that I say no worse Nunne Bridget u Reuelat. p. 64 The Canons marrie no wiues because of their canonicall name but impudently they haue concubines day and night Priests also and Deacons keepe whores that with their great bellies walke among other women Picus of Mirandula w Orat. de morib reform ad Leon. pag. 209. The priests in that time slept with the women at the doore of the Tabernacle but in our time they breake into the sacred houses and fie for shame women are brought in to satisfie their lusts and boyes that Sodomitically are abused against nature are lent and giuen them by their parents and these boyes afterward are promoted to be priests The Princes of Germanie at a Diet at Norimberge x Grauam German n. 31. 91 affirmed that their priests being forbidden by the Canon lawes their lawfull wiues did nothing but attempt the chastitie of matrons and virgins the wiues daughters and sisters of lay men and in most places the Bishops and their officials not onely tolerated priests concubines for a summe of monie but made continent priests also that liued without concubines to pay taxation of concubinage and so they might keepe if they would Cuyckins a Bishop of Ruraemond hath lately written a y Spec. concub booke against concubinary priests wherein he reports a hundred of these things and z Paraenet epi. pag. 19. be saith of the Canons of a certaine Church that they liued in whoredome scarce two in a Colledge were free There is no historie or monument but testifieth these things and all trauellers and countrimen know the same to be true The Roman Catholicke may now if he please make a stand and well bethinke himselfe what such vertue there is in his priests single life that the lawfull mariage of Ministers should so presumptuously be entertained * See c. 53. which in the best ages was allowed and neuer misliked by the vniuersall Church till the Romish faction for the more libertie of their vnbrideled lust quarreld and refused it CHAP. VI. 1. Touching the turbulencie of our Iesuites and Masse-priests in the State and their vnthankfulnesse to the King 2. The seditious doctrine of the Church of Rome leading to all disobedience against the magistrate and rebellion whensoeuer occasion shall serue Tyrones rebellion and the Spanish Inuasion promoted by the Pope 3. A catalogue of about fortie Emperors Kings and Princes destroyed or vexed by the Pope and his Cleargie 4. A consideration vpon the doctrine of the Popes power to depose Kings A. D. He falsely and slanderously chargeth both Priests and lay Catholicks with disloyaltie to the magistrate affirming Pag. 25. that all our religion is full of doctrine whence proceedeth monsters of conspiracie against the State Then turning his poisoned pen against the Pope with ministeriall railing rhetoricke he saith This is the practise of the man of Rome in the pallace of Constantine where formerly of old godly Bishops had wont to be entertained he stalleth vp purpled Machiauillians and vnreasonable beasts to prey vpon Constantines successors and deuoure the Princes of the earth and to euery pillar of our Churches almost in Europe he chaineth wolues and Lybards to flie at our throates whensoeuer we come within their reach and these heards that we see of Friars Seminaries Masse-priests Iesuites pretending to be pastors of our soules be nothing else but so many Beares and bloudie Tygars chained to the pillars of our Churches the fatall enemies of Princes and their people to sucke their bloud c. And againe The Turkes Lions at Constantinople with feeding and familiaritie of their keepers become tame and gentle but the Popes sauadges of Rome by no forbearance or mercie shewed them can be mollified no gentle vsage can tame their nature no clemencie will reconcile them no diet will swage their thirst of bloud c. I might relate more out of this spitefull epistle but this is sufficient to let the reader see the mans humor of shamelesse scurrilous and slanderous lying and of outragious malicious and pestiferous railing 1 I Charged the Priests and Iesuites with two things their doctrine against the peace and securitie of kings and magistrates and their barbarous practises against their liues and kingdomes Wherein because they haue exceeded the crueltie of beasts and the nature of the vntamablest monsters that are according to the maner of describing such creatures I compared them to Tigars and Lions c. This the Iesuite as if he were one of them himselfe stormes and rages at as you see as if he would burst the chaine But to no purpose for I alledged the words of Posseuine Zamorensis and Carerius with some particular examples to confirme my saying the which either he should haue satisfied or