Professors are in the contrary case their Religion is pleasant and by professing it they liue in honours and delights which haue enticed not onely many Catholickes to followe Protestancie but Protestants to be Mahumetanes or of no Religion That by ignoraunce wee shoulde be seduced such sentence cannot proceede but from ignoraunce or malice Wee haue all authorities times and places for our defence our enemies haue none at all we were borne in the same Countrey of England bred vp in the same Vniuersities English where and whence those Protestants be wee haue trauailed all Countries studied in all christian Vniuersities we haue learned Diuinitie of the most famous Professors of the worlde we haue disputed in all Schooles and enioyed the best meanes of studie wee want wiues riches honours pleasures and all impediments of true diuinitie and studie thereof Our aduersaries are snared and entangled with all these and other lettes to hinder them That rather they than we would be more carefull to examine any authoritie or argument belonging to these questions no man can imagine it concerneth vs most and the reasons be euident before If Religion can be tried in this worlde wee haue sought and found all meanes they haue not farre sought for any and found none at all their daylie doubts changes and vncertaintie prooue it If they would stand to any triall wee knowe the order of all and will accept of any one with equall conditions If they will appeale to Scriptures as their highest Conuocation doth or to any other authoritie so many Catholike Diuines of England And the poore Author hereof because I haue taken this Woorke in hand and must iustifie my writing and not feed my Readers with vaine reportes and heare-sayes as Protestants doe haue read and studied them all and more than Protestants vse If they contend to credite the Hebrew Text in the olde Testament and the Greeke in the new as the common opinion of their Writers is I haue studied them in those languages and the auntient Glosses and Scholies Latine and Greeke for their Exposition If they will stand to the report of the most auncient Historians Eusebius Ruffinus Socrates Sozomenus Palladius Sainct Hierome Sainct Bede and others what was the practise of the Primitiue Church and beleeued in the vnspotted time of Christianitie I haue perused them If they will bee iudged by the decrees of the first POPES that were Saints and bee in Heauen as they confesse and ruled the Church in those times as their Archebishoppe of Canterbury dooth acknowledge I haue often with diligence considdered the Decrees both of all that were before the Councell of Nice and after If they will bee arbitrated by the present Schooles and scholasticall reasons I haue beene a poore Auditor both of scholasticall and controuersiall Questions where all doubtes and difficulties that witte or learning can deuise and inuent are handled and most exquisitely debated If they admit the first foure generall Councells of Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Calcedon which the highest iudiciall authoritie of England hath expresly approoued by name or anie of the rest to which the same and her Maiesties consent also giueth approbation I haue seene and read them all from the first of Nice to the last of Trent as all approoued particular and prouinciall Councells which be extant or ordinarily vsed If they thinke there euer was true Religion among Christians and that it was exercised in the first sixe hundred yeeres after Christ and that those auncient Fathers which were the most famous in those dayes and ruled the Churche as Bishoppes and Doctours thereof were acquainted with it or Professours of it I haue carefully read ouer all the workes and writings which bee to be had of Dyonisius the Areopagite Scholler to Saint Paul Saint Ignatius Saint Polycarpus Saint Clement Martialis liuing in the Apostles time Saint Iustine Origen Saint Basill Saint Athanasius Saint Gregory Nazianzene Saint Gregory Nissen Saint Gregorie the Great Saint Irenaeus Saint Cyprian Fulgentius Pamphilus the Martire Palladius Theodoretus Ruffinus Socrates Sozomenus Euagrius Cassianus Lactantius Firmianus Vincentius Lyrenensis the most famous and learned Fathers of those vncorrupted ages all the workes of all these I haue read and examined and conferred them with Saint Augustine Saint Hierome Saint Ambrose Saint Leo Papias the scholler of Saint Iohn the Euangelist Theophilact Tertullian Eusebius Cesariensis Prudentius and others most excellent Diuines liuing when all Protestants agree true faith was vniuersally preached and beleeued And yet I take God and the whole Courte of Heauen to witnesse before whome I must render an accompt of this protestation my beleefe and all my actions my constant writing in defence of this Faith my selfe voluntarily in disgrace and persecution professing it will be my warrant of sinceritie That the same Faith and Religion which I defend is taught and confirmed by those holy Hebrew and Greeke Scriptures those Historians