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 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 y t alteration made in 〈◊〉 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 rathēr 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 y e rule of Popish faith neither in it self nor in y e approbatiō of Parliaments or Churches is certaine or immoueable Finally he asketh a question of Sir Francis in his Wardword 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 buildeth his faith vpon the Pope nearer then Sir Francis who groundeth himselfe his faith only vpon y t holy Scriptures and is assured of his faith not 〈◊〉 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 Uirgin 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 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 nunc à Christo saith Stapleton relect princip doctr in Praef. eorúmue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locū 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 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 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 They were wont to kisse the Popes toe and to receiue his dunghill decretals worshipping Antichrist and intitling him Christs Uicar 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 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 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 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 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 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 saltem sumunt quasi ipsacùm franguntur expirent nec oporteat vllis corporibus mortuis vesci So likewise did Papists at certain times they cal such as allow y e mariage of priests sectatores libidinum praeceptores vitiorum that is followers of lusts and teachers of vices albeit the Apostle affirmeth mariage 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 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. 〈◊〉 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. 2. 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 audent 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 〈◊〉 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 y e Papists to restore religion according to y e doctrine of y e 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 that gaue libertie to al his subiects to professe the Christian religion that assembled synods of Bishops and confirmed their decrees so ought we to celebrate the memory of our gracious 〈◊〉 that gaue libertie to all Christians to professe the truth that caused diuers assemblies of learned men and ratified the Christian faith by her authoritie CHAP. III. Of the true and sincere administration of the Sacraments of the Church restored in England OF the holy rites and sacraments of Christian religion we cannot speake without griefe of heart when we consider how shamefully they were abused mangled and corrupted by the synagogue of Antichrist Where Christ ordained onely two Sacraments to wit Baptisme where he said Teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost and the sacrament of his body and blood where he said Take eate this is my body and drinke ye all of this for this is the blood of the new testament and do this in remembrance of me that synagogue hath added fiue other sacraments giuing the same vertue to their extreme vnction and to mariage and orders concerning iustification that they giue to Baptisme the Lords supper The master
England and Ireland burning so bright by the solicitation of Paul the third Pius the fifth Gregorie thirtéenth and fourteenth and this Clement that now possesseth the throne of Antichrist do so plainely declare them to be firebrands of warre and trouble Well therefore said Petrarke that in Rome all those mischiefes were hatched that are now spread through the world and neuer shall Christian Princes haue loyall subiects as long as seditious Masse-priests are suffered to lurk within their kingdomes In countries subiect to y t Pope they count it a little fault to murder mē now frō thence are come certaine assassins which for hire and by perswasions are induced to kill men There also impoysonments are most common The Popes themselues vse to drinke of poysoned cups and that by the iust iudgement of God séeing by the cup of their poysoned doctrine according to the prophecy Apoc. 17. they haue empoysoned many Christian nations To conclude this large discourse there is no state of men vnder the Popes iurisdiction but it is growne to great dissolution and corruption of manners and may be conuinced of diuers sinnes and abominations by infinite witnesses and confessions if we would stand vpon it but I will content my selfe with two or three Breidenbach in the historie of his peregrination speaketh generally and sayth Recessit lex à sacerdotibus c. that is the law is departed from priests iustice from princes counsell from elders good dealing from the people loue from parents reuerence from subiects charitie from prelates religion from Monkes honestie from yong men discipline from clerkes learning from masters study from schollers equitie from Iudges concord from citizens feare from seruants good fellowship from husbandmen truth from merchants valor from Noblemen chastitie from virgins humility from widowes loue from maried folks patience from poore men O time ô manners And Walter Mapes that liued in the time of Henry the second King of England Virtutes cunctae saith he en iacent defunctae All vertues lie now dead Charitie is no where to be found And againe In truth I find that the whole Cleargy doth studie wickednesse and impietie enuie raigneth truth is exiled The prelates are Lucifers heires They being now aduanced tread downe others blinde guides they are and blinded with idolatrie of earthly things Robert Bishop of Aquila in his Sermons of which Sixtus Senensis maketh mention in the third booke of his Biblioth sanct speaketh thus to his countrie of Italie O Italia plange ô Italia time ô Italia caue ne propter obstinationem tuam in te desaeuiat ira Dei c. Tu in dies 〈◊〉 efficeris in peccatis malitia perseuerando Fiunt iam 〈◊〉 vsur ae publicae omnia foedata sunt spurcissimis vitijs carnis ignominiosae Sodomiae superbia pomparum iam occupauit omnes ciuitates terras 〈◊〉 Dei periuria mendacia iniustitiae violentiae oppressiones pauperum similia superabundant O Italie saith he lament ô Italie feare ô Italie beware lest for thy obstinacie the wrath of God waxe not cruell against thee c. Thou euery day art more and more hardened perseuering in thy sinnes and maliciousnesse Euery where men set vp bankes of vsurie all things are defiled with most foule vices of the flesh and most shamefull sodomie Pride in pompous shewes haue now filled cities and countries blasphemies against God periuries lies iniustice violence orpression of the poore and such like vices do superabound I would further insist vpon this argument but that I referre diuers matters ouer to the second booke where I shall haue occasion more particularly to examine the good workes of Papists But the Church of England neither alloweth publike shewes nor bankes of vsurie nor dispenseth with oathes of subiects to Princes or alloweth periurie nor shall Robert Parsons find such filthines and abhominations among the professors of our religion as are commonly practised by y t Popes Cardinals Masse-priests Monkes Friars and Nuns and their followers All corruptions in doctrine concerning good workes are reformed and diuers abuses concerning manners among the Papists taken away The which séeing it procéeded wholly of that reformation of religion which Quéen Elizabeth of pious memorie wrought by her regall authoritie among vs we are most gratefully to accept that worke and by exercises of 〈◊〉 and charity to indeuour to shew our selues not vnworthie either of our profession or of so great a blessing Against this discourse Robert Parsons talketh very scornfully and saith first that the experience of the whole world will deny that good workes are fruites of our religion But if he had bene well aduised he would haue forborne to talke of experience For whosoeuer hath liued among those that are of our religion and among Papists also must néedes say that the liues of Romanists are abhominable offending in whosedome Sodomie periurie vsurie and all impieties and discharge vs deterring and abhorring those vices and punishing them seuerely Beside that if he meant to winne credit he would not talke of the whole world being not able to name one honest man that will iustifie that which he talketh Secondly he saith our best friends renounce our workes And then alleageth an Epistle of Erasmus mentioned by Surius a Postil of Luther and a testimonie out of Aurifaber But first Erasmus is none of our best friends being in most points an 〈◊〉 and a professed Masse-priest And if he were our friend yet haue we no reason to beléeue Surius a malicious enemie and a base Monke hired to speake lyes Secondly it is a ridiculous foolerie where we dispute of the fruites of the Gospell in England in Queene Elizabeths dayes to bring testimonies of Luther and Aurifaber that were dead before her time and speake of some of their countrie people Thirdly they speake not of the whole 〈◊〉 Church in Germanie but rather of some that albeit they disliked Poperie yet did not sincerely embrace the truth Finally neither Luther nor Aurifaber doth charge his countrie people with such faults as raigne among Papists He must therfore seek some witnesses that speake more to purpose and leaue his owne treasons filthinesse periurie lying gluttonie and drunkennesse before he talke of good workes Finally he pratleth much concerning the merit of workes But if he had bene vsed according to his merits then had the crowes long ere this eaten his carion flesh He 〈◊〉 also that we should giue a caueat to auoide hypocriticall oftentation albeit any man shold do good works But this caueat concerneth him but a litle whose workes are most wicked and odious his writings being nothing but either lying and rayling libels or fond and trifling discourses of points of Poperie and his practises tending all to murdering empoysoning sedition warre and 〈◊〉 CHAP. XII Of temporall benefites enioyed by Queene Elizabeths most happie gouernment BEside great successe in affaires of the Church God hath also blessed the people of England in ciuil matters in regard that his name is truly
the impudencie of the man so boldly extolling traitors and forreine enemies together with his singular arrogancy despising his own nation and his foolish speakes for the Popes cause stollen out of others and put forth as his wont is in his owne name had extorted from me a reply to his Wardword Which certes might haue bin wel spared considering the sufficiencie of the Knights apologie if I had seene it before I had ended my reply For what is there in the Wardword worthy of answer seeing the same consisteth wholy of lies and patches and old ends stollen from others often refuted before And what answer can be deuised so slender that counteruaileth not such a hochpotch of words To these replies published by vs after long silence we see that Robert Parsons hath purposed to set forth a reioynder For we haue already receiued two parts of nine but so fraught with calumniations and lies malicious and scornful termes odious and filthy reproches that it seemeth he hath spent all his store of poison and despaireth to perfect the rest This booke albeit most contemptible containing nothing but disgracefull matter against her Maiesties proceedings that is lately deceased and childish disputes for some few points of poperie yet haue I thought good to handle not for any worth that can be in any such packe of pedlary stuffe set to sale by this petit merchant but for that iust occasion is thereby giuen vnto me to insist vpon the cōmendatiō of our late Queene for her heroical vertues and happy gouernment by this wicked traitor and vnworthy swad wickedly disgraced and especially for her singular pietie and zeale in restoring religion and abolishing Poperie O that she had bene so happy to keepe out the Ministers of Antichrist once expulsed as at the first to expulse them and put them out of her kingdome but what by yeelding to intreatie of some about her by this generation foully abused and what by tolerating of such as were sent in by forreine enemies to practise against her life and kingdome and what drawne backe by those that entertained intelligēce with publike enemies she was 〈◊〉 to slacke execution of lawes if not to suspend them to her owne great trouble and to the 〈◊〉 of Religion and the State but that God by his prouidence supplied the defects of 〈◊〉 By the 〈◊〉 Warne-word I haue also bene warned to discourse of the miserable and dangerous estate both of 〈◊〉 and their subiects that liue vnder the thraldom of the Pope and that both in regard of matters of State and of Religion Finally albeit Robert Parsons hitherto hath vsed scurrilous railing for his warrant protection against those that haue dealt with him and like as a foxe pursued with hounds with the filthy stench of his stile endeuoureth to make them giue ouer the chase yet I shall so touch him for his impietie making a iest at Scriptures and Religion for his scurrilitie railing without wit or modestie for his doltish ignorance committing most grosse and childish errors for his lies and forgerie vsing neither respect of truth nor common honestie that I hope I shall turne his laughing into another note If I speak roundly to him and his consorts yet I do not as he doth speake falsly Sharpnes he ought not to mislike hauing begun this course Neither can others iustly reproue me considering my aduersaries audacious impudencie Si falsa dicimus saith Hilarie infamis sit sermo maledicus Si verò vniuersa haec manifesta esse ostendimus nō sumus extra Apostolicā libertatem modestiā If we tell matters false then let our sharpe speech be infamous If all we report be manifestly proued then are we not out of the limites of Apostolical libertie and modestie Howbeit what measure is to be required in him that is