seruandus est The rites of the elders must be kept Omnia postea in melius profecerunt All things sayth he haue bene made more perfect in time c. Wil they find fault with haruest because it is late or with the vintage in the end of the yeare Euen so the vintage of the Gospell is not to be coÌ„demned because it falleth out in the end of the world Dicant igitur in suis omnia debere manere principijs They may as well say that euery thing should keepe the beginning and not grow vnto perfection Now followeth the second part wherein the Apologist goeth about to approue the now Romane religion by setting forth the vnhappie successe of those Princes which any way haue opposed themselues to the Sea of Rome I will examine all his demonstrations in order The 1. Demonstration 1 THe gates of hell haue been set open against it and yet neuer preuailed as Christ hath promised pag. 67. 2 The Pagane Emperours could neuer conquer nor commaund it although they had put the greatest parts of the Popes to death pag. 67. 3 Rome was spoiled and sacked by Alaricus Hunnes Gothes Vandals Visigothes but that holie Sea preuailed 4 Alaricus caused miraculouslie to retire at the voyce of Leo then Pope pag. 67. 5 The very countenance of Pope Zachary forced Limprandus that had besieged it to desist pag. 68. 6 The Saracens burned the suburbs of Rome and yet Pope Gregory the 4. without force repelled them pag. 68. 7 The Duke of Burbon miserablie slaine at the assault when he had besieged Rome pag. 68. 8 That inuincible Sea hath bene impugned by the might and endeuours of the supreme Regents of Germany Bauaria Persia and Armenia Indias Iapponia yet that little Sea of Rome and the faith thereof hath subdued them all pag. 68. 9 It was assaulted of Iulian Valens the Arrians but they were confounded the Grecians Armenians Iacobines denied their obedience vnto it and became the Turks vassals The Remonstration 1 THat promise that the gates of hell should not preuaile was made to Peters faith which the Church of Rome hath lost not to Peters person as Ambrose saith Fides ergo est ecclesiae fundamentum non enim de carne Petri sed de fide dictum est quia portae mortis non praeualebunt eâ— Faith then is the foundation of the Church for it was spoken not of Peters flesh but Peters faith that the gates of hell should not preuaile against it Neither can the citie of Rome shewe such assurance of Gods protection as Hierusalem could where the Lord had promised to dwell for euer yet was that holie citie forsaken And whether by the gates of hell we vnderstand the externall assaults of Infidels and barbarous people or the spirituall corruption of doctrine both the one way and other the Sea and Citie of Rome hath beene subdued For neuer any citie hath been so often besieged and sacked as that hath bin eueÌ„ since it was Christian by the Hunnes Gothes Vandales Heruli Lombards Saracens neyther any place professing Christianitie hath been so infected with error and heresie that in both respects it is euident that the gates of hell haue preuailed against it 2 The auncient Bishops of Rome for as yet they were not called by any peculiar title Popes died for the true faith of Christ from the which the Popes haue a long time swarued wherefore they succeeding in place only not in faith and doctrine can not challenge any dignitie or prerogatiue by those holie Martyrs whose steps they do not follow As for Sibyls prophesie that the fishers hooke should subdue the Romane Empire though we relie not vppon such blind prophesies it was then fulfilled when the Apostles faith whom our Sauiour made fishers of men and not only Peter was embraced of Christian Constantine and the whole Romane Empire made subiect vnto it And Augustine rehearsing certain verses of Sibyll concerning Christ which begin with letters which layed together make these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ the sonne of God the Sauiour And the first letters of these fiue words put together bring forth this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Fish he interpreteth the same of Christ shewing in what sense he is compared to a Fish because as a fish in the sea so he in the sea of this world viuus mansit i. sine peccato continued aliue that is without sin then as well by the fishers hooke may we vnderstand the doctrine of Christ. But if ye will needes appropriate the fishers hooke to the Sea of Rome then the sense may wel be this that the Pope claiming vnder Peters title and pretending the fishers hooke for religion should fish for aduantage and subdue the Imperiall dignitie arrogating the same to himselfe leauing nothing but the image that is the bare name and title of the Empire as is prophesied Apocal. 13.14 as we see it come to passe this day 3. He maketh mention but of foure sackings of Rome and yet that Sea preuailed But in truth it was twice foure times and oftner besieged spoyled and sacked since they began to decline from the true Christian faith As by Alaricus ann 407. Ataulphus King of the VVisigothes anno 414. By Attila King of the Hunnes anno 454. Gensericus 357. By Odoacer King of the Heruli 478. By Totilus King of the Gothes anno 550. who spoyled Rome with fire ouerthrowing the walles and towers leauing it almost desert and it was taken againe and spoyled by the same Totilus anno 554. Rome besieged by Agilulphus King of the Lumbards by the space of an whole yeere anno 605. Besieged by Luitprandus anno 738. By Aistulphus of Lumbardie anno 755. Subdued by Desyderius King of Lumbards anno 769. Rome besieged and the suburbes subdued by the Saracens anno 837. And againe anno 923. And anno 915. the Saracens of Africke entred Italie and most cruelly entreated man woman and child We shall not finde that old Rome vnder the Paganes was halfe so often assaulted and sacked in twice so many yeeres by Brennus Hannibal Pyrrhus and the rest that surprised it neither can any citie in the world be named that hath endured greater miseries and calamities then Rome since it first receiued the Christian faith Hierome in his time described the miserable state of Rome being taken of the Gothes Capitur vrbs quae totum cepit orbem The citie is taken that hath conquered the world it perisheth by famine before the sword the bodies lie slaine in the high waies the mother eateth her owne children c. Thus this indefectible Sea as this bragger â—aith preuailed and vanquished when as neuer any citie was more often subdued and brought to greater miserie But he meaneth perhaps that Rome for all this continueth still what then yet it neuer flourished so long together as the Empire of the Assyrians which continued well
censured first this is the condition of warre it spareth none Secondly this notwithstanding the Citie after his death was taken Thirdly the Pope was forced afterward to absolue and release whom before he had cursed 8. The reason why so many Kings and Regents of the world preuailed not in their attempts and endeuours against the Sea of Rome is euident because they had before giuen their power and authoritie vnto the beast with one consent Reuel 17.13 and therefore Gods iustice required that they should be beaten with their owne rod and suffer vnder that power which another by their authoritie first vsurped But the time shall come that the same Kings and Nations which before gaue their kingdome to the beast shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked Reuel 17.17 But concerning the Indians if the Spanish tyranny had not preuailed more then Popish subtiltie and cruell violence obtained more then Monkish conscience they were like to haue had a cold suite of it and a simple haruest 9. Iulian was punished for Apostasie from the faith not for denying fealtie to the Pope and Valens iudged for his Arrian heresie not for gainsaying the Papall hierarchie The Grecians and Armenians were subdued to the Turkes not for resisting the iurisdiction of the Pope but for other graue and waightie causes which may be alleaged first because the Empire being diuided anno 101. when Leo the 3. proclaimed Charles the great Emperour of Rome was thereby weakened and so by little and little decayed till at the last it became a pray to the Turke The Pope then himselfe was the first occasion of this iudgement which befell them Secondly in that the Greekes began to haue small respect to the Romane Bishop the Pope himself was the cause for that he first forsooke the Greek Empire erecting another in the West as the author of the tripartite worke saith Schisma hoc fecit partitio imperij c. The partition of the Empire made this schisme because the Empire that was but one was made two Et hinc probabile est quod Graeci cum suo domino coeperunt rebellare ecclesiae Romanae And hence it was that the Greekes with their Lord began to rebell against the Romane Church The Pope therefore may for this thanke himselfe Thirdly but the greatest cause of all this diuision of the Empire and so consequently the confusion thereof was the idolatrie of the Greekes who in a generall Councel held at Nice confirmed and allowed the adoration of images about the time of Adrian the 1. by whose counsell Irene the Empresse tooke vp the bodie of Constantine her husband and burned it and cast the ashes into the sea because they disanulled images Immediatly vpon this inhumane fact of Irene and for their idolatrie followed the diuision of the Empire by Leo the 3. the next successor of this Adrian And for the same cause namely their idolatrie was the Citie of Constantinople surprized and sacked of the Turkes for after the Citie was taken the great Turke caused the image of the Crucifixe which was set vp in the great Church of Sophia to be taken downe and writing this superscription ouer the head Hic est Christianorum Deus This is the God of the Christians made it with sound of Trumpet to bee caried round about the Campe and euery man to spit at it ex Ioann Ram. lib. 2. rerum Turcicar This is more like to be the cause of the destruction of that citie Fourthly and as God hath punished the East Churches for their backsliding so must idolatrous Rome looke to haue her part which both in manners and doctrine is as corrupt as euer was the Greeke Church Many yeeres since it was said Latini licet ad ea quae sunt fidei verius adhaereant deo quam Graeci tamen quoad mores multo pluribus sceleribus implicati sunt The Latines although in matters of faith they cleaue more truly to God yet are in manners more corrupt But now the church of Rome is notoriously knowne both in faith and manners to bee much worse If the Greekes were iudged of God for failing in one the Latines cannot escape that come short in both 10. Lastly he telleth vs that in the Primitiue Church before Constantine almost an hundred Pagane Emperours either truly elected or reputed persecuted it and all them excepting tenne or eleuen died miserably when the persecuted Popes put to death by them came not to the third part of that number pag. 69. lin 3 4. c. 1. Vntrue it is that there were before Constantine almost 100. Pagane Emperours there were not many aboue halfe that number 2. Neither were then the Bishops of Rome called Popes by a peculiar stile as now they are 3. This maketh nothing for the present Papall Hierarchie for the Bishops of Rome are declined and fallen away from the faith doctrine of those first persecuted Bishops Martyrs 4. Whereas I confesse there was then great difference between the imperiall ecclesiasticall state both in the short raigne miserable end of the one the long continuance glorious death of the other the case is now altered for since the time of Gregorie the 1. when the Bishops of Rome began to fall away from the true faith the Popes both for their wretched end and short raigne may cōpare with either the Imperiall or any Episcopall seate and farre exceed them For the first Anastasius voided his entrals into the draught Siluerius died in banishment Vigilius drawne vp and downe by the neck in the streetes at Constantinople Sabinianus died being frighted in the night Agathon that condemned Ministers mariage died of the plague Constantin 2. condemned to prison and his eyes put out Leo. 3. cast from his horse and beaten to death Stephanus 8. wounded in a tumult and so battered that he neuer would shew himselfe afterward abroade Iohn 13. slaine in adulterie Bonifacius 7. died of an apoplexie his bodie was drawne through the streetes with ropes and striken through with speares Siluester 2. slaine of the Deuill being a Necromancer Benedictus 9. suffocated by the Deuill Lucius 2. beaten with stones to death Adrianus 4. choaked with a flie Innocentius 4 sodainely died in his bed Nicholaus 3. died sodainely and speechlesse Clement 6. died sodainely of an aposteme Iohn 15. had his eyes put out and died of the stinch of the prison Now sir what haue you gained by obiecting the miserable end of the Pagane Emperours I thinke your Popes may therein compare with them more wretched and desperate ends shall we not finde of any Princes or Prelates then of prophane Popes For shortnes of raigne Popes goe beyond all regents either temporall or ecclesiasticall that euer were in the world not to speake of the regiment of two or three yeares and not aboue of which sort many Popes may be numbred how many of them attayned not to a yeare how many not
