brought for we wil ever do grant so much as any man can in truth wish to bee collected out of them But what is all this to the purpose since neither then nor since they do agree with the polluted doctrine of your Sinagoge and the faith which olde Rome spreade or mainetained is no more consonant to this infidelity which our new Rome maintaineth then an apple is like an oyster Which one answere although it cut of al your cavils which you fetch from antiquity in praise of Rome and we frequētly inculcate it vnto you yet because it so biteth you will in no sort remember It is a tricke in Rhetorike but it is withall but a base shift to slippe by that or to seeme to forget that which woundeth to the hart and vtterly destroyeth T. HILL BUt the Protestants per adventure will grant that the true Church flourished in those dayes but not afterwardes vntill this age in which they haue reformed the same yet is it most manifest that it flourished afterwardes even vntill this our time no lesse then it and before if not more for in Saint Gregory his daies it was spreade all over the worlde as appeareth by his Epistles to the Bishops of the East of Afrike Spaine France England Sicily And by Saint Bede in cap. 6. Cantic as also by Saint Bernard who disputing before Rogerim King of Sicily avouched that in those daies the East all the West Fraunce Germany Englande Spaniardes and many barbarous nations obeyed the Bishoppe of Rome G. ABBOT 8. The Protestāts not fearing that you shal gaine any thing by that which is truth wil refuse to yeeld you nothing that is true In the first Church that is while the Apostles lived the spouse of Christ for doctrine was most glorious for some hundreds of yeares afterwards her honor flourished not a little yet so that some pety superstitions began to creepe in heere and there But about six hundred years after Christ shee for the outward face did more more droupe in doctrine f 1. Ioh. 2. 18 Antichrists began to peepe vp in the Apostles time but then they coulde not properly be called the great Antichrist And that which was thē was not so eminently as that the followers of the Apostles did much obserue it being then more troubled with persecution or heretiks then with superstition In processe of time matters grew to a worse state evil opiniōs creeping in at last the maine g 2. Thes. 2. 3 Apostasie followed But in this Apostasie very great declining there were who yeelded not to the time but kept thēselues vnspotted of the world especially for mainest points of salvation And it being thus whē things were at the worst God in this later age hath suffred that truth which was more hidden to illustrate the Christian world again Yea but you wil proue that since the Primitiue Church faith florished more thē before or at the least it was not diminished vntill our time You can do wonders Sir or els your own reason would informe you that nothing beene added til these lare navigations of the Portingales Spaniards Christianity must needs be exceedingly diminished when the Saracens Turks for so long space haue devored so much of Asia Europa Africa as is or hath bin vnder thē You are but a simple man for story weaker for Cosmography or els you would not so improbably talke at randon But any thing serveth your turne Well the faith was in Gregories times over all the worlde How proue you this Forsooth he wrote Epistles to Bishops of Spaine France England Sicely yea of the East of Afrike Ergo the faith was over all the world A young man of the age of sixteene yeares hath by his diligence learned without booke the Epistle to Philemō that to the Colossians yea the book of Ruth and the Prophecy of Aggeus therefore he can say all the Bible by hart This is Logike for the Seminaries but not currant elsewhere VVhat wrote he into Tartaria or India or Manicongo what to Finland or Iseland or a thousand places more And what saith Bede h In Cantic 6. The summe of the citisens of that celestiall countrey doth exceede the measure of our estimation But this is spoken of all the faithfull that are were or ever shall bee in the world As also that following vpon the texte Adole scentularum non est numerus There are saith hee young maidens vvhereof there is no number because there are sound innumerable cōpantes of Christiā people Which within seaven lines after he maketh most evident The vniversall Church which in the same her faithfull members from the beginning even vnto the ending of the vvorld from the rising of the Sunne vnto the setting from the North and the Sea doe praise the name of the Lorde Doth this shew any extraordinary thing in the time of Beda or any flourishing of the Church or more thē that there were faithfull toward al parts of the world Such is that which was brought touching S. i In vita Bernard L◅ 217 Bernard who vpō a great schisme in the Church of Rome betweene Innocentius and the Antipape Petrus Leonis being sent for to compose this strife and to see whether he could winne over to Innocētius Robert the King of Sicely who stood for Peter in his Oration saith that if Peters side were good they who acknowledged Innocentius for Pope should bee in very ill case And these hee nameth Then the Easterne Church shall perish vvhich at that time coulde comprehend no more but those fewe Christians vvhich were vvarring in or about Palestina for the Greeke Churches did not then acknowledge the Popes Iurisdiction the whole West shall perish Fraunce shallperish Germany shall perish the Spanish and English and the Barbarian kingdomes shall be drowned in the bottome of the Sea Where he doth not adde these special countries over and aboue the VVest but signifieth vvhat was meant by that generall name that is to saye Fraunce Germany Spaine and England vvith some inferiour Kingdomes So that now if S. Bernard doe say any thing heere your all the worlde is vvonderfully shrunke in the vvetting So you strive against the streame and the farther you goe the worse you goe T. HILL AND in these daies it is all over Italie all over Spaine and in Fraunce in most partes of Germany in Poleland Boheme besides England Hungary Greece Syria Aethiopia Aegypt in vvhich Landes are many Catholikes and in the newe world it flourisheth mightily in all the foure partes of the world Eastward in the Indies VVestward in America Northward in Iaponia Southward in Brasilia in the vttermost partes of Afrike G. ABBOT 9 AS many as be disposed to knowe the Popes strength harken now to his muster-maister Al Italie commeth first as being neerest the Popes nose then all Spaine is the second legion But how would it be in these lands if your Inquisitours did
of our Lord 1471. By this story it is manifest that both noble and learned of high account were of that Christian beleefe which Iohn Hus taught and vvere contented to adventure all things which they had in the world for the maintenance of the same 21 Perhaps here it may be asked but how shall we know that Iohn Hus and his followers did embrace that Religion which is now professed in England We finde in Aeneas Sylvius some opinions of theirs which peradventure will scant be reputed currant among all English Protestantes He rehearseth these fowre of theirs e Histor. Bohem ca. 50. That they would receiue the Sacrament in both kindes that Civill dominion is inhibited to Cleargy men that preaching of the vvords was to bee permitted to all men that publike crimes are in no sort to bee tolerated I answere truth it is that he there mentioneth onely those whither he relateth them truely or no it may be doubted as anon I shall shewe by laying open the custome of the enimies of the Gospell in mis-reporting their doctrine But elsewhere he delivereth other opinions of theirs as f Epist. 