authenticall and preferred before the originall bookes of the old testament in Hebrew and of the new testament in Gréeke a matter very new and most vnreasonable and plainely contradictory to the ancient fathers In the same a Sess 4. councell because they would be sure of their groundes the doctors of the Romish Babylon decréed first that none should interpret Scriptures against that sence that the church of Rome holdeth and secondly that vnwritten traditions kept in the church by succession shoulde bee of equall value with canonicall Scriptures After this diuers friers and priests taking vpon them to plead the popes cause haue determined vnwritten traditions and customes of the church and the popes determinations and decretalles to be the foundations and principles of their popish faith b Loc. Theolog. Melchior Canus speaking of theologicall argumentes and Thomas Stapleton taking vpon him to declare which be vndoubted principles of popish doctrine do both principally relie vpoÌ„ these two They talke also of the church of councels fathers the latin translation and of rules of faith But when it commeth to the triall then whatsoeuer is not consonant to the popes doctrine and decretales that is reiected as of no value Now gladly would I haue any Iesuite that taketh himselfe to be learned for our aduersary is but a babler to prooue these groundes to be ancient Let him shew what those traditions are that are with equall reuerence to the canonicall scriptures to be receiued Let him iustifie by testimony of antiquitie that the popes decretalles are infallible rules of faith The apostle saith that the church is well and strongly built vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Iesus Christ béeing the corner stone and this foundation do all ancient fathers allow The testimony of Irenei and Athanasius I haue before alleadged Saluianus saith the church is best founded on scripture Videtur nostra ecclesia saith he c Lib. de prouid Dei 5. ex vna scriptura felicius instituta Aliae habent illam aut debilem aut conuulneratam Habent veterem magistrorum traditionem corruptam per hoc traditionem potius quà m scripturam habent Let him shew the like if he can of his decretals and traditions vnlesse he will haue his grounds to be condemned for new and naught Thirdly scriptures were neuer generally forbidden to be publikely read in vulgar toongs before the councell of Trent neither was it euer thought vnlawfull before that time for lay men to talke of matters of faith or to read scriptures priuately without the ordinaries licence Chrysostome and other ancient fathers were wont to exhort Christians to read scriptures and Christ our sauiour willed his hearers to search them and the apostle doth declare them to be very profitable which sheweth the practise of the Romish church in fraying men from scriptures to be of a late humour and inuention Fourthly the definition of the Romish church is new and of force made new to fit their new popish fancies a De eccles milit c. 2. Bellarmine defineth the church to be A company of men conioyned in one profession of faith and communion of sacraments vnder the gouernement of lawfull pastors and especially of the pope of Rome Which is neither to be shewed nor prooued out of any ancient authenticall writer For the easterne and Africane churches did neuer acknowledge this souereine authority of the pope Nor did our sauiour or his apostles teach vs any such obedience Nay they shew rather that the bishops of Rome are not to be obeyed For suppose Peter had béene bishop of Rome and the bishops of Rome his successors which will neuer be prooued in that sence as the aduersaries take it yet Paul resisted Peter and receiued no b Ibid. c. 9. authority nor grace from him which sheweth that other bishops haue no dependance or authority from the bishop of Rome albeit this proportion were granted Fiftly they make not the catholike church A communion of saintes as we professe in our créede but hâ—ld that all wicked men and c Ibid. c. 10. heretickes so they outwardly communicate with the church of Rome in faith and sacraments are true meÌ„bers of the church d Ibid. c. 2. Bellarmine saith That to make a man a part of the true church neither faith nor charitie nor any inward vertue is required Which is a méere new fancie and therefore receiued least they shoulde grant that the church in some respect shoulde be inuisible Sixtly the coÌ„fession of faith made by Pius quartus wherin al that take degrees in schoole professe a Confâ—t 28. That they firmely admit all ecclesiasticall traditions and constitutions and the Scriptures according to the Romish sence and beleeue that there are seuen sacraments and receiue the doctrine of the councell of Trent concerning originall sinne and beleeue the sacrifice of the masse and transubstantiation and the popes soueraine authority and other pointes of doctrine therein conteined is new and absurd This we shal other where declare that appeareth for that the papistes cannot produce any precedent of this confession or prooue the seuerall points of it by good argument 7. Where in our creede we beléeue the catholike church of late time the papistes haue added a word made it b Confess â—urdegaâ—ens The catholike Romaine church and in Canisius catechisme translated into Spanish by Hieronymo Campos they define him to be no catholike that beléeueth any thing beside that which the church of Rome beléeueth 8. They confesse their sinnes not to God almighty as do the ancient fathers but to the a Virgine Mary c Hortulus animae and to angels and saints 9. They haue of late b put out that commandement d Officium beatae Maria in catech that concerneth the making of grauen images like to God and worshipping them wherein they haue the worde of God and all antiquitie against them 10. In the doctrine of the law all those points wherein they shew theÌ„selues no catholikes of which wée haue spoken in the former chap. are meere nouelties as namely That all that is repugnant to the law of God is not sinne that it is mortall sinne to breake the popes lawes or commandements either concerning rites of the church or other matter which he doth vnder his curse will men to obserue that concupiscence in the regenerate is no sinne and yet that it is sinne not to faste the ember daies that the regenerate may be without sinne and that Christians may be iustified by the lawe of Moyses that the popes lawes binde in conscience and that he hath authoritie to make lawes and lastly that the law of God is not perfect but that wée are to obserue all the traditions of the church and the popes decretals 11. It is not long since they began to teach that othes do not so binde men but that the pope can dispence with them and that he is able to discharge children from
sound neither haue they omitted any one tricke of falsification that any falsarie could deuise which they haue not practised First falshood is committed in writings Neither is it materiall whether they be publike or priuate whether testamentarie or belonging to any other contract And as well is forgerie committed by concealing a true writing as by forging or vsing false writings Falsum committitur saith y De crimine falsi Hostiensis aliquando cum scriptura siue scribat quis falsum siue deleat verum vt res id est rei veritas non appareat Nec discrepat vtrum fit testamentum instrumentumue publicum vel priuatum c. Secondly it is committed by vsing and producing of false instruments and writings Vtens falso instrumento dicitur falsum committere l. maiorem Cod. de falsis Especially if they be vsed wittingly Barbat lib. 3. consil 54. Numer 16. seq Thirdly that z Gloss in l. ex cautione ff de pactis notarie that shall in a true instrument write any materiall point false or in a testament set downe a legacy to his owne aduantage is taken adiudged a falsarie l. 1. § fin ad l. Corn. de falsis Et l. senatusconsulto Cod. de his qui sibi ascrib Fourthly falshood is committed either by witnesses deposing falsely l. 1. ff de falsis c. 1. de crim falsi or else by suborning or producing false witnesses or vsing the depositions of false witnesses as is the common opinion of lawyers in l. 1. de falsis c. 1. de crim falsi Fiftly it may be committed in deliuering counterfect money or counterfect measure or in supposing or fathering children vpon parents to whom they belong not or in professing himselfe to be a souldiour or a clerke that is not and by diuers other meanes as the Doctors teach in gloss in c. in memoriam dist 19. in c. vera iustitia dist 41. and in other places All which falshoodes and forging deuises our aduersaries do most cunningly and frequently practise They conceale the Scriptures from Gods people and hide from vs the originalles of Origen Basil Chrysostome and other Greeke fathers They make their traditions equall to the written word of God and take away the cup from the communicants which is a seale of Gods eternall testament defacing and corrupting both the diuine Scriptures with Apocryphall writings wicked interpretations peruerse translations and diuers other deuises of thâ—ir forging wits and as much as in them lyeth falsifying the seales of Gods promises In the name of Basil Amphilochius Abdias Clement and diuers fathers they haue forged diuers false treatises and albeit we continually call vpon them to leaue these conterfect writings yet cease they not to vse them By forged donations published vnder the name of Emperours and Princes and by diuers decretall epistles falsely ascribed to the ancient bishops of Rome they chalenge to themselues large kingdomes and an vniuersall authoritie ouer the world Not onely themselues speake and write most shamefull vntruthes and that both in matters of faith and policie but also they vse the counterfect writings of others set out vnder the names of their predecessors as their whole disputes with vs do witnesse They doe also deliuer to vs counterfect doctrine of another stamp and alley then that of the apostles and ancient fathers and a false rule of faith adding their traditions and the popes determinations to the true rule and conioyning them to the canonicall Scriptures of which vnruly rule antiquitie neuer had notice Neither are they ashamed to father their owne bastards and bastardly deuises vpon Origen Cyprian Athanasius Ambrose Hierome Chrysostome Augustine Gregorie and other ancient holy men who if they were aliue would wonder how these misbegotten deuises came to be ascribed to them and would vtterly renounce them In their relations narrations histories and testifications published of late time they neither vse religion nor truth nor common honestie Caesar Baronius doth smoothly tell infinite lyes and fables Staphilus Cochleus Lindanus Surius Genebrard Bolsecus and such like lying mates care not what lyes or false tales they write so they may publish any thing that may redound to the sclander of the professors of the truth The like shamelesse course hath Sanders Rishton Ribadineira Parsons Allen and other traytors and enimies of this state taken to disgrace her maiestie and her noble progenitors and all that stand well affected to religion and their countrey Parsons hath set out false titles to peruert the right of succession to the crowne in his damnable discourse of titles Such witnesses as these the popes of Rome and their adherents haue both suborned and hired to speake all manner of sclandrous vntruthes against honest men And these are the witnesses which our aduersaries ordinarily produce and whose false depositions they vse supplying the rest with false and lying fables set out by themselues Are not they then notorious falsaries Finally our aduersaries take on them to be bishops and priestes and euerie begging and base fryer is bold to vsurpe pastorall function Nay the popes of Rome vsurpe not onely the authoritie of bishops hauing nothing but the bare name of bishops but also the authoritie and prerogatiues of Christ Iesus falsely appropriating that to themselues that is onely due to Christ Iesus The popes of Rome therefore and their agents consorts and adherents are notorious falsificators and haue surpassed all the world in fraud forgerie and falshood and that shall Parsons the relator or rather delator and false accuser of his brethren well perceiue if he dare encounter these obiections As for his obiections either against the Lord of Plessis or against the reuerend fathers bishop Iewell Peter Martyr master Foxe master Fulke they are most vaine and friuolous and the falsifications imputed vnto them most falsely charged vpon them as first shall be shewed in the first which is the principall subiect of our aduersaries relation and consequently as occasion serueth in the rest Chap. II. That the Lord of Plessis hath beene most vniustly charged with false allegations in his booke published against the Masse I Am not ignorant that the Lord of Plessis hath not onely acquited himselfe of the calumnious imputations of his aduersaries but also hath beene sufficiently iustified against al their obiections by other learned men in discourses published both in French and English Neither néedeth he any further defence of mine Yet séeing this relator would néedes be scribling into England such vaine obiections as haue béene already answered I thought it not amisse to aduertise thée briefly what hath passed in this cause of which either our relator is ignorant or els dissembleth after his Machiauelian fashion The first place which Peron his aduersary in the conference at Fontainbleau pretended to be falsified by the Lord of Plesâ—is in his treatise against the masse was drawne out of Scotus and therefore was he charged with falshood for that he saith that Scotus durst call
extr de Maior Obed. Boniface the eight teacheth That it is a point necessarie to saluation to bee vnder the pope b De ecclesia militante c. 2. Bellarmine holdeth him out of the church that is not vnder the popes obedience Nostra sententia est saith he ecclesiam vnam veram esse caetum hominum eiusdem christianae fidei professione eorundem sacramentorum communione colligatum sub regimine legitimorum pastorum ac praecipuè vnius Christi in terris vicarij Romani Pontificis This is likewise Turrians and Stapletons opinion If then a papist or cacolik must néedes obey the pope then must he necessarilie both allow his sentence of excommunication against the Queene and ioine with him in deposing her or else they are no partes of the Romish church But if they shall either so thinke or do they can bée no true subiects Secondly a Lib 2. de Pontif. Rom. Bellarmine teacheth that it is a matter of faith To beleeue that the pope by Christs ordinance hath succeeded Peter in the vniuersall gouernment of the church But hée that beléeueth so much as all papists are bounde to do cannot acknowledge the princes royall authoritie in ecclesiasticall causes nor exclude the pope from it and per consequent must néedes bée but a sorie subiect to her Maiestie Thirdly all papists are b Bellar. lib 4. de Pontif. Rom. bound to beléeue That the popes sentence in matters of faith is infallible and that what hée iudgeth is done by Christes authority in whose tribunall seate hée pretendeth to sit Necessarie it is therefore that all papists allow the popes sentence of deposition against her Maiestie If they denie it they are not of the right touch of papists if they grant it they are euill qualified subiects But what shall wée néede arguments to prooue this when as experience doth euidently prooue it vnto vs Is it not apparent how little reason her Maiestie hath to trust them In the beginning of her reigne the popish prelates refused to crowne her one onely excepted Afterward the popish clergie for the most part fledde out of the lande and left her By their solicitation the pope began to stirre against her Presently vpon his excommunication the rebellion began in the north These kinde of men stirred vp diuers rebellions in Ireland Neither haue they ceased at any time to enterprise either one deuise or other to hurt vs here in England Sir Francis therefore doth greatly diminish their deserts and spare them where hée saith onely They haue deceitfull harts And most fauorablie doth the state deale with them for refusing to come to church to serue God séeing their consorts do burne and murder godly men for not comming to their idolatrous seruice and abominable masse He calleth those that refuse to go to our churches The better and more religious sort of catholickes But he is not of God that refuseth to heare his word Neither are they to be tearmed catholickes that haue a priuate religion to themselues deuised by the pope nor are they truely religious that vnderstand not the principles of Christian faith nor will receiue true holesome and apostolike doctrine Now if any desire to know what they are by the markes of Antichrist in their whole life and profession he may vnderstand it Where it is said that some papistes Shew foorth a good outward ciuill cariage this Noddy wisely concludeth That sir Francis maketh light of good life and thereupon taketh occasion to runne out into a common place of good workes But héere was no place for him to trie his skill For sir Francis doth neither condemne good workes nor good life but rather the hypocriticall shewe of both where indeede neither is to bée founde Nay poore soules the papists do not so much as vnderstande what workes are good what not They say their Oraisons and Credo Aue Maria in Latin and vnderstand not what they say They créepe to the crosse and kisse it On fridaies they eate fish and absteine from white meates in lent They crosse themselues confesse their faults in the priestes eare put on haire cloth and follow such like fancies refusing to heare true doctrine and Gods truth And a Matth. 15. 23. So they make frustrate Gods commandements by their owne traditions Nay sometime they rebell against their lawfull princes and murder Gods saints and blaspheme his truth and yet thinke they do God good seruice when most plainely they transgresse his lawes As for our selues albeit wée do not attribute merite or iustification to works yet wée exhort all men to shew foorth their faith by their workes and to lead a holy life according to their holy profession Neither are we so barren of good workes but that we dare compare either with the glorious Iesuites or with the most perfect men of the popish faction or with their most holy popes As for Recusantes I know no works they do but such as if they were wise they would be ashamed of them Sir Francis Hastings as a true and honest patriote and like a religious gentleman noteth thrée pointes in Recusantes worthy consideration The first is The hurt they do the second is The hurt they would do if they were not restrained the third is Their deepe dissimulatioÌ„ He might also haue noted the hurts which already they haue doone and ioine their leud opinions with their wicked actioÌ„s And vary euery seueral point with manifold arguments examples But this which he hath alreadie brought is more then our aduersarie doth well answere Nay hée answereth almost nothing vnlesse wée take gibes and scornefull reproches for paiment Where sir Francis saith That the yoonger steere learneth of the elder oxe He saith It is a verse drawne from his plow and stall of oxen As if it were not lawfull and vsuall by naturall similitudes to expresse things morall or as if his holy S. Thomas did not sometimes draw similitudes from oxen and asses It is written in a Iâ—b 1. Iob That the oxen were plowing and the asses feeding by them That is as he b 2. 2. q. 2. art 6. Gregor moral 2. supposeth The ruder and inferior sort of people which are represented by asses must beleeue as their prelates do which are signified by oxen The similitude vsed by sir Francis is very fit For commonly Recusants are as rude as oxen and stéeres and as the Psalmist saith Vnderstand no more then doth horse or mule Nay as it is in the first of Esaie The oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his masters cribbe but these ignorant Recusants know not their God but for their gods adore angels and saints yea stockes and stones vnderstanding no more what they pray then do oxen and calues Beside that the confessors and yoong priests are so familiar with their wiues that they are made liker oxen then lyons But this idle vagabond frier that liueth idly vpon the sweate of other mens browes and disdeineth to labour
first warres murder those of the true religion and shut out the rest Did they not in all other places as oft as they were the stronger séeke to murder them The matter is apparent and recorded in many histories Neither may wée thinke wée shall better agrée with them héere then others haue done in other places Light and darkenesse shéepe and woolues cānot agree togither And albeit our doctrine will not suffer vs to persecute papists yet their doctrine teacheth them to kill vs. And that is their continuall practise Finally this petition is most vnreasonable in respect of the petitioners themselues They will not grant or procure our brethren libertie in Spaine and Italy and yet they are so shamelesse to aske that which they will not grant vs or procure for vs otherwhere Againe they desire to liue vnder her Maiestie and yet they will not renounce her sworne enimie and his vsurped authoritie nor acknowledge her to bée lawfull Quéene although the pope do depose her Nay they giue her enimie power ouer her which by lawes of state is not sufferable Thirdly they haue héeretofore shewed themselues rebellious and factious How shoulde wée then secure our selues that they will behaue themselues more loyally héereafter Why shoulde wée thinke that they will do otherwise then the Irish rebels that haue shaken off her Maiesties gouernement They say they will behaue themselues peaciblie nay percase they will not sticke to sweare it But how shoulde wée beléeue either oathes or promises when they depend vpon the pope that will suffer them to kéepe neither I conclude therefore that to aske a toleration of the masse and of popish religiō is a matter impious vnsafe for her Maiestie and her people and most vnreasonable For it is contrarie to the a Exod. 20. Deut. 13. law of God that forbiddeth all idolatrie to the doctrine of Christ b Matth. 15. That excludeth all humane deuises in gods worship to the doctrine of the c Ephes 4. apostle that teacheth vs That there is but one Lord one faith and one baptisme to the practise of ancient Christians d Ioan. epist 2. That would not receiue those into their house or bid them god speede that brought not with them Christes true doctrine to the authoritie of fathers holy emperors and princes that by no meanes could endure any idolatrous worship or hereticall doctrine to the custome of the Romish synagogue and the traditions of the pope and his e Posseuini bibliotheca selecta lib. 1. c. 26. Iebusites and Cananites and finally to the lawes of the church and kingdome of England which without great consideration are not to be dissolued or suspended Neither can the same bée allowed by any good Christian or loyall subiect séeing it bringeth with it first an vncertaintie of faith and religion secondly a confusion in Gods worship thirdly a dissolution of ecclesiasticall gouernment discipline fourthly an ouerthrow of lawes and ciuill pollicie fiftly an entrance for seditious priests and Iesuites not tolerated euery where among the papists sixtly an easie meanes to practise against the prince and state seuenthly a coldnesse in religion eightly sedition trouble and rebellion Lastly the wrath of God and most spéedie destruction And that this is true the very f Ibidem aduersaries will not denie within the sphere of their actiuitie and in their owne gouernment Why then shoulde they looke for that at our hands which they will not yéeld vnto themselues Or with what face can they desire thinges so impious and vnlawfull First saith our aduersary Great princes and monarchies round about vs that had greater difficulties and differences then we haue He should haue said Monarkes and Neere vnto vs. For not monarchies but monarkes do treate of peace And the kings of France and Spaine dwell not round about vs but néere vnto vs. But we must beare with our great aduersary if talking of princes and states he forgot to vse fit wordes or make good sence Beside that he is much deceiued where he saith That they had greater differences difficulties in concluding of a peace then we haue For all ciuil causes may be compounded But no composition can be made with false religion or idolatry Againe kinges may agrée concerning temporall titles but we cannot agrée with the pope or his faction vnlesse we meane to forsake God and the true Christian faith Well let vs sée notwithstanding what These great princes and monarchies round about vs haue doone They haue saith hee concluded a most honourable peace and friendship And I will not deny but it may be so albeit diuers small accidentes may much alter the case But what maketh that for this purpose where it is debated whether the idolatrous masse is to be tolerated or any other course to be takē with English fugitiues and home-bred papistes If we might haue an honorable profitable and most assured peace it is the thing that we do much affect and desire neuer prosequuting warres but for our owne defence and safety But what is this peace héere spoken of to the toleration of seditious priests and Iesuites and such rebels and traytors Can wée haue no peace but by suffering of exiled and banished rebels and traytors to returne Why that is the extremest calamity that a ruined common wealth canne suffer Perditae ciuitates saith a Lib. 5. in Verrem Tully desperatis omnibus rebus hos solent exitus exitiales habere vt damnati in integrum restituantur vincti soluantur exules reducantur Againe we are not at warre with recusantes or papistes Why then should he talke of peace and friendship héere Therefore he telleth further How the French king is returned to the sea of Rome and that her Maiesty is courteously inuited to the same And is this the onely meanes of peace Sure then any warre is better then such a peace For if wée respect onely temporall matters yet to yéeld to a tyrant is the last and most extreme calamity that happeneth to a natiō vanquished and subdued and no prince can put himselfe vnder another but he giueth ouer his soueraignty Beside that suppose her Maiesty should yéeld to the pope which without indignation cannot be spoken nor yéelded vnto by any true English man how is she sure that she shall either reteine or recouer her crowne he hauing disabled her and dispossessed her of it Shall she begge a crowne at his handes Shall she do penance at his pleasure Will she abandon her selfe and her subiectes to such a base fellow Fye fye that any should be suffered once to motion such a shamefull and an abominable matter But if we respect religion truth and conscience we cannot submitte our selues vnto him we cannot acknowledge his authority we may not embrace his abominable doctrine and heresies whatsoeuer may ensue of it Hée is the head of antichristes kingdome and the synagogue of Rome is the purple whoore mentioned in the seuentéenth of the Reuelation
