Hereford and Doctour Butts Vice-Chancelour of Cambridge DEARE Friend towards whome neyther distance of place nor disparity of Religion can diminish my loue There are seuerall Monthes passed since we haue had any entercourse by our pens Therfore to deferre the tyme no longer but to performe my Calendary and prescribed taske I haue thought good now to breake silence and by these leaues the poore Messenger of my rich Affection to aduertise you of the present good state of my corporall health But the mayne allectiuâ— inuiting me to write at at this tyme is thereby to acquaint you with the chiefest Occurrents happening of late among vs A subiect of weight and such as may well seeme to force my Pen to spend some tyme in the vnfoulding of it Now these Occurrents are touching the different deaths of two heertofore most remarkable Protestants the one of their deaths being Heteroclite or irregular in nature the other naturall but withall supernaturall since the party so dying now liues as we may comfortably hope with Life himselfe So true is that sentence of Gods word which is his peculiar Dialect thus celebrating the death of the vertuous Ecclesiast 7. Dies Mortis melior die Natiuitatis But the tragicall end of the wicked though that caÌ„not be their end it thus depresseth Prou. 11. Mortuo homine impio nulla erit vltra spes Which two Oracles or diuine Motto's are doubtlesly verifyed of the eminent men heere to be spoken of ioyned togeather in the neerenes of the time of their deaths of Body but most distant in their now present state of Soule These two theÌ„ were Doctor Price late Deane of Hereford and Doctor Buts Vice-Chancellour of Cambridge And first to begin with Doctour Price since in priority of time his death was before the others This maÌ„ throgh the worth of his good parts and learning was honoured by being particularly knowne and respected by his Maiesty whome God grant to reigne ouer vs in a happy gouernment many yeares and then after was made Deane of Hereford a place of great estimation It is reported that during all his lyfe tyme he enioying his health shewed himselfe much aduerse to the Catholikes and troubled diuers of them But in the tyme of his last sicknes for Eccles 28. Afflictio dat intellectum God to whome nothing is contingent yet foresees all contingencyes and who before all time foresees all things done in time did so efficaciously moue with his grace this dying Doctour as that he being most mercifully called to worke in Christs vineyard at the Math. 20. eleauenth houre and casting from him all other cares did solely care for the good of his soule by the detestation of his former dissimulation and thirsting desire of dying Catholike And thus finally he ankered his hopefull thoghts notwithstanding his former course at the Cape as I may call it of Buona Speranza which stretcheth it selfe out into the Mayne Ocean of Gods boundles Mercy he acknowledging therein the truth of our Sauiours wordes Luc. â—9 Porrò vnum est necessarium O he is truly wise who is wyse to his owne Soule This Doctour vsing in time of his sicknes the help of a Catholike Doctour of Physick intreated his Physician as is certainely diuulged to procure the accesse of a Catholike Pâ—iest to him His Physitian as knowing his former comportment in matters of Religion rested much agast at his request answered Sir I now not what you meane by these wordes The world hath taken full notice how much you haue in disaffected towards Priests and Catholike and a Priest will hardly aduenture to come to you for feare of some intended danger To which the Patient thus replied O Mr. Doctour you see in what poore case I lye I looke for death and this is not a tyme of further dissimulation I protest my desire of hauing a Priest is for the sauing of my soule Whether these wordes were preuayling with his Phisitian or some other meanes were vsed I know not But within a day or two after a Catholike Priest came to his lodging At the Priests first entrance into his chamber D. Pryce thus saluted him Gentleman you are most welcome I haue sent for you not to dispute with you for I thanke God I am already fully setled in your owne Religion but to intreate your helpe and furtherance for the disburdening my soule of all her sinnes Howsoeuer in my lifâ— tyme I haue borne my selfe malignantly against Recusants which great Sinne I humbly beseech his Diuine Maiesty to remit know you that at this present I am in iudgment a Catholike and do intend to dye a member of that Religion and for the accomplishing of this my desire I do humbly intreate the help of your Priestly function The Priest shewed himselfe most glad of such his pious Resolution and vsed diuers comfortable speaches to the said end And thus within few dayes after through a penitent Confession of his sinnes and by meanes of the Holy Sacraments the Doctour was incorporated into the mysticall body of Christs Catholike Church and so with a most constant resolution dyed a member of the Roman Church But before his death his Maiesty being aduertised of his sicknes see heere a rare example of Princely benignity did send as is confidently reported a Bishop to visite the Doctour from himselfe The Bishop comming into his lodging and finding him lying in his bed asked him how he did withall told him that he was sent from the King to visitâ— him To which wordes the Do. euen with teares in his eyes answered I most humbly thanke his Maiesty for this his most gracious and vndeseruing fauour O that it were in my power to expresse my acceptance hereof and withall my Lord Bishop I thanke you for your paynes Touching my selfe