brought for we wil ever do grant so much as any man can in truth wish to bee collected out of them But what is all this to the purpose since neither then nor since they do agree with the polluted doctrine of your Sinagoge and the faith which olde Rome spreade or mainetained is no more consonant to this infidelity which our new Rome maintaineth then an apple is like an oyster Which one answere although it cut of al your cavils which you fetch from antiquity in praise of Rome and we frequētly inculcate it vnto you yet because it so biteth you will in no sort remember It is a tricke in Rhetorike but it is withall but a base shift to slippe by that or to seeme to forget that which woundeth to the hart and vtterly destroyeth T. HILL BUt the Protestants per adventure will grant 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 afterwardes even vntill this our time no lesse then it and before if not more for in Saint Gregory his daies it was spreade all over the worlde as appeareth by his Epistles to the Bishops of the East of Afrike Spaine France England Sicily And by Saint Bede in cap. 6. Cantic as also by Saint Bernard who disputing before Rogerim King of Sicily avouched that in those daies the East all the West Fraunce Germany Englande Spaniardes and many barbarous nations obeyed the Bishoppe of Rome G. ABBOT 8. The Protestāts not fearing that you shal gaine any thing by that which is truth wil refuse to yeeld you nothing that is true In the first Church that is while the Apostles lived the spouse of Christ for doctrine was most glorious for some hundreds of yeares afterwards her honor flourished not a little yet so that some pety superstitions began to creepe in heere and there But about six hundred years after Christ shee for the outward face did more more droupe in doctrine f 1. Ioh. 2. 18 Antichrists began to peepe vp in the Apostles time but then they coulde not properly be called the great Antichrist And that which was thē was not so eminently as that the followers of the Apostles did much obserue it being then more troubled with persecution or heretiks then with superstition In processe of time matters grew to a worse state evil opiniōs creeping in at last the maine g 2. Thes. 2. 3 Apostasie followed But in this Apostasie very great declining there were who yeelded not to the time but kept thēselues vnspotted of the world especially for mainest points of salvation And it being thus whē things were at the worst God in this later age hath suffred that truth which was more hidden to illustrate the Christian world again Yea but you wil proue that since the Primitiue Church faith florished more thē before or at the least it was not diminished vntill our time You can do wonders Sir or els your own reason would informe you that nothing beene added til these lare navigations of the Portingales Spaniards Christianity must needs be exceedingly diminished when the Saracens Turks for so long space haue devored so much of Asia Europa Africa as is or hath bin vnder thē You are but a simple man for story weaker for Cosmography or els you would not so improbably talke at randon But any thing serveth your turne Well the faith was in Gregories times over all the worlde How proue you this Forsooth he wrote Epistles to Bishops of Spaine France England Sicely yea of the East of Afrike Ergo the faith was over all the world A young man of the age of sixteene yeares hath by his diligence learned without booke the Epistle to Philemō that to the Colossians yea the book of Ruth and the Prophecy of Aggeus therefore he can say all the Bible by hart This is Logike for the Seminaries but not currant elsewhere VVhat wrote he into Tartaria or India or Manicongo what to Finland or Iseland or a thousand places more And what saith Bede h In Cantic 6. The summe of the citisens of that celestiall countrey doth exceede the measure of our estimation But this is spoken of all the faithfull that are were or ever shall bee in the world As also that following vpon the texte Adole scentularum non est numerus There are saith hee young maidens vvhereof there is no number because there are sound innumerable cōpantes of Christiā people Which within seaven lines after he maketh most evident The vniversall Church which in the same her faithfull members from the beginning even vnto the ending of the vvorld from the rising of the Sunne vnto the setting from the North and the Sea doe praise the name of the Lorde Doth this shew any extraordinary thing in the time of Beda or any flourishing of the Church or more thē that there were faithfull toward al parts of the world Such is that which was brought touching S. i In vita Bernard L◅ 217 Bernard who vpō a great schisme in the Church of Rome betweene Innocentius and the Antipape Petrus Leonis being sent for to compose this strife and to see whether he could winne over to Innocētius Robert the King of Sicely who stood for Peter in his Oration saith that if Peters side were good they who acknowledged Innocentius for Pope should bee in very ill case And these hee nameth Then the Easterne Church shall perish vvhich at that time coulde comprehend no more but those fewe Christians vvhich were vvarring in or about Palestina for the Greeke Churches did not then acknowledge the Popes Iurisdiction the whole West shall perish Fraunce shallperish Germany shall perish the Spanish and English and the Barbarian kingdomes shall be drowned in the bottome of the Sea Where he doth not adde these special countries over and aboue the VVest but signifieth vvhat was meant by that generall name that is to saye Fraunce Germany Spaine and England vvith some inferiour Kingdomes So that now if S. Bernard doe say any thing heere your all the worlde is vvonderfully shrunke in the vvetting So you strive against the streame and the farther you goe the worse you goe T. HILL AND in these daies it is all over Italie all over Spaine and in Fraunce in most partes of Germany in Poleland Boheme besides England Hungary Greece Syria Aethiopia Aegypt in vvhich Landes are many Catholikes and in the newe world it flourisheth mightily in all the foure partes of the world Eastward in the Indies VVestward in America Northward in Iaponia Southward in Brasilia in the vttermost partes of Afrike G. ABBOT 9 AS many as be disposed to knowe the Popes strength harken now to his muster-maister Al Italie commeth first as being neerest the Popes nose then all Spaine is the second legion But how would it be in these lands if your Inquisitours did
according to that which they had and not according to that which they had not would receiue them into the number of his blessed and elect And that the knowledge of the truth was not extinguished in England may easily be seene by that which is mentioned c Ration 1 before touching the VViclevists and many other who confessed Christ yea some of them vnto the death That noble L. d De Ecclesia cap 9. Du Plessis handling this argument for his countrey Fraunce doeth giue instaunce in Saint Bernard in vvhose workes wee finde hay and stubble and some drosse which the fire of Gods spirit in trying would burne away He was swayed with the streame of the time and received many matters indiscussed from other who were some body in the outward face of the Church But when this excellent man recutreth and retyreth himselfe vnto his owne vnderstanding how doth hee e De coÌ„veâ—…s ad 〈◊〉 29 Epist. 4â—… 〈◊〉 â—…Word ad cleâ—… CoÌ„â—… Remâ—… lament the disorders and almost Apostasie of the Cleargy of his time How doth he inveigh against their negligence and security But for the point of Iustification by Christ how f Epist 190 seâ—… 50. in Cantiâ—…a sincerely doth hee speake that nothing bringeth satisfaction vnto the wrath of God but his owne mercy in the Saviour How doth he expound that place g 2. 〈◊〉 4. 8 hence-forth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse h De gratia lib. arbit explicating it that it is iust that we should haue it not because we deserue it but because God hath promised it to all beleevers it standeth with his iustice that he should performe his promise How doth he say of good works that they are i Ibidem via regnâ—… non causaeegâ—…ands the way of or to the kingdome but not the cause of our raigning How confident is he in the Lordes adopting of him when he saith I k De sepâ—… 〈◊〉 3. consider three things wherein my hope consisteth the love of his adâ—…tion the truth of his promise the power of his performance Now let my foolish thought murmure as much as it will saying for who are thou or how great is that glory or by what merites dost thou hope to obtaine it And I confidenthe will answere I knowe whome I have beleeved ' I am assured that in very much loue he adopted me that he is true in his promise that he is potent on his performance for he may doe what he will But most sufficiently and effectuallie of all other did he speake to this pupose when hee lay l In vita Ber. nard l. 1. 12. vppon his death-bedde which place that French noble man doth cite As it was with this holy person who had an extraordinarie talent of knowledge so we doe not distrust but diverse other in their life time and many at the houre of death did thus apprehend Gods mercy renouncing all their merites and the merites of other men which in our time so stiffe a Papist as Sir Christopher BlouÌ„t did of vvhome notwithstanding because hee dyed obstinate in other Romishe opinions wee doe not too much hope but leave him vnto the censure of the highest Iudge They which betooke themselues to faith in Christ alone neither directlie not indirectly crossing that ground and also in generall repented and asked forgiuenesse for all slips knowne and vnknowne those we iudge to have died in Gods favour And of this sort we trust that many of our Auncestors and Predecessours were 29 HEERE to turne to the Reader this Chapter as you see is reduced to this heade That which is largest spread is most true But the Romish faith is so Therfore the Romish faith is truest most Catholike What exceptioÌ„ may be made to the Minor Propositiâ—… it is intimated before But how far the Maior is froÌ„ truth in Divinity what ChristiaÌ„ doth not see For albeit that sometimes God permitteth his Gospel to have a very large scope at once as in the first Church and vnder Constantine and graciously in our age otherwise successiuely and by vicissitudes doth scatter it heere and there so that at one time or other al great places and quarters of the world haue doe or shall heare the sound thereof yet ordinarily the number of the godly compared with the wicked arâ—…â—…t like to a little flocke of kids opposed to a huge hearde of great cattaile That this was so before Christs coÌ„ming it is so evident that no man can doubt it And when hee first shewed himselfe is not his speech to those that followed him m Luk. 12. 32. feare not little flocke Doth not hee say that fewe n Matth. 〈◊〉 13 14 enter into the narrow gate but many into the wide passage which as it intendeth the finall standing or falling of men so it noteth the state also of theÌ„ which are abiding here on earth In the o Cap. 13 3. Parable of the seede it is but one of foure partes which lighteth in the good ground And howe infinite are the places where for many ages togither the seede never came there was noÌ„e sowed at all I here the people are but Ethnicks infidels without all sparke of vnderstaÌ„ding And where the word is preached what store is there of heretikes what multitude of hypocrites what plenty of worldlings and Atheists men who delight in security Are we not put in mind by our Saviour p Luk. 17 26 else-where that when the Sonne of man is to appeare vpon earth it shall bee as in the daies of Noe and in the time of Lot when the most part of persons shall eate and drinke and buy and sell and plant and builde mary and be maried And howe fewe there were vnited vnto Noe in faith we know by the small number of them who were saved in the Arke how few ioyned with Lot is as plaine when none but his daughters would follow him out of Sodome And of this sorte it must be toward the ende of the world The faithfull in comparison of the carnall and reprobate shall be but a little company 30 Then it is no marveile if the olde fathers have not taken for any argument of verity right the greatest widest multitude aâ—… q Homil 12. in Genes Origene wheÌ„ he said There are alwaies more evill persons theÌ„ good vices are of a greater number theÌ„ vertues And as they are more in tale so their dwelling spreading is much more lardge Doe r Lib. 1. Epist. 3â—… not respect saith Cyprian the number of theÌ„ for better is one maÌ„ fearing the Lord then a thousand wicked children as the Lord himselfe hath spoken That worthy man Ludovicus Vives in his bookes De veritate fidei bringeth the obiections which the Mahumetanes make for themselues wherefore their profession shoulde be truth and among them this is one s Lib. 4 Yea but you do see the admirable increase of