their seruice craftily to build the temple It is not for you but for vs to build the house vnto our God And as Valentinian made answer to the Romaine Embassadors that made petition for the restoring of the idoll temples That which my brother Gratian taketh away how can you thinke I should restore In so doing I should both hurt religion and do my brother wrong Postulet parens Roma alia quaecunque desideret Let our mother citie Rome aske any thing else which she desireth This good Emperour Valentinian being yet but young was so resolute to continue the puritie of religion that notwithstanding the instance of the Romaine Orators and the counsell of all his Senatours that approued their petition he would not graunt any libertie to Romaine idolatrie Lycurgus answer was very fit to one that perswaded that the gouernement might be committed to the people Do thou first make triall in thy house giuing thy seruants the rule So these that would haue diuerse religions in the CoÌ„mon-weale yet mislike that there should be any but their owne profession in their houses and families their children and seruants being for the most part if they may haue their desires like affected to themselues We thanke God for your Maiesties firmenesse and constancie herein praying heartily for the encrease of Christian zeale strength and corage in your princely heart But as your excellent resolution is to haue the state of the Church and Commonwealth no worse so we reioyce to heare of your princely consultation to make them both better Alwaies the noble Princes Reformers haue added somewhat to their predecessors worke and where the other left they began Dauid brought the Priests and Leuits to order Salomon built the Temple Asa tooke away Idolatrie Iehosaphat remoued the high places Hezekiah brake downe the brasen Serpent Iosias restored the feast of the Passeouer to his first integritie vnder Nehemiah the feast of Tabernacles was reuiued So in England Henrie the eight expelled the Pope and abolished Idolatrie King Edward proceeded and abrogated the Masse Queen Elizabeth weÌ„t yet further took order for recusants seminary seducing Priests Iudasits and somewhat it may be is yet remaining either to be amended or added by your Maiestie for we doubt not but that you haue set your heart to seeke the Lord and with Hezekiah to do that which is good in his sight That saying of Alexander doth well fit a Christian Prince It profiteth not to possesse all things and to do nothing As we ioy to see you a possessor of the Crowne so we desire to behold you an agent in Christs Church we ioy from our hearts to see what reformation your Mâ—â—estie hath begun in the Common-wealth in staying of monopolies redressing of oppression and extortion by officers restraining vnlawfull games vpon the Lords day We do also as much reioyce to thinke of your princely resolution for matters Ecclesiasticall In restoring the reuenues of the Church and misliking the law of Annexation in maintaining the three estates of Parliament in seeing that all Churches in your dominions be planted with good Pastors And that euery Church may be thus planted with a good Pastor one should no longer be suffered to haue many nor he that is no good Pastor nor able to teach any and if the Pastor must be planted in his Church then to be plucked and pulled from thence by long absence is not fit Thus so many hundred Churches that want teachers shall be supplied and diuers hundred Preachers not yet called abroade shall be employed But seeing a great cause of an vnlearned Ministery is want of maintenance we thanke God for your Highnesse Christian care also herein that sufficient prouision be made for the sustentation of Ministers which may be fitly done if patrons were vrged to bestow their liuings freely and better order were taken for impropriations that such as are of the Churches fee be demised for the old rent to the incumbent Preacher such as belong to others be charged with some conuenient portion to issue forth for the maintenance of the Pastor But I presume not to prescribe a course but onely to giue my simple aduice To our great comfort also your Maiestie hath declared your princely care and desire that the doctrine and discipline be preserued according to Gods word whereas the first hath bin in this Church by some with vnsound teaching corrupted as I haue partly shewed in the Preface following the other by some much neglected by others not vsed well There are bookes abroade maintaining offensiue doctrine too much declining to poperie which haue done great hurt it might please your Maiestie that such dangerous bookes might be inhibited and because they are dispersed into many hands that they receiue some answer by publike allowance or sufficient satisfaction from the authors lest the infection spread further We also with thaÌ„ks to God take knowledge of your Highnesse Christian disposition to peace that no coÌ„tention shold be in the Church about ceremonies in your princely iudgement indifferent whereabout the Church of England hath bene much distracted Lycurgus is said to auoide drunkennesse to haue forbid the vse of vines Your Highnesse in good time may more easily remoue the iust occasions of offence or so indifferently moderate them that they breede no strife God giue your Maiestie strength in due time to reforme both those and what other abuses are in Church or Commonwealth Some perhaps would haue your Maiestie to minister no phisicke at all as though the Church ayled nothing which were nothing else but with Herodotus Selymbrianus in Plato to make a long and lingring sickenesse who falling into an incurable disease deuised how to prolong death where he could not preuent it Some would haue Heraclitus phisicke vsed to do nothing but purge who being sicke of a dropsie desired the Phisitian to purge him throughly to turne the abundance of showers into drought so they would haue all purged not the superfluous humors onely but some profitable parts as the very calling it selfe of reuerend Pastors and Bishops who while they attend the sincere preaching of the word and the vncorrupt administration of discipline may no doubt do the Church much good But the better sort desire neither with Heroditus nothing to be purged nor with Heraclitus all things to be euacuated and purged but rather approue Hippocrates method that what is euill may be purged the rest to be coÌ„forted strengthened This was Saint Pauls course to purge out the old leauen that there might be a new lumpe We would not the leauen lumpe of dough and all to be cast out but the lumpe to be renewed the old sower leauen to be reiected Thus shall your Maiestie shew your selfe as Hierome saith of one to be Hippocrates Christianorum A right Hippocrates of Christians indeed that you may say with the kingly Prophet Dauid The earth and the inhabitants
in Christ by this Frierly glosse it is not enough vnlesse he also beleeue the Pope to be Christs Vicar Euen like as these Romanists would haue all Churches depend vpon Rome in the West so the Donatists being caried with the like humour did contend for the South that the Church of God was onely to be found in Africa thereto abusing that text Cantic 1.6 Vbi pascis vbi cubas meridie Where feedest thou and liâ—st at noone or in the South as they interpreted By the same reason saith Augustine Marcion vpon that text Psal. 48.2 Mons Sion latera Aquilonis Mount Sion the sides of the North might also chalenge a priuiledge for the North quia ponticus dicitur fuisse quae partes ad Aquilonem sunt Because he is said to haue been of Pontus which is toward the North. As these Heretikes did striue for the South and North so the Luciferians would haue the Church of God onely at Sardis in the East vnto whom Hierome saith Non ob Sardorum tantum mastrucam filium Dei descendisse That the sonne of God did not only descend for a Sardish mantill that is to saue onely the Sardians Euen so did hee not onely die to redeeme the Romanes Yea if any sect among Christians haue diuided and cut themselues off from Christ the Papists that chalenge most to be priuiledged are most like to be excluded 1. Idolaters shall not inherit the kingdome of heauen 1. Cor. 6.9 such are Papists notoriously knowne to be 2. Heresies also doe shut men out from the kingdome of God Galath 5.20.21 But the Church of Rome holdeth and professeth many apparant heresies as euen now shall be shewed 3. The Apostle saith Ye are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the lawe Galath 5.4 But the Papists do seeke to be iustified by the righteousnes of the lawe for these are their owne words True iustice is by keeping the lawe Rhemist in 2. Rom. sect 5.4 The scripture saith If any man shall adde vnto these things I will adde vnto him the plagues written in this booke Reuel 21.18 They which adde vnto the scriptures can not be saued Such are the Papists that beside the written word do receiue many traditions which they call verbum Dei non scriptum the word not written By these and sundrie other reasons which might be produced the pope-catholike is found to haue the least part in Christ vnlesse they do reuoke their errors and repent them of their misbeliefe 3 True it is that Christ will so preserue his Church and euery faithfull member thereof from error as that they shall not fayle in the foundation but as to infirmities of life so to errors of doctrine which are not fundamentall euen the true Church of Christ is subiect till God by his word do otherwise teach them as the Apostle saith if ye be otherwise minded God shall reueale the same vnto you But concerning any particular visible Church such as the Romane and the Latine Church is it is vntrue that it is absolutely preserued froÌ„ error but so long only and so farre-forth as it doth yeeld and submit it selfe to be guided by the direction of Gods word For what priuiledge hath one locall Church more then an other What can Rome challenge more for it selfe then Ephesus Sardis Smyrna and the other Churches of Asia to whom our Sauiour directed his Epistles Reuel 2.3 whose candlesticks are now remoued The earthlie Ierusalem had greater assurance