AN HISTORICAL DIALOGVE TOVching Antichrist and Poperie DRAWEN AND PVBlished for the common benefit and comfort of our Church in these dangerous daies against the desperate attemptes of the vowed aduersaries of Iesus Christ his Gospell and this florishing State by Thomas Rogers Allowed by auctoritie Reuel 18. 6 Reward her euen as shee hath rewarded you and giue her double according to her workes and in the cup that she hath filled to you fill her the double AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Windet for Andrewe Maunsell and are to be solde at the signe of the Brasen Serpent in Paules Church-yard 1589. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR CHRIstopher Hatton Knight Lord high Chancelar of England Knight of the most Honorable order of the Garter and worthie Chancelar of the most famous Vniuersitie of Oxenford his singular good Lord and Patron ⸫ THAT Whore of Babylon in the holie boke of Reuelations decyphered by Saint Iohn hath bin long since through the goodnes of Th'almightie is manie waies and by sundrie meanes in this last age of the world most notablie prooued to bee the church of Rome Notwithstanding as common strompets often-times put vpon them both the faces and the persons of most honest women so this whore filthie though she be and vncleane yet would she appeare in the eies of man to be pure and chast as the spouse of Christ. And as harlots haue brazen faces and dare compare yea and for pure behauiour some-while praefer themselues to vnspotted virgins right sober matrons so this filth albeit she know her selfe guiltie of all manner pollutions yet such is her impudencie she blusheth not both to compare he selfe for honestie with the best make the world beleeue that it is not she but euen the lambes wife that is naught and vncleane But praised be God for the same vaunt she neuer so much of her holines and speake shee neuer so blasphemouslie against the spouse of Christ her loose lecherous life is well knowen and her abominations blazoned to th'uniuersall world so that she which giueth out that she is cleane is knowen to be nought els but meere pollution that saith she neuer went astraye neither can erre is well knowen to be euen the verie scūme of ancient and newe errors the sinke or draughte of heathenish idolatrie to haue erred in an hundred yea in sixe hūdred points of religion to haue adulterated euerie principal head of Christian doctrine and to haue quite reuolted from our Sauiour Christ This being so great should the detestation of her be in al our mindes and if any natural affection we carie toward our deere mother the Church of Christ we gladlie will imploy all our giftes both of bodie and of soule what els soeuer graces we haue for the defense of our mothers good behauiour for the bringing of this bold huswife and most impudent harlot so much as in vs lieth into a common hatred of all sortes that if possible it were euen the verie boies moathers in the streete may neuer heare Poperie named but they may hisse at it as they do at the sight of knowen bawdes and naughtie-packes For my part Right Honorable some-what in this booke as heretofore in other treatises I haue done and by Gods assistance and the lawfull fauour of my Superiours will proceede to the displaying of her filthines more and more to the world For wel I see which that most Reuerend Father and blessed martyr Maister Latimer did long since obserue that th'impudencie of this whore is excceding great and intolerable and therefore where occasion shall be giuen she is to be gauled and spurgauled too seeing no better she will prooue That which I looke for at her handes is but mortal hatred for my labour For so do harlots requite such as of good-wil laie open vnto them their vngodlines that they may amend And surely as in some thinges aboue mentioned so otherwise me-thinkes she doth notablie resemble the brothels and harlots of the world therfore diuinelie by Gods spirite is entituled the whore of Babylon For harlots if they loue you and you will not with like loue answere them againe they will hate you as Putiphars wife did Ioseph and those wicked Iudges Susanna Loue them and they will abuse you as Delilah did Samson that filth Apame which proudlie sitting on the right hand of the king with her right hand tooke the crowne of the kings head and put it on her owne and strooke the King with her left hand Leaue them once giue your selfe to lead an honest life either solelie or in holie wedlocke and they will pursue you with malice euen vnto the death as the late murther of Abel Bourne is memorable to this purpose So this whore of Babylon if you loue her not againe she louing you she wil hate you