaluable blood or the meanest of his so many infinitely meritorious operations had beene both able and woorthy to haue washed away and cleansed not onely the malice and venome of sinne but the whole poyson and infection of all other infirmities and defects yet it pleased that diuine wisedome to leaue them as a perpetual penitential memoriall of our former demerite to continue in this state of pilgrimage and as they were contracted in our first fall from innocencie in Paradise so perfectly to be remooued in our last resurrection to endlesse glory and happines so that all times and places more or lesse haue beene infected with infirmities all sexes and ages men women and children except some one or few excepted by a speciall writing of diuine exemption little or much originally and actually haue beene defiled The law deliuered to Angells was transgressed in heauen If we follow the common opinion that Angelles were created in that imperiall Pallace the Law giuen in the state of innocencie was broken in Paradise the vnwritten Lawe vnder the
that if any man desireth to see and behold any company of knaues vsurers dissolute persons and deceitfull men let him enter into any citty of Professors of the Gospel and he shall finde enow of such among Pagans Iewes and Turkes and other infidelles men can scarcely be found so disobedient or stubborne among whom all honestie and whatsoeuer doth sauour of virtue is dead and no reckoning is made of any sinne Iacobus Andreas vttereth his opinion of them in this manner among them no amendment or emendation is thought vpon they liue an Epicurean and altogether beastly life in place of fasting a custome of eating and excessiue rioting in banquetting and bawdery hath succeeded in place of almes oppression and extortion ouer the poore for prayer blasphemy against the holy name of God insteed of humilitie pride elation and most filthie exceeding superfluitie Io. Riuius saith that the wickednes of thē hath encreased to the astonishment of all men No man seeketh after God no man blusheth at the violating of his commandements euery mans life is polluted with great sinnes and wickednesse I dare affirme saieth hee that in this corrupt and wretched age of ours all manner of vices haue so encreased that hardly greater wickednesse can be for what sin or wickednesse at this day is wanting which if it raigned this age might be saide to be more vngodly for that respect and although to iudge rightly hereof in euery age there hath beene riotousnesse sumptuous feastings costly dinners and suppers surfetting drunkennesse whoredome adultery oppression iniury neglecting of well dooing and other such wickednesse which euery man in his time hath found fault withall as Seneca saith and no age that hath beene voyde of sinne yet loosenesse of life neglect of order and discipline outrageous wickednesse hath in this our age so encreased and gotten strength that it appeareth euen Atheisme and Epicurisme hath inuaded the life of man and as it were beareth dominion among Christians lawes take no force lust ruleth altogether for what thinke you they beleeue the soule is immortall who liue in maner as beastes or bee they perswaded there be either rewards for the godly in heauen or punishment in hell appoynted for sinners who in euery thing dread not to violate the commandements of God run altogether headlong into sin euen as thogh they did either thinke that God were but a vaine and fained thing or beleeue that when the body dieth the soule likewise perisheth and commeth vnto nothing such be the testimonies of Nennon Simonius Schinmideline others of the chiefest originall Protestants of their fellow professors I will cite more hereafter when I will prooue those which giue this euidence of the rest to be worst of all themselues SECT III. How all these errours and abuses proceede by dis-vnion from the Catholicke Church WHerefore that which so many priuate and publike writings affirme abroad and at home which euery man seeth and feeleth to be true and those principall Protestants recorded of their Disciples in the prime and flourishing time the very zenith and highest of their exaltation when the reformers of others should haue giuen some example and shew of reformation in themselues I trust it will not be offensiue for me a Catholike subiect of England after so many yeeres of experienced encrease of their impieties and in their withering and decaying age euery thing with them growing worse and worse to affirme to be true Then most Noble as ordinary effects proceede from ordinary causes so extraordinary and straunge things such as this kinde of iniquitie so wicked so vniuersall and erroneous is must haue some vnwonted cause more than is vsuall in christian men I will not be so seuere a Sentencer against them as their confederate Iohn Riuius is to say that they be Atheists Epicures and deniers of the soules immortalitie and thereby thinking there is no religion in the worlde no life after death no reward of vertue or