homini Christtano indulgentia potest dari qui firmiter credat Papam posse dare se posserecipere habeat charitatem in affectu vt sit verè contritus confessus Of the parte of him that receiueth ae pardon it is required that he haue faith in vnderstanding because a pardon cannot be giuen but to a Christian man which steadfastlie beleeueth that the Pope is able to giue and he able to receiue and that he haue charitie in affection that he be truelie contrite and confessed More then this beside the fulfilling of the cause for which the pardon was graunted he doth not require In so much that he alloweth that a man maie receiue a pardon for his father and mother whether they be liuing or dead if the Pope doe so applie his pardon that he which will goe ouer the sea or to S. Iames in his fathers or mothers name shall inioie it for them and the receiuer doth performe as much for them The iust cause of graunt in the giuers is determined by the glosse aforesaid to be the honour of God and the exaltation of faith by such profitable workes as are expressed and required in the pardons as pilgrimage saying of such a praier giuing to such a fraternitie c. in which not the quantitie but the kinde of the worke is to be considered so that for a verie small worke maruelous large pardon maie be graunted if it please the Pope to whome the dispensation of the treasure of the Church is principallie committed for Bishops which are able to giue but fortie daies out of that treasure are but pettie baylies whome if you will accuse for lauishing the treasure in graunting of ouer large pardons you break the Canon lawe which telleth you that you must not call him to an account for his doings ALLEN Neuertheles the causes of giuing indulgencies may be more or lesse reasonable according to the state and varietie of thinges which to the wisdome of Gods Vicar in earth is best seene whome Christ so ruleth in that case that he maie be most beneficiall to his holie houshold in so much that it is not to be doubted but in these daies and in this great contempt of deuout and religious exercises the moouing onely of the people to prayer to holie peregrinations to the obedience of the Church may be a sufficient cause why there should be to praiers said vpon bookes beads or sanctified creatures for such purpose annexed great remission For looke what thinges be moste condemned of heretikes those things must Christian men be induced to reuerence with moste singular zeale religion Neither can there be anie thing in the worlde so necessarie for vs christian men of these times that be so voide of good workes as by deuotion and entire zeale to ioyne with our elders that in the holy communion of Sainctes we may be partakers of their vertuous deedes And that is the verie ende of all the Popes Pardons to make vs in our lake of satisfaction for our sinnes felowes and coparteners of the abundance that was in Christ first and then by him in our holy brethren departed before vs. FVLKE Throughout this chapter hitherto you haue disputed against the power of the Pope and the force of his pardons now it is time for you to coie him againe and to raise vp his pardons which you haue pressed downe so lowe Now the wisdome of Gods vicar is sufficient to iudge the causes of giuing indulgences and Christ so ruleth him in that case that he maie be moste beneficiall to his houshold in so much that it is not to be doubted but in these daies the Popes large pardons for litle workes may be of great force Then belike your former discourse serueth not for these daies that men muste fulfill their penance if they maie notwithstanding anie pardon that a pardon doth not remit anie good worke inioyned in penance that if a man lack power to fulfill this penance he must supplie it with other workes counteruailable or els the Popes pardons shall not be beneficiall to them at all or nothing so much as they seeme to sound But why saie you that in these daies Christ ruleth his Vicar in this case that he maie be most beneficiall to his holie houshold Hath not Christ as great care of his holy houshold the Church in all times and in all cases as in these daies and in this case Yes verilie But Christ hath not alwaies and in all cases ruled the Pope as it might be moste beneficiall to his Church for then his key of iurisdiction should neuer haue erred nor his life bene wicked to the great hurte and shame of his Church that I speake not of his criors in doctrine which you will not graunt as you doe the other Therfore it followeth that the Pope is not Christes vicar in earth appointed for the most benefite of his Church Your principle that thinges which heretikes doe hate must be moste reuerenced is false For nothing is to be esteemed more then the nature of the thing requireth whether it be loued or hated of heretikes The Anabaptists hate the wearing of armour it followeth not therefore that the wearing of armour should be counted a religious thing or more reuerenced then as a lawfull vsage and sometimes necessarie among Christians The verie