AN APOLOGIE FOR THE RELIGION established in the Church of England BEING AN ANSWER TO T. W. HIS 12. Articles of the last edition In this impres sion recognized and much inlarged Also Answers to three other writings of three seuerall Papists By ED BVLKLEY Doctor of Diuinitie Prouerb 14. 15. The foolish will beleeue euery thing but the prudent will consider his wayes Lamenta 3. 40 Let vs search and trie our wayes and turne againe vnto the Lord. Chrysost in Genes 〈◊〉 â— Quocirca diuinae Scripturae vestigia sequamur neque â—â—ramus eos qui temerâ— quiduis blaterant i. Let vs follow the steps of the holy Scripture and not endure or abide them that rashly babble euery-thing AT LONDON Printed by George Eld for Arthur Iohnson and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the white Horse ouer-against the great North doore of S. Paules Church 1608. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR THOMAS EGERTON KNIGHT LORD Keeper of the great Seale of England Chamberlaine of the Countie Palatine of Chester and one of his Maiesties most honourable priuie Councell grace and peace be multiplied WHen I consider right Honourable the estate of England in these our dayes I cannot better compare it then with the estate of the kingdome of Iudah vnder K. Iosias expressed shortly yet effectually by Sophonie the Prophet who liued preached in that time For as then God gaue to that people that worthy godly King who zealously 2. King 25. rooted out Idolatrie and planted Gods true worship agreeable to his law so God in great mercy hath giuen vs our most gratious Queene Elizabeth by whose godly meanes Idolatrie hath beene abolished Gods true religion and seruice restored his holy word truly and sincerely preached and peace and tranquilitie among vs long maintained And as in those daies vnder King Iosias notwithstanding that godly and zealous reformation there was great wickednes among the people as the said Sophonias sheweth For there were then which worshipped Sopho. 1. 5. vpon the rouffes of their houses the host of heauen and which worshipped and sware by the true and onely God Iehoua and by Malchaâ— their Idoll and 6. such as were turned backe from after the true God and sought him not nor inquired after him and 8. that did weare strange apparell and others that filled their maisters houses with robbery and deceit 9. and such as were frozen in their dregges and said in 12. their hearts the Lord will neither doe good nor euill And Ierusalem was then a filthie and spoyling Chap. 3. 1. 2. citie which heard not Gods voyce receiued not instruction trusted not in the Lord and drew not neere vnto her God c. Euen so how these sinnes abound at this time in this land I thinke there are but few but doe see and none that truely feareth God but doth lament To omit other sinnes here mentioned as then there were which worshipped Iehoua the onely true God and Malcham their Idoll euen so there be now not a few which to please the Prince and State pretend outwardly to like of religion established and yet inwardly in their hearts fauour Idolatrie and wicked worshippings repugnant to the same And as then many were turned backe from after God and sought him not nor inquired after him euen so now there are many which be reuolted from Gods holy worship agreeable to his word and vtterly forsake the holy assemblies where Gods word is truly preached the Sacraments are according to Christs institution rightly ministred and Gods holy name faithfully called vpon These with Lots wife looke backe vnto Genes 19. Numb 14. Sodome and are with the Israelites in heart turned back into Egypt desiring rather to eate onions and garlike there then to feed vpon the heauenly Manna of Gods blessed word Of these thus turned backe from seeking after God they be most dangerous which being deceiued themselues endeuour by all meanes both by speaking and writing to seduce and deceiue others Such be the Seminarie Priests and Iesuites who although they be at this present time at leastwise in outward apparance at deadly fewd among themselues writing most bittely one against another yet they all agree in resisting Gods truth seducing the simple and in labouring most earnestly to set vp againe their Dagon of the Masse fallen downe before the Arke of Christs Gospell To this end they write lewd lying and slanderous Pamphlets wherein they traduce the truth and faithfull fauourers thereof deceiue the ignorant and confirme in error their ouer affectioned fauorers who without triall or examination ouer rashly receiue and ouer lightly beleeue whatsoeuer is broached by them Of these lying Libels there came one to my hands a yeere past and more pretended to be printed at Antwerpe 1600. wherein is boldly affirmed but faintly proued that we haue no faith nor religion that of vs both the learned and ignorant of the Greeke and Latine tongues be Infidels that wee know not what wee beleeue that we are bound in conscience both neuer to aske forgiuenesse of our sinnes and also to auoide all good workes that we make God the author of sinne and worse then the diuell These and such other shameles