was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such is the shauing of Monks and for the like signification of a crowne as hath bene shewed before 8 The Priest of the Sunne among the Phenicians did weare a vestment of purple wrought with gold to shew the dignitie and excellencie of that priesthoode for the same cause haue Masse-priests their rich and costlie copes of diuers colours 9 In Boeotia they vsed to couer the Bride with a vaile and crowne her with flowers which vse is yet retayned in Poperie 10 The heathen vsed to cleanse themselues with sprinkling of water thinking thereby to be purified Thus in Poperie they thinke to purifie their houses the people with casting of holie-water vpon them Is not this now a goodlie religion that retaineth still the idolatrous and superstitious vsages of the heathen that instructeth the people by signes and figures euen as the Paganes preached to theirs May we not iustly returne vpon them the rebuke of the Apostle to the Galathians Seeing you know God how turne yee againe vnto impotent and beggerlie rudiments whereunto as from the beginning you will be in bondage againe Hierome sayth Ego libera voce reclamante mundo pronuntio ceremonias Iudaeorum perniciosas esse mortiferas Christianis quicunque eas obseruauerit in barathrum diaboli deuolutum I do freelie pronounce though the world say nay that the ceremonies of the Iewes are pernicious and deadlie to Christians and whosoeuer obserueth them to be throwne downe to hell much more are they in danger which obserue Pagane ceremonies and inuentions Therefore we take no great care to answere them for this matter resting vpon the words of our Sauiour Let them alone they are blind leaders of the blind Their owne blindnes and grossenes in their superstitious corruptions doth sufficiently bewray the badnes of their cause and madnes of their religion to whom that saying of Plutarch may fitlie be applied You neede not draw a superstitious man out of the temple for there is his punishment and torment So that which this figurecaster hath taken for an argument of their profession is found to be but a torment to their conscience and a punishment of their superstition The twelfth Perswasion 1 I Defend not that religion which denieth all things c. as their opinions all negatiue do witnesse 2 That hath taken away and conuerted from spirituall religious vses to priuate and temporall pleasures and preferments all monuments and foundations of deuotion c. 3 Vsing nothing necessarie to saluation 4 But that religion whose opinions are all affirmatiue 5 That hath founded Churches Schooles Colledges Monasteries 6 That obserueth all things that wanteth or omitteth nothing belonging or that can be required to true religion The Disswasion 1 NEither doth that religion which I defend denie any thing much lesse all things as it is falselie sclaundered that are found to be agreeable to the scriptures neither doth it consist of all negatiues affirming the scriptures to be sufficient and to conteyne all things necessarie to saluation that the Church and generall Councels may erre that the Pope is Antichrist that the scriptures ought to be read in the vulgar toong that Magistrates haue authoritie in spirituall causes that all sinnes in their owne nature are mortall that faith only iustifieth that Christ onely is our alone sufficient mediator that there are onely two sacraments of the new testament an hundred more opinions it holdeth affirmatiuely and the negatiues to these doctrines it refuseth And if our religion should be condemned because it holdeth some negatiues exception likewise might be taken against the Decalogue wherein of ten two commaundements only are affirmatiue the fourth in the first table and the first in the second all the rest are negatiuely propounded 2 An impudent sclaunder it is that the religion of Protestants hath taken away all foundations of deuotion 1. Seeing that Bishoprickes Cathedrall Churches all Colledges in the Vniuersities Hospitals parish Churches erected for maintenance of learning reliefe of the poore for the edifying of the people are yet standing and flourishing among vs. 2. Only those vncleane Cels of Monks the seminaries both of spirituall and corporall fornication are remoued though I denie not but they might better haue beene disposed of as was intended by example and warrant of vertuous Princes As Iosias ouerthrew the foundation of the Chemarims an idolatrous order of Priests erected by his superstitious predecessors Iehu destroyed the house of Baal and made a draught-house of it And things abused to idolatrie are iustlie confiscate to the Prince as Ambrose defendeth the taking away of the lands which were giuen to the maintenance of Pagane idolatrie Sublata sunt praedia quia non religiose vtebantur ijs quae religionis iure defenderent Their lands and manors were taken away because they did not religiouslie vse them which they defended vnder colour of religion 3. Neither were all Abbey-lands conuerted to temporall pleasures and preferments though we graunt too many were but diuers were giuen to Hospitals and Colledges and to other good vses And this is warranted by the imperiall lawes that things abused by false worshippers should be giuen to the vse of the Orthodoxall Church as may appeare by that lawe of the Emperours Valentinian and Martian Domum vel possessionem c. That house or possession which belongeth to heretikes Orthodoxae ecclesiae addici iubemus We will to be annexed to the orthodoxall Church 4. These lands and possessions were surrendred into the Kings hands by the voluntarie act of the owners thereof thereto not forced or constrained as is extant in the publike acts of Parliament and at such a time wherein the popish religion was not altered sauing in the Popes supremacie and therefore this is a false imputation to the Gospell And yet as is before shewed possessions abused by men of false religion by the Imperiall lawes are confiscate to the Prince as it was decreed by Anastasius Praedia possessiones quae in haereticas personas quocunque modo collata vel translata fuerunt fisci nostri iurib decernimus vendicari Lands and manors howsoeuer conferred or translated vpon hereticall parsons we decree to be forfeited to vs. 3 A foule slaunder is vttered of our Religion in the next place for nothing necessarie to saluation is wanting in the profession of the Gospell There is Baptisme for infants catechising for children preaching to beget faith the law to perswade repentance the Gospell for comfort the reading of scripture to increase knowledge the Sacraments to confirme it prayer prescribed if any be afflicted singing of Psalmes for those that are merrie in the Lord godly visitation for the sicke with assurance of remission of sinnes vpon their repentance comfort ouer the dead in the hope of the present rest of
their soules with God and the resurrection of their bodies to come 4 It is Poperie rather that consisteth of negatiues as it is euident by their manifold oppositions to the doctrines before rehearsed as that the scriptures conteyne not all things necessarie to saluation that the Church can not erre that the scriptures are not fit to be read in the vulgar toong that the Pope is not Antichrist that faith onely iustifieth not that there be not two onely sacraments that Christ onely as one mediator is not to be inuocated These negatiues with a number more the Romane separation maintayneth And where they affirme and set downe any thing positiuely they affirme their owne fantasies the doctrine of the Trinitie onely and some few other points excepted and oppose themselues therein to the scriptures 5 First what if many Churches haue bene erected in poperie Were not many Temples also built in the time of Paganisme as at Rome to Diana to Honor. q. 13. to Matuta q. 16. to Bona. q. 20. to Saturne q. 42. to Horta q. 46. to Vulcane without the citie q. 47. to Carmenta q. 56. to Hercules q. 59. to Fortuna Parua q. 74. to Aesculapius without the citie q. 94. to Apollo at Delphos q. 12. to Ocridion at Rhodes q. 27. to Tenes at Tenedos q. 29. to Vlysses at Lacedaemon q. 48. with many other Not the building therefore of Churches Temples and other Monuments but the end whereto they were first founded maketh them commendable Secondly let it be considered to what intent these Monuments were erected in the popish time and so many Monasteries builded not for the most part of any true deuotion or to the honor of God but pro remedio animae pro remissione peccatorum in honorem gloriosae virginis for the remedie of their soule for the remission and expiation of their sinnes to the honor of the glorious Virgin As King Ethelstane after the death of his brother which he had procured builded in satisfaction two Monasteries of Midleton and Michelenes Elfrida for the death of Ethelwold her husband builded a Monasterie of Nunnes in remission of sinnes Queene Alfrith in repentance of her fact for causing her sonne King Edward to be murdered founded two Nunries one at Amesburie by Salisburie the other at Werewell let any man now iudge what good beginning those Monasticall foundations had Thirdly it will be an hard matter for them to proue that all the founders of Churches Colledges and other Monuments were of the Romane opinion 〈◊〉 â—eligion as now it is professed For Charles surnamed the Great who is said to haue builded so many Monasteries as be letters in the A B C held a Councell at Frankeford where was condemned the 2. Nicene Councell with Irene the Empresse that approued the adoration of Images which is now maintayned by the papall corporation In King Ethelstanes time the Prince was acknowledged to haue the chiefe stroke in all causes whether spirituall or temporall as it may appeare by diuers constitutions by him made for the direction of the Cleargie In this Kings raigne diuers Monasteries were builded as the Abbey of Midleton and Michelenes In King Edmunds time the opinion of transubstantiation was not generallie receiued but then newly hatched by certaine miraculous fictions imputed to Odo Vnder this King the order of the Monks of Bennets order increased and the Abbey of S. Edmundsburie with great reuenues indowed In King Edward the Martyrs raigne Priests were suffered to haue their wiues and were restored to their Colledges and Monks thrust out by Alpherus Duke of Mercia In this Kings time were founded the Nunries at Amesburie and Werewell I trust then that in these times when neither images were adored nor the Princes authoritie in ecclesiasticall causes abridged nor transubstantiation beleeued nor the mariage of Ministers inhibited all went not currant for Poperie as it is now receiued Fourthly this age of Protestancie for this 40. yeare in England vnder the happie regimeÌ„t of our late Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth hath beene more fruitfull of pious works in building of Hospitals Almes-houses free Schooles Colledges in the Vniuersities speciallie in Cambridge founding of fellowships schollarships erecting of Libraries speciallie the Vniuersitie Librarie at Oxford by the liberall charge christian care of Maister Bodlie a religious and well disposed Gentleman then any like space of time which can be named vnder the regiment of the papall Hierarchie See more of this elsewhere And concerning the godlie care of the foresaid vertuous and liberall Gentleman he deserueth to be compared either to Pamphilus which erected or Acacius and Euzonius which enlarged and amended the famous Librarie of Caesarea in whom that sentence of Hierome vttered of Pamphilus is now verified Beatus Pamphilus cum Demetrium Phalereum Pisistratum in sacrae bibliothecae studio voluit â—quare imagines ingeniorum quae vera sunt aeterna monumenta toto orbe perquireret Blessed Pamphilus equalizing Demetrius Phalereus and Pisistratus in taking care for Libraries he sought for the images of mens wits the only true and eternall monuments through the whole world 6 I suppose rather that all things requisite to true religion are wanting in Poperie where the people are nusled vp in ignorance no edifying in their Churches where all the seruice is muttered in an vnknowne toong no reading of scripture which should make them wise to saluation no comfort in prayer to saluation which they vnderstand not seldome receiuing of the sacrament and that but in one kind and so it is maymed and defectiue in the sacramentall effects where then there is no knowledge in themselues no edifying toward others no true prayer to God no comfort in meditation of scripture no strength in the celebration of the sacraments where men are taught not to relie only by faith vpon Christ but to trust in their merites not to rest in Christs mediation but to seeke for the intercession of Angels and Saincts not to be content with a spirituall worship of God but to prostitute themselues to dumbe Idols not to cleaue only to the scriptures in matters of faith but to runne vnto traditions How then doth this religion obserue all things nay rather how are not all things there wanting that are requisite to true religion And as the liuing haue small comfort so as little hope is there of the dead whose soules after they haue passed the troubles of this life they send to Purgatorie flames there to suffer more then euer they endured before like as a Ship hauing escaped the dangerous surges of the Sea should suffer wracke and be lost in the hauen Of such comfortlesse doctrine that saying of Plutarke is verified Death to all men is the end of life but to superstition it is not so for it extendeth feare beyond a mans life then hell gates are set open fierie streames and infernall riuers are let go and horrible darkenes
shall not haue the custodie of the heire that holdeth of the king by free soccage of another by Knights seruice Hen. 3. an 9. Mag. chart c. 27. Ward 13.14 15. The King shall haue the ward and mariage of all that hold of him in chiefe Ed. 2. ann 17. praerogatiu reg c. 1.2.6 11 Women 2. That widowes of them that hold of the King in chiefe shall not marrie without the Kings licence praerogat reg c. 4. ann 17. Ed. 2. 12 Wreck 2. The King shall haue the wrecke of the sea throughout the realme praerogat reg c. 11. ann 17. Edward 2. Thus it is euident that these lawes by this pettifogger alleaged do not serue his turne at all neither is there to be found so much as one syllable sounding that way that these priuileges and graunts were for that reason and intent giuen vnto the Kings of England as he saith for the defence of the Popish faith so that he is euidētlie conuinced of so many vntruths as he hath here quoted lawes And beside let it be considered that all these prerogatiues were graunted in the raignes of Hen. 3. and Edw. 2. who impugned the iurisdiction of the Romane Bishop and therefore are reckned vp in the number of Kings of vnhappie successe by this Popes Register p. 77. How then is it like that these priuiledges were graunted them for defence of the papall seignorie to the which they so much opposed themselues 3 But concerning the dignities of the Church of England founded as he saith by their Catholike Kings we do possesse them with better right then the Popish Clergie did For 1. whereas they erected them to the honor of God which was the principall end of their deuotion though they fayled in the meanes we doubt not but that these erections are now better employed to Gods glorie then euer they were in time of Poperie and that they not we vsed those franke gifts contra formam collationis against the forme of collation and mind of the founder employing them to superstitious and idolatrous and riotous vses not pious and religious and therefore did forfeit their state according to the equitie of the lawe 2 Beside this is consonant to the lawes Imperiall that edificies abused to heresie and superstition should be added vnto the true Church and the reason of the lawe is yeelded Certum est quicquid à fide Christianorū discrepat legi Christianae esse contrarium It is certaine what soeuer differeth from the Christian faith is contrarie to the Christian lawe Such things then as were abused against true religion were out of the lawes protection 3 These ecclesiasticall dignities were first erected for the preaching of the word as the Apostle saith If wee haue sowen vnto you spirituall things is it a great thing if we reape your carnall things Therefore an vnpreaching Clergie such as the Popish Hierarchie is hath no right vnto them they were but vsurpers no true owners Therefore ye Popish Masse-priests and Baals shauelings are the miserable people spoken of worthie with Elie his posteritie to beg a morsell of bread and a piece of siluer rather then to beare the Priests office To whom that saying of Ambrose may fitlie be applied Nomen inane crimen immane honor sublimis vita deformis ne sit religiosus amictus irreligiosus profectus Let not your name be vaine your crimes certaine your honor hie your life awrie your habit holie but your hearts and works vnholie Such as Alexander said Antipater was He did weare white garments without and was all purple within Such is the Popish Clergie outwardlie clothed with sanctitie inwardlie full of hypocrisie The Apologie 1 NO place of error was left for those Kings pa. 66. li. 7. Ergo their religion is to be receiued that it is not likely that those auncient Catholike Kings could erre he would proue 1. by the confession of the Protestants That it doth appertaine to the title and iurisdiction of Christian Kings to determine matters and questions of religion pag. 64. lin 10. 2 Because of the zeale and deuotion of those Kings c. there is no comparison but rather Protestant Princes should erre then they pag. 64. lin 32. 3 Because of the number learning and pietie of them by whom they were counsayled pag 64. lin 30. as Cedde Anselme Dunstane Thomas Becket Lanfranke pa. 65. li. 30. 4 There was no place of error left for those Kings c. because no decree of faith without generall consent of the whole Christian word generall Councels c. except God would permit the whole world to be deluded c. pag. 66. lin 6.10 c. The Antilogie 1 TO proue the former Catholike Kings not to haue erred he beginneth himselfe with an error and fiction of his owne that Protestants referre the deciding and determination of questions of religion vnto Princes as though the resolution of all such doubts were layd vp and locked in the Princes breast We do attribute vnto our Christian Princes no absolute power to determine what they will nor priuiledge them from error as they do their Pope The allegations in the margent affixed are friuolous for neither did the Conuocation ann 1562. referre the deciding the questions of religion to her Maiestie but they were first agreed vpon by the Archbishops Bishops and the rest of the Clergie by the word of God whereunto her Maiestie afterward gaue her royall assent Neither can any such thing be shewed out of any acte of Parliament ann 1. ann 5. ann 13. Elizab. as he cunninglie according to his fraudulent manner foisteth into the margent only the chiefe gouernment of all estates and in all causes is giuen to her Maiestie and that they ought not to be subiect to any forraine iurisdiction artic 37. The author of Synopsis is also in this behalfe sclaundered for he speaketh not where that question is handled of deciding of questions of religion but of the constituting of Ecclesiasticall lawes the authoritie whereof is shewed to belong to the Prince with three limitations 1. The Prince is not to prescribe any lawes but such as require the true worship of God 2. He is to consult in these cases with the learned and godlie of his realme 3. Such canons and ordinances the execution whereof properlie belong vnto the Ministers of the Church are excepted and so it is concluded that no lawes ought to be made without the authoritie of the Prince which the Prince is bound to execute Now sir doth it follow hereupon that Christian Princes are absolutely to be obeyed in all ecclesiasticall lawes whatsoeuer vnlesse you could shew this by the confession of Protestants which you shall neuer do your reason is not worth a rush 2 Neither doth it follow because some of them were men of great sanctimonie as instance is giuen in King Alured of his deuout prayers godlie exercises charitable works pa. 64. whose singular vertues