saith d Lib. 2. paert 1. Occham est dogma falsum fidei contrarium orthodoxae e Apud Matth. Paris in Hen. 3. Robert Grosthed saith That heresie is an opinion chosen of humane vnderstanding contrary to Scripture and either openly taught or defended f Apud Dionys Carth. in 3. sent dist 31. Durande signifieth That heresie is onely an opinion contrary to canonicall Scripture Opinio ista g Aen. Sylu. de gest concil Basil lib. 1. saith he non est haeretica quia non est contra canonicam scripturam The h councell of Basill doth determine him to bée an heretike That doth reiect the catholike faith deduced out of canonicall scriptures and prooued by fathers Séeing then the papists haue caused a great diuision from the apostlike and ancient church and haue taught other doctrine contrarie to that of Christ Iesus and haue corrupted the verie déepest mysteries of Christian religion and haue digressed from apostolicall rules and taught doctrine contrary to Christian faith to the catholike church of former times and finally to canonicall scriptures as may appéere by their groundes of faith by their legends and decretals by their Tridentine doctrine concerning the Gospell and the lawe by their idolatrous masse by their worshipping of saints nay of stockes and stones ragges and rotten bones by their rebellion against princes and their allowance of the gouernment of the pope there is no question to bée made but that papists are cleerely heretikes CHAP. IIII. That the church of Rome is not the true church of Christ NOw if the pope and his faction the papists bée heretikes then doth it necessarily follow thereof that they are not the true church For the true church kéepeth the faith sounde and intire But these a 1. Tim. 1. Haue made shipwracke of faith Heretikes are gone out from vs bicause they are not of vs as saint b 1. Iohn 2. Iohn saith Those of the true church are of the houshold of faith and the apostles heires But heretikes are strangers as c De praescrip aduers haeret Tertullian saith and maintaine doctrine contrary to the apostles Heretikes as d In dialog contr Lucifer Hierome saith Are not the church of Christ but the synagogue of antichrist Againe if the church of Rome haue altered and innouated Christes religion then can it not bée the true church for That e 1. Tim. 6. doth faithfully keepe the faith committed to her in deposte and auoideth all prophane nouelties shée f Ibidem kéepeth Gods commandements without addition or blemish Catholica ecclesia sedula cauta depositorum apud se dogmatuÌ„ custos nihil in ijs vnquam permutat nihil minuit nihil addit as saith g Contra haeres c. 32. Vincentius Lirinensis Contrariwise h Ibidem c. 36. Heretikes not content with the ancient rule of faith are daily seeking out nouelties and are desirous to adde to change to take away Further if the faith of the church of Rome bée not catholike and generall and that which our Sauiour commanded his apostles to teach all nations then is not that the true church For as wée beléeue the church to bée catholike so we beléeue that the faith thereof is catholike and vniuersall We may not follow the pope of Rome nor the bishop of Ierusalem or Alexandria but the catholike church and that wée shall do if wée embrace that faith which the whole church throughout the worlde confesseth Sequemur vniuersitatem saith i Aduers haeres c. 3. Vincentius Lirinensis si hanc vnam fidem veram esse fateamur quam tota per orbem terraruÌ„ confitetur ecclesia If any haue a singular faith beside that which alwaies and in all places hath béene taught by the apostles and their true successors wée are not to harken to them No a Deut. 13. Although a Prophet or great learned man rise vp among vs yet are wée not to listen to him This may bée sufficient to teach vs that the synagogue of Rome is not that church whereto wée are to resort and adioine our selues But forsomuch as heretikes as apes imitate men so counterfeit to bée the true church as b Epist ad Iubatan Cyprian telleth vs and euery societie and company of heretikes do thinke themselues to bée christians and beare themselues bolde on the name of the catholike church as c Lib. 4. instit c. 30. Lactantius writeth and considering that the church of Rome hath long abused the worlde with the maske of the true church I thought it very requisite in this chapter briefly to set downe such arguments as may cléerely demonstrate what shée is and so much the rather for that many simple soules haue héeretofore béene seduced and perswaded that Rome is the citie of God and that chaste spouse of Christ which loueth and serueth none but him If our aduersary will needes call the same the catholike church yet let him first peruse and answere our arguments as they are héere laide downe in order First then we both confesse that the church of Christ is built vpon Christ Iesus No man saith the d 1. Cor. 3. apostle can lay any other foundation beside that which already is layd which is Christ Iesus He is e Isai 28. that Corner stone that is e Isai 28. placed in the foundation of Sion He is that f Matth. 16. Rocke vpon which the church is built Super hanc petram quam confessus es saith saint g Ser. 13. de verb. Dom. Augustine super hanc petram quam cognouisti dicens tu es Christus filius dei aedificabo ecclesiam meam id est super meipsum filium dei viui aedificabo ecclesiam meam Other fathers h Ambros in c. 9. Luc. Cyrill lib. 4. de Trinit that say the church is built either vpon The confession or faith of Peter or else vpon Peter himselfe do vnderstand indirectlie Christ Iesus whome he confessed and on whome he beléeued and on whome Peter was built But the church of Rome is built vpon the pope and vpon the papacy Est Petri fedes saith i In praefat in lib. de pontif Rom. Bellarmine lapis probatus angularis pretiosus in fundamento fundatus He k Lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 3. saith also That the pope is the foundation of the building of the church and goeth about to prooue it by certeine words of Hierome who neuer thought any such matter a Sanders his rocke of the church Sanders doth endeuour to prooue That the popes are the immooueable rocke of the church b Contr. Saâ—eelâ—â— Turrian because Christ saith Aedificabo ecclesiam meam non aedifico ecclesiaÌ„ meam concludeth that the popes of future times are vnderstood and this is the common opinion of all papists How then can that be the true church that is built vpon a diuers foundation and either neglecting or not greatly caring for Christ Iesus the
f Iames 4. saith hée that is able to saue and to destroy But in the church of Rome the pope beareth himselfe as a soueraigne monarke and hée taketh on him power to bind and loose in heauen earth and purgatorie And his agents say That his lawes binde in conscience and that hée hath power to saue and destroy The Romish church is gouerned by his lawes and acknowledgeth him to bée the supreme iudge of controuersies 29. The true church of Christ contenteth herselfe with the religion first taught by the apostles For as g Lib. 4. contr Marcion Tertullian saith Id verius quod prius id prius quod ab apostolis And as h Aduers haeres c. 26. Vincentius Lirinensâ—â— saith it is the propertie of heretikes Not to content themselues with the ancient rule of faith but to seeke nouelties from day to day and to desire to adde to change to take away But the church of Rome doth not content herselfe with the doctrine of the apostles nor with the ancient rule of faith but is still adding changing taking away as may appéere by the popes decretals 30. The true church is dispersed euery where For our Sauiour f commanded his apostles To teach all nations i Matth. 28. And wée beléeue not a particular church but The catholike church that is the societie of Christians of all times and places but the Romish church neither conteineth the Gréekes nor Africans nor men of Asia that haue for many ages béene diuided froÌ„ that church Nor doth it reach to the people before Christ but onely a Bellar. de eccles milit c. 2. conteineth such as liue in obedience to the pope How then can the church of Rome bee the catholike church Shall the church of that citie bée as great as the church of the whole worlde 31. The true church of Christ conteineth neither lyons nor tygres nor woolues but consisteth onely of shéepe and lambes Nay it maketh milde Christians of sauage and wilde atheistes and miscreantes and as Paule of a fierce persecutor by christianity was made a constant professor so the mildenesse of this our christian mother the church changeth mens cruell natures They shall not hurt nor kill saith b Isai 11. God by his prophet in all my holy mountain The wolf shall dwel with the lambe and the Pard shall ly with the Kid. c De incarnat verbi Athanasius saith that nothing but Christes faith caused barbarous nations to become peaceable Quis coegit barbaros gentesque alias in suis sedibus saith he immanitatem deponere pacifica meditari nisi Christi fides crucis signaculum d Lib. 2. contr Parmen Optatus speaking of catholikes Which of vs saith he hath persequuted any man Can you shew or prooue that any of you hath beene persequuted by vs But the church of Rome hath of late yéeres and yet doth murder infinite numbers of men that would not adhere to her Romish faith Their e Extr. de haeret per tot lawes are bloody and cruell their executions are more cruell In the time of Charles the emperor the fift of that name it is found in f Meteran de Belgicis tumultibus record That aboue fiftie thousand persons were by sentence of iudges executed to death for the profession of their faith in the low countries In France as their owne stories report at one g Anno 1572. time thrée score thousand Christians without order of law were most shamefully massacred Circiter sexaginta hominum millia saith h Lib. 23. p. 508. Natalis Comes speaking of the massacre varijs in locis per illud tempus trucidata fuisse dicta sunt in Gallia And so extraordinary was the furie of papists that they spared neither age sexe nor qualitie Vel puberes vel impuberes saith i Ibid. p. 507. he trucidati sunt neque vllius sexus vel aetatis vel dignitatis habita est ratio Neither may wée thinke that they haue shewed lesse crueltie against Christians in Spaine Italie Germany England and other nations The Romish church hath died her garments in the blood of saints and the prelates haue shewed themselues leaders to the people in these barbarous executions Well therefore may that bée applied to them which a Lib. 2. con Parmen Optatus spoke of the cruell Donatistes Lacerati sunt viri tractatae sunt matronae infantes necati abacti partus ecce vestra ecclesia episcopis ducibus cruentis morsibus pasta est Men haue béene tormented women haue béene abused infants haue béene murdred women forced to loose their children behold your church is fedde with crueltie and your prelates haue béene captaines to the vulgar sort in their cruell executions 32. The catholike church neuer shewed more fauour to the Iewes and Infidels then to Christians that disliked the bishops of Rome The Christian emperors b L. hac valitura Cod. de Iudaeis Caelieolis excluded the Iewes from all gouernment and authoritie in the common-wealth and c Ibidem restreined their insolencies with diuers sharpe lawes The like course they d Cod. de Paganis sacrif templ tooke also with Pagans and Infidels shutting their temples and forbidding their sacrifices and Idolatries But the Romish synagogue doth indure the impieties of Iewes in the midst of Rome albeit they denie and blaspheme Christ Iesus tormenting and killing christians that shall but once offer to speake against the pope Likewise e Onuphr in Alexandro 6. Alexander the sixt receiued Turkes and Maranes into Rome being erpelled out of Spaine and the popes are content that their subiects shall trade with Turkes albeit they cannot endure any christian that shall mislike the popes authoritie 33. The true church of God neuer sought by forging and falsifying of mens writings and by lying and slandering to aduance Christes religion For truth is strong enough of it selfe and néedeth not to bée supported with falshood f Prouerb 12. and a Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. False witnesses and slanderers in ancient time were so farre from beeing estéemed in the church that they were b excluded out of the church g Concil Agath c. 27. Concil Elâ—bert c. 73. 74. But the church of Rome perceiuing that she cannot otherwise preuaile goeth to worke by plaine forging and falsifying leauing nothing sound that once passeth her fingers h Canones apostolor constiutioneâ— Somewhat she commendeth vnder the name of the a apostles and many thinges vnder the name of ancient fathers There is no ancient father but she hath ascribed vnto him many children which were neuer begotten by him as the workes of Cyprian Origen Athanasius Hierome Augustine Chrysostome Gregory and others do plainely testifie For who séeth not how many vnlearned and vnsound treatises are dayly published vnder the names of ancient fathers Nay the Romanistes are much offended with Erasmus and other learned mens censures that haue gone about
contrary in diuers maine points to the doctrine of the apostles Seuenthly they do neither retaine vnion with Christ Iesus nor with the ancient Church nor among themselues Eightly their decretaline doctrine is neither sound nor holy nor hath any efficacie in it nor hath other fountain then the popes fancie Ninthly their legendary miracles and prophecies whereupon a great part of the credit of the Romish faith dependeth are nothing but lies and forgerie and those ofttimes very ridiculous Tenthly their strange nouelties and heresies haue béene by many both olde late writers reproued and condemned Lastly as the authours of it haue liued vnhappily and died miserably for the most part so those that haue gone about to restore true religion and to roote out Romish idolatrie and heresie haue for this onely cause felt Gods great fauour towardes them both in their liues and ends 44 The Church of Rome is also conuicted not to be the true Church by the confession of a Relect. doct princip cont 1. q. 5. Stapleton For if the true Church began at Hierusalem and is vniuersally dispersed and hath continued in all ages and hath a true succession of bishops from the apostles and disagreeth not about matters of faith nor dissenteth from the head of the church and which hath planted christian religion preserued the same throughout the world and hath kept the apostolike forme of gouernment and preuailed against all heresies and temptations keeping the rule of faith sound and intire and which also sheweth the true way of saluation and keepeth the scriptures sound and pure frō corruption and finally which holdeth the decrees of all generall councels as blundering Stapleton not only confesseth but after his most odious and tedious fashion with multitude of words goeth about to proue then is not the church of Rome that now is the true church of christ Iesus For to say that the church of Rome began at Hierusalem is as absurd as to say that Rome is Hierusalem or to affirm that Rome now is like to old Rome Our aduersarie should do vs great fauour to shew that the glorie and fulnesse of power that the pope challengeth together with his cardinals dumbe bishops masse-priests idle monks lying fryars and all the popes decretals and ceremonies are come from Hierusalem He may doe also well to proue that the latter scholasticall and decretaline doctrine was vniuersally receiued throughout the world either in the apostles times or in the times of the ancient Fathers of the Church The rocke of succession vpon which they build so huge conclusions we haue shewed to be nothing but a banke of sand We haue shewed also that their doctrine is not only diuers but contrarie to the doctrine of Christ the head of the Church and of his apostles And how great contentions haue béene in the Romish church not onely the schismes and warres betwixt popes and princes but also the differences about all points of religion which is apparant both in the disputes of schoolmen and also in the writings of Bellarmine and his consorts do declare That the Romanists haue corrupted the faith not onely with nouelties but also with diuers heresies and haue changed both the ancient forme of apostolike gouernement and also the principles and grounds of faith established both by Fathers and councels and by the apostles themselues and haue yéelded to heresies and béene ouercome of the gates of hell I thinke no man can doubt that readeth this discourse and compareth the late procéedings of the Romish church to the rule deliuered vnto vs by Christ Iesus 45 Finally the testimony of a In his motiues Bristow doth vtterly ouerthrow the Church of Rome and declareth it not to be the true church For he commendeth that for the true church that is catholike and apostolike and which abhorreth all nouelties and heresies and idolatrie and whose doctrine is confirmed by scriptures most certaine traditions councels fathers and practise of the ancient church and which teacheth the narrow way and maketh subiects obedient and hath infallible iudges and is sure to continue But the Romish church is neither catholike nor apostolike neither doth it abhorre either heresie or idolatrie nor shun profane nouelties The doctrine of that church hath neither ground of scripture ancient councels nor fathers neither can the Romish doctors bring any certaine proofe of their traditions It teacheth a broad way and maketh rebellious subiects In iudgemēt it hath no other certaintie then the popes determination Finally already that tower of Babel which is built so high doth begin to totter and as we trust cānot long stand Further he saith that euerie church that is risen after the first planting of religion and gone out of the catholike church and from the apostolike doctrine and is not the communion of saintes nor euer visible and lastly that is not the teacher of all diuine truth and the vndoubted mother of Christs children is not the true church of Christ But the Church of Rome as it is now visible in the pope and cardinals and officers of the popes chamber in popish prelates sacrificing priests monkes friers and nunnes and their officers and adherents rose out of the earth long after the apostles times and went out of the catholike apostolike church and hath for the popes quarrell opposed it selfe against Christ and his true doctrine The same is also departed from the ancient faith and is no more to bée tearmed Christs Church which is a communion of saints linked together in the profession of Christs true faith but rather the combination of antichrist and the synagogue of Satan Such a church as is now to be séene at Rome and in the prouinces adhering to it was not visible many ages after Christ neither was any such church for a long time extant in the world neither when the same began to shew her selfe in great ruffe did she either teach all truth or refuse all heresie false doctrine or beare or bring forth children to Christ but to antichrist And therfore we may safely conclude that the Romish church of these times is the synagogue of Satan and not the true church of Christ Iesus The nature and propertie of the true and vnspotted spouse of Christ the inseparable qualities of true faith and such as truly professe the same and finally the confession and doctrine of the aduersaries themselues when they speake of the true church and true faith and true professours and matters incident vnto them in generall do declare it to be so CHAP. V. That no papists haue beene executed in England since her Maiesties comming to the crowne for meere matter of religion but for their treasons or other capitall offences HItherto wée haue spoken in the defence of our religion and Christian profession It resteth therefore nowe séeing our aduersary doth not onely calumniate our religion but our lawes also and gouernment that wée speake somwhat in defence of iustice especially so farre foorth as it
now there is but one faith as there is but one baptisme and one God as the c Ephes 4. apostle teacheth vs. And this is the faith which the apostles and prophets haue taught and which wée in the church of England do professe Remember I say that true faith is Christes faith and apostolike faith It is not the popes faith nor his determinations nor vncertaine traditions It hath no other foundation but the doctrine of Christ and his apostles and holy prophets Beware therefore of the pretended cacolike Romish faith that hath no grounde but in the popes determinations nor support but lies fraude and violence If the doctrine and traditions of popish priests come not from Christ Iesus which is the foundation of our religion but is drawne out of vncertaine legendes and resteth on the popes determination remember what the apostle teacheth in this point If any man saith a Galat. 1. hée preach vnto you otherwise then that you haue receiued let him bee accursed Beléeue not euery spirite For many deceiuers are gone out into the worlde If any bring any doctrine not deduced out of holy Scripture suspect him and examine him and thou shalt finde him faultie And aboue all thinges beware of new doctrines For wée haue but one faith which hath his originall from Christ the fountaine of truth life Profanas vocum nouitates saith the b 1. Tim. 6. apostle deuita And if wée may not vse new termes or words in matters of faith then may we not receiue any newe articles of religion It is the part of true catholikes to adhere to holy fathers and to auoide nouelties as saith c Aduers haeres c. 36. Vincentius Lirinensis Nowe what fathers more holy then the prophets and apostles that are the fathers of fathers and the foundation of the church If the doctrine of poperie be for the most part a packe of old and newe heresies as hath bin shewed thée why shouldst thou bée abused by false teachers Why shouldst thou bée desirous as distempered stomackes are to feed vpon vnholesome doctrine Graues sunt haereticorum morsus saith Saint d In Euangel Luc. lib. 7. c. 10. Ambrose qui ipsis grauiores rapaciores bestijs nullum abaritiae finem impietatÃsque nouerunt They looke faire vpon thée but bite déepely They promise true religion and catholike faith but teach heresies and damnable opinions They come vnto thée with shéepes clothing and pretend sauing of soules but inwardly they are rauening woolues and séeke to destroie both thy body soule They giue thée honie but it is deliuered thée vpon a swordes point that when thou thinkest to licke honie thy hart may bée pearced with a sharpe pointed sword If the synagogue of Romanistes bée not the true church why takest thou delight to heare her teachers or to embrace her erronious doctrine Why doest thou not come out of Babylon Wilt thou remaine in her confusion and be partaker of her plagues Why shouldest thou go vp to Bethauen or delight in the congregation of wicked idolaters e Hoseae 4. Go not vp I say to Bethauen f 1. Cor. 10. flie Idolatrie g Apocal. 18. Come out of Babylon It is not I onely but Christ Iesus that calleth thée out of this confusion If thou wilt not heare him nor know him bée assured hée will not knowe thée nor heare thée It is not the pope that can saue thée nor his decretals that can warrant thee Leaue therefore the synagogue of satan and resort to Gods true church Forsake antichrist and adhere to Christ Quisquis saith Saint h Epist 152. Augustine ab ecclesia catholica abfuerit quantumuis laudabiliter se viuere existimet hoc solo scelere quòd à Christi vnitate disiunctus est non habebit vitam sed ira Dei manet super eum As without Noes arke in time past all flesh was drowned so there is no safetie out of Christes church And bée not lightly deceiued with the name of the church For antichrist as the i 2. Thes 2. apostle telleth vs shall sit in Christes church And with his followers as Saint Augustine teacheth vs shall bée accounted to bée the true church viz. by such as are abused The synagogue of satan in time past did take on them the name of Iewes and falshood is often set out with a faire lustre and shew of truth All Christians haue an interest in true religion Why then shoulde any suffer the damnable doctrine of poperie that is so full of heresies and erronious opinions Why shoulde any suffer the Scriptures to bée taken from the people of God so that they shall no more bée suffered to read them and in lieu thereof receiue the popes determinations and the synagogues of Romes traditions Can any true Christian indure the abominable idole of the masse where the bread and cup is adored for God or the idolatrous worship of Romish Babylon Those that honour God those hée will honour and such as are luke-warme and care not what religion they haue those God will cast out of his mouth as a lothsome race of atheistes and wicked men If religion mooue not euerie man yet if hée remember the slauerie of popish gouernment and how preiudiciall it is to princes to the nobilitie to the commons and all sortes of people hée will not much bée enamored of it The magistrate may not suffer either his authoritie to bée disputed of or doubted of or denied And yet the Iesuites and priestes and their adherents are suffred to teach and to do all this as appéereth by their answeres to the sixe Interrogatories by their cases of conscience and by their doctrine and actions Nay most boldly albeit secretly they practise against the life and state of her Maiestie as many particulars do shewe Happie are they that they haue encountred with such a prince and yet let them beware they abuse not her clemencie too farre For no state can stande where such contumacious and rebellious mates liue in open contempt of authoritie and lawes It behooueth also all them that carrie the sworde to looke that not onely Christ his shéepe bée defended from woolues but also that the state bée defended and maintained against professed traytors and rebels that lurke in all corners They haue not a sworde committed to them for naught But to the ende they may defende the quiet and peaceable subiect and roote out the wicked rebellious traytor Treason and notorious coÌ„tumacie against lawes cannot long be endured in any common-wealth Neither can magistrates in this case bée too watchfull God hath detected many secret conspiracies and attempts against her Maiestie and the state yet let vs not presume too farre vpon his goodnesse The way to settle peace to confirme the state to preuent all such trecherous attempts is to stop the head of rebellion and treason and to roote out all seditious priestes and Iebusites from whence all our troubles for this 43. yéeres
