brooke her reformation but looke backe to the abominations of Aegypt and Babylon I haue thought it conuenient not only to declare at large what benefites the people of England now fiue and fortie yeares almost enioyed by her gracious and happie gouernement but also to iustifie the same against the slaunderous calumniations and cauils of Robert Parsons her borne subiect but now a renegate Iebusite and professed enemie who in diuers wicked libels and paltrie pamphlets hath endeuoured to obscure her great glorie and to deface her worthie actions Wherein that I may proceed with more perspicuitie I think it fit to reason first of matters Ecclesiasticall and afterward of ciuill and worldly affaires In Ecclesiasticall affaires which by her meanes grew to a better settlement we are to consider first what grace it is to haue a certaintie in religion and next what fauour God shewed to vs reducing vs to the vnitie of the true Catholicke Church Thirdly we will reason of true faith fourthly of the sincere administration of the Sacraments fiftly of the true worship of God sixthly of the Scriptures and publicke prayers in our mother tongue seuenthly of freedome we enioyed by her from persecution from the Popes exactions froÌ„ his wicked lawes and vniust censures from al heretical and false doctrine eightly of deliuerance from schisme superstition and idolatrie and finally of good workes and the happinesse of those that not onely are able to discerne which are good workes but also do walke in them according to their Christian profession auoiding pretended Popish good-workes that are either impious or else superstitious and vnprofitable Al which graces this land hath long enioyed by her Maiesties reformation of religion In matters politicall we purpose to consider first the happie deliuerance of this land out of the hands of the Spaniard from all feare of forreine enemies Next her famous victories both against rebels and traitors at home and open enemies abroade and her glorie and reputation with forreine nations Thirdly the restitution of all royall authoritie and preheminence to the Crowne of which the Pope before that had vsurped a great part Fourthly the peaceable estate of this kingdome in the tumults of other nations round about vs and lastly the wealth and multitude of her subiects CHAP. I. Of certaintie in Faith and Religion and of the vnion we haue with the true auncient Catholike and Apostolike Church FAith as saith the Apostle Heb. 11. is the ground of things which are hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene If then we haue true faith we are assured of things hoped for although not séene Luke 24. When two of the disciples of Christ doubted of his resurrection he said vnto them O fooles and slow of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken Ideo fideles vocati sumus saith Chrysostom Hom. 1. in 1. Tim 4. vt his quae dicuntur sine vlla haesitatione credamus Therefore we are called faithfull that we may beleeue without doubting those things which are spoken So then all Christians that beléeue do certainly beléeue and are perswaded and he that doubteth beléeueth not Further the obiect of faith is most certaine Heauen and earth shall passe but my words shall not passe saith our Sauiour Matth. 24. Saint Augustine doth attribute that onely to the writers of canonical Scriptures that they could not erre Neither need I to stand long vpon this point séeing our aduersaries also confesse that nothing that is false can be the obiect of faith But our aduersaries take away from Christians all certaintie of faith and religion For first they teach that no Christian is to beleeue that he shall be saued and secondly they make mans faith vncertaine concerning the obiect That is taught by the conuenticle of Trent sess 6. cap. 16. where it saith Ne que seipsum aliquis etiamsi nihil sibi conscius sit iudicare debet that is neither ought any to iudge himselfe although he be not conscious to himselfe of any thing And in the same session chap. 9. it determineth that no man by the certaintie of faith ought to assure himself that he shal be saued The second point doth follow of the diuers doctrines of the Papists Enchâ—ridâ—e de Ecclesia Eckius holdeth that the Scriptures are not authentical without the authority of the Church And although Bellarmine dare not allow this forme of spéech yet where he defendeth the determination of the conuenticle of Trent concerning the old Latine translation in effect he granteth it For if the Church onely can make Scriptures authenticall without the Churches authoritie they are not authenticall In his booke De not is Eccles c. 2. he saith the Scriptures depend vpon the Church Scriptura saith he pendent ab Ecclesia Stapleton lib. 9. de princip doctrinal cap. 4. saith that it is necessary that the Churches authoritie should consigne and declare which bookes are to be receiued for canonicall Scripture Necessarium est saith he vt Ecclesiae aeuthoritas Scripturarum canonem consignet And his meaning is that no man is to receiue any bookes for canonicall but such as the Church from time to time shall determine to be canonical and those vpon the Churches determination he will haue necessarily receiued Sess 4. Secondly the conuenticle of Trent maketh Scriptures and vnwritten traditions of equall value Bellarmine in his fourth book De verbo Dei speaketh no otherwise of traditions then as of the infallible writteÌ„ word of God Stapleton saith Lib. 7 princ doct c. 1. The rule of faith doth signifie all that doctrine which is deliuered and receiued in the Church and that very absurdly as I thinke no reasonable man can well denie For that being granted the rule and doctrine ruled should be all one But of that we shall speake otherwhere Thirdly they teach that the determinations of the Church are no lesse firmely to be beleeued and reuerently to be holden then if they were expressed in Scriptures Id quod sancta mater Ecclesiae definit vel acceptat saith Eckius Enchir. cap. de Eccles non est minore firmitate credendum ac veneratione tenendum quam si in diuinis literis sit expressum And all our aduersaries do beléeue that the Popes determinations concerning matters of faith are infallible and so to be accounted of Finally in the canon law c. in canonicis dist 19. they place the decretals of Popes in equall ranke with canonicall Scriptures Of these positions it followeth that as long as men beléeue the Romish Church they neither beleeue truth nor haue any certaine faith or religion And that is proued by these arguments First he that beleeueth not Gods promises concerning his own saluation is an infidel and hath no true faith But this is the case of all Papists For not one of them beléeueth that he shall be saued nor imagineth that God hath said or promised any thing concerning his owne saluation Secondly if the Scriptures depend
Praescript aduers Haeret. disputeth against the heresies of the Valentinians and Marcionites drawing arguments from the Apostles preaching and tradition But that was because they denyed and corrupted Scriptures For no man can deny but that their heresies are clearely conuinced by Scriptures Quod sumus hoc sunt That we are that they are saith Tertullian speaking of Scriptures That is likewise the meaning of Vincentius Lirinensis de Haeres cap. 27. for that depost of which he talketh is nothing but the Christian faith contained in scriptures But if Parsons will prooue his rule of faith he must shew a faith grounded vpon tradition that is not deduced out of Scriptures Nay if he will not be contrarie to himselfe he must shew that not the Apostles tradition as he saith in his Warn-word 1. Encoun cap. 15. but the Catholike church is the rule of faith as he holdeth Ward-word Encontr pag. 6. He doth also obiect against vs diuers alterations of religion in England in king Henry the eight his raigne Warn-word Encontr c. 16. and in king Edwards dayes and then asketh by what authoritie our rule of faith was established But first he might as well haue spoken of the alteration made in Q. Maries dayes when the impieties of Popish religiō were established by act of Parliament Secondly the alterations in religion made in England of late time make no variation in the rule of faith that is alwayes one but in the application and vse of it Thirdly albeit by act of Parliament the articles of religion were confirmed wherein the canon of scriptures and the substance of our confession is set downe yet was that rather a declaration of our acceptance then a confirmation of the rule of faith that in it selfe is alwayes immoueable Our rule of faith therefore is certaine albeit not alwaies in one sort approued or receiued by men But the rule of Popish faith neither in it self nor in the approbatiō of Parliaments or Churches is certaine or immoueable Finally he asketh a question of Sir Francis in his Ward-word p. 5. how he knoweth his religion to be true And saith he hath only two meanes to guide himselfe in this case and that is either Scriptures or the preaching of our Ministers But this question as I haue shewed toucheth himselfe that busideth his faith vpon the Pope nearer then Sir Francis who groundeth himselfe his faith only vpon the holy Scriptures and is assured of his faith not by these two meanes onely but by diuers others For beside Scriptures he hath the help of the Sacraments of the Church of Gods spirit working within him of miracles recorded in scriptures of auncient Fathers of the practise of the Church of the consent of nations of the confession of the aduersaries of the suffering of Martyrs and testimonies of learned men and such like arguments In this question therefore Robert Parsons shewed himselfe to be a silly Frier and to haue had more malice then might In time past also we were as shéepe going astray and out of the vnion of the Catholike and Apostolike Church Diuers of our auncestors worshipped the crosse and the images of the Trinitie with diuine worship Some like bruite beasts fell downe before Idols crept to the crosse and kissed wood and stone Others worshipped Angels the blessed Virgin and Saints praying vnto them in all their necessities trusting in them saying Masses in their honour and offering incense and prayers to their pictures and images For so they were taught or rather mistaught by popish Priests The Romish synagogue in the very foundations of religion was departed from the Apostolike and Catholike Church The schoolemen brought their proofes out of the Popes Decretals and Aristotles Metaphysickes Est Petri sedes saith Bellarmine in Praefat. ante lib. de Pont. Rom. lapis probatus angularis pretiosus in fundamento fundatus The See of Peter is an approued corner stone precious and laid in the foundation The same man lib. 2. de Pont. Rom. cap. 31. calleth the Pope the foundation of the Church Sanders calleth him the Rocke Alij nunc à Christo saith Stapleton relect princip doctr in Praef. eorúmue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locū habebūt That is Others now beside Christ and their doctrine preaching and determination shall be esteemed of me as a foundation This he saith where he talketh of the foundation of religion and the Church But the catholike Church had no foundation beside Christ Iesus and his holy word and Gospell taught by the Prophets and Apostles The Apostle Gal. 1. denounced him accursed that taught any other Gospell then that which he had preached The holy Fathers proued the faith by holy Scriptures and not by popish Decretals and philosophicall Principles Concerning Christs bodie the Romanists taught that the same is both in heauen and in the Sacrament albeit we neither could see it there nor féele it But the scriptures teach vs that his bodie is both palpable and visible Luk. 24. Mar. vlt. and is now taken vp into heauen So likewise teach the Fathers Vigilius in his fourth booke against Eutyches speaking of Christs bodie When it was on earth saith he surely it was not in heauen and now because it is in heauen certainely it is not on earth They haue also brought in new doctrine concerning Purgatorie and indulgences and which is no more like to the auncient catholike faith then heresie and noueltie to Christian religion They teach that whosoeuer doth not satisfie in this life for the temporall punishment of mortall sinnes committed after baptisme and remitted concerning the guiltinesse must satisfie for the same in Purgatorie vnlesse it please the Pope by his indulgences to release him Of the tormentors of soules in Purgatorie and of the nature qualitie and effect of indulgences they talke idlely and vnlike to the schollers of Catholikes The Catholicke doctrine concerning the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords supper they haue quite changed in Baptisme adding salt spittle hallowed water exorcismes blowings annointings light and other strange ceremonies In the Lords supper taking away the cup from the communicants and not deliuering but hanging vp or carying about the Sacrament and worshipping it as God and finally beléeuing holding transubstantiation They haue also deuised other sacraments and taught that they containe grace and iustifie They were wont to kisse the Popes toe and to receiue his dunghill decretals worshipping Antichrist and intitling him Christs Vicar All which nouelties superstitions and heresies by her Maiesties godly reformation are abolished who hath restored the auncient Catholike and Apostolike faith which the Popes of Rome for the most part had altered suppressed She hath also by her authoritie brought vs to the vnitie of the Catholike faith and by good lawes confirmed true Christian religion Before our times there was no settlement in matters of Religion Durand denieth Diuinitie to be Scientia Thomas and Richard Middleton hold that it is Writing vpon the
master of Sentences Dist 1. lib. 1. the school-mē striue about the words vti and frui dissenting not only from their master but also from one another They differ also much about the distinction of diuine attributes Vtrum sit realis formalis an rationis tantùm This saith Dionysius a Charterhouse Monke is one of the chiefe difficulties of Diuines In dist 2. lib. 1 sent and about it betweene famous Doctors is great dissention and contention Aegidius doth lance Thomas and others runne vpon both Aegidius in lib. 1. sent dist 2. would haue the persons of the Trinitie to be distinguished by a certaine thing in one that is not in another but others condemne him for that opinion Writing vpon the 3. dist lib. 1. sent they denie their masters examples and one condemneth another Bonauenture saith that men may attaine to the knowledge of the holy Trinitie by naturall reason others say contrarie The Scotists lib. 1. sent dist 5. inuey against Henricus de Gandauo for his opinion about the eternall generation of the Sonne of God Aegidius holdeth that the son of God hath power to beget another son which displeaseth Thomas and Bonauenture and is very strange doctrine Thomas Aquinas part 1. q. 32. art 4. saith that Doctors may hold contrary opinions Circa notiones in diuinis He teacheth also that the holy Ghost doth more principally proceed from the Father then from the Sonne which others mislike If then they agrée not about the doctrine of the holy Trinitie it is not like that in matters wherein they haue libertie to dissent they will better agrée Scotus holdeth In 2. sent dist 1. that the soule and an Angell do not differ as two diuers kinds Others teach contrary Some Doctors hold that Angels consist of forme onely In 2. sent dist 3. others hold contrary They dissent also about the sin of our first parents Pighius in the doctrine of original sin dissenteth from his fellowes Innocentius in c. maiores de bapt eius effect misliketh the opinion of the master of the Sentences that held it to be pronitas ad peccandum that is a pronenesse to sinne The Thomists to this day could neuer be reconciled to the Scotists about the conception of our Ladie these denying she was conceiued in sin the others affirming it Gropper in his exposition of the Créed confesseth that among the Papists there are two diuers opinions about Christs descending into hell Bellarmine in his bookes of controuersies doth not more violently run vpon vs then vpon his owne consorts In euery article almost he bringeth contrary expositions of Scriptures and contrary opinions In the sacrament of the Lords supper which is a pledge of loue there are infinite contradictions among them as I haue shewed in my bookes de Missa against Bellarmine The like contentions I haue shewed in my Treatises de Indulgentijs de Purgatorio and shall haue occasion more at large to speake of them hereafter We are therefore to thanke God that the doctrine of faith in the Church of England is setled and that refusing all nouelties we agrée therein with the auncient catholike Church We acknowledge one Lord one faith one baptisme one head of the Church one canon of Scriptures with the auncient fathers The rules of all auncient and lawfull generall Councels concerning the faith we admit We haue one vniforme order for publike prayers administration of Sacraments and Gods seruice Neither do we onely agrée among our selues but also with the reformed Churches of France and Germany and other nations especially in matters of faith and saluation And as for ceremonies and rites it cannot be denied but that all Churches therein haue their libertie as the diuersities of auncient Churches and testimonies of Fathers do teach vs. Most vaine therefore and contumelious is that discourse of N.D. in his Warne-word 1. encontr ca. 4 5 6. where he talketh of the difference of soft and rigide Lutherans among themselues of them from Anabaptists and from Zwinglians of all from the followers of Seruetus and Valentine Gentilis For neither do we acknowledge the names of Lutherans Caluinians or Zuinglians but onely call our selues Christians nor haue we to do with the Arians or Anabaptists or Seruetus or Gentilis or any heretikes Nay by our Doctors these fellowes haue bene diligently confuted and by our gouernors the principall of them haue bene punished But these may Parsons reply haue bin among vs. Admit it were so yet do not our aduersaries take themselues to be guiltie of Arianisme and Anabaptisme because there are diuers guiltie of Arianisme and Anabaptisme among them We say further that the Churches of Germany France and England agree albeit priuate men hold priuate opinions Finally where we talk of the Church of England what a ridiculous sot was this to bring an instance of the Churches of Germany or Suizzerland nay not of the Churches but of priuat persons and that in matters not very substantiall if we admit their owne interpretations Hauing therefore talked his pleasure of Lutherans and Zuinglians he descendeth to speak of rigid and soft Caluinists as he calleth them in England He calleth them also Protestants and Puritanes But neither do we admit these names of faction nor is he able to shew that publikely any Christian is tolerated to dissent either in matters of faith or rites from the Church of England But if any there be that mislike our rites yet is not that contention about matters of faith nor can the disorder of priuate persons hinder the publike vnion of the Church Finally I do not know any man now but he is reasonably well satisfied concerning matters of discipline albeit the same be with the great griefe of Papists who go about to stirre vp the coles of contention as much as they can that heretofore haue bene couered CHAP. II. Of the restoring of Christian Religion and the reduction of the Church of England to the true faith TRue faith in time of Poperie was a great stranger in England most men being ignorant of all points of christian Religion the rest holding diuers erronious points and heresies Their ignorance we shall proue by diuers testimonies hereafter Their errors and heresies are very apparent and at large proued in my late challenge That which the Apostle calleth the doctrine of diuels 1. Tim. 4. that they imbrace for doctrine of faith For they forbid their Priests Monkes Friers and Nuns to marrie and commaund the Benedictines and their Charterhouse Monkes at all times to abstaine from flesh They also forbid men to eate flesh vpon all fasting dayes fridayes and saterdayes and in Lent dissoluing the commandements of God by their owne traditions The Manicheyes abstained from egges as Saint Augustine sheweth lib. de haeres cap. 46. Nec oua saltem sumunt quasi ipsa cùm franguntur expirent nec oporteat vllis corporibus mortuis vesci Cap. plurimi dist 82. So likewise did Papists at certain
