was and what a notable ring leader you haue in your Religion THE XX. REASON Keeping in memory Gods benefits GOd almighty hauing bestowed infinite benefits vpon man beginning euen at his creation demaunded chiefely at his hands as a signe token of gratitude and thankefulnesse that he woulde be mindefull of them and neuer by any meanes suffer them to depart out of his memory And this was the cause of so many Ceremonies of the Celebration of so manie Feates amongest the Israelites The like hath the Catholike ROMANE Church done by ordaining diuers sundry feasts for the due worshiping of God in yelding thankful liuely remebrance of special benefits receiued at his hands namely of the benefite of Redemption which without comparison surpasseth all the rest by calling yeerly to minde by setting before the eies of hir children in a most vniforme maner al that our Sauior did suffered for vs as his Conception his Aduent his Natiuity his Circumcision his Manifestation his Presentation his Baptisme his Fasting his Preaching his Miracles his Passion his Death his Burial his Resurrection his Ascention his sending down of the Holy Ghost his second Aduent c. The which are Celebrated Solemnized and recalled to memory in a most solmne and decent manner with lystories most apte fitte for euery sason and with exacte application of all Shadowes Figures Promises Prophecies and with such like out of the olde Testament as maye testifie and confirme the ChristiaÌ„ faith at Chrst-Masse at Candle-Masse at Shroâ—etide at Lent at Easter at Whitsontide and at other seasons of the yeere And I woulde to God that you were but once present here vpon Christ-Masse Eue at night and vpon Christ-Masse Day to beholde the liuelye representation of our Lords Birthe Oh what Torches what Tapers what Lights what Singing what Sensing what Mirth what Melody what playing vpon Organes and other Instruments what praying vpon Bookes Beades what weeping for ioy and deuotion and what a number of goodlie Ceremonies should you see And as great solemnitie is at other times of the yeare befitting the season Wherby all that our Redeemer did for vs is most liuelie and most freshly renewed in the memorie of mankinde Besides all this there are also celebrated and that verie solemnely the birth dayes not into this world but into heauen of his Apostles Martyrs Confessours Virgins and the feastes of his blessed Mother By all which there is a kind of heauen vpon earth Christ with his Saints and Angels being continuallie seene here after a sort as he is there in face and fruition Thus is he honoured in himselfe thus is he worshiped in his Angels thus is he praised in his Saints And to al this may be added the Dedication of euery particular materiall Church which Feast in England you vsually call the Wakes being a moste solemne Feast to put the Parishioners in minde of that triumphant Church in heauen vvhich they daylie trauaile towardes to recal refresh in memory the day that their parish church was first dedicated to God or to some one of his Saintes vvho in particular sort hath the protection thereof declaring thereby their gratitude and thankefulnes to God for his benefitts of Redemption and calling All these Feastes and solemnities I say doe renew and retaine in the memorie of man the actes and benefittes of his Redeemer and doe mooue and stirre vppe his stonie heart to loue him prayse him and to serue him they doe sette before his eyes the holie liues and happie deaths of his blessed Saintes thereby to make vs to imitate them to honour GOD by them and to praie to them to be a meanes to him for vs that we maie hereafter enioy their blessed company for euer Manie other thinges hath the Catholicke Church ordayned thereby to keepe continuallie in the minde of man the matters afore-saide as Crucifixes Pictures Images and Crosses in euerie common place highwaie vvhich people beholding may presentlie conuerte theyr minde to some heauenlie misterie represented thereby And by these meanes the moste vnlearned amongest the people vvere they young Maidens or olde Wiues knew more of the Mysteries of Christian religion then manie of your Ministers daughters or their wiues yea or some of the Ministers them-selues doe knowe And no marueile when as they haue abolished and abrogated in a manner all Ceremonies and after a sorte all feasts and those who hold themselues the purest doe altogether lay away all Ceremonies Feastes in such sort as you may see theÌ„ doe all kind of work yea vpon Christmasse day it self to make no more account thereof then of anie worke day in the whole yeare And they all haue abolished generallie all Shrines Pictures Images Crucifixes Monumentes and euerie thinge vvhich might present to the minde of the beholder any Misterie or Document of Christian Faith or any good example to be followed they haue leaft their churches as fit to mooue people to pietie and deuotion as theyr barnes are when all the corne and hay is out of them and nothing left to be seene besides the roofes walles and silles Consider here with your selues whether Iewes Turks or Heathens if they had gotten any Catholike countries could haue made greater spoile in the churches or haue left them more bare then the Protestants haue done Or wheather Christians if they had vanquished Heathen countries could haue dealt otherwise with the churches of theyr Idols then the Protestantes haue done with Catholike Churches And besides this they haue defaced throwne down Crosses in Market places in high waies as though they would not suffer nor endure that people by beholding any such thing should remember and call to minde the Passion of their Sauiour This out of all doubt was no smal subtiltie of the Diuel to mooue them vnder some other pretence to make rid all away that should retaine and keepe in peoples mindes that which chieflie they ought euer to haue before the eyes of their minde And verie rediculous it is to see them keepe such a stirre about keeping Holie the Sabboth reiecting al other holy daies whereas they haue no more vvarrant for the solemnizing of the Sondaie then they haue for S. Laurence his day or for any other holy or festiuall daie in all the yeare for other reason or warrant they haue not but the authority of the Catholike Roman Church which instituted and ordained all Festiual dayes by the same Commission that it chaunged the Sabboth of the Iewes which was vpon Saturday into the Sabboth of the Christians vvhich it ordained to be vppon Sunday And in time I assure my self if they should proceede on the Diuell would bring them to lay away Sunday also as hee hath caused some to doe alreadie and consequently the Word and all and so driue them to plaine Atheisme to which many of their brethreÌ„ are driuen to alreadie THE XXI REASON The Protestantes beginning and proceeding against then
wealthes And therefore if Christ be God and the Holie Bible true the religion of the Papists must needes be that religion which he ordayned and lefte to all generations and consequentlye the onelie true and right religion THE II. REASON The name of Catholikes NO man can iustlie deny but that they who euer haue holden the name of Catholikes and haue beene knowne thereby were vndoubtedlie of true religion for that they had euer on their side the Scriptures Miracles Fathers Councells and Martyrs and for that euery one which was against them was euer accounted reputed for an Heretike And the same Catholikes were euer taken as the trounke or as the bodye of the tree and all others bearing the name of Christians as braunches or boughs cutte off the same tree Nowe all the worlde knoweth that whosoeuer in any age was a member of the Romane Church vnder the obedience of the high Bishoppe thereof hee was euer taken for a Catholike and so termed although in these our daies it hath pleased the protestāts to cal such by the name of Papists which indeed is all one with the name Catholikes for that it signifieth such as followe imbrace the Doctrine of that Church which hath for her head vnder Christ the Pope And it is not amisse as Saint Chrysostome saith Hom. 33. in acta to be named of them who gouerne the Church in Christes steede so that they take not their name of any particular man as Heretikes doe But yet the Catholikes are not called Papists but only of a fewe Lutheranes in Germany and of some others their adherents in other countries neere about for in Greece Asia Affrike in the Indies as in Italy Spain