for their continuance and more ample promises then euer Rome had for the Psalme testifieth thus the Lord hath chosen Sion and loueth to dwell in it saying this is my rest for euer yet is Sion now forsaken and Ierusalem become desolate for the promise is conditionall if thy sonnes keepe my couenants c. v. 12. Let not reachles Rome therefore presume before Ierusalem euen vnto the Romanes doth the Apostle speake if God spared not the naturall branches take heed least he also spare not thee Let the Romanists therefore take heed least it happen vnto them as vnto the Iewes as Origene saith alapa Christum caedentes alapam aeternam receperunt ab omni prophetia percussi priuati for giuing Christ a blow they receiued an euerlasting blow being shaken from and depriued of all prophesie The like deadlie stroke proud Rome must expect to be depriued of all propheticall spirite and true iudgement for striking and persecuting Christ in his members 4 Vntrue also it is that the Church of Rome hath condemned and extirped 400. heresies seeing that it may easily be proued that it doth maintaine at this present one hundred at the least of those auncient heresies which haue bene in former time condemned by Irenaeus Tertullian Hierome Augustine Epiphanius Damascene and other of the Fathers From Marcellina the companion of Carpocrates they haue receiued the adoration of Images of the Heracleonites extreame vnction with the Tatians they condemne mariage with the Pepuzians they allow women to be priests in that they authorise them to baptize with the Catharists that some are so iust that they neede no repentance with the Angelici they worship Angels with the Apostolici they admit none to orders as they did not to their communion that had wiues with the Hierarchites they haue brought in Monks and Nunnes with the Euchites canonicall houres with the Priscillianists they make Apocryphall writings equall to the scriptures with the Anthropomorphites they picture God the Father like an old man from the Pelagians they haue borrowed free-will from the Manichees the prohibiting of the eating of flesh Many such heresies are without any wresting or forcing fastned vpon the Romish professors as a learned writer of our Church hath alreadie challenged and charged them with fiftie heresies and another hath proued them guiltie of fortie more and so many as want of an hundred shall be supplied shortlie and the number made vp in the enlarging of the last recited worke as God shall giue strength and abilitie thereunto 5 Neither is it true that diuers generall Councels where the whole Christian world was assembled haue anathematized and condemned the religion of Protestants for whereas in the margent he referreth vs to the Concil Constant. Concil Florentin in Vnion Concil Trident. the first of these by our aduersaries confession was not a generall Councell for whereas Sess. 4. of the Councell of Constance it was decreed that the Pope ought to be subiect vnto the authoritie of a generall Councell Bellarmine telleth vs Non erat tum generale Concilium c. It was not then a generall Councell when as the third part only of the Church was present only those prelates which were vnder the obedience of Pope Iohn if it were not generall in the 4. session neither was it in the 8. session wherein the opinions of Wickliffe and Hus were condemned As for the Florentine
and hatchers of heresies are thereby giuen ouer to greater vngodlines as the Apostle againe saith But the euill men and deceiuers shall waxe worse and worse deceiuing and being deceiued 3. For if the Church of God were then at the worst when heresies and schismes are raised then should the state of the Primitiue Church bee condemned when so many wicked doctrines of Ebionites Basilidians Valentinians Marcionites Arrians Sabellians with the rest were stirred vp by the diuell 4. The reason of this difference is euident because that where the truth is professed the opposition of errors doth giue occasion that the same be more throughly sifted as the wheate is by winnowing made more pure and the light shineth brighter in darknes But where there is no truth or sound knowledge at all there diuisions doe but harden them the more in their error like as chaffe being winnowed is scattered and dispersed and as they which walke in darknes without light the further they goe the more they wander This is the very case of the vnbeleeuing Turkes and of the misbeleeuing Iewes Pharisies Sadduces Herodians they were all out of the way This point is well touched by Augustine Non ad diabolum pertinet quis isto vel illo modo erret omnes errantes vult quibuslibet erroribus It is nothing to the diuell whether a man erre this way or that way all that bee in error are his what error soeuer they hold No marueile then if both Iewes and Gentiles by their diuisions waxed worse and worse because they still were vnder the kingdome of Sathan howsoeuer diuided Secondly if this argument be admitted it would conclude strongly against the Papists whose diuisions are notoriously knowne both to haue been and at this present to be such betweene the Secular Priests and irregular Ignatians both at Rome in France and in England which were happy if it were rid of them both and so hotly pursued on both sides with all reprochfull termes of knaues heretikes diabolicall Machiauels diuels incarnate and such like as they are not able to shew euer to haue been among Protestants And these diuisions not onely to consist in verball differences or repugnance in externall rites and liberties but in materiall points of doctrine as hath been before shewed Therefore among Papists where neither sect holdeth the truth this argument may well hold by this their erronious dissentions and diuersities to conuince them of monstrous and grosse iniquities Thirdly against English Protestants whom this Libeller chiefly impugneth this engine of his hath no force for to Gods glorie be it spoken fewer diuisions haue not been seene in the Church of England excepting some few nouelties of certaine new fangled teachers who in time I doubt not but will waxe wiser then at this present And I trust our domesticall heates shal euery day abate and slake and our contentions at home decrease that wee may with one ioynt force oppose our selues to the common aduersarie like as Abraham rescued Lot from the Gentiles though some priuate iarres betweene their families had broken out before The Grecians are said that when their enemies approched though they had been at ciuill discord before would compound their quarrels to resist their forraine foes And it is written of Themistocles and Aristides two famous Captaines of the Athenians that when they went on embassage together or to conduct an armie Inimicitiam in finibus patriae deposuerunt They laid downe their enmitie in the borders of their countrie It should be a shame for Christians not to be so wise for the defence of the common cause as the Heathen were That saying of Augustine to Hierome is to be embraced Fieri potest vt tibi videatur aliud quam veritas habet dum aliud à te non fiat quam charitas habet You may so long think otherwise then the veritie so that you doe nothing beside charitie If men will needes retaine some priuate opinions yet let them refraine publike dissensions And here an end also of this section THE FOVRTH SECTION THAT THE Authors intent and scope is nothing lesse then to teach a most vndoubted certaintie and vnitie in Popish religion THis section hath nothing worth the answering neither containeth any thing beside slaunders bragges facings and bold assertions 1. He impudently saith and with a brasen face that Protestants may be had in iust suspition that many doubters or deniers at least in affection of all worship are entred in among them Whereas it is out of all doubt that many such Atheists are fostered in Rome Italie Spaine where the name Christian is vsed as a word of derision as is rehearsed before 2. He telleth vs of an ample confutation which he hath written against all Atheists and enemies to religion which he calleth a Resolution of Religion wherein hee hath resolued all doubts that may bee imagined This sure is a worke indeede that can meete with mens thoughts and imaginations This booke we would gladly see which he so often maketh mention of some such thing I haue heard intended but it should seeme the author like to the Beare hath not yet licked this deformed lumpe to perfection If it were ripe it would be a good present for their mother of fornications and her children at Rome to perswade them from Atheisme and Epicurisme And yet considering this yonkers spirituall father graund prouinciall Frier Robert Parsons hath written of this argument before in his Resolution this punie father might haue spared this labour and confessed modestly with Hierome Supersedendum huic labori sentio ne mihi dicatur illud Horatij In syluam ne ligna feras c. I thinke to giue ouer this labour least that of Horace be said vnto me Carrie not sticks into the wood video enim ◠clarissimo ingenio occupata esse meliora For I see a riper head hath brought better stuffe 3. Where he saith that their religion which hee calleth most holie and approued most vnholie and reproued rather is resolued to the most assured and infallible word and reuelation of God This speech it is hard to say whether it hath more subtiltie or lesse honestie For if by the word and reuelation of God he vnderstand not the word written onely but their blind traditions which they vsually call Verbum Dei non scriptum The word of God vnwritten he speaketh craftily for this their Anabaptistical reuelation is not assured or infallible but most vncertaine and deceitfull If hee meane hereby onely the Scriptures of God it is an vnhonest bragge of him for Poperie differeth as much from the word written as darknes from light if it were not so why doe they not stand to their tackle and cleaue onely to the Scriptures why doe they make their traditions vnwritten of equall authoritie with the word written what need had they to denie the scriptures to containe all things necessarie to saluation These grosse positions