euen vnto the death If you loue her she will abuse you that too shamefully If you praeferring a Godlie life agreeable to Gods holy word before her wicked companie and cast her of nothing will pacifie her till she see your blood Of England this whore would be loued but England will bee chaste still with Ioseph and Susanna and therefore England is extremely hated Spaine loueth this whore and Spaine is abused shee sitteth on the Kinges right hand shee taketh his Crowne with her right hand puts it on her owne hed and with her left hand she strikes him on the face hee gapeth and gazeth on her poore soule if shee laugh at him hee laugheth and if shee be angrie with him he flattereth till shee bee reconciled yea hee will not spare his owne bloud to enioy her loue France leaft her companie what say I leaft he onely cast a friendlie countenance towardes the lambes wife and her faithful seruantes she was inflamed with iealousie forthwith she could not be pleased she feared he would cast her of or not feed her malicious humor and therefore a brother of that brothel house gratiouslie admitted vnto familiar speech in his owne chamber vnder colour of confession must be his priest and cut his throat Honorable there is no ioie but in a godlie conuersation there is no setled comfort but with the spouse of Christ. Th'end of harlots following thē besides discredit in this world consumption both of bodie and goodes it is vtter condemnation both of soule and bodie in the world to come Th' end of this whore is euerlasting condemnation in hell fire and besides their excessiue charges and expenses their end is th'utter wrath of God which haue to do with her To such I say from the Lord goe out of her good people that yee be not partakers in her sinnes and that yee receiue not of her plagues To your honor I wish perseuerance euen vntill th'end in that good religion which you do professe
desperat endes of other euen at the place of execution of the filthilie polluted bodies through Frēch diseases of other traitors all which do cleerelie show into what vile mindes God doth deliuer them vp in his iustice that will seeke to plucke them downe whom he doth aduaūce or to aduaūce that he would haue destroied But I onlie do wish were obserued the vtter detestation generally in all sortes of subiectes raised by the verie finger of Gods holie spirit against all Popish traitors from time to time T. Shew that one thing Z. It is easilie done The outward signes and showes of exceeding ioye at the verie discouerie of treasons and apprehension of traitors the outcries which they haue made the speeches of the vulgar people vnto the traitors in the open streets after their arraignmēt declare the peoples minde that so famous Act of association in loialtie and faithfulnes towardes their prince and Countrie by so many thousandes entered-into most willinglie yet altogether vnwittinglie to her maiestie til à great number of handes with manie obligations were showen vnto hir declare the mindes of the greatest the diuers and sundrie Statutes enacted but speciallie that Parliament in the 28. yeare of hir Highnes raigne and the importunate suite of both houses by the mouthes of most principal persons for the putting of them to death whom this Realme neither could nor might any longer indure declare both à secret ioy and delight they haue in hir maiestie as in à iewell of inestimable valure euen as in the Diamond of all Christendome and à common hatred in al mens hartes against them whomsoeuer that shal rise vp to th' ouerthrow either of her person or of this gouernment T. And this also is à verie subscription euē of God himselfe vnto that Religion for the propagation wherof hir Maiestie with à most resolute minde hath opposed hir person to all manner of perilles and dangers what-soeuer Z. Shee knoweth and hath confessed also that he for whose sake onely shee doth all that shee doth for power can and of his endles mercie will defend hir stil. And all good subiects say thereto Amen Chap. 9. 