designes against his Majesty and the Protector and though the Lord Admiral to be restored to Worcester but after Ridley was in possession of the sea of London he laught at Latimer and ioyn'd with 〈◊〉 to keep him humble without Bishoprick or benefice 〈◊〉 hath bin sayd After K. Edward 6. death Ridley was very 〈◊〉 against Q. Mary and preach't against her title adding â—ith all she was so earnest a Papist that she refused to heare 〈…〉 to her which injury notwithstanding she would have â—ardon'd him if he had given any signes of true repenâ—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 a fair triall and confutation of his heresies he 〈◊〉 of a bag of powder which his Brother in law delivered 〈…〉 at the stake the sooner to be dispatch't of his torment 〈◊〉 Fox saith the design took no effect his martyrdom was 〈◊〉 which happened by accident and that he cryed 〈…〉 and desired the people to let the fire 〈…〉 〈…〉 of this manâ—s spirit by a part of his farewell to the 〈…〉 London set down by Fox thus Harken 〈…〉 of Babylon thou wicked limb of Anti-christ 〈…〉 staâ—est thou down and makest havock of 〈◊〉 Prophet's 〈◊〉 c. Thy God which is thy work of thy words and whom thou sayest thou hast power to make that thy dâ—â—f and dumb God I say will not in deed nor can not make 〈◊〉 to escape the revengfull hand of the high and almighty God c. O thou whâ—rish Drabbe thou shalt never escape In steed of my farewell to thee now I say Fye vpon thee fye vpon thee filty Drabbe 〈◊〉 all thy false Prophets Of Hooper Rogers Poynet Bale and Coâ—erdales hypocrisy and impiety JOhn Hooper by Fox his relation was a Priest in Oxford in the daies of King Henry 8. infected with Lutheranisme by books that came from Germany and lived in when he was arraigned for his heresies he spoke to he Lord Chancellor and Iudges so grossy carnaly and absurdly of his marriage with the Burgundian wench that his 〈…〉 though he seâ—s not down his words yet acknowledgeth that the whole Court cryed thaâ—â— vpon him calling him beast c. we shall heare more of this man in the following story of his Camerade Rogers John Rogers was a priest also saith Iohn Fox in the time of King Henry 8. when Luther's doctrin began first to be 〈◊〉 in England which he having read and finding himself by the spirit therof inclined to some novelties in Religion and to marry he went into Flanders and there became Chaplyn â—â— the English Merchants in Antverp there also he fell acquainted with VVilliam Tyndal and Miles Coverdale two other English Priests of the same humor and retired thither for the 〈◊〉 â—nd Rogers and Coverdale assisted Tyndal in falsifying the Scripture and setting forth his English Translation afterwards condemned by Act of Parliament for erronious false and wickâ—â— After that Tyndal was burned in Flanders in the yeare 1536. Rogers repaired to VVittemberg in Saxony to live with Martyn Luther by whom he was confirmed in his Religion and provided of a duch wife which as Fox testifyeth brought him forth no less then eight children in very few years with which load of wife and children after both King Henry 8. and Luther were dead for they dyed both with in the compass of one yeare Rogerâ— returned into England togeâ—ther with Friar Martyn Bucer and his wench resolved to accommodat them-selves in all points to the Protector 's will and to any Religion that should be established by the laws of the land and accordingly they forsook the Doctrin of their old Master Luther and embraced that of Zwinglius as being the more favored and countenanced by the Protector Both Hooper and Rogers came with hopes of ruling the Church of England because they thought them-selves more learned in the Reformation then Cranmer and Ridley who As Ridley had bin intruded into Bonners Bishoprick of London so Poynet was thrust into Gardiners of Winchester â— better Scholler saith Heylin pag. 161. then a Bishop He had taken a wiâ—e in Edward 6. time and not content 〈◊〉 duâ—ing her life married another whose Husband 〈◊〉 Butcher actualy living whether she had left her husband for some discontent or disease I do not know but between the Bishop and the Butcher became a great suit in law about the woman that the Bishop kept and claimed as his wife but at length he was forced to restore her to the Butcher which Bishop Gardiner hearing from some of the Lords he replyed that their Lordships he hoped would command Poynet to restore him his Bishoprick as they had ordered him to restore his wife to the Butcher It seems in those primitive times of Protestanâ—â— the purity of the reformed doctrin was practised in marâ—â—ages as wel as in other matters for though Bishop Poynet received not the benefit of that Protestant liberty which he sued for and his Lordship knew was due by the principles of that Religion yet it was granted to Sir Ralph Sadler by common consent of the English Church and Parliament for one Mathew Barrow having bin through jealousy driven beyond seas for some time his wife married her Lover Sir Ralph the husband returns and claims his wife but sentence was given in favour of Sir Ralph Sadler who was declared to be her lawfull husband and Mathew Barrow lest at liberty to marry whom â—e pleased This decree is agreable to the principles of Protestancy as may be seen in this Treatise part 2. Sect. 2. â—num 3. neither is it credible so learned a Protestant Bishop as Poynet would contest in a legal way with the Butcher for a thing not allowed by the reformed Church wherof he was so eminent a Prelat and one of the first English Reformers John Bale Bishop of Ossory was a Carmelite friar who hearing of the liberty which the Protestant Reformation gave to Priests and Religious persons to marry forsook his Monastical and Catholick profession and made a formal abjuration of the Bible condemned by act of Parliament and Fox pag. 1427. sets down the proclamation of K. Henry 8. and the publick instrument of the Bishops prohibiting again an 1â—46 Tyndal and Coverdales Translation of the new Testament notwithstanding all this Coverdale the corrupter of the Bible was by Cranmer's means made the Corrector of his own and Tyndal's Translation which went by the name of the Bible of Mathew And he set out the same again with litle or no alteration of the Text and it was called the Bible of the large Volume with which work the honest party of the Clergy were as much offended aswith Mathew's Bible as being the same or at least no less fraudulent and fals and yet it was not corrected in K. Henry 8. dayes and was imposed vpon England as authentick Scripture in K. Edward 6. and Q. Elizabeths reigns and is that in substance which was reprinted by order of the Convocation an 1562. by some caled the