Popes Decrees Scholies and Expositions Councels Schooles and Fathers and the profession of Protestants and all other Sectes by the same condemned I haue examined and with diligent aduise read ouer many Bookes and Writings of the best learned Protestantes the Woorke to which this Epistle is a Preamble will be my witnesse and not any that euer came to my hands containeth any argument or reason in my iudgement woorthy or able to withdrawe a reasonable and indifferent minde not blinded with pleasure or seduced by affection from embracing that Catholike Faith which I defend or that can establish or prooue any other Religion to be true That I should not bee able to iudge what maketh for vs what against vs I hope no man will challenge mee of so great ignorance That I would willingly erre and persist in errour if my religion were errour to followe a profession so austere and rigorous to sensuall appetite and desire if it be compared to Protestant doctrine and obstinately heape disgrace and affliction vpon my selfe to professe it when by reforming my opinion or conscience to the contrary I might both auoide the penitentiall life of Catholike profession and the perilles and penalties which the Parliaments of Protestants haue imposed vppon vs and enioy the liberties and delights which Protestancie yeeldeth and the preferrements wherewith their Schollers are rewarded I am out of doubt no Reader can be so partiall and vnequall iudge against mee or any one of so many English Catholicke Students which are in the same case and defend the same cause SECT XII The Conclusion how dishonourable and vnreasonable it is to persist in Protestancie howe honourable to graunt a Reformation WHerefore noble Patrones seeing so many worldes of witnesses giue euidence against the profession of Protestants and euery age time place person and thing of woorthy and credible authoritie yeeld testimony to my defence I will recomfort my selfe that by your gratious and iust protection no man will be so wilfull to impugne that which God and all reasonable creatures and
her royall Maiestie hath receiued life being hir crowne kingdome and diademe won and conuerted vnder Kings Ethelbertus Adelwaldus Kingylsus Edwine Peda or Wiferus Sygebertus and Redwalde her most noble and renowned christian catholike Predecessors Kings of England vnited by king Egbertus augmented and enlarged by so many Henries Edwards and others known Catholike Kings by whome so many immunities fauours and priuiledges were graunted to our religion So many altares churches chappels monasteries and places of professing Papistry as Protestants name it were founded and prouided in the first time of our conuersion from Idolatry and the very Primitiue dayes of christianitie in England The Churches of saint Paul in London of Canterbury Winchester Lincolne Westminster and others the common Schooles of Cambridge by king Sigebert the vniuersity of Oxford by king Alfrede the monastery of Gloucester by king Ofricus the monastery of Hetesey by king Oswye who assigned possssions for twelue more monasteries in Northumberland the monastery of Saint Martine in Douer by king Whitred the abbey of Lestingey by king Oswalde sonne to Saint Oswalde the abbey of Abington by king Cyssa the monastery of Ely by Queene Etheldred wife to king Elfride the monastery of Chertsey by king Edgar the abbey of Peterborow by king Ethelwalde the abby of Bardney by king Etheldredus Glastenbury by king Iâ—a the monastery of Winchcombe by king Kenulfus the abbey of Saint Albons by king Offa the abbey of Ethelingsey and nunnery of Shaftersbury by king Alfrede and fortie monasteries by king Edgar all which were edified and founded in the time of our Primitiue Church and within two hundred yeeres of our first conuersion as Fox himselfe acknowledgeth What donations and free giftes were graunted to the English Clergy by those first christian kings the donations of king Ethelwulfe Ethelbalde and others were to be free in their lands and territories from secular seruices and payments tributes and taxations to Kings c. that all churches and monasteries should be absolued from al publike vectigales works and burdens that they might therby more diligently serue God by how much they were more alleuiated of those seruices Such likewise were the graunts of Kings Sigebertus Cissa Edgar Etheldredus Offa Aluredus for the praying to God and Saints for the soules of them and their posteritie So that no man can doubt of what faith they were except it bee a question whether hee that prayeth to Saints prayeth for the dead offereth sacrifice of Masse graunteth church liberties honoreth the See of Rome buildeth altares monasteries and nunneries for Monks and Nunnes and foundeth these things be a Papist or a Protestant And it is so manifest that these holy and sanctified kings were popish and moonkish men as they tearme them and of our religion that presently vpon their beleeuing in Christ the greatest care and study they had was to prouide ornaments and necessary