1 Of Gods wonderful protecting hir Maiestie from forraine enemies 2. And of the vaine inuading of Ireland in the yeare 1580 and intended inuasion of this land from time to time TIMOTHIE If euer Prince had any sensible experience of Gods protection it is hir Maiestie and if euer people by outward signes were certified that the Pope is verie antichrist euen wee of this age now in England may palpablie perceaue the same ZELOTES And yet are there mo thinges of great moment to confirme vs in this truth then hetherto wee haue mentioned T. I doubt not of that but what is the speciall thing that you haue obserued Z. It is the miraculous praeseruation of her sacred person gouernment from the dangerous attemptes of forraine papistes promooters of Antichristes kingdome T. I haue heard indeede that among our English papistes of note and place it hath bin agreed-vpon that the state of all Christendome hath stood vpon the stoute assailing of England Z. Vpon such à conclusion it is well knowen that long agone the Duke of Alua in Flanders by Doctor Storie of late yeares the duke of Guise the Frēch Haman in France by TT Morgan and Throckmorton King Philip in Spaine by Sir Frācis Englesield the pope of Rome by doctor Sanders and Allen the new Cardinall of England and others daily were solicited importunatelie vrged to make an inuasion vpon her Maiesties Dominions T. But what of that Z. Hereof two thinges haue insued one wherof was an inuasion made th' other an inuasion intended T. What inuasion hetherto at anie time was yet made Z. Th' inuasion was vpō Ireland in the yeare of our Lord 1580. by à companie of soldiers sent into those partes by the commaundement of the Pope and K. of Spaine and there most proudlie vaunting themselues vnder the Pope his banner displaide T. Alas they were but an hand-ful in comparison though their malice was neuer so deadly yet could they do no great hurt their power was so small Z. That they did none hurt impute it vnto the mercie of our God to his Church-ward But much hurt they might haue done had either they not forsaken them who came forth as assisstantes with them or they come vnto them which were verie manie euen the Irish rebels or they not deceaued them that promised them aide namelie the Pope with à new supplie of Soldiers out of Italy the earle of Desmōd with his route of rebels or they anie way bin blessed of God being for nūber almost as manie as their opponentes and much stronger in regard of the vantage of place they being entrenched stronglie in à fort and their enimies abroad in the open field Besides the name of à band of men arriued and armed on all sides especially with auctoritie from the Pope and King of Spaine is à great imboldning of the wicked that are wauering to reuolt T. But they were no soner come almost on land and had fortified themselues but they were euen all of them either hanged killed or taken prisoners Z. So let them perish ô most righteous God which band thēselues against thy Christ and his Church T. Thus God showeth himselfe still to bee for hir Maiestie and taketh hir enimies for his owne Z. You will say so when wee haue throughlie displaied the inuasion intended T. What haue you to say thereof Z. Manie thinges but for breuitie methode sake I will reduce them all vnto that which concerneth th' enimies their ouerthrow and our selues and our prosperous successe T. What is to be noted touching our enemies Z. First their long and carefull praeparation manie yeares and their wonderfull armies aswel for lād as sea in the last and famous and much expected yeare 88 thē the excessiue pride of th' aduersaries and the iust accompt they made to conquer and subdue vs all and last of al the miraculous defeating of al their wicked purposes and the most famous victorye giuen of God vnto vs his weake seruants ouer his our enimies Chap. 10. 1 Of the long praeparation to inuade this land 2. of the hideous Armies and Armado for the same purpose 3. and of the causes and endes of the same TIMOTHIE Speake nowe more fullie that which in à word you haue vttered ZELOTES Touching the praeparation to inuade this lande marke first of al the diuers thinges that from time to time for the harting or hardning rather of rebellious people haue bin bruted of the same as that the realme for certeintie should be inuaded sometime by 20000. sometime by 40000 men sometime vnder the conduct of one Prestal an Englishmā somtime of strāgers as by the duke of Alua otherwhiles by Don Iohn of Austrich nowe by the
Duke of Guize then by the King of Spaine and the inuasion to be sometime vpon Ireland sometime vpon England there somewhile in Sussex at an other time in the North partes T. This declareth an horrible conspiracie and proanes in Princes and Papistes to annoy hir Maiestie and this land But why accordīg to their desire do they not effect their wicked and mischieuous purposes Z. It was some twentie yeare agoe by F. Pais a publique reader of diuinitie at Rome in the praesence of 300. scholars not so few said that the Popes goodwil to this inuasion is tried and knowen and his purse readie but either feare withdraweth or power forbiddeth K. Philip that he dare not venter to bring his armie of Soldiers into England That which father Pais said of the Pope and King of Spaine do I say of them the rest of our aduersaries also their malice is well knowen and