scriptures to be authentical or not authentical by his owne priuate vnconstant and variable spirit and refuse the Iudgement of the Church and General Councel vvhich determineth such things by the spirit of truth promised by Christs expresse vvord and so cleerely testified in scriptures to abide vvith the same to th' end of the vvorld And in truth it vvas a note sure enough for me to confirme my self in my forefathers faith and to condemne in my conscience the contrary sect of the Protestants that I heard by men of full credit howsoeuer th' English sectaries vvrith and vvrangled in the matter of late to saue their honesties that one heretick as Luther by his spirit denieth some bookes that our Caluinists accept to be Gods word by the iudgement of their spirit and I savv it plainely by mine owne late experience of them that they receiue and condemne admit or repell euen as they thinke good for the vantage of the cause and as may best serue for the defence of their deuellish doctrine Wherein truly I say for the reuerend respect and honotable dealing with the diuine booke of Gods word not withstanding the aduersaries pretending al reuerence towards the scriptures and tedious vaunting talking and tossing of them the Catholicks yet do so farre passe them in Religious keeping preseruing interpreting translating alleaging al other vse of holy vvrit as the true owner and occuper of any thing passeth the theefe and vsurper I beleeue it and haue had experience of it in both sides and therefore I speake it For the second that is th' exposition of scriptures I knew it was the property of al hereticks to abuse wrest and vvring them to vvhatsoeuer them selues list and particularly to the priuate sence of euery secte maister ech one for his owne erronious doctrine and the condemnation of his fellowes I haue heard vvith mine owne eares and seene vvith mine owne eyes that the scriptures sound al for Luther and against the Sacramentaries in Germany and in England and some other places al the Bible is at Caluins and Bezas beck and soundeth vvhatsoeuer they say against not onely the Catholicks or Lutheranes but against their ovvne booke of common praier actes and iniunctions published by authoritie the Puritanes there hauing reconced aboue an hundreth and sortie errors in th' English seruice against the scriptures vvhich I noted in the time of my being in England especially in London and Cambridge aswel the writers Preachers Readers and Disputers as most other schollers and prentises be puritanes condemning by Gods word that same seruice administration vvhich them selues daily resort vnto For vvhich who soeuer shall reade the writings of M. Vvhittakers or the disputes of Fulke Charke Vvalker and such other Ministers lately had in the Tower they shal find my vvords and obseruation true and shall see many points of puritanisme decided by them by coulor of scriptures against their ovvne authorized seruice all those things set out by authoritie I neede not stand to tell you now the Lutheranes expound this notorious text Hoc est corpus meum so farre othervvise then the Zuinglians and Caluinists that they haue prooued these by Gods expresse vvord hereticks and these them for the reciproke plaine carnal men and Idolaters both th' one and th' other vvrithing the sacred words to their owne erronious and damnable sect against the proper nature and plaine sense vvhich the letter the circumstance the conference of places the auncient fathers Councels and the vvhole Church expresly setteth downe Vvith this I haue marked that the Sectaries of our countrey and al other places being singular vaine-glorious louers of them selues and cherisers of their ovvne fantasies seeke for nothing but nouelties and in th' exposition of scriptures to finde out that which neuer neither foole nor wiseman found out before them and al this vvith a ridiculous boast of euery mans seuerall spirit gifte and knowledge vvhich to me and others that see their liues and learning and partly know their intention is a straunge case Hovv soeuer it be their exposition so nevv so improbable so inconstant so various so farre differing from the commeÌ„taries of al the fathers passing al these men in al grace and knowlege from the general Councels that not by particular fansie of a few but by vniforme consent of the most learned in the vvorld haue by Gods vvord truly through th' assistance of the holy Ghost vnderstood defined these things to our hands this consideration I say of their vngodly behauiour towards the holy scriptures the glorious Doctors the vniuersall Church of al ages and nations of which by my late being among them I haue enformed my self better then euer I could haue doÌ„ne by reading of bokes or here say hath fortified my faith against them I trust in God during life But because I professe not in this breif satisfactioÌ„ to dispute of the matter or arrogate to my self any profound knowlege in these things I for this point say no more but this that if I had ben partly bent to heresie when I vvent into EnglaÌ„d as I was not I speake it as before God