furniture for that profession And among the Saxon Kings within the space of two hundred yeeres as Foxe himselfe with others reporteth in the English Primitiue church nine Kings at the least King Kingylsus Iue Colulfus Eadbertus Ethelredus Kenredus Offa Sebbi and Sigebertus voluntarily forsooke their kingdoms professed monasticall life and liued monkes in vow of pouertie chastity and obedience and for that most religious action as our ennemies themselues acknowledge were most highly honoured and commended of all historians and still to this day for that cause are more glorious both to themselues and our nation then the other of our Kings how honorable soeuer The wordes of that history which Foxe in his Monuments citeth to that end are these Religion did most clearely shine insomuch that Kings Queenes Princes and Dukes Consuls and Barons and rulers of Churches incensed with desire of the kingdome of Heauen labouring and striuing among themselues to enter into monasticall life into voluntary exile and solitary liuing forsooke all and followed God And no man can deny it to bee true all Historians report it all Monuments Antiquities auouch it Wherefore my assurance is that my gratious Soueraigne and prudent Princesse clayming all things by their title cannot be offended for defence of the faith of all her noble christian progenitors and ancestors vntill now Besides so many christian kings of the Brittons about thirty in number from Lucius the first to Cadwall ader and of the English or Saxon Danish and Norman nation a hundred and fiftie kings from the conuersion of Ethelbertus Adelwaldus or Ethelwaldus Kingilsus Edwine Peda or Weda or Wiferus Sigebertus and Redwalde the first christian Kings of rhe Saxonish Septarchie most wise prudent vertuous and triumphant Princes which both they themselues embraced and maintained with all zeale and deuotion and promulged and deliuered by al lawes and constitutions to their posteritie Kings and subiects to be beleeued Which her Maiesties father K. Henry the eight although denying the Romane iurisdiction obserued in all his life and of denying that iurisdiction at his death repented of king Edward the sixt an infant more needing to be taught than to teach I say nothing and my Soueraigne that is in the time of her sister Qu. Mary professed with much deuotion and after her death at and after her owne coronation in the fidelitie oth and promise of a Prince according to our antient lawes and titles of Kings of England hath obliged and indebted her selfe to protect and defend And for defence whereof as appeareth by the statute of Westminster the first and other authenticall Recordes all those regall and princely prerogatiues which were graunted by the free subiects of England to their Kings her Catholike predecessours and which she still enioyeth by that title were granted and confirmed as euery one may reade in the kings prerogatiues and statutes in the titles of such principalities as were then and for that reason and intent giuen vnto them as the priuiledges of alienations auowsons citations corporations escheats fooles forfeitures franchises deodands intrusions mort dauncestries partitions pateÌ„ts primer seisins prouisions tenures wards seruices releefes wrecks and other preeminences Therefore this defence of those holy and euer most honorable kings can not be offensiue to my wise and prudent Princesse hauing clayming and pretending all tide and interest shee hath either to temporall or spirituall dignitie as heire and successor to their regall right and authoritie And to descend lower to those which haue bin benefited by those Princes you first my noble Patrons that possesse those honourable offices and dignities you enioy them by their institution they the first donors and founders of those preferments that life and beeing which you haue I meane not onely your honorable orderly and peaÌ„ceable life and liuing in gouernement of their prouision but that very naturall life it selfe wherein you communicate with all other reasonable men in some sort you possesse by them for if those Princes had not aduaunced your auncestors to honours and nobility
that if any man desireth to see and behold any company of knaues vsurers dissolute persons and deceitfull men let him enter into any citty of Professors of the Gospel and he shall finde enow of such among Pagans Iewes and Turkes and other infidelles men can scarcely be found so disobedient or stubborne among whom all honestie and whatsoeuer doth sauour of virtue is dead and no reckoning is made of any sinne Iacobus Andreas vttereth his opinion of them in this manner among them no amendment or emendation is thought vpon they liue an Epicurean and altogether beastly life in place of fasting a custome of eating and excessiue rioting in banquetting and bawdery hath succeeded in place of almes oppression and extortion ouer the poore for prayer blasphemy against the holy name of God insteed of humilitie pride elation and most filthie exceeding superfluitie