hath rooted out all other heresies beside Who haue now impugned the heresies of the Tritheists Anabaptists Familie of loue of Seruetus Valentinus Gentilis with others then Protestant writers witnesse the learned workes of Caluin Beza Bullinger Peter Martyr Iunius with the rest He hath therefore here made a good argument for the Protestants whose faith is therefore worthie to be of all receiued because thereby all heresie and impietie is subdued as Hierome saith Fides pura moram non patitur vt apparuerit scorpius illico conterendus Pure faith seeketh no delaies as soone as the scorpion appeareth it nippeth it on the head The second perswasion I Meane not the religion of Martin Luther so often recanted altered chaunged c. nor of licentious Caluin and a few artificers of Geneua or of Knox that galley-slaue of Scotland or of Edward Seimer or of King Edward a child of nine yeere old c. The Disswasion HEre many shamelesse vntruths are powred out together 1. It is vntrue that Luther at any time recanted his iudgement in religion in departing from the Church of Rome and forsaking her trumperie you would threap kindnes vpon Luther as you haue done of late in a lying pamphlet of reuerend Beza that he died one of your Catholikes If Luther altered in some priuate opinions it is nothing to vs who depend not vpon Luther Caluin or any other for our faith And if he did so it is no maruaile seeing it was hard for one man all at once to finde out the truth in euery point seeing the Apostle saith to the Philippians If ye be otherwise minded God shall reueale euen the same vnto you Faith is not perfected at once and as in other things the inuention of a thing and the perfection come not together as the Greeke Poet saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God at the first all things doth not shew But in processe of time they better doe grow So is it in religion But howsoeuer Luther might varie from himselfe what is that to vs the Protestants of England who are the greatest eye sore to these bleare-eyed Popelings It is well you cannot vpbraide the Church of England with any innouation of doctrine for these three score yeeres well nie since the first thorough reformation of religion in blessed King Edwards raigne 2. As for licentious Caluin and galley-slaue Knox the one is a malicious slaunder the other a scurrilous terme These men were both famous for their learning and reuerenced of all that knew them for their godly life I doe not a whit maruaile that the memorie of these men is odious to all Papists for Caluin hath so decalued made bare and bald their naked religion and Knox hath giuen it such a knocke and deadly blow in Scotland that I trust in God it shall neuer there rise vp againe 3. That King Edward a child of nine yeere old without any assent or assemblie of Parliament or other as Fox himselfe is witnes did reforme religion is a fiction of your owne First Master Fox witnesseth no such thing for although the King by the aduice of his Councell appointed a generall visitation ouer all the land for the redressing of certaine disorders yet was not the Masse abolished nor religion wholy altred till the Parliament held ann 1. Edward Nouemb. 4. Secondly indeed true it is that in Queene Maries time the Papists came before the law Preachers were prohibited Bishops depriued and diuers imprisoned as Bishop Cranmer Latimer Ridley Hooper Rogers Masse publikely solemnized Thirdly you had forgotten that the vsurped authoritie of the Bishop of Rome which you make the chiefest ground of your Cacolike religion throughout your whole dispute was with common consent of Parliament consisting of the three estates of the land the Lords spirituall and temporall and Commons abrogated by King Henry the eight of famous memorie so that no new acte was requisite in that behalfe in the entring of King Edwards raigne Fourthly King Edward a King of nine yeares of age by the aduice of the Parliament repealeth diuers Statutes and among the rest one made against Lollards ann 1. Richard 2. who was then but eleuen yeeres old I pray you what great ods in their ages might not the one build vp true religion at those yeeres when as the other pulled it downe or will you take exception against Iosias because being yet but a child he began to seeke the Lord and to purge religion or is the authoritie soueraigntie of the Prince the lesse because he is young or is the spirit of God tied to age and limited to yeares Doth not the Scripture say Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength And hereunto agreeth that saying of Cypriane Impletur apud nos spiritu sancto puerorum innocens aetas c. The innocent age of children with vs is filled with the holie spirit And so was it in this princely child the Iosias of this age of whom we may say with Ambrose Non moueat aetas imperatoris perfecta aetas est Est enim perfecta aetas vbi perfecta virtus Honorius iam pulsat adolescentiae fores prouectior aetate quā Iosias We should not respect his yeares the Emperours age is perfect age is perfect where vertue is perfect Honorius is now growing to be a young man elder then Iosias 4 Further it is a great vntruth which followeth the will and testament of King Henry being violated and his Bishops and Clergie committed to prison or depriued For neither doth he shew wherein the testament of the King was violated in the entrance of King Edwards raigne and therefore may be iustly suspected to be a falsarie neither doth he cite any author for it no such thing either by Maister Fox or Stowe to whom in these matters he appealeth being affirmed so that it seemeth his own phantasticall braine hath forged this fansie True it is indeede that the Protestant Bishops were depriued and excluded both from the Parliament and their Bishoprickes as Doctor Taylor Bishop of Lincolne Doctor Harley Bishop of Hereford with others in the entrance of Queene Maryes raigne But vntrue also it is that the Popish Bishops were depriued or committed to prison during the time of the Parliament when the act passed for reformation of religion which was in Nouember ann 1547. the Bishop of Winchester was not sent to the Tower til the morrow after S. Peters day the yeare following ann 1548. nor depriued before ann 1551. And Bonner was not commaunded to keepe his house till the 11. of August ann 1549. in the third yeare of King Edwards raigne This shamelesse man we see dare aduenture to vtter any thing 5 Of the like truth is that which followeth That the Protestants of this time without any disputation or aduice of any learned or Parliamentall
much lesse to Princes and Magistrates that are but members though principall ones of the vniuersall Church Indeede it is the doctrine of Papists that the decrees of their Church must be taken and obeyed as the infallible word of God One sayth Determinatio ecclesiae appellatur Euangelium The determination of the Church is called the Gospell Another sayth Quicunque non innititur doctrinae Romanae ecclesiae ac Romani pontificis tanquam regulae dei infallibili à qua sacra scriptura robur trahit authoritatem haereticus est Whosoeuer doth not leane vnto the doctrine of the Romane Church and of the Romane Bishop as the infallible rule of God from the which the sacred scripture doth draw the strength and authoritie is an heretike The Rhemists say We must beleeue the Church nay beleeue in the Church and trust it in all things 4 It is also vntrue that we take away freewill We affirme that mans will is free vnto euill without coaction and free vnto good by diuine operation as the scripture sayth If the sonne make you free then are you free in deede Iohn 8.36 So there is a free will and a will freed as Augustine well distinguisheth Peccant per liberum arbitrium non liberatum they sinne by free will not will freed Will is always free to sinne but vnto good it is freed by grace Good works also we hold to be necessarie in respect of Gods prescience for that thing must needs be which God foreseeth shall be Qui si hoc praescierat quod non est praescientia iam non est as Augustine sayth who if he foresee that which is not it is now no prescience But in respect of the will of man good works are not necessarie or compulsorie but voluntarie and so both vertuous actions and commendable therefore that is an impertinent speech of the libeller who can either praise or discommend that which is done whether the doer will or no For good works are done by the faithful willingly though wrought by grace for as Augustine sayth Deus ex nolentib volentes facit God of nilling maketh vs willing But you might with greater reason haue apposed your graund Maister senior Robert Parsons with this question of necessitie who putteth an absolute necessitie and ineuitabilitie in those actions which are subiect to mans will Manifestat f. 100. Reply f. 98. a. 5 Neyther doth the doctrine of predestination and election among Protestants take away the libertie or freedome of the will for though Christ by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God were deliuered yet Iudas was not thereunto forced Augustine saith well Dei praescientiam non cogere hominem vt talis sit qualem praesciuit Deus sed praescire talem futurum qualis futurus erat quamuis sic non eum fecerit Deus That Gods prescience doth not force a man to be such as God foresaw him but foreknew him to be such as he should be though God made him not to be such Like as in a Ship vnder sayle though it be carried one certaine way to the hauen yet the Marriner may walke in the Ship which way he will yet so that at length he must be brought to the hauen where the Ship arriueth so all the actions of man though they be done freelie not forciblie yet they must fall out according to Gods foreknowledge and be ouerruled to the end appointed by Gods prouidence 6 But it is an hard matter for the popish religion to accord the eternall predestination of God with the temporall cooperation of mans will for some of them hold that a man may fall from his election and predestination Yee can not be saued say the Rhemists though ye be predestinate except ye keepe Gods commaundements As though it were possible for them which are predestinate either not to walke in obedience of Gods commaundements or in the end not to be saued How then is Gods eternall predestination maintained where the same by mans free will may be reuersed Againe if whom God predestinateth he calleth and iustifieth and maketh conformable to the image of his sonne then it is not in mans power or freewill to be called and iustified as they say men beleeue not but of their owne free will but their vocation and iustification dependeth vpon their election so that it is not of him that willeth or runneth but of God that sheweth mercie Wherefore the certaintie of Gods election can not stand with the naturall libertie of mans will and actions for if it be in mans power to belieue or not to belieue then is it not in the mercie of him that calleth and electeth but in the will of him that receiueth and accepteth Wherefore according to the sentence of the law Particeps criminis non est testis idoneus That he which is partner in the crime is no fit witnes So this opponent being guiltie of that which he obiecteth may be worthilie excepted against as an insufficient witnes It is strange to see how his toong and penne runne along without all honestie or modestie to coine and deuise fables not against one or two but the whole companie of all that professe the Gospell as Bernard sayth Vides quam ingentem multitudinem velociter currens sermo tabe maliciae inficere posset See what a great multitude his swift running speech with the plague of malice might infect But the best is his words are but wind he hath so often fabled vnto vs that we may well thinke he keepeth the same tract still And as Aristo said of a bathing or speaking that purgeth not there is small need so is this Friers prattle that prooueth not like to a bath that purgeth not it might well haue been spared The tenth perswasion 1. I Defend not that religion that diuideth the militant and triumphant Church depriuing Angels and glorified soules of that honour and dignitie which God required men in earth and the militant Church of that helpe it needeth 2. Which spoyleth the patient Church of the faithfull departed of the reliefe which euer they receiued of those aliue 3. Where no memorie is left of the passion of Christ except in most sacrilegious and blasphemous swearing c. no signe image or representation no commemoratiue sacrifice c. 4. Where no order c. no consecration or distinction of callings except the Letters Patents of a temporall Prince can giue that to others which is not in the giuer c. 5. But that religion which consisteth of a most perfect hierarchicall regiment of Pope Patriarkes Archbishops Bishops Priests Deacons Subdeacons c. 6. The meanest of these by calling and consecration of greater honour then any ministeriall preferment among Protestants being no reall thing but an ens rationis an Idol of the minde as the making of Purseuants Apparitors c. 7. Our Pope is