Sicily and in other countries of Europe the name of Papistes is vtterly vnknowne The name therefore of Papists is no name commonly vsed but only of a fewe and neuer heard of before Luther inuented it for that hee coulde not call them after the proper name of any one man because there was neuer anye such in the Church which either brought vp anye newe Doctrine or chainged the Religion of his Predecessours whereas contrariwise heretikes haue euer taken their names of some one who began that heresie as the Nestorians of Nestorius the Pelagians of Pelagius Lutherans of Luther Caluinists of Caluin c. And although Luther tearmed them Papists yet knewe he so well in his conscience that they euer had beene and ought to be called Catholikes as that he caused his folowers to chainge their Creede in saying Brist Mo. 1 I beleeue the Christian Church and not ☜ I beleeue the Catholike Church for feare least they should bee thought to confesse that they beleeued in the Church of Rome which euer was called Catholike And it seemeth that the Protestants knowe in their owne consciences the name of heretikes to bee so proper to themselues as that in their translations of the Bible where the name Heretike occurreth they put in place of it a mā that is the author of sects assuring themselues that the Reader finding the worde Heretike or Heresie woulde presently iudge it to be meant of them As for their own name whereby they tearme themselues protestants which name they take from certaine Lutheranes in Germany who first named them selues so differing and disagreeing altogether from these Protestants in Doctrine it is newe and neuer heard of before in the world and of the same quality and condition that the name Zwinglians is of And therefore I conclude with the saying of Saint Hierome Aduers Lucif Chrysost in act hom 33. Iust in Tryph. If any where thou heare them which are sayed to be of Christ to be tearmed not of our Lord Iesus Christ but of some other as Marcionites Valentinians Hil-brethren or Fielde-breethren be thou sure that they are not the Church of Christ but the Synagogue of Anti-christ THE THIRD REASON Vnity and Consent THE Catholike Romane Religion beeing receiued by so manie Nations in Affrica Asia Europa in this last age in both the Indies hath notwithstanding such varietie of wits such diuersity of manners such multitude of tongues and languages such distance of places such numbers of matters to be beleeued yet euer kept Vnity Concord in such peaceable and consonant manner as neuer anie one in England or Ireland which are the vttermost parts of the west-world dissented or disagreed in anye point of Doctrine concerning Faith from him which liued in the vtmost parts of the East But whosoeuer they be or in what place or region soeuer they remain in al the world if they be catholikes or papists if you will call thē so they all haue one Faith one Beleefe one Seruice one number of Sacramentes one Obedience one Iudgement in all with other like pointes of Vnion and Vnitie which maketh a generall vniformitie also in the peace of mens mindes and to be briefe they haue all one heart and one soule But on the other side Act. 4. if you look into the doinges of Protestantes you shall see such discentions such diuisions such schismes such contrariety of opinions as the like was neuer among the Arrians among the Eutychians among the Donatists among the Nestorians among the Valentinians no nor yet amongest the most iarring Heretikes that euer were So as you may plainely beholde in Luther his seed the selfe-same thing that the Poets faine of Cadmus his sowing you may see the Madianytes Amalekites in one tent against the people of God Ouid. Metam lib. 3. Iudic. 7. builders of the tower Babell accusars of chaste Susanna for they are not only different and deuided from the generall body of Catholickes in Christendome with whom they were vnited heretofore but amongst them selues they haue implacable warres I would you did but see what I haue seene in these Countries as concerning the deadly hatreds contentions and discentions of Luther his ofspring as of the Muntzerans Anabaptists Adamites Steblerians Sabbataries Clancularians or Gartenbrijder Manifestarians Daemonians Commonholders Byslipers Howling Anabaptists Dauidgeorgians Memnonites Polygamistes Signifiers Figurers Valewers Pledgers Presentaries Metamorphists Iudaists Neutersacramentaries Image breakers Zelous Lutherans Soft Lutherans or Interimistes New-Arrians Trinitaries Hell-maisters Hell-tormentors Antidaemonians Amsdorfians Antadiaphoristes Antosiandrians Anti-Swenckefeldians Anti Caluinists Hand-impositors Bisacramentarians Sacerdotales Inuisibilists Scripturians Adiaphoristes Trisacramentarians Quadrisacramentarians Luthero Caluinists Semiosiandrians Maiorists Penitentiarians Noui-Pelagians Politicke-Lutheranes Swenckefeldians Osiandrians Stancarians Antistancarians New-Manichees Sternbergers and of such like all which haue sucked their errors out of the dregges of Luthers Doctrine and yet forsooth will be sound Protestantes all And what diuisions you haue there in England you may in some sort know who doe as I thinke now and then heare preachers of different doctrine What combats your Bishops Councellours moderate sort of Protestants haue to defende their Parlimentarie Religion and the QVEENES Proceedinges as they tearme it against Puritans brownists other
themselues slaues to ambition as they did in Scotland or by following Lust and Leacherie or of some such like brutish occasion and neuer indeede vpon anie good ground vsing their religion only as a serueturne when other meanes faile to atchieue theyr vnlawfull desires It is plaine therefore in my iudgement that the Catholiks are they who euer fished simplie and syncerely with Saint Peeters Net and therein haue enclosed myraculous multitudes of fishes and that the Protestantes by theyr extraordinary and late angling haue caught none but such as were in a better and more sound maner taken before And although Freculphus writeth In Chron. tom 2. li. 4 cap. 20. that the Arrian heretikes conuerted the whole nation of the Gothes from Paganysme to the Faith in the time of Valens the Emperour socrates lib. 4. cap. 27. sozom. l. 6 cap. 37. Theodoret lib 4. cap. vlt. yet it appeareth by Socrates Sozomenus and Theodoretus that the greatest part of those Gothes were Catholike Christians before and afterward seduced by the Arrians for Heretikes cannot possiblie conuert anie to such faith as may make the conuerted better then they were before for that they hauing indeede the Scripture in some sort yet haue not the true sense thereof vvhich properly is the sword of the spirit and the wordes are rather the scabard in which the sword is sheathed And therefore they fighting only with the scabard without the sword cannot wound the harts of Infidels And no meruaile though they peruert Catholikes for that men are prone to libertie and to loosenesse of life which by such doctrine is permitted So that they are indeed most aptly by S. Augustine likened vnto Partridges lib. 13. contra faust cap. 12. which gather together young ones which they begot not whereas contrariwise the Holy Church is a most fertle Doue which continuallie bringeth forth new Pigeons THE FIFT REASON largenes of Dominion through the multitude of Beleeuers THE Church vvhich the Messias was to plant must be as is aforesaid dispersed throughout al nations kingdomes as the Holy Prophets most plainely foreshewed and namely the Royall Prophet speaking of the Apostles and Preachers vvhich should Succeede them saieth Psal 18. Theyr sounde went foorth into all partes of the Earth and theyr wordes vnto the endes of the circle of the earth And most manifestlie doth he foretell the largenesse of Christian Religion in the 71. Psalme And S. Iohn saw the foure beasts Apoc. c. 5. the foure and twentie Elders fall downe before the Lambe singing thus Thou art worthie Lord to take the Booke and to open the seales therof for thou hast bin slaine hast redeemed vs to God in thy Blood Cap. 7. out of euery Tribe people Language Nation in another place After these things saith hee I saw a great companie which no man was able to nūber of all Nations Tribes and Peoples and Tongues These thinges with manie such like in Holy writ are no wise verefied in any Religion vnder Heauen but onely in the Romaine Catholike Church for that none but it as euerie man knoweth hath had any large scope to