penalty for vice haue giuen themselues ouer to all kinde of sinne Neither wil I enter to so bloody a iudgement in this place reseruing it to bee discussed heereafter against these men as their owne generall and common approoued doctrine especially in England that true faith and good workes are inseparable condemneth such men for infidells and misbeleeuers But to reserue these and such arguments as may be inforced by that which is spoken to their proper place and prosecute my present intent it is manifest by the Babilonical diuision which is in the vnderstanding of this people that they haue forsaken the true faith religion and rule thereof which can be but one and by the grosse impieties which haue taken so quiet possession of their liues that they are so far from al interest either of reforming errors of the mind or abuses of life in others by which in the beginning they claymed title to a new religion that they haue beene the onely cause of so many infidelities Atheismes Epicurismes Iudaismes Mahumetismes and other intollerable sinnes offences which are daily by their owne confession before practized among them for when and where the infallible rule and censure of supernaturall difficulties is denied and euery man left to his owne priuate deduction and deceiptfull iudgement farre vnable to descipher supernaturall mysteries what hope can be had of truth what probabilitie of agreement who wil be encoraged to seeke for veritie where it is impossible to be found If it were in naturall arts and sciences which be connaturall and proportionable to humane capacitie if there were so many opinions diuers and contrary as are among them in religion so that before hee could follow any hee must learne to confute all the rest what man would willingly professe that art as true though it were neuer so gainefull if it were obtained about learning whereof there is such dissention that three hundred to one hee should be deceiued By that reason in Arts Alchimie of making gold is ordinarily refused hauing brought so many to errour and beggery by the vncertaintie thereof although in it selfe it is woonderfull commodious For matters of antiquitie the diuersity of opinions about the originall of the Brittans in this land hath caused many to thinke there neuer was any Brute at all It is as manifest both by al Histories and Monuments that Saint Peter liued long and died at Rome as that William of Normandy surnamed the Conquerour came into England and subdued it or as any such antiquity can be and yet bicause as Protestants say there is difference betweene Saint Hierome Orosius and Fasciculus temporum about the time of his comming thither although they agree with the rest that hee liued and died there some Protestants are not afraide to affirme he was neuer at Rome For a like cause the whole Protestant Cleargie of England in their authorized Conuocation deny the Bookes of Machabees Iudith and Tobias to be canonicall scriptures So it chanceth in Sciences
bee defiled by false accusers whose bodies many yeeres after their death to witnesse the innocencie of their Religion and life remained vncorrupted nor those whome so many testimonies from heauen and earth haue confirmed to be most happy Saints to be reiected as impious I am out of doubt no Protestant Lady of England will or dareth to compare her selfe with the meanest of many which for the loue and honour of our Religion forsooke all temporall pleasures and princelie honours and preferring the poore chaste and obedient religious life before all dignities became sacred and consecrated Nunnes such as Foxe is enforced to consecrated were Queene Edelburge wife and Queene to King Edwine and daughter of King Anna. Saint Etheldrede wife to King Elfride and married before and yet a perpetuall Virgine as Saint Bede Fox and others do witnesse Sexburga daughter of King Anna and wife to King Ercombert Kineburga wife to King Alfride daughter to King Penda sister to king Ofricus Elfloda daughter to King Oswy and wife to King Peda and Alfritha wife to King Edgar Hylda daughter to the nephew of King Edwine Erchengoda and Ermenilda daughters of King Ercombert Werburga daughter to King Vlferus Kinreda Kinswida his sisters Elfrida daughter to King Oswy Mildreda Milburga and Milginda daughters of King Mirwaldus Saint Editha daughter to King Edgar and others most holie religious and miraculous Princesses the glorie of our English Ladies Or if the glorie and happinesse of Catholicke Princes will not mooue yet let the fearefull examples of the principall Protestant Ladies of England chiefe Agents in this quarrell greeuously afflicted of God and made dishonourable to the worlde putte vs in minde what wee ought to doe which though Stowe and Grafton haue too bluntly sette downe my selfe for some reuerent respects will heere omit Thinke it you Protestant Dames of England no disparagement in honor to be followers of those renowned Princesses which in all Antiquities are recorded to be the glory of your kinde and the