130. against the Supremacie of the Pope against Purgatorie against Invocation of Saints and such like matters If wee returne to Cochleus who was best acquainted with their matters wee shall finde much more As thus g Cochl Hist. lib. 1. Hus translated all the bookes of Canonicall Scripture into the Bohemian tongue the people did most diligently read them They would haue the holy Scripture to bee the only iudge in matters of Controversie They held that al Bishops and Priests are the successours of the Apostles That not the Pope but Christ is the head of the Church neither are the Cardinals the body but all that beleeue in Christ. That the Pope is not a member of the Church but of the Devill and his Synagoge That one Pope was a womā Yea Hus did preach that the Pope is an abomination and Antichrist Also h Lib. 2. he called the Generall Councel at Cōstance the Synagoge of Sathan Another of his Articles was i Lib. 3. The Pope is the beast in the Apocalyps His scholers after his death broke downe the k Lib. 4. Images in Churches and Monasteries Yea Zisca did cast downe all the l Lib. 5. Churches which were dedicated to the Virgin Mary or to any Saint as if it were lawfull to build a Church onely to almighty God In his time the Professours began to be distinguished into two companies The one of them did not so much dissent from the Pope as the other Those which in fewer matters differed from the Bishop of Rome retained stil the name of Hussites they which disagreed in more were called Thaborites of Thabor the Citty which Zisca built for them And these were the greater number and the stronger There is in Cochleus a m Professio fidei antiquae c. Confession of faith by one Iohannes de Pr◅bram a Bohemian who was but a Hussite and not well affected to the Thaborites because he accounted them as a kinde of Precisians or Puritanes in comparison of himselfe Yet this more milde man doth wishe and begge of God to see a reformation of the Church that there might be redressed n Artic. 57. Simonyes through all the worlde most detestable most wicked setting to sale of all Sacramentes most insatiable avarice most impudent fornications most putrified vncleannesses rottennesses most abominable Co◅ubines-keeping most polluted manners most dissolute most corrupt gestures behaviours harlotry every where too too much multiplyed in the Cleargy wherewith alas the whole earth lyeth corruptly filthy Also the Lucifer-like pride of the Cleargie vvhich is exalted above God their dainety and dayly banquets their aboundant riches and rich aboundance their disquietnesse most litigions being the cheefe roote of the quarrels of the world their curiosity most vai◅ their most vnseemely pompe of apparell their conversation most secular-like their most open transgression of all the commaundements of God their most remisse care of soules their most negligent regard of the word of God This he saith for himselfe but concerning the Thaborites who indeede came neerer to the purity of the Gospell hee witnesseth of them that they held o Articul 5◅ That materiall bread doth re◅ine in the Sacramēt◅ that the Saints now triumphant are not to be called vpon that there is no Purgatory that no suffrages or praiers are to be made for the dead◅ Also they allow not of the holy da◅es almost of al the Saints nor of the Eves or Uig◅s that go◅ before them Nor the consecrations of visible thinges as salt oyle holy-water belles and such like They have a s◅bismaticall celebration of their Masses that is a severall sort of Church-service and refuse the most celebrsou◅ service of the Churc◅ and th◅ r◅es and administrations of almost all the Sacraments Let our Papists now speake whether they wee do not agree in the same doctrine altogither For I doubt not but they who had received so much grace from God as to see all these things were also partakers of farther knovvledge in the mysteries of Salvation 22 VVhile I have spoken thus largely concerning these good Christians in Bohemia let not any man imagine that Christes faithfull flocke was restrained within the compasse of that countrey so that godly men were else no-where to bee found For certaine it is that betweene the time of Iohn Hus who was burnt in the yeere 1415. the first standing vp of Martin p An. 1517. Luther were very many other who in that darkenes did see what belonged to the light of the Gospell Among these may be reckoned as verie memorable the Waldēses who about the yeere 1508. do make q Responsio ad Doctorē Augustinū an answere in de◅ce of thēselues therin as they testifie that they thē had Priests of their own so they speake against Purgatory and most op◅ly against Trāsubstātiatiō The same touching Trāsubstātiatiō they do in a r Waldensium Confessio in fasciculo ◅erum expetend ◅ugiend Cōfessiō of theirs where also they impugne Adoration of the Eucharist There also they name the Prelates vnsav◅ry salt avouch that the execrable naughtines which was in thē by the instinct of the Devil did drive thē away frō the Sea of Rome For the Papists in their Sermon◅ did cal one another schismatikes heretikes sacrilegious false Prophets ravening wolves the beast and whore in the Revelation Of s Sleidan Lib. 16. these there were many in one part of Fraunce who time out of minde had refused to beare the yoke of the Pope and therefore in the daies of Frauncis the first king of Fraunce by a bloudy decree of that king but by the execution of one Minerius a most cruell person Merin◅ol and Cabriers with some other villages about them were sacked and destroyed men women and children being slaine Yea diverse of them
of mens mindes and to bee breefe they have all one hart and one soule Act. 4 G. ABBOT 1 WHen that Italian Didapper who intituled himselfe a Praesat in explicatio triginta sigillorum Philotheus lordanus Brunus Nolaâ—…us magis elaborata Theologia Doctor c. with a name longer then his body had in the traine of Alasco the Polish Duke seene our Vniversity in the yeare 1583. his hart was on fire to make himselfe by some worthy exploite to become famous in that celebrious place Not long after returning againe when he had more boldly then wisely got vp into the highest place of our best most renowned schoole stripping vp his sleeues like some Iugler and telling vs much of chentrum chirculus chircumforenchia after the pronunciation of his Country language he vndertooke among very many other matters to set on foote the opinion of Copernicus that the earth did goe round and the heavens did stand still wheras in truth it was his owne head which rather did run round his braines did not stand stil. When he had read his first Lecture a graue man both then and now of good place in that Vniversity seemed to himselfe some where to haue read those things which the Doctor propounded but silencing his conceit till he heard him the second time remembred himselfe then and repayring to his study found both the former and later Lecture taken almost verbatim out of the workes of b De vita coelitus coÌ„paranda Marsilius Ficâ—…us Wherwith when he had acquainted that rare excellent Ornament of our land the Reverend Bishop of Durham that now is but then Deane of Christs-Church it was at the first thought fit to notifie to the Illustrious Reader so much as they had discovered But afterward hee who gaue the first light did most wisely intreate that once more they might make trial of him and if he persevered to abuse himselfe and that Auditory the thirde time they shoulde then do their pleasure After which Iordanus continuing to be ideÌ„ Iordanus they caused some to make knowne vnto him their former patience the paines which he had taken with them so with great honesty of the litle maÌ„s part there was an end of that matter If I had beene at Palempine with you Doctor Hill in your chaÌ„ber when you were writing this worthy work I should haue dealt so charitably with you as after the first second reason to tel you that some one or other of the Heretiks in EnglaÌ„d would soone disery where you had borrowed your stuffe but when I had perceived that you had been bold with c Motiv 27. M. Bristow for this third ReasoÌ„ also I would haue intreated you to haue done somwhat of your selfe or to let all alone least some body should tel you that by D. Fulke the most part of your booke was answered before it was made But since I was then absent from you now it is too late to stop you at the third stone you must bee content to beare your owne praise and I satisfie my selfe that assone as I can coÌ„veniently I acquaint you with it And hereafter it may be that we shal receiue from you d Terent in Prolog Eunuchi NulluÌ„ est â—…aÌ„ dictuÌ„ quod non dictuÌ„ sit priùs or some other Apologie for such borrowing 2. That your AntichristiaÌ„ poison hath infected too many in Europe some other places we caÌ„not but acknowledge exceedingly grieue at it also were it not that God had fore tolde that there should be such an e 2. Thes. 2 3 Apoc. 17. 