as seeke her destruction and the desolation of this countrey for our selues that professe true religion and abhorre Romish idolatry superstition and heresie With Sir Francis you haue no reason to be offended if you be as you pretend a friend to her maiestie and the countrey Hee speaketh against the Spaniard and why should he not the Spanish king without all iust cause professing himselfe our enimie He weigheth little the popes authoritie And hath he not reason the pope in his tyrannie shewing himselfe not onely to be our enimie but also the enimie of Christian religion of Christs church He toucheth also the practises and treasons of g Gifford Worthington c. priestes and h Parsons oâ— Delman Hâ—it Walpooiâ— c. Iesuites and their adherents but not without iust cause seeing they haue shewed themselues not catholikes as you terme them for catholikes neuer held either any such religion as theirs is nor sought by violence to murder lawfull Princes and ruinate their natiue countrey but dangerous traytors and most malicious i Testified by Sixtus Qâ—intus declaratorie sentence against the Queene enimies of their countrey Likewise he commendeth her Maiesties clemencie and you haue no cause to dislike the same least percase it may please God to turne her hart through your vngratefulnesse and hatefull practises from her entended course of clemencie which is not well fitting for your sharpe humors into a course of iustice which your treacherous and most wicked practises doe drawe vpon you This is his course against enimies this is his dealing with his soueraigne He neither iniustly chargeth his enimies nor doth he basely or seruilely flatter his friends and superiors But admit your aduersarie had not vsed either that moderation in his stile or sinceritie in his dealing which might passe the iust censure of seuere iudges yet no man hath lesse cause to finde fault with these courses then your selfe and your consorts For in railing and calumniation no man may compare with you It is not one only biting libell and iniurious pamphlet which you haue set out but very many and diuers I will deale plainly with you for that I am well acquainted with your stile and know your lewde packing and practising and can conuince you if you haue your steele vizor on and shame not to denie so plaine matters I say then that you Robert Parsons falsly abusing the name of Iesus to ouerthowe the truth of Iesus haue published first certaine chartels against your friends in Oxford secondly one famous or rather infamous libell against the Earle of k Leicesters coÌ„mon-wealth Leicester thirdly another single l Entitled a confutation of pretended feares libell against the late Lord Treasurer fourthly another infamous m The words by no loyall subiect may be spoken libel against her Maiestie against all her chiefe counsellers vnder the name of Andreas Philopater Neither can you excuse your selfe that n A Iesuite residing in the court of Spaine and Parsons disciple and Agent Creswell was the man that made the Latine which you cannot doe when as you either made it first in English or else gaue him all his argument Fiftly you holpe Allen in his libell against the Queene and state anno 1588. and published diuers copies Sixtly you set out Dolmans treacherous discourse to shew your selfe not onely a libeller but a notorious traitor and sworne enemie to your countrie Albeit o The discouery of a countersect conference one of your friends doth only terme it a chartell or libell This wardword shal make vp the seuenth libell and the patched relation of the conference betwixt M. Plessis and Eureux sent vs lately from Rome the eight Beside these you haue published diuers base and paltrie pamphlets not woorthie to be mentioned and these be the flowers or rather furies of your writings and the fruites of your inuectiâ—e veine Neuer did any vse more lying forging false dealing scornfull gibing odious bragging then your selfe in all your writings Your owne p The priestes banded in England against the Iesuites friends accuse you of Machiuilian and Turkish practises and well doe your writings and doings deserue these titles The like also may be verified of Sanders Rishton Ribadineira Allen that hungrie cardinall other your friends Tisiphone and the furies of hell spoke with their toongs wrote with their pennes and wrought in their malicious harts It is your selfe therefore and your treacherous consorts vpon whom all the reproofes wherewith you load your aduersarie do light fitly and lye heauily And that you shall perceiue by this discourse ensuing Wherein if I reforme your error in many things whereof before you were ignorant you are to thanke me If you fee the hostile dealings of your friends the pope and Spaniard declared and auowed and your owne and your consorts treasons and a great masse of your hidden villenies discouered take it grieuously you may thank your selfe that gaue the occasion If any Papist finde himselfe agrieued with my plainenesse let him impute the fault to you also that first began to stir these coales and to the mysteries of popish religion that contain such deepe matters of rebellion and treason and not to me that being thus prouoked haue so plainely reuealed them Because vpon small aduantages you haue made great triumphes and called your aduersary forth to answere you as it were in eight encounters vanting and facing as if you were to play your maisters prises I haue taken vpon me to ioyne with you vpon your owne ground and to try with you at your owne weapons hoping to prooue you ignorant both of state matters wherein you pretend to know such secrets and also of sound diuinitie and other learning of which your friends and your selfe make such vants For matters concerning Sir Francis Hastings his owne person I refer you to his owne answere that may sufficiently satisfie you For the rest I thought it not amisse to discourse with you more at large And because you goe about to carie away matters with faire pretenses as if you papists the popes children were the only catholikes and did professe the ancient faith of the catholike church and as if all others were heretikes and wrong beleeuers I doe also vpon your lend glosses draw you out into fiue new encounters wherein if you ward not the better it shall be prooued First that you are no catholikes nor hold the catholike faith secondly that your religion is a new deuise and not the auncient religion of Christs church Thirdly that you are heretikes Fourthly that the Romish Church is the harlot of Babylon and not the true church of Christ And lastly that your consorts haue beene executed for treason most iustly and not for religion Which being prooued I trust your selfe will confesse that wee haue iust cause to maintaine that religion that we professe and to withstand antichrist the Spaniard and all their adherents that goe about both by force and treason to
the murderers and massacrers of Gods saints these are they which haue occasioned the ruine of diuers noble houses personages In England the erles of Westmerland and Northumberland harkening to the seditious motions of the pope ruined themselues their houses By the same occasion the house of Desmond and other houses in Ireland were ouerthrowne Why the ruine of these houses and men should be imputed to religion there is not any colour In Scotland the houses and linages of the Hamiltons Douglasses and Stuardes do yet stand and if any of these houses haue runne headlong into their owne destruction it is no fault of ours The Quéene Douager of Scotland that was sister to the Duke of Guise died of sicknesse How the last Quéene came to her end I report me to publike actes and histories Her husband was not slaine by men of our side but of theirs not for matter of religion but for other causes Our aduersary therefore dealeth absurdly and like himselfe that imputeth the faults of Popish religion that teacheth murder of christians deposing of princes subuersion of states and kingdomes and all manner of perfidious and cruell dealing to vs. But suppose some error had béene committed in France and the lowe countries why is the same mentioned here where we dispute about matters in England can he not content himselfe to vtter vntruthes but he must also speake impertinently and so far from the purpose To amend the matter he deuideth all blessings into spirituall and temporall and denyeth that by change of religion we haue receiued either the one or the other For before this alteration saith he one God was adored not onely in England but also throughout all Christendome and after one manner He saith further That there was one faith one beleefe one forme of seruice one number of sacraments one tongue in celebration one sacrifice one head of the church one obedience one iudgement in time past and that now all is altered the people of England being diuided not onely from the rest of catholikes but also from Lutherans Zuinglians Caluinists abroad and among themselues at home But dealing with an aduersarie and in matter so controuersious if hée had beene wise hée woulde haue brought either better proofes or more modestie To lie notoriously must néedes worke discredite to his cause First most vntrue it is that before this alteration one God was worshipped throughout all Christendome and after one manner For to speake truely the most part of those that called themselues Christians liued without all knowledge of God or of Christ Iesus hauing nothing of Christianitie but the very name and the outwarde Sacrament of Baptisme The rest some fewe onely excepted whom God enlightened with more knowledge for God worshipped angels and saints and the blessed virgine Nay they worshipped crosses and crucifixes with diuine worship and fell down before stockes and stones and rotten reliques some worshipped the pope as God and by him hoped to haue plenarie indulgence of their sinnes Their manner of worship was so diuers that euery parish almost had their peculiar saintes seruices festiuall daies and ceremonies Secondly ridiculously hée doth