and corrupt the New Testament partly by their Translation but most of all by their Annotations they may not chuse but say somewhat of the Revelation although they professe that it is as m In argument Apocalyps in Apoc. 1. 1. sparingly as may be as briefly which is not for that the volume of the Rhemish Testament groweth great as they would colour it but for feare least they should too much lay open their owne weaknesse which while that booke is in the Bible will never be concealed Howsoever therefore through their volume in many maine matters they be very silent vvhere they should most speak as of the question of imputed righteousnes where the n Rom 4. vi de Ration 14. Apostle doth most handle it a â—…ore argument of their owne conscience distrusting their cause even sinking vnder the waight of that Chapter yet here God over-ruling theÌ„ to say a truth as he did o Ioh. 11. 50 Cayphas they interprete the woman to be the p In Apoc. 12. 6. Church flying from the great persecution which shall bee in the time of Antichrist Indeede to keepe peace with their Lord and Master the Pope they will not haue this flight to be but in the very ending of the world and so they would fetch it with a back racket that the woman should continue so in secret but three yeares an halfe which to keepe all vpright they assigne to be the time of Antichrists raigne then the iudgement must come which is a most fonde evasion seeing by that means men living at the appearance of Antichrist should bee able precisely to tell when the last day should be to wit three yeares and a halfe after Antichrists entring But of q Mark 13. 32. that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in heaven neither the Sonne himselfe saue the Father only It can never be made good that the r Apoc. 11. 2 3. c. 12. 6. c. 13. 5. Dan 7 25. time times and halfe a time the two and forty moneths and the thousand two hundred and sixty daies are so literally to be taken as that they should containe exactly three ordinary yeares and a halfe Your Romane Bishop in his declination hath already beene in the world much longer and he is the greatest Antichrist that ever yet was manifested among men and on whom many things in the Scripture signified touching Antichrist do directly and vnavoidably light 16 Well this revolt taking place and the woman the Church being in the wildernes it is not to be doubted but here there be diverse which serue God aright the very s Mat. 16. 18 gates of hell not beeing able to prevaile against them And as these in generall whersoever dispersod doe make vp the vniversal militant Church so where any few of them eveÌ„ in the smallest number are asseÌ„bled togâ—…ther they may bee saide to be a particular Congregation or Church s Exhortatio ad castitatem Where three are saith Tertullian there is a Church although they bee lay persons It is likely that he alludeth to that saying of our Saviour t Mat 18. 20. VVhere two or three are gathered togither in my name there am I in the middest of them He is with them as with members of his Church to guide them heare them to blesse theÌ„ preserve theÌ„ And that such little assemblies are not vnworthy the name of the Church is plain by S t. Pauls words to â—…hilemoÌ„ where he seÌ„deth greeting not only to PhilemoÌ„ Appiat Archippus but to u Philem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church in Philemons house for so the Rhemists themselves traÌ„slate it In dangerous Apostatating times such petty aslemblies do make vp the general they beloÌ„g vnto the same mystical body although they not only be not known to their persecutors but many of theÌ„ have no acquaintaÌ„ce with other Tâ—… have the same head the same faith the same charity the samâ—…â—…pirit u De Baptism contra Donatist 6. 4 Idem Spiritus sanctus ca dimittit i. peccata qui datus est omnibus Sanctâ—…s c. The same holy Ghost is given to all Saints ioyned one to the other in love whether they know each other corporally or doe not know theÌ„ saith Saint AusteÌ„ The waÌ„t theÌ„ of acquaintaÌ„ce each with other may keepe the godly aâ—…uÌ„der as wel as the rage of their persecutours both which are to be souÌ„d in the case of Elias But directly to follow farther this argumeÌ„t of the Eclipse of the Churches glory may it not be thought to be brought to a low ebbe wheÌ„ it is said of the second beast that x Apo. 13. 16. he causeth al both smal great rich poore free bond that he should give theÌ„ a marke in their right haÌ„d or in their fore-heads that no maÌ„ might buy or sel saue he that had the marke or the name of the beast or the nuÌ„ber of his name And what else is signified wheÌ„ so many y Cap. 17. 2. 15. are meÌ„tioned to have coÌ„merce with the whore of BabyloÌ„ yea all z Cap 18. 3. NatioÌ„s are reported to have drunken of the vvine of the wrath of her fornication The ancieÌ„t Fathers were not ignorant that such times there might be wheÌ„ they so oft coÌ„paâ—…ed the Church to the Moone as Saint Ambrose a Epistol lib. 5. 31. The Moone it selfe vvhereby in the Oracles of the Prophets the countenance of the Church is figured when at the first rising againe shee is renewed into the ages of the month shee is hidden by the darkenesse of the night by little little fiâ—…ing her hornes or right ever against the Sun ending theÌ„ doth shine with the light of cleere brightnes Saint Austen in one b In Psa. 10. place doth for diverse respects liken the Church vnto the Moone and expoundeth the Moone to signifie it In another c Serm 134. de TeÌ„pore place he saith the Sun is Christ the Moone the Church VVhich as on the one side it doth intimate vnto vs that the Moone hath no light but froÌ„ the Sunne and the Church no light or bewty but from God so on the other side it doth most lively put vs in mind that as the Moone continueth not at the same stay but increaseth and decreaseth waxeth and waneth is eclipsed by the interposition of the earth betweene her selfe the Sun sometimes in the chaÌ„ge caÌ„not be seene although it is never to bee doubted but there is a Moone so the Church of Christ while this troublesome world doth last is now glorious then shadowed in one age in bewty in another age kept vnder vnder some Princes in peace vnder others in persecution yea sometimes so pressed with the extremity of the maliâ—…us as that she is glad to remaine retired into secret places not 〈◊〉 appeare opeÌ„ly to the malignaÌ„t albeit she
will take paines to reade the Lives of the Saints as they are set downe by the foreinamed Authours Such trimme men are your miracle-workers and therefore your miracles must needes also be of an excellent sute T. HILL AND therefore I say vnto you out of Saint Austen I am bound and tyed in the Catholike Church by the band chaine August devtil cred c. 〈◊〉 l coÌ„t Epâ—…sund cap. 4 of miracles And I am bolde considering and most stedfastly beleeuing these insinite glorious miracles of all times ages in the Catholike Romane Church to crye out to Almighty God with Richard de S. Victore lib. de trin cap. 2. Lord if it be not true which we beleive thou hast deceived vs for these have bin confirmed in vs by such signes wonders as could not be wrought but by thee But on the contrarie parte never any Protestant could worke any miracle at all but assâ—…ying to make some shew thereof to make their Doctrine the more probable to their followers felte the iust revengement of God who turned all to their shame confusion as he did by Simon Magus by Cyrola the Patriarke of the Arrians as witnesseth Grego Turon Egesippus lib. 3 de excid hieroâ—…ol cap. 2 lib. 2. hist. Fran. cap. 3. by the Donatists Optatus lib. 2. contr Parmen 〈◊〉 our dates by Luther endevouring to dispossesse a wench and by Calvin going about to delude his disciples as you may read in Hierom Bolsec in vit Calvin cap. 13. And therfore they are most foolish Vid Staph in abs relp and miserably inconsiderate who beleeve these newe fellowes not being able to quicken a flea and leave the doctrine of the Catholike Church confirmed with innumerable miracles G. ABBOT 9 IN the texte you cite one saying out of Saint Austen but in the margent you quote two The 〈◊〉 former place doth only mention that the truth of Christian religion De vtilitat credend cap. 17. is coÌ„firmed by miracles But you therin abuse your Reader notably For he speaketh of miracles past that in Christs time and not of any which were to come or like to coÌ„tinue in the church The words to which hee alludeth are more plaine in the chapter next before going where in a larger sort he haÌ„dleth that argumeÌ„t Such x Cap 16 things were doÌ„e at that time wherin God in a trâ—… maÌ„ did appeere as much as was sufficient for men The sicke were healed the lepers vvere cleansed going was restored to the lame sight to the blind hearing to the deafe And there is speech of no other matter And to no other purpose is the second place where the words are not which you cite His saying is thus that there bee diverse thinges which doe keepe him in the bosome of the Church y Contr. Ep. fundament cap 4 The consent of people and nations doth holde mee there doth hold me an authority which was begon with miracles nourished by hope euer â—…ased by charity confirmed by antiquity Doth this make for you as you thinke or against you The authority of the Church was begon with miracles It is true meaning of the time of Christ and his Apostles but he doth not saye it was continued and must be continued vnto the worldes end much lesse doth he affirme that it must be as a necessary argumeÌ„t of truth So you haue gained much by these two places even as you haue done by the whole ranke of your woÌ„ders wherof such as appertaine to you that is the late LegeÌ„dary inventioÌ„s are many indeed but not infinite are so far from being glorious that they are plainely coÌ„temptible ridiculous fit for your vn-Catholike Romane struÌ„pet whose throne must be supported with lies and variety of falshoods In being therfore â—…old you may be more bold theÌ„ you haue thanke for your labour but do not saye that you most stedfastly beleeve for you bestow too good a word vpon your selfe In such stuffe as this is z Palingen in Geminis Quifacilis credit facilis quoque fallitur He who lightly beleeveth is easily deceived You are strongly conceited you haue a boisteous imagination froÌ„ which the sooner you fly the safer you wil stand The a De Trin. lib. 1 cap. 2 words of Richard de S. Victore are not spoken of your fabulous and instly questionable wonders but of such signes as gaue evidence to the first preaching of the Gospell were wrought by Christ and his disciples which were so true so strange as that they could be wrought by none but by the power of God and therefore we may beleeve the doctrine both of the Trinity and other matters which they confirmed and not be deceived at all Yet this addeth no credit to your forgeries illusions neither convinceth that now we are to depeÌ„d on miracles That we do not take on vs to be able to work any we do most willingly acknowledg We know that those daies are past although God do not so restraine himselfe but that the praiers of his servants interceding he sometimes suffereth strange things to be done But we caÌ„not presume vpoÌ„ it since we haue no warrant for it out of the word of God And who is there I pray you in the whole Hierarchy of your Papacy who dare professedly assume that gifte vnto him Dareth your Pope the ministerial head of al your holines dare your Cardinals your Bishops your Friers your Priestes Long agone the b Decretal lib. 5. tit 35. cap. 3. Templars in Livonia did enforce the poore people to this that if any of theÌ„ were accused of any crime to purge themselues they shold go bare-footed over certaine redde hot irons if they were burnt at all then they were helde for guilty But some newly coÌ„verted to the faith coÌ„plained of this to the Pope Honorius the 3. he inhibited that any more such triall should be made calling it a thing forbidden a greevance that wherin God was tempted The like may be said of any who presuÌ„ptuously should professe to atteÌ„pt any strange miraculous matter it is but a tempting of God even by the iudgmeÌ„t of c Isa 7 12. Ahaz nowe long agone who beeing but an evil man yet was so faire tightly instructed Yet that good hypocrite your S. Dominicke going to dispute against the d Ioh. Bâ—…isseul contr Spond Albingenses preteÌ„ding that he would proue theÌ„ heretikes did bid theÌ„ write their reasons cast theÌ„ in the fire if saith he they will not burne then we wil beleeue you As if the holy Bible were not truth if beeing cast into the flame it would burne to ashes You can tell vs tales of your men doing else-where great wonders but you should doe well to sende vs some of your miracle-mongers hither that we may iudge of their iugling You mutter much of an holy annointed Priest that he by exorcizing can cast out Devils but we wonder that these