was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such is the shauing of Monks and for the like signification of a crowne as hath bene shewed before 8 The Priest of the Sunne among the Phenicians did weare a vestment of purple wrought with gold to shew the dignitie and excellencie of that priesthoode for the same cause haue Masse-priests their rich and costlie copes of diuers colours 9 In Boeotia they vsed to couer the Bride with a vaile and crowne her with flowers which vse is yet retayned in Poperie 10 The heathen vsed to cleanse themselues with sprinkling of water thinking thereby to be purified Thus in Poperie they thinke to purifie their houses the people with casting of holie-water vpon them Is not this now a goodlie religion that retaineth still the idolatrous and superstitious vsages of the heathen that instructeth the people by signes and figures euen as the Paganes preached to theirs May we not iustly returne vpon them the rebuke of the Apostle to the Galathians Seeing you know God how turne yee againe vnto impotent and beggerlie rudiments whereunto as from the beginning you will be in bondage againe Hierome sayth Ego libera voce reclamante mundo pronuntio ceremonias Iudaeorum perniciosas esse mortiferas Christianis quicunque eas obseruauerit in barathrum diaboli deuolutum I do freelie pronounce though the world say nay that the ceremonies of the Iewes are pernicious and deadlie to Christians and whosoeuer obserueth them to be throwne downe to hell much more are they in danger which obserue Pagane ceremonies and inuentions Therefore we take no great care to answere them for this matter resting vpon the words of our Sauiour Let them alone they are blind leaders of the blind Their owne blindnes and grossenes in their superstitious corruptions doth sufficiently bewray the badnes of their cause and madnes of their religion to whom that saying of Plutarch may fitlie be applied You neede not draw a superstitious man out of the temple for there is his punishment and torment So that which this figurecaster hath taken for an argument of their profession is found to be but a torment to their conscience and a punishment of their superstition The twelfth Perswasion 1 I Defend not that religion which denieth all things c. as their opinions all negatiue do witnesse 2 That hath taken away and conuerted from spirituall religious vses to priuate and temporall pleasures and preferments all monuments and foundations of deuotion c. 3 Vsing nothing necessarie to saluation 4 But that religion whose opinions are all affirmatiue 5 That hath founded Churches Schooles Colledges Monasteries 6 That obserueth all things that wanteth or omitteth nothing belonging or that can be required to true religion The Disswasion 1 NEither doth that religion which I defend denie any thing much lesse all things as it is falselie sclaundered that are found to be agreeable to the scriptures neither doth it consist of all negatiues affirming the scriptures to be sufficient and to conteyne all things necessarie to saluation that the Church and generall Councels may erre that the Pope is Antichrist that the scriptures ought to be read in the vulgar toong that Magistrates haue authoritie in spirituall causes that all sinnes in their owne nature are mortall that faith only iustifieth that Christ onely is our alone sufficient mediator that there are onely two sacraments of the new testament an hundred more opinions it holdeth affirmatiuely and the negatiues to these doctrines it refuseth And if our religion should be condemned because it holdeth some negatiues exception likewise might be taken against the Decalogue wherein of ten two commaundements only are affirmatiue the fourth in the first table and the first in the second all the rest are negatiuely propounded 2 An impudent sclaunder it is that the religion of Protestants hath taken away all foundations of deuotion 1. Seeing that Bishoprickes Cathedrall Churches all Colledges in the Vniuersities Hospitals parish Churches erected for maintenance of learning reliefe of the poore for the edifying of the people are yet standing and flourishing among vs. 2. Only those vncleane Cels of Monks the seminaries both of spirituall and corporall fornication are remoued though I denie not but they might better haue beene disposed of as was intended by example and warrant of vertuous Princes As Iosias ouerthrew the foundation of the Chemarims an idolatrous order of Priests erected by his superstitious predecessors Iehu destroyed the house of Baal and made a draught-house of it And things abused to idolatrie are iustlie confiscate to the Prince as Ambrose defendeth the taking away of the lands which were giuen to the maintenance of Pagane idolatrie Sublata sunt praedia quia non religiose vtebantur ijs quae religionis iure defenderent Their lands and manors were taken away because they did not religiouslie vse them which they defended vnder colour of religion 3. Neither were all Abbey-lands conuerted to temporall pleasures and preferments though we graunt too many were but diuers were giuen to Hospitals and Colledges and to other good vses And this is warranted by the imperiall lawes that things abused by false worshippers should be giuen to the vse of the Orthodoxall Church as may appeare by that lawe of the Emperours Valentinian and Martian Domum vel possessionem c. That house or possession which belongeth to heretikes Orthodoxae ecclesiae addici iubemus We will to be annexed to the orthodoxall Church 4. These lands and possessions were surrendred into the Kings hands by the voluntarie act of the owners thereof thereto not forced or constrained as is extant in the publike acts of Parliament and at such a time wherein the popish religion was not altered sauing in the Popes supremacie and therefore this is a false imputation to the Gospell And yet as is before shewed possessions abused by men of false religion by the Imperiall lawes are confiscate to the Prince as it was decreed by Anastasius Praedia possessiones quae in haereticas personas quocunque modo collata vel translata fuerunt fisci nostri iurib decernimus vendicari Lands and manors howsoeuer conferred or translated vpon hereticall parsons we decree to be forfeited to vs. 3 A foule slaunder is vttered of our Religion in the next place for nothing necessarie to saluation is wanting in the profession of the Gospell There is Baptisme for infants catechising for children preaching to beget faith the law to perswade repentance the Gospell for comfort the reading of scripture to increase knowledge the Sacraments to confirme it prayer prescribed if any be afflicted singing of Psalmes for those that are merrie in the Lord godly visitation for the sicke with assurance of remission of sinnes vpon their repentance comfort ouer the dead in the hope of the present rest of
their soules with God and the resurrection of their bodies to come 4 It is Poperie rather that consisteth of negatiues as it is euident by their manifold oppositions to the doctrines before rehearsed as that the scriptures conteyne not all things necessarie to saluation that the Church can not erre that the scriptures are not fit to be read in the vulgar toong that the Pope is not Antichrist that faith onely iustifieth not that there be not two onely sacraments that Christ onely as one mediator is not to be inuocated These negatiues with a number more the Romane separation maintayneth And where they affirme and set downe any thing positiuely they affirme their owne fantasies the doctrine of the Trinitie onely and some few other points excepted and oppose themselues therein to the scriptures 5 First what if many Churches haue bene erected in poperie Were not many Temples also built in the time of Paganisme as at Rome to Diana to Honor. q. 13. to Matuta q. 16. to Bona. q. 20. to Saturne q. 42. to Horta q. 46. to Vulcane without the citie q. 47. to Carmenta q. 56. to Hercules q. 59. to Fortuna Parua q. 74. to Aesculapius without the citie q. 94. to Apollo at Delphos q. 12. to Ocridion at Rhodes q. 27. to Tenes at Tenedos q. 29. to Vlysses at Lacedaemon q. 48. with many other Not the building therefore of Churches Temples and other Monuments but the end whereto they were first founded maketh them commendable Secondly let it be considered to what intent these Monuments were erected in the popish time and so many Monasteries builded not for the most part of any true deuotion or to the honor of God but pro remedio animae pro remissione peccatorum in honorem gloriosae virginis for the remedie of their soule for the remission and expiation of their sinnes to the honor of the glorious Virgin As King Ethelstane after the death of his brother which he had procured builded in satisfaction two Monasteries of Midleton and Michelenes Elfrida for the death of Ethelwold her husband builded a Monasterie of Nunnes in remission of sinnes Queene Alfrith in repentance of her fact for causing her sonne King Edward to be murdered founded two Nunries one at Amesburie by Salisburie the other at Werewell let any man now iudge what good beginning those Monasticall foundations had Thirdly it will be an hard matter for them to proue that all the founders of Churches Colledges and other Monuments were of the Romane opinion 〈◊〉 â—eligion as now it is professed For Charles surnamed the Great who is said to haue builded so many Monasteries as be letters in the A B C held a Councell at Frankeford where was condemned the 2. Nicene Councell with Irene the Empresse that approued the adoration of Images which is now maintayned by the papall corporation In King Ethelstanes time the Prince was acknowledged to haue the chiefe stroke in all causes whether spirituall or temporall as it may appeare by diuers constitutions by him made for the direction of the Cleargie In this Kings raigne diuers Monasteries were builded as the Abbey of Midleton and Michelenes In King Edmunds time the opinion of transubstantiation was not generallie receiued but then newly hatched by certaine miraculous fictions imputed to Odo Vnder this King the order of the Monks of Bennets order increased and the Abbey of S. Edmundsburie with great reuenues indowed In King Edward the Martyrs raigne Priests were suffered to haue their wiues and were restored to their Colledges and Monks thrust out by Alpherus Duke of Mercia In this Kings time were founded the Nunries at Amesburie and Werewell I trust then that in these times when neither images were adored nor the Princes authoritie in ecclesiasticall causes abridged nor transubstantiation beleeued nor the mariage of Ministers inhibited all went not currant for Poperie as it is now receiued Fourthly this age of Protestancie for this 40. yeare in England vnder the happie regimeÌ„t of our late Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth hath beene more fruitfull of pious works in building of Hospitals Almes-houses free Schooles Colledges in the Vniuersities speciallie in Cambridge founding of fellowships schollarships erecting of Libraries speciallie the Vniuersitie Librarie at Oxford by the liberall charge christian care of Maister Bodlie a religious and well disposed Gentleman then any like space of time which can be named vnder the regiment of the papall Hierarchie See more of this elsewhere And concerning the godlie care of the foresaid vertuous and liberall Gentleman he deserueth to be compared either to Pamphilus which erected or Acacius and Euzonius which enlarged and amended the famous Librarie of Caesarea in whom that sentence of Hierome vttered of Pamphilus is now verified Beatus Pamphilus cum Demetrium Phalereum Pisistratum in sacrae bibliothecae studio voluit â—quare imagines ingeniorum quae vera sunt aeterna monumenta toto orbe perquireret Blessed Pamphilus equalizing Demetrius Phalereus and Pisistratus in taking care for Libraries he sought for the images of mens wits the only true and eternall monuments through the whole world 6 I suppose rather that all things requisite to true religion are wanting in Poperie where the people are nusled vp in ignorance no edifying in their Churches where all the seruice is muttered in an vnknowne toong no reading of scripture which should make them wise to saluation no comfort in prayer to saluation which they vnderstand not seldome receiuing of the sacrament and that but in one kind and so it is maymed and defectiue in the sacramentall effects where then there is no knowledge in themselues no edifying toward others no true prayer to God no comfort in meditation of scripture no strength in the celebration of the sacraments where men are taught not to relie only by faith vpon Christ but to trust in their merites not to rest in Christs mediation but to seeke for the intercession of Angels and Saincts not to be content with a spirituall worship of God but to prostitute themselues to dumbe Idols not to cleaue only to the scriptures in matters of faith but to runne vnto traditions How then doth this religion obserue all things nay rather how are not all things there wanting that are requisite to true religion And as the liuing haue small comfort so as little hope is there of the dead whose soules after they haue passed the troubles of this life they send to Purgatorie flames there to suffer more then euer they endured before like as a Ship hauing escaped the dangerous surges of the Sea should suffer wracke and be lost in the hauen Of such comfortlesse doctrine that saying of Plutarke is verified Death to all men is the end of life but to superstition it is not so for it extendeth feare beyond a mans life then hell gates are set open fierie streames and infernall riuers are let go and horrible darkenes