assertions and false slanders when I read it came into my heart that Master Thomas Wright with whose spirit I had beene acquainted was the venter of this ware In which opinion I was afterward confirmed for that both some of his fauourers could not denie it and in a written copie therof taken in a search in Shropshire and sent vnto me these two letters T. W. were set in the end of it This lewd Libell although in respect of the matter voide both of truth and learning deserued rather to be despised then earnestly answered yet because the author of it thinketh so highly of himself and so basely and contemptuously of vs giuing out in certaine written conferences which he hath dispersed abroad in this land and some faithfull men haue seene that wee be vnlearned and so giuen to wordly affaires that we bestow no time or but little in studie I although the meanest and vnmeetest of many was moued to wtite this answere thereby to confute these calumnies to cleere the truth to confirme the faithfull and if by Gods gracious blessing it might be to reclaime and reforme the ignorant and seduced Whereof I haue the lesse hope for that as they imitate those wicked Israelits which refused to hearkeÌ„ turned away their shoulder stopped their Zach. 7. 11. eares that they might not heare made their hearts as an Adamant stone least they should heare the law the words which the Lord of hosts sent in his spirit by his Prophets So they doe fully follow the peruerse Pagans which most obstinately refused to read godly bookes written by Christians as that ancient eloquent Christian Lactantius in these eloquent words declareth Non est apud me dubium Constantine Imperator Lactant. lib. 5. cap. 1.
and Papistes thought well of Pope Formosus whome other Popes did malitiously and dispitefully vse being dead Some papists thought well of them that were called â—agellantes whome others condemned and punished for â—uill dooers Vide paralip Abbaâ— vâ—spâ—rg pag 369. Pope Alexander the 6. and others burned at Florence Hierom Saoaâ—orola whome both Phillip Comineus and Antonius Falminius accompted for a holy man â—aminius fine verses in commendation of him worthy to be reade Anno. 1497. I haue thought good to set downe Dum fâ—ra flamma tuos Hieroni me pascitur artus Religio sâ—nctas dilaniata câ—mas Fleuit â—t ô dixit crudeles parcite flammae parite sâ—nt isto viscera nostra rogo But to omit this I cannot omit to shew the grosse ignorance of this blinde Papist in saying that these Albingenses began by Tolousa in France the yeare of our Lord 120. I graunt that it is so in the said fiâ—st edition of Sir Thomas Eliotâ— Dictionary and continued in the other editions following But I cannot so much attribute so grosse an ouersight and error to Sir Thomas Eliot being a learned man as to the negligence â—ther of the writer or printer which faulte by them might easely be committed for whereas this number in the said first edition is set downe in these figures 120. they might easely omit the figure in the fourth place So that Maister Eliot setting iâ— downe 1120. they might either write or print 120. But this man of purpose alleaging it might if all his Historicall learning had not beene contained in the sad dictionary haue easely espied and amended this fault for most certaine it is that noe auncient writer neere an 120 yeares after Christ or diuers hundreth yeares after doth make any mention of a people called Albiâ—genses and noted for religon The first mention that I find of them or that this man with al his companions can shew is in the raigne Rob. Gâ—gâ—iâ— lâ—b 6. of Phillip surnamed Augustus King of France who entred into his Kingdome in the yeare of our Lord 1181. Matheus Bâ—roaldus atâ—rybuteth their time to the thirtieth yeare of the said King which was in the yeare 1210. and many popish writers declare that they were persecuted and destroyed by the procurement of Pope Innocent the third who entred into his Papacie in the yeare 1199. This I confesse that as the errours which the Albinggenses impugned and abhorred were not in the yeare of Christ 120. by the Diuell hatched and broched so the true doctrine which they maintained and for the same constantly suffered was then of the faithful professed and before by our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles published But that they were then knowne by this name none but such a blind buzard as this is would euer affirme And such blind guides they deserue to haue to be led by them vnto perdition that wilfully shutte their eyes against the light of Gods truth which might shine to their saluation if their eyes were open to see it their hearts to receiue and beleeue it Concerning them that were called Begardi to whome this man out of lying Prateolus and other mallicious enemies attributeth false and wicked opinions abhorred by vs I will shew what hath and doth moue me to thinke also of them as witnesses of GODS truth I doe nothing doubt but these called by some writers Begardi were the same which others do call Pychardâ— Now what opinions these Pychardâ— did hold Ioannes Slechta Kostelecius a learned Bohaemian and Papist declareth in an epistle to Erasmus in these words Tertia secta est eorum quos Inter epist Erasmus lib. 12. pag 464. scripta 10. Octob. 