end of the Popes pardons is well known to be the maintenance of the Popes pride and couetousnes the pretended end is wicked blasphemous derogating from the sacrifice of Christs death which is a full satisfaction and purging of all our sins the participation wherof is through faith wrought in our hearts by the spirite of God and not by the Popes application or coupling of anie Saintes merites with the onelie and omnisufficient sacrifice of Christ. ALLEN Vpon all which it is verie plaine that euerie man can not beneficiallie receiue the fruite of a Pardon this at least being requisite in euery man that listeth to attaine benefite thereby that he be in state of grace aud in earnest intent to continue in the knot of Christ his Church with loue and liking of the holie workes of his Christian brethren and accomplishing at least that small worke which commonlie now is ioyned to the Pardon for increase of Christian deuotion The continuance of which deuotion that more and more decaieth maketh the Pardons to be more common at this daie of late yeares then they were in the primitiue Church when moste men in the spring of Christian religion and feruour of faith sought to satisfie exactlie the debt of the penance or else which was a common case then recompensed it by Martyrdom though S. Gregorie the first of that name more then nine hundered yeare since in the ordering of the slations at Rome is knowne to haue giuen Pardons for yeares or daies in like forme as now is vsed And cleare it is that the thing it selfe being found lamfull no Protestant aliue can euer be able
forth against our Souereigne Lady Queene Elizabeth and yet because they doe most plainelie conuince him of the same horrible crime where of he was condemned I will here set downe the same as it is testified in the booke of execution of Papists for treason and not for religion Facultates concessae PP Roberto Personio Edmundo Campiano pro Anglia die 14. Aprilis 1580. PEtatur à summo domino nostro explicatio Bullae declaratoriae per Pium Quintum contra Elizabetham ei adhaerentes quam Catholici cupiunt intelligi hoc modo vt obliges semper illam haereticos Catholicos verò nullo modo obliget rebus sic siantibus sed tum demum quando publica eiusdem Bullae executio fieri poterit The answere to this and many other faculties by them required is this Has praedictas gratias concessit summus Pontifex patri Roberto Personio Edmundo Campià no in Angliam profecturis die 14. Aprilis 1580. praesente patre Oliuerio Manarco assistente Which is thus much in English Faculties to the two fathers Robert Persons and Edmund Campian for England the. 14. daie of Aprill 1580. LEt it be desired of our most holy Lord the explication of the Bull declaratory made by Pius the fift against Elizabeth and such as doe adhere vnto her which Bull the Catholikes desire to be vnderstood in this manner that the same Bull shall alwaies binde her and the heretikes but the Catholikes it shall by noe meanes binde as matters doe now stande but hereafter when publike execution of that Bull may bee made The highest Pontiff or Pope graunted these fore saide graces to father Robert Persons and Edmund Campian who are now to take their iourneyes into England the 14. day of Aprill 1580. Being present the father Oliuerius Manarcus assistant These things knowne considered it is euident that none but as honest a man as Campian could write that Campian was made away by cruell death without any shew or shadow of particuler crime committed by him against Prince or countrey or that Campian suffering for such horrible treason is a Martyr of Christ or that he and his fellowes died moste constant pure and innocent martyrs of their Lord and Master Iesus Christ. But for that Master Charke in person followed Campian to his execution as a conqueror of his aduersarie with bigge lookes sterne countenance proude wordes and merciles behauiour the author of the Censure was mooued to resume his answere as well for the honour of Christs martyr as for declaration of what value he is in reason learning and weight of argument by writing which is so feirce and violent upon Gods saints in death and torments so pompous in gate and speach vnto the people c. Here are many greeuous accusations but no proofe at all but the common reporte and that of trayterous Papists for no honest man will charge Master Charke with these crimes If he followed Campian it was not to insulte vpon his miserie but to exhort him to repentance What bigge lookes or stearne countenance he could put on in that time and case I cannot conceiue I hope all men that know his face will testifie that he looked then no otherwise then he doth at all times except commiseration of the damnable state of those obstinate traytors and heretikes did cause some tokens of heauines to appeare in his countenance What his proude wordes and mercilesse behauiour was in what pointe he shewed him selfe so feirce and violent vpon those trayterous heretikes in death and torments when you can declare but in three wordes you shall receiue