consort of malicious traytors and an abbettor and nourisher of men euill affected in their malcontentment Nay albeit his colour were better cast yet were his pleading vnsufficient seeing true religion cannot stande with rebellion or disloyaltie nor may true catholikes be suffered to oppugne their prince and countrey to practise trecherie against the state and to nourish malcontent humours among subiects But if it appeere that the Romanistes are not the true church and that their religion is neither catholike nor ancient nor true then must it needes be granted that N. D. and his consorts are not onely malicious traytors but also impious heretikes It is also very plaine that all his wrangling encounters are built vpon fancies and supposals without grounde and foundation and are no better then malicious inuectiues degorged against good men and idle pretenses to colour the practises of enimies traytors and heretikes For euery traytor can pretend that he is a true patriot and Catiline and his consorts and all rebels vse to set a glosse of common good vpon their priuate wicked deseignements and treasons All societies also of heretikes will take vpon them as true Christians as saith a Lib. 4. institut cap. vlt. Lactantius and suppose themselues to be the catholike church Tertullian saith b Lib. 4. contr Marcion That as waspes make honycombes so the Marcionites pretend to make churches albeit indeed they were no true churches Nouatian like apes that counterfeit men saith c Epist 73. Cyprian woulde challenge to himselfe the authoritie and truth of the church albeit he be not of the church but a rebell and enimie set vp against the church Which fitteth our aduersary very well who if he had his yellow ierkin were a very ape or an apish Iebusite entitling himselfe and his companions with the name of the church But if he had beene a foxe as well as an ape and had but had a foxes wiles he would haue made bâ—tter proofe of his maine groundes which not being 〈◊〉 is a maine maime of his whole cause Now to the intent that thou maiest perceiue that all his building is either without foundation or vpon a marrish ground that will beare no such great worke I haue thought good for thy satisfaction to challenge him once more into the fielde and to make triall of his manhood in fiue new encounters which do much concerne his cause and credite For as before I haue shewed him and his consorts to be perfect traytors and Recusants and malcontent papists to be verie sorie and defectiue subiects so nowe God willing I purpose to shew first That papists are no true catholikes secondly That their religion as it differeth from that which we professe is a packe of nouelties thirdly That it is patched vp of many old heresies fourthly That the Romish church is not the true church and lastly that N. D. his consorts whether they were Iesuites or priests or their adhaerentes that haue beene executed to death according to the lawes of England are to be esteemed traytors and not martyrs And this in defence of her Maiesties iustice or rather clemencie For if she woulde do them iustice then woulde not she suffer them to liue as subiects that will not directly acknowledge her to be their Queene and lawfull souereigne especially where the pope saith contrarie If she did her-selfe right she woulde not tolerate a faction notoriously opposite to her gouernment If she did iustice she woulde not suffer such to enioy wealth and honors life that adhere to forreine enimies that seeke the destruction of the common-wealth the dishonour of this state the ruine and bloud of all that stande well affected to religion and the state And that Parsons and the priests that come out of Spaine and are sworne to maintaine the Infantaes title and are reconciled or adhering to the pope are all culpable of these treasons it is so cleered by the former discourse and by the last chapter of this that I thinke it may be felt of blinde men and not onelie discerned by those that haue eies to looke into the state The rest maketh for defence of our religion which no mâ—n can reprooue but such as haue drunke deepe of the cup of the purple harlot spoken of Apocalyp 17. and are sworne slaues to the pope and professed enimies not onely of religion and the state but also of their owne good in this worlde and of their eternall saluation in the worlde to come Beware therefore my good countryman for so I must account thee vntill I see thee declare thy selfe open friend to popish traytors and enimie to thy counrrey that harkening to the Sirens songs of Iebusites and priestes enimies to gods true religion not onely to their prince countrey thou be not swallowed vp in the gulfe of their heresies and treasons They lead thee not to the rocke Christ Iesus vpon which the church is built but to the a Bellar. praefat in lib. de pontif Rom. rocke the pope and the bankes of his sandie inuentions vpon which thou must needs wracke thy selfe if thou shun them not quickly True religion is grounded vpon Christs word reuealed to vs in the holy canonicall Scriptures all which we professe according to the rule of the true catholike church And for this truth we doubt not to giue our liues so assured we are of our profession where as thou as long as thou continuest a papist hast no warrant but the popes worde which to say no woorse is ignorant of true religion and apostolike faith and subiect to many errors and infirmities Read therefore indifferently and iudge syncerely and vprightly and the God of truth guide thee into the way of iustice and truth CHAP. I. That papists are no true Catholikes FRuitelesse it is and almost endlesse to contend much about names and titles but especially in causes of religion For as a In Apolog. Iustin Martyr saith b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true religion Consisteth in good workes rather then good termes and the c Ad Tit. 3. apostle exhorteth Titus and all true teachers to auoide contentions and quarrels about words of the lawe Yet forasmuch as manie simple people are abused by false teachers taking vpon them glorious names and titles and looke onely vpon the shéepes clothing that is outward and not on the wooluish nature of priestes and friers that is inward I thought it not amisse to shew what this name Catholike importeth and to whom the same truely belongeth and how dangerous it is to trust euery one that taketh to himselfe the name of a Catholike The Iewes d Ioan. 8. called themselues The children of Abraham and bragged much of the e Hierem. 7. Temple of God and of f Rom. 2. the lawe But the apostle teacheth vs that not euerie one that in name and outward shew was a Iew deserued so to be estéemed and taken g Epist 83. Leo speaking to certaine monkes saith Ecclesiae