their monie redie for this enterprice but they did not hetherto inuade vs not because they would not but for that they durst not their cause being naught their courages did faile them T. So God taketh away their stomackes manie times which band themselues to the ouerthrow of his truth Z. Many-times indeed hee doth so though not alwaies for sometimes hee giueth thē the raines to proceed at their pleasure as he did Pharao the King of Spaine to their greater ouerthrow in th' end T. What was now his preparation at the last Z. Most wōderful whether you respect his nauies vpon the sea or his armies for land his power was so exceeding great as a mightier praeparation was neuer knowen in former times to be made against any Turkes or Sarasins than hee made against Christians The nomber of his ships was great the variety strāge the persons not onely verie manie for multitude but also for state of great reputation so puissant à power and such if either the nōber of natural Spaniards or the qualitye of the viagers be considered as the like came neuer out of Spaine with anye King or without so mightie à power so provided with all Martial furniture for sixe monethes as might haue amazed the greatest Monarch in the world to haue incountred with the same T. What might be the cause of this so rare an enterprise Z. The cause praetended was religiō or to returne vnto the pope his church à great nomber of contrite soules as Piementellie said it was in the King of Spaine à desire of reuenge for the supposed iniuries receaued at the hands of the most valiant and thrice renowned Knight Sir Francis Drake forgetting vtterlie the infinite and grieuous iniuries that himself from time to time hath offered to hir Maiestie by abusing hir subiectes and Embassadors and by inuading hir realme of Ireland and harboring of arrant traitors both to God hir crown But the true cause indeed we shall find to be an Ambitious desire in K. Philip of Spaine to tyrannize in hir Highnes dominions as he doth ouer the Indies Portugals and them of Netherland T. If the ground was so ill the ende could neuer be good Z. Surely th' end was none other but to conquer the whole Realme to remooue our most gratious Soueraigne from the Crowne and regal dignitie to set vp some English or other Catholique for King to bring both our bodies into the Spanish thraldome worser then death it selfe and our soules into the hellish bondage of the Romaine Antichrist Chap. 11. Of the detestable pride in the Spaniards and iust account they made to subdue vs all TIMOTHIE No doubt their praeparation being so great vnlesse which is vncredible they haue left that vice for which they are notoriouslie infamous the pride of the Spaniards could not be litle ZELOTES Their pride was so excessiue as they termed their armie The inuincible armie and our nauie in disdaine Fisherboates They iudged their Fleete so mighty as had there not bin so many shippes by twentie as they had they could easily haue praeuailed ouer vs They thought either that we durst not encounter with them or if wee did we should presentlie be ouercome T. I haue read I well remember foure yeeres afore the appearing of this Fleete that Bar. Mendoza the Spanish Embassader did say vnto Throckmorton the traitor that we should as easilie be ouerthrowen by the spanish power as assailed Z. And about 13. yeares afore that also it was deliuered by Doctor Storie if the King of Spaine would but go about England with his Nauie as Ioshua with his armie went about Ierico that hee should be sure to finde as good successe heere as Ioshua did there T. Some said that a maid called the holy maide of Lisborne the yeare last immediatly past afore the comming of the Fleete did prophesie that the Spaniardes should no soner approach the coast of England but the hartes of Englishmen should faile them and the Spaniardes obtaine the victorie Z. Some say likewise they plaid at dice for our noblemen and knightes and had after a sort quartered the whole Realme as a praie among them-selues T. Others besides deliuer that in one of Don Pedro de Valdez ensignes there was figured a Sunne and a Moone with a Motto in Spanish to this effect Yesterdaie the full but to day the wane not obscurelie therby insinuating the good successe which they promised vnto them-selues by our vtter ouerouerthrow Z. The embroidered garmentes also with strange emblems and the loftie verses diuulged by their fauorites at Colein manifested vnto the opē wide world the iust accompt that both themselues and their adherentes did make to preuaile to ouer-run the whole realme and to supplant the religion the present state Chap. 12. 