2. Apostasie Princes Nations should be intoxicated by the Whore but that the exteÌ„t of your infectioÌ„ is not so large in Asia Africa as you praedicate here I shal haue occasion to shew you in my answer to your fift Reason You pretend that notwithstaÌ„ding such variety of wits manners languages places matters to be beleeved you should haue put the sixth also as f Bristow Motiv 27. your M r. doth such difference of opinions amongst learned meÌ„ which you did leaue out least you should insinuate to any but a very favourable Reader a coÌ„tradictioÌ„ to your own position such vnity hath beene kept as that in faith doctrine he who liveth in the most Westerne couÌ„tries of the old inhabited world hath not disseÌ„ted froÌ„ him that resideth in those of the East where by the way you faile a litle in your Geography as wel as in your Divinity for it is much doubted of Ireland but certainly known that EnglaÌ„d is not so far to the West as Gallitia or Portingale but in Africa the partes about Marocco doe without controversie exceede them all Put this therefore in your negligences But all Papists in the worlde haue one faith one beleefe one Service one number of Sacraments one Obedience one Iudgement in all and the peace of their mindes is such through their vniformity that they haue all one hearte and one soule What their sympathy of affection in other matters besides Religion is if we could not learne by g Guicciard lib. 9. Pope Iulius the second in person making warre against MiraÌ„dula the FreÌ„ch then also lying in the field when all was covered with snowe or by h Natal Comes Hist. l. 9 King Philip the second of Spaine most eagerly watring by his Generall the Duke of Alva against Pope Paulus the fourth himselfe or by the i Conestag lib. 7. Histo. Spaniards prosecutioÌ„ against Don Antonio and his Portingales or by the much loue which Henry the third King of Fraunce with the Duke of Espernon did beare to the Guize and the Leaguers they to them or by the long continued k The estate of English fugitiues factions betweene our discoÌ„tented English Fugitives beyond the seas yet our Romanists at home would lately teach vs where the Iesuits and the Arch. Priest with his adherents on the one side and divers of the Seculars on the other side haue exercised such contentions and almost deadly fewde each against other that all England and a great parte of Europe hath rung of the same yea the Pope himselfe and his Cardinals are no straungers therevnto And by your leaue the rest of the Papists being either at liberty or restrained throughout this kingdome haue not beene all of one heart one obedience one iudgement aboute these businesses but there hath beene not only dislike but intestine hatred also in some of them against the blabbing Priests and the party opposite to the Iesuites 3 And doe all Papistes agree in matters of doctrine of faith and of beleefe when the l Quodlib fol. 21. in margine A dialogue betweene a secular Priest and a lay gentleman fol. 97. Iesuits are charged to giue toleration to come to the Protestants Churches and the Seculars do withstand it When the Iesuits vphold the Bul of Pope Pius the 5. the Seculars doe
wemeÌ„ to attend theÌ„ as to wash their feet or their clothes notwithstaÌ„ding others do otherwise interpret the place I wil not now dispute this since al is one in respect of this perseÌ„t purpose But how say you vnto Aquila Priscilla his wife who first came togither froÌ„ Rome to l Act. 18. 〈◊〉 18. CoriÌ„th theÌ„ froÌ„ CoriÌ„th to Ephesus which were prety iourneies if you have any skil in Geography this later viage also was in S. Paules coÌ„pany who thought hiÌ„selfe not the worse that he had a vertuous woman to go a long with him And if you reade the sâ—…rie this m Verse 26. Priscilla by her knowledg in the scriptures did further the conversion of Apollos to the immediate beleeving vpon Christ. For which respects the company of other women vvho are of approved fame is not vnprofitable when men goe aboute the winning of soules since they in private and with their owne sexe may be potent And wee doubt not but many of them in their places doe God very good service his mercy accepting of their obedience and faith as well as of that in men whereof besides a thousande other this may be one argument that our blessed Saviour himselfe in his ter-sacred and immaculate affection fancying as I may say some more then other with an extraordinary humane kindnesse is reported by the Evangelist to haue loved in that sort but fowre whereof two were men two were women the disciple n Ioh. 13. 23. whom Iesus loved and Iesus o Cap. 11. 5 loved Martha and her sister Mary and Lazarus Your scorne therefore against woman-kinde may be returned vpon your selues who rather loue to commit sinne cantè then in honest marriage to liue castè and there-vpon some of you like travailers do make bolde rather where you come then be at any further trouble as that p Mat. Paris in Henr. 1. Cardinall of yours did who in Englande did all the day in a Synode inveigh against the marriages of Priestes and at night vvas taken himselfe in bed with a strumpet How doe your younger youthfuller fry make bolde with their neighbours when your graue auncient Cardinals doe shewe themselues so carnall And heere I pray you take knowledge that for a little while I doe favour you T. HILL AND if by any occasion offered vnto such they goe about to plant their Gospell any vvhere they doe it in such a turbulent and 〈◊〉 manner and 〈◊〉 by Epistles after Saint Paules vse but by Pistole as Beza did as every one may see what spirite pricketh them foreward G. ABBOT 15 THat the doctrine of the Gospell shoulde by Sathans servantes bee reputed turbulent and mutinous is no newes Some saide that they founde Saint Paule a q Act. 24 5 pestilent fellovve and a moover of sedition among all the Iewes throughout the world and yet good Sir I pray you do not you beleeue that accusatioÌ„ against him And no truer is this slauÌ„derous Calumniation against vs who teach all Christian duetye to Princes and Magistrates and that for r Rom 13. 5 conscience sake But Calvine and Beza as appeareth by their writings and diverse of our English men as may bee seene to the everlasting infamie of you and yours by the letters of the Martyrs in Master Foxes great volume haue planted and watred confirmed the faith by very learned and godly Epistles imitating therein not onely Saint Paule but diverse other of the Apostles and Saint Ambrose and Saint Austen with many moe the greatest lights in the ancient Primitive Church Their bookes speake to your shame to their owne everlasting praise since as by preaching and verbal exhortation they shewed themselues instant in s 2. Tim 4. 2 season and out of season so by their writings of all sortes and among other by their Epistles they omitted no duty which might appertain to the Ministers of Christ. And this is it which maketh the Romish Synagogue so much to sâ—…arle at them But this word of Epistles as a flaze of your Rhetorike is heere put but to bring in your tale of Pistoles wherewith falsely you doe labour to defame M. Beza Campian telleth vs your meaning when hee saith s Ration 8 A notorious cut threate being full of Beza shoting off a Pistole secretly did kill that French Noble man the Duke of Guize being a Prince of admirable vertue then which fact our vvorld in our age hath seene nothing more deadely nothing more dolefull The Iesuite had quite forgot the Mossacre t Commentar Relig Reip in Gallia l 10. at Paris at Bartholomew-tide 1572. when at the mariage of a king to the daughter sister of a King so many thousands of Noble men and meaner persons assembled thither vpoÌ„ the fidelity of a king were slaine in their beddes or in their owne or their friendes lodgings That was it whereof Campian with those words should haue spokeÌ„ But his malice rather served him and fitter it was for his purpose falsly to accuse that Reverende man Theodore Beza that he had perswaded Poltrot to kill the Guize at the seege of Oreleans We allow not of the deed but vtterly condemne the fact there was never learned man of our party who defended it or excused it The malefactour also received condigne punishment for his labour Indeede the u Ibid. lib. 6. 