haue confested the accusation or haue holden his tongue Now when he doth none of these but cals that railing and lying which all the world sees to be true there is little hope he will euer be tamed My discharge is that I haue written nothing but what a Reuera imperialis felicitas Papali semper impugnatur in uidia Pet. de Vin. ep 31. l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anna Porphyro Alc. xiad p. 32. the Kings of the earth haue heretofore complained of themselues and found by grieuous experience to be true and what b Praef. monito omnibus Christianis monarc c. his sacred Maiestie that now is the mildest Prince that euer ruled is constrained to complaine of openly to all the world c Nouit ille qui nihil ignorat quod Praesidentes Romanae ecclesia suae astuta sagaci prudentia secundaÌ„ temporum vari etatem sua variarunt statuta modo imperium sublimando modo paulatim deprimendo sed si quilibet esset contentus fuis limitibus vnus alium coad inuaret sicut facere teneatur puto quod pax esset in vniuerso orbe Alberic de Rosat quem refert Iacobat de concil pag. 779. A. And had I read nothing in the stories of former times nor knowne their doings in ages past yet I haue seene enough within these twentie yeares to teach me what to thinke of Masse-priests and all that follow their doctrine And if I said that no forbearance could mollifie them no gentle vsage can tame their nature no clemencie reconcile them I did it because the forbearance that Queene Elizabeth vsed toward them many wayes and all her time was admirable yet while she liued most wretchedly they sought her bloud and most barbarously handled her fame and now she is gone with no lesse furie and rage they prosecute her memorie that was the incomparable Princesse of the world And when his gracious Maiestie that now is euer since his reigne hath vsed them with all respect releasing many of their fines granting pardon to diuers Iesuites and Masse priests granting them diuers suites forbearing to execute his most iust proclamations against Iesuites and Semiâ—â—ies vsing finally most
which opinion they also cannot be freed inasmuch as they hold the merit of workes not to be founded on Gods couenant in Christ but Gods couenant to be founded on the merit as I haue touched before To the Councell of Trent I answer that Baius was there present and in all probabilitie knew the meaning of it either to be with him or not against him else he would not haue published his booke n The Counceâ— ended an 1563. he printed his booke 1565. two yeares after the Councel was ended and these very words of the Councell eternall life is the grace of God o Cap. 6. he answers and expounds to his owne sence that it is the grace of God because it is due to the merits that proceed of grace which grace he denies not to be the roote of merit but he denies it to haue any influence into the reason of meriting as I haue expounded in the third proposition And if the Reader will see the true meaning of these words of the Councell whereby so many are beguiled here it is p Vasqu p. 819. n. 84. Where life eternall is called a grace mercifully promised to the sonnes of God I answer that life eternall is not called a grace mercifully promised because the workes whereto it is giuen are not equall of themselues to it or condignely worthy of it but because the merits whereto it is rendred are of Gods mercie and so life eternall in respect of the roote thereof is called grace q Pag. 820. n. 88 Againe The Councell of Trent affirming life eternall to be a reward which is to be rendred faithfully by promise if it be well marked nothing fauours their opinion who hold our workes not to merit of themselues but because God hath made a promise to reward them for that word BY PROMISE must not be ioyned with THE REWARD as if the meaning were that life eternall is giuen as a reward because it is giuen by promise which it should not if the promise were not but it must be ioyned with that TO BE FAITHFVLLY rendred to their good workes and merits for this to be FAITHFVLLY rendred it hath by promise Wherefore WITHOVT THE PROMISE of God eternall life should be rendred CONDIGNLY to the works of the iust as the wages stipend and crowne of righteousnesse taking righteousnesse for that equalitie which is to be obserued betweene the dignitie of workes and eternall life but yet it should not be giuen FAITHFVLLY or of fidelitie because where there is no promise there is no fidelitie for fidelitie is that truth which is in keeping promises Whereby we see that it was not the mind of the Councell to ascribe eternall life to the grace of God otherwise then so farre forth as that grace makes vs able to merit it our selues