so confusedlie hudled together that the paines are greater to marshall them into any good order then to answere them The same part he playeth here heaping vp many things disorderly and carying all along before him as with a violent streame of words Like as Theocritus was wont to say of Anaximenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now beginneth the flood of words and but a drop of wit first I will examine his accusation of errors and bring it into some order vsing still his owne words That is no true Church or Religion wherein many heresies and infidelities raigning are condemned and disclosed P. 6. lin 17.24 But among the Protestants many heresies and infidelities haue beene condemned and disclosed which raigned among them Ergo c. First if the proposition were true then should not the Church of the Corinthians haue beene the Church of Christ among whom there were diuers heresies according as S. Paule said vnto them There must be heresies among you that they which are approued may be knowne 2 By the same reason the Pagane Idolaters might haue condemned the Christians because there did spring vp among them farre more sects diuisions and heresies then among the Gentiles whereof Augustine sheweth the reason Non praeferant nobis quasi concordiam suam hostem quippe quem patimur illi non patiuntur Let them not tell vs of their concord for they feele not that enemie whom we suffer Quid illi lucri est quia litigant aut quid damni quod non litigant What should it profite Sathan if they were at strife or what hindrance were it if they contend not eos vnum licet sentientes possidet he possesseth them though in vnitie de vtilitat ieiun tom 9. In like sort it were not to bee maruelled at though Papists were not deuided for Sathan seeing them to agree together in a false religion hath no neede by other meanes and engines to winne them But where he seeth the true faith and doctrine to be receiued there he bestirreth himself by sects schismes and diuisions to hinder the growth thereof 3. I pray you which is more like to be the true Church that which condemneth heresies that they do not raigne among them as the Protestants haue done or that which suffereth and endureth them as the Popish Church tolerateth Iewes Paganes Mahometanes Maranes The Popish Church doth not onely suffer but practise Iudaisme for euery yeere their vse is to consecrate a Paschall lambe in Missal Roman in fine Vnder Adrian the 6. Demetrius an idolatrous Grecian when the pestilence raged in Rome was permitted vnder the Popes nose Pestilentiae placando numini taurum immolare to sacrifice a bull to appease the Goddesse pestilence Paul Iouius lib. 21. in fine And as for the Marani being driuen out of Spaine they were receiued in Rome by Pope Alexander 6. much against the minde of King Ferdinandus Onuphr in eius vita And at this day in Spaine that abominable sect aboundeth That Church then is rather to be reprooued which tolerateth such prophane enormities then that which condemneth and restraineth them As the Church of Ephesus is commended for hating the workes of the Nicolaitanes Reuel 2.8 but the Church of Thyatira is rebuked for suffering the woman Iezabel that named her selfe a Prophetisse Reuel 2. vers 20. 4. These are contradictorie and repugnant speeches for heresies at the same time to raigne and to be condemned for in that they are condemned and disclosed it is euident that they raigne not for where heresie raigneth it is approoued not condemned Thus much of the proposition Secondly let vs see the probations of the assumption 1. This vnhappie age saith he hath hatched more errors he meaneth among the Protestants then euer any age or generation did in the schoole and regiment of Christ c. p. 5. lin 26.27 Ans. 1. Though he could shew more errors to haue risen in this age yet shall hee neuer prooue them to haue been hatched fostred or nourished by the Gospell or the doctrine thereof 2. Neither can it be iustified that more errors and heresies haue been inuented in this age then in any before for within the space of two hundred yeers after Christ more then an hundred grosse errors were broched In these latter times the heresies that are be neither in number so many setting some diuersities in opinion aside which are no heresies nor yet of so great weight and the most of them are but the old heresies reuiued 2. He bringeth his second proofe from our historians from the Records and Registers of London Norwich from the first protestant Synode c. wherin so many heresies are condemned c. pag. 6. Ans. 1. Our historians make mention that ann Edward 6.4 1551. that Ione Butcher was brent for heresie that Christ tooke no flesh of the Virgine Marie and ann Elizab 3. 1561. as hee noteth in the margin one Iohn Moore was whipped for making himselfe Christ and one William Geffrey for saying he was the Disciple of Christ till they both confessed that Christ was in heauen Will you from hence conclude that the Church of England is no true Church because it punisheth heretikes and phantasticall spirits S. Paul may as well fall vnder your reproofe for excommunicating Alexander and Hymenaeus which had made shipwracke of the faith 1. Timoth. 1.20 and for condemning the heresie of Philetus and Hymenaeus 2. Timoth. 2.17 But this obiection of Ione Butcher condemned for heresie among Protestants might well haue been spared by this Ignatian Frier if he had remembred the like practise or course of one William Postell in France a brother of his owne order with an old superstitious beldame called Mother Iane concerning whom he writ a booke called The victorie of women wherein he maintained that as Christ died for man so his mother Iane was sent of God to saue women and that the soule of Iohn Baptist was transfused into her This wicked woman for these impieties was burned aliue by the sentence of the Parliament of Tolosa But her diuellish instructer escaped which had been more worthie of that punishment Now whereas we are referred to our Chronicles anno 1554. which was the 2. of Queene Mary if his meaning be to impute all errors and heresies that spring vp to the Church where they begin this instance toucheth the popish Church then flourishing it tendeth not to Protestants disgrace If hee send vs to the storie of one Elizabeth Croft there mentioned by Stow which counterfeited a spirit speaking in a wall and vttered diuers words against the Queene the Masse and confession c we can requite this narration with a like storie of another Elizabeth sirnamed Barton a Nunne called the holie maide of Kent in King Henry the 8. his raigne which faining her selfe to be in a traunce as though she had been inspired of the holie Ghost spake diuers things against the King and his proceedings inueighing
therefore as a stone that is rolled shall returne vpon themselues and as Hierome sayth sicut sagitta si in lapidem mittatur nonnunquam in mittentem reuertitur as an arrow shot against a stone recoyleth vpon the shooter and like as the smoake as Plutarke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it rise much at the beginning yet when the fire burneth cleare vanisheth so the truth shining forth shall chase away this smoakie calumniation Secondly he prooueth the intolerable vices of this age by the publike acts statutes of Parliament since the reuolt of King Henry 8. wherein more vnsufferable abuses c. both for number and strangenesse haue beene recorded and condemned then were in all the Parliaments of her Maiesties christian predecessors p. 8. Ans. 1. If this were a good argument against the Protestants Church because they haue by publike lawes condemned more vices then the age wherein Moses liued should be conuinced to be worse then any before because he brought in a number of lawes not knowne or heard of in the ages preceding then shall the raigne of the Christian Emperours from Constantine giue place to the regiment of the heathenish idolatrous Emperours who brought in more lawes twentie to one then were vnder Pagane Gouernors decreed Examine the Code who please he shall finde more lawes promulgated in the space of one hundred yeares vnder the christian Emperours Constantinus Constantius Iouinian Theodosius Valentinian Arcadius Honorius and others then in three hundred yeares before vnder all the Pagane Emperours 2 The reason is euident why the times of reformation haue brought forth more lawes because diuers enormities which were tolerated before by the light of truth being discouered began also by wholesome lawes to be restrained Hereunto do beare witnes the lawes and statutes enacted against the incontinencie of Priests against the vnreasonable exaction of Mortuaries concerning the probate of testaments against the non-residence of Ministers to restraine pluralities and heaping together many spirituall promotions against vnlawfull games and playes against vsurie against periurie These and twentie more abuses either in poperie neglected or else but slenderlie corrected by the care of good magistrates thereunto by the word of God incited and stirred haue bene by wise and godly lawes prohibited and prouided against So that this tendeth rather to the commendation of Christian Princes professing the Gospell to stay the course of vngodlines by their christian care and prudence then to suffer them to increase as their predecessors did by carelesse conniuence 3 This obiection also may be retorted vpon themselues for the constitutions and canons can not easily be numbred which haue bene made in the Romane Church against the monstrous abuses in those times both in the Clergie and lay sort As to giue an instance of some That Prelates should not sell their offices for money Synod Coloniens sub Adulph med 3. cap. 3. That they should be content with one Archdeaconrie Lateran part 24. c. 5. That Clergie-men should not sell Ale by measure or keepe an Inne or house of lodging Synod Hildeshem c. 14. That they should not beate or wound one an other Synod Maguntin c. 100. That they haunt not Tauernes or play at dice Senonens decret 25. That they should not weare gilded spurres or golden buttons Lateran sub Innocent 3.16 That stage playes be not brought into the Church Coloniens par 3. c. 26. Against Clergie-men that forsweare themselues Lateranens 17.4 Against such as blaspheme and curse God Reformat Ratisp c. 29. That Clerks sing not filthie songs Senonens decret mor. 25. That they play not the Iesters at rich mens tables Colon. part 2. cap. 32. That they vse not drinkings ad aequales haustus by stinted draughts Coloniens par 5. c. 6. Against those that exercising iurisdiction take pensions of Clergie-men keeping concubines Lateran sub Leon. 10. sess 11. An hundred such decrees may be found in the late Synodes of the Papall Church which do bewray the vncleane and corrupt liues of the Romane Clergie so that we may say of them as the Apostle of some it is a shame to speake of the things which are done of them in secret And as Hierome sayth magis vitam tuam ordinare disce quam alienam carpere learne rather to order your owne life then to carp at an others So our aduersaries should learne first to amend their owne errors before they complaine of Protestants disorders This multitude indeede of Popish prouisions is an argument of their manifold corruptions as Arcesilaus said as where many Phisicians are many diseases raigne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so where many lawes are much iniustice also is found 3 The third proofe is from the testimonie of some Protestant writers of Luther Caluine Musculus Iacobus Andreas Iohn Riuiu◠which complaine of Epicures knaues dissolute persons men of a beastlie life of outragious wickednes that it appeareth that Atheisme and Epicurisme hath inuaded the life of man Deuils rather incarnate then reformed and all these in the cities and places where the Gospell is professed Apolog. p. 9.10 Answ. 1. Is not this now a goodlie argument there are Epicures Atheists Deuils incarnate in the places where the Gospell is receiued therefore no Church among them nor true Religion Was there not among the Apostles Iudas a Deuill incarnate and among the Corinthians some Epicures that said Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall dye Some Atheists that had not the knowledge of God and doubted of the resurrection There were also vncleane persons and fornicators will you therefore inferre that all the Corinthians were cut off from the Church of God Euen Cyprian complained in his time in a lamentable oration of the corrupt manners of Christians being then vnder persecution There is no deuout religion in Priests no sound faith in Ministers no charitie shewed in good works no forme of godlines in their conditions men are become effeminate and womens beautie is counterfeit If Christians were such exercised with persecution it is no maruell that some among Protestants enuying peace become carnall and secure And though we iustlie complaine of the profanenes of these times and of the ouerflowing of iniquitie euen where religion is most purely professed yet are we neither Catharists nor Donatists to thinke that the Church of God is perfect in this life and consisteth of all Saints without the medley of hypocrites worldly and carnall persons We mourne for such with the Apostle Many walke of whom I haue told you often and now tell you weeping that they are enemies of the crosse of Christ. And we say with Augustine Si mali sunt in ecclesia profecto eos aut ignorant boni aut suis iudicijs manifestatos ecclesiasticis legib damnant aut si eos nouerint nec damnare possunt pro ecclesiae pace tolerant If there be euill men in the Church either the good know them not or
Councell neither was it by the same reason generall for at the same time the generall Councell of Basil was celebrate which beareth this stile sacrosancta generalis synodus Basiliensis in spiritu sancto legitimè congregata vniuersalem ecclesiam repraesentans the most holie generall Synod of Basill lawfullie assembled in the holie spirit representing the vniuersall Church The 31. Sess. beareth date ann 1438. in which yeare began the Councell of Ferraria adiourned afterward to Florence as it appeareth in the proeme to the Councell And least it might be thought that the Synode Basiliens was now determined it is manifestlie apparent that it both began before ann 1431. and continued after being not dissolued before ann 1442. which date the 45. sess beareth But the Florentine Councell was ended ann 1539. as it appeareth by the date of the letters of Vnion How then could the Florentine be Generall representing the whole Church whereas another generall Synode at the same instant was congregate at Basill Neither yet was any thing concluded in the Synode of Florence against the Protestants faith The question there handled and for the deciding whereof both the Greeke and Latine Church were assembled was concerning the proceeding of the Holie Ghost from the Father and the Sonne And whereas the Greekes were requested by the Pope that the Synode would discourse of the transmutation of the bread they refused affirming they had no authoritie so to do being called together pro illa tantum spiritus sancti processione onely for and about the procession of the holie-ghost As for the letters of Vnion wherein other articles are conteined they were not made by the consent of the whole Synod for as the storie saith Multi prinsquam huiusmodi subscriptio fieret discesserunt Many were departed before any such subscription was made neither did the Greeke Church obserue this vnion afterward though Pope Eugenius cunningly made two of the Greeke Bishops Bessarion and another Cardinals of Rome to keepe the Greeks in obedience to the Romane Church but all would not serue Concerning the Tridentine Conuocation there subscribed onely vnto it of Cardinals Archbishops Bishops not aboue 42. and the most of them were of Italy Sicily Spaine though since an other tale is told vs from Collen that there subscribed 25. Archbishops and 168. Bishops but they are all summed in grosse their names are not expressed Is not this sillie chapter or conuenticle of popish Bishops worthie the name thinke you of a generall Synode with the which neither the Kings of England and France nor yet the Princes of Germany consented or communicated Many prouinciall Synods haue made as great an apparance of Bishops and some haue exceeded In the second Councell of Carthage there were present 214. Bishops In the fift Councell of Carthage ann 438. Bishops 73. In the Synode Epaunens 70. In the fourth Toletane 70. Bishops subscribed an 681. why then should this late chapter of Trent presume beyond these prouinciall Synodes to be called Generall or Vniuersall consisting of so small a number of popish Bishops conspiring together neither in number honestie or learning to be compared vnto the Bishops of diuers prouinciall Synods we therefore force not whatsoeuer this conuenticle hath decreed 6 It is a notable vntruth that in the popish Church there is not neither euer was any disagreement or contradiction in matters of beleeuing whereas the contrarie is most manifest apparant as these particulars do shew The Councell of Constance excommunicateth all those which communicate in both kinds sess 13. The Councell of Basile doth graunt to the Bohemians the vse of both kinds Both the said Councels decree that a Generall Councell is aboue the Pope and that it is veritas catholicae fidei a veritie of the catholike faith so to beleeue and that pertinaciter repugnans est censendus haereticus that he which obstinately resisteth is to be iudged an heretike and it is de necessitate salutis credere c. of the necessitie of saluation to beleeue that a generall Councell hath supreme authoritie and yet for all this the contrarie was decreed that the Pope is aboue a Generall Councell Lateran sub Leon. sess 11. The Franciscane Friers did teach that the Virgin Mary was conceiued without originall sinne the Dominicanes held the contrarie The Rhemists hold that none are absolutely elected without respect had to their works Annot. Hebr. 5. sect 7. Bellarmine proueth the contrarie that we are elected freelie without any foresight of works Some of the popish writers extoll free-will giuing vnto the same a naturall power of it selfe vnto good Scotus Durandus Gabriel Some do affirme the contrarie as Capreolus Marsilius Some of them hold that Episcopalis ordinatio the ordaining of Bishops is no sacrament Dominicus a Soto Caietanus Durandus Bellarmine with the rest affirme the contrarie Some that Matrimonie is no sacrament of the new testament as Durand Alphonsus Petrus a Soto Bellarmine with the rest hold the contrarie Concerning the indeleble character which they say is imprinted in the soule by the sacraments Scotus saith it can not be proued by the scripture Gabriel doubteth whether the Church haue determined it Bellarmine maintaineth the contrarie Some thinke that in the Eucharist the substance of Christes bodie is present but without quantitie as Durand others that it hath quantitie but no distinction or order of parts as Ockam Bellarmine saith it hath both Nicolaus 3. defined that Christ had no propertie in any thing Sext. decretal lib. 5. tit 12. c. 3. Iohn 22. decreeth that opinion to be hereticall that affirmeth Christ and his Apostles to haue had nothing And at this present there is no small diuision and discord betweene the popish seculars and Iebusites euen in matters of iudgement and doctrine not only in externall points of difference 1 The Priests deliuer this position that a Catholike may commit of frailtie any sinne that an infidel heretike or schismatike committeth Replie p. 50. b. This Parsons denieth and proueth the contrarie Manifest p. 28. 2 Father Parsons holdeth that if a man do deteine an other mans goods wrongfullie and be possessor malae fidei he is absolutely bound by all possible meanes to restore them to the true owner Manifest f. 45. a. The Priests hold the contrarie that a man is not bound to restore when it can not be done without imminent danger as to deliuer a man his sword wherewith he purposeth to kil an other Replie f. 63. b. and they are in the right The Ignatian diuines at Salamanca in Spaine resolued vpon these conclusions to be sound in popish diuinitie that the Catholikes in Ireland might with great merit ayde that Rebell Tyrone that the Catholikes sinne mortallie that take part with the English that they are by no construction Rebels that fight against the Queene Replie f. 66. b. All which positions the secular