7. Guizes after the death of their father did publikely giue out that the Admirall and one other noble man had hyred Poltrot ther-vnto and that Beza had approved the deed but when the admiral heard of it he knowing it to be a malicious slaunder did by publike writing require that according to the lawes of Iustice Poltrot who was reported to haue said so much in his torture might be kept aliue that he might come face to face to iustifie himselfe but this was denied and Poltrot in all hast was executed But when the rumour still coÌ„tinued that the Admirall was touchable with the fact he putteth forth an honorable declaration Protestation of his innocency therein which was so apparantly true that the king at Molune in Bourbon did by opeÌ„ sentence cleere him and acquite him of that vniust imputation Now the maine fact being avoided Beza proveth to bee innocent since by his most desperate enemies he was never thought to be more then an accessary by allowing it at the instance of the Admiral wheras in truth he spake not with Poltrot but was more then an hundred miles of from him And yet notwithstanding that all this is as evident as the Sunne good Doctor Hil doe you keepe the lie going and let it not die in your hands 16 But if we shall rightly scanne who they be whom an ill spirit in this case pricketh forewarde let vs remember the practise of the Papacy in this behalfe Was it not the u Ibid. li. 10. younger Guize as holy a Catholike as his Father who suborned one to shoote the
many though not vniversall of all And whē he saith in many lands it is received of the greatest part of the inhabitāts he meaneth not that the naturals do accept of it but the Spanyards Portingals have killed the greatest part of them and now they themselves do make the maior part This advantage you have for your words D. Hill but yet notwithstanding all your fraud and facing we conclude that your Poperie is not predominant as you make it for put it altogither if I should say nothing of that which we teach but leave it wholy to God and his good blessing Gentilisme is yet by many degrees more then all the Papisme in the world and Mahometisme in Barbary in Turky in Persia and in the dominions of all those who hold for that false Prophet doth exceede it And yet the great propagatiō of Ethnicisme or Saracenisme doth not make them to bee in the right neither doth the same evince in behalfe of your Romane fancies but that only must go for truth which hath warrant out of the Scriptures T. HILL AND vvorthy it is to bee noted that in no land or countrey vnder heaven ever was or is any persecution of any moment against Papists as you terme them or against the Priestes of that Religion in regard that they be Papists or Priests made by authority from the Sea of Rome but onely in England And in very deede the vvhole vvorld doth wonder that little England dare and is not ashamed to doe that which never vvas seene in the vvorld before for let a Seminary Priest as they call him keepe him out of England and he is safe inough in any region vnder heaven This I say by the way for that it grieveth mee at the very hart to beare that my deare countrey doth persecute that religion which all the vvorld hath ioyfully embraced or at the least doth vvillingly tollerate as though shee were wiser then all the world beside is or ever hath beene or then al her Elders Or as though English Protestants knew and saw more then all the vvhole learned men of Christendome have done for so manie ages together G. ABBOT 17 IT should seeme that by this time in the shewing of your mē you have spēt al your powder for frō hēce to the end of this presēt Reasō you talke like a good fellow in more familiar sort leaning on the nose of your peece somewhat angry but will not fight Howe your Pseudo-Catholikes in England live afflicted and persecuted not onely our bookes h Execution of Iustice. A Letter to Mendoza declaring a truth but the matter it selfe sensiblie doth speake They lye well and they farewel and many of them do purchase and encrease their lively-hood yea some by your leave finde meanes to extraordinary lasciviousnes The bigger sort of them are by the monethly mulct vpon them so punished that besides that they have for much idle expence they can by bribes keepe spies about great personages they can give large giftes to winne their private purposes they cā haue their cursetors al the Realme over to give and take intelligence they can releive Prisoners they can maintaine diverse Iesuites like such gallants and swaggerers as requireth for each some hundred pounds by the yeare And yet in searches sometimes more ready mony and good golde is founde in their custody then ordinary men of their quality can be maisters of To these thinges they attaine by keeping no house or very little vnder a shew that for their conscience they pay all away I thinke that you your selfe wil confesse that in Queene Maries daies men of our Religion could not live so quietly although they had nothing to obiect against them but that they beleeved not the article of Transubstantiation Now for Priests that they have bin more looked vnto the reasō is sppatant The examples of i 1. Reg. 18. 40. Elias ill intreating Baals Priests of k 2. Reg. 23. 20. Iosias so serving other of like disposition as also of l Cap. 10. 25 Iehu proceeding in the same course shewe that wolves and destroying foxes if they will not keepe from the flocke must be woorried that is must be cut off by the sword of the magistrate Otherwise shall the perishing soules of the flocke bee required at the civill shepe-heards hande as well as they are exacted of the spirituall pastour for negligence But howe rough the state generally hath bin to such may be coniectured by their hasting hither fiftye in a m D. Elyes notes on the Apology fol. 211. yeare out of Rhemes alone Also by the sending away of Harte Pilcher and many other where of some were already condēned other by law were to suffer yet their lives were granted vnto the they only were banished their coūtry frō whēce they had volūtarily exiled thēselues for divers years before thirdly by the keeping of so many of thē at Wishbich Framingl◅ā some for 10. years some for 20 wher al was so to their wil that they had leysure to fall out who shold be n Relation of stirres at Wisbich greatest amōg thē sit highest at table yea to o Apolog cap. 6. feast to bowze to game to fight yea as since it is expressed in plainer wordes to fall top dicing drunkennes yea and whoredome fit exercises for men who would be taken to be designed martyrs And if some few of them have suffered let all sober men iudge whither the state had not cause to proceede so with them whose minds were discovered so plainly beyond the seas The excōmunication of Pius the 5. was procured at Rome by the instigation of some of our own countri-men thervpō a rebelliō was raised q Sander lib. 7. de visib Monar Concertat li◅cle Cathol in Angl Part 1. Felton is cōmended for fastēing vp the Bul at the Bishop of Londons gate And it is held as his praise that hee called the Queene no otherwise but by the name of the pretended Queene Sanders also ordinarily vseth that phrase against her And it is held as a glory in Doctor Story that writing to his wife he bestowed no other title on her Such as suffered for the rebellion in the Noth are tearmed r Ibidem Martyrs so is s Brist Motiv 1◅ Felton also These matters are compiled togither in the booke called s Edit Anguste ◅reviror 1588. Concertatio Ecclesiae Catholica in Anglia out of which I will gather two or three flowers more It is saide as a praise of Everard Hanse that being asked of the Bull of Pope Pius he answered I hope hee did not erre in his sentence Hee saide I hope because that declaration was not doctrinal and therefore there might be an errour Speaking of Iames Laborne executed at Lancaster it is related as a Catholike acte in him that t E. Sander de Schism Lib 3. he tooke two exceptions why Lady Elizabeth was not Queene one by