as seeke her destruction and the desolation of this countrey for our selues that professe true religion and abhorre Romish idolatry superstition and heresie With Sir Francis you haue no reason to be offended if you be as you pretend a friend to her maiestie and the countrey Hee speaketh against the Spaniard and why should he not the Spanish king without all iust cause professing himselfe our enimie He weigheth little the popes authoritie And hath he not reason the pope in his tyrannie shewing himselfe not onely to be our enimie but also the enimie of Christian religion of Christs church He toucheth also the practises and treasons of g Gifford Worthington c. priestes and h Parsons oâ— Delman Hâ—it Walpooiâ— c. Iesuites and their adherents but not without iust cause seeing they haue shewed themselues not catholikes as you terme them for catholikes neuer held either any such religion as theirs is nor sought by violence to murder lawfull Princes and ruinate their natiue countrey but dangerous traytors and most malicious i Testified by Sixtus Qâ—intus declaratorie sentence against the Queene enimies of their countrey Likewise he commendeth her Maiesties clemencie and you haue no cause to dislike the same least percase it may please God to turne her hart through your vngratefulnesse and hatefull practises from her entended course of clemencie which is not well fitting for your sharpe humors into a course of iustice which your treacherous and most wicked practises doe drawe vpon you This is his course against enimies this is his dealing with his soueraigne He neither iniustly chargeth his enimies nor doth he basely or seruilely flatter his friends and superiors But admit your aduersarie had not vsed either that moderation in his stile or sinceritie in his dealing which might passe the iust censure of seuere iudges yet no man hath lesse cause to finde fault with these courses then your selfe and your consorts For in railing and calumniation no man may compare with you It is not one only biting libell and iniurious pamphlet which you haue set out but very many and diuers I will deale plainly with you for that I am well acquainted with your stile and know your lewde packing and practising and can conuince you if you haue your steele vizor on and shame not to denie so plaine matters I say then that you Robert Parsons falsly abusing the name of Iesus to ouerthowe the truth of Iesus haue published first certaine chartels against your friends in Oxford secondly one famous or rather infamous libell against the Earle of k Leicesters coÌ„mon-wealth Leicester thirdly another single l Entitled a confutation of pretended feares libell against the late Lord Treasurer fourthly another infamous m The words by no loyall subiect may be spoken libel against her Maiestie against all her chiefe counsellers vnder the name of Andreas Philopater Neither can you excuse your selfe that n A Iesuite residing in the court of Spaine and Parsons disciple and Agent Creswell was the man that made the Latine which you cannot doe when as you either made it first in English or else gaue him all his argument Fiftly you holpe Allen in his libell against the Queene and state anno 1588. and published diuers copies Sixtly you set out Dolmans treacherous discourse to shew your selfe not onely a libeller but a notorious traitor and sworne enemie to your countrie Albeit o The discouery of a countersect conference one of your friends doth only terme it a chartell or libell This wardword shal make vp the seuenth libell and the patched relation of the conference betwixt M. Plessis and Eureux sent vs lately from Rome the eight Beside these you haue published diuers base and paltrie pamphlets not woorthie to be mentioned and these be the flowers or rather furies of your writings and the fruites of your inuectiâ—e veine Neuer did any vse more lying forging false dealing scornfull gibing odious bragging then your selfe in all your writings Your owne p The priestes banded in England against the Iesuites friends accuse you of Machiuilian and Turkish practises and well doe your writings and doings deserue these titles The like also may be verified of Sanders Rishton Ribadineira Allen that hungrie cardinall other your friends Tisiphone and the furies of hell spoke with their toongs wrote with their pennes and wrought in their malicious harts It is your selfe therefore and your treacherous consorts vpon whom all the reproofes wherewith you load your aduersarie do light fitly and lye heauily And that you shall perceiue by this discourse ensuing Wherein if I reforme your error in many things whereof before you were ignorant you are to thanke me If you fee the hostile dealings of your friends the pope and Spaniard declared and auowed and your owne and your consorts treasons and a great masse of your hidden villenies discouered take it grieuously you may thank your selfe that gaue the occasion If any Papist finde himselfe agrieued with my plainenesse let him impute the fault to you also that first began to stir these coales and to the mysteries of popish religion that contain such deepe matters of rebellion and treason and not to me that being thus prouoked haue so plainely reuealed them Because vpon small aduantages you haue made great triumphes and called your aduersary forth to answere you as it were in eight encounters vanting and facing as if you were to play your maisters prises I haue taken vpon me to ioyne with you vpon your owne ground and to try with you at your owne weapons hoping to prooue you ignorant both of state matters wherein you pretend to know such secrets and also of sound diuinitie and other learning of which your friends and your selfe make such vants For matters concerning Sir Francis Hastings his owne person I refer you to his owne answere that may sufficiently satisfie you For the rest I thought it not amisse to discourse with you more at large And because you goe about to carie away matters with faire pretenses as if you papists the popes children were the only catholikes and did professe the ancient faith of the catholike church and as if all others were heretikes and wrong beleeuers I doe also vpon your lend glosses draw you out into fiue new encounters wherein if you ward not the better it shall be prooued First that you are no catholikes nor hold the catholike faith secondly that your religion is a new deuise and not the auncient religion of Christs church Thirdly that you are heretikes Fourthly that the Romish Church is the harlot of Babylon and not the true church of Christ And lastly that your consorts haue beene executed for treason most iustly and not for religion Which being prooued I trust your selfe will confesse that wee haue iust cause to maintaine that religion that we professe and to withstand antichrist the Spaniard and all their adherents that goe about both by force and treason to