subordination the man of sin shall not be revealed So that Succession which by all the ancient and Holy Doctors is believed and defended to be a mark of the true Church is affirmed by Iewell and the first Protestant Bishops to be a mark of Anti-Christ and to prove this their non sense they are pleased to falsify Scripture and all this was don because they knew them-selves wanted succession and imposition of Episcopal hands and were made Bishops only by the Queen's letters patents and dispensation with the inhability of their very state and condition and legitimated or made legal by an Act of Parliament 8. Elizabeth 1. SVBSECT VII Prelatick Falsifications to prove that Popes may and have decreed Heresies IN the Apology of the Church of England part â— cap. 5. Iewell and the English Clergy affirm that Pope Iohn 22. held a wicked and detestable opinion of the life to come and Jmmortality of the soule which accusation they had out of Calvin whose words are that Pope Iohn affirmed man's soule to be mortal This being proved to be a lye by Doctor Harding Iewell and his Clergy replyed in the defence of the Apology thus Gerson writeth in Sermons Paschali Pope John 2â— to have decreed that the soules of the wicked should not be punished before the day of the last Iudgment by which words as you shall see insteed of cleering one fals accusation against Iohn 22 they bring in another for Gerson hath no such words but the true controversy was indeed whether the soules of the just not of the wicked should see God face to face before the day of Iudgment or not wherin Pope Iohn being Reader of Divinity in France before he was Pope inclined to the negative part the Controversy was decided after Pope Iohn's death iâ— the extravagant of Pope Benedictus Not content with this Jmposture they add an other greater in confirmation of their former Charge fathering in the same and these ensuing words vpon the Councell of Constance Quinimo Ioannes Papa 22. yea Pope Iohn the two and twentith held and believed obstinatly that the soule of man did dye with the body and was extinguished as the soules of the bruit Beasts And more over he sayd that a man once dead is not to rise again no not at the last day First this Testimony doth not touch Pope Iohn 22. at all but an Anti-Pope Iohn vsurping the Popedom and calling him-self Iohn 23. and this a hundred years after Pope Iohn 22. 2. These words are not words of the Councell but words of an accusation vsed by a certain man that did accuse him in the Councell of Constance vnder the name Baltazar de Cossa calling him-self Iohn 23. where laying against him 35. articles concerning his wicked life before he took vpon him the sayd name of Pope which Articles were proved but not this point of Heresy SVBSECT VIII Prelatick Falsifications to prove that Popes have insulted over Kings THe Apology of the Church of England doth set forth how a Pope commanded the Emperour to go by him at his hors bridle and the French King to hould his stirrop and the like which Mr. Harding proveth to be lyes then it says that the Pope hurled vnder his table Francis Dandalus the Duke of Venise King of Creta and Cyprus fast-bound with chains to feed of bones among his doggs But neither Francis Dandalus was Duke of Venice when he was sent to the Pope in this Embassage neither was he King of Creta nor Cyprus that name of King not being tollerable in the free State of Venice and as for the Duke at that time his name was Johannes Superantius and Dandalus was but a privat man sent Embassador to Clement 5. then Pope to obtain the revocation of an Jnterdict which was layd vpon the sayd Citty and finding the Pope some what hard to yeeld to his supplication he devised of him-self this Stratagem to cause an Iron chain to be put about his own neck and to creep in vpon his hands and knees while the Pope was at dinner and there lay down vnder the Table and would not rise vntill he had obtained pardon and remission for his Country and this Doctor Harding proveth out of the principal Authors and writers of the Venetian Commonwealth SVBSECT IX Prelatick Falsifications to prove that S. Austin the Apostle of our English Saxons was an hypocrit and no Saint as also to discredit Catholick writers BIshop Iewell and his Prelatick Clergy in their reply to the Objections against their Apology for the Church of England pag. 185. speak thus of St. Austin the Monk and Apostle of England He was a man as is judged by them that 〈◊〉 and knew him neither of an Apostolicall spirit nor any way 〈◊〉 to be called a Saint but an hypocrit and a supperstitious 〈◊〉 cruell bloudy and proud out of measure There is no â—riting extant of any man that saw him and knew him alive but only of St. Gregory the Great who commended him exceedingly and of St. Bede that lived not very long after him who writeth also much of his Sanctity and miracles who then 〈◊〉 those who lived with him and knowing him did Iudge him to be so bad a man Iewell citeth only in the margent Greffey of Monmouth who lived neer six hundred years after St. Austins dayes Bishop Iewell and his Camerades say also that Ioannes de Magistris he would have sayd Martinus writ in his Book de Temperantia that fornication is no sin but this Author houlds the quite contrary and proveth it by six several conclusions and by St. Paul saying that it excludeth from the Kingdom of heaven but yet for that he saith in the beginning Arguitur quod non it may be objected to the contrary the Apologists foolishly and fraudulently accuse in this Author Roman Catholicks with damnable doctrin Much more might be sayd of their fals dealing in this Apology defence and reply of the Church of England but we remit the curious to Doctor Harding Stapleton c. SVBSECT X. Of the protestant prelatick Clergies frauds and falsifications of Scripture and alterations of their 39. Articles of Religion to make the people believe that they have true Priests and Bishops in the Church of England THe point most insisted vpon by Dr. Hâ—rding Stapâ—â—tâ—n c and all 〈◊〉 Catholick 〈◊〉 their Booâ—◠〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 of the Church of England was that it could not 〈◊〉 Church because it had not any one true Bishop and according to St. Hierom saith Harding 〈◊〉 non est quae non habet 〈◊〉 which word 〈◊〉 signifieth Bishop as well as 〈◊〉 That the Church of England had 〈◊〉 in the beginning of Queen Elizaâ—â—â—â— Reign whom Harding and Stapleton writ against it as much as one Bishop validly consecrated they proved because not one of them was consecrated by a true Bishop or by imposition of Episcopal hands and if they durst say they were Harding and Stapleton