reason of her birth the other for that she was deprived by the Pope Mentioning the story of one Fenne it is vrged that the dignity of S t. Peters successour was conferred vpon a profane woman Afterward these verses are set on her sacred Maiestie Sathanico praesul Calvini imbuta veneno est Elizabeth diraquè impietate tumet And lastly this is bestowed vpon her Elizabetha scelerum caput These thinges being writen by diverse of them beyond the seas do argue what spirit was among our Divines there If we wil have more proofe of the faithful harts of our male contented fugitives toward our late Princesse let vs looke on the words closely couched of the Rhemists in diverse places As that about u Annot in 2. Ioh. 10. Heretikes excoÌ„municated by name what things men are to withdraw from theÌ„ And let the traiterous actions of theÌ„ in our Realme expouÌ„d that covert speech of Iezabel u In Apoc. 2. 20. elsewhere But in steed of al let the Action attempted against this kingdome heere in the yeare 1588 speake which was vehemently vrged by our Priestes abroade and the people to the beste of their povver fitted for it at home 18 If these generalities do not yet satisfy theÌ„ let it be remeÌ„bred where these Seminary Priests are brought vp how flying froÌ„ their native soile in the highest discoÌ„tentment they goe into the dominioÌ„s of the Pope King of Spaine to whoÌ„ howmuch England hath bin beholding a blind maÌ„ may almost see At their expeÌ„ce they are maintained who in behalfe of their charges looke for some service again And vnder whoÌ„ have they their educatioÌ„ Vnder men Iesuited as nowe D. Worthington the Rectour of the College at Doway is or vnder the Iusuits theÌ„selves of whose vertues I have before spokeÌ„ To their Governours by othe they owe obedieÌ„ce of liklihood at their returne they take their directioÌ„ froÌ„ theÌ„ Now what maner of meÌ„ these be Allen who was long the Rectour of the College at Rhemes Persons now Governour of the Seminary at Rome may declare CoÌ„cerning AlleÌ„ our Secular Priests of late displaying the Iesuites do labour to extenuate the malice and poisonful behaviour of that hungry Cardinal but his works are extant testifying that there was never any man more virulent in hart against the state of England theÌ„ he was x Apolog. cap. 11. Persons reckoneth vp four of his bookes The Answere to the English Iustice The defence of the twelve martyrs in one yeare The Epistle allowing Sir VVilliam Stanleyes delivery vp of Daventry And the Declaration against her Maiestie and the State in the yeare 1588. In the first of these the y Chap. 2. protestatioÌ„ of Laborn before meÌ„tioned is remeÌ„bred that by other Papists as occasioÌ„ should serve it might be imitated And the whol treatise howsoever it seeme to be more closely coÌ„veied then ordinary is forced with pestilent caluÌ„niations Of the same nature is the whole subiect of the second peÌ„ned of purpose to direct meÌ„s affectioÌ„ froÌ„ the state The third is a litle Pamphlet short but not sweet maintaining the treasoÌ„ful actioÌ„ of Sir William StaÌ„ley by many an vn-ChristiaÌ„ ceÌ„sure most slauÌ„derous imputatioÌ„ As for z Allens answere 1584 exaÌ„ple That our country is fallen into Atheisme That the Queenes confederacies were only alwaies with Christs enemies That the warres of the English in the low Countries were sacrilegious warres and of a hereticall Prince And because he wil be like himselfe hee goeth on That all the actes in this Realme since the Queene was excoÌ„municated and deposed from regall dignity are voide therfore shee can denotence no warre neither may her subiects there serve her when a Prince is become an open Rebell to the See Apostolike He wishâ—…h that the rest of the English souldiours would doe as they with Sir VVilliam Stanley did He saith that the English take no quarrels in handes but for the dishonorable defence of Rebels Pyrates and Infidels I doe of purpose heere omitte many vile and execrable speeches by him added least the very rehearsing of them might iustly be offensive But the wicked man did make no coÌ„science to staine his whole couÌ„trey with horrible defamations I would heare any Secular in the vvorlde vvho can excuse this cursed fellovve The fourth was printed in Englishe and should have beened vulged if the Spanyardes coulde have sette footing in England in the yeare 1588. Hee vvho list to see it may finde it vvorde for vvorde in a Belgic Histor l. 15. Meterranus Amonge other matters there are these Our Soveraigne then beeing is called the Pretended Queene and the present vsurper Shee must be deprived of the administration of the kingdome Shee is an Heretike a Schismatike excommunicate contumacinis vsurping the kingdome against all right as for other causes so because shee had not the consent of the greate Bishoppe of Rome Shee mooved the Turke to invade Christendome Shee hath sette at sale and made a maâ—… of Lavves and rightes Some of her factes make her vncapable of the kingdome some other make her vnvvorthie of life Therefore Pope sixtus the fifth doth renew the excommunication against her and doth deprive her of her title and preteaces to the kingdomes of Englande and Ireland declaring her illegitimate and an vsâ—…per and absolving all her subiectes from the â—…th of sidelity toward her Then he chardgeth all to withdraw their â—…de from her that worthy punishment may be taken of her and that they â—…e themselues with the Duke of Parma Also it is proclaimed lawfull â—…y hands vpon vpon the Queene and a very great reward is promised to those who do so A safe conduct is then given to as many as wil bring â—…ny wâ—… like provision to the Spanish campe and to all who woulde assist that enterprise the Pope doth by Indulgence giue full pardon and plenary remission of all their sinnes If these things doe not sufficiently shew the viperous minde of this lewde Cardinall against his Prince Country nothing in the world can manifest it His dis Englished woolvish desire was that his naturall place of educatioÌ„ for which the old heatheÌ„s would haue lost ten thousand liues should haue beene in the everlasting bondage of the Spanyard Our Seculars then commending and excusing him to their powers are pitifully out but the error of them and of some English gentlementravailers was this that they imagined him in his latter yeares to be altered when indeede it was nothing else but that after the yeare 88 his hopes being deluded and neither Pope nor Spaniarde nor all their adherentes knowing how to remedy or recover that inestimable losse and incomparable dishonour vnto them his hart was as good as broken and he would seeme more desirous to shew all tolerability to single men of our English nation that he might haue some grace with theÌ„ since he began to haue so little with the Spanyard But doubtlesse venime had so putrisied him
wages due for their worke Ex malis moribus bonae nascuntur leges Ill manners breede good lawes And if England alone have received such bad measure from vnnatural bredde English who can blame the Magistrates and law-makers of England if by speciall ordinances they provide for the safety of that charge which is committed to them which cannot be but by cutting off such malefactours When other kingdomes have beene so much burnte they wil dreade the fire when other nations have beene so bitten they will beware of dogges teeth What other countries would doe if there were cause you may gesse by Fraunce which standing yet on termes of Popery have removed the Iesuites so that if they wil come there it is on hazard of their life I will sette downe the wordes as they bee in the Decree of the Parliament of Paris against theÌ„ that no man may doubt in that case n Iesuits Ca â—…h lib 3. cap. 18. The Court doth ordains that the Priests and Students of the College of Claiâ—…mont and all other calling themselues of that Society of Iesus as corrupters of youth and disturbers of the common quiet enemies of the King and State shall avoide within three daies after the publication of this present sentence out of Paris and other Cities and places where their Colleges are fifteen dates after out of the Realme vpon paine wheresoever they shall be found the said terme expired to be punished at guilty and culpable of the crime of high Treason And afterward It forbiddeth all the Kinges subiects to send any scholers to the Colleges of the said Society being out of the Realme there to bee instructed vpon the like paine to incurre the crime of high o This decree was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…mb 〈◊〉 treason Thus the Papists of Fraunce deale with