Io. Riuius saith that the wickednes of thē hath encreased to the astonishment of all men No man seeketh after God no man blusheth at the violating of his commandements euery mans life is polluted with great sinnes and wickednesse I dare affirme saieth hee that in this corrupt and wretched age of ours all manner of vices haue so encreased that hardly greater wickednesse can be for what sin or wickednesse at this day is wanting which if it raigned this age might be saide to be more vngodly for that respect and although to iudge rightly hereof in euery age there hath beene riotousnesse sumptuous feastings costly dinners and suppers surfetting drunkennesse whoredome adultery oppression iniury neglecting of well dooing and other such wickednesse which euery man in his time hath found fault withall as Seneca saith and no age that hath beene voyde of sinne yet loosenesse of life neglect of order and discipline outrageous wickednesse hath in this our age so encreased and gotten strength that it appeareth euen Atheisme and Epicurisme hath inuaded the life of man and as it were beareth dominion among Christians lawes take no force lust ruleth altogether for what thinke you they beleeue the soule is immortall who liue in maner as beastes or bee they perswaded there be either rewards for the godly in heauen or punishment in hell appoynted for sinners who in euery thing dread not to violate the commandements of God run altogether headlong into sin euen as thogh they did either thinke that God were but a vaine and fained thing or beleeue that when the body dieth the soule likewise perisheth and commeth vnto nothing such be the testimonies of Nennon Simonius Schinmideline others of the chiefest originall Protestants of their fellow professors I will cite more hereafter when I will prooue those which giue this euidence of the rest to be worst of all themselues SECT III. How all these errours and abuses proceede by dis-vnion from the Catholicke Church WHerefore that which so many priuate and publike writings affirme abroad and at home which euery man seeth and feeleth to be true and those principall Protestants recorded of their Disciples in the prime and flourishing time the very zenith and highest of their exaltation when the reformers of others should haue giuen some example and shew of reformation in themselues I trust it will not be offensiue for me a Catholike subiect of England after so many yeeres of experienced encrease of their impieties and in their withering and decaying age euery thing with them growing worse and worse to affirme to be true Then most Noble as ordinary effects proceede from ordinary causes so extraordinary and straunge things such as this kinde of iniquitie so wicked so vniuersall and erroneous is must haue some vnwonted cause more than is vsuall in christian men I will not be so seuere a Sentencer against them as their confederate Iohn Riuius is to say that they be Atheists Epicures and deniers of the soules immortalitie and thereby thinking there is no religion in the worlde no life after death no reward of vertue or penalty for vice haue giuen themselues ouer to all kinde of sinne Neither wil I enter to so bloody a iudgement in this place reseruing it to bee discussed heereafter against these men as their owne generall and common approoued doctrine especially in England that true faith and good workes are inseparable condemneth such men for infidells and misbeleeuers But to reserue these and such arguments as may be inforced by that which is spoken to their proper place and prosecute my present intent it is manifest by the Babilonical diuision which is in the vnderstanding of this people that they haue forsaken the true faith religion and rule thereof which can be but one and by the grosse impieties which haue taken so quiet possession of their liues that they are so far from al interest either of reforming errors of the mind or abuses of life in others by which in the beginning they claymed title to a new religion that they haue beene the onely cause of so many infidelities Atheismes Epicurismes Iudaismes Mahumetismes and other intollerable sinnes offences which are daily by their owne confession before practized among them for when and where the infallible rule and censure of supernaturall difficulties is denied and euery man left to his owne priuate deduction and deceiptfull iudgement farre vnable to descipher supernaturall mysteries what hope can be had of truth what probabilitie of agreement who wil be encoraged to seeke for veritie where it is impossible to be found If it were in naturall arts and sciences which be connaturall and proportionable to humane capacitie if there were so many opinions diuers and contrary as are among them in religion so that before hee could follow any hee must learne to confute all the rest what man would willingly professe that art as true though it were neuer so gainefull if it were obtained about learning whereof there is such dissention that three hundred to one hee should