supreame womanly honour of our Kingdome That RELIGION the greatest honour which hath giuen to them such eternitie of honour in Heauen can not make you dishonourable in Earth It is the nature of your sexe to immitate and in some things you will sometimes immitate too much If you that liue in Courte didde but knowe the guise of attires which those holy Queenes and Ladies vsed before they were Religious you would follow it in the highest degree although therein you should consent with the Dames of Italy France Spaine and Rome it selfe or any other place or person to which you professe your selues most distasted And in such things though neuer vsed of Queene Sexburga Etheldreda Edelburga or any of those or other Saintes your daily and new deuises are euidence against you that you esteeme it not dishonourable to learne of the Ladies of those Nations These agreements are not so worthie praise and yet therein you will not be at variaunce Then seeing the Religion of those Countries whose Ladies you allowe in matters so little deseruing immitation is that which maketh so honorable with God and man and not for a short courting but an euer-continuing time feare not to bee French Spanish Italian and Roman in that wherein the tipe and diademe of true honour consisteth or if you haue chosen to bee wedded onelie to terrene and debased honour yet you may not thinke so basely of that Religion I defend to disallowe it For all your earthly honours titles names and ensignes of dignitie were eyther first founded or after allowed and confirmed to your auncestors and in them to you by the Popes Emperours Kings and Regents in Catholike reuerence England Protestant wanteth many degrees of chiefest place which England Catholicke enioyed England Protestant hath diminished and added none to those which were before And those Countries I named and whose Religion I commend vnto you haue many of that condition which neuer any England hadde Catholicke Religion neuer denied any thing vnto you which was truely honourable it gaue you your dignities honourable places and priuiledges it gaue you credite with our Princes and for their and your honour ordayned you estates it defendeth your marriages to be honorable and a sacrament by that Religion your matrimonie was not in the pleasure of your Lordes repudiations and deuorcements at their willes were not knowen remarrying to a second wife the former liuing was euer most vnlawfull Concubines could not possesse the maintenaunce of your honours their bastardes might not enioy the inheritaunce of your legittimate for feare of offence I will be silent in most honourable fauours which your Catholike ancestors had and you might haue by that Religion and Protestancie cannot giue and referre that cause to your more serious examination and fauourable construction which for my promise of writing nothing offensiue to our English state I must willingly in this and other places leaue naked and vnfurnished of many and greatest arguments of defence SECT X. The Authors defence to all inferiour subiects IF I shoulde entreate what benefites and preferrements so many diuerse orders and conditions of inferiour subiects enioyed by enioying our Religion and what they lost by losse thereof as I should make my cause too popular and pleasing vnto them so I feare I might be offensiue to some to whome I haue promised to giue no occasion of offence Therefore I will onely put them in minde that as all their auncestors and predecessors were of the same RELIGION with vs so an innumerable company of their kinsfolks were religious men and women and in them the care of their parents ended and they became Fathers and mothers to their parents and families others were attendant instructed and maintained by pensions corrodies farmes annuities leases and tenements of our religious houses the poore were releeued in our Hospitalles and by our almes others liuing vppon our landes without fines or enhaunced rents euery temporall man and woman enioying more for them and theirs by howe much so many hundred thousandes of religious persons claimed and needed lesse by their poore and single life No wife to prouide for ioynture no daughter to endowe and giue in marriage no elder sonne to enrich with new inheritance and spared purchases no yonger sonne to be aduaunced by emprooued rents toyles or turnings out of Farmes no tenaunt chaunged no fines no forfeitures taken no woodes destroyed no priuiledge or freedome withdrawne many new and greater graunted by Kings and Noble men to religious persons their tenaunts and tenures not so many iarres and quarrelles in lawe contentions and debates of the poore subiects comprimitted by ghostly confessors religious persons and kings themselues SECT X. His defence to the Ministerie of England LAstly to come to the Protestant Ministery of England whose anger and displeasure as I esteeme it least so I name them last I appeale to all those estates I haue recounted for iudgement whether in accusing them of ignoraunce or