times they cal such as allow the mariage of priests sectatores libidinum praeceptores vitiorum that is followers of lusts and teachers of vices albeit the Apostle affirmeth mariage to be honorable in all sorts of men They dissolue such mariages albeit Christ teach that man is not to separate them whom God hath ioyned together Their Fastes they place in eating of fish and not in abstinence from all sustenance as the auncient Fathers by their doctrine and practise taught Some count it as mortall sinne to eate flesh on fridayes as to kill a man and that a Priest doth sinne lesse in committing fornication then in matching himselfe in honest mariage and yet they confesse that fornication is against the law of God and not the mariages of priests They tolerated common whores as did Simon Magus and other heretickes and now in Rome the Pope notwithstanding his pretended holinesse receiueth a tribute from them They do also sell Masses imposition of hands benefices and make money of their god of the altar and their religion which sauoureth of the heresie of Simon Magus Venalia nobis saith Mantuan Templa sacerdotes altaria sacra coronae Ignis thura preces coelum est venale Deusque That is churches priests altars sacraments crownes fire incense prayers yea heauen and God himselfe are set to sale among vs. Brigit in her reuelations cap. 232. saith Priestes are worse then Iudas for that he sold Christ for mony but they barter him for all commodities Irenaeus lib. 1. aduers haeres cap. 23. As the Basilidians worshipped images vsed enchantments and superstitious adiurations so do they worshipping not onely materiall images but also their fantasticall imaginations They also exorcise water and salt saying Exorcizo te creatura aquae againe exorcizo te creatura salis With the Heretickes called Staurolatrae they worship the crosse with the Angelikes they serue and worship Angels with the Armenians they make the images of God the Father and the holy Ghost As the Nazarites mingled Iewish ceremonies with christian Religion so do Papists borrowing from them their paschal lambe their Iubileys their priestly apparell their altars their Leuiticall rites and diuers other Iewish ceremonies Irenaeus lib. 1. aduers haeres cap. 30. saith that Marcion and Saturninus first taught abstinence from liuing creatures from whom the Papists séeme to haue borrowed their abstinence frō certaine meates as lesse holy then others Our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles as S. Augustine saith Epist 86. ad Casulanum neuer appointed what dayes we ought to fast and what not The Papists therefore haue their fasts from others then from Christ or his Apostles From the Manicheys they borrow their communions vnder one kind as may be proued by the Chapt. relatum and comperimus dist 2. de consecrat and by Leo his fourth Sermon de quadrages The Helcesaites make Christ in heauen to differ from Christ on earth as saith Theodoret haeret fabul lib. 3. cap. de Helcesaeis his words are these Christum non vnum dicunt sed hunc quidem infernè illum verò supernè So likewise the Papists teach that Christs bodie in heauen is visible and palpable but not as it is in the Sacrament With the Pelagians they concurre in many points as I haue at large declared in my late challenge Hoc Pelagiani laudent dicere saith S. Augustine lib. 2. de bono perseuerantiae c. 5. hominem iustum in hac vita nullum habere peccatum Now how can they cleare themselues from this that hold that a man is able to performe the law of God perfectly The Apostle Paul denyeth that we are iustified before God by the workes of the law The Papists haue taught quite contrarie He teacheth vs not to glorie in our works They say quite contrarie that men may glorie in their workes He sheweth that as many as receiue the sacrament of the Lords bodie are also to receiue the sacrament of his bloud They denie the cuppe to all the communicants beside the priest Our Sauiour instituting the Sacrament of his last supper said Accipite manducate that is take and eate These imagine that he offered his bodie and bloud really and corporally at his last supper and that he appointed his bodie and bloud actually to be offered in the Masse and not alwaies to be sacramentally and spiritually receiued of the communicants The Papists teach that wicked men reprobates and diuels may haue true faith But the Apostle teacheth that true faith iustifieth that they which haue it liue by faith Commonly they hold that charitie is the forme of faith Which if it were true then could not faith subsist without charitie But the Apostle teacheth vs that faith as faith doth make the iust to liue and auncient Christians were alwayes ignorant of these philosophicall fancies They hold that diuers sinnes are committed which are not forbidden by Gods law But this sheweth that the law of God as they suppose is not perfect and that the lawes of man hauing nothing in them of Gods law bind the conscience as well as the law of God Finally the very foundations of popish religion are erronious the same being founded partly vpon the decretals of Popes partly vpon the traditions of men contained partly in their Missals breuiaries ond other rituall books partly in their fabulous legends and partly in the chest of the Popes brest and partly vpon the old Latin translation of the Bible which the Romanists hold to be authenticall and partly vpō the interpretations of the Romish Church But since it pleased God to put into her Maiesties royall heart a resolution to reforme the church that was so much deformed by the pharisaicall and superstitious additions of the Papists to restore religion according to the doctrine of the Apostles Prophets not only all former heresies errors were abolished but also the true doctrine of faith was restored The which is apparent not onely by the articles of Religion which we professe but also by our publike confessions and apologies which we haue published at diuers times And in part it may be proued by the secret confession of our aduersaries For albeit they would gladly cauill against our confessions yet they take their grounds commonly out of Luther Zuinglius Caluin Melancthon and others not often medling with our confessions Diuers of them also are wont to call vs negatiue Diuines Which argueth that so much as we hold positiuely is for the most part confessed by the aduersaries themselues and that we bring in no new faith but that which alwayes hath bene holden and maintained in the Church of Christ desiring onely that the positiue errors heresies and superstitions of Papists may be abolished Wherefore as Christians in time past extolled Constantine the great Euseb hist li. 10. cap. 5. Euseb de vita Constant lib. 3. c. 23. that gaue libertie to al his subiects to professe the Christian religion that assembled synods of Bishops and confirmed their decrees so
be true then may Christians be saued by their workes without the help of Gods grace working with thē which is méere Pelagianisme For if charitie as it is in vs habitually make vs beloued then it is our loue towards God and not Gods grace or loue towards vs or his grace helping vs and remitting our sins through Christ that saueth vs properly They denie that a man is certainly to perswade himself of his owne saluation or to beléeue the same and all their confidence they put in their owne workes and merites hoping to be saued by pilgrimages indulgences eating of fumadaes créeping to the crosse kissing of the Popes toe praying to saints to stockes to stones giuing of money to lazie Monkes and Friers and such like humane deuises Are they not then most wretched that neither vnderstand what is grace nor what is faith nor what is charitie nor what belongeth to good works He that beleeueth not saith our Sauior Marke 16 shall be damned The Apostle also sheweth Tit. 3. Ibidem that none is iustified but by the grace of Christ Nay he sayth that Christ saued vs not by the workes of righteousnesse which we had done but according to his mercie by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost By eating holy bread they hope to attaine health of body and soule as it is in the Romish Missall they doubt not also but that their eating of their paschall lambe tendeth to the praise of God By holy water they teach that not onely diuels are driuen away but also veniall sinnes remitted Finally there remaine but few points of religion which the Papists with their leuen partly of Iudaical and heathenish superstition and partly of hereticall doctrine haue not corrupted What then resteth but that we deplore their blindnesse which admit such erronious absurd and blasphemous points of doctrine and wilfully resist those that offer vnto them the truth out of Gods word CHAP. V. The miserable state of Papists in matters of Religion is proued further for that they are depriued of those blessings which we haue receiued by the abrogation of popish heresies and superstition I Do not thinke but that our aduersaries albeit they differ from vs in other points yet in this will ioyne with vs and confesse that it is a miserable thing to wander without any certaintie in religion Parsons in the first encounter of his Wardword doth in effect say so much and albeit they should denie it yet it is a matter very euident For as the Apostle sayth Rom. 2. Those that sinne without the law shall perish also without the law If they know the law and do it not the law will accuse them and condemne them If they regard not to know the law yet shall Gods iustice lay hold vpon them for offending the law which they ought to haue knowne The Apostle Ephes 2. when he would put them in mind of their miserable estate before their conuersion saith they liued without Christ and without God in the world As if nothing can be deuised more damnable then to liue with out certaine knowledge of God and of Christ Iesus The Gentiles as the Apostle saith Ephes 4. walke in the vanitie of their mind hauing their vnderstanding darkned and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their heart which argueth the miserable state of Christians that liue like Gentils without the true knowledge of Christ Iesus God hath also appointed a certaine ministerie in the Church giuing some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and teachers and among the rest one end was that henceforth we should be no more children wauering and carried about with euery wind of doctrine But the Papists for the most part as is shewed liue without the knowledge of God and the rest are caried about with the blast of euery blundering Pope wauering as the wind of his blustring bulles and decretals do carie them Vpon the Scriptures they ground not themselues but must take both such scriptures and such doctrine as he shall deliuer them Secondly it is a miserable thing to be deuided from the vnitie of Christ his Church For as out of the arke of Noe all perished in the old world so all that are without the Church of Christ shall vndoubtedly perish Those sheepe that are without Christ his fold are exposed to the mercie of the wolfe and without hope of saluation How then can the Papists looke for saluation that in faith and sacraments are deuided from the Catholicke and Apostolicke Church Further by many properties they shew themselues to haue no affinitie with the true Church as before I haue declared Thirdly without true faith it is impossible to please God The same is the doore by which we enter into the kingdome of heauen But we haue shewed that in many points the Papists haue declined from the true faith What hope then can they haue either to enter into the kingdom of heauen or to please God How hapneth it they see not their wretched state Absque notitia sui Creatoris omnis homo pecus est Without the knowledge of God a man is no better then a beast saith Hierome epist 3. Fourthly the Sacraments are the seales of the new Testament betwixt God and vs. Our Sauior taking the cup at his last supper called it The new Testament in his bloud If then the Papists haue violated Christ his institution in their doctrine and ministration of sacraments as by diuers arguments we haue declared then haue they declared themselues vnworthy to be partakers of his couenant Fiftly Those which despise the Lord shall themselues be despised saith the Lord 1. Sam. 2. And as he promiseth blessings to those that worship him and kéepe his commandemēts so he threatneth cursings to those that refuse to heare the voice of the Lord and to kéepe his commaundents and ceremonies prescribed for his worship Quod si audire nolueris vocem Domini Dei tui vt custodias facias omnia mandata eius caeremonias quas ego praecipio tibi hodiè venient super te omnes maledictiones apprehendent te saith Moyses Deut. 28. Let the Papists then consider well with themselues what they haue done in transforming the worship of God into the worship of creatures and seruing him not as he hath appointed but according to their owne deuises and fancies and let them beware that these plagues curses ouertake them not séeing they haue wholy neglected the true worship of God Sixthly Strange tongues are for a signe as the Apostle sayth 1. Cor. 14. not to them that beleeue but to them that beleeue not The Prophet also threatneth as a plague that God wil speake to his people by men of other tongues and in strange languages Isay 28. In loquela labij lingua altera loquetur ad populum istum It is therefore strange that the Papists féele not
leud vnlearned and filthy as they were before Clement the eight for al his fortitude can scarce go without helpe And very strange it séemeth to vs here that the Popes chaire should serue to cure men of all ignorance infirmities and diseases And if this were so it were to be wished that Robert Parsons might sit some few houres in the Popes chaire that he might be cured of his rudenesse in railing his ignorance in writing and all other his scabbes and infirmities I for my part beléeue rather that the rudenesse of this rudent and mad Iebusite wold neuer be cured although he were reboyled like Peleus In the leafe next going before for acephali he writeth a cheuali shewing himself to be ignorant of Gréeke and his head to be as grosse as any capels head rather then our Church to be without head who hold Christ for the sole head of the vniuersall Church To proue that Catholike men cannot receiue their faith from the Catholike Church that is a collection and communion of all faithful people I thinke that I néeded not to vse many arguments the same being a matter so plain and euident For then should the receiuers be no Catholikes nor should the Catholike church consist of particular men And finally al the members of the Catholike church should be agents to deliuer and all members to receiue and no distinction should be betwéene the giuer and receiuer But I vsed onely one argument drawne from a common principle of schoolemen viz. that actions are acted of singular persons and not of the body collectiue supposing that I had had to do with a schoole-man or a man at the least that vnderstood logicke But now I see I am fronted with an asse and a fellow deuoyd of logicke and reason For otherwise he would not haue talked so idly of suppositum and singulare and vniuersale nor deriued his logick from Tolet nor denied my argument For if in God the whole essence doth suffer and not the sonne of God or if the whole essence should be borne and not the sonne of God as Parsons must graunt if he will haue actions to proceed à toto collectiuo then doth he fall flatly into the heresie of the Patripassians ouerthroweth the high mystery of the holy Trinitie Againe al his discourse about termes collectiue and vniuersall maketh against himselfe 1. Metaph. 1. For if as Aristotle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If all actions and generations be indiuiduis and singular persons and not in things vniuersall or bodies of commonwealths then I say true and he false He may also receiue backe his boyeries and fooleries and kéepe them to himselfe That the vniuersall Church doeth not properly deliuer the faith they themselues also after a sort confesse For whē they bring proofe of their faith they go to this Pope and that Pope this man and that mā and not to the vniuersall body of the Church The same is also proued by the example of a body politicke For if particular men do all actions that belong to the State and not all the cōmonwealth how can the vniuersal Church be said properly to decree to proclaime to giue out Must all méete like a Chorus speak or act a part O meere dizardry O pitifull ignorance and that to be corrected with many stripes Nay himselfe in the end is driuen to say fol. 109. that when Papists say that their faith is deliuered by the vniuersall church their meaning is that albeit particular priests c. deliuer the same yet for that they do it not as of themselues but by the order of the vniuersall church that the vniuersall church deliuereth it So you sée he commeth like a resty iade to the montoier and sayth as we say in effect and to helpe himselfe belyeth his fellowes For I do not thinke that he is able to shew any Papist so sottish as to say that the vniuersal catholike church deliuereth the faith to priuate persons In his second encounter c. 3. in writing Bedes words he committeth a grosse Soloecisme where he sayth Scientiam seruatur confitetur he should haue sayd scientiam scrutatur confitetur but that his spectacles failed him His disciples therefore may do wel to keep vp their master that hath forgot his Grammar In the same encounter fol. 37. he doth ridiculously proue his Masse by the Leuiticall sacrifice of Zachary mentioned Luke 1. and foolishly argueth that Papists may profit much by hearing Masse albeit they vnderstand it not But one great inconuenience he must take héed of For if the example of Zachary make for the Masse then as the people were without when Zachary offered within so the people may be in the churchyard when the priest is at Masse So they shall neither need to heare Masse nor sée Masse Fol. 58. of the second encounter the Patch confesseth he fetcheth his diuinitie from Thomas Aquinas The Warder sayth he shewed at large out of S. Thomas Whereby his doltish folly is proued at large that alledgeth so braue an author to vs that for Diuinity is of equall credite with Robert Parsons though farre more subtill and better learned Fol. 65. answering to a place out of Paraleip Vrspergensis he sayth he findeth it not But that was either his great ignorance or the thicknesse of his spectacles Let him therefore looke that booke in the notes vpon the yeare 1518. and he shall find these words there recorded Sic dicerem in scholis sed tamen manet in aeternos Diuersum sentio Fol. 67. for Petilian and Cresconius he nameth Petilian Crescentius shewing himself well trauelled in S. Augustins workes Fol. 106. b. 2. encounter chap. 13. ignorantly he doeth so interpret the words Primo mancipio Gehennae in the chapter si Papa dist 40. as if Boniface did call the Pope the chiefe bondslaue of hell The Glosse doth notoriously conuince him of ignorance Mancipio sayth the author of the Glosse in cap. si Papa dist 40. id est diabolo qui mancipatus est Gehennae But howsoeuer it is the Pope is litle beholding to Parsons that calleth him the chiefe bondslaue of hell and I doubt not but if he take the bastardly Iebusite handsomely he will whippe the knaue like a Mancipium gehennae or gally slaue vntill he haue recanted his words and brought him out of hell In the meane while the wretched Papists may see their seruile estate that follow oftentimes either the diuell as the Glosse sayth or the diuels bondslaue the Pope as Parsons the Popes slaue of ignorance confesseth Fol. 113.2 encounter 14. he speaketh false Latine saying Qui parcè seminit parcè metet putting seminit for seminat and quoting the 2. Corinthians 11. for 2. Corinthians 9. Fol. 114.2 encounter chap. 14. he distinguisheth the doctrine of homousion and consubstantialitie as two seuerall points of Christian Religion whereas the learned out of which ranke I blot Parsons know that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Gréeke is nothing