tom 5.22 * See thee nulity of the Prelatick Clergy of England cap. 2. and D. Bramhal in his vindication therof pa. 92. pag. 10â— Dr. Stapleton in his return of vntruths against Jewel fol. 130. and in his Counterblast against Horn fo 79 301 Dr. Harding Confut. Apol. fol. 57. 60 part 2. fol. 59. edit 1563 fol. 57. 59 edi 1566 Stat. 8. Elizabeth 1. Stat. 8. Eliz. 8. See the nullity of the Clergy and Church of England edit 1659. Bramhal in his vindicâ—tion pag. 132. Demonstrat Discipl cap. 8. ¶ 1 2. pag. 43. 2. part See this Act of ParliameÌ„t in the life of the Queen of Scots Written by Mr. V. dal and dedicated to King James pag. 200. 201. See 1 p. seâ— 1. Primat Bramhal's succession and vindication of the Prelatick Clergy was answered by the Author of the nullity of the Church of England and by an other book after he had both these aÌ„swers by him and durst not reply but rather coÌ„curred with his Brethren in adding the words Priests and Bishop to their forms of ordination as appeareth in their last edition of the CommoÌ„ praier rites c. of the Church of England See in the epistle Dedicatory and our Preface the Act of Parliament preferring any natural issue of Queen Elizabeth to the Crown before the royal family of the Stewards See Udal a ProtestaÌ„t in his history of the Queen of Scots wher he proves how the bastard Mâ—rry by the means of John Knox and others that he employed changed the ancient Religion in Scotland to the end him self might be made King by the Protestants and how afterwards by the same way he murthered King James his Father and persecuted King James and his mother all vnder the pretext of a Protestant Reformation Luther in epist. ad Argentinenses anno 1525. Christum à nobis primò vulgatumau demus gloriari See part 2 sect 5. n. 5. See M. r Belson Bishop of Winchester in his true difference c. part 2. pag. 353. See M. r Rogers in the Catholick doctrin of the Church of England pag. 103. pervsed aÌ„d published by the Lawful authority of the Church of England an 1633. Calvin in Dan c. 6. v. 22. 23. Abdicant se potestate terreni Principes duÌ„ insurgunt coÌ„tra Deum c potius ergo coÌ„spicere oportet in illorum capita quam â—llis parere c. (a) Perkins in his exposition vpon the Creed p. 400. vve say that befor the days of Luther for the space of many hundred years an vniversal Apostacy overspread the vvhole face of the earth and that our Church vvas not then visible to the world Mr. Napper upon the revelations dedicated to King Jams pag. 143. saith from Constantin's time vntill these our days even 1260 years the Pope and his Clergy hath possessed the out ward visible Church of christianity [b] vpon thy vvalls ö Jerusalem have I set vvatchmen all the day and all the night for ever they shal not be silent Esay 62.6 see Ephes. 4.11 (c) Dr. Powel in his consideration of the Papist's supplication pag 43. Buchanan in loc com pa. 466. And Whitaker contra Camp rat 7. pag. 101. 102. contr Duc. pag. 277. This Whitaker after vainly attempting to shew the beginning of Popery and seing the insufficiency of his particular instances doth at length acknowledg his weakness and runs with the rest of his Protestant Championâ— to divert the Reader from the evidence of truth so deceitful and silly similituds (d) Luther tom 2. Wittemb anno 1551. lib. de se. arbit pag. 434 [e] Luther in parâ—a Confess to 3. Germ fol. 55. in Colloq mons Germ. fol. 210. (f) Mr. Gabriel Povvel in his consideration of the Papists supplication pag. 70. [g] Fox act and Mon. pa. 40 Jewel in his Apology p. 4. c. 4.5 2. and in his defence of the Apology edi 1571. p. 426 (h) Andreas Museâ—lus in praef in libellum Germ. de Diaboli Tyranide Nicolaus Androphius Conc. â— de Luthero [i] Conrad Schlusletbur Catal. haeret l. 13. pa. 314 seqq (k) M. Cartwright in M. whit gifts defence pag. 17. [l] Luther contra Regem Angliae fol. 344. I pass not if a thousand Austins a thousand Cyprians a thousand King Henry's Churches stood against me Et libro de se. arbit contra Eras. edit 1. Lay a side all the arms of orthodox antiquities c. see also nullus and nemo G. 6. pag. 153. And Cnoglerus his symbola tria pag. 152. [m] Danaeus pag. 939. in his answer to Belarm of the confess'd austerity of life of S. Bernard S. Francis S. Dominick the Monks c. says they were all fools And M. r Willet who maketh a special Treatise against the austerity of the ancient Fathers in pag. 358. of his Synopsis reproved S. Bazil S. Gregory Nazianzen for plucking down themselves by immoderat fasting and concludeth Wher in all the Scripturs learn'd these men thus to punish their bodys Oseander reprehended S. Anthony the Eremit for the same and saith his Religion was superstition And Calvin lib. 4 cap. 12. sect 8. that the austerity of the ancient Fathers was not excusable and differeth much from God's prescript and is very dangerous And Iunius in his animadversions pag. 610. 611 attributs S. Simon Stilletes his austerity and Miracles to cunjuring melancoly and his prophecies to suggestion from the Devill [n] Bucer one of the Composers of the Common prayer-book and of the Religion of the Church of England whom Mr. Withguift Archbishop of Canterbury in his defence pag. 522. termeth a Reverend learned painfull sound Father teacheth in his applauded work of the Kingdom of Christ and translated into English that it is lawful to procure liberty by a libel of divorce to marry again not only in the case of adultery but in case of the on 's departure from the other in case of homicide theft or repairing to the company or banquets of immodest persons likewise in case of incurable infirmity of the woman by Child birth or of the man by lunacy or otherwise See his own words in the aforsaid work l. 2. c. 26. 27. pag. 99. 100. cap. 28. pag. 101. saies that who ever will not induce his mind to love his wife with conjugal charity that man is commanded by God to put her away and marry an other And in Math. cap. 19. saith that the wife repudiated either justly or vnjustly if she hath no hopes to return to her husband and desirs to live piously and wants a husband may be marryed to an other without sin The whole University of Cambridg comends this Bucer for a man most holy and truly devine and this letter of commendations is printed with Bucer's Book wherin he teacheth this doctrin see it pag. 944. Luther's words in Serm. de Matrim are notorious If the wife will not or can not come let the mayd come Et ibd fol. 123. tom 5.
