Parsons will prooue his rule of faith he must shew a faith grounded vpon tradition that is not deduced out of Scriptures Nay if he will not be contrarie to himselfe he must shew that not the Apostles tradition as he saith in his Warn-word 1. Encoun cap. 15. but the Catholike church is the rule of faith as he holdeth Ward-word Encontr pag. 6. He doth also obiect against vs diuers alterations of religion in England in king Henry the eight his raigne and in king Edwards dayes and then asketh by what authoritie our rule of faith was established But first he might as well haue spoken of that alteration made in Q. Maries dayes when the impieties of Popish religiō were established by act of Parliament Secondly the alterations in religion made in England of late time make no variation in the rule of faith that is alwayes one but in the application and vse of it Thirdly albeit by act of Parliament the articles of religion were confirmed wherein the canon of scriptures and the substance of our confession is set downe yet was that rather a declaration of our acceptance then a confirmation of the rule of faith that in it selfe is alwayes immoueable Our rule of faith therefore is certaine albeit not alwaies in one sort approued or receiued by men But that rule of Popish faith neither in it self nor in the approbatiō of Parliaments or Churches is certaine or immoueable Finally he asketh a question of Sir Francis in his Ward-word p. 5. how he knoweth his religion to be true And saith he hath only two meanes to guide himselfe in this case and that is either Scriptures or the preaching of our Ministers But this question as I haue shewed toucheth himselfe that buildeth his faith vpon the Pope nearer then Sir Francis who groundeth himselfe his faith only vpon the holy Scriptures and is assured of his faith not by these two meanes onely but by diuers others For beside Scriptures he hath the help of the Sacraments of the Church of Gods spirit working within him of miracles recorded in scriptures of auncient Fathers of the practise of the Church of the consent of nations of the confession of the aduersaries of the suffering of Martyrs and testimonies of learned men and such like arguments In this question therefore Robert Parsons shewed himselfe to be a silly Frier and to haue had more malice then might In time past also we were as shéepe going astray and out of the vnion of the Catholike and Apostolike Church Diuers of our auncestors worshipped the crosse and the images of the Trinitie with diuine worship Some like bruite beasts fell downe before Idols crept to the crosse and kissed wood and stone Others worshipped Angels the blessed Uirgin and Saints praying vnto them in all their necessities trusting in them saying Masses in their honour and offering incense and prayers to their pictures and images For so they were taught or rather mistaught by popish Priests The Komish synagogue in the very foundations of religion was departed from the Apostolike and Catholike Church The schoolemen brought their proofes out of the Popes Decretals and Aristotles Metaphysickes Est Petr's sedes saith Bellarmine in Praefat ante lib. de Pont. Rom. lapis probatus angularis pretiosus in fundamento fundatus The See of Peter is an approued corner stone precious and laid in the foundation The same man lib. 2. de Pont. Rom. cap. 31. calleth the Pope the foundation of the Church Sanders calleth him the Rocke Alij nunc à Christo saith Stapleton relect princip doctr in Praef. eorúmue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locū habebūt That is Others now beside Christ and their doctrine preaching and determination shall be esteemed of me as a foundation This he saith where he talketh of the foundation of religion and the Church But the catholike Churth had no foundation beside Christ Iesus and his holy word and Gospell taught by the Prophets and Apostles The Apostle Gal. 1. denounced him accursed that taught any other Gospell then that which he had preached The holy Fathers proued the faith by holy Scriptures and not by popish Decretals and philosophicall Principles Concerning Christs bodie the Komanists taught that the same is both in heauen and in the Sacrament albeit we neither could see it there nor feele it But the scriptures teach vs that his bodie is both palpable and visible and is now taken vp into heauen So likewise teach the Fathers Vigilius in his fourth booke against Eutyches speaking of Christs bodie When it was on earth saith he surely it was not in heauen and now because it is in heauen certainely it is not on earth They haue also brought in new doctrine concerning Purgatorie and indulgences and which is no more like to the auncient catholike faith then heresie and noueltie to Christian religion They teach that whosoeuer doth not satisfie in this life for the temporall punishment of mortall sinnes committed after baptisme and remitted concerning the guiltinesse must satisfie for the same in Purgatorie vnlesse it please the Pope by his indulgences to release him Of the tormentors of soules in Purgatorie and of the nature qualitie and effect of indulgences they talke idlely and vnlike to the schollers of Catholikes The Catholicke doctrine concerning the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords supper they haue quite changed in Baptisme adding salt spittle hallowed water exorcismes blowings annointings light and other strange ceremonies In the Lords supper taking away the cup from the communicants and not deliuering but hanging vp or carying about the Sacrament and worshipping it as God and finally beleeuing holding transubstantiation They haue also deuised other sacraments and taught that they containe grace and iustisse They were wont to kisse the Popes toe and to receiue his dunghill decrētals worshipping Antichrist and intitling him Christs Uicar All which nouelties superstitions and heresies by her Maiesties godly reformation are abolished who hath restored the auncient Cathalike and Apostolike faith which the Popes of Rome for the most part had altered suppressed She hath also by her authoritie brought vs to the vnitie of the Catholike faith and by good lawes confirmed true Christian religion Before our times there was no settlement in matters of Religion Durand denieth Diuinitie to be Scientia Thomas and Richard Middleton hold that it is Writing vpon the master of Sentences the school-mē striue about the words vti and frui dissenting not only from their master but also from one another They differ also much about the distination of diuine attributes Vtrum sit realis formalis an rationis tantùm This saith Dionysius a Charterhouse Monke is one of the chiefe difficulties of Diuines and about it betweene famous Doctors is great dissention and contention AEgidius doth lance Thomas and others runne vpon both AEgidius in lib. 1. sent dist 2. would haue the persons of the Trinitie to be distinguished by a certaine thing
anno 1594. that he had written these words The cruell Nero that is Henry the third was slaine by one Clement and the counterfet Monke by the hand of a true Monke Againe the heroicall áct done by Iames Clement as a grace of Gods holy spirit and called by that name by our diuines the Iebusites was iustly commended by Bourgoin late prior of the Iacobins a confessor and martyr Talking of the king now raigning he wrote that he would haue him shut into a cloister and deposed But if he cannot be deposed without warre then sayth he let warre be made against him And if there be no meanes to preuaile by warres let him otherwise be killed I would therfore haue indifferent men to iudge whether this be not spiritual doctrine Our owne country Masse-priests also do not differ from their fellows in this point One of them setting downe certaine resolutions for the instruction and consolation of the English as he saith asketh this question Whether a Catholike he should say a trayterous papist is not bound by vertue of the Bull of Pius Quintus to take armes against Elizabeth and to depose her imprison her and kill her if occasion should serue and if he haue hope to obtaine victorie To this he answereth Ex vi Bullae putamus eum non teneri ad ea quae proponuntur nisi omnia it a comparata essent vt certa paratcque spes esset victoriae quo casu propter bonum commune fidei religionis ij tenerentur qui aliquid possent praestare That is by force of the Bull we do not thinke that he is bound to do those things that are proposed vnlesse all things were so ordered that the hope of victorie were certaine and readie in which case for the common good of the faith and religion those should be bound that are able to do any thing So it appeareth that nothing held the Papists from laying violent hands vpon the Queene our most gracious soueraigne Ladie but that they had not all things readie nor were in hope of certaine victorie And this no doubt is the resolution they haue against all princes that resist either the Pope or their cacolike religion The tenth question is this An stante Bulla in virtute c. Whether the Bull of Pius Quintus standing in force a priuate man might not kill Elizabeth our late Quééne and the reason is because she is a tyrant and had no iust title to the Crowne and whether the Pope cannot dispence that this may be done so it were likely that by her death catholike they should say popish religion should be restored To this question answer is made As touching this matter if any by her death could certainely deliuer the realme from oppression without all doubt it should be lawfull for him to kill her but as matters do now stand it is best not to speake of that matter Hereby we may plainely sée that this generation doth continually talk of killing Chriftian kings and desire nothing more then to murther thē and to destroy them that they may make way for the Pope These questions are found in the acts of the councell of Yorke and were found in a search for Dauid Ingleby a Masse-priest and no doubt were allowed and brought into England either by him or by some of his conserts According to this damnable doctrine the Popes and their adherents haue from time to time endeuoured partly by cut-throates and assassins and partly by diabolicall practisers and empoysoners to destroy princes that stopped the course of their ambition Beno the Cardinall saith that Gregorie the seuenth watching the Emperor that was wont to pray much in the church of S. Marie hired a fellow to place great stones vpon the beames or vault of the church right ouer the place where he prayed which being throwne downe might kill the Emperour The words are these Imperator solitus erat frequenter ire ad orationem ad Ecclesiam S. Mariae quae est in monte Auentino Hidelbrandus autem cùm per exploratores omnia eius opera solicitè inquireret locum in que frequentiùs Imperator velstans velprostratus orabat notari fecit quendam promissa pecunia ad hoc induxit vt supratrabes Ecclesiae occultè lapides magnos collocaret ita aptaret vt de alto super caput Imperatoris demitteret ipsum contereret About the same time also he sought saith Beno to destroy the Emperour by secret traitors but God preserued him And then there were some that thought Hildebrand to be conscious and the setter of the treason because a litle before the treason like a false Prophet he presumed to foretell the kings death The words of Beno are these Eisdem diebus parauit Imperatorem perdere per occultos proditores Deus autem eum custodiuit Et eodem tempore fuerunt nonnulli qui existimauerunt ipsum Hildebrandum conscium extitisse ordinatorem proditionis quia eisdem diebus paulò ante proà itionem de morte regis falsò prophetata praesumpsit Neither are we to doubt but they will empoyson princes if they can séeing Popes as Beno and diuers authenticall authors testifie vse to empoyson one another Innocent the fourth by Peter de vinea a speciall fauorite of Fridericke the 2 caused poyson to be offered vnto him Ecclesiae inimici dixerunt saith Mat. Paris speaking of Pope Innocent quod ad hoc facinus cor Petri eneruanà o muneribus pollicitis maximis inclinarat The enemies of the Church or of the Pope rather say that with great rewards and promises the Pope had induced Peter de vineis to vndertake this foule fact And afterward absorduit Domini Papae fama per hoc non mediocriter That is The fame of the Pope by this fact was not a litle stayned Furthermore saith Matth. Paris the Emperour returned into Apulia hauing drunke poyson as it is sayd Redijt in Apuliam vt dicitur potionatus Henrie of Lucemburge the Emperour was poysoned by a Dominican Friar that being hired by the contrarie faction conueyed poyson into the Sacrament Quidam religiosus saith Vrspergensis porrexit Imperatori intoxicatam Eucharistiam A certaine Friar gaue poyson to the Emperour in the Eucharist The same is also testified by Baptista Ignatius supplementum Cronicorum Textor in officina cap. veneno extincti and diuers others Auentinus sayth the Friar was moued thereto by Clement the fifth That it was so the great execution done by the Emperors souldiers vpon diuers conuents of the Dominican Friars doth declare But what néede we séeke forraine histories when histories report that king Iohn of England was poysoned by a Monke of Swinsted Abbey for that he was supposed to be aduerse to the popish faction We may also remember that of late the French king Henry the third was most shamefully murthered by a Dominican Friar called Iames Clement set on by the popish Leaguers and perswaded thereto by the Iebusites of Paris The
in one that is not in another but others condemne him for that opinion Writing vpon the 3. dist lib. 1. sent they denie their masters examples and one condemneth another Bonauenture saith that men may attaine to the knowledge of the holy Trinitie by naturall reason others say contrarie The Scotists lib. 1. sent dist 5. inuey against Henricus de Gandauo for his opinion about the eternall generation of the Sonne of God AEgidius holdeth that the son of God hath power to beget another son which displeaseth Thomas and Bonauenture and is very strange doctrine Thomas Aquinas part 1. q. 32. art 4. saith that Doctors may hold contrary opinions Cinca notiones in diuinis He teacheth also that the holy Ghost doth more principally proceed from the Father then from the Sonne which others mislike If then they agrée not about the doctrine of the holy Trinitie it is not like that in matters wherein they haue libertie to dissent they will better agrée Scotus holdeth that the soule and an Angell do not differ as two diuers kinds Dthers teach contrary Some Doctors hold that Angels consist of forme onely others hold contrary They dissent also about the sin of our first parents Pighius in the doctrine of original sin dissenteth from his fellowes Innocentius in c. maiores de bapt eius effect misliketh the opinion of the master of the Sentences that held it to be pronitas ad peccandum that is a pronenesse to sinne The Thomists to this day could neuer be reconciled to the Scotists about the conception of our Ladie these denying she was conceiued in sin the others affirming it Gropper in his exposition of the Créed confesseth that among the Papists there are two diuers opinions about Christs descending into hell Bellarmine in his bookes of controuersies doth not more violently run vpon vs then vpon his owne consorts In euery article almost he bringeth contrary expositions of Scriptures and contrary opinions In the sacrament of the Lords supper which is a pledge of loue there are infinite contradictions among them as I haue shewed in my bookes de Missa against Bellarmine The like contentions I haue shewed in my Treatises de Indulgentijs de Purgatorio and shall haue occasion more at large to speake of them hereafter We are therefore to thanke God that the doctrine of faith in the Church of England is setled and that refusing all nouelties we agrée therein with the auncient catholike Church We acknowledge one Lord one faith one baptisme one head of the Church one canon of Scriptures with the auncient fathers The