1 The dreadfull doun-fall of the ambitious proud Spaniardes 2. Gods heauie curse vpon the whole armie and Armado of the Catholikes 3. with the sundrie effectes ensuing thereupon in the mindes of many men TIMOTHIE But pride goeth afore destruction and an hie minde afore the fal said Salomon the wisest among princes ZELOTES That which that worthie Prince deliuered by our experiēce we know to haue betide that proud Antichristian armie of papistes For he that ruleth in the heauens did laugh them to scorne the God of Gods had them in derision and brought euen in the publique view of th' uniuersall world most horrible confusion vpon them all T. Howe declare Z. The whole power of Spaine cōsisted of three partes of the prince of Parmaes forces of one hūdred sail of ships and fortie within two thousand men of a new supplie of fourescore ships of the grand Armado of eight score ships and thirtie and two thousand fighting men In al of ships three hundred fourtie of men not so few as an hundred thousand T. What of that Z. Consider
wel known to be either sunke drowned killed or taken vpon the coastes of Ireland T. Thus to our comfort and confirmation of our faith we do see that where Gods prouidence is the watch and defense no floods of forraine forces can ouerwhelme Z. And praised be God as they which bee strong in faith hereby are more strengthened so some which afore haue staggered in Religion are now made wholie on our side and such as were stiffe on the aduerse part beginne now to stagger and they which came out enimies are become our frendes in so much as manie of them do not onely crie-out vpon the English traitors in their Countrie as betraiers of the king of Spaine but also vowe no more to medle with vs and will rather bee buried in the ground aliue then come in such an other voiage against England acknowledging both our Countrie to be inuincible otherwise than by treason of some great parte within the Realme and Christ also in all these fightes to haue showen him selfe euen à verie Lutheran that is an vtter enimie to the Pope and Poperie Chap. 13. The prosperous successe of the Gospel and the most gratious countenance of God cast and continued to his seruantes-ward of the Religion of Christ. TIMOTHIE And these effectes are wrought in the mindes of manie not so much by God his ouerthrowing his enimies as by blessing euerie way with happie successe his deere children standing for the Gospell of Christ against Antichrist and his partakers ZELOTES Doubtles as the groūd of our quarrel was good so the proceding was most godlie and the meanes and end blessed and all prosperous T. I ensure you I am not a litle refreshed and euen ful as it were fraughted with vnspeakable comfort whē either mine hart doth thinke or my tong speake or mine eares hear or mine handes write of those happie dayes Z. So is euerie sound Christian and subiect T. And truelie he that shal cal into minde the courage of the people the magnanimitie of the Prince the obedience of subiectes the direction of the Gouernors the diligence of the Captaines the forwardnes of all sortes to spend their liues and goods in defense of their natiue Countrie and maintenance of the long established and much blessed religion among vs will franklie acknowledge all this to come of God if any sparkle of Gods holie spirite be within him Z. Euerie thing was notable which you haue mentioned but that the verie Papistes were so farre from reuolting from their due obedience to their soueraigne Prince that they were prest and readie both with bodie and goods to proceede in hostile manner with vs of the Religion against all enimies whatsoeuer that is of all most merueilous in mine eies T. It was the worke of God who shewed his Almightie power not onely in weakning the courage of the forreine enemies but also in changing their hartes who are among ourselues most dangerous and had he not made them of wolues for the time lambes might more haue perplexed vs in à day than could the out-enimies in a moneth Z. Therefore the glorie thereof is to be ascribed vnto him alone to whom iustlie it doth appertaine which is the immortal and inuisible God T. And they for al their proffered seruice then are no whit the more to be fauored trusted now Papistes being the soliciters Papistes the prosecutors of this warre Papistes the soldiers and al attempted on the behalfe of the Pope and Papistes Z. God giue vs grace to beware of thē whom not onely by publique writings blazoned but by other mischieuous practises aswel against the person of the greatest in England as the present gouernment wee know to be of all most dangerous we are wel warned of them if we can beware T. But notwithstanding the general concurrence of al sortes to withstād