their doctrin and of the sincerity of their Doctor And though it seemeth to me impossible for any man to know what parts of the new Testament the 6. Article and Canon of the Church of England declares Canonical it being so intricatly worded that either it must be non sense or els exclude from the Canon the Epistles of Iames the second of Peter the second and third of John the Epistle of Iude the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Apocalips seing the authority of all and every one of these hath bin doubted of in the Church and the 6. Article of the Protestant Religion of the Church of England is that In the name of the holy Scripture we do vnderstand those Canonical Books of the old and new Testament of whose authority was never any doubt of in the Church Though I say it 's impossible for me to comprehend how common sense and Christianity can meet in this Article but that if the words therof signify any thing out of the English Protestant new Testament must be excluded all the aforsaid Epistles and Apocalyps yet leaving this difficulty to the decision of that Church I wil suppose at the present with D. r Cosins that all these Epistles and Apocalyps are included in the English Canon and come to the examination of the Arguments wherby he pretends to defend it He therfor foreseing the impossibility of giving any reason why the parts of the New Testament hertofore doubted of should rather be received by Protestants into their Canon then the Books of the Old Testament no more questioned by the Church of Christ then the aforsaid epistles and the Apocalyps thought to avoyd the force of this pressing parity by flatly denying pag. 5. alibi That ever any intire Church or any National or Provincial Counsel or any multitude of men in their confessions and Catechisms or other such publick writings rejected or doubted of the sayd epistles c. In case so many solemnities had bin requisit for the questioning of Canonical authority which his Lp knows are not necessary It seems his lordship did not peruse Eusebius his works though he quotes them very often or at least did not thinck that the ancient Churches of Syria and Arabia deserve to be called Churches not that the Lutherans of Germany Denmark Suethland c. who stick to Luther's principles and Canon can make one or many Churches It s a gross mistake in the Doctor to say pag. 4. 5. that Luther or his Lutherans recalled or recanted their error concerning the Epistle of St. James he might see the contrary in the very book him-self cites of Chemnitius the famous Lutheran whose authority and words he placeth in his addition of certain Testimonies in the same rank with sentences of St. Augustin and St. Thomas of Aquin c. This Chemnitius in most of his works as in his Enchirid. pag. 63 and in his examin of the Councel of Trent p. 1. pag. 55. 56. declareth his own sense and that of his Church in these words The second Epistle of St. Peter the second and third of John the Epistle of Jude and the Apocalyps of John are Apocryphal as not having sufficient testimony of their authority His lordship might also have bin better informed of Luther's sence and Church by the saying of Illiricus an other pillar and Writer therof whom Mr. Bell in his regiment of the Church pag. 28. termeth a very famous Writer and most worthy defender of the Christian truth his words are Luther in his preface vpon St. Iem's Epistle giveth great reasons why this epistle ought in no case to be accompted for a writing of an Apostolick authority vnto which reasons I think every godly man ought to yeeld Luther's reasons are to be seen in the ancient editions of Jene and are comprehended in these few words of his The Epistle of Iames is contentious swelling dry strawy and vnworthy an Apostolick spirit And because these words and others were omitted in the later editions of Wittemberg by some Divins that would fain reform Luther's Canon Religion and Church the chief Lutheran Doctors mett in a Synod at Altembury complained of their Adversaries corrupting Luther's books and resolved to stick to the ancient editions and to the literal sence of his words So that in case it were true the Canon of Scripture could not be sayd to have bin questioned by any Protestant Congregation whithout declaring their doubt in a publick confession of faith we see the Lutheran doth so as also in their confession of Wittemberg quoted by Belarmin lib. 1. de verb. Dei cap. 7. init which is seconded by all hereticks of these tims saith Belarmin the Calvinist only excepted But the Doctor is so much mistaken in the necessity of such a formality that the Arians were condemned as hereticks notwithstanding that in their publick confessions of faith they endeavored rather to disguise then declare their errors It is wel known that Lutheran Churches in Germany not only do reject from their Canon the Epistles of S. Iames Iude the second of Peter and third of S. Iohn the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Apocalyps but are so obstinat in denying them to be in any wise Canonical Scripture that they do not as much as print them in their Bibles And if my Lord of Duresme thinks that the rigid and moderat Lutherans half Lutherans and other Protestant Congregations wherin are many as learned Ministers and Writers as him-self deserve not the name of a Church he may expect that they wil censure his Church after the same manner and perhaps with as much reason But lett them agree as wel as they can it concerns not vs. Yet I hope he wil not pronounce so severe a Censure against the Greeck and Latin Churches and vn-church both Wherof S. Hierom in epist. ad Dordunum testifieth that the Greeks doubted as much of the Apocalyps against the common consent of the Latins as the Latins did of the Epistle to the Hebrews against the common consent of the Church Seing therfor it is evident by the confession both of ancient Fathers and modern Proâ—estants that in the primitive Church the Canonical Scriptures were not generally received all at once but in so great variety of pretended Scriptures great care and search was requisit to determin which Scriptures were Canonical and which not wherby it came to pass thaâ— sundry books and parts were for a long time misdoubted by some Churches and Fathers and by some Councels omitted or not received which yet afterward vpon greater search and consideration were generally acknowledged it must be very great obstinacy in Doctor Cozins and other Protestants to reject the Canon which the Councel of Trent proposeth and embraceth because forsooth some books therin contained were not as soon believed by all Catholicks to be Canonical as the others Or to deny the authority and authentikness of some books of the old Testament because they were not in