my Lord you see and I feele in what pittifull case I lye Neuer worse in body and neuer better on so well in soule And for the more fully expressing of my meaning and to preuent mistaking your Lordship may take notice that now I am intend to â—ye a Roman Catholike and if God restore me to my health I will make a more full declaration of this my change These wordes amazed the Bishop thereupon the Bishop vsed some short speaches to alter his pious determination To the which the sicke Doctour thus replied O my good Lord these your wordes are but health-discourses Yf you did lye in that case in which I now am and your Lordship must once come to this at what tyme the veyle of all transitory motiues must be drawne asyde you would no doubt discouer your selfe to be of a different opinion in religion from that which now your words import For I must tell you plainely I am persuaded that there is neuer a learned bishop nor learned Deuine in England if so he hath spent much tyme in the study of Controuersies but that he is inwardly and in soule a Catholike howsoeuer he may be content to
the Saluation of our Maister Philip Melancthon with the hazard of my life I would do it but he is carried to the terrible Tribunall of God there to pleade his cause Thus Morlinus Iacobus Andraeas an Eminent and most forward Protestant so liued and dyed as In Hist Sacram. part 1. fol. 〈◊〉 Hospinian the Protestant witnesseth as if he had no God but Mammon and Bacchus he neuer praying going to bed nor rysing from thence Carolostadius a great Protestant was killed by the Diuell as certaine Ministers In their epistle de morte Carolostadij euen of Basill do iustify And of the sayd Carolostadius Luther thus writeth Luther in loc com class 5. cap. 25. p. 47. Carolostadius traditus est in reprobum sensum Carolostadius is deliuered vp into a reprobate sense c. And further Luther thus sayth of him Puto non vno Diabolo c. I do thinke that miserable man was possessed not with one only Diuell God take mercy of him for that sinne wherein he sinned euen to the last houre of his death Oecolampadius that transcendent Protestant and supposed Bishop of Basill Coclaus in act Luther 1537. went healthfull to his bed and was found by his wyfe dead in the morning Swinglius so dyed in the wars as that Gualterus a forward Protestant thus censureth his death In his Apology pro Zuinglio Nostri c. Diuers of vs are not afraid to pronounce Swinglius to haue dyed in sinne and therefore to haue dyed the sonne of Hell Now to close vp this Scene of death with Luther himself the Father of Protestancy then whome no other Authour was more sorting to such a Religion no other Religion more sorting to such an Authour This Type of Antichrist dyed most suddenly for Coclaeus in vita Lutheri being at Supper and feeding vnctuously vpon great variety of meates and entertayning his inuited friends with dissolute discourse the very same night dyed A truth so euident that Dauid Cytraeus a markable Protestant thus accordeth to this former Narration Dauid Cytraeus Orat. funebri Christophori Diâ—cis Megapolitani Lutherus ipse vesperi mensae assidens paucis post mediam noctem horis discessit Luther himselfe sitting in the Euening at the table a few houres after midnight dyed Thus we see what deplorable Ends these former Protestants of greatest Note besides diuers others heer omitted haue made as if it were a priuiledge granted to Protestancy that the chiefest Patrones and spreaders of it should leaue the Theater or stage of the world with acting most Tragicall Catastrophes or Conclusions And therefore with lesse reason it can be replyed that only the Vice-Chancelour of Cambridge and no other Protestants of transcendency haue beene subiect to such vntimely deaths Which death of his how lameÌ„table soeuer must needs be a scarre to the fayrenes of that most celebrious Vniuersity but depriue it wholy of its lustre beauty it cannot for the fayrest and richest Diamond is seldome seene without some blemish and Cinthya the second light in Heauen hath her spots But to returne more particularly to the Vice-Chancelour It is further reported whether rumours heerein haue wronged him or no I know not that he was an earnest maintayner against the Arminians in that Vniuersity of the most dangerous doctrines of Reprobation and Predestination To which I am the rather induced to giue credit in regard that a man encountring disgraces and losses in the world which himselfe through his owne pusillanimity and softnes of disposition cannot or at least will not subdue is the more easily drawne by the suggestion of the spirituall Enemy for the auoyding of the longer endurance of the sayd disgraces and losses to take some one desperate course or other in shortning his owne life the rather by reason that his owne doctrine of Predestination assureth him that if he be predestinated as euery illuminated Puritane by his owne Principles of fayth ought so to belieue of himselfe no desperatâ— course sinne end or death whatsoeuer can depriue him of the Benefit of his owne Predestination according to those wordes of Luther Luth. tom 1. epist Latin fol. 334. ad Philip. No sinne can draw vs from Christ although we should commit fornication or kill a thousand tymes in a day With whome besides many others teaching the same Iacobus Andraeas thus conspireth In epist Colloq Montisbel pag. 48. He who once truly belieueth cannot afterwards fall from the grace of Christ by his Adultery or any other like sinne And D. VVhitak lib. de Eccles contra Bellarm. controuers 2. q. 5. pag. â—01 D. Whitakers plainly teacheth the same in these wordes Si quis actum fidei habet ei peccata non nocent And then might the Vice-Chancelour thus suggest to himselfe I liue in disgrace I suffer Contumely reproach and losses I cannot hinder my owne Election do what I will I can produce and exercise an act of fayth that Christ dyed for me at my pleasure euen at my last gaspe Therefore as loathing to suffer these opprobryes any longer I will instantly separate this body of mine from my soule by a violent dissolution Ierem. 