be deceiued By that reason in Arts Alchimie of making gold is ordinarily refused hauing brought so many to errour and beggery by the vncertaintie thereof although in it selfe it is woonderfull commodious For matters of antiquitie the diuersity of opinions about the originall of the Brittans in this land hath caused many to thinke there neuer was any Brute at all It is as manifest both by al Histories and Monuments that Saint Peter liued long and died at Rome as that William of Normandy surnamed the Conquerour came into England and subdued it or as any such antiquity can be and yet bicause as Protestants say there is difference betweene Saint Hierome Orosius and Fasciculus temporum about the time of his comming thither although they agree with the rest that hee liued and died there some Protestants are not afraide to affirme he was neuer at Rome For a like cause the whole Protestant Cleargie of England in their authorized Conuocation deny the Bookes of Machabees Iudith and Tobias to be canonicall scriptures So it chanceth in Sciences
the more than miserable liues and deathes of Luther Oecolampadius Caluine Swinglius Cranmer and others of their Cleargy and speake only of Princes The first Protestant Duke of Saxony and Lantgraue of Hesse were dispossessed of their regiments and committed to prison The Prince of Condie in Fraunce and the Admirall there the one pittifully put to death the other like Iesabel cast downe headlong his legges broken his body cutte in peeces drawne like a dog through the streetes and hanged vppe for a spectacle at the place of common execution For Flaunders the Prince of Orange miserably slaine by a priuate man and in the time of his greatest triumph and ioyes For Scotland Iames the bastard dishonorably put to death In Denmarke Christine their king deposed of his kingdome enclosed in a caue with yron barres and consumed to death And least any manne may fondly perswade himselfe that the Kings and Rulers of England haue a Charter of immunitie from such vectigalles and impositions as God hath layed vpon those Princes I will recite all the Kings of our Nation that presently occurre to my memory that haue opposed themselues against it and what effect their opposition had In the beginning these Kings Ethelbertus Adelwaldus Kingilsus Edwine Peda Sigebertus and Redwalde opposed themselues against the faith and iurisdiction of that See and the doctrine of religious Monkes sent from thence but they were all conquered and subdued without any force of armes so submitted themselues that Kingilsus and Sigebertus became religious monasticall men king Ofricus and Eanfridus were apostataes from the Roman faith but they were miserably put to death And those three Kings whereof Saint Bede writeth for their apostacie besides other manifold temporall punishments were blotted out of the Genealogie and Catalogue of the Kings of England neuer remembred or numbred among them Such was the wonderful desolation of the disobedient Brittish Kings and their nation for their disobedience to the Roman See onely in the paschall obseruance and manner of shauing the crownes of Priests as Saint Bede doth witnesse prophecied against them by Saint Augustine and recorded by the same Saint Bede Galfridus Guilielmus Malmesburiensis Foxe and others that at one time eleuen thousand of their Monks defending that repugnance were slaine by the Pagan souldiers their whole nation distressed and depriued of all regiment in their owne countrey by their owne hired souldiers their kings dispoyled of principality to this day and made subiects to them whose Soueraignes they were King Edwine before the conquest opposed him selfe to som iuridical proceedings of the Popes of Rome and banished Saint Dunstane his Archbishop of Canterbury but he was deposed died miserablie with infamy and in his life his brother Edgar was chosen and crowned King William surnamed the Conqueror spoyled all the monasteries of England of their golde and siluer neither sparing Chalice nor Shrine and in his last voiage in Fraunce burned our Ladies Church in Meux two Anachorets which were enclosed therein but he encouraging his men to maintaine the fire was sodainely stricken with sicknesse his entralls were strangely broken and he died with misery and to him that had beene so great a conquerour in his life after his death a priuate gentleman drawing his sworde denied buriall in his owne Country and Towne Cane of Normandy and in the very house himselfe had founded and in his life there was such famine and dearth in England that men were enforced to eate horses cats dogs and that which nature abhorreth the flesh of men such outragious floudes and inundations destroyed the country that not onely townes were ouerflowne but the very high hills themselues were surrounded made soft and consumed And after him his next successor and sonne William called Rufus afflicted the Churches and Monasteries of England with grieuous oppression maketh a decree against some iurisdiction of Pope Vrbane in