to incounter a man of such vnmeasurable and outragious behauiour In the first booke the honor of her Maiestie late deceassed and her proceedings in the alteration of religion is defended In the second the grieuances of Christians vnder the Popes gouernement both in matters of conscience and their temporal estate are plainely discouered In the last we are to incounter with the ridiculous manner of Parsons behauior and writing 〈◊〉 he might percase thinke himselfe wise therein God turne all to his glorie to the manifestation of truth the detection of errors and the shame of the shamelesse patrons thereof The first Booke containing a defence of Queene Elizabeths most pious and happie gouernement impugned in a scurrilous libell intitled A warne-word The Preface to the first Booke I Need not I trust make any large discourse in calling to remembrance the noble and heroicall acts of our late Queene and most gracious Soueraigne Ladie Elizabeth of famous and godly memory For as Iesus the sonne of Syrach said of famous men of auncient time so we may say of her that her name will liue from generation to generation Her kind loue to her subiects and gracious fauours done both to English and other nations will neuer be forgotten His words likewise concerning his famous ancesters may be well applied vnto her She was renowned for her power and was wise in counsel She ruled her people by counsel by the knowledge of learning fit for them She was rich and mightie in power and liued peaceably at home Her remembrance therefore is as the composition of sweete perfume that is made by the art of the Apothecary and is sweete as hony in all mouthes as it is said of Iosias In his steps she insisted and behaued her self vprightly in the reformatiō of the people took away al abominatiōs of iniquity She reformed the abuses and corruptions of popish religion which through the working of the mystery of iniquitie had now won credit in the world and ouerthrew the idoll of the Masse and banished all idolatrie out of the Church She directed her heart to the Lord and in the time of the vngodly she established Religion She put her trust in the Lord and after that wicked and vngodly men had brought vs back into Aegyptian seruitude she deliuered vs from the bondage of the wicked Aegyptians and restored Religion according to the rules of Apostolicall doctrine But because as in the time of Iosias the Priests of Baal so in our times their of-spring the Masse-priests cannot 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 〈◊〉 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 frō 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 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 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 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostom Hom. 1. in 1. Tim 4. vt his quae dicuntur sine 〈◊〉 haesitatione credamus Therefore we are called faithfull that we may beleeue without doubting those things which are spoken So then all Christians that 〈◊〉 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 attributs that onely to the writers of canonical Scriptures that they could not erre Neither 〈◊〉 I to stand long vpon this point séeing our 〈◊〉 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 Neque 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 certaincie of faith ought to assure himself that he shal be saued The second point doth follow of the diuers doctrines of the Papists Eckius holdeth that the Scriptures are not authentical without the authority of the Church And although Bellarmine dare not allow this forme of 〈◊〉 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 then without the Churches authoritie they are not authentical In his booke De not is Eccles. c. 2. he saith the Scriptures depend vpon the Church 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 as Scripturarum canonem consignet And his meaning is that no man is to receiue any 〈◊〉 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 Secondly the 〈◊〉 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 writtē word of God Stapleton saith 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 〈◊〉 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 Ecclesia definit vel acceptat saith Eckius Enchir. cap. de Eccles. non est minore firmitate credendum ac veneratione tenendum quà m 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 Komish 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 〈◊〉 the case of all Papists For not one of them beléeueth that 〈◊〉 all be saued nor imagineth that God hath said or promised any thing concerning his owne saluation Secondly if the Scriptures depend 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 〈◊〉 if the Pope either determine against canonical 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 〈◊〉 of their faith
and the seruice of the Church brought back to the auncient forme of Christs primitiue Church CHAP. V. Of the translations of Scriptures into vulgar tongues and reading them publikely in tongues vnderstood HE that doth euill hateth the light No maruel then if the Pope his crue of Masse-priests shun the scriptures their workes and doctrine being euill and the scriptures being compared to light Psalm 119. and to a candle shining in a darke place 2. Pet. 1. they would if they durst plainely prohibite scriptures as appéereth by the practise of the begging Fryers in the time of William de sanct amore who hauing brought all their fancies and traditions into one volume and calling the same the eternal Gospel preached that the Gospel of Christ should cease and that their eternal Gospel should be preached and receiued to the end of the world The Pope also could hardly be enduced to condemne this blasphemous booke of the Fryers In the end I confesse he was forced for shame to abolish it yet he conceiued infinite displeasure against the Doctors of Paris and fauored the Fryers as much as he could And now albeit he hath not simply prohibited the translation of scriptures and reading them in vulgar tongues yet he hath so limited the same as in effect they are as good as prohibited For first he will not permit that scriptures translated into vulgar tongues shall be read publikely in the Church as both the Trent conuenticle and the practise of the Romish Church declareth Secondly Pope Pius the fourth doth simply forbid all translations of scriptures into vulgar tongues such onely except as are made by his adherents and followers which are not onely false and absurd in diuers points but also corrupted with diuers false and wicked annotations as the Rhemish annotations vpon the new testament being examined do manifestly declare Thirdly we do not find that the Papists are hastie in setting forth translations of scriptures in vulgar tongues nor can I learne that the Bible is 〈◊〉 translated into the Spanish Italian and Dutch tongue by them Fourthly they will haue no Booke-sellers sel Bibles though translated into vulgar tongues by them selues without leaue Fiftly they wil not permit any man to read Bibles so translated by 〈◊〉 without leaue Sixtly they graunt leaue to none to reade scriptures in vulgar tongues albeit allowed by themselues but to such onely as they suppose to be resolued or rather drowned in the dregges of Popish errors and to lay men seldome or neuer do they grant the same I do not beleeue that Robert Parsons albeit well acquainted in Spaine and Italie can name a doosen lay men of either nation that haue licence to reade Scriptures in vulgar tongues or that had licence in England in Quéene Maries time to reade Scriptures translated into their mother tongue If he know any suth he may do well to name them If he name them not his silence wil bréed suspition if it be not taken for a plaine confession Finally if any among the Papists be taken with other translations then such as themselues allow or not hauing himselfe obtained licence according to the foresaid rule he is presently taken for suspect of heresie and seuerely punished if he acquite not himselfe the better So we sée that among them it is lawfull to reade all prophane bookes if they fall not within the compasse of their prohibition and to tumble ouer the lying legends of Saints and the fabulous booke of Conformities of Saint Francis with Christ and that without leaue But Scriptures translated into vulgar tongues no man may reade without leaue Now how centrarie this course is to the word of God to the practise of Gods Church and to all reason we may easily perceiue by these particulars God would haue the words of the law not onely a continuall subiect of our talke and meditations but also to be written at the entrances and doores of our houses Our Sauiour Christ preaching to the Jewes willed them to search the Scriptures But how can this be done if Scriptures be not translated into tongs which we vnderstand and if no man may reade them without leaue In the primitiue Church they were publikely read in the Syrian Egyptian Punicke other vulgar tongues By the testimonie of Bede hist. Angl. lib. 1. it appeareth they were translated into the British tongue and into other vulgar tongues the mysteries of religion being made common to diuers nations by the meditation of Scriptures Irenaeus speaking of all the Scriptures saith They may be heard alike of all Hierome in an 〈◊〉 to Laeta and in another to Celantia exhorteth them to reade Scriptures But how can they be heard alike if they may not be translated nor read publikely in vulgar 〈◊〉 And why should it be more lawfull for Laeta and Celantia to reade Scriptures then for other men and women In his Commentaries likewise vpon the 86. Psalme he saith that Scriptures are read to all that all may vnderstand Scriptura populis 〈◊〉 legitur vt omnes intelligant But how can the common people vnderstand a strange toung Chrysostome homil 9. in Epist ad Coloss. teacheth that the Apostle commandeth lay men to reade scriptures and that with great diligence The Apostle teacheth vs that the word of God is the sword of the spirit And before I haue shewed that it is light Our Sauiour saith that the word of God is food to our soule Basil. homil 29. saith That the old and new Testament are the treasure of the Church Vetus nouum Testamentum saith he the saurus Ecclesiae In his Commentaries vpon the first Psalme he sheweth that the holy Scriptures are a storehouse for all 〈◊〉 for mans soule Chrysostome Homil. in Psalm 147. saith the Scriptures are our armes and munitions in the spirituall warfare which we haue against the diuell Arma comeatus eius belli quod est inter nos diabolum 〈◊〉 Scripturarum auditio Doth it not then appeare that the Papists are enemies to Christians and séeke to murther their soules that by all meanes séeke to expose them naked vnto their enemies weapons and wold willingly depriue them of medicines munitions armes and foode and leaue them in darknesse without the comfort of Scriptures For how can they vse Scriptures that vnderstand them not And how can they vnderstand them when they are read in toungs vnknowne And how can they come to reade them when there are so many difficulties in obtaining licence to haue them Séeing then at her Maiesties first entrance into her gouernement we were fréed from the thraldome and flauery of Antichrist and had the Scriptures in a tongue vnderstood restored vnto vs and read publikely and priuatel y without limitation or danger we are to accompt the same as a singular benefit bestowed vpon the people of England For what can be deemed more beneficiall then for the hungrie to obtaine food for naked souldiers to obtaine armes and prouisions for
they imposed extraordinarie subsidies as oft as themselues listed The English did make a grieuous complaint against the Popes court in a certaine Synode at Lyon in the dayes of Henry the third as Matth. of Paris testifieth The 〈◊〉 man affirmeth that the Romish Court did swallow vp like a gulfe euery mans reuenues and tooke almost all that Bishops or Abbots possessed Quae curia saith he instar barathri potestatem habet consuetudinem omnium reditus absorbendi imò ferè omnia quaecunque Episcopi possident Abbates Bonner in his Preface before Stephen Gardiners booke de vera obedientia speaking of the spoile made in England by the Pope saith it did almost amount to as much as the kings reuenues Prouentus regios ferè aequabat saith he In Fraunce king Lewis the ninth complaineth that his kingdome was miserably brought to pouertie by the Popes exactions and therefore he expresly forbiddeth them Exactiones saith he onera grauissima pecuniarum per Curiam Rom. Ecclesiae regni nostri impositas vel imposita quibus regnum nostrum miserabiliter depauperatum existit siue etiam imponendas vel imponenda leuari aut colligi nullatenus volumus In Spaine euery one of any qualitie is inforced to pay for two ordinarie pardons whereof the one is for the dead the other for the liuing Beside this the Pope vpon diuers occasions sendeth cruciataes and general pardons by which he procureth great commoditie Iosephus Angles in 4. sent cap. de 〈◊〉 signifieth that the king sometime payeth an hundred thousand duckats for one pardon and afterward remburseth himselfe playing the Popes broker Adde then vnto this reckening whatsoeuer the Pope getteth out of Spaine by dispensations licences priuiledges contributions and other trickes and the summe of his collections will appeare a very great matter The Germaines in their complaints exhibited to the Popes Legate affirme that the burthens laid on them by the 〈◊〉 Church were most vrgent intolerable and not to be borne Vrgentissima at que intolerabilia penitusque non ferenda onera Generally all Christians complains of them Matth. Paris in Hen. 3. speaking of the times of Gregory the 9. and of the couetousnesse of the Romish Church saith That like an impudent and common whore she was exposed and set to sale to al men accounting vsury for a litle fault symony for none Permittente vel procurante Papa 〈◊〉 adeo inualuit Ecclesiae Romanae insatiabilis 〈◊〉 as confundens fas nefasque quod deposito rubore velut meretrix vulgaris effrons omnibus venalis exposita vsuram pro paruo