which is the very opinion of Baius that I alledged 5 To the Bull whereby he sayes this opinion of Baius is expresly condemned I answer that when I alledged Baius I knew not of the Bull but since r In Posseuin appar verbo Mich. Baius and at the end of Vasqu para in epist Pauli I haue seene it and bene admonisht thereof neuerthelesse Baius his proposition is not thereby condemned the words of the Bull are these after it hath set downe some 80 propositions extracted out of Baius Many of these propositions might in some fashion be defended yet as they are intended by such as defend them in the rigor and proper sence of the words we condemne them * As Paule the now Pope in his late censure of â—ecanus his booke sayes Many things therein are false and temerarious RESPECTIVELY because this censure being extorted from him to auoide a worse inconuenience should not simply condemne Becanus his opinion which Bellarmine himselfe whose hand is to the Censure hath broached as well as he in his writings but only made a shew of condemning them to serue the present turne and to delude the Princes of the worlde with hope of that which he will neuer do till he see his occasions fitter then now they are respectiuely as hereticall erronious suspected rash and scandalous By which condemnation Å¿ 1. 2. disp 190. n 176. pag 516. sayes Vasquez a Iesuite maintaining some things mentioned in the same Bull it doth not appeare what censure doth agree seuerally to each proposition but by the words it is manifest that all those notes and censures together temerarious and hereticall do not belong to the said propositions but euery one by it selfe that is to say euery one hath his proper censure and thus some propositions are onely condemned as lying open to scandall Thus Vasquez their great Schoole-man and a Iesuite answered the Bull when it was obiected against him for holding certaine propositions therein in the prosecution whereof he shewes that many things contained in it are condemned onely because of his manner of defending them with some violence and intemperance And he sayes t See the Iesuites admonition to the Reader prefixed to the Bull at the end of Vasquez paraphrase wherein he shewes that Baius is mistaken and not truly vnderstood by such as haue dealt against him and that the Popes Bull censures his doctrine no otherwise then Vasquez affirmes he learned this to be the intent of the Bull from Cardinall Tolet who was a commissioner sent by the Pope to Louan for the composing of these contentions and therefore best knew the meaning of the Bull. Belike Baius was somewhat passionate in the maintenance of his opinions much like this Iesuite and so the Pope by a Bull censured him which being so how will the Iesuite make it appeare to me that this singular proposition which is the twelfth in number is condemned as * Note what propositions they be that our aduersaries account to be hereticall temerarious scandalous c. as it is noted by Lud. Carbo in his summes Duo genera propositionum haereticarum primum continet errores manifestos contra veritates in verbo Dei expressaâ— aut per Ecclesiam iam determinatas Alterum in quo continentur errores contra veritates euidenter ex primo genere collectas And then a little before Jdeo aliqua propositio dicitur haeretica quia haresim designat sed hoc non facit nisi adsit pertinacia Propositio erronea est illa qua aduersatur veritati ex propositione de fide euidenter collectae Propositio quae dicitur sapere haeresim est illa quae licet non appareat haerisis manifesta quin potius potest habere bonum sensum tamen ex circumstantijs potest praebere saporem vel suspicionem haeresis Vt ista propositio Iustus ex fide viuit Propositio temeraria quando asseritur aliquid contra communem Ecclesia Doctorum sententiam sine ratione firmissima Propositio scandalosa est illa quae apta est gignere scandalum circa doctrinam veritatem fidei Ludo. Carb sum tom 3. l. 1. c.
de VeroÌ„ apolog pro Ioh. Castell a booke written by a Papist in defence of him that did this wherein his deed is not onely iustified but extolled u Pag 40. as a most noble deed ioyned with vertue and heroicall to be compared with the greatest and commendablest deeds that euer were done or are mentioned in any storie Afterward as we all know this noble Prince was miserably slaine by a popish miscreant HENRIE the 8. of England was w Sand. de scis Anglic. â— â—8 excommunicate by Pope Clement about the matter of his diuorce x See Guâ—cciar l. 19. pag. 891. which in his owne iudgement he thought to be lawfull GEORGE the King of Bohemia y Bonfin deca 4. l. 2. sab init Mart. Crom. rerum Polo pag. 776 was excommunicate by Pius the second and Matthias the King