distinguish faith from beléefe and most vntruely surmiseth That there was in time past but one faith and beleefe and that euery Christian held that faith For in some ages before Luthers time the common people knew not what to beléeue nor vnderstood any one article of the faith And as for the doctors of schooles they differed in infinite points one from another and all of them from the Gréeke churches but especially from the true faith of Christendome taught by Christ and his apostles Thirdly it is a palpable vntruth to say That before this alteration there was one forme of seruice one number of Sacraments one toong one sacrifice one head of the church throughout all Christendome wherein so many vaine vntruthes are conteined that it is not possible to vtter them redilie with one toong For not onely the Gréeke liturgie doth much differ from the Latin but also the Latin liturgies doe much differ from themselues and were so full of abuses that the Councell of Trent abolishing a number of old missals and portuises was constrained to make new and yet all naught being nothing like the liturgies of the apostolike church described by Iustin martyr Dionyse of Athens and diuers other fathers For those of S. Iames S. Basill and Chrysostome are plainly counterfeited The number of 7. sacramēts was not certainly established nor receiued before the late councell of Trent In the a C. firmiter de sum trin side cath Councell of Lateran vnder pope Innocent there is mention made onely of two Sacraments which we reteine In no ancient father that treateth of Sacraments can this number of seuen be found The apostles deliuered vs but onely two Sacraments that is of Baptisme and the Lords supper In ancient time it was neuer thought vnlawfull to celebrate diuine seruice in any toong vnderstoode of the people The Greekes euen to this day reteine the Gréeke toong The b 1. Cor. 14. apostle doth directly condemne toongs vsed in diuine praiers or praises if they be not vnderstood of the people The popish sacrifice of the masse and all that abomination was not knowne of the ancient fathers nor instituted by Christ Then all Christians did communicate and receiue both kindes and were otherwise taught then now they are The Gréeke churches also much differ from the church of Rome and diuers formes of sacrifices haue beene vsed in this church vntil of late the Councell of Trent went about to establish an vniformitie or rather difformitie of religion Finally as the popes headship is now denied of the easterne churches and so was for many ages so was the ancient church vtterly ignorant of the matter If this Noddy will persist in his error and mainteine the contrarie let him shew if he can that in ancient time the bishops of Rome made lawes to binde the whole church and were supreme iudges and not iudged of others and made bishops throughout the world and had that authoritie to dispense and pardon which now the pope craueth Fourthly where he saith Wee are diuided not onely from the generall body of catholikes in Christendome but also from our selues hée telleth vs his owne dreames and fancies fléeting in his idle braine without any grounde of truth First it shall not bée prooued that we haue diuided our selues from the catholike church or any catholike societie Nay wée offer to prooue that the papists haue by their nouelties and heresies deuided themselues from the catholike church and say that therefore wée haue left them that wée may returne to the ancient apostolike and catholike church and catholike faith of Christ Secondly the churches of Zuizzerland Germanie France and England do neither holde of Zuinglius Caluin nor Luther nor pope of Rome as do the blind papists but of Christ Iesus and of the apostles and prophets Neither do they disagrée
extr de Maior Obed. Boniface the eight teacheth That it is a point necessarie to saluation to bee vnder the pope b De ecclesia militante c. 2. Bellarmine holdeth him out of the church that is not vnder the popes obedience Nostra sententia est saith he ecclesiam vnam veram esse caetum hominum eiusdem christianae fidei professione eorundem sacramentorum communione colligatum sub regimine legitimorum pastorum ac praecipuè vnius Christi in terris vicarij Romani Pontificis This is likewise Turrians and Stapletons opinion If then a papist or cacolik must néedes obey the pope then must he necessarilie both allow his sentence of excommunication against the Queene and ioine with him in deposing her or else they are no partes of the Romish church But if they shall either so thinke or do they can bée no true subiects Secondly a Lib 2. de Pontif. Rom. Bellarmine teacheth that it is a matter of faith To beleeue that the pope by Christs ordinance hath succeeded Peter in the vniuersall gouernment of the church But hée that beléeueth so much as all papists are bounde to do cannot acknowledge the princes royall authoritie in ecclesiasticall causes nor exclude the pope from it and per consequent must néedes bée but a sorie subiect to her Maiestie Thirdly all papists are b Bellar. lib 4. de Pontif. Rom. bound to beléeue That the popes sentence in matters of faith is infallible and that what hée iudgeth is done by Christes authority in whose tribunall seate hée pretendeth to sit Necessarie it is therefore that all papists allow the popes sentence of deposition against her Maiestie If they denie it they are not of the right touch of papists if they grant it they are euill qualified subiects But what shall wée néede arguments to prooue this when as experience doth euidently prooue it vnto vs Is it not apparent how little reason her Maiestie hath to trust them In the beginning of her reigne the popish prelates refused to crowne her one onely excepted Afterward the popish clergie for the most part fledde out of the lande and left her By their solicitation the pope began to stirre against her Presently vpon his excommunication the rebellion began in the north These kinde of men stirred vp diuers rebellions in Ireland Neither haue they ceased at any time to enterprise either one deuise or other to hurt vs here in England Sir Francis therefore doth greatly diminish their deserts and spare them where hée saith onely They haue deceitfull harts And most fauorablie doth the state deale with them for refusing to come to church to serue God séeing their consorts do burne and murder godly men for not comming to their idolatrous seruice and abominable masse He calleth those that refuse to go to our churches The better and more religious sort of catholickes But he is not of God that refuseth to heare his word Neither are they to be tearmed catholickes that haue a priuate religion to themselues deuised by the pope nor are they truely religious that vnderstand not the principles of Christian faith nor will receiue true holesome and apostolike doctrine Now if any desire to know what they are by the markes of Antichrist in their whole life and profession he may vnderstand it Where it is said that some papistes Shew foorth a good outward ciuill cariage this Noddy wisely concludeth That sir Francis maketh light of good life and thereupon taketh occasion to runne out into a common place of good workes But héere was no place for him to trie his skill For sir Francis doth neither condemne good workes nor good life but rather the hypocriticall shewe of both where indeede neither is to bée founde Nay poore soules the papists do not so much as vnderstande what workes are good what not They say their Oraisons and Credo Aue Maria in Latin and vnderstand not what they say They créepe to the crosse and kisse it On fridaies they eate fish and absteine from white meates in lent They crosse themselues confesse their faults in the priestes eare put on haire cloth and follow such like fancies refusing to heare true doctrine and Gods truth And a Matth. 15. 23. So they make frustrate Gods commandements by their owne traditions Nay sometime they rebell against their lawfull princes and murder Gods saints and blaspheme his truth and yet thinke they do God good seruice when most plainely they transgresse his lawes As for our selues albeit wée do not attribute merite or iustification to works yet wée exhort all men to shew foorth their faith by their workes and to lead a holy life according to their holy profession Neither are we so barren of good workes but that we dare compare either with the glorious Iesuites or with the most perfect men of the popish faction or with their most holy popes As for Recusantes I know no works they do but such as if they were wise they would be ashamed of them Sir Francis Hastings as a true and honest patriote and like a religious gentleman noteth thrée pointes in Recusantes worthy consideration The first is The hurt they do the second is The hurt they would do if they were not restrained the third is Their deepe dissimulatioÌ„ He might also haue noted the hurts which already they haue doone and ioine their leud opinions with their wicked actioÌ„s And vary euery seueral point with manifold arguments examples But this which he hath alreadie brought is more then our aduersarie doth well answere Nay hée answereth almost nothing vnlesse wée take gibes and scornefull reproches for paiment Where sir Francis saith That the yoonger steere learneth of the elder oxe He saith It is a verse drawne from his plow and stall of oxen As if it were not lawfull and vsuall by naturall similitudes to expresse things morall or as if his holy S. Thomas did not sometimes draw similitudes from oxen and asses It is written in a Iâ—b 1. Iob That the oxen were plowing and the asses feeding by them That is as he b 2. 2. q. 2. art 6. Gregor moral 2. supposeth The ruder and inferior sort of people which are represented by asses must beleeue as their prelates do which are signified by oxen The similitude vsed by sir Francis is very fit For commonly Recusants are as rude as oxen and stéeres and as the Psalmist saith Vnderstand no more then doth horse or mule Nay as it is in the first of Esaie The oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his masters cribbe but these ignorant Recusants know not their God but for their gods adore angels and saints yea stockes and stones vnderstanding no more what they pray then do oxen and calues Beside that the confessors and yoong priests are so familiar with their wiues that they are made liker oxen then lyons But this idle vagabond frier that liueth idly vpon the sweate of other mens browes and disdeineth to labour