an answere In the meane time you may not thinke that with any reasonable man it is sufficient for you to accuse him of pride in wordes and crueltie in behauiour when you bring no example nor proofe thereof And sure I am what wordes of his soeuer then vsed you may wrest to make a shewe of pride you are hable to alledge no action wherein you may declare his vnmercifulnes feircenes or violence As for his pompous gate and speach which you note in the last place I doubt not but all they which know him do laugh to heare you obiect it to him as also that you note him afterwarde to weare gorgeous apparrell and therein to haue excelled Campian His valew in reasoning learning and weight of arguments in writing what they are and how to be esteemed albeit his friendes know already yet I hope his aduersaries also shall in their conscience acknowledge especiallie after the smoke of your authors cauils be driuen away by the cleare light of trueth As for the disturbance thorough searchers and persecuters that you complaine of which caused your author to breake of in the middest is but a shift of descant For as your author whatsoeuer he be is still hidden so in his hiding place he may goe through if it please him or if he be weary of his enterprise he may take his ease without controlement For the extremitie of the time is not such though you whine neuer so much but if he can abstaine from vndermyning the state he may enioy more rest then an heretike deserueth to haue or then Papists in time and places of their gouernement wil afforde vnto true Catholikes But you saith the setter forth hauing gotten the starte before vs in the fauour of our Prince you follow the same with such vehemency and streightnes as you allow vs no one 〈◊〉 either of curtesie or humanity or of reasonable indifferency First marke how manerly he speaketh of our princes fauour as a matter not bestowed by iudgement but gotten by starte of that party that first steppeth vnto her Secondly how hyporbolically he describeth our vehemency no one iot of curtesie humanitic reasonable indifferencie Why sir who are you with whome we deal so streightly for whome we make search so diligently and punish so extreamely A wholl hundred of Papists and more be daylie in our sight dwell in their houses and suffer not so much as the lest ordinarie punishent which is appointed by law for them which come not to Church They be temporall men you will say Read the booke entituled the execution for treason c. and you shall finde a number of your cleargy men vsed with all curtesie and humanity that maie be shewed to men of a contrary religion It remaineth then that you are some rebeilious Iesuits or seminary priests which are sent hither by the Pope and his Antichristian adhaerents to alienate the princes subiects mindes yea to steal away their hearts from obedience of their Lawfull Soueraigne that you might by such meanes prepare a waie the soner for the publike execution of that blasphemous bul of Pius Quintus And would you wandring about with such intents and practises haue curtesie and gentlenes shewed you And yet when you are apprehended there is no duety of humanity denied you You haue the due triall of law and many times the deserued execution is forborne
Such lenitie so lightlie regarded nay so tragically inueighed against as most barbarus cruelty deserueth at the hands of God and man more sharp and yet but iuste entertainment You exclude vs say you from speach conference writing printing disputing or any other due trial of our cause Stil you would haue your cause to be religion when it is high treason And as for triall due for treason is neuer denied you before you be condemned for it As for speach conference writing printing disputing for trial of the cause of religion when you will permit to be free in places of popish regiment you may expostulate with vs for not allowing you the same in this Christian state of gouernment But what extremitie soeuer we vse we are sure say yow allwaies to be answered by one meanes or an other It may be as you saie but you tell vs not when For if you speake of answering our bookes you scarse giue one for tenne Neither do you so disquiet vs by your pretended claime as you mainely boast but we might sleepe on both sides if we had none other busines then to confute your popish treatises And if you had no greater hope in treasonable practises as in your rebellions both in England and Ireland and in your Popes bandes and banners your Saunders your Feltons your Someruils your Parries and such other execrable traitors and treasons then you haue confidence in writing or reasoning you would not looke to see the rooting out of our faith religion which you terme heresie as you do vainly prognosticat and prophecie But our credit you thinke is greatly crushed in our owne conceiptes seing we flie openly and without shame all kinde of quiet triall what soeuer and with furie onely moue the magistrate to violence against you In deed you know your owne cause best where you haue the magistrate obedient