quod causa dispositiua schismatis Graecorum inter alias vna fuit propter grauamina Romanae ecclesiae in exactionibus excommunicationibus statutis saith Peter de Alliaco who doth shew many particulars of these gréeuances The Princes of Germany in a certaine diet at Nuremberg e 100. grauan Germ. in Fascic rer expet fugiend did complaine that the popes did offer thē A hundred greeuances and wrongs not sufferable which they declared by the particulars And yet none of those concerned corruptions of doctrine By her Maiestie we became frée from all the popes pillages exactions from the iniustice of his censures from the bondage of his decretals farre more gréeuous then the ceremoniall lawes of Moses whose yoke notwithstanding as the a Act. 15. apostle testifieth was so heauy that neither the people then nor their fathers were able to beare it Secondly where in Quéene Maries time the people had the Scriptures taken from them in their mother toong and liued in great ignorance of matters of saluation as seldome being instructed in matters of religion not onely the word of God began againe to be publikely read in Churches but also more sincerely expounded then before neither were any excluded from the knowledge of the same Thirdly the true administration of Christs Sacraments which by the abominable masse had beene abolished was restored and Gods people made partakers both of the Sacrament of his body and of the cup also and withall the true doctrine of Sacraments was publikely deliuered vnto the people of God Fourthly Gods true worship was againe restored according to his most holy worde and the practise of the Catholike church of Christ which before that had beene most shamefully corrupted with popish traditions and humane inuentions Fiftly the rodde of the oppressor by her peaceable gouernment was broken and the fires quenched that had burned so many innocents and true martyrs and the tortures remooued wherewith many honest men had beene greeuously afflicted and peace was giuen to the church so that all true Christians might without feare make profession of their faith and publikely meete to celebrate the name of God Those that were exiled returned and such true Christians as kept themselues secret did manifestly shew themselues Finally shée did not onely restore true religion and the right administration of Sacraments and Gods true worship but also abolished the manifold heresies and corruptions of popish doctrine Shee shut the mouthes of priests and friers preachers not of peace nor sent from God but sent by the pope and his adherents to maintaine heresie and faction whose preaching notwithstanding as saith Stapleton c In praefat ante relict princip doctrin Is the foundation of b Viz. according to the pope◠definition Christian religion Is it not a braue religion thinke you that is built vpon impious popes frier fraparts and massing priests mouthes Quomodo Christus saith hee ciúsque doctrina Christianae religionis fundamentum est sic alij nunc à Christo missi eorúmque doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locum habebunt And a Ibidem againe In hac docentis hominis authoritate in qua Deum loquentem audimus religionis nostrae cognoscendae fundamentum necessariò poni cernimus Note I pray you how he saith most blasphemously that God speaketh by the popes mouth and by the mouthes of such friers and priests as he sendeth for of them he speaketh and how vpon their preaching he buildeth his Romish religion Well this abusiue foundation is nowe discouered and we are taught to builde not on pope nor on friers nor on legends nor lies nor vncertaine traditions but vpon the word of God Now also by her Maiesties authoritie the most blasphemous and idolatrous sacrifice and seruice of the masse and the priests of Baal with their Balaamiticall friers are remooued out of the church The same is also purged of idols and idolatrie and men from worshipping of stockes and stones and rotten ragges and bones and from adoration of angels and men departed this life are brought to worship the true and euerliuing God Finally where héeretofore men were taught to séeke remission of sinnes by masses indulgences iubileies holy water and other humane deuises and beléeued that if they had not remission héere they shoulde at the least finde it in purgatorie nowe these abuses were quite remooued and men taught that Christ Iesus without these ceremonies was the onely way to heauen and that Christians obteined remission of sinnes by faith in him and that no workes pleased God but such as he commanded This then is the first and principall blessing which by her Maiesties most happie gouernment this land enioieth a blessing I saie farre excelling all others as farre as spirituall and eternall happinesse excelleth temporall commodities And yet as appéereth by the confession of strangers that woondred at the happinesse and tranquillitie of this state in the troubles and turmoiles of all our neighbors round about vs God hath accumulated vpon this people of England by the meanes of her gouernment diuers temporall blessings also Wée are therefore secondly to consider what temporall graces we haue obteined by meanes of her happy attaining to the crowne and by her gouernment albeit I make no doubt but that all these latter graces do flow from the first as from a fountaine For God saith a 1. Sam. 2. expresly That he will honor those that honour him and experience teacheth vs that God blesseth those nations which giue harbor to his church and with a true hart receiue his worde and serue him duly according to the same First then we may remember that by her meanes we were deliuered from the thraldome of the Spaniard and the feare of forraine lords into which dangerous state Quéene Marie with her poperie had brought this lande Now how great a blessing this is we may easily vnderstand if we do but looke either into the miserable bondage of our neighbours of the low Countries or else of the Spaniards themselues And better then these we coulde not hope for but many reasons might mooue vs to feare woorse of which we shall haue occasion to speake héereafter In the low Countries during the time of Charles the fift it is b Hist Belgi◠Meterani lib. 2. reported and prooued by record That aboue fiftie thousand were done to death about the cause of religion onely and yet then neither was there any inquisition established nor did the Spaniard command so absolutely as sithence he hath Since that time all the priuileges of the countrey haue béene broken and such intollerable wrongs offered and impositions and taxes laide vpon them that the most aboundant countrey in Europe is now consumed and brought to nothing In Spaine the people liueth in excéeding feare of the Inquisition and paieth the tenth of all things bought and sold in the market and beside that diuers customes and whatsoeuer burthens or impositions else the Princes can with any
among themselues Nay the contention betwéene Caluin and Luther is not so great but that popish doctors haue greater As for our selues all of vs professe the doctrine of Christ Iesus according to that rule that was established by common consent of the church of England from which if any digresse he is no more to be accounted of our societie then the papists that are of the popes retinue Lastly where he calleth our religion Parliament religion hée speaketh like himselfe that is falsely and slanderously For albeit the same be receiued by authoritie of the prince and state yet is it Christs religion and not the princes The a Lâ—unctos Cod. de summ Trin. sid Cath. emperors Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius decréed That all people of their gouernment should hold the doctrine of Peter the apostle taught by Damasus bishop of Rome and Peter bishop of Alexandria and that they should beleeue one God three persons and yet I hope this Noddie will not call the faith of the Trinitie An imperiall faith And thus much in answere of his obiection of parliameÌ„t faith and of supposed diuisions amongst vs. But if hée had considered how that all the authoritie of their Romish faith as it differeth from ours standeth vpon the authoritie of late popes and of the late conuenticle of Trent and that both the grounds and positions of it are either nouelties or old condemned heresies and was in Quéene Maries times established more by parliament then by authoritie of the apostles and how many and diuers sectes they haue among their monkes and friers and b About the matter of the sacrament of the Lords supper they haue not so few as 200. diuers opinions diuers opinions among their schoolemen and how their late writers dissent both from fathers and schoolemen and among themselues I thinke hée woulde haue spared either to haue obiected vnto vs our dissensions or to haue talked of the authoritie of our religion To discredite the report of spirituall blessings bestowed on vs he a P. 5.6 saith further That before this change we beleeued the catholike faith of Christendome deliuered by the vniuersal church grounded vpon that rocke that cannot faile now beleeue onely either other mens opinioÌ„s or our owne fancies which choice is properly called heresie and héere hée thinketh to haue argued like a great doctor But first as his doctrine is strange so his stile is new and fantasticall For although hée sweate hard in séeking yet shall hee not finde that any one doctor saith That the vniuersall church doth deliuer to euerie priuate man the catholike faith for as schoolemen might teach him Actiones sunt suppositorum and it is not the whole kind but some one or other that doth this or that action Secondly most vntrue it is That either poperie is the catholike faith of Christendome or that the apostles or their catholike successors taught those errors of poperie which wee condemne Thirdly he doth vs wrong where he saith That our doctrine is diuers from the catholike faith of Christendome For whatsoeuer Christ or his apostles taught or is deliuered in the confessions of faith or créedes generally receiued of Christs Catholike church that wée beléeue and receiue refusing no point of catholike doctrine and all priuate fancies opinions heresies whether of popes or other heretikes and false teachers we renounce condemne and anathematize Héereof it followeth that the doctrine and faith of the church of England is most catholike and certaine being grounded vpon the apostles and prophets Christ Iesus being the corner stone which is a firme rocke against which the gates of hell cannot preuaile Grounded it is I say vpon the writings of the apostles and prophets endited by Gods holie spirite and thereunto not onely Councels and fathers but also the aduersaries themselues for the most part giue testimonie But the blinde papists haue deuised and receiued both new grounds of their religion and new doctrine which standeth onely vpon the authoritie of this pope and that pope whose fancie and opinion is all the certeintie they haue This is that rocke or rather banke of sand whereon the miserable papists faith is built For what the pope determineth that they hold to be the determination of the vniuersal church vpon his credite they receiue the scriptures Nay without his determination a Stapletonde author eccles they denie the scriptures to be authenticall b Princip doct lib. 9. c. 12. Stapleton teacheth that the church that is the pope at all times hath power to approue and taxe and consigne the bookes of holy scriptures In another place he c Ibidem lib. 11. c. 4. holdeth that vniuersall tradition is the most certaine interpreter of scriptures Generallie they hold that the pope is supreme iudge in all controuersies of faith and manners and that he is the iudge that cannot erre Hereof that followeth which this noddie obiecteth to vs That the faith of papists is built vpon the popes fancie and opinion which altering from time to time the faith of the Romish church is variable like the moone and vnstable as the sea Trusting to the popes determination from the Angelickes they haue receiued the worship of angels from the Collyridians the worship of the holy virgin Marie from the Carpocratians and Simon Magus and their disciples the worship of images from the Manichées and other heretikes prohibition of meates and dislike of mariage of priests and from other heretikes other damnable opinions So that their faith is not the catholike faith of Christendome but méere heresie grounded vpon the fancie and opinion of most wicked and vnlearned popes But d P. 6. saith this Noddie Why should you beleeue more your owne opinions then Caluin concerning the Queenes supremacie Luther concerning the reall presence and Beza in the church gouernment I answere first that these mens priuate opinions concerne not fundamentall points of faith And therefore that they are not to bée brought foorth for instance in this cause where we talke of the foundations reasons of Christian faith Secondly I deny that Caluin did deny the Quéenes supremacie in ecclesiasticall matters as we hold it For neither did he subiect princes to popes or priests in matter of their royall gouernment nor did hee denie princes power to establish ecclesiasticall lawes nor to command for Gods truth or to prouide for the setting foorth of true religion or redressing of disorders in churches or priests which are the principall points of supreme gouernment of princes in their realmes and dominions Neither do I thinke that any ancient father of the church did euer denie this power to princes Sure I am that many haue allowed it The reason why Caluin did once mislike the title of king Henry the eight was because hée was perswaded that hee had challenged all that power which the pope arrogateth to himselfe as head of the church wherein after that he was better informed he changed his stile and
retracted his opinion Thirdly I say we suspend our opinion and giue no approbation to Luthers opinion concerning the carnall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament for that we sée that doctrine to be new not taught by the apostolike church Nay we finde it to be repugnant to the apostles doctrine deliuered in Scriptures to the doctrine of the ancient catholike church and to the analogie of faith Lastly I say that in external gouernment it is not necessarie that all churches should concur and agrée séeing not onely the east churches differed from the west but the western churches also from themselues The churches of Afrike had diuers customes differing froÌ„ the churches of Italy a I ibâ—d sa 〈◊〉 Ambrose in his church at Milan thought it not necessary in al things to follow the church of Rome Further I say that it is not to be doubted but that it is better in matter of externall gouernment to folow the consent of antiquitie and succéeding ages rather then any mans priuate humour and opinion and therefore I doubt not but our cause is better and our grounde more certaine which in searching out the doctrine of Christian faith do build our selues vpon Christ and his apostles and vpon holy Scriptures approoued by consent of times descent of holy fathers bishops testimony of the most ancient church which all appéereth in ancient symboles of faith then that of the papists which in doubts and controuersies runne to this pope or that pope which for the most part is but a blocke or a sot and a man ignorant not onely in the controuersies but often in the grounds principles of Christian religion Now what assurance the papists can haue of their faith that haue no ground but in the determination of the pope I report me euen to the papists themselues that condemne priuate opinions and singuler mens fancies and in externall termes yéeld all not to this man or that man but to the iudgement of Christ his vniuersall church Another spirituall blessing a P. 6. and 7. saith our aduersarie is when good works follow faith as meeknes penance mortification of the flesh continencie virginitie fasting praying almes voluntarie pouertie renouncing of the world And that mens sauage natures should be altered by Christs doctrine he prooueth out of Isay the 11. where it is saide That the woolfe shall dwell with the lambe and the Pard lie with the goate And the calfe lyon and sheepe abide togither Lastly hée asketh Whether our doctrine hath wrought these effects of peace and meekenesse of penance and mortification and the rest I answer that the doctrine of the Gospell hath wrought good effects in all true Christians And that all such do good workes and liue according to their profession And albeit euerie one do not so square their liues according to Gods law as they should do yet compare our people with the papists nay with the priests and popes themselues whom they call most holy and I make no question but they do farre excell them In Quéene Maries time this land flowed with bloud of innocents Vpon her Maiesties entrance these cruell executions ceased Such was her clemencie that shée would not shed the blood of those woolues that had shed the most innocent blood of many others Nay albeit during the time of her sisters reigne shée had receiued many wrongs yet did shée forget al. So rare was her clemencie that euen strangers commend it Tanta eius animi extitit moderatio saith b Histor Gâ—nuens lib. 23. Peter Bizarus atque inuata clementia vt non immeritò de illa dici possit quod veteres de Seuero Alexandro Mammea matre genito posteris tradidere nempe anaematon hoc est citra sanguinem gessisse imperium cum suapte natura semper à caedibus crudelitate abhorrens nunquam adduci potuerit vt aliquem nisi publico iudicio damnatum ad supplicium rapi pateretur Her people likewise did folow her steps and neuer sought the blood of papists though the world knoweth they séeke ours In France and Flanders our side neuer tooke armes but in defence of their liues against those that sought to murder them In our victories likewise great clemencie hath béene vsed The king of Nauarre now king of France was euer admired for his great clemencie The English entring perforce into Caliz and other places shewed great moderation in their victorie In diuers places where religion is professed adulterie is punished with death fornication with corporall punishments other vnnaturall filthinesse is not named No where are stewes accompted lawfull Neither do we accompt any man a true professor that doth not moderate his affections and absteine from swearing drunkennesse pride and deale mercifully with the poore and conscionably with all If any man do otherwise he may liue among vs but he is not of vs. But the whoorish synagogue of Rome she is redde with the blood of saintes No tigre was euer more fierce or cruell This farre surpasseth the bloody city whereof the prophet a Nahum 3. speaketh the gouernours of this synagogue like wolues haue deuoured the lambes of Christ and not spared his flocke they imprison the true professors they spoile them torment them and kill them Innocent the third caused many thousands to be slaine in France Iohn the two and twentieth did b Io. Villan hist. fiorent 11. persecute the poore Christians of Armenia and hired the Saracens to war vpon them and all because they would not acknowledge his authoritie Martin the fift and his successors with fire and sword sought to ruinate the Bohemians onely for séeking reformation of abuses and redresse for the cruell execution of Iohn Husse murdred at Constance contrarie to the emperors safe conduct To forbeare to speake of former times the world knoweth that the warres of Germanie against the protestants as they are called were stirred vp by Paul the third and prosecuted with great rigour By the instigation of bloody priestes of the Romish synagogue the innocent christians of Cabriers Merindole and the villages néere adioyning were most cruellie slaine without respect of age sexe or qualitie These be the wolues that in the time of Quéene Mary made such hauock of Christs flocke in England that haue caused millions of christians in France Flanders and other places to be slaughtered Lib. hist 24. Natalis a popish writer saith that thréescore thousand were murdred in the massacre of France anno 1572. Cum amirante saith he Lutetiae Parisiorum in omnibus propè Gallicis ciuitatibus caesa fuisse dicuntur plura sexaginta millibus hominum factionis Vgonoticae nouae religionis And therefore he doubteth not to cal this execution Cruell and bitter The numbers of those that haue béene secretly murdred by the bloodie Inquisitors in Rome Italie Spaine is excéeding great the crueltie of the persecutors strange the patience of saints admirable Neither doe they onely practise crueltie against such as they accompt