Christs natiuitie death and resurrection he knoweth and confesseth But the right Christian faith beside the illumination of the vnderstanding maketh an assured confidence of the heart and setleth the conscience and maketh vs at peace with God and by this faith euery one that vnfainedly seeketh God beleeueth that he will reward them as the Apostle saith He that commeth vnto God must beleeue that he is and that he will reward those that seeke him Here are two parts of faith expressed a knowledge that God is and a beleefe or assurance that God will reward his seekers and followers 4. The argument proposed concludeth well against Papists that he which is doubtfull of faith is much more doubtful to obtaine heauē for a man may haue their speculatiue faith yet be no whit neerer to heauen nor sure thereof But the right faith which Protestants professe doth put them euen while they liue in assurance and in some sort in possession of the kingdome of heauen as our Sauiour saith He that beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is escaped from death to life Wherefore it is an hard and difficult matter with Papists to obtaine heauen or to be assured thereof though they haue the Popish faith But with Protestants after they be endued with a liuely iustifying faith there is no doubt or difficultie in obtaining the reward for we are kept by the power of God through faith to saluation and the end of our faith is the saluation of our soules He therefore that is in the way of faith is sure to come vnto the end which is saluation I may therefore vse against this Romanist the words of Basile You are guiltie of that which you accuse in another It is an hard matter for your followers to obtaine or be sure of heauen and therfore you iudge so of the Protestants But as Augustine saith Quisquis adhuc malus non putet neminem bonum esse Let not him that is euill thinke no man good Because Popish religion is desperate and comfortlesse thinke not euery religion to be so The fourth Probation THe argument here vrged may be framed thus He whom all or most denie to haue title or interest to a kingdome will faintly take it in hand The Protestants make the kingdom of God vncertaine improbable impossible to be obtained and so denie men to haue interest to it Ergo they are the cause that few aduenture so certaine and painfull a worke for so vncertaine and doubtfull recompence The Solution 1. TO the proposition this may bee answered that although in terrene kingdoms where a title is denied of all there is small hope to obtaine because to a temporall inheritance admittance is by temporall meanes and entrance to kingdomes is made by the fauour and assistance of vnited friends yet moued by the iustnes of the title as the Wiseman saith In the multitude of the people is the honour of the King and for the want of people commeth the destruction of a Prince yet in the obtaining of the kingdome of heauen the case is farre diuers for the children of God haue good title vnto it and great interest in it and will earnestly contend and striue for it though all the world say nay as Elias was not dismaied in his course though he thought himselfe to be left alone and to be forsaken of all men 2. It is an impudent slaunder that the Protestants make the kingdome of God vncertaine improbable or impossible to be obtained these are the proper badges of the Popish Church For how doe not they make the kingdome of God vncertaine when they teach that the certitude of remission of sinnes is a vaine confidence and void of all godlines and others call it a faithlesse perswasion of saluation for a man to be assured by faith that hee shall be saued How is it not also improbable seeing if any among thē are likely to goe to heauen their Popes whom they call holy Fathers Christs Vicars hauing S. Peters keyes to whom the spirituall treasure of the Church is committed to whom it belongeth to canonize Saints who are priuiledged not to erre they in all reason and probabilitie should be most sure to goe to heauen Is it probable that they can open heauen to others and commaund the Angels to carrie other mens soules to heauen that they can canonize others and bee excluded heauen themselues And yet they dare pronounce of some of their Popes and those not the worst that they are damned as Bellarmine is reported to haue said to an English Doctor of Sixtus the last that descendit ad infernum that hee was gone to hell as farre as he could conceiue or vnderstand Yea by their doctrine the kingdome of heauen is impossible to bee had seeing they doe ascribe it to mens workes and merits for this I dare by warrant of the Scriptures affirme that he which maketh account to purchase heauen by his workes and not to obtaine it by faith is not like to come thither For by the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified This obiection then might well haue bin spared which reboundeth back vpō their own face Thus are they snared in their owne words and so it falleth out vnto this brabler as it is in Iob He that speaketh many words shall be answered againe If hee be loth to haue the nakednes of his mother discouered he should haue followed Hieromes saying Vis me tacere ne accuses depone gladium ego scutum abijciam Would you haue vs quiet you should not haue accused vs if you had laid downe your sword I should not haue needed to take vp a shield Clitarchus could haue told you Vtter not those things which you are loth to heare your selfe The fift Probation THe Mahometanes were neuer more wicked then after the Persian schisme and diuision amongst them Likewise the Iewes were diuided into many sects and religions at the comming of Christ Samaritanes Pharisies Sadduces Essenes c. whereby that nation c. was drowned and ouerwhelmed in such monstrous and erronious iniquities The conclusion must be Ergo Protestants being so diuided are most wicked c. The Solution FIrst this argument is denied for though among the Infidels and misbeleeuers such as the Turkes are and the Iewes were at the comming of Christ where none hold the truth but al are in error diuisions and sects make them worse yet is it not so among those which professe the trueth 1. For there the diuersitie of sects and the springing and publishing of heresies doth make the defence of the truth more glorious and the defenders therof more faithfull and constant as the Apostle saith There must be heresies euen among you that they which are approoued among you may be knowne 2. And yet in the meane time the authors of schisme
against them First for Sybils Oracles they do euidently describe the Pope of Rome calling him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that should haue a manifold that is a triple crowne and his name should come neere to Ponti so is he called Pontifex that all the world should visit his foote that he should gather together huge heapes of gold and siluer be skilfull in Magick arte And afterward in the same booke Sybill speaketh of the vtter ruine and desolation of Rome Concerning the Rabbines neither do they witnes for the Romanes but did rather by the scriptures gather that they should be enemies to the Church for so they vnderstand that prophesie of Balaam that Cittim shall afflict Heber of the power of Italy and Rome so Onkelos Iarchi Ezra Sadaiah Isaac Bochai as they are cited by that learned man in his Concent whose name as I haue heard this opponent beareth but neither his wit nor learning Is not this now a braue lad that would make vs belieue that these speake for him that are vtterlie against him But whereas he challengeth beside that Mahometanes Iewes Paganes Infidels Heretikes Schismatikes Deuils damned soules soules in Purgatorie do witnesse with them We willinglie yeeld them all these they are fit Iurie men to bring in such a verdite onely I take exception against two of this empanelled enquest the soules in Purgatorie which is no where and therfore it is a vaine proofe and the damned soules who if they might vtter their complaint from hell they would cry out against their popish instructors which by their idolatrie doctrine of freewill merits pilgrimages inuocation of Saints blind traditions and by many other grosse errors and blind ignorance condemned them to hell 8 He saith further That the Queene by her new taken prerogatiue proceedeth in spirituall causes without Parliament Here are two vntruths couched together 1 Her Maiestie did while she liued exercise no authoritie in those causes which the statutes of this realme haue not yeelded vnto her and therefore without Parliament she proceeded not that authoritie in spirituall matters being restored to the Crowne by acte of Parliament 2 False also it is that this prerogatiue is new taken vp that the Prince should be the supreme gouernor ouer all persons and in all causes as well ecclesiasticall as temporall for her Maiestie did not challenge any authoritie and power of ministerie of deuine offices in the Church as the Papists do falsely slaunder the state but only she was acknowledged during her princely life and raigne to be supreame gouernor of the Church in her realme to prescribe lawes for the same by the word of God and to see them executed and no otherwise This prerogatiue is auncient neuer denied to Christian Princes Dauid Solomon Iehosaphat Hezekiah Iosias reformed religion deposed idolatrous priests made ecclesiasticall orders and lawes Eleutherius calleth King Lucius Gods vicar in his kingdome and saith it is his dutie to call his people to the faith and law of Christ. Pope Leo thus decreed Res humanae c. Humane matters can not otherwise be safe nisi quae ad diuinam confessionē pertinent regia sacerdotalis defendat dignitas vnlesse those things which belong to the deuine profession both the kinglie and priestlie authoritie defend And among other offices of the Kings of England this is one Vt regat ecclesiam That he gouerne the Church Yea the popish Clergie were the first that recognized King Henry the 8. to be the supreame head of the Church of England 9 Where he saith The definition of the Pope in such cases is impossible to be false by all morall iudgement You should haue said moriall or a fooles iudgement for it is notoriouslie knowne that diuers Popes haue been heretikes Marcellinus was a Montanist Liberius an Arrian Honorius was condemned for an Heretike Anastasius and Celestinus were Nestorians Yea it is also manifest that the Bishops of Rome haue erred in their definitions and decrees Nicolaus 1. alloweth baptisme made onely in the name of Christ Decret 1. de baptis Platina saith Post Stephanum c. After Stephen this custome was obserued Vt acta priorū pontificum sequentes aut infringerent aut omnino tollerent That the Popes which succeeded did infringe the acts of their predecessors or cleane take them away The former then or the latter must needs erre in their decrees Erasmus saith Ioannes 22. Nicolaus totis decretis intra se pugnant idque in his quae videntur ad fidei negotium pertinere Iohn 22. and Nicolas in all their decrees do fight one with another and in such things as belong vnto faith But if you waigh not the credit of this testimonie heare one of your Popes confession Quid si criminosus papa contraria fidei praedicet haereticisque dogmatib imbuat subditos What if a bad Pope do preach contrarie to the faith and corrupt his subiects with hereticall opinions It is possible then for a Pope not only to erre himselfe but to preach publish and enioyne it to others What an heape of lyes hath this fabulous Frier told vs and all within the compasse of one page I may say to him as Diogenes to Plato who requesting of him three rootes out of his garden sent him a bushell euen so saith he when you are asked you answere many things But this vnskilfull gardener vnasked hath cast vs out of his garden stinking weeds by lumps serued vs with a bushell of lyes Cyprianes saying may very well be applied to such ouer-reaching Romanists Romani cum sua mendaciorum merce nauigant quasi veritas post eos nauigare non posset The Romanists hoise vp saile to carrie their merchandise of lyes as though the truth could not saile after them so this nimble Cursitor trips away with his false footing as though no man could trace his wide footsteps and ouertake him The fourth Perswasion 1 I Defend a religion which hath confuted all aduersaries Atheists Epicures Iewes Paganes Mahumetanes Magicians Philosophers 2 Which hath conquered aboue 400. sects of internall and domesticall heretikes subdued all nations 3 Not a religion builded vpon vaine coniecture c. wherein so many heads so many religions deniers of scriptures deceitfull false translators corrupters and forgers of holie euidence deuisers of doctrines for pleasure sake c. 4 But a religion founded vpon the most certaine and infallible word of God c. The Disswasion 1 HOw well popish religion confuteth Atheists Epicures Iewes Pagans Mahometanes I haue shewed before that poperie boroweth from all these that diuers of their Popes haue been Atheists Gregor 7. Siluester 2. Paulus 3. Benedict 9. Ioann 13. Leo. 10. Alexander 6. with other Iewes and Turkes are tolerated vnder the Popes nose onely the Protestants are persecuted vnto death And for Magicians Platina sheweth that
more then twentie of the Popes haue been giuen to that diuelish studie How Papists are confuters of Philosophers I leaue it to their owne report of one Maldonat an Ignatian sectarie that in a great auditorie in one lecture laboured to proue by naturall reasons that there is a God in an other that there is none and that the Iesuites do mainetaine at this day by the penne of Rene de la Fon that the Godhead must be proued by naturall reason 2 Vntrue also it is that Poperie hath conquered so many heresies retayning still a great number of them as is before sufficientlie declared neither haue they cause to brag of their vniuersalitie in subduing all nations for poperie was neuer so generall as pagane Idolatrie neither had the Pope euer commaund of all nations the Greeke Church hauing euer been deuided from him and I trust euery day his iurisdiction will be lesse and his account of nations come short as thanks be to God his nailes are well pared and his armes shortned in many famous cities and kingdomes in Christendome 3 Of the Papists it may be more truly said that they haue as many heads so many religions of the diuers sects and schismes in poperie and differences among their writers which rise to the computation of many hundreds relation hath been made before They are the deniers of scripture not Protestants that haue not blushed to say that the Pope may change the forme of words in baptisme that the Pope may dispense against the new testament that the Pope may dispense against all the precepts of the old and new testament that the scripture taketh authoritie from the Church of Rome that no man may lawfullie beleeue any thing by the authoritie of scripture against the determination of the Church Another saith the authoritie of the scriptures is founded in the allowance of the Church Another Apostoli quaedam scripserunt non vt praessent c. the Apostles writ certaine things not that they should rule faith and religion sed subessent but should be vnder Let any man now iudge if these men be not deniers of scripture which do derogate from the authoritie thereof that take vpon thē to chop change it to annihilate the precepts thereof and dispense against it So they not Protestants are the false translators of scripture who allow the vulgar Latine onely to be authenticall which in many hundred places altereth and corrupteth the Hebrue text As Genes 2.8 God planted a garden from the beginning for toward the East Genes 15. she shall breake thy head for he Gen. 4.13 they reade my sinne is greater then I can deserue pardon for then I can beare Gen. 6.5 their cogitation intent to euill for onely euill continuallie Gen. 12.15 and the princes told Pharao for the princes of Pharao saw her Gen. 26.9 why didst thou lye for why saidst thou v. 19. they digged in torrente in the brooke for in the vallie Gen. 35.16 he came in the spring time to the ground which bringeth to Ephratha for there was a little space of ground to come to Ephrah Genes 36.24 found out hoate waters in the wildernes for Mules Gen. 40.13 shall remember thy seruice for shall lift vp thy head Psal. 68.4 exalt him that ascendeth super occasum vpon the west or sunne-set for vpon the heauens v. 6. deliuereth prisoners in strength for in fetters v. 13. though ye sleepe betweene the lots for lien among the pots v. 17. tenne thousand for twentie thousand and a thousand such places might be alleaged wherein they haue corrupted the scriptures The Papists also are the men that forge scripture and other euidences for they thrust vpon the Church diuers Apocryphall bookes of Tobie Iudith Macchabees with the rest which the auncient Church of the Iewes to whom all the bookes of the old Testament and oracles of God were committed neuer receiued nor allowed So haue they forged and deuised diuers other writings as the Decretall epistles of the auncient Bishops of Rome which were Martyrs as of Zepherinus Calixtus Pontianus Vrbanus Fabianus with the rest which are all counterfeit stuffe as are also the leiturgie of S. Iames the writings that passe vnder the name of S. Martialis Abdias Hippolytus Dionysius and many such as is elsewhere declared more at large 4 Neither is it true that popish religion is founded vpon the infallible word of God conteyned in the scriptures but most of it vpon blind fallible and vncertaine traditions and many opinions the Church of Rome holdeth directlie opposite and contrarie to scripture as elsewhere hath been shewed Thus this friuolous aduersarie passeth on along heaping vp sclaunders and vntruths not remembring what the wise man sayth Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord but they that deale trulie are his delight But we neede not maruaile at it for this is familiar with thē with great boldnes to face out their owne forgeries and they may well say in Hieromes phrase domi nobis ista nascuntur we haue plentie of such stuffe at home But as the Lacedemonian magistrates said to Cephisophon the Orator when they expelled him that it was a good Orators part to make his speech answereable to his matter so should this sophister haue done and not to professe truth in his speech where none is in his matter The fift Perswasion 1 I Defend a religion where so much vertue is practised such obedience chastitie pouertie c. 2 Which brought the professors thereof to heauen as religious Heremites Monks Friers Priests Bishops Popes c. 3 Not that religion which made those which before were good chast obedient and contemners of the world to be wicked and giuen to impietie The Disswasion 1 WHat obedience poperie teacheth to their princes the late practises both in England and Fraunce do proclayme to all the world as the treacherous conspiracie of Parry incited by Cardinall Coomes letters of Somerfield and Arden sollicited by Hall a popish priest of Babington with other stirred vp by Ballard Lopez by Parsons Sauage and Yorke by Gifford Squire by Walpoole a Iebusite In Fraunce Iames Clement a Iacobine murdered Henry the third Barriere and Chastell attempted the like against the now King of Fraunce at the instigation of the Iesuites The Prince of Orange was by the like treacherie murdered and the death of the Chancelor of Scotland intended This may suffice to shew their obedience For their chastitie I appeale to the stories written of their vnholie fathers the Popes What place in the Christian world can afford more filthie spectacles of adulterers incestuous persons Sodomites then that Sea and citie of Rome I appeale to the inquisition made in King Henry the eights raigne at the suppression of the Abbeys when in some places the Priests and Monks were descried to haue kept some two some three some sixe some more one among the rest twentie concubines