the more I had ben coÌ„uersant with the ProtestaÌ„ts yea with the learnedsts amoÌ„gst theÌ„ the soner should I haue ben reclaimed froÌ„ that heresie For in other things though I may bouldly saie they haue the gifts of the mind as plentifully as any nation yet in diuinitie specially in these controuersies they are so bewitched that through the common malady of heresie vvhich by Gods iust iudgement of sinne and for saking th' obedience of his Church is euer ioyned vvith pitifull darkenes of vnderstanding especially in such as brag most of the light that when they bring but Sophismes to proue their religion they both thinke and bouldly aduouch that they are demoÌ„strations But here they wil exclaime after their manner and say they bring places of scripture wil charge me that I cal the scriptures Sophismes No God forbid for that were blasphemie but I call the false and childish exposition or the place either by false translation or exposition wrested a Sophisme the vvhich may sone be espied of him that hath any iudgement or common sense especially if God hath lightened his vnderstanding by the doctrine of the Catholick Church Besides if I had fauored heresies this would haue reuoked me to see some of those that on this side the scas were both counted know to be void of all good gifts and qualities of the minde not capable of any science yet at their retorne home to be admitted to be publick preachers and their vvords being nothing but knowne forgeries blasphemous lyes to be compted â—s Oracles and conclusions deduced out of th'expresse vvord of the Lord as they speke in our countrey One saith very vvisely of Aristotle that he vsed hard and difficult termes in Philosophie to driue awaie from the reading of his bookes those that vvere simple and vnlearned lest saith he Omnia
good Lord and so it is that euery vnordinate appetite should be a punishment to it self But no sinne breadeth this internall vexatiō so much as that which is committed against a mans owne skill and conscience specially the voluntarie forsaking of that faith truth and religion vvhich God by his spirit in the Holy Church and sacred word hath made him partaker of I speake not of his case that impugneth of malice the knowne truth as many arch-heretikes haue done wickedly do for that is a sinne against the holy Ghost such often carieth about with them such hellike torments of conscience and desperation that they may be thought to beginne their dānation euen in this life but I meane of others only vvho by frailtie of the flesh feare of worldly distresses doubte of temporall torments and disgraces or somme other humane infirmitie be often driuen to yeld in somme points to the threates perswations or allurements either of worldly freends or gostely enemies euen these also for that they haue denied Christ before men preferred the body before the soule hazarded heauen and their saluation for the breefe vncertaine and miserable state of this transitorie vvorld cary about with them in their brest farre vvorse torments then any are in the Tovvre for the auoiding of vvhich many times men make that vnhappy choise vvee see them doe Of this miserie vvoe to me and my sinnes therefore I haue made to much experience but I trust to my euerlasting saluation as my mercifull Lord God hath now vsed the matter towards me Who after I had denied him forsaken him foresworne him wickedly subscribed to certen blasphemous articles and made a priuate abrenūciation of the pereles power and soueraine auctorite of Christs Lieutenant vpon earth a flat denial of the Catholike faith a plaine abiuration of my Priesthod yea by the subtile crafte of the Churches deadly enemies was induced or rather driuen to accuse most traiterously and vniustly certen his holy honorable renoumed confessors and to beare vnhappy vvitnesse against them after al this yet loked vpon me from heauen vvith those eyes of grace by vvhich he conuerted Paule restored Peter pardoned Marie Magdalen others not onely his fraile freends but many his plaine persecutors and by skourging my conscience vvith contrnuall remorse and dovvleful consideration of my soule fall and damnable condition hath a leingth brought bitter teares out of my stonie hart and called me againe out of that Sodom of our loste countrey and put me into the holy societie and communion of his body misticall vvhich is his Church Catholike th' only true mother of al the faithfull the hovvse of God the pillar and establishment of al truth In vvhich only is al comfort al grace al benediction and out of vvhich as I novv knovv by mine owne experience and by the certen vew of other mens cases with whom I haue of late in England conuersed there is nothing but error blindnes doubte or plaine desperation His name be blessed for euermore that hath so povvrably and mercifully deliuered me his poore vnworthy seruant out of these and like miseres from the snares of such as doe nothing but seeke hovv by terror or machiuillian practise and pollicie to driue men not to be of their religion for such as be the cōmon dealers in these cases God vvot