rules of all auncient and lawfull generall Councels concerning the faith we admit We haue one bniforme order for publike prayers adminis stration of Sacraments and Gods seruice Neither do we onely agree among our selues but also with the reformed Churches of France and Germany and other nations especially in matters of faith and saluation And as for ceremonies and rites it cannot be denied but that all Churches therein haue their libertie as the diuersities of auncient Churches and testimonies of Fathers do teach vs. Most baine therefore and contumelious is that discourse of N. D. in his Warne-word 1. encontr ca. 4 5 6. where he talketh of the difference of soft and rigide Lutherans among themselues of them from Anabaptists and from Zwinglians of all from the followers of Seruetus and Valentine Gentilis For neither do we acknowledge the names of Lutherans Caluinians or Zuinglians but onely call our selues Christians nor haue we to do with the Arians or Anabaptists or Seruetus or Gentilis or any heretikes Nay by our Doctors these fellowe 's haue bene diligently confuted and by our gouernors the principall of them haue bene punished But these may Parsons reply haue bin among vs. Admit it were so yet do not our aduersaries take themselues to be guiltie of Arianisme and Anabaptisine because there are diuers guiltie of Arianisine and Anabaptisme among them We say further that the Churches of Germany France and England agree albeit priuate men hold priuate opinions Finally where we talk of the Church of England what a ridiculous sot was this to bring an instance of the Churches of Germany or Suizzerland nay not of the Churches but of priuat persons and that in matters not very substantiall if we admit their owne interpretations Hauing therefore talked his pleasure of Lutherans and Zuinglians he descendeth to speak of rigid and soft Caluinists as he calleth them in England He calleth them also Protestants and Puritanes But neither do we admit these names of faction nor is he able to shew that publikely any Christian is tolerated to dissent either in matters of faith or rites from the Church of England But if any there be that mislike our rites yet is not that contention about matters of faith nor can the disorder of priuate persons hinder the publike vnion of the Church Finally I do not know any man now but he is reasonably well satisfied concerning matters of discipline albeit the same be with the great griese of Papists who go about to stirrc vp the coles of contention as much as they can that heretofore haue bene couered CHAP. II. Of the restoring of Christian Religion and the reduction of the Church of England to the true faith TRue faith in time of Poperie was a great stranger in England most men being ignorant of all points of christian Religion the rest holding diuers erronious points and heresies Their ignorance we shall proue by diuers testimonies hereafter Their errors and hercues are very apparent and at large proued in my late challenge That which the Apostle calleth the doctrine of diuels 1. Tim. 4. that they imbrace for doctrine of faith For they forbid their Priests Monkes Friers and Nuns to marrie and commaund the Benedictines and their Charterhouse Monkes at all times to abstaine from flesh They also forbid men to eate flesh vpen all fasting dayes fridayes and saterdayes and in Lent dissoluing the commandements of God by their owne traditions The Manicheyes abstained from egges as Saint Augustine sheweth lib. de heres cap. 46. Nec eua saltem sumunt quasi ipsa cùm franguntur expirent nec oporteat vllis corporibus mortuis vesci So likewise did Papists at certain times they cal such as allow ymariage of priests sectatores libidinum praeceptores vitiorum that is followers of lusts and teachers of vices albeit the Apostle affirmeth mariage to be honorable in all sorts of men They dissolue such mariages albeit Christ teach that man is not to separate them whom God hath ioyned together Their Fastes they place in eating of fish and not in abstinence from all sustenance as the auncient Fathers by their doctrine and practise taught Some count it as mortall sinne to eate flesh on fridayes as to kill a man and that a Priest doth sinne lesse in committing fornication then in matching himselfe in honest mariage and yet they confesse that
and groues of Baal to root out idelatry and superstition and to restore Gods true worship In the beginning of her reigne the holy scriptures were restored to the people in their mother tongue and Gods true worship established in the Church according to that rule God was serued in spirit and truth and the seruice of the Church brought back to the auncient forme of Christs primitiue Church CHAP. V. Of the translations of Scriptures into vulgar tongues and reading them publikely in tongues vnderstood HE that doth euill hateth the light No maruel then if the Pope his crue of Masse-priests shun the scriptures their workes and doctrine being euill and the scriptures being compared to light Psalm 119. and to a candle shining in a darke place 2. Pet. 1. they would if they durst plainely prohibite scriptures as appéereth by the practise of the begging Fryers in the time of William de sanct amore who hauing brought all their fancies and traditions into one volume and calling the same the eternal Gospel preached that the Gospel of Christ should cease and that their eternal Gospel should be preached and receiued to the end of the world The Pope also could hardly be enduced to condemne this blasphemous booke of the Fryers In the end I confesse he was forced for shame to abolish it yet he conceiucd infinite displeasure against the Doctors of Paris and fauored the Fryers as much as he could And now albeit he hath not simply prohibited the translation of scriptures and reading them in vulgar tongues yet he hath so limited the same as in effect they are as good as prohibited For first he will not permit that scriptures translated into vulgar tongues shall be read publikely in the Church as both the Trent conuenticle and the practise of the Romish Church declareth Secondly Pope Pius the fourth doth simply forbid all translations of scriptures into vulgar tongues such onely except as are made by his adherents and followers which are not onely false and absurd in diuers points but also corrupted with diuers false and wicked annotations as the Rhemish annetations vpon the new testament being examined do manifestly declare Thirdly we do not find that the Papists are hastie in setting forth translations of scriptures in vulgar tongues nor can I learne that the Bible is hitherto translated into the Spanish Italian and Dutch tongue by them Fourthly they will haue no Booke-sellers sel Bibles though translated into vulgar tongues by them selues without leaue Fiftly they wil not permit any man to read Bibles so translated by themselues without leaue Sixtly they graunt leaue to none to reade scriptures in vulgar tongues albeit allowed by themselues but to such onely as they suppose to be resolued or rather drowned in the dregges of Popish errors and to lay men seldome or neuer do they grant the same I do not beleeue that Robert Parsons albeit well acquainted in Spaine and Italie can name a doosen lay men of either nation that haue licence to reade Scriptures in vulgar tongues or that had licence in England in Queene Maries time to reade Scriptures translated into their mother tongue If he know any such he may do well to name them If he name them not his silence wil bréed suspition if it be not taken for a plaine confession Finally if any among the Papists be taken with other translations then such as themselues allow or not hauing himselfe obtained licence according to the foresaid rule he is presently taken for suspect of heresie and seuersly punished if he acquite not himselfe the better So we sée that among them it is lawfull to reade all prophane bookes if they fall not within the compasse of their prohibition and to tumble ouer the lying legends of Saints and the fabulous booke of Conformities of Saint Francis with Christ and that without leaue But Scriptures translated into vulgar tongues no man may reade without leaue Now how contrarie this course is to the word of God to the practise of Gods Church and to all reason we may easily perceiue by these particulars God would haue the words of the law not onely a continuall subiect of our talke and meditations but also to be written at the entrances and doores of our houses Our Sauiour Christ preaching to the Iewes willed them to search the Scriptures But how can this be done if Scriptures be not translated into tongs which we vnderstand and if no man may reade them without leaue In the primitiue Church they were publikely read in the Syrian Egyptian Punicke other vulgar tongues By the testimonte of Bede hist. Angl. lib. 1. it appeareth they were translated into the British tongue and into other vulgar tongues the mysteries of religion being made common to diuers nations by the meditation of Scriptures Irenaeus speaking of all the Scriptures saith They may be heard alike of all Hierome in an Epistle to Laeta and in another to Celantia exhorteth them to reade Scriptures But how can they be heard alike if they may not be translated nor read publikely in vulgar toungs And why should it be more lawfull for Laeta and Celantia to reade Scriptures then for other men and women In his Commentaries likewise vpon the 86. Psalme he saith that Scriptures are read to all that all may vnderstand Scriptura populis omnibus legitur vt omnes intelligant But how can the common people vnderstand a strange toung Chrysostome homil 9. in Epist ad Coloss. teacheth that the Apostle commandeth lay men to reade scriptures and that with great diligence The Apostle teacheth vs that the word of God is the sword of the spirit And before I haue shewed that it is light Our Sauiour saith that the word of God is food to our soule Basil. homil 29. saith That the old and new Testament are the treasure of the Church Vetus nokum Testamentum saith he the saurus Ecclesiae In his Commentaries vpon the first Psalme he sheweth that the holy Scriptures are a storehouse for all medicines for mans soule Chrysostome Homil. in Psalm 147. saith the Scriptures are our armes and munitions in the spirituall warfare which we haue against the diuell Arma comeatus eius belli quod est inter nos diabolum sunt Scripturarum auditio Doth it not then appeare that the Papists are enemies to Christians and séeke to murther their soules that by all meanes séeke to expose them naked vnto their enemies weapons and wold willingly depriue them of medicines munitions armes and foode and leaue them in darknesse without the comfort of Scriptures For how can they vse Scriptures that vnderstand them not And how can they vnderstand them when they are read in toungs vnknowne And how can they come to reade them when there are so many difficulties in obtaining licence to haue them Séeing then at her Maiesties first entrance into her gouernement we were fréed from the thraldome and slauery of Antichrist and had the Scriptures in
this cause If he know the practise of the Church and denie it he wanteth shame That other tongues haue bene vsed in publike Liturgies beside the thrée mentioned it may be proued by diuers testimonies Hierome in the funerall Sermon of Paula saith that Psalmes were sung not onely in Hebrew Gréeke and Latine but also in the Syrian language In his Epistle to Heliodorus he saith that the languages and writings of all nations do sound foorth Christ his passion and resurrection Nunc passionem Christi resurrectionem eius cunctarum gentium voces literae sonant And againe in his Epistle to Marcella Vox quidem dissona sed vna religio tot penè psallentium chori quot gentium diuersitates The tongue is diuers but one religion there be so many quires of singers as there be diuersities of nations S. Ambrose writing vpon the first Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 14. speaking of Iewes conuerted to Christ Hi ex Hebraeis erant saith he qui aliquaendo Syria lingua plerunque Hebraa in tractatibus oblationibus vtebantur These were Iewes which in their Sermons and oblations vsed sometime the Syrian tongue and oftentimes the Hebrew Theodoret lib. 4. cap. 29. saith Ephrem made Hymnes and Psalmes in the Syrian tongue And Sozomen saith they were sung in Churches Chrysostome in 2. ad Corinth homil 18. saith that in celebration of the eucharist all ought to be common because the whole people and not the priest alone giueth thankes Et cum spiritu tuo nihil aliud est saith he quà m ea quae sunt eucharistiae communia sunt omnia neque enim ille solus gratias agit sed populus omnis Saint Augustine expos 2. in psal 18. saith we ought to vnderstand what we say or sing that like men and not like parrots or ousels we may sing It appeareth by Iustinians 123. nouel constitution and by Isidore Ecclesiast offic lib. 1. ca. 10. and by the ninth chapter of S. Augustine de catechisand rudib that the people in time past did vnderstand Church seruice In Britaine the Romaine musicke was not in vse before the time of Iames the Deacon of Yorke about the yeare of the Lord 640. Bede lib. 1. hist. Anglic. cap. 1. stgnifteth that the knowledge of diuine mysteries was made common to diuers nations inhabiting Britanie by meditation of scriptures Auentinus annal Boior li. 4. saith The priests of Liburnia are ignorant of the Latine tongue and in their mother tongue offer the sacrifice of the Eucharist Adhuc saith he ignari sunt Romanae linguae sacrificia patrio more nempe Slauorum procurant The AEthiopian canon of the Masse which they call vniuersall is in the AEthiopian language as the translation witnesseth that is published in Biblioth patr tom 6. a Bignio edit Sigismundus Baro in his commentaries of the Muscouiticall affaires telleth vs how that nation doth celebrate Masse in their mother tongue Totum sacrum seu missa sayth he gentili ac vernacula lingua apud illos peragi solet The aduersaries themselues also testifie for vs. Thomas Aquinas in 1. Cor. 14. speaking of the vse of strange languages in the Church sayth it was accounted madnesse in the primitiue Church because Christians were not then instructed in Ecclesiasticall rites Ideò erat insania in Primitiua Ecclesia quia erant rudes in ritu Ecclesiastico In Primitiua Ecclesia saith Lyra in 1. Cor. 14. benedictiones cetera communia fiebant in vulgari that is in the primitiue church blessings and other common oraysons were made in vulgar tongues Iohn Billet in his summe de diuin offic in prolog confesseth that in the Primitiue Church Christians were forbidden to speake with tongues vnlesse there were some by to interprete He saith also that it profiteth vs nothing to heare vnlesse we vnderstand lamenting that in his time there were so few that vnderstood either what they heard or what they read And thus much to refel Robert Parsons his notorious impudencie that would néeds affirme that it cannot be shewed out of any author of antiquitie that any Catholike country had publike seruice in vulgar tongues His eight argument is deduced from the vse of the Hebrew Greeke and Latine tongues in Asia Africke and the Westerne countries But vnlesse he can shew that these tongues were not vnderstood of those people that had their publike seruice in them all this maketh for vs and not for him For we do not deny the vse of these tongues to those that vnderstand them but onely thinke it madnesse to vse them where they are not vnderstood In Asia the Greeke tongue was common to most nations Therfore the seruice was in Greeke and not in Latine albeit Parsons suppose Latine to be a sanctified tongue In Africke and diuerse Westerne countries Latine was a common language in time past and therefore they had their liturgies in Latine and not in Greeke It appeareth by S. Augustine retract lib. 1. c. 20 that diuers vnderstood Latine better then the Punike tong and Cicero pro Archia sayth that the Greeke tongue was a common language in his time Although therefore the publicke seruice of the Church was in Greeke and Latine when those tongues were best vnderstood yet it followeth not that the same should be still vsed when no man of the vulgar sort vnderstandeth them or that the Catholicke Church did generally or euer practise this or that S. Augustine lib 4. cont Donatist cap. 24. doth intend to speake for the vse of vnknowne languages as Fryer Robert vnlearnedly and blockishly pretendeth Finally he alleageth that euery man lightly vnderstandeth somewhat of the Latine But lightly he telleth vs a loud lie as experience may teach euery man that is not obstinate Beside that if it be profitable for some men to vnderstand some few words then reason will inferre that it were far more profitable if the publike seruice were in a tongue that might of all the hearers be vnderstood It is therefore a great blessing that we may heare God speaking vnto vs in scriptures in our owne mother tongue and praise and honor him with heart and voyce in the publike congregation If then Robert Parsons meane to confirme his owne opinion and to ouerthrow our cause he must bring better arguments answer these testimonies and not fight with his owne shadow or cauill with some words or allegations that are not materiall CHAP. VII Of the great deliuerance of Christians out of the bloudie hands of wooluish Papistes wrought by Queene Elizabeth No man can wel esteeme what fauor God hath done the Church of England by deliuering the same from the cruell persecution of the bloudie and mercilesse Papists but such as either themselues suffered or else knew the sufferings and verations of their brethren in Queene Maries time Neither do any so well apprehend Gods mercie in deliuering them from the dangers of the sea as those that haue either passed great stormes or escaped after shipwracke seeing their