and adhere to her enemies yet doe they enioy their landes and goodes and countrie and in effect their libertie and are onely subiect to pecuniarie punishments which either they escape not being endited through fauour or by sleightes auoyding the enditement or by conueyance of their landes frustrating the lawe or compounding for their punishment Compare her Maiesties actions with the cruell proceedings of papists and you shall soone see an exceeding great difference She This is prooâ—d in the end â—f our newe â—allenge executeth none for meere matter of religion vnlesse vnder colour of religion they be taken practising for her enemies authoritie and against her state and person they spare none She spareth notorious teachers of popish heresies and inflicteth only pecuniarie mulctes vpon malcontent recusants that plainly disallow her gouernment g The massacre of France and Flanders witnes this they kill man woman and childe that shall professe true religion She onely defendeth her selfe against those that are sent to perturbe the peace of her gouernment they by tormentes and rackes seeke out peacible persons and execute them to death most cruelly She proceedeth according to law these contrarie to all lawes h Hist. Natalis Comit. massacre men women and children whom they suspect to be contrarie to themselues in opinion Which clemencie of her Maiestie if it had either beene well accepted of forreine nations abroad or else had mollified the harts of disloyall papists at home all men would haue well liked and magnified But seeing this extraordinarie fauour or rather remissenesse of lawes and iustice towards them hath caused diuers rebellions both in England and Ireland and made them bold to attempt against her Maiesties life and gouernment and giuen some of them courage to conspire with forreine enemies and hardened the harts of our enemies against vs and weakened the hands of such as otherwise would haue beene forward inough to attempt against them and finally dissolued the sinewes of gouernment in suffering malcontents to practise and not maintaining the present state and executing lawes against offenders many doe thinke that against such persons that are so euill disposed and so firmly linked to forreine enemies good iustice is most necessarie and that it is farre more profitable and expedient to execute lawes then to pardon such offenders For while such vipers are suffered to gnawe the entrailes of their mother and yet are not punished and malcontents suffered to degorge their poyson against religion lawes gouernment magistrates ministers of the church and all honest men it is no maruell though the number of disloyall subiects encrease and though well affected and honest men withdrawe themselues and rest discouraged Now of late they i Aâ— appeareth by the multiplicitie of their libels diuersly mentioned in this treatise haue taken to themselues a presumptuous and audacious libertie not onely to speake their pleasure of her Maiestie and her lawes and good friends but also to aduance the cause of the publike enemies of the state Edward Rishton a Seminarie priest was no sooner by her Maiesties fauour k He set out Sanders booke De schismate and augmented it with infinite lies and reproches deliuered out of prison and from the danger of death which he had well deserued but he published against her and her Maiesties noble father and brother a most odious and railing libell deuoide of all truth and honestie and for more credit to it set it out vnder Nicholas Sanders his name and authoritie after his death This course was also taken by Nicholas Harpesfield who enioying libertie to doe what him listed abused his libertie to raile on his prince and countrie These are the men that goe about to make their nation and this gouernment infamous and odious to all posteritie And thus we giue life and libertie to those that seeke nothing more then to depriue vs of life and good name Nay they are lately growne so insolent that they dare not onely taxe and raile at religion and gouernment but also reuell at all those that once beginne to open their mouth in defence of the truth of her Maiestie of iustice and of their countrie and not onely that but also presume to offer their paltrie pamphlets to the view and consideration of the Lordes of her Maiesties counsell which are the chiefe maintainers of religion and iustice And that this is most true we neede no further proofe then a certaine treatise entituled a Wardeword and written in outward shew against Sir Francis Hastings but in very truth against religion and this gouernment This good Knight of a right zealous minde toward religion and a loyall and louing affection towardes her Maiestie and the state giueth the word to his countreymen and stirreth vp such as sleepe in too much securitie to consider the malice of the Pope the preparations of the Spanyards and the trecherie of Spaniolized papistes that either at home or abroade entertaine intelligence with them and seeing forreine enemies seeke by force to take the crowne from her Maiestie and to subuert the state and to plant not onely false religion but also an absolute tyrannie in this land he exhorteth all loyall subiects and true English willingly to aduenture their liues and to spend their goodes in defence of their religion prince and countrie He aduiseth also all true Christians diligently to watch and to beware of the trecherous practises of priestes Iesuites rinegued English and their consortes as meaning nothing else but the subuersion of religion and state In all which discourse what one sentence can be noted vnwoorthie either a true Christian or a loyall subiect or a woorthie knight Is it not lawfull to oppose himselfe against publike enemies and traitors and to shew his affection toward his prince and countrie Sure this our counterfeit N.D. whose name Parsons the Iesuite doth borrow as he doth the name of Dolman otherwhere is very much offended that either our knight should open his mouth in defence of the state or offer himselfe readie to resist the publike enemies thereof Nay further he aduanceth the Pope and Spaniard and maintaineth the cause of knowne traitors and raileth at all that dare speake any thing against them Wherein I neede not note vnto you either his notorious follie that shewing himselfe a professed enemie of his prince and countrie yet thinketh to obtaine fauour for his clientes the papistes at the princes handes or their boldnes that vaunt of this champion when no man can like him but must needes shew a dislike of his prince and countrie and bewray himselfe to be an enemie to the state But I doe the rather report vnto you the summe of this mans pleading that you may the better vnderstand the boldnesse and impudencie of this generation and how through our owne remissenesse wee haue suffered them to grow to this height of insolencie He appealeth to the Lordes of her Maiesties counsell and I hope they will censure such a rayling libeller