symoniam pro 〈◊〉 inconuenienti reputauit Theodoric à Niem nemor vnion tract 6. ca. 37. speaking of the Popes Exchequer sayth It is like a sea into the which all flouds run and yet it floweth not ouer He sayth further that his officers do scourge poore Christians like Turkes or Tartarians Ipse Romanus pontifex saith Ioannes Sarisburiensis lib. 6. Polycrat cap. 24. omnibus ferè est intolerabilis Laetatur spolijs Ecclesiarum quaestum omnem reputat pietatem prouinciarum diripit spolia ac si the sauros Croesi studeat reparare The Pope to all men is almost become intolerable he delighteth in the spoyles of the Church he esteemeth gaine to be godlinesse he spoyleth countries as if he meant to repaire Croesus his treasures Ioannes Andre as in 6. de elect elect potest c. fundamenta in Glossa saith that Rome was built by robbers and yet retaineth a tack of her first originall Baptista of Mantua sheweth that in Rome Churches priests altars and al 〈◊〉 of Religion are sold. And yet he forgot to tell of the great reuenue the Pope getteth by common whores It is shame to consider how many benefices the Pope bestoweth on one man Quae vtique abominaetio saith Gerson tractat de statu Ecclesiae quod vnus ducenta alius trecenta beneficia occupat What an abominatiō is this that one should possesse 200. another 300. benefices We may imagine what spoiles are committed in other things when the Pope selleth so many 〈◊〉 to one and one man spoyleth so many Churches Therefore saith the Bishop of Chems oner eccles cap. 19. that as in the Romaine Empire so in the Church of Rome there is a gulfe of riches and that couetousnes is encreased and the law perished from the priest and seeing frō the Prophet Heu saith he sicut olim in Rom. Imperio sic hodie in Romana curia est vorago diuitiarum turpissima Creuit auaritia perijt lex à sacerdote visio à Propheta Petrarch calleth Rome couetous Babylon L'auara Babylonia ha colmo il sacco de l'ira de Dio. And this is the common crie of all men that are subiect to the synagogue of Romes tyrannie Is it not then a great fauor of God that by the gouernment of Quéene Elizabeth we were so happily deliuered from the Popes manifold exactions against which so many haue complained and exclaimed and yet neuer could find conuenient remedie Is it not an ease to be deliuered from intolerable burthens and a great contentment to be fréed from such vniust pillages Robert Parsons Encont 1. cap. 11. would gladly haue the world to say no as hauing some share in the spoile and like a begging Fryer liuing on the labors of others But his exceptions are such as may greatly confirme our yea First he saith There hath not bene so many exactions in time past as since the yeare 1530. and for proofe he referreth vs vnto the exchequer bookes But both his exceptions and his proofes 〈◊〉 ridiculous For albeit much hath bene paid to the king yet it doth not therefore follow that we are to pay much to the Pope Againe it is ridiculous to séeke proofes of the Popes exactions in the Exchequer bookes being so many that they can hardly be registred in any bookes Beside this it is false that the people of England hath paid more to the King then to the Pope as may appeare by the conference of particulars But suppose we should pay more to the king then to the pope yet these two contributions are euill compared together For to the king we owe dutie and tribute to the Pope we owe nothing but many bitter execrations for all our charges and troubles For his malice is the root of all our troubles and the cause of all our payments He saith further that notwithstanding the exactions of the Pope the Clergie in time past did farre excell our Clergie in ease and wealth But that is no great commendation if ours excell them in vertue and pietie Beside that Matthew of Paris in Henry the third doth in diuers places expresse the miserable estate of the prelacie in those times by reason of the Popes gréedinesse As for the common sort of priests that liued vpon sale of Masses and the begging Fryers that liued vpō almes Robert Parsons hath 〈◊〉 reason to extol thē for wealth lesse certes for other
qualities But were our Clergy burthened more thē in times past yet hath this louzie companion no reason at all to mention the same séeing the blame ariseth from y e Sodomitical priesthood of the popish synagogue that in king Henry the eight his dayes sold and intangled their liuings and haue since bene occasion of many troubles which without charge could not be ouerpassed He saith our Clergie may sing Beati pauperes spiritu and so might 〈◊〉 Romish Clergie too if they were Christians Robert Parsons certes himselfe abusing this place to sport as the Pope abuseth scriptures to profite sheweth himselfe to be an Atheist and talking of his Clergie he proueth himself a sot For in the world there is not a more beggerly I might also say bougerly Clergie then in Italy especially those which liue vpon the sound of bels by their rustie voices as Grashoppers liue vpon dew and sing swéetly oft times when they haue little to eate saue sallades and pottage of coleworts and such like suppes and Italian Minestraes Afterward turning his spéech from others he runneth very rudely vpon me and giueth out that I haue complained secretly of heauy payments to prince and patron But either he lyeth wilfully and wittingly against all truth and reason or els some secret lying companion hath gulled him Certes if he knew my estate and how willing I haue bene and am to 〈◊〉 more then ordinarie for resistance both of common enemies and such Caniball traitors as himselfe he would not impute this vnto me Let him therefore bring forth the man that told him this 〈◊〉 or else he must be charged with 〈◊〉 the lie himselfe Finally he endeuoreth to excuse Innocentius the fourth and to lay the fault of the extreame exactions of his time rather vpon his collectors and officers then vpon the Pope himselfe He pretendeth also that Innocentius required a collection in a generall Councell But who is so simple to thinke that the whole state would complaine of the court and Pope of Rome if the fault were onely in a few vsurers and caterpilling collectors Againe why should Matth. Paris so often complaine of this and other Popes for their couetousnesse if the fault were onely in the collectors and why why did not the Pope sometime punish his collectors abusing their commission Thirdly it appeareth that this cogging pope abused the world pretending the recouery of the holy land gathering great summes of money vnder that pretence where it appeareth by the historie of Matthew Paris and others that he spent the money in 〈◊〉 to enrich his 〈◊〉 and bastards and employed the aduenturers that crossed themselues for the holy land against the Emperor and other Christian states Finally it is a méere abuse to call a rabble of idle 〈◊〉 and busie Fryers and swinish Masse-priestes combined with Antichrist a generall Councel or to say that the Pope euer meant to recouer the holy land or to enlarge Christian Religion seeing by his aspires and contentions the Turkes haue enlarged and Christians haue lost their Empire being abandoned ost times and betrayed by the Pope CHAP. IX Of the deliuerance of the Realme and Church of England from the yoke of the Popes lawes and vniust censures ALbeit the Cardinals of Rome and the priests of Baal and their adherents do not willingly complaine of the Pope being diuers of them his creatures and the rest his sworne 〈◊〉 and marked slaues yet such is the grieuance and wrong that many haue sustained by his 〈◊〉 and censures that diuers of them haue bene forced to open their mouths and to talke against their holy Father 〈◊〉 de Alliaco in his Treatise de reformat 〈◊〉 saith that the multitude of statutes canons and decretals especially those that bind to 〈◊〉 sinne are grieuous and burdensome Budaeus in his annotations vpon the Pandects saith that the Popes lawes serue not so well for correcting of manners as making of money His words are these Sanctiones pontificiae non moribus regendis vsui sunt sed propemodum dixerim argentariae faciendae authoritatem videntur accommodare In France as Duarenus saith it was wont to be a common prouerbe that all things went euill since the decrées had ales adioyned to them that is since the decretals were published Malè cum rebus humanis actum dicebant ex 〈◊〉 decretis alae accesserunt The Princes of Germanie complaine that the rules of the Popes Chancerie were nothing but snares laid to bring benefices to the Popes collation and deuised for matter of gaine They say also that the Popes constitutions were nothing but clogges for mens consciences Neither may we thinke but that they had great reason thus to speake considering both the iniquitie of most of these constitutions and the strictnesse of the obligation by which men are bound to obserue them For what reason haue they either to prohibite mariage to any order or state of men not prohibited by the law of God to marrie or else to restraine the libertie 〈◊〉 by the lawe of God or to forbid flesh egges or milke vpon certain daies Againe why haue they brought in not onely their carnall presence of Christs bodie in the Sacrament transsubstantiation the idolatreus sacrifice of the Masse but their purgatorie their indulgences and infinite such trash Why haue they abrogated Christs institution in the celebration of the Lords supper not onely taking away the 〈◊〉 from the communicants but making a priuate action of that which should be a communion Is not this as much as the Pharistes did that transgressed Gods commaundement for their owne tradition And do not the Papists 〈◊〉 that vnwritten traditions should be receiued with equall affection to the holy Scriptures Againe what reason haue they to curse and anathematise nay to put to cruell death such as obey not their ordinances and vniust decrees S. Iames saith We haue but one Law-giuer that is able to saue and destroy And no where do we reade that the Church of Christ did persecute Christians and put them death for matters of their conscience and religion much lesse for matter of ceremonies or such obseruances Neither can the aduersarie shew that bishops excommunicated Christians that would not rebell and take armes against their Liege Soueraignes Which of vs saith Optatus lib. 2. contra Parmenian did persecute any man The Apostle he commaundeth euery soule to be subiect to higher powers and not to rebell Now vntolerable then are the Romish decretals and rescripts that not onely bind mens consciences in things frée otherwise but also in things that may not be done without impietie Likewise haue diuers complained of the abuse of popish excommunications That which our Sauior Christ saith If he heare not the Church let him be to thee as a heathen man or Publican that the popish faction translateth to the ridiculous censure of the Pope And therefore excommunicateth al that place not the Churches vnwritten traditions in equall rancke with diuine
Scriptures or that beleeue not that Christians can performe the lawe perfectly and are iustified before God by the workes of the law or that hold not the doctrine of the 〈◊〉 Church concerning their seuen Sacraments or that do not worship Images or that receiue not their doctrine of indulgences and purgatorie and all the herestes and abhominations of the Pope or that submit not themselues to his tyrannie or that refuse to pay his annates or taxes or whatsoeuer he and his suppostes require Nay they excommunicate the subiects that rebell not against their lawfull Kings After that Pius the fifth that wicked and cruell hypocrite had commanded that neither the Lords nor people of England should obey 〈◊〉 Elizabeths commandements or lawes it followeth Qui secus egerint eos anathematis sententia innodamus That is Those which shall do otherwise we pronounce accursed or anathema Neither did the Pope onely in time past thunder out 〈◊〉 curses but also gaue 〈◊〉 to euery base companion and for euery small trifling cause 〈◊〉 inflict most grieuous censures Petrus de Alliaco speaking of the Pope and his excommunications complaineth that he gaue leaue to his Collectors to thunder out excommunications to the offence of many and that other Prelates for debts and light causes did cruelly excommunicate poore men Saepè saith he per suos Collectores in multorum scandalum fulminauit aly Praelatileuiter pro leuibus causis vt pro debitis huiusmodi pauperes excommunicatione crudeliter percutiunt The Germaines complaine that many Christians were excommunicated at Rome for prophane causes and for gaine to the trouble of diuers mens consciences Romae say they caeterisque in locis per Archiepiscopos ac Episcopos aut saltem eorum ecclesiasticos iudices multi Christianorum ob causas prophanas ob pecuniae denique ac turpis quaestus amorem excommunicantur multorumque sedeorum in fide infirmorum conscientiae per hoc aggrauantur in desperationem pertrahuntur Scotus in 4. sent dist 19. complaineth that the Church did too often strike with this sword and Petrus de Alliaeco saith that by this abuse the sword of the Church was in his time growne into great contempt Of late time the Popes of Rome haue excommunicated Emperours and kings if they would not depart with their townes countries and crownes and yéeld to their legats what they demaunded How intolerable this abuse was we may perceiue if we consider the heauinesse of this censure being rightly inflicted by the true Church Our Sauicur sheweth that the partie excommunicate is to be holden for a heathen man and a Publican Tertullian Apolo 39. doth call it the highest fore-iudgement of the future iudgement Summum futuri 〈◊〉 praeiudicium Cyprian doth esteeme them as killed with the spirituall sword Superbi contumaces saith he spirituali gladio necantur dum de Ecclesia eijciuntur Commonly excommunication is called Anathema and Chrysostome homil 70. ad populum Antioch calleth it the bond of the Church We are therefore no lesse to be thankfull for our deliuerance from the Popes vniust lawes then the auncient Christians for their exemption from the yoke of the Pharisies and from humane traditions from which by the preaching of the Gospell they were freed Neither may we think it a simple fauour that we are made to vnderstand that the crackes of the Popes thundring 〈◊〉 are no more to be feared then the ratling of Salmoneus that impious fellow that with certaine engines went about to counterfeit the noise of thunder We knew alwaies that a man vniustly excommunicated and by a Judge vnlawfull was no way preiudiced Origen in Leuit. 