reverence and honour to those onely bookes of Scriptures which are called Canonicall that I doe most firmely beleeve that no authour of them did erre in writing any thing To other then hee taketh exception Hee speaketh elsewhere plainer b Epist. 48. The Fathers are not so reade as if a testimony might bee so drawne out of them that it were not lawfull to thinke contrariwise if they have otherwise suppoâ—…ed then the truth did require And againe c Epist. 113. I have put the opinions of so great men c. not that I doe thinke them to be followed as the Canonical Scripture And wheÌ„ he was hard pressed in the Controversie of Baptisme with the authority of Cyprian hee aunswereth Cresconius d Contr. Crescen GraÌ„matic lib 2â—… I esteeme the letters of Cyprian not as Canonicall but I consider them out of the Canonicall and looke vvhat agreeth in them to the authoritie of the Divine Scriptures vvith praise to him I receive vvhat doth not agree vvith his good leave I refuse And afterward Because that is not Canonical vvhich thou râ—…est vvith that libertie to vvhich GOD hath called vs I doe not receive that vvhich savoured amisse of that man vvhose praise I cannot attaine vnto to vvhose many letters I doe not compare my vvritinges vvhose vvitte I lone vvith vvhose speech I am delighted whose charity I doe admire whose martyrdome I hold venerable Can ought be delivered more significantly and to our purpose then this is And least that any man should suspect that hee was more strictly laced toward other men theÌ„ he would have other toward him he frequently writeth as modestly of himselfe as he doth wisely of those who went before him As to e Epistol 7 Marcellinus I therefore doe confesse my selfe to bee of the number of them vvhe in profiting doe vvrite and in vvriting doe profite VVherevpon if any thing bee set dovvne by mee either vnvvarily or vnlearnedly which not onely by other men vvho can see that may bee vvorthily reprehended but also of my selfe because even I at least aftervvard ought to see it if I doe profite it is neither to be wondered at nor to be grieved at but rather it is to be pardonned and to bee reioyced at not because there hath beene an errour but because it hath beene disliked For that man doth too perversely love himselfe vvho vvill have other men also to erre that his errour may lye hid And to Fortunatianus f Epist. 111. Neither are wee to account the disputations of any men though Catholikes and commendable persons as the Canonical Scriptures that saving the honour which is due vnto those men it is not lawfull for vs to dislike and reict some thing in their writings if perhaps we shal find that they haue otherwise thought then that truth hath which by the helpe of God hath either bin vnderstood by others or by vs. Such a one am I in the writings of other mens such would I have the vnderstaÌ„ders of mine to be And handling the high mysteries of the Trinity he saith g De Trinit at l. 1. 3 Whosoever readeth these things where he is alike sure let him go on with me where alike hee doubteth let him seeke vvith mee vvhere hee knovveth his errour let him returne to me vvhere hee spieth mine let him recall mee And in the same booke else-where h Lib. 〈◊〉 in pâ—…aefation Let the one not love mee more then the Catholike faith let the other not love himselfe more then the Catholike truth As I say to the one doe not attend on my writings as on the Canonical Scriptures c. This is the minde of Saint Augustine 27 Neither doth this renoumed servant of God heerein goe alone but he hath sufficient of others who in this be halfe do second him The great Dionysius not the supposed Areopagite but another worthy man since his time did long ago informe vs in this doubt Eusebius bringeth him in speaking thus i Eccles. Hist l 7 19 I do very much reverence Nepos yet truth is the neerest friend of all and ought deservedly to be preferred before all And if any thing be rightly spoken that is to be commended without envy but if any thing bee committed to writing not sincerely and soundly this with diligence is to bee sought out to be reprooved To this effect also are the words of S Hierome I k Epist 62 doe know that I my selfe doe esteeme of the Apostles in one sort and of other writers in another sort that the first do alwaies speake the truth and the latter as men doe in some things erre Adde to these that of Theodoret who saith that l Dialog 3. the Fathers of the Church by a veheâ—…ent contention against their adversaries doe many times exceede measure Thus they vse to do who plant trees For wheÌ„ they see a tree growne crooked they do not onely set him vp vpright but they doe bende him to the other side that by too much inclining to the contrarie parte they may cause it to bee straight This is the iudgement of the auncient vvriters themselves concerning the workes of one another that they go too farre that they do may erre that they are not to be ioyned in equal estimatioÌ„ with the Canonical Scriptures And therfore what reasoÌ„ have we not to vse our ChristiaÌ„ liberty in examinig of theÌ„ by the rule of truth so to embrace that which is right and to repudiate that which is of another nature I doe marveile then what advauntage our Papistes doe thinke they can gette by craking vppon the names of these since their authority even in their ovvne iudgement is not absolute and Dictatourlike but vvith a reference and meerely dependent vppon a higher commaunder In which case if they stoope to the scepter of the LORD wee willingly and readily admit of them vvith due honour and reverence othervvise we leaue them But the tryer of them we hold to be the Canonical Scripture of the olde and new Testament 28 On the other side how the Synagogue of Rome speake they of these Doctours never so faire doe deale vvith them it is good that every vveake Christian shoulde know For howsoever they in their vvordes pretende greate honour to them yet in truth they are the onely men in the vvorlde vvho offer notorious vvronge to them For first how are they debased when such lights of the Easterne and VVesterne Church men so fraughted vvith knowledge and adorned vvith eloquence shall not onely bee sette in comparison vvith but set after the Popes barbarous champion Thomas of Aquine Noble Hierome thou hast vvell studyed and renoumed Augustine thou hast wel laboured to come to such a preferment in thine old age For one of the Popes Aug HuÌ„naeus in praefat SuÌ„mm Aquinat ad Pium 5. Pontific Innocents did so much esteeme the learning of Aquinas that he doubted not to give vnto him the first place after
time doe depend vpon him 12 And that it may be seene what reason we haue of this our assertioÌ„ we first shew that the estate of the faithful was frequently so before the coÌ„ming of Christ. For when it lay as hid in some few persons within the single families of the old Patriarkes before and after the flowd what great boast could there be made of it Nay when the Common-wealth of the Iews was much setled into what straights was it brought when David complained c Psal. 12. 1. Helpe Lord for there is not a godly man lest for the faithfull are failed from among the children of men this being spoken as it is most probable in the daies of Saul after the death of Samuel and the d 1. Sam. 22. 18. slaughter of the Priests How was it even in Iudah and HierusaleÌ„ when Esay cryed out that the e Isai. 1. 5. 6. whole head is sicke and the whole heart is heavy from the soale of the foote vnto the head there is nothing whole therin the estate of the Church being then most miserable and all depraved not only in manners but in religion Idolatry beeing plentifull as is manifest by the words in the same vision f vers 29. for they shall be confounded for the Okes which yee haue desired and yee shall be ashamed of the gardens which yee haue chosen which intendeth the trees and pleasant places where they vsed their superstitions Call to minde the daies of leremy when he said g Ier. 5. 1. Runne to fro by the streetes of Hierusalem and beholde now and know and inquire in the open places therof if yee can finde a man or if there be any that executeth iudgement and seeketh the truth and I will spare it And those of Ezechiel testifying in this sort I h Ezech 22. 30. sought for a man among them that should make vp the hedge and stande in the gappe before mee for the land that I should not destroy it but I found none These things were said of Iudah and Hierusalem where alone at that time was that Church which was the Israelites for their grievous sinnes being long before caryed away into captivitie You may adde to this if you wil the complaint of Micah i Micah 7. 1 We is me for I am as the Somer gatherings and as the grapes of the vintage there is no cluster to 〈◊〉 my soule desired the first ripe fruites The good man is perished out of the earth and there is none righteous among men they all lie in waite for blond every man â—…teth his brother with a net If the Priests people had not almost generally gone astray and the whole face of the visible Church had not seemed to be defaced would these Prophets thus haue particularized that one godly man was not left that one was not to bee founde who had not declined from truth 13 We doubt not but in those times the Lord had many faithfull ones in secret as he had seaven thousand in Israell when k 1. King 19. 18. Rom 11 4. Elias lived of whom neither the enemies of the truth nor scant that Prophet did take any notice The l Ezech. 9. 4 Apoc. 7 3. marke in the foreheade is sometime knowne to fewe but onely to him who imprinted it there yet this is a good holde for the Elect m 2. Tim. 2. 19. The Lordknovveth who are his But vpoÌ„ what might those who were Gods secret chosen out wardly build when diverse times the Princes and people had corrupted their waies and the Temple it selfe was polluted and made a sinke of Idolatry For wee find that things stood vpoÌ„ those termes in the daies of Manasse vvhen in the house of the Lord even that house whereof the Lord had saide n 2. Reg. 21. 4. 5. In Hierusalem will I put my name he built profane altars and in the two courtes of the house of the Lord he built altars for all the hoste of Heaven Iudge where in those daies was the glory of the visible church or where it was a pretty while before that wheÌ„ the Priest o 2. Reg. 16 11. Vriah was as ready to set vp in the teÌ„ple an altar after the fashioÌ„ of that which was in Damascus as the King Ahaz was ready to coÌ„maÌ„d it And then the Prince Priests coÌ„spiring there was scaÌ„t any kind of grosse Idolatry which was not pleÌ„tifully coÌ„mitted Ahaz himselfe making p Vers. 3. his son to goe through the fire after the abominations of the HeatheÌ„ And least it should be thought that the people at least did amend somewhat which was amisse in the very next Chapter it is witnessed in generall q 2 Reg. 17. 19. Yet Iudah kept not the coÌ„mandements of the Lord their God but walked according to the fashion of Israell which they vsed And by most probability this outrage vnder r Isa. 1. 1. Ahaz was the tune against which Esay so inveighed in the visioÌ„ before remembred These things are so plaine that the greatest pillars of the Papacy caÌ„not deny theÌ„ therfore they are forced to another shift as the Rhemists wheÌ„ they say s In Rom. 11. 4. that there is a great differeÌ„ce between the Christian Church the Iewes ours resting vpoÌ„ better promises then theâ—…s which is a very poore evaâ—…ion in as much as every Divine may knowe that there bee as large and many promises that the Church of the Iewes should last vntill Christs appearance in the flesh as there be that the CoÌ„gregatioÌ„ of Gods Saints shal coÌ„tinue among the GeÌ„tiles vntil the day of IudgmeÌ„t And saving only for the time of the Babylonish captivity there was one set externall place of Gods emineÌ„t service that is the TeÌ„ple at IerusaleÌ„ supported with such words s Psal. 132. This is my rest for ever heere will I dwell c. t 2. Chr. 33. 4. In IerusaleÌ„ shal my â—…me be for ever she like wherof throughout al the coÌ„tinuance of the new TestameÌ„t is not warrantable out of the word for any one place whatsoever No it caÌ„not so much as superficially be maintained out of the Scripture that Rome it selfe hath any such promise but rather out of the RevelatioÌ„ of S t. Iohn there are many substaÌ„tial matters which make to the contrary 14. But because by the stroÌ„g shot of truth they be beateÌ„ froÌ„ the bulwarke of the Iewish Synagogue fly to the next hold of the later TestameÌ„t let vs follow theÌ„ thither WheÌ„ our Saviour Christ was borne for the most part afterward till hee was baptized where shal we coÌ„ceive was the visible Church The Scribes and Pharisees possessed al the shew they were no better theÌ„ u Mat. 23. 24 blind guides of the blind The x 2. Mach 4. 8. 24. c. 11. 3. Ioseph de bel Iud 4. 5 lib. 5. 9. Priest-hood was long before and after bought sold in
Christs own time it is evideÌ„t out of the Scrip ture that the highest spiritual dignity going by y Ioh. 11. 51. yeeres Annas Caiphas other vnworthy meÌ„ of that rabble did enioy it VpoÌ„ the birth of Iesus they were not glad who should most have reioyced in it but al Ierusalem was z Math. 2. 3. troubled at it And how they persisted afterward till Christ did manifest himselfe fully may be guessed by diverse circuÌ„stances which the EvaÌ„gelists do meÌ„tion after his birth But wheÌ„ he came first into the world of whom do we find speech made but of some shep-heards in the field of Simeon an old maÌ„ of Anna a most aged womaÌ„ both ready to goe into their graves of Ioseph Mary Zacharias Elizabeth and very fewe other And of these some might be soone dead other lived out of the way at Beth-lehem or Nazareth or in Aegypt the shepheards were in the fields about their trade but where there was the apparaÌ„cy of a visible coÌ„gregatioÌ„ caÌ„ hardly be imagined WheÌ„ our Saviour had selected out his Apostles they then were termed by the name of a Flock but yet by their master they were called but a a Luc. 12. 32. little flocke where the Rhemists do confesse that b Rhemens ibi in the beginning it was little indeed At the death of Christ wheÌ„ his body hanged on the Crosse for our sakes his disciples were c Math. 26. 56. all fled no man daring to shew himselfe d Ioh. 19. 25. Nic. Cleman de mater CoÌ„cil Mary Iohn a few womeÌ„ were al the faithful that now appeared vpoÌ„ earth And afterward while the Apostles their followers walked very privately or were asseÌ„bled in a e Act. 1. 13. chaÌ„ber the Priests Scribes Pharisies were they who â—uffled it in the streets bore the sway in the TeÌ„ple so that if a weak body had enquired for the church he might rather have bin directed to theÌ„ who had the law the altars al sacred things in their custody then to any other When f Act. 8. 1. SteeveÌ„ had beene stoned and for feare of the persecution which was at Hierusalem the disciples were all scattered besides the Apostles it may well be presumed that for a time they which remained in the citty where SteeveÌ„ had lost his life did not walke very opeÌ„ly Truth it is that after these things the Church was better setled and the truth was more spread but yet never was there any such priviledge bestowed vpon it but that in the daies of persecutioÌ„ or some grievous Apostasie the faithful might be brought to a smal visibility 15 Our Saviours words intend so much when alluding to the time of his second appearaÌ„ce to iudge the quicke the dead he asketh g Luk 18. 8. Neverthelesse when the sonne of man commeth shall hee finde faith on the earth as meaning that very little should then be to be found in comparison of the flowds and Ocean of iniquity which every where should abound But God to the end that he might not haue vs ignoraÌ„t but warned before hand into what straights the Church should be brought informeth vs by Saint Paul that the Lord shall not come except there first be an h 2. Thes. 2. 