at your beck how vnwilling you are to haue any other quiet conference for trial but imprisonment torment fire and fagot And if the same measure were paied you home againe into your lapps it were no more but good iustice and such as you shall surely finde one day according to the prophecy of the holy ghost Rewarde her euen as she hath rewarded you c. when God shall put into the hart of Kings to hate the Romish whoore of Babylon to eate her flesh and to burne her with fire But as yet God calling you to repentance you haue no cause to repine against our seuerity much lesse to condemne vs of violence if you seeke not your owne bane by practising of treason and sedition But how do you openlie and without shame saie that we flie openly and without shame all kinde of quiet triall What lawfull kinde of quiet triall hath not bene offered to you Would you haue conference was there not a moste solemne conference agreed vpon in the beginning of her Maiesties reigne where principall men of both parts haue beene chosen to confer and all the states of the realme assembled in parliament readie to heare And who did there openly and without all shame flie the triall did not the pillers of popery vpon a friuolus cauill misliked by their owne Fecknam giue ouer the combate As for priuate confirence it hath bene many times offered and often practised with such of your heresie as be in holde but of them for the moste part misliked or reiected Triall by writing of bookes hath alwaies bene and yet is open free in so much as many of your popish treatises being confuted by vs are allowed to be inserted into our bookes that the indifferent reader may iudge of both more freely and easily a triall which you papists neuer yet durst enter into and a manifest argument that you flie the most indifferent kinde of triall You haue bene openly challenged by Doctor Fulke to conclude the controuersies of religion that are betweene vs in the strict forme of syllogismes both for your owne ease and for the clearnes and certainty of iudgement and this rea sonable request if you refuse to yealde vnto he hath protested before God and the world that you shew your selues thereby to be enemies of trueth that you flie the light and dare not abide the triall And yet these foure yeares day none of you all hath aduentured that most easie certaine and necessary trial which you cannot refuse if you wil haue trueth to be thought to stand on your side Let wise men iudge therefore whether we refuse all kinde of quiet triall and whether it be not a seditious kinde of triall that you would haue as appeared by Campians challenge who although he were a person too contemptible for yeares grauitie learning or honestie to make so proude a chalenge to all the learned and wise of the Church and common welth of England yet when he was brought to light he was conferred withall by diuerse graue and learned men and tried in the defense of his owne treatise in which God wot he was quickly found to be none other then his familiars alwaies knew him to be that is more bold to challenge then able to defend him-selfe more ready to cauill like a childish sophister then to answere like a sober deuine And as for his constancie patience which you magnifie with so many wordes in his iust execution for treason which you falsly terme martyrdome for your false religion there is smale cause you should boast of it but that it is necessarie where you cannot be borne out with trueth to breake through with open lyes For manie hundrethes of eie witnesses can testifie against you that of his patience which yet had bene perforce there was no sufficient trial by torment or sense of bodelie paine at his death other then is vsual to al that be strangled with an halter But as for constancie or cherefull passage vnto his death it appeared lesse in him then in any of his fellowes but rather great tokens of deiection and consternation of his minde bewraied in his colour countenance voice and gesture plainly noted by such as knew his stomach courage lusty behauiour when he was in prosperity That he his complices would acknowledge no guilt of treason whereof they were so cleerely conuicted it maketh their death more detestable sheweth their hipocrisie more damnable who seeing it was necessary for them to die as traitors desired of their fautors to be honored as martirs declaring thereby intollerable rancor and malice against the prince and the state and no lesse pride ambition in them-selues Of such Martyrs boast as long as you will you shall neither get credit by them when their cause is knowne nor terrifie vs with reuenge of their blood when their punishment was iust HEtherto belike you haue spoken to al that abhorre Popery in general for now you will speake aword or two to Master Charke as to his owne person in particuler And two things you tell him of that in this matter