nomine armamini contra ecclesiam dimicatis and our sauiour founde no greater enimies then the Priests Scribes and Pharisies which stoode most vpon the succession of Moses and title of Gods people The diuell h 2. Cor. 11. Transformeth himselfe into an angell of light and brasse is often set out with a glorious lustre as if it were golde But nothing can be deuised more counterfait then the papist who albeit hée maintaine a religion full of nouelties and improbable fantasies yet taketh on him as if hée were the onely catholike christian and ietteth vp and downe with a maske of catholike religion So apes clad with purple iackets beare themselues verie proudly among other beasts and all for their gaie apparell But as apes by their apish trickes bewray themselues to bée apes so papists by their apish popish and fonde deuises shewe themselues to be factious heretikes and no true catholikes That they are no true catholikes the very name of catholike and true signification of this worde declareth For Catholike doth signifie that which is vniuersall or generall And the church is called catholike bicause it conteineth all the people of God and all Christians whether of time past or time to come or time present and in what place soeuer they remaine dispersed The christian faith likewise is called catholike for that it is and euer was and euer shall bée generallie taught and receiued of faithfull christians In time past God was peculiarly knowne of the people of Israell and to them was the law giuen and prophets were sent But our Sauiour Christ sent his apostles into all the world a Matth. 28. Docete saith he omnes gentes Hée also tolde them they shoulde witnesse his truth to al nations of the earth Eritis mihi testes saith b Act. 1. he in Hierusalem totaÌ„ Iudaeam Samariam vsque in totam terram So that we are to vnderstand that there is but one catholike church into which al true catholikes are to be gathered This Catholike Church c In Psal 56. saith Saint d In Psal 44. Augustine is spred throughout the world and conteineth not onely those that are present but those also that are past and are yet to come And Saint d In Psal 44. Hierome saith That this church is one and is founded by the apostles doctrine and conuerteth men to Christ Wée belée also that there is but one apostolike and catholike faith which all true catholikes both haue holden do holde and must holde vnto the worlds end In this catholike church saith e De haeres c. 3. Vincentius Lirinensis wee are to holde that which alwaies hath beene beleeued of all christians for that is truely and properly catholike Hée f Ibid. c. 34. teacheth vs also That the propertie of catholikes is to keepe the doctrine committed to them and left with them by the ancient fathers and to auoide prophane nouelties Further hée g Ibid. c. 25. determineth That those onely are truely and rightly called catholikes which onely holde and beleeue that which the catholike church in olde time did vniuersally holde With him also doth Leo sometimes bishop of Rome agrée Vna est vera singularis perfecta inuiolabilis catholica fides h Epist 81. ad Mâ—â—naâ—h paâ—aest epist 95. saith hée cui nihil addi nihil minui potest That is there is one true singular perfect inuiolable catholike faith whereunto nothing can be added and from whence nothing is to be diminished This grounde then being laide and I thinke confessed by the aduersaries themselues that those onely are catholikes that holde the catholike faith receiued vniuersally of all true christians of all times and all places and that the catholike faith is that which Christ commaunded vniuersally to bée taught and which of all the catholike church hath béene generally receiued and which is most perfect and absolute and admitteth no additions alterations nor innouations it may easily bee prooued that the papists are neither catholikes nor hold the catholike faith of Christ Iesus For first they do not beleeue that which the catholike church euer beleeued but that which the church of Rome beleeueth Pius quartus a In constit Pij 4. ordeineth that all that are preferred in schooles shall openly professe That they beleeue all things conteined in that creede which the church of Rome vseth The forme of their profession is this Ego N. firma fide credo profiteor omnia quae continentur in symbolo fidei quo sancta Romana ecclesia vtitur Likewise are they bound to condemne all doctrines which that church condemneth and anathematizeth In the Spanish b Manual de oraciones por Hieron Campos catechisme set out vnder the name of Canisius he is termed a true Christian That holdeth nothing but that which the church of Rome holdeth Y no tiene cosa fuera de lo que tiene la yglesia Romana Finally the papistes c C. ad abolendam de haeret condemne all for heretikes That either teache or thinke otherwise of the sacrament of the altar or of confession of sinnes or other Romish sacramentes then the church of Rome How then can we estéeme them catholikes that for a generall and catholike faith embrace a particular or peculiar faith of the church of Rome and openly professe so much Secondly they do not beléeue the catholike church but the Romish church nor do they make themselues members of the catholike church but of the church of Rome subiect to the pope whome they beléeue to be their head d De eccles militant c. 2. Bellarmine doth define That to be the true church which is vnited in confession of faith and communion of sacraments and obedience to the pope of Rome e C. vnam ext de maior obed Boniface the eight determineth That all that will be saued must of necessity be subiect to the bishop of Rome In the f Manual de Hieron Campoâ— catechisme published vnder the name of Canisius the church is defined A congregation gouerned vpon earth by the pope the onely head of the same Vna congregacion regida en la tierra por el papa vnica cabeza de toda ella Finally the a Confessio Burdegalens Iesuites of Bourdeaux do professe That to be the church onely which hath communion with the church of Rome whereof the pope is the chiefe gouernor But the auncient fathers teach vs that the catholike church is not tyed to one city or one country or one pope or bishop but vniuersally spredde ouer the whole earth as hath in part béene declared Si dei est ecclesia saith a Chrysostome b In homil 1. in epist 1. ad Corinth vna est non Corinthi solum sed vniuersi orbis So I may say if the Romanists were the catholike church then should not their vniuersall church be termed by the name of the church of Rome but of Gods
e Matth. 28. gaue them in charge To teach what he had commaunded them The f Gal. 1. apostle pronounceth him Accursed that should teach otherwise then the Galatians had receiued By the law of Moses the Sanedrin or chiefe tribunal in Hierusalem had soueraigne authority in iudgement yet might not those iudges pronounce sentence g Deut. 17. But according to the law of God The which doth argue that popish religion is built vpon groundes most absurd and contrarie to religion Finally some do stand much vpon ancient fathers and councelles and the first churches practise and haue not doubted to attribute much vnto them But now finding by experience that these do not much make for them and that the fathers themselues do wholy relie vpon the scriptures they flie wholie to the authority of the pope and to the late church of Rome and perceiue that vnlesse they may sit iudges in their owne cause the same cannot stand But héerein it may plainly appeare that they are no catholikes For ancient catholikes attributed most to scriptures and vsed the testimony of fathers and of the ancient church to declare the true sence and meaning of scriptures But a Sâ—ss 4. conciâ— Trâ—d these admit no sence But that of holy church as they call it which is nothing but the priuate fancy of soâ—e foolish pope Fourthly as in the foundations of Christian religion so likewise in diuers points of faith the papists do plainly declare themselues to bée no catholikes For first in the obiect of faith they mainly differ true catholikes beléeue in God onely Faith saith the b Rom. 10. apostle is by hearing and hearing by the worde of God c De diuin nomin c. 7. Dionyse saith That faith hath for his obiect the most pure and alwaies being truth that is God And euery Christian rehearsing his faith confesseth That he beleeueth in God the father the sonne and the holy ghost and in no creature But the papists beléeue in angels and in saints and call vpon them For as the d Rom. 10. apostle saith How shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued To them also they make confession of their sinnes and from them they looke for helpe and all things necessary as may bée shewed by infinite particulars Further they beléeue the determinations of the pope to be true and trust in him as in the rocke of the church e In opusc contra error Graecor Thomas Aquinas saith that it is a matter of faith to beleeue the determination of the pope Ad fidem pertinet saith he inhaerere determinationi pontificis summi in his quae sunt fidei imò in his quae spectant ad bonos more 's And this is also the opinion of f Summa Siluest in verb. fides Siluester Prierius They beléeue also whatsoeuer is taught by the church of Rome Ad fidem pertinent omnia quae sunt in doctrina ecclesiae saith g Ibidem Siluester Prierius and hée gathereth the same out of h 2.2 q. 5. art 3. Thomas Aquinas and that is their common opinion holding the traditions of the church in equal estimation with the worde of God all which can neuer bée prooued to haue béene beléeued by true catholikes For