the Iesuits who are the bringers vp brethren and cousin germaines of our Seminarians If they keepe them out of FrauÌ„ce they are not touched or reached after and so heere it is with the Idolatrous massing Priestes sent from the Pope of Rome who loueth vs vnmeasurablie and from the dominions of the Kinge of Spaine or those who depend vpon him We neede them not we send not for them and therefore if they come it is vpon their owne perill 20 Yet because this proceeding seemeth to you to be so hard in your bookes in England elsewhere published you so exclaime of the rigorousnes of our kingdome in this behalfe I will a little remeÌ„ber you what milder meÌ„ of your own Seminaries have published in this matter acknowledging that iustly by bookes enterprises the State hath bin exasperated against you I confesse that they lay al the blame on the Iesuits Iesuited but those we caÌ„ hardly distinguish froÌ„ meÌ„ otherwise minded And if we could it were to smal purpose since the followers of the Arch-priest are al Iesuited as M. Persons saith they are p Apolog. cap 8 300. to 10. of the other Since theÌ„ the sway sweepe goeth the other way for the adverse part we have no warrant but that they may leave their best goodnes wheÌ„ theÌ„selves wil which Watson Clerke have lately ex emplified it is best to let the lawe stand against all leaving the forbearance of stricte execution to the wisedome of those in authority who incline to mercy vvhere it is fit to bee extended One q A C in his 2 letter pag. 42 who although he be not a Priest yet was brought vp in the Seminary saith thus At the Queenes comming in many of vs were too soone turned so Iesuitish and Spanish to the attempting of disloyall plots against her State person that shee was driven to trust wholy to her Protestants holding vs all suspect And r Ibid. p 29 againe The Iesuites outrage Princes as murthering the last FreÌ„ch King had done our deare Soveraigne sundry times if Gods hand had not beene the stronger Another s Reply to the Apology cap 17 telleth vs that in the Colledges erected by the meanes of Parsons Priests other have bin induced to subscribe to forreine titles yea to come in person against their own couÌ„try He who answereth the manifestatioÌ„ supposed to be the writing of PersoÌ„s acknowledgeth that D. s Fol. 35. SauÌ„ders his works De visibili Monarchia De schismate Anglic coÌ„tain so many errevereÌ„t speeches the divulging of such odius matters against her M r. her noble â—…genitours as the vntruths of some the incertainty of others coÌ„siderd could not but irritat the most ChristiaÌ„ Catholik patieÌ„t Prince in the world A t Fol 3â—… litle before he telleth vs Neither for ought I se doth the State wake shew of persecutioÌ„ quoad vitaÌ„ et neceÌ„ for matter meerely of religion and conscience but vpon pretence of treason or atteÌ„pts against her Maiesties person or state or at the least vpoÌ„ the feare therof But yet more directly he proceedeth u Fol. 31. 32 I would but aske Fa. Persons because I know him to be a great Statist this one question whither in his conscience he did thinke there be anie Prince in the world be he never so Catholike that should haue within his dominions a kinde of people amongst whom divers times he should discover matters of treason and practises against his person and state whither he would permit those kinde of people to liue within his dominions if he could be otherwise rid of them whither he would not make straight lawes and execute them severely against such offendours yea and all of that companie and qualitie rather then he would remaine in anie danger of such secret practises and plots I thinke Fa. Persons will not for shame denie this Then the fault is not in the Prince and State for being cautious but in the Romanists for being pragmaticall in dangerous atteÌ„pts I will ioine to these the testimony of M. Watson who is copious in this point He saith that the u In the pre face to the Quodlibers Seminaries at first made the Iesuits cause attempts intentes practises and proceedings their owne in every thing their plots and practises they seemed at first to defende or at least to winke at Hence they were intangled by penall laws iustly made against them equally as against the Iesuits In another x Quod. 8. 9 place thus At the affliction of Catholikes in England hath beene in very deede extraordinary and many an innocente man lost his life so also hath the cause thereof beene extraordinary and so farre beyonde the accustomed occasions of persecutioÌ„ giveÌ„ to any Prince in ChristeÌ„dome or monarchy that is or ever was in the world to this hower as rather it is to be wondered at all things duely considered that any one Catholike is left on liue in Englande then that our persecution hath beene so great for name one nation I know none can vnder heaven where the subiects especially if they were
you would haue laid freely at them Dare you strangers and captiues and boyes and vpstart companions set your selfe against a million of wise men Princes and Counselours They should haue had your voice to haue gone to the fiery Furnace Doe you not pity your selfe when you reason in this fashion Among them that be wise pendenda sunt suffragiapetius quà m numeraÌ„da voices are to be weighed rather then to be numbred I can say no more vnto you but that when this is your best Divinity Lorde haue mercy vpon you Saint Austen would haue tolde you for o Epist. 19. all these and aboue all these we haue the Apostle Paule T. HILL NEither may the Protestants now at length glory in their great number as some of them haue done for that their Religion is there in England and in Scotland and some thereof in â—…aland and in the Lowe Countries and in some partes of Germany and a few of them in Fraunce Apol. Eccl. Anglic. for they never yet passed into Asia nor into Africa nor into Greece nor into many places of Europe much lesse into the Indies But indeede if you rightly scanne their doctrine you shall finde that your Religion ProtestaÌ„tine of England is no where in the world else and that English service contained in your booke of Common praier is vnknowne and condemned of all other Nations and people vnder the cope of Heaven So that in very deed the doctrine of your Protestantes is taught or received no vvhere but in England and the Puritant Doctrine of Scotlande the contrariety therof duely considered is no where but in Scotlande the Lutherane Doctrine taught in Denmarke is no where but in Denmarke and in a few places of Germany the Libertine doctrine taught in the Low Countries is no â—…here but in the Low Countries and the like may be said of other sectes G. ABBOT 26 YOV are mis enformed that the Protestants doe glorie in their great number they know that truth is truth be iâ—… in more or few As for M. Iewell whose Apologie you quote in your margent hee hath no such matter Onely where as it is obiected that our Religion overturneth kingdoms and governmentes hee answereth there vnto that there p Apol. Eccl. Anglican doe remaiue in their place and ancient dignitie the Kings of England Denmarke Sweden the Dukes of Saâ—…cony the Cunties Palatine c. This is to answere to an obiection by giving many instances to the contrary and not to glory of any multitude And if any other of our Church do note in breefe that the Gospell hath taken roote in some large nations that is to stop the mouth of the clamorous adversary and to satisfie the weake as also not least of all to praise God who so spreadeth the beames of his compassion but it is not to boast vainely as you ignorantly imagine Yet who doubteth but a good Christian may ioy in his hart exceedingly and thankfully expresse it in his tongue that many who sate in darkenesse may now behold the light and the sheepefold of Christ is more and more filled But if we would be too forward you will plucke vs backe againe Although it be say you in some places of Europe yet in some other it is not As who should say your Popery is generall in all Where I pray you in Greece is your Papistry It is not in Asia and Africa and much lesse in the Indies The East Indies are part of Asia if you could think vpon it By what means your Idolatry came into those Countries I haue shewed before and how plentifully there it is If we would talke idly as you for the most part