haue none but to seeme to be of that secte vvhich they would be counted of Surely I can not for the honor of our countrie and the dew respect I haue to office and auctoritie though to saie truth they be not of any high function that vvorke vs these woes commonly discouer their foule vncharitable vnchristian abuse of my frailtie in procuring my fall from God and reuolt from the trevv Catholike Church vvhich other vvise to the shame of that irreligious heresie and mine owne confusion in this vvorlde that I might finde more mercie for the next I vvould willingly lay open to the Christian reader This only which is the least of thousandes of their sinfull and craftie collusions I may not omit to warne you that they giue out as often as any man of feare pusillanimitie or any other worldly respect yeldeth to their desires that it is Gods owne hande miraculous vvorcke proceding of the inuinceible force of their spirit gospel and doctrine against which no learning nor other obstinacie of man may resiste So surely they behaued them selues in my case vvhē they knew it best them selues in their conscience to be othervvise being the craftie procurers of my fall and that they had not in my invvard opinion or iudgement which vvas neuer I take God to vvitnesse altered though in outvvarde shevv ouerthrowen me Novv my dearely beloued bretheren and vvho soeuer els shall happe to reade this my pitiful complainte of my late distresses and tragicall actes I doe protest vnto you before God and al his sainctes and holy Angels that my yelding to their damnable desires came not of any motion of the holy Ghost by any probabilite of argument or auctoritie ether of holy scripture doctor or any other reasonable motiue or for that I had any doubt vvhether the Catholike Romane religion vvere the trevv and only sauing faith and vvorship of God or no for though I be neuer so simple yet being in common sence and taking triall of both in such places as I haue liued in it is not possible that I or any man should in deede and hart preferre the protestants pretensed religiō to the Catholike faith but to tell the plaine truth and shame the Diuel and my self to so farre as I follovved his peruerse suggestions al came of mine ovvne concupiscence euil desire and delicaces which vvarred against me in my members as th'Apostle saieth and so did ouer rule in my spirit captiuated and caused me to yeld to flesh and bloode making me to feare to suffer any paines or abandon my pleasures for my Lord and masters sake vvho had suffered so much sheade so many teares so great abundance of innocent and pretious blood for me The aduersaries threated me vvith Phalaris bull so to call their torments or as in truth them selues termed it vnto me Sir Ovven Hoptons schole vvith dungeons and death also except I vvould admit an vngodly oth to answere truely to their captious and cursed interrogatories confesse such things as the feare and reuerence of God prohibited me accuse my self appeache the chosen seruants of God Our Lord God gaue me many goodly motions at the very time of that combat to resiste their terrors and temptations as he did also his manifold graces good inspiration to contemne their swete promises of good benefices and other liuings if I vvould conforme my self vnto them but a lasse through my great sinne frailtie the aduersaries for the time preuailed and specially my carnal freends vvho by I cannot tell vvhat secret swete poyson of fleshly loue and pretense of naturall kindnes do more deepely vvound
be preferred in England And as touching the College of Rhemes this I saie that I spake more of mallice then of truth and so in likevvise the College of Rome vvas falsely accused by me And as concerning M. Doctor Allen I say in conscience that I knovv or haue heard by the man nothing els but innocencie his religion excepted 7 Besides these vve vvill proue him to be a periured person not onely for that he is in relapse falne againe into those heresies vvhich he abiured publickly solemnely voluntarily at Rome 4. yeres since but for that he promised vpon his othe when he was a student in the English College at Rome that he vvould take holy orders and go into England and there to teach the Catholick faith vvhensoeuer he should be sent by his superiors which promis confirmed vvith an oth he hath broken not vvithout great scandall The seuenth article is true and I haue incurred periurie for that at Rome I liued as an hypocrite being neuer in hart of the Romane religion 8 Moreouer vve obiect to him that he abused the Pope vvith craft and deceipt vvhen vnder pretence of sicknes and that he could not awaie vvith the aier of Rome he desired leaue of his holynes to come to the College at Rhemes there to follow his studie and to be made prieste and to that ende requesting and receiuing of his holynes 50. crovvnes of gold but assoone as he had gotten the money thus fraudently he vvent straight into England As concerning the eight article it is graunted I defrauded the Pope of 25. crownes giuen vnto me in vvay of Viaticum to bing me to Rhemes For al these