neither can it bée shewed that in publike liturgies they haue called on saints and on angels as the church of Rome teacheth or confessed their sinnes to them or beléeued in the pope or church of Rome Againe true catholikes beléeue that Christ Iesus was true man and had a body like to ours in height bredth thicknesse and that he filled the place where hée was as do our bodies We must beleeue saith a De essentia diuinitatis Augustine that the sonne of God according to his deitie is inuisible incorporeall and incircumscriptible but according to his humane nature that he is visible corporeall and locall b Contra Eutych lib. 4. c. 4. Vigilius saith That Christ is contained in a place according to his humane nature and that this is the catholike faith Illud corpus saith c Dialog 2. Theodoret habet priorem formaÌ„ figuram circumscriptioneÌ„ vt semel dicam corporis substantiam So likewise saith d Ad Thrasimund li. 2. c. 5. Fulgentius SiveruÌ„ est corpus Christi loco potest vtique contineri But the papists do assigne him a body inuisible impalpable and such a one as is incircum scriptible and without the dimensions of height bredth depth A bodie that may be conteined in infinite places at once yet not continued to it selfe as is the nature of Continua quantitas Finally a mans whole body that is without all qualities of a body may be contained in euery little part of a consecrate hoste increasing and diminishing at the priestes pleasure Further euery catholike Christian beléeueth that our Sauiour Christes true body is ascended into heauen and there remaineth e Ioan. 16. Hée tolde his disciples before his passion That he must leaue the worlde and go to the father And in another place f Iohn 12. That they should not alwaies haue him with theÌ„ In the first of the Acts we learne That hee is taken vp from vs into heauen And the apostle S. g Act. 3. Peter doth plainely declare That the heauens must conteine him vntill the time that all things be restored And this also the fathers plainely teach vs According to his diuine nature saith h In Matth. tractat 33. Origen he is not absent froÌ„ vs but he is absent according to the dispensatioÌ„ of his body which he tooke i Lib. 10. super Luc. 24. S. Ambrose saith That neither on the earth nor in the earth nor after the flesh we ought to seeke Christ if we will finde him Saint Augustine saith k Tractat. 50. in Ioan. Hee hath caried his bodie into heauen although he hath not withdawne his maiestie from the worlde l Homil. 21. in euangel Gregory the first doth plainly affirme That Christ is not heere by the presence of his flesh The flesh of Christ saith Vigilius writing against Eutyches lib. 4. c. 4. when it was in earth surely was not in heauen and now because it is in heauen certainly it is not in earth Neither did euer any ancient father teach otherwise But the papists do teach that Christes true body and flesh is both in heauen and earth and vpon euery altar at one time and that hee is touched and receiued not of men onely but also of mise and dogs and other beasts which to true catholikes séemeth not onely absurd but also abominable All true catholikes firmely beléeue that thâ—â—r sinnes are forgiuen them for Christ his sake and that they shall atteine eternall life according to these two articles of the créed which euery one professeth saying Credo remissionem peccatorum vitam aeternam God he Hath promised and sworne as the a Heb. 6.
f Iames 4. saith hée that is able to saue and to destroy But in the church of Rome the pope beareth himselfe as a soueraigne monarke and hée taketh on him power to bind and loose in heauen earth and purgatorie And his agents say That his lawes binde in conscience and that hée hath power to saue and destroy The Romish church is gouerned by his lawes and acknowledgeth him to bée the supreme iudge of controuersies 29. The true church of Christ contenteth herselfe with the religion first taught by the apostles For as g Lib. 4. contr Marcion Tertullian saith Id verius quod prius id prius quod ab apostolis And as h Aduers haeres c. 26. Vincentius Lirinensâ—â— saith it is the propertie of heretikes Not to content themselues with the ancient rule of faith but to seeke nouelties from day to day and to desire to adde to change to take away But the church of Rome doth not content herselfe with the doctrine of the apostles nor with the ancient rule of faith but is still adding changing taking away as may appéere by the popes decretals 30. The true church is dispersed euery where For our Sauiour f commanded his apostles To teach all nations i Matth. 28. And wée beléeue not a particular church but The catholike church that is the societie of Christians of all times and places but the Romish church neither conteineth the Gréekes nor Africans nor men of Asia that haue for many ages béene diuided froÌ„ that church Nor doth it reach to the people before Christ but onely a Bellar. de eccles milit c. 2. conteineth such as liue in obedience to the pope How then can the church of Rome bee the catholike church Shall the church of that citie bée as great as the church of the whole worlde 31. The true church of Christ conteineth neither lyons nor tygres nor woolues but consisteth onely of shéepe and lambes Nay it maketh milde Christians of sauage and wilde atheistes and miscreantes and as Paule of a fierce persecutor by christianity was made a constant professor so the mildenesse of this our christian mother the church changeth mens cruell natures They shall not hurt nor kill saith b Isai 11. God by his prophet in all my holy mountain The wolf shall dwel with the lambe and the Pard shall ly with the Kid. c De incarnat verbi Athanasius saith that nothing but Christes faith caused barbarous nations to become peaceable Quis coegit barbaros gentesque alias in suis sedibus saith he immanitatem deponere pacifica meditari nisi Christi fides crucis signaculum d Lib. 2. contr Parmen Optatus speaking of catholikes Which of vs saith he hath persequuted any man Can you shew or prooue that any of you hath beene persequuted by vs But the church of Rome hath of late yéeres and yet doth murder infinite numbers of men that would not adhere to her Romish faith Their e Extr. de haeret per tot lawes are bloody and cruell their executions are more cruell In the time of Charles the emperor the fift of that name it is found in f Meteran de Belgicis tumultibus record That aboue fiftie thousand persons were by sentence of iudges executed to death for the profession of their faith in the low countries In France as their owne stories report at one g Anno 1572. time thrée score thousand Christians without order of law were most shamefully massacred Circiter sexaginta hominum millia saith h Lib. 23. p. 508. Natalis Comes speaking of the massacre varijs in locis per illud tempus trucidata fuisse dicta sunt in Gallia And so extraordinary was the furie of papists that they spared neither age sexe nor qualitie Vel puberes vel impuberes saith i Ibid. p. 507. he trucidati sunt neque vllius sexus vel aetatis vel dignitatis habita est ratio Neither may wée thinke that they haue shewed lesse crueltie against Christians in Spaine Italie Germany England and other nations The Romish church hath died her garments in the blood of saints and the prelates haue shewed themselues leaders to the people in these barbarous executions Well therefore may that bée applied to them which a Lib. 2. con Parmen Optatus spoke of the cruell Donatistes Lacerati sunt viri tractatae sunt matronae infantes necati abacti partus ecce vestra ecclesia episcopis ducibus cruentis morsibus pasta est Men haue béene tormented women haue béene abused infants haue béene murdred women forced to loose their children behold your church is fedde with crueltie and your prelates haue béene captaines to the vulgar sort in their cruell executions 32. The catholike church neuer shewed more fauour to the Iewes and Infidels then to Christians that disliked the bishops of Rome The Christian emperors b L. hac valitura Cod. de Iudaeis Caelieolis excluded the Iewes from all gouernment and authoritie in the common-wealth and c Ibidem restreined their insolencies with diuers sharpe lawes The like course they d Cod. de Paganis sacrif templ tooke also with Pagans and Infidels shutting their temples and forbidding their sacrifices and Idolatries But the Romish synagogue doth indure the impieties of Iewes in the midst of Rome albeit they denie and blaspheme Christ Iesus tormenting and killing christians that shall but once offer to speake against the pope Likewise e Onuphr in Alexandro 6. Alexander the sixt receiued Turkes and Maranes into Rome being erpelled out of Spaine and the popes are content that their subiects shall trade with Turkes albeit they cannot endure any christian that shall mislike the popes authoritie 33. The true church of God neuer sought by forging and falsifying of mens writings and by lying and slandering to aduance Christes religion For truth is strong enough of it selfe and néedeth not to bée supported with falshood f Prouerb 12. and a Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. False witnesses and slanderers in ancient time were so farre from beeing estéemed in the church that they were b excluded out of the church g Concil Agath c. 27. Concil Elâ—bert c. 73. 74. But the church of Rome perceiuing that she cannot otherwise preuaile goeth to worke by plaine forging and falsifying leauing nothing sound that once passeth her fingers h Canones apostolor constiutioneâ— Somewhat she commendeth vnder the name of the a apostles and many thinges vnder the name of ancient fathers There is no ancient father but she hath ascribed vnto him many children which were neuer begotten by him as the workes of Cyprian Origen Athanasius Hierome Augustine Chrysostome Gregory and others do plainely testifie For who séeth not how many vnlearned and vnsound treatises are dayly published vnder the names of ancient fathers Nay the Romanistes are much offended with Erasmus and other learned mens censures that haue gone about