black and euill conditions So I trust we are sufficientlie taught to beware of these crouching friers lewd and vngodlie practises The 11. Perswasion I Defend a religion c. where there is no festiuitie no office or part of diuine seruice c. but representeth vnto vs one benefite or other no ceremonie is vsed in the holie sacrifice of the Masse no action of the Priest no ornament or attire he weareth no benediction he giueth no signe of the crosse he maketh but hath his religious signification and preacheth vnto vs his introite to the Altare his actions there his returne from thence the verie vestments wherewith he is adorned his putting of them on his putting them off his Amice Albe Girdle Maniple Stole Vestment speake nothing but Christ crucified c. The Disswasion 1 INdeede such Church such preaching this superstitious insinuation by crossings turnings comming going putting off putting on copes vestments is fit instruction for such blind worshippers But Christ is otherwise preached in his true Church then by dumbe ceremonies Moses was read and preached in the synagogues Act. 15.21 Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.17 not by shewing shadowing or signifying What hypocrites are these to thrust out of the Church the plaine reading of scripture to the peoples vnderstanding and to supplie it with mute and maymed shewes and ceremonies in which respect the Prophets words may be vsed against them who required these things at your hands Isay 1.12 2 But that it may better appeare what a goodlie kind of preaching this is by signes and circumstances I will brieflie bring in view some of their pope-edifying significations which by great ouersight the Frier belike ashamed thereof hath omitted and to begin with his owne trumperie First the shauing of Monks and Friers is very rich in sense and signification 1. It betokeneth the reuelation of the mysteries of our redemption by Christ. 2. It expresseth the similitude of Christs crowne of thornes 3. It insinuateth the amputation and cutting away of carnall desires 4. The circle of haire which is left representeth the fashion of a crowne because to be deuoted to Gods seruice is to raigne 5. The baring and making naked of the head implieth an apert and naked life and an open and free heart for celestiall meditations Likewise they vse diuers Magicall enchantments in the dedication of Churches 1. They make 12. crosses vpon the walles and set twelue burning lamps ouer against them signifying thereby that the 12. Apostles by their preaching brought light to the world 2. They burne incense set vp taper-light annoynt the altar and vessels with oyle to shew that the place is consecrate to holie vses 3. They sprinkle ashes ouer all the Church therein writing the Greeke and Latine Alphabet thereby setting forth the preaching of the faith which was first taught in those toongs 4. They beate vpon the Church dore with an hammer to driue Sathan from thence In Baptisme they vse many interpretatiue toyes 1. They touch the eares and nostrels with spittle that the eares may be ready to heare and the nostrels to discerne betweene the smell of good and euill 2. All the senses are signed with the crosse thereby to be defended 3. Salt is put into their mouth that they may be kept from putrifying in sinne 4. They are annoynted with oyle in the breast to be safe frō suggestions 5. They are annoynted with chrisme in the top of the head and thereby become Christians 6. A white garment is put vpon them that are baptized to betoken their regeneration 7. A vaile is put vpon their head in signe that they are now crowned with a royall diademe 8. A burning taper is put into their hand to fulfill that saying in the Gospell Let your light so shine before men c. Math. 5. In Matrimonie the like toyes are obserued as to couer the parties with a vaile to ioyne them together with a partie-coloured scarfe of white and purple to mutter certaine words ouer the ring to hallow it Thus haue they pestered the Church with a multitude of idle vnprofitable and vnedifying ceremonies which the Apostle calleth a yoke of bondage Galath 5.1 And as Augustine sayth Ipsam religionem quam Deus paucissimis sacramentis liberam esse voluit onerib premunt vt tolerabilior sit conditio Iudaeorum c. They cumber or oppresse religion with burdenous ceremonies which God would haue free with few sacraments And these friuolous obseruations and superstitious types do tend to instruction and bring religious lessons as this expounder of riddles telleth vs like as the Pharisees phylacteries and fringes of their garments tended to keeping of the lawe They writ the lawe in parchments and scroules and tied them to their frontlets and bound them vpon their armes whereas they should haue kept them in their harts Thus the Papists keepe the memorie of Christs death in crosses vestures pictures and such like which should be reuiued by the preaching of the word whereby Christ is described in our sight and among vs crucified as S. Paule to the Galathians and graft in mens hearts by a liuely faith 3 Now further as these papall Romanes do boast of their preaching and significant rites and ceremonies so the Pagane Romanes can pretend the like for their religion whose hieroglyphicall toyes are very consonant and suteable to these new histrionicall tricks of Christned Romanists 1. They sacrificed to Saturne bareheaded because all things are naked and open to God for the which cause also popish Priests were shauen to betoken their open and free harts c. 2. Their women in mourning vsed white garments to betoken innocencie and simplicitie so doth the white garment vsed in popish baptizing as we haue seene before 3. It was a great offence to vtter the name of their Deus tutelaris their God of defense so the Masse-priest mumbleth his mysticall enchaunting words in secret 4. When they tooke vp the table they alwayes left somewhat remayning because no holie thing such as they counted the table should be left emptie so the Masse-priests do reserue some part of the sacrament vpon the altare and hang it vp in the pixe 4 They did burne lamps in their temples and at the graues of the dead and consecrate wax candles to their Gods to signifie the euerlasting light so do the Papists 5 The auncient Romanes married not in May because it was an holie time vsed for solemne expiations so the Church of Rome inhibiteth mariage at certaine seasons for the holines of the time 6 They vsed not to marrie their Cosins that by mariage they might increase kinred In the Papall seignorie for the same cause mariage is forbidden betweene Godfathers and Godmothers and their Godchildren as they are called because they are alreadie of a spirituall kinred 7 The Paganes vsed a kind of shauing which betokened a crowne and thereof
running in a maze and not knowing where he is he speaketh contraries affirming vnawares what he before vntruely denied that the Magistrates chiefe care and sollicitude must be in taking order for such causes he meaneth of religion pag. 49. lin 13. And thus as Augustine fayth Impij in circuitu ambulant qui in gyrum it nunquaÌ„ finit c. The vngodlie walke in a maze as he that goeth in a compasse neuer is at an end And thus this obliuious discourser runneth himselfe out of breath saying and vnsaying for if the Magistrates chiefe care must be in taking order for causes of religion how do they not properly belong to the iudgement and redresse of those which rule in the common-wealth Much like he is to the roape-maker in Purgatorie who as fast as he twisteth the roape an asse behind deuoureth it So his wrested speeches as the ouer-runnings of his mouth are licked vp by a contrary breath Now right honorable this Popes-creature at the first discouereth himselfe he is his grand-masters factor to engrosse all ecclesiasticall causes to his vnholines and would cut your honors short both of iudgement and power in matters of religion And thus full well like a wise Orator he doth wisely at the first exasperate them to whom he would insinuate himselfe But go on my Lords in your honorable course to whom I do not only wish all excellent knowledge and iudgement in religion as S. Paule said vnto King Agrippa I would to God that not only thou but all that heare me to day were both almost and altogether such as I am c. but prosperous successe also in the defense thereof And I say with Hierome to euery one of your honors Cur qui in seculo primus es non in Christi familia primus sis Why should ye not that are chiefe in the world be chiefe also in Christs familie 2. Motiue Because you are sworne Councellers to assist our Princesse whose chiefe stile and title is graunted to her father King Henry the 8. by Pope Leo the 10. defender of the faith for defending the Catholike Romane religion against Luther c. The remooue 1. This title to be defender of the Church or faith was due vnto the Prince and giuen to the Kings of England long before King Henry in Edward the Confessors time Illos decet vocare reges qui vigilanter defendunt regunt ecclesiam Dei It is meete to call them Kings that vigilantly defend and gouerne the Church of God 2 Her Maiestie according to her princely stile hath shewed her selfe in deede while she liued a most constant Defender of the faith and to none of her predecessors was this stile more truely giuen for it is not conteyned in her Maiesties stile to be defender of the Romane or Papall but simplie of the faith 3 What if it were bestowed vpon King Henry for writing against Luther c. that famous King did not receiue it in that sense or at the least reteined it not neyther is it now annexed to the imperiall Crowne in that regard for writing c. which concerned the King only then being not his succession nor yet as a gift from the Pope but as a right due to all Christian Princes to defend the faith What the occasion first was of this title it skilleth not neither by whom nor for what it was taken vp so long as it is not a vaine title but the Princes proceedings are answereable to the stile 4 The heathen Emperors of Rome first vsed in their stile to be called Pontifices maximi High Priests as it may appeare by the Epistle of Antoninus Pius to the people of Asia yet the Christian Emperors continuing that stile to be named Pontifices maximi as Flauianus Valentinianus pontifex Inclytus Flauius Marcianus pontifex Inclytus c. yet were not bound by their stile to maintaine the idolatrous religion of the Pagane Emperors from whom it was descended but they in another sense did call themselues high priests as hauing the chiefest care of the Christian faith as the other had before of idolatrie So the Queenes highnes then and the Kings Maiestie is now called a Defender of the right Christian faith howsoeuer their predecessors might be defenders of another religion And as Pilate did write Christ King of the Iewes ignorantlie confessing the truth so did the Pope name the King of England Defender of the faith prophecying as Caiphas against himselfe and foretelling vnawares that the Princes of this land should become true defenders of the faith indeede 5 This title of Defender of the faith is more truly annexed to the Crowne of England then the stile of Holines to the Popes chaire and of Catholike to the King of Spayne who I could wish indeede were that which they are called But I feare me these titles do agree vnto them euen as the titles of benefactors and of Sauiours were vsurped of Antiochus and the Ptolomies which were cruell tyrants And as Dionysius the yonger called his daughters by the names of vertue chastitie iustice being an enemie to them all Who herein are like vnto those qui titulos potentiorum praedijs suis affigunt who the better to hold their lands do entitle great men with them against which fraude Arcadius made a lawe And as Augustine sayth Haeretici ad defensionem possessionis suae Christi titulos ponunt sicut nonnulli faciunt in domo sua c. Heretikes to defend their possession pretend the title of Christ as many vse to do in their houses entitling some great men with them to keepe them from wrong Ipse vult possessor domus frontem domus suae de titulo alieno vult muniri He will be the owner of the house himselfe yet will haue another beare the name So the Pope will be the master of faith himselfe yet pretendeth the name of Christ of holines of Catholike religion So are not our late Queene and now soueraigne Lord defenders of the faith but their Christian proceedings thankes be giuen vnto God are answerable to their honourable titles The third motiue Our vniust persecution vnder your predecessors requireth amends and I hope at the least shall receiue a toleration The Remoue 1. The punishment which hath been inflicted vpon treacherous Iudasites is no more persecution then for felons and murderers to be executed at Tiburne they suffer worthily for their traiterous conspiracies and practises shamelesse men they are that complaine of persecution when as they hold most traiterous positions against the Prince and state as whereas the secular Masse-Priests professe if it bee in truth that if the Pope should attempt by force of armes to inuade the land they would resist him in person and that if they knew of any designements by the Pope to enter by force c. to reforme religion they would reueale it to the State Disloyall Pâ—rsons in the name of that
whole disordred crue calleth those assertions hereticall and traiterous yea those wicked Popish Iudasâ—â—ed Diuines at Salamanca in Spaine resolued vpon these diuellish conclusions That they sinned mortally which aided the English in Ireland that it was a meritorious act to assist Tyrone that the Catholikes in Ireland which did fight against the Queene were by no construction Rebels Beside these villanous positions which no estate in the world could endure the Iebusites and Masse Priests practises haue been most odious against the life of our Soueraigne the treasons are confessed by the secular Priests themselues Therefore if the state of France vpon one attempt of Iohn Chastel against the King of France suborned by the Iesuites expelled the whole order greater cause hath the state of England hauing experience of many wicked plots deuised and practised both by the secular and irregular Masse Priests to exile the whole societie of both to make their returne into the land of treason Haue not these miscreants now great cause to complaine of persecution and to glorie of such filthie martyrdome I say vnto them with Augustine against the Donatists Recte haec à vobis dicerentur quaerentibus martyrum gloriam si haberetis martyrum causam These things were well alleaged of you that seeke the glorie of Martyrs if you had the cause of Martyrs 2. Nay rather these vngodly and seditious practisers by their impietie obstinacie idolatrie doe persecute the state then are persecuted of the state as Augustine saith Grauius Saram ancilla per superbiam persecuta est quam eam Sara per debitam disciplinam The bondmaid did more persecute Sara by her obstinacie then Sara did her by due discipline and seueritie 3. Yea these froward persons that haue been so often by proclamation forewarned to be packing whereas the law is a sufficient monition it selfe and diuers of them whereas they had deserued death by the law were but exiled and banished as 21. at one time and 31. at another aduenturing notwithstanding to enter the land whether more of a superstitious minde to peruert soules or of an ambitious desire to gaine a kingdome to the Popes seignorie it is hard to say or which is more like of a treacherous resolution to destroy both and so rushing vpon the pikes are accessary to their owne death and cause of their trouble themselues Protestants in the late daies of persecution could not obtaine that fauour to be banished neither were they suffered to depart but Ports and Hauens were laid to keepe them in But this Seminarie broode may be gone if they will the passages are open for them and yet they will remaine among vs to their owne perill Wherefore we may here say againe vnto them as Augustine to the Donatists Patent â—ortae exire non vultis quam persecutionem paâ—â—â—ini nisi à vobis diligit vos persecutor vester persequitur vos furor vester ille vt fugiatis petit iste vt pereatis impellit The gates are wide open and ye will not goe out what persecution suffer you but from your selues your persecutor loueth you your owne furie persecuteth you he desireth you would be packing this forceth you to your owne perishing Wherefore it is euident that these clamorous mates suffer no persecution but punishment for their euill demerits and they suffer most iustly that no amends is requisite in this case vnlesse it be by the like But if they would be exempted from the daunger of the Princes lawes let them follow the Apostles counsell Wilt thou be without feare of the Prince doe well Rom. 13.3 And let them doe as Ambrose saith to the Emperour Ego in consistoria nisi pro te stare non didici extra palatium certare non possum qui palatij secreta nec quaero nec noui I haue learned not to stand in the imperiall consistorie but for thee neither can I striue in the Princes palace which neither know the secrets thereof nor desire So let them neither striue against the authoritie of Princes nor presse to know and knowing to bewray their secrets We desire not their companie neither haue neede of their phisicke And as Pausanias answered a Physition that said all was well with him Because saith he I vse not you for my Physition So I make no doubt but all would be well with vs if such Italianated Physitions would be packing The fourth motiue 1. You vowed it in Baptisme your promise to God to his Church to your countrie is to be performed 2. Many or most of you being of age and discretion in the time of Queene Mary haue practised and professed it 3. So many of your noble companie as are admitted to the honourable order of the Garter haue sworne it 4. You are all sworne Councellors to our Queene which by title of inheritance and at her coronation by the oath and fidelitie of a Christian Prince hath obliged her selfe to maintaine it c. The Remoue 1. They which were baptized vnder the Popish religion were baptized in the name of the Trinitie not into the name of the Pope they were entred into the profession of the Christian faith not of the Popish religion for then by this reason hee that is baptized by an heretike were bound to maintaine his heresie if baptisme in Poperie were a bond to professe that superstitious phantasie Wee denie not but that true Baptisme in substance is giuen in the Romane synagogue but that neither proueth it to be the true Church nor those baptized among them to be obliged to their religion For though we confesse with the Apostle that there is one Lord one faith one Baptisme yet are not these onely professed and had in the Church but onely fruitfully and truly professed in the Church In the which alone as Augustine saith God is not worshipped but in the which alone God is truly worshipped in the which alone faith is not kept but in the which alone faith with charitie is kept Nec in qua sola vnus baptismus habetur sed in qua sola vnus baptismus salubriter habetur Neither in the which alone is this one baptisme had but in which alone baptisme is holesomely had And this is the cause why we iterate not Baptisme giuen in Poperie because it was ministred in the name of Christ and so bindeth to the true Christian profession not to the Romane separation And therefore we say not to vse Augustines words Vt cum ad nos veneritis alterum accipiatis sed vt eum qui apud vos iam erat vtiliter accipiatis That when ye come to vs you should receiue another baptisme but that which they had with you they should hold it with profit He seemeth then erroniously to thinke that Baptisme and the Church cannot be separated that because wee renounce not Baptisme ministred in the Popish Church wee are bound together with their