of Hungary armed against him IOHN the King of Nauarre z Plat. in Iul. 2. was bereft of halfe his kingdome by the practise of Iulius the second a Bin. vit Iul. 2. who was wont to say It was not fit the Leuites should serue others who ought to beare rule ouer others The VENETIANS lastly b See Botter comment l. 12. p. 267. inde Gallo Belgie an 16â—6 about the maintenance of their State against the Cleargie were excommunicate by the Pope that now is saue that he shrunke in the wetting and durst not go forward For c Papit Masson annal Franc. pag. 289. since the time that Popes haue bene so prodigall of their curses they haue lost their sting and no maruell for rare things are admired when that which is daily done is contemned QVEENE ELIZABETH of most happie memory since the tenth yeare of her raigne d See Sand. schism Angl. pag. 182. about which time Pius Quintus excommunicated her till her dying day was neuer free from their malice e See the answers that the priests in the Tower made in their examinatioÌ„s an 1582. Maij 13. as they are set downe in Concert ecc Cathol in Angl adu Caluinop pag. 241. ind the Popes and their Cleargie by treasons inuasions rebellions conspiracies infamous writings and all the furie that the diuell could suggest assailing her the whole declaration whereof would fill large volumes And now finally HIS MAIESTIE that is succeeds her in the tasting of the same and worse practises wherein the Iesuites and Masse-priests haue bene the Popes principall executioners f Breuia Pont. the defence thereof by Bellarm. Less Coquae Capel Sticiop Suar. Becan Eudaem and others his alleagiance refused the Popes omnipotencie maintained his Person disgraced reuiled conspired against the Powder-treason plotted by these men Yet there is an old prophesie in * Telesphor de tribulat pag. 31. Antichristus non poterit subiugare Venetias nec Parisios nec Ciuitatem regalem Angliae Telesphorus that Antichrist shall neuer preuaile against these cities Venice Paris and London 4 Here are vpon 40 instances giuen in iustification of that I said now the Reader may iudge as he please In answer whereof my aduersaries will pleade a right the Pope and his Cleargie had to do all this but the fact it selfe they will not denie And as all States in the world know his right to be none so g Parisienses de eccl polit potest Blackw Widdringt Barkly the Diuines of Venice yea many large bookes written against it by great Diuines old and new in the Church of Rome Many whereof may be seene printed together by Goldastus in the three tomes of his Monarchia not a few disdaine it in the Church of Rome it selfe CHAP. VII Concerning the doctrine of Merits taught in the Church of Rome and touching the Bull of Pius and Gregorie against Michael Baius the Deane of Louane A. D. To passe therefore from this his epistle Dedicatorie Pag. 26. to his Preface to the Reader § 1. he falsely chargeth the Church of Rome to hold doctrine which it doth not hold but expresly condemne Concerning merit of workes saith he it holdeth that when men hauing conuersed godlily and righteously in this mortall life to the end obtaine eternall life this is not to be deputed to the purpose of Gods grace but to the ordinance of nature appointed presently in the beginning when man was created neither in this retribution of good things is it looked to the merit of Christ but onely to the first institution of mankind wherein by a naturall law it was set downe that by the iust iudgement of God the keeping of Gods commandements should be rewarded with life as the breaking of them is with death Thus farre is M. Whites relation But how false this relation is may appeare not onely in that the contrarie doctrine is ordinarily taught by our Diuines as may be seene in Halensis 3. part 9.69 mem 5. art 3.5 D. Thom. 1.2 q. 109. art 9. Roffensis refut art 36 Tapper de lib. arbit Bellarmine l. 5. de Iustif c. 12. 14. 15. and others Conc. Trid. Sess 6. c 16. Wherunto may be added the Councell of Trent sess 6. c. 16. where it is expresly defined that to those that worke well vnto the end and put their hope in God life euerlasting is to be propounded both as a Grace note the word Grace mercifully promised to the children of God through Iesus Christ and as a hire faithfully to be giuen to their good workes and merits by the promise of God himselfe By which definition of the Councell we may learne that by our doctrine life euerlasting is not obtained by nature but springeth of Gods grace and mercie and the merit of our Sauiour Christ And although our good workes doe merit yet it is not our workes as done by nature but as done in and by the grace of Christ as is further declared by the said Councell