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostasie or revolt or falling away wherein Antichrist with great pride and disdaine should shew himselfe This is solemnely spoken of by the Apostle by al both old new intreating of it is observed to signifie some matter of great note that is to say some maine declining from somewhat Many of our Papists fearing to touch this soare which can in no case turne them to good would haue this interpreted to note nothing else but the slipping of divers regions countries froÌ„ their subiection to the Romane Empire But Gregory Martin and the other Rhemists being overcome with the evidence of truth are heere a litle more honest then ordinary and speake to other purpose Indeede they cannot tell how it will be taken at other Papists hands that contrary to the custome of their fellows in a matter of such moment they should giue way vnto vs and therefore they doe vse these words in way of excuse be i Rhemens in 2. Thes. 2 3. it spoken vnder the correction of Gods church al learned Catholikes But to the point concerning the Apostasie they deliver this It is very like that this great defection and revolt shall not be only from the Romane Empire but specially from the Romane church and withall from most pointes of Christian Religion In the margent it is and from most articles of the Catholike faith Here they would haue vs take the Romish beleefe for the Christian Religion Catholike faith but that deserveth a long pause We rather obserue out of them that this revolt is in matter of faith and not onely from the Empire then which glosse nothing can be truer Well then if there must be so egregious an Apostasie it wil follow that Antichrist so dominering as by the Apostle he is described will not be negligent so to represse the publike service of God that it shall not carry any liuely head or countenance where he hath to doe So that certainely our Rhemists yeelding to this exposition doe in substance confesse so much as that the apparencie of Gods congregation in the time of the great defection must bee mightely eclipsed Now the Lord to the end that he might establish his faithfull and arme them to expect this paucity of beleevers and inconspicuousnes of his Church and yet not be discouraged for that which should be past present or to come and againe that there might be no doubt in a matter of this moment letteth vs farther know that the k Apoc. 12. 6 womaÌ„ fled into the wildernes where shee hath a place prepared of God It is not doubted of betweene the Romanists vs but that this woman doth represeÌ„t the church concerning whom being in the wildernes it doth manifestly follow that for the time of her aboad there which the Almightie had decreed shee should not be discerned that is by her enemies who did and would chase her not withstanding it be not to be doubted but shee knew where her selfe was If the Romanist therefore and persecuting Adversary did not ever see the professors of the Gospel it was no wonder the woman was to remaine in the wildernes apart hid from them The evidence of which matter is such that as Master l In praefat super Apocalyps Foxe observeth for feare of divers things in the Revelation of S. Iohn wherof this may worthily be one scant any Popish writer for many yeares togither durst adventure to comment any thing vpon the Apocalyps vntill our Rhemists being desirous to shame the Pope themselues with all who are wise adventured to set penne to paper Having then a purpose to set foorth
being stripped starke naked first and then murthered and fortie poore women being burned in a barne I may adde vnto these many worthy men heere and there dispersed where-of all cryed out against the Church of Rome and desired a Reformation and many of them appreheÌ„ded and delivered to other the true meaneâ—… of Iustification which is the nearest point of Salvation The s Lucas Oâ—…iand l. 〈◊〉 c. 8. Authour of the sixteenth Centurie nameth about the yeare one thousand fiue hundred and somewhat after but yet before Luther Baptista Mâ—…ntuanus and Franciscus Pâ—…cus Earle of Miraâ—…dula both which much inveighed against the Cleargy and their whole practise Also one Doctour Kâ—…serspergius another called Iohannes Hâ—…lten a thirde named Doctour Andreas Proles and Savaâ—…orola all groaning vnder the burthen of those times The Oration of t Oratio ad Leonem 10 Picus in the Councell of Laterane is extant where besides his most bitter taxing of the filthy behaviour of the Cleargy he vseth these words Pietie is almost suâ—…ke into superstition How Mantuâ—… doth every where pay the Romanists may appeare to those who read his works But one place of him I will u Calamitâ—… cum 3. name Petrique domus polluta fluente Marcescit luxu nulla hic arcana revelo Non ignota loquor liceat vulgata referre Sic vrbes populique ferunt ea fama per omnem Iam vetus Europam mores exirpat honestos Sanctus ager scurris venerabilis ara cyaedis Servit honorandae Divûm Ganymedibus ades Quid muramur opes recidivaque surgere tectat Thuris odoratâ—… globulos cinnama vendit Mollis Arabs Tyrij vestes venalia nobis Temple sacerdotes altaria sacra corona Ignis thura preces coelum est venale Deusque Some of them I English thus Priests land now Iesters vile doth serue The Aultars bawds maintaine Of holy Churches of the Gods lewde Ganymeds make their gaine Why do we woder that their wealth and houses falne doe 〈◊〉 Sweete franckincense and cinnamon are the onely marchandise Of the Arabian and but cloathes the Tyrians vse to sell But with vs Churches Aultars Priests yeelde mony very well Things hallowed crownes fire franckincense the praiers which we make Yea heaven yea God are saleable if we may mony take The opinions of Savanarola against Popery are many for them howsoever it be otherwise u â—…uicciard Lib. 3. coloured he was burnt In the matter of free Iustification he is x In psa 51. cleere And the same is written also of y Catalog test verit lib. 19. Tritâ—…ius another learned man who lived at that time How in England Christ had in al these times professours of the truth I shall haue occasion to shew anon when I come to speake of Iohn Wiclef 23 In the meane while I shall not do amisse to mention some other who were betweene the daies of Iohn Hus and Martin Luther A special oppugner of the Papacy was that learned Laurentius Valla a Patritius of Rome and Canon of Saint Iohn of Laterane there He wrote a treatise of purpose against the z Contra 〈◊〉 donationeÌ„ forged Donation of Constantine He pronounceth of his owne experience that the Pope himselfe doth make warre against peaceable people soweth discorde betweene Citties and Princes The Pope doth both thirst after other mens riches and swalloweth vp his owne Hee maketh gaine of not onely the Common-wealth but the state Ecclesiasticall and the holie Ghost The later Popes doe seeme to labour this that looke how much the auncient Popes were wise and holy so much they will bee wicked foolish He lived about the yeare 1420. for the freenesse of his speech and penne was by the Pope driven into exile About the same time lived Arch-deacon Nicolaus de 〈◊〉 who rebuked a De Annatis non sol vendis many things in the Ecclesiasticall state and spake excellently in the matter of Generall Councels and their circumstances as b Ration 9. hereafter may be declared Petrus de Aliaco Cardinall of Cambray gaue a tract to the Councel of Constance touching the c De Reformatione Ecclâ—… reformation of the Church There doth he reprooue many notable abuses of the Romanists and giveth advice how to redresse theÌ„ d Cap. 3. There should not be multiplyed saith he such variety of Images and pictures in the Churches There should not be so many holy-daies There should not so many new Saints be Canonized Apocryphall writings should not be read in the Churches on holy-daies e Cap. 4. Such â—…umerositie and variety of Religious persons is not expedieÌ„t There are so many orders of begging Friers that their state is burdensome to men hurtfull to hospitals and to the poore Few doe now studie ' Divinity for the abuse of the Church of Rome which hath despised Divines All now turne to the Lawe and to Artes of gaine He saith that it was then a proverbe The Church is come to that estate that it is not worthy to be ruled but by Reprobats He hath very much more and in the end concludeth that f Cap. 6. As there were seaven thousand who had not bowed to Baal so it is to he hoped that there be some which desire the reformation of the Church Imagin whither this Cardinall if he had founde some company to haue ioyned with him would not haue said much more About that time lived Leonardus Aretinus whose little booke g In hypocritas libellus Against Hypocrites is worth the reading So is the h Oratio ad cleium Coloniensem Oration of Antonius Cornelius Lynnichanus laying open the lewde lubricity of Priests in his daies So doth he detect many abuses and errours who wrote the i DeceÌ„ gravamina Ger maniae Tenne Grievances of Germany but those who compiled the hundred Grievances of the Germaine Nation doe discover many more Finally he who list to see farther that God even in those dead daies had diverse servants who by more then a glimce did see the truth desired yet more plentifully to be instructed in Religion let him read the k Lib. 19. Catalogus testium veritatis lately set out and there hee shall finde divers whom I haue not named 24 By this time I trust it is manifest how false a slaunder that of the Papists is that before the daies of Martin Luther there was never any man of our ReligioÌ„ Till the time of the Councel of Constance this case is cleared And beyond that it is as easie to shew that Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage had their immediate antecessours in witnessing the faith of Christ. For they vvere instructed and much helped by the bookes of Iohn VViclef an English man and therefore saith Platina as l In Ioh. 24. sectatours of Wiclef they were condemned in the Councell of Constance Aeneas Sylvius sheweth the means how those Bohemians came to know the doctrine of Wiclef he saith thus m Histo
vvriting against u Contra 18 articul Wiolif VViclif maketh y In articulo 11. 12. tvvise mention of a booke of his ovvne sent to the Bishoppe of Hereford Dâ—…num Ersordenseâ—… he calleth him in confutation of the booke of VValter Britte 27 While I wrâ—…e these thinges I cannot but thinke vpon the audacious absurdnesse of my ignorant Doctour who blusheth not to vtter that is is y Ration 1. most manifest that all in England vvere Papistes vvithout exception from the first Christening thereof vntill this age of King Henry the eight Hee is doubtlesse an honest man and worthy to be trusted on his word It is not only manifest but most manifest not that the greatest part but all yea beâ—… shal not be scanted all wâ—…ut â—…ption were â—…apistes c. Were Iohn Wiclifâ—… bones burnt because he was a Papist were the Bulâ—… of the Pope against him for that cause and were the Archbishop Arondelâ—… Costâ—… against his followers so severe because they were Papists The man is hâ—… to be pittied for his simplicity A man may know by the lawes ProclamatioÌ„s letters proceedings by the State against some as against Heretickes As also by the Records of Bishops yet extant by the manifold executions burnings afterward that even in that deepe time of ignorance England did give most noble testimony of Christs truth against Popery eveÌ„ so farre as to the fiery trial If the Christian Reader peruse the Ecclesiastical History of M r. Foxe he shal find how z 〈◊〉 An. 1400. sub K. Henrie 4. before the Coâ—… William Saâ—… a Priest was burnt after him Iohn Baâ—…y and that because they were Wiclevists oâ—… Lâ—… as they the â—…ed them and not because they were Papists There are the reasons also and asseveratioÌ„s of Pâ—…y and Thorpe against Popery with diverse other matters And is it â—…ot to bee thought that the Heretikes increased when a â—…ynode a 〈◊〉 Sub Reg. Henric. 5. was assembled in Sâ—… Pâ—… Church at London into the vvhich â—…me 〈◊〉 Inquisitoâ—… who in a former Synode were appointed to 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 the vvâ—…gs of VVâ—… vvherein they found 24â—… Conclusions an vvhich they supposed to bee Iâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 â—…eere of K. Henry the 〈◊〉 dâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ward the L. 〈◊〉 was â—…ge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 had beene a â—…de of Traiâ—… but hee was then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ed Hâ—… So was oâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his 〈◊〉 consumed to 〈◊〉 Not longâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 besideâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sub 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Religion 〈◊〉 and VVâ—… tvvo 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 followed afterwardâ—… Neither â—…d â—…he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of King 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 escape 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of sundrie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHRISTâ—… 〈◊〉 sake 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 profession of the â—…hy the particular stories of vvhome may bâ—…â—…ounde in the Authour abouâ—… 〈◊〉 The Clergy of these times did beare much sway with their Princes and lefte no meanes vâ—…ught no stone vnâ—…ned to keepe vp the dignitie and preheminence of their Romish Hierarchy and the superstitions Idolatry vvhich then vvas in vse Novve â—…in the raignes of all these Princes so many were slaughtered for the testimonie of a good conscience hovve manie weake brethren vvere there vvho did not make open profession of their faith and hovve many did there lie hid diverse of them in probabilitie having confederates and some of them being Priestes and therefore not vnlikely to have learning both to confirme themselves in the truth and such other as hearde them Thus have I both in England and else-vvhere brought vp the doctrine of the Gospell vntill the time of Iohn VViclef who flourished in the yeere 1371. 