he crieth out of two apparant abuses calumniation and flattery And why Forsooth because Parsons is accused to reioyce that her Maiesties yeares grow on so fast and because Sir Francis doth pray for the prolongation of her daies to the holding out still of the Popes authoritie As if it were flattery to pray for her Maiesties long life and not lawfull so to do Or else as if all the world knew not that Parsons by publishing Sanders de schismate and diuers libels hath sought her disgrace and both by warres and treasons to the vttermost of his power procured her destruction But saith Parsons it may be presumed that the Essexian assault would haue abbreuiated this still Where I pray you note that besides the slaunder of this noble Earle he confesseth that if that action had taken effect the Popes authoritie would not haue bene still holden out By which it may appeare that by the trechery of some hollow hearted Papists this noble Earle was brought to destruction Fol. 9. most impudently he affirmeth that nothing is answered to his discourse of Emoluments of tolleration of popish religion and of the hurts that haue come of alteration of religion As if popish religion being proued false idolatrous and disastrous to all kingdomes all his discourse did not fal to the ground But this is the fashion of such combatants to crie victorie when they are beaten out of the field Likewise he crieth out manifest vntruths because Sir Francis saith he was first called into the field by Parsons But as wel may the théefe say that the peaceable traueller that giueth warning to all to beware of théeues prouoked the théefe to set vpon him The Spaniards were ready to come for England Sir Francis giueth the alarme Out commeth captain Cowbucke like a cutthrote and setteth vpon him in his Wardword Is it not he then that beginneth this braul And doth not he in fauour of publike enemies make himselfe ready to cut our throtes Fol. 11. he saith my Preface tendeth wholy to bloodshed But this grieuous accusation required some more proofe then he bringeth Notwithstanding let vs heare what he alleageth His first perswasion saith he is by extolling exceedingly her Maiesties extraordinary clemencie As if the praising of a Princes clemencie were a perswasion to crueltie Or as if Parsons commending Pope Clements clemencie perswaded him to rigour Who euer heard such a witlesse speake Another reason he imagineth me to haue drawne from the meanings of papists But like an vnskilful archer he neither hitteth my reason nor intentiō He is therfore to learne that my purpose was to arme her Maiesty against Parsons and his consorts treasons and rather to secure the State then to vse violence to any but such as by all means oppugned the State and sought by trechery to vndermine the State Where I shew that heretikes Fol. 14. idolaters traitors are to be punished therfore factious papists he saith thus to reason at randō is much like to boies argumēting in sophistry And yet he with all his logick shal neuer answer this argument considering that I haue proued Robert Parsons and his consorts to be heretikes idolaters and traitors Ibidem Nay W. R. in his cleere Confutation confesseth so much not answering any of my arguments But saith he shew me one example from the beginning of Christendom that euer man or woman in any age was punished as an heretike by the Christian common wealth for sticking to the religion of the Pope of Rome As if I had not shewed that Angelikes Carpocratians In my Challenge Marcionists Manicheys Prince-killing circumcellions and Assassins Pelagians Collyridians crosse-worshippers and diuers others holding the same points which now the Pope professeth haue bene condemned and punished for heretikes Fol. 15. he crieth out folly and impudency in prouing that idolaters and heretikes are by lawes to be repressed But he dissembleth cunningly whatsoeuer is otherwise brought by me to proue Papists to be idolaters and heretikes He passeth by also two Gréeke sentences taken out of Euripides and Aeschines for to him Gréeke is of hard digestion Finally whatsoeuer is said of the Papists for railing against the Quéene in the booke De schismate Anglicano set out vnder Sanders his name and in other libels Parsons doeth wholly omit and yet he maketh a shew as if he would answer all writhing his face like an old ape swallowing pilles In the same place he noteth as he sayth a contradiction betwixt Sir Francis and me But the contradiction was in his vnderstanding and not betwéen vs. For neither would I nor he haue simple Papists punished with death which is the opinion of S. Augustine concerning simple heretikes Nor doth Sir Francis denie but that factious dogmatizing and obstinate heretiks ought to be put to death which both S. Augustine and I my selfe affirme Fol. 16. b. he giueth out that the words of Paul Rom. 16. where he would haue such marked diligently as caused diuision and offences contrary to the doctrine which the Romanes had receiued make directly against vs and not against the Papists But then he must shew that we haue forsaken the doctrine preached to the Romanes and they not He must I say shew that S. Paul taught that Clement the eight is the spouse and rock of the Church that there are seuen sacraments that Christs body is corporally vnder the accidents of bread and wine and in as many places as is the sacrament that the accidents of bread and wine subsist without their substance that a Christian may liue without sinne that latria is due to the crosse that we are to pray to saints after the fashion of the Romish church and such like points of popish doctrine Or else he shall make a direct lie where he saith these words make directly against vs. Fol. 17. Hauing rehearsed the law Cunctos populos Cod. de summ Trin. fid Cath. he crieth out and willeth vs to tell him whether the same touch not vs. But if we tell him true it will make little for his comfort For we neither refuse to communicate with the Church of Rome nor the Church of Alexandria that was in Damasus his time Nor do we digresse from the faith mentioned in that law which Parsons like a falsary cut out seeing it made not for his purpose But séeing true Christians do not communicate with the Church and Bishop of Alexandria that now is why should Christians communicate with the Pope and his sect séeing they haue embraced a number of nouelties and heresies and published them in the Conuenticle of Trent which were vnknowne to Damasus and to the Church of Rome long after his time Fol. 20. he complaineth of iniuries offered by the Watch-word as a famous libell as well to great forreine princes and nations as to honourable worshipfull and honest subiects whereas whosoeuer readeth the book shal find that Sir Francis speaketh onely against forreine enemies and notorious traitors If then
vpon the Church and the Church is a societie of mē then the Papists beléeue Scriptures with humane faith and depend vpon men But that they do plainely teach Thirdly if the Church ought to consigne canonicall Scriptures and the Pope ought to rule the Church then if the Pope either determine against canonicall Scriptures or make fabulous scriptures equall with canonicall Scriptures the Papists are to beléeue either doctrine contrarie or diuers from Scriptures at the least they are vncertaine what they shall beléeue But the Pope may both erre in denying Scriptures and adding to Scriptures To answer this the Papists are driuen to affirm that the Pope cannot erre in these determinations But this sheweth the vncertaintie of their faith that dependeth vpon one little rotten goutie Pope whose learning is not worth two chips and whose pietie is lesse then his learning Fourthly if the Popes consignation be necessary to make Papists beleeue Scriptures then is their faith most vncertaine and rather humane then diuine Especially considering that of this Popes consignation of Scriptures there is not one word in Scriptures But that is their doctrine Fiftly the doctrine and practise of the Church of Rome being the rule of faith the Romish faith must néeds proue vncertaine and variable The consequence of this proposition is proued for that both schoole-men differ from schoolemen and late writers from the auncient and also Popes from Popes as I haue shewed in my bookes De pontif Rom. That the rule of faith is as I haue said it may be auerred by Stapletons words Sixthly if faith be grounded vpon traditions as well as vpon Scriptures then haue the Papists no certaine faith The consequence is plaine for that diuers ancient traditions are new ceased and neither Caesar Baronius nor any man is able to set downe which are authentical traditions which not Finally if the faith of Papists rest vpon the Popes determinations or else vpon the supposed Catholicke Churches decrees then is their faith a goutie fraile and rotten faith or rather a most doubtfull opinion For neither are they certaine who is lawfull Pope nor that his determinations are vnfallible nor is it an easie matter to know which are the Catholicke Churches determinations the Papists themselues contending and varying continually about them These arguments do shew that the Papists haue either a vaine faith or else no faith at all And this Robert Parsons notwithstanding his obstinacie and peruersenesse must needs confesse For simple Papists haue only these meanes whereby to direct themselues viz. Scriptures Fathers or their owne Priests Scriptures they neither heare read in a tongue knowne nor do they much regard them The Fathers they vnderstand not The priests do often tel lies and too farre they dwell from the Pope to know of him the truth To omit to talke of ruder persons and to talke of spruce Robert Parsons gladly would I know of him how he is assured that the religion he teacheth is true Scriptures he denieth to be the rule of faith and will not beléeue them to be authenticall without the Popes determination The Pope is but one man If then he rely wholy on the Popes determination his faith is nothing but a foolish fancie grounded vpon one man If vpon the Church yet he knoweth not the Church but by his owne reason and sence as I thinke he will confesse Ward-word pag. 6. Rule of faith he acknowledgeth none but the vniuersall Church which is not onely absurd but maketh much against him Absurd it is for that the Church is ruled and is not the rule no more then the Carpenter is his rule It maketh against him for that it is more difficult to know the Catholicke Church of all times and places then Scriptures or any proofe of faith else For to know that it is necessary to be well seene in the historie of all times Churches and countries And if he refer himselfe to others and beléeue humane histories his faith is still grounded on men This being the case of Papists and of their agent Robert Parsons we may estéeme our selues happie that are deliuered from this great vncertaintie and taught to build our faith vpon Christ Iesus and the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets 1. Cor. 3. Other foundation can no man lay beside that which is laid that is Christ Iesus saith the Apostle And Eph. 2. Ye are built saith he vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone We know that faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. and hearing by the word of God We beléeue that the Scriptures are a perfect rule and therefore rightly called canonicall The Apostle speaking of the rule of faith 2. Cor. 10. Gal. 6. and Phil. 3. meaneth no other rule but that which was to be found in holy Scriptures The Fathers also procéeded by the rule of Scriptures both where they sought direction for themselues and also where they brought arguments against Heretikes Ireney lib. aduers Haeres cap. 1. calleth the Gospell deliuered in Scriptures the foundation and pillar of our faith Tertul. writing against Hermogenes saith He abode not in the rule of faith And why Inter Scripturas enim Dei colores suos inuenire nō potuerat He could not find his colours or fancies in Scriptures Athan. saith Orat. 2. contr Arian that Heretikes are to be stoned with arguments out of Scriptures Out of Scriptures the Arians in the Councell of Nice other Heretikes in other Synods were confuted And generally antiquitie doth call Scriptures the canon or rule of faith Agréeably therefore to Scriptures and Fathers the Church of England in the beginning of Quéene Elizabeths raigne acknowledged the canon of Scriptures and thence tooke the articles of our Christian faith And therefore I call Scriptures and that which is necessarily deduced out of Scriptures the rule of faith not separating the rule from scriptures as Parsons 1. Encontr cap. 15. of his Warn-word doth cauill but in the rule comprehending whatsoeuer is either expressed in termes or by necessarie consequence deduced out of scriptures And this I did to auoide the cauils of the aduersary which inferre because this word Trinitie or consubstantiall or baptisme of children is not found in Scriptures that scriptures are not a solide and entire rule of faith Against this Parsons in his Warn-word 1. Encontr c. 15. alleageth first certaine names of Fathers then certaine words out of Ignatius his Epistle ad Phil. Irenaeus lib. 3. 4. aduersus Haeres Tertullian de Praescript aduersus Haeretic and Vincentius Lirinensis But he spendeth his labour in vaine and abuseth his Reader Lib. 3. aduers Haerel cap. 4. For none of these Fathers speake of other matters then such as are to be proued out of Scriptures as the places themselues shew Ireney by Tradition proueth God to be the Creator and the mysterie of Christ his incarnation But Parsons will not deny this to be contained in Scriptures Tertullian de
to receiue into our houses Gal. 5. or to salute such as bring not his doctrine Heresie schisme and idolatrie are reckoned among the workes of the flesh the workers whereof shall not inherit the kingdome of God Flie saith Ignatius those that cause heresie and schisme Epist ad Smyrnens as the principall cause of mischiefe Quod maius potest esse delictū saith Cyprian lib. 2. Epist 11. aut quae macula deformior quà m aduersus Christum stetisse quà m Ecclesiam eius quà m ille sanguine suo parauit dissipasse What offence can be greater or what blot more vgly then to haue stood against Christ then to haue scattered his church which he hath purchased with his blood Those which do perseuere in discord of schisme saith S. Augustine lib. 1. de bapt contra Donatist c. 15. do pertaine to the lot of Ismael Superstition is the corruption of true Religion and although coloured with a shew of wisedom yet is condemned by the Apostle Lib. 1. Instit diuin c. 21. Col. 2. Lactantius speaking of the superstition of the Gentiles doth call it An incurable madnesse Dementiam incurabilem and afterward vanitie Ibid. c. 22 Iustine in ser exhort ad Gentes sayth that idolatry is not only iniurious vnto God but also voide of reason Principale crimen generis humani saith Tertullian Lib. de idolol summus seculi reatus tota causa iudicij idololatria That is Idolatrie is the principall crime of mankind the chiefe guiltines of the world and the whole cause of iudgement 1. Ioh. 5. No maruell then if Iohn the Apostle exhort all men To keepe themselues from idols this sinne being direct against the honor of God and nothing else but spirituall fornication Let vs therfore see whether the Papists may not be touched with the aforesaid crimes of teaching hereticall and false doctrine and of long continuance in schisme superstition and idolatry That the Papists teach false doctrine and heresie the acts of the conuenticle of Trent of Florence and Constance compared with the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles and faith of the auncient fathers will plainely declare For as Tertullian said of old heretikes so may we say of them That their doctrine compared with the Apostolicke doctrine doth by the diuersitie and contrarietie thereof declare that it proceedeth from no Apostle or Apostolicke man Ipsa doctrina eorum cum Apostolica comparata ex diuersitate contrarietate sua pronunciabit neque Apostoli alicuius autoris esse neque Apostolici De praescrip aduers haeret 2. Tim. 3. saith he The Apostle teacheth vs That the Scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect They say that the Scriptures are but a péece of the rule of faith and very imperfect without traditions S. Peter 2. Pet. 1. compareth the scriptures of the Prophets to a candle shining in a dark place they teach that scriptures are darke and obscure God commaundeth vs to heare his beloued Sonne Mat. 3. they commaund vs not to heare Christ speaking in scriptures to vs but to heare the Pope and his cacolike crue which they endue with the name of the Church 1. Cor. 3. The Apostle saith That no other foundation could be laid beside that which is alreadie layd which is Christ Iesus These fellowes say the Church is built vpon the Pope and that he is the foundation of the Church although we find plainely that there was no such Pope for many ages in the Church Christ said Reade the Scriptures these say directly to the vulgar sort reade not Scriptures in vulgar tongs without licence S. Iohn teacheth vs that sinne is whatsoeuer is contrary to the law these teach that many sins there are not repugnant to Gods law viz. such things as are contrary to the Popes law The Apostle Paul saith that concupiscence is sinne these affirme the contrary He saith originall sinne passed ouer al they deny it He saith no man is iustified by the workes of the law they teach flat contrary The law directly prohibiteth the making of grauen images to the end to bow down to them and to worship them These notwithstanding make the images of the holy Trinitie bow downe to them and worship them The Apostle Coloss 2. speaketh against the worship of Angels They regard him not but in humblenesse of mind inuocate and worship Angels notwithstanding Our Sauior instituting the holy Sacrament of his body and bloud sayd Accipite manducate take and eate and drink ye all of this They say sacrifice and worship and drink not all of this To rehearse all their contradictions to the word of God and to the Apostles doctrine were too long for this short discourse let these therefore serue for an introduction Of their heresies I haue before spoken Pius the fourth hath set forth a new forme of faith of which that may be said which Hilarie speaketh to Constantius Contra Constantium Quicquid apud te praeter fidem vnā est perfidia non fides est Whatsoeuer this wicked Pope hath set forth beside the faith of Christ the same is perfidiousnes and not faith Of this qualitie is his doctrine of Romish tradictions of superstitious ceremonies of the blasphemous Masse of purgatorie of indulgences of the fiue new deuised sacraments and such like doctrines That the Papists are by schisme rent from the Catholike and vniuersal Church of Christ it may be proued by diuers particulars First Christs Church hath but one head that is Christ Iesus But the Romish Church hath as many heads as Popes and heads that teach doctrine both diuers and contrary to Christ our sole head Secondly Christ his Church hath no other spouse but Christ Iesus But the adulterous Romish synagogue acknowledgeth the Pope to be her spouse and therefore must needes haue as many spouses as Popes and be not Virgo but Polygama that is one that hath many husbands or spouses Thirdly the Catholike Church is built vpon the foundations of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the corner stone and hath beside this no other foundation But the Romish Church acknowledgeth the Pope to be her foundation Whereupon it followeth that she is sometime without foundation at least during the vacancie of the popedome and hath as many diuers foundations as Popes Fourthly the synagogue of Rome doth acknowledge the Pope to be her law-giuer and iudge that he hath power not onely to bind mens consciences but also to saue and destroy which doth shew that she deuideth her selfe from Christes Catholicke Church which for many ages after Christs time had no such conceit Fifthly the same doth rely no lesse vpon traditions not written and vpon the Popes determinations in matters of faith then vpon the written word of God which the Catholike Church doeth not Sixthly this synagogue consisteth of a Pope and his Cardinals together with a rabble of Monkes Fryers and sacrificing priests But in the prime Catholicke Church there was no such