heretikes but also against men of their owne religion a Theodor. à Niem de schism lib. 6. c. 36. Plantina Innocent the seuenth caused the principall Romaines to bée murdered that séemed studious to defende their libertie Vrbane the sixt tormented and killed diuers of his owne Cardinals b Platina Iohn the 22. drew off the skin of the bishop of Cahors being aliue c Idem Paul the second by diuers torments vexed diuers learned and good men for small causes Alexander the sixt For euerie light word against him put men to death as saith d In Alexandro 6. Onuphrius His base sonne Caesar Borgia passed all tyrants of former ages in crueltie e De asse Budaeus called Iulius the second for his crueltie Sanguinarium cleri magistrum Leo the tenth among whose praises aposted flatterers accompted clemencie the chéefe committed many cruell executions The cruell murders of Paul the third and succéeding popes are innumerable Bartholomew de las casas in his relation to king Philip the second concerning the state of the Indies calleth the Spaniards Tigres lupos leones crudelisimos sheweth that through their extreme crueltie the people of Hispaniola from thrée millions were reduced to 300. Omne ius saith f In prologo he ludibrio habentes effusi humani sanguinis stillantibus riuis delectantur Neither haue the papists more cause to bragge of their virginitie and chastitie then of their gentle conditions and clemencie Their priests forsweare mariage but few obserue the lawes of chastitie Sacerdotes fornicationibus coinquinantur g C. 23. saith he that wrote Onus ecclesiae curati sordescunt in coÌ„cubinatu h Lect. 182. in lib. sap William Holcot therefore calleth them Priapus his priests priests of Dagon Petrus de Alliaco confesseth in his treatise of reformatioÌ„ That the whole order of the popish clergie is corrupted with luxuriousnes and other vices to the great scandale of the people Long it were to recount all their abominations not onely now publikely knowne but also whilome testified to the worlde by Picus Mirandula Baptista of Mantua Palingenius diuers others Boccace testifieth that in the most holy citie of Rome i Nouell 2. From the greatest to the least they offended in luxuriousnes and that not onely naturall but also against nature which testimonie for very shame they haue of late corrupted and razed The popes that should bée examples of holinesse being termed Holy fathers are more defiled then the rest of that synagogue with all carnall beastlinesse Themselues in their stories do not dissemble the filthie liues of Iohn the 12. Clement the 5. Iohn the 22. and 23. Sixtus the fourth Alexander the sixt Iulius the second and third Leo the tenth Paule the third and diuers others Neither is it to bée doubted but that the rest were like to these Iohn the eight being a woman plaied the whoore in the papacie to declare that the synagogue of Rome is the whoore of Babylon The monasteries of women are little better then common stewes a C. 2â— Veneris prostibulo saith the authour of Onus ecclesiae sunt similiora quà m dei sacrario Virginum septa in meretricios fornices obscaena latibula conuersa sunt as saith Picus b In orat ad Lâ—on 10. Mirandula Palingenius of monkes saith c In leone they are Raptores moechi puerorum corruptores Petrus de d De reformat eccles Alliaco complaineth of their beastly manners And this experience teacheth to be most true Publikely in Rome and other cities of the popes communion there are publike bordels Yea and popish priests as saith e De arte lenon Agrippa are woont to set out thrée or fower women to hire for encrease of their reuenues Is it not maruell then that these fellowes are not ashamed to talke of mortification of the flesh penance and continency when they wallow in such filthinesse and commit such abominations as with modestie may not be named The papists also praie and do almesdéeds but sure they haue no reason to proclaime them For vnder colour of their praiers the monkes and friers deuour the houses of widowes and orphanes Nay simple people praie they know not what and call vpon mortall men that cannot helpe and before stockes and stones that cannot heare Besides that their almesdéedes being bestowed vpon monks and friers that liue in all licentiousnesse and voluptuousnesse and are now become the onely practisers either to ouerthrow princes and their states or else to bring them in slauerie of Antichrist are woorthie no reward Neither do papists either kéepe better houses or take lesse fines or vse lesse swearing forswearing then other men For with vs most of them breake vp houses and binde their tenants to as great inconueniences as any men Now of their othes to their princes and others they cannot make any great reckoning when they are taught that othes to princes binde no longer then it pleaseth the pope and in so manie places haue rebelled against their lawfull magistrates The Noddy hée braggeth also of marying poore mens daughters But yet is not able to tell of so many maried as dishonested by popish priests and papists Now if he please to name the one he shall heare the names of the other Most absurdly also doth hée take on him to talke of penance mortification of the flesh and fasting when popish penance is nothing but externall punishment consisting for the most part in lashing of the bodie and other workes either veluntarilie performed or by the priest enioined Neither is their mortification of the flesh any thing but hard lying going as they call it woolward wearing haire-cloth and such like afflictions of the body Fasting likewise with them is nothing but eating of fish But such penance such mortification such fasting is no where enioined Besides that Christ no where commandeth any to forsweare mariage or to kéepe themselues virgins but such as haue the gift thereof Neither doth hée command any to giue away his goods and créepe into a monasterie Nor may wée thinke that they renounce the world or embrace pouertie that as the Iesuits and other friers do liue in goodly palaces and haue all things which they wanted before in great abundance If this were the way to heauen the way thither were verie plaine and large and most pleasant and easie Wherefore if wée may iudge those to be blessed of God that liue according to true religion and those vnhappie whose actions are fierce and cruell whose liues are filthy and abominable and farre disagréeing from the truth of Christian pietie then wee haue reason to lament the damnable estate of papists and to reioice that God hath giuen vs better grace then to follow them in their filthinesse sauage cruelties and notorious impieties Our aduersarie saith He hath touched before the bloody tragedies raised in France Flanders Scotland and might adde Swizzerland and Germany where aboue