which saith that Christ Iesus doth as the head into all the members and as the vine into the branches continually infuse vertue to those that be iustified Ibidem The Church-vertue doth alwayes go before accompanie and follow their good workes without which vertue these their workes could not by any meanes be gratefull to God and meritorious This loe is the doctrine of our Church and not that temerarious and hereticall proposition which M. White relateth out of one Michael Baio who is so farre from being an approued author sufficient to declare what is the doctrine of our Church as that he is disallowed and this his proposition expresly condemned by Pius Quintus who was in his time chiefe Pastor of our Church 1 IN the fifth place he accuses me for charging the Church of Rome with that which one Michael Baius a popish Doctor and the Kings professor at Louane writ touching merits But I answer three things First that I know no reason why their Church may not be charged with that which Baius writ as well as ours is charged with this and that which any
56. hereticall and temerarious or further then as he held it with violence and passion Let him reade the Bull and he shall finde therein many propositions that himselfe will not condemne The second is that as an euill worke of his nature merits eternall death so a good worke of it owne nature merits eternall life yet t Sicut se habet culpa ad poenam ita opus virtutis ad gloriam Sed culpa ex condigno meretur poenam ergo actus virtutis ex condigno meretur vitaem aeternam Tho. 2. d. 27. art 3. Quae quidem satis indicant non minus sempiternam foelicitatem iustorum esse praeclaris operibus debitam quà m aeternos cruciatus eorum sceleribus qui nō nouerunt Deum Andrad orthod expl pag. 517. God giues as wel euerlasting life and glory to men for and according to their good workes as he giues damnation for the contrary workes Rhem annot Rom. 2. n. 6. this is generally holden among all their Diuines The eight proposition is that in such as are redeemed by the grace of Christ there can be found no good merit which is not freely giuen to him that is vnworthy yet the Iesuite sayes here that all our workes merit by the grace of Christ which is false if the Bull censure truly for to haue no merit but such as is freely giuen to him that is vnworthy and to haue merits that are not freely giuen but the partie is worthy are contrary The 14 is that our workes at the last iudgement shall receiue no ampler reward then by the iust iudgement of God they deserue yet Vega u De Iustificat q. 5. holds this opinion The 30 is that no tentation can be resisted without the grace of Christ yet x Abulens in Matth 19. q. 178. Gregor Arimin 2. d. 28. Cassal quadrip instit par 1. l 1 c. 25. Bellarm. grat lib. arb l. 5. c. 7. many Schoole men hold it The like may be shewed in other propositions there censured and yet commonly holden by the learned in the Church of Rome whereupon I conclude that the Bull is no sufficient argument to proue the place I cited out of Baius not to be the doctrine of the Church of Rome but the Iesuite would vse the name thereof to serue the present turne when he had no true vnderstanding of the drift and purpose of it CHAP. VIII 1. The Papacie brought in by Satan 2. The Iesuites spirit of contradiction 3. The Church of Rome reuolted The fiue Patriarchs were equall at the first 4. Plaine Scripture against the Papacie 5. The ignorance of popish laitie 6. Corruption of writings by the Papists 7. Reformation desired long afore it came 8 9. Aduice giuen to A.D. A. D. In the same Preface I finde many other notable vntruths Pag. 27. as § 3. where he affirmeth that the Papacie was brought in by Satan at the first and is still continued onely to seduce the world 1 BY the Papacie I meane all that masse of innumerable errours in doctrine and Church-gouernement wherein they differ from vs and of it I do confidently affirme as a §. 48. n. 1. I expound in THE WAY that in processe of time it grew as a scabbe or a disease in the Church which in the beginning knew no such faith and forsomuch as b Mat. 13.25 all innouations are tares the enemy that sowes tares among the wheate is the diuell therefore I affirmed and yet doe that the Papacie was brought in by the diuell as all other heresies were And forsomuch as c Parum enim interest an cum daemone quis habitet an cum viro Apostata Effrem test pag 793. Mihi certe ille nunquam aliud quà m diabolus erit quia Arianus est Hilar cont Auxe sub fin there is little or no difference betweene the Diuell and an Apostata or an hereticke therefore I adde that to communicate with the Papacie is to follow d 1. Tim. 4.1 the doctrine of diuels A. D. And againe