to vote in Parliament or trusted with any employment in the state who professeth not the prelatick Protestant Religion and swears not the Supremacy and Alleigance And yet we see how litle this Religion and oaths wrought vpon the generality of these Kingdoms or availed the late King None that vnderstands the genius of the English Nation will believe that by nature they are so base and treacherous as of late the world hath observed Therfore what they have don amiss so contrary to the generosity and honesty of their dispositions and to the rules of Christianity must be attributed to their Religion Wherfore it must be concluded that any outward sign though it be but a red scarf or garniture of ribands of the King's colours doth engage and confirm more the subjects and souldiers in their duty and loyalty then the 39. Prelatick Articles and the oath of supremacy A Rebell or Roundhead may t' is true weare the King's colours but not with so great danger to his Majesty or dommage to the publick as when he professeth the King's Religion Very few Englishmen will fly from the King's colours they once weare and profess to esteem but many that profess the 39. Articles will fight against the Prelatick interpretation therof for their own privat sense and against that of the King and Church of England So applicable are the 39. Articles to all dissenting Reformations and so pliable to every Rebellion that is grounded vpon any pretence of Scripture SECT X. How the fundamental principles of the Protestant Reformations maturely examined and strictly followed have led the most learned Protestants of the world to Iudaisme Atheisme Arianisme Mahometanisme c. and their best modern wits and writers to admit of no other Rule of Religion but Natural Reason and the Protestants Churches of Poland Hungary and Transilvania to deny the Mystery of the Trinity SEbastian Castalio termed by Osiander in epitom pag. 753. Vir apprimè doctus linguarum peritissimus Ranked by Doctor Humfrey In vita Ivelli pag. 265. with Luther and Zuinglius and placed by Pantaleon in Chronographia pag. 123. amongst the Fathers and lights of the Church this great and learned Protestant having considered the Prophecies mentioned in Scripture of the conversion of Kings and Nations by the Christian Church and of it's happy state splendor and continuance and compared all with the very foundation and first principle of protestancy to wit with the protestant supposition of a generall apostacy and fall of the visible Church from the true faith and their remaining in superstition and idolatry for so many centuries of years together with the invisibility of the Protestant Church vntill Luther and by consequence it 's not converting any visible Kings or nations from Paganisme to Christianity having I say maturely considered these things was so perplex'd and doubtfull in point of God's providence and veracity that he came at length to believe nothing as may be seen in his Preface of the great latin Bible dedicated to K. Edward 6. where he saith verily we must confess eyther that these things shall be performed herafter or have bin already or that God is to be accused of lying If any may answer that they have bin performed I will demand of him when If he sayd in the Apostles time I will demand how it chanceth that neither then the knowledg of God was altogether perfect and after in so short space vanished away which was promised to be eternall and more abundant then the flouds of the sea And concludeth the more I peruse the Scriptures the less do I find the same performed howsoever you vnderstand the same prophecies Martin Bucer one of the primitive and prime Protestants And an Apostle of the English reformation of whom Sir Iohn Cheek K. Edward 6. Master says the world scarce had his fellow and whom Arch-bishop Whitgift in his defence c. pag. 522. termeth a Reverend learned painfull sound Father c. this great Bucer after his first Apostasy from his Dominican order and Catholik Religion became a Lutheran afterwards a Zvinglian as appaereth in his epistle 〈◊〉 Norimb ad Essâ—ingenses Then he returned again to be a Lutheran as may be seen in the Acts of the Synod holden at Luther's house in Wittemberg an 1539. and in Bucer's own Comentaries vpon the 6. John and 26. Mathew where he asketh pardon of God and the Church for that he deceived so many with the error of Zuinglius and the Sacramentarians And notwithstanding this open repentance he returned again to the same Zuinglianism in England and therfore is reprehended by Schlusselburg in Theol. Calv. lib. 2. fol. 70. At length seeing the incertainty of Christianity wherunto by protestancy he had driven him-self and others that stuck to it's principles at the houre of his death he embraced Judaisme as they who were present therat testify saith Prateolus pag. 107. He declared long before to Dudley Earle of Warwick that he doubted whether all was true that the Evangelists relate of Christ. wherof see hertofore part 1. David George who for many years had bin a pious and publik Professor of Protestancy at Basil and called a man of God for his notorious charity to the poore and sick considering and comparing the aforesaid doctrin of protestancy with the prophecies of Scripture concerning the visible Church became a blasphemous Apostata and affirming our Saviour to have bin a seducer drew many Protestants to his opinion convincing them by their own principles and this argument Jf the doctrin of Christ and his Apostles had bin true and perfect the Church which they planted should have continued c. But now it is manifest that Antichrist hath subverted the doctrin of the Apostles and the Church by them begun as is evident in the Papacy therfore the doctrin of the Apostles was falls and imperfect Bernardin Ochin one of them whose opinions were Oracles to the Composers of the 39. Articles of Religion and the liturgy of the Church of England so much celebrated for his learning and piety that the Protector Seamor and Arch-bishop Cranmer called him out of Germany to help them in their Protestant reformation termed by Bishop Bale a light of the Church and England happy whilst it had him miserable when it lost him highly commended for learning and virtue by Simlerus and Sleydan l. 9. fol. 297. and by Calvin l. de scandalis c. This Ochin whom as Calvin writ all Italy could not match this light whose presence made England happy and whose absence made it miserable this very Ochin considering well the principles of protestancy became a Jew concluding that Christ never had a Church vpon earth When I did saith he in praefat Dialogorum consider how Christ by his power wisdom and goodness had founded and established his Church washed it with his bloud and enriched it with his spirit and again discerned how the same was funditus eversa vtterly over thrown I could not but wonder