will so that she was among them baptized and tooke vpon her the forme of a Nunne whome her father would by force and stripes haue compelled to returne to the Catholike Church but he was forbidden by S. Augustine to vse such force if she would not come with a good will This maie touch Papistes also which haue and do professe nunnes monkes and Priestes yong vndiscret persons against the consent of their parentes but how it should be applied against vs I cannot see But here the notebooke was to blame to quote these places for such purposes the answerer I hope is not so impudent that if he had read the places him-selfe he would for shame haue noted them against vs or els haue added as he doth Finally he noteth it as heretical in the Arrians to appeall from traditions to onelie scripture lib. 1. Contra Maximinum In all which booke there is no such matter for neither doth Maximinus appeale from traditions neither is he noted for so doing by Saint Augustine In deede he often times boasteth of the authoritie of holie scriptures and in that conference he manie times calleth for testimonies of holie-scripture and professeth that he is wil be a disciple of the holie scriptures But for this he is not reproued of Saint Augustine but still pressed with the authoritie of holie scriptures whereof he falselie boasted and when he doth but once call to witnes the councell of Ariminum Saint Augustine in his answer telleth him plainlie that he ought not to alleadge with anie preiudice that Councell against him as neither him selfe the Councell of Nice against the Arrians but requireth that the matter be decyded by authority of the scriptures which are common to bothe partes But Irenaeus in deede doth note it as hereticall in the Valentinians to appeale from the holie scripture to traditions without the which they affirmed that the trueth could not be found in the scriptures which they accused to be diuerselie or doubtfullie written as the Papists do in comparing them to a nose of wax or a leaden rule So the contrarie to that he falselie saith was noted as hereticall by S. Augustine is in trueth noted as hereticall by S. Irenaee But Optatus before Saint Augustine saith he noted it as hereticall in the Donatistes to breake altars whereupon the bodie and blood of Christ were kept as the wordes of Optatus are You must vnderstand that these altars were communion tables made of wood and remooueable couered with a linnen cloth in the time of celebration of which in spite of Catholike Religion some they brake and some they seraped onelie for which follie they are derided by Optatus So plaied the Papistes with the communion tables in the beginning of Queene Maries raigne calling them in despite oister bordes and breaking them with as great furie and without lawfull authoritie as the Donatistes did The like parts they plaied with the communion cups of which he also complaineth as also challenging to them-selues the Church yeardes that the bodies of the Catholikes might not be buried in them So did the Papists in Queene Maries time But the wordes of Optatus are saith our answerer that the bodie and blood of Christ were kept vpon those altars He would haue vs thinke that the sacrament of the altar was kept in a pixe as among the Papistes But the wordes of Optatus are not so For albeit he calleth the communion table an altar as it was commonlie called at that time yet he saith not that the bodie and blood of Christ was kept vpon it his wordes are quid est enim altare nisi sedes corporis sanguinis Christi For what is the altar but the seat both of the bodie and blood of Christ And lest you should thinke that it was a permanent seat wherein the sacrament was kept as it is among the Papistes he saith further speaking of the breaking and scraping of these wooden altars Quid vos offenderat Christus cuius illic per certa momenta corpus sanguis habitabat what had Christ offended you whose bodie and blood at certaine moments of time did dwell there By which wordes he sheweth that the sacrament of the bodie and blood of Christ taried no longer there then vntil the time of the distribution of the same vnto the communicants As for breaking downe of Idolatrous altars and prophaning of all instrumentes belonging to them we haue the word of God as a sufficient warrant so that we cannot iustlie be likened to the Vandales that were Arrians or to Iulian the Apostata which defaced the Religion of the Christians so long as our Religion by the scriptures can not be conuinced of heresie or Apostasie For as heretikes and ethnikes destroied the Religion of Christ with the places and instruments vsed in the exercise thereof so did the Christians serue the Tempells of Idolls and all other monuments of gentilitie and heresie The Papists do no more spare our holie Bibles then we do their prophane bables They breake our tables and cuppes as we do their altars and challices they burne our bodies as we doe their Idolls Finallie it is the Religion that must iustifie or condemne these actions the actions are no sufficient trial of the trueth of Religon Here againe he appealeth to publike disputation or to any other indifferent waie of triall that we dare afford him As for publike disputation