2. O you Heauens be astonished at this Whether the Vice-Chancellour had such secret disputes with his soule God only knowes though in regard of this fatall Heresy of Predestination it may well be coniectured he had But howsoeuer it was with him certaine it is that daily experience sealeth vp the truth that diuers both men women here in England who haue sucked the Protestants doctrine of Reprobation and Predestination from their Ministers mouths pens haue within these few yeares last past vpon their beliefe therof vtterly cast themselues away some through a blacke despayre of their sinnes others through a presumed certainty of their saluation by drowning themselues by hanging or cutting their owne throates Wretched soules that remember not that whiles they liue in this world the sea or Ocean of Gods Iustice is bounded on all sydes with his Mercy but after their deaths it breaketh out and ouerfloweth with a feareful inundation ouer all mankind according to the particular workes of euery one Now seeing the Protestants doctrine of Predestination threatneth an vtter ouerthrow to the soule of man by ingendring a seared and obdurate conscience in the Belieuers therof for the perpetrating of the most facinorous sinnes since they are taught thereby that no such Sinnes how atrocious soeuer can hinder their saluation I will therefore stirre a litle the mould or earth about the roote of so wicked a doctrine in briefly shewing how repugnnant it is to the Holy Scripture to the Authority of the ancient Fathers and to the more graue and recollected iudgements of diuers learned Protestants themselues A labour I hope neither impertinent in this place nor vnprofitable for you my deare friend to read since you know wel I know that you are ouermuch enclining to the sayd Protestants Predestination And first to shew the vncertainty of our Election which clearely
rather to hide themselues in solitude and obscurity and to liue vnder the hatches of a priuate state then to be placed vpon this glorious yet most dangerous Theater or Stage of supreme soueraignty and domination 14. To this former may be adioyned their doctrine of Parity of Ministers in the Church by the which they teach that there ought not to be any Bishops but that euery Minister should haue equall authority and Iurisdiction All the Puritanes are so precipitate and headlong in this doctrine as that it would be needles to set downe their many sentences thereof Therefore I will content my selfe with the wordes of our English Puritanes who thus write (a) This is to be seene in the booke entituled Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiasticall printed 1604. The gouernment of the Church of England by Archbishops Bishops and Deanes is Antichristian and repugnant to the word of God Now if all Ministers should haue one and the same authority and that there should be no subordination amongst them what a distraction and confusion would follow to be in the Church And how ready would euery illiterate Minister be to veÌ„t out new doctrines and Heresies without all controule such Heresies as would not only infect the vnderstanding with falshood and errour but also the will with Sinne and wicked conuersation Againe who then would there be to chastise the Ministers theÌ„selues for their great dissolution of life touching drinking fornication adultery too much vsed by many of theÌ„ at this day in England to the great disedifiing of many more sober and temperate ProtestaÌ„ts 15. To the former I may range their doctrine of extraordinary calling by the which they teach that there is extraordinary of calling Ministers immediatly froÌ„ God himselfe without the concurrency therto of maÌ„ or imposition of any Bishops hand And accordingly we find Caluin thus to writ of himselfe and other first Preachers of the Protestant Religion (b) The Protestant Lascitius reciteth this saying of Caluin l. de Russor Muscouit c. c. 23. Quia Papae Tyrannide c. Because through the tyranny of the Pope true Succession and Ordination was broken of therefore we stood in need of a new Course heerin and this function or calling was altogether extraordinary To which accord the wordes of M. Perkins saying (c) In his workes printed 1605. fol. 916. The calling of Wickliffe Hus Luther Oecolampadius Peter Martyr c. were extraordinary As also those of D. Fulkâ— (d) Against Stapleton Martiall c. pag. 2. The ProtestaÌ„ts who first preached in these dayes had extraordinary Calling But how repugnant is this their calling to the calling of the ministery mentioned in holy Scripture (e) Hebr. 5. No man taketh the honour vz. of Priesthood to himselfe but he that is called of God as Aaron was And agayne (f) Rom. 10. How shall they preach except they be sent But now heer I vrge that as Caluin and the rest by challenging to themselues an extraordinary Calling broached the former new doctrines touching liberty and licentiousnes of life neuer before heard of so why may not others in like maÌ„ner heerafter as of late the Libertins the family of loue and other sectaries haue done aryse and assuming to themselues the like priuiledge of Extraordinary Calling from God alone