baptisme to acknowledge their Church and faith But this is a manifest error for as Augustine truly saith Non omnes qui tenent baptismum tenent ecclesiam sicut non omnes qui tenent ecclesiam tenent vitam aeternam All which hold baptisme doe not hold the Church as all that hold the Church doe not hold eternall life Wee confesse then that the Church of Rome hath legitimum baptismum lawfull and true baptisme in substance sed non legitimè but not rightfully or lawfully as Augustine distinguisheth And Aliud est habere aliud vtiliter habere It is one thing to haue it another to haue it profitablie Baptisme may without the Church be had but not profitablie or fruitfully had Wheresoeuer baptisme is had it is the baptisme of Christ not of men of the author not of the Minister and therefore it bindeth to the faith of the first institutor not to the doctrine of the corrupt imitator Neither yet doe the Papists baptize those againe which were initiated by that Sacrament among Protestants and afterward became Apostataes neither doe they thinke them to be tied by that baptisme to the Protestants faith as this Apologist confesseth he was borne in the Queenes raigne of parents conformable to the time pag. 52. and so baptized vnder the Gospell yet hath plaid fast and loose with vs notwithstanding that bond 2. Vntrue it is which in the next place is boldly affirmed for diuers of their Honours were borne since the raigne of King Henry the 8. and so not of yeeres then to discerne Some of them were in that time of the faith which they now professe The rest may say with S. Paul euery one for himselfe What they were in time past it maketh no matter to me Galath 2.6 By this rule neither Saint Paul that had been a circumcised Pharisie should haue been become a preaching Apostle nor yet Titus an vncircumcised Grecian a baptized and beleeuing Christian if a profession first receiued might not vpon better iudgement be reiected or an opinion once entertained might not with more mature aduice be reuersed As though a plant disliking the ground might not be remoued or the ayre for a mans health that is sickly chaunged Augustine to this purpose saith well that was chalenged of the Donatists because he had been a Manichee quantum ille accusat vitium meum tantum laudo medicum meum The more he blameth my disease I commend my Phisition The obiecting of former error doth tend to the praise of the reformer 3. The honourable Knights of the Garter neuer tooke any such oath to bind themselues to the obedience of the Papall faith but rather the contrarie as may appeare by the oath prescribed by statute to bee ministred vnto all her Maiesties officers and ministers whereby they acknowledge the Queenes highnes to be supreame gouernour in this Realme c. in all spirituall or ecclesiasticall causes as temporall and that no forraine Prince Prelate or person hath or ought to haue any iurisdiction power c. within this Realme Thus this slie merchant would entangle their Honours with repugnant oathes as though they should sweare one thing when they are enstalled into the honorable order of the Garter and the quite contrarie when they are sworne of the Councell 4. And as true it is that our late Queenes Maiestie did oblige her self by oath to maintaine the Popish religion which is a most notorious slaunder of her Highnes there being no such thing contained in that princely oath as shall afterward be shewed and her Maiestie hauing giuen her royall consent to the booke of Articles of religion confirmed by act of Parliament and to diuers statutes made for the abrogation of the Papall iurisdiction Thus wee see how disloyallie this Popes creature behaueth himselfe to his Prince being not farre from the imputation of periurie as though her Maiestie should haue promised one thing vpon her oath and performed the contrarie The Preacher aduiseth not to curse the King in thy thought But these malepart popelings dare aduenture not onely to thinke but to speake and practise euill against their Prince An euill requitall for her princely clemencie toward them of whom we may say as Ambrose of Theodosius Quasi parens expostulare malebat quam vt iudex punire c. vincere volebat non plectere Who had rather as a parent expostulate with them then as a Iudge punish them winne them rather with fauour then winnow them with rigour if her Highnes had not been otherwise by their vnnaturall proceedings prouoked And as Cleomenes said to the Argiues that vpbraided him in like manner with periurie It is in your power to speake euill of me but in mine to doe euill to you So these men doe not consider that for their lewd leasings her Highnes might haue iustlie recompenced them with sharpe proceedings The fift Motiue Neuer any Catholike subiect of England hitherto hath abused so much your Honours dishonoured the cause of religion for which we daily vndertake so many troubles c. to make so bold a challenge except he were able to performe it and my confident assurance is I shal not be the first vnhappie and vnaduised man to doe it The Remoue What your successe hath been in your challenges and how well ye haue performed the defence of the Popish cause is well knowne to the world which of your writers hath not been answered to the full or who is there of you that hath not been ouertaken in that he hath vndertaken Your great patrones Harding Saunders Bristow Martin Campion Stapleton with the rest haue had their hands full But which of you hath reioyned vpon B. Iuel D. Fulkes D. Whitakers D. Sutcliffes replies Your offers are brags rather then bickerings false charges rather then true chalenges There is saith the Wiseman that maketh himselfe rich and hath nothing Prou. 13.7 And such are those braggers that thinke no mens writings comparable to theirs and scornefullie rather contemne then soundly confute any thing brought against them You could doe little if you might not bragge but your vaine confidence wil soone faile you and your swelling words will soone abate and your vaine crakes will cracke vpon your owne heads as Hierome saith Cito turgens spuma dilabitur quamuis grandis tumor contrarius est sanitati The rising â—ome is soone dispersed and great swellings shew no soundnes Cicero well said Oratores imperitos ad vociferationem vt claudos ad equum confugere That vnskilfull Orators vse outcries as lame men horses the one cannot go vnlesse he be carried the other can say nothing vnlesse hee crie out And set the lowd outcries vaine bragges and bold facings of our aduersaries aside what are they and what is their cause It is not so among disputers as they say it is with Bee-masters That is iudged to be the best hiue which maketh the greatest noyse
The greatest crakers are not the best fighters nor the lowdest noyse sheweth not the best cause And as they haue sped hitherto the like successe let them looke for hereafter The sixt Motiue I will prooue the religion I defend to be conformable to the present forcible lawes of England established by our Queene Elizabeth c. I vndertake to prooue directly by the Parliament lawes and proceedings of Queene Elizabeth that their religion is false that we defend true c. The Remoue If this man were not past all shame hee would neuer haue been so audacious as to haue vttered this vntruth for it is a fiction without all colour he might as well haue told vs of the man in the Moone and the Sunneshine at midnight and as soone might he haue proued it as that which here he saith He goeth on and telleth vs he will proue by the proceedings of Queene Elizabeth that Christ is reallie present in the Sacrament of the altar As though the Church of England and all Protestants doe not hold Christs bodie to be reallie that is verilie and truly present to the faith of the worthy receiuer but if by reallie he vnderstand carnally present it is directly contrarie to the 28. article of religion which in direct words saith that transubstantiation is repugnant to the plaine words of Scripture and further addeth that the body of Christ is onely eaten after a spirituall and heauenly manner and the meane whereby it is eaten is faith He will proue that Saints and Angels are to be reuerenced and prayed vnto A reuerence who denieth but to pray vnto them is contrarie to the 22. article Inuocation of Saints is a fond thing That there is a Purgatorie which is contrarie to the 22. article the Romish doctrine concerning purgatory is vainly inuented That prayer almes and other good deedes are auaileable for the faithfull soules departed contrarie to article 31. that the sacrifices of Masses c. for the quicke and dead are blasphemous fables that onely faith iustifieth not contrarie to article 11. that wee are iustified by faith onely is a most holesome doctrine He will prooue that good workes are meritorious before God contrarie to article 12. good workes cannot put away sinnes and endure the seueritie of Gods iudgement That there is an externall Priesthood and sacrifice in the Church of Christ contrarie to article 31. the sacrifices of the Masse wherein it was commonly said that the Priests did offer Christ c. were blasphemous fables and daungerous deceits that wee are not iustified by an imputatiue iustice but grace and iustice are inherent and internall things contrary to article 11. we are accounted righteous before God onely for the merite of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ by faith and not for our owne workes or deseruings That there be seuen Sacraments in number Baptisme Confirmation Eucharist Penance extreame Vnction Orders and Matrimonie contrarie to article 25. There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospell that is to say Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord those fiue commonly called Sacraments that is to say Confirmation Penance Orders Matrimonie and extreame Vnction are not to be accounted for Sacraments of the Gospell These articles were first agreed vpon by the whole Conuocation of the Clergie of this land and put foorth by the Queenes authoritie anno 1562. and againe approued and allowed by the assent and consent of her Maiestie and subscribed vnto by the whole Clergie assembled in the Conuocation anno 1571. and established by act of Parliament anno 13. Elizab. c. 12. as may appeare by diuers branches of that act whereby they are punishable which refuse to giue assent to the said articles or doe teach any thing repugnant or contrarie vnto them Notwithstanding all this this shamelesse man blusheth not to tell vs that these his erroneous opinions directlie contrarie to the very expresse words of the said articles are conformable to the present forceable lawes and the proceedings of Queene Elizabeth Thus these fellowes would make vs beleeue that the blacke crow is white and that the Moone is made of greene cheese as the saying is or they might as well tell vs with Democritus that the Moone hath hils and dales with Metrodorus that the Sunne is made of stone with Philolaus of glasse with Epicurus of the earth with Heraclides that the earth moueth round as the wheele vpon the axletree with Philolaus that it is whirled about as the Sunne and Moone or what else he may tell vs that is most fabulous and incredible as well as this that the Romish religion is agreeable to the lawes in force in the Church of England As he is found tripping here so I trust his credit shall be in the rest Ambrose sayth Nerui sunt quidam artus sapientiae non temere credere It is as the sinewes and ioynts of wisdome not rashlie to giue credit And as Demosthenes was wont to say that the best preseruatiue against Tyrants was not to trust them so is it against liers not to beleeue them The 7. Motiue What reason should mooue me then very yong in yeares borne of parents conformable to the time in and vnder the Protestant Regiment of Queene Elizabeth brought vp in that Vniuersitie and other places which were alwayes least fauouring of that beleefe c. to be of a different and contrarie opinion when if I would haue bene of the same profession I might haue bene regarded as others of my condition The remooue The reason here vsed may be thus framed That is likely to be the right faith which a man leauing all possibilitie of preferment cleaueth vnto But so hath this man done in embracing the popish profession Ergo c. First if the proposition were true this argument might be retorted vpon them for in the late dayes of persecution in England many zealous Protestants did not onely forsake all expectation of worldly preferment but did willinglie forgoe their life for the truth sake and endured more for their conscience only then euer did any Papist therefore if he haue reasoned well for Poperie he hath reasoned better for Protestancie that it is in the right beliefe 2 Other reasons may be alleaged why many depart from the truth euen where they may liue with good conditions beside a conscience of religion As an ambitious desire of prefermēt caused some to start aside as is euidēt in the examples of Theobutes Valentinus Nouatus Marcion Montanus who for the thirstie desire to be made Bishops which they could not obtayne fell into heresie Some of a couetous greedie mind haue become singular thinking thereby to grow rich Such an one was Paulus Samosatenus Ex sacrilegijs ad summas diuitias peruenit By sacrilege he came to great riches So Cypriane testifieth of Nouatus Spoliati ab eo pupilli fraudatae viduae c. He robbed
Antilogie 1 HE that should reade Cardinall Wolseys stile thus writing Ego Rex meus I and my King would thinke that this vaine craker trode in his steps saying here and in other places My Catholike Queene c. And whether for this or other of their proud tricks the secular Masse-priests haue well matched them together these are their words Neuer shall the Catholike Church or commonwealth of England find so wicked a member as a Wolsey a Parsons a Creswell a Garnet a Blackwell But if this suger-toonged fellow would haue had her Highnes then and his Maiestie now thinke that he wisheth so well vnto them let him tell vs whether he were not brought vp in the Ignatian schoole of treacherie and if he be not of Parsons mind that it is treason if the Pope should inuade England to beare armes against him or agreeth he not with the Ignatian brood of Salamanca that resolued it was no rebellion for the Queenes subiects to fight against her in Ireland or what thinketh he of Parsons Walpooles Giffords Allens attempts against their countrie and their suborning and exciting of trayterous Parry Lopez Squire Sauage Yorke with the rest of those detected parricides for all these wicked conspiracies were forged in the Ignatian ignited and fierie shops These were the actors but they the inuentors as it was sayd of Laelius that he was the deuiser and Scipio the performer of diuers actions And yet for all this we must beleeue this dissembling Frier that is by all likelihood consorted and confederate with the rest of that crue that he wisheth her Highnes then and his Maiestie now as well as if they were of his religion 2 Concerning the vow made in baptisme I haue answered before that the vow is made to Christ not to the Pope and therefore baptisme receiued in poperie doth not bind the partie baptised to maintaine and receiue poperie It was the heresie of Petilian the Donatist whom Augustine confuteth that Conscientia dantis attenditur quae abluat accipientis That the conscience of him that giueth baptisme doth cleanse him that receiueth it Against whom Augustine sheweth that it is the baptisme of Christ if it be giuen in his name whosoeuer is the minister thereof Baptismum Christi nemo Apostolorum ita ministrauit vt auderet dicere suum The baptisme of Christ none of the Apostles so ministred that he durst call it his much lesse may the Pope or popish Priest challenge the baptisme which he giueth in the name of the Trinitie to be his It was Cyprians error confuted by Augustine that Baptisme and the Church could not be separated Si baptisma saith he in baptizato inseparabiliter manet quomodo baptizatus separari ab ecclesia potest baptisma non potest If baptisme remaine inseparable in the baptized how can he that is baptized be separated from the Church and not baptisme with him Concerning the Princes stile to be called Defender of the faith I haue likewise said enough before Now because he doth so often inculcate the Princes oath that all men may see his false dealing I will set downe the same before omitted as it is in Magna charta expressed This oath then is prescribed to be taken by the Prince at the Coronation and to be ministred by the Metropolitane or other Bishop Seruabis ecclesiae dei Clero populo pacem ex integro concordiam in deo c. You shall keepe peace and concord in God to the Church of God the Clergie and people according to your power he shall answere I will You shall cause to be done in all your iudgements right and equall iustice and discretion in mercie and truth according to your strength he shall answere I will You shall graunt iust lawes and customes to be held and promise them to be protected by you and confirmed to the honor of God which the people shall choose according to your strength he shall answere I do graunt and promise All these things pronounced let him confirme that he will keepe them all Sacramento super altare protinus praestito c. By an oth presentlie taken vpon the altare c. What is there now in this oath that bindeth the Prince to the defence of the Popish religion there is not so much as one word tending to any such thing conteyned in the oath it selfe only mention is made of the altare which was so called in time past though it were made of wood because it represented the true altar which was Christs bodie for so Hesychius interpreteth the Altar And Augustine speaking of the violent outrages of the Donatists saith Effractis altaris lignis Hauing broken the boords of the Altar Their Altars which were no other but Communion Tables were then of wood the making them of stone is but a late deuice as Beatus Rhenanus testifieth Araerum superaddititia structura nouitatem prae se fert This building of Altars added to the rest doth shew noueltie And it is most euident that when the name of altar was first vsed as in Augustines time there was no opinion in the Church of the carnall presence or of the sacrificing of Christs bodie but onely spiritually as it is euident by these sayings of Augustine Christ is our priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech which offered himselfe a sacrifice for our sinnes and hath commended the similitude of that sacrifice to be celebrated in remembrance of his passion that the same thing which Melchisedech offered to God now wee see to be offered in the Church of Christ through the whole world But Melchisedech offered not Christs flesh but onely bread and wine Againe he saith The flesh and bloud of this sacrifice before the comming of Christ was promised by sacrifices of similitudes in the passion of Christ it was giuen by the truth it self after the ascension of Christ it is celebrated by the sacrament of remembrance therefore now Christs bodie is not sacrificed verily and truly but only sacramentally non rei veritate sed significante mysterio not in veritie but in mysterie And I pray you what kinde of argument is this the Prince at the Coronation taking his oath laieth his hand vpon the Altar Ergo she sweareth to maintaine the Popish sacrifice of the Altar as though hee that prayeth or taketh his oath in the Churches which haue been consecrate to idolatrie thereby giueth consent to maintaine idolatrie Naaman though hee kneeled with his master the King leaning vpon his hand in the house of Rimmon yet gaue not consent to that idolatrous worship yet this example is very vnlike and not to be imitated onely I alleadge it to shew the weaknes of this argument 3. As for the signe of the crosse wherewith you say her Maiestie vsed to signe her selfe or women with child c. as you speake here but vpon hearesay so if it should be true as