th' inuaders yet had not th' almightie God bin our keper we had for all that watched in vaine For th' enimies if they had not to their desire preuailed yet had they surprised our Nauie on the suddaine and landed to our great hurt Z. But blessed bee the Lord which in good time discouered them to one who cōcealed it not from them which were in best place for the Sea affaires T. This ought to be added next in the Catalogue of God his fauors to his poore church of England warde Z. An other argument of the same fauor is his enduing our sea mē aswel marines as souldiers not onely with an inuincible courage wherof our enimies as afore was noted were quite depriued but with all other vertues qualities besides necessarie for Christian warriers Hereof it was that vpon the tydinges of the approaching enimies they dreaded not vpon the sodaine onlie with fiftie shippes such as they were which the Spaniardes counted litle Fisherboats to set vpon that dreadfull sea-monster and reputed inuicible Armado of Spaine consisting for nomber of eight-score ships so ventrous were they and so circumspect that they alwaies gained the winde at their pleasure to their great aduantage and so valiant as some one of our ships fought at one time with three of their Galiasses as if Dauid had incountred with three Goliahs and two of our Eng. gentlemen assaulted onlie with their naked rapiers and seised vpon the chiefest Galiasse in all the Spanish Fleete à thing so wonderful as if two naked men should set vpon and enter à mightie castle replenished with strong men and al martial furniture T. But how fortunate were they Z. That hath alreadie bin showen T. But strange things do they publish clean contrarie to that by you mentioned Z. I wot wel neither is it à new thing among Papistes to broach abroad lies and lowd vntruthes we spake not long since of the inuasion of Ireland T. We did so what of that Z. What à good hand wee had ouer our enimies at that time it is vniuersallie wel knowen Yet were not the Papistes ashamed to blazon through-out Spaine that an Angel from Heauen with à Chalice in his hand had discomforted manie thousandes of Englishmen Whereupon the belles were rōg the people met together and all sortes from the highest to the lowest of men al Biskaie yea al Spaine ouer reioiced triumphed and by all outward argumentes declared the inward comfort they receiued by that tidinges T. O merciful God that euer such vntruthes should be forged thousandes of our men discomforted and discomforted by an Angel from heauen when God was so on our side that wee either killed hanged or tooke at our pleasure euen al that Antichristian rablemēt and but one of our men in al those fightes was slaine nor aboue two hurt and not so much as one man taken prisoner Z. So haue they published that the Admiral of England in the last fight vpon the seas was sunke T. And yet he is aliue and praised
be God fareth well Z. That Sir Francis Drake was either taken or slaine T. Yet hee was neither taken or slaine but tooke and slew a great nomber and since by the power and goodnes of the Almighty hath slaine and taken and stil doth both take and slaie them Z. That we fled from comming to the battel T. And yet wee chased the Spaniardes as à brace of Greyhoundes would an heard of Deere and whipped them as à man will whip bond-slaues and as vagabondes are whipt about à towne so whipped we them about England and Scotland Z. That of our ships 20. yea 22. were sunke and 15. yea 26. yea 40. taken T. And yet so farre were wee from loosing fortie that wee lost not one yea so farre from loosinge à Shippe that wee lost not so much as à boate nor à Ship-mast Z. That many of our men were slaine and drowned à nomber taken prisoners T. Yet can they name neither do we know any man of marke and reputation that was slaine nor any man what soeuer that came as prisoner into their handes For all are liuing and praest by Gods fauour to aduenture their liues as cheerfully as euer they did for hir Maiestie when shee shall commaunde them Z. This of all is most wonderfull that they no way and wee euerie way were fortunate that their hartes shoulde be taken from them and new courage be put into vs that so manie of their Shippes should be lost and not so much as one boate nor mast of ours from the first to the last to perish that in one day fiue thousand of them and not in nine daies so much as one man to count-of on our side should bee slaine that in a few daies à thousande of theirs should be taken prisoners and not one man of ours come into their handes that their so famous an armie and Armado should by Heauen by Earth by water by fire perish for a great part and ours be preserued