1519. vocaâ—t Pyghardos c. The third sect is of them whome they call Pyghardi so he writeth them who were so named of a Fugitiue of the same nation Picardie in France that comming hither about 97. yeares past when Iohn Zisca a sacriligeous wicked man made war against the So vntruly hee termeth him ecclesiastical persons and whole Clergie and spoiled their goods this man being ioined to him infected with pestiferous doctrines both the Captaine him-selfe and all the whole armie which he had gathered of theeues murthertherers So they call them but cannot so proue them outlawed and other dregges of wicked men which continued vnto the time of King Vladislaus who of late yeares died and vnder him greatly increased for he being King of Hungary and abiding there more then in Bohemia had small care what was done there so that al his subiects did liue in peace These men did accoumpt the Pope Cardinals Bishoppes and other Ecclesiasticall parsons for manifest Antichristes they called the Pope sometimes the beast and sometimes the whore spoken of in the Apocalips and that they doing all thinges against the Doctrine and tradition of Christ they could doe nothing of any authority or vertue in Gods seruice but that whatsoeuer proceeded from their seruice was neither holy nor sacramentes nor blessings but meere execrations abhominations and curses These men chuse for themselues for Bishops and Priestes Lay men rude and voyd of learning hauing wiues and children they call and salute one an other by the name of brothers and sisters They receiue onely the authority of the old and new Testament of the Scriptures They contemne all old and new Doctors nor attribute any thing to their doctrine Their Priestes when they say Masse doe it without any Priestly garments nor therein vse any praiers besides the Lords praier wherewith they consecrate the bread being leauened They beleeue almost little or nothing of the Sacraments of the Church They that receiue their heresie are caused to be rebaptized in simple water neither blessing salt nor water nor vsing any consecrate oyle They beleeue that the dâ—ity is not in the Sacrament of the Eucharist but affirme that ther is onely bread and wine consecrate representing by certaine sercet signes the death of Christ and that therefore all that bow their knees and kneele before it or worshippe it be Idolaters seeing that Sacrament was not ordained by Christ to any other end but to put vs in remembrance of his passion and not to be carried vp and downe hether and thether nor to be lifted vp of the Priest and shewed to the people because that Christ him-selfe who is to bee adored and worshipped with the worship of Latria sitteth at the right hand of the father as the Church of Christ confesseth in the Creed They accoumpt praiers to Saintes and for the dead to be a vaine and ridiculous thing in like manner Auriculare confession and penance inioyned by Priestes for sinne They affirme vigils and fastes to be but counterfeyt couerings of hypocrites and that the holy daies of the virgin Mary of the Apostles and other Saintes are but the inuention of idle parsons and they onely keepe the Lords daies and the feast of the Natiuitie of Christ of Easter and Whitsontide c. Hetherto the words of
Bishoppes seates were placed for euening prayer there fell a greeuous strife betweene the seruants of Helecon the Bishoppe of Hildeneshem and the seruants of Widerad the Abbat of Fuldens they beganne with chiding afterward with fistes and had quickly come to swordes if the authority of Otho Duke of the Baioarians had not stayed it Againe a little after The King kept Whitsontide at Goslare where when the King and Bishoppes met at euening prayer there rose againe a tumult for the setting of the Bishops seats not by suddaine chaunce as before but by a fore premeditate purpose for the Bishop of Hiledeneshem being mindefull of the reproch before receaued did hide Cont Ecbert with prouided souldiers behind the Alter These hearing the noise and stir of the seruants came quickly in and of the seruants of the Abbots of Fuldens they did beate some with their fistes others with their clubes did throw them downe and easely driue them being amased at the suddaine danger out of the chancell of the Church who forthwith calling there fellowes to fight the Abbots men hauing their weapons in redines did rush on a heape into the Church in the midst of the Queere among the singers they fought not now with cudgels but with swordes A fierce fight was there made and through the whole Church in steed of spirituall hymnes and Songes there was heard the crying out of some exhorting to fight and the sorrowfull mourning of others dying Sorrowfull sacrifices were slaine vpon the Alters of God and floudes of blood did euery where runne in the Church shed not as in old time by the religion of the law but by hostile crueltie The Bishoppe of Hildensheyme getting vp into a high place and as it were