complained of the abuse of popish excommunications That which our Sauior Christ saith If he heare not the Church let him be to thee as a heathen man or Publican that the popish faction translateth to the rediculous censure of the Pope And therefore excommunicateth al that place not the Churches vnwritten traditions in equall rancke with diuine Scriptures or that beléeue not that Christians can performe the lawe perfectly and are iustified before God by the workes of the law or that hold not the doctrine of the Romish Church concerning their seuen Sacraments or that do not worship Images or that receiue not their doctrine of indulgences and purgatorie and all the heresies and abhominations of the Pope or that submit not themselues to his tyrannie or that refuse to pay his annates or taxes or whatsoeuer he and his suppostes require Nay they excommunicate the subiects that rebell not against their lawfull Kings After that Pius the fifth that wicked and cruell hypocrite had commanded that neither the Lords nor people of England should obey Quéene Elizabeths commandements or lawes it followeth Qui secus egerint eos anathematis sententia innodamus That is Those which shall do otherwise we pronounce accursed or anathema Neither did the Pope onely in time past thunder out these curses but also gaue leaue to euery base companion and for euery small trifling cause to inflict most grieuous censures Petrus de Alliaco speaking of the Pope and his excommunications complaineth that he gaue leaue to his Collectors to thunder out excommunications to the offence of many and that other Prelates for debts and light causes did cruelly excommunicate poore men Saepè saith he per suos Collectores in multorum scandalum fulminauit aly Praelati leuiter pro leuibus causis vt pro debitis huiusmodi pauperes excommunicatione crudeliter percutiunt The Germaines complaine that many Christians were excommunicated at Rome for prophane causes and for gaine to the trouble of diuers mens consciences Romae say they caeterisque in locis per Archiepiscopos ac Episcopos aut saltem corum ecclesiasticos iudices multi Christianorum ob causas prophanas ob pecuniae denique ac turpis quaestus amorem excommunicantur multorumque sedeorum in fide infirmorum conscientiae per hoc aggrauantur in desperationens pertrahuntur Scotus in 4. sent dist 19. complaineth that the Church did too often strike with this sword and Petrus de Alliaco saith that by this abuse the sword of the Church was in his time growne into great contempt Oflate time the Popes of Rome haue excommunicated Emperours and kings if they would not depart with their townes countries and crownes and yéeid to their legats what they demaunded How intolerable this abuse was we may perceiue if we consider the heauinesse of this censure being rightly inflicted by the true Church Our Sauiour sheweth that the partie excommunicate is to be holden for a heathen man and a Publican Tertullian Apolo 39. doth call it the highest fore-iudgement of the future iudgement Summum futuri iudicy praeiudicium Cyprian doth esteeme them as killed with the spirituall sword Superbi contumaeces saith he spirituali gladio necantur dum de Ecclesia eijciuntur Commonly excommunication is called Anathema and Chrysostome homil 70. ad populum Antioch calleth it the bond of the Church We are therefore no lesse to be thankfull for our deliuerance from the Popes vniust lawes then the auncient Christians for their exemption from the yoke of the Pharisies and from humans traditions from which by the preaching of the Gospell they were freed Neither may we think it a simple fauour that we are made to vnderstand that the crackes of the Popes thundring excemmunications are no more to be feared then the ratling of Salmoneus that impious fellow that with certaine engines went about to counterfeit the noise of thunder We knew alwaies that a man vniussly excommunicated and by a Iudge vnlawfull was no way preiudiced Origen in Leuit. homil 48. speaking of a person excommunicate saith that he is not hurt at all being by wrongfull iudgement expelled out of the congregation Nihillaeditur in eo quod non recto iudicio ab bominibus videtur expulsus And the aduersaries confesse that excommunication pronounced vniustly and by him that is not our Iudge bindeth not C. nullus 9. q. 2. and C. nullus primus 9. q. 3. and C. sententia 11. q. 3. But few vnderstood the iniustice and nullitie of the Popes lawes and that he neither was nor is a competent iudge vntill such time as by true preaching of the Gospell which by Queene Elizabeth was restored vnto vs the man of sinne beganne to be reuealed CHAP. X. Of our deliuerance from heresie schisme superstition and Idolatrie These things therefore considered it cannot be denied but that her Maiesties godly resermation brought great profite to the Church of England Yet if we please to looke backe to the heresies of the Papists and to remember how they liued in heresie schisme superstition and idolatry we shall the rather praise God for that great deliuerance of his Church which he wrought by the meanes of our late Quéene For heresie and false doctrine is the bane and canker of the Church The Apostle Paul Ifan Angel from heauen should teach vs any other Gospel or doctrine beside that whith himselfe had taught the Galathians doth pronounce him accursed S. Iohn in his second Epistle forbiddeth vs to receiue into our houses or to salute such as bring not his doctrine Heresie schisme and idolatrie are reckoned among the workes of the flesh the workers whereof shall not inherit the kingdome of God Flie saith Ignatius those that cause heresie and schisme as the principall cause of mischiefe Quod maius potest esse delictū saith Cyprian lib. 2. Epist. 11. aut quae macula deformior quà m aduersus Christum stetisse quà m Ecclesiam eius quà m ille sanguine suo parauit dissipasse What offence can be greater or what blot more vgly then to haue stood against Christ then to haue scattered his church which he hath purchased with his blood Those which do perseuere in discord of schisme saith S. Augustine lib. 1. de bapt contra Donatist c. 15. do pertaine to the lot of Ismael Superstition is the corruption of true Religion and although coloured with a shew of wisedom yet is condemned by the Apostle Col. 2. Lactantius speaking of the superstition of the Gentiles doth call it An incurable madnesse Dementiam incurabilem and afterward vanitie Iustine in ser. exhort ad Gentes sayth that idolatry is not only iniurious vnto God but also voide of reason Principale crimen generis humani saith Tertullian summus seculireatus tota causa iudicy idolclatria That is Idolatrie is the principall crime of mankind the chiefe guiltines of the world and the whole cause of iudgement No maruell then if Iohn the Apostle
words without swearing and blaspheming The Popes and their faction haue caused all the warres and troubles in Christendome as histories do recount If a man do but look in the life of Sixtus the fourth Iulius the 2. he may easily sée what seditious and turbulent spirits they cary But what néed we looke so high seeing the flames of ciuil discension in Germanie France Flanders England and Ireland burning so bright by the solicitation of Paul the third Pius the fifth Gregorie thirtéenth and fourteenth and this Clement that now possesseth the throne of Antichrist do so plainely declare them to be firebrands of warre and trouble Well therefore said Petrarke that in Rome all those mischiefes were hatched that are now spread through the world and neuer shall Christian Princes haue loyall subiects as long as seditious Masse-priests are suffered to lurk within their kingdomes In countries subiect to y e Pope they count it a little fault to murder mē now frō thence are come certaine assassins which for hire and by perswasions are induced to kill men There also impoysonments are most common The Popes themselues vse to drinke of poysoned cups and that by the iust iudgement of God seeing by the cup of their poysoned doctrine according to the prophecy Apoc. 17. they haue empoysoned many Christian nations To conclude this large discourse there is no state of men vnder the Popes iurisdiction but it is growne to great dissolution and corruption of manners and may be conuinced of diuers sinnes and abominations by infinite witnesses and confessions if we would stand vpon it but I will content my selfe with two or three Breidenbach in the historie of his peregrination speaketh generally and sayth Recessit lex à sacerdotibus c. that is the law is departed from priests iustice from princes counsell from elders good dealing from the people loue from parents reuerence from subiects charitie from prelates religion from Monkes honestie from yong men discipline from clerkes learning from masters study from schollers equitie from Iudges concord from citizens feare from seruants good fellowship from husbandmen truth from merchants valor from Noblemen chastitie from virgins humility from widowes loue from maried folks patience from poore men O time ô manners And Walter Mapes that liued in the time of Henry the second King of England Virtutes cunctae saith he en iacent defunctae All vertues lie now dead Charitie is no where to be found And againe In truth I find that the whole Cleargy doth studie wickednesse and impietie enuie raigneth truth is exiled The prelates are Lucifers heires They being now aduaunced tread downe others blinde guides they are and blinded with idolatrie of earthly things Robert Bishop of Aquila in his Sermons of which Sixtus Senensis maketh mention in the third booke of his Biblioth sanct speaketh thus to his countrie of Italie O Italia plange ô Italia time ô Italia caue ne propter obstinationem tuam in te desaeuiat ira Dei c. Tu in dies durior efficeris in peccatis malitia perseuerando Fiunt iam vbique vsurae publicae omnia foedata sunt spurcissimis vitijs carnis ignominiosae Sodomiae superbia pomparumiam occupauit omnes ciuitates terras blasphemiae Dei periuria mendacia iniustitiae violentiae oppressiones pauperum similia superabundant O Italie saith he lament ô Italie feare ô Italie beware lest for thy obstinacie the wrath of God waxe not cruell against thee c. Thou euery day art more and more hardened perseuering in thy sinnes and maliciousnesse Euery where men set vp bankes of vsurie all things are defiled with most foule vices of the flesh and most shamefull sodomie Pride in pompous shewes haue now filled cities and countries blasphemies against God periuries lies iniustice violence orpression of the poore and such like vices do superabound I would further insist vpon this argument but that I referre diuers matters ouer to the second booke where I shall haue occasion more particularly to examine the good workes of Papists But the Church of England neither alloweth publike shewes nor bankes of vsurie nor dispenseth with oathes of subiects to Princes or alloweth periurie nor shall Robert Parsons find such filthines and abhominations among the professors of our religion as are commonly practised by the Popes Cardinals Masse-priests Monkes Friars and Nuns and their followers All corruptions in doctrine concerning good workes are reformed and diuers abuses concerning manners among the Papists taken away The which séeing it procéeded wholly of that reformation of religion which Quéen Elizabeth of pious memorie wrought by her regall authoritie among vs we are most gratefully to accept that worke and by exercises of pietie and charity to indeuour to shew our selues not vnworthie either of our profession or of so great a blessing Against this discourse Robert Parsons talketh very scornfully and saith first that the experience of the whole world will deny that good workes are fruites of our religion But if he had bene well aduised he would haue forborne to talke of experience For whosoeuer hath liued among those that are of our religion and among Papists also must néedes say that the liues of Romanists are abhominable offending in whoredome Sodomie periurie vsurie and all impieties and discharge vs deterring and abhorring those vices and punishing them seuerely Beside that if he meant to winne credit he would not talke of the whole world being not able to name one honest man that will iustifie that which he talketh Secondly he saith our best friends renounce our workes And then alleageth an Epistle of Erasmus mentioned by Surius a Postil of Luther and a testimonie out of Aurifaber But first Erasmus is none of our best friends being in most points an aduersarie and a professed Masse-priest And if he were our friend yet haue we no reason to beléeue Surius a malicious enemie and a base Monke hired to speake lyes Secondly it is a ridiculous foolerie where we dispute of the fruites of the Gospell in England in Queene Elizabeths dayes to bring testimonies of Luther and Aurifaber that were dead before her time and speake of some of their countrie people Thirdly they speake not of the whole reformed Church in Germanie but rather of some that albeit they disliked Poperie yet did not sincerely embrace the truth Finally neither Luther nor Aurifaber doth charge his countrie people with such faults as raigne among Papists He must therfore seek some witnesses that speake more to purpose and leaue his owne treasons filthinesse periurie lying gluttonie and drunkennesse before he talke of good workes Finally he pratleth much concerning the merit of workes But if he had bene vsed according to his merits then had the crowes long ere this eaten his carion flesh He misliketh also that we should giue a caueat to auoide hypocriticall ostentation albeit any man shold do good works But this caueat concerneth him but a litle whose workes are most wicked and odious his