ensuing not for the testimonie of truth Euill therfore are those words of Iustine apolog 1. concerning the patient suffering of Christians applied to Iesuites that are neither martyrs nor good Christians nor suffer for other cause but their offences and that most vnwillingly and vnpatiently as by Campian and by diuers examples may bée prooued The comparison likewise betwixt the first Christians that were charged to be Syluestres and Syluicolae and the Iesuites is most improper For Iesuites neither liue in woodes nor holes as did the first Christians but in princely pallaces and kinges courts and in the presse of people Neither are they retired for meditation but runne disguised ouer the worlde and thrust themselues into all companies to practise them wicked treasons and to execute their holie fathers desseignements Hee braggeth very much of the Iesuites teaching and of their reading artes toongs and sciences As if artes toongs and sciences were not as well taught before the name of this sect was heard of and shall not bee so againe when the whole order of them shall be extinguished As for their teaching it should bée much more commendable if with truth and knowledge they did not mingle falshoode heresie and poison and their toongs were more to bée estéemed if they did not teach them to spread lies and slanders But whatsoeuer their teaching is they enter vpon the pastors office and intrude themselues into it without commission and authoritie Nay they enter by other waies then the dore and in the folde make hauocke of Christes lambes Hée compareth them also to saint b 1. Cor. 15. Paule that saith Abundantius omnibus laboraui and to the rest of the most holy apostles Nay in the end hée doubteth not to iustifie the turbulent procéedings of the Iesuites by the example of Christ Iesus who was charged with troubling the people and forbidding to pay tribute to Caesar as hée saith but the difference and oddes is so great as may make a man woonder why hée compared things so vnlike togither The apostles were makers of peace most humble and méeke men true disciples of Christ and most painfull laborers in planting true religion drawing men to Christ But these false apostles are sowers of sedition trumpets of warre proud braggers and boasters of their angelicall holinesse painfull labours and profound learning conterfect Christians and true disciples of Satan Painefull labourers but to ouerthrow rather then to build to drawe men to antichrist and not to Christ not séeking to win soules by teaching the meanes of saluation but to destroy soules by teaching false doctrine vaine traditions and by bringing men into the thraldome of antichrist Christ and his apostles were accused most vniustly These most iustly as hath béene verified Christ made a diuision in the world making good of bad and separating the good from the bad But the Iesuites make of good bad and set diuision where there was peace before as appéereth by their whole procéeding Yea and our aduersarie confesseth that of colde cacolikes they make hot recusants Therefore may they bée iustly called Rerump incendiarij that is burners of common-wealthes and fire-brands of Satan that of good subiects by their reconcilements make seditious leaguers desperate murtherers busie practisers and perturbers of states But a P. 69. saith he It appeareth not that the Iesuites haue sought her Maiesties bloud especially not Parsons that was neuer accused by Parry Sauage Ballard Babington Hesket Daniel Polwhele or others As if any thing could appeare more cleare then the murderous minde of Iesuites both against al princes excommunicate by the pope and namely against her Maiestie Do they not teach that the subiectes are to rise against their princes when the pope commaundeth Did not Ghineard resolue that it was lawfull to kill princes excommunicate by the pope And was not he therefore executed at Paris anno 1594. And haue not diuers Iesuites sent men ouer into England and perswaded them to murder her Maiestie And haue not diuers witnesses testified so much as before hath béene declared And hath not Ribadineira or rather a ribaldy lying frier a Portingale Iesuite by all meanes b This Ribald hath set out Sanders booke of schisme in Spanish with many additions and falsification◠sought to dishonour her Maiestie to stirre her subiectes to séeke her ouerthrow in his most slaunderous booke of schisme Finally we must not thinke that the Iesuites haue had eyther other purpose or desire this many yéeres then to stirre vp sedition and warres against her and to bring the realme vnder the pope and Spanyard whome they serue which cannot be done without the destruction of her person and the desolation of this realme Neither may we thinke that Parsons the Iesuite albeit for some purpose percase he hath kept himselfe from open managing of treasons is better disposed towardes her Maiestie and the state then the rest of his companions For all Iesuites allow the popes power in deposing princes which cannot be without their destruction Yea and Parsons himselfe hath not dealt so closely but that there are many great and euident proofes of his disloyalty and trechery For not onely the booke set out vnder the name of Dolman concerning the succession to the crowne of England is his but also diuers other a Andreas Philopater Leycesters common wealth a confutation of causes c. treasonable bookes and pamphlets whereby he goeth about not onely to stirre vp troubles in England but also to conuey the title of the crowne to the infant of Spaine and to bring in strangers for which he is reprooued by a certaine popish priest not altogether so leud as himselfe in a b Pag. 12. passim treatise printed at Collen anno 1600. and intituled A discouery of a counterfait conference c. Published by one Parson that dare not auow his name Yea and so farre hath he intricated himselfe in these matters that the generall of the Iesuites is ashamed of him and hath therefore called him out of Spaine and made him rector of boy-priests in the English colledge at Rome as being a person blotted with notorious treasons Secondly in this treatise which is either Parsons his deuise or at least allowed by Parsons not onely the cause of rebels and traitors that haue sought to destroy her Maiestie is pleaded but also the fact of Ghineard the Iesuite that expresty c His notes appeere in the registre of the court of parliament of Paris and in the sixt recueil of matters of the league determined That Henrie the third of France was iustly slaine and that tyrants in which degrée hée putteth all princes excommunicate by the pope may lawfully by any be slaine Thirdly he is a factor for the pope and Spaniard nowe professed enimies of her Maiestie and this kingdome And all the worlde knoweth that they haue nothing more in their vowes then her Maiesties ruine Fourthly hée is a Iesuite whose oath and profession is to do