baptisme to acknowledge their Church and faith But this is a manifest error for as Augustine truly saith Non omnes qui tenent baptismum tenent ecclesiam sicut non omnes qui tenent ecclesiam tenent vitam aeternam All which hold baptisme doe not hold the Church as all that hold the Church doe not hold eternall life Wee confesse then that the Church of Rome hath legitimum baptismum lawfull and true baptisme in substance sed non legitimè but not rightfully or lawfully as Augustine distinguisheth And Aliud est habere aliud vtiliter habere It is one thing to haue it another to haue it profitablie Baptisme may without the Church be had but not profitablie or fruitfully had Wheresoeuer baptisme is had it is the baptisme of Christ not of men of the author not of the Minister and therefore it bindeth to the faith of the first institutor not to the doctrine of the corrupt imitator Neither yet doe the Papists baptize those againe which were initiated by that Sacrament among Protestants and afterward became Apostataes neither doe they thinke them to be tied by that baptisme to the Protestants faith as this Apologist confesseth he was borne in the Queenes raigne of parents conformable to the time pag. 52. and so baptized vnder the Gospell yet hath plaid fast and loose with vs notwithstanding that bond 2. Vntrue it is which in the next place is boldly affirmed for diuers of their Honours were borne since the raigne of King Henry the 8. and so not of yeeres then to discerne Some of them were in that time of the faith which they now professe The rest may say with S. Paul euery one for himselfe What they were in time past it maketh no matter to me Galath 2.6 By this rule neither Saint Paul that had been a circumcised Pharisie should haue been become a preaching Apostle nor yet Titus an vncircumcised Grecian a baptized and beleeuing Christian if a profession first receiued might not vpon better iudgement be reiected or an opinion once entertained might not with more mature aduice be reuersed As though a plant disliking the ground might not be remoued or the ayre for a mans health that is sickly chaunged Augustine to this purpose saith well that was chalenged of the Donatists because he had been a Manichee quantum ille accusat vitium meum tantum laudo medicum meum The more he blameth my disease I commend my Phisition The obiecting of former error doth tend to the praise of the reformer 3. The honourable Knights of the Garter neuer tooke any such oath to bind themselues to the obedience of the Papall faith but rather the contrarie as may appeare by the oath prescribed by statute to bee ministred vnto all her Maiesties officers and ministers whereby they acknowledge the Queenes highnes to be supreame gouernour in this Realme c. in all spirituall or ecclesiasticall causes as temporall and that no forraine Prince Prelate or person hath or ought to haue any iurisdiction power c. within this Realme Thus this slie merchant would entangle their Honours with repugnant oathes as though they should sweare one thing when they are enstalled into the honorable order of the Garter and the quite contrarie when they are sworne of the Councell 4. And as true it is that our late Queenes Maiestie did oblige her self by oath to maintaine the Popish religion which is a most notorious slaunder of her Highnes there being no such thing contained in that princely oath as shall afterward be shewed and her Maiestie hauing giuen her royall consent to the booke of Articles of religion confirmed by act of Parliament and to diuers statutes made for the abrogation of the Papall iurisdiction Thus wee see how disloyallie this Popes creature behaueth himselfe to his Prince being not farre from the imputation of periurie as though her Maiestie should haue promised one thing vpon her oath and performed the contrarie The Preacher aduiseth not to curse the King in thy thought But these malepart popelings dare aduenture not onely to thinke but to speake and practise euill against their Prince An euill requitall for her princely clemencie toward them of whom we may say as Ambrose of Theodosius Quasi parens expostulare malebat quam vt iudex punire c. vincere volebat non plectere Who had rather as a parent expostulate with them then as a Iudge punish them winne them rather with fauour then winnow them with rigour if her Highnes had not been otherwise by their vnnaturall proceedings prouoked And as Cleomenes said to the Argiues that vpbraided him in like manner with periurie It is in your power to speake euill of me but in mine to doe euill to you So these men doe not consider that for their lewd leasings her Highnes might haue iustlie recompenced them with sharpe proceedings The fift Motiue Neuer any Catholike subiect of England hitherto hath abused so much your Honours dishonoured the cause of religion for which we daily vndertake so many troubles c. to make so bold a challenge except he were able to performe it and my confident assurance is I shal not be the first vnhappie and vnaduised man to doe it The Remoue What your successe hath been in your challenges and how well ye haue performed the defence of the Popish cause is well knowne to the world which of your writers hath not been answered to the full or who is there of you that hath not been ouertaken in that he hath vndertaken Your great patrones Harding Saunders Bristow Martin Campion Stapleton with the rest haue had their hands full But which of you hath reioyned vpon B. Iuel D. Fulkes D. Whitakers D. Sutcliffes replies Your offers are brags rather then bickerings false charges rather then true chalenges There is saith the Wiseman that maketh himselfe rich and hath nothing Prou. 13.7 And such are those braggers that thinke no mens writings comparable to theirs and scornefullie rather contemne then soundly confute any thing brought against them You could doe little if you might not bragge but your vaine confidence wil soone faile you and your swelling words will soone abate and your vaine crakes will cracke vpon your owne heads as Hierome saith Cito turgens spuma dilabitur quamuis grandis tumor contrarius est sanitati The rising â—ome is soone dispersed and great swellings shew no soundnes Cicero well said Oratores imperitos ad vociferationem vt claudos ad equum confugere That vnskilfull Orators vse outcries as lame men horses the one cannot go vnlesse he be carried the other can say nothing vnlesse hee crie out And set the lowd outcries vaine bragges and bold facings of our aduersaries aside what are they and what is their cause It is not so among disputers as they say it is with Bee-masters That is iudged to be the best hiue which maketh the greatest noyse
maid in one of their chambers and these things were done in prison where it is most like if in any place their fasting and chastitie should be best performed I trow drunkennes commeth not by fasting and abstinence nor yet dallying with maides in corners 3 Concerning the great charge of Ministers progenie admit it come to so much in 40. yeare space as this Popes auditor hath layd his counters to fiue hundred thousand pound and odd as in deed it doth not as is before touched neither the number of them being so great nor the charge rising to such a summe but be it granted 1. may not the same obiection be vrged against any other order or calling of lawyers artificers labourers or such like might not euery parish in England spare an artisane or labourer some one or other whereas one Minister is necessarie for euery parish will not the progenie of any one either Tailor Shoomaker Weauer Husbandman through the land accounting for euery parish but one arise in like time to the like multitude And in his prophane and popish conceit are Ministers that draw the people to God no more necessary then botchers coblers hedgers c 2. If the ofspring of Ministers should all be of the same calling as the sonnes of the Leuites and Priests were and all be maintained of tithes and offrings as the other were they might with greater shew of reason be thought to be burdenous and yet the other were not but seeing they are dispersed into other callings and so diuerslie employed some in trades some in merchandise some in profession of learning some for the seas some for the warres and other seruices of the King the same exception might be taken as well against any other of the Kings subiects as against them 3. Who seeth not what a foolish reckoning he hath made he maketh account of an 100. thousand now after 40. yeares continuance and of 500. thousand pound now by the yeare increasing which he holdeth sufficient for the maintenance of warre and supplie of taxes c. But let him be asked what the number of the one was and the summe of the other 10.20.30 yeares since he must come short by so many parts and degrees of his account and yet so many yeares since the English warres began and subsidies were thought needfull to be leuied when as yet the increase of Ministers and of their charges came not to the fift part after that rate when as notwithstanding the yearely expences of the warres in Ireland and other places did rise to 200. thousand pound by the yeare 4. But what is this counter-casters meaning would he haue this summe of 500. thousand leuied yerely of the Clergie all their reuenues and liuings to a groat will not reach it wherefore would he haue it collected to maintaine warres and spare subsidies I trust they shall cease our greatest warres are like to be against the Pope and his adherents Let it be noted then that this popeling giueth counsell how warres might be maintained against the Pope his vnholie father who is the greatest enemie to this nation And for the sparing of subsidies and taxes raised vpon better subiects I answere first that both the occasion thereof the necessitie of warres being remoued and the Kings princely disposition so standing that he would haue subsidies rarely lifted vp I make no doubt but hereafter they will more sparingly be required that there