articles being thus graunted by me Iohn Nicols I am right sory and submit me self vnder the feete of any such as I haue maliciously and greuously offended God knovveth I spake these things vvith a desire to be promoted rather then vvith a minde to vtter the truth God be merciful vnto me and pardon me and al those vvhom I haue thus offended vvilfully I crie mercie and beseech them for Christ his sake to forget such iniuries so impudently committed against them partly by Sathans prompting partly by the countenāce of others in commending such stuf By me Iohn Nicols Englishman M. Stubs gaue me the matter of my booke in the Tovver intituled The recantion of Iohn Nicols c. M. Vvilkinson did vvrite in the margent the notes and also added to that vvhich I vvrote and corrected the faults by me escaped Moreouer I told my Lord Treseurer about alhallowtide last past Anno Domini 1582. these vvordes that follovve If it may pleas your honor I am right sorie that I haue such bookes put forth that conteine more falsehood then truth My lord ansvvered that the Papist found out that I lyed Vvhen I confessed to M. Kirkby in the tovver that it repented me in vvriting such bookes as vvere contrary to the truth M. Lucas Kirkby reported these my vvords to M. Reignolds of Oxford vvho made reporte thereof to Sir Frauncys Vvalzingham vvho being certified of this thing vvrote or sent to M. Lieutenant of the Tovver of London that I should be sent for and examined face to face before M. Kirkby to knovv vvhether it vvas so or not as Sir Frauncis vvas certified Vvhen I came to the Tovver M. Kirkby vsed these vvordes to me vvhen he saw me Speke the truth quoth he and shame the Diuel So I vvill quoth I doubte not thereof M. Kirkby was examined apart and I ansvvered truly if I had been permitted by M. Lieutenant so to do For vvhen I said so I told M. Kirkby that I vvrote those bookes for ambition say not so quoth M. Lieutenant vvrite quoth he to his Secretary after this manner That he vvas sorie that he vvrot his bookes so rudely as he did Vvhen M Reignolds in the presence of Doctor Humfrey told me that he vvould proue to my face before M. Doctor Humfrey M. Kirkby being called before them that I had vttered such vvords as that I vvas sorie that my bookes were published conteinning more vntruth then veritie and that I said I vvould forge no more against the Papists neither in print nor pulpit Vvhich thing vvhen M. Lieutenant heard he had him hold his peace and talke no more thereof By me Iohn Nicols THE SATISFACTION OF LAVRENCE CADDEY TOVCHING his frailties and fall from the Catholike Church at his retorne into England IF there be any Catholicks in England or out of England that heard of my speach or recantation at Paules crosse which was in the yere of our Lord 1581. These are to certifie them that it vvas directly against my conscience and that I vvas neuer of that Religion that then I pretended as God shal saue me at the general day of Iudgement For I will shew plainely and manifestly that of my inward defection from our Mother the Catholick Church there were neuer any effectual causes vvhereby it may most cleerely appeere that invvardly I vvas neuer since my first reconciliation to the Catholick Church an heretick For either I invvardly separated my self from the Catholick Church because I thought some points of the Churches doctrine to be false or for the euel life of the Catholicks For the first although I neuer studied diuinitie but as much as some Cathecumini do and the yonger schollers that are yet in the course of Philosophie or other prophane sciences yet I am not I thanke God so dull of vvit but I can Iudge somewhat of Religion and of the difference betwene the Catholicks and the Protestants by the sermons of learned men which I haue here to fore frequented by the cōuersation I had vvith learned Fathers vvhich daily did expound the harder points of Religion and often did dissolue diuers folish and childish Sophismes of hereticks Whereby I knovv and truly euer since my first conuersion did knovv that euery point of the Catholick religion is conformable to the vvord of God although the hereticks do falsely say that they are grounded vpon the bare traditions of men and to me it is euident that there is no article of the Catholick faith novv called in doubt which may not be proued by diuers places of the scriptures or by most cleere sequell inuincebly deduced and gathered of the same And where the aduersaries say that either the Catholicks do recite places out of the scriptures vvhich are not authētical or els if they do allege places out of the true scriptures that they expound them falsely according to their ovvne fancies I vvas neuer since my first reconcilement so simple or necligent of my saluation as not to see that to be an vsual stale euasion of al old hereticks For this I knovv that Luther that provvde Lucifers Primogenitus or vvhat other singular sectarie soeuer being but one man although he had ben most holy in the sight of men as in deede he vvas most vnholy and vvicked both before God and man ought not to iudge