England and exiled Saint Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury for his defence thereof but hee was not left vnpunished his naturall brother Robert duke of Normandy and others his neerest kinsmen and Nohility raised and maintained wars against him the Welchmen inuaded and spoiled Glocester Shrewsbury and other parts of England and tooke the I le of Anglesey and the very insensible creatures rebelled against him and called for vengeance the earth at Fynchamsteed in Barkshire flowed forth with blood the winde in one tempest ouerthrewe sixe hundred and sixe houses in his chiefe Citty of London the sea surrounded and ouerwhelmed al the lands that belonged to his friend the earle of Goodwine and is called Goodwine sands to this day and that the death of such a Prince might be aunswerable to his life and deserts the morrow after the feast of Saint Peter in August whose successour Pope Vrbanus hee had so persecuted before hee was slaine by his seruant and friend sir Walter Tyrrell shooting at a Deere and being wounded in the breast fell downe dead neuer spake worde and his owne men and retinew presently forsooke him scarcely any remaining to take care of his body but it was layd vpon a Colliers cart and so drawne with one seely leane beast from that place of the forrest where he was slaine to Winchester Mention is made in the statutes of the supremacie of king Henry the eight King Edward the sixt and Queene Elizabeth that title to be the auntient right of the Kings of England and yet neuer any king or gouernor before king Henry the eight chalenged any such prerogatiue except in the inuesture of Bishoppes as Edmerus seemeth to insinuate of this king William Rufus and his next successor was enforced to reuoke as the same Authour dooth witnes Then that which was so strangely punished of God in the first challenger and refused by his whole posteritie let others Iudge whether it was a right or a wrong And his next successour and brother K. Henry the first so long as he perseuered in his brothers steps let those decrees of his to be in force was tossed and turmoyled with manifolde afflictions both of vnnaturall warres seditions and vnwonted punishments so that hee was conquered with the very prick of his owne conscience to make his submission and reuoke those former constitutions of his brother King William enacted and brought in against the Ecclesiasticall libertie and was neuer quiet either in body or minde vntill he had effected it Like was the case of king Henry the second challenging to himselfe iurisdiction in the criminal causes of the Cleargie contrary to the prerogatiue of the Constitutions of the Apostolicke See of Rome vnder whose time Saint Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury their earnest patrone was put to death and after the excommunication promulged against the king for those proceedings hee was most pittifully scourged and afflicted both with externall and vnnaturall domesticall warres and other miseries his owne naturall sonne taking Armes against him the father against the sonne and sonne
the workers of such impieties Let vs speake a little of marriadge it was enacted by parliament of K. Henry the eight that all contracts of marriage whatsoeuer were voyde by a second marriage consummate hereupon ensued not only such shame and dishonour to that law against the light of nature and ciuill contracts but to vse the words of King Edward the sixt his Protestants in open parliament such incontinences intollerable to Christian eares men and women breaking their promises and faith made by the one to the other taking new husbands and wiues at their pleasure euen as it pleased them that it was reuoked by King Edward the sixt yet by the first parliament of our Queene it is reuiued and now in force from which opinion and the doctrine of remarrying for the incontinency of the first husband or wife what deuorcements dissentions remarryings breaches of wedlocks false accusations translations and lamentable decayes of ancient and honourable houses by adulteries and most wicked suppositions of vnlawfully begotten children haue ensued And because I haue spoken of marriage I with the indifferent Reader to consider whether the marriages of Priests and ministers consist with a common wealth or no let him but looke into this one article and he shall perceiue that euen by the nature of the thing it selfe so many wants miseries distresses and hungers as haue beene since in this kingdome and other flouds of daungers to a ciuill regiment haue flowed from that fountaine The ancient number of parishes in England euery one hauing at the least one Priest or Minister haue beene accompted forty thousand though Camden and later Writers muster a meaner reckning besides Bishoprikes Deaneries Archdeaneries Prebendaries pety Canonries and almost as many Chappels more many of them hauing their particular ministers and diuerse richer Protestant parsons their subcurates and among all these it is a dishonour at this day for