you say you haue not gained much by it For neither our Prince then nor Church did ascribe any vertue to the signe it selfe or adore and worship it as Papists do The signe of the crosse may be vsed in banners and streamers and set into the Diademe of Princes as a ciuill signe of honour as Ambrose if that oration be his writeth of Helena Sapienter Helena egit quae crucem in capite regum leuauit Helena did wisely in rearing vp the crosse in the head of Kings And though this signe is not any waies to be adored neither yet doe we thinke it ought to be contemned As that law of Honorius was commendable wherein the Iewes are prohibited speciem crucis incendere to burne the fashion of the crosse And that of Theodosius which decreeth a great punishment to him qui in solo vel scilice crucem depinxerit which painteth the crosse in the ground or pauement to trample and tread vpon it Or if any should vse the signe of the crosse which notwithstanding wee allow not as in Basils time not with a superstitious opinion of it or confidence in it but as an outward testimonie of their inward faith as Basile saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they which trusted in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ were marked with the signe of the crosse Whosoeuer shall vse the signe of the crosse in any of these manners is yet farre off from Popish superstition And I am verily perswaded that if his Maiestie or the Church of England did thinke that the ciuill reuerent significant vsing of the crosse without a superstitious opinion of it were in deede or could iustly be taken as a badge or cognisance of Poperie as it hath bin an offence to many good Christians it should bee more sparingly vsed and may in time if it seeme so good to his Maiestie without preiudice of the truâ—h or religion be wholy remoued that there might not be the least exception taken against our Church But this quarrell picker according to the saying will play at small game before he will sit out and so doth he here by fastning his hold of so small an occasion Her Highnes then and his Maiestie now and the Church of England holdeth a reall and true presence of Christs bodie to the faith of the worthy receiuer in the Sacrament but her Highnes was not perswaded of any grosse carnall presence as is euident by her royall assent to the articles of religion therefore herein her Maiestie was much abused and slaundered 4. Lastly whereas the Romane profession is altogether repugnant to Princes prerogatiues as in that it alloweth the Pope to excommunicate Princes to depose them to transferre their Crownes appeales to bee made to the Pope from the Prince that the Pope may absolue subiects from their oath of fealtie that the Pope not the Prince in his owne kingdome is supreame in all Ecclesiasticall causes that the Pope inuading a kingdome by force vnder pretence to reforme religion is to be assisted against the Prince all which positions the Iesuites the Popes parasites doe hold as it may appeare in their seditious bookes and answeres to the Secular Masse-priests And these all being directly repugnant to the prerogatiue royall of the Crowne as it hath been adiudged by by publike acts of Parliament not of late onely since the reuiuing of the Gospell but euen while Poperie raigned and that by the expresse consent of the Popish Clergie How is not this man to be thought to be past all shame that perswading to Poperie saith hee will teach nothing contrarie to the Princely dignitie c. Wee may say truly to him which Petilian the Donatist vntruly obiected to Augustine that he had ingenium Carneadis Academici Carneades the Academikes wit who disputed Nigras niues esse cum albae sint nigrum argentum c. That snow was blacke and siluer blacke whereas they are both white so he goeth about to perswade things that are quite contrarie We need not here follow the counsell of Seneca Quaedam falsa veri speciem ferunt dandum semper est tempus veritatem dies aperit Some false things make a shew of true wee must giue some space for time trieth the truth But the falsenes of these improbable speeches appeareth at the first we neede no time to descrie them The second Apologie FRom pag. 55. to pag. 66. the Apologist runneth as it were in a maze now in and now out as though he had lost himselfe in a wood I will doe my best to trace him and finde him out I shall not neede to follow him in all his wandrings and turnings nor to answere all his tautologies and vaine repetitions but I will gainecope him and crosse him the next way and reduce his idle and superfluous speeches into some order and forme All these leaues containe but one argument which may be collected thus Her Maiestie and the state are bound to maintaine the religion of her famous noble Christian progenitors Kings and Queenes of this land But they were all knowne to be of the Romane religion and as he himselfe saith Papists pag. 59. lin 7. Ergo. First let vs see how he proueth the proposition or first part of this argument and then how the second 1. Many of them were holy Saints and miraculously witnessed of God to be in heauen euen by Protestants testimonie c. whom the Protestant Ministers must needes condemne to hell and damnation if they will leaue any little hope for themselues to be saued for one heauen cannot possesse them both The Antilogie 1. IF this were a good argument then Christians borne at their first conuersion of idolatrous parents in many ages succeeding together should neuer haue changed their religion but continued in Pagane idolatrie still for feare of condemning all their progenitors to hell neither Constantine the great in the Romane Empire nor Lucius in England should haue become Christened Kings If Idolatrous parents be in state of damnation shall the children tread in their steps to goe the same way The scripture teacheth otherwise that though the father dye in his iniquitie yet if he beget a sonne that seeth all his fathers sinnes which he hath done c. he hath not lift vp his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel nor defiled his neighbors wife c. he shall not dye in the iniquitie of his father but shall surely liue 2 If the sonne be bound to his fathers false religion as idolatrie superstition wherein he erred least he should thinke him to be condemned he were likewise obliged to imitate his auncesters vices and corruptions of life as adulterie oppression violence whereby they were polluted should a man certainely condemne himselfe to belieue that his predecessors are vncertainely saued Their sinnes being of ignorance might be pardoned whereas the sonnes seeing his fathers sinnes and not amending are more surely sealed 3 That
Albons gaue the Peter-pence to Rome and was a great benefactor to that See Sigebert King of West Saxons was a most cruell tyrant who caused the Earle Combranus to be most cruellie put to death because he admonished him to change his manners and was himselfe by the iust iudgement of God slaine by the Swineheard of the same Earle and yet this man is numbred among the Catholike Kings that wrought miracles Another Sigebert there was King of East Saxons who became a Christian but it is not like that this Legender meaneth him who was welnie 150. yeares before this Sigebert who is named after Offa in whose time he liued ann 748. he then putting these two together Offa Sigebertus may be thought rather to insinuate that Sigebert which liued in the time of Offa then the other who was almost 150. yeares before Thus verie skilfullie as we see he hath martialed and mustred his Mirabilists together 4 Concerning the cure of the Kings euill first obtained by King Edward 1. it is not to be imputed to the holines of his person but the efficacie of his prayers to the which that vertuous Prince was much giuen as Dauid by his godlie songs rather then his musicall instrument allayed Saules maladie 2. King Edward did not cure the woman brought vnto him so much by miracle as by ordinarie meanes as suppling and cleansing of the soare pressing out the corruption and bathing the flesh 3. He did not onely cure the woman of her disease but she became fruitfull being barren before He also healed a man that had been blind 19. yeares and caused him to see as the storie reporteth the credit whereof I referre to the Reader how commeth it to passe that these cures also are not hereditarie as well as the other 4. If this miraculous cure of this disease is to be ascribed to the Popish religion how coÌ„meth it to passe that a Protestant Prince our late Soueraigne Qu. Elizabeth therein was comparable to any of her predecessors who yet did not ascribe it to any desert in her self or holines of her person or vertue of her crown but to Gods mercy inuocated by her prayers 5. It is not yet proued that the beginning of this strange cure was founded vpon any point of Popish profession but vpoÌ„ the confidence which that good Prince had in God whom the Protestants more trulie worship then Papists 6. Whatsoeuer is here alleaged for countenancing of the religion of these Christian Kings the Paganes also can produce the like for theirs Traianus the Emperour made a blind man see and a lame man go Among the Argiues the posteritie of Alexida Amphiraus daughter are thought to cure the falling sicknes and are called Elasiae from driuing away of that disease Therefore this is no sound argument to grace that religion though all the rest were euident which yet wanteth proofe that this gift was first bestowed for the merit and desert of the popish beliefe which is thought rather to remayne as a grace from God of that sacred calling and a signe of his speciall assistance and protection of Princes though in his strange cure the conceit and opinion of the diseased may somewhat help some other meanes medicine and diet more but godlie prayers most of all that we neede not altogether pretend a miraculous worke Ambrose sayth Moses non imperabat sed impetrabat Moses precabatur Christus operabatur Moses intreated not commanded he was the prayer Christ the worker Another sayth Elizeus cum spiritu magistri haereditario scindere tamen aquas nisi sub Dei inuocatione non potuit Helizaeus though heyring his maisters spirit could not deuide the water without calling vpon God so this gift howsoeuer to Princes hereditarie pretended can not be without prayer and works of pietie effectuallie practised The Apologie THe proposition of the argument proposed that Princes are bound to the religion of their predecessors hath been thus handsomely proued as we see now it followeth that I examine his proofes of the assumption that all these Catholike Kings were Papists 1 They builded Monasteries and graunted diuers priuiledges for praying to God and Saints for the soules of them and their posteritie pag. 58. lin penultim 2 They voluntarily forsooke their Kingdomes and professed Monasticall life Kingylsus Iue Câ—lulsus c. pag. 59. lin 17. 3 Thirdly Christian Kings of the Britons from Lucius to Cadwallader ann 150. Kings of the English or Saxon Danish and Norman nation embraced it with all zeale themselues and promulged the same by all lawes c. to their posteritie pag. 60. lin 12. c. 4 Her Maiesties father obserued it all his life and of denying the Romane iurisdiction repented at his death pag. 60. lin 24. c. 5 My Soueraigne that is in the time of her Sister Queene Mary professed it with much deuotion pag. 6. lin 29. 6 The King ought to take his oath vpon the Euangelists and blessed relicks of Saints c. to maintaine holie Church with all integritie and libertie according to the constitution of his auncestors pag. 64. lin 30. Vpon these euidences he inferreth thus So that no man can doubt of what faith they were except it be a question whether he that prayeth to Saints prayeth for the dead offereth sacrifice of the Masse graunteth Church liberties honoreth the Sea of Rome buildeth Altars Monasteries Nunries c. be a Papist or Protestant pag. 59. lin 1.2 The Antilogie ALthough I might safely insist in the proposition that a Christian Prince ought not absolutely to be addicted to the religion of his forefathers yet that the weakenes of the Apologists defense may appeare I will discouer his nakednes in this behalfe that he hath not gayned by his slender reasons that those Christian auncient Kings were of the now Romaine religion 1 Though some Monasteries were built by the founders for the remedie of their soule yet all were not speciallie those which were erected at the beginning betweene ann 600. and ann 700. when as yet superstition had not got such deepe footing afterward they which had committed any murther or grieuous sinne that troubled their conscience they were perswaded to found some Monasterie for the remission of their sinnes as Offa builded S. Albones for the murther of King Ethelbert Ethelstane the Abbey of Midleton for consenting to his brother Edwines death Queene Alfrith the Nunrie of Amesburie because of the death of King Edward the Martyr which she had procured Yea in processe of time as religion decayed they had a conceit by such works to redeeme their soules as King Henry 3. built the Monasterie of Conuerts pro redemptione animae suae Iohannis patris sui c. for the redemption of his soule and the soule of Iohn his father Is not this good geare thinke you and sound Catholike doctrine that men should play Christs part and by their owne works redeeme their soules 2 Though
seruandus est The rites of the elders must be kept Omnia postea in melius profecerunt All things sayth he haue bene made more perfect in time c. Wil they find fault with haruest because it is late or with the vintage in the end of the yeare Euen so the vintage of the Gospell is not to be coÌ„demned because it falleth out in the end of the world Dicant igitur in suis omnia debere manere principijs They may as well say that euery thing should keepe the beginning and not grow vnto perfection Now followeth the second part wherein the Apologist goeth about to approue the now Romane religion by setting forth the vnhappie successe of those Princes which any way haue opposed themselues to the Sea of Rome I will examine all his demonstrations in order The 1. Demonstration 1 THe gates of hell haue been set open against it and yet neuer preuailed as Christ hath promised pag. 67. 2 The Pagane Emperours could neuer conquer nor commaund it although they had put the greatest parts of the Popes to death pag. 67. 3 Rome was spoiled and sacked by Alaricus Hunnes Gothes Vandals Visigothes but that holie Sea preuailed 4 Alaricus caused miraculouslie to retire at the voyce of Leo then Pope pag. 67. 5 The very countenance of Pope Zachary forced Limprandus that had besieged it to desist pag. 68. 6 The Saracens burned the suburbs of Rome and yet Pope Gregory the 4. without force repelled them pag. 68. 7 The Duke of Burbon miserablie slaine at the assault when he had besieged Rome pag. 68. 8 That inuincible Sea hath bene impugned by the might and endeuours of the supreme Regents of Germany Bauaria Persia and Armenia Indias Iapponia yet that little Sea of Rome and the faith thereof hath subdued them all pag. 68. 9 It was assaulted of Iulian Valens the Arrians but they were confounded the Grecians Armenians Iacobines denied their obedience vnto it and became the Turks vassals The Remonstration 1 THat promise that the gates of hell should not preuaile was made to Peters faith which the Church of Rome hath lost not to Peters person as Ambrose saith Fides ergo est ecclesiae fundamentum non enim de carne Petri sed de fide dictum est quia portae mortis non praeualebunt eâ— Faith then is the foundation of the Church for it was spoken not of Peters flesh but Peters faith that the gates of hell should not preuaile against it Neither can the citie of Rome shewe such assurance of Gods protection as Hierusalem could where the Lord had promised to dwell for euer yet was that holie citie forsaken And whether by the gates of hell we vnderstand the externall assaults of Infidels and barbarous people or the spirituall corruption of doctrine both the one way and other the Sea and Citie of Rome hath beene subdued For neuer any citie hath been so often besieged and sacked as that hath bin eueÌ„ since it was Christian by the Hunnes Gothes Vandales Heruli Lombards Saracens neyther any place professing Christianitie hath been so infected with error and heresie that in both respects it is euident that the gates of hell haue preuailed against it 2 The auncient Bishops of Rome for as yet they were not called by any peculiar title Popes died for the true faith of Christ from the which the Popes haue a long time swarued wherefore they succeeding in place only not in faith and doctrine can not challenge any dignitie or prerogatiue by those holie Martyrs whose steps they do not follow As for Sibyls prophesie that the fishers hooke should subdue the Romane Empire though we relie not vppon such blind prophesies it was then fulfilled when the Apostles faith whom our Sauiour made fishers of men and not only Peter was embraced of Christian Constantine and the whole Romane Empire made subiect vnto it And Augustine rehearsing certain verses of Sibyll concerning Christ which begin with letters which layed together make these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ the sonne of God the Sauiour And the first letters of these fiue words put together bring forth this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Fish he interpreteth the same of Christ shewing in what sense he is compared to a Fish because as a fish in the sea so he in the sea of this world viuus mansit i. sine peccato continued aliue that is without sin then as well by the fishers hooke may we vnderstand the doctrine of Christ. But if ye will needes appropriate the fishers hooke to the Sea of Rome then the sense may wel be this that the Pope claiming vnder Peters title and pretending the fishers hooke for religion should fish for aduantage and subdue the Imperiall dignitie arrogating the same to himselfe leauing nothing but the image that is the bare name and title of the Empire as is prophesied Apocal. 13.14 as we see it come to passe this day 3. He maketh mention but of foure sackings of Rome and yet that Sea preuailed But in truth it was twice foure times and oftner besieged spoyled and sacked since they began to decline from the true Christian faith As by Alaricus ann 407. Ataulphus King of the VVisigothes anno 414. By Attila King of the Hunnes anno 454. Gensericus 357. By Odoacer King of the Heruli 478. By Totilus King of the Gothes anno 550. who spoyled Rome with fire ouerthrowing the walles and towers leauing it almost desert and it was taken againe and spoyled by the same Totilus anno 554. Rome besieged by Agilulphus King of the Lumbards by the space of an whole yeere anno 605. Besieged by Luitprandus anno 738. By Aistulphus of Lumbardie anno 755. Subdued by Desyderius King of Lumbards anno 769. Rome besieged and the suburbes subdued by the Saracens anno 837. And againe anno 923. And anno 915. the Saracens of Africke entred Italie and most cruelly entreated man woman and child We shall not finde that old Rome vnder the Paganes was halfe so often assaulted and sacked in twice so many yeeres by Brennus Hannibal Pyrrhus and the rest that surprised it neither can any citie in the world be named that hath endured greater miseries and calamities then Rome since it first receiued the Christian faith Hierome in his time described the miserable state of Rome being taken of the Gothes Capitur vrbs quae totum cepit orbem The citie is taken that hath conquered the world it perisheth by famine before the sword the bodies lie slaine in the high waies the mother eateth her owne children c. Thus this indefectible Sea as this bragger â—aith preuailed and vanquished when as neuer any citie was more often subdued and brought to greater miserie But he meaneth perhaps that Rome for all this continueth still what then yet it neuer flourished so long together as the Empire of the Assyrians which continued well