contrary in diuers maine points to the doctrine of the apostles Seuenthly they do neither retaine vnion with Christ Iesus nor with the ancient Church nor among themselues Eightly their decretaline doctrine is neither sound nor holy nor hath any efficacie in it nor hath other fountain then the popes fancie Ninthly their legendary miracles and prophecies whereupon a great part of the credit of the Romish faith dependeth are nothing but lies and forgerie and those ofttimes very ridiculous Tenthly their strange nouelties and heresies haue béene by many both olde late writers reproued and condemned Lastly as the authours of it haue liued vnhappily and died miserably for the most part so those that haue gone about to restore true religion and to roote out Romish idolatrie and heresie haue for this onely cause felt Gods great fauour towardes them both in their liues and ends 44 The Church of Rome is also conuicted not to be the true Church by the confession of a Relect. doct princip cont 1. q. 5. Stapleton For if the true Church began at Hierusalem and is vniuersally dispersed and hath continued in all ages and hath a true succession of bishops from the apostles and disagreeth not about matters of faith nor dissenteth from the head of the church and which hath planted christian religion preserued the same throughout the world and hath kept the apostolike forme of gouernment and preuailed against all heresies and temptations keeping the rule of faith sound and intire and which also sheweth the true way of saluation and keepeth the scriptures sound and pure frō corruption and finally which holdeth the decrees of all generall councels as blundering Stapleton not only confesseth but after his most odious and tedious fashion with multitude of words goeth about to proue then is not the church of Rome that now is the true church of christ Iesus For to say that the church of Rome began at Hierusalem is as absurd as to say that Rome is Hierusalem or to affirm that Rome now is like to old Rome Our aduersarie should do vs great fauour to shew that the glorie and fulnesse of power that the pope challengeth together with his cardinals dumbe bishops masse-priests idle monks lying fryars and all the popes decretals and ceremonies are come from Hierusalem He may doe also well to proue that the latter scholasticall and decretaline doctrine was vniuersally receiued throughout the world either in the apostles times or in the times of the ancient Fathers of the Church The rocke of succession vpon which they build so huge conclusions we haue shewed to be nothing but a banke of sand We haue shewed also that their doctrine is not only diuers but contrarie to the doctrine of Christ the head of the Church and of his apostles And how great contentions haue béene in the Romish church not onely the schismes and warres betwixt popes and princes but also the differences about all points of religion which is apparant both in the disputes of schoolmen and also in the writings of Bellarmine and his consorts do declare That the Romanists haue corrupted the faith not onely with nouelties but also with diuers heresies and haue changed both the ancient forme of apostolike gouernement and also the principles and grounds of faith established both by Fathers and councels and by the apostles themselues and haue yéelded to heresies and béene ouercome of the gates of hell I thinke no man can doubt that readeth this discourse and compareth the late procéedings of the Romish church to the rule deliuered vnto vs by Christ Iesus 45 Finally the testimony of a In his motiues Bristow doth vtterly ouerthrow the Church of Rome and declareth it not to be the true church For he commendeth that for the true church that is catholike and apostolike and which abhorreth all nouelties and heresies and idolatrie and whose doctrine is confirmed by scriptures most certaine traditions councels fathers and practise of the ancient church and which teacheth the narrow way and maketh subiects obedient and hath infallible iudges and is sure to continue But the Romish church is neither catholike nor apostolike neither doth it abhorre either heresie or idolatrie nor shun profane nouelties The doctrine of that church hath neither ground of scripture ancient councels nor fathers neither can the Romish doctors bring any certaine proofe of their traditions It teacheth a broad way and maketh rebellious subiects In iudgemēt it hath no other certaintie then the popes determination Finally already that tower of Babel which is built so high doth begin to totter and as we trust cānot long stand Further he saith that euerie church that is risen after the first planting of religion and gone out of the catholike church and from the apostolike doctrine and is not the communion of saintes nor euer visible and lastly that is not the teacher of all diuine truth and the vndoubted mother of Christs children is not the true church of Christ But the Church of Rome as it is now visible in the pope and cardinals and officers of the popes chamber in popish prelates sacrificing priests monkes friers and nunnes and their officers and adherents rose out of the earth long after the apostles times and went out of the catholike apostolike church and hath for the popes quarrell opposed it selfe against Christ and his true doctrine The same is also departed from the ancient faith and is no more to bée tearmed Christs Church which is a communion of saints linked together in the profession of Christs true faith but rather the combination of antichrist and the synagogue of Satan Such a church as is now to be séene at Rome and in the prouinces adhering to it was not visible many ages after Christ neither was any such church for a long time extant in the world neither when the same began to shew her selfe in great ruffe did she either teach all truth or refuse all heresie false doctrine or beare or bring forth children to Christ but to antichrist And therfore we may safely conclude that the Romish church of these times is the synagogue of Satan and not the true church of Christ Iesus The nature and propertie of the true and vnspotted spouse of Christ the inseparable qualities of true faith and such as truly professe the same and finally the confession and doctrine of the aduersaries themselues when they speake of the true church and true faith and true professours and matters incident vnto them in generall do declare it to be so CHAP. V. That no papists haue beene executed in England since her Maiesties comming to the crowne for meere matter of religion but for their treasons or other capitall offences HItherto wée haue spoken in the defence of our religion and Christian profession It resteth therefore nowe séeing our aduersary doth not onely calumniate our religion but our lawes also and gouernment that wée speake somwhat in defence of iustice especially so farre foorth as it
The kings iudgement in matters of religion is not allowed by the aduersaries themselues The glorious challenger in his letters to Rome compareth his king to Hunnericus an Arian heretike and a persecutor of the church And saith that as Eugenius bishop of Carthage would not dispute with the Arians without making the bishop of Rome acquainted albeit required by Hunnericus king of Vandals so he would do nothing without the cōsent of the bishop of Rome before the French king In other points neither his letters nor the popes Nuntioes letters nor that other good fellowes letters deserue any credit To conclude all this great stirre which Parsons maketh about nothing doth shew the great pouertie of the aduersaries cause that as men wracked at sea are glad to lay hold vpon euerie broken planke to saue their liues CHAP. VI. The notorious vanitie of the relators obseruations vpon the former narration is detected AFter our relator had trussed vp his fardle of fooleries to make the same more vendible he garnisheth his packet with certaine painted glosses which hee termeth obseruations And to make his eloquence séeme more admirable hée doth excorticate certaine Latin words according to his Romish fashion reflecting as he saith what occurred to his contemplation Which reflections occurrents obseruations and contemplations to do him pleasure we are content particularly to consider and sée whether he were not in a sounde sléepe when he thought himselfe to be in a profound contemplation And first verie wisely he obserueth Gods prouidence in conseruation continuation of the olde catholike faith deliuered first at the ascension of our Sauiour vnto his visible Church as he saith But if he speake of Christs faith then this obseruation cōcerneth him nothing For that faith hath alwaies continued and shall continue notwithstanding the opposition of the Iebusites and Cananites and all their adherents and néedeth neither their letters disputes nor practises to preserue it If he speake of the Romish faith as it is no question but hée doth then wée must tell him that wée denie that that faith is either the catholike faith or was deliuered at the time of Christ his ascension or in many ages after to any Church or procéeded euer from the apostles We doe therefore here obserue that hée is but a bad obseruer that marketh no better what was deliuered by Christ and his apostles Againe wée obserue that it is a strange fashion of spéech to say that the faith began to bée deliuered first at Christ his ascension For then it followeth that not onely the apostles before that time but also the patriarkes and prophets shoulde either be deuoide of faith and saued without faith which is impious to say or that they had faith before it first began It is also a strange doctrine to saie that the apostles at the ascension of Christ deliuered the faith to the visible church For that church is not now visible neither was that church that is now visible then Naie to saie that the whole catholike church is visible is an assertion repugnant as well to reason as to Christian faith Hée obserueth also That though new fantasies and deuises