neede no such supplie Againe the Clergie toward the raising of these subsidies were always most forward payed more for their number by fiue parts at the least then any of the Laitie for whereas they make not for their number the hundred part of the land and for their reuenew receiue nothing neere the tenth part so many impropriations being deducted yet their share in the subsidie was very neere the fift part of the whole if not more And therefore in this regard there were no better subiects then they as also in respect of their loyaltie in themselues and seruice to the Prince in retaining the people in due obedience But if they were no better subiects then trayterous Iesuites and Seminaries I say not it were no great matter if they were one hanged against another but if they were all shipped to the Sea and sent to the Indians and Cannibals or whither else so they were not in England I thinke the whole land would be in greater quiet and safetie 5. Lastly this cruell wretch sheweth himselfe another Haman who to haue the Iewes destroyed offered to bring in 10. thousand talents into the Kings cofers Esther 3.9 So this fellow offereth fiue hundred thousand pound to haue the Ministers and their ofspring rooted out like another Caligula that as he wished all the Romane citizens had but one neck that he might strike it off at once the same in his hart he desireth in the Ministerie of England But I doubt not but I shall sooner see the Frogs of Egypt that crauled in euery place with an East wind to be cast into the Sea then the Doues of the Church to be driuen to forsake their holes But whereas he addeth That the behauiour and disobedience of Protestants in common-wealths is worse then among Iewes Turks Paganes c. neither can it be imagined how amendment should be had except a reformation of Protestants disobedient doctrine be made pag. 94. His owne cauterized conscience knoweth that this is an abominable slaunder or fiction of Protestants but a true narration of Masse-priests and Iesuites for if Mortons rebellion in the North Saunders commotion to warre in Ireland Allen Parsons inuasion by the Spaniards Babingtons conspiracie Lopez poysoning Parries murdering be laid together with many other trayterous attempts both against Prince and countrie it will euidently appeare as cleere as noone day that neuer any such villanie was attempted against any Turke or Heathen Prince as hath been practised by those Papists And concerning doctrine Protestants teach obedience to Princes euen in Ecclesiasticall causes Papists denie it yea they maintaine monstrous positions that the Pope may excommunicate and depose Princes may absolue the subiects of their oth and fealtie that the Pope inuading a countrie for religion ought to be assisted by the subiects against the Prince that the Popes designement to inuade a countrie by force to the same end ought not to be reuealed to the state these are Parsons positions Adde vnto these the Iesuites conclusions at Salamanca that it was meritorious to assist the rebels in Ireland against the Queene that they which tooke part with the Catholikes against the Queene were by no construction rebels c. Wherefore seeing there can be no amendement or redresse of Popish trayterous practises till both they and their doctrine be auoyded the land we are to wish and hope in time that as Popish doctrine is already sent backe to Rome the mother thereof so the trayterous Iesuites and Priests and all their
Merchants If it should not England hath no cause to repent of her bargaine though she had bought the Gospell yet more dearely with the losse of all traffique and entercourse with other nations For be it knowne vnto you ye Popelings that this land neuer florished more with all kind of blessings then since it hath been vnder Gods blessing by the Gospell and the Popes curse Neither would we for all the world be in the like condition as we were in the 22. of King Henry the 8. We thanke God for this happie change hartely pray that in this change we neuer know any other change vntill the world change that as the Apostle sayth Wee may keepe the commandemēts without spot and vnrebukeable vntill the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ 1. Timoth. 6.4 that as Origen well sayth Ignis semper ardebat super altare sic semper nobis ignis fidei lucerna scientiae accensa sit That as the fire alwayes burned vpon the altar so the light of faith and lanterne of knowledge may alwayes shine vnto vs in this land And as Augustus Caesar said to Piso that builded his house most curiously and sumptuously You reioyce my heart building so as though Rome should last for euer I trust God shall so direct the heart of our chiefe builder in this Church of England to lay such a foundation that Gods house among vs shall stand for euer THE ANSWERE TO THE NINTH Section of the Authors defence to all honorable Ladyes and Gentlewomen The Defence 1. I May not suffer the foundresses of so many Churches Chappels Aultars Monasteries Nunries Colledges to be reprooued for that pietie pag. 107. 2. I can not suffer such a triumphant companie so famous for miracles renowned for sanctitie c. whose bodies many yeares after their death remained vncorrupted c. whom so many testimonies from heauen and earth haue confirmed to be most happie Saints to be condemned pag. 107. 3. Which for the loue and honor of our religion forsooke all temporall pleasures c. and became sacred Nunnes as Edelburga Etheldreda c. Alfritha wife to King Edgar c. Editha king Edgars daughter c. with many others which are there reckoned vp pag. 108. 4. He vrgeth the fearefull examples of the principall Protestant Ladyes of England c. grieuouslie afflicted of God and made dishonorable to the world pag. 108. 5. In the next place pag. 109. he seemeth to frame this argument because the Ladyes of England in their daylie and new deuices esteeme it not dishonorable to learne of the Ladyes of Italy France Spaine and Rome that therefore they should imitate them in their religion 6. All your earthlie honors titles names were either first founded or afterward confirmed c. by the Popes Emperours c. pag. 110. 7. That religion defended your mariages to be honorable and a sacrament by that religion your matrimonie was not in the pleasure of your Lords repudiations and diuorcements at their wils were not knowne concubines could not possesse the maintenance of your honors their bastards might not enioy the inheritance c. pag. 110. The Answere 1. NEither doe Protestants reproue the ancient founders of Churches Chappels Colledges for their pietie but praise God for them but for their superstition in erecting Monasteries to a false end for the remission of sinnes and redemption of their soules as King Offa builded S. Albons for the murder of King Ethelbert K. Ethelstane founded the Abbeyes of Middleton and Michelenes to make satisfaction for the death of his brother Edwine Elfrida wife to K. Edgar erected a Monasterie of Nunnes for the remission of sinnes for the death of her husband Ethelwoldus as hath been declared before answere to sect 7. pag. 58. 2. We condemne not any that haue been famous for sanctitie renowned for true miracles and witnessed to be Saints from heauen But wee receiue not all those for Saints that haue been canonized in the Popish Church as Thomas Becket that was a traytor to his Prince and there is mention made in the decrees of one that was worshipped for a Saint that was slaine in drunkennes And many of their miracles as of Dunstane Berinus Bristanus Brendanus with others wee hold be Monkish dreames and fabulous fictions as hath been also before shewed answere to sect 7. pag. 55. Of the like credit are the tales of their incorruptible bodies as that of Editha that the rest of her bodie being consumed to earth her thumbe her bellie and the part vnder her bellie were vncorrupted the first for her pietie in vsing to crosse her selfe the other for her chastitie As that also is held to be a fable that William the Conquerors bodie was found vncorrupt more then 400. yeeres after his buriall The Papists themselues deride the tale which is told from the Indies of the bodie of Xauiere which sixe moneths after the buriall looked as fresh as when he liued These are sillie arguments for one to ground his conscience and religion vpon And the Frier may barrell vp these fictions to disport his Italian and Spanish dames with our Ladies and Gentlewomen of England are more warie birds then to be taken with such a thredbare Falconers stale 3. Concerning those noble Ladies which became Nunnes 1 the profession simply of Monasticall single life is not a sufficient argument of a good religion for the Romans had their vestal virgins that professed single life the Iewes had their Esseni that embraced a strict and solitarie kind of life and the Turkes at this day haue their Mahometane Monks whereof there are foure principall orders 2. And seeing most of them had a superstitious opinion of Monasticall life as being a state more meritorious worthie of heauen therein they deceiued themselues and with the Pharisie that boasted of his righteousnes of his almes and fasting were so much the further off frō true iustification and while they placed religion in touch not taste not handle not in superstitious abstinence from externall things in not sparing the bodie they followed the doctrines and commaundements of men not of God Coloss 2.22 3. Though in the choice of Monasticall life they were conformable to the Romane Church yet in many other opinions they dissented for transubstantiation was not yet hatched and many grosse errors beside since forged by that blacke Smith 4. Neither was Monasticall life then like to Popish Monkerie in these daies their life more chast their time not so idly spent their superstition not so grosse And that there was great difference betweene old and new Monkerie some of their owne side doe beare witnesse Multis persuasum est aliam tunc fuisse quam nunc est Monachismi rationem Many are perswaded that the profession of Monks then was diuers from that is now Coloniens par 10. c. 1. 5. Lastly let vs see what deuout persons some of these women were which are here rehearsed