sheweth himselfe to be past shame to talke against mariage when himselfe was begotten by a filthie priest and his consorts wallow in all beastly abhominations Wherefore let the aduersaries storme and rage as much as they list yet will we say and may say it most truly that both the Church of God and the State hath receiued great blessings by Quéene Elizabeths late happie gouernment And if nothing else yet the vaine opposition of enemies and traitors may perswade vs that it is so For not onely their mislikings do fhew that both the Church and State was well ordered for otherwise they would haue bene better pleased but also their vaine ianglings and contradictions they being not able to obiect any thing which soundeth not to her Maiesties honeur and high commendations confirme the same CHAP. XIII Parsons his cursed talke of cursings of England by chaunge of Religion and gouernment vnder Queene Elizabeth examined THe Prophet Dauid speaking of the foolish and wicked men of his time saith that their throate is an open sepulchre and afterward that their mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse The which we sée verified in the Pope and his impious sect For their throates are wide as the graue and swallow the wealth of Europe They also degorge out of them all the wickednesse and villanie they can deuise against the godly Pius Quintus and Sixtus Quintus accurse the Quéene Robert Parsons following their steppes raileth vpon her in diuers libels In his Warn-word that is a complement of his foolery he sayth We receiued no blessings by her but rather cursings Here therefore we are to answer the barking of this cursed hel-hound and of his accursed companions In the first encounter of his Wardword p. 4. he saith We are deuided from the general body of catholickes in Christendome But this should haue bene proued if he would haue any man to giue him credit For we alleage that the Papists from whom we are deuided are no Catholikes beleeuing the new doctrines of the late conuenticles of Lateran Constance Florence Trent other Friers priests which neither were receiued of all men nor in all times nor in all places which is the true propertie of Catholicke doctrine Next we offer to proue that we are true Catholikes séeing the doctrine of our faith is Apostolicall and vniuersally approued of all true Christians and for the most part confessed by the Papists vntil of late time If then this be a principall curse to be deuided from Catholickes then doth the same fall on Parsons his own head and vpon his trecherous consorts and not vpon vs. Secondly he saith that we of England are deuided from Lutherans Zuinglians and Caluinists abroad and from Puritanes Brownists and other like good fellowes at home But this common Iergon of Papists is already answered For neither do we acknowledge the names of Lutherans Zuinglians and Caluinists nor can he shew that the Church of England is deuided from the Churches of France Germanie or Suizzerland or that one Church oppugneth another If any priuate man do maintaine priuat opinions in doctrine as diuers Germaines French and English do or else if there be any difference among vs concerning ceremonies and gouernment that doth no more make a schisme in our church then the diuers rites of Spanish French and Italians and diuers opinions in al points of religion betwéen old and new Romish Doctors maketh a schisme in the Romish Church For generally we all agree in substance of faith in rites ceremonies refer euery Church to their libertie In England publikely there is more vniformitie in doctrine prayers ceremonies then in the Romish Church albeit some priuat men whom Parsons vseth to call Puritanes dissent in some points As among the Papists there are diuers that allow not all which they hold commonly But saith he in his Warne-word Encont 1. c. 15. the French Germaines and Scottish do not agrée with the English in the rule of faith as is proued in the foure fiue and sixe and sequent chapters But if he had found any differences he would not haue spared to set them down In the chapters mentioned he sheweth not that we differ in any article of faith or substantiall point of religion but rather in rites ceremonies and some diuers interpretations of some words of Scripture Thirdly he would make his reader beléeue that we haue no certaintie in religion and that as he foole-wisely imagineth because we haue no certaine rule whereby to direct our consciences And this he handleth both in his Wardword 1. Encontr and Warnw. 1. enc c. 15. 16. and other places skipping like an ape vp an downe without rule order or reason But while he talketh of the rule of faith he is direct contrary to himselfe For in his Wardw. p. 6. he sayth that the vniuersal Church was the direct rule and squire which we ought to follow and in the Warnw. Enc. 1. c. 15. nu 10. he teacheth that it is the summe and corpes of Christian doctrine deliuered at the beginning by the miracles and preachings of the Apostles Where I omit to tell Robert Parsons that it is absurd to make the same thing to be a rule and a squire the rule being direct and the squire being square It is also ridiculous though I do not tell him of it to say that Christs doctrine was deliuered by miracles for it was deliuered by writing and preaching and confirmed by miracles But I cannot forbeare to tell him that there is great difference betwéene the Catholike Church and the Catholike doctrine How then can these two make one rule Next he taketh exception to my words where I say that the Church of England hath a certaine rule to follow in matters of faith as if the canon of scriptures and those conclusions which are to be drawne out of them were no certaine rule or else as if traditions that are no where certainly described or set downe were a more certaine and authenticall rule then scriptures and necessary deductions out of them Fourthly he giueth out that we despaire of all certaine rule or meane to trie the truth which is a most desperate and impudent kind of dealing For directly I told him before and now I tell him againe that our rule is most certaine being nothing else but the canonicall Scriptures and the conclusions necessary drawne out of them Nay this rule may in part be confirmed by Parsons his owne confession For if the corps of Christian doctrine preached by the Apostles be the rule of faith as he saith VVarnw 1. encont c. 15. where are we to find it but in holy Scriptures He holdeth percase that it is to be found in the Popes bosome But if he say so in schooles he shal not want a greater plaudit then he had when hauing ended his comicall dealings in Bayliol colledge he was rung and hissed out of the house For who knoweth not that scabs and villany are
man being subiect to change it is no maruell good Christian Reader if naturally all men desire change But that such as professe religion and haue experience in the world should desire to change for the worse and seeke from libertie and peace to returne to miserable captiuitie and slauerie vnder the grieuousyoke of popish gouernment it seemeth to me not onely strange but also repugnant to the rules of religion and reason Stand fast saith the Apostle in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free and be not intangled againe with the yoke of bondage And Tully would haue men contend for libertie vnto the death The poore slaue in Plautus could say that all men had rather be free then bond Omnes profectò saith he liberi libentiùs sumus quà m seruimus Yet such is the ouerthwart humour of some men that rather then they will continue long in one and the selfe same setled state will not doubt to hazard their life and libertie vpon hope of better happe in a new gouernment The children of Israel had not long continued in the wildernesse after their wonderfull deliuerance out of AEgypt but they began to murmure vpon the first pinch of hunger And all the congregation of the sonnes of Israel saith the Scripture murmured against Moyses and Aaron in the wildernes and the sonnes of Israel said vnto them would to God we had died by the hand of God in the land of AEgypt So much it grieued them to remember their bellies which were wont to be filled in AEgypt not remembring the slaueric wherein they once liued nor the land whereto they were going So likewise some there are among vs that not knowing or not remembring the grieuances of the popish gouernment nor wel considering their present freedom and happie state looke backe to Rome and the Popes golden promises and rather will venture their soules and bodies then still enioy that libertie and freedome which they haue receiued from their auncestors Of this sort are first a sort of rinegued English fugitiues that runne to the Pope and Spaniard and are by them perswaded to become sacrificing Priefts and traitors and secondly such as are seduced by them all of them drinking of the golden cuppe of the whoore of Babylon and as if they had drunke of Circes cuppe from men being transformed into beasts and brutish Papistes Wherefore to reclaime these haggard English if it be possible and to stay the stirring humours of others as I haue in the former Treatise recounted diuers excellent graces bestowed vpon our countrie and nation by meanes of the pious and prosperous gouernment of our late Queene that broke down the altars of Baal and established Christs true religion among vs so now in the Discourse ensuing I purpose by Gods grace to enter into a due consideration of the calamities and miseries wherto our natiō was subiect during the raign of Queene Marie and whereto all Papists liuing vnder the Popes iurisdiction are ordinarily subiect Wherein that I may proceede more perspicuously first I will speak of matters of the Church and then of matters of ciuill pollicie and that first as they concerne the King and next as they concerne his people Now because Robert Parsons according to his best skill indeuoureth to aduance popish gouernment I haue thought it not amisse now and then as the course of my Discourse carieth me to enterlace his idle arguments and to refute them Not that I suppose any man of reason will giue credit to such a lying companion that shutting his eyes against light commaundeth his tongue to walke and talke against all truth but that by his trifling obiections you may perceiue our plaine dealing and his parasiticall and palpable glosing I may well say of this wicked Atheists wranglings as Origen sayd of Celsus in his discourse against Christian Religion Non est periculum vt eis subuertatur vllus fidelium Absit enim vt inueniatur aliquis in charitate Dei quae est per Christum Iesum tam frigidus vt Celsi verbis aut similium dimoueatur à proposito There is no danger least any faithfull man be ouerthrowne by them God forbid that any should be so cold in the loue of God which is through Christ Iesus that he should be disturned from his godly purpose by Parsons his wrangling Wardwords and Warne-words or by such friuolous deuises of any of his consorts But as the Apostle sayth All haue not faith And many want both the loue of God and the loue they ought to beare to their Prince and countrey Against these I dispute and for those I labour that persist in their first loue Marke therefore I pray you the ignorance of Papists in matters of Religion the falshood and absurdities of their doctrine the burthensome and grieuous tyrannie of the Pope and then iudge without partialitie whether the same be not like the captiuitie of Babylon and darknesse of AEgypt out of which all true Christians ought to desire to be deliuered God graunt all men grace to see it and auoyde it CHAP. I. Of the ignorance both of the Clergie and Laitie of England in matters of Religion in Q. Maries time and generally of Masse priests and their followers at all times and in all places BEfore I enter to discourse of Religion first I am to shew the misery of Papists that for the most part liued in time past and yet liue without the knowledge of Religion Nay diuers of the Masse-priests and common people were ignorant and deuoyd of all good learning and knowledge The ignorance of priests and people in the dayes of Iohn Peccham Archbishop of Canterbury may appeare in that he beginneth his prouinciall constitution with ignorantia Sacerdotum and teacheth them the articles of the Créed and how to handle the sacrament of the altar shewing them that the wine giuen to the communicants in lesser churches was not consecrate and that they were not too much to break the sacrament with their teeth percase for hurtiing of it but to sup it vp Instruant eesdem saith he c. altissimus constit de sum trinit sumptum ore sacraementum non nimis dentibus comminuere sed tritum modicè sorbcre perfectè O miserable men that were taught to sup the sacrament like an oyster And why might they not aswell be taught to eate wine as to sup bread The same man in the chapter Ignorantia sacerdotum de officio Archipresbyteri thinketh it sufficient for priests to teach by themselues or by others and that once euery quarter the articles of the Creed the ten commaundements the two commaundements of the Gospell for this fellow scarce beléeued that the loue of God or his neighbor was commaunded in the morall law the seuen workes of mercie the seuen deadly sinnes the seuen principall vertues and seuen sacraments And what was this quarter teaching forsooth nothing else but the construing or expounding of these things in English as the text
and of disgrace dishonor and losse to our nation Neither doth any accompt otherwise of her then as of a woman vnhappie in her mariage cruell in persecuting Gods Saints vngratefull to those that were her best friends vnkind to her subiects disastrous in all her enterprises The like successe had those kings of England that were most forward in the Popes seruice Before king Henry the seconds time the Popes agents had litle to do in England He was the first that gaue them grace But sée his reward The Pope maintained Becket and other his rebellious subiects against him and forced him to most disgracefull and base conditions of agréement Furthermore the Popes agents in his time found such fauour that vntill the ragine of king Henry the eight this Land could neuer be ridde of them King Richard the first for the Popes pleasure crossed hint selfe for the holy land and went thither with great forces of men and royall prouisions But nothing he gained beside a vaine name of a valiant man On the other side his losses and disgraces were exceeding great For first he lost most of his fléete then he lost the best part of his men Thirdly he lost diuers good townes in France where his enemies tooke aduantage of his absence Fourthly he was taken prisoner in his returne Fiftly he impouerished himselfe and his countrie in leauying money for his ransome And lastly was vnnobly slaine before a litle castle in France by a base fellow So litle did the Popes pardons and blessings auaile him Neuer did any king of England more for the Pope then king Iohn For he resigned his Crowne into his Legates hands and indeuoured also as much as in him lay to make his kingdome tributarie to the Pope Let vs then see what fruite he reaped of his deuotion to the Pope First he liued in continuall iarre with his subiects Secondly he lost Normandie and diuers townes of great moment to the French Thirdly in his dayes the French made warre vpon him in England and bid him base at his owne doores Fourthly he suffered his kingdome to be pillaged by the Pope Finally he died of poyson ministred to him by a Monke of Swinsted Abbey as Caxtons Chronicle reporteth King Henry the third was flatly cousened by Innocent the fourth and deluded with a promise of the kingdome of Naples for his sonne Edmond But for this vaine title he payed full deare not onely suffering the Pope to spoile his countrie but also paying himselfe great summes to the Pope King Henry the eight for the deliuerance of Clement the seuenth spent infinit treasure vainely And that was the successe of all the kings of England that did seruice to the Pope Generally all those that liue vnder the Popes iurisdiction liue most miserably being neither secured for their goods nor liues nor liberties either from their neighbour princes or from the Pope First they serue two kings wheresoeuer they liue that is their King or Duke and the Pope If they offend the Pope they are proclaimed heretickes and are déemed worthie of death yea albeit the controuersie be no matter of Religion Lewis of Bauier and his followers were reputed heretikes he for taking