we dare if the Magistrates thinke it conuenient but a most in different waie of triall by writing their arguments in syllogismes Doctor Fulke offered for certaine yeares agoe before Campian crept forth with his seditious challenge the offer still remaineth take vp his gloue you Papists if ye dare As for the seditious commendation of Campian and Sherewyn condemned and executed for high treason where with he hath neuer done I will omitte That all heresie is beggerrie which he laboureth to prooue out of Saint Augustine and that the Maiestie of the Catholike cause is greater then heresie can oppresse we doe willinglie graunt Onely let not the maiestie of Christian religion be esteemed by the multitude or wordlie pow er of them which professe it wherein yet the Protestantes are not much inferiour to the Papists at this time but by the riches and glorie of Gods truth reuealed in his holie word wherein Poperie whensoeuer triall is made sheweth it selfe like a moste filthie roge and miserable beggar though she seeke cloakes of eloquence learning authoritie of men or any such like things to couer her And among all that in these times haue taken vpon them to defend her there is not a more beggerlie marchant then this proud answerer who hauing no reading of his owne nor any other good quality of a defender but a brasen face an heape of scornefull words is faine to scrape all his patches of learning out of some other mens notes or suggestions in which he is as voyde of knowledge as a beggar is of honor or riches The
witnesses concerning the rumor of Martine Luthers departure out of this life But Hosius was a Bishoppe and a Cardinall forsooth as though a malitious Papist when he hath a white rochet put on his backe or a redde hat clapt on his head were sopriuileged by his titles that he must needes be credited though he lie neuer so impudentlie Touching the dissention of Luther with others that professed the Gospell Master Charke doth graunt that in some points he disagreed from them and yet he saith there was a singular care among them of the vnitie in the Gospell But this our defender taketh in so euill part that he calleth it in tollerable impudencie speciallie that for profe thereof Master Charke citeth the acte of concorde agreed vpon at Marpuge Anno. 1529. vpon the reporte of Brentius which since hath shewed him selfe an obistinate heretike and author of the opinion of the vbiquitie of Christes bodie who reporteth that the Zuinglians were vanquished and yet he giueth them this testimonie that they desired with teares to be called bretheren which Luther refused But what the agreement was the booke of Acts printed both in Latine and Dutch doth testifie vnto the worlde The 15. Chapter of which conuention con cerning the matter in controuersie was this Credimus profitemur omnes de caena domini nostri Iesu Christi Vsum illius sub vtraque specie iuxea Christi institutionem obseruandans dum esse Quodque missanon sit vllum eiusmodi opus quo alto alteri qutsquam siue mortuo siue viuo gratiā consequi possit Quod item sacramentum altaris sit sacramentum veri corporis sanguinis Iesu Christi Et quòd esus spiritualis eius 〈◊〉 corporis sanguinis sit vnicuique Christiano homini inprimis necessarius Adhaec quòd vsus huius sacramensi perinde atque verbum ipsum à Deo opt max. sit institutus atque ordinatus ad excitandas ad fidem infirmas hominum conscientias per spiritum sanctum Quanquam autem inter nos hactenus non planè potuit conuenire num verum corpus 〈◊〉 sanguis Christi pani ac vino corporaliter insit debebit nihilominus tamen vtraque pars altera erga alteram declarare Christi anam charitatem quatenus idomnino cuiusque conscientia ferre potest Et vtraque pars deum opt max. diligenter precabiturrot is nobis per spiritum suum verum eius rei intellectum constabilire dignetur Amen Martinus Lutherus Ioann Brentius Iustus Ionas Ioan Oecolampadius Philippus Mclancthon Huldricus Zuinglius And. Ostander Martinus Bucerus Stephan Agricola Gaspar Hedio We all beeleeue and profes concerning the supper of our Lord Iesus Christ that the vse thereof in both kinds according to the institution of Christ is to be obserued And that the masse is not any such work whereby any one man may obtaine grace for another whether he be dead or a liue Also that the sacrament of the altar is the sacrament of the true body blood ofIesus Christ. And that the spirituall eating of the same his body blood is very necessary for euery Christian man Moreouer that the vse of this sacrament euē as the word it selfe is instituted ordeined of almighty God to stir vp vnto faith the weake consciences of men by his holie spirite And although it could not hetherto be altogether agreed amongst vs whether the true bodie and true blood of Christ be in the bread and wine corporallie yet neuer 〈◊〉 both parties ought to declare Christian charitie one towards the other so farre as euerie mans conscience can beare And both partes shall diligentlie pray vnto almightie God that he by his spirite may vouchsafe to establish