dogmatize other new doctrines as pernicious to manners vertue and good life as these former wicked doctrines are 16. In this place I wil touch the string of the most wicked doctrine of Swinglius other his fellow-Ministers who teach plainly That Heathens not belieuing in Christ and so euer continuing may yet be saued For first Swinglius doth thus gentilize (g) Swingl in l. epist. Oecolamp Swingl l. 1. pag. 39. Ethnicus si piam mentem domi foueat Christianus est etsi Christum ignoret A Heathen leading a good life is a Christian though he know not Christ. And Swinglius further particularly writeth that (h) Swingl tom 2 fol. 118. Hercules Theseus Socrates c. are now in the same Heauen with Adam Abel Enoch Finally Swinglius proceedeth also further teaching thus (i) L. epist Oecolamp Swingl l. 2. p. 513. Gentilium liberos nulla lex damnat No law damneth the Children of Gentils This Opinion of Swinglius is also defended and himselfe for teaching the same highly extolled by (k) Vid. Swingl tom 2. fol. 550. Bullinger as also by (l) â—n vita Bullingeri Symlerus the Protestant and others This doctrine is so resolutely maintained by Swinglius and others that Echarius a learned Protestant thus by way of complayning therof writeth (m) Echarius in his fasciculus Controuersiarum printed Lipsiae anno 1609. cap. 19. Quòd Socrates Aristides Numa Camillus Hercules c. Swinglius writeth to the King of France that Socrates Aristides Numa Camillus Hercules the Scipions the Catoes and other Gentills are partakers of eternall life And Swinglius is defended for teaching this doctrine by the Tygurine Diuines Bullinger Gualterus Hardenburgius c. Thus farre the foresayd Echarius O what Scholia or Paraphrase can Swinglius and his compartners cast vpon those choaking wordes of diuine Scriture (n) Acts. 4. There is not any other name vnder heauen giuen to men then that of IESVS wherein we must be saued And (o) Iohn 4. Christ is the Sauiour of the world (p) 1. Ioan. â— The reconciliation for our sinnes and not onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world But now what indignity to the Redeemer of the world and to all ChristiaÌ„ Religîon doth this former most blasphemous doctrine of Swinglius and his fellowes exhale and breath forth Are they Christians who teach thus Were the many Prayers watchinges whipping his most sacred body crowning his reuerend head with thornes buffeting of him by the Iewes and finally his most painfull and pretious death and passion of all which paines euery litle touch in regard of the impretiable and infinite worth of the person so tormented was able to redeeme thousands of worlds so needles and superfluous as that Prophane Heathens who only belieue in generall if so much that there is a God or a Diuine Prouidence though wholly disclayming in the beliefe of Christ and treading all Christian fayth and Religion vnder their feete can neuertheles be saued (q) Hier. c. 2. O you Heauens be astonished at this be afrayd and vtterly confounded 17. Here may occurre the Aduersaries doctrine touching their deniall of all Miracles since the Apostles tymes A doctrine which secretly leadeth the way to Atheisme For the greatest reason that the Atheists alledge in defence of their blasphemous Atheisme is that they hould Nature that is the connexions of Physicall causes with the effects to be the supreme cause of all thinges and therefore these incredulous persons desire nothing more in tryall of this their misbeliefe then to see any thing performed aboue the ordinary and vsuall course of nature which they absolutely deny
Basil Ierome for their commending defending of Monachisme and austerity of life I will omit all other Controuersyes between the Catholikes and the Protestants in all which Caluin opposeth himselfe to the ioint consent of all the Ancient Fathers of the Primitiue Church and I will conclude with his reprehension of Chrysostome Austin Epiphanius and others concerning the doctrine of praying and offering vp Sacrifice for the dead his wordes for close of all are these (k) In Tract Theolog. de ver Eccles reform pag. â—94 Fateor eiusmodi preces c. I confesse that the custome of these prayers was ancient and that such prayers were allowed by Austin Chrysostome and Epiphanius as receaued by succession from their Ancestours the vsage wherof the aforenamed Fathers followed without reason c. Thus we see that Caluin doth fully parallell and equall Beza in contempt of the Fathers of the Primitiue Church such a fastidious Magistrality pride in the highest degree do their former doctrines of their Reuealing Spirit and extraordinary Vocation beget in the mindes of the belieuers thereof But to conclude with relating of Caluins death which was most sutable to his life for (l) Psal 33. Mors peccatorum pessima Conradus Schlussenburg the foresaid Protestant deliuereth it in these wordes (m) â—n Theolog. Caluin printed 1594 lib. 2. fol. 72. Deus manu sua potenti c. God in the rod of his fury visiting Caluin did punish him before the houre of his death with his mighty haÌ„d for he being in despayre and calling vpon the Diuel gaue vp his wicked soule swearing cursing and blaspheming He dyed of the disease of lyce and wormes increasing in a most loathsome vlcer about his priuy parts so as none present could endure the stench These things are obiected against Caluin by Publike writings in which also horrible things are declared concerning his lasciuiousnes his sundry abhominable vices and Sodomiticall lusts for which last he was burned by the Magistrate at Noyon where he liued being branded vpon the shoulder with a hoat burning Iron