of papists and telleth what monuments of learning they haue left behinde them and what vniuersities they haue built All which maketh nothing to the purpose For albeit there bée many learned men among them yet their common people may be very vnlearned and ignorant notwithstanding which is that whereabout we contend Againe if their learning be so great the greater shall bée their condemnation which in the knowledge of Christ Iesus are so ignorant themselues and suffer also the people to liue in ignorance Lastly albeit we will not deny them to be learned yet we doubt not but to match them with men of our profession and if we compare them with the ancient fathers they will be ouermatched But whatsoeuer their learning is good it were for them if they would vse it not to their owne but to Gods glory Likewise they teach That lay men may not meddle with matters of religion that is that Princes haue no power to reforme the church nor to make ecclesiasticall lawes And our aduersary confesseth That onely priests haue authority to define and determine matters of religion What reason then hath hée to quarrell with sir Francis Hastings séeing in effect he confesseth as much as hée laieth to his charge Forsooth saith he Because these words To meddle with matters of religion may haue a double sence But what if they might receiue a treble sence if the papists doe so remooue lay men from gouerment in ecclesiasticall causes that they néede not to care how God is serued then are they not wronged by him For hée doth not meane care in their owne behalfe but in respect of others And therefore his example of ministers wiues is very impertinent Neither hath hee reason to condemne lawfull mariage when he and his consorts wallow in all filthinesse to condemne I say the apostles doctrine which alloweth a bishop To be the husband of one wife when hée teacheth the doctrine of diuels that forbiddeth to marrie Finally Parsons the Iesuite hath no reason to condemne priests wiues when his true father as they say was a parson of a parish his mother also had béene more honest if shee had béene maried to the parson his father These iestes therefore if hée looke no better to his businesse may prooue him to bée irregular and vncapable of priesthood But what is that may hée say when a bastard maketh as good a Iesuite as hée that is well borne Where wée say that the papists stande more on externall complements and ceremonies then inwarde faith and other vertues onely requiring an outward profession and outward obseruations of going to masse to shrift and such like hee is much displeased with the matter and saith That his aduersary hath neither eies nor witte And yet this is the doctrine of the Romish church Vt aliquis absolutè dici possit pars verae ecclesiae saith a Lib. de ecclesia c. 3. Bellar. non putamus requiri vllam internam virtutem sed tantùm externam professionem fidei sacramentorum communionem quae sensu ipso percipitur And albeit he shoulde not so say yet it is apparent that those are accompted good Cacolickes that liue in obedience to the pope and obserue his lawes whatsoeuer they are otherwise Nay of late time they haue canonized murtherers traitors and rebels as for example Iames Clement that murthred Henry the thirde of France diuers of the rebels that rose with the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland in the north and such trecherous priests as came from the pope to betraie their countrey to strangers In times past also Thomas Becket was canonized for a saint albeit he was a traitor to his prince and countrey stirring vp forreine enimies against them moouing the pope to depriue his prince of his crowne running to professed enimies and consulting with them to the hurt of his prince causing the land to be enterdited and giuen as a spoile to forreine enimies which neither Iohn Baptist nor the holie fathers Athanasius Ambrose Hilary or Chrysostome either did or allowed to bée done And therefore as these examples fit not Thomas Beckets cause so Thomas Beckets example doth fitly shewe how loose men and disobedient subiects are enterteined by the pope and made saints in heauen albeit they deserue not to liue on earth Lipomanus and Surius and others I know tell many goodly tales of this saint but wée must remember that all the grounde they haue is their lying Legend and percase the popes sentence grounded vpon hearesaie Sir Francis saith further that Albeit the pope and his clergie commanded blasphemies and disloialties yet blind papists were made beleeue that the pope must be obeied vpon paine of damnation And his meaning is most true For although popes command matters impious against God and disloiall against princes yet their friers and flatterers do cōmend them for glorious merits woorthie of celestiall glorie Iames Clement the Dominican frier that murdred king Henry the third of France is estéemed a martyr of the popish synagogue Pope a The oration of Sixtus quint. la fulminante Sixtus quintus in the consistory of Cardinals commended this detestable act as A worke of God a miracle a rare exploit of Gods prouidence and compareth it to The most excellent mysteries of Christ his incarnation and resurrection Cardinall Como in his letter to Parry that went about to murder her Maiestie calleth the worke Meritorious Sanders doth greatly commend the rebels of the north that vpon the popes commandement went about to depriue their liege Souereigne of her crowne and kingdome And what hath either Parsons the Iesuite or this personate Noddy be hée what hée will to obiect against vs in this point Hée saith it is a shamelesse slander to say The pope commandeth either blasphemies against God or disloialties against princes And for the rest hée telleth vs That obedience to the pope is a commendation to catolike religion But the first is prooued by his decretales legends missals portuisses and other rituall bookes full of blasphemies The second is manifest by their practise There hath no such treason almost béene wrought against princes of late time but the same hath procéeded from the pope and béen managed by Iesuits and other friers and priests All the rebellions in England against Henrie the eight Edward the sixt Elizabeth now reigning had no other cause nor originall The late league or rather late rebellion of France against Henry the third and Henrie the fourth was made by the pope and enflamed by the vermine of friers his agents The Iesuites professe obedience to the pope as to Christ Boniface the eight maketh subiection to the pope to be a matter of saluation a De eccles milit c. 2. Bellarmine maketh it an essentiall part of a Cacolike or true member of the popes church And such trust haue papists in his iudgements concerning matters of faith that they thinke hée cannot be deceiued Nay if hée once either command or determine
to enter into disloial practises or else to allow their tyrannicall and vniust pretenses And therefore all this talke about the popes furious excommunications and other acts of hostilitie is méerely impertinent where the encounter and contention is about the practises of papists that shoulde shewe themselues subiects Fourthly the pope had no reason to complaine that popish prelates for adhering to him were restreined For no state may suffer such to enioy their libertie as adhere to forreine enimies Nor do the popes suffer their Cardinals or friers to adhere to others whom they accompt their enimies Fiftlie what had the pope to do withall albeit the Quéene for causes did forbid her subiects to depart the countrey Hath the prince no interest in his subiect but he may forsake him at pleasure The pope will not I thinke giue his people that libertie And if he will not giue that to his owne subiects what reason hath he to require it in other princes subiects Lastly the pope séeing his authoritie refuted in disputations he should rather in schooles and pulpits haue taught the truth then with armes in open fielde sought to ouerthrow the truth and the state both togither If hée were prooued to bée antichrist by scriptures he shoulde by like course haue answered The apostles neuer sought to establish their authoritie by force of armes nor by violence to plant religion The pope therefore doing contrary sheweth himselfe to be antichrist and Mahomets rather then the apostles successor The leasings contained in this allegation are likewise diuers and shamelesse To say that the Quéene began with the pope is not onely false but also a most vaine and ridiculous conceite For it is well knowne and testified by record that he did persecute her in the person of her parents when she was yet in the wombe when she was newly borne and sithence continually whereas her Maiestie onely medled with her owne kingdome without respect to the pope which hath no more power ouer her Maiestie or other christian princes then the great Turke For both their authorities are alike forced and vsurped Secondly it is a shamelesse vntruth to say That the body of religion that had endured here aboue a thousand yeeres should now be changed by vs. Let the Noddy or because he is but a silly diuine and taketh vp all at the second and third hand let the proudest of that side shew if they canne that we haue altered any one article of the christian faith or abolished one iot of the apostles doctrine As for the priuate masse without communion and the communion vnder one kind and the doctrine of transubstantiation adoration of the sacrament worship of angels saintes images and rotten bones and rags and other heresies and nouelties which the papists haue more then we they are not onely beside but also contrary to Christ and his apostles doctrine and the faith of christes church as our teachers haue heretofore shewed and we shall be able sufficiently to iustifie in any frée and lawfull councell and méeting against the stoutest champions of the popes side Thirdly eyther must he bring proofe of a promise made to the pope that no alteration should be made in religion by her Maiestie or else he will rest conuicted of another grosse lie As for the woluish prelates it is not greatly materiall what they promised For in king Henry the eight his dayes they promised to maintaine the kings royall authority against the pope Wherein Gardiner Bonner and Tonstall were principall agents yet did they respect their honest faith and true promise no more then if they had sayd nothing The fourth lie made here is That statutes were made against the pope with the most spitefull and opprobrious words that malice could deuise For those statutes which he meaneth were made rather for restoring the princes right vsurped by the pope contrary to law and reason then directly against the pope Againe albeit some tearmes vsed in the statutes séeme sharpe yet come they short of the popes desert To accuse the whole state of malice and spite for inueighing against the pope this fellow had no reason were he not a professed enemy of his country and a slaue to the pope and Spanyard and other publike enemies of this state The fift lie is That the whole body of England was forced to sweare against the pope For not any one man so farre is he short of the whole land was forced to sweare against the pope albeit he was neuer so worthy to be abiured and detested Onely those that desire either dignities in church and schooles or publike offices in the common wealth are commaunded to take the oathe for the mainteinance of the Quéens regall authority And if they list not yet may they liue priuate albeit they take not the oath Nay the oath is not tendred to them The sixt lie is That all the popish prelates and clergie were depriued of liuings and libertie and committed to prisons and there continued to their dying day His owne conscience if he haue any conscience can conuince him of it And infinite witnesses testifie and diuers records prooue the contrary For diuers of the popish clergie fled-ouer sea as Cutbert Scot Goldwel Maurice elect of Bangor and diuers others Some changed copy and reteined their liuings Diuers died before they were depriued as Hopton of Norwich Christophorson of Chichester White of Winchester and many more Of the rest some were neuer in prison as Oglethorp Poole others were restreined to their own houses as Heath of York Bane of Lichfeld Thurlby and Watson remained in the archbishops house at Lambith Bourne and Troublefeld deliuered out of the Tower died at their friends houses Such is the clemencie of her Maiestie and the mildenesse of our religion The 7. lie is that papists that Did not flie the land nor were imprisoned were forced to participate our sacraments Which this impious cōpanion calleth New deuised sacrament bread and saith It was anathematized by the Lutherans the first founders as hée writeth of our religion A lie composed of diuers vntruths For first wée enforce none to our religion Nay there is no penall statute against those that receiue not the Sacraments the more pittie Secondly hée cannot shew where the churches of Germany haue either anathematized or condemned our cōmunion Lastly wée do affirme and offer to prooue against the whole rable of Iesuits and friers that the sacraments of our church which this scornfull wretch so impiously reiecteth are most consonant to Christ his institution and the practise of the apostolike and catholike church But the blasphemous masse the halfe communion the idolatrous worship of the bread of the altar the abolishing of bread out of the sacrament the popish priesthoode the popish sacraments neither can they bée prooued nor will they be so defended but that the doctrine of papists and their practise will alwaies appéere to bée contrarie to Christ his institution and the doctrine of the catholike church
and deuised most slanderous letters in the emperors name against the yoong man And lastly for that the yoong earle was suspected for religion so giuen to his affectiōs that he did not himselfe desire any such matter nor if he had desired it could he haue bin liked by Winchester Neither skilleth it whether Winchester called him his spiritual childe or no. If he did then was hée an vnkinde spirituall father that gaue counsell to sende his childe away into Italy where by a most shamefull practise of this wicked generation he was poisoned and made away Resteth then that this practise of Winchester to bring in the authoritie of the pope and tyrannie of Spaniards was most dangerous to this state and ought to be most hatefull to this nation If he did not please the pope nor emperor neither as this our aduersarie pretendeth then was he odious to all the worlde His sermon certes preached at Paules crosse before the king and Quéene and popes legat declared that as in times past he had vsed his authority to persecute poore Christians so here he did abuse gods word to please the popes agent and those that fauoured his faction His text was Hora est iani nos de somno surgere which is taken out of Saint Paules epistle to the Romaines And out of this he went about to shew that since the church of England had departed from the subiection of the pope the people had continued as it were in a sléepe therefore did he conclude that euery man must awake and returne againe to the pope as if the apostle in those wordes had willed men to submit themselues and to returne to the obedience of the pope and to embrace his most vaine superstitions and his fantasticall and impious traditions which god wot was no part of the apostles meaning Nay he rather speaketh of the pope 2. Thes 2. where he mentioneth the man of sinne that shall sit in the temple of God and aduance himselfe aboue all that is called God And in this place he rather exhorteth worldlinges that are drowned in sensuality and pleasures and forget God while they follow the vanities of this world to awake and call themselues to a serious cogitation of spirituall matters For security and sencelesse stupidity is an image of sleepe or death rather And it may very well be applyed to those that eyther are besotted with popish ignorance not knowing any point of Christian faith or that walke in darkenesse of popish errors and will not awake out of their sencelesse sléepe and come to the light of Gods word that is offered to them For to speake truely the doctrine of popery is nothing but a doctrine of darkenesse of sleepe of death But let vs sée how our aduersary defendeth this noble sermon first saith he It was preached before the king and Queene the popes legat the embassadors of diuers princes and a great audience As if many great fooleries and vaine toyes had not béene declared before great princes and many auditors The more were present here the more witnesses there were of the mans great simplicity in mistaking and shamelesse impudency in peruerting the scriptures Secondly he telleth vs How Gardiners discourse was to shew how long the people of England had runne astray and beene in darkenesse of diuision and strife But first he séemed himselfe to be as it were in a sléepe when he talked of darkenesse and should haue spoken of sléepe For betwéene these two there is no small difference For many awake in the night and others sléepe at noone daye Secondly he committeth no smal error where he calleth the separation from popery Darknesse of diuision and strife For he that is ioyned to Christ walketh in light and they that liue vnder the pope continue in Egyptian darknesse Beside this darknesse doth rather worke confusion then diuision Thirdly he saith that Gardiner vttered two thinges that greatly mooued the whole auditory The first was the harty accusation of himselfe for his booke de vera obedientia Which he vttered wéeping like a great calfe and as our aduersary telleth vs With such vehemency as he was forced diuers times to make some pauses And that these teares were not feyned saith he It appeared in this that drawing to his end he said negaui cum Petro exiui cum Petro sed nendū amarè fleui cum Petro. The second was a relation how king Henry a litle before his death dealt with him secretly and seriously to go into Germany to a certaine diet and there to take some course that he might be reconciled to the pope But what maketh all this to the true expounding of this text Hora est iam nos de somno surgere Surely no more then if he should haue talked of clypping of goates or shearing of swine and such idle fancies as be represented to men in their sléepe Besides that here are many vntruthes conteined of which I haue great cause to doubt whether euer they were vttered in so famous and publike an auditory or no. First it is a most shamelesse vntruth to affirme that euer the king desired to be reconciled to the pope his words his actions yea all his procéedings tended to the contrarie and of this point he was so well resolued that rather he sought to perswade others to renounce the pope then determined himselfe to returne to the pope Finally what coulde be deuised more absurd then to feine that such a noble and magnanimous prince did voluntarily submit himselfe to a base enimie which by no force nor perswasion he coulde bée induced to do Secondly it is an absurd thing to thinke that if the king meant to do any such matter he would impose the charge vpon him that had written against the popes power and forsworne it and vntill the protectors death in king Edwards daies did acknowledge the princes supremacie Thirdly it is apparent that the king long time before his death suspected him for a secret traitor and coulde no way abide that he shoulde come in his presence as the Lord Paget and sir Anthonie Browne the Duke of Suffolke and diuers others testified And therefore if any such thing had béene in the kings head he woulde rather haue vsed any other then him At least he woulde haue declared his minde to some of his Counsails beside Gardiner Fourthly I cannot learne that euer the bishop of Winchester did speake these wordes at Paules crosse And therefore most like it is they haue béene forged since and fathered vpon him Lastly if the king woulde haue any such matter handled he woulde not haue sent into Germany but to Rome neither néeded hée to haue doubted but hée shoulde most willingly haue bin receiued if he had entended any such submission Al these points therefore séeme to haue bin deuised by some lying companion stand onely vpon the bare credite of this our wise aduersarie without proofe of any one witnes or record and therefore we may well conclude that the second
reasons As in a great and noble house saith he Iarres and breaches falling out betwixt the goodman and the goodwife their eldest children may declare what they thinke with reuerence to both parts so in the church her Maiestie beeing our mother and the pope the spirituall father to all cacolikes Cardinall Allen Sanders Bristow Stapleton and such like as elder children may speake their mindes as well of the causes of the breaches betweene them as of the right of both parties This is the summe of his defence but how vnsufficient you shall easily iudge by the sequele First it standeth on false groundes Secondly it conteineth ridiculous matter Thirdly it maketh against him that made it For first we denie the pope to be any christians spirituall father For hée begetteth none by preaching but destroieth infinite soules by maintaining false doctrine and ruinateth christendome by warres murders and trecherous practises We deny also that Allen Sanders or any such trecherous companion hath any prerogatiue of birthright either in church or common-wealth Nay they haue declared themselues to be traitors and strange children enimies to their prince countrey We say further that no lawfull bishop much lesse the pope that is onely a bishop in name and title hath power to depriue a prince of his state We say finally it is a malepert part for a childe to determine that the father may put awaie his mother and such a one with a little helpe will declare his father a cruell husband his mother a dishonest woman and himselfe a bastardly sonne Secondly it is ridiculous to compare the pope to the goodman and princes to the good wife of the house séeing these two do neuer kéepe house togither and considering that the pope doth in his owne order vtterly condemne lawfull mariage Againe what more fonde then to compare the popes hostile procéedings to iarres that fall out betwixt man and wife in a priuate house Doth the goodman vpon euery iarre damne and curse his wife Doth he seeke to cut her throte as this good fellow doth the Quéenes Lastly how ridiculous is it to compare Allen Sanders Bristow Stapleton and such like to children when they haue declared themselues old knaues ouergrowne in all trecherie and villanie and run out of their natiue countrey Do children runne from their mother and forsake her house to follow a reputed father I knowe not where Is not this the part of bastardes and not of children Thirdly if children ought with reuerence to respect their mother then is this Allen a most vnnaturall sonne that hath with all villanous and reprochfull termes railed against his mother Then are the rinegued priests Iesuites and their consorts murdring parricides that by all meanes haue sought the destruction of their mother nay of the most kinde mother that euer this people of England had Againe if shée be as the good wife and the pope as the good man yet must not he take vpon him to be iudge in his owne cause Nor ought any woman to be dispossessed of her right but by lawfull iudges and orderly procéeding It is a strange kind of diuorce that is made by force of armes But what eyther Parsons the Iesuite talketh of the affection of parents that neuer knew his right father or bastardly traytors talke of the right of princes of which they are ignorant it greatly skilleth not Wherefore seeing nothing is more apparent then that Cardinall Allen conspired with the pope and Spaniardes to worke the destruction of his prince and countrey and came with them anno 1588. ready with fire and sworde to destroie this lande and when hée coulde do no woorse barked out a multitude of hellish slanders against the prince the state and all goodmen among all the traitors and enimies of this countrey he deserueth to be in the first ranke The same accompt also we are to make of N. D. and all his consorts that allow his villanies and treasons And thus much may suffice to answere our aduersaries in wordes The rest I referre to those that carry the sworde which no doubt will prouide as in such time of danger the magistrates of Rome were woont Ne quid resp detrimenti ab istis capiat CHAP. V. Of Iesuites and their disciples and consorts against N. D. his fift encounter THe dispute and controuersie betwixt our aduersarie vs béeing héere about Iesuites their leud and bloudie practises I woulde gladly knowe the reason why he runneth out into so large and ample a discourse of his father the pope in this chapter and the rather for that he hath reserued for him a proper and a peculiar tract and a place of great dignitie in that part that foloweth héereafter Was it not thinke you to let vs vnderstand howe nobly the Iesuites are descended hauing Antichrist for their father and the whoore of Babylon for their mother If this were not the cause then let Parsons the Iesuite the author of the Wardeword I trow and one that for want of a father is constreined to runne to the pope that is now the father of all ribaldes traytors murderers empoisoners and enimies to this state let him I saie shewe me what is the true cause He may do well also to shew vs in what bordell he left the honest woman his mother and to set downe his whole petigrée that hée may cléere himselfe of irregularitie and let his friendes vnderstand his descent and high nobilitie In the meane while let vs sée what he hath to say first for his holy father and next for himselfe and his consorts First he is much offended that the popes doctrine is called Dregs poison and superstition but assuredly without iust cause For who séeth not that the principall ground of poperieis tradition Themselues say that traditions are of equall dignitie to the Scriptures If then it be drawne out of cisterns of traditions and not out of the pure streames of gods word it is no maruell if in these cisterns there be found much dregs corruption Now adde vnto traditions all the popes decretals and scholasticall fancies and subtilties of friers and their followers and then the filth of popish doctrine must néedes séeme much greater Againe séeing they haue drawne into their synagogue many customes whereof some are Iewish other prophane and heathenish they haue no wrong to bee charged with superstition From the Iewes they draw their Leuiticall priesthood the formes of their sacrifice and all the furniture of the masse their paschall lambe their Iubiley and popedome From the heathen they borrow their sacrifices and praiers for the dead their purgatorie the parts thereof their stationarie obambulations about the limits of parishes the canonizing and worship of saints departed their holy water and many such like ceremonies Lastly they haue translated many points of old condemned heresies into their cacolike religion With the Simonians they buy and sell freely not onely benefices and things annexed to spirituall things but also sacraments not