are now superfluous and disrespectfull to the Royal Family that Reigns but such as have the honor to know him best assure us his Lâ—p is no great friend to Pâ—pists Lastly whosoever will call vnto mind the mis-chief which but a few members of the House of Commons of the long Parliament wrought against the late King and will observe how popular others of the same stamp are now and how apt the giddy multitude is to be fool'd again into Rebellion by the like madd zeale against Popery will be of opinion that not any on thing can be of so great prejudice to the peace and prosperity of England as the continuance of lawes which if executed make the Nation and Government SVBSECT II. Queen Marys and the Inquisitions severity against Protestancy can be no President or excuse for the Statuts against Popery I Will conclude this matter with answering the vulgar Objection made for vindication of the penal and sanguinary lawes of Queen Elizabeth against Roman Catholicks grounded vpon a parity of the like lawes executed by Queen Mary and the Jnquisition against Protestants The disparity will discover the fallacy and dissolue the force of their argument Neither Queen Mary nor the Jnquisition made any lawes against Protestants they were made by the first Christian Emperours and accepted by all Catholick Kings into the statuts of their Kingdoms and confirmed by their Parliaments The ancient Christian Soveraigns not only believed that the Roman faith was the Apostolick but found by experience the same Roman Catholick faith had peaceable principles agreablâ—â—o just Government and therfore they enacted lawes of death infamy confiscation of goods c. against all such as presumed to alter that doctrin declaring such as contradicted the Tenets therof to be Innovators and Hereticks When protestancy began in England they who preach't the new doctrin being conscious of their own guilt and of having incurred the penalties of these ancient Christian lawes then in force against Innovators and Hereticks and in particular against the marriage of Priests with Nuns proceeded other-wise Zozomen hist. lib. 6. cap. 3. affirmeth how that the Christian Emperour Jovinian who was in course the third Emperour after Constantin the Great published an Edict that who allured a Nun to mariage should be therfore punished with the loss of his head And this law is yet extant Câ—d l. de Episcopis Câ—â—ricis But they I say petitio to the Parliament of Edward â— to have those 〈◊〉 repealed wherby you may see how they acknowledged their own doctrin was Heresy whervpon they werâ— dispensed with to marry and all the 〈◊〉 lawes against Herâ—tickâ— and heresiâ—â— were repealed Queen Mary succeeding restored the ancient lawes that had bin repealed by King Edâ—â—â—d 6. togeather with the ancient Religion but she was not the Author of them as Queen Elizabeth was of the penal and sanguinary statuts against Priests and Roman Catholicks which never had bin heard of before her time in a Christian Kingdom or Common-wealth Jn like manner the Inquisition maâ—â— no new lawes against Protestants neither do they sentence them to death they only declare that they are Innovators of the ancient Catholick doctrin or Hereticks and then the secular Magistrats do execute the temporal lawes in foâ—â—e against such persons If protestants had not found themselves guilty of heresy why were they so solicitious to have the laweâ— â—hat had bin â—â—acted against hereticks not lately but during those venâ—â—â—ble 〈◊〉 of the priâ—â—tive Church repealed why did 〈…〉 if their doctâ—â—â— was the â—â—me with that of â—he ancient Fathers that lived in times wherin the Imperial lawes were made and in force what needed they to except against lawes which had bin enacted to favour the doctrin of those Fathers with whom they pretend to agree Queen Mary therfore and the Inquisition who proceeded acâ— willing to those ancient â—â—wes against protestants did nothing but what all Christian and Catholick Emperours and Kings had don for the space of 1300. years against hereticks But Queen Elizabeth took the quite contrary way she observed that according to the principles of Christianity as also according to the ancient and modern lawes of England her self could not enjoy the Crown having bin declared illegitimat by sundry Acts of Parliament never repealed nor the Stewards be excluded they being the lawfull and immediat Heirs and because the Queen of Scots from whom they derived their title was a Catholick Queen Elizabeth made her-self and England Protestant that is by Acts of Parliament she declared that all the Catholick Emperours Kings and Churches of the world for almost 1300. years had bin superstitious and Idolatrous that the Bishop of Rome was Anti-Christ the Catholick Clergy Cheats the sea of Rome the whore of Babylon spiritual Jurisdiction a shee and secular supremacy the sacrifice of Christ's body and bloud a blasphemy five of the seaven Sacraments human invention and corrupt following of the Apostles Priesthood and Episcopacy nothing but a lay Ministery authorised vnder the Soveraign's great seâ—le all lawfull Priests and Bishops Traytors all Catholicks Hereticks c. And all these absurdities were made legal in England to make her Father's marriage with Anne Bullen seem lawfull wheras it had bin declared null and invalid by so many Parliaments of England that her self durst not attempt an immediat and cleer repeale of Acts so notoriously inconsistent with the right that herself pretended â—o the Crown Tâ—at 〈…〉 and men who expected favors from her should so metamorphose sacred things into profane Scripture into fancy and illegitimacy into legitimacy we do noâ— admire neither is it strange that illiterat people after a Century of years continuance and education in such a Religion should be zealous in the maintenance therof or that a Clergy which hath no other livelyhood nor hopes of promotion but by justifying these proceedings should endeavor to continue her lawes against orthodox Christianity and the known truth for their own interest are frailties incident to men but that the nobility and Gentry of England being so well vers'd in their own Chronikles and in the Histories of other Nations that persons of so much witt knowledg and judgment should not when they meet in Parliament move and resolve to restore Christianity and rectify so gross and vulgar mistakes especialy since the family against whose succession the statuts had bin introduced is restored to the Crown this 〈◊〉 or oblivion I say of the English 〈◊〉 and nobility iâ— hardly excusable And if the 〈◊〉 will not be moved out of charity to their fellow subjects and 〈◊〉 to abolish the sanguinary and penal Laws against Roman Catholicks let them do it out of civility to the Royal Family against whose party and Title so injust Laws were â—â—acted There is not therfore any thing 〈◊〉 more Queen Elizabeths penal statuts then to compare 〈◊〉 wiâ—h Queen Mariâ—â— and the Inquisitions proceedings against Protestants It 's now time that we pass from the examination of