founding a trumpet for warre exhorted his men to fight valiantly and that they should not be feared by the holines of the place from fighting he alleaged his owne authoritie and promise Many were on both sides wounded many were slaine amongst the chiefe were Regeâ—bado the Abbot of Fuldens Standart-bearer and Bero a souldier very deere vnto Count Ecbert In these stirres the King cryed out and by his Kingly maiestie exhorted the people to peace but he seemed to speake vnto them that were deafe At the last being admonished by his followers to prouide for the safety of his owne life hee left the fight and with much adoe escaped through the multitude thronged together to his Pallace The Bishop of Hildeneshems men who came to the fight prepared had the vpper hand The Abbots as vnarmed and sodainely gathered together vppon the sodaine rising of the storme of this seditious tumult were driuen away ouerthrown and expelled out of the Church Wherevppon by and by the doores were locked The Abbots men who in the beginning of the tumult had gone farre off to fetch their weapons came armed in great number and did gette the porch of the Church and put themselues in array yâ— they might forthwith sette vpon them which should come out of the Church But the night did breake off the fray Hetherto Lambert of Schafnaberge Charles Earle of Flanders was slaine at Bruges in the Church at Masse as testifieth these writers Mathew 1127. Paris in Henrico 1. Page 94. Tritemius in Chro. Mon. Hersong Page 156. Sigâ—bertuâ— fol. 137. and FÃ bian part 7. 230. Henry the sonne of Richard Earle of Cornewale was Enncad 9 lib. 5. Dâ—â—aâ— 2. lib 8. slaine in the Church at Viterbum in Italie in the time of the Masse by Guy Mâ—nserratens as testifie Sabelicus Blondus and others This was about the yeare of our Lord 1273. Antoninus sheweth how one Thomas Clevallis Gouernour of Fabrian a great and populous towne and other Pâ—t 3. Titul 22. Cap. 10. fol. 170. â—â—no â—436 Castles thereabouts was slaine with his two sonnes in the great Church of the said Fabrian vpon the Ascension day whilest he was present at a solemne Masse Famous or rather infamous is that murther of Alphonsus Medices in the Church of Florence which Raphaell Volaterranus in his Geography dedicated to Pope Iulius Lâ—b 5 pag. 57. the second declareth in these wordes Laurence Medices suffered sundry conspiracies but especially the Pactian most perillous of all the rest which was in this sort At Rome two Francisces Pactuis and Saluiatus Bishop of Pisa were authors of it Saluiate was greiued because in obtayning his Bishoppricke he had Laurence his aduersary the other for that seeing himselfe equall to Laurence in Nobilitie witte and almost in wealth was not equall to him in power and authority Therefore they did impart the matter with Hierome a kinsman of Pope Sixtus the fourth because they did know that he also did hate him For whereas bee was the first keeper of the Popes treasure he was found to haue giuen secret aid against the Pope to Nicholas Vitellius of Tiserni in the siege of Tiserni Therefore they being priuy consenting they went first to Pisa afterward they came to Pactius town wher they continued certaine daies vntil they had gotten togither the rest of the conspirators and had disposed of the whole matter From thence vpon the tenth Câ—lendes oâ— May being Sonday in the yeare 1478. the Conspirators vnder the pretence of Gods seruice came to Florence with Raâ—hael the Popes Legat and Hieroms kinsman who from the schoole of Pisa beeing lately made a Cardinall came thither either by chance or of set purpose They came all early to the Church of Reparata to Masse In the meane while Saluiatus with his armed men departed secretly from the Church and came vnder pretence of an other matter to the Court or common Hall to talke with Caesar Vcâ—iliser the Gouernour but yet to this end that the murther being committed in the Church he might bee ready to inuade and sette vppon the Court and Magistrates Therefore the token beeing giuen when the Eucharist or Sacrament was lifted vp Barnard Bandine first did thrust through Iulian Laurences brother Antony Volateran who moued with hatred for an old iniury done to the Volaterans had required the first part in that action did on the other side sette vppon Laurence behinde his backe and did strike him a little below the throate whereas hee straight wayes turning himselfe at the crye of the people did somewhat auoyde the blow and when the other would haue giuen him an other blow hee speedily escaped into the Reuestrie of the Church neere therevnto where hee was by the multitude of his friendes receiued and preserued c. Hitherto Volaterans wordes who immediately sheweth how Pope Sixtus interdicted Laurence for laying handes vppon the Legate and the Priestes and made wars vppon the Florentines drawing Ferdinandus King of Sicile and Fredericke Duke of Vrbine to ioine with him in that warre c. The same Rap. Volaterane sheweth how both Ioannes lib. 4. fol. 54. Ibidem fol. 55. Maria Galeatus Sfortia Dukes of Millayne were slaine in the Church in time of the Masse