sparing their holy God of the altar Deteriores sunt Iuda saith Christ in Saint a Onus ecclesiae c. 23. Brigits reuelations qui pro solis denarijsme vendidit illi autem pro omni mercimonio She speaketh of priests that trucke and barter masses for all manner of commodities yea to whoores for a nights lodging With the Angelicks they worship angels with the Staurolatrians they worship the crosse crucifixe giuing to the same diuine worship With the Collyridians they worship the virgin Marie With the Manichees they bring in halfe communions or communion in one kinde With the Carpocratians and Simonians and heathen idolaters they fall downe and offer incense and worship dumbe images With the Pelagians they beléeue merits and iustification by workes And almost out of euery heresie haue taken a peece as hath béene lately they say iustified against Giffords treatise intituled Caluinoturcismus Well therefore may it be saide that popish doctrine is full of poison and vnaduised was our aduersarie to charge vs with heresie or to mention any such matter séeing the blame must needes redounde vpon himselfe and vpon his consorts of the Romish synagogue Secondly he telleth vs That ecclesiasticall supremacy ouer all Christian nations is proper and essentiall to the popes office and that to his apostolicall authority is annexed the office of preaching But that should more properly and substantially haue béene prooued This beeing graunted doth shew that the pope doth faile in his apostolicall or rather apostaticall office For if preaching and féeding Christes flocke belong to the popes office why doth he not preach Why doth he not féede Nay why doth he famish Christes flocke by murdering all true preachers that come within his danger He answereth that The pope is obliged to preach by himselfe or by others But Saint Peter a farre greater apostle and greater man in apostolicall gouernment then the pope preached by himselfe and put not ouer his charge as the pope doth to Iesuites and Friers that preach more heresie and sedition then true doctrine The old bishops of Rome also which were honester men then these late popes put not ouer their charge but preached themselues and in their owne person executed all bishoplie functions Yea and saint Paule telleth vs that the office of a bishop is a good worke and not as the popish bishops make it a naked bare title To conclude this is also the iudgement of a In 1. Tim. 3. Ambrose Chrysostome Theodoret and all that write on the third of the first to Timothie from whence our authoritie is drawne He procéedeth notwithstanding further and professeth openly That when the pope leaueth his supremacy and embraceth that religion that is preached in England he ceaseth to be pope Which I do in part also confesse to be most true For antichrist shall in the church of God exalt himselfe and clayme not onely supreme but also diuine power He shall also defend manifold heresies and abhorre all true doctrine that may concerne his supreme title And if he should not so do he should not shew himselfe to be antichrist Herein therefore the Iesuites and he may be conioyned and march together hand in hand For all of them haue shut their eies and hardened their hartes against Christes true doctrine although it be to their shame in this life among all godly Christians and if they repent not shall be to their euerlasting confusion in the life to come Yet this hard faced Sycophant sticketh not to glory in his shame and to reioice that the pope and his children the Iesuites are matched togither At the length our aduersarie hauing highly extolled the father of heretikes and traitors the pope he descendeth to discourse of the popes darlinges begotten by him now in his declining state and decrepit age the Iesuites and saith They haue many enimies A matter true and by vs confessed and by them well deserued being a sect new vpstart and openly professing obedience to antichrist and enmitie to Apostolike and true catholike religion a societie conspiring mischiefe against al such as they hate practising diuision in priuate houses sedition and trouble in common-wealthes treason against godly princes and leauing the markes of their abominations and wicked actions behinde them wheresoeuer they come A generation stirred vp by Sathan to disturbe the peace of Christendome and to scourge all those that are not thankefull for the reformation of Gods church nor studious in seaâ—ching the truth nor zealous in rooting out of heresies and planting true religion What maruell then if they haue many enimies among those especially that beare good mindes either to true religion or to the state where they liue As for the example of Christian religion and of the first Christians and Christes disciples the holy apostles which were euery where spoken against and persecuted which the discourser our party pretendeth and alleageth to iustifie the generall opposition of al sorts of men against the Iesuits it fitteth his purpose nothing The example likewise of godly men that are often put to their trials is excéedingly euil applied to this sect of vngodly fellowes most absurdly doth he compare these Antijesuites to Christ Iesus that was as it were a marke set vp to be contradicted and was hated and persecuted of those that were of most eminent authoritie among his nation borrowing as it shoulde séeme a péece of some olde declamation vttered in the college of Iesuites or else where in praise of this sect and thrusting it in héere His defence I say is absurd and his comparisons most odious First Christ Iesus that I may beginne with him that is the beginning and fountaine of all spirituall graces and whom these Antijesuites do seeme in some things to counterfait and yet in most things oppugne came from God and did teach no doctrine but which he had receiued from his father humane traditions and pharisaicall boasting of workes of the law he disallowed and condemned These Antijesuites that I say no worse of them come from the pope and teach his decretalles and doctrine grounding themselues vpon mens traditions and vainely bragging of their owne merits and workes Christ Iesus loued his owne and was beloued of his owne These vsurpers of the name of Iesus loue none but theÌ„selues and were charged by their owne friends and were accused of heresie schisme and many grieuous crimes as witnesseth Ribadineira that wrote the legend of his father Ignatius Our sauiour â—or determining controuersies and finding out the truth sent vs to the law and the prophets these destroyers of soules send vs to the pope and his tribunall and most vaine decretalles Iesus Christ though Lord of heauen and earth taught obedience to Caesar and earthly princes these fellowes albeit neither lordes nor princes yet teach disobedience to princes and dissolue the bond of obedience that tyeth subiectes to their superiors Christ Iesus was the true shepheard and sought the saluation of his flocke and albeit iniuriously apprehended and
for that they peruert scriptures and corrupt the fathers and other auncient writers both adding and taking away and altering the text Which power Gregory the thirtéenth in a bull bearing date Anno 1575. séemeth to haue giuen vnto them That this diuision containeth diuers vntruthes it will appeare by these arguments Where he saith They are hated for their rule which notwithstanding is the same in substance with other religions and a way to perfection there are thrée apparent vntruthes First true Christians rather abhorre them for their vnruliâ—es then for their rule and other sectes albeit they loue their rule yet hate the men for their leud conditions and their friendes in regard of their rule that agréeth so well with the popes humor do loue them Secondly this rule is diuers from Christes rule which is the onely true and direct rule of religion It varieth also in infinite pointes from the rules both of monkes and begging friers Neither canne this be denyed For if it were the same yea euen in substance what should we néede this new rule hauing Christes rule Beside what meane the Iesuites to adde a fourth vowe and so many strange constitutions and lawes If the profession of Iesuites be the same that the ancient eremites or monkes professed why do they tie themselues with such othes and practise in matters of state and thrust themselues into the prease of people which the first monkes did not Thirdly it is most absurd to affirme or thinke that Ignatius Loyola could deuise a more perfect rule then Christ Iesus or that Christ deuised not a perfect rule but that we should néede Ignatius a lame soldiers and blind guides helpe The Iesuites therefore are hated not so much for their rule as for other iust causes And no more doth the commendation of ancient monkes belong to them then the prases of the ancient people of Israell to the obstinate Iewes that crucified Christ or of the old Romaynes to the scumme of the world that doth now inhabite Rome It is also most vntrue that they are hated for their learning for not their learning but the abuse of their learning which is wholy employed to maintaine heresies doth make honest men to suspect them and abhorre them Would they teach the catholicke faith as this man pretendeth they do they should be beloued and embraced But he must know that their doctrine of the popes power and supremacy of the sacraments of the Romish church of purgatorie and infinite other points is not catholike Much therefore is hée deceiued that thinketh wée account the name of a Iesuite to bée a crime for both master Topcliffe whom hée bringeth in to witnesse this point and many others can tell that their treasons practises and lewdnesse haue made them odious and not the name of Iesuites onely Lastly the defence of this discourser is very vnsufficient For it is not inough to say that they haue a rule and learning and liue orderly but they must haue their office and calling allowed by Christ Iesus if they meane to take vpon them the office of pastors teachers and gouernors in Christes church Wherefore eyther let them shew themselues to haue a lawfull calling or let them not thinke much to be thrust out as intruders We do not finde either in the epistle to the Epâ—esians chap. 4. or the first Epist to the Corinthians chap. 12. any such extrauagant friers Neither in ancient writers is any precedent of their Loyolian profession to be found Nay we do not read that Christ commaunded any to forsweare mariage or to giue away their goods to idle vagabondes or to obey the rules of Ignatius but rather the contrarie Further it is not sufficient in termes to praise the doctrine and manners of Iesuites vnlesse this discourser were able to iustifie the same by the rule of Christes doctrine and example of Christ and his apostles and the holy fathers of the church But that will be very hard for him to do Christ neuer taught that princes were to bee deposed by the apostles or their successors or that it was lawfull to kill excommunicate persons These teach that it is lawfull for the pope to depose princes and that it is lawfull for the subiects to rebell against such as the pope shall excommunicate and to kill them Benedict Palmio a Parries voluntary confession and Annibal Codret two famous Iesuites did not onely teach William Parry that it was lawfull to kill the Quéene of England but also that it was an act very meritorious Varade a Iesuite of Lion in confession did absolue Peter Barriere that went about to murder the French king now reigning and did assure him that it was a most noble and Christian act for which he shoulde obteine celestiall glorie as the saide Peter being executed at Melun for the saide attempt confessed who likewise affirmed that another Iesuite whose name he knew not did concurre with Varade in the same opinion In Paris the Iesuites not onely resolued that it was lawfull to kill king Henry the third but also by their perswasions did induce Iames Clement to effect the same Richard Williams Edmund Yorke Patricke Ocollen Iohn Sauage and diuers others that haue béene at seuerall times executed for attempting to kill the Queene confessed that they were perswaded to it by Holt and other Iesuites and were also made beléeue that it was a most meritorious act Lately one Edmund Squire confessed that hée was induced to empoison the Quéene by Walpoole an English Iesuite in Spaine Peter Panne confessed before his execution at Leiden that hée was hired to kill the Count Morice the terror of the papists and a great protector of the oppressed in the Low countries Neither is it to bee doubted but that this is the common resolution and iudgement of all Iesuites For if it be lawfull for subiects to rebell against their princes vpon the popes warrant and commandement as they holde then is it also lawfull to kill them and murder them For armes are not taken vp for other end then to force and kill all that resist Secondly it is not likely that so many woulde concurre in this perswasion if they did not like it Thirdly they woulde not teach it openly as did Comolet in the last siege of Paris saying That there wanted an Ahud meaning there wanted one to kill the king Fourthly they woulde not otherwise in their colledges dispute resolue that it was lawfull to kill princes excoÌ„municate by the pope And this is prooued first by the confession of one Chastel a scholler of the Iesuites that wounded Henry the 4. of France purposed to haue killed him And secondly by the writings of one Ghineard a Iesuit of the colledge of Clermont in Paris a In the register of the court of Parliam of Paris Chastell being demanded Whether this question viz. whether it was not lawfull to kill the king was not ordinarily talked of and disputed among Iesuites answered that hee hath oftentimes
ensuing not for the testimonie of truth Euill therfore are those words of Iustine apolog 1. concerning the patient suffering of Christians applied to Iesuites that are neither martyrs nor good Christians nor suffer for other cause but their offences and that most vnwillingly and vnpatiently as by Campian and by diuers examples may bée prooued The comparison likewise betwixt the first Christians that were charged to be Syluestres and Syluicolae and the Iesuites is most improper For Iesuites neither liue in woodes nor holes as did the first Christians but in princely pallaces and kinges courts and in the presse of people Neither are they retired for meditation but runne disguised ouer the worlde and thrust themselues into all companies to practise them wicked treasons and to execute their holie fathers desseignements Hee braggeth very much of the Iesuites teaching and of their reading artes toongs and sciences As if artes toongs and sciences were not as well taught before the name of this sect was heard of and shall not bee so againe when the whole order of them shall be extinguished As for their teaching it should bée much more commendable if with truth and knowledge they did not mingle falshoode heresie and poison and their toongs were more to bée estéemed if they did not teach them to spread lies and slanders But whatsoeuer their teaching is they enter vpon the pastors office and intrude themselues into it without commission and authoritie Nay they enter by other waies then the dore and in the folde make hauocke of Christes lambes Hée compareth them also to saint b 1. Cor. 15. Paule that saith Abundantius omnibus laboraui and to the rest of the most holy apostles Nay in the end hée doubteth not to iustifie the turbulent procéedings of the Iesuites by the example of Christ Iesus who was charged with troubling the people and forbidding to pay tribute to Caesar as hée saith but the difference and oddes is so great as may make a man woonder why hée compared things so vnlike togither The apostles were makers of peace most humble and méeke men true disciples of Christ and most painfull laborers in planting true religion drawing men to Christ But these false apostles are sowers of sedition trumpets of warre proud braggers and boasters of their angelicall holinesse painfull labours and profound learning conterfect Christians and true disciples of Satan Painefull labourers but to ouerthrow rather then to build to drawe men to antichrist and not to Christ not séeking to win soules by teaching the meanes of saluation but to destroy soules by teaching false doctrine vaine traditions and by bringing men into the thraldome of antichrist Christ and his apostles were accused most vniustly These most iustly as hath béene verified Christ made a diuision in the world making good of bad and separating the good from the bad But the Iesuites make of good bad and set diuision where there was peace before as appéereth by their whole procéeding Yea and our aduersarie confesseth that of colde cacolikes they make hot recusants Therefore may they bée iustly called Rerump incendiarij that is burners of common-wealthes and fire-brands of Satan that of good subiects by their reconcilements make seditious leaguers desperate murtherers busie practisers and perturbers of states But a P. 69. saith he It appeareth not that the Iesuites haue sought her Maiesties bloud especially not Parsons that was neuer accused by Parry Sauage Ballard Babington Hesket Daniel Polwhele or others As if any thing could appeare more cleare then the murderous minde of Iesuites both against al princes excommunicate by the pope and namely against her Maiestie Do they not teach that the subiectes are to rise against their princes when the pope commaundeth Did not Ghineard resolue that it was lawfull to kill princes excommunicate by the pope And was not he therefore executed at Paris anno 1594. And haue not diuers Iesuites sent men ouer into England and perswaded them to murder her Maiestie And haue not diuers witnesses testified so much as before hath béene declared And hath not Ribadineira or rather a ribaldy lying frier a Portingale Iesuite by all meanes b This Ribald hath set out Sanders booke of schisme in Spanish with many additions and falsification◠sought to dishonour her Maiestie to stirre her subiectes to séeke her ouerthrow in his most slaunderous booke of schisme Finally we must not thinke that the Iesuites haue had eyther other purpose or desire this many yéeres then to stirre vp sedition and warres against her and to bring the realme vnder the pope and Spanyard whome they serue which cannot be done without the destruction of her person and the desolation of this realme Neither may we thinke that Parsons the Iesuite albeit for some purpose percase he hath kept himselfe from open managing of treasons is better disposed towardes her Maiestie and the state then the rest of his companions For all Iesuites allow the popes power in deposing princes which cannot be without their destruction Yea and Parsons himselfe hath not dealt so closely but that there are many great and euident proofes of his disloyalty and trechery For not onely the booke set out vnder the name of Dolman concerning the succession to the crowne of England is his but also diuers other a Andreas Philopater Leycesters common wealth a confutation of causes c. treasonable bookes and pamphlets whereby he goeth about not onely to stirre vp troubles in England but also to conuey the title of the crowne to the infant of Spaine and to bring in strangers for which he is reprooued by a certaine popish priest not altogether so leud as himselfe in a b Pag. 12. passim treatise printed at Collen anno 1600. and intituled A discouery of a counterfait conference c. Published by one Parson that dare not auow his name Yea and so farre hath he intricated himselfe in these matters that the generall of the Iesuites is ashamed of him and hath therefore called him out of Spaine and made him rector of boy-priests in the English colledge at Rome as being a person blotted with notorious treasons Secondly in this treatise which is either Parsons his deuise or at least allowed by Parsons not onely the cause of rebels and traitors that haue sought to destroy her Maiestie is pleaded but also the fact of Ghineard the Iesuite that expresty c His notes appeere in the registre of the court of parliament of Paris and in the sixt recueil of matters of the league determined That Henrie the third of France was iustly slaine and that tyrants in which degrée hée putteth all princes excommunicate by the pope may lawfully by any be slaine Thirdly he is a factor for the pope and Spaniard nowe professed enimies of her Maiestie and this kingdome And all the worlde knoweth that they haue nothing more in their vowes then her Maiesties ruine Fourthly hée is a Iesuite whose oath and profession is to do
speaketh of the first our question is of the second kind of conscience as is euident by our aduersaries wordes who teacheth that if our consciences perswade vs to do any thing that we are bound to do it although our reason lead vs wrong Which is contrary not onely to the apostle but also to the schoolemen The apostle saith Whatsoeuer is not of faith or a good conscience is sinne And the schoolemen teach as I haue shewed that an erroneous conscience is not to be folowed but rather forsaken So that if we folow the apostles rule then those that vpon false perswasions abstaine from hearing Gods eternall word and coÌ„municating with vs in the sacraments and that go to idole seruice and eat bread that is made an idole do offend gréeuously for that this cannot procéede of conscience but rather is against good conscience Fourthly he assureth vs That the conscience of papistes that refuse to go to the church is grounded vpon so sure and euident groundes as any demonstration in the world can lay downe And his ground is this That the religion professed by papistes is true and that therefore they may not seeme to professe any other And here he thinketh he standeth firme immooueable But if this be his ground his building is founded vpon sand and vpon a cleare vntruth For neither shall he euer be able to disprooue that truth which we professe nor to iustifie those pointes of popish religion which we condemne If he will promise to do it I will giue him what tearme he pleaseth And to the entent all deceiued papists may sée his vanitie I will shewe him b See the 4. encounâ—â— following this treatise héereafter what the points are that hée cannot prooue In this place it is sufficient to shewe that his popish positions are contradicted in the greatest part of christendome But no firme demoÌ„stration can be grounded vpon vntrue or doubtfull propositions Aristotle c Analyt post 1. telleth vs that demonstrations are syllogismes That worke certaine knowledge But this demonstration of his is nothing but a mist or rather darknesse to deceiue ignorant people Wherefore let all papisticall Recusants beware what they beleeue vpon others credite The Iesuites teach them lies for truth heresie for faith antichrist for Christ superstition and falsehood for true religion and draw from them all meanes of their saluation Fiftly hée telleth vs That wee do greatly discredite our doctrine which wee were woont to teach viz. That no man shoulde be forced in matters of his conscience But the discredite is rather his that either vnderstandeth not our doctrine through his dulnesse or else cauilleth about this matter of forcing the conscience without iust cause then ours that teach as wee did euer and vary not from our doctrine in our practise Wée say as wée did euer that the conscience neither ought to bée forced with tortures and terrors of death neither can be forced For faith founded vpon sure groundes surmounteth all violence of tyrants and crueltie of persecutors which terrifieth and discourageth none taught rightlie in Christs schoole As for the sauage and barbarous crueltie of the popish synagogue that purple whoore of Rome Whose a Apocal. 17. vesture is red with the blood of Saints and which without difference of age sexe or qualitie tortureth hangeth burneth and killeth true Christians it is odious not onely to those that vnderstand the truth but also to the milder sort of the aduersaries Further albeit no man can bée forced to religion yet all gentle courses are to bée vsed to draw men to religion For this cause wée exhort the weake and ignorant and with pecuniarie mulctes wée represse those that are wilfull and obstinate And this is all the punishment that her Maiestie vseth against recusants too little certes if wee respect either their deserts or the malice of our enimies neither do we thinke it either vnlawfull to procéed further against hereticall teachers that corrupt Christs doctrine with their leuen or sufferable that notorious blasphemers and railers at religion shoulde escape vnpunished So then wee beléeue that religion is to be taught and not by terrors thrust vpon the people and yet denie not but that such as bee wilfull disturbers of the state of the church or common-welth ought to bée punished Neither is there any repugnance betwixt these two courses Onelie let papists absteine from practises and for the rest they are secured both of life libertie lands and goods We seeke them and not theirs and onely proceede against such as shew open contempt against our religion and yet vse all câ—emencie vnlesse their vntollerable abuses against church and state vrge vs to extremitie Finally he doth preferre the orders of the popish synagogue that burneth not onely those that forsake their religion a The papists cannot dissemble their bloody crueltie but such also as will not come vnto their religion The popes religion he calleth The faith of all Christendome and saith That such as thinke hardly thereof ought rather to be barred from comming to the church then drawne thither Wherein he sheweth first his cruelty and bloudy humor that seemeth to reioyce in slaughter and commendeth the woluish nature of the Romish synagogue Secondly his folly and treacherie that betraying his clients cause would haue them punished with death For if all that forsake the faith of Christ and his apostles be to suffer death then will it go hard with his clients the recusantes who pretending catholicke faith indeede do embrace the priuate doctrine and faction of popes Thirdly his impudency that dare auouch the popish religion to be the faith of all Christendome which notwithstanding is contradicted by the easterne churches and forsaken of a great part of the west church and is onely maintained by fire and sword and cruelty Lastly his ignorance in teaching religion that would haue such as do not like all points of faith to bée barred out of the church Which course neither by our Sauiour nor by his apostles nor by any true teachers of Christianitie was euer practised Nay our Sauiour inuiteth all to come to him when hée had made readie to feast his friends woulde haue guestes compelled to come in Likewise the apostles taught all that came and opened their armes to embrace all that were desirous to learne The ancient fathers by all meanes sought to draw people to the church and shut the doores against none that was willing to come in What then shoulde we thinke of the aduersaries but as of enimies of Christ true religion that seeke to murder and famish Christs flocke In the meane while let vs holde on our course and with our Sauiour call al men and refuse none that are willing to heare And thus an ende of the first consideration that concerneth the hurt that popish Recusants do Next we are to consider What hurt they would do that briefly Now that is apparent First by their hatred against religion