and remaine whole sound either to goe against them to their greater ruine or to encounter with any forreine forces that shal assaile vs T. He that seeth not à speciall regard of God towardes vs as to the deere spouse of Christ ward and an angrie countenaunce on th'other side against the Church of Rome as vpon the whore of Babilon described by S. Iohn is verie blind Z. So is he Chap. 14. Of a great desolation at hand of the Papal kingdome gathered from the consideration of thinges past and present TIMOTHIE And I trust the obseruation of these thinges will draw them on who are not so wel affected to that religiō which is from aboue ZELOTES I hope so too I wish it and manie argumentes I haue inducing me to thinke that some more notable ouerthrow the Pope shal againe sustaine ere long it bee T. May I not be priuie vnto some of them Z. It is written that Iupiters priestes in Meroe had with superstition so bewitched the peoples mindes that when soeuer they gaue commaundement men would lay violent hands vpon the kings and gouernors of Aethiopia and put them to the sword T. Who but heareth this and doth not abhorre the same be he indued but with common humanitie Z. Then no doubt poperie which both teacheth defendeth and practiseth euen the murthering of Gods annointed the Kinges Princes and gouernors of Christendome must needes vniuersallie become odious T. Hasten the same for thy names sake O most righteous God Z. At length those Iupiters Priestes by à Prince of an heroicall courage were themselues euen all of them put to the sword and their auctoritie gouernmēt and priesthood quite rooted out and ouerthrowen T. Euen so declare thy iustice iudgmētes mightie God wee beseech thee vpon Baals Priestes of Rome and vpon the whole papacie no whit inferior in impietie to Th' aethiopian priestes Z. That Prince that so rooted them out was hight Erganes The name of him that alreadie hath giuen the deadly blow vnto the state of Poperie in England was one entituled euen by the pope himselfe The defender of the Faith since for his magnanimity and power in suppressing Gods enimies iustlie termed The hāmer of Papistes euen K. Henry the eight of most famous memorie T. O that other Countries and territories yet vnder the Papal iurisdiction had either such Erganes as Aethiopia or such Henries as England had Z. It is deliuered that Italie is fatall to the Polonians T. What then Z. And it is crediblie thought also that the name of Henrie seemeth fatal to the Papacie T. What the Henries shalbe God onelie knoweth and man cannot define but what aduersaries the Henries haue bin and stil are at this houre to the Papacie al the world doth know and the present state of France doth affoord memorable examples in their excommunicate Henries Z. But whosoeuer the persons shalbe for state or name and how vnlikelie in the iudgement of manie to distroy the Popedome sure I am the miserable condition of our euen Christians doth require and the instant supplications of all Gods people euerie where do also craue call for à speedie reformation and they cannot be in vaine T. There is nothing impossible to God Z. Sainct Paul some-time was an enemie of the Church and with commission was sent and went also to murther and persecute the sainctes of God and yet he proued à most zealous constāt preacher of the word afterward himselfe suffered much for the cause of Christ and of an hipocriticall Pharisie became à true professor T. The example is notable Z. We haue mo Paules than one we praise God For Petrus Paulus Vergerius also in his last age à Cardinal of Rome an Embassador of the Popes sent and sent againe for his rare wisedome and faithfulnes in all the Popes affaires into Germanie and Naples vnto the Emperor and that for the rooting-out of Gods people vnder the name of Lutherans an heauy accuser of declining papistes and an earnest writer against such as reuolted frō the Romish faith himselfe in th'end all this notwithstanding forsooke his professiō left his dignities renounced al his spiritual promotions the Pope and Italie and became à zealous preacher and professor of the Gospel of our Sauiour Christ T. And such thankes be to God we heare of now and then Z. Litle did Martin Luther thinke whē first hee opposed him selfe against the Popes pardons to haue bin the subuertor of the whole Religion of Poperie as litle also did King Henrie the eight whē first he delt in that case of diuorcement thinke to haue bin the banisher of the popes auctoritie out of England T. So manie there be now as man thinketh the Popes sure frends which may proue his enimies and they which are his vpholders and protectors now may throw him downe hereafter Z. King Henrie