account vpon in any age And it hath beene for these thousand yeares at the least throughout both the Hemyspheres in such sort as the sunne stretcheth not his beames further then it doth and hath done yea there is no tongue nor people nor climate in the vvorlde which hath not heard of in some measure receaued the Catholike Romaine Religion Neither can the Protestantes say that the Church now beginneth to flourish and to dilate it selfe in the worlde after so many ages for that now it is growen olde and aged as is most plaine to say that she increased not in her younge yeares but now in her olde age is to make her a monster She must therefore of necessitie haue growen increased occupied if not all the world yet no doubt the greatest part thereof and so hath the Catholike Romaine Church and none but she done Colloss 1. for in the Apostles time shee began to fructifie in all the world And in S. Irenaeus his time Irenaeus l. 1. cap. 3. Tertul. li. contra Iudaeos ca. 4. Cyprian de vuit eccles Athanas lib. de humanit shee was spreade all ouer the vvorld then knowen as she was afterwards in Tertullian his time and in the dayes of S. Cyprian Athanasius Chrisostome Hierome Augustine Theodoretus Leo the great and Prosper vvho in his booke De Ingratis hath these wordes verbi Chrisost Hieron in Mat. 24. Aug. in Epist 78. 80. ad Hesychium Theod. lib de legibus Leo. Mag. ser 1. de S S. Petro Paulo Sedes Roma Petri quae pastoralis honoris Facta caput mundo quic quid nos possidit armis Religione tenet Which thus may be Englished Rome Peters seate whose Bishop is of Prelates Peereles Lord Religion Lady makes of all which armes do not afford But the Protestantes peraduenture will graunt that the true Church flourished in those dayes but not afterwardes vntill this age in which they haue reformed the same yet is it most manifest that it flourished afterwards euen vntill this our time no lesse then it did before if not more for in Saint Gregory his dayes it was spread all ouer the world as appeareth by his Epistles to the Bishoppes of the East of Afrike Spayne Fraunce England Sicilie And by Saint Bede in cap. 6. cantic In vita S. Bernardi lib. 2. ca. 7. as also by Saint Bernard who disputing before Rogerius King of Sicilie auouched that in those dayes the East all the West Fraunce Germanie England Spaniardes and manie barbarous nations obeyed the Bishop of Rome And in these dayes it is all ouer Italie all ouer Spayne and in Fraunce in most parts of Germanie in Poleland Boheme besides England Hungarie Greece Syria Aethiopia Aegypt in vvhich Landes are manie Catholikes and in the nevve world it flourisheth mightily in al the foure parts of the world Eastward in the Indies Westward in America Northward in Iaponia Southward in Brasilia and in the vttermost parts of Afrike And to name somewhat more in particular some Countries in which it is happely receaued of many if not vniuersally of all but yet in many lāds it is receaued of the greatest parte of the inhabitants in Goa in Malabar in Cochin in Bazain in Colā in Tana in Daman in Ciaul in Coran in Salsetta in Pescaria in Manar in Trauancor in Cogiro in Bugen in Cicungo in Cicugne in Oian in Gomotto in Gensura in Xichi in Ormuz in Ternate in Momoia in Ambonio in Macazar in Cerignano in Siligan in Butuan in Pimiliran in Camigu in Supa in Sian in Bacian in Solar in Malacca in Tidor in Selebi and in the Ilandes of S. Thomazo S. Domingo Madera and in all those innumerable Islandes vvhich the King of Spayne there possesseth So that the Catholike Romaine Religion hath had and
alleadgeth the Doctours most is most praysed of the audience as you vvell know which is a pittifull thing in thē and ridiculous in the Preacher vvho cannot but know if he haue read any of them himselfe that the Fathers detest vtterly that Doctrine which hee wresteth them to confirme and in the meane time the pore audience thinketh that they were of this new Religion vvhose simplicitie therein is most pittifullie abused by the Preacher THE XI REASON Triall of Trueth IT is manifest by the Holye Scriptures that it appertaineth to the Church to try to discerne spirits as also to determine to decide doubts And agreeably therunto shee hath in all ages mastered ouer-ruled captiuated the vnderstanding of euerye one were hee neuer so wise neuer so learned or had he neuer so extraordinary giftes except he obstinatly defended an errour which if he did hee was condemned for an heretike so came to nothing The Chatholike Church I saye directed by the Holye Ghost hath euer separated from the trueth all moales all singular opinions al errours and corruptions in euerie mans workes and writings in such sorte as that easilie and securelye euerie one maie knowe the trueth And certainelie the Protestantes although they saye that they giue no credite to the CHVRCH but so farre forth as they finde in their Scriptures doe can not otherwise but receaue the same Scriptures vppon the Catholike Romane Churches credit also the three Creedes of the Apostles of Athanasius and of Nice and some Articles of beleefe as the Holy Ghost to proceed from both the Father the Sonne yet as from one beginning and many tearmes as Person Trinitie Consubstantiall Sacraments c. which none coulde euer haue inuented but onely the Catholike Church Neyther is it possible for any man to know whether this Bible which is vsed amongest Christians be the true word of God indeede or some fained thing but onely vppon the Catholike Romane Churches credit And Saint Augustine confesseth plainely that he would not beleeue the Ghospell but that the authoritie of the Catholike Church moued him thereunto Con. Epist Manich. c. 5. lib. 2. de doct Chr. cap. 8. And by the same Churches authoritie hee was mooued to beleeue the bookes of Tobie Iudith Canticles Wisedome Ecclesiasticus Machabees c. as he himself sincerelie affirmeth And surely it is wōderfull to see how the Church of God receauing the Olde Testament from the Iewes and manifesting to the world the Canon of the Holy bookes of the new Testamēt hath in al times in so many alterations and chaunges kept from the destruction corruption of Heretikes Iewes and Panims the whole authenticall corps of Holy Scripture in such maner as no Heretike in the world can charge her with adding or diminishing the least iote thereof Iudge you here whether the madnes of these new fellowes be worthie to be wondred at or no who doe credit and beleeue the Church in this point and will not doe the same in others Why should they rather trust the Church in this thē in other things And I would euery man would here consider the wonderfull integritie of the Catholike Romane Church in keeping the Holy Bible so entire and vncorrupted these fifteene hundred yeares together at the least and the atheisticall treacherie of these of the the new Religion who occupying no Bible nor hauing to doe with the holy scriptures for a thousand yeares togeather as they themselues confesse haue after the vniust vvresting it out of the handes of the iust possessors thereof robbed the Church of so many whole bookes besides of so manie partes and particles of the same What these fellowes would bring the Holy Bible vnto in time if they shuld hold on they may easily gesse vvho know their manifold corruption therof in so few yeares And yet forsooth they vvill haue all controuersies to be tried by only scriptures which if they were not by them corrupted falselie translated yet could theye neuer finde out any secure truth by them only for that none of them alloweth anie other mans exposition but his owne and in so dealing they can but haue a gesse or an opinion or fantasie but no faith at all Which thing to declare more plainely I aske the Protestant how he relying vpon only scripture can shew mee certainely vvhich bookes be Scripture and which not And if hee be vnlearned how knoweth hee that the translation which hee vseth is truely made out of Hebrew Greeke Latine And then how is hee sure of the sence exposition And if he be neuer so learned haue neuer so many helps all that hee can search and finde out is but a priuate mans opinion and consequentlie his Faith which hee seemeth to haue is grounded vpon his owne particular iudgement and so indeed is no faith at all but an opinion onely as I said before for faith must haue Gods expresse authoritie for her foundation Here you may consider the miserable state and condition of your newe Ghospellers in that forsaking the