Platina Iesuit catechis lib. 2. c. 7. Sect. 3. solut 2. Sect. 3. solut to probation 3. Iuell ex Felin Panormitan summ Angel defens apolog pa. 385. Siluest Prierias cont Luther Pigghius in loc commun de eccles Cusan ad Bohem epist. 2. Piggh. Hierar lib. 1. c. 2. Papists deniers of scripture Latine text corrupt Papists forgers of euidences Rom. 3.2 Tetrastyl 1. pill part 3. Tetrastyl pill 2. par 3. Prou. 12.22 Hieron ad Pammach Ocean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vntruth 52. P. 23. li. 21. Vntruth 53. P. 24. l. 16. Vntruth 54. P. 24. l. 19.20 c. Disloyaltie of diuers Papists to their prince Iesuites Catechisme lib. 3. c. 6.8 Ibid. c. 22. Praefat. Balaei de act Roman pontific Ann. 7. 34. Edward 1. ann 18. Edw. 3. an 15. Ricard 2. c. 5. Supplicat of beggers Fox p. 1015. Of the Iebusites vow of pouertie Reply fol. 14. Reply fol. 15. Fol. 24. p. 2. Dialog p. 90. Diuers may be saued in the popish Church but not by the popish faith 1. Cor. 6.9 Bellarmine quodlibet p. 57. Galath 5.20.21 Fox Monum Pag. 1690. P. 1851.1934 P. 2012.2039 Reuolters frō the Gospell to poperie waxe worse then before Epist. relat pag. 10. Lib. 4. epist. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praefat. in Esram P. 23. l. 24. P. 24. l. 4. Vntruth 55. Euseb. Fox Bed Gregor Ruffin Sozomen c. The miracles of Martyrs and Saints not done in the popish church Ex Malmesb. Fabulous miracles of Dunstane Editha her fained miracles Ex Chronic. Saxonic Osber in vit Dunstan Malmesbur Capgraue Capgraue Miracles coyned among the Heathen Origen lib. 2. cont Celsum Trisymach lib. 3. de vrbib condit Theodor. in transformat Augustin de ciuitat Dei lib. 18. c. 16.17 Plutarch in conuiuio De vnitat ecclesiae cap. 26. In 1. Cor. c. 12. The power of miracles not vsuall in the Church now Serm. de Benedict Epist. 205. Miracles falsely fathered vpon the Fathers Epist. 106. Lib. 4. de notis eccles c. 14. Multitude of miracles in the Popish Church maketh them suspected Vit. Hilarion Lib. 2. cont Cels. Decr. Gregor lib. 3. tit 45. c. 1. Ibid. 2. Lib. 5. epist. 29. In 2. Timoth. pag. 138. a. A notorious fable The fabulous visions of Jgnatius founder of the Iesuites Mass. lib. 1. c. 8. The legend of Xauiers wonders an Ignatian impostor Tursellin lib. 1. cap. 7. Lib. 2. cap. 7. Lib. 5. cap. 4. Lib. 4. d◠not eccles c. 14. Iesuit catechis lib. 1. cap. 7. Popish miracles ridiculous Apolog. 2 aduers Ruffin The end of popish miracles rendeth to superstition Lib. 2. cont Celsum 2. Thessal 2. In 2. Tim. c. 2. Pag. 25. li. 1.2 Vntruth 56. lin 4.5 Vntruth 57. Lin. 8. Vntruth 58. Lin. 11.12 Vntruths manie see the answere Polidor Virgil. lib. 5. Platin. in Sixto 1. Polidor Virgil. lib. 5. de in vētorib rer c. 10. Cod. lib. 4. tit 20. l. 3. Carinus Booke of Articles agreed vpon in the Conuocation ann 1562. confirmed by act of Parliament Ann. Eliz. 13. c. 12. Sixtus 3. can 4. Synops. Papism Vntruth 59. Apparant errors admitted and allowed in the papall Church Vntruth 60. Contradictions of idolatrie in Poperie Contradictio◠of doctrine in the poperie Vntruth 61. Sigebert in ann 903. Platina Nichol. 1. de matrim c. 6. Later conc par 6. c. 8. Par. 6. c. 27. Lateran par 6. c. 8. Ibid. c. 28. Sext. decret lib. 5. t. 12. c. 3. Extrau Ioann tit 14. c. 4. See before sect 3. Vntruth 18. Crastouius in bell Iesuitic 〈◊〉 piller 4. Epaunens synod c. 3. Epist. 64. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 25. Vntruth 62. Vntruth 63. Vntruth 64. Pag. 26. Popish religiō separateth from God the Gospell ioyneth and reconcileth to God Tridentin sess 13. c. 5. Rhemist 1. Cor. 9. sect 9. Rom. 8.38.39 The Sacramēt of Baptisme corrupted in Poperie Genes 17.7 Rhemist Heb. 10. sect 4. Bellar. lib. 1. de bapt cap. 7. Matth. 28.20 Fox pag. 865. col 1. edit 4. Act. 10.47 Bellar. lib. 2. de confir c. 11. How a Christian is truly confirmed against tentation Ephes. 6.13 Rhem. Ioh. 6. sect 11. Rhemist 1. Cor. 11. sect 16. Rhem. Matth. 26. sect 4. Trid. sess 13. c. 5. Trid. sess 22. c. 3. The right vse of the Lords Supper Bellarm. lib. 2. de poenit c. 12. Rhem. Mat. 11· sect 21. No true repentance in the Papall schisme The true comforts of the sicke Trident. sess 23 c. 1. Abuse of orders in poperie Jbid. Jbid. c. 4. 1. Timot. 14.16 Abuse of matrimonie 1. Decret Damas Iob. 13.4 Lib. 3. de virginib 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vntruth 65. P. 27. l. 14. Vntruth 66. Sclaunder 67. Sclaunder 68. Sclaunder 69. Vntruth 70. P. 28. l. 4.5.6 c. Rhemist annot in Iames 1. v. 13. How euill actions are disposed of God 2. Sam. 16. v. 10. Admonition after the Queenes Iniunctions What authoritie the Prince hath in Ecclesiasticall matters Article 37. Preface to the Communion booke Artic. 20. Artic. 21. Papists receiue the decrees of the Church as the word of God Ioannes Maria. Siluester Prierias cont Luther Annotat. in 1. Tim. c. 3. sect 9. What freewill man hath Lib. de corrept grat c. 13. De praedestinat lib. 1.15 How good works are necessarie Pag. 27. lin 30. Predestination taketh not away mans freewill Act. 2.23 De praedest lib. 1. c. 15. Annot. in act 27. sect 3. Popish doctrine can not accord Gods predestination and mans freewill Rom. 8. v. 29.30 Rhemist Math. 20. s. 1. Rom. 9.16 Cod. lib. 4. tit 20. leg 9. Gratian. in authenti◠Cantic serm 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vntruth 71. Pag. 28. lin 16. Vntruth 72. Lin. 22. Vntruth 73. Pag. 29. lin 8. Lin. 16. Vntruth 74. Vntruth 75. Lin. 28. Vntruth 76. Vntruth 77. Pag. 29. lin 2. Pag. 29. lin 4. Vntruth 78. Reuel 22.9 Act. 10.26 Joh. 5.45 The entercourse betweene the Church triumphant and militant Reuel 5.10 Reuel 6.10 Ex Augustin de praedestinat ad Prosperum lib. 1. cap. 14. Papists doe wrong to the dead Reuel 14.13 Reuel 7.17 Christ but once offered in sacrifice Heb. 9. v. 25.26 Heb. 10.14 Luk. 22.19 Constantinop synod 7. gener Ex Nicen. 2. action 6. Swearing vsuall among Papists Coloniens part 13. cap. 13. Fox pag. 904. Consecration of the Clergie in England Edward 1. anno 25. Edward 3. anno 25. statut de prouisorib Richard 2. anno 13. stat 2. c. 2. Henr. 4. ann 2. cap. 3. Popish hierarchie against the Canons Synops. p. 149. Ephes. 4.11.12 Popish orders of the Clergie superfluous Matth. 15.13 No indeleble character in Orders Reuelat. 1.6 1. Pet. 2.9 In 4. distinct 4. quaest 1. Distinct. 6. q. 9. Gab. ibid. q. 2. Ministers how they differ from the people Emperour more ample in iurisdiction then the Pope Galath 2. * As Valens the Emperour sent Arrian Priests to infect the Goths at their first conuersion Lanquet anno Christ. 380. Iesuites haue peruerted rather then conuerted
or comfortlesse but prescribeth prayers to be vsed by the Elders and Ministers to be sent for the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke Iam. 5.15 and spirituall instruction and consolation to be ministred if there be a messenger with him to declare vnto man his righteousnes Iob. 34.23 7. Which doth not appoint orders to consecrate men to a blasphemous seruice to make the body of Christ and to install them Priests of the order of Melchisedech as that corporation doth of which order of Priesthood is none but Christ Psal. 110.4 Nor which maketh it no essentiall part of their ministrie to bee able to teach and instruct the people but especially requireth that Ministers should be apt to teach 1. Timot. 3.2 that they should be pastors and teachers c. for the edification of the bodie of Christ Ephes 4.11.12 Neither doth it teach that the grace of the spirit is actually conferred by orders but that men set apart to this calling not relying vpon their ordination should take heed to themselues and vnto learning thereby both to saue themselues and their hearers Which doth not denie the remedie of mariage to any condition of men as the Romane seignorie doth to their Clergie seeing the Apostle saith Mariage is honourable among all men Heb. 13.4 Neither doth it tie the grace of mariage to the matrimoniall solemnitie as this contradictor saith it giueth grace against the cares and difficulties of that condition pag. 27.7 but teacheth that the maried parties not relying vpon the ceremonie or solemnitie should giue themselues to fasting and prayer 1. Cor. 7.5 no doubt to obtaine among other matrimoniall graces Thus it is euident that not the Protestants faith but the Papists beleefe leaueth many without helpe and remedie As infants dying without baptisme are in their iudgement damned Priests not hauing the gift of continencie are denyed mariage Sick men haue no true comfort but a little greazing of the eyes and eares Sinfull men are by their popish penance made hypocrites their ordered Clerks are depriued of the principall part which is the preaching of the word Thus this cauiller for his false accusation shall haue Damasus fee Calumniator si in accusatione defecerit talionem accipiat A false accuser if he faile in his accusation shall receiue the law Talionis himself to incurre the same for it is in deed the popish irreligion that affoordeth no true comfort stay or remedie to their miserable disciples that a man may say to them as Iob to his deceitfull friends yee are physicians of no value And whereas they thinke to cure spirituall maladies with corporall medecines as with oyle chrisme salt holie water crossing to be defended against temptation it is as Ambrose saith vt qui latere laterem lauat as if a man should clense clay with clay magis se oblinebat luto such an one should defile himselfe more And as Diogenes said that Patacion the thiefe was no better then Epaminondas because he was professed or entred into religion no more is an euill man made better by such popish ceremonies The ninth Perswasion 1 I Defend not a religion where God is made author of all sinnes and thereby worthie no religion 2 Where the decision of spirituall doubts appertaine to temporall and vnlearned princes men women children 3 Where such sentences though neuer so much disagreeing and apparantlie false must be obeyed for the infallible word of God 4 Where man hath no libertie or freedome of will where our good works are necessitate 5 Where the predestination of God taketh away all election and indifferencie c. 6 But that religion that so accordeth the eternall prescience and predestination of God with the temporall cooperation of man that it both leaueth the first infallible and yet proueth the temporall action appetite c. to be voluntarie free in the power of man to be effected The Disswasion HEre is nothing else but an heape and pack of sclanderous vntruths which by one common answere of deniall might be easily remoued but somewhat more shall be said 1 The Protestants make not God author either of all or any sinne but the Papists rather that thus write They meane not that God is any way the author causer or mouer of any to sinne but onely by permission c. Ergo they grant that by permitting and suffering God is the author and causer of sinne And true it is that he which permitteth euill to be done and hindreth it not is consenting to it and a doer of it because accessorie to it But we say that God is not so much as a permitter or sufferer of sinne as it is euill and yet as he is a disposer of euill actions to good and an imposer of punishment is not only a permitter and beholder but an agent and doer euen in euill actions so that although sinne do no way stand with the will of God in approuing or consenting to it yet it standeth with his prouidence in ordering disposing and iudging of it As God is said to haue bid Shemei curse Dauid because he both disposed it to Dauids good for his further tryall and probation and iudged Shemei by it to his greater confusion Thus Origene well distinguisheth betweene Gods will and prouidēce Multa sine dei voluntate geruntur nihil sine prouidentia c. Many things are done without Gods will nothing without his prouidēce his prouidence is that whereby he dispenseth and prouideth his will whereby he willeth any thing or nilleth 2 The Prince challengeth not the decision of spirituall doubts but only to haue the rule ouer all manner persons within his realmes either Ecclesiasticall or Temporall so as no other forraine power shall or ought to haue any superioritie ouer them And againe in the booke of Articles it is thus conteyned We giue not to our Princes the ministring either of Gods word or sacraments but only that prerogatiue which we see to haue bene giuen alwayes to all good Princes c. in holie scriptures by God himselfe that is that they should rule all estates and degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Temporall And beside the deciding of doubts is referred to the Ordinaries directlie and not to the Ciuill Magistrate 3 A most wicked sclaunder it is that we are bound to take such sentences for the infallible word of God The contrarie is euident in the Articles of religion set forth by authoritie of Parliament wherein the Church of England thus professeth It is not lawfull for the Church to ordaine any thing that is contrarie to Gods word written Againe things ordained by them that is general Councels as necessarie to saluation haue neither strength nor authoritie vnlesse it may be declared that they be taken out of holie scripture If Protestants attribute no greater authoritie to the whole Church