the king and stirreth vp both his subiects and forreine enimies against him but also curseth and banneth all his friends subiectes and partakers Their goods hée giueth away for a spoile their persons hée will haue solde for slaues and the waste of the whole lande hée woulde haue remaine as a monument of his holinesses great displeasure Neither did it content him to prosecute the liuing onely vnlesse the dead also were throwne out into the fieldes as vnwoorthy of christian buriall Such is the charitie of his holinesse towards christians and his louing affection toward the English nation Neither was Paule the thirdes fact singular For in our times Pius quintus and Sixtus quintus haue published no lesse odious and scandalous excommunications against her most gracious Maiestie most bitterly cursing her and all her louing subiects then their predecessor did against Henry the eight and his people Further they haue not onely gone about to trouble this state by rebellions but also to subuert it by forreine b The plots were taken vpon Criton a Iesuite Throgmorton and others inuasions Haue wee not then great cause to honor and loue the popes holinesse that hath shewed himselfe so friendly to our princes and nation Wée may do well also to entertaine such priestes and friers as come from him séeing they wish vs no more harme then the destruction of the prince the ouerthrow of religion and the state the slaughter of our people Neither haue they any thing in their vowes but that all our throtes were cut by the Spaniard Nay when neither by open hostilitie nor secret treasons and practise they could preuaile against vs they haue encouraged certaine railing and scurrilous companions by infamous libels to defame her Maiestie to raile on her chéefe Counsellors and to dishonor all our nation and those especially that haue shewed themselues most forward in dooing God and their countrey seruice This prating companion sheweth himselfe verie spitefull albeit hée woulde dissemble it Sanders Rishton Allen Ribadineira and others haue published cart-lodes of slanders and lies against the Prince the Nobilitie and diuers other honest men Finally beside these wrongs and disgraces which concerne matters temporall the popes of Rome haue gone about to wrong vs in matters spirituall which concerne the saluation of our soules For they haue not onely sought to depriue vs of the worde of God in our mothers language of true faith and doctrine of the sincere administration of the Sacraments and of a true ministerie according to Christ his institution but also in lieu thereof to establish the idolatrous worship to stocke and stones of angels of saints departed and to bring into the church the abomination of the masse togither with manifold superstitions impieties and heresies And for this cause they haue secretly sent into this lande diuers a It is thought that aboue 400. of them are dispersed in diuers corners in England troopes of massing priestes and friers all marked with antichristes brand to seduce simple people and to draw them to superstition idolatrie and heresie Wherefore let all true christians and true harted Englishmen open their eies and beware that they be not oppressed both with spirituall and temporall bondage and slauerie This is it which the popes of Rome entend and haue by so many practises laboured this is also the drift of this glauering parasites discourse This the merchants of Babylon and slaues of antichrist which secretly lurke in diuers corners of this lande watching their oportunitie do wholie purpose But remember that you haue faire warning CHAP. VIII Of the Spanish nation and king Philip the second and his practises against England wherein also the eight encountre of our aduersarie N. D. is examined LOth I am and very vnwilling where the different betwixt vs and the Spaniard hath béene so long in deciding by blowes to begin any long contention about words termes It is a cōmon saying words are light as winde and men of action in wordes commonly vse least ostentation Beside that I holde it no good course to set out inuectiues against princes and especially such as are now departed this life and haue receiued their guerdon whether they haue done good or euill The popes and their parasites take to themselues libertie in infinite slanderous pamphlets to disgrace all men opposite to their faction neither sparing prince nor priuate person liuing nor dead but all honest men detest this frierlike fashion I thinke it also a vaine thing to recount matters formerly past that concerne vs little or nothing But yet seeing this pratling and busie felow our aduersarie will néedes haue the Spanyards and their late king the subiect of this encounter and like a fugitiue traytor sticketh not to aduance them aboue his owne nation and to pleade their cause against his owne prince and country I am content thus farre to reason of them as that men may learne how farre to trust them and vnderstand that we haue no reason either to feare their force or to yéelde them any superiority or to thinke better of the Spanyard then of our owne nation Lastly least any might suppose our aduersary to haue spoken wisely and learnedly I will briefely runne ouer his discourse and note the leudnesse and vnsufficiency of his pleading His vnnaturall and vnkind dealing against his prince and nation before which he taketh on him to preferre the Spaniard I néede not to note for it is too too apparent and sufficientlie knowne to any that will take paines to read ouer his idle discourse The time hath béene when the English and Spaniardes did well agrée as appeared not onely by mutuall trade and conuersation of both nations one with another but also by diuers publike contractes and leagues made betwixt them Sometime the kinges of England matched with the house of Spaine and sometime the Spanish kings haue had their wiues out of England and both of them estéemed much of the amity eache of other albeit the Spaniard hath béene more happy to receiue more profit of this coniunction with England then our nation by our matches and linking with the house of Spaine For by the aide of our archery the Spaniardes diuers times haue obteined victory against the Mores and Don Pedro king of Castile béeing expulsed by his subiects by the blacke prince and the English forces was restored to his kingdome Neither could Ferdinand king of Spaine so easily haue possessed the kingdome of Nauarre had not the forces of English sent for his aide by king Henry the seuenth distracted the French so that they could not come in time to succor their friends distressed Contrarywise king Edward the first matching with the house of Castile receiued smal aduancement as is declared in the chronicle of a In Henric. 3. Matthew of Paris and king Henry the seuenth matching with Catherine of Spaine presently lost his sonne and heire The same woman also béeing maried afterward to king Henry the eight was like to
Dei cum idolis God was much offended with the bishop of Pergamus for winking at false teachers and their leud doctrine Habeo saith g Apocalyps 2. hée aduersus te pauca quia habes illic tenentes doctrinam Balaam qui docebat Balac mittere scandalum coram filijs Israel edere fornicari Ita habes tu tenentes doctrinam Nicolaitarum And shall wée endure the Balamiticall priestes of antichristes synagogue and more damnable heretikes then the Nicoloitans The h Apolalyps 2. bishop also of the church of Thyatira was sharpely reprooued for permitting one that pretended to bée a prophet to teach and seduce gods seruants Habeo saith hée aduersus te pauca quia permittis mulierem Iezabel quae se dicit prophetem docere seducere seruos meos fornicari manducare de idolothytis The prophet Dauid woulde not suffer any strange worship of God within his kingdome neither coulde hée endure so much as once to mention the names of idolaters Their offrings of blood saith he z Psal 16. I wil not offer nor make mētiō of their names within my lips That was likewise the zeale of godly emperors Omnes vetitae legibus diuinis imperialibus constitutionibus haereses perpetuò quiescant say the a L. omnes Cod. de haereticis Emperors Gratianus Valentinianus and Theodosius Nowe to suffer contrarie religions was euer condemned Salomon greatlie offended in suffring his wiues to erect idolatrie yet were they his wiues And when the Israelites serued God and Baal Elias greatly reprooued them How long b 1. Reg. 18. saith hée halt you on both sides If God be God follow him if Baal bee god follow him Nay it is punishable in matters of religion to winke at idolaters as appéereth by the example of Salomon before rehearsed and of those kings that did not cut downe groues and destroy hill altars He that serueth God saith c Lib. 5. ep 30. Ambrose must bring no dissimulation no conniuence but faithfull zeale and deuotion he must giue no consent to the worship of idols and other prophane ceremonies for God will not be deceiued which searcheth all things euen the secrets of mens harts Now besides these reasons that make against all false worshippers and abused Christians there are speciall lawes against teachers of heresies such as the Iesuites and other friers and priests are d Deut. 13. God cōmandeth False prophets that would turne vs away to worship other gods to be slaine God e Apocal. 16. he powreth out his wrath against those That haue receiued antichristes marke or worship his image Helias caused Baals priestes to be slaine f L. Cuncti Cod. de haeret Manich. Arcadius and Honorius tooke away all churches from heretikes least they shoulde teach or do the exercises of their false religion in them Such as haue béene zealous in remoouing all monuments of idolatrie and aduancing Gods true worship haue receiued manifold blessings at gods hands and are well reported of in holy Scriptures and their memoriall and name is blessed Such were Hezekiah Iosiah Iosaphat and others mentioned in holy Scriptures Constantine Theodosius Martian and other famous princes in the church of God mentioned in Ecclesiasticall histories Contrariwise not onely open idolaters but such as shewed themselues colde in promoting Gods seruice haue béene punished by God and accounted infamous among godly men The g 4. Reg. 17. Samaritanes were content to serue God but they woulde worship idols too Fuerunt gentes timentes dominum sed nihilominus idolis suis seruientes Therefore were they hatefull to gods Church a Nicet Choniat lib. hist 7. Manuel Comnenus remooued out of the church certaine tables conteining both the articles of Christian faith and certaine anathematismes of Turkish impieties and Mahomets false gods and substituted in their places other tables and articles of doctrine not so directly contrarie to Turcisme and this he did for feare to offend the Saracens But his fact neither pleased God nor men Neither did he satisfie those whom hée sought to please Let all those therefore that séeke to mingle contrary religions or feare to maintaine true faith diligently looke to the examples of the b 4. Reg. 17. Samaritanes and of c Nicet Choniat lib. 7. Manuel Comnenus This course would be dangerous to her Maiesty and the state Now the pope béeing publikely hence excluded hath not those meanes to worke her Maiestie displeasure as he hath to worke against princes in countries of his obedience and should haue héere if popery might be tolerated And this to be true Sixtus Quintus in his bull published against her Maiesty anno 1588. and translated by Cardinall Allen doth himselfe in plaine wordes testify Not hauing saith he in these parts the ordinary meanes which by the assistance of Christian princes we haue in other countries to remedy disorders and keepe the people in obedience for that Henry the eight late king of England did of late yeeres reuolt from the sea apostolike Likewise it appeareth by the d Vita di Pio 5. Girol Catena example of the pope Pius the fiftes Nuntio Vincentio Lauro who not daring to passe into Scotland to practise but staying at Paris was depriued of meanes to effect his wicked purpose Likewise the Iesuites and priests not daring now publikely to shew themselues nor to deale with all persons publikely and without danger loose many opportunities to set forward the popes cause The recusantes also though they come not to the church yet hauing no liberty to conuerse with Iesuites nor to learne their seditious doctrine kéepe themselues in better termes then otherwise they would do if it were lawfull for them to professe their religion openly But admit once Iesuites and seminary priestes to reenter into the land or to liue among vs the pope first will haue more opportunitie and meanes to worke his purposes Neither is it likely that he will euer desist from prosequuting her Maiesty hauing by so many sentences disabled her excommunicated her and deposed her Secondly the Iesuites and priests would haue better meanes both to peruert the simple and to worke their treasons against the prince and her most loyall subiects And if they do much hurt now when they are restreined because they are suffered to liue in prisons what would they do if such woolues were let loose amongst Christes lambes That they will alwaies be ready to execute the popes commaundements against her Maiestie there is no question séeing they holde it damnation not to obey him Thirdly the Recusants hauing such teachers what woulde they not do when Hall coulde perswade Somerfield and Ballard Babington and so many gentlemen desperately to aduenture to kill the Quéene How dangerous this may bée to good subiects we may consider if wée do but looke into their wooluish practises in France and Flanders and other where Did not the papists of Orleans being admitted thither according to the edict after the
vniuersall church Saint c Lib. 4. de Symbol c. 10. Augustine saith that Euery congregation that is gathered in one corner is a concubine and not the spouse of Christ How then canne the papistes be catholikes that are gathered out of the society of the vniuersall church into the communion of the church of Rome Writing to Vincentius the Donatist he d Epist 48. concludeth that the Donatistes and Rogatians were not the catholike church for that they tooke their names of others then of the christian church Thirdly the faith of catholikes is e Ephes 2. built Vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Iesus Christ beeing the chiefe corner stone And this foundation is no where to be found but in the writings of the apostles and prophets which shew vnto vs the doctrine of Christ Iesus The apostle saint f Rom. 10. Paul doth teach vs That faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Which we may not séeke in decretales nor legendes but in the most holy scriptures endited by the holy ghost And so the fathers teach vs. g Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 1. Irenaeus doth say that the apostles First preached and afterward deliuered the gospell in Scriptures that they might be a foundation and piller of our faith Per apostolos euangelium peruenit ad nos saith he Quod quidem tunc praeconiauerunt postea verò per Dei voluntatem in scripturis tradiderunt fundamentum columnam fidei nostrae futurum Athanasius in Synopsi doth call The canonicall Scriptures the anchor and staie of our faith Hée woulde not haue any thing spoken or heard of christians in matters of faith and religion beside the holy Scriptures Si diuersa à scripturis fabulari vultis h De incarr â—t verb. saith he cur nobiscum concertatis qui nec loqui nec andire sustineâ—â—s quod extraneum sit ab illis The church saith a Homil. 6. in Matthaeum Chrysâ—stome is Hierusalem whose foundations are placed vpon the mountaines of the Scriptures Hierome calleth the Scriptures the limites or bounds of the catholike church Non est egressa de finâ—l us suis saith b In Mich. â—â— he id est de Scriptuâ—â— fancâ—â— Finallie the c â—rir Aquin. 2. 2 q. 1. art â— papists theÌ„selues confesse that the obiect or grounde of faith is The fâ—â—st truth or God himselfe And we doubt not but that al certaine knowledge of God is to bee found in his written word which therefore is called the rule of our faith But the papists speake euill of scriptures and either will not haue them to be the proper foundation of our faith or sorge to themselues diuers other foundations whereupon they builde their church and their faith in the d In c. 3. epist 2. ad Corinth annotations vpon the Rhemish testament they call them A killing letter as if God had deliuered his will in writing to the end to kill the Readers They write e Annot. Rh. in c. 5. Ioan. also That they are hard to be vnderstood and would bring them in disgrace by f Ibid. in c. 4. Matth. saying That the diuell and heretickes alleadge scriptures Some call them A nose of waxe without any certeine sence as the Iesuites of Collen in their censure others call them Inken diuinity and account them no better then Matter of strife and contention Generally they g Censur Colon f. esteeme the canon of scripture to be a rule vnperfect and a maymed and lame péece of doctrine and condemne the reeding of scriptures As pernitious and hurtfull Stapleton h In praefat ante relect princip doct plainely denieth the scriptures to be the foundation of religion Aliud hodie saith he Christianae religionis fundamentum habemus and afterward Ab ipsis literis euangelicis apostolicis aliud The same man speaking of diuers principles and groundes of Christian religion i In analysi ante râ—lect p incip doct doth leaue the scriptures quite out of the reckoning Others also make small reckoning of scriptures but where they canne by forced interpretations draw them to their purpose and such as deny not the scriptures to be a foundation of religion do notwithstanding adioyne diuers other foundations to the scriptures and build their faith vpon them as well as vpon the Scriptures Vnto the canon of the scriptures of the ould testament consisting of two and twentie books l they adde first the bookes of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus k Synod Trideniâ—sâ—ss 4. and the story of the Machabees and secondly certaine additions found in the latine translation ouer and aboue the originall bookes and this contrary to the iudgement of most ancient and catholike fathers Neither is it materiall that saint a Lib. 2. doct Christ c. 8. Augustine and a certaine councell of Carthage and two or thrée more following them do number these bookes among canonicall Scriptures For they by Canonicall vnderstande such bookes as by order of the church were read publikely and commonly bound togither and were rather a rule for manners then for faith Legi voluerunt in ecclesijs saith b In exposit Symbol Ruffin non tamen proferri ad authoritatem fidei ex his confirmandam The same is also the iudgement of c In Synopsi Athanasius d In prolog galeato Hierome e De ponder mensur Epiphanius and of the most sound and ancient fathers of the church And if wée shoulde otherwise interpret the wordes of those that reckon these bookes among canonicall Scriptures wée should also put the 3. and 4. of Esdras among the bookes canonicall For they are also by saint Augustine and f Sixtus Senensis biblioth sanct lib. 1. others after a sort iudged canonicall and Athanasius in Synopsi doth attribute no lesse authoritie to the thirde booke of Esdras then to the bookes of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus and the Machabees The Gréekes also place the thirde booke of Esdras first although the assemblie at Trent excluded the thirde and fourth booke of Esdras out of the canon and Sixtus quintus in his new edition of the Latine Bible hath excluded them out of their ancient place They adde also vnwritten traditions to the Scriptures and builde their faith equally on them two giuing vnto them both equall authoritie Libros veteris noui testamenti saith g Sess 4. the assemblie at Trent nec non traditiones ipsas c. pari pietatis affectu ac reuerentia suscipit ac veneratur synodus ista h Lib. 3. de verbo dei Bellarmine accounteth of these traditions as of the most certaine worde of God and calleth them The worde of God not written i De fid Symb. q. 22. op Catech. Canisius woulde haue vs to beléeue these traditions Most firmely as reuealed by the holy Ghost The which is not onely derogatory to the sufficiencie of Scriptures but also vtterly ouerthroweth the