Thus far the foresaid Slussenburg an earnest Protestant and as great an Enemy to the Pope as Caluin euer was and therfore his Testimony is to be reputed lesse partiall and more indifferent The foresaid miserable death of Caluin is confirmed with the vnanswerable Testimony of Herennius a Caluinist Preacher and therefore the rather heerin to be credited His words are these (n) In libello de vita Caluini Caluinus in desperatione siniens vitam c. Caluin ending his life in despaire dyed being consumed of a most filthy and loathsome disease and such as God is accustomed to threaten to the wicked and such as be rebellious against him This of Caluin I dare testify to be most true because I my selfe being there present did behould that calamitous tragical end of his euen with these mine owne eyes Thus the said Herennius and thus far of Caluin though most briefly This one obseruation touching his death I will add to wit that it is the lesse to be wondered that Caluin should dye despayring of his Saluation seeing it may wel be thought that Christ by way of speciall punishment in withdrawing his grace from Caluin did inflict this particuler kind of death vpon him because Caluin taught that Christ himselfe was for the time * Caluins words in Latin are these in Math. 27. Sed absurdum videtur Christo elapsam esse desperationis vocem Solucio facilis est c. and in the same place thus more Sic videmus Christum omni ex parte vexatum vt desperatione obrutus ab inuocando Deo absi steret in despayre and as being ouerwhelmed in desperation gaue ouer prayer O monstrous and neuer afore heard of Blasphemy The next shall be Ochinus This man with the helpe of Peter Martyr first broached Protestancy heer in EnglaÌ„d in K. Edwards the sixth reigne as * Osiander Cent. 16. l. 2. c. 67. Osiander witnesseth and the whole world knoweth Ochinus was first a Religious maÌ„ of the Catholike Romane Church but being weary of seruing God in that austerity of lyfe left his (o) So sayth Sleydan l. 9 at anno 1547. fol. 297. Monstery with breach of all his former vowes of Religion This Ochinus did write a booke (p) Lauather in histor Sacrament fol. 50. against the Masse and him Caluin thus exalteth in these words (q) Lib de scandalis extat in hâ— Tract Theolog. printed 1597. p. 111. Whome can Italy oppose for they were both Italians against Peter Martyr and Bernardine Ochine There is not written against Ochinus so much touching his extraordinary licentiousnes of lyfe as touching his doctrines for first he began to defend by wryting of certayne Dialogues the doctrine of Polygamy or hauing many wyues at one and the same tyme of which Dialogues (r) Beza in lib. de Polygamia p. 4. Beza maketh mention But Ochinus did not content himselfe with this but proceeded to the height of all Impiety For he confessing the doctrine of the euer necessary Visibility of Christs true Church grounding himselfe and but truly vpon the predictions thereof in the Old Testament and on the one syde not acknowledging the Catholike Roman Church to be the true Church though in it he could not deny but that it euer enioyed a continuall visibility and on the other syde seeing the predictions of the Churchs vninterrupted Visibility were not accomplished in the Protestant Church did heerupoÌ„ wholy forsake Christ and Christian Religion and betooke himselfe to the imbracing of Iudaisme That Ochinus became an Apostata is witnessed by Beza who calleth him thus (s) L. de Polygam p. 4. Ochinus impurus Apostata And further Beza more fully enlargeth himselfe thus writing (t) Beza in epist 1. pa. 11. Ochinus Arianorum clandestinus fautor Polygamiae defensor omnium Christianae Religionis dogmatum irrisor Ochinus is a secret fauourer of the Arians a defender of Polygamy and a scoffer of all the doctrines of Christian Religion The Apostasy of Ochinus is further witnessed by (u) In his booke de â—ribus Elohim printed 1594. l. 5. c. 9. Zanchius the Protestant by Conradus Slussenburg the afore meÌ„tioned ProtestaÌ„t writing heerin agaynst Ochinus most particularly the title of which passage in this Protestants booke is (x) In Theolog. Caluinist l. 1. fol. 19. Responsio ad Ochini blasphemiam Thus farre touching Ochinus his Apostasy of his imbracing Iudaisme and finally dying therein One thing chiefly I referre to the iudgment of any indifferent Reader seeing this Ochinus was one of the two Apostles who first planted Protestancy in England to wit whether it sorteth with the accustomed proceeding of God who euer vseth meanes proportionable and sutable to their ends to vse as his Instruments for the planting of true Christian Religion suppose Protestancy be such a man who should afterward turne his pen to the absolute denyall of the Redeemer of
the soules to vs committed we desire marriage least that the soules committed to our charge by example of our sensuality diutius offendantur should be any longer offended And yet more Quare * Swinglius vbi supra cùm carnis nostrae infirmitatem c. We haue proued that the weaknes of our flesh hath beene proh delor O for griefe cause of our often falling Thus far in the petition of Swinglius and the rest to that State Now in another epistle to the Bishop of Constance written and subscribed vnto by Swinglius and twelue more Ministers there named Swinglius thus confesseth and sayth (o) Tom. 1. fol. 121. 122. 