vniuersall church Saint c Lib. 4. de Symbol c. 10. Augustine saith that Euery congregation that is gathered in one corner is a concubine and not the spouse of Christ How then canne the papistes be catholikes that are gathered out of the society of the vniuersall church into the communion of the church of Rome Writing to Vincentius the Donatist he d Epist 48. concludeth that the Donatistes and Rogatians were not the catholike church for that they tooke their names of others then of the christian church Thirdly the faith of catholikes is e Ephes 2. built Vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Iesus Christ beeing the chiefe corner stone And this foundation is no where to be found but in the writings of the apostles and prophets which shew vnto vs the doctrine of Christ Iesus The apostle saint f Rom. 10. Paul doth teach vs That faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Which we may not séeke in decretales nor legendes but in the most holy scriptures endited by the holy ghost And so the fathers teach vs. g Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 1. Irenaeus doth say that the apostles First preached and afterward deliuered the gospell in Scriptures that they might be a foundation and piller of our faith Per apostolos euangelium peruenit ad nos saith he Quod quidem tunc praeconiauerunt postea verò per Dei voluntatem in scripturis tradiderunt fundamentum columnam fidei nostrae futurum Athanasius in Synopsi doth call The canonicall Scriptures the anchor and staie of our faith Hée woulde not haue any thing spoken or heard of christians in matters of faith and religion beside the holy Scriptures Si diuersa à scripturis fabulari vultis h De incarr â—t verb. saith he cur nobiscum concertatis qui nec loqui nec andire sustineâ—â—s quod extraneum sit ab illis The church saith a Homil. 6. in Matthaeum Chrysâ—stome is Hierusalem whose foundations are placed vpon the mountaines of the Scriptures Hierome calleth the Scriptures the limites or bounds of the catholike church Non est egressa de finâ—l us suis saith b In Mich. â—â— he id est de Scriptuâ—â— fancâ—â— Finallie the c â—rir Aquin. 2. 2 q. 1. art â— papists theÌ„selues confesse that the obiect or grounde of faith is The fâ—â—st truth or God himselfe And we doubt not but that al certaine knowledge of God is to bee found in his written word which therefore is called the rule of our faith But the papists speake euill of scriptures and either will not haue them to be the proper foundation of our faith or sorge to themselues diuers other foundations whereupon they builde their church and their faith in the d In c. 3. epist 2. ad Corinth annotations vpon the Rhemish testament they call them A killing letter as if God had deliuered his will in writing to the end to kill the Readers They write e Annot. Rh. in c. 5. Ioan. also That they are hard to be vnderstood and would bring them in disgrace by f Ibid. in c. 4. Matth. saying That the diuell and heretickes alleadge scriptures Some call them A nose of waxe without any certeine sence as the Iesuites of Collen in their censure others call them Inken diuinity and account them no better then Matter of strife and contention Generally they g Censur Colon f. esteeme the canon of scripture to be a rule vnperfect and a maymed and lame péece of doctrine and condemne the reeding of scriptures As pernitious and hurtfull Stapleton h In praefat ante relect princip doct plainely denieth the scriptures to be the foundation of religion Aliud hodie saith he Christianae religionis fundamentum habemus and afterward Ab ipsis literis euangelicis apostolicis aliud The same man speaking of diuers principles and groundes of Christian religion i In analysi ante râ—lect p incip doct doth leaue the scriptures quite out of the reckoning Others also make small reckoning of scriptures but where they canne by forced interpretations draw them to their purpose and such as deny not the scriptures to be a foundation of religion do notwithstanding adioyne diuers other foundations to the scriptures and build their faith vpon them as well as vpon the Scriptures Vnto the canon of the scriptures of the ould testament consisting of two and twentie books l they adde first the bookes of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus k Synod Trideniâ—sâ—ss 4. and the story of the Machabees and secondly certaine additions found in the latine translation ouer and aboue the originall bookes and this contrary to the iudgement of most ancient and catholike fathers Neither is it materiall that saint a Lib. 2. doct Christ c. 8. Augustine and a certaine councell of Carthage and two or thrée more following them do number these bookes among canonicall Scriptures For they by Canonicall vnderstande such bookes as by order of the church were read publikely and commonly bound togither and were rather a rule for manners then for faith Legi voluerunt in ecclesijs saith b In exposit Symbol Ruffin non tamen proferri ad authoritatem fidei ex his confirmandam The same is also the iudgement of c In Synopsi Athanasius d In prolog galeato Hierome e De ponder mensur Epiphanius and of the most sound and ancient fathers of the church And if wée shoulde otherwise interpret the wordes of those that reckon these bookes among canonicall Scriptures wée should also put the 3. and 4. of Esdras among the bookes canonicall For they are also by saint Augustine and f Sixtus Senensis biblioth sanct lib. 1. others after a sort iudged canonicall and Athanasius in Synopsi doth attribute no lesse authoritie to the thirde booke of Esdras then to the bookes of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus and the Machabees The Gréekes also place the thirde booke of Esdras first although the assemblie at Trent excluded the thirde and fourth booke of Esdras out of the canon and Sixtus quintus in his new edition of the Latine Bible hath excluded them out of their ancient place They adde also vnwritten traditions to the Scriptures and builde their faith equally on them two giuing vnto them both equall authoritie Libros veteris noui testamenti saith g Sess 4. the assemblie at Trent nec non traditiones ipsas c. pari pietatis affectu ac reuerentia suscipit ac veneratur synodus ista h Lib. 3. de verbo dei Bellarmine accounteth of these traditions as of the most certaine worde of God and calleth them The worde of God not written i De fid Symb. q. 22. op Catech. Canisius woulde haue vs to beléeue these traditions Most firmely as reuealed by the holy Ghost The which is not onely derogatory to the sufficiencie of Scriptures but also vtterly ouerthroweth the