doe we might say that in every place where the Marchants of Holland trade and haue people residing our religion is accepted But since the English Merchants haue companies houses in Russia in Constantinople in Aleppo in Alexandria sometimes in Barbary in Zacynthus in Venice and Legorne we might say after the fashion of your boasting that our religion is in those parts But we desire to make no more of things then indeede they are Yet we tell you for those remote provinces that as now one hundred and twenty yeeres agone they knewe not one whit of your faith so it may please God before one hundred and twenty yeeres more bee passed if it so seeme good to his most sacred wisedome to plant the truth which we reach in the East Westerne world especially if a passage by the North ende of America or that by Asia beyond Ob may bee opened vvherein our q M. Hacluiâ—… vnges Nation hath much adventured and speng good summes of treasure vvhich also the Hollanders haue done But the issue of this whole matter must bee leste to the divine providence which is to bee magnified therefore if hee adde this blessing to his Church And if he deny it either there or in any other place we must not be caried too farre with griefe or pitty since it doth not please him who is the father of mercie to condescend vnto it Nowe vvhereas you avouch that our doctrine is onelye in England I knovve not vvhither I shoulde put that in your ignoraunces or rather in your malicious cavils Truth it is our common prayer booke is vsed onelye by those who are of Englishe allegeaunce but is there anie pointe of doctrine in it vvherevnto other Churches reformed in Europe doe not condescend The Catechisme of the Councell of Trent doth differ in words from the Catechisme of Canisius and both of them from that of M. Vaux yet you would thinke it a wronge if anye man should tell you that they disagree in pointes of doctrine So the service of the reformed Congregations in Europe as in England Scotland Fraunce Switzerland in the dominion of the Palsgraue in the Regiments and free cities of Germany which are of the Pallsgraues confession as also in a good parte of the low Countries is the same in all pointes of moment not differing one intâ—… their Professions are the same There is no question among these in anie one pointe of religion The Ecclesiasticall policy being different as in some places by Bishops in some other wâ—…thout them doth not alter ought of faith The Apostles in that they were Apostles had a kinde of governement vvhich the Church had not afterward in the very same particular In the auncient Church some cities and Countreyes vvere immediately ruled by a Patriarke Grande Metropolitane some other by an inferiour Bishoppe vvho was subiected to the greater yet they all might agree in the faith The cheefe at Rome immediately is the Pope at Millaine for spirituall thinges the Arch-bishoppe in some places bee but Suffragaines in some other Iurisdictions a Deane or Priour by Privilege hath almost Papall auctoritie vvhich also in times past vvas in the Chauncellours or Vice-chauncellours of our English Vniversities some fewe thinges beeing excepted and reserved Yet will you say that these doe differ in
Priest of his order and he who was his Confessour that he very often had asked of God that he would do no miracles by him And that was because he wold not haue the people think too well of him And in as much as mention is heere made of Caesar Baronius I vvill adde one thing more which the said l Lib. 1. An. 1550 Cardinall delivered vpon his othe concerning the same Philip his founder for the said Baronius was one of his company and society In the yeere 1550 now more then fiftie yeeres agone Philip who in the darke of the night vvhen all men are even buried in sleepe so that the lefte hande coulde not knovve vvhat the the right hande did did vse to visite needy persons vvent in the nighte time to cary breade to a poore gentle-man Heere by the Devils meanes vvhile hee sought to avoide a carte comming hastily vppon him hee fell into a verie deepe ditch but Gods helpe beeing at hande in his falling he vvas presently caught of an Angell by the heare of the heade miraculouslye and beeing nothing hurte hee vvas returned out safe by the Angell This did Baronius who vvas not there and coulde haue it but by the reporte of Nerius svveare absolutely to bee true vvhereby vvee may easilie gesse that the same Cardinall in his vvritinges maketh no greate conscience to saye thinges true or false vvhen hee maketh no bones to svveare matters so vnlikely Hee who list to see more of the venerable miracles in Popery let him reade Henrie Stephanus in his French m Cap 39 Apologie of Herodotus and there hee shall finde diverse particulars sette dovvne Are not our Country-men and Country-women blessed when after so long light of the Gospell they chuse to feede themselues fat with legions of such wonders and holde it a high part of their profession to beleeve such things as these are We reade of some whom God doth so giue over to the spirit of delusion that they doe n 2 Thes 〈◊〉 11. beleeuelyes 17 If any heere do aske mee howe came it ever about that such foolishe and ridiculous multitudes of miracles came to bee reported and inserted into their bookes I must first ascribe it to the permission of God who had fore-tolde that so it shoulde bee Secondlye to the pollicy of Sathan vvhose kingdome by this us by a speciall meanes was inlarged Thirdly to the cunning of the Cleargy in those daies vvho made themselues great by the keeping vp of such reportes concerning the sanctitie of any of their confederacy or of such whose reliques they pretended to haue and gained infinitely by the offeringes done in places of these wonders And fourthly to the credulity of the people who would beleeve any thing once set abroach by some suborned for the purpose or by idle companions Gulielmus Neubringensis was a writer very learned and iudicious for that time wherein hee lived And in his storie hee did more then once relate the abuse of that age for spreading abroade the fames of miracles o Neubringens l 3 7. Henry the eldest sonne of King Henry the second of England vvho was in his fathers life time crowned King but dyed before his father was every where by the people reported to have wrought great miracles after his death vvhereas in truth he was an vnadvised and rebellious younge Prince This shevveth hovve apte the people were to intertaine a conceite of any mans doing miracles yea so farre that if they might haue their willes they shoulde soone have beene shrined for Saints Aftervvard p Lib 4 9 there vvas a greate robber vvho beeing slaine it vvas given out of many olde vvomen that hee frequentlye did miracles as if hee had beene some holye person and this rumour grewe so stronge and was so generally spredde that the Bishop was enforced to come to Hampton there display the falshood of the whole narration so that then the superstition was ended Hee q Lib 5 19 mentioneth also a third matter of this kinde that a traiterous fellow of London called VVilliam with the longe bearde vvas also reputed a Saint and a maine doâ—… of of miracles Can vvee have any plainer certificate then this that by the superstition and credulousnesse of the vulgar sort many vvonders were saide to bee done vvhen in truth there vvas no such matter And if for their commodities sake any of the Cleargie would ioyne and giue countenance to the matter the party so grovvne to be a Saint and the fame of his vvonders shoulde never bee extinguished The reader may by these fewe take a tast of the rest of their Saintes and miracles for thousandes vvere done no othervvise then in this sorte and everie man had not the vvitte to see the fraude nor that couragâ—… to reporte it as Neubringensis had And vvhat levvdenesse may wee imagine vvas practised amonge simple people in those darke dayes of Popery vvhen in so glorious a sunne-shine of the Gospell any Seminarians shoulde dare in England to attempte such a practise as Father VVeston the lesuite and Declâ—…ration of Popish impostures practâ—…sed by Edm. no lesse then a vvhole douzen of Priestes conspiring vvith him did of late for some yeeres togither put themselues into They persvvaded some men and three maydens that they vvere possessed