on him the Empire without the Popes allowance these for yéelding obedience to their lawfull prince The like censure was giuen against all that followed the Emperour Henry the fourth and Fredericke the second If they offend their Princes either in word or act the penaltie is death Poggio sheweth that a rich man being accused of treason answered that he had not offended but if his goods had offended he would not consent with them And thus by renouncing that which he had he escaped The lawes are very rigorous both of Pope and popish princes the executions very cŕuell and barbarous Onuphrius speaking of the times of Alexander the sixt saith that there was neuer more outrages committed by Spadassins and cut throates that the people of Rome had neuer lesse freedome that there was a great number of priuic promoters and that euery euill word was punished with death But this is common to all Italian princes Murthers and spoiles are litle regarded euery word nay euery thought against them if it be knowne is punished most rigorously The Spanish inquisitors in crueltie passe most sauage beastes Upon euery light surmise they procéed against most innocent persons and some they racke some they famish some they burne some they cut péecemcale The very Papistes themselues could neuer endure it nor would suffer it but by force The Venetians will none of it The Neapolitans refusing the same yéeld this reason quia per simplicem alicuius maleuoli accusationem nullis requisit is probationibus nullisque defensionibus acceptis posset quisque in carceres detrudi vita honore facultatibus priuari Because by the single accusation of one malitious fellow neither proofes being sought nor exceptions receiued any man might be thrust into prison and depriued of his honors goods and life Are they not then miserable that liue vnder the danger of the cruell inquisition The people of the Low countries do affirme that the Inquisition was the originall ground of the troubles and tumults of the Low countries and that the Cardinal Granuélle endeuouring to bring in the same was the ruine of his countrie At the first the same was practised principally against Turkes and Moores Who then doth not detest the Spaniards and Italians that practising the same against Christians do plainly declare that they hold them to be no better then Turkes and Moores The common forme also of inquisition against Christians is very cruell odious and intolerable considering first that the Romanists take all for heretikes that reproue them for their villanies superstitions and heresies and next for that they neither obserue forme nor order of iustice nor respect young nor old men aliue nor dead oftentimes torturing mens bodies most cruelly and spoiling their goods most gréedily and punishing any that dissent from the synagogue of Rome in matter of the Sacraments as if they had conspired the destruction of their prince and countrie By this cruel procéeding in the raigne of Charles the fift the bloudie popish tormentors in the low countries put to death fiftie thousands as the Histories of the Low countries testifie In England like sauage wolues they spoiled the flocke during the raigne of Queene Marie How many haue bene executed in Spaine Italie France and Germanie by these Inquisitors it is hard to recount Oflate because the executioners were not sufficient to satisfie their cruelty they haue caused many thousands without all order to be massacred Paul the 4. that first brought the inquisition into Rome brought himselfe and his house into perpetual hatred of the Romanes insomuch that vpon his death the people ran furiously together broke his statue threw downe the armes of his house burnt the inquisition court and were hardly restrained from doing further violence to the inquisitors
princes stand vpon loosing their crownes at the Popes pleasure then are they in poore estate and without any assurance of their kingdomes considering especially the malice of the Pope against such as professe the truth and his ambition in encroching vpon his neighbors dominions Ghineard a Iebusite was hanged in Paris anno 1594. for writing and holding diuers seditions positions wherof one was that the crowne of France might and ought to be translated into another family then that of Bourbon Neither néed any man make question by whom he meant that this feat should be wrought séeing the Pope is the man whose authoritie the Iebusites and Cananites seeke to aduance aboue Kings Finally Robert Parsons in his Warnword part 2. f. 117. 6 alleageth a booke entitled De iusta Henrici tertij abdicatione that is of the iust deposing of the French King Henry the third whereby it is apparent that he also holdeth that the Pope may iustly depose Kings Neither is it likely that he would so busily haue sought to stirre vp rebels in England and to suborne cut-throtes to kill the Quéene or that he would haue desired that Pius the fift his bull against her might be suspended for a time concerning Papists if he had not taken her to be deposed by the Pope But because this doctrine of the Popes authority that of it selfe is litle worth would auaile nothing vnlesse the people also can be drawne to fauour the Popes faction therefore the Pope and his schollers giue also a power to the people to depose Kings and princes especially if once they proue tyrants that is as Iebusites teach if they be excommunicate by the Pope or else séeke to maintaine their state or the truth against the biolence and practises of the popish saction Gregory the seuenth tooke away all regall power from Henry the fourth and gaue the same vnto Rodulph of Saxonie commaunding all Christians to receiue Rodulph for their King and not to obey the Emperour Henry in any thing as being absolued from their othes which they were wont to giue vnto Kings Regiam ei potestatem adimo saith Gregory the seuenth interdicoque Christianis omnibus illo iuramento absolutis quo fides regibus dari consueuit ne Henrico vtla in re obtemperent Rodulphum in regem suscipiant But this could not be executed vulesse the people had some power giuen them to put by the one and to receiue the other Nor can princes stand firme if seditious Popes can giue the people this power Innocent the fourth likewise deposed Friderick the second forbidding his subiects to obey him and commanding them to whom it appertained to chuse another King As if it lay in the power of the people to do the one or the other or as it the princes authoritie stood in this case vpon the peoples pleasure Pius the fift declared Quéene Elizabeths subiects to be fréed from their obedience and not onely commaunded them not to obey her but by all perswasions moued them to depose her Is not this then a plaine and euident argument that the Pope doth giue power to the people contrary to the doctrine of the Apostle Rom. 13. and Tit. 3. to rebell against princes and to depose them William Raynolds a renegate Englishman in a treatise set out vnder the counterfeit name of William Rosse and entitled De iustaereip Christianae suprareges impios haereticos authoritate iustissimaque Caetholicorum he should say cacolicorū ad Henricum Nauarraeū quemcunque haereticum à regno Galliae repellendum confederatione doth in expresse termes giue the people power to depose Kings and maintaineth impudently the wicked league of the French rebels against their King In the 2. chap. of that booke he affirmeth that the right of al the Kings kingdoms of Europe is laid vpō this foundation that common wealths or people may depose thir kings His words are Quodius omnium Europae regum regnorum hoc fundamento nititur quodresp possint suos reges deponere But therein he sheweth himselfe and his consorts to be the most notorious traitors of all Europe Likewise Robert Parsons our aduersary if such a base companion may deserue that name and a notorious firebrand of sedition in his booke of succession to the crowne of England made against the iust title of King Iames and in fauour of the infanta of Spaine in his first booke chap. 1. endeuoureth to proue that succession to gouernement by nearenesse of blood is by positiue lawes of the commonwealth and may vpon iust causes be altered by the same His intention is to shew that they which made that law may also alter it In the third chapter he striueth with himselfe to shew that not onely vnworthy pretenders may be put backe but that Kings in possession may be chastised and deposed The first part of which proposition is directed against our most worthy and rightfull King before his comming to the crowne the second aymeth at him now that by Gods grace he is attained to the Crowne In the fourth chapter he sayth that othes in diuers cases bind not subiects and that sometimes they may lawfully proceed against Princes Matters so seditious and odious that it séemeth to me admirable that such a leud companion should be suffered so impudently to barke against the authority of Kings or that the Archpriest or the Iebusits or Masse priests that depend vpon him and allow this doctrine and percase yet stand for the infantaes title together with their cōsorts shold be suffered to liue by the lawes of that King whom by their wicked doctrine they haue sought to dispossesse of his right and to depose from his royall throne Neither is this the doctrine of these base companions only but also of other more famous Doctors and of the most illustrious ring-leaders of the Iebusites Bellarmine lib. 5. de pontif Rom. c. 6. saith It is not lawful for Christians to tolerate a King that is an infidel or an hereticke if he go about to draw his subiects to his heresie or infidelitie His words are these Non licet Christianis tolerare regem infidelem aut haereticum si ille pertrahere conetur subditos ad suam haeresim aut infidelitatem Now it is well knowne that such as receiue not the superstition and heretical doctrine of the Romish synagogue are by the sect of Papists accompted heretikes and litle better then infidels Emanuel Sa a Iebusite also in a booke called Aphorismi confessariorum holdeth these aphorismes ensuing In verbo Princeps That the Prince may be depriued by the common-wealth for tyrannie and also if he do not his dutie or when there is any iust cause and another may be chosen of the greater part of the people But some saith he suppose that onely tyrannie is a iust cause of deposition His words stand thus Potest princeps per remp priuari ob tyrannidem si non faciat officium suum cum est causa aliqua iusta
saith to demaund iustice against him Christopher Bagshaw his fellow priest testifieth that being burser he disfurnished the colledge library of many auncient bookes and rare manuscripts A true man he is as it seemeth being conuinced both of forgery filchery and periury But because he was sworne to be true a true thiefe to the colledge For these and other misdemeanors he had the fauour to resigne being first lawfully expelled as saith Bagshaw in his apologie against Parsons slanders and with such fauour he departed that no man seemed desirous he should remaine in the colledge any longer I thinke he may remember that he was rung with belles out of the house which was either a signe of triumph or else of his dismall departure out of the world At the same time he made a submission with many teares as saith Bagshaw and promised that he would euer after carry himselfe in a good sort but if he forgot his oth made first it was no maruell if he forgot his promise made after Hauing receiued this disgrace not long after he fled like a fugitiue out of his countrey and became a Iebusite For note that periured fugitiues make prime Iebusites So that was verified in him that is commonly found true in others Quod desperatio facit monachum For desperatly hee cast himselfe away into a monkish order although not long before he had deepely protested that he would neuer become a papist What religion was in him it may appeare for that suddenly he tooke on him a religion which he had a litle before forsworne Beside that being in England he alwaies professed the same religion that we doe and in priuate communication with his friends seemed desirous to learne some good course of study of diuinitie Being burser hee bought many bookes written by learned men of our side and placed them in the library of Bailioll colledge in Oxford What is then to be collected of all his demeanour and actions but that disgrace and malice and no other reason made him a papist a friar and an apostata Departing out of the countrey hee went not away empty handed For he carried away diuers summes of money which he had receiued of his schollers friends without rendring accompt Promising also to make a match betwixt one of his schollers and a gentlewoman his mothers neighbour he tooke money of both the parties friends albeit neither of the parties knew any such matter nor their friends had talked together A very prety tricke to be plaid for his first prize of cosinage The seculer priests charge him with mispending the almes that is bestowed on the english Seminaries vpon his intelligencers spies in postage and vpon his priuat pleasures After his departure out of England the man cosined the Prince of Parma the Spanish king and others offering like a montebanke the crowne of England to sale to any that would buy it A thing certes of good price if he could haue made his sale good He may remember that Marforio in Rome touched him in a certaine ticket for this grosse cosinage But great wonder it is that the Pope hath not trussed him ere this finding all his promises of intelligences treasons and packes in England to be nothing else but méere cosinage mockery and knauery to procure himselfe to be made Cardinall And this both himselfe and his brother and friends did so greedily looke for that on a time being aduised to weare a péece of scarlet before his stomacke and giuing order that a péece might be brought from the marchant his witlesse brother thinking the time of his aduancement had bene come caused as much scarlet to be brought to him as would make him a Cardinals robes But with great confusion and blushing like as if his face had bene died scarlet Parsons conueyed the man and his scarlet out by a posterne gate But the scorne and blemish still stucke to him Of his vertuous life in Spaine and in the colledge at Rome we neede not to stand much seeing the markes of his honesty appeare in the pustules of his face but especially in his scabbed legs The which mysteries of Iebusites least they should be reuealed they haue a graunt of the Pope to haue Physitions of their owne company While the stirres continued betweene the Iesuits and the English schollers in Rome one Harward gaue out that he could name seuen Sodomites in that colledge But may Parsons friends answere That is no nouelty among the fiery Ignatians that forsweare mariage For seeing they refuse honourable mariage it is Gods iust vengeance vpon them that they should fall into these filthie abominable disorders Euery one of the masse-priests according to the formulary of Rome doth say and confesse quòd peccaui in Sodomia that is I haue sinned in Sodomy The man naturally is a coward yet when he passeth through strange countreyes he goeth disguised and calleth himselfe Captaine Cowbucke But albeit he be no souldier nor worthy of that profession yet should he haue come anno 1588. with the Spanish forces against his countrey And so many hath he suborned to kill the Queene and to stirre rebellion in England and Ireland that he hath caused more blood to be shed then the greatest souldier of our time His impudency in lying and great cunning in iugling may be conuinced by his bold assertions and denials against all truth and by his shifting and cogging in all his writings which giue plaine euidence that the man when he sted from his countrey left honesty shame and conscience behind him if euer he had any as by diuers arguments in the treatise ensuing shall god willing be verified In the meane while see what his fellow traitors say of him He that set foorth the reply to Parsons libell doth testifie that he will affirme or deny any thing and saith that he hath a brasen forehead and prayeth that God would send him more shame more honesty and more truth Speaking of his cunning conueiance he saith he will neuer leaue his iugling trickes and againe that like a Gipsey he playeth at fast and loose His life vnto the rest of his consorts is so scandalous that the martrized Quodlitelist with admirati ō doth thus exclaime quodl 8. art 5. pa. 238. ô monster of mankind fitter for hell then middle earth and afterward thou giuest occasion for diuers to thinke thou art not a mere man but some fairies brat or begotten by some incubus or aerish spirit vpon the body of a base woman and quodl 6. art 7. and discouery pa. 70. Blackewell saith a certaine masse-priest must depend vpon Garnet and Garnet vpon Parsons and Parsons on the deuill Doe not you thinke then that this is a braue dependance and that the warneword is braue stuffe that is calfreted and deuised by a dependant vpon the deuill but may his friends say this was spoken out of choller Heare then what the archpriest said when he heard that Robert Parsons was first come into