of particular men haue sprong vp with fresh and glistering titles that in the end God bringeth the same to confusion All which wée hope will prooue true in the glorious ruffle of the Iebusites and Romish synagogue For albeit these wicked Cananites will bée termed Iesuites and do pretend perfection in themselues and reformation in others yet their glorie beginneth to fade and their trecherous and Machiauelian practises begin to bée discouered not onely by vs but by their owne consorts The synagogue of Rome also and the kingdome of antichrist albeit it hath long triumphed troden the truth vnder foote yet beginneth to decay and is now oppugned of many and in the end shall bée ouerthrowne It resteth onely that they looke for aeternum opprobrium of which himselfe speaketh Finally the golden idole of the masse is now in most places abolished and where it remaineth is not valued at thrée-halfepence This obseruation therefore maketh much against the obseruer and against vs nothing and is verie farre wide from the matter of this conference out of which these obseruations shoulde be drawne The third point that hée obserueth is That the shame and confusion of heretikes and heresies consisteth principally in 4. points as holy fathers do note viz. First in diuision among themselues secondly in contradiction of sectaries thirdly in atheisme and coldnesse of religion fourthly in open lying and falsifications of authors to serue their purpose But hée leaueth out the very principall cause of the confusion of heretikes And that is partly for that they séeke their owne glorie and not the truth partly for that forsaking the direction of holy Scriptures they follow lying legendes and fables false traditions vaine opinions and determinations of popes and humane fansies Neither is hée so well versed in fathers that hée can tell what they say These 4. points certes which he alleageth the fathers do not say alwaies to bée proper to heretikes For neither are all heretikes diuided into partes nor do all seeme colde in religion some pretending superfluous and superstitious zeale neither haue all heretikes vsed open falsification and lying When hée commeth to exhibite the fathers which hée pretendeth I beléeue he will be driuen to falsifie them or else they will not serue his purpose But were it granted that these qualities are incident to heretikes yet doth the same make little for the aduersaries aduantage who are diuided into diuers sectes and religions and infinite diuers opinions and are not onely atheistes but also the grossest liers and falsificators of authors that euer were heard of in any recorde or historie With their atheisme also they ioine superstition and idolatrie and defende their matters not onely with falshoode and fraude but also with fine force and crueltie As for those of our cōmunion they cannot iustly be charged either with contradiction or diuision or impiety or falsificatiō either by Parsons or by his two friends Rescius and William Reynoldes as hath béene shewed in a treatise called Turcopapismus wherin the spite of those two dogs that haue long barked against religion and belched out al the slanders they could deuise is encountred and their bookes intitled Caluinoturcismus and de Atheismis and Phalarismis refuted and beaten backe vpon the papistes that in Turkish and tyrannicall crueltie and contempt of all religion surpasse all others If the machiauelian Iebusite Parsons dare oppose himselfe and will say no let him answere that bóoke If hee will not answere let him cease to bragge of bookes beaten to dust and refuted to the shame of him and his consorts In this place this may bée sufficient for auoiding this relators slāderous imputatiō that those two railing companions obiect other mens faults to vs and charge vs with priuate mens actes and opinions which neither the church nor we particularly allow and therefore
they account mortall sinne I haue already spoken f Enchir. Nauar de 1. praecept c. 11. Martin ab Aspilcueta saith That it is mortall sinne for a lay man to dispute of matters of faith And others deuise a multitude of strange mortall sinnes The g Censur Colon f. 40. Iesuites teach that the regenerate after baptisme haue no sinne But saint Iohn saith That they deceiue themselues if they say they haue no sinne For as it is h 1. Reg. 8. written There is none but sinneth And who canne say i Prou. 20. My hart is pure and I am cleane from sinne And this is prooued by the most holy men that euer liued The most iust man saith k Lib. 2. aduers Pelag. Hierome in some thinges standeth in neede of Gods mercy And l Epist 29. ad Hieron Augustine saith That no man liueth heere without sinne albeit some offend more some lesse and the best least of all Generally they beléeue that certaine sinnes are so veniall and small that it is not necessary to repent vs of them and that they do not exclude men from the kingdome of God albeit they die without repentance Which doctrine all catholikes abhorre for the law doth pronounce him accursed whatsoeuer hée is m Deut. 27. Gal. 3. That abideth not in all the things that are written in the booke of the law And S. n Iames 2. Iames saith That he that doth offend against one law is guiltie of all Neither can anie thing impure or vncleane enter into the kingdome of heauen b Quaest breuit â—xplicat 4. Basill saith That no sinne is to be called light Quodcunque enim peccatum esse stimulum mortis Saint c In Isai c. vlt. Hierome saith That those that haue built woode haie or straw vpon the foundation are the nourishment of euerlasting fire Finally where they affirme that the transgression of the lawe is not alwaies sinne and that it is a more heinous sinne to transgresse the decretals of the pope and precepts of the Romish church then the Morall law they shewe that they vnderstande not well what is sinne and differ farre from true catholikes in their doctrine of sinne Seuenthly they d Censur Colon. f. 204. teach that this is the proper doctrine of the Gospell If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements But the e Rom. 1. apostle teacheth vs That the gospell is the power of saluation to euery one that beleeueth And f Act. 16. Paule and Silas when the Gailer asked them What hee shoulde do to be saued answered Beleeue on the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued Againe the law doth iustifie none but those that fulfill it but by the grace of the gospell all are iustified that beléeue in Christ Iesus And this is the beléefe of all true catholikes Further as if the Gospell conteined no certaine rule for to attaine to Christian perfection they haue deuised diuers other rules vnder the name of Benet of Nursia Francis Dominicke Ignatius Loiola and diuers other monkes and friers supposing by them to attaine more spéedily to perfection then by the rule of the holy Gospell 8. Of faith the papistes thinke very basely as if it were nothing but a bare assent and that not onely to thinges reuealed in holy Scriptures but also to such vnwritten traditions as the church of Rome or the pope deliuereth So that the grounde of the popish faith is laide as well vpon the popes decretales and lousie lying legendes and such trash as vpon the holie canonicall Scriptures They beléeue also that not onely wicked men but also the diuels of hell may haue true faith But the scriptures teach vs that the chéefe obiect of faith that iustifieth is Christ Iesus and those promises which are made vnto the faithfull through him God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne saith g Iohn 3. saint Iohn that whosoeuer should beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life They b Heb. 11. shew also that of faith procéedeth obedience patience hope sure trust victories and such like effectes Beeing iustified by faith saith the c Rom. 5. apostle We haue peace with God Now that faith doth onely rest vpon Gods word reuealed in scriptures we haue declared heeretofore That wicked men and diuels haue not faith it may appeare for that they cannot beléeue remission of sinnes and eternall life and this is the faith of true catholikes They teach that charity is the forme of faith which is most ridiculous For how canne one virtue be the forme of another seeing matter and forme are the partes of a naturall body It is also most false For if charity were the forme of faith then could faith worke nothing of it selfe But d Rom. â— the apostle saith That the iust shall liue by faith And e Ephes 2. againe You are saâ—ed by grace through faith And that not of your selues it is the gift of god noâ— of workes least any should boast Ex nullo legis opere saith f Lib. 3. ad Rom. Origen sed pro sola fide ait ad illam mulierem remittuntur tibi peccata tua Whosoeuer saith g Lib. 2. epist 3. Cyprian doth beleeue in God and liue by faith he is found to be iust And Hierome h Inâ— 10. ad Rom. saith That God doth iustifie by faith onely And infinite allegations may be brought to this purpose to shew that where faith and other virtues concurre yet it is faith onely that apprehendeth Christ Iesus and worketh our reconciliation and iustice with God and that the workes of charity and other virtues are effectes of faith And this is most catholike doctrine as the doctrine of papists is most erroneous and sophisticall To conclude this matter of faith they attribute to faith onely the first beginning of iustice or first iustice But our second and more perfect iustice they ascribe to charity and workes of the law Which is a plaine way to ouerthrow mans iustice not to establish it For who can say that he hath that measure of charitie that the law requireth Who can say that his hart is so cleane that his coÌ„science doth not accuse him of any transgression against the lawe Who can say he is without sinne Certes no true catholike will either challenge to himselfe that singular holinesse and puritie or affirme that hee is without sinne 9. The papists do teach that there are seuen sacraments of the new law and neither more nor lesse And that all these seuen were instituted by Christ Iesus and conteine grace worke iustificatioÌ„ For so much the venerable friers assembled at a Sess 7. Trent haue declared and determined and it is the popes pleasure that all his adherents shoulde beléeue their determination But this doctrine is neither true nor catholike b Apolog. 2. Iustin Martyr where he hath occasion to describe the rites of the