28 Heere it may please the Reader to remember that the iudgment before cited of â—…vo c Gregor 11. Gregor 12. Popes vvas that VViclef taught the doctrine of Marsilius of Padua and of Iohn of 〈◊〉 Of the later of these there yet appeareth no monument vvritten But hee ioyned in d Catalog test verle lib. 18. opinion vvith the former But as for Marsilius Patavinus our Adversties cannot but acknovvledge him to bee a verie learned man after the measure of the age vvherein hee lived vvhich vvas in the yeere 1324. Hee vvrote a e Defensor pacis booke against the vsurped power of the Bishope of Rome vvhich argument hee entred into in behalfe of the Emperour Levvis of Bavâ—…e vvho vvas mightily laide at by three Popes successiuelie There the Authour avovveth as right and iust the supreme authoritie of the Emperour displaying the iniquitie of the Popes vsurpation over Christian Princes and Generall Councels The booke is vvoorth the reading to see vvhether all in times past did allowe of the Popes doctrine and proceedinges or not His opinions are these That the Pope is not superiour to other Bishoppes and much lâ—… the Emperour and civill Magistraâ—… That thing as are to bee decided by the â—…ure Thâ—… 〈◊〉 men of the laiâ—… 〈◊〉 in Councels That the Clergy and Pope himselfe are to bee subiect to Magistrates That the Church is the 〈◊〉 companie of the faithfull That CHRIST is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Church and appointed 〈◊〉 to bee 〈◊〉 Uiâ—… That Priestes may bee â—…ryed That Saint Peter was 〈◊〉 at Rome That the Popish Synagoge 〈◊〉 a dâ—… of theeves That the doctrine of the Pâ—… not to bee follovved because it leadeth to everlasting destructâ—… In the time of this Marsilius lived that noble Poet Danie vvho vvrote also a booke against the Pope f Petrus Messias in Ludovico Câ—… the Monarchie of the Emperour but for taking part vvith Lewes of Bavâ—…ere hee vvas condemned for an heretike and his booke â—…hereticall Then also vvrote g Catal. test verit lib. 18. Occam directly to the same purpose but for his labour therein and his large reproofe of the Papâ—…cie in other pointes hee was excommunicated by the romane Bishop vvhich he so much contemned that hee not vnwillingly dyed vnder that sentence Aboute that time vvere here and there dispersed sundry godly men who sawe more then the common sorte touching Religion As h Ibid. ex Hen. de Erford Hayâ—… a Minorite vvho frequently saide in his Sermons that the Church of Rome vvat the vvhere of Babylon and that the Pope and Cardinals vvere meere Aâ—… vvhich propositions were helde somevvhat before also by i Ibidem Gerâ—… and Dulcinus tvvo learned men This Duâ—… may be thought to haue had many followers since k Hist. Hussit lib. 2. Cochleus coulde say that Iohn Hus committed spirituall fornication with the Wâ—…sts and with the Dulâ—…nists The same opinions concerning the Pope and Rome did that rare man l Epist. 20. in Poesi Italica Franciscus Petrarche seeme fully to embrace as may appeare to any who will reade his vvorkes hovvsoever Cardinall
rule all and they had the custody of all libraries to ransacke at their pleasure or to put in and pull out and they had power to search poore mens houses and to destroy what was thought fit by them to be destroyed But God who would not haue his truth vtterly burned or buried in ashes suffered a remaÌ„nt to remaine yea that in England albeit Polydore Virgil with an Italian tricke of his owne did there consume and destroy many worthy ancient monuments 33 By this time I may well suppose that some vehement Papist having read over this long Chapter is even ready to svvell with his belly full of exceptions against these things heere saide And first he wil begin say that we rake to gither as the Ancesters and fore-runners of our faith such as were notorious Heretikes as Wiclef or Hus or the Waldenses men condemned by Popes or general Councels And Heretikes as m Ration 10 Campian telleth vs are the dregges and the bellowes and the fâ—…well of hell These as our Papists commonly say are already fire-brands of hel and frying there in the flames It is no rare matter with the Synagogue of Rome to pronouÌ„ce such sentences as these are Our Rhemists by their Consistorial or Imperial decree haue defined that Calvine Verone are not only Heretiks but n In Rom. 11 33. Reprobats for writing so as they haue done touching the Article of Predestination Yea they cal M. Beza a Reprobate also although he were not only then aliue but yet is so howsoever the Iesuites some o An. 1598. vide Epist. Bezâ—… ad Stuckium few years since did by a most ridiculous Pamphlet or other newes spreade it in Fraunce and Italy that he was dead and dying had recanted his Religion and was turned to the Romish faith which also Geneva did by his example It is no newes with Iesuites to lie and therefore Master Beza must beare vvith them and so had hee neede to doe with the Rhemistes also vvho got hastyly into Gods chaire there concluded him to be a Reprobate But indeede those good Christians before named of whom many lost their liues for the maintenance of Gods truth were heretiks in such a manner as Christ was saide to bee p Mat. 26. 65 a blasphemer who indeede vvas both called so and condemned to bee such a one by a Councell of the High-Priestes Scribes and Rulers of the Synagoge VVe doe not beleeue that all those are Heretikes vvhom you Papistes will so call or accounte for you giue vs that name vvhich maugre your malice you shall never bee able to prove against vs. They are truely Orthodoxe and right Catholikes who teach nothing but that whereof they have evident vvarrant out of the vvorde of GOD. And this vvee have as hath beene ofte shewed by men of our side and in that question we are ready at all times to iumpe with you for any parte or all the doctrine vvhich vvee professe VVith Saint Paule therefore vvee say that q Act. 24 14. after the vvaie that you call Heresie sâ—… vvorshippe vvee the GOD of our Fathers The same vvhich you maliciously and presumptuously tearme Schisme and Heresie is that vvherevpon vnder our blessed Saviour vvee rest our soules and by the confession thereof vve hope to bee saved in the day of the generall iudgment Doe not you therefore take that for graunted vvhich is so highly questioned betweene vs and you but rather if you can prove our profession to bee hereticall By GODS grace we shall not shrinke at any of your biggest obiections 34 Yea but say you farther the vvriters vvich make mention of these your predecessours doe brande them with the holding of some most grosse and damnable doctrine vvhich you your selves vvill not avouch My answere is that wee our selves doe easilie beleeve so much For did malice I pray you ever say vvell The r Act. 16. 20. cap. 17 7. 2. Cor. 12. 16 Apostles were at more times and in more places then one charged with many accusations which yet in truth were but caluÌ„niations The old ChristiaÌ„s in the Primitive Church were slandered to vse incestuous company each with other like Oedipus and to eate vp mans flesh as at the banket of Thyestes yea their owne s Euâ—…b Eccl. Hist. lib. 4. 7. 〈◊〉 5. 1. servantes for feare were induced to lay such matters to their charge t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 20. Theodor Eccl. Hist I 1. 30. Athanasius was accused to have cut of ones hand and a harlot to his face woulde have calumniated him to have committed fornication with her This practise vvas never more liberally frequented then by the enemies of the Gospell in the late daies of Popery You may remember what I cited before out of Du Haillaâ—… concerning matters fâ—…lsly obiected to the Albingeâ—…ses There is extant an u In fasciâ—…ul â—…um expâ—…nd Excusatory Oration of the VValdenses wherin they say that for that their faith which they were ready to iustifie they vvere condemned iudged captivated and afflicted And aftervvard that they vvere called Heretikes But in their Confess Waldensiu Confession they have it directly Of these criminations vvhereof vvee are blamed oftentimes vvee are nothing at all guiltie The Pope and his Chapleins were fell and furious against them because they did bite so neere and therefore to disgrace them both in present and to posteritie they helde it fit that by speech preaching and writing it should be divulgated that they taught monstrous blasphemies that by that meanes the credulous people might be preiudicate and so not onely frighted from harkening to them but be much the readier to ioyne in the prosecutioÌ„ of theÌ„ to prison to death But what they indeed held is declared before When x Cochl Histor. Hussit lib. 2. Iohn Hus was at the Councell of Constance he did openly call God to vvitnesse that hee did neither preach nor teach those thinges which his adversaries did obiect against him neither that they ever did come into his minde Neither is it to bee marveiled that they did lade his scholers vvith the like false accusations when their malice vvas such toward them as that they burnt many y Lib. 8. thousandes of them in barnes vvhich vvas done by the trechery of one Mainardus In other places the Romanists have still helde the same course of slaundering vvhich caused the Protestants to professe in the Diet at Augusta z Sleidan Commentar lib. 8. that diverse opinions vvere falselie reported vp and dovvne vvhich vvrongfullie vvere fathered vpon them And that thâ—se were not onely estranged from the holie Scriptures but that they vvere abhorrent even from common sence And is it not probable that long since when much darkenesse did cover the face of the earth and fewe had grace to perceive their doings and fewer had authoritie to question their doctrine the Pope-holie Clergy vvhich hated the true Gospellers vvith all their heartes vvould pay them vvith
vile and odious reportes when in this age wherein God hath afforded more plentifull meanes to discover their falshood they doe dare not only in their sermons or in their secreter whisperings but in their Printed bookes to proclaime abroade concerning vs most false and vngodly calumniations and imputations as that we do teach all loosenes of life and a Weston vbique Libertinisme by this our new Gospel that we b Campian Ration 8. maintaine that al sins are aequal that wee hould it as a Maxime that God is the Author of sinne and whatsoever else it pleaseth M. Campian and his felowes to invent devise touching vs wheeras we vtterly disclaime these the like Positions as execrable vngodly Yea that Mounti-banke whom once before I mentioned hath not blushed to assevere that wee so teach as that by our doctrine c Certaine Articles or forcible Reasons At Anwerp 1600. the Protestantes are bound in conscience never to aske God forgivenesse of their sinnes And that they are bound in conscience to avoide all good workeâ—… As also that we make God the onely cause of sinne And holde that God is vverse then the Devil So shamelesse was this fellow growne that he neither knoweth not careth what he saith And yet many a poore Papist abused and gulled by the Devilâ—… deceiving instrumentes doth swalow such goageons runneth away with these things beeing as verily perswaded of them as that the Gospell is true Such a hand the Seminary Priests have over their disciples that they may not reade our bookes to see whether these obiections be true or no neither may they heare ought to the coÌ„trary Now if they thus vse vs who can speake for ourselves wil any maÌ„marveile that those who professed the verity two or three hundred of yeeres since do tâ—…st of the malignant aspersion of those times 35 The Romanists not withstanding all this which hath beene said do not yet so leave vs but once more farther adde that none of all those which hitherto have bin named or can be named but in some knowne confessed and vndoubted opinions did vary from you and therefore they and you may not bee saide to have beene al of one Church Our Maisters of Rhemes do thinke that this lyeth hardly vpon vs therfore thus vauntingly they vrge that they d In Rom. â—…1 4. will not put the Protestants to prove that there were seaven thousand of their Sect when thâ—…r new Elias Luther began but let them prove that there were seven or any one either theÌ„ or in al ages before him that was in all points of his beleefe VVhat the olde Fathers taught vvee shall have time inough in diverse Chapters heere-after to shewe where by the assistance of GOD wee shall discusse many single pointes of faith but for other of later time it is most easy to manifest that all those whome before I have named did generally for all maine matters teach the same which vvee novve doe teach There is no Papist vvho can truely and vvithout calumniating them or sayning thinges vpon them demonstrate that in causes vvhich touch the substance of faith or the foundation of Christian Religion they did dissent from vs. Hee who will try this let him looke on the Declaration e In M r. Foxes Eccles Histor. of Walther Brute which I before mentioned and let him reade it set downe by himselfe and not reported by other And what did that learned lay-man deliver there which was not the beleefe of Wiclif and the rest of the English professing the Gospell in those times But if there bee in some petty matters yea questions of some reasonable moment difference in opinion betweene them and vs shall vvee not therefore bee of the same Church with them or they with vs Yes verily for otherwise many of the auncient Fathers should not be of the Communion of Saintes or Catholike Congregation with those who came after them and amended their errours For vvas not f Divin Iustir l. 7. 