Catholike and vniuersall faith of Christendome deliuered to thē by the vniuersal Church as founded vppon Scripture vvhich Church Christ and his Apostles gaue thē expresse Commission to beleeue which was properly Faith founded vpon a rocke which could not faile in that forsaking I say that fortres they cast themselues into the waues of new opinions whereby they haue no certaintie at all but euery one chuseth vvhat hee liketh to himselfe vvhich choise is properly called Heresie and so the word signifieth And let anie Protestant in our Countrie of England tell mee why he doth rather beleeue his owne iudgement in points of Religion then the iudgement of Luther Caluin and Beza whome he thinketh were so excellent men for euery one that hath any learning knoweth that they taught otherwise then now is taught in England This you may plainely see the only touchstone of truth to be the Catholike Church which cannot faile and that they who cleaue to her iudgement haue most vndoubtedly the truth whereas on the other side they who ground only vpon Scriptures expounding them according to their owne fantasie and braine playing the Maisters and Pilots and Boat-swaines themselues admitting no iudge no interpreter no antiquitie nor any other manner of tryall which is the greatest madnesse and malediction that can be must needes be destitute of all certaintie and of all Religion and of all stay and of all foundation and of all rule and of all order and must needes wrangle and iangle without end and without meanes to make an end and must needes cause Nouelties without number and libertie of life without feare or force of Ecclesiasticall Discipline to restraine them and to conclude they haue no meanes to rest vntill the end in Atheisme THE XII REASON The vse and custome of the Church THE vse custome and practise of the Church hath as it vvas in the prime thereof beene alvvaies an infallible rule to
direct and order thinges by This the Apostle after manie arguments to prooue that women should not be beareheaded in Churches applyed as a Fort most stronge and inuincible to beare downe the gain-sayers thereof If any man saith hee notwithstanding mine argumentes doe seeme to be contentious 1. Cor. 11. we haue no such custome as women to pray vncouered nor the Church of God And agreeablie vnto this Saint Augustine saith If the whole Church throughout the world doe vse any thing Epist 118. cap. 5. onely to call in question wheather that thing should be so done is a point of most proude or most straunge madnesse And for this cause against the Pelagians hee argueth ordinarilie out of the Churches custome proouing Children to be borne in sinne Epist 105. because the Church doth Baptize them for Remission of sinnes And because the Church vseth to Exorcise them and to blowe vpon them therefore the Diuell hath power ouer them and that by sinne And to this saith hee the Pelagians with all theyr crafte coulde not answere for they durst not say as the Protestants say wee care not for the Churches custome wee weigh not thereof De bono perseu ca. 23. Manie such like argumentes hath the same Saint Augustne else vvhere But in few vvordes the custome of the church was a thing so vndoubted as neuer any Heretike before this our age durst aduenture to stand against the same altogether But Heresies euer consisted only in some matter of erronious iudgement and false opinion but the teachers thereof neuer went about to chaunge the face of Religion as to take away the Sacrifice of the Church as the Protestants are bold to doe And surelie in this point the malepeartnesse and desperate boldnesse of the new Ghospellers is wonderfull who durst not onely attempt to chaunge diuers pointes of the Churches vse practise which in all ages of all men was accounted so heinous an offence to doe but also made no bones to take all quite away Customes Ceremonies Orders yea and the Holie Masse it selfe placing insteede thereof in some places Chapters and Psalmes ill translated into the Vulgar tongue in some other places Ballades made of Psalmes commonlie called Geneua Psalmes vvith rayling Sermons and in other places other stuffe as best pleased the humors of the deuisers thereof And to these new inuentions forsooth must the common people be compelled to come and to forsake renounce the Seruice and Sacrifice of the Catholike Church left by God Almightie and continued euer through out all Generations as it must doe manger all Protestants heades euen vnto the worlds end THE XIII REASON Doctrine THAT Church vvhose Doctrine tendeth to Mortification and Holinesse of life must needes be the true Church and consequentlie directed by Gods holie Spirit and contrariwise that Sect or Congregation which teacheth the contrarie is most vndoubtedly false and consequentlie guided by an euill spirit This is so manifest as it needeth no proofe for euery man knoweth that the Catholike Church is called Holy because it professeth or teacheth nothing but that which is Holie Now if a man consider duelie the Doctrine of the Romane Church he shall finde it to be of the former sort and easilie he may perceaue the Doctrine of this new religion to be of the latter But I vvill not heere speake of the fruites of CATHOLIKES and Protestants although indeede there be no comparison in life for that euery one seeth and easilie confesseth the Catholikes to liue most vprightlie Saint-like but I speake of that which their religion teacheth them to doe for of that especially our Lord meant vvhen he said Math. 7. You shall know them by theyr fruites First therefore to declare this pointe if you compare the clergie of the Romane Religion vvith these new Clergie men you may see the Orders and Institutions of the one sorte to mooue them to mortification to the contempt of earthly things and the institution of the other to prick them forward to all vanitie to carnall libertie for a Priest of the Catholike Church receaueth in a most solemne manner seauen Orders whereof three are called Holie because they are about Sacred and holie thinges as the Body Blood of our Sauiour holy vessels c And euery thing which the said priest must vse is holy and therefore there is required in him the greatest puritie possiblie to be had so as he must haue and thoughts free from all carnallitie and worldly thinges and for such like causes he is restrained from marriage although it be in it selfe honorable instituted by God himselfe but yet who so is yoaked therein must needes apply himselfe to worldly affaires and so is diuided as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 7. And because he is restrained from marriage bound to liue Chaste or continent hee may not vse anye trimming or tricking vp of himselfe in amorous attyre nor vse any dalliance or fondnes with weomen but euer remembring that he is as a dead man in regarde of such thinges he must be far from such lightnesse but on the other side the Protestant Minister hauing receiued no Orders but a certaine kinde of Deaconshippe and Ministershippe of their owne inuention and hauing no Holy or Sacred thinges to deale withal but left to all liberty of winning rewinning which he cannot ordinarily doe without woing woe he cannot handsomely without hee something tricke trimme vp himselfe to allure please the eie of his sweet hart must needes goe trickly with faire starched ruffes fine mousaches trimme tuscalonians vse amorous glaunces yea that sometimes when they are reading their Chapters in the Church with a thowsand such-like fonde foolishe inconueniences which ensue thereupon Furthermore the Romane Religion teacheth Restitution of goods wrongfully taken and of all wronges whatsoeuer which brideleth and restraineth people from bribery extortion theft vsury symony from such like But the Protestants medling litle with such doctrine leaueth al at large to his folowers without restraint of any such crime The Catholike religion teacheth obseruatiō of vowes promises which must needes cause great trust fidelity in the professors therof the Protestant teacheth that they bind not in cōscience which openeth the doare to distrust and maketh the people that one wil not trust another but must haue him in bandes with suerties with all fastnes possible to be deuised The Catholike religiō teacheth abstinēce fasting which mortifieth our bodies enricheth our coūtry the Protestāt teacheth to eat flesh al kinds of meats euery day as often as the belly desireth which causeth plenty of lust in the carcase dearth scarcity in the cōmon-wealth The Catholike Religion forbiddeth Land-Lords to raise their rents except vrgēt occasion driue thē so to doe by which prohibition infinite nūbers of people be benefited holpe the Protestant teaching the Land-Lord to doe what he list with his owne ruyneth and vtterly beggereth