England This man sayd he will shame vs all he is for his expulsion and manners so infamous Howsoeuer he hath shamed others himselfe he hath shamed by his leud loose and discomposed patcheries Of his cruell disposition he hath giuen vs many arguments While he was yet in Bailioll colledge he prosecuted seuen young men of farre better parentage then himselfe and gladly would haue had them hanged for taking certaine puddings from a pupill of his called Himmes He endeuoured to draw Himmes his father into bond that hée should not cease to prosecute the fellonie and would haue proceeded further had not the councell taken order to stay his violence it may be he thought that taking of puddings was a great matter considering especially that the wealth of the tripewise his mother consisted in tripes puddings and souce but sée Gods hand against this prosecutor of takers of puddings he is now so swollen like a blacke pudding that the memory of Parsons puddings will not lightly be forgotten A man shall hardly find a fitter fellow to play Ballio the baud then Parsons being a baudy burley pudding growne fellow and very like the baud in Plautus cum collatiuo ventre oculis herbeis that is with his bumbasted and barrellike bellie and eyes greenish like grasse In Rome he hath long bene the tormentor of the boyes of the English colledge although his friends in his excuse say he loueth them but too well and namely one Fisher a fine youth that sometime was a Ganymedes to Edward or as he called himselfe Odeward Weston sometime reader of Sodomiticall diuinitie at Doway although now for his beastly loue they say he hath lost his place and lecture and is sent to Antwerpe to loue wenches there Prouided alwayes that he meddle not with boyes especially scandalously As for Fisher he is now at Rome as they say to do penance with Robert Parsons Protonotarie of Sodome if he be not fishing in the sea Whē Bishop and Charnocke agents of the secular priests in England were sent to Rome Sir Robert handled them very rudely These priests doe exclaime mainely against his crueltie He tooke away their writings and valists he caused them to be imprisoned and hardly examined and at the length sent them away re infectissima But what should I neede to stand vpon prooues of his bloody and cruell disposition when it is apparent that diuers wayes he hath sought to destroy the Queene whom he should haue honoured as his most gracious soueraigne He sought also to deliuer vp his countrimen to haue their throats cut by the Spaniards nay by Italians Marans and infidels One William Browne alias Ch. P. in a letter dated the 16. of August anno 1599. affirmeth that he hath a letter of Parsons his owne hand dated 1598. wherein he confesseth that he knew of Parries practise for the killing of the Queene and that the said Parsons kept backe a gentleman that intended to discouer the same A certaine other papisticall fellow in a treatise concerning the practises of Iesuits for killing of Princes doth charge Parsons for aduancing the practise of Party and Sauage against the Quéens life for dealing with the Duke of Guise to enter into England with 5000. men to surprize the Quéene lying at Greenewich and the citie of London Neither haue the Spaniards made any attempt against England without the priuitie and solicitation of Parsons the arch-plotter of treasons William Browne aliàs Ch. P. doth charge Parsons to be a common detractor and saith that he detracteth without respect of religion truth or common honestie If then he detract from his owne fellowes rayleth vpon such as himselfe pleaseth though in the generall cause ioyned with him we may not maruell if he play his with parts vs whom he taketh to be his enemies by whose detractiō he hopeth to merit and to winne a Cardinals hat Finally the mans traitorous practises against the Quéene and his countrey in many volumes cannot sufficiently be desciphred His first comming into England was to make a side and to moue rebellion And that is prooued by his faculties graunted anno 1580. Petatur saith he à S. domino nostro c. that is Let it be desired of our most holy Lord the Pope that the bull declaratorie of Pius the fift against Elizabeth and her adherents be vnderstood in this manner that the same bull shall alwayes bind her and all heretikes but not Romish Catholikes as matters doe now stand but onely then when the bull may publikely be put in execution By this facultie being granted then it appeareth that the bull of Pius Quintus was in force against the Quéene and her subiects and that Parsons came to stirre vp false Catholikes or rather false traitors to put it in execution as soone as occasion should be offered Now according to the tenor of his faculties the fellow ceased not to rake in the coles of mens discontented humours and to make a partie against the Queene The papists saw he dealt so openly that they feared least if the fire tooke a number of them should be burned in the flames Such was the feare of the wisest of them that they told him plainely that if he retired not himselfe they would discouer him to her Maiesties officers Being thus forced more then halfe against his will to depart out of England yet ceased he not to procure vs troubles from Scotland as the king now raigning can tell and his libell against the Earle of Leicester that seemeth to fauour the kings title doth manifestly proue Nay in a letter to the Earle of Angus he doth plainely confesse that at that time he was for the kings title and sought presently to set it on foote without longer staying for the Queenes death In France he encouraged the D. of Guise to come with an army into England not forgetting in the meane while to aduance the treason of Parry Sauage There also he was acquainted by the meanes of Ballard with Babingtons conspiracie Neither is it to be doubted but he knew of friar Sammiers comming to the kings mother of which ensued the ruine of her as the authour of the Iesuits Catechisme testifieth It is said also that he caused 500. crownes to be deliuered to Ch. Paget to come ouer into England to treat with the Earle of N. whereof his destruction ensued not long after In Flanders he sought also to draw the D. of Parma into quarrell with the Queen of England offering him the Lady Arbella and the crowne of England for his sonne But he was no more able to performe his offer then the deuill that promised to giue all the kingdomes of the earth to Christ. That packe being broken he solicited the preparations of the Spaniard against England anno 1588. ayding Card. Allen to make that most execrable libell which he titleth an exhortation to the Nobility and people of England and Ireland which containeth all the disgrace that could be deuised both against the
Quéene her subiects Whatsoeuer he did in deuising of that traitorous libell one W. Br. alias Pag. chargeth him that hee holpe to print it and gaue diuers copies to his friends Departing out of the low countries he committed the managing of matters to one Holt a man of his owne societie and confrairy of tray tours If then Holt was acquainted with the practises of Yorke Williams and Daniel for killing the Quéene as he is charged by W. Br. alias Ch. Pag. or with Heskets trecherous agency with the Carle of Darby then no doubt but R. Parsons was made priuie therewith also seeing he was but as an inferiour sphere concurring with Parsons that like primum mobile drew with him all inferior traytors and made all matters of treason to be taken in hand Residing in Spaine his onely purpose was to set this land in combustion To worke a detestation of her Maiestie and of the English nation in the mindes of the Spaniards he caused a most slanderous libell set forth before in Latin to be translated into Spanish by one Ribadineira a man of his owne trayterous order adding thereunto diuers slaunderous and most vntrue reports of his owne auouching his owne lies vpon the credit of Sanders being now dead And that this is true not onely his owne conscience doth witnesse but that ribald Ribadineira must acknowledge if he be aliue and will testifie truth For to draw the king of Spaine into the party he set out a most fond booke of titles to the crowne of England casting the same with all the force of his wit vpon the Infanta of Spaine seeking to depriue the right heires and endeuoring to bring vs vnder the captiuitie of strangers to which end also he caused diuers of the English nation residing in Spaine to subscribe to that title With the helpe of Creswell and others his adherents he caused diuers trecherous inuectiues to be published against her Maiesty the State and that partly vnder the names of Andreas Philopater Didimus Veridicus and such like counterfet names and partly without names By his and other his traitorous consorts solicitation king Philip the second sent forth a fléet to sea of which two attempts followed the one about the yeare 1598. in which diuers ships by stresse of wether were wracked on the coast of Spaine betwixt the Rocke and Cap. finis terrae the second followed not long after The first is proued by D. Stillingtō and other Massepriests perswaded by Parsons to come with publike enemies against England the second is mentioned in a letter of the said Parsons to Th. Fitzherbert and publikely diuulged by the Adelantadoes proclamation of which hereafter we shall haue occasion to speake And so earnest was the king of Spaine in setting forth this fleete against England that at one time returning to himselfe out of a trance the first words he speke were Whether is the Adelantado gone for England At another time being at his deuotions he said He would spend the furniture of his chappell but he would be reuenged vpon the English The Secular priests in their reply to Parsons libell fol. 65. do also mentiō these preparations Neither is it to be doubted but that Parsons concurred in the solicitation of them The author of the Reply speaking of these preparations for England These two preparations sayth he are so euident to haue proceeded with his concurrence and cooperation as he no way can deny it without the note of impudency so many witnesses and his owne letters bring in testimonie against him He doth likewise affirme that the vrging of diuers to subscribe to the Infantaes title is a matter notorious and euident and to be proued by the othes of diuers priests In his letters to a certaine Earle of Scotland Parsons plainely confesseth diuers practises set on foote by himselfe against England and that he sought to aduance the Spanish Infantaes title as being of his religion The resolutions of cases of conscience set out by A. P. that is Allen and Parsons for direction of their traitorous schollers are nothing else but resolutions to proue them both traitors and enemies to their countrie declaring the Queene to be a tyrant and no lawfull Queene and her officers no lawfull officers and ayming wholly at the ouerthrow of the State Finally it is auerred by the secular priests that Parsons had a finger in the rebellions of Ireland Neither is it to be doubted but that he his agent Creswel were acquainted with the enterprise of D. Iuan d'Aquila in Kinsale many traitorous English being that time in companie with the Spaniards If then this be one of the chiefe pillars of Romish faith certaine it is that the Romish faith standeth vpon disloyaltie and trechery or at least vpon a wicked disloyall traitor If Papists wold consider these his prartises they wold not so much esteeme his directories libels discoueries inuectiues wardwords or rather a wardrobe of knauery and villanie his Warnewords such like odious fardles of idle words which rather direct men to the gallowes then to religion and vertue which shall further appeare in the answer following This in the meane while I thought to relate for ease of his holy father if percase he list to saint this horse-holy Frier And if in the meane while he be not created Cardinall by reason of his infamous bastardie and foule bellaquerie too open playing aboue boord yet let him be a Cardinall and a card ercarniticable vested with Cardinals robes of yellow blew and greene like the Knaue of Clubbes CHAP. II. Of the title Warne-word and other matters promised and prefixed in the front of Parsons his booke A goose they say may be knowne by a feather If men will not beléeue me yet may it be verified by the goose Parsons For by his most foolish title being the first fether of his gooseships worke we may assure our selues we shall haue a great péece of foolerie For albeit he promise vs but one Warneword yet hath he sent vs a whole fardle of idle words and fantasticall fooleries Secondly as admonitions and warnings are sent to friends and not to enemies so might he haue done well to haue giuen some admonitions to the bougerly boyes of the English seminaries that suffer themselues to be abused too shamefully by the bougeronicall Masse priests to the dishonor of their nation and not to vs that regard not witlesse admonitions a straw The tragicall poet might haue told this comicall admonitor if he had but had any one graine of wit that a wicked mans offers and gifts are vnprofitable The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the asse vnderstandeth no Greek and not much Latin being onely acquainted with the iron tongue of his mother the blacksmiths wife Thirdly his whole labour being spent in iangling and bangling about some pild matters of his popish paltry religion he must shew how all that nastie geare will come within the compasse of his title vnlesse he will