they account mortall sinne I haue already spoken f Enchir. Nauar de 1. praecept c. 11. Martin ab Aspilcueta saith That it is mortall sinne for a lay man to dispute of matters of faith And others deuise a multitude of strange mortall sinnes The g Censur Colon f. 40. Iesuites teach that the regenerate after baptisme haue no sinne But saint Iohn saith That they deceiue themselues if they say they haue no sinne For as it is h 1. Reg. 8. written There is none but sinneth And who canne say i Prou. 20. My hart is pure and I am cleane from sinne And this is prooued by the most holy men that euer liued The most iust man saith k Lib. 2. aduers Pelag. Hierome in some thinges standeth in neede of Gods mercy And l Epist 29. ad Hieron Augustine saith That no man liueth heere without sinne albeit some offend more some lesse and the best least of all Generally they beléeue that certaine sinnes are so veniall and small that it is not necessary to repent vs of them and that they do not exclude men from the kingdome of God albeit they die without repentance Which doctrine all catholikes abhorre for the law doth pronounce him accursed whatsoeuer hée is m Deut. 27. Gal. 3. That abideth not in all the things that are written in the booke of the law And S. n Iames 2. Iames saith That he that doth offend against one law is guiltie of all Neither can anie thing impure or vncleane enter into the kingdome of heauen b Quaest breuit â—xplicat 4. Basill saith That no sinne is to be called light Quodcunque enim peccatum esse stimulum mortis Saint c In Isai c. vlt. Hierome saith That those that haue built woode haie or straw vpon the foundation are the nourishment of euerlasting fire Finally where they affirme that the transgression of the lawe is not alwaies sinne and that it is a more heinous sinne to transgresse the decretals of the pope and precepts of the Romish church then the Morall law they shewe that they vnderstande not well what is sinne and differ farre from true catholikes in their doctrine of sinne Seuenthly they d Censur Colon. f. 204. teach that this is the proper doctrine of the Gospell If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements But the e Rom. 1. apostle teacheth vs That the gospell is the power of saluation to euery one that beleeueth And f Act. 16. Paule and Silas when the Gailer asked them What hee shoulde do to be saued answered Beleeue on the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued Againe the law doth iustifie none but those that fulfill it but by the grace of the gospell all are iustified that beléeue in Christ Iesus And this is the beléefe of all true catholikes Further as if the Gospell conteined no certaine rule for to attaine to Christian perfection they haue deuised diuers other rules vnder the name of Benet of Nursia Francis Dominicke Ignatius Loiola and diuers other monkes and friers supposing by them to attaine more spéedily to perfection then by the rule of the holy Gospell 8. Of faith the papistes thinke very basely as if it were nothing but a bare assent and that not onely to thinges reuealed in holy Scriptures but also to such vnwritten traditions as the church of Rome or the pope deliuereth So that the grounde of the popish faith is laide as well vpon the popes decretales and lousie lying legendes and such trash as vpon the holie canonicall Scriptures They beléeue also that not onely wicked men but also the diuels of hell may haue true faith But the scriptures teach vs that the chéefe obiect of faith that iustifieth is Christ Iesus and those promises which are made vnto the faithfull through him God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne saith g Iohn 3. saint Iohn that whosoeuer should beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life They b Heb. 11. shew also that of faith procéedeth obedience patience hope sure trust victories and such like effectes Beeing iustified by faith saith the c Rom. 5. apostle We haue peace with God Now that faith doth onely rest vpon Gods word reuealed in scriptures we haue declared heeretofore That wicked men and diuels haue not faith it may appeare for that they cannot beléeue remission of sinnes and eternall life and this is the faith of true catholikes They teach that charity is the forme of faith which is most ridiculous For how canne one virtue be the forme of another seeing matter and forme are the partes of a naturall body It is also most false For if charity were the forme of faith then could faith worke nothing of it selfe But d Rom. â— the apostle saith That the iust shall liue by faith And e Ephes 2. againe You are saâ—ed by grace through faith And that not of your selues it is the gift of god noâ— of workes least any should boast Ex nullo legis opere saith f Lib. 3. ad Rom. Origen sed pro sola fide ait ad illam mulierem remittuntur tibi peccata tua Whosoeuer saith g Lib. 2. epist 3. Cyprian doth beleeue in God and liue by faith he is found to be iust And Hierome h Inâ— 10. ad Rom. saith That God doth iustifie by faith onely And infinite allegations may be brought to this purpose to shew that where faith and other virtues concurre yet it is faith onely that apprehendeth Christ Iesus and worketh our reconciliation and iustice with God and that the workes of charity and other virtues are effectes of faith And this is most catholike doctrine as the doctrine of papists is most erroneous and sophisticall To conclude this matter of faith they attribute to faith onely the first beginning of iustice or first iustice But our second and more perfect iustice they ascribe to charity and workes of the law Which is a plaine way to ouerthrow mans iustice not to establish it For who can say that he hath that measure of charitie that the law requireth Who can say that his hart is so cleane that his coÌ„science doth not accuse him of any transgression against the lawe Who can say he is without sinne Certes no true catholike will either challenge to himselfe that singular holinesse and puritie or affirme that hee is without sinne 9. The papists do teach that there are seuen sacraments of the new law and neither more nor lesse And that all these seuen were instituted by Christ Iesus and conteine grace worke iustificatioÌ„ For so much the venerable friers assembled at a Sess 7. Trent haue declared and determined and it is the popes pleasure that all his adherents shoulde beléeue their determination But this doctrine is neither true nor catholike b Apolog. 2. Iustin Martyr where he hath occasion to describe the rites of the
Arausicane condemneth all those that say That grace or mercy is conferred on those that will seeke and endeuour and not by Gods spirite conferred on vs and which so doth cause vs to will seeke and endeuour And certes strange it were if men dead in trespasses and sinnes coulde worke or that a man could liue the life of grace without faith 23 The doctrine of doubting of remission of sinnes of Gods fauour and of our saluation was first established by the late a Sâ—ss 6. councell of Trent and is contrarie to the Scriptures and faith of ancient fathers and the nature of faith that worketh in vs not a doubting but a sure perswasion and finally it maketh faith a doctrine of vniuersal propositions without application Nay it doth not onely frustrate the truth of Gods promises and effect of the sacraments and powrefull working of the holy Ghost but doth take away all comfort from Christians 24. That there are iust seuen Sacraments and neither more nor lesse was first b In instruct Armen deliuered by the councell of Florence vnder Eugenius the fourth and afterward confirmed by the c Sâ—ss 7. councell of Trent about 40. yeeres agone then also was it d Ibid. determined that All these seuen sacraments were instituted by Christ Iesus and those pronounced accursed that should say contrary How falsly I haue before shewed how newly it may appéere by the aâ—uersaries silence that being vrged to shew testimony of antiquitie rest mute 25. That the forme of confirmation now vsed by the Romanistes is new the decrée of the e In Instruct Armen Florentine councell about the yéere 1423. that then established it may ascertaine vs. The papists themselues being vrged ad exhibendum cannot prooue this forme Signo te signo crucis confirmo te chrismate salutis to bée more ancient 26. That spirituall gossips might not entermarrie and that such mariages being contracted shoulde not bée of force and that mariages contracted may bée dissolued by entring into religion or that by consent the husband and wife may sunder themselues proceedeth onely from the new forge of popish inuention 27 From thence also procéede diuers greasings saltings spittings and other ceremonies in baptisme From the apostles certes or their next successors they cannot be deriued 28. The doctrine of transubstantiation was first f C. firmiter de summa Trin. fid Cath. established by Innocent the third about the yéere 1212. and after that renewed in the councell of Florence Trent Before that councell it was scarce named any where But were it by any named yet can it not either by scriptures or fathers be prooued as Scotus and Petrus de Alliaco and others writing vpon the sentences do seeme to confesse 29. Vrbane the fourth vpon a reuelation of a certaine Anachorete called Eue did first institute the feast of Corpus Christi and the same was reordeined by Clement the fift in the councell of Vienna about the yéere of our Lord 1311. Honorius the third about the yéere of our Lord 1220. did first ordeine that the sacrament shoulde be worshipped But this idolatrous adoration of the sacrament and the carying of it about in procession and kéeping it in pyxes sauoureth of noueltie 30. In ancient time it was neuer heard that dogs and mise and other brute beastes did receiue Christs glorified bodie Nay the schooles themselues are deuided about this question although the more blasphemous opinion bée nowe approoued and the woorst side hath gotten the victorie 31. In ancient time the Lords supper or eucharist was neuer receiued of one alone The auncient a Can. apost 9. canons of the church excommunicate all those which are present at the oblation do not communicate Our Sauiour Christ did institute it to bée deliuered and distributed to others and not to bée deuoured by the priest alone But in the masse the priest eateth and drinketh all alone 32. Among ancient Christians it was neuer taught nor beléeued that either the accidents of bread and wine did subsist without dependance on their substance or that Christes bodie was in the sacrament without all dimensions or properties of a naturall body which all authoritie of fathers notwithstanding of late time the schoolemen haue taught and the popes of Rome haue established and confirmed by their decretals 33. In the ancient fathers of the church Species sacramentales do neuer signifie accidents as the deceiued papistes take it Speciem pro veritate accipiendam legimus saith b de ijs qui initiantur mysterijs c. 4. Ambrose c Ibid. c. 9. Et ante benedictionem alia species nominatur where species doth signifie a substance Idem cibus illorum qui noster saith d In Psal 77. Augustine sed significatione idem non specie e Apud Bedam in 1. Cor. 11. Againe Vt sit visibilis species panis multa grana in vnum consperguntur And that is the signification of the Latine worde species 34. That the sacrament of the Lordes supper is also an externall and propitiatorie sacrifice auaileable for quicke and dead and to so many purposes as the papists pretend is also a late fantasie of priestes deuised for their owne gaine and receiued of the people of méere ignorance of Christes institution 35. Our Sauiour Christ did ordeine that as many as receiued the Sacrament of the Lordes body shoulde also receiued the sacrament of his blood and that this was the true institution it appéereth by the a 1. Cor. 11. apostles doctrine that diligently setteth downe the wordes of the institution The same also was b Ignat. ad Philadelph Dionys eccles hierarch Chrys hom 18. in 2. Corinth continued in the church of Christ for many ages Neâ—ther was the contrarie established before the late councels of Constance and Trent 36. The partes of the masse were first formed by one scholasticus and encreased and altered by diuers popes and in diuers hundred yéeres coulde not bee brought to any perfection 37. In ancient time Scriptures were publikely read and praiers saide in toongs commonly vnderstoode of the people If I pray in a strange toong saith the c 1. Cor. 14. apostle my spirite praieth but my vnderstanding is without fruite Neither was there euer act made to the contrary but by the d Conc. Trent sess 22. Constit Thom. Arundel Romish synagogue of late time 38. In the apostolike churches neither were there masses nor praiers made in honour of angels of the blessed virgin and other saints Nor had the blessed Virgin a peculiar Psalter and office dedicated vnto her If wée search all antiquitie wée shall not finde where after the Lordes praier the salutation of the blessed virgin with a praier to her is placed Nor are there speciall Litanies to her and to saints in old liturgies to be found 39. The apostles and their successors neither taught vs to make the images of God and of the holy Trinitie nor to
places and altars as the sacrament is Who doth not perceiue that Christes humanitie was abolished if as the fathers holde the vnion of the natures was like to the vnion of Christes body in the sacrament especially if the substance of bread wine be quite abolished This is most certaine that both a Vbi supra Theodoret and b Contra Eutychen Gelasius do confute Eutyches by this reason for That the substance of the bread remaineth in the Sacrament which being denied by the papists it is plaine that they bring in Eutychianisme The papists also in many points conspire with the enimies of the grace of God the Pelagians First both Pelagians and papists define sinne to bée not whatsoeuer is repugnant to gods law but that is committed of frée will and by him that vnderstandeth what hee doth Propriè vocatur peccatum saie the Pelagians quod libera voluntate à sciente committitur This is the grounde of Pelagius going about to ouerthrow the traduction of originall sinne in the posteritie of Adam as appéereth by Saint Augustines disputations against him concerning this point And that also the c Censur Colon. fol. 44. Iesuites of Collein expressely do hold The Pelagians do teach that a iust man in this life may be without sinne Hoc Pelagiani audent dicere hominem iustum in hac vita omnino nullum habere peccatum saith Saint d De bono perseuerant lib. 2. c. 5. Augustine The papists likewise beléeue that the regenerate are cléere of mortall sinne and not onely that but also may liue without sinne The Pelagians teach That concupiscence by baptisme is sanctified and being before euill afterward beginneth not to be euill which doctrine Saint e Contra Iulian. lib. 6. c. 6. Augustine calleth very absurd yet is that the doctrine of the councell of Trent and of all papists Both papists and Pelagians do builde vpon one foundation and say that therefore concupiscence after baptisme is no sinne for that the guilt is remitted in baptisme The Pelagians would not grant that the Gentiles and Infidels sinned in all their actions nor that their actions were sinne as done without faith as Saint f Contra Iulian lib. 4. c. 3. Augustine sheweth proouing the contrarie The same doctrine the papists receiue for catholike The Pelagians sometimes were a Augustin contra 2. epist Pelag. c 19. woont to say In omni bono opere homineÌ„ semper adiuuari à gratia b Ibidem lib. 4. c. 6. gratiam adiuuare bonum euiusque propositum But their meaning was that God gaue his grace to them that disposed themselues and whose frée will was ready to receiue grace Which is also the doctrine of preparations and dispositions commonly taught by papists so that notwithstanding their faire pretenses of grace they yéeld a great part of the glory of our conuersion to our owne frée will The papists say That sinne is subiect to our will so likewise the Pelagians say c Augustin lib. 1. de gratia Christi c. 28. Nos forte firmum habere ad non peccandum liberum arbitrium And saint d Lib. 2. de baptis Augustine teacheth vs that this doctrine is Pelagianisme The papists say that God is ready with his grace if hée sée a mans soule readie and prepared to receiue it They also beleeue that a naturall man may desire his owne conuersion But Saint e Contr. epist Pelag. lib. 4. c. 6. lib. 2. c. 5. 8. de Gratia lib. 1. c. 14. Augustine teacheth vs that these were the propositions of the Pelagians They also both do vse the same reasons to prooue the strength of frée will as first that wée are commaunded to choose secondly that God woulde not commaund vs thinges impossible Magnum aliquid se scire putant Pelagiani quando dicunt non iuberet Deus quod sciret ab homine non posse perfici as Saint f De Grat. c. 16. cont epist Pelag. lib. 2. c. 10. Augustine testifieth Therefore Thomas Brandwardine doubteth not to call the popish schoolemen Pelagians Totus penè mundus g Lib. 1. de Grat. aduers Pelag. saith hée post Pelagium in errorem abijt exurge Deus iudica causam tuam Hée wrote about thrée hundred yéeres agone The Donatistes as Saint h De haeres c. 69. Augustine writeth beléeued that the church was onely conteined in Afrike and in the obedience or part of Donatus quod ecclesia Christ in Africa Donati parte remanserit as he saith They did also rebaptize catholike Christians So likewise the papists beléeue that to be the church that continueth in the obedience of the pope and reteineth communion with the church of Rome and of late time haue not doubted in France and Flanders to rebaptize children before baptized The Circumcellions thought it meritorious to kill those that were contrarie to their sect Immania facinora perpetrando as S. a De haeres c. 69. Augustine saith Nay that holy man had much a doe to escape their handes So likewise the papists teach that it is meritorious to kill princes opposite to the popish faction Sixtus quintus that shamelesse frier did highly commend b La fulmiminante Iames Clement that killed Henry the third of France Iohn Ghineard a Iesuite did maintaine this doctrine and was therefore by arrest of the parliament of Paris executed By these desperate assassins the papists haue diuers waies sought to murder the Quéenes Maiestie haue most shamefully murdred the Prince of Orenge Iames the Regent of Scotland and diuers other christian princes Alphonsus Diazius did most wickedly murder his owne brother trauailing as farre as froÌ„ Rome into Germany to commit that act and for the same was by the pope not onely defended but commended The Auâ—â—ans or Anthropomorphites did imagine God to haue a humane shape and partes like a mortall man Cogitatione carnali saith c De haeres c. â—0 Augustine Deum fingebant in similitudinem hominis corruptibilis And likewise do the papists imagine when they make the images of God the father and the holy ghost and the whole Trinitie The d Sess 25. councell of Trent doth permit the diuinitie to bée figured Diuinitatem ex primi figurari But how can this bee done vnlesse they beléeue either their god to bée like their images or their images like their god Origen beléeued that sinnes might bée purged and done away after this life and therefore e Augustin de haeres c. 43. imagined That euen the wicked after a long time shoulde bee saued And certes if sins may bée purged by fire why shoulde not mortall sinnes as well bée washed away as veniall And if man bée able to satisfie for the guilt of mortall sinne after this life and so bée quited from them why shoulde not euery one satisfie in hell for his sinnes And why shoulde a debt bée exacted when satisfaction is made In this
heresie therefore concerning the purgation of sinnes after this life and the satisfaction for the penaltie of mortall sinnes the papists sauour of Origens heresie They fauour his heresie also in this that they do say there is fower sences of Scriptures and draw the same by their allegoricall interpretations to their owne most peruerse purposes Eunomius taught that so a man were of his religion it skilled not greatly what sinnes he committed Asseuerebat saith a Augustin de haeres c. 54. Augustine quod nihil cuiquam obesset quorumlibet perpetratio ac perseuerantia peccatorum si huius quae ab ipso docebatur fidei particeps esset Vnto which heresie the papists come very néere For so a man professe the Romish faith and communicate with the Romanists in their sacraments and bée obedient to the pope they b Bellar. de eccles milit c. 2. say he is a good catholike and a true member of the church although he haue no inward vertue And so facile they are in this pointe that they absolue murderers and incestuous persons and most wicked rebels yea Marans and apostataes so they will professe their Romish religion In Ireland the White knight and Piers Lacy haue had children by their owne daughters and others that I coulde name by their sisters and néere kinsewomen And infinite outrages haue they committed not oneâ—â— against their lawfull prince but also against their owne people and kinred and so continue liuing almost without law yet do the priests and friers and popes agents absolue them and count them good catholiks Nay these are the pillers of the Romish church and the chéefe maintainers of the popish sect there The papists also where they by their lawes forbid priests and monkes to marry and to absteine from certaine meates do plainely embrace the heresie of the Tatians Seuerians and Manichées and are of the number of a 1. Tim. 4. those That teach the doctrine of diuels forbidding to marry and willing men to absteine from meates which God hath created Rectè posuit illud saith d In 1. Tim. 4. Theodoret prohibentium contrahere matrimonium Neque enim caelibatum aut continentiam vituperat sed eos accusat qui lege lata ea sequi compellunt He noteth those saith Theodoret that by their lawes compell men to absteine from marriage and certaine meates So that by his censure the papists are within the compasse of these false teachers of whome the apostle speaketh The heretikes called Anoâ—ni either corrupted or contemned the law of God which heresie is also by right of enheritance descended to the papists For first they deny the law of God to be perfect and therefore adde vnto it their owne traditions and the customes and precepts of the Romish church Secondly they haue c In offic beat Mariae Manual de Geronymo Campos cut out the commaundement of worshipping of images as directly opposite to their idolatry Thirdly they deny concupiscence after baptisme to be sinne contrary to the tenth commaundement Lastly they haue chosen to themselues a new a C. translato de constitutionibus lawgiuer that taketh on him to giue law to mens consciences and receiued a new decretaline law wherein they walke more curiously then in the law of God Nay for the true and euer liuing God they worship this their Terrestriall God as b In epist dedic ante princip doctrin Stapleton doth call him and diligently harken to the popes statutes and commandements Irenaeus and Tertullian doth range those among heretikes that flye from the scriptures and accuse them and affirme that the apostles did not commit all thinges necessary to writing Cum ex scripturis arguuntur saith c Aduers haeres lib. 3. c. 2. Irenaeus in accusationem coÌ„uertuntur scripturarum quasi non rectè habeant neque sint ex authoritate quia variè sunt dictae quia non possit ex his inueniri veritas ab his qui nesciant traditionem Non enim per literas traditam illam sed per vâ—uam vocem ob quam causam Paulum dixisse sapientiam loquimur inter perfectos He d Aduers haeres lib. 3. c. 1. saith also That the apostles first preached the gospell and afterward by the will of God brought the same into writing that it might be a piller and foundation of our faith Alius manu scripturas saith e De praescrip aduers haerec Tertullian alius sensu expositiones interuertit That is some heretikes plainely blot and corrupt the scriptures others peruert them by false expositions But he maketh the catholike to say thus Ego sum haeres apostoloruÌ„ sicut cauerunt testamento sicut fidei commiserunt sicut adiurauerunt ita teneo He saith they are true catholikes and successors of the apostles that continue in the doctrine deliuered in their testament And afterward speaking of scriptures he f Ibidem saith Quod sumus hoc sunt That is that we beléeue and teach that is there to be found But speaking of heretikes he g De resurrect carnis saith Aufer haereticis quaecunque ethnici sapiunt vt de scripturis solis quaestiones suas sistant stare non poterunt That is bring heretikes from that opinion that is common to them with ethnikes and cause them to be iudged in these questions by scriptures and they cannot stand In describing the qualities of these heretikes these two ancient fathers séeme to haue prophesied of the conditions of the papists For they will not allow as saith Irenaeus that the apostles haue comprehended all their doctrine necessary to saluation in the scriptures Neither will they confesse that out of holy writ we can learne the truth without tradition But contrariwise being conuinced by Scriptures they accuse the Scriptures and speake euill of them and say that they in respect of vs receiue authoritie from the pope they affirme that they Are subiect to diuers vnderstandings a Aduers Sadeel lib. 1. p. 99. Turrian calleth them Delphicum gladium others A nose of waxe they stande vpon the liuely teaching of their priests and friers and b Censur Colon. say That the wisedome of the church is apparent in vnwritten traditions They peruert the Scriptures by their wicked interpretations c Concil Trid. Sess 4. allowing no sence but that which the pope and church of Rome giueth They flie from the iudgement of apostolicall writings and will not haue the Scriptures to bée the rule whereby all controuersies are to bée ended and therefore plainly declare themselues to bée descended from heretikes and to bée very well like their parents d Lib. 8. Orig. c. de haeresibus Isidore doth declare them to bée heretikes that do otherwise vnderstande the Scriptures then the meaning of the holy Ghost requireth Quicunque saith hée aliter Scripturam sacram intelligit quà m sensus Spiritus sancti flagitat à quo conscripta est licèt de ecclesia non recesserit