now there is but one faith as there is but one baptisme and one God as the c Ephes 4. apostle teacheth vs. And this is the faith which the apostles and prophets haue taught and which wée in the church of England do professe Remember I say that true faith is Christes faith and apostolike faith It is not the popes faith nor his determinations nor vncertaine traditions It hath no other foundation but the doctrine of Christ and his apostles and holy prophets Beware therefore of the pretended cacolike Romish faith that hath no grounde but in the popes determinations nor support but lies fraude and violence If the doctrine and traditions of popish priests come not from Christ Iesus which is the foundation of our religion but is drawne out of vncertaine legendes and resteth on the popes determination remember what the apostle teacheth in this point If any man saith a Galat. 1. hée preach vnto you otherwise then that you haue receiued let him bee accursed Beléeue not euery spirite For many deceiuers are gone out into the worlde If any bring any doctrine not deduced out of holy Scripture suspect him and examine him and thou shalt finde him faultie And aboue all thinges beware of new doctrines For wée haue but one faith which hath his originall from Christ the fountaine of truth life Profanas vocum nouitates saith the b 1. Tim. 6. apostle deuita And if wée may not vse new termes or words in matters of faith then may we not receiue any newe articles of religion It is the part of true catholikes to adhere to holy fathers and to auoide nouelties as saith c Aduers haeres c. 36. Vincentius Lirinensis Nowe what fathers more holy then the prophets and apostles that are the fathers of fathers and the foundation of the church If the doctrine of poperie be for the most part a packe of old and newe heresies as hath bin shewed thée why shouldst thou bée abused by false teachers Why shouldst thou bée desirous as distempered stomackes are to feed vpon vnholesome doctrine Graues sunt haereticorum morsus saith Saint d In Euangel Luc. lib. 7. c. 10. Ambrose qui ipsis grauiores rapaciores bestijs nullum abaritiae finem impietatÃsque nouerunt They looke faire vpon thée but bite déepely They promise true religion and catholike faith but teach heresies and damnable opinions They come vnto thée with shéepes clothing and pretend sauing of soules but inwardly they are rauening woolues and séeke to destroie both thy body soule They giue thée honie but it is deliuered thée vpon a swordes point that when thou thinkest to licke honie thy hart may bée pearced with a sharpe pointed sword If the synagogue of Romanistes bée not the true church why takest thou delight to heare her teachers or to embrace her erronious doctrine Why doest thou not come out of Babylon Wilt thou remaine in her confusion and be partaker of her plagues Why shouldest thou go vp to Bethauen or delight in the congregation of wicked idolaters e Hoseae 4. Go not vp I say to Bethauen f 1. Cor. 10. flie Idolatrie g Apocal. 18. Come out of Babylon It is not I onely but Christ Iesus that calleth thée out of this confusion If thou wilt not heare him nor know him bée assured hée will not knowe thée nor heare thée It is not the pope that can saue thée nor his decretals that can warrant thee Leaue therefore the synagogue of satan and resort to Gods true church Forsake antichrist and adhere to Christ Quisquis saith Saint h Epist 152. Augustine ab ecclesia catholica abfuerit quantumuis laudabiliter se viuere existimet hoc solo scelere quòd à Christi vnitate disiunctus est non habebit vitam sed ira Dei manet super eum As without Noes arke in time past all flesh was drowned so there is no safetie out of Christes church And bée not lightly deceiued with the name of the church For antichrist as the i 2. Thes 2. apostle telleth vs shall sit in Christes church And with his followers as Saint Augustine teacheth vs shall bée accounted to bée the true church viz. by such as are abused The synagogue of satan in time past did take on them the name of Iewes and falshood is often set out with a faire lustre and shew of truth All Christians haue an interest in true religion Why then shoulde any suffer the damnable doctrine of poperie that is so full of heresies and erronious opinions Why shoulde any suffer the Scriptures to bée taken from the people of God so that they shall no more bée suffered to read them and in lieu thereof receiue the popes determinations and the synagogues of Romes traditions Can any true Christian indure the abominable idole of the masse where the bread and cup is adored for God or the idolatrous worship of Romish Babylon Those that honour God those hée will honour and such as are luke-warme and care not what religion they haue those God will cast out of his mouth as a lothsome race of atheistes and wicked men If religion mooue not euerie man yet if hée remember the slauerie of popish gouernment and how preiudiciall it is to princes to the nobilitie to the commons and all sortes of people hée will not much bée enamored of it The magistrate may not suffer either his authoritie to bée disputed of or doubted of or denied And yet the Iesuites and priestes and their adherents are suffred to teach and to do all this as appéereth by their answeres to the sixe Interrogatories by their cases of conscience and by their doctrine and actions Nay most boldly albeit secretly they practise against the life and state of her Maiestie as many particulars do shewe Happie are they that they haue encountred with such a prince and yet let them beware they abuse not her clemencie too farre For no state can stande where such contumacious and rebellious mates liue in open contempt of authoritie and lawes It behooueth also all them that carrie the sworde to looke that not onely Christ his shéepe bée defended from woolues but also that the state bée defended and maintained against professed traytors and rebels that lurke in all corners They haue not a sworde committed to them for naught But to the ende they may defende the quiet and peaceable subiect and roote out the wicked rebellious traytor Treason and notorious coÌ„tumacie against lawes cannot long be endured in any common-wealth Neither can magistrates in this case bée too watchfull God hath detected many secret conspiracies and attempts against her Maiestie and the state yet let vs not presume too farre vpon his goodnesse The way to settle peace to confirme the state to preuent all such trecherous attempts is to stop the head of rebellion and treason and to roote out all seditious priestes and Iebusites from whence all our troubles for this 43. yéeres