a man to be vnmarried Then to make some coniecture in this case because a certainety can not be surueyed lette vs compare this new married broode so giuen to generation to the first inhabitants of countries which of a farre fewer number in processe of time haue growen to so great and populous Nations and because the encrease of the people of Israel in Aegypt is most exactly aboue all others remembred and registred in holy Scriptures which these men receiue I will take an example from them and yet to the Protestant aduantage for the Israelites in Aegypt were persecuted and their children put to death when contrariwise the generation of Ministers in England hath flourished and beene defended The number of the Israelites men women and children entring into Aegypt were onely 70. as is written in Genesis or 75. as it is expounded of saint Stephen if the first suruey of English parishes and ministers is admitted although we alow many of them to haue liued and vnmarried yet numbring their wiues which by chastitie in catholike times also were vnmarried it is probable that for euery maried Israelite there were more than two thousand married ministers for the grand-children of Iacob were not married at that time and if wee admit the least suruey of thirteene thousand fifteene thousand or sixteene thousand parishes yet for euery married Israelite there was a thousand married ministers Within the space of foure hundred yeeres the number of Israelites from the age of one and twenty yeeres vpward besides many more thousands of women children and young people and the whole tribe of Leui one of the twelue which was not nūbred in this account the number of such men amounted vnto six hundred thousands three thousands fiue hundred and fiftie Now let my Protestant Arithmetitians make a calculation of the Ministers ofspring if wee take my least account if their religion should last foure hundred yeeres which is but so long as the true Church of Israelites liued almost pilgrims or captiues yet a true Religion must be such that it carry no destruction to commonwealths though it last for euer as the worship of Christ was instituted to doe then by my meanest reckoning the number of men encreased in that time wil be 603550000 six hundred thousands of thousands three thousand thousands fiue hundred thousands and fiftie thousands which is a greater number to bee added in our nation then many Englands are able to maintaine though we neither reckon woman nor childe What then will the apparell and other expences of this generation be to a little country yet I haue not coūted how many since Protestant Religion haue multiplied in this order which before liued in monasteries and religious houses in chaste and single life by common iudgement little or not inferiour to the former multitude which as it doubleth the number of people encreased so it doubleth the miseries and perplexities of this kingdome Such chargeable bloody and continued warres as England in this time hath had in Fraunce Flaunders and other places both at sea and land are neither easie nor secure to be maintained And to ordaine or permitte multiplication of men to such endes to vtter them by slaughter is wholy Turkish and more like to Canaballs than to Christians And yet if they had not beene to preuent so many marriages and kill so many thousands of men how could this nation haue prouided for so many or how wil it deale hereafter when the present inhabitants haue tasted so many wants Lette vs make an other triall what domage the taking away or neglect of fasting and abstinence in this religion hath broght to our common wealth In Catholicke times besides so many dayes of abstinence whereby many thousands of fishers were maintained and much cattell and flesh preserued there were obserued aboue an hundred fasting dayes with onely one meale in the day if wee account the seuerall dayes of Lent Fridayes Ember dayes Vigils and euens of Saints that were fasted the number of the eaters then were fewer by much as is reckoned by ministers marriages the diet was not so delitious as Protestancie teacheth then let vs giue all aduantage to Protestants in this commission of enquirie and suppose contrary to all iudgements that there be but twelue thousand parishes in England let vs allowe that there be onely in euery parish one with another but an hundred persons menne and women which were wont to fast though this number is much too little let vs further imagine that the expences of euery ones supper would onelie be the value of one penny which is no deare ordinarie yet by this fauourable reckoning euery person in these hundred dayes spareth one hundred pence which is tenne shillings and the hūdred persons of euery parish one hundred times ten shillings which is fiftie pounds which together amounteth yeerely to sixe hundred thousands of poundes besides the consumption of so much victualles originall of so many wants and yet it hath beene credibly reported that of late yeeres vppon generall musters in England