tamen haereticus potest appellari But whosoeuer listeth to read either the popes decretals or the popish factions writings shall finde that they do interpret Scriptures not onely otherwise then the holie Ghost meant but quite contrarie to his meaning Which is euident by many particulars but wée will content our selues with some fewe for a taste The e Isai c. 28. 8. prophets f Rom. 9. 1. Pet. 2. apostles by the corner stone placed in the foundation of the church and stone of offence do vnderstande Christ Iesus but g In praef in lib. de Pontif. Rom. Bellarmine will haue the pope to bée vnderstoode by these wordes Hée will also z haue the wordes of Christ Super hanc Petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam to bée ment of the pope Where our Sauiâ—ur saith h Ibidem Pasce oues meas these wordes the papists do appropriate to the pope These words Drinke yée all of this they interpret as if Christ had saide drinke not all of this Where the apostle saith Mariage is honorable among al men and vnderstandeth it of such as may marrie by the lawes of God they say mariage is not honorable for priests or monks Where our Sauiour Christ saith Scruta mini scripturas they say Search not the Scriptures Where hée saith that Those do in vaine worship him that teach doctrines of men these teach quite contrarie and place the speciall worship of God in humane traditions Where the spirite of God commandeth That praiers be made for princes and willeth subiects to obey the Magistrate these antichristian papists curse princes and teach subiects to rebell and say that it is meritorious to kill them Ecce duo gladij hîc ergo saith pope Boniface the pope hath two swordes and with these swordes de facto the popes do destroy mens soules and kill their bodies It were infinite to rehearse all their wicked and false interpretations of Scriptures and in this place it is not necessarie séeing by these which wée haue alreadie alleaged it may sufficiently appéere that the papists are heretikes at least if Isidorus saie true As the a Damascen de haeres Herodians gaue the name and honor of Christ to Herode so the papists do giue the names of Christ to the pope allowing these words of Bernard to Eugenius vnctione Christus es They call him the foundation and rocke of the church the head and spouse of the church and such like They teach that he and Christ make but one seate of iudgement and b Lib. caerem. say That all power is giuen to the pope in heauen and earth If then the Herodians deserue for honoring Herode with Christ his titles to be reputed heretikes why should not the papists likewise be reputed heretikes that do as impudently and wickedly giue Christes honor to the pope c De haeresib c. Heicetae Damascene numbreth those monkes and nunnes among heretikes that méeting vsed to dance togither in the praise of God yet do not the popish fort leaue their piping and dancing processions nor do monkes and nunnes cease to celebrate their comedicall dancing masses skipping and hopping about the altar like apes that are taught to leape for their masters aduantage d Ibidem c. Gnosimachi Gnosimachi were certaine heretikes that would not that vulgar Christians should study the scriptures Omni christianorum cognitioni ac scientiae ita aduersantur saith Damascene vt vanum minus necessarium laborem esse dicant eorum qui in diuinis scripturis aliquam exquirunt scientiam Neque enim deum aliud à Christiano postulare quam bonas praeclarasque actiones Itaque aliquem simplici rudique animo institutuÌ„ suum perse qui melius est vt aiont quà m multam curam in cognoscendis de cretis sententijs ponere The which now is iust the opinion of the papists that hold it to be mortall sinne for lay men to dispute of matters of religion and thinke the colliars faith to be sufficient albeit he knoweth nothing but onely answereth That he beleeueth as the church beleeueth a De leâ—â—t indiâ—â— lib. â— Hosius writing against Brentius doth commend ignorance and doth greatly allow this saying Fides te saluum fecit non exercitatio scripturarum b Lib. 3. de auth scriptur He saith also That nothing is more pernitious then with scriptures to enter combat with satan Generally they allow an implicit faith in the rude sort and dehort them from knowledge of scriptures which is the flat heresie of the Gnosimachians The c Damascen dâ— haeres c. â—thnopâ—ronis Ethnophronians were condemned for obseruing diuers heathenish customes and holy daies Which notwithstanding pope Boniface the eight instituted the Iubiley euery hundred yéeres in imitation of the playes called by the Romaines Ludi seculares The papists also haue their censinges and expiations with holy water like the Gentiles They kéepe the Carneuall as the Romaines did their Lupercalia They canonize saintes as the heathen did canonize their benefactors for Gods They offer sacrifices for the soules of the departed as did the Gentiles They vse their lots and coniurations and lash themselues before their idoles and haue diuers other fashions of the Gentiles d As the Montanistes a De haeres c. christiano-categori so likewise do papists mislike second marriages denying to blesse them and not accounting those marriages so holy a sacrament as the first Damascene accounteth them also heretikes That worshipped the images of our Sauiour of the blessed virgin and the saintes as the Gentiles did their Gods Which is iust the case of papists For both of them bowe to them pray to them burne incense to them offer sacrifice before them And both of them denye that they worship stockes or stones but rather those persons that are represented by them Finally the very nature and properties of heretikes do argue and conuince the papists to be such The apostle when hée had warned the Romaines to beware of those that caused diuisions and scandales Rom. 16. hée e addeth also Against that doctrine which they had receiued so that by the apostles iudgement those séeme to bée heretikes that cause sects diuisions and scandales contrary to apostolicall doctrine Hée also is an heretike That a 1. Tim. 6. teacheth other doctrine and resteth not in the holesome wordes of our Lord Iesus Christ The apostle Peter where hée saith b 2. Pet. 2. that There shall rise vp false teachers which shall priuily bring in heresies and damnable sects doth shew them to bee heretikes that teach false doctrine ouerthrowing the mysterie of our redemption through Christ c De praescrip aduers haeret Tertullian doth oppose heretikes to the apostles and their doctrine to apostolicall doctrine Vnde extranei inimici apostolis haeretici saith hée nisi ex diuersitate doctrinae quam vnusquisque de suo arbitrio aduersus apostolos aut protulit aut recepit Haeresis
principall rocke doth wholy rely vpon the popes of Rome men neither like to Christ nor like to Peter nor like to a rocke Vnlesse it be in that they deny Christ and are as hard harted against Christians as if they were rockes Secondly the faith of the true catholike church is built vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets and their canonicall doctrine The apostle c Ephes 2. saith That the houshold of God and citizens of saintes are built vpon the foundations of the apostles and prophets S. d Apocal. 25. Iohn sheweth That the wall of the city of God hath twelue foundations and in them the names of the twelue apostles The church is built not vpon Peter onely as saint e Lib. aduers â—â—in Hierome saith but vpon all the apostles At dicis super Petrum fundatur ecclesia licèt id ipsum in alio loco super omnes apostolos cuncti claues regni caelorum accipiant ex aequo super eos ecclesiae fortitudo solidetur The church of God saith f In Ephes 2. Theophylact is built vpon the apostles and prophets And all this is therefore affirmed of them because they preached not themselues but Christ Iesus and wrote the canonicall scriptures that they might be as g Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 1. Irenaeus saith The foundation of our faith Vnto this foundation the ancient fathers do all giue testimony But the faith of the Romish synagogue is built vpon the determinations decretals of popes They count their determinations to be infallible and make them souereine iudges of all controuersies in Christes stead Alij nunc à Christo missi saith h In praefat in relect in prinâ—ip doct Stapleton eorumue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locum habebunt He plainely i Ibidem confesseth that the papists haue another foundation of their faith besides the scriptures Christianae religionis fundamentum habemus saith he ab ipsis literis euangelicis apostolicis aliud And k Lib. 4. de verb. Dei c. 4. Bellarmine disputing of traditions calleth them the word of God not written and saith That the scriptures are neither necessary nor sufficient without them Demonstrare conabimur saith hée scripturas sine traditionibus nec fuisse simpliciter necessarias nec sufficientes Nowe if they cannot shewe that the church of God in times past did builde their faith vpon the popes decretals and traditions they must néeds confesse that they are not the true church Thirdly neuer did the church of Christ speake euill of Scriptures a Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 2. Irenaeus saith It is the propertie of heretikes when they are conuinced by Scriptures to fall into dislike of them and to accuse them The children of God certes cannot calumniate their heauenly fathers testament or refuse to heare his voice My sheepe saith our b Iâ—hn 10. Sauiour heare my voice But the papists say they are neither necessary nor sufficient as doth Bellarmine or no sufficient foundation of the church as doth Stapleton in the places aboue mentioned and speake euill of them as if they were c Annot. Rhem. in 2. Cor. 3. A killing letter and most pernicious or as if they were a nose of ware d Ceâ—sur Colon. or a matter of contention and will not suffer them to be publikely read in a toong that is vnderstood of the vulgar fort 4. The church of God doth keepe the doctrine of the apostles without addition and alteration auoiding all prophane nouelties The Gal. 1. apostle pronounceth him accursed That teacheth any other Gospell then that which he taught So f Aduers haeres c. 34. Vincentius Lâ—rinensis saith Catholicorum hoc ferè proprium deposita sanctorum patrum commissa seruare damnare prophanas nouitates sicut dixit iterum dixit apostolus si quis annuntiauerit praeterquam quod acceptum est anathematizare But the synagogue of Rome hath added vnto the doctrine of the apostles infinite nouelties as hath béene declared aboue in the second chapter Their doctrine concerning the grounds of faith concerning the law the Gospell and diuers points of Christian faith their worship of God their massing seruice and popish gouernment is newe as their newe decretals and late Tridentine doctrine the decrées of other late councels whereupon all their popish faith dependeth do plainly testifie 5. The true church cannot abide heretikes that teach doctrine contrary to that of the apostles Christ Iesus speaking of his shéepe g Iohn 10 saith They will not follow a stranger but flye from him for that they know not the voice of strangers that the apostles gaue the faithfull Christians in charge If there come any vnto you saith a 2. Iohn saint Iohn and bring not this doctrine receiue him not to house neither salute him Tantum apostoli horum discipuli saith b Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 3. Irenaeus habuerunt timorem vt neque verbotenus communicarent alicui eorum qui adulterauerant veritatem Let vs separate our selues saith c Lib. 1. ep 3. Cyprian as far from them as they separate themselues from the church Neither can the true church embrace erroneous doctrine For true Christians will not heare the voice of strangers Si haeretici sunt saith Tertullian d De praescrip aduers haeret Christiani esse non possunt But it is apparent that the popes of Rome are heretikes which are the great maisters and Rabbines of the Romish synagogue as may appeare by the examples of Liberius Felix Vigilius Honorius thâ— first Iohn the two twentith Eugenius the 4. and diuers others We haue also shewed that the synagogue of Rome hath embraced diuers heresies and doth wholy addict her selfe to embrace heretikes and to persecute true teachers 6. The church of God is the mistresse and teacher of truth and admitteth no falsehood nor vntruth The e 1. Tim. 3. apostle doth call her The piller and ground of truth Est fons veritatis faith f Instit diuin lib. 4. c. vlt. Lactantius hoc est domicilium fidei She is the fontaine of truth that is to say The house where true faith dwelleth but the synagogue of Rome is not onely a receptacle of leud opinions but also the mother and mistresse of lyes and vanities She not onely receiueth false traditions but also teacheth them She embraceth lying legends and old wiues fables and apocryphall deuises And this is the word of God not written which they so much commend and make equall to holy scriptures That church g In breuiar in festo Cathar beléeueth That saint Catharine was a maiden of Alexandria so well learned that at eighteene yeeres of age she passed the most learned and ouercame fiftie philosophers conuerted Faustina the empresse and Porphyrius a captaine of his to the faith and broke the tormenting wheele with her oraysons They say also that her body was buried by angels
the old empire Sixtly the kings of the earth committed fornication with the purple whore and receiued abominable doctrine from her But they did not loue nor honour the Roman empire nor receiued any idolatrous worship from Rome But from the pope they haue and with this purple whore they haue committed fornication Seuenthly the kings of the earth lamented not the destruction of the Romane empire but rather reioyced at it deuiding the same among themselues But diuers help the pope and are sorie to sée his goodly kingdome ruinated Eightly this whore is called the mother of fornication or idolatry which sheweth that this belongeth to popish idolatrie rather then vnto the emperours ciuill gouernement Ninthly after the empire began to decay religion began to flourish in Rome and therefore this description cannot belong to old Rome but to new Rome Which indéede is now become the habitation of diuels and vncleane spirits Tenthly this Rome which is héere described shal persecute the saints to the end of the world Eleuenthly the description of this woman and of Babylon doth best fit the state of Rome vnder the pope For he ruleth by fraud periurie cunning and his religion is full of mysteries he persecuteth the saints of God to him the kings of the earth giue their power being ready to execute his excommunications and commandements And after his destruction it is not likely that Rome shall be restored and reedified which cannot be sayd of the Roman empire Lastly a In Apocalyps Arethas and Ambrosius Ansbertus affirme that new Rome may be vnderstood by this Babylon and the bishop of b Auentin lib. 7. Salisburg c Cant. 106. epist 19. sine nomine Petrarch and d Michael Cesenas Pâ—trus Blesensis Ioan Huss diuers learned men doubt not in plaine tearmes so to call her 40 The church of Christ did neuer woâ—ship Peter or any of the apostles nor did c Cant. 106. epist 19. sine nomine Peter suffer himselfe to be worshipped of Cornelius d Michael Cesenas Petrus Blesensis Ioan Huss Nay the Church did not fall downe and worship angels The same did not kisse any bishops slipper nor beare him high vpon mens shoulders Nay Valentinian and Theodosius forbad any crosse to be g Apocal. 19. graueÌ„ or painted on the ground o Act. 10. But the Romish Church doth fall downe vpon the ground and worship the pope q Cod. Nemini licere signum c. The bishop of Modrusa in the councel of Lateran cried out to Leo the tenth Te beatissime Leo saluatorem expectauimus They say to the pope Haue mercie vpon vs. They kisse his féete and he hath a crosse vpon his slipper They beare him on mens shoulders and worship him as an earthly god 41 The true Church did alwayes reuerently thinke of the mysteries of Christian religion But the Romish Church albeit they beléeue that the consecrate Hoste is God and worship saints and crosses yet vse them oft times but homely For they beleeue that dogs and other brute beasts may eate their corpus Domini The pope when he goeth abroad doth send his corpus Domini before accompanied with the baggage and h Monluc de la religion à la roine mere basest seruants of his house The conspirators suborned by Sixtus quartus to kill Laurence and Iulian de Medicis were commanded to do it in the church and at the eleuation of the sacrament Dato signo cum eucharistia tolleretur saith i Lib. geograph 5. Volaterran k In vita Hiâ—debrand seu Gregorij 7. Gregorie the seuenth cast the corpus Domini into the fire Hildebrandus saith Beno the cardinal sacramentum corporis Domini responsa diuina contra imperatorem quaerens iniecit igni OfteÌ„times they cast their images into the water to stop the flâ—wings of water l Girol Catena in vita Pij 5. Pius quintus cast one Agnus Dei into the water of Tiber and another into the fire Cresciuto il Teuere Pio vi gittò vn ' Agnus Dei il fuoco appreso in vna casa piena di fieno vi si gittò vn ' altero And this is the honour that they beare to their religion 42 The true church did alwayes reuereÌ„ce magistrats The a Rom. 13. Apostle Paul commandeth euery soule to be subiect to higher powers S. b 1. Pet. 2. Peter exhorteth Christians to submit themselues to kings and gouernours The ancient c 1. Tim. 2. Church did pray to God for kings and for all in authoritie and punished such as should vse reprochfull words to emperours or magistrates In the d C. 83. Canons of the apostles it is thus decréed Quisquis imperatorem aut magistratum contumelia affecerit supplicium luito Neither if we search all antiquitie shall we find where the Church of Christ did discharge subiectes from their othes to princes or taught rebellion or murther of princes or signified that it was lawfull either to murther princes excommunicate or to rebell against them But the church of Rome hath taken vpon her to dispence with oathes of alleageance to discharge subiects from their due obedieÌ„ce The same also hath published most slaunderous and railing bulles or rather libels against princes as appeareth by the bull of Paul the third against Henrie the 8. and Pius the fift and Sixtus quintus against Quéene Elizabeth Sixtus quintus against the French king now reigning then king of Nauarre and against Henry the third and of Gregorie the seuenth and of Alexander the third and Gregorie the ninth against ancient emperours They haue also commanded subiects to rebel against their princes and taught that it is meritorious to murther them or depose theÌ„ matters quite contrarie to Christian religion the custome of Christs Church 43 The markes of the Church brought by e Lib. de notis ecclesiae Bellarmine doe also plainly shew that the Romanists are not the true Church For neither are they catholikes nor are they so called of others then themselues vnlesse it be of such as scorne their presumption that take on them that name Nor is their doctrine ancient as we haue by many particulars proued Nor hath it alwayes continued in one and the same state For they haue in their late conuenticles of Constance Florence and Trent altered the whole frame and forme of their faith And f Epist 2. ad Bohem. Nicholas of Cusa saith that scriptures are to bee fitted to the time and to be diuersly vnderstood and that God doth alter his iudgement according to the iudgement of the church Fourthly their doctrine was neuer vniuersally receiued as shall appeare when our aduersary shall dare to answer vs in these encounters Fiftly they haue no succession of bishops certaine For neither are the Popes bishops nor do they succéede the apostles nor haue they any certainty in their succession Sixtly the doctrine of that church hath béene prooued to be dissonant
The kings iudgement in matters of religion is not allowed by the aduersaries themselues The glorious challenger in his letters to Rome compareth his king to Hunnericus an Arian heretike and a persecutor of the church And saith that as Eugenius bishop of Carthage would not dispute with the Arians without making the bishop of Rome acquainted albeit required by Hunnericus king of Vandals so he would do nothing without the cōsent of the bishop of Rome before the French king In other points neither his letters nor the popes Nuntioes letters nor that other good fellowes letters deserue any credit To conclude all this great stirre which Parsons maketh about nothing doth shew the great pouertie of the aduersaries cause that as men wracked at sea are glad to lay hold vpon euerie broken planke to saue their liues CHAP. VI. The notorious vanitie of the relators obseruations vpon the former narration is detected AFter our relator had trussed vp his fardle of fooleries to make the same more vendible he garnisheth his packet with certaine painted glosses which hee termeth obseruations And to make his eloquence séeme more admirable hée doth excorticate certaine Latin words according to his Romish fashion reflecting as he saith what occurred to his contemplation Which reflections occurrents obseruations and contemplations to do him pleasure we are content particularly to consider and sée whether he were not in a sounde sléepe when he thought himselfe to be in a profound contemplation And first verie wisely he obserueth Gods prouidence in conseruation continuation of the olde catholike faith deliuered first at the ascension of our Sauiour vnto his visible Church as he saith But if he speake of Christs faith then this obseruation cōcerneth him nothing For that faith hath alwaies continued and shall continue notwithstanding the opposition of the Iebusites and Cananites and all their adherents and néedeth neither their letters disputes nor practises to preserue it If he speake of the Romish faith as it is no question but hée doth then wée must tell him that wée denie that that faith is either the catholike faith or was deliuered at the time of Christ his ascension or in many ages after to any Church or procéeded euer from the apostles We doe therefore here obserue that hée is but a bad obseruer that marketh no better what was deliuered by Christ and his apostles Againe wée obserue that it is a strange fashion of spéech to say that the faith began to bée deliuered first at Christ his ascension For then it followeth that not onely the apostles before that time but also the patriarkes and prophets shoulde either be deuoide of faith and saued without faith which is impious to say or that they had faith before it first began It is also a strange doctrine to saie that the apostles at the ascension of Christ deliuered the faith to the visible church For that church is not now visible neither was that church that is now visible then Naie to saie that the whole catholike church is visible is an assertion repugnant as well to reason as to Christian faith Hée obserueth also That though new fantasies and deuises of particular men haue sprong vp with fresh and glistering titles that in the end God bringeth the same to confusion All which wée hope will prooue true in the glorious ruffle of the Iebusites and Romish synagogue For albeit these wicked Cananites will bée termed Iesuites and do pretend perfection in themselues and reformation in others yet their glorie beginneth to fade and their trecherous and Machiauelian practises begin to bée discouered not onely by vs but by their owne consorts The synagogue of Rome also and the kingdome of antichrist albeit it hath long triumphed troden the truth vnder foote yet beginneth to decay and is now oppugned of many and in the end shall bée ouerthrowne It resteth onely that they looke for aeternum opprobrium of which himselfe speaketh Finally the golden idole of the masse is now in most places abolished and where it remaineth is not valued at thrée-halfepence This obseruation therefore maketh much against the obseruer and against vs nothing and is verie farre wide from the matter of this conference out of which these obseruations shoulde be drawne The third point that hée obserueth is That the shame and confusion of heretikes and heresies consisteth principally in 4. points as holy fathers do note viz. First in diuision among themselues secondly in contradiction of sectaries thirdly in atheisme and coldnesse of religion fourthly in open lying and falsifications of authors to serue their purpose But hée leaueth out the very principall cause of the confusion of heretikes And that is partly for that they séeke their owne glorie and not the truth partly for that forsaking the direction of holy Scriptures they follow lying legendes and fables false traditions vaine opinions and determinations of popes and humane fansies Neither is hée so well versed in fathers that hée can tell what they say These 4. points certes which he alleageth the fathers do not say alwaies to bée proper to heretikes For neither are all heretikes diuided into partes nor do all seeme colde in religion some pretending superfluous and superstitious zeale neither haue all heretikes vsed open falsification and lying When hée commeth to exhibite the fathers which hée pretendeth I beléeue he will be driuen to falsifie them or else they will not serue his purpose But were it granted that these qualities are incident to heretikes yet doth the same make little for the aduersaries aduantage who are diuided into diuers sectes and religions and infinite diuers opinions and are not onely atheistes but also the grossest liers and falsificators of authors that euer were heard of in any recorde or historie With their atheisme also they ioine superstition and idolatrie and defende their matters not onely with falshoode and fraude but also with fine force and crueltie As for those of our cōmunion they cannot iustly be charged either with contradiction or diuision or impiety or falsificatiō either by Parsons or by his two friends Rescius and William Reynoldes as hath béene shewed in a treatise called Turcopapismus wherin the spite of those two dogs that haue long barked against religion and belched out al the slanders they could deuise is encountred and their bookes intitled Caluinoturcismus and de Atheismis and Phalarismis refuted and beaten backe vpon the papistes that in Turkish and tyrannicall crueltie and contempt of all religion surpasse all others If the machiauelian Iebusite Parsons dare oppose himselfe and will say no let him answere that bóoke If hee will not answere let him cease to bragge of bookes beaten to dust and refuted to the shame of him and his consorts In this place this may bée sufficient for auoiding this relators slāderous imputatiō that those two railing companions obiect other mens faults to vs and charge vs with priuate mens actes and opinions which neither the church nor we particularly allow and therefore