thowsandes of poore people The Catholike religion teacheth Marriage to bee indissoluble so as they who be once lawefully Married can neuer be so diuorsed as either partye maie euer Marry againe whilest the other liueth which causeeth Man and Wife to beare much one with the other knowing there is noe hope of chaunging but the Protestant teaching that they may Marry again yeeldeth them occasion one easilie to dislike of the other beeing both in hope to marry againe and to chainge as ofte as they liste The Catholike religion teacheth that al Laws of magistrates which bee not expreslye against the word of God doe bind the subiects in conscience to obay them not onely openly but also in secret whereupon doe followe peace quietnesse and obedience to Superiours but the Protestant teaching the contrary bringeth Magistrates into contempte and causeth al disorder in the Common-wealth The Catholike religion teacheth differences of sinnes some to be more grieuous than others some Mortall some Veniall and that Concupiscence or naturall inclination to lust of it selfe is no sinne whereupon Catholikes are taught to striue against this motion knowing it to be no offence except they yeelde vnto it and also they manfully fight against greater sinnes although they cannot easily auoide lesser or Veniall offences but the Protestant teaching that euery sinne be it neuer so small doth deserue damnation and Concupiscence to be sinne which no man can auoid maketh people to leaue all to God his mercy but neuer to resiste sin nor motion thereunto for that in his opinion it is but lost labour so to do The Catholike Religion teaceth rewarde of good and bad life in the worlde to come which causeth people to endeuour to doe al good workes and to auoide all euill as farre forth as possibly they can but the Protestant teachching the contrary giueth the people occasion to be negligent in dooing of good and little or nothing fearfull to doe euill The Catholike Religion teacheth Confession to a Priest of all deadly sins which we can remember vnder paine of damnation which restraineth people from sinne causeth them particularly to be wel instructed and counseled but the Protestant taking that away setteth open a doare to all wickednesse and to losenesse of life as also to ignorance The Catholike Religion teacheth Satisfaction to be donne either in this life or in Purgatory in the next which causeth people to vndertake willingly penal works as fasting praier almese-deeds c. vpoÌ„ the consideration of this of rewarde in Heauen they builded so many goodly Churches Colledges Monasteries Hospitalles Schooles c. they gaue such large Almes they punished their bodies with Fasting and wearing of hair-cloath they watched they praied they Married pore fatherlesse children did a thowsande kinds of such like good works but the Protestant denying Satisfaction and taking away Purgatorye robbeth the pore of their Almes children of their education the sicke of their releefe maketh meÌ„ vnwilling to doe any good worke at all The Catholike Religion teacheth Free-wil which causeth people to endeuour to doe good to flie froÌ„ euil the Protestant taking it away discourageth men vtterly from doing good workes for who will goe about a thing which is not in his power or for the which if he did it he shall haue no recompence The Catholike Religion teacheth the holy Masse to be a Sacrifice in which the very Body and Bloode of our Sauiour is offered vp which maketh people so deuout reuerent at the seruice thereof as that they kneele altogether pray continually giue atteÌ„dance to no other thing for that time therupon it commeth that they beare such respecte reuerence to Priestes but the Protestant allowing nothing but certaine chapters psalmes and collects to be read in the vulgar toung giueth the people occasioÌ„ to be vndeuout irreligious vnreuerent for that they see nothing worthie of reuerence Heereupon you may see the people at the Protestants seruice some staring about them with out Boke or Bead in their hands some walking some talking some â—angling but none kneeling or praying or vsing any reuerence at al either to seruice or to minister no maruel when euery one of theÌ„ if he can but read can play the minister at home as wel as the best curate of theÌ„ al. Many such differences of doctrine might be set down â—â— are the publishers and maintainers Heretikes Protestants the destroyers and denyers thereof for the Catholike affirmeth Baptisme of childreÌ„ to be necessarie the Protestant denyeth it The Catholike affirmeth men to be iustified by inherent iustice the Protestant denyeth it The Catholike affirmeth certaine preparations to be necessarie to iustification on the behalfe of maÌ„ the protestant denyeth it The Catholike affirmeth good works to be necessarie and to haue theyr reward the Protestant denieth it The Catholike affirmeth that we haue free vvill the Protestant denieth it The Catholike affirmeth that vvee may keepe the Commaundementes the Protestant denyeth it The Catholike affirmeth humane Lawes agreeable to GODS WORD to bynde in conscience the Protestant denyeth it The Catholicke affirmeth seauen SACRAMENTS the Protestant denyeth fiue if not all The Catholike affirmeth Priest-hoode the Protestant denyeth it The Catholicke affirmeth single life of the Cleargie the Protestant denyeth it The Catholicke affirmeth Pennance the Protestant denyeth it The Catholicke affirmeth Contrition the Protestant denyeth it The Catholicke affirmeth Confession Satisfaction Indulgences Prayer for the deade Exequyes Anniuersaries the Protestant denyeth them all The Catholicke affirmeth the Reall Presence the Sacrifice of the holie Masse Aultars and all thinges belonging thereunto the Protestant denyeth them all The Catholicke affirmeth vvorshipping of Saintes prayer vnto them feastes of them adoration of theyr Riliques and Images the Protestant denyeth all The Catholicke affirmeth trimming vpp of Churches Ceremonies Singing Pilgrimages Supremacie of Saint Peeter Monasticall vowes choyce of meats and fasting the Protestant denyeth all The Catholicke affirmeth all the Bible to be Canonicall Scripture the Protestant denyeth diuers partes thereof The Catholike affirmeth the perpetuall virginitie of our blessed Lady the Protestant denyeth it The Catholike affirmeth the Church to be visible the Protestant denyeth it And many moe such like pointes of Christian Doctrine the Catholik Church deliuereth to her Children as she hath receaued them from her Spouse Christ which the Protestant vtterlie denieth and indeede affirmeth or putteth downe nothing more then he found before in the said Catholike Church wherby you may see their Doctrine to be altogeather nothing but meere negations flatt denyals and so I see plainely that by their Negatiue Doctrine they haue profited the Christian world nothing at all but haue taken away from it much of that which it had and in this manner as they are any horse or asse if he could but speake as Balaams Asse did so it were but one worde that is Nego might be as good a Protestant as the best of them all Neyther can it