that from Christ to the victory of Constantin against Maxentius there are assigned by Eusebius 318. years and yet did not this persecution cease then neither but continued vnder Licinius and other Tyrants for divers years after see then how just these numbers fall out neither more nor less all which being considered I find no one thing so true or credible in all this revelation saith the Author of the three Conversions who confuted Fox his Acts and Monuments as those words of the spirit vnto him saying Thou fool for that this maketh him a fool indeed by revelation What credit Protestants give to Fox his revelations I do not know but sure Iam they give too much to his relations notwithstanding the absurdity of the whole work in composing a Catholick Church of condemned hereticks without subordination or succession and making wicked Malefactors Câ—â—â—st's Martyrs the Protestant Clergy who could not be ignorant of so abominable a deceit cryed vp the book as a most godly and sincere history and by publick authority endeavored to make it authentick placing one in every Parish Church like a fifth Ghospell recommending the reading therof to all persons both in their houses and Congregations All this was don with design to make the Roman Catholick religion odious and to exasperat the generality of the people against the Priests and professors of the same And though judicious Readers may easily discern in perusing the Book the weaknes of the Author and of the cause he vndertakes to maintain yet the vulgar sort are much taken with both and doubt not but that Protestants have as much reason to put Catholiks to death as Catholiks had to punish those mad fellows whom Iohn Fox calls Martyrs and would needs dy rather then recall those blasphemies against God or submit their fond opinions to that sense of Scripture which our Saviour and his Apostles delivered to the Church and had bin derived by the publick Testimony and vndeniable Tradition both of holy Fathers and general Councells from one age to an other vntill this present To the end silly seduced souls may see their mistake and how litle credit Iohn Fox his Protestant Church and Martyrs deserve compared with the Roman-Catholick I will set down his Calendar SVBSECT I. The Foxian Calendar THe number of all his saints are 456. wherof Bishops Martyrs 5. to wit Cranmer Ridley Hooper Farrar and another whom I remember not What litle credit they deserved we have shewed heretofore every one of them changing his religion with the times and their opinions having bin confuted as heresy in vniversities by publick disputations Bishops Confessors 1. Virgin Martyrs none Mayd Martyrs 3. Kings and Queens Martyrs and Confessors 1. who was Edward 6. other men and women Martyrs 393. other men and women Confessors 5â— These were of divers sects and opinions and contrary in many points one to the other as for example Waldesians and Albigensians 13. Lollards and Wickleffians 36. Hussits and Lutherans 78. Zuinglians and Calvinists 268. Anabaptists Puritans and doubtfull of what sect 59. Again of these were husbandmen Weavers sawyers shoomakers Curriers smiths and other such like occupations 282. poore women and spinsters 64. Apostata Monks and Friars 25. Apostata Priests 38. Ministers 10. publick Malefactors and condemned by the lawes for such 19. of age running away from his Master and finding an old English Bible sincerely translated you may be sure lying in 〈◊〉 the Chappell of Burntwood fell to reading therof and therby presently became a Protestant in divers opinions and would needs burn for the same Rawling White is recounted by Fox to have bin an old poore fisherman in Wales and hearing of certain new fresh doctrin to be had out of the Scriptures in English and grieved that himself was not able to read them he put his litle boy to schoole to learn to read which being somewhat instructed in that art he caused him to read Scriptures vnto him and profitted so much therin with in a litle time that the old fisherman began to be a preacher and so leaving his occupation went vp and down Wales with his boy after him bearing the Bible out of which he took vpon him to preach at every town and Tavern therof seeking therby to pervert such as were no wiser then himself nor could he be restrained from this folly vntill the Bishop of Cardiff apprehended him whom afterwards they were forced to burn for that he stood obstinat in his fantasticall opinions which were extravagant and â—â—â—rce agreed with any sect of Protestancy We have seen heretofore how Laurence Sanders the married Priest seing a litle bastard of his was so tenderly affected therunto as in great vehemency of spirit he sayd to the standers by what maâ—â— of my vocation would not dy to make this litle boy legitimat and prove his mother to be no whore And indeed such of the Protestant Clergy as were executed were brought to the stake for the love they had to their wenches and bastards and because they thought it was against their honor to recant It 's remarkable that of some hundreds of Heresiarchs who have since the preaching of the Apostles risen against the doctrin of the Catholick Church not above two or three wherof Berâ—â—garius was one would recall their opinions no marvaile therfore if Cranmer Latimer Ridley c. should be so obstinat These motives and persons I say well considered rational Protestants will find no parity between Foxian and Catholick Martyrs nor any reason to persecute Priests and Papists by their new Statuts because Protestants and sectaries were persecuted by Q. Mary and other temporal Soveraigns according to the ancient Laws of all Christendom They will find a parity between Fox his Martyrs and Fanaticks for the old Protestants were look't vpon in those days when they first began as themselves look now vpon fanatiks and Quakers only with this difference that these may complain of harder measure now received from their prelatick Brethren then prelatick Protestants from papists because prelatiks have nothing against presbitery 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 that their doctrin and conventicles are prohibited by the temâ—â—â—al lâ—â—es of the Land which can not be a competent rule of faith they can not condemn them by any Pâ—â—â—â—stant general Councells ancient Tradition or by the primitive Protestant principles or by any sense of Scripture ever yet held to be Catholick by the visible Church of Christendom wheras Roman Catholicks did and may censure prelatick Protestants by every one of these rules and do demonstraâ—â— that their prelatick reformation is contrary to all the Testimonies and evidences of Christian and Catholick antiquity SVBSECT II. VVillfull falsifications committed by Iohn Fox in his acts and Monuments FOx having searched and inquired after Protestants and their Church and not finding any one person he durst call by that name for the first 1200. years after Christ and that particularly here in England the Roman Catholick Religion as his