〈◊〉 48. speaking of a person excommunicate saith that he is not hurt at all being by wrongfull iudgement expelled out of the congregation Nihil laeditur in eo quod non recto iudicio ab hominibus videtur expulsus And the aduersaries confesse that excommunication pronounced vniustly and by him that is not our Iudge bindeth not C. nullus 9. q. 2. and C. nullus primus 9. q. 3. and C. sententia 11. q. 3. But few vnderstood the iniustice and nullitie of the Popes lawes and that he neither was nor is a competent iudge vntill such time as by true preaching of the Gospell which by Queene Elizabeth was restored vnto vs the man of sinne beganne to be reuealed CHAP. X. Of our deliuerance from heresie schisme superstition and Idolatrie These things therefore considered it cannot be denied but that her Maiesties godly 〈◊〉 brought great profite to the Church of England Yet if we please to looke backe to the heresies of the Papists and to remember how they liued in heresie schisine superstition and idolatry we shall the rather praise God for that great deliuerance of his Church which he wrought by the meanes of our late Quéene For heresie and false doctrine is the 〈◊〉 and canker of the Church The Apostle Paul If an Angel from heauen should teach vs any other Gospel or doctrine beside that whith himselfe had taught the Galathians doth pronounce him accursed S. Iohn in his second Epistle forbiddeth vs to receiue into our houses 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 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 Col. 2. Lactantius speaking of the superstition of the Gentiles doth call it An incurable madnesse Dementiam incurabilem and afterward vanitic 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 summus seculireatus 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 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
vaine opposition of enemies and traitors may perswade vs that it is so For not onely their 〈◊〉 do 〈◊〉 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 under Queene Elizabeth examined 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 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 Quintus accurse the Quéene Robert Parsons following their 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 cau 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 〈◊〉 as diuers Germaines French and English do or else if there be any difference among vs concerning ceremonies and 〈◊〉 that doth no more make a schisme in our church 〈◊〉 the diuers rites of Spanish French and Italians and diuers opinions in al points of religion betwéen old and new Romish Doctors maketh a schisine in the Romish Church For generally we all agree 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 for beare to tell him that there is great 〈◊〉 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 she 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 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 〈◊〉 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 y e 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
their knowledge A poore countrie man of ours beleeued y e S. Tinnoc of Portle mouth in Deuon was a good guardian of shéepe and therefore offered euery yeare a fléece On a time passing ouer the water at Salcomb with his offering and being in danger vowed if he escaped to offer his horse which he did and the Saint with good glée and a becke accepted him But not being able well to returne on foote he prayed he might buy his horse of the Saint The priest was the broker and made the bargaine but it was so hard that the poore man said he was a good kéeper of sheepe but a cut throate Saint to deale with all in buying and selling Commonly they neither vnderstood what they prayed nor what was said in the Church neither do they now vnderstand much more albeit the Priests in their new and 〈◊〉 Catechismes endeuour to teach them somewhat If men will not beléeue experience yet let them reade what Friars themselues in their Sermons and what others say in their writings Vincentius in his treatise De fine mundi speaking of the people of his time saith Praedicationes non audiunt articulos fidei nesciunt They heare not sermons they know not the articles of the faith Robertus Gallus in his 32. vision saith that all children except a few shall depart from their fathers leauing the examples and admonitions of their elders and that worldly minds shall remaine vnder counterfeit religion Apostatabunt filij omnes exceptis paucis à patribus suis 〈◊〉 vitas monita maiorum suorum sub palliata religione seculares animi permanebunt Brigit in her reuelations saith That the works and words of Christ were so neglected that few thought of them or remembred them Opera verba Christi sunt adeò neglecta vt iam pauci ea recolant Hosius disputing against Brentius telleth vs of a Coliar that could answer nothing of his faith but that he beléeued as the Church beléeued We may therefore assure our selues that the apostacie spoken of by the Apostle 1. Tim. 4. is plainely séene in the Romish church and that the smoke that ascended out of the bottomelesse pit like the smoke of a fornace and darkened the Sunne and the ayre as we may reade Apocalypse 9. was nothing else but the errors and ignorance of Papists that couered Christian religion and obscured the face of the Church Of this defection and darknesse Robertus Gallus doth speake in his visions ca. 3. shewing that the church should be ouerwhelmed with this darknesse and that the same should arise out of the Church Egressa est saith he caligo illa ab Ecclesia Sol saith another qui est spiritualis potentatus factus est niger quia non serenum coelum sed tetrum infernum aperit Proptereà peruersu◠Pontifex nuncupatur Angelus abyssi The Sunne which is the spirituall power was made blacke because he the Pope openeth not the cleare heauen but blacke hell Therefore a peruerse Pope is called the Angell of the bottomlesse pit And againe the seate of the beast that is the malignant Church is in the court of Rome whose kingdome is darke Francis Petrarch in his seuentéenth Epistle describing the court of Rome Nullaibi lux saith he nullus dux nullus index anfractuum sed caligo vndique vbique confusio ne parum vera sit Babylon ac perplexitas mira vtque Lucani verbis vtar nox ingens scelerum tenebrosa inquam aeterna nox expers syderum aurorae nescia tum profunda iugis actuum opacitas There is no light there no guide no leader in turnings but darknesse round about and confusion euery where lest it should not seeme to be true Babylon wonderfull perplexitie and to vse Lucans words a great night of abhominable sins I say a darke and continuall night without star-light or glimmering of morning twilight and a deepe and continuall obscuritie of mens actions Most miserable therefore and calamitous is the state of the Papists For if eternall life consist in the knowledge of God and Christ Iesus as himselfe teacheth vs Ioh. 17. what hope can they haue that are ignorant of God and godlinesse of Christ and Christs true religion If they liue in darknesse and without light that want the light of Gods word then is the darknesse of poperie great where publike prayers and Scriptures read publikely are kept vnder the couer of strange tongues as a candle vnder a bushell If the people of God were led away captiue for that they wanted knowledge as it is Isa. 5. what possibilitie haue the Papists to frée themselues from the captiuity of the diuell and Antichrist that are ignorant of religion and led by the noses by impostors and false teachers suborned by Antichrist Finally if the people perish where there is no prophecying as we reade Prouerb 29. then are the Papists in a most fearefull and damnable state among whom the word of God is not sincerely preached and to whom wicked Masse-priests and Friars for the word of God preach humane deuises and lyes The very heathen vnderstood that the knowledge of God was the beginning the cause and rule of humane happinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Pythagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If then they vnderstand not their miserie that want the knowledge of God they are more ignorant and lesse excusable then heathen people Against this assertion I doubt not but Robert Parsons will take exception who in his Wardw. pag. 12. stormeth when he heareth vs but once to mention the ignorance of Quèene Maries times But the matter is too manifest for him to face out with bigge words He telleth vs of Tonstal Watson Christophorson Fecknam Gardiner and White But neither was the learning of these men extraordinarie as some of their doings yet extant declare nor was their learning great in the true knowledge of diuinity Nor was this a good consequence these men were learned therfore the people were also learned For these men seldome preached and but to few and to very litle edification He addeth therefore in the Warn-word 〈◊〉 Encountr cap. 6. that the learning and skill of Doctors and teachers maketh the people intelligent and skilfull But that is 〈◊〉 they teach and instruct the people which these did not There also he 〈◊〉 vs 〈◊〉 in other countries the common people yea children and babes are able to answer in Christian religion But first this concerneth times past nothing And next this fashion of 〈◊〉 is but in few places exercised and by the Iebusitos in imitation of true teachers For so the diuels ministers imitate Christs Apostles Thirdly the Catechisme of Papists is nothing but the Creede the Pater noster the Law and seuen Sacraments as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his doctrine in his Italian Catechisme and of Aue Maria and other deuises as other Catechismes shew Fourthly there is much mixture of ceremonies and false doctrine Finally the
images knéeling vnto them kissing them and burning incense vnto them saying to the crosse O crux aue spes vnica auge pijs iustitiane 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 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 〈◊〉 or whole Apostolike Church was subiect to the Bishop of Rome or that Iohn the Euangelist that 〈◊〉 long after Peter was subiect to Linus Cletus or Clement in whose 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 without all vertue religion and honestie especially if they professe the Romish 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 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 〈◊〉 and running after them in their wicked wayes Pius Quintus that helhound that first barked against Queene Elizabeth our late Soueraign 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 forefold 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 〈◊〉 sanctificari esse silij Dei possunt si 〈◊〉 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 Hac sunt Ecclesioe 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 carechisticall Sermons
brutishnesse and base people in seruitude and superstitious people in vanities and superstitions CHAP. VI. Of the contradictions of popish Doctors in principall points of Religion OF the dissentions of popish Doctors in matters of religion I haue said somewhat before Yet because Papists make vnitie in matters of faith to be a marke of the Church and confidently deny that their Doctors dissent in any point of any moment I haue thought good to insist yet more vpon this point that the world may see not only their miserie that as men not resolued in most points of religion wauer betwixt contrarie opinions but also their notorious impudencie that deny it Therein also doth appeare some Papists wonderfull simplicitie that séeing the contention of their Doctors do not vnderstand their differences and séeeing their differences and vncertaintie of popish Religion do notwithstanding sticke fast in the filthy dregs and abhominable corruptions thereof Pighius lib. 1. Eccles. hierarch cap. 2. saith That Scriptures are not aboue our faith but subiect vnto it Stapleton Princip doctrin lib. 12. cap. 15. holdeth that the Church and Scriptures are of equall authoritie Eckius in enchirid loc com cap. de Eccles. saith That the Scriptures are not authenticall without the authoritie of the church Bellarmine thought best not to dispute this question Nicholas Lyra Hugo Dionysius Carthusianus Hugo Cardinalis Thomas de Vio and Sixtus Senensis lib. 1. Biblioth sanctae reiect the last seuen Chapters of the booke of Hester as not canonicall Scripture The Conuenticle of Trent Bellarmine and most popish Doctors of late time hold them to be canonicall and thinke hardly of those which teach contrarie Iohn Driedo lib. 1. de Scripturis dogmat Eccles. denyeth the booke of Baruch to be canonicall Scripture Bellarmine lib. 1. de verb. Dei and most of his fellowes be of a contrarie opinion Caietan and Erasmus in their Commentaries vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes of Iames Iude the second of Peter the second and third of Iohn do dissent from the rest of their fellowes partly concerning the authors and partly concerning the authoritie of those Epistles Iames bishop of Christopolis in Praefat. in Psalm And Canus lib. 2. cap. 13. de locis theologicis affirme That the Iewes haue depraued and corrupted the Scriptures An opinion false and blasphemous and therefore contradicted by Bellarmine lib. 2. de verb. Dei and diuers others Sainctes Pagninus in Praefat. interpretationis suae Biblior And Paulus bishop of Foro-sempronij lib. 2. cap. 1. de die passionis Domini deny that the vulgar Latine translation was made by Hierome Augustine of Eugubium and Iohn Picus of Mirandula hold contrarie Bellarmine and Driedo say that it is part his and part others Alexander Hales and Durand hold that the diuine attributes are not distinguished