Ephes 2. apostle Is the head of the church and hee is the sauiour of his body Neither can anie thing be deuised more deformed and prodigious then one bodie with two heads d Lib. 4. epist 38. ad Joan. Constant Gregory the first could not endure that Peter shoulde bée called the head of the whole church Peter the apostle saith hée is the first member of the holy catholike church and Paule Andrew and Iohn what are they but heads of diuers parishes and yet all are members of the church vnder one head Neither coulde hée suffer any to bée called the vniuersall bishop of the church Saint e De agon Christ in Psal 9. Augustine saith that Christ Iesus that is the mediator betwixt God and man is the head of the church But the Romish church doth allow acknowledge the pope to bée her head And the canonist f In gloss in c. vnam â—xtr de maior obed Bertrand blasphemously saith That Christ had not bin discreet if he had not left a vicar generall behinde him And this doth a In praefat in lib. de pâ—ntif R m. lib. 2. de pontâ—f Râ—m c. 31. Bellarmine teach and all papists beléeue and professe or else they are not perfect papists Oh strange church that liueth vnder such a head oh miserable people that endure this Babilonish slauerie 12. The true church is Christes faithfull spouse Sponsabo te mihi b Oseae 2. saith God to his church in fide c De vnitate eccles Cyprian saith that shée cannot bée drawne to like of an adulterer being incorrupt and chaste Adulterari non potest Christi sponsa incorrupta est pudica Shée harkeneth onely to the voice of her spouse En dilectus meus saith the church Cantic c. 2. loquitur mihi surge propera amica mea columba mea formosa mea veni But the church of Rome doth e Turrâ—â—rem sum lib. 2. c. 28. Thom. Aq. in 4. sent dâ—st 3. 8. acknowledge the pope to bée her spouse And f Lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 31. Bellarmine doth defend that the pope is iustly entituled the spouse of the church Nay the pope g Canter corsoralia de traâ—st episc c. quâ—niam de immâ—nitate eccles doth so call himselfe and therefore the papists must take héede that they do not hencefoorth denie him to bée the spouse of their câ—colike church Who then is so blinde as not to sée that shée is rather that purple harlot of whom mention is made Apoc. 17. of whose cup the nations of the earth haue drunken so manie abominations then Christes vndefiled spouse 13. The true church is a communion of saints For so wée professe when wée say we beléeue The holy catholike church the communion of Saints The h 1. Cor. 1. apostle doth describe the church of Corinth To bee a societie of saints calling on the name of the Lord Iesus So that to bée a true member of this church it is requisite that a man haue faith in Christ and that hee shew his faith by his workes But the Romish church is a societie of such as professe the faith and receiue the sacraments of the Romish church And i Lib. de eccles milit c. 2. 3. Bellarmine confesseth That to be a member of the Romish church there is neither inward faith nor charitie nor any inward vertue required Nay k Ibid. c. 10. 11. he saith That such as be inwardly atheistes and heretikes and most heinous sinners may be true members of that church which is a most euident argument that they are not the true church 14. The true church is not necessarily tied to the obedience of the bishop of Rome nor neuer was The spirituall Ierusalem Which is the mother of l Galath 4. vs all is free and acknowledgeth no Lorde but one which is Lord of all For so the apostle a Ephes 4. saith There is one Lorde one faith one baptisme But the church of Rome beside this Lorde doth acknowledge herselfe subiect to the pope her Lord and God in earth b C. vnam ext de ma. obed Boniface the 8. determineth that none can bée saued in the Romish arke but they that are subiect to the pope And c De eccles milit c. 2. Bellarmine doth exclude all from the church of Rome that liue not vnder the obedience of the pope Finally this is the common opinion of the d Ibidem c. 5. aduersaries that exclude out of their church al schismatikes and account all to bee so that are not subiect to the pope 15. The true church doth professe the catholike faith Which vnlesse a man keepe intier and inuiolate he shall perish euerlastingly as e In symbolo Athanasius teacheth vs and we publikely professe Now the catholike faith concerning Iesus Christs incarnation and ascension f Ibidem is this That Iâ—sus Christ is perfect man as he is perfect God and that he tooke mans flesh and yet is but one Christ and that in his humanity he is ascended into heauen We beléeue also That we are g Rom. 4. iustified by faith in Christ Iesus and not by the workes of the law as the apostle teacheth vs and that Beeing h Rom. 5. iustified by faith we haue peace with God We beléeue also i Rom. 6. That the reward of sinne is death and that eternall life is the gift of God We beléeue that Christs institution is to be obserued in the sacraments and that in baptisme we are to vse cleane water and that in the supper of the Lord al that are present are to communicate and to receiue the cup as well as the sacrament of the Lordes body according to k Matth. 26. Christs words Take eate and Drinke yee all of this We beléeue also that Christ is to be worshipped as he hath appointed and not according to the inuentions of men Finally we beléeue That l Ephes 4. Christ ascending to his father gaue some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelistes some Pastors and teachers and that these are sufficieÌ„t for the building of the church and the bringing togither of the saints And this all belongeth to the catholike faith But this false and adulterous synagogue of Rome hath violated these points of catholike faith For it beleeueth not that Christ is perfect man but that he hath a body neither visible nor palpable that is conteined vnder the formes of bread no bigger then a counter It beléeueth not that he tooke other flesh then that which may be in heauen and in earth and in as many places as the sacrament is at one time But a Contr. Eutychen lib. 4. c. 4. Vigilius saith That the flesh of Christ that is in heauen is not in earth Fulgentius writing to Thrasimundus saith That the body of Christ now hath the properties of a true body It beléeueth also that Christ is not so
ascended but that we are to seeke his body here on earth and to touch him with our mouthes and téeth But saint b Lib. 10. in c. 24. Luc. Ambrose saith That we touch not Christ with corporall handling but by faith and are not to seeke him on the earth nor after the flesh if we will find him c De resur carn Tertullian saith That his body is in the pallace of heauen The papistes also beléeue that there is one Christ in heauen visible and palpable and another in the sacrament inuisible and vnpalpable They d Concil Trid. sâ—ss teach that we are iustified by the workes of the law and that faith is nothing but a preparation to iustification They teach men to doubt and distrust of their saluation and after iustification send them to be tormented in purgatory they cannot tell how long but diuers thousandes of yéeres if their indulgences and bulles concerning the same conteine truth They beléeue that there be certaine veniall sins whose wages and reward is not death and that eternall life is no frée gift but the wages of mens good workes and merites The institution of Christ both in baptisme and in the Lordes supper they haue violated adding many other thinges beside water in baptisme and turning the communion in the Lordes supper into a priuate action and taking the cup from all the communicantes saue the priest that saith masse In the worship of God they haue deuised infinite matters which God neuer required at their handes Nay something they haue instituted in the worship of God contrary to his commaundement as the worshipping of God in grauen images contrary to his commaundement concerning images and the calling vpon angels and saintes contrary to the commaundement Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me Finally they haue in liew of Christ established Antichrist with a gard of Cardinalles and an army of priestes and certeine swarmes of vermine called monkes and friers to the dissipation of Christs body and the subuersion of the faith 16. The true church neuer made publike confession of their sinnes to the virgin Mary to the archangell Michaell to saint Iohn Baptist or to the apostles Peter and Paul and to all the saintes Saint Augustines confessions are comprized in diuers bookes yet hath he none of this fashion In the ancient liturgies albeit they haue passed through the handes of falsaryes yet can no such precedent be found But they in their dayly liturgies a In breuiario officio beata Mariae teach men to say in this sort Confite or deo omnipotenti beatae Mariae semper virgini beato Ioanni Baptistae sanctis apostolis Petro Paulo beato N. omnibus sanctis vobis fratres 17. Christs true church hath no sacraments but such as Christ hath instituted as may appeare by Iustines apology by that booke of sacraments that passeth vnder the name of Ambrose by Dionysius his description of ecclesiasticall mysteries and all ancient liturgies of the Christian church saue such as are falsified But the popish synagogue haue made euangelicall sacraments of matrimony order and penance Of which the first two were instituted in the old testament and the third is an act alwaies vsed in the church of God but neuer accounted a sacrament as wanting both certaine signes and sacramentall institution and forme They haue also made sacraments of confirmation and extreme vnction and giuen them both signes and formes