censured first this is the condition of warre it spareth none Secondly this notwithstanding the Citie after his death was taken Thirdly the Pope was forced afterward to absolue and release whom before he had cursed 8. The reason why so many Kings and Regents of the world preuailed not in their attempts and endeuours against the Sea of Rome is euident because they had before giuen their power and authoritie vnto the beast with one consent Reuel 17.13 and therefore Gods iustice required that they should be beaten with their owne rod and suffer vnder that power which another by their authoritie first vsurped But the time shall come that the same Kings and Nations which before gaue their kingdome to the beast shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked Reuel 17.17 But concerning the Indians if the Spanish tyranny had not preuailed more then Popish subtiltie and cruell violence obtained more then Monkish conscience they were like to haue had a cold suite of it and a simple haruest 9. Iulian was punished for Apostasie from the faith not for denying fealtie to the Pope and Valens iudged for his Arrian heresie not for gainsaying the Papall hierarchie The Grecians and Armenians were subdued to the Turkes not for resisting the iurisdiction of the Pope but for other graue and waightie causes which may be alleaged first because the Empire being diuided anno 101. when Leo the 3. proclaimed Charles the great Emperour of Rome was thereby weakened and so by little and little decayed till at the last it became a pray to the Turke The Pope then himselfe was the first occasion of this iudgement which befell them Secondly in that the Greekes began to haue small respect to the Romane Bishop the Pope himself was the cause for that he first forsooke the Greek Empire erecting another in the West as the author of the tripartite worke saith Schisma hoc fecit partitio imperij c. The partition of the Empire made this schisme because the Empire that was but one was made two Et hinc probabile est quod Graeci cum suo domino coeperunt rebellare ecclesiae Romanae And hence it was that the Greekes with their Lord began to rebell against the Romane Church The Pope therefore may for this thanke himselfe Thirdly but the greatest cause of all this diuision of the Empire and so consequently the confusion thereof was the idolatrie of the Greekes who in a generall Councel held at Nice confirmed and allowed the adoration of images about the time of Adrian the 1. by whose counsell Irene the Empresse tooke vp the bodie of Constantine her husband and burned it and cast the ashes into the sea because they disanulled images Immediatly vpon this inhumane fact of Irene and for their idolatrie followed the diuision of the Empire by Leo the 3. the next successor of this Adrian And for the same cause namely their idolatrie was the Citie of Constantinople surprized and sacked of the Turkes for after the Citie was taken the great Turke caused the image of the Crucifixe which was set vp in the great Church of Sophia to be taken downe and writing this superscription ouer the head Hic est Christianorum Deus This is the God of the Christians made it with sound of Trumpet to bee caried round about the Campe and euery man to spit at it ex Ioann Ram. lib. 2. rerum Turcicar This is more like to be the cause of the destruction of that citie Fourthly and as God hath punished the East Churches for their backsliding so must idolatrous Rome looke to haue her part which both in manners and doctrine is as corrupt as euer was the Greeke Church Many yeeres since it was said Latini licet ad ea quae sunt fidei verius adhaereant deo quam Graeci tamen quoad mores multo pluribus sceleribus implicati sunt The Latines although in matters of faith they cleaue more truly to God yet are in manners more corrupt But now the church of Rome is notoriously knowne both in faith and manners to bee much worse If the Greekes were iudged of God for failing in one the Latines cannot escape that come short in both 10. Lastly he telleth vs that in the Primitiue Church before Constantine almost an hundred Pagane Emperours either truly elected or reputed persecuted it and all them excepting tenne or eleuen died miserably when the persecuted Popes put to death by them came not to the third part of that number pag. 69. lin 3 4. c. 1. Vntrue it is that there were before Constantine almost 100. Pagane Emperours there were not many aboue halfe that number 2. Neither were then the Bishops of Rome called Popes by a peculiar stile as now they are 3. This maketh nothing for the present Papall Hierarchie for the Bishops of Rome are declined and fallen away from the faith doctrine of those first persecuted Bishops Martyrs 4. Whereas I confesse there was then great difference between the imperiall ecclesiasticall state both in the short raigne miserable end of the one the long continuance glorious death of the other the case is now altered for since the time of Gregorie the 1. when the Bishops of Rome began to fall away from the true faith the Popes both for their wretched end and short raigne may cōpare with either the Imperiall or any Episcopall seate and farre exceed them For the first Anastasius voided his entrals into the draught Siluerius died in banishment Vigilius drawne vp and downe by the neck in the streetes at Constantinople Sabinianus died being frighted in the night Agathon that condemned Ministers mariage died of the plague Constantin 2. condemned to prison and his eyes put out Leo. 3. cast from his horse and beaten to death Stephanus 8. wounded in a tumult and so battered that he neuer would shew himselfe afterward abroade Iohn 13. slaine in adulterie Bonifacius 7. died of an apoplexie his bodie was drawne through the streetes with ropes and striken through with speares Siluester 2. slaine of the Deuill being a Necromancer Benedictus 9. suffocated by the Deuill Lucius 2. beaten with stones to death Adrianus 4. choaked with a flie Innocentius 4 sodainely died in his bed Nicholaus 3. died sodainely and speechlesse Clement 6. died sodainely of an aposteme Iohn 15. had his eyes put out and died of the stinch of the prison Now sir what haue you gained by obiecting the miserable end of the Pagane Emperours I thinke your Popes may therein compare with them more wretched and desperate ends shall we not finde of any Princes or Prelates then of prophane Popes For shortnes of raigne Popes goe beyond all regents either temporall or ecclesiasticall that euer were in the world not to speake of the regiment of two or three yeares and not aboue of which sort many Popes may be numbred how many of them attayned not to a yeare how many not
people of England haue greater cause not one but many both nights and dayes to awake to giue thanks vnto God for our deliuerance from troubles not so much felt as feared And thus also I haue at length dispatched that tedious and friuolous section THE EIGHT SECTION HIS DEfense to the honorable Councell and all other men of Nobilitie THis Section being as the rest confusedlie shuffled vp and as a rude chaos tumbled together I will if I can bring it to some forme not vouchsafing an answere to all his idle words and vaine repetitions which are not to be regarded as Aristotle well answered a certaine brabler who sayd O Philosopher I am troublesome vnto you with my speech no sayth he for I marked thee not The first Defence SVppose ye might contend in politike gouernment with many c. let it be some might be admitted fellowes in armes c. yet to that which is most or onely materiall in this question and controuersie of learning religion c. are too wise to make so vnequall a comparison to balance your selues with so many Saints most holie learned professed Diuines and Bishops c. pag. 80. lin 12. The Answere 1 THeir honors are much beholding to this cunning Caruer that he will allow them in matters of policie and of martiall affaires to equalize those in the popish times employed in both but in learning and religion they must come farre short of popish Bishops c. 2 But herein also I doubt not for true religion and knowledge of God that our honorable Lords Nobles farre exceed most of that shauen crue for who knoweth not that in a popish Bishop learning and diuinitie is not of the greatest regard Was not the Bishop of Cauaillon a profound Clerke that said to the Merindolians that Iâ— was not requisite to saluation to vnderstand or expound the articles of faith for there were many Bishops Curates yea and Doctors of Diuinitie whom it would trouble to expound the Paternoster and the Creede Such another learned Prelate was the Bishop of Dunkelden in Scotland that said to Thomas Forret Martyr that it was too much to preach euery Sonday for in so doing you make the people thinke that we should preach likewise He said further I thanke God I neuer knew what the old and new Testament was whereof rose a prouerb in Scotland You are like the Bishop of Dunkelden that knew neither old nor new lawe Such religious and deuout Bishops were some other in Scotland much about that time which held that the Paternoster should be said to Saints whereupon it was vsed as a byword in Scotland To whom say you your Paternoster I appeale now to the indifferent Reader whether our learned Nobles of England may not be compared in true learning and sound diuinitie with such vnlearned popish Bishops But I pitie this poore mans case that could play the Orator no better then at the first dash to alienate their minds into whose bosome he sought to insinuate himselfe forgetting that rule of Ambrose Qui tractaet debet andientium considerare personas ne irrideatur prius quam audâ—atur He that treateth of any thing must consider to whom he speaketh least he be laughed at before he be harkned to for Like as they that drinke bitter potions do loath the very cups so they which accuse at the first win no grace with their heaâ—ers The second Defence NExt this bold lad braueth it out producing certaine examples of the hard haps of some Nobles among the Protestants as of the Lord Cromwell condemned by the law which he had prouided for others the Dukes of Somerset and Northumberland basely disgraced and put to death Robert Earle of Leicester miserablie died terrified with monstrous visions of Deuils Sir Frauncis Walsingham his miserable death despairing words filthie stinke of bodie basely buried in the night will be an eternall infamie against him The Answere 1 THe end of the Lord Cromwell was neither vnfortunate nor miserable making a vertuous and a godly end with confession of his sinnes and confidence in God and faithfull inuocation of his name he was attainted by Parliament misled and misinformed not condemned by any lawe of his owne making whome King Henry afterward wished to be aliue againe which he would not haue desired had he bene perswaded he was a traytor Thus wise Princes are sometime swayed with false reports and ouercome with flatterers and repent when it is too late But miserable indeede was the end of Bishop Fisher who was attainted by Parliament for practising with Elizabeth Barton called the holie mayd of Kent against the King who died in a bad cause giuing his life for the vsurped authoritie of the Pope against the lawfull calling of the King Such was the death of Sir Thomas Moore who dyed scoffingly and prophanely suffering for the like obstinacie and superstition How could he omit or forget these two notable examples of deserued miserie and obiect the much lamented case of that honorable Lord Cromwell dying in his innocencie 2 Concerning the death of the good Duke of Somerset it was no iudgement vpon him for his religion which as he had zealouslie maintained while he liued so therein he constantlie died But herein it might be that God chastised the ouersight of the Duke in condescending to the death of his brother the Lord Thomas Seymer wherein secretlie his owne ouerthrow was intended though he simply perceiued it not And again this is rather to be supposed a iudgement against that ambitious Duke of Northumberland who by his Machiauilian deuises cut off these two brothers the Kings Vncles to make a way for some of his to the Crowne as the euent of matters afterward shewed but he was ouertaken in his owne plots and suffered iustlie in the same place where the other good Duke by his meanes not two yeare before innocently ended his dayes 3 As for the Duke of Northumberland take him to your selfe for at his death he denyed the Gospell and in hope of fauour consented to the Popish religion and exhorted others to do the like whose recantation was presentlie published to the world Therefore let that Church challenge him in whose faith and communion he dyed his end full well declared that his religion was more for his owne aduantage then in conscience 4 That which is reported of the Earle of Leicester the credite thereof relying vpon this braggers bare word alleadging no author for it may with as great reason be by vs denyed as it is by him affirmed Yet admit it was so that he was in his sicknes troubled with fearefull visions that is not to be imputed to his religious profession but to his licentious conuersation wherein it is like enough he committed some things not beseeming a professor of the Gospell But he needed not to haue noted this if it were true as he saith for so strange a thing
Christs naked crosse my selfe naked the worlds gaine must not be sought in Christs seruice It is memorable which is reported of Agesilaus who when the Thasians as he passed by with his armie brought him meale fat geese fine cakes with other iunkets he refused them all the meale onely excepted giuing this answere That those things which delighted seruile minds free men abhorred So these things whereby Papists measured religion as riches prosperitie externall glorie Protestants whom the Gospell of Christ hath freed frō popish superstition do hold them too light waights to waigh against the truth THE ANSWERE TO THE ELEVENTH Section of his defence to the Ministerie of England The first Inuectiue 1 LAstly to come to the Protestant Ministrie of England whose displeasure as I esteeme it least so I name them last pag. 113. 2 I defend the doctrine of all godlie and learned professors of Diuinitie of all Popes Fathers Doctors Councels Vniuersities Colledges c. since the time of Christ to Martin Luther where so many millions of miraculouslie approued Saints haue liued and died pag. 113. 3 I impugne a new poore lewd licentious and vnlearned companie of Ministers c. ignorant wicked deceitfull hereticall heretikes seducers reprobate persons that learned their religion of the Deuill c. those that died without repentance condemned in hell 4 I impugne a priuate religion of one nation in one onely time c. pag. 114. The Defensatiue 1 THis Iudasite Frier is now become the Popes Martiall to place euery man in his ranke and order But his authoritie reacheth onely to martiall his fellow friers And if the worst are alwayes in the last place how commeth it to passe that the Ignatian friers if they haue their right haue the last place in publike processions as being the yongest order of the rest I thinke this frierlie companion would hold great scorne that his order should be thought therefore to be worst as it is in deede but not for that cause Well it hath pleased his Mastship to talke with Ministers in the last place that is no disgrace to them but to him that gaue them not their due place And here Agesilaus answere may serue who being yet a child in the beholding of certaine playes being set in the meanest place sayd It is well I must shew that the place doth not commend the man but the man the place 2 Most of the auncient professors of Diuinitie Doctors Councels generall particular Vniuersities Colledges which were liued and florished in the purer ages of the Church do condemne popish religion as it is now professed and practised as hath been declared before These are but facing words and bragging speeches As though Bish. Iewell that reuerent father hath not long since made this challenge that he will proue the principall articles of the Protestants faith by the testimonies of the auncient Fathers and Doctors of the Church that liued within 500. yeare after Christ. Bish. Cranmer also auoucheth that the real presence as the Church of Rome holdeth cannot be proued by any Doctor aboue 1000. yeares after Christ. If this benchwhistler be ignorant of these challenges let him vnderstand it now and put vp his pipes if he knew it before it is great impudencie in him to make these brags till they be answered But as for your millions of Saints I haue told you often that those Saints whom you challenge if they be right Saints they were not yours as being ignorant of the grossest points of poperie If they were wholie yours they were no Saints for I am sure that heretikes and Idolaters make but course Saints vnlesse you will haue the Deuill to beare the crosse And seeing Saints do abound in the popish Church and it is so easie a thing to be Sainted there their Saintships may be worthilier doubted of that grow to so many millions whereas Christs flock is but a litle flocke Luk. 12.32 and fewe there are which finde the narrow way that leadeth vnto life Math. 7.14 That saying therefore of Agesilaus may fit them who when as the confederates murmured that they supplied more souldiers then the Lacedemonians commanded the crier to bid all the artificers as potters brasiers smiths carpenters to depart and there were few left but the Lacedemonians who are not permitted by their law to follow any base handicraft then he smiling said see how many more souldiers we haue sent out then you As there is great difference betweene coblers tinkers potters and other base artisanes and right souldiers so popish Saints differ from true Saints and though they haue more in muster and number yet the Protestants I doubt not haue more in right account and true value 3. But who are the licentious vnlearned company wicked ignorant deceitfull hereticall their fellow Priests shal testifie who thus witnesse of the Iudasites whō they cal proud Nemrods boystrous hunters Iesuiticall humorists Macheuillian practisers furious spirits men without conscience cousining and conspiring companions ambitious hypocrites the more knaue the better lucke and one of them they terme an Italianated companion a Diuell incarnate an other a diuellish polititian the whole order they name the society of the Diuell the schoole of Macheuilisme an other they call a most diabolicall vnnaturall and wicked fellow the rest they affirme to be led with the spirite of Sathan damned for heretikes Bathamans blasphemous wretches proud Pharises the infernall Consistorie They obiect vnto them their night lectures and their auditours of women and those faire ones for the most part whiles their husbands missing their wiues scratched their heads Now sir take your Popish liuerie of deceiptfull hereticall taught of the Diuell and such like to your selfe which your fellow Masse priests haue shaped you being best acquainted with your manners As for vs the Ministers of the Gospell we esteeme of these blasphemous words as of Rabsakeh his railing who though he vttered many shamefull words against the city of God yet they were not able to cast one stone against it to hurt it no more shall this railing Rabsakeh notwithstanding his wicked termes fasten one true word vpon Christs Ministers 4. Our Religion the faith of the Protestants the Gospell of Christ neither is in England onely professed but in Scotland the Low countries Heluetia Geneua in many cities and kingdomes beside in some peaceably in some with trouble and persecution Neither hath the Gospell onely flourished in these times but euery age hath had some witnesses of it as learned Illyricus hath sufficiently proued in a large Treatise of that argument Therefore we cannot iudge this pratler otherwise then a vaine fellow that till he be answered is bold vntruly to affirme that the Religion of Protestants should be in one onely nation and in one onely time Indeed they which die among Protestants without repentance toward God for their sinnes cannot be saued but their faith and calling are not to be