Pag 28. that Catholickes seeke nothing but to be contrary to Protestants and euen hate the name of peace 2 I did not onely say this but I shewed it also first by relating the paines that in vaine and to no purpose hath bin taken with them to bring them to reconciliation and namely at the conference at Regenspurge where diuers points being agreed it is well knowne how Ecchius a man of an vnquiet spirit e See his Apol. adu Bucer sup act colloq Ratispon laboured to dissolue the agreement and discredit all that was done with the Emperour and States that had taken so much paines therein Then by the froward words of two Iesuites Bellarmine and Maldonate whereto I adde a third as refractary as they Lorin a Iesuite hauing related the iudgement of sixe great learned men against the vulgar Translation in a certaine place f Comment in 2. Pet. 1. pa. 62◠sayes They please him not for this cause because he would haue Catholickes more fauourable to the vulgar Translation and more to abhorre the sence of heretickes That is to say rather then they shall agree with vs in the truth he would haue them follow the old Mumpsimus in a lie This is the malepart spirit in our aduersaries that I speake of whereby the Reader may guesse what loue they haue to peace when vpon hatred against vs because they will not be said to yeeld they will not accept of that which themselues thinke may be truth Pag. 28. A.D. Also § 6. where he affirmeth that the present Romane Church in wholy departed in the questions controuerted from the ancient and retaineth nothing but the title and that the ancient Church of Rome professed the same faith which Protestants now professe 3 This matter is purposely shewed in g Digr 49. 51 THE WAY and handled at large in this Defence and it is not onely true but so easie also to be shewed that the Iesuite durst not so much as looke in the face that which I here added to demonstrate it He thinkes his deniall is confutation enough and so it is possible with his followers that reade his Reply but list not to heare what I added to make my word good First out of Pelusiot how a Church may lose the faith and yet retaine her name still As Lais many a day after she was turned curtizan yet was called Lais still and then out of Balsamon and Nicephorus two Patriarkes in the Greeke Church That in ancient time the Pope had not this primacie nor Rome the royaltie that now they haue To them I adde another testimonie out of Theodore Stuclites h Lib. 2. ep 129. ad Leo. Sacell The diuine and heauenly points of faith are committed to none but those to whom Christ said Whatsoeuer you binde vpon earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer you shall loose vpon earth shall be loosed in heauen But who are
hath made his promises Our answer is we deny not our Church to be visible but thinke it to haue bene the same that in all ages communicated with the Church of Rome in the truth and substance of the ancient faith and we call it sometime inuisible onely in that sense which I haue so often declared against which that which is here propounded concludeth nothing 5 For S. Austin sayes no more in the first place but that the Catholicke Church stretches the boughs and increases abundantly ouer the whole earth which we confesse it doth two waies First in that howsoeuer the growth thereof be sometime hindered yet it cannot at all time be so oppressed but that it hath some time and many a long time liberty enough to dilate it selfe all ouer the world as winter corne that in hard weather is not seene to flourish yet hath season enough beside to grow all ouer the field Secondly in as much as it growes also and increases when it is most obscure as the Sunne retaines and exercises his light when it is most ecclipsed The Iesuites continuall error is that to be obscure and to be vtterly taken away is all one and that the suppressing of the outward liberty state and perfection supposes the extinguishing of the essence and being of the Church That which S. Austin sayes in the second place alledged I also grant answering that it may well stand with our assertion A cleare and manifest authority of the Church it appointed ouer the whole world and yet this authority may be resisted and called in question and abused and vsurped by Heretiques and persecutors and then though it be cleare and manifest in it selfe that the Church hath this authority yet the exercise thereof may be corrupted in such sort that sometime it shall need reformation Schismatickes and Heretiques are not to be beleeued but let the Repliar proue all these in whom our Church was to be such Schisme and Heresie haue their particular places and obscure and secret corners but not alwaies