Let him therefore quote these words or else in this point we will note him for a falsarie Mentior sayth Tertullian speaking of certaine heretikes si non etiam a regulis suis variant inter se dum vnusquisque proinde suo arbitrio modulatur quae accepit quemadmodum de suo arbitrio ea composuit ille qui tradidit He sayth they vary among themselues from their owne rules and that euery one at his pleasure doth modulate and temper the things he receiued as he that deliuered them composed them at his pleasure But this wanteth much of Parsons words and meaning as he wanted much of sincere dealing Fol. 29 he affirmeth desperatly that the great commission for the Popes iurisdiction is contained in the 16. of Matthew in these words I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. forging notoriously the Popes letters patents For neither is there any mention of the Pope or Bishop of Rome in these words nor doth our Sauiour speake of any keyes or power of binding and loosing that is not common to all Bishops which are the Apostles successors Furthermore general words wil not serue to cary halfe the Popes power Finally if we will beléeue Bellarmine lib. 1. de Pont. Rom. c. 10. here is nothing giuen to Peter but only promised to him Fol. 38. he alledgeth Pope Nicholas his Epistle and Constantines donation both notoriously and impudently being forged and by the forgeron or blackesmiths putatiue sonne erroniously interpreted Fol. 39. speaking of certaine words of Cusanus This sayth he of the change of Gods iudgement after the iudgement of the Church of the supreme Pastor is a commō saying of the auncient fathers vpon those words of Christ Whose finnes you loose on earth c. Anotorious lie For albeit he alleage thrée yet no one speaketh of the change of Gods iudgement or of the Pope or affirmeth that Gods iudgement changeth with the Church Beside that it is one thing to talke of binding and loosing and another to say that as the Church altereth the institution of the sacraments so God altereth his iudgement Would not this fellow then haue a garland of peacockes feathers for his notorious cogging and for his presumption in falsly alleaging and belying the Fathers Fol. 40. in the margent he sayth that Hilary in Math. 16. hath a worthy place for the Popes authoritie Yet can he not proue that Hilary in that place speaketh one word ei most materiall of his discourse In the same leafe he addeth another text out of the 26. of the Prouerbs where the wise man aduiseth vs to answere a foole according to his folly least he thinke himselfe wise According whereunto we haue shaped an answere to Robert Parsons his Warneword praying him very heartily to take it in good part and not to thinke himselfe ouer wise in his owne conceit seeing the author of that peece could neuer haue vttered such stuffs vnlesse he had bene a three piled foole and had attained to a higher degree then a Cardinall in the consistory of fooles Likewise these words out of Ciceroes oration in Vatinium which he like a dolt supposeth to be taken out of Tullies second Philppic viz. vt vexatum potiùs quà m despectum vellem dimittere doe fit vs as well against Parsons as may be deuised For albeit he be but a base bastardly and contemptible fellow and almost spent out in rayling and libelling and discrasied in plotting of treason and villany yet haue I thought it better to send him away well corrected then to passe by him as a worthlesse and despised companion Neither do I doubt but to returne him as large a measure of bastonadoes as he hath offered others and so to handle him that his friends shall say he is dressed like a calues head souced in veriuyce These words of our Sauiour Iohn 3. He that doth euill hateth the light and will not come to it least his workes should be reproued he applieth to me And why Forsooth because to answere Capt. Cowbuckes fencing Wardword set out vnder the name of N. D. I take the two next letters to make vp N. D. a full Noddy For this cause he sayth I entertaine my selfe in some darknesse for a time and expect my prey vnder a ciphred name And this obiection pleaseth him so well that not onely in the eleuenth and twelth leafe but also in diuers others places he doth inculcate the same But against me these obiections come all too late For albeit at the first I could haue bene content to haue bene vnknowne in this foolish brable betwixt Parsons and me and that not so much in regard of any thing sayd by me as in regard of the bastardly companion with whom I am matched being an aduersary of any learned man to be scorned And not least of all because such controuersies would rather be handled in Latin then in English yet being occasioned to renew my challenge I haue set my name vnto it and declared that I neither feare light nor the foules of darknesse nor need to looke for spoyle as this rauinous Iebusite pretendeth Against Robert Parsons this text and obiection cometh both fitly and timely For albeit he obiecteth ciphring of names to others yet will he not discipher his owne name vnto vs. Nay albeit we know his name and qualitie very well yet will he not bewray himselfe albeit often admonished of his playing the owle He hath long bene plotting of treason and therefore hateth the light He hath for many yeares gone masked like a vagabond vp and downe England and in the day time hidden himselfe in corners He hath long looked to diuide the spoile of his country with strangers What then resteth seeing he will not be dismasked but that some of Buls progenie doe vnmaske him vncase him and trusse him Likewise fol. 12. he calleth me Owle and saith He will draw me to the light But this foule shold haue remembred that himselfe in a paltry pamphlet which he set forth to disswade men from coming to Church tooke on him the name of Iohn Houler as a fit name for such a night bird and that this is one of his owne proper titles Likewise fol. 14. b. he calleth me Owles eye because I borrow the two letters O. E. But if O. E. signifieth owles eye then doth N. D. signifie either a Nasty Dunse or a North Island dog or a notorious dolt by as good reason Fol. 18. to proue the Popes headship ouer the whole Church his noddiship alleageth the law inter claras Cod. de sum trin fid catho But like a forging fellow he bringeth in counterfeit stuffs For that is made apparent in my discourse of Popish falsities Beside that this law doth quite ouerthrow the Popes cause For whereas the Pope claimeth his authoritie by the law of God this law sayth That the Romish Church was declared to be head of all Churches by the rules of fathers by the statutes of Princes and the
Emperors fauourable speeches Quam esse omnium ecclesiarum caput sayth the law patrum regulae principum statuta declarant pietatis vestrae reuerendissimi testantur affatus Let him therefore beware that the Pope do not find him a traitour aswell to himselfe as to his countrey Fol. 23. speaking of the blessings mentioned by Sir Francis Hastings he sayth They were freshly framed out of the forge of his owne inuention But he was not aware that this belongeth to Uulcane the blackesmithes putatiue sonne Parsons who from his infancy might in his putatiue father Cowbuckes forge learne to forge frame and inuent nayles to tacke the Popes triple crowne to his bald head Fol. 25. b. you shall perceiue sayth he that saying of old Tertullian to be true c. that it was impossible for two heretikes to agree in all points But first this place is not found in Tertullians booke de praescript by him alleaged Secondly were it truly alleaged yet doth it not belong to any more properly then to popish heretikes For if all the bangling Iebusites were coupled together like hounds yet would they sooner hang together then agrée together And that may appeare both by the schoolemens disputes one against another in all questions almost and also by Bellarmines bookes of controuersies and Suares his tedious fraplements about schoolematters in which they are as much at variance with themselues as with others In the same place he taxeth vs for confused writing And yet if you séeke all the sinkes of the Popes libraries I do hardly beléeue that you shall find a more confused farrago of words and matters then the Warne-word set out by Robert Parsons For therein the man runneth as it were the wild goose chase and heapeth vp a farble of foolery like to nothing vnlesse it be to a bundle of stolen tailors shreds wherein frise and carsey listes locrome cotton and soutage is bound together Fol. 43. out of Augustine lib. 4. contra Iulian. c. 3. he telleth vs that the forehead of heretikes is no forehead if we vnderstand thereby shamefastnesse And out of Tertullian de praescr contra haeret That lies hardly stand one with another Both which do excéedingly wel fit Rob. Parsons For neither hath the man shame nor honestie nor do his lies hang together as appeareth by this whole discourse Fol. 52. out of M. Knoxe he alledgeth as a dangerous position and so it is That princes may be deposed by the people And yet that is his owne traiterous assertion in his booke of Titles set out vnder the name of Dolman The title of the third chapter part 1. is of Kings lawfully chastised by their common wealths That is likewise his and Allens drift in their trecherous libell directed to the Nobility and people of England and Ireland where they perswade them to take armes against the Quéene of England Fol. 53. he condemneth in Buchanan that which he and Beliarmine and their crew of rebellious consorts hold viz. that if Christians deposed not Princes in the Apostles times it was for want of temporal forces and for that S. Paul wrote in the infancie of the church That is also in termes holden by Bellarmine lib. 5. de Pont. Rom. c. 7. In his first encounter chap. 10. he goeth about to proue that S. Bernard and S. Augustine iumpe with Papists in the doctrine of merits of good workes But vnlesse he shew out of them that workes are meritorious not by reason of couenant or promise or mercy but for the workes sake as Bellarm. lib. 5. de Iustif. c. 17. holdeth and that there is a proportion or equality betweene the worke and reward merited and that workes are meritorious ex condigno and that charity differeth not really from grace as Bellarmine teacheth lib. 1. de libero arbit c. 6. and that men are able to prepare themselues to receiue grace and finally proue the distinction de congruo and condigno Parsons laboureth but in vaine But this is contrary both to scriptures and fathers He first loued vs sayth Ioh. 1. Ioh. 4. And the Apostle sayth We are saued by grace and not of workes Nullus saith Augustine in Psal. 142. vnquam bonū opus fecit tanta charitate quanta potuit debuit No man did euer performe a good worke with so much loue as he could and ought And 1. Confess chap. 4. Qui reddis debita nulli debens Thou which restorest debt yet owest to no man Bernard lib. de grat lib. arb promissum quidem ex misericordia sediam exiustitia persoluendum Promised of mercy but to be payd according to iustice And in his first sermon de annunt Thou canst not sayth he merite eternall life by any workes vnlesse the same be also giuen freely or gratis And againe Mens merits are not such that eternall life should be due for them of right or that God should do wrong if he did not giue them eternall life Fol. 75. he saith theeues the worst sort of mē do not suffer persecution one of another which is verified by the example of Parsons and his consorts For albeit like wolues they teare and like théeues they steale and spoile Christs lambs yet they do not alway teare and spoyle one another Neither would the kingdome of Satan stand if it were diuided in it selfe The words of S. Augustine contra Iulian. lib. 1. c. 7. alleaged by Parsons fol. 77. b. fall right vpon his head For both his ignorance and boldnesse is intollerable Fol. 80. b. be saith Calis was lost by heretical treason which cannot be true vnlesse Quéen Mary and the Papists were heretikes For none but they did lose that towne Fol. 83. he talketh of the chastitie of Friers Monkes and priests which as he signifieth haue ghelt themselues for the kingdome of heauen And yet the Monk Heywood his true father was not very chast when he begot him Nor was Parsons ghelt for the kingdome of heauen when he begot children on his owne sister as A. C. sayth or when he got his hurts in Italy and Spaine which yet sticke to his rotten shins nor are the Popes and Cardinals and Massepriests that commonly kéepe concubines if not worse very holy eunuches Of D. Giffard and Weston I shall haue occasion to speake otherwhere Furthermore he is often talking of great heads alwayes forgetting the branched head of the blacke smith his putatiue father Fol. 84. and 85. he is not ashamed to talke of ciuil wars murders and other calamities in France Flanders and other countries when he cannot denie but that the Popes bloody buls and the Iebusites the firebrands of sedition and their agents haue bene the beginners of all these troubles and the principall massacrers of innocent men Was he then wel in his wits trow you to talk of his owne deare fathers cruelties and to accuse Christs sheepe as cause of the woluish Papists notorious murders and cruell executions Whereas Parsons asketh Sir Francis whether he hath
certaintie of faith by his owne reading or by the credite of some others we may aske his friarship likewise or because he is but a doogeon dunce of the Pope who is as it were an oracle of Papists the same question And if he answer that he hath it by his owne reading then we shall much wonder at his impudencie For Parsons knoweth that Popes reade litle or nothing and for the most part are ignorant of schoole diuinitie If he say his Popeship hath it by the vertue of his close stool then is the same but filthy learning especially the Pope being laxatine as was Gregory the fourteenth If he say he haue it from his Masse-priests and friars then are they more certaine oracles then he and this learning must come from the tayles of friars and not from the head of the church Parsons therefore to cleare this doubt fol. 110. saith That they do not depend on the Pope as a priuate man but as he is head and chiefe pastor of Christs vniuersal Church He saith also That his rudenesse is turned into wisedome But that the Pope is the head of Christs vniuersall Church is the thing in question That a man should be a sot as he is a priuate man and wise as he is a publike person is ridiculous That he is made wise and learned being made Pope is most false So it appeareth Parsons is ensnared in his owne question and must confesse that the faith of papists is nothing else but the Popes priuate fancie and grounded on the Popes chaire and most absurd and sottish which can not be obiected to vs séeing we ground our selues vpon the Apostles and Prophets who in matters of faith saluation speake plainely and alwayes the same things most constantly In his first encounter chap 15. he spendeth much talke about the rule of faith But most of his words are direct contrary both to himselfe and to his holy fathers profite For in the Wardword page 6. he said the vniuersal Church was the squire and pole-star which euery one was to follow confounding like an ideot the thing ruled with the rule In the Warneword fol. 100. he saith the summe and corpes of Christian doctrine deliuered at the beginning by the miracles preachings of the Apostles is the rule of faith Which is contrary to the Popes profit For if this be true then vnlesse the Popes determinations and traditions ecclesiastical were preached by the Apostles and confirmed by mracles they are to be excluded from being the rule of faith Parsons therefore is like to those which dig pits for others but fall into them themselues He hath prepared weapons for vs but like a mad sot hath hurt himselfe with the same Finally Captaine Cowbucke like a noble woodcocke is caught in his owne springes CHAP. IX A catalogue of certaine principall lies vttered by Robert Parsons in his late Warne-word THe Spirit of God as the Apostle sayth speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue heed vnto spirits of errour and doctrines of diuels which speake lyes through hypocrisie and haue their consciences burned with a hote yron Which prophecy as in other heretikes so especially in the Papists we may sée most plainely and euidently to be fulfilled For they departing from the auncient and Catholike faith taught by the holy Apostles and Prophets and recorded in holy Scriptures haue giuen héed to spirits of error and beléeued the trash of vnwritten traditions and lying legends and therupon haue founded their prohibitions of certaine meates and mariages and such like doctrines of diuels confirming their opinions with grosse lies vttered with seared consciences and brazen faces contrary to all shew of truth They take to themselues the name of doctors and fathers but are false teachers and vnkind traitors And as Theodoret saith of certaine heretikes Christianorum sibi appellatione imposita apertè docent contraria Calling themselues Christians or Catholikes they openly teach contrary I could specifie it by Caesar Baronius and Bellarmine by Sanders Stapleton and diuers other principall authors of the popish sect But I will not match any man of note with so notorious a dolt and so base a swad as Robert Parsons is of whom we are now to speake though not much to his commendation The onely example of Parsons and