but in respect vnto creatures Henricus and Albertus Magnus in 1. Sent. dist 2. hold contrarie Richardus in dist 3. lib. 1. sent holdeth that the most holy Trinitie may be demonstrated by naturall reasons Scotus and Francis Maronis and Thomas affirme contrarie About the faculties of the soule called potentiae the schoolmen are deuided into three sects Some hold that they are al one with the substance of the soule others that they are accidents the third that they are betwéene substances and accidents Abbas Ioachim and Richardus de sancto victore taught diuinam essentiam generare gigni The contrary is taught by Peter Lombard and his followers Peter Lombard lib. sent 1. dist 17. taught that charitie wherewith we loue God and our neighbor is the holy Ghost and that it is not any thing created But now most of his followers haue in this point forsaken him and hold contrarie In the 24. distinct of his first booke the same Peter Lombard saith that words of number spoken of God are spoken onely relatiuely and that the word Trinitie implieth nothing 〈◊〉 but onely priuatiuely Which because it contrarieth the mysterie of the holy Trinitie is denied almost by all his followers In the 44. distinction of the same booke he saith that God can alwayes doe whatsoeuer he could euer do and willeth whatsoeuer he would at any time and knoweth whatsoeuer he he knew at any time But his disciples hold direct contrarie Thomas p. 1. q. 46. art 2. holdeth that the world or at the least some creature might haue bene from euerlasting So likewise holdeth Bonauenture and some others Richardus doeth maintaine the opposite opinion The Maister of Sentences in 4. dist 1. and Gabriel and Vega lib. 7. in concil Trident. c. 13. hold that not onely substances but accidents are also created Alexander Hales q. 9. m. 6. q. 10. m. 1. and Thomas p. 1. q. 45. art 4. affirme that only substances are created About this question An omnium aeuiternorum sit vnum aeuum vel 〈◊〉 there are fiue Different opinions the first of Scotus the second of Thomas the third of Durand the fourth of Henricus the fift of Bonauenture Likewise about this question Quae sit ratio formalis cur Angelus sit in loco there are fiue 〈◊〉 opinions all repugnant one to another Thomas and Richardus do affirme that 〈◊〉 Angels cannot be in one place together Scotus Occham and Gabriel hold the contrary Thomas teacheth that Angels haue not intellectum agentem possibilem Scotus doth directly contradict him Scotus and Gabriel teach that diuels and good Angels do vnderstand naturally both our thoughts and the thoughts one of another but to Thomas p. 1. q. 57. art 4. this seemeth absurd Antisiodorensis lib. 2. sum teacheth that Christ had Angelum custodem other schoole-men denie it Scotus sayth that the will is the onely subiect of sinne Thomas denieth it Concerning the place of paradise there are thrée different opinions Some hold that it 〈◊〉 to the circle of the Moone Thom. in 2. dist 17. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 place it vpon a high mountaine The rest place it in the East Concerning the nature of free wil 〈◊〉 are diuersities of opinions among schoolemen and others as Iosephus Angles sheweth in lib. 2. sent dist 24. 25. Richardus holdeth that frée will cannot be chaunged by God Others for the most part hold the contrary Thomas Bonauenture and Sotus hold that grace is not a qualitie infused but a qualitie inherent in the soule Alexander Hales and Scotus hold that it is a qualitie infused Iosephus Angles in lib. 2. sent dist 26. rehearseth thrée seuerall opinions of schoole doctors about the diuision of grace in gratiam operantem cooperantem whereby it may appeare that in talking of grace they do endeuor to shut out grace Certaine schollers of Thomas beléeue and teach that no man being of yeares of discretion can be iustified by the absolute power of God without the act and concurrence of free will Scotus Vega and Caietane say quite contrary Both their opinions are touched by Iosephus Angles in 2. sent dist 27. Richardus in 2. dist 27. art 2. q. 1. Scotus in
father Murders and violences are rarely punished The taxes customes and payments are so grieuous that notwithstanding all the riches that commeth from the 〈◊〉 nothing can be deuised more bare poore and miserable then the common sort of Spaniards The imposition vpon fish wine oile and silkes which are the principal cōmodities of the country is great and other customes are not easie In the market the tenth 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 commonly for all commodities bought and sold. Wherefore if we respect nothing else but the yoke of the Spanish gouernement we may account our nation in very miserable termes in 〈◊〉 Maries dayes Yet was not that all the mischiefe she brought with her For beside the yoke of Spaniards she put vpon her subiects the yoke of the Popes tyrannie and of his Italians relinquishing the first fruits and tenths of Ecclesiastical liuings to the Pope and making her people subiect to all his extortions and pillages which not onely to this nation but also to all Christians hath alwayes bene very grieuous Matthew Paris speaking onely of one Popes Legate and his rauinous pillages sayth excepting church treasure there remained not so much mony behind as he had caried with him out of England Nec remansit eadem 〈◊〉 vt veraciter dicebatur in Anglia tantum 〈◊〉 exceptis sanctorum vasis ornamentis Ecclesiarum quantum à regno extorserat Anglicano The same man beside all this as the same author testifieth 〈◊〉 thrée hundred benefices at his own and the Popes pleasure Underegnum quasi vinea exposita omni transeunti quam exterminauit aper de sylua miserabiliter languit desolatum Whereupō it fel out saith he that the kingdom did miserably languish being laid desolate made like a vineyard exposed to euery one that passeth by and which the bore of the wood did roote out He that shall reade that storie shall find strange inuentions to extort money from the people and vnderstand that great summes of mony were transported out of England by the Popes agents and countrimen Bonner in his preface before Stephen Gardiners booke De vera obedientia sayth that the Popes prey in England was so great that it amounted to as much almost as the reuenues of the Crowne The English nation complained to the Pope in the synod at Lyon in the dayes of king Henry the third of diuers enormous pillages and exactions made by him and his officers but could find no remedy The Emperour as Mathew Paris testifieth found fault with the King of England for that he suffered his countrey to be impouerished so shamefully by the Pope Imperator reprehendit regem Angliae saith Mathew Paris quod permitteret terram suam tam impudenter per Papam depauperari If we account the tenths first fruites rents comming of dispensations about Ecclesiassicall benefices for mariages and vowes money for licences to 〈◊〉 flesh and white meates to keepe concubines to erect new societies and orders of Friers money for indulgences and pardons canonizations of saints erecting of Churches for rescripts of iustice for absolution from othes for sale of Masses and such like Babylonish merchandize we shall find that the summe doth farre excéed Bonners accompt So iniurious was the Pope in extorting and so patient was this land in bearing all burdens that worthily it deserued to be called the Popes asse Nay such corruption was entred into the Romish church that no act of religion could be executed without paying somewhat At christening they paid a chrisme cloth at 〈◊〉 a herse cloth Neither could any be maried or 〈◊〉 or absolued but some what was paid At Candlemasse they offered candles at another day bread and because bread would not downe without drinke they offered also good ale in some places By these meanes the priests of Baal liued vpon the poore mans labour and got the husbandmans cow the artificers instruments and what euery man had from the owners and pressed the very marrow out of the common peoples bones To all these pillages from which king Henry the eight of famous memorie and his sonne king Edward had fréed vs Quéene Mary did make her people subiect She also put her people vnder the bloodie hands of the butcherly Romish inquisitors Bonner Gardiner Storie and their fellowes which contrary to iustice and all good forme of proceeding caused 〈◊〉 or fiue hundred to be put to most cruell death in a short space and were the occasion of the death of many hundreds more that either for want or by diseases died being 〈◊〉 to leaue their houses and to shift for themselues Some also died in prison before they came to their triall Whosoeuer would not forsake the truth was driuen to forsake his countrey kinred friends and to flie into strange countries for succor So we 〈◊〉 murder tortures banishments bands and persecution of Gods saints were the monuments of her raigne Therefore it pleased God to afflict this countrey with a great penury and dearth the like was not heard of for many yeares before nor since 〈◊〉 histories say that 〈◊〉 was for foure markes the quarter and mault for 44. shillings which considering y t rate of things is twise or thrise so much as that summe amounteth vnto now Hereupon it came to passe that the people were constrained to make bread of acornes that had refused the bread of Gods word and that many died for extreme want and penury and yet was not the country halfe so populous as now Finally to her perpetuall dishonor and the fhame of all Papists she lost Calice Ghines whatsoeuer by the kings of England was left her in France King Edward the third that most victorious prince 〈◊〉 Calice and she like a most disastrous Quéene 〈◊〉 it neither did any thing prosper that 〈◊〉 tooke in hand In the beginning of her raigne she was driuen to 〈◊〉 into Suffolke disguised and had by all likelihood lost both her life crowne and hope if the professors of the Gospell of Norfolke and Suffolke had not resorted vnto her and defended her against those that pursued her for the which she promised them liberally but performed nothing They deliuered her from danger and she eontrary to her promise deliuered them vp to the bloudy executioners to be pursued with fire and fagot She maried with a stranger to the great dislike of all true hearted Englishmen But well was she 〈◊〉 For her husband neuer did well like her and in the end he went from her and did in a manner forsake her Great hope she had to leaue vs a king of her owne body to raigne after her but her expectation was turned into a mockerie and all the Masses said and prayers deuised and offerings to Saints relikes for her safe deliuerie tooke no effect The saying of the Prophet Psal. 〈◊〉 was fulfilled in her She 〈◊〉 griefe and brought foorth iniquitie Concepit dolorem peperit iniquitatem Salomon for that he was a iust Prince had a sonne giuen him to sit
Alberto regi subijcit He did also indeuour to put his sentence in execution and percase had done it but that Philip by the industrie of Sciarra Colonna and Nogaret preuented him and apprehended the furious Pope Ferdinand king of Spaine had no other pretence to inuade the kingdome of Nauarre but onely to execute the sentence of Iulius the second that had excommunicated him for taking part with the French No doubt therefore but one time or other the French king that is the king of Nauarre also will require satisfaction of the Pope and Spaniard that did him this wrong But in the meane while we may sée in this fact of Iulius the arrogance of the Popes that take vpon them to depose kings at their pleasure and to giue away their kingdomes This seditious course of the Pope in sentencing kings was also the sole pretence almost of the Leaguers rebellious stirres against Henry the third in France For when the Iebusites and their faction had declared that the king was iustly deposed then did the rebels take armes against him and ceassed not to pursue him to the death The Spaniards also for the same cause ayded them and concurred with them Likewise the execution of the Popes sentence against Henrie the fourth of France was the cause both of the reuolt of his subiects and of the warres made against him by the prince of Parma and the Spaniards Such a firebrand of warres do we find the Popes sentence to be No sooner was Henry the eight king of England pronounced excommunicate by Paule the third but he sent Cardinall Poole to stirre vp the French King to inuade his kingdome Afterward when he saw that the French could not be stirred to execute his pleasure he caused diuerse rebellions to be raysed against him by the seditious clamours of Masse-priests Monkes and Friars both in York-shire and Lincolne-shire and other parts of England Sanders 〈◊〉 that he commanded the Nobilitie and chiefe men of England by force and armes to oppose themselues against the king and to cast him out of his kingdome Principibus viris ac Ducibus Angliae 〈◊〉 Nobilitati praeeipit vt vi armis se Henrico opponant illumque è regni finibus eijcere nit antur The like course held Pius Quintus that wicked Pope against Quéene Elizabeth of pious memorie for he did not onely declare her depriued of her kingdome but by all meanes sought actually to depriue her of it and that first by dealing with the French and Spanish by force of arms to inuade her realmes and afterward stirring vp and comforting Malcontents and Rebels to set the realme in combustion by ciuill warres Hierome Catena in the discourse of the life of this impious Pius sheweth how he perswaded the Spaniard that he could not otherwise better secure the Low-countries then by ouerthrowing the Queene of England He declareth further how he induced the French to take part against her Likewise did Gregorie the thirtéene send forces into Ireland together with his legate Sanders Sixtus Quintus by all meanes hastened the Spanish fléete that came against England anno 1588. Neither haue they and others ceassed vpon all occasions to séeke her hurt and destruction This therefore is a most cleare case that no Christian king can be in safetie as long as he suffereth Iebusites and Masse-priests to aduance the Popes authoritie and to preach