Quéene dealt iustly defending her selfe against publike enemies that sought her destruction and the ouerthrow of her people To proue that the land hath not increased in wealth in the late Quéenes time he obiecteth 1. Encountr cap. 11. that the Nobilitie and Gentrie keepe not so great houses nor families as in times past But the witlesse fellow speaketh against himselfe For the lesse is spent the more remaineth But that many are able to keepe as great houses as in time past it cannot be denyed Further if he knew the state of the countrie he might know that many houses are built and kept where in time past there was neither house-kéeping nor house He telleth vs further of tributes and other duties But his talking and dealing therein is but friuolous For compare all that is paid in subsidies and other duties with former payments yet is it not halfe of that which was exacted by the Pope and spent in superstition and vaine deuises But were our subsidies greater yet being bestowed vpon our owne souldiers and people the land is neuer a whit the poorer but rather poore men employed by those that can well spare all which they giue and more Finally he would insinuate that increase of people is no blessing séeing the Turkes by multitude of wiues haue many children and holy Eunuches are commended that haue no children He doth also vnder hand glaunce at the mariage of Ministers But first he denyeth that which the spirit of God doth directly teach viz. that children are the blessing of God and that God did promise the multiplication of his séede to Abraham as a great blessing Secondly albeit particular men that kéepe themselues chast for the kingdome of heauen are commended yet that concerneth the lecherous and bougerly Masse-priests and Monkes nothing that rather forsweare mariage then kéep themselues chast Neither is that a commendation to a whole State or kingdome if some liue chastly Thirdly albeit Turkes haue many wiues yet God doth not so blesse them with children but that they are compelled to vse the children of Christians and to exact a tribute of them To conclude this bastardly fellow sheweth himselfe to be past shame to talke against mariage when himselfe was begotten by a filthie priest and his consorts wallow in all beastly abhominations Wherefore let the aduersaries storme and rage as much as they list yet will we say and may say it most truly that both the Church of God and the State hath receiued great blessings by Quéene Elizabeths late happie gouernment And if nothing else yet the vaine opposition of enemies and traitors may perswade vs that it is so For not onely their mislikings do shew that both the Church and State was well ordered for otherwise they would haue bene better pleased but also their vaine ianglings and contradictions they being not able to obiect any thing which soundeth not to her Maiesties honour and high commendations confirme the same CHAP. XIII Parsons his cursed talke of cursings of England by chaunge of Religion and gouernment vnder Queene Elizabeth examined Psal 14. THe Prophet Dauid speaking of the foolish and wicked men of his time saith that their throate is an open sepulchre and afterward that their mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse The which we sée verified in the Pope and his impious sect For their throates are wide as the graue and swallow the wealth of Europe They also degorge out of them all the wickednesse and villanie they can deuise against the godly Pius Quintus and Sixtus Quintus accurse the Quéene Robert Parsons following their steppes raileth vpon her in diuers libels In his Warn-word that is a complement of his foolery he sayth We receiued no blessings by her but rather cursings Here therefore we are to answer the barking of this cursed hel-hound and of his accursed companions In the first encounter of his Wardword p. 4. he saith We are deuided from the general body of catholickes in Christendome But this should haue bene proued if he would haue any man to giue him credit For we alleage that the Papists from whom we are deuided are no Catholikes beleeuing the new doctrines of the late conuenticles of Lateran Constance Florence Trent other Friers priests which neither were receiued of all men nor in all times nor in all places which is the true propertie of Catholicke doctrine Next we offer to proue that we are true Catholikes séeing the doctrine of our faith is Apostolicall and vniuersally approued of all true Christians and for the most part confessed by the Papists vntil of late time If then this be a principall curse to be deuided from Catholickes then doth the same fall on Parsons his own head and vpon his trecherous consorts and not vpon vs. Secondly he saith that we of England are deuided from Lutherans Zuinglians and Caluinists abroad and from Puritanes Brownists and other like good fellowes at home But this common Iergon of Papists is already answered For neither do we acknowledge the names of Lutherans Zuinglians and Caluinists nor can he shew that the Church of England is deuided from the Churches of France Germanie or Suizzerland or that one Church oppugneth another If any priuate man do maintaine priuat opinions in doctrine as diuers Germaines French and English do or else if there be any difference among vs concerning ceremonies and gouernment that doth no more make a schisme in our church then the diuers rites of Spanish French and Italians and diuers opinions in al points of religion betwéen old and new Romish Doctors maketh a schisme in the Romish Church For generally we all agrée in substance of faith in rites ceremonies refer euery Church to their libertie In England publikely there is more vniformitie in doctrine prayers ceremonies then in the Romish Church albeit some priuat men whom Parsons vseth to call Puritanes dissent in some points As among the Papists there are diuers that allow not all which they hold commonly But saith he in his Warne-word Encont 1. c. 15. the French Germaines and Scottish do not agrée with the English in the rule of faith as is proued in the foure fiue and sixe and sequent chapters But if he had found any differences he would not haue spared to set them down In the chapters mentioned he sheweth not that we differ in any article of faith or substantiall point of religion but rather in rites ceremonies and some diuers interpretations of some words of Scripture Thirdly he would make his reader beléeue that we haue no certaintie in religion and that as he foole-wisely imagineth because we haue no certaine rule whereby to direct our consciences And this he handleth both in his Wardword 1. Encontr and Warnw. 1. enc c. 15. 16. and other places skipping like an ape vp an downe without rule order or reason But while he talketh of the rule of faith he is direct contrary to himselfe For in his Wardw. p. 6.
he sayth that the vniuersal Church was the direct rule and squire which we ought to follow and in the Warnw. Enc. 1. c. 15. nu 10. he teacheth that it is the summe and corpes of Christian doctrine deliuered at the beginning by the miracles and preachings of the Apostles Where I omit to tell Robert Parsons that it is absurd to make the same thing to be a rule and a squire the rule being direct and the squire being square It is also ridiculous though I do not tell him of it to say that Christs doctrine was deliuered by miracles for it was deliuered by writing and preaching and confirmed by miracles But I cannot forbeare to tell him that there is great difference betwéene the Catholike Church and the Catholike doctrine How then can these two make one rule Next he taketh exception to my words where I say that the Church of England hath a certaine rule to follow in matters of faith as if the canon of scriptures and those conclusions which are to be drawne out of them were no certaine rule or else as if traditions that are no where certainly described or set downe were a more certaine and authenticall rule then scriptures and necessary deductions out of them Fourthly he giueth out Warnw. 1. encont cap. 17. that we despaire of all certaine rule or meane to trie the truth which is a most desperate and impudent kind of dealing For directly I told him before and now I tell him againe that our rule is most certaine being nothing else but the canonicall Scriptures and the conclusions necessary drawne out of them Nay this rule may in part be confirmed by Parsons his owne confession For if the corps of Christian doctrine preached by the Apostles be the rule of faith as he saith VVarnw 1. encont c. 15. where are we to find it but in holy Scriptures He holdeth percase that it is to be found in the Popes bosome But if he say so in schooles he shal not want a greater plaudit then he had when hauing ended his comicall dealings in Bayliol colledge he was rung and hissed out of the house For who knoweth not that scabs and villany are rather to be found in the Popes bosome then any corpes of Apostolicall doctrine for that is very rife with them With the corpes of Apostolicall doctrine the Italian atheisticall Popes are litle acquainted We tel him further that for trial of any point of doctrine we are not to run to the Popes sea which is as much able to resolue vs as his close stoole but to the word of God reuealed in Scriptures and if there be any difference about a place of Scriptures we are then to compare the same with other places to search the resolutions of Councels of auncient and later Fathers of the Church of England and learned men Prouided alwayes that nothing be receiued as a ground of faith which is not to be deduced out of the word of God Whether then S. Augustine or Hierome or Ambrose or Luther or Caluin or any preacher among vs bring vs the word of God it is to be receiued But if they teach without that we are not necessarily to credit them nor to beléeue them in grounds of faith Out of the Scriptures we learne that Christ hath giuen some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some pastors and teachers albeit all particular matters are not precisely set downe So likewise we are taught that these words this is my body are most true that the sacramēt is Christs body in a mysterie or sacramentally albeit how the Sacrament is called Christs body there may be some differences Likewise out of Scripture we are taught that the King is the most principall man in his Realme and not to be subiect to any other in externall gouernement albeit euery one percase vnderstandeth not the seuerall points of his supreme authority These differences therefore notwithstanding our rule of faith is most certaine Fiftly he would insinuate that as vertue houskéeping true dealing is much decayed since her Maiesty came to the crowne so pride in apparel gluttony drunkennes lechery swearing and other vices are much increased But the man should shew that these vertues are decayed and vices increased in men that are truly of our Religion If he say so then let him name the men that are guiltie of these faults If the men that are guilty be Papists that for the most part are knowne to be carnall and cruel and most vitious he striketh himselfe and not vs. If they be Atheists or hypocrites then his allegation maketh not to purpose This I will speake to his téeth that if our Ministery be no more honest and vertuous then the Popes Cardinals Friers and Masse-priests and our true professors then zelous Papists it were pitie they should liue on the face of the earth Some proofes I haue brought before and more I shall alleage herafter Let Parsons do the like against vs and leaue his hypocriticall ostentation and generall declamation that maketh men rather to wonder at his impudency then to beléeue that he dealeth truly or sincerely Wardw. p. 3. Warnw. 1. encoutr cap. 18. Sixthly he very impudently imputeth all the troubles wars and calamities that haue happened in Scotland Ireland Flanders France to alteration in Religion and wold lay the blame wholy vpon vs. But if he looke into their immediate causes he shall find that the mint of this money was the Popes consistorie and that he and his agents are the onely firebrands of all mischiefe In Ireland Gregorie the thirtéenth stirred vp rebellion by the traitor Saunders his legate in England Pius Quintus by his agent Ridolphi and by Morton his messenger moued the two Earles to rise in the North Anno 1569. The same Pope animated the Spanish King to make warres against the Quéene of England and against them of the Low countries The same Pope sent not onely his agents to stirre the French but ayded them both with men and mony Gregorie the thirtéenth likewise sent ayde to Irish rebels The wars of Germanie were enflamed by that butcherly Pope Paule the third To make short all massacres trecheries warres and troubles haue wholy procéeded from their malice against the truth If the Pope and his adherents therfore haue bene troubled so was Herode and all Ierusalem with him at the birth of Christ If they blame vs for their troubles so did the Pagans impute all their troubles to Christians and their religion But the true cause was not religion but the hatred of impious Papists against religion Finally he saith that if her Maiestie had not altered religion then her kingdome had bene flourishing and secure and that she would haue had issue and her succession certaine and continued in friendship with the Pope and auncient confederates and neither had wars abroad nor treason at home and insinuateth that by reason of alteration of religion al is fallen out contrarie But if Wil Sommer had
spiritualem salutem earum sunt facienda corrigenda That is Thou doest rauish and take from me innumerable soules for thou sendest to hel almost al that come vnto thy court because thou attendest not those things that belong to my court Because thou art a prelate and a shepheard of my sheepe therfore it is thy fault that thou doest not discreetly the things that for their soules health are to be done and performed And againe Papa qui clamare deberet saith Brigit venite inuenietis requiem animarum vestrarum clamat 6. Brig 96. venite videte me in pompa ambitione plusquam Salomonem Venite ad curiam meam exhaurite bursas vestras inuenietis perditionem animarum vestrarum The Pope which ought to crie Come and you shall find rest to your soules cryeth come and see me aduanced in pomp and ambition aboue Salomon Come vnto my court and emptie your purses and you shall find the destruction of your soules Occham in the second booke of the first part of his Dialogue confesseth the ignorance and vnskilfulnesse of Popes in Scriptures and sayth that no Popes since Innocent the thirds time were excellent in the knowledge of them Few Popes studie the law of God many studie the laws of men some study neither but giue themselues to worldly delights Quotidiè perstrepunt in palatio leges Lib. 1. de consid saith Bernard sed Iustiniani non Domini Dayly lawes sound in thy pallace but the lawes of Emperors not of the Lord. But now it is far worse For neither law nor reason is there to be heard but all is gouerned by the Popes will Is it not then a ridiculous thing that the Pope should be called the chiefe pastor that feedeth not all and that he should be made the chiefe Iudge that in matters of faith hath neither learning nor iudgement Likewise the Cardinals popish Bishops and prelates are both vnlearned and negligent For their learning I refer my self to experience and to diuers histories that record their notorious ignorance Their defect in preaching is notoriously knowne There be few of them but would take great scorne of it So far are they departed from the steps of their auncesters Lois Mersilius an Augustinian Frier as sayth Poggius being asked what the two points of a Bishops miter signified answered the old and new testament Being asked further what the two strops meane that hang downe from the miter on the Bishops backe said that the Bishops knew neither old nor new testament In ore Episcoporum saith he that wrote the treatise titled Onus Ecclesiae est lex vanitatis pro lege veritatis The law of vanitie is in the mouth of Bishops in stead of the law of truth They should build the Church of God 2 Brig 10. but as Brigit saith they build the diuel two cities Catherine of Siena cap. 129. saith that vnprofitable pastors do not driue the woolues from the sheepe for that they want the dog of conscience and staffe of iustice She saith also that they feed not their sheepe in the pastures of saluation nor leade them the way of truth Quid hodiè erant Episcopi Syluius de gestis concil Basil lib. 1. saith the Cardinall of Arles in the méeting at Basil nisi vmbrae quaedā Quid plus eis restabat quà m baculus mitra What are Bishops of our time but shadowes What remaineth to them more then a staffe and a miter If any be more studious then other yet it is not in Scriptures but in laws and matters of state and storie The Masse priests in time past vsed not to studie Scriptures nor to preach It was sufficient for them either by themselues or by others to expound in English the Créed Law and some few things more and that onely at foure times in the yeare as appeareth by the chapter Ignorantia sacerdotum de officio Archipresbyteri in our prouinciall constitutions Now to do this litle learning was required and lesse vnderstanding Clerkes saith Math. Paris in the life of VVilliam the Conqueror were then so vnlearned that those that vnderstood grammer were a wonderment to their fellows Adeo literatura carebant vt caeteris esset stupori qui grammaticam didicisset The Friers were then the onely preachers vpon whose teaching the edification of the popish Church wholy relied vnlesse percase some will suppose that faith may come by gazing on the priest at Masse or on the crucifixe and dumb images which as the prophet saith are teachers of vanity But these Friers were for the most part vnlearned as the sermons of Menot Maillard Bromeyard others wil testify Secondly they preached onely in Aduent and Lent some few extraordinary times And thirdly the ground of their sermons were either fables or else philosophicall positions or idle questions litle tending to edification or matters for their owne profit And finally they came without lawful mission to teach lies rather then the truth to destroy rather then to build to make a schisme and diuision rather then to reduce men to loue vnitie and concord Dante sheweth Ca. 29. parad that the Friers of his time wrested scriptures and litle regarded them Quando e posposta la diuina scrittura quando e torta Againe he sayth they desired their owne glorie and preached their owne inuentions hiding the Gospell in silence Per apparer ciascun s'ingegna face Sue inuentioni quelle son trascorse Da predicanti è l uangelio si tace He telleth vs that they tel fables and feede ignorant and simple people with wind No ha in Fiorenza tanti Lupi Bindi Quante si fatte fauole per anno In pergamo si gridan quinci quindi Si che le pecorelle che non sanno Tornan dal pasco pasciute di vento Agnellus generall of the Minorites Chronic. Citizent Long. hearing the Doctors dispute whether this proposition there is a God be true exclaimed against this maner of dealing and detested such questioning Cornelius Agrippa speaking of schoole doctors sayth De vanit scient c de Theolog scholast that for the Gospel and the word of God they preach meere toyes and humane words preaching a new gospel and adulterating the word of God Pro Euangelijs pro verbo Dei meras nugas humana verba crepant praedicantes euangelium adulterantes verbum Dei Likewise doth Orthuinus Gratius in Praefat. ante lib. Petri de Alliac de reform Eccles speake against scholasticall Diuinitie saying that the same is ingenious to lay burthens on mens soules and againe cunning in deuising excuses for sinne Est ingeniosa cum ad aggrauandas conscientias tum rursus adinueniendas excusationes in peccatis multo solertissima Robertus Gallus vis 34. saith that the Friers preaching idle and curious questions were designed by a vision wherin a man appeared loaden with bread but gnawing a long stone with a snakes head appearing at either