14 Lactantius spotted with the Millenarie infection and g Augustin Epistol 48. Cyprian vvith the matter of Rebaptizing Had not Austen an h Epistol 106. 107. opinion of the necessity of the Eucharist to be administred to children and that Infants being deade without i Epist. 28. Baptisme were not only deprived of the fruition of heavenly ioyes but were damned to the pit of hell and to everlasting torments And what man religiouslie affected will suspect but that although Saint Cyprian and the other Affricane Bishops aslembled in a k Concil Carthag in CypriaÌ„ oper Councel did concerning the new baptizing of those who were already baptized by Heretikes determine cleane contrarie to Cornelius the rest of the Italian Bishops yet they should not be of the same faith in generall and of the same holy Church whereof Cornelius was Saint Austen can thus write concerning Cyprian l De Baptism contra Donatist lib. 1. Whereas that holy man Cyprian thinking otherwise of Baptisme then the matter was vvhich was afterward handled and with most diligent consideration established did remaine in the Catholike vnity both by the plentifulnesse of his charitie a recompence was made and by the sickle of his suffering there vvas a purging m Lib. 〈◊〉 In another place hee saith The authoritie of Cyprian doth not terrifiâ—… meeâ—… but the humilitie of Cyprian doth refresh mee Hee meaneth that if that vvorthy man had lived to have seene more light in that argument or to beholde vvhat the succeeding time had reveiled and concluded in that behalfe hee vvould in greate humilitie and meekenesse of hearte have conformed himselfe and yeelded vnto it VVhich may iustly serve for a true defence of the Waldenses Iohn Wiclif Iohn Hus or any other servant of God who might seeme in matters of small moment to vary from vs. 36 And thus I trust that by this time it appeareth to every one who will not wilfully close his eies stoppe his eares against an appâ—…rant truth that God hath at all times had his children houlding the verity of Christian Religion not approving of the filthie Superstitions sacrilegious Idolatries of the abhominable Antichrist of Rome So that it is a most fonde collection that either the Popish Convocation or Confusion are the right vndoubted spouse of Iesus Christ or els that for a thousand yeeres togither there was no Church in the worlde They doate much vpon themselves and on the opinion of their bewty who in such intolerable deformities doe predicate and magnifie their Synagogue as the vnspotted wife and mystical body of our most blessed Saviour Truth it is that intending to blind the ignorant and to abuse the simple they laboured by all externall pompe and shew to give to their hypocrisy and outward formality a setled opinion of pietie and sanctitie and for that cause there was no corner of the braine of man or rather of men in many ages succeeding togither
crosse the Adriatike sea step into Grecia or Morea why traveile you not farther to Constantinople Tripoly or Aleppo to winne men from Mahomet which is so much the easier because all these Turkes Saracens admit of some Positions beloÌ„ging to the ChristiaÌ„ faith but the Indians accept of none Truth it is that vnto these places other nations of Christendome for trafficke do resort and therefore if you should report any vntruth coÌ„cerning these you would quickly be disproved But far traveilers may say more then ordinary men and for that cause you tell vs a tale of the Indies and some of your men say that there they cast out Devils also They do wel to lay it in places so distantâ—… for although they egregiously faine yet we shal hardly take them tripping it is no ready worke to convince them But wee imagine that your attemptes for conversion may have the same successe in the East and VVest Indies as the offer of your u Maff Hist. Lib. 1. Portingale Priestes and Friers had in Congo where adventuring vpon verie small acquaintance to baptize the king and the inhabitantes the most part as your Historiographer saith but it is to be feared that all quickly renounced Christianity returned to their heathenish wallowing in the mire They disliked not the first principles of the faith neither the Ceremonies therein but when they were called vpon to leave their grosse vices as adultery and witchcrafte and seeking to Devils to remitte iniuries to restore thinges vniustly taken each from other they would not endure these exhortations but like reneging Apostatas they became as before And of likely-hood so it fell out frequently with the Spanyards in America where they x Petr. Martyr Decad. 3. 10. were exceeding nimble in administring baptisme to those who knewe very little Had it not beene fit that before the Sacrament had beene imparted the Infidels should out of Gods booke largely haue heard of many thinges which course Iohn the Baptist did take preaching repentaunce y Math. 3. 2 and that woulde well have tryed them before hande and so Gods name might not haue beene dishonoured nor Baptisme abused nor the people made the worse nor the Priest never the better Doth not the true Church of Christ gaine much by such titulary bargaines and is not Gods kingdome much increased through it And yet doubtlesse such good matches your Friers also make in the Indies but especially in those of the East where the inhabitants have more witte and your messengers have lesser power And if it bee so and no otherwise yet with vs heere in Europe all these must goe for good Christians and if there bee a score of such Nuâ—…s Christians wee shall heare of fiue hundred So much may a talâ—… growe in coâ—… so 〈◊〉 And the reporters speake for their owne reputation and therefore without questioning you must beleeue them 6 But I cannot chuse but heere smile at the vertuous titles vvhich you bestovve vppon the Iesuites vvhen you call them the blessed Societie of Iesâ—… and thâ—… blessed religious men Hovve gladlye vvoulde you clavve them vvho perhaps lately at z Apolog. of the Archpriestâ—…c a. 5. Rome did clapper-clavve you And albeit you be now got to bee a Doctour of Divinitye yet since it vvas certainelye against their a Answere to the Manifestat c. 1 vvilles you are vvith them but in nature of a Probationer and an eye is câ—…rryed over you so that if once againe you exorbitate from the rule of your superiours haue at you for an olde grudge Since your comming into Englande to the ende that you maye deserue better of your good Lordes the Iesuites you haue set out this present Pamphlet yet the colde commendation vvhich vvas vpon you continueth still leaving an imputation of vveake iudgemente in you by your credulitye and of heate and rashnesse in your apprehensions and contentions Yet novve standing vpon your triall there is some hope that the tongue which formerlye you exercised vpon these iollye Iesuites in the Colledge at Rome shall bee turned against your King and Countrey that in time you also may bee if not a Iesuite yet one of those blessed men vvho having their authoritye from Rome and not from heaven from Antichrist and not from God maye bee entertained as a Tâ—…ytour You beginne pretty vvell and if you holde on but a vvhile and increase as you desire you may deserue such a prefermente The Iesuites as you tell vs haue their authoritie from Rome not from Iesus and vvhat a forge of mischiefe that Rome hath beene against Englande he is blind who doeth not see b Sand. de Schismat Thence came the sentence against King Henry the eight Thence was continuall hatred derived against our late Soveraigne from the day of her birth vntill her dissolution from this mortalitie Thence came the excommunication by Pius the fift the declaration of the same by Sixtus the fift the ratification of it by Clement the eight if the Spanish Generall in c An. 1601 Ireland did vvitnesse a truth Hence came the Conspiracy of one Noble man nowe acknowledged by d Catena in vita pij 5. him who vvrote the life of Pope Pius the fift the insurrection of other Nobles the attempts on Ireland in the Lord Grayes time the incouraging and ayding of the vincible fleete in the yeere 1588. the late tumults in Ireland besides such infinite proiects by Ballarde Parrhy Lopez Squire and such infamous varlets to destroy her vvho vvas the most famous and renoumed Prince of Christendome These thinges vvere sufficient to cause the honourable Councel and chiefe Magistrats not to sleepe but as with eies opened towarde you And if vvisedome vvill say e Virgil. Aen. 2. ab vno disce omnes or ex vnguibus leonem pretende you as long as you wil that the Iesuits are heere executed for their sacred Function vvee haue reason not to doubt but somevvhat more there is in it He who wrote the Iesuites Catechisme in French as he hath many memorable matters touching the sweete and sacred vices of these vnblessed and irreligious Fathers so hee hath some thing touching Englande as that f Lib. 3. 3. Parrhyes attempt in the yeere 1584 And g Cap. 4. Squires in the yeere 1597 was plotted incouraged and abetted by the Iesuites as hee sheweth by the whole processe of it These devises can bee the execution of no function which is holy vnlesse you will take it to bee holy after the Devils fashion And may it not vvell bee supposed that they vvho vvere so vvickedly affected tovvarde our last Soveraigne vvill carrye the same minde tovvarde our present King the mirrour of all Princely vertues vnlesse the everlasting blessing of God and prudent fore-fight otherwise do restraine them VVhat loue this Iesuiticall crewe doeth beare to his Highnesse let that one thing in steede of all testifie that they combined abroad and to their best plotted at home to
Peter that was according to atradition much received among the Anciēt but for the māner therof much differed vpō by all Besides Prosper lived in the daies of Pope Leo the first with In vita Leonis Mapni whō he was very familiar with u In vita Prosp. Aquitan whō he was at Rome receiving many favours from Leo and therefore might more easily incline to the opinion of that Pope who began to arrogate too much to his See and to magnify it so farre as that his Successours but especially x Lib. 3. Epist. 76. Gregory woulde not stande to it This doth often appeare in the vvorkes of Leo but I vvill cite by name one place whence Prosper might have the prose of that which heeturned into verse Speaking vnto Rome as concerning Peter Paule hee saith thus y Leo Serm. 1. in Nativit Petr. Pauli These are they who brought thee to this glory that thou shouldest be a holy natiō a chose people a citie of Priests Kinges and that by the holie seate of Saint Peter thou beeing made the head of the worlde shouldst more largely rule by divine religion then by earthly dominion Whē Prosper heard this from Leo as an Orator he might set it a strain higher as a Poet who in his amplification would leaue out no word which might grace the place whō hee would honour And then he could not see the inconvenience that afterward did arise by too much magnifying that Episcopal or Patriarchical city And these things are especially to bee remēbred if you would vrge his words to that purpose which in this place principally cōcerneth you that is to say that the faith was spread over al the world Truth it is that much of the world ioyned in the same beliefe with the Clergy city of Rome from thence as being one of the Imperiall residences they had great light many also repaired to the Bishops there as being for a long time eminent persons in respect of their holines of life but if we wil speak exactly neither did they take their religiō from thence more then frō Hierusalē Alexandria Antioch neither did I wil not say the fai◅h of Rome but that faith which vvas in Rome as wel as in other places possesse the whol world For first the z Loco cita◅o words of Leo himselfe do signifie the Christian Religion to be no farther spread over the earth then the Roman Empire had bin or little more we know that albeit vnder that Empire was much of the old knowne world yet there was also a very greate deale which never came vnder their subiection And secondly even at that time being about 450. years after Christ neither by the Apostles nor by their successours had the Gospel bin mēcioned in many parts of the old world which is it that seemeth here to ly on you to proue And for this we neede no better testimony then his whom before you cited S. Austen I meane who was an old mā living when Prosper was younge Besides I wil choose no other place but one of those whom yourselfe cite which being throughly scanned by the Reader will evidently shew that you D Hill do take vp your wares at trust Or else had you looked and knowne the place your selfe you would never haue cited that which so expresly confirmeth the point by mee taught and over-turneth your assertion of the Gospell being spreade in all countries of the world taking countries and Nations particularly and specially and strictly as you doe in your discourse 7 Saint a Epist 78 Austen then being asked by Hesychius concerning the n◅enesse of the day of iudgment had in a former Epistle given reasons out of the holy Scriptures why that time was not likely to be very shortly and among other that was one that the b Mat. 24. 