repented of It is to be feared rather that they which die in the popish communion without repentance of their idolatrie cannot be saued For no idolaters can inherite the kingdome of God and he that is vnder the kingdome of Antichrist cannot be vnder the kingdome of Christ. Ye promise saluation to your Disciples as the Pharises did to their proselites making them twofold more the children of hell and your Masses affoord like helpe to the commers to it as the Priests Corban did to the suiters to the Altar We know that out of Gods Church there is no saluation Duae portae sunt porta paradisi porta Ecclesiae per portam Ecclesiae intramus portam paradisi There are two gates one of paradise another of the Church by the gate of the Church we enter the gate of Paradise this gate of the Church the Gospell only openeth which teacheth iustification by faith alone in Christ who is the doore and the way Neither is it like that the Ignatian seducers can promise saluation to others wherein they faile themselues as their owne fellowes haue censured them All Iesuites except they amend their manners and reforme their order are damned for heretickes and thrust out of Gods Church as Apostataes Atheists c. to whom their credulous simple schollers might say as Agesilaus to the Thasians that offered to make him of the number of the Gods First saith he make your selues Gods and then I will beleeue ye can make me one too The second Inuectiue HE would shew that it is more reasonable to giue credite to so many preceding Archbishops of Canterbury then to the three protestant Archbishops Cranmer Parker Grindall these he doth first extenuate and then extoll and magnifie the other 1. For the first he sayth they were of three diuerse religions in substantiall points yea of seuen or eight diuerse religions 2. None of them burned for protestancy quartered for denying the supremacie a Saint for life renowmed for learning 3. Cranmer condemned of high treason proued publikely periured and to haue counterfeit the hands and consents of fifty Clergie men recanted his errour was in the case for relapse for ignorance was hissed out of the common schooles of Oxford p. 215. 4. The Archbishops their prodecessors S. Augustine S. Laurence Mellitus Iustus Honorius c. others 68 in number many most holy and learned men miraculously approued of God p. 126. Therefore it is more equall to credite these then the other The Defensatiue 1. WE depend not for our faith vpon any Archbishops whether Papall or Protestants we receiue not our faith of men neither are pinned vpon their sleeues for our iudgement in Religion the Apostle hath taught vs that we should not haue the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons Iam. 2.1 Yet the three Protestant Bishops rehearsed prouing their faith by the Scriptures are more to be credited then all their predecessors grounding their beleefe vpon humane traditions Neither did they vary as is surmised in the substantiall and fundamental points of religion or were therein of three diuerse much lesse of seuen or eight sundry religions 2. Though to be quartered for denying the supremacy and maintaining the forraine iurisdiction of the Pope be a condigne punishment for trayterous Papists and proper vnto such rebellious and disloyall persons as the Iudasites and Baals Priests haue bene found to be yet it is certaine that blessed Cranmer was burned for Protestancie as were learned Ridley godly Latimer zealous Hooper constant Ferrar all Protestant Bishops Cranmers godly life and Episcopall vertues his sobernesse gentlenesse charitie humilitie soundnesse of doctrine diligence in his calling are at large set forth by the graue pen of that faithfull seruant of God maister Fox such as in few of his predecessors are to be found neither his aduersaries are euer able to confound His learning also was well knowne as appeareth by his learned bookes as that of the Sacrament which as he himselfe testified was set foorth seuen yeares agoe then and no man hath brought any authors against it 3. He was acquited and pardoned of high treason and not thereof condemned as he vntruly reporteth stood onely in the case of doctrine he was not periured hauing taken an oath to the Pope onely vnder protestation as he himselfe confesseth And if he had sworne obedience simply to the Pope it was an vniust oath like vnto Herods and not to be kept The law saith Illicitum iuramentum non valet an vnlawfull oath is of no force And their owne Canons say Iuramentum contra bonos more 's non ligat an oath against good manners bindeth not So is the oath made to the Pope it is vniust to Princes to whom due obedience is denied and against good manners in that disloyaltie to the Prince is thereby maintained The Popish Bishops rather were periured that being sworne to the King first tooke afterwards a contrarie oath to the Pope as Bishop Cranmer obiecteth to Bishop Brooke whereas their first oath was lawfull and iust and therefore firmely to be holden Those fifty Clergie mens hands were not counterfeited by Cranmer but subscribed by themselues for the abrogation of the Papall iurisdiction Indeed Fisher charged Archbishop Warrham with counterfeiting of his hand in the sitting at Blacke-friers about the businesse of the kings mariage He recanted his errour and executed iust reuenge vppon his right hand that was the instrument of his rash subscription first consuming the same in the flames of the fire This is no more disgrace vnto him then Peters teares and repentance for denying of his Maister neither was he by their law in case of relapse when he was adiudged to the fire hauing not as yet shewed his remorse of conscience and repentance for his vnaduised act of subscription He was hissed indeed of the young headie schollers but that argueth their temerity not that reuerend fathers simplicity The Donatists serued the Catholike Bishops after the same maner making such a noise that they could not go on in their defence say also that Augustine the other Catholikes were therfore disgraced and put to silence 4. Cōcerning the Popish Archbishops 1. if nūber might preuaile the high priests by a greater proportion exceeded our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles and the pagan sacrificers the Christian Bishops and preachers 2. Many of them were not very holy men whereof some were disloyall to their princes as Thomas Becket to Henry the second Robert Winchelsey to Edward the first Thomas Arundell to Richard the second who was by Parliament adiudged a traytor Diuerse of them were busie malitious vncharitable contentious as Baldwine Stephen Laughton Richardus Magnus had great strife with the Monkes of Canterbury Boniface Kilwaruy with the Archbishops of Yorke for bearing vp of their Masse in London and Kent Iohn Peccham with Thomas Bishop of Hereford such
yet God thought good to make woman there No persons more giuen to meditation then the Apostles yet they had their wiues following of them to minister to their necessities 1. Cor. 9.5 Nay rather vagrant and vnsetled lust such as raigneth in poperie is a distracting of the mind And they are like to be good Diuinitie Lectures which the Iudasites vse to reade in the nights to the auditories of faire women while their husbands missing of them scratch their heades where it itcheth not as the Masse-priestes report 2 It is not the trauelling abroad or studying beyond the sea and seeking meanes a farre off that can bring a man certainely to true knowledge Which of the Christian professours can compare with Solon Lycurgus Thales Plato Pythagoras for long trauaile visiting of strange countries seeing the behauiour of many nations yet this could not bring them to the knowledge of Christ. The Pharises did compasse sea and land they were greater trauellers then Christ or his Apostles were at the first it did nothing helpe them to the finding out of the truth Euery Church and countrie hauing the word of God may find at home which is the truth aswell as by searching abroad as Moses saith Neither is it yet beyond the sea that thou shouldest say Who shall go ouer the sea for vs and bring it vs but the word is neare vnto thee Hierome saith Desâ—â—t notus tantùm in Iudaea esse Deus in omnem terram exiuit sonus Apostolorum God hath left to be knowne onely in Iudea the sound of the Apostles is gone foorth into all the earth Diuinitie is as well studied at Cambridge as at Rome at Oxford as at Paris and for soundnesse of iudgement and integritie of truth much better without comparison Seneca saith Proprium agri est nihil diâ— pati mutationibus vt remedijs vti It is the propertie of sicke persons to endure nothing long and to vse often chaunges as remedies So this shifting of places and chaunging of countries argueth the sicknesse of the mind Plutarch very well compareth such to hennes that when they haue heapes of corne before them yet do seeke in corners and picke out of the dirt and scrape with their feet So the sicke-braind students hauing much better doctrine at home and more plentie of true knowledge do go further and speed worse Now in the last place this Epistler belike failing of other proofes betaketh himselfe to his protestation The fift point his Protestation IF they wil appeale to the Scriptures I the poore author herof haue studied them all and more then Protestants vse Then after the profession of his reading of the Fathers of the Church historians Councels schoolemen he concludeth with this protestation I take God and the whole Court of heauen to witnesse before whom I must render an account of this protestatioÌ„ c. that the same faith religion which I defend is taught and confirmed by those holy Hebrewe and Greek Scriptures Historians Popeâ— Decrees Scholies Expositions Councels Schooles and Fathers and the profession of Protestants condemned p. 221. That I should not be able to iudge what maketh for vs what against vs I hope no man wil challenge me of so great ignorance That I would willingly erre to follow a profession so austere c. I hope no Reader can be so partiall to iudge c. p. 222. The Concertation THis Ignatian professor as it seemeth dwelled by euill neighbours when he is forced to commend himselfe he boasteth much of his reading and knowledge as though he onely were conuersant in authors I doubt not but that there may be found some hundreds of ministers and this poore author among the rest that can truly say as much of themselues as this bragger professeth At this time therefore I shall need to make no further answer theÌ„ to set a modest contestation against his proud protestation At this time I shall haue vse of that saying of the wise man Answer a foole according to his foolishnesse lest he be wise in his owne conceipt Prou. 26.5 And though I feare as Hierome saith Vereor ne officium putetur ambitio lest that which is but officious should be held to be ambitious that wherunto I am driuen of necessitie should be deemed vanitie yet I say with the Apostle Wherein any man is bold I speake as a foole I am bold also 2. Cor. 11.21 Like as Pericles being depressed and depraued of his enemies was vrged modestly to commend himselfe Are ye angrie saith he with me which thinke my selfe inferiour to none neither in the vnderstanding of things nor in vttering what I vnderstand So to make answer to this vaine challenger in his owne wordes I hope it may be excused because he hath first thereunto by his importunitie prouoked If he will appeale to the Scriptures I haue studied them all and more then Papistes vse if they contend to credit the Hebrew text in the old Testament and the Greeke in the new I haue studied them in those languages and the ancient glosses and scholiaes Latine and some Greeke for their exposition if they will stand to the report of the auncient historians Eusebius Ruffinus Socrates Sozomen S. Hierome S. Bernard and others I haue perused them if they will be iudged by the decrees of the first Popes I haue often with diligence considered the decrees both all that were before the Councell of Nice and after If they will be arbitrated by the present schooles and scholasticall reasons I haue read some of them If they admâ—t the first foure generall Councels of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chelcedone I haue seene and read them all from the first of Nice to the last of Trent as all approued particular and prouinciall Councels which be extant and ordinarily vsed If they thinke there were euer true religioÌ„ among Christians and that it was exercised in the first sixe hundred yeares I haue carefully read ouer all the works of Origene Cyprian Ambrose Hierome â—ugustine Chrysostom Damascene Pamphilus Eusebius Theodoret Ruffinus Socrates Sozomenus Euagrius Bernard the Imperiall constitutions with other authors old and new and with greater diligence then Ignatian Friers commonly vse to do hauing I thanke God of mine owne writing and collations out of the foresaid Fathers and Writers not much lesse then two reames of paper Yet I take God to witnesse before whome I must render an account of this my protestation that the same faith and religion which I defend is taught and confirmed by those holy Hebrewes and Greeke Scriptures and in the more substantiall points by those Historians Councels Fathers that liued within 5. or 6. hundred yeares after Christ and in many points by them that followed after and the profession of Papists by the same condemned I haue examined and with diligent aduise read ouer many bookes and writings of the best learned Protestants and not any that euer came to my hands containeth any argument
Platina Iesuit catechis lib. 2. c. 7. Sect. 3. solut 2. Sect. 3. solut to probation 3. Iuell ex Felin Panormitan summ Angel defens apolog pa. 385. Siluest Prierias cont Luther Pigghius in loc commun de eccles Cusan ad Bohem epist. 2. Piggh. Hierar lib. 1. c. 2. Papists deniers of scripture Latine text corrupt Papists forgers of euidences Rom. 3.2 Tetrastyl 1. pill part 3. Tetrastyl pill 2. par 3. Prou. 12.22 Hieron ad Pammach Ocean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vntruth 52. P. 23. li. 21. Vntruth 53. P. 24. l. 16. Vntruth 54. P. 24. l. 19.20 c. Disloyaltie of diuers Papists to their prince Iesuites Catechisme lib. 3. c. 6.8 Ibid. c. 22. Praefat. Balaei de act Roman pontific Ann. 7. 34. Edward 1. ann 18. Edw. 3. an 15. Ricard 2. c. 5. Supplicat of beggers Fox p. 1015. Of the Iebusites vow of pouertie Reply fol. 14. Reply fol. 15. Fol. 24. p. 2. Dialog p. 90. Diuers may be saued in the popish Church but not by the popish faith 1. Cor. 6.9 Bellarmine quodlibet p. 57. Galath 5.20.21 Fox Monum Pag. 1690. P. 1851.1934 P. 2012.2039 Reuolters frō the Gospell to poperie waxe worse then before Epist. relat pag. 10. Lib. 4. epist. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praefat. in Esram P. 23. l. 24. P. 24. l. 4. Vntruth 55. Euseb. Fox Bed Gregor Ruffin Sozomen c. The miracles of Martyrs and Saints not done in the popish church Ex Malmesb. Fabulous miracles of Dunstane Editha her fained miracles Ex Chronic. Saxonic Osber in vit Dunstan Malmesbur Capgraue Capgraue Miracles coyned among the Heathen Origen lib. 2. cont Celsum Trisymach lib. 3. de vrbib condit Theodor. in transformat Augustin de ciuitat Dei lib. 18. c. 16.17 Plutarch in conuiuio De vnitat ecclesiae cap. 26. In 1. Cor. c. 12. The power of miracles not vsuall in the Church now Serm. de Benedict Epist. 205. Miracles falsely fathered vpon the Fathers Epist. 106. Lib. 4. de notis eccles c. 14. Multitude of miracles in the Popish Church maketh them suspected Vit. Hilarion Lib. 2. cont Cels. Decr. Gregor lib. 3. tit 45. c. 1. Ibid. 2. Lib. 5. epist. 29. In 2. Timoth. pag. 138. a. A notorious fable The fabulous visions of Jgnatius founder of the Iesuites Mass. lib. 1. c. 8. The legend of Xauiers wonders an Ignatian impostor Tursellin lib. 1. cap. 7. Lib. 2. cap. 7. Lib. 5. cap. 4. Lib. 4. d◠not eccles c. 14. Iesuit catechis lib. 1. cap. 7. Popish miracles ridiculous Apolog. 2 aduers Ruffin The end of popish miracles rendeth to superstition Lib. 2. cont Celsum 2. Thessal 2. In 2. Tim. c. 2. Pag. 25. li. 1.2 Vntruth 56. lin 4.5 Vntruth 57. Lin. 8. Vntruth 58. Lin. 11.12 Vntruths manie see the answere Polidor Virgil. lib. 5. Platin. in Sixto 1. Polidor Virgil. lib. 5. de in vētorib rer c. 10. Cod. lib. 4. tit 20. l. 3. Carinus Booke of Articles agreed vpon in the Conuocation ann 1562. confirmed by act of Parliament Ann. Eliz. 13. c. 12. Sixtus 3. can 4. Synops. Papism Vntruth 59. Apparant errors admitted and allowed in the papall Church Vntruth 60. Contradictions of idolatrie in Poperie Contradictio◠of doctrine in the poperie Vntruth 61. Sigebert in ann 903. Platina Nichol. 1. de matrim c. 6. Later conc par 6. c. 8. Par. 6. c. 27. Lateran par 6. c. 8. Ibid. c. 28. Sext. decret lib. 5. t. 12. c. 3. Extrau Ioann tit 14. c. 4. See before sect 3. Vntruth 18. Crastouius in bell Iesuitic 〈◊〉 piller 4. Epaunens synod c. 3. Epist. 64. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 25. Vntruth 62. Vntruth 63. Vntruth 64. Pag. 26. Popish religiō separateth from God the Gospell ioyneth and reconcileth to God Tridentin sess 13. c. 5. Rhemist 1. Cor. 9. sect 9. Rom. 8.38.39 The Sacramēt of Baptisme corrupted in Poperie Genes 17.7 Rhemist Heb. 10. sect 4. Bellar. lib. 1. de bapt cap. 7. Matth. 28.20 Fox pag. 865. col 1. edit 4. Act. 10.47 Bellar. lib. 2. de confir c. 11. How a Christian is truly confirmed against tentation Ephes. 6.13 Rhem. Ioh. 6. sect 11. Rhemist 1. Cor. 11. sect 16. Rhem. Matth. 26. sect 4. Trid. sess 13. c. 5. Trid. sess 22. c. 3. The right vse of the Lords Supper Bellarm. lib. 2. de poenit c. 12. Rhem. Mat. 11· sect 21. No true repentance in the Papall schisme The true comforts of the sicke Trident. sess 23 c. 1. Abuse of orders in poperie Jbid. Jbid. c. 4. 1. Timot. 14.16 Abuse of matrimonie 1. Decret Damas Iob. 13.4 Lib. 3. de virginib 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vntruth 65. P. 27. l. 14. Vntruth 66. Sclaunder 67. Sclaunder 68. Sclaunder 69. Vntruth 70. P. 28. l. 4.5.6 c. Rhemist annot in Iames 1. v. 13. How euill actions are disposed of God 2. Sam. 16. v. 10. Admonition after the Queenes Iniunctions What authoritie the Prince hath in Ecclesiasticall matters Article 37. Preface to the Communion booke Artic. 20. Artic. 21. Papists receiue the decrees of the Church as the word of God Ioannes Maria. Siluester Prierias cont Luther Annotat. in 1. Tim. c. 3. sect 9. What freewill man hath Lib. de corrept grat c. 13. De praedestinat lib. 1.15 How good works are necessarie Pag. 27. lin 30. Predestination taketh not away mans freewill Act. 2.23 De praedest lib. 1. c. 15. Annot. in act 27. sect 3. Popish doctrine can not accord Gods predestination and mans freewill Rom. 8. v. 29.30 Rhemist Math. 20. s. 1. Rom. 9.16 Cod. lib. 4. tit 20. leg 9. Gratian. in authenti◠Cantic serm 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vntruth 71. Pag. 28. lin 16. Vntruth 72. Lin. 22. Vntruth 73. Pag. 29. lin 8. Lin. 16. Vntruth 74. Vntruth 75. Lin. 28. Vntruth 76. Vntruth 77. Pag. 29. lin 2. Pag. 29. lin 4. Vntruth 78. Reuel 22.9 Act. 10.26 Joh. 5.45 The entercourse betweene the Church triumphant and militant Reuel 5.10 Reuel 6.10 Ex Augustin de praedestinat ad Prosperum lib. 1. cap. 14. Papists doe wrong to the dead Reuel 14.13 Reuel 7.17 Christ but once offered in sacrifice Heb. 9. v. 25.26 Heb. 10.14 Luk. 22.19 Constantinop synod 7. gener Ex Nicen. 2. action 6. Swearing vsuall among Papists Coloniens part 13. cap. 13. Fox pag. 904. Consecration of the Clergie in England Edward 1. anno 25. Edward 3. anno 25. statut de prouisorib Richard 2. anno 13. stat 2. c. 2. Henr. 4. ann 2. cap. 3. Popish hierarchie against the Canons Synops. p. 149. Ephes. 4.11.12 Popish orders of the Clergie superfluous Matth. 15.13 No indeleble character in Orders Reuelat. 1.6 1. Pet. 2.9 In 4. distinct 4. quaest 1. Distinct. 6. q. 9. Gab. ibid. q. 2. Ministers how they differ from the people Emperour more ample in iurisdiction then the Pope Galath 2. * As Valens the Emperour sent Arrian Priests to infect the Goths at their first conuersion Lanquet anno Christ. 380. Iesuites haue peruerted rather then conuerted