123. Hactenus experti quòd c. Hitherto we haue tryed that this gift of Chastity hath bene denied vs c. We haue burned O for shame so greatly that we haue committed many things vnseemely To speake freely without boasting We are not otherwise of such vnciuill manners that we should be euill spoken off among the people to vs committed for any wickednes hoc vno excepto this one point excepted Thus far Swinglius with his Complices By this now we may coniecture of the extraordinary sensuality of Swinglius and of his incredible thirst after a woman For heere we see how himselfe with the rest are not ashamed to confesse themselues to haue liued till that day most incontinently dissolutely a course little sorting to those who vndertake the first planting of the true Religion and fayth of Christ which Religion vtterly forbiddeth all vnchast and lustfull actions (p) Galat 5. The workes of the flesh are adultery fornication c. Who do these shall not inherite the Kingdome of God I here passe ouer Swinglius his temporizing liberty in writing of matters of Religion For speaking after of certaine of his writings some yeares afore penned he thus blusheth not to say That when he did such and such thinges before (q) Swing tom 2. de vera Religione fol. 202. Tempori potiùs scripsimus quà m rei sic iubente Domino c. We rather fitted our writings to the tyme then to the truth of the matter God himselfe so commanding vs c. A most irreligious and heathenish saying and so disliked that at the Alphabeticall table there vnder the letter z. it is said Swinglius docendo seruiuit tempori Swinglius in his teaching serued the tymes The death and end of Swinglius was so calamitous that diuers most markable Protestants do write that he was infallibly damned For first Luther thus censureth thereof by the testimony of Hospinian Hospinians wordes are these (1) In histo Sacrament part 2. at anno 1544. fol. 187. Lutherus dicit Swinglium miserrime in praelio à Papistis interfectum ideò in peccatis suis mortuum esse Luther sayth that Swinglius was miserabâ—y killed by the Papists in warres and that he dyed in sinne And agayne the said Hospinian thus further writeth (2) Vbi supra Lutherus se c. Luther sayth that he wholly despayreth of the saluation of Swinglius soule And Gualterus speaking of the iudgmeÌ„t of diuers Protestants herein thus writeth (3) In Apolog fol. 30. 31. Nostri illi c. Those our men are not afrayd to pronounce that Swinglius died in Sinne the sonne of Hell Thus much of Swinglius Now to conclude this Scene with that Prodromus of Antichrist I meane Luther who first layed most of the chiefe corner stones of Puritanisme Luther was first a Catholike (r) Luth. in his Epist. to his Father extat tom 2. VVittenberg fol. â—69 Priest Monke during which his state of life he thus writeth of himselfe (s) See Luthers words hereof in in his CommeÌ„t vpon the epistle to the Galathians englished in cap. 1. fol. 35. I then honoured the Pope of meere conscience kept chastity pouerty and obedience and whatsoeuer I did I did it with a single hart of good Zeale and for the glory of God fearing grieuously the last day and desirous to be saued from the bottome of my heart Of whose pure and sincere intention at that tyme (t) In epist ad Thomam Cardinalem Eboracens Erasmus speaketh fully Simon Voyon more particularly thus dilateth thereof (u) Vpon the Catalogue of the Doctors of the Church â—nglished pag. 180. Luther in his Monastery punished his body with watching fasting and prayer But after he had once apostated from the Church of Rome and cast of his Catholike Religion then he began to speake in another Dialect and thus writeth of himselfe marke here good Reader the difference of one and the same man when at one tyme he is Catholike at another ProtestaÌ„t (x) Luth. tom 1. epi. Latin fol. 334. ad Philippum I am burned with the great flame of my vntamed flesh I who ought to be feruent in the Spirit am feruent in the flesh in lust sloth c. Eight dayes are now past wherein I neither did write pray nor study being vexed partly with temptations of the flesh partly with other troubles Agayne the same Luther thus acknowledgeth further of himselfe I am almost mad through the rage of lust desire of women And yet more (y) Luth. tom 5. VVittenberg serm de Matrimonio fol. 119. As it is not in my power that I should be no man so it is not in my power that I should be without a woman c. It is not in our power that it should be stayed or omitted but it is as necessary as that I should be a man and more necessary then to eate drinke purge make cleane the nose And yet he ceaseth not but further sayth (z) Luth. in Prouerb 31. addeth these words in Ducth which are englished as are here set downe Nothing is more sweet then is the loue of a woman if a man can obtaine it and finally (a) Luth. tom 7. VVittenberg epist ad VVolphangum fol. 505. He that resolueth to be without a woman let him lay asyde from him the name of a man making himselfe a playne Angell or spirit And according to these his speaches he hauing cast of all his former Religion tooke Catherine Bore out of a Monastery and maryed her Behold here good Protestant Reader and blush at the Primitiae of that Spirit which in this age first sowed Protestancy or our new reformed Religion For where are now those former wordes of Luthers keeping his chastity pouerty and obedience and what he did he did with a single hart to the glory of God and desirous to be saued from the bottome of his heart c. So iust reason had euen Caluin himselfe to say of Luther (b) These words of Caluin are alleaged by Schlussenburg in Theolog. Calu. l. 2. fol. 126. magnis vitijs abundat As also so fully is warranted from Luthers sensuality that phraze vsed among many of his followers who when they would giue assent to the prouocation of nature by accompanying lewd women were accustomed