put foorth the constitutions of the apostles vnder the name of Clement which sauour nothing of the apostles diuine spirite and are likely to be the deuises of heretikes Thirdly they haue most shamefully corrupted the councels and haue not onely forged diuers new actes and péeces of actes but also newe councels In the sixt councell of Carthage the popes agents exhibited a counterfeit canon of the councell of Nice and were conuicted k Acta synodi Carth. 6. of that falshoode by authenticall copies sent from other churches Pius Quintuâ— when the emperour repined for that hée had made Cosmus of Florence duke of Tuscane alleaged for himselfe a forged canon of the councell of Nice E sentenza saith he l Girol Caten in literis Pij quinti. di tutti theologi è canonisti determinatione di concilij massimamente del Niceno che ' l successor di San Pietro sia signore rettore di tutti i principi del nome Christiano de tutte le prouincie tutte le genti anathematizando chiunque cio ardisse contradire Parsons may do well to exhibite this canon where the pope is made Lorde of all princes and prouinces and all excommunicated that dare say contrarie vnlesse hée will haue his holy father condemned of impious forgerie Ruffine and other authors say there were but twentie canons made in that councel But these good fellowes by a counterfeit letter of Athanasius woulde bring in a great number more Carranza saith many more canons were there established Where the second councell of Constantinople a C. 36. decréed that the sea of Constantinople shoulde bée equall to the sea of old Rome as appeereth by the actes both in Greeke and Latine in their b C. Renouantes dist 22. c. antiqua extr de priuileg decrées the popes haue turned this canon quite contrarie as if that councell had decréed that the sea of Constantinople shoulde not bée equall to old Rome The councell of c Carthag 6. c. 105. Carthage decréed against the church of Rome Vt qui ad transmarma putauerit appellandum à nullo ad communionem intra Africam reciperetur But Gratian in the chap. Placuit 2. q. 6. addeth these wordes Nisi fortè Romanam sedem appellauerit out of a certaine councell of Carthage that woulde haue priestes to abstaine from their wiues in proprijs terminis in the chap. Placuit dist 32. they haue put out proprijs terminis In the d Can. 35. councell of Laodicea where the worship of angels is forbidden they haue turned angelos into angulos and so marred the whole sence To end this point vnder the name of Syluester Syricius Gelasius and other popes they haue forged whole councels whereof in authenticall writings there is neither prooâ—e nor memoriall to bée found Fourthly their manifolde corruptions of the writings of the fathers cannot in fewe wordes bée described First vnder the names of fathers they haue published most childish toies vaine fables and vnlearned patcheries as by their additions to the works of Cyprian Origen Athanasius Basill Ambrose Hierome Augustine Chrysostome Gregorie and diuers others is euidently testified For Caesar Baronius Bellarmine and others do in part confesse so much and if they shoulde not yet woulde the stile and doctrine diuers from that of the fathers to whom they are ascribed conuince these treatises to bee misbegotten and not to belong to the fathers whose name they beare yet are they offended with those that censure these counterfeit sermons orations and treatises and cease not to vse them Next they haue taken diuers wordes lines and sometimes whole chapters out of the fathers writings and vnder colour of correcting haue quite corrupted the fathers As appéereth by their Rubarbatif or as they cal them expurgatorie indexes that are daily increased and may bée prooued further by comparing the old bookes with the newe editions approoued by the Cananites and Iebusites that cannot endure either truth or the professors thereof Another practise also they haue to abuse and disgrace the fathers of the church that they adde wordes now and then and alter the text of their true writings as also comparison of bookes will â—asily shew Fiftly vnder the names of the ancient bishops of Rome they haue published méere fooleries and false constitutions refuted plainly by the stories of the times wherein they liued by the estate of that church in time of persecution and by the barbarousnesse of the Gothike language wherein they are written sauoring of otherages and authors then those whose names they beare Of this stampe are the epistles that carrie the names of Clement Anacletus Euaristus Alexander Telesphorus Hyginius Pius and such like Sixtly for the enlarging of their dominion and authoritie the popes haue set out l C. Constantinus dist 96. first a false donation surmised to bée made by Constantine and therein they say hée gaue them Rome Italy France Germany and all the west empire and also most ample priuileges authoritie A matter so false and vaine as it may bée woondred with what saâ—e the popes can alleage so manifest a forgery being contradicted by the m Socrat. hist lib. 3. c. vlt. Sâ—xt Aurel. Victor Zosimus emperour Constantines testament and by ancient histories by the state of the Romaine bishops for many yéeres after and by the brutish and barbarous fashion and frame of the instrument and therfore disallowed euen by the n Antonin 1. part hist tit 8. c. 1. Cusanus de concord cathol 3. aduersaries themselues that haue either modesty or learning They haue also set out another donation vnder the name of o Ego Ludouicus dist Ludouicus almost to the same purpose but yet not so large as the other That the same is forged it may appéere both for that it contradicteth Constantines donation and for that the two diuers copies that are p Volater Geograph lib. 3. extant do contradict one another For writings that are diuers and derogatorie one to another make no strong proofe Scripturae diuersae fidem sibi inuicem derogantes nihil habere firmitatis possunt as saith the q L. scripturae Cod. de fid instrument emperour Neither can two contrarie propositions bée taken for true as lawyers holde l. sâ—is qui. § vtrum ff de reb dub l. vbi pugnantia ff de regulis iuris To giue colour also to the counterfect clayme made by the popes of Rome for their vniuersall power euer the whole Church they haue r Cod. de sum trinit fide cath l. inter claras thrust a counterfect epistle of Iustinian the Emperour and an epistle of Iohn bishop of Rome among the imperiall lawes of the Code whereby they would prooue that the Emperour here did subiect himselfe and the church of Constantinople to the bishop of Rome and made him head of the church That these letters are forged it may appéere First for that they are not found in