end Which resemblance is not altogether vnfit séeing those that leaue the instructions of Scripture to scanne such endlesse questions leaue bread to gnaw a stone being in the end stung with their owne curiositie Seeing then that the preaching of popish Doctors is so mixed with idle tales endlesse questions and philosophicall discourses what profit can thereof redound to the people of God Quid Athenis Hierosolymis saith Tertullian de praescript aduers haeret quid Academiae Ecclesia What concord is there betweene Athens and Hierusalem betweene Philosophers schooles and the Church Decret c. 36. Cardinall Prat Archbishop as he calleth himselfe of Sens in Fraunce in his visitation made a law against such preachers as like vile buffons rehearsed ridiculous old wiues tales to moue their auditorie to laughter which sheweth that this was wont to be a common fault Their preaching was also very contentious and full of quarrels one calling another hereticke schismaticke sacrilegious false Prophet and rauening wolfe and endeuouring to proue the same by Scriptures and arguments as appeareth by the testimonie of the Waldenses in their confession to Ladislaus Vbertinus affirmeth that the locustes mentioned in the Apocalypse of S. Iohn do signifie the begging Friars because they are scurrilous and light skip-iackes liue carnally and gnaw the Scriptures Quia scurriles leues volatiles carnales rodentes sacras literas Commission for their preaching these Friars can shew none The Apostle where he talketh of pastors and teachers and other Ministers of the Gospell Schol. Paris apud Matth. Paris leaueth no roome for such vermine The Doctors of Paris say that Friars come without canonicall mission that they preach against the truth of Scripture that they bragge of their knowledge and preach for gaine How then is it like that such fellowes can build the Church of God Can we looke for truth at the hands of false Prophets or edification by them that come without calling In the prophesie of Hildegardis we reade that the principall studie and indeuour of these false teachers shall be to resist true teachers and to bring them to the slaughter by their intelligence with great men Séeing then the Papists haue no other teachers then these false Apostles or rather seducers and heare nothing but tales and idle questions it is not possible they should profit by such Sermons Much lesse therefore is it likely they should grow in knowledge séeing neither their leaders are desirous to teach them nor they to learne of their teachers Linwood speaking of the articles of the Créede saith C. ignorantia de sum Trin. in Gloss It is sufficient for lay and simple men to beleeue them with an implicit faith that is to beleeue as the Catholike Church doth beleeue them Alijs saith he qui sunt simplices vel laici sufficit quod credant eos scil Articulos fidei implicitè id est sicut docet credit sancta Ecclesia catholica He saith also that such knowledge is sufficient for Clerkes that haue no meanes to maintaine themselues at schoole as some suppose But suppose they could say the articles of faith and beléeue them and the rest which Peccham in the constitution ignorantia de officio Archipres doth require at their hands yet should they be very ignorant For a man may beléeue as the Church beléeueth and yet know nothing nor be able to answer to any point of faith Thomas Aquinas 2. 2. q. 2. art 6. compareth Gods people to asses and their teachers to oxen holding that it is sufficient for them in matters of faith to adhere to their superiors because it is said Iob 1. Quòd boues arabant asinae pascebantur iuxta eos Whereby it appeareth he requireth no great knowledge at lay mens hands but would haue them beléeue as their teachers do without further enquiring He fetcheth his proofe out of Gregorie But whence soeuer he draweth it he vseth Gods people very rudely that compareth them to asses and oxen Yet thus much I am content to yéeld that the Masse-priests and their followers are like oxen and asses firmely linked together by the Popes cow-heards and muleters for the diuell their maisters seruice The same man 2. 2. q. 2. art 5. teacheth that lay men are to beléeue all the articles of the Creed and no more explicitè The which is no point of deep learning yet his scholer Siluester in sum in verb. fides 6. will not allow so much saying that it is not necessarie for a lay man to beleeue all the articles of the faith but as much as is sufficient to direct vs to the last end Nec tamen necesse est cuilibet saith he explicitè credere omnes articulos fidei sed quantum sufficit ad dirigendum in vltimum finem Apud Siluest in verb. fides The author of Summa Rosella saith that it is sufficient for simple people and percase for lay men comming to yeares and discretion to beleeue that God is a rewarder of all good and a punisher of all euill And that other articles are to be beléeued implicitè that is beléeuing all to be true which the catholike Church teacheth Simplicibus fortè omnibus laicis discernentibus adultis sufficit credere Deum esse praemiatorem bonorum omnium omnium malorum punitorem alios autem articulos sufficit credere implicitè credendo scil verum quicquid Ecclesia catholica docet But beside that this is an argument to proue the aduersaries allowance of the peoples extreme ignorance it is false and blasphemous to say that any man may be saued without notice or beléeuing in Christ as the author of Summa Rosella his words imply Loth the Pope is that the people should know too much and therefore he forbiddeth Scriptures to be either translated or read in vulgar tongues without licence In publike Liturgies it is not the fashion of Papists to suffer the people to heare Scriptures read in vulgar tongues The Papists also that vnderstand not Latine pray with their lippes but not with their vnderstanding and spirit For the Popes pleasure is that the publike Liturgie of the Church shall not be read in vulgar tongues whereupon the people must néedes grow dull and ignorant Iohn Billet in prolog lib. de diuin offic complaineth of this abuse Quid nostris tēporibus est agendū saith he speaking of reading of Latin seruice vbi nullus vel rarus reperitur legens vel audiēs qui intelligat videns vel agens qui animaduertat iam videtur impletum quod à Propheta dicitur Et erit sacerdos quasi de populo vnus He saith that there are few or none that reade or heare that do vnderstand or marke what is read or heard and that the saying of the Prophet is fulfilled That the priest shall be like one of the people Costerus saith In Enchirid. c de precib Lat. recitand That God and the Saints vnderstand all languages and therefore that it is sufficient
they call secular to be detested seeing they offend so openly and publikely Ibidem as if they sought praise hereby He saith their vices were so increased that they seemed scarce to leaue any place for Gods mercie And in Gregory the fourth In omnem luxuris libidinem se effundit Ecclesiasticus ordo The Clergie sayth he doth run headlong into all luxuriousnesse and lust If then the people follow such guides we may well imagine in what termes the Church stood in his time Then began mischiefes to be multiplied saith Vrspergensis there sprang vp hatred In fasc temp deceits treasons Heu heu Domine Deus saith Wernerus quomodo obscuratum est aurum mutatus est color optimus qualia contigisse circa haec tempora etiam in Ecclesia sede Apostolica quam vsque huc tanto zelo custodiuisti legimus scandala quales contentiones aemulationes sectae inuidiae ambitiones intrusiones persecutiones ô tempus pessimum in quo defecit sanctus diminutae sunt veritates à filijs hominum Alas alas O Lord God how is our gold obscured how is the good colour or state of things changed what scandals do we reade to haue happened about these times in the Church and Apostolicke see which hitherto thou hast with such zeale preserued what contentions and emulations sects enuies ambitions intrusions and persecutions ô most wicked time in which holy men are failed and truth diminished from the sons of men He sayth also that about one thousand yeares after Christ Christian faith began to faile and that men gaue themselues to soothsaying and witchcraft The wickednesse and profanenesse of latter times and of times present the Papists themselues must néedes acknowledge And yet because Robert Parsons thinketh so well of his consorts I would haue him to turne backe to that which is said already Let him also reade that which followeth out of later writers In orat ad Leon. 10. Apud plerosque religionis nostrae primores saith Iohn Picus of Mirandula ad quorum exemplum componi atque formari plebs ignara debuisset aut nullus aut certè exiguus Dei cultus nulla benè viuendi ratio atque institutio nullus pudor nulla modestia Iustitia vel in odium vel in gratiam declinauit pietas penè in superstitionem procubuit palamque omnibus in hominum ordinibus peccatur sic vt saepenumero virtus probis viris vitio vertatur vitia loco virtutum honorari soleant ab his qui suorum criminum quasi septa tanquam moenia inauditam petulantiam diuturnitatem impunitatem esse putauerunt Amongst the most of the principal men of our religion saith he after whose example the ignorant sort of people ought to conforme themselues there is either none or but litle religion no order or institution of good liuing no shame no modestie Iustice inclineth to hatred or fauor godlinesse is almost ouerthrowne by superstition and al states of men do sin publikely and in such sort that oftentimes vertue is a reproch to honest men and vices are honored for vertues of those who haue thought vnusual insolencie continuance and impunitie to be the walles and defences of their crimes Afterward he taxeth the luxuriousnesse of all estates the furiousnesse of lustes the ambition and couetousnesse and superstition of the Cleargie Baptista of Mantua writing to Leo hath these words Lib. fast 4. Sancte pater succurre Leo respublica Christi Labitur aegrotatque fides iam proxima morti That is Help holy father Leo the Christian common wealth is falling and religion is sicke and at the point of death Marcellus Palingenius in his booke to Hercules Duke of Ferrara complaineth of a generall corrupiton in the world Paling Virgo Imo libenter saith he Destituam hunc mundum innumerisque refertum Fraudibus atque dolis incestibus atque rapinis Est vbi nulla fides pietas vbi nulla nec vlla Iustitia pax requies vbi crimina regnant Omnia That is Willingly I leaue this world full of innumerable fraudes deceits incests rapines where there is no true dealing no pietie iustice peace or rest and where all sinnes reigne And againe Et rura siluae infames vrbs quaeque lupanar Both cuntries woods are infamous euery citie is now a bordel If we consider the Popes although they be called most holy yet nothing can be deuised more wicked flagitious Sabinian that followed Gregory the first went about to abrogate all his acts His life was blameable as saith Werner and his end fearefull Of Constantine the second he saith that he gouerned with great scandall and was the fift infamous Pope Not long after succéeded Iohn the eight or as some count the ninth that played the harlot being Pope and died in trauell of childbirth a matter most infamous and not to be excused with words or any impudent deniall of Iebusites Platina in the life of Sergius the third speaking of diuers Popes about those times Hi verò largitione sayth he ambitione pontificatum quarētes adepti posthabito diuino culin inimcitias non secus ac saeuissimi quidam tyranni inter se exercebant suas voluptates postea securius expleturi cum nullibi extarent qui eorum vitiae coercerent That is These men seeking the popedome by bribery and ambition and hauing gotten the same neglecting the seruice of God did prosecute their enemies no otherwise then most cruell tyrants purposing afterward to satisfie their pleasures when there was none to correct or controle them VVernerus of Iohn the twelfth saith that he was totus lubricus that is wholly giuen to lust Platina accordeth with him in the mans faults though he reckon him the thirtéenth Both agrée that he was slain of the diuel In the life of Greg. the sixth Platina calleth 3. Popes three most foule monsters Beno Platina and others testifie that Siluester the second and Benedict the ninth were Magicians and gaue themselues ouer to serue the diuell Of Gregorie the seuenth not onely Beno the Cardinall but also diuers others report that he was a Necromancer a murderer a bloudie and cruell man The Councell of Brixia deposed him as a notorious necromancer possessed with a diabolicall spirit and an apostate from the faith After the times of Gregorie the seuenth the Popes neuer ceassed to trouble Christendome vntill such time as they had ouerthrowne the Romaine Empire and made way for the Turke and dissolued all good orders both concerning religion and iustice He that continueth the storie of Vrspergensis saith that Clement the fifth was a notorious fornicator Hic vt habet Chronicon Hermanni saith he fuit publicus fornicator Matteo Villani in his historie lib. 3. cap. 39. witnesseth against Clement the sixt that he kept the Countesse of Turenna and made no conscience of the shame of the Church Della vergogna delia sancta Chiesa non si fece conscienza Iohn the 23. was an
hearing of Masses and such like Nay they accompt it meritorious to massacre Christian Princes and others when the Pope doth excommunicate them But part of these workes are flagitious part superstitious none good If then they alleage vs not their good workes and proue them their glory and boasting of their workes will proue vaine and odious Finally they must shew vs where these workes are done for which the Papists looke to merit eternall life and by which they claime iustification If they say at Rome as no doubt they will calling the same the holy citie then we shall wonder at their impudencie For that citie both in regard of Priests and people of all others is knowne to be most flagitious Lib. Calam. 3. Peters pallace saith Mantuan is polluted and rotten with luxuriousnesse Petrique domus polluta sluenti Marcescit luxu And againe Sanctus ager scurris venerabilis ara Cynaedis Seruit venerandae diuum Ganymedibus aedes The same man lib. 4. fastorum telleth Leo the tenth that he was to reforme thrée things first the bloudie broiles of Italie secondly the poyson of the court of Rome that infected all countries and thirdly the abuses of religion that was much oppressed The manners of Italie Robert Bishop of Aquila rehearseth The sinnes of Rome are noted by Petrarch in his Sonnets beginning Fiamma dal cielo and L'auara Babylonia and Fontana di dolore where he signifieth that she deserueth to be consumed with fire from heauen for her notorious wickednesse Capricorn Palingenius bringeth in the diuell affirming that both the men and women of Rome were his for that all did apply themselues to luxuriousnesse gluttonie theft and fraud contending who should excell others Cuncti luxuriae saith he atque gulae furtisque dolisque Certatim incumbunt nosterque est sexus vterque If then pure religion is to visite the fatherles and widowes in their aduersitie and to liue an vnspotted life in this world as Iames the Apostle teacheth then is not Popish religion true nor vndefiled If such as do the workes of the flesh described Galat. 5. shall not inherite the kingdome of God then is the state of Papists most miserable vnlesse they repent They may say to themselues Peace peace and boast themselues that they can do mischiefe But there is no peace to the wicked neither shall their mischieuous malice and bloudie massacres alwaies escape vnpunished CHAP. III. Of the erronious and absurd doctrine of Papists concerning the foundations of Christian Religion WRetched is the state of those that liue in darknesse and ignorance and without the knowledge of religion and vertue Ignorantia magnum malum and as Tully saith nescire turpe It is a shame not to know But not to know God nor his lawes is both shamefull and damnable Qui ignorat ignorabitur saith the Apostle that is 1. Cor. 14. God will not know him that is ignorant of God Yet farre worse it is to do maliciously and wickedly then onely to liue in ignorance and blindnesse But worst of all it is to hold obstinately dangerous and false opinions contrarie to the faith of Christ If then beside their ignorance and leudnes the Papists hold diuers erronious and false opinions concerning religion then cannot their estate be otherwise then miserable Let vs therefore sée what they hold both concerning the foundations and also concerning diuers necessarie points of religion The Papists giue out that the Pope is the foundation and the rocke vpon which the Church is built Bellarmine lib. 2. de pontif Rom. cap. 31. talking of the Popes titles saith that he is called a foundation and that he is fundamentum aedificij Ecclesiae the foundation of the building of the Church In his Preface before his bookes de Pontif. Rom. speaking of these words of Isay Ecce ponam in fundamentis Sion lapidem lapidem probatum angularem saith that these words not vnfitly may be applyed to the Pope as if he were that corner stone that is placed in the foundations of Sion Stapleton likewise in his Preface before the relection of his doctrinall principles affirmeth desperately that God speaketh in the Pope and that the foundation of Christian religion is necessarily placed in his authoritie teaching vs. It was much to say that he was any way the foundation of religion But to make him a necessarie foundation was a greater presumption then I find in his fellows His words are these In hac docentis hominis authoritate in qua Deum loquentem audimus religionis nostrae cognoscendae fundamentum necessariò poni cernimus Neither can any of them well deny but that the Pope is the rocke vpon which the Church is built and against which the gates of hell cannot preuaile séeing generally they proue the Popes authoritie out of Christs words to Peter Mat. 16. For if these words be not meant of the Pope but of Christ whom Peter confessed then are they fondly alleaged for iustification of the Popes authoritie In summe all their practise sheweth that the Pope to them is summa summarum and the corner stone and chiefe foundation of the popish Church For alleage Scriptures they quarrell about the interpretation and admit no sence but that which the Pope alloweth although his glosses and interpretations be neuer so contrarie to the text Againe alleage Councels they enquire if the Pope haue allowed them Alleage Fathers speaking against the Pope they reiect them But alleage the Popes determination there they stop like restie iades and will not be drawne further So the Pope and his resolutions are the foundations nay they are all in all with Papists But this is not onely contrarie to the words of Scripture Isay 8. and 28. Mat. 16. and 1. Cor. 3. and Ephes 2. where Christ is made the corner stone and sole foundation of the Church but also contrarie to all Fathers and good interpreters of Scriptures The same is also most absurd and contrarie to reason For first if the Pope were the foundation of the Church then should there be as many foundations as Popes Secondly the Church should be built vpon foundations diuers from Christ Thirdly the foundations of the Church should differ one from another one Pope contradicting and crossing another Fourthly the Popes being sometimes reprobates and damned hell should preuaile against the foundation of the Church which is most absurd Fiftly the Church during the vacation should be without foundatiō and a woman being Pope the Church should be built vpon a woman Finally the Church should be built vpon men subiect to infirmities errors and mutations and not vpon Christ Iesus the vnmoueable rocke The Conuenticle of Trent talking of the bookes of the old and new Testament Sess 4. and of traditions as well concerning faith as manners doth receiue both with equall affection and reuerence as it were either deliuered vnto vs either by the mouth of Christ or by the holy Ghost and kept by continual succession in the Catholike church Omnes