14 Gospel of the kingdome had not yet bin preached throughout the whol world Hesychius is not yet throughly satisfied thervpon S. Austen so advertised setteth to him againe in a second Epistle and farther prosecuting that point of the faith not yet received every where he vttereth these words c Epistol 80. Whereas your Reverence doth thinke that this is already done by the Apostles themselues I haue proved by certaine arguments that it is not so For there are with vs that is to say in Africa innumerable barbarous nations among whom that the Gospell is not yet preached we may everie daie read◅ learne by those who are brought captiues from thence are now mingled with the servants of the Romanes Then he addeth that some of the African people being lately subiected to the Romanes had given their names to Christ But those more inward who are vnder no power of the Romanes are not at al possessed with the Christiā religion in any of theirs Yet he saith it was not to be doubted but that more and more woulde come in that the Prophecies of the Scripture might bee fulfilled But that the Western part of the world had the Church thē already Afterward looke in what natiōs therfore the Church yet is not it must be not that atwhich shal be there must beleeue for al natiōs are promised but not all men of all nations And yet againe Howe then was this preaching fulfilled by the Apostles in as much as yet there be nations which is vnto vs most assured in whom it lately began and in whom not as yet it is begun to be fulfilled Hee sheweth that it was and must be performed in the Apostles and their successours to the end of the world And to that purpose hee expoundeth that speech d Psal. 19. 4. Their sound is gone out into all lands by the future tense as well as by the time past He shutteth it vp thus It is fructifying and growing in all the world although the Gospell did not yet possesse the whole but hee did say that it did fructifie in the whole world increase that so he might signifie how farre it should come by fructifying and increasing Novve who doeth not see that the same which this vvorthy Father said in his time of innumerable nations in Africa not yet called to the faith might then many hundreds of years afterwarde yea in some till our time be verified of the Northren partes of Europe and of the North and East countries of Asia to say nothing of all the new-discovered lands toward the North South West of which before I haue spoken And this togither with Hieroms owne words before mentioned Or else we see shortly to be fulfilled In Mat. 24 doeth shew that the speeches of the auncient Fathers aboue named are not strictly and precisely to be taken but that all is to be vnderstoode for much and many and for all the generall coasts lying to the East and West and North and South not including each speciall And so consequently such a multitude of authorities is but very idly
attained divine foreknowledge yet the same Authour addeth farther that to fore-knâ—… things to come he himselfe did not accouÌ„t to be 〈◊〉 the number of vertues And therfore he did giâ—… 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rashly should bestowe hiâ—… time labour in that matter Becâ—…â—…aÌ„ which was ignorant of future matters should suffer â—…y 〈◊〉 because he was ignoraÌ„t of them neither did he thâ—…ke that he who did fore-know theÌ„ was therfore blessed or to be aâ—…red He then did not make so much of it as you doe And so it appeereth that you haâ—… but ill lucke with the examples which you bringe 5 CoÌ„cerning Iohn S. k De civit Deil 5 26 Austen saith that Theodosius being to fight against Maximus did not seÌ„d to inchauÌ„ters but to Iohn who abode in the wildernesse of Aegypt which servaÌ„t of God he had learned by coÌ„moÌ„ report to be indued with the spirit of Prophecying froÌ„ him saith he â—…e received a most certaine message of victory Al this while what maketh this for the Church of Rome more thÄ› for the Anabaptists or any other who wilchaleÌ„ge him Monica l Confess 3 11. S. Austens mother much grieving that her sonne was a Manicheâ—… did weepe pray inceâ—…tly for his coÌ„version At last being in a dreame she imagined that she stood vpon a woodden ruler a yong man with a mery couÌ„tenance came to her and asked her why shee was so sadde Shee answered that she bewailed her sonnes destructioÌ„ To which he replied that she should be of good cheere for where 〈◊〉 was hâ—… son was And looking about she saw her sonne staÌ„d on the same rulet with her which imporâ—… to her that 〈◊〉 should in time come to the Orthodoxe In this vertuous woman you can haue no interest vnlesse it be that according to the m Lib. 6. 〈◊〉 custome in Afrike her country shee brought meate drinke as to make a baÌ„ket at the memory of some martyrs which I take to be their tombs but therfore she was rebuked forbiddeÌ„ by that revereÌ„d Bishop Ambrose accouÌ„ting hir fact to be but an imitatioÌ„ of the heatheÌ„ vnto which inhibition of his she with quietnes did coÌ„sent Of n Gregor Dialog lib. 〈◊〉 15. Benedict we do finde that he foretold many matters to Toâ—…la the King of the Gothes that he shold enter Rome raigne 9. yeers die the 10. And he also fore-signified to a Bishop the desolatioÌ„ of Rome in what maÌ„ner it shold be of what credit the book is wheÌ„ce this is takeÌ„ I have spokeÌ„ before That which is cited of S. o Vita nern lib. 4. 3. Bernard is this that he foretold that albeit a Prince called Theobald had many troubles froÌ„ his enimies yet at 5. moÌ„ths end he shold haue peace Also he acquainted a certain messeÌ„ger seÌ„t vnto him that he the same messeÌ„ger shold become a moÌ„ke And such like are the VisioÌ„s predictioÌ„s reported of him which as the writer of his life taking theÌ„ vp on heare-saies might fasten vpoÌ„ him to make his life story the more famous for this or the lik was the order for al the SaiÌ„ts so may it not well be questioned whether God in this later age would giue such an excellent gift as prophecy is to so smal a purpose as only to tel such matters of so smal moment beloÌ„ging to single yea some private meÌ„ only p Alois Lippoman in in vitis SaÌ„ctorum The life of their FraÌ„cis writeÌ„ by BonaveÌ„tura is so foolish yet so blasphemous a thing as it is fitter to bee exploded then refuted There he telleth that this hypocrite had a visioÌ„ of certaine cruÌ„mes which betokened the increase of his society of Franciscanes to ratifie this he had 5. wounds set on him by God like the woundes of our Saviour this was a confirmation of his order as if he the Pope had imprinted some seale on it allowed it He hath afterward a Chapter De divinis condescensionibus ad nutum factis as if he could haue revelations from heaven at the least becke of his Yea hee saith of him that he could vnderstand the secrets of mens harts These reports as amoÌ„g fools they adde much to the worship of that Frier So amonge the wisest they appeere to detracte much from the peculiar honour of CHRIST and his Father These are the examples which you bringe vnto vs whereof there are fewe which so much as in shewe make ought at all for your Popery and there is none of them but in that perticuler lieth to manifest exception So that your miracles and visions maye in like sort be reiected as vncertaine fradulent fained and communicable to the wicked as well as to the godly and such mayserue to vphold falshoode as much as truth In the Scripture they who had the one gift from God many times had the other ioyned with it but that alwayes was not so for ought that I finde and whether it were or were not it maketh not to your pupose Your Papisticall visions in our daies are either diabolicall illusions or the inventions of couseners whose sufficient and irrefragable testimony is nothing else but the doting fancy of some melancholike person or the lewde devise of other who vvoulde make themselues famous or else proiect something for the establishing of plotted purposes And if any go about to sift theÌ„ or rifle theÌ„ vp they haue no other warraÌ„t but to streÌ„gthen theÌ„ with such other reportes as vncetaine of as feeble a relation as the first so on on with twenty eveÌ„ as the liar in q Lucian in â—…hilopseud Lucian doth or as it is the maÌ„ner of figure-casters to coÌ„mend their practise or as it was wonte to be in tales of the walking of the spirits of chambers wherin no man might dare to lye in al which the coÌ„firmatioÌ„ of one tale was still by telling such another fable that so one might strengthen another We neede no better example of the goodnesse of this stuffe then blind r Motiv 7 Bristowes reports in this behalfe who would insinuate that one M. Allington a Papist belike had wonderful sights yet he will not tell vs what but sendeth vs vp and downe London and wee may heare of them So you knowe diverse and sundry Papistes vvho haue seene vndoubtedly vvonderfull visions vvhich perhaps vvee may see recorded heereafter You do well to say perhaps for it would be a good while first vnlesse it come out against your will as somewhat hath done vvhereof you shall heare anone but if you woulde put it out it woulde be a brave booke for vvinter nightes in steede of a nevve Legende Another of M. Bristowes fabulations is that one who was a Papist in hart being at an English CoÌ„munion saw the Devil in the liknes of a fowle blacke Dogge take the Communion still at the hand of the Minister as he delivered it to the coÌ„municaÌ„ts What lucke our Papists haue
in his Cōmētaries on the Prophets you cānot deny so it overturneth your reasō that those who were neerest to the Apostles should do best by taking it fresh frō thē so frō hand to hand For some of the later did not only equall but farre exceed those who were their fore-runners as Chrysostome in the Greeke Church may shewe Yet vnderstand all this that we haue no matter of moment in any point of religion nor scant any interpretation of Scripture but wee vndertake to advouch it from some or more of the Fathers in one place or other of their writings where they hādle those things It is Popery which lately crept in that hath with the Glosses therof declined both the sēce of the holy Ghost of the old Fathers while the pleasures of Popes the quiddities of the barbarous schoolmē have perverted almost the whole face of Divinity brought it to curious speculatiōs vnprofitable questiōs Whē you put it to trial you shal see that we are not so destitute of the Fathers for the proofe of our religion the exposition of texts nor so altogither vnstudied and illiterate as you in your weake vnderstanding imagine vs. Touching the imputation of profanenesse you shall heare of me heereafter Luther in capt Bap. Causaeus vbi supra Centuriat centur 2 c 10. Calvin instit cap 13 num 29. Centur 2 cop 5 Causaeus dialog 8 11 6 Bez◅ in Act Apost cap 23. T. HILL BUT indeede it is no marveile though the Protestants do contēne yea revile the Fathers in saying they taught thinges most like to dreames they were doating olde men they had foule blemishes and tolde trifling tales they had weedes and dregges blaspemies and monsters they were childish dull and destitute of God and babbled they knew not what they were bewitched of the Devil as damned as the Devill blasphemers naughtie wicked G. ABBOT 5 HEere you bring a prety beade-roll of such fragmēts as you have scraped to gither out of some of our side who as you thinke haue perstringed diverse of the Fathers or at least by your perverting or distorting of their wordes you would haue the world to thinke that they haue shrewdly galled thē Wherin you are much to be cōmēded that to make the better shew both in your text margēt you bring vs the same things quotatiōs againe out of Causaeus Luther which in this very Chap. but one leafe before you delivered vnto us This is no rare matter in your writers for your n In Matth. 16 18 Rhemists play a pretier part then that when meaning to spare for no cost to prooue Peter to be such a rocke ason whō the Church is principall built they thwacke authority vppon authority to as good purpose as they can And therfore they haue in the margēt S. Austen Serm. 26. de Sanctis and in the text S. Ambrose Serm. 68. which are both but one Sermō put in the workes of both those Fathers but in truth belonging to neither of thē Which must needs shew that Papists in their greatest matters doe either proceede idly or else of purpose they do bodge with their folowers citīg one for two as if a man should saye that in Pompeyes time o Luc lib 3◅ Plut. in Cesar Iulius broke vp the treasury at Rome and tooke out much mony and one Caesar about the same time broke open the same treasury therevpon should conclude that therfore the Treasury was twise forcibly entred into when lulius Caesar was al but one man What Luther spake was not against a Father but a counterfeit not against Dionysius Areopagita but against some meane fellowe shrowding himselfe vnder his name In K. Henry the 7. time a man might wel haue taunted p Holinshed in Henri 7. Perkin Warbeck yet not haue offended against the roial bloud in the children of K. Edwarde the 4. And the same is to be said for Causaeus who is to be imagined not to say ought against true Dionysius but against that doater who vsurpeth that name Now howe shameful a matter is it for you to bring in these as railing against the Doctors whē by distinguishing this false one frō those who be right they do coūtenāce the true as much as they discoūtenāce the fained He who saith that false mony is but brasse or copper doth not speak evil of the kings lawful wartantable coine Your first fault against the Magdeburgenses is taken out of the second q Cap. 10. Century where being ex instituto to giue their censure on the writers of that age they yeeld vnto thē al their due cōmendation of zeale in Gods cause of diligēce in preaching writing of fortitude in oppugning heresies of enduring martyrdome They shew also to what points of religiō they do speake taking on thē to shew what is amisse in divers of thē they vse these words As that the Epistles of Ignatius haue in thē some things which do seeme to incline to deformed blemishes You might haue marked that before that speech they haue doubted of the credit authority of some of those Epistles whither they properly belong to Ignatius or no. So in Papias they say there was naevus a blemish also that Clemens Alexandrinus Athenagoras had their blemishes And so of Iustinus Martyr What word can be more gently spoken then to say they had their blemishes the truth being so in such sort as no Papist can excuse it For that I may say nothing of divers things foūd in thē which with you cā be no lesse thē disputable but with vs are reputed no sound doctrine neither of some other plaine errours it is apparant that divers of thē as Papias Iustinus Martyr did hold the Millinary heresie for the same are taxed by the Century writers That which you mētiō of trofling tales if you apply it to thē is worthy to be laughed at for they haue no word of anie such matter in all that Chapter vnlesse you take it out of their narration concerning Phocas of whō they say that they passe oversome things reported by r Lib 10 Vincentius inspeculo because they seeme to be fables And what doth this detract frō the Fathers among whō I trust you put not Vincentius Phocas did vvrite nothing for ought that wee finde And it is not impossible that such a Legendary felow as Vincentius is may tel a tale of S. Hierom S. Ambros or S. Austē yet the reputatiō of these Doctors be among learned men never the worse Of Ireneus the Magdeburgenses say most mildly that he hath certaine inconvenient opinions as stubble they cite this for one which I beleeue no sober Papist will hastily mainetaine that Christ was baptized at thirty yeares of age preached at fortye and vvas crucified at fiftye And that hee helde the errour of the Chiliasts or Millenaries 6 The secōd place which you cite out of the