vnto vs the true vnderstanding of that matter Amen Martine Luther c. The subscriptionof their names appeareth before You heare how farre forth they agreed and to a full 〈◊〉 indeed the Lutherans could neuer be brought nor Luther himselfe who in this point was out of measure hard intractable which seeing it is not denied by Master Charke or any of vs it is altogether needles that our defender spendeth two leaues and more in citing testimonies of his dissent from the rest that professe the Gospell which he calleth Zuinglians and Caluinists And to make the matter more large he 〈◊〉 the writings of Brentius Stankatus Ochinus men fallen from the truth into open errors condemned of all pattes against the professors of the truth But what care the godlie had to maintaine the vnitie of the Gospell may appeere by the harmonic of confessions of so manie diuerse Churches in the somme of Christian Religion and doctrine of the most necessarie points of faith vnto eternall saluation thoroughlie agreeing within them selues and against the heresies of the Papists and all other sectaries both olde and new That the Lutherans notwitstanding continue still their vncharitable iudgement against the other it is in deede to be lamented but yet noe cause for Papists to reioyce whoe whether it be by vs or them in al other points of their heresies are beaten downe and brought to confusion And still that remaineth true that Master Charke saide of Oecolampadius Bucer others although in some pointes they disagreed from Luther and other of his side yet was there among them a singular care of vnitie in the Gospell The entercourse of louing letters that you so earnestly require may be seene among Caluins epistles where there are louing letters betweene Caluine Melancthon Vitus Theodorus and other And now we are come to the odious inuectiues against the liues of Caluine and Beza taken out of a vile libell written by Ierome Bolsec an vnlearned vngodlie and vnshamefast knaue who once was a Carmelite frier and flying from his cloister came first aud deceiued the Dachesse of Ferrara for a time but his knauerie being knowne and he espied he was banished from her and then within three daies studie he professed him selfe to be a Phisition and came to Geneua where being contemned of the learned in that science he would take vpon him to be a diuine openly inueighed against the doctrine of prae destination not as a Papist out as a meere Pelagian for which he was condemned and banished the Citie and after for like troubles he was twyse banished the territorie of Berna After that when he thought the Churches of Fraunce should haue continued in peace he fained repentance and sought reconciliation of the Church of Geneua labouring ambitiouslie to be admitted into the ministery but when warre persecution befel vnto the Church contrary to his expectation he returned to his leech craft and reuolted againe to Poperte and in satisfaction of his Apostasie hath forged and refined these lies against Caluine and Beza Anp this is that reuerend man whome our defender commendeth for wisedome learning and honestie Whose impudent slaunders with noc indifferent man can finde anie credit seeing all law and common equitie alloweth exception against such a vile person to be
for the warre of the Heluetians it is a wonder to see how he termeth it sedition and insurrection stirred vp by Zuinglius whereas it is certaine that the fiue Cantones of the Popish faction by intollerable iniurie prouoked them of Zurek and Bernes to lawfull warres whose cause if it had bene neuer so vniust yet might it not be termed insurrection because they were states of themselues and ought no obedience to the other The rebellion of Wiat and practises to kill Queene Marie were neuer allowed by the teachers of the gospell in England And Knookes his booke was misliked and forbidden to be solde euen at Geneua where it was put in print But the Pope the head of the Popish faction hath not onelie 〈◊〉 vp rebellion against the moste honourable Prince of Europe Queene Elizabeth in England but also hath sent his standard and Souldiers to inuade her dominions in Ireland And to omitt the traiterous writing of Saunder Bristow what is more vile then that beastlie Bull of Pius the fiste against our saide moste noble soueraigne confirmed by that hypocrite which now sitteth in the chayre of Pestilence at Rome with a faculty graunted to Parsones and Campiane by which he licenseth the Papists to dissemble their obedience vntill publike execution of that Bull maie be had that is to be priuie Traitours till with hope of successe they maie be open rebells The Scottish Queenes behauiour hath so much dishonoured her Person that Frarine is to be pardoned if he spake any thing in her praise before the vttermost of her reproch was made manifest to the worlde The rebellion of the gentlemen in Sueuia and of the commons in Denmarke I passe ouer as Frarine doth seing if it were vnlawfull our religion alloweth it not if it were vpon iust cause and by sufficient authoritie it