seditiously that the people hath power to put Princes out of their royall seate It is very dangerous also to foster any man within the Realme that beléeueth this seditious doctrine True it is that Papists cast many colours to hide the deformities of this doctrine but these colours are easily washed away as not being able to abide any weather First they alleage that diuerse popish Princes haue enioyed their kingdomes quietly without molestation But we are able to shew more Princes of late time troubled by the Popes practises then they are able to shew to haue liued peaceably by them Furthermore the reason why Popes do not trouble all is because it were not safe for them to fall out with too many at one time and not because their ouer large authoritie is not preiudiciall to all For 〈◊〉 the Pope may depose all kings vpon cause then all kings stand in like danger séeing no man can auoide all causes of quarrell Bellarmine lib. 5. de pontif Rom. cap. 6. saith that the Pope doth practise this power for sauing of soules But experience teacheth vs that through his excommunications and sentences of deposition pronounced against diuers kings he hath ruined kingdomes and brought infinite people to destruction both of bodie and soule Theodoric of Niem speaking of the deposing of the king of Hungarie by Boniface the 9. saith There followed of it great slaughter of innumerable people destruction of churches and houses of religion the burning of cities townes and castles and infinite other mischiefes which follow long warres because kings without the hurt of many cannot be deposed His words are these Vndè clades hominum innumerabilium Ecclesiasticorum piorum locorum Monasteriorum enormis destructio incendia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non infinita alia mala quae guerrae secum producunt diu vigentia 〈◊〉 quia non sine multorum dispendio 〈◊〉 deponuntur Emanuel Sa in his 〈◊〉 for confessaries doth signifie that this doctrine holdeth against tyrants only But what doth this reléeue the Papists when those which fall out with the Pope and yeeld not ê¯to his most vnreasonable requests are presently by Friers and priests proclaimed tyrants The very Papists themselues cannot deny but that Quéene Elizabeth was much renowned for her rare clemencie and that not without cause seeing she spared alwayes those that would not haue spared her if it had lien in their power to haue hurt her and yet they accuse her of tyrannie In the resolution of certaine cases of conscience set out by Allen and Parsons for instruction of English traytors Non gerit se vt Roginam say they sed exercet 〈◊〉 She doth not behaue her selfe as a Queene but doth exercise tyrannie The like words they gaue out against the French king now raigning albeit he hath shewed mercie to many 〈◊〉 none 〈◊〉 Ernest sending away one that vndertooke to kill the Count Maurice amazzate said he quel 〈◊〉 that is kill me that tyrant Others alleage that the Pope procéedeth onely against heretikes and notorious offendors But that is a most notorious and palpable vntruth for no man is more eagerly prosecuted then religious pious and godly Christians as the executions of France and Flanders do shew And if they will not confesse it true in Christians of our time yet can they not deny it in the times of the Emperors Henry the third fourth and fifth of Fredericke the first and second and of Lewis of Bauier who made such confessions of their faith being declared heretickes as the Popes theÌ„selues could not contradict and yet did the
their authoritie by the Popes incrochments How contrarie this is to the doctrine of the Apostles and ancient fathers we néede not here dispute S. Peter teacheth Christians to honour the King and Paule exhorteth 〈◊〉 soule to be subiect to the higher powers Now what greater dishonour can be offered to a King then to take away his authoritie And how are they subiect that pay the King nothing and claime exemption from his gouernement Our Sauiour willeth all to giue to Caesar that which is due to Caesar and Peter payed tribute to Caesar. But his false successors pay no tribute to Caesar but take tribute of Caesar and challenge it as due to them selues Nay they haue against all right vsurped his imperiall citie of Rome and released all clerkes from temporall Princes obedience Tertullian saith Christians honored the Emperour as the next man in honour to God and onely inferiour to God Colimus Imperatorem saith he sic quomodo nobis licet ipsi expedit vt hominem a Deo secundum quicquid est à Deo consequutum solo Deo minorem Chrysostome sheweth that the Apostles wordes Rom. 13. concerne clerkes and religious men as well as lay men The same is also contrarie to the practise of the Church vnder the Law and vnder the Gospell and derogatorie to the Kings authoritie For both vnder the Law and when Emperors began to professe Christian religion they made lawes for the Church and reformed Ecclesiasticall abuses as both Scriptures and the lawes of the Code and Nouelles testifie Thirdly this authoritie is plainly vsurped by the Pope and his followers For vntill Gregorie the seuenth his time who by force and armes preuailed more then by reason we find that the clergie and Church waâ— gouerned by Christian princes and their lawes Finally the same is disgracefull to Kings and burdensome to subiects and most vnreasonable Disgracefull it is to Kings to loose their royalties and to be made subiect to forreiners Burdensome it is to good subiects vpon whom the whole burden is laid and they exempted which are best able to beare The Germaines in their grieuances Grauam 28. shew that the charge of the warre against the Turke is laid wholy on lay-mens shoulders Finally it is no reason that those should liue vnder the Kings protection that neither pay him tribute nor acknowledge his authoritie But of the vnreasonablenesse of these incrochments we shall haue occasion to dispute elswhere Here it is sufficient to shew that the Popes vsurpations exactions â—â— who le authoritie is preiudiciall to Kings vntollerable to their subiectes Be wise therefore O ye Kings of the earth and serue Christ Iesus but beware that in stead of Christ ye serue not Antichrist And you that are fréed by the preaching of the Gospell from the bondage of the Popes traditions and exactions take héed that you suffer not your selues to be entangled againe in his snares brought againe into bondage The Popes agents tell you of many goodly actions of the Pope and set out the beautie of traditions with faire words But they séeke nothing but to bring you into a snare and to make merchandise of your soules and to blind you so that you shall not be able to sée the miserie of those that liue vnder him or the trash of his false doctrine and traditions God graunt you therfore the spirit of wisedome and discretion that you may stand fast in the liberty of 〈◊〉 Christians and neuer be entangled againe with the yoke of Popish bondage The third Booke of the answer to Robert Parsons his supernodical Warn-word containing a list of his lies falsities fooleries impieties and other enormous faults and abuses therein and elsewhere by him committed The Preface to the third Booke THus hauing ended our defence of Queene Elizabeths godly reformation and noted the miserable estate of Papists liuing vnder the Popes tyrannie and deformation it will be no hard matter for vs to dispatch the rest of the Warne-word being nothing else but a bundle of patcheries and fooleries patched together with a number of idle and vaine words scarce worth the reading or ruÌ„ning ouer Wherin notwithstaÌ„ding that I may proceed with more perspicuity I wil first examine the qualities of the author of this 〈◊〉 word and that so much the rather that you may forbeare to wonder at this warning peece or peeced Warne-word considering the qualitie of the warme fellow that made vs this braue peece of fire-worke Next I shall enter vpon the title and front of the booke and let you see how neither the portall corespondeth with the rest of his building nor the worke with the inscription and that the same doth well resemble a clome portall set beside a straw thatched house or 2 pig-stie set before Robert Parsons his putatiues fathers forge Thirdly his personall accusations and slaundrous imputations both against my selfe and others shall be answered The fourth place is due to his impieties which require a sharpe censure After that his ridiculous errors impudent falsifications vaine allegations grosse lies saucie rayling termes and clamorous outcries poore shifts and sottish answers lamentable begging of things in controuersie insolent brags and such like fooleries shall seuerally be scanned and reproued A man would percase wonder that a man in so idle a worke should runne into so many inconueniences and absurdities But this our aduersary is a beast and a grosse pecoran and no man How should we looke for other stuffe out of such a malicious heart Do men gather figs of thornes or grapes of briars As Hierome saith of Heluidius so I may say of Parsons Loquacitatem facundiam existimat maledicere omnibus bonae conscientiae signum arbitratur He supposeth babling to be eloquence and that railing vpon all men is a signe of a good conscience Let him therfore haue patience to haue his owne coxcombe pared and let him bark still like a helhound if he take pleasure in barking I doubt not but we shall so breake his dogs teeth that he shall hurt none by his biting But to cut off all preambles let vs now see if we can bring the iade Parsons from his gallop to his ambles CHAP. I. A legend of No saint but of Robert Parsons his life calculated in fauour of that swarme of traitors which euery yeare he sendeth out of his seditious Seminaries BEfore I enter into this discourse I do protest that I was drawne into it more then halfe against my will by the importunitie of Robert Parsons who first began this course and albeit without commission went about to make enquiry what I am what I did at Caliz what in Ireland and what in other places and to obiect whatsoeuer he thought might moue either suspicion of crime or occasion of ieast But séeing I am forced to defend my self I professe and proclaime it openly that I will spare neither Iebusite nor Masse priest nor Archpricst nor prouinciall Iebusite nor Pope nor Cardinall that shall
But experience teacheth vs that where they can do it they do it literally It were therefore good to beware of the woodden daggers of these woodden fellowes Fol. 110. b. he affirmeth that by indulgences are distributed the treasures of the Church A matter of méere 〈◊〉 of which may be said the saurus carbones that is our treasures proue coles For poore people hoping to receiue a treasure receiue méere cole dust and yet for that trash wast great treasures Iosephus Angles signifieth that the Pope now and then receiueth an hundred millions of duckets for an indulgence which is no small matter for such small wares In the same place he telleth vs of the Popes doctrine of indulgences which is nothing else but a fardle of foolery as in my discourse against Bellarmine I haue shewed at large This Patch if he had remembred himselfe would haue proued somewhat and not haue told vs a tale of the Popes tub full of mustie indulgences more nastie then an old mustard pot 2. encontr c. 15. fol. 117. I shall alleage sayth he most authenticall testimonies to wit foure bookes for the negatiue written and printed at Lyon presently vpon the fact it selfe intituled De iusta Henricitertij abdicatione But this allegatiō seruēth vs better then him and is a most authenticall testimony of Parsons foolery and of the Popes trechery For what is more repugnant to law conscience and reason thē to beléeue a notorious rebel and traitor declaiming against his liege soueraigne most trecherously and wickedly murdred by a louzie frier And what is more intollerable then that the Popes of Rome and their adherents being aduanced by Christian princes should now be praised for deposing of princes and cutting their throtes This authenticall testimony therfore might well haue bin spared wherein Parsons a traitor produceth his fellow traitor for a witnesse in discharge of his owne and his fellowes treasons and villanies Fol. 123. he talketh most foolishly of penance repeating what he hath sayd before in his Wardword But whatsoeuer he bableth of penance and satisfaction and passing through a néedles eye yet if a man can gaine a plenary indulgence which for mony is easie to be had then al penance inioyned and satisfaction ceaseth and God is plainely mocked If he had bene wise therefore he would haue for borne to talke of penance the doctrine whereof by the Papists is wholly corrupted and ouerthrowne Finally albeit he talketh much of law and of Catholike Religion yet he sheweth himself to be like those of whō the Apostle speaketh which would be doctors of the law and yet vnderstand not what they speake nor wherof they affirme And like old heretikes which as Hilary lib. 8. de Trinit saith although they lie foolishly yet they defend their lies farre more foolishly Cum stultè mentiantur sayth he stultiùs tamen in mendacij sui defensione sapiunt Compare their doings with Parsons his foolish Warneword and you shall sée he farre passeth them all in foolery CHAP. VII Containing diuers false allegations and falsifications of Fathers and others committed by Parsons THere are diuers kinds of falsifications as we may learne by the Romane lawes ff adl Corn. de falsis by the cannon law de crimine falsi and by those Doctors that haue written Commentaries and glosses vpon these titles But to know the diuersitie and nature of them we shall not néed curiously to looke either into the lawes or commentaries of learned lawyers séeing Robert Parsons in his Warn-word which like a warning péece may serue all true men to beware of his falshood and trechery doth furnish vs with particular instances and examples of most sorts of them First he maketh no conscience either to curtal his aduersaries words or to adde somewhat vnto them of which they neuer had so much as a thought Fol. 6. he sayth that Sir Francis obiecteth vnto him the seeking