to be Antichrist the catholike church to be the Synagogue and stewes of Sathan yet stayed he himselfe not so but stil plaied the Proteus euen vnto his end for at Wormes before the Emperour although he professed himself an enimy to the Church yet he maintained the sacrifice of the Masse said it stil himselfe as also prayer to Saintes for the dead Purgatory Communion vnder one kind many such like Catholike points all which 9. yeares after before the same Emperour he vtterly denied The same inconstancy was in his Disciples Melanchton Caluin Bucer and in them of Wittenberge in the Anabaptistes and in such like as also in your Protestantes there in England And I pray you vvhat a chaunging and turning in and out was there of your COMMVNION Booke For first the deuisers thereof highly commended it and affirmed it to be agreeable to Christs institution to the seruice of the Primitiue Church and a while after they vtterly misliked it and disauthorising it they set foorth another in principall pointes quite contrary to the former yet they affirmed that also to be according to Christs institution iump as the vse was in the Primitiue Church And yet how this is approued liked of your Preachers ministers you cānot but know who see behold such carping and finding fault thereat and such contempt therof as that the Minister who doth obserue duely the order thereof is accounted a temporizer or a cold Protestant I might say an Atheist for his labour And he who can most contemne it and can wed burie baptize minister the Communion and doe such like after some other new fashion of his owne inuenting is accounted a iollie fellow a man of zeale What stirre is there I pray you in euerie sheire yea almost in euerie parish about the Ministers obseruing the order of this theyr booke of COMMON PRAYER What holde and tye is there betweene the Parishioners and theyr Curate What a doe is there and hath beene from the beginning about the Communion One vvhile it must be done in cōmon leauened Bread by and by not so but in vnleauened Bread after in loafe Bread althogh your cup euer had wine in it till now of late that som do begin to take insteed therof good nappy ale the like inconstancie you might see in placing the cōmunion table for first it must be placed in the middle of the quire then in the bodie of the church after in the chācel again as the altar was one while the minister must turne his face towards the south another while towards the north and another while towards the east wherby al wise men may see that thē your religion first began and neuer was in the vvorld before for if euer it had bin before you might surely haue had some president by which you might haue ordered these things And to speake plainelie what I obserue I finde a great cause of your inconstancie in Doctrine to be aduantage and disaduantage for your religion is framed only to serue turnes times for when they were but few in number by wresting the Scriptures they taught that Christes flocke vvas but little Iewell in Apol. and therefore they gloried much in theyr small number but after that their opinions were spreade through Germanie Fraunce Englande Scotland and in other Countries they vaunted much and argued that theyr Doctrine must needs be true because it was spread so largely When it serued their turne they stoutly defended with tooth and nayle Goodman Knoxe that a woman might not lawfully gouerne a realme no not in ciuill or temporall matters but within a while after when it fitted their purpose they taught as they yet doe that a woman may rule a realme not only in temporall thinges but the Church also in spiritual causes Whē it serued their turne Luth. tom 3. Ger. Iē fol. 115. they taught that it was a horible thing to put me to death for Religion and expresly against the word of god but when they had gotten the sword they cried out in sermōs on the contrary side neuer left off vntil it was decred by publike authority that those who wer not of their religiō shuld suffer death therfore Whē it fitted their purpose Tom. 5. I◠Ger. f. 157. a f. 444. 159. 491. Tom. 1. Germ. fol. 537. Colloq Mens f 4. in fine lib. ses 3. b they taught that none ought to preach but he who was allowed and licensed by the Magistrate afterwarde vpon other occasion they wrote that a Christian man may without leaue of any person take vpō him that function One while they taught that the BIBLE was the plainest and the most easiest booke in the worlde to bee vnderstoode anotherwhile they wrote vpō aduantage that it was vnpossible for any man to vnderstande throughly any one worde in the Bible for that it was so obscure profound One while they taught that no Commentaries of SCRIPTVRES written by men Melancth in Loc. cō ann 1524. must be receiued yea that they must be shunned as a plague or pestilence anotherwhile they themselues set forth Commentaries and Postilles and obtruded them to the people To. 2. Ger. fol. 255. a f. 404. a One while they teache that all men ought to be iudges of doctrine religion another-while they teache that no man no not an Angel must iudge thereof And a thowsand such like contradictions proofes of vnconstancy and chaunge maye you find in their doctrine which here further to account would be ouer tedious I vvill therefore end with the saying of Gregorie Duke of Saxonie We doe know what these fellowes doe teach this yeare but what they will teach the next yeare we cannot gesse THE XVIII REASON False Prophets and Teachers THe Prophets Apostles Christ himselfe fore-tolde that in the latter dayes there should come false Prophets and to the end wee should take heed of them they painted them foorth in their colours whereby they might easilie be knowne Now it can not be denyed but that wee be in the latter dayes and therefore we must be verie vigilant and watchfull to discerne to know these seducers when they come And conferring the Preachers afore-saide with the manners of these Protestants we doe plainly se◠that they be the verie same vvhich were foretold and as it were pointed at by the finger of God for first they come vnsent Ierm 13. as Ieremie fore-tolde in these wordes I did not sende them and they did runne for certaine it is that they neyther haue orders as they ought to haue nor any Consecration or right calling for they were not sent by the Catholike Church as is manifest but vtterly condemned for Heretikes and when any of them is conuerted to the Romane Religion they plainely see that they haue no more to doe with any spirituall function thē other laymen haue But on the contrarie side if any Priest of
all for at Wittenberge he was a Lutheran at Colone halfe a Catholike in England a Zwinglian euerie where of euerie Sect. I could easily shew the like dealing against theyr consciences and knowledge in diuers other principall Protestants namelie in your countriman I well who in citing and coating Scriptures Doctors Councels and other Authors doth so rent and teare in peeces the text inuert the sense chaunge and alter the words and pull out of the sentence by peece meale some little parcell which is forced to sound for his purpose whē as he cannot but see plainelie that the Author speaketh cleane contrarie as any man may wonder to see a man so desperatly and damnably shamelesse as openly in the view of the whole world to shew himselfe without God or conscience but mine intended breuitie will not admit any moe allegations in this place When I had found out the Premisses to bee moste true and had duelie weighed with my selfe the dealinges of these new Gospellers I thought it better to aduenture my soule vvith all the vvhole Christian world of all ages who had their consciences most quiet caulme and ioyfull then with a few desperate fellows who thus deale against their owne knowledge and consciences and so shewe themselues most impudent shamelesse to the whole world THE XXII REASON Vnreuerent dealing THE Catholike Romane Church hath euer both in doing speaking and euery manner of way borne great repect and reuerence towardes Gods holy Saints and towards all holy things in regard of him from whom proceedeth all holines as in reuerent entring into the Church in reuerent taking of holie-water in reuerent behauiour towards the holy Aultars towards pictures images of the saints of God in reuerent and meeke kneeling in reuerent deuout praying in all reuerence and attention at the holie Masse and in euery action and iest which Catholikes vse in the Church you may see great reuerence humble veneration But contrariwise amongst the Protestants as all thinges are prophane so are they moste prophanely vsed They enter into theyr Churches with no greater reuerence thē they enter into tauerns they bow or make reuerence to nothing therin for that they haue made all Sacred things away if any of them kneele it is but vpon thornes for full soone are they vp againe thē with their hats vpon their heads they eyther iangle or talke or walke or sitte staring about them as if they waited to see when the players would come foorth vppon the stage or else the good fellowes go to the ale-house where now thē they find their minister drinking his morning draught before he go to his seruice to drink a pot or two of nappy ale that thereby they may the better hold out the seruice time during which space they stand gazing staring vpō their Minister as a Countrie clowne which neuer was in London before doth gaze when he goeth downe Cheap-side at the Gold-smithes stauls or els they stare