that in one of his fardles of lies which we are now to rip vp shall shew them to be notorious and bold lyers The diuellish and erronious doctrine of friars we haue touched before and shall haue often occasion to mention In the front of his booke he promiseth the issue of three former treatises and in the second page talketh of eight encounters But he falsifieth his promise and lieth grossely For of the thrée former treatises he toucheth onely two chapters and of eight encounters entreth onely vpon two Further he declineth the true issue of matters and runneth bias like a warped bowle of dudgeon into impertinent idle questions Doth he not therfore as Hierom saith of one make shipwwracke in the port In his Epistle to the Reader taking vpon him to deliuer the summe of the controuersie betwixt him and vs he wracketh himselfe likewise thinking to wreake his malice vpon vs and beginneth with a grosse lie There hapned saith he some few yeares past he noteth 1599. in the margent as often also before a certaine false alarme of a Spanish inuasion then said to be vpon the seas towards England Where I néed not to note the idiotisme of Parsons speech that talketh of a Spanish inuasion vpon the sea towards England being ellewhere noted but only I wil touch his impudencie in lying and dcnying that about this time the Spaniards were ready with forces at the Groyne for the inuasion of England And the rather for that this was the occasion that moued Sir Francis Hastings to giue warning to his countrey and also because the same sheweth that Parsons is very sorie that any man is acquainted with the desscines of the Spanish Ring and that he could not take vs sleeping and so closcly and priuiliy cut his countrimens throtes I say then it is a lie most notorious to affirme that the alarme giuen vpon occasion of the Spanish preparations anno 1598. for an inuasion of some part of England was false And proue it first by the words of the Ring who recouering out of a trance and comming to himself asked if the Adelantado were gone for England Secondly by the prouisions of ships and men made at the Groync and Lisbone and which coming thence shaped their course for England albeit they were by wether beaten back Thirdly by the testimony of one Leake a Masse priest that was dealt with all to come for England Fourthly by the testimonie of the Secular priests in their reply to Parsons his libell fol. 65. sequent who direaly charge Parsons to be a solicitor of these pretended attempts anno 1598. Fiftly by Parsons his
Ro. Parsons and that he was the author of the Wardword he answereth nothing but in sad silence passeth by onely reporting my obiections and saying nothing vnto them But where I am mistaken he vseth not to conceale my error Answering then no better was he not a béetlehead blocke thinke you to request his reader not to beléeue me in any thing For why should not others beleeue me as well as himselfe that dare not contradict that which I say Such answerers with vs are hissed out of schooles Where I say that Thomas Harding obteined a bull from the Pope anno 1569. to exercise Episcopall iurisdiction in England to dispense with irregularities and to receiue all that would be reconciled to the Pope he answereth That it was neuer heard of before that D. Harding after his departure out of England to Louayne in the beginning of her Maiesties reigne came home to liue in England againe or to exercise Episcopall iurisdiction therein As if he might not obteine a bull from the Pope without coming into England and putting the same in execution Or as if he might not come into England vnlesse his comming were euery where noysed abroad Or as if he might not come hither vnlesse he came to liue here againe He answereth further That there were bishops here in England and that euery ordinary priest hath power to reconcile men to the Pope and to dispence with irregularities But he knoweth the bishops in England were deposed and committed to prison so that the Pope might wel send some others ouer with Episcopal iurisdiction notwithstanding any thing they could do Furthermore if he were not ignorant of the cannon law he might know that neither priests nor bishops can without speciall faculty dispense with irregularities and reconcile such as the Pope condemneth for heretikes as the canonists teach him 11. que 3. si quis damnatus extr de sent exc cum illorum And speculator lib. 1. § de legato and diuers other places where they write of cases reserued But what a ridiculous fellow is this to deny that Harding had a bull for the purposes aboue written when the same is extant vnder the Popes hand and seale and followeth in these words Noueritis quod anno die mense pontificatu infrascriptis in generali congregatione c. pro parte reuerendorum Th. Harding N. S. T. P. Anglorum fuit porrectum memoriale supplicatio quae lecta fuerunt c. Annis abhinc tribus c. Concessit Th. H. c. Episcopalem potestatem in foro conscientiae absoluendi eos qui ad ecclesiae gremium reuertentur Huic potestati quia muliinon credunt petimus vt in scriptum aliquod authenticum redigatur Ac etiam vlterius monente nos temporis necessitate humiliter petimus vt eisdem concedatur in causa irregularitatis dispensandi potestas exceptis ex homicidio voluntario prouenientibus seu deductis in forum contentiosum Quibus auditis intellectis praelibatus sanctissimus dominus noster decreuit quod praenominati absoluere possint in foro conscientiae Anglos tantùm prout petitur etiam ab irregulatitate incursa ratione haeresis ab ea dependente emergente annexa dummodo absoluendi abstineant per triennium à ministerio altaris In quorum fidem testimonium c. anno 1567. die Iouis 14. Augusti c. Afterwards the Notaries subscription and forme of absolution is set downe Where was then Robert Parsons his honesty to shift off things so notorious In my Preface to the reader I say that obstinate recusants are for the most part reconciled to the Pope and adhere to forreine enemies and yet notwithstanding doe enioy their lands and goods And gladly would Ro. Parsons answere somewhat But neither can he deny that they are reconciled for then the masse-priests would not communicate with them nor that they adhere to forreine enemies for then in vaine should the Adelantado presume of their helpe in his proclamation penned as it séemeth by English traytors nor can he deny they inioy lands and goods For that is notorious What then doth he Forsooth he talketh idlely of the enioying of my benefices and of the testimonie of certaine masse-priests Of the which two the first is nothing to the purpose The second is leudly reiected without colour séeing euery mans confession is strong against himselfe and these mens confessions being in record are not lightly to be refused In the same place I say that Parsons defendeth publike enemies and traytors and seeketh the disgrace of the country and nation To all which he answereth nothing but by telling a tale of prosecuting Papists which he termeth Catholikes As if such may play the traitors and ioyne with publike enemies openly and lawfully The Papists being charged for mainteining the words of Hostiensis and Panormitane that say That the Pope is able to do almost all things which Christ can do except sinne he thinketh to shift off the matter by speaking with Panormitan That the Pope can do al things with the keye of discretion that erreth not But this is nothing els but to presume that the Pope hath discretion and the keyes of the Church and that in the determination of matters of faith he cannot erre whereas all the world séeth that the Pope cometh into the Church not with keyes but with pickelockes and pron barres and that he doth not so much vse the keyes as swords and clubs and that also without discretion or reason killing all that speake against his triple crowne Where I say that such English as are reconciled to the Pope haue renounced their obedience to the Quéene he telleth vs of the subiects of the king of Spaine France Poland and of the Emperour that haue not renounced their obedience to their Princes But his shift is most ridiculous For the Pope was enemy to the Quéene of England and not to them But if at any time the Pope happen to excommunicate any of these Princes then is it cleare that such subiects as follow the Pope cannot by any meanes adhere to their lawfull Princes Unlesse Parsons can shew how a man can please two contrary masters and can himselfe serue both God and the deuill Fol. 28. and 29. he runneth out into a large exposition of these words of Hostiensis and Panormitan Quòd Papa potest quasi omnia facere quae Christus excepto peccato but all to no purpose For he should shew that these fellowes do not flatter the Pope and not tell vs a tale of their fooleries which as they are exorbitant so are they vnpleasant In the same place he sayth it is no more adsurditie to say That the Pope can do almost all that Christ can except sinne then if a man shold say That the Viceroy of Naples can do all that the king of Spaine can do in that kingdome except being free from treason But first the words of Hostiensis and Panormitan importing that Christ can
the moderne Romish Religion is all one with the auncient Christian Religion But his negatiue ridiculous proofe is denied His affirmatiue is rather a bare affirmation then a proofe For first against his negatiue we offer to proue that not onely the points of Romish doctrine which the Church of England refuseth are brought in long after the Apostles time but also that they are contrary to the Apostles doctrine But suppose we knew no originall of some of the Romish heresies are they therefore no heresies Is idolatry no idolatry because the first beginning thereof is not knowne Or are the Angelikes Archontikes Crosse-worpers Nadipedals Monothelites and diuers other heretikes true Catholikes because the Papists cannot shew who first broached these heresies Secondly albeit the Magdeburginns and some other learned men find fault with some termes used by the fathers as of sacrifice altar priest purgatorie free-will and some other yet that sheweth not either that all the fathers vsed these termes or that any of those that vsed them consented with the Papists which from new termes are growne to new and strange doctrine Beside that Parsons disputcth ridiculously which ascribeth the particular and priuate opinions of some one or few among vs to the whole Church He himselfe albeit he affirme many things desperately will not yéeld be this point against his owne consorts So we sée Parsons his whole treatise of three conuersions easily subucrted in thrée words and with the turning of a hand The second part of Parsons his treatise wherein he pretendeth to make search for the religion professed in England is wholly without the compasse of his title of thrée conuersiens So simple was he in his choise that he could not choose a title to fit his fantasticall worke Beside that he seemeth to be blind that could not find our Religion in the auncient Church of Christ for a thousand peares after Christ and long after For there is no point or article of faith taught by the Apostles receiued by the consent of the whole Church in any auncient and lawfull Councell but we receiue it and embrace it Nor do we professe any thing in the Creed of the Apostles or of the Nicene and other auncient Councels which the auncient fathers did not also together with vs receiue and professe While therefore the light-headed frier ranne poasting through all ages and pretended to enquire for newes of our Church which ho might sée if he would in all places he resembleth much that wise fellow that could not see wood for trées Neither is it material that in auncient time he findeth no opposition made against the Popes primacy or vniuersall power or to the Masse or to the doctrine of transsubstantiation the carnall presence in the Eucharist the sacrifice of the masse the 7. sacraments purgatory indulgences such like For who seeth not that it is most ridiculous to make search for opposition against popish doctrine heresie before the same was extant in the world But as soone as any began to chalenge the name of Oecumenical or vniuersal Bishop Gregory the first challenged him for it as the fore-runner of Antichrist The worship of images allowed after a sort in the second Councell of Nice though not in such grosse maner as now was oppugned in the Councell of Francford in the time of Charlemaine The carnall presence of Christs body in the sacrament was not beleeued by Gregory the 7. as Beno reporteth and was both thē and afterward disliked by many Transsubstantiatiō was disputed against by the schoolmen All the Easterne Church spurned against the Popes headship his purgatory and indulgences Neither since the time of the first beginning of these corruptions did the Albigenses Valdenses Wiclephians and Bohemians as they are called together with diuers others cease to exclaime against these popish abuses But saith Parsons these did not in all things agrée with vs. Yet if he speake of matters of faith he wrongeth them and vs. If of ceremonies it is not necessary that al churches shold agrée in all points Furthermore if the aduersaries had not calmniously layed diuers imputations of heresies vpon them which they neuer held the variation wold not haue séemed so great as they pretend Wherfore if Robert Parsons séeke no better it is not like that he wil find a Cardinals hat which as his friends charge him he hath long sought This is the summe of that which is materiall in Robert Parsons his treatise of thrée conuersions The rest is nothing else but froth of the mans fury and foolery and containeth only certaine idle inuectiues against M. Fox that good man against M. Bale other honest Christians together with certaine fond tales of king Alphreds dreames S. Cutberts apparitions such like woodden popish stuffe drawne out of lying legends He forgot not also to raile against our noble Quéene lately deceased and to call her old persecutor and to lay an aspersion of slaunder vpon the State as if the same did persecute Papists for religion a matter of which the secular Masse-priests are ashamed and sticke not to cleare those whem this conuertible Proteus most vniustly chargeth Finally his fardle of wast papers containeth diuers corruptions and deprauations of holy Scriptures miss-allegations of Fathers weake collections grosse errors rebellious positions notorious lies and calumiations which in a large treatise herafter are to be discouered K. Kellisons Suruey if any man list to suruey and peruse a certaine slaunderous and railing companions libell entituled Caluinoturcismus and with hatred more then Turkish to christian religiō set out by Gifford of Lile wil be found to be wholy stolne out frō thence albeit he yéeldeth no thanks to those from whence he borowed or rather stole his inuention This Plagiary therefore néedeth no other answer then that which is already made to Giffords Turky worke called Caluinoturcismus It séemeth the man is at a stand For albeit Gifford hate religion like a Turk yet he answereth no more then if by vertue of Parsons his thrée conuersions he were turned into a mute Turbot This K. also of his owne hath added a glozing and flattering Epistle to the King a certaine preface concerning inanimate and vnreasonable creatures percase like the Arcadian beasts of Doway and certaine fragments old ends of diuers stale declamations made as it seemeth at the drinking out of a pot of Renish wine His schollers I heare gape and wonder at his horrible eloquence But yet the wisest of thē see that they haue no affinitie with his purpose and onely serue to fringe his chapters like as mustie ends of mockado serue to stitch his iacket of perpetuana All the whole amounteth to nothing saue to declare the man to be a perpetuall railer and a most sottish declaimer The idle fellow in all his scuruy collection which he like a surueyor without commission hath made to litle purpose doth neither shew wisedome nor modestie nor learning If the fellow had bene wise he