Christ in heauen then to any one of our brethren militant on earth But therein he lyeth notoriously For commonly they call the virgine Mary mother of mercy and desire her to protect them and to do away their sinnes Likewise they pray to be saued by the blood of Thomas by the merites of other saints which I trow is more then they will giue to euery one of their brethren in earth Bellarmine saith that it is not lawful to ask glorie or grace Lib. 1. de sa◠beatit c. 17. or other meanes tending to blessednesse of saints as authors of Gods benefites But this is contradicted as well by the doctrine as by the practise of the Romish church Sotus in confess cath saith that saints in heauen are our coadiutors and fellow-workers in the worke of our saluation Saltzger writing vpon this argument affirmeth that we pray to saints for two benefites the first is to the end they may pray for vs the second is that either visibly or inuisibly they may bestow their helpe vpon vs. Clichtouey teacheth that saints haue seuerall graces to bestow on them that call vpon them Alexander Hales sayth Sanctos oramus vt mediatores per quos impetramus We call vpon saints as mediators by whom we obtaine Thomas sayth we receiue benefites from God by the meanes of saints Beneficia Dei sumimus mediantibus sanctis Antoninus part 3. sum Tit. 3. sayth that Gods benefites descend downe to vs by the mediation of Angels and holy soules And againe p. 4. Tit. 15. Maria ita aduocat interpellat vt Deum patrem placet conuersos in gloriam inducat Mary is so our aduocate and intercessor that she doth pacifie the Father and bring repentant sinners into glory Bernardine in his booke of Mary sayth that no grace commeth from heauen vnto the earth but by Mary and vnlesse the same passe by the hands of Mary for that all graces do enter into Mary and from her are cōmunicated to vs and for that she is the mediatrix of saluation of coniunction of intercession of communication Commonly they pray to the virgin Mary in this forme Giue vs peace protect me To S. George they addresse themselues saying this same let him saue vs from our sinnes that we may rest in heauen with blessed soules Hic nos saluet say they à peccatis vt in coelo cum beatis possimus quiescere And if they did only intercede for vs not bestow vpon vs the things we pray for why do some beg of S. Anthony the health of their swine and of S. Winnoc the good standing of their sheepe Why do they pray to S. Luis for their horses and to S. Nicolas for good passage at the sea Why do Painters call on S. Luke and Phisitions on Cosmas and Damianus and Shoo-makers on S. Crespin Finally why do they tell vs in their legends of the apparitions of diuers saints in time of warre pestilence and other sicknesses and working diuers feates For if they did onely intercede for vs then one saint might serue for al purposes and then should they onely appeare as suppliants to God and not as bestowers of graces and workers of wonders Finally then should we not say helpe me heale me defend me but pray to God that I may be holpen healed and defended Are not the Paists then in miserable state that forgetting for the most part their onely Mediator and Redéemer run to saints and Angels nay runne to such as are no saints nor euer were in the world as George that killed the Dragon Catherin the daughter of Costus Christopher that bore Christ and such like Are they not mad to pray vnto such as they know not whether they heare them or not And do not some say that they are euery where present to heare our praiers Others that they heare such prayers as God reuealeth vnto them Others that they sée all things in Gods face Others that they vnderstand by relation of Angels It cannot be denied For Bellarmine confesseth it lib. 1. de Beatitudine sanct ca. 20. and that which he affirmeth that saints do sée all in God from the first beginning of their blessed estate is most absurd For what is seeing to hearing Againe how can things temporarie be imprinted in the essence of God or can Saints sée some things and not all if they comprehend that which is in the incomprehensible essence of the Deity Most wretchedly also they do worship dumbe images knéeling vnto them kissing them and burning incense vnto them saying to the crosse O crux aue spes vnica auge pijs iustitiam reisque dona veniam All haile ô Crosse my only hope increase iustice in the godly and grant pardon to sinners And crying to the Crucifixe Thou hast redeemed vs Bellar de imagin c. 23. thou hast reconciled vs to thy Father and calling a blocke mother of mercie and saying before stockes and stones Our Father and Aue Maria and knocking their breasts and whipping themselues before Images as the idolatrous Priests did before their idols The Apostle when he laid before the Corinthians the miserable state they stood in while they were yet Gentils he vseth no other tearmes then these Ye know that ye were Gentiles and were caried away vnto dumbe Idols as ye were led Which is as much as if he should say You were miserable and blind when ye were caried away vnto dumbe Idols Why then may we not say the same to Papists They may percase deny the case to be like But in my challenge I haue by many arguments proued them to be grosse Idolaters haue clearely shewed that they haue no better excuse for their worship of Images then the idolatrous Gentiles had for their worship of idoles Are they not then likewise blind and miserable Thinking to thrust others out of their societie which they call the Church they haue flatly excluded themselues from the societie and communion of the Catholike Church For if their Church be a companie of men professing the same faith and participating the same Sacraments vnder the rule of lawfull pastors and especially of the Pope as Bellarmine saith lib. 2. de Eccl. milit cap. 2. then are they not the catholike Church For that Church was long before either Pope or Bishop of Rome Beside that false it is that either the Apostles or whole Apostolike Church was subiect to the Bishop of Rome or that Iohn the Euangelist that liued long after Peter was subiect to Linus Cletus or Clement in whose time he liued Finally false it is that God appointed the church to be gouerned by the Bishops of Rome there is nothing thereof in Scriptures The Fathers shew that the chiefe authoritie in externall matters was in generall Councels and Emperors And Bellarmines idle disputes concerning his Pope are long since ouerthrowne That they are not the true Church it appeareth also for that they heare not the voice of Christ but follow a stranger for that
they haue receiued diuers heresies and deuised new Sacraments relinquishing Christ his institution in the celebration of the Lords supper for that they haue other foundations of their religion then were laid by Christ or his Apostles for that they persecute true Christians murther them and massacre them and by all meanes persecute them and for diuers other reasons laid downe in mine answer to Bellarmines booke De Eccles militante If then it be not possible to be saued without the Church in what case are they that running after the Pope which is that Antichrist of which the Apostle speaketh 2. Thess 2. are run out of the Church And whither are they runne forsooth into the confusion of Babylon where the Pope Cardinals Masse priests De Eccles milit cap. 2. Friars make merchandize of mens soules Bellarmine saith that neither faith hope nor charitie nor other internall vertue is required that a man absolutely may be said to be a part of the Church but onely an externall profession of the faith and communion of the Sacraments Who then will not leaue that societie which for ought that we know may be a packe of Turkes and infidels without all vertue religion and honestie especially if they professe the Romish faith externally Further as they haue excluded themselues from the Church so they haue put themselues vnder the subiection of Antichrist that is the head of the malignant Church and to his Cardinals Masse-priests and Friars which rabblement are fitly resembled to the maister Cooke of hell his scalders the blacke-guard and all the scullerie of Satan Whatsoeuer the Pope decreeth that they receiue C. sic omâ—â—â— dist 19. Agatho the Pope hath told them in good earnest that all sanctions of the Apostolike see are to be receiued as if they were confirmed by the diuine voice of Peter Be the Pope neuer so vnlearned or foolish or peruerse yet if he say the word sitting on his close chaire it must stand His voice they take to be infallible his sentence is honoured like a diuine Oracle Likewise his Cardinals Masse priests and Friars albeit they be the false Prophets spoken of by S. Peter 2. Pet. 2. and diuersly detected by S. Iohn in his Reuelation to be limbs of Antichrist yet are they followed These leade and their simple hearers follow them the way that leadeth to destruction Their teachers bring to themselues swift damnation as the Apostle S. Peter saith and they cannot escape beléeuing their damnable heresies and running after them in their wicked wayes Pius Quintus that helhound that first barked against Queene Elizabeth our late Soueraign In Bulla contra Eliz. saith that Christ committed his Church to Peter alone vni soli But that is most false The Apostle Ephes 4. saith He gaue some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and teachers Likewise Mat. 28. he said to all the Apostles Go and teach Beside that what doth the authoritie of Peter belong to the Pope S. Peter had neither such rubie Cardinals nor such a parti-coloured guard of Switzers nor such a hellish rabble of Masse-priests and Friars as the Pope hath Contrariwise he preached and suffered as the Pope doth not Others say that Masse-priests and Friars are the Apostles successors But we find them to be the locustes that as S. Iohn foretold came out of the bottomelesse pit mentioned Apocalyps 9. If they were the Apostles successors then would they teach the Apostles doctrine and not the Popes decretals scholasticall inuentions philosophicall subtilties and such fooleries Againe they would not lead their miserable disciples from Christ to Antichrist They haue also declined from the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles concerning the Sacraments Our Sauiour onely instituted two that properly deserue the name of Sacraments to wit Baptisme and the Eucharist as the writings of the Apostles beare witnesse The Fathers also confirme vnto vs two onely Sacraments of the new Testament Cyprian lib. 2. Epist 1. Tunc demum plane sanctificari esse silij Dei possunt si vtroque Sacramento nascantur Then may they be sanctified and made the sonnes of God saith he if they be regenerate by both the Sacraments Augustine de symb ad Catechum saith Haec sunt Ecclesiae gemina Sacramenta these are the two Sacraments of the Church Neither doth any Father name more Sacraments then two where he speaketh properly as may be proued by the testimonie of Iustines second Apologie of Tertullian lib. 1. 4. contr Marcion Of Clement recognit lib. 1. Of Ambrose lib. de Sacrament Of Cyril of Ierusalem in his catechisticall Sermons of Augustine lib. 3. de doctr Christ cap. 9 of Gregorie cap. multi secularium 1. q. 1. who although he name Baptisme Chrisme and the bodie and bloud of our Lord yet Chrisme was nothing but an addition to Baptisme De corp sang Christi Of Paschasius and others Sunt Sacramenta Christi saith Paschasius in Ecclesia catholica Baptismus corpus quoque Domini sanguis The Sacraments of Christ in the catholike Church are Baptisme and the bodie and bloud of our Lord. And so manifest a matter it is that Bessarion writing vpon the Sacrament confesseth that there are two Sacraments onely deliuered in the Gospell But the Papists haue added other fiue Sacraments vnto these two giuing like vertue vnto confirmation mariage order penance and extreame vnction as vnto Baptisme and the Lords Supper and teaching that Sacraments containe grace and iustifie the receiuer So that if we will beleeue them as well he is iustified that is confirmed maried ordered or annoynted as he that is baptised or made partaker of the Lords body and bloud Where Christ distributed the Sacrament of his bodie and bloud and gaue both the kinds to all communicants they seldome distribute the sacrament and take the cup from all but the priest In confirmation and extreame vnction they vse other signes and formes then euer Christ ordained They teach that Christians are able to satisfie for their sinnes and that the Pope by indulgences hath power to remit satisfaction and to do away the temporall punishment of sinne Are they not then most miserable that haue corrupted the sacraments and seales of Gods eternall testament and as it were broken the couenants betwixt God and vs and despised the pledges of his loue Of Christian faith they thinke so basely that they make it nothing but a bare assent to Gods word as well in fearing the threatnings of the law as beléeuing the promises of the Gospell teach that not only reprobate men but also the diuels also may haue true faith Bellarmine lib. de iustif 1. c. 15. speaking of the faith of wicked men and diuels sayth that both is true and right and catholike faith and comparable to S. Peters faith concerning the obiect Grace that maketh vs acceptable to God saith Bellarmine cannot really be distinguished from the habite of charitie Lib. 1. de gratia cap. 6. But if this
But speaking English we no more call letters of that argument Epistles of Persecution then we call discourses of Parsons his ribaldry and bastardy Epistles of ribaldry and bastardy But nothing is more ridiculous then that he calleth the Catholike church the squire and pole-starre of our faith Before saith he we had a direct rule Wardw. pa. 6. squire and polestarre to follow which was the vniuersall Church in which words he maketh rule and squire all one and confoundeth the Church which is ruled with the rule it selfe Such a lusty ruffler is Sir Robert that he can turne rules into squires and make the workeman and worke all one with the rule He doth also mainetaine that the Catholike Church doth properly teach Which spéech if it be proper then we may say aswell that the Catholike Church singeth or walketh or doth any singular act And then it would follow that particular actions may be done of general bodies It would follow also if the Catholike church teach that the Catholike Church is not taught which is absurd and contrary to the rules of relation Hauing spent the vttermost of his malice in scolding and scurrilous rayling in the end of his answere he tendreth me an offer that if I will go forward in this contouersie with Christian modestie and conuenient termes of ciuilitie as men professing learning ought to do that he will be content to answere me with the same stile But therein he sheweth singular simplicitie first confessing that himselfe hath neither vsed Christian modestie nor conuenient termes of ciuility nor done as he ought to do and next desiring others to hold their hands when he hath done his worst feareth returne of blowes But the foole must not thinke to scape without controlement hauing shot forth so many bolts against vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him therefore haue patience to heare our answere to his vnchristian and vnciuill termes and then I will thinke him more wise in making his offers will shape him an answere by his owne cut taking the length of a wooden felow with a crabtrée measure It is also the part of a foole to prayse himself Neither do any fall into their owne extrauagant prayses but for want of wit Yet doth this fellow tell vs of his memorable workes in the end of his answere to my Epistle talketh of his owne merit with God credit with all good men I will therefore remit him to be censured by an old grammer schoole author that borroweth the name of Cato Nec te Collaudes nec te vituperes ipsum hoc faciunt stulti quos gloria vexat inanis And because he is a big burly and tall fellow I will say of him as one sayd of a foole of his pitch quanta est longitudo profunditas tanta est stultitia that is The mans folly reacheth as farre as he is thicke or long Fol. 19. b. in his notes and obseruations he affirmeth very foolishly That al Popes from Iohn the first to Leo the tenth were all of one religion Which if it were true indéed then should all those popes be of no religion Of Iohn the 23. it is said That he did affirme beleeue In append Conc. Constant that the soule of man died with the body like to brute beasts that mens bodies did not rise at the last day And this he cōfirmed with other articles exhibited against him with his own hand as is euident in the Appendix of the acts of that Councell Alexander the sixt was a man without religion Humana iura nec minus caelestia ipsosque sustulit deos saith one of him that is He tooke away the lawes of man lawes of God and God himselfe Leo the tenth did no otherwise accompt of the Gospel then as of a fable as his words to Cardinall Bembus testifie The like may be affirmed also of many impious Popes Let Parsons therefore beware that he proue not his consorts to be infidels and himselfe a consort and slaue of infidels Fol. 41. he saith D. Giffard hath his Deanry by true adoption Which is a matter most ridiculous For others haue their Deanries by election and not for respect of kinred by adoption much lesse for dealing against his country or for treason Fol. 43. he talketh of chirping of sparrowes cackling of hennes pratling of dawes chiding of women and of a foole that said to one that had a great nose that he had no nose Which argueth that the man had neither nose nor braine nor good sence cackling like a broode henne chirping like a sparrow pratling like a daw scolding like a butter womā braying like an asse and barking like a curre Fol. 81. he talketh of the patience of papists which I wonder that any man can reade with patience For neither do they teach patience nor practise it if any occasion be giuen to the contrary Was not this then a ridiculous sot to talke of the patience of Lombards or papists Fol. 100. he affirmeth That the sum corps of Christian doctrine was deliuered at the beginning by miracles Now we confesse it was confirmed by miracles but how it can be deliuered by miracles Parsons will be much encombred to shew without shewing himselfe a wondrous wisard Fol. 106. he would haue the actes of the wicked conuenticle of Trent confirmed and allowed by kings as auncient Emperours confirmed the faith published in the Nicene Councell But it is folly to desire matters so absurd and plaine impiety to compare the hereticall decrées of Trent with the faith of the Nicene Councell To proue the saintlinesse of Thomas Becket in his 2. encontr c. 10. he alleageth the Popes canonization But what is more ridiculous then to talke to vs of the Popes canonizations who proceed commonly by hearesay without party and as it séemeth for mony would canonize a horse Secondly he alleageth for witnesses Herbert Hoscan Iohn Salisbury Allen of Teuxbery William and Edward Monkes of Canterbury Peter Bloys and others But all these witnesses are not worth a messe of Teuxbery mustard For what auaileth it to rehearse names of dumbe idols that passe by and say nothing Againe if I may be so bold I will answere Parsons in his owne termes You see what cogging it is one of them to alleage another Fol. 77. rehearsing the words of Th. Becket out of Houeden Do you not seeme to heare in this place saith he the voice of S. Iohn Baptist to his king Herod Where I may answere him with his owne words and say not vnfitly Do you not see a fellow with a face as hard as a lopster that doth compare Th. Becket and his cause to Saint Iohn Baptist and his constancie the first contending for profit and idle panches the second for the law of God Ridiculously also he compareth Thomas Becket to S. Ambrose a holy doctor of the Church the said Thomas being nothing else but an idle preacher of priueledges preiudiciall to Princes and not so