for in the Church of Israel when a 1. Reg. 19.14 the children of Israel forsooke the couenant of God Threw downe his altars slue his Prophets and none but Elias alone was left and when b 2. Cro. 15.3 for along season Israel was without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without the law and c 2. Cro. 28.24 when Ahaz the king of Iudah did cut in peeces the vessels and shut vp the dores of the house of God and made him altars in euery corner of Ierusalem and high places in euery seuerall city of Iudah to burne incense to other Gods It was not so Nor at such time as Ierom d Comment in Psal 33. §. Qui statis tom 8. sayed The Church is where the faith is for 20 yeares since Heretiques possessed all these Churches nor when Hilary e Pag. 316. d. writ One thing I forewarne yee of beware of Antichrist ill doth the loue of walles affect you ill do ye reuerence the Church of God in houses and buildings is there any doubt but Antichrist sits in them to me the mountaines and the woods and lakes of water and prisons and boggs are safer And if for the most part they haue doth it follow thereupon that all religion practised particular places and secret corners is Heresie what then shall become of Gods truth in such times as these are But it is absurd to say God hath possible other sheepe I know not where nor who they be that himselfe lookes to and so say I for he speakes of such as hold there may be some of the faithfull out of the Church or at the least so hidden in the Church that none can see them Neither of which is our doctrine but onely that sometimes they may be so oppressed that no man can see any congregation of them openly professing and exercising the worship of God purely and without corruption but the right faith and gouernment shall be euery where persecuted and kept vnder though many of these sheepe thus corrupted belong to the sheepfold of Christ by reason of the foundation of faith which they hold and their repentance of their errors S. Austin therefore proues not our assertion to be a shift Go we forward and let vs see the rest 6 If it were not a ridiculous shift men of our time would not haue bene moued at the hearing of it to say as one did Spectatum admissi That * Camp rat 3. one belike was one of Penelopees f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 odyss ◠wooers or of g Valer. Maxim l. 9. c. 12. Philemons kind that was choaked with laughing at his owne foolish conceite with a iest of his owne making and therefore I will quit them with a story in h Eustath in Hom. odyss p. 659. 22. Eustathius that they may laugh better The Terynthians were a nation generally flowted of their neighbours for their fleering and light countenance they could do nor see nor heare any thing but they would laugh at it Therefore they inquired of Apollo how they might be deliuered from that Passion who answered IF THEY COVLD SACRIFICE A BVLL TO NEPTVNE AND THROW HIM INTO THE SEA WITHOVT LAVGHING whereupon in a speciall consultation they agreed to go forward with the sacrifice but no boyes should be among them least they should laugh at any thing they did but it fortuned that as they were sacrifising a little Boy came in among them and seeing contrary to the custome euery mans countenance so grauely set hee also counterfaited an austeere lookes and carued a face sutable to them which affectation they perceiuing burst all out into laughter and lost their labour and so remained a laughing nation for euer after Their error was to laugh at that in the child which themselues did and with laughing to loose their Bull. It seemes my Repliar and the men that cannot refraine laughter and the man he mentions are of their posterity * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eustath Iouiall companions that will laugh at that in others that they do themselues and will exchange their sacrifice for a iest let them go to the sea againe with the Bull and trie if they can haue any better lucke then the Terinthians i Barbaricum faciem Romanam sumere vultuni miror Ennod. Pitty Roman heads should haue so graue tongues and so light countenances 7 In the last place he obiects that our doctrine touching the inuisible Church hath made diuers learned Protestants obstinately bent against Papistry desperate for when they haue seene the Prophecies of the Scripture foretelling the amplitude splendor glory and continuance of true Christian Professors neuer to haue bene fullfilled in their inuisible congregation of Protestant Professors they haue either doubted ordenied or vtterly cast off the truth of all Christian Profession the reason is their obstinacy not suffering them to consider that in the Roman Profession onely these