people are abused Many Protestant mistakes wherwith the common sort were fooled are now cleered and their own conveniency wil invite them to examin further the errors of doctrin incident to education from which errors the Protestant Church doth acknowledge it self not exempted If the Protestant faith be true such a trial as we desire will be of great satisfaction to the Professors therof and confirm them in their religion and convert Papists and Sectaries to the same if it be falfs besides the salvation of souls by a discovery and prosession of the Roman truth these kingdoms will be able not only to defend themselves but offend foreign Enemies after we are enabled thervnto by a conscientious addition of a million sterl per an to the publik revenue No danger of sacriledge in applying the Church revenues to pious and publick vses for the preservation of the people practised by the ancient Catholick Clergy Not one good reason why the Church of England ought not to admit of such a publick conference as we propose and desire Bishop Lauds reason to the contrary confuted The denying and differring it a sign that Protestants are guilty Catholicks grant conference to Protestants whensoever they demand it The Protestant layty have reason to question their Clergies Ordination and caracter as well as their doctrin The new change of their formes of ordination very suspicious That the Roman Religion is such a growing Religion proves it is the true Religion fit to be made the Religion of the state THE FOURTH PART THe Roman Catholick Religion in every particular wherin it differs from the Protestant is confirmed by considerable Miracles recorded not in vain Legends or modern Authors but in the most authentick histories of the world and by the ancient Fathers and Doctors of Gods Church SECT J. SUch Miracles as are approved by the Roman Catholik Church are true Miracles The doctrin confirmed by those Miracles cannot be rejected without doubting of Gods Veracity Every Protestant doth see though not observe true Miracles in confirmation of the Catholick faith What great scrutiny is made by the Roman Catholick Church into true Miracles and the lives of men that are to be canonized for Saints There can be no combination or cheat in such matters Some Miracles permanent that be seen by all men as that of S. Ianuarius in Naples An vndeniable Miracle of S. Francis Xavier wrought vpon Marcello Mastrilli most remarkable for many circumstances Miracles to confirm Popery related by the Magdeburgian Centurists but by them absurdly attributed to the Devil or said to be seigned True Miracles cannot be wrought to confirm falshood 't is against Gods veracity to permit the same Miracles oblige vs to believe the doctrin in confirmation wherof thy be wrought The difference between Antichrists and Catholicks Miracles or true and fals Miracles That all the Roman Catholicks adore the Sacrament and believe Transsubstantiation as also other points of Popery is an evident Miracle of God and can not proceed from the Devils power or art The Devil temps men to be hereticks by the means and ministery of their senses and by humoring the same not against the evidence and inclination of sense The general signs and marks of the Church are vndeniable Miracles No other Church besides the Roman Catholick can shew those signs SECT II. OF particular miracles that confirm the Roman Catholick Tenents and our sense of Scripture related by S. Chrysostome S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Austin S. Nilus S. Cyprian the Martyr S. Optatus S. Gregory the great and others in confirmation of adoring the B. Sacrament Transsubstantiation the Sacrifice of the Mass Communion vnder one kind prayer for the dead and Purgatory Primat Vshers falsifications and fraud to discredit some of these Miracles discovered Of Miracles in England related by Waldensis and recorded by the Archbishops of Canterburyes Register How Protestants falsify the very statuts and law books Miracles wrought by S. Bernard to confirm every controverted point of the Roman Catholick doctrin against the Protestant Protestant writers confess S. Bernard was a Saint and yet say his Miracles were wrought by the Devil How absurd SECT III. MIracles to confirm the worship and vertu of the sign of the Cross recorded by St. Paulinus St. Cyril of Jerusalem St. Athanasius St. Hierom St. Gregory Tuâ—onensis Nicephorus and Theodoret. How by Tradition from the Apostles the primitive Christians were accustomed to sign themselves frequently with the sign of the Cross. The first and worst Heretiks were enemyes of that sign Christs Cross multiplyed by miracle in St. Paulinus his time Protestant miracles are but cheats Not one of them true Protestants agree with Pagans heretiks and Magitians in contemning miracles and the sign of the Cross. How the Devils dread the same SECT IV. MIracles in confirmation of the Catholick worship of Jmages related by the most eminent authors of the Ecclesiasticall History and by the 2. Councell of Nice an 787. wherin were 350. Bishops St. Peters shaddow was the Image of his body and by scripture Act. 5.15 it appears to have wrought Miracles The Protestant Imposture concerning Christs statue that Iulian the Apostata broke confuted S. Iohn Dâ—mascens hand that was cut off by the practises of Image-breakers restored by his praying at our Ladies Image The Protestant evasion of civil and religious worship confuted SECT V. MIracles related by S. Austin S. Ambrose S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Chrysostom S. Hierom S. Optatus S. Bede S. Bernard S. Anselm and others in confirmation of prayer to Saints worshipping their Reliques of the vertue of holy water the Sacraments of Confirmaon Confession and extrem Vnction The doctrin of Indulgences confirmed by the same Miracles that confirm worship of Saints Pilgrimages c. The truth of all S. Thomas of Canterburyes Miracles evidenced by one that Fox recounts and picks out to discredit the test What litle reason Protestants have to suspect our Catholick Miracles of forgery How severe the Roman Church is in the scrutiny and punishment of such Impostures Reflections vpon Bishop Taylors Treatise of Confirmation Confession and extrem Vnction maintained to be Sacraments by ancient Fathers S. Bedes holiness and learning acknowledged by Protestants He relates Miracles wherby the errors of Protestancy are confuted How absurdly Protestants contemn the authority of the holy Fathers in Miracles admitting it in matters of faith How ridiculous John Fox his Miracles are how vnwisely the Prelatick Clergy countenance his Acts and Monuments that have so spread Puritanism in England A Paralell between Protestancy and Mahometism FINIS THE CONCLVSION To the right Honorable the Committee OF PARLIAMENT FOR RELIGION May it please your Honors VEnerable St. Bede in his History of the Church of England recounteth how St. Austin the Monk and our Apostle Sent by St. Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome to convert our Saxon Ancestors from Paganism to Christian Religion arriving at the Isle of Tanet in Kent gave notice vnto King Ethelbert then a