there were infinite opinions among them that denied the reall presence 4. That the Anabaptists rose out of Luthers doctrine 5. That there was a potent diuision betwixt Melancthon and Illyricus 6. That Caluin and Beza issued from Zuinglius 7. That Seruetus was Caluins collegue and that he and Valentinus Gentilis and other heretikes came from Caluin and Beza 8. That we admit no iudge of controuersies and laugh at Councels 9. That Zuinglius was condemned in a synod 10. That out of our synods at Marpurge Suabach and Smalcald we departed with lesse agreement then before as Lauater and Sleidan testifie 11. That Melancthon to proue the Zuinglians to be obstinate heretikes gathered together the sentences of the ancient fathers for the reall presence 12. That Zuinglius died in rebellion against his countrey 13. That Oecolampadius was found dead in bed by his wiues side strangled by the deuill as Luther holdeth lib. de priuata missa or killed by his wife 14. That great warres arose betweene Lutherans and Zuinglians as he calleth them 15. That Luther was the first father of our Gospell which he calleth new 16. That Stankare was a protestant as he calleth him 17. That Chemnitius in a letter to the Elector of Brandeburg doth censure the Queene of England and the religion here professed 18. That there are warres and dissentions in England in most principall points of religion He doth also rehearse diuers other points which are all vtterly false and vntrue For first Oecolampadius and Zuinglius were learned men aswell as Luther and taught truth before they knew him Carolstadius also taught matters neuer learned of him Secondly except in the exposition of the words of the Lords supper in which the Papists do differ more then any others all consented with Luther in most things and in this did modestly dissent from him Thirdly those imagined different opinions among them that dissallow the reall presence cannot be proued Let Parsons shew where they are now maintained and by whom 4. It is apparent that Luther taught alwayes contrary to the Anabaptists as his writings shew 5. It cannot be shewed that either Melancthon condemned Illyricus or contrariwise 6. Caluin and Beza had their doctrine from the Apostles and not from Zuinglius 7. Seruetus was a Spaniard and a Papist and an heretike and no collegue of Caluin Nay by his meanes his heresies were first detected and refuted and he punished 8. It is ridiculous to say that we admit no Iudge and laugh at generall Councels For we esteeme them highly and admit the censure of any iudge procéeding by the canon of scriptures 9. The condemnation of Zuinglius in a synode is a méere fiction The 10. lye is refuted by Lauater and Sleidan Sleidan saith they agréed at Marpurge Lib. 7. That seeing they consented in the chiefe points after that they should absteine from all contention Quandoquidem in praecipuis omnibus dogmatis idem sentirent abstinendum esse deinceps ab omni contentione The 11. lie is refuted by Melancthons whole workes where it is not found that euer he called his brethren heretikes or went about to proue them so Nay his principall study was vnitie and peace 12. Zuinglius died accompanying his countrimen of Zuricke in the battel against other Cantons of Suizzerland and standing for his country not against his countrey 13. Oecolampadius died in peace neither did Luther euer write of him that which the Papists haue reported 14. The names of Lutherans and Zuinglians we haue detested and if any contention were betwixt those that fauoured Luther or Zuinglius yet was it rather priuat then publike 15. Our religion we claime from the Apostles and not from Luther and so do other reformed Churches 16. Stankare we condemne as an heretike 17. The letter supposed to be written by Chemnitius against the Quéene is too ridiculous to procéed from him The same doth rather sauour of the blackesmiths forge of papists 18. In England there are no publike contentions nor do priuate men such specially as are reputed among vs as brethren contend about matters of saluation As for those contentions that haue bene about ceremonies they by the kings wisedome are ended to the great griefe of Parsons and other enemies of our peace Wherefore vnlesse Parsons can bring better proofes then Rescius Stancarus Staphylus and such like barking curres of his owne kennell both he and they will be taken for wicked and shamelesse forgers of lyes and slanders Hauing belyed vs before in the seuenth chapter of his first encounter he telleth lies also of himselfe and of his owne consorts First he saith If Papists were idolaters that this error was vniuersally receiued among them But that followeth not For all Papists haue not one opinion of Saints of relikes of images of Saints The second Nicene councell denieth That Latria is due to images or that the images of the godhead are to be made by Christians Some hold that not the image but the thing signified is to be worshipped many hold contrary All giue not diuine worship to the crosse nor pray to it in one sort Finally Bellarmine in his bookes de imaginibus and de Sanctis doth confesse that there are many different opinions among the worshippers of images Secondly Parsons denyeth that Papists are idolaters But Lactantius lib. 1. instit diuin c. 19. and other fathers shew that all are idolaters that giue the worship of God to creatures as the Papists do honoring the sacrament the crosse and images of the Trinitie with diuine worship This point is also fully proued against the Papists in my last challenge chap. 5. Thirdly he sayth most falsly That all Friers and Monkes professed one faith without any difference in any one article of beliefe The falshood of his assertion I haue shewed by diuerse instances heretofore Fourthly he sayth The Papists may haue a ministeriall head of the Church as well as we haue a woman for the head But it is a greater matter to be head of the vniuersall Church then of one Realme Againe we call the King supreme gouernour for no other cause then for that he is the chiefe man of his Realme and chiefe disposer of externall matters But they giue one consistory to Christ and the Pope Furthermore in matters of faith we say all princes ought to submit themselues to the Apostles and their doctrine The Pope will be equall to them if not aboue them and determine matters of faith as absolutely as Christ Iesus Finally he sayth Difference of habites or particular manner of life breaketh not vnitie of religion But the Apostle reproueth those that sayd I hold of Paul Aduers Lucifer I of Apollo I of Cephas And Hierome sayth If you shall heare at any time those which are called Christians to take their names of any but our Lord Iesus as for example the Marcionists Valentinians know that they are not the Church of Christ but the synagogue of Antichrist This therefore is
direct against the Dominicans Franciscans Benedictines and Ignatians And proueth Ignatian Parsons a lying person Fol. 66. b. he saith That in S. Hieromes time the Romaine faith was accompted the generall Catholike faith And that this Island hath had twise participation of the Romaine faith Both manifest lyes For as well might the city of Rome be called the world as the Romaine faith the generall Catholike saith Againe it is false that in old time we receiued the Romaine faith that now is professed and declared in the conuenticle of Trent For we receiued the Christian faith which not these Romaines that are a collection of the scumme of the world but the old generouse Romaines professed Fol. 69. he denyeth that the Apostle teacheth that publike prayers should be in a knowne language where boldly he giueth the lye to Ambrose Chrysostome Theophylact and other fathers that shew that the Apostle speaketh of publike prayers in a knowne tongue To iustifie the vse of the Latin tongue in reading of scriptures he maketh two loud lyes as I must néedes tell him in English First he saith That Ioan Bourcher by reading scriptures in English learned that Christ had not taken flesh of his mother and that a tanner of Colchester learned that Baptisme was worth nothing and that others fell into heresies by reading scriptures And secondly That euery man lightly vnderstandeth somewhat of the Latin tongue Both vtterly vntrue For neither do the vulgar people among the French or Italians vnderstand Latin nor do Christians rather now fall into error by reading vulgar scriptures then the old Gréekes and Romaines that read scriptures in Greeke and Latin But rather therefore did they erre for that they did not reade them diligently or reuerently Fol. 71. he saith we teach that good workes are perilous Let him therefore name those which haue committed this fault or else acknowledge himselfe to be a perilous lyer Fol. 79. he cannot be content to lie where he talketh of matter of charge but will néeds haue me testifie matters which I neuer thought I might as well make him speake all villany against the Pope but I wilt not now vse the testimonie of so bad a fellow That which he telleth of the Popes exactions out of great benefices onely Encon 1. c. 11 and of his employments of mony against the Turkes are méere leasings For he taketh by one meanes or other both of great and litle and rather destroyeth Christians then Turkes Fol. 89. he exclaimeth and sayth What will you say to this man that maketh all his auncestors for so many hundred yeares together and the auncestors of her Maiestie her father and grandfather and the rest meere infidels I answer in his owne forme What will you say to this beast that lieth as fast as a dog can trot My words that he setteth downe refute him For I speake not of all but of the most part of Christians of former times and of their ignorance I haue brought sufficient proofe If then those that lie deserue cudgelling as he saith it is not halfe a loade of wood that will serue for the bastonading of this brutish and senselesse beast Fol. 99. By which words it is euident saith Parsons that his rule consisteth of the consent and establishment of certain men in England what to beleeue which is a different matter from scriptures But whatsoeuer he thinketh of the rule of faith he kéepeth no rule in speaking vntruth For albeit the rule of faith which euery priuate man in England is to follow was established by consent of the synode of the Clergy of England yet I say not nor doth it follow of these words that the consent of men is our rule of faith For the canon of scriptures is the generall rule that all the Church ought to follow and because euery priuate man vnderstandeth not all points of himselfe therefore the Church to helpe the weaknesse of the ignorant hath gathered the summe of faith out of scriptures and proposed the same as conclusions thence deduced for priuate men to follow Fol. 105. like a shamelesse beast he sayth The Emperours in the l. cunctos Cod. de sum Trin. fid Cath. remit themselues to the Romane religion and to Damasus the Popes beleefe and that they determine nothing of religion both which assertions are matters vtterly false For first they remit men not to the Romane faith or to Damasus his beléefe but to the faith of Peter Next they determine that men shall follow that faith and declare what the faith is Cunctos populos say they quos clementiae nostrae regit imperium in tali volumus religione versari quam diuum Petrum Apostolum tradidisse Romanis religio vsque adhuc ab ipso insinuata declarat quamque pontificem Damasum sequi claret Petrum Alexandriae Episcopum virum Apostolicae sanctitatis hoc est vt secundùm Apostolicam disciplinam Euangelicamque doctrinam Patris Filij Spiritus sancti vnam deitatem sub pari maiestate sub pia Trinitate credamus But were any to follow Damasus his beléefe what is that to later Popes that scarce beléeued in God and are more like to the grand Turke then to Damasus In the same leafe he telleth also many other grosse lies as for example That the Romane religion was receiued by Peter whereas the Emperours in the former law say that Peter deliuered Christian religion to the Romanes Secondly that the Emperors law declareth the Pope of Rome to be the chiefe gouernor of Christian religion and that the Emperours accompted him for their head And thirdly that Siluester confirmed the decrees of the Councel of Nice Matters most sottish and bluntly and falsly affirmed For in that law there is nothing of the Popes generall headship Neither néeded the acts of the Nicene Councell any confirmation of Siluester In his second encounter chap. 2. it séemeth he hath put on his vizour of impudency telling lies vpon reports without all shame or proofe In King Henry the eight his dayes he saith that a certaine Catholike man in Louth in Lincolnshire was put to death being baited in a beares skin and that the same thereof is yet fresh in Louth Matters very false as all the old men in Louth wil testifie vpon their othes Further the same is so improbable as nothing more For neither can the partie that was so put to death nor the iudges or executioners or parties present be named Nay it cannot be proued that any was put to death at Louth at that time albeit some of Louth were in danger for the rebellion as is yet remembred Parsons also must tell how any durst put men to death contrary to law who they were knowing that the very rebels were not executed without trial Another like lie he fathereth vpō Sir Edw. Carew brother to the Lord Chamberlaine who is said to haue reported That certaine Nobles or Gentlemen baited a certaine cacolike man with spaniels But what if the Lord
which he termeth Catholikes As if such may play the traitors and ioyne with publike enemies openly and lawfully The Papists being charged for mainteining the words of Hostiensis and Panormitane that say That the Pope is able to do almost all things which Christ can do except sinne he thinketh to shift off the matter by speaking with Panormitan Fol. 29 b. That the Pope can do al things with the keye of discretion that erreth not But this is nothing els but to presume that the Pope hath discretion and the keyes of the Church and that in the determination of matters of faith he cannot erre whereas all the world seeth that the Pope cometh into the Church not with keyes but with pickelockes and yron barres and that he doth not so much vse the keyes as swords and clubs and that also without discretion or reason killing all that speake against his triple crowne Where I say that such English as are reconciled to the Pope haue renounced their obedience to the Quéene he telleth vs of the subiects of the king of Spaine Fol. 13. France Poland and of the Emperour that haue not renounced their obedience to their Princes But his shift is most ridiculous For the Pope was enemy to the Quéene of England and not to them But if at any time the Pope happen to excommunicate any of these Princes then is it cleare that such subiects as follow the Pope cannot by any meanes adhere to their lawfull Princes Vnlesse Parsons can shew how a man can please two contrary masters and can himselfe serue both God and the deuill Fol. 28. and 29. he runneth out into a large exposition of these words of Hostiensis and Panormitan Quod Papa potest quasi omnia facere quae Christus excepto peccato but all to no purpose For he should shew that these fellowes do not flatter the Pope and not tell vs a tale of their fooleries which as they are exorbitant so are they vnpleasant In the same place he sayth it is no more adsurditie to say That the Pope can do almost all that Christ can except sinne then if a man shold say That the Viceroy of Naples can do all that the king of Spaine can do in that kingdome except being free from treason But first the words of Hostiensis and Panormitan importing that Christ can sinne are blasphemous albeit they meant that except auoyding sinne the Pope can do all that Christ can do Secondly it is a simple shift to make the king of Spaine like to Christ and the Viceroy of Naples like the Pope or else to compare these two spéeches together Finally it is absurd to say that the Viceroy can do all things that the king of Spaine can For he can neither moue warre alienate the territory nor do infinit other matters else Beside that there is greater difference betwixt Christ Iesus that is God and man then betwéene man and man Here therefore Parsons talking of the Viceroy of Naples playeth the Vize and sheweth that he hath the Neapolitan scabbes in his braine Fol. 30. the canonists being charged for calling the Pope their Lord God He answereth That he cannot find it As if it were not to be foūd because his nodyship cannot find it Or else as if a Cardinals hat were not to be found in Rome because Parsons could not find it Let him therefore looke the glosse in c. inter nonnullos extr Ioan 22. de verb. signif And it may be with the help of his spectacles and a draught of gréeke wine he may find it Oh may his brother say that he could as easily find a Cardinals hat Of fiue places alleaged by Sir Francis for proofe of the flattery of Popish parasites he toucheth onely two being not able to iustifie either of them to be void of flattery Three places he passeth ouer in silence which it may please him to answere in his next One sayth That no lesse honor is due to the Pope then to Angels Another That the Emperours maiestie is as much inferior to the Pope as a creature to God The third That the Pope is ens secundae intentionis compounded of God and man If then he meane to answer let him shew how these speeches are void either of flattery or blasphemie if he purpose to shew himselfe void of dizardry Fol. 37. Where I bring examples and instances of notorious flattery out of canonists he sayth They are the same for the most part which Sir Francis brought before and are before answered matters most false and poorely shifted off For neither are they the same nor hath he answered any thing vnto them Nay of fiue that Sir Francis brought he answereth onely two and them very leudly loosely and vnsufficiently and of a doozen brought by me toucheth scarce two Would not he then be turned backe with a doozen stripes to turne ouer these doozen places And would he not be discarded for a knauish answerer that saith nothing to that which I say of our deliuerance by the Quéene from the captiuitie of the Pope as the Israelites were deliuered from the captiuitie of Iabin and the Cananites by Deborah That which I say of the flattery of Giffard and Parsons concerning their flattering of the king of Spaine he slippeth ouer with a few words concerning the largenesse of the Indiaes But what maketh that for the Kings greatnesse vnlesse he held that countrey with more assurance and better title Concerning the flattery of Stapleton Bellarmine and others which I obiect in the 10. page of my Reply he saith nothing No ape could better skip ouer the chaine then Parsons skippeth ouer all our obiections For maintenance of the rebellious attempts of the leaguers in France and other popish disloyalties against Princes he telleth vs 2. encon c. 13. that when the Apostles preached against the Iewish magistrates commandement it seemed to the Iewes disloyaltie but was not But this is a most poore shift For the Papists haue not onely preached against the Princes commandement but also haue murdred them and prosecuted them with armes which the Apostles neuer did or thought lawfull Was not this Iebusite therfore a false Apostle to pretend the Apostles examples for maintenance of rebels and traitors Fol. 104. he shifteth off this argument The Pope is to be obeyed as Christ therefore if he commaund blasphemies by saying that it followeth not and that this folly is no lesse ridiculous then if one should say The Neapolitans professe obedience vnto their Viceroy as to the King of Spaine ergo he is to be obeyed if he commaund treasons against the King But his answer is so learned and wise that Parsons for the same doth deserue to be Vizeroy or rather a Vize in the kingdom of fooles For first no man will affirme that the Viceroy of Naples cannot erre But that is denied in Christs Viceroy the Pope The case therefore is vnlike Furthermore Papists will obey the Pope if he commaund heresie or blasphemy