multiplies it selfe in its owne cogitation that besides certaine intestine simulties betweene him and some others of the Vniuersity he was vnexpectedly called openly to a reckoning how he had disbursed certayne summes of money gathered for the reliefe of the poore of that Citty in tyme of the sicknes there a great part of which money he had intended to engrosse to his owne particular vse and that this occasioned his dreadfull resolution Aensâ—â— Quid non mortalia pectora cogis Auri sacra fames Others report otherwise But whatsoeuer the immediate occasion might be such was his most deplorable death attended with the euerlasting Death of his soule heere set downe This man the very day which was Easter day of his acting this vnnaturall Part by being become his owne Parricide was to preach in the chiefe Church to the whole Vniuersity for he was Doctour of Diuinity who that very morning faigning some occasion of staying in his lodging longer then his intended Auditours expected he should it was obserued that the doore was barred vpon him and some suspition growing thereof his doore was presently broken downe and himselfe was there found to haue hanged himselfe with his Garters his owne chamber thus being become the mournefull stage of his owne Tragedy Thus it happened that that day which our Sauiour did rise froÌ„ Hell this poore wretch descended into Hell But I graÌ„t my words are ouer languide and faynt to paynt foorth this atrocity of fact For we see that He by forbearing to preach did more fully preach and made a Sermon not to the Vniuersity alone but to the Whole Realme more mouing though without wordes then euer his tongue could haue performed For who hearing only that the Vice-Chancelour of Cambridge had hanged himselfe in which short Relation euery word hath its Pathos Emphasis and Energy resteth not astonished Or who will not be amazed when he shall be tould that a man seated in such a height of gouernment supposed to be most learned and pious graced for his presumed wisedome and prudence with the title of Vice-Chancelour being a Doctor of Diuinity a most remarkable man in his zealous professing of the Protestant fayth and a great aduaÌ„cer of the English Gospell should by such a weake and vnmanlike apprehending of temporall distasts be moued thus in Soule and Body to cast himselfe away for all eternity A Document to teach euery man with all humility to lye battering at the eares of the Almighty with incessant feruorous Prayer by which we ouercome him who is inuincible and procure him to worke in our affayre who is immoueable so to arme his soule with Diuine Grace as to be able to subdue all wicked molitions of our Ghostly Enemy and all other arising Temptations whatsoeuer least otherwise through want of the said Grace he might complaine with the Prophet Psalm 142. Anima mea sicut terra sine aqua tibi Let no man thinke that out of a malignity to the Vice-Chancelours Religion I do amplifye thus vpon this most ruthfull Theame No. I do greatly commiserate his endles and interminable calamity since a soule in Hell liues in death which neuer dyes so far I am from insulting ouer the dead and I haue read that sentence Eccles 8. Noli de mortuo inimico tuo gaudere But it may be heere vrged by some that seeing this is but the Example of one man of Note my Pen is ouer luxuriant in exaggerating his disconsolate and dismall fall To this I reply first that diuers euen of his owne Coate Profession here in England I meane of Ministers though men of farre lower ranke and estate by offering violence to themselues haue made the like shipwrack of their soules within the compasse of this very yeare and some few last past Secondly the more fully to confront this bold assertion and for your further satisfaction my much respected friend in this point who do so highly preiudge of the first Restorers of your Gospell I do here auouch that seuerall Protestants of far greater eminency for learning and popular fame in the world then the Vice-Chancelour euer was and such as haue beene the first broachers of Protestancy haue by Gods permission come to most calamitous Ends though not in an vnnaturall hastening of their owne deaths yet as banefull and pernicious to their owne soules as if they had become their owne Butchers And this shal be proued euen from the free acknowledgments of other learned Protestants And first to begin with these later dayes and so to ascend higher It is ouer manifest that Andraeas Volanus a Caluinist dyed a In Paranesi Turke and had before his death poysoned diuers persons with his blasphemous writings against the Blessed Trinity In like sort Stancarus de mediatore fol. 38. Georgius Paulus an eminent Protestant in Cracouia at his death denied the B. Trinity with the Turkes Agayne Laelius Socinus brought vp at Geneua by the Confession euen of Beza In epist Theolog. 