one vpon another like as theeues do when they are taken in a robery or els some of them walke without in the warme sonne make theyr bargaines and generallie you doe see no more deuotion there then you doe in a Faire or Market no man nor womā saying one praier but all waiting for that which they cā neuer haue in that state the peace of God The which being hastely chopped vp they rush and gush out of the Church as water doth out of a mill pole when the flood yeates are sodainely plucked vp no man moouing lip or legge but striuing vvho shall be soonest at his pottage Neither doe they vse any reuerence to their Minister no nor yet to his wife but account of thē as they are indeed most abiect persons And no meruaile when as their superintendents whom they tearme Bishops are little esteemed of among their Diocesanes especially among Gentlemen are least accounted of among Barrons and other Noble men vvho disdaine their companie contemne their presence whereas amongst Catholikes Priests haue euer bin greatlie reuerenced Bishoppes and Prelats highly honoured all Cleargie men much esteemed and theyr companie presence of all sorts desired reuerently accepted of The same reuerent respect haue Catholikes euer obserued in speaking in making mention of Gods Books Angels Saints or of such like holy things for speaking of such they vsually say The holie Bible or the holie Scriptures the holie Ghospell the blessed Sacrament the holie Sacraments c. And of Angels Saints the holy Angels S. Michael S Gabriel c. And the French more reuerentlie vse to say Mounsieur S. Michael Mounsieur S. Pierre c. Our blessed Lady or the holie virgin S. Marie or the mother of God S. Peeter S. Paul S. Amb. S. August S. Greg. S Hierome S. Bernard c. and generally in speaking of Holie thinges they vse Holie tearmes But the Protestants shew as little reuerence deuotion in speaking as they doe in dooing for they speake no more reuerentlie of such then they do of the prophanest things they haue They tearme all as if they vvere in puris natalibus The Bible the Word the Testament the Communion book Baptisme Bread the Supper Angels Michel Gabriel Peter Paul Marie or Marie the virgin Ambrose Austen Gregorie the Pope Hierome the monke Bernard the Abot c. with as great inciuilitie irreuerence and want of good manners as if rude Countriemen in talking of her Maiesties Nobles should say the Keeper the Treasurer the Admirall Essex Southampton Monioy c. or insteede of naming men of worshippe by their Christian names shuld say Tom Dick Wil Robin Iacke Hodge c. Which diuersitie of dealing when I considered it with my selfe I could not but think deeme the Protestants profession voide of all impression of pietie and deuotion contrariwise in the Catholike Church to be all sincere affection and celestiall humilitie towards almightie God and towards al things appropriated to his seruice as also towards those who are the greatest partakers of his heauenlie fauour THE XXIII REASON Resembling in Doctrine and deedes old Heretikes Irenaeus l. 1. cap. 20. Theo lib. 1. Haeretic fab Aug. here 's 54. Hist trip l. 8. cap. 9. I HAVE conferred the Doctrine deedes manners of Protestants with those of the old Heretikes long since condemned by the Catholicke Church I find thē little or nothing at all to differ for as touching Doctrine the protestants hold with Simon Magus that good workes are not meritorious they renounce the Pope with Nouatus they refuse to faste on such dayes as the Church hath prescribed Hierom in prae in dia. aduer Pelag Aug. de her cap 45. Epiph. l 3 her 75 Hier. lib. 1. cō Iouin idem coa vigilant ad Exuperium and denie free-wil with the Manichees they denie sacrifice and praier for the dead with Aeriu with Iouiniā they put no differences of sins nor make virginity any better thē
mariage they permit no tapers nor lights in their churches they speak against worshiping of Saints and despise holie reliques of blessed Martyrs with Vigilantiu they take away the oblatioÌ„ of the sacrifice the hallowing of Chrisme with Eutyches Leo Epist 75. Aug. here 's 88. de pec merit lib. 3. cap. 5. loa Shutâ— lib. 50. causarum cap. 18. they teach that childreÌ„ may be saued without baptisme therefore that it is not of necessitie with the Pelagians they bragge with the Donatistes that all the world hath swarued from the right faith and they onely are the true Church And all the rest of theyr doctrine in a maner is borrowed thus of old heretiks which here particularly to set downe my breuity will not permit The like cobaerence agreement they haue with the old heretikes in deeds maners for I haue found by experience that the Protestant preachers expect Euseb l. 7. Hist c. 26. and desire great applause of their hearers as Paulus Samosatenus did of his followers they ouerthrow Aultars Opt. lib. 6 contr Do. abuse the blessed Sacrament handle despitefullie Holie Chrisme as the Donatistes did they faigne causes and come excuses why they will not goe to Generall Councels Aug. lib. 3. con Crescon Gram mat ca. 45. hist trip lib. 5. c. 34. as the saide Donatistes Macedonius and Dioscorus did The Donatistes also fained that diuers Bishops vvho were absent and that one who was dead did take theyr part against Catholickes therby to make theyr nuÌ„ber to seeme greater and there in England vvhen not somuch as one Catholicke Bishop could be induced by any perswations promises gifts or honours to consent to their Protestancy yet were not the Protestantes ashamed to abuse the Queenes Highnesse vvith this fained Supplication Anno. 1. Reginae Elizabethae Most humblie beseech your most excellent Maiestie your faithfull and obedient Subiects the Lordes spirituall and temporall c. The same Donatistes did torment moste cruellie Catholicke Priests plucking out the eyes of some Aug. Pon. com Epist 50. and of one Bishoppe they cut out the tongue and hand and murdered manie And the Protestantes of late in Fraunce did the like to Catholicke Priests and besides tying haulters about their neckes they drewe them dispiteouslie after theyr horses that done they cut off theyr eares noses priuie partes they ware their eares in their hats insteed of brooches and finally they either hanged vp their carcasses Claud. de Sanctis in lib. du SacrameÌ„t des eglyses or else shot them through with Pistolles of others they hackled and mangled their faces of othersome to trie force strength they did cleaue in two at one stroke their heades and of an old Religious man at Mans they first cut off his priuie parts then they fried them after they forced him to swallow them downe and last of all they did rip his stomake being yet aliue and see what was become thereof At S. Macharius they buried the Catholikes quicke they cut Infants in two they ripped the bellies of Priests and drew out their intrals by little little winding them about a sticke or tree At Patte a village some 6. leages from Orleaunce they burned Catholiks threw infants into the fire there to perish with the rest And manie other like outrages and barbarous cruelties they coÌ„mittd which who so desireth to know Victor de persec vaÌ„ l. 1. cap. 3. l 1. cap. de offic praef praetor lib. 3 Episc Egipti Epist ad Marcum Papaem may find them set downe by Claudius de Saintes in his booke noted before iâ— the margent The ArriaÌ„ heretikes troadeth B. Sacrament vnder their feet they ouerthrew the churches in Africa made of theÌ„ stables for their horses of Altars clothes vestments they made shirts and breeches they burned the bookes and carried the ornaments of the Churches away And how the Protestants haue abused the B. Sacrament spoiled churches burned bookes and haue not onlie made breeches shirts cushions but euen coats for players dizzardes of holy vestments Aultar clothes you cannot but know Theod. lib 1. cap. 6 Iulian that wicked Aapostata robbed Churches spoiled the Cleargy of their priuiledges banished the Priestes ouerthrew Aultars caused the sacrifice to cease reproued the Christians for doing reuerence to the Crosse Cyrill lib. 6. contra Iulian. l. 10 coa eundem and for making the signe thereof in their foreheades for painting it vpon the dores of theyr houses and for worshipping the Reliques of Mattyrs for visiting their tombes for praying to them at theyr graues Zozom li. 5. cap 12. and Sepulchres and termed them deadmeÌ„ hee ouerthrew destroyed the images pictures of Christ he brake open the shâ—ne wherein the bones of S. Iohn Baptist vvere religiouslie