vvith the Devill and that they by their Priest-exorcizing faculties could fetch him in out vp and downe at their pleasure They had a holy chaire to set their abused Disciples in and a holy potion to administer to them both matters pretended to be formidable to the foule spirits but indeed trickes to cast their patients into straunge fits that so they might seeme as wel to themselues as others standing by to be possessed in most hideous manner And this was so artificially carried by the Iesuit and his fellowe Iuglers that diverse hundreds of vnstable and vnadvised people being cousened and cunny-catched by their impostures were contented to bee reconciled to the Church of Rome being wonne there vnto by their stupendious miracles A booke also or two was penned to be spread abroade beyond the seas of the admirable dominering of these Priests over the possessing spirits and of the wonders which they had done vppon them Notwithstanding now by the confessions of three of the females one man al which then were the pretended possessed persons of another theÌ„ a Priest a personal actour in this exploit all these five being sworne speaking vpon oth it is manifestly and vndoubtedly discovered to be most egregious insignious illustrious both varletry vilainy that among meÌ„ professing religion devotioÌ„ was ever heard A man may wel suppose that the casting out of Devils and doing of other wonders in India farre countries by the Iesuites and Priestes is a true honest holy matter when such vnspeakeable vndescribable hypocrites do dare before such multitudes of theselues conscious of their own fraud before such troupes of staÌ„ders by
In 1. King 14. second place so much hee doth and no more But in a u Homil 34 in quadraâ—… 〈◊〉 third he not only hath these distinctioÌ„s of Angels but he alleageth for it Dionysius also that by the name of Areopagita calliÌ„g him an ancieÌ„t venerable Father But this is a single testimony al other of more antiquity make against him he may be supposed to do it doubtfully since naming the matter thrise he speaketh of Denis but once And moreover Gregory lived 600. yeares after Christ by which time this bastard might be a huÌ„dred or two huÌ„dred yeare old with some might be esteemed authentical which Gregory might take vp froÌ„ theÌ„ without farther examinatioÌ„ He who list to see this Denis farther discovered quite discarded let him look that noble u Lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moâ—…ney writiÌ„g touching the Masse if he be not impudeÌ„tly refractary he shall be sileÌ„ced in this point for ever Thus you are like to make good work with your Fathers when the first of your tale is filâ—… populi a bastard seed which cannot inherite What you say of Ignatius ClemeÌ„s Iustâ—… TertulliaÌ„ Cyprâ—… Irâ—…us all the Fathers is a vain Popish Pilcher-like bragge which is ordinary with such crakers as you are till you cite some particular deserveth no answere but to be denied If you meant truely to your Readers you would cite them somewhat for their mony T. HILL THis is very plaine in that the Cathâ—… are put compelled by the Protestants to defend 〈◊〉 vpâ—…la the â—…dit authority of thâ—… said Fathers for the Protestantes raile as them the Catholikes defend them the Protestants refuse their authority the Catholikes holde iâ—… for 〈◊〉 the Protestants will not be â—…yed by them the Catholikes appealâ—… to their iudgement and to be bâ—…fe the Protestants make no more acâ—…te of them longer then they can wrest them to serue their 〈◊〉 thâ—… they dâ—… of Bevis of Southampton or of Adam Bell. And in 〈◊〉 the Protestantes I include all the Puriâ—…es for I am not ignorâ—… how the sâ—… Protestants are driven by the said Puritanâ—… to defende thâ—… Fathers and also are called Papistes for their labour And â—…re by iâ—… iâ—…â—…fest that the Fathers are with the Catholikes and â—…her 〈◊〉 the Protests â—…r 〈◊〉 And vvhither all thâ—… 〈◊〉 being men of exceâ—… wits of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of â—…rfull lâ—…ing servent in praier holy in conversation greatly in Gods favour mighty in working of miracles and adorned with many such like giftes vvere more like to vnderstands the Scriptures freshlie delivered vnto them from the Apostles theÌ„selues who also no doubt taught their scholors the true sence thereof and they theirs from one age to another or these late foolishe vnstudied vnlearned prophane and arregant fellowes bee iudges your selues G. ABBOT 3 TILL you came to this Period you spake something of your owne peradventure but now you are apparantly become but eveÌ„ a plaine truÌ„ke to cary along what your M. x Motiv 14 Bristow putteth into you froÌ„stealing out of whose booke you cannot coÌ„taine if your hands were bouÌ„d behind you If hee then lash lye you thinke you may do so also as lying safe vnder his shilde But his target is no thicke one as that y â—…vid Meâ—…amorph Lib 13 seveÌ„-folde buckler of Aâ—…ax was but made of thinne browne paper therfore wil not beare out one blowe I pray you where are you forced to vphold the Fathers credite against the Protestants railing at theÌ„ or who of the Protestants be they that give them not the same right which God would haue to be giveÌ„ vnto theÌ„ or which they theÌ„selues desired should be allotted vnto their writiÌ„gs We hold them their labours to be great instruments of the setting forth of Gods glory we esteeme it as a good blessing froÌ„ aboue that the Lord hath left their labors as monuments to his church wherein we not only know what was done taught in the first ages of the christiaÌ„ world but may be helped also many waies in the vnderstaÌ„ding of Scriptures beating downe of divers heresies And our men do study theÌ„ are as copious frequent in theÌ„ as Papists be which if you will you may see in the bookes of Bishop Iewel D. HuÌ„fry D. Folke Peter Martyr CheÌ„nicius yea M. Calvins InstitutioÌ„s to say nothing of divers now liviÌ„g Truth it is that when our men made the true touch-stoÌ„e only absolute Iudge of coÌ„troversies to be the Scripture Harding his coÌ„panions in effect flying froÌ„ that would needes beare the world in hand that if the triall might be by the Fathers the victory was certainly theirs Whervpon in England as also in other places before they who stood for reformation refusing theÌ„ at no weapon ioyned with them there and now as persons of desperate deplorate misery you haue nothing to helpe you but by foisting and iugling in chaungelings vpstarts counterfeits in steed of vndoubted ones by razing and curtolling and clipping the works of those reverend meÌ„ as anone I shal shew you It is therfore a grosse slauÌ„der that we do raile at them or that we do wrest them Where there is iust cause we as men z Horat. l. 11 Apistol 1 Nullius adâ—icti iurare in verba magistri bound to stand to the opinion of none but of the holy Ghost we declining-wise do leave theÌ„ but where they subscribe to the authority of God there we subscribe to them defend them refuse not to be tried by them so farre as we may by any holy learned men of which sort we hold them but yet stil know them to be men As for Bevis of Southampton Adam bell we hold to be but fictions such as were devised in the time of Popery and thought fitte then togither with other Legends to be imparted to the people that when they should rather haue looked into the word of God if they might haue bin suffered they being busied with such toies might not grow to be of such Christian vnderstaÌ„ding as to espy the idolatries collusions of the Clergy When a maÌ„ who speaketh vntruth coÌ„meth to examinatioÌ„ his tongue faltereth in his mouth his tale crosseth it selfe So doth yours who attempting both to soupe and blow at once make no bones to speake as good as flat coÌ„tradictions Simul forbere flare Eraâ—m in Adage In the one sentence the Protestante raile at theÌ„ refuse their authority make no more account of theÌ„ then of Adam Bel in the next the Protestants are driven by the Puritanes to defend the Fathers they are called Papists for their labour So they do defend them not defend them They raile on them yet speake for them This is one of the riddles fit for b Terent. in Andrias Oedipus And yet the Fathers are against both the Protestants the Puritanes And why then I request you do the ProtestaÌ„ts