of the ruine of the church and common wealth by his exhortation to peace and mitigation in religion whereas the Knight obiecteth no such matter nor hath any such words He doth also séeme to charge him as enemy of peace whereas the honorable Knight neuer misliked peace or any motion tending thereto but rather discouered the false practises of Papists that anno 1588. talked of peace when their fléete was at the sea to cut our throtes being vnprouided and 1598. made an ouerture of a treaty when the Adelantado had great forces readie at the Groyne and other ports of Spaine to come for England Where Sir Francis prayeth for the prolonging of her Maiesties dayes to the holding out stil of the Popes vsurped authoritie Parsons in his VVarneword doth so expound him as if he prayed that her life might hold out still And this to the intent he might runne vpon the Earle of Essex barking like a Linkers curre at a dead Lyon In my Preface I say that obstinate recusants for the most part are secretly reconciled to the Pope and in time past adhered to her maiessies enemies But Parsons to make the matter more hainous turneth obstinate recusants into recusant Catholikes and falsly lcaueth out these words for the most part As if I had called them Catholikes which I neuer thought or as if I knew not that there is great difference betwéene the factious reconciled papists and those that of simplicitie and ignorance fauour papisticall hereste and superstition Againe where I say that extraordinary fauour or rather remisnesse of lawes and iustice towards disloyall Papists hath caused diuers rebellions both in England and Ireland and made them bold to attempt against her Maiesties life and gouernement and giuen some of them courage to conspire with forreine enemies c. and that by suffering of malcontents to practise the sinewes of gouernement haue bene dissolued and that many thinke that against persons that are so 〈◊〉 disposed and so firmely linked to forreine enemies good iustice is most necessary Robert Parsons iumbleth many words together and cutteth off that which I sayd of conspiring with forreine enemies and the attempting against her Maiesty knowing that many of his friends are the Spanish kings pensioners and haue diuersly attempted against her Maiestie Further he cutteth out these words many do thinke and by a strange metamorphosis changeth disloyal papists into catholike recusants making me to say that too much extraordinary fauour and remisnesse towards Catholikes hath caused diuers rebellions both in England and Ireland and that it hath dissolued the sinewes of gouernment and that it is more profitable to execute lawes then to pardon offenders as if I had spoken generally against all papists not singled those that conspire with publike enemies and attempt against the State and as if I had misliked all remisnesse pardon towards all papists If Parsons body were so māgled as he hath mangled and transformed my words we should not long be troubled with his wranglements In this sort he dealeth continually with vs. And so he 〈◊〉 also
therefore is like to those which dig pits for others but fall into them themselues He hath prepared weapons for vs but like a mad lot hath hurt himselfe with the same Finally Captaine Cowbucke like a noble woodcocke is caught in his owne springes CHAP. IX A catalogue of certaine principall lies vttered by Robert Parsons in his late Warne-word THe Spirit of God as the Apostle sayth speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue heed vnto spirits of errour and doctrines of diuels which speake lyes through hypocrisie and haue their 〈◊〉 burned with a hote yron Which prophecy as in other heretikes so especially in y e 〈◊〉 we may sée most plainely and euidently to be fulfilled For they departing from the auncient and Catholike faith taught by the holy Apostles and Prophets and recorded in holy Scriptures haue giuen héed to spirits of error and beléeued the trash of vnwritten traditions and lying legends and therupon haue founded their prohibitions of certaine meates and mariages and such like doctrines of diuels confirming their opinions with grosse lies vttered with seared consciences and brazen faces contrary to all shew of truth They take to themselues the name of doctors and fathers but are false teachers and vnkind traitors And as Theodoret saith of certaine heretikes Christianorum sibi appellatione imposita apertè docent contraria Calling themselues Christians or Catholikes Catholikes they openly teach contrary I could specifie it by Caesar Baronius and 〈◊〉 by Sanders Stapleton and diuers other principall authors of the popish sect But I will not match any man of note with so notorious a dolt and so base a swad as Robert Parsons is of whom we are now to speake though not much to his commendation The onely example of Parsons and y e in one of his fardles of lies which we are now to rip vp shall shew them to be notorious and bold lyers The diuellish and erronious doctrine of friars we haue touched before and shall haue often occasion to mention In the front of his booke he promiseth the issue of three former treatises and in the second page talketh of eight encounters But he falsifieth his promise and lieth grossely For of the thrée former treatises he toucheth onely two chapters and of eight encounters entreth onely vpon two Further he declineth the true issue of matters and runneth bias like a warped bowle of dudgeon into impertinent idle questions Doth he not therfore as Hierom saith of one make shipwwracke in the port In his Epistle to the Reader taking vpon him to deliuer the summe of the controuersie betwixt him and vs he wracketh himselfe like wise thinking to wreake his malice vpon vs and beginneth with á grosse lie There hapned saith he some few yeares past he noteth 1599. in the margent as often also before a certaine false alarme of a Spanish inuasion then said to be vpon the seas towards England Where I néed not to note the idiotisme of Parsons speech that talketh of a Spanish inuasion vpon the sea towards England being elsewhere noted but only I wil touch his impudencie in lying and denying that about this time the Spaniards were ready with forces at the Groyne for the inuasion of England And the rather for that this was the occasion that moued Sir Francis Hastings to giue warning to his countrey and also because the same sheweth that Parsons is very sorie that any man is acquainted with the 〈◊〉 of the Spanish King and that he could not take vs sléeping and so closely and priuiliy cut his countrimens throtes I say then it is a lie most notorious to affirme that the alarme giuen vpon occasion of the Spanish preparations anno 1598. for an inuasion of some part of England was false And proue it first by the words of the King who recouering out of a trance and comming to himself asked if the 〈◊〉 were gone for England Secondly by the prouisions of ships and men made at the Groyne and Lisbone and which coming thence shaped their course for England albeit they were by wether beaten back Thirdly by the testimony of one Leake a Masse priest that was dealt with all to come for England Fourthly by the testimonie of the Secular priests in their reply to Parsons his libell fol. 65. sequent who directly charge Parsons to be a solicitor of these pretended attempts anno 1598. Fiftly by Parsons his letters from Rome to Fitzherbert wherein he desireth to vnderstand the successe of the fleete that anno 1598. was to go for England Finally by the 〈◊〉 proclamation made at the Groyne and whereof diuers printed copies were to be dispersed in England vpon his arriuall here The which for that it discouereth the pride of the Spaniard and the malice of the English traitors I haue thought it not amisse to set downe the whole tenour of the proclamation with some animaduersions in the margent Considering saith the Adelantado the obligation which his catholike 〈◊〉 my Lord and master hath receiued of God almightie to defend and protect his holy faith and the Apostolicall Romane church he hath procured by the best meanes he could for to reduce to the auncient and true religion the kingdomes of England and Ireland as much as possibly hath bin in his power And all hath not bene sufficient to take away the offence done against God in dommage of the selfesame kingdoms with scandale of whole christianity yea rather abusing the clemency and benignity of his Catholike Maiestie the heads and chiefe of the heretikes which litle 〈◊〉 God haue taken courage to extend their euill doctrine with the oppressing of Catholikes martyring them and by diuers wayes and meanes taking from them their liues and goods forcing them by violence to follow their damnable sects and errours which they haue hardly done to the losse of many soules Which considered his Catholike Maiesty is determined to fauour and protect these Catholikes which couragiously haue defended the Catholike faith and not onely those but such also as by pusillanimity and humane respects haue consented vnto them forced thereunto through the hard and cruell dealing of the said Catholikes heretical enemies And for the execution of his holyzeale he hath commaunded me that with force by sea and land which be and shall be at my charge to procure al meanes necessary for the reduction of the said kingdomes vnto the obedience of the Catholike Romane church In complement of the which I declare and protest that these forces shall be employed for to execute this holy intent of his Catholike Maiestie directed onely to the common good of the true religion and Catholikes of those kingdomes as wel those which be already declared catholikes as others who wil declare themselues for such For all shall be receiued and admitted by me in his royall name which shall separate and apart themselues from the 〈◊〉
And furthermore they shall be restored to the honour dignity and possessions which heretofore they haue bene depriued of Moreouer euery one shall be rewarded according to the demonstrations and feates which shal be shewne in this godly enterprise And who shall proceed with most valour the more largely and amply shall be remunerated with the goods of obstinate heretikes Wherfore seeing almightie God doth present to his elect so good an occasion therfore I for the more security ordaine and command the captaines generall of horse and artilerie the master generall of the field generall captaines of squadrons as all other masters of the field the captaines of companies of horse and foote and all other officers greater and lesser and men of war the 〈◊〉 generall and the rest of the captaines and officers of the armie that as well at land as sea they vse well and receiue the Catholikes of those kingdomes who shall come to defend the Catholike cause with armes or without them For I commaund the Generall of the artilerie that he prouide them of weapons which shall bring none Also I ordaine and strcitly commaund that they haue particular respect vnto the houses and families of the sayd Catholikes not touching as much as may be any thing of theirs but onely of those that will obstinately follow the part of heretikes in doing of which they be altogether vnworthy of those fauours which be here granted vnto the good who will declare them selues for true Catholikes and such as shall take armes in hand or at least separate themselues from the heretikes against whom and their fauourers all this warre is directed in defence of the honor of God and good of those kingdomes trusting in Gods diuine mercy that they shall recouer againe the Catholike relgion so long agone lost and make them returne to their auncient quietnesse and felicitie and to the due obeience of the holy Primitiue church Moreouer these kingdomes shall enioy former immunities and priuiledges with encrease of many others for the time to come in great friendship confederacie and trafficke with the kingdome of his Catholike Maiestie which in times past they were wont to haue for the publike good of all Christianity And that this be put in executiō speedily I exhort al the faithful to the fulfilling of that which is here contained warranting them vpon my word which I giue in the name of the Catholike King my Lord and master that all shall be obserued which here is promised And thus I discharge my self of the losses and damages which shall fall vpon those which will follow the contrary way with the ruine of their owne soules the hurt of their owne country and that which is more the honor and glory of God And he which cannot take presently armes in hand nor declare himselfe by reason of the tyrannie of the heretikes shall be admitted from the enemies camp and 〈◊〉 passe to the catholike part in some skirmish or battell or if he cannot he shall flie before we come to the last encounter In testimonie of all which I haue commanded to dispatch these presents confirmed with my hand sealed with the seale of mine armes and refirmed by the secretary vnderwritten This being the Adelantadoes proclamation anno 1598. let the world iudge of the impudencie of Parsons that lyeth wittingly and saith the alarme was false Thereby it may appeare also what maner of man Parsons is that bringeth forreine enemies vpon his countrey and is consorted with them and yet faceth all downe that shall say the contrarie In his Epistle likewise he saith that the Ward word comming abroade the newes was in most mens mouthes that the Knight disauowed the Watchword attributing the same to certaine Ministers Where me thinkes I heare Thraso say Metuebant omnes me All stood in dread of me But that is not the fault that I meane here to touch For it is his egregious lying that we are here to talke of Let him therefore either name these most men that he mentioneth or at the least some honest man that gaue out this report as from sir Francis his mouth or else we must say that this lie came out of his owne foule mouth that is now become a fountaine of lies He must shew also how Sir Francis could disauow a treatise subscribed and published by himselfe or else it will be said that this report of Parsons is a lie without shew or probabilitie Afterward he affirmeth that