81. dyed wholly renouncing the Christian fayth Alamannus once a familiar friend of Beza did as witnesseth In ep 65. pag. 308. Beza dye a blasphemous Iew. Dauid See Historia Dauidis Georgij printed at Antwerpe anno 1568. George once Professour at Basil dyed an execrable Apostata Osiand in Cent. 16 part 2. pag. 828. Adam Neuserus the chiefe Pastor of Heidelberge dyed a circumcised Turke And Ochinus who first disseminated Protestancy here in England in King Edward the sixt his Raigne in the end dyed by the Confession of Beza an impious Lib. de Polygam p. 4. Apostata and Beza Epist 1. pa. 11. a derider of all Christian Religion Thus far â—or a tast only omitting diuers others of these men whose deaths were as calamitous and Tragicall since their soules therby haue incurred eternall perdition as if they had massacred themselues But to leaue these and to come to some others more remarkeable Protestants who were great enlargers of the new pretended Gospell of Protestancy and who died Professors of the said Religion We do fynd that a most learned Protestant thus writeth of Caluins death Conradus Slussenburg in Theolog. Calu. l. 1. fol. 72. Deus manu sua potenti c. God with his mighty hand did visit Caluin for he despayred of his saluation calling vpon the Diuells and gaue vp his Ghost swearing and blaspheming Caluin dyed being eaten away with lice for they so bred about his priuy parts that none could endure the stench Thus the said Protestant of Caluins death And the same is further witnessed by In libello de vitae Caluin Ioannes Herennius a Caluinist Preacher who was witnesse and present at Caluins death Melancthon the famous Protestant made so miserable an End as that Morlinus his Protestant scholler and otherwise a great aduancer of Melancthons worth in these dolefull words performes his Maisters Exequyes and funeralls See heereof Slussenb 〈◊〉 Theolog. Calu. l. 2. â—rt 1â— Si possem redimere c. If it did lye in my power to redeeme
Fathers of the Society of Iesus on the other syde 3. Or lastly will your Brethren seeke to decline the weight of this our Argument by vrging that it is taken but from the Testimonies of our Aduersaries and therefore it is not much to be regarded Heare My good friend how much this kind of proofe is pryzed both by the ancient Fathers and learned Protestants S. Austin sayth Contra Donatist post Collat. cap. 24. The truth is more forcible to wring out Confession then any rack or torment And Irenaeus thus writeth Li. 4. c. 14. It is an vnanswerable proofe which bringeth attestation from the Aduersaries themselues To come to your owne Brethren D. Whitakers thus acknowledgeth Contra Bellarm. l. de Eccles controu 2. q. 5. cap. 14. The argument must needs be efficacious and strong which is taken from the Confessions of the Aduersaries c. And I do freely grant that Truth is able to extort Testimonies euen from its Enemyes And to conclude Peter Martyr thus speaketh Loc. tu de Iudais fol. 390. Surely among other Testimonies that is of the greatest weight which is giuen by the Enemyes And with this I will close vp this Miscelene and compounded Discourse referring the Contents thereof to your impartiall and vnpreiudging Consideration Only afore I end giue me leaue my worthy and deare friend to take leaue with you in these my last wordes Therefore I most earnestly intreate you euen for the honour of God 2. Petr. ◠who is not willing that any should perish for the loue of your owne soule which must eyther by true fayth and an answerable life enioy the happines of Heauen or by false beliefe incur the insufferable and interminable torments of Hell for Marc. 16. qui non credit condemnabitur for the different effect of Good or Euill which may be deriued from your example You being knowne to be a man of good literature and eminent in your profession of Protestancy and lastly by the most bitter passion of our Sauiour who 1. Tim. ◠gaue himselfe a Redemption for all that you would not suffer the transitory smoake of any temporall respects how potēt soeuer in a worldly eye to interpose it selfe betwene the light of Truth and your vnderstanding assuring your selfe that Euery thing is Short which passeth away with Time and Eternity only long Imitate then the most happy and Christian resolution of the former entreated-of Doctour I meane D. Pryce that so before the tyme of your dissolution you now being in yeares may with him implant your selfe in our Catholike Roman Church out of which there is no saluation euer haue this ensuing point imprinted in your remembrance To wit that Ierusalem wherby is figured the celestiall state of mans soule is said to be best peopled when she hath no Iewes within her that is no stiffe necked and obstinate thoughts of misbeliefe or Heresy euer resisting the Holy Ghost since we read Heb. 11. Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo But yet my deare Friend let me shut vp this my admonition with this ensuing holsome Caution that is Imitate the foresayd Doctour in dying Catholike but in one circumstance of his dying Catholike imitate him not I meane in defering his Conuersion till his last sicknes O no. The euent of such a Conuersion is most dangerous And though God out of the bowels of his incōprehensible Mercy did most efficaciously touch the Doctours hart with his Grace yet others cānot assure thēselues of the same fauour from God seeing extraordinary vnexpected fauours dignities imparted eyther by God or temporall Princes to some few are not to be drawne into generall examples vpon which others may rely True it is that God knocketh Reuela◠3. at the doore of ech mans heart with his holy inspirations but how often he will knocke thereat himselfe telleth vs not for though God proffereth his grace to euery Man yet not at euery time In respect whereof my good Friēd both you all others ought to yield to his holy inspirations at the first knocke without any delay at all when his Diuine Goodnes shal vouchsafe to send thē Therefore to conclude remember that as it is thus recorded for our inestimablc cōfort in Gods sacred Word Ezech. 33. As I liue sayth the Lord I desire not the death of the wicked c. so also for our greater feare and solicitude it is thus registred in the sayd holy Word Psalm 81. My people would not heare my voyce and Israel would none of me so I gaue them vp to the hardnes of their harts Your most deare Soule-well-wishing Friend B. C. FINIS