kept Theod. lib 5. cap. 6. burned them dispersed abroad the ashes Now whether the Protestants haue iumped iust into the steps of this wicked Apostata in doing the like or no I leaue to your iudgement knowledge consideration Zozom li. 5. cap 21 Athan. lib. de passion imag Chr. The Panims or heatheÌ„ men brake the image of christ the Iewes crucified it as theyr Elders had done Christ himselfe the Iew in in whose house it was fouÌ„d was troubled for it brought before the high priest for that he seemed by keeping that picture that hee was a Christian And doe not the Protestants euen as the Heathens and Iewes did The Iew was thought to be a fauourer of Christ because he kept his picture in his house and why should not Catholikes by the like reason be iudged fauourers and louers of Christ for hauing his Image in theyr Churches houses and chambers Or why should not Protestantes be deemed aduersaries and enimies to Christ as the Iews and Heathens were seeing they can no more endure his Picture or Crosse then they could The old Heretikes as Nestorius Socrat. lib. 7. hist cap. 23. Eus lib 6. cap. 55. lib. 7. c. 24. Nicephor lib. 6 cap. 30. Theodor. lib. 1. cap. 4 Nouatus Paulus Samosatenus the Arrians others were out of measure proud arrogant and wonderfullie conceited of themselues contemning the Doctours of the Church which had writttn before them and preferring them-selues before all others whatsoeuer the verie same doe the Protestants in a most proude and arrogant manner and the ringleader and Father of them all is not ashamed to breake out into these speeches Lutherus col mens I haue Excommunicated Origine long agoe there is nothing singuler in Athanasius fol. 474. 460. 932. 476 477. 17. Tertullian is very superstitious I make no count of Chrisostome for he is but a pratler Basil plainely is nothing worth hee is altogether a Monke Cyprian the Martyr is a weake Diuiner Hierome ought not to be numbred amongst the Doctours of the Church for he was an Heretike amongst all the
Cirinth for the Apostles Lib. 3. c. 30 and their schollers as witnesseth Nicephorus vvere so warie in this case that they would not so much as once reason the matter with any of them that endeuoured by their leasinges to corrupt the truth And holy Ignatius boldly affirmeth that Epist 6. ad Philadelphenses vvho so flieth not from a false preacher shal be damned into Hell 13 I should be partaker of all their wickednes consequently in daunger of al the punishment mischiefe which may befal them especially being present with them at the deede wherein principally they offend God from vvhich thing I am discouraged by the terrible death of all thē which were in company with the Schismatikes Chore Num 16. Dathan and Abiron which example as saith Saint Cyprian ought to mooue vs not to assiste or further Hereticall oblations Cyp. Epist 76. praiers sermons and errours 14 I should contrary to the iudgements of the learned of all Religions for the Gentiles thought it not lawfull to enter into the Iewes Synagogues Lact lib. 4. 5. diuin instit cur Senec de hist mahom chronic Wolsang Drisl Eus lib. 3. 4. Aug. li. de vnit Ecl. lib. 2. coa Petilian Ioh. Gard. in his Cat. art 86. or into Christiā Churches The Turks at this day refuse to doe the same the Arrians Donatists and such like would not one goe to anothers conuenticles nor to the Catholikes seruice nor the Catholikes to any of theirs The Anabaptistes will not goe to the Lutherans Churches nor the Lutheranes to the Trinitaries The Puritanes vvill hardlie be drawen to Protestantes seruice neither will the Protestantes in Catholike Countreis come to Catholike Seruice And the Iewes will not go to any Seruice but their own Those Protestantes which in Queene Maries dayes had anie conscience refused to go to Masse And therefore in reason you shoulde not mooue me much lesse vrge me to doe the thing vvhich the learned on your side in theyr owne case would not doe because they iudge it vnlawfull 15 I should doe euil to goe to your Seruice because I cannot but in mine own conscience iudge it to be dishonourable to God and consequentlie naught For to omit to speake how it is deuised by your selues and how your fellovv PVRITANES doe vtterlie condemne it I knowe your Translations of Holie Scriptures to be false shameles so as if my scholler should translate one of Tullyes Epistles in such corrupt maner I would soundlie breeche him for his labour Then your Ministers are no Priestes but meere Lay-men consequently haue no authoritie to deale in such things Besides you haue in your Seruice diuerse false and blasphemous things put them to the people for Scripture as in a Geneua Psal you pray to be defended frō Pope Turke Papistry c. And to speake what I thinke you haue left out all good thinges haue chosen to your selues iuste nothing of Catholike seruice although the people were made to beleeue that it was the old Seruice put into English 16 I shoulde goe to that Seruice which neuer was heard of in the world before these dayes nor yet is in anie place els in all the world but onelie there in England 17 I shoulde goe to that Seruice which you amongst your selues cannot agree vpō or decree to continue And it had by all likelihoode beene chaunged againe before this day if the grauer sorte had not made some stay for feare of incurring the note of inconstancy for how many bils I pray you haue there bin put vp in Parliaments about the chaunging of your Seruice Agree therefore amongest your selues first what seruice you will haue to continue and then I will aunswere you reasonablie to your demaund 18 In so doing my soule should goe one way and my body another which ought not to be for if they should goe two waies in this worlde they could not be ioyned togeather after the resurrection in the next life but the one should goe to heauen the other to hell which cannot be for if the bodie serue not God together with the soule in this life why should it enioy heauē in the next And if it be with Protestantes at their Seruice in this worlde why should it not be where the Protestants be in the next 19 I should loofe all the benefit of Catholike religion so either leaue off all conscience or els liue in continuall torment of mind and if I should die in that state I should be vtterlie cast away for euer Besides I shoulde loose the merite of all the good works that I euer did in all my life because I giue ouer working before euening so loose my pennie wages which otherwise would be truely paide mee Mat. 20 20 If I should so doe either to gratifie you other of my friends or by commaūdement of any power vnder her Maiestie neyther you nor they could take it well or account of mee better then of a trayterous caitiue for that you must needs think that I who will violate my faith to God almighty in doing contrarie to my cōscience iudgment for any worldly respect will easily breake my faith promise with man according to the iudgment of Constantius the Emperour Eus de vit canstant l. 1. cap. 11. for how can he be true vnto man that is conuicted of periurie to God verily such must needs be deemed of the wise to be flatterers turne-coates and great hypocrits 21 And now to come to the aunswere which you say women such sillie soules are accustomed to make I should do contrary to my conscience which thing in no case is lawfull to be done Yea if your seruice were good godly indeed the very true Seruice of God yet so long as I thinke otherwise of it I may in no case yeeld to go to it because an erroneous conscience bindeth a man to follow it neuer to doe any thing against it according to iudgement of all learned men of what sect or religion soeuer they be And therefore you may not request me much-lesse vrge me to go to your seruice before I be perswaded in my conscience that it is lawful so to doe Greatly therfore doe you offend God there in England in forcing people to goe to the Church contrary to their consciences and in imprisoning those who refuse so to do for no man is able to maister his own conscience knowledge and to doe against it he ought not therefore it is not in his power or will to goe to your Seruice without offence 22 I should do contrary to the Cānons custome of the Catholik church and against the examples of all Holie Saints learned Fathers Contrarie to the 63. Canon of the Apostles and against Concil Carth. 4. cap. 71. 72. Cōcil Antioch cap. 2. 5. Con. Laodicen c. 9. 32. 33. 37. Con. Mag. Later cap. 70. and against diuers