a certaine Minister wrote in supply of the Knights defence And againe fol. 1. he telleth how I perusing the reply of Sir Francis thought in mine owne opinion to make a better defence But how can he proue that I perused the Knights answere or once saw it And whence doth he gather what opinion I had of mine owne doings If he proue nothing then will it be an easie matter to gather that he hath made two improbable lies The same is proued also for that my reply was made before the Knights Apologie was published or seene of me For if I had seene it first my labour might well haue bin spared the same being more then sufficient for the refutation of such a banglers babling discourse In his obseruations vpon my preface fol. 11. b. he sayth My proiect and purpose of writing is to irritate and stir vp her Maiesty and the Councel to ingulfe themselues in Catholikes bloud and to spoile their goods that I and my crew might come to haue a share But first it is most false that Papists are Catholikes Secondly no one word can he alleage out of my whole book wherby it may be gathered that I would haue any rigour vsed against such simple Papists that are not factious nor mutinous For all the harme I wish them is that they were wel instructed Thirdly if he meane those traitors that either came or meant to ioyne with the Adelantado against their prince and countrey then are they no Catholikes nor true subiects The same may be said also of Parsons his consorts Finally it is a shamelesse vntruth to say we desire either blood or spoile all our actions tending onely to resist forrein enemies and wicked traitors which séeke to shed their countrimens blood like water and to sacrifice it to the Pope and to giue the spoile of their country to the Spaniards as the factious Masse-priests and the Papists their consorts haue done diuers times and namely an 1588. and 1598. and since In his obseruations vpon Sir Francis his Epistle fol. 6. He obiecteth saith Parsons that I seeke the ruine both of church and common wealth by my exhortation to peace attonement and mitigation in religion A notorious lie refuted by reading of Sir Francis his Apology where there is no one word sounding that way Neither do we blame any honest man that talketh of peace but scorne that traitors that haue warre in their hearts should talke of peace
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 Judge 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 〈◊〉 by Lauater and Sleidan Sleidan saith they 〈◊〉 at Marpurge 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 〈◊〉 against the 〈◊〉 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 I of Apollo I of Cephas And Hierome sayth 〈◊〉 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 faith 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 herefies 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
thē selues vnto them or the interpreters which Austin brought 〈◊〉 him from Gallia which then had a tongue common to both Gaules and Britons had before conuerted But suppose that either himselfe speaking British or Saxon or by some interpreter should haue conuerted some few yet all that amounteth to nothing and is scarce worth the speaking of it Secondly suppose some Britans or Saxons had bene conuerted to Christian Religion by preachers sent from Rome in auncient time when religion was pure and sincere yet Parsons hath no reason to make any great clamor vpon so small aduantage For first all those that are conuerted to religion are not to subiect themselues to those churches frō whence those came that did conuert thē or else to y t bishops that sent them The church of Rome acknowledgeth no subiection to the Church of Ierusalem or to the Bishop thereof Neither doth Friseland or Germany that was conuerted by Saxons that came out of England acknowledge our Church or Bishops to be their superiors But were Rome beholding to Ierusalem from whence her first preachers came yet do not the Romanists now turne Turkes because Turkes preside at Ierusalem Suppose then we were beholding to Christian Romanes yet what is that to Antichristian Romanes that haue declined almost into as grosse impieties as Turks and worship idols or as they 〈◊〉 them images so grossely that the Turkes do condemne them and may iustly rise vp too against them in iudgement Againe suppose we had bene beholding to the auncient Romanes yet this maketh nothing for the moderne inhabitants of Rome that either are a race of Gothes and Lombards that were enemies to the Romanes or else a collection and Ramasse of other nations nothing like to the Romanes Finally if we ought to embrace that religion that was either taught by S. Peter 〈◊〉 Austin or by other Christian Bishops in their times then are we to renounce the decretaliue doctrine of Popes together with the philosophicall mixtures of schoole diuines both which haue bin brought into the Church long after the ages wherein they liued Furthermore the idolalatrous worship of the crosse with latria of the saints with dulia of the blessed virgine with hyperdulia the doctrine of Papists concerning the carnall eating of Christs bodie transsubstantion halfe Communions priuate Masses reseruation of the Sacrament purgatorie for temporall paines after the guilt remitted popish indulgences and other popish trash might be packing It would also be time for the Pope with his triple crowne two swords guard of Suizzers Cardinals Monkes Masse-priests and Friers to trusse vppe his trinkets and to make himselfe readie for his iourney into some farre countrey beyond all Christianitie For neuer shall Robert Parsons proue albeit he could conuert him selfe into all shapes that Britaine was conuerted to any such religion as this or that the Church then had such a forme as now wée see in Rome Page 103. hée alleageth two proofes whereof the 〈◊〉 he calleth negatiue the second affirmatiue and thereby hopeth to shew that the moderne Romish Religion is all one with the auncient Christian Religion But his negatiue ridiculous proofe is denied His affirmatiue is rather a bare affirmation then a proofe For first against his negatiue we offer to proue that not onely the points of Romish doctrine which the Church of England refuseth are brought in long after the Apostles time but also that they are contrary to the Apostles doctrine But suppose we knew no originall of some of the 〈◊〉 heresies are they therefore no heresies Is idolatry no idolatry because the first beginning thereof is not knowne Or are the Angelikes Archontikes Crosse-worpers Nudipedals Monothelites and diuers other heretikes true Catholikes because the Papists cannot shew who first broached these heresies Secondly albeit the Magdeburgians and some other learned men find fault with some termes vsed by the fathers as of sacrifice altar priest purgatorie 〈◊〉 will and some other yet that sheweth not either that all the fathers vsed these termes or that any of those that vsed them consented with the 〈◊〉 which from new termes are growne to new and strange doctrine Beside that Parsons disputeth ridiculously which ascribeth the particular and priuate 〈◊〉 of some one or few among vs to the whole Church He himselfe albeit he affirme many things desperately will not yéeld vs this point against his owne 〈◊〉 So we sée Parsons his whole treatise of three 〈◊〉 easily 〈◊〉 in thrée words and with the 〈◊〉 of a 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 y e 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
desperate folly to affirme That our religion leadeth to Atheisme for want of a Pope or for want of the Popish masse or sacrifice The contrary hereof rather is to be gathered against the Popish religion wherein as we may collect out of the aduersaries owne confession in c. si Papa dist 40. the Pope may lead with him thousands of soules into hell The masse also is a masse and sinke of superstition and idolatry Neither is any thing more repugnant to Christs only sacrifice then the priesthood and sacrifice of the masse Modesty he sheweth none with a face as hard as a lopster affirming That we teach that God is the author of sin That we despoyle Christ of his diuinitie That we wrong him in his office of redemption and bereaue him of his title of lawgiuer and priest And doubt not to say that Christ dispaired Now what greater impudency can be imagined then to ascribe that to vs which we vtterly deny and disclaime Nay we pronounce him accursed whosoeuer shall hold any of these points But the Papists in some things rub very néere vpō these rocks namely where they giue to euery man power to satisfie for the temporall paine of his sins and yéeld that others beside Christ may be called redéemers and make the Pope a law-giuer able to bind mens consciences and giue power to the priest to intercede for Christs body and blood that God would be pleased to accept it as he accepted the sacrifice of Melchisedech Impudently also he belieth vs raileth vpon vs saying that we make euery priuate mans spirit supreme iudge of controuersies and that we 〈◊〉 Fathers auncient Councels and ouerthrow all religion and worship of God Neither doth he onely raile vpon vs but also vpon scriptures where he sayth that founding our selues only on scriptures we open a gate to all heretikes and heresies As if the Fathers and auncient Councels which founded their faith vpon holy scriptures only opened a gap to all heresies Or as if this could be spoken without disgrace to holy scriptures that he that relieth vpon the word of God deliuered in scriptures doth open a gate to all heresies Finally he taketh vpon him the title of the legate of the great monark of heauen being but a base fugitiue renegued companion set on by Antichrist and his supposts to raile at religion and the professors thereof and lying without rule or order His want of learning doeth euery where appeare throughout his whole Suruey The Scriptures he citeth very rarely The Fathers he mistaketh and misalleageth In Ecclesiasticall histories he is but a nouice Nay albeit he talketh much of our Religion yet he vnderstandeth not what we professe what we reiect Finally although the fellow be but a poore translator and collector of other mens slanders yet could he not well relate that which is translated out of others His principal witnesses are Staphilus Cochleus Bolser Nicol Borne Stapleton Surius and such like railing and base authors Was it then likely that he should shew learning that is wholly conuersant in these 〈◊〉 authors deuoyd either of learning or else of all religion and honestie And all this God willing shall by many particulars be verified by those who already haue vndertaken to controle his Suruey and to examine euery article of this leud libell Not that such an asses head deserueth any curious washing but because such a barking cur dog would be silenced with a sharpe censure It resteth now that I speak a word or two more of Walpool his cōfutatiō The man is a special friend of mine albeit vpō very smal acquaintance a cunning triacle seller also a 〈◊〉 a master empoisoner as before is declared This onely I forgot to tell you that his braine is full of 〈◊〉 his memory like an old leather budget his crowne like the posterior parts of an ape and his head like the knop of the handle of a gittern with two strings If you méete any such fellow in the kitchin of the Romish colledge of English boyes commend vs to him and tell him that we haue at leisure perused his 〈◊〉 all confutation and therfore now he may bestow it vpon the cook to stop his bottels The stile biteth like pepper and therfore may do some good seruice there Onely thus much I must tel him y e his words are too high for such a low subiect as he handleth Euery where he raileth like a man beside himselfe and calleth me mad man sycophant franticke fellow lunatike satanicall iugling minister dolt foole noddy foolman irreligious atheist ideot asse drowsie heretike and such like names and these are the common flowers of his dogged eloquence Yet I assure him that I am not offended with his rough stile For although he giue me very hard words and raileth like a tal fellow of his tongue yet I thanke him he is well content to passe by all my arguments in sober silence to confirme as much as I affirme by his cold deniall Now what greater argument I pray you can we bring to proue that Walpoole and his consorts are neither Catholikes nor members of the true church nor hold the ancient religiō of Christ Jesus but rather are a pack of heretikes idolaters and traitors then that our aduersary that taketh vpon him their defence hath nothing to answer in their behalfe It was not modesty certes that made him silent but méere imbecillity of his cause and want of iust defence Will it please you to take a tast of his insufficiency before we broach the whole barrell of his foolery In the preface of his booke he vanteth that he hath spent his time in exact studie of Diuinitie and with particular care read the Scriptures Councels and Fathers O happy youths that heare so exact a spender of his time in study of Diuinity O hard aduenture for vs that are to encounter this giant that hath deuoured so many Councels and Fathers But in the meane while Parsons was much too blame that put him to it thus impudently to praise himselfe We for our parts do admire his singular folly and arrogance who praiseth himselfe with such impudency His great reading to vs is inuisible his great ignorance in all maner of learning and not onely in theology is euery where apparant Fol. 2. he telleth vs how Heraclitus affirmed that the snow was blacke But vnlesse he produce his author his friends with Heraclitus may wéepe to sée his pittifull ignorance We haue heard such a thing of Anaxagoras but this of Heraclitus is ridiculously forged In the same place he writeth also how Zeno taught That it was impossible for any thing to moue A matter very stupendious But this he findeth that hath read exactly the fathers Would he name his author he will make a Stoicke to laugh Fol. 8. he sayth that Christs body hath a being in the sacrament like to a soule But our Sauiour Luke 24. sheweth a notorious difference betwixt a body and a spirit