that were neuer knowne in the ancient church of Christ 18. The true church neuer shunned to receiue the cup as well as the Lordes body in the sacrament b Serm. 4. de quadrages Leo saith they were Manichées That receiuing the sacraments tooke the body of Christ but in any wise shunned to drinke the blood of our redemption and he calleth this act Sacrilegious c De consecrat dist 2. c. comperimus Gelasius also saith That it is plaine sacriledge to part the one and the same mystery and to receiue a portion of the sanctified body and to absteine from the cup of the sacred blood But now the synagogue of Rome doth count this ministration of Sacraments in one kinde to bee good religion and streightly commandeth all saue the priest to abstaine from the cup. 19. The ancient catholike d Apost can 9. concil Antioch c. 2. church did excommunicate such As entred the church and heard the Scriptures read and staide not out praiers nor receiued the holy communion And the Romanists themselues vnder the name of Calixtus haue e C. peracta de consecrat dist 2. published this decrée That all shoulde bee excommunicate that woulde not communicate And that this was the order of the christian church that all that were present at the oblation shoulde communicate it appéereth both by Iustines second apologie and by Dionysius the Areopagites description of these ecclesiasticall rites and ceremonies But the church of Rome after consecration sendeth all away for the most part without communion and thinketh it not necessarie 20. The auncient catholike church had but one sacrifice one altar one priest The priest and sacrifice was Christ Iesus once offred for the sinnes of all the altar was the crosse of Christ Christ saith a De demonstr euang l. 1. c. 10. Euseâ—iâ—s offered a most excellent sacrifice for the â—aluation of vs all and gaue vs a memoriall or sacrament thereof insteade of a sacrifice Saint b In c. 10. epist. ad Hebr. Ambrose saith That our sacrifice is but a samplar of that which our Sauiour offered on the crosse Saint c Contr. Faust. lib. 20. c. 21. Augustine saith That the flesh and blood of this sacrifice was yeelded in very truth when Christ was put to death and that after his ascension it is nowe solemnized by the sacrament of remembrance of that sacrifice d Eccles Hierarch c. 3. Dionysius calleth it A figuratiue sacrifice That which is offred and consecrated by the priest is called a sacrifice and oblation because it is a memoriall and representation of the true sacrifice and holy oblation made on the altar of the crosse as saith e Sentent 4. dist 12. Peter Lombard and so their glosses f Dist 2. de consecrat c. semel c. in Christo. c. iteratur confesse that this sacrifice is but a memoriall or sacrament or representation of Christ his passion and sacrifice g Epist 25. plebi vniuersae Cyprian denieth that wée can institute a new altar or new priesthood Aliud altare constitui aut sacerdotium nouum fieri praeter vnum altare vnum sacerdotium non potest But the papists haue forged of late time a new externall sacrifice propitiatorie for quicke and dead and deuised a new altar of stone and instituted a newe priesthood not to celebrate a memoriall of Christes death and passion but to offer indéede Christ himselfe in a true sacrifice after a grosse and carnall sort 21. The true catholike
coÌ„mandemeÌ„t But Campian his consorts did disclaime her Maiesties authority all priestes that come from Rome in their cases of conscience which they cannot denie d Resolutio casuum nationis Anglicanae hold her not for lawfull Queene They also themselues haue set out scandalous libels against men in authoritie and doe well like the sclandrous writings of Sanders Harpesfield Ribadineira Rishton Parsons Bristow and others When the armie of the king of Spaine was readie to come for England then was Parsons verie busie in printing pope Sixtus his scandalous declaration against the Quéene and Allens letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland A e In an answere to a libel set out by Parsons friend of his doth also charge him that his finger was in the making and dispersing of it And yet diuers traytors that haue béene executed allowed this libell and other his scurrilous writings Nay I doe not finde that any of them misliked any thing that might disgrace her Maiestie or their countrey Finally the Earle of Northumberland and the two Nortons and diuers priests whom they f Bristowes motiues celebrate for Martyres tooke vp armes against their Prince and countrey and I thinke none of them either heretofore did or hereafter will mislike their doing therein Wherefore albeit the pope put them in his calendar for Martyres yet he must not be offended albeit the hangman put them in his bookes for rebels and traytors No Martyre of Christ Iesus did euer thinke it lawfull to breake his oath of allegeance to his Prince vpon any bishops warrant g In Chronic. Auentin annal 7. Sigisbertus Gemblacensis saith It is a pernitious heresie to beleeue that the pope can discharge subiects froÌ„ the bond of their oath and from their allegeance But these Martyres or rather churlish mastiues did not onely take themselues â—o be discharged from their allegeance and ioyned with forrein enimies but also persuaded as many as they could to ioyne with them No true Martyr of Christ Iesus did euer denie his name qualitie country kindred and prince altogether nor did martyrs dissemble their religion goe apparelled like Spadacins ruffians but these popish martyrs do al this together nay they are resolued by their a Resolutiones quorundam casuum nationis Anglicanae superiours that it is very lawful for theÌ„ so to do A.P. that is Allen and Parsons as I take it the case being put vtrum sacerdos possit habitum mutare comaÌ„ nutrire nomen patriam parentes negare do b Cap. 1. casus 1. answere thus potest nec videtur in ea re dubium Potest enim quis veritatem tacere c Ibidem in resolutione casus 1. c. 1. vel dissimulare c. The same good fellows a Resolutiones quorundam casuum nationis Anglicanae determine quòd simulatio est licita and that it is pious to vse simulation and proue it for that it is lawfull to lay ambuscadoes for enemies whereby it appeareth they take vs for enemies and would if they could entrap vs by their ambuscadoes and this if we looke not to it they haue fully purposed and resolued Concerning the Quéene they d Ibidem say shee is no lawfull Quéene Regina haeretica say they non est legitimè regina and againe non gerit se vt reginam sed exercet tyrannidem Finally they are commanded to account their country for no countrey and not to respect their parents if they be not of the Romish religion It was not the fashion of the martyrs of Christ his Church to vse equiuocations and to forsweare themselues both in iudgement and elsewhere but the Schoolemaisters of our popish priests and pretended martyrs teach them to do both Sciant say e Ibidem c. 3. cas 3. they se vti posse aequiuocationibus iurare sine peccato Now by equiuocations they meane promises and othes made not according to the meaning of the iudge but according to a hidden meaning of the partie that taketh the oath They f Ididem teach also that a priest is no more to regard an oath to the Queenes officers then if he should sweare to pyrates or robbers for safegard of his life Finally no heretikes nor miscreants can iustly be reputed martyrs as diuers examples and testimonies of fathers teach vs. The Donatists suffered death couragiously and so likewise did the heretikes called Euphemitae which for the multitude of their supposed martyrs g Epiphan haeres 80. would néeds be called Martyriani Yet did not the church otherwise account of them then leud heretikes and not martyrs as appeareth by the testimonie of Eusebius Augustine and other fathers before alleaged We reade also in histories that Turkes Tartars and Mores both fight and die most resolutely for the blasphemous opinions of Mahomet and how the Assassins that were a sect of desperate cutthrotes like the Iebusites that desperately would aduenture to dispatch whomsoeuer their Generall would command them to murther died oftentimes most constantly and this they accounted a speciall point of religion Yet in truth no man can estéeme them martyrs Why then should the rebels traitors and Assassins which haue béene employed in the Popes businesse and for his cause haue béene drawne into treason be accounted martyrs If because they are put in the popes kalendar it may be answered that it is Christ and not the pope the cause of religion and not of faction that maketh martyrs Neither is it materiall that grace hath béene offered to some that haue béene executed for treason if they would haue renounced the pope and his treacherous doctrine and faction For we do not desire the death of all that through simplicitie haue béene drawne into treason Nor may the aduersaries thinke that these fellowes were therefore onely punished for religion but rather that they were obstinate traitors that like the Assassins made it a point of religion vpon the popes warrant to take armes and to practise against lawfull Magistrats and to murther them which indéede is treason To offer them life therefore if they would renounce the popes faction was thought a meanes fit to trie them whether they were setled in their trecherous resolutions or els would become honest men as diuers of them renouncing the pope haue done and not to examine them or punish them for religion which was neuer called in question in all the proceeding against them The Conclusion of the former Treatise IF then papists hold singular opinions and not the true catholike faith then are they deceiuers and cacolykes and woluish teachers and no true Catholikes or Christians and thou art carefully to beware of them to embrace that faith which is truly Catholike which vnlesse thou beleeue firmely thou canst not be saued as saith a In symbolo Athanasius It is impossible for Christians saith b In Numer homil 26. Origen to be saued without faith whether they seeme perfect or weak