because they take his iudgement to be infallible albeit the Neapolitans will not follow their Viceroy in his rebellions Likewise doeth he absurdly shift off the obiection concerning the absolute obedience required of Christians by Boniface the 8. He sayth also that it standeth with Gods prouidence to preserue the Church from error As if the Pope were the Church and not rather Antichrist and the enemy of Christ and his Church or as if the church could not stand if the Pope were dead and Parsons hanged by him to beare him company and to leade him through purgatory being not able to walke of himselfe being troubled with the gout Fol. 113. 2. encont c. 14. he saith That Parry in his letter to Gregory the thirteenth discouered no intentiō at all of any particular enterprise he had in hand and thereby would shift off our obiection concerning the intelligence the Pope had of his purpose to kill the Quéene But his shift is very simple For albeit he said nothing yet the letters of credit included frō some great man to whō he imparted the secret disclosed all Now it is euident by Cardinall Comoes letter that the Pope receiued Parries letter together with the letters of credit included La santitá di N.S. sayth Cardinall Como ha vedute le lettere di V.S. con la fede inclusa By this then it appeareth that the Pope granting a plenary indulgence to a murderer that went to kill an innocent Queene was also a most execrable murderer and no shepheard a limb of Satan that was a murderer from the begining and not the head of the Church a wolfe and no Christian Bishop Yea but saith Parsons this indulgence tooke effect if Parry were contrite and confessed of his sinnes As if these wicked murderers did not account it an act meritorious to kill a Prince excommunicated by the Pope So it appeareth that in this respect rather he obtained this indulgence Nay if Ch. P. say true Robert Parsons was also acquainted with Parries particular treason so that this will not onely remaine as a perpetuall blot of indulgences but also of the barbarous trechery both of the Pope and of his bastardly proctor that set on this cutthrote to murder an innocent Lady Doeth it not then plainly appeare howsoeuer closely Parsons wold séeme to cary matters that he doth confesse more in shifting and concealing then he doth deny disputing Ita opertus ac tectus incedis sayth Hierom to one epist 6. vt plus confitearis tacendo quà m renuas disputando This we may truly say of Parsons that his shifts and answers which he bringeth to couer the wounds of his cause do make the matter far more suspicious then before What then are we to think of such a shifting and iugling fellow Will you heare Parsons giue sentence in his owne cause If he do I hope you will say we do produce no witnesse that wil deale partially in fauor of our cause But he in his 2. encon c. 9. fol. 62. saith that he which vseth a trick of legierdemain but once of known and set malice to deceiue is neuer to be trusted againe What then remaineth now but that such a shifting trecherous companion be rather trussed then trusted haltred then harbored baffulled then beléeued CHAP. XIII Parsons his patcherie in begging things in controuersie discouered THe very name of an aduersary and often mention of controuersies if nothing else me thinkes might haue moued Robert Parsons to looke better to his proofes and to haue presumed lesse of his begging For albeit he be of the Ignatian sect and by profession a mendicant friar yet hath he no reason to beg of his aduersaries nor to take as granted things that hang in controuersie Nor haue we cause to maintaine of almes such vagarant sturdy roging beggars as the laws iudge worthy of hanging It may be he wil stand vpon termes and sweare like a hackster that he is no beggar Testified by the secular priests in diuers of their treatises bestowing many thousands of crownes vpon spies and cutthrotes But the truth will appeare by the sequele of his doings Fol. 1. b. he accuseth me of deportment against all kind of Catholike men though neuer so learned vertuous worshipful or honorable But he shold haue proued himself his traitorous consorts which are the men that I do meane to be both Catholikes and learned vertuous worshipfull and honorable We of the plainer and simpler sort could yet neuer learne that it was a thing either honorable or commendable to betray his prince or countrey or to take part with Italians or Spaniards against his owne nation Fol. 7. talking of priests put to death in England he calleth them and others seruants of Christ and sayth they suffered for auncient religion But we looked for proofes and not for bare and beggarly affirmations For the seruants of Christ came neuer to depose Princes from their thrones Nay our Sauior Christ saith plainely that his kingdome is not of this world But these Massepriests as appeareth by records and by their confessions and the Popes faculties granted to them came for that purpose Secondly we haue proued in our challenge that their religion as it differeth from the faith which we professe in England is neither Catholike nor anciēt Lastly we haue there also declared them to be culpable of treason and to haue died for that not for their religion though otherwise very louzy and beggarly vellacos and as beggarly defended by this begging and cousining companion In the same leafe also he affirmeth that Christ is the Masse-priests captaine and master and that he assureth them on his honour and power that no one haire of their head shall perish In the end he doubteth not to call thē martyrs But to proue his matters he alleageth neither testimony of scripture nor sentence of fathers Nay where the Romish Church teacheth that no man can be certaine of his saluation without speciall reuelation yet this disciple of Antichrist affirmeth that Christ vpon his honor hath assured Campian Ballard Babington and I thinke Lopez too that they shall not perish For of these I thinke he speaketh To shew them to be no martyrs I haue alleaged diuers reasons Reason then would that if he would haue wonne credit he should haue either answered our reasons or proued his owne cause by argument In his obseruations vpon my Preface and in diuers places of his book he giueth the name of Catholikes to papists And yet he knoweth that this is a maine controuersie betwixt vs. What punishment then doth he deserue that wittingly and wilfully wil beg or rather steale that which belongeth not vnto him Fol. 14. most impudently he giueth the title of the Catholike Christian church and the vniuersall body of Christs commonwealth vnto papists that are neither the whole church nor part of the Church Vnto vs he giueth the title of Protestants Puritanes and Lutherans which we renounce professing onely the faith of Christ
sée Christs true body lurking vnder the accidents of the Masse-cake his bloud by a necessary concomitance as they say being not farre off This fellow as a Masse-priest was thought a fit person to speake for the Masse and as a spie and renegate Englishmā to speake shame of his country and to defend traitors And yet the poore man is as fit to dispute of the massing religion and popish subtilties as an asse to play an antheme vpon a paire of organs The true author of the booke as his stile declareth and the dealers in the edition must néeds witnes is Robert Parsons an old hackster in missifical quarels and a great dealer in matter of conuersion of England and one that vseth at his pleasure to borrow other mens names now calling himselfe Captaine Cowbucke now Dolman now Iohn Houlet now N.D. or Noddy now T.F. or Tom Fop now Robert Parsons Vnder the name of Dolman he set out his traitorous seditious booke of succession in disgrace of the Kings title Vnder the name of Iohn Houlet he published certaine idle reasons of refusall himselfe neuer refusing to attempt any mischiefe against the State Vnder the title of N. D. he set out his VVardword and VVarneword stigmatizing his manship with the perpetual note of a Noddy implied by those two letters N. D. And this course he tooke in T.F. his Apologie The second is entitled A treatise of three conuersions of England and was set out by Robert Parsons also vnder the old stampe of N. D. whose signification euery child now knoweth to be Noddy But why he should write of the conuersion of his countrey to religion we can sée no reason séeing we haue knowne him alwaies more studious of the subuersion then of the conuersion of England and his consorts the Masse priests do testifie that he is a Machiauelian packing fellow voyd of religion and honesty The turnings of the Masse or turning of iackets had bene a more fit subiect for him to handle seeing he turneth skippeth so oft about the altar like an ape dauncing about a maypole and hath turned his coate so often from English to Romish from Scottish to Spanish from all to French that some of his friends feare vnlesse he turne Cardinall that he will turne Turke The third is called A Suruey of the new religion and was deuised by a renegued fugitiue Englishman who hath surueyed diuers other countries and yet neuer found any settlement in his braine or habitation Like Caine he hath bin long a vagrant fugitiue fellow Vagus profugus in terra and séeketh if not to kill yet to slander his countrimen and friends imputing vnto them most horrible opinions and crimes It resteth then that we set vpon him a mark as vpō Caine that euery man may know him for a suppost of Satan although herein we néed not much to trauell seeing the first letter of Kellisons name who fathereth this monstrous moonecalfe is K. and the man is noted among his companions for a great quareller about his commons The poore fellow is but a kettle doctor or rather a Tinker of broken schoole distinctions and a professor rather then a performer of any diuine learning The fellow talketh idly of new religion but neither doeth he know what is new nor what is old nor what belongeth to religion that taketh popery for religion and estéemeth the masse and decretaliue doctrine which this Church of England refuseth to be auncient and the apostolike faith which we professe to be new The fourth is termed A briefe and cleare confutation of a new vaine and vanting challenge and is directed against a treatise set out some two or thrée yeares agone by mee wherein is proued that the Masse-priests and their adherents are neither Catholikes nor good Christians But so learnedly and wisely hath the author of this braggard confutation handled the matter that his good friends are sory to sée so worthy a worke misnamed For if he had done me right he should haue called his pamphlet A confirmation of my challenge for so in truth it is the author answering nothing to the purpose and rather by silence consenting then by good answering contradicting our arguments The most of his discourse standeth vpon bitter railing vaine talking and childish trifling about serious matters If any man doubted whether popery were heresie before I doubt not but that this weake discourse that yéeldeth no satisfaction to any indifferent Reader may resolue him The author of this deuise as we are credibly informed is VValpoole the ruler of the kitchin or porredge pot of the colledge of yong English popish traitors in Rome In Italian they call him Padre ministro or padre de minestra or Lord chiefe steward of the schollers porredge The same man is that Walpoole that gaue poyson to Squire and corrupted him by promises of great rewards both in this life and the life to come if he would vndertake to empoyson Quéene Elizabeth the late Earle of Essex and hauing gained a promise at his hands swore him vpon the sacrament to performe the same The fellow is recorded in publike act bookes for these infamous stratagems and knowne to be a notorious traitor and an atheist We are not therfore much to maruell if this wicked Iebusites libel be ful of bitternes atheisme and poison procéeding from so impious an atheist and so cunning a master in the art of empoisoning If any thing wanted in Walpool whose wits are grosse muddy like a standing poole or sink of villany yet was the same bountifully supplied by Robert Parsons the Rector of the quire of Romish conspirators You may then imagine what a loade of leasings calumniations and fooleries such two coach horses were able to draw out of their miry inuentions Much are the simple papists to be pitied that listē to such wicked traitors and suffer themselues to be abused by such notorious and infamous impostors Vnto all these libels there are seueral answers in making If they be not presently answered maruel not They are of too large a blocke to be read ouer hastily My countrimen thinke if the whole impressions of these foure books might be had that they would wel serue to paue Shaftsbury causy There would onely be this difference that for cobble stones and rough slates we should haue cobbled bookes and rough hewne libels as fit to be troden vpon as read ouer Others think because they are in forme octagonall and for the most part as thick as long made like brick-bats that they would finely serue séeing the holy father is said to be the foundatiō of the Pope holy church to lay vpon him for the rearing vp of the wals of some Romish synagogue so it wold be like foundatiō like wals As soone as such huge thick volumes may be run ouer they shall God willing receiue an answer fitting such indiabolated authors and such wicked railing stuffe In the meane while receiue this censure of them al. First they
owne consorts So we sée Parsons his whole treatise of three conuersions easily subuerted in thrée words and with the turning of a hand The second part of Parsons his treatise wherein he pretendeth to make search for the religion professed in England is wholly without the compasse of his title of thrée conuersions So simple was he in his choise that he could not choose a title to fit his fantasticall worke Beside that he seemeth to be blind that could not find our Religion in the auncient Church of Christ for a thousand yeares after Christ and long after For there is no point or article of faith taught by the Apostles receiued by the consent of the whole Church in any auncient and lawfull Councell but we receiue it and embrace it Nor do we professe any thing in the Creed of the Apostles or of the Nicene and other auncient Councels which the auncient fathers did not also together with vs receiue and professe While therefore the light-headed frier ranne poasting through all ages and pretended to enquire for newes of our Church which he might sée if he would in all places he resembleth much that wise fellow that could not see wood for trées Neither is it material that in auncient time he findeth no opposition made against the Popes primacy or vniuersall power or to the Masse or to the doctrine of transsubstantiation the carnall presence in the Eucharist the sacrifice of the masse the 7. sacraments purgatory indulgences such like For who seeth not that it is most ridiculous to make search for opposition against popish doctrine heresie before the same was extant in the world But as soone as any began to chalenge the name of Oecumenical or vniuersal Bishop Gregory the first challenged him for it as the fore-runner of Antichrist The worship of images allowed after a sort in the second Councell of Nice though not in such grosse maner as now was oppugned in the Councell of Francford in the time of Charlemaine The carnall presence of Christs body in the sacrament was not beleeued by Gregory the 7. as Beno reporteth and was both thē and afterward disliked by many Transsubstantiatiō was disputed against by the schoolmen All the Easterne Church spurned against the Popes headship his purgatory and indulgences Neither since the time of the first beginning of these corruptions did the Albigenses Valdenses Wiclephians and Bohemians as they are called together with diuers others cease to exclaime against these popish abuses But saith Parsons these did not in all things agrée with vs. Yet if he speake of matters of faith he wrongeth them and vs. If of ceremonies it is not necessary that al churches shold agrée in all points Furthermore if the aduersaries had not calmniously layed diuers imputations of heresies vpon them which they neuer held the variation wold not haue séemed so great as they pretend Wherfore if Robert Parsons séeke no better it is not like that he wil find a Cardinals hat which as his friends charge him he hath long sought This is the summe of that which is materiall in Robert Parsons his treatise of thrée conuersions The rest is nothing else but froth of the mans fury and foolery and containeth only certaine idle inuectiues against M. Fox that good man against M. Bale other honest Christians together with certaine fond tales of king Alphreds dreames S. Cutberts apparitions such like woodden popish stuffe drawne out of lying legends He forgot not also to raile against our noble Quéene lately deceased and to call her old persecutor and to lay an aspersion of slaunder vpon the State as if the same did persecute Papists for religion a matter of which the secular Masse-priests are ashamed and sticke not to cleare those whom this conuertible Proteus most vniustly chargeth Finally his fardle of wast papers containeth diuers corruptions and deprauations of holy Scriptures miss-allegations of Fathers weake collections grosse errors rebellious positions notorious lies and calumiations which in a large treatise herafter are to be discouered K. Kellisons Suruey if any man list to suruey and peruse a certaine slaunderous and railing companions libell entituled Caluinoturcismus and with hatred more then Turkish to christian religiō set out by Gifford of Lile wil be found to be wholy stolne out frō thence albeit he yéeldeth no thanks to those from whence he borowed or rather stole his inuention This Plagiary therefore néedeth no other answer then that which is already made to Giffords Turky worke called Caluinoturcismus It séemeth the man is at a stand For albeit Gifford hate religion like a Turk yet he answereth no more then if by vertue of Parsons his thrée conuersions he were turned into a mute Turbot This K. also of his owne hath added a glozing and flattering Epistle to the King a certaine preface concerning inanimate and vnreasonable creatures percase like the Arcadian beasts of Doway and certaine fragments old ends of diuers stale declamations made as it seemeth at the drinking out of a pot of Renish wine His schollers I heare gape and wonder at his horrible eloquence But yet the wisest of thē see that they haue no affinitie with his purpose and onely serue to fringe his chapters like as mustie ends of mockado serue to stitch his iacket of perpetuana All the whole amounteth to nothing saue to declare the man to be a perpetuall railer and a most sottish declaimer The idle fellow in all his scuruy collection which he like a surueyor without commission hath made to litle purpose doth neither shew wisedome nor modestie nor learning If the fellow had bene wise he would not haue touched any matter of noueltie or absurditie For therein he giueth his aduersaries iust occasion not onely to iustifie their religion to be most ancient and consonant to holy scriptures but also to declare his popish religion refused by vs to be a packe of nouelties and a masse of grosse absurdities For who knoweth not that the Romish Church consisting of a triple-crowned and crosse-slippard Pope with his guard of Suizzers a consistory of purple Cardinals that hath neare affinitie to the purple whore of Babylon a rabble of rakehellike masse-priests filthy monkes friars and nunnes with a people worshipping idols and beléeuing the decretaliue doctrine of Popes and the decrées of Trent is new and neuer séene before vntill of late Who doeth not vnderstand that both the grounds of popery the doctrine thereon built is new For neither can K. shew that the auncient Church was founded vpon the Pope and his decretals or vpon traditions allowed by the Church of Rome or that the Church was tied to such senses of scriptures as the Romish Church alloweth or bound to follow the old Latine translation of the Bible Neither can he proue either out of fathers or ancient writers that Christs true body is both in heauen and earth and in euery pixe at one and the same time or that his body