is vniustlie called rebellion and vprore But he cannot omitt the late treason and cruell conspiracie of the Hugonites in Fraunce whereof Caluin was dictatour and generall Beza lieuetenant Othomannus and Spisamius petie captaines whoe can refraine laughing to heare these pleasant deuises but least you should thinke he iested he saith these were the chiese doers indeed though they vsed the names and seruice of certaine of the Nobilitie to beare out the brunte whilest they slept as the Knaues in the stocke and as for the other they were but their trumping cardes Such pesantes he maketh all the Princes and Noblemen which tooke armes to deliuer the King and his Mother from captiuitie his lawe from oppression and his subiects from cruell murther and tyrannie Yet he confesseth this tragedie had a peaceable beginning for they gat a lawe by force and extorsion saith he against the King and Magistrates will and pleasure Marke how probablie he speaketh A lawe was made whereunto none gaue assent that had authoritie to make a lawe But their consent was enforced for the Parliament of Paris made answere at the first we cannot we will not we ought not But afterward they were compelled to let the bill passe and so the edict of Ianuarie was made Here is force here is extorsion and compulsion alledged to elude the authoritie of the lawe but by what persons what meanes and in what manner it is not shewed in one word And indeed it is vnpossible to be shewed that neuer was for in truth the edict was made by the consent of the three estates in Fraunce in time of peace when their was not so much as any feare or suspition of warre but of policie to maintaine peace and to auoide all troubles that might insue thorough controuersie of religion The quiet and peaceable behauiour of the Protestantes in the conference at Poysie was so notorious that our Oratour being not able to denie it saieth it was dissembled that they might more easilie obtaine a lawevnder shadowe whereof they might banish all lawe and religion out of the world roote out all ciuill order and pollicie of all temporall affaires out of all Christian realmes countries cites A moste wicked purpose But howe is it prooued First they made a conspiracy to robbe spoile al the Churches in Fraunce in one night witnes hereof Claudius de sanctes a man verie like to be made priuie of such a conspiracie an vtter enemie of all true religion and the professors thereof But the execution in Gascoine and diuers other places doe testifie of this conspiracie Indeede by some more zealous then wise at Turon and Bloise the Popish Churches were bereued of their Idolls which fact because it was contrary to the edict the prince of Condie forthwith gaúe charge to the kinges officers that the authors thereof should be diligentlie sought out and seuerlie punished according to the edict Cōpare with this fact the horrible murther of the faithfull by the Guisians at Vassie by which the edict was first broken whereas these men in time of the warre without the hurte of anie mans person did onely breake a fewe stockes and stones by which God was dishonered Neuerthelesse the punishment of the offenders confuteth the pretended conspiracie which to saie the truth hath not so much as the shadowe of trueth in it For how was it possible for them to spoile all the Churches of Fraunce in one night where they were not of power to spoile the tenth part if they had so cōspired But it is a greater matter which followeth that at Challone in Burgundie they made a Synodicall decree that euerie man should endeauour to his power to driue three vermines out of Christendome The Church of Rome the Nobilitie the publique order of iustice And this if you denie saith he your names are to be seene yet in the recordes of the high court of Parliament at Paris where manie of you were accused for it by the rulers and estates of Burgondie A sufficient proofe no doubt that the names of them that were accused are extant in recorde It is sufficient proofe among the Papists that men be accused and that by their malitious aduersaries yea the verie accusation is a condemnation But it seemeth the Parliament of Paris had more regard of lawe and iustice then to giue sentence against them vpon a bare accusation for if it be sufficient to accuse no man shall be innocent If the court had condemned them he would haue alledged the sentence and lawfull processe remaining in record against them But almightie God knoweth that the Protestantes haue not onelie bene free but haue alwaies abhorred such Anabaptisticall conclusions and laboured by al meanes to establish the authoritie and obedience due vnto Princes which the Pope by his pretended supremacie shamefullie vsurpeth against them as though the charge of feeding spirituall gouernment were graunted onelie to the Pope by those wordes of Christ to Peter Or if it were that vnder colour of feeding and spirituall gouernment he had authoritie to commaund Princes at his pleasure yea to commaund their crownes of their heades and their scepters out