we should hold him accursed And incited there vnto by some of the Fathers themselues in open wordes by other in their Orthodoxe meaning For what Father woulde dare to thinke that his speeches shoulde over-rule the Scripture As for wringing and wresting and straining we detest it Gods truth needeth not to be vpheld by vntruthes We leaue that to the masons of the Popes part who had need vse such supporters to vnder-proppe the rotten and dayly falling ruines of their Antichristian kingdome Now whereas you tell vs that he is most praised of the Auditory who most alleageth the Doctors you had need to help your selfe with more then one distinctiō For among sober wise hearers it is wel accepted when the Fathers are cited to good purpose orderly but some other there be who thinke themselues no meane folkes which on a humorousnesse and because their Preachers are ignorant that way they I meane those ignorant Pastours haue taught them so like not to heare them quoted in the Pulpit Againe the wisest congregation doth not approue of the preposterous vsing of them as vvhen they are cited frequently and yet onely in Latine or Greeke and not Englished to the edification of the people vvhich Saint o 1. Cor. 14. 26. Paule vvoulde ever have aimed at Or vvhen they are hudled one vppon anothers necke vvithout cause Or vvhen they are multiplyed rather for ambition then vppon desire of fruite or vtility You might have considered vppon these thinges but you vvith the Crocodile or Hyena fall rather to a counterfeite commiseration that it is a pityfull thinge that the people shoulde bee made beleeve that the Doctours vvere of the same opinion that vvee are in religion You may doe well to taxe those men who in their Sermons have abused or perverted the sentences of those grave and learned personages Of the two you should rather pity your Papisticall Congregations vvhich are little troubled vvith Scriptures or Doctours but vvith such miracles and fabulous Legendes as your Friers doe lay before them and nothing else So are they turned to puddle waters in steede of the cleere streaming fountaine of the vvater of life That our Preachers who have reade any of the Fathers themselves doe know that they make against that vvhich they preache is an idle suspicious surmise of your owne and nothing else but a falling backe by a Nugatio to that vvhich you formerly have spoken It is one of the highest breaches of conscience for a man standing in the place of God to speake to the people there to vrge that vvhich in his ovvne harte hee knoweth contrary to truth This is inough for Bellarmine and such desperate wretches vvho for a Cardinals hat or some other expectation have solde themselves and their soules to their LORD God the Pope and his LORD God the Devill 24 I haue all this time traced the steppes of a bolde and malicious adversary but now I rather apply my pen to give satisfaction to the doubtfull Reader concerning this maine question Our Popishe writers speake in grosse of the Fathers but what themselves in speciall determine of them they dare not open So much paines therefore ◅s is expedient I purpose to take for them First then I aske them vvill they haue vs accept of all thinges which these learned Doctors haue taught Graunt this and then many bee the heresies vvhich wee must maintaine hovve many were there of them vvhich imagined that the godly after the resurrection should raigne on the earth and that but for the space of a thousand yeeres in all worldly felicity which is the errour of the Chiliasts or Millenary heretikes So dreamed Irenaeus and is taxed for it by p Eccl. Hist. lib 3 33 Eusebius In this conceite also was Tertullian drenched as appeereth by his disputation against q Lib. 3. Marcion VVith the same also vvas Iustinus Martyr tainted as is evident by his Dialoge with Tryphon the Iewe. Yea this opinion descended so lowe that Lactantius vvho lived in the daies of Constantine the Greate vvas not r Divin Iustit l. 7 14◅ free from it Doth not Eusebius s Eccl. Hist lib 6. 11. note it concerning Clemens Alexandrinus that hee doth much comment vpon Apocryphal matters as if they were Scripture How many were the heresies of Tertullian while in all his later workes he raveth vpon the Paraclete of Montanus to the which fantasticall opinion hee was most grossely vvedded One vvhile he thinketh that s Tertul. de Monogamia second mariages are altogither vnlawfull in the Church Another while he frameth a t De ◅uga in persecutione booke that it is not lawful for any Christian to flie at all in the heate of persecution Saint u Epist 157 Austen observeth truly of him that hee contended that the soules of men were not spirits but bodies that they haue their original of bodily seedes Yea so farre he went awry that u Contr. Helvidium Hierome saith of him plainely Of Tertullian I say nothing more but that hee was not a man of the Church VVith him I ioyne Origene who continually almost in his commentaries on the old Testament doth not only by Allegories pervert the literal sence of the stories but sometimes in expresse termes saith that x In Exod. Hom. 1 2 6 in the literal meaning the narration cānot be true which is an exceeding iniury to the Spirit of God Another while he will have the y De Principij l. 3. 6. Devill all the Reprobates albeit they suffer hel torments for a space yet at the last to be saved which doctrine z In ◅on 3 Hierome doth most iustly perstringe howsoever in another treatise he give him his due commēdation for some matters saying a Libr N◅min Hebraicor No man but hee vvho is ignoraunt doth denye that Origene after the Apostles vvas a maister of the Church But for that opinion b Lib 2 Ex pol. in 1 Regum Gregory did not suffer him to goe vvithout his censure Origene saith hee vvhile hee would see without the word of the Lord the Lord appeering hee savve the cloude inordinately because hee vvas afraid at the appeering of the fire For while denying the very least iustice of God he did proclaime his clemency to bee more then needed hee affirmed that hee woulde not onely spare condemned men but also one daye hee woulde deliver the reprobate Angels from everlasting punishment Another of c Commēt super lohannem Origens fancyes vvas that Christ did dye not to redeeme men onely but the starres of heaven He who would see more of his errours may reade d In Ancorat◅ Epiphanius where he passeth not without his taxe but especially let him looke e Lib 1 Theophilus Alexandrinus where his heresies are cited out of his owne works there he hath the severest sētence that may be pronoūced vpō him which is only in Gods hād to give Caesarius
these plaine and evident matters it may appeere whether the Romanists or we doe truely make more reckoning of the Fathers since wee yeelde them so much authority as belongeth to auncient godly and learned men noble lampes in the Primitive Church and great illustratours of the truth they in substance overthrow all this since we conserving them they corrupt them and either raze or adde to or pervert such sentences sayings of the Doctours as any way impeach their Romish Hierarchy wherby as vsurpers they raigne and dominere in the consciences of men and women FINIS To the Christian Reader IT is now about one yeare and a halfe agone that beeing intreated to aunswere this Pamphlet which is more fraught with malice and bitter speaking then with truth or learning in behalfe of my poore countrey-men abused by these Seminarians I vndertooke it And albeit for the whole yeere following I was sufficiently burthened with my ordinary businesse therein for the space of 9. or 10. weeks sicke and much weakened with a sharpe and vehement fever yet my desire to dispell these foggy mists of Popery was such that within the compasse of that time I drew vp the first Copy of an Answere to 16. of these Romish Reasons Wherein rather desiring to giue to the Reader a substantial then a flight satisfaction I found by probable coniecture that even so much would grow to a reasonable volume and the like course heere-after being taken with the latter part of D. Hils book there also might arise a work of like proportion Vpon this conceit I fell to revising writing out to the Presse that which formerly I had done and therein by Gods blessing I went so farre that now 6. moneths since I finished so much as heere is published some few interlacings only excepted But when I shoulde haue proceeded to the perfecting vp of the other sixe a burthē was by my honorable Patrone imposed vpō me which togither with my necessary imploimēts at Winchester since that time hath so put me frō cōtēplatiō kept me in cōtinual actiō that I scant haue bin able to sustaine the waight of the daily cōtingent perpetually incūbent busines as is apparant to every mā acquainted with mine estate And in as much as yet for a time I 'am not like to be freed from that charge I am put to this difficulty that either till I haue more leysure I must stay the Answere to these tenne Chapters being now completed by the Printer or I must send these forth without their fellowes which is much cōtrary to my former purpose Notwithstanding at the last I haue resolued vpon the latter of these two courses being the rather inclined thervnto because a learned man of the other Vnivetsity hath lately vn-quartered the whole Quartron of D. Hils Reasons which peradventure in the iudgement of many men may seeme so good a satisfaction to that which the adversarie hath obiected that my future labours in this Argument may very well be spared For this cause my purpose is giving way to my present necessarie services to attend and expect for a while the iudgement and Censure of men wise and learned in our Church and afterwarde to proceede or not proceede as occasion hall require In the meane time I may say that the mainest and principallest bulwarkes of the Romish religion are these which I haue already assaulted and it is as easie a matter to go forward with the rest as it hath beene to deale with these Before persons which are wilfully ignoraunt or perverse togither with their learning Popery may bear some shew but with such as haue the skill to displaye it or the grace to endure the dismasking of it it is but a painted Iesabell Only herein the vnsearchable iudgement of God is to bee admired and his waies which are past finding out are to be wondered at and that with amasement and astonishment that there should yet be so many who haue eies and see not eares and heare not yea harts and vnderstand not but still go forward to make vp the number of the servitors of the beast and of the traine of Antichrist who must haue some to adore him till the dissolution of the worlde But to the ende that such among our Popish Countrey-men as are ordained to salvation may be plucked out of the fire it behoveth vs who are the Ministers of the Gospell to be diligent in preaching the Gospell to such as wil heare and in writing for such as will reade that they may know and beleeue and be saved For the better accomplishing wherof and for the instruction of the ignorant who most readylie are seduced I haue taken these paines endevouring to deliver plainely and without obscurity that which I haue to saie And for the cleering of all my Doctors both general and particular suggestions tracing him step by step besides discussing the maine drifte of his Reasons togither with the validity of those Arguments which others for the strengthening of the Romane perfidiousnesse doe or may rest therevpon And yet in fitting my selfe to the capacity of the vnlearned I haue not beene altogither forgetful to giue some cōtentment to men of more knowledge wherin how farre I haue gone it is not for me but for others to iudge But whereas I haue once made mention of the expelling of the Iesuites out of Fraunce and the sharpe Edict which was there against thē and now the report is strong that vpon some cōditions they are restored thither again to the truth wherof in particular I must ingenuously cōfesse that I cannot yet attaine the difference of time being waighed will easily aunswere for that matter it beeing certainelie here-tofore one waie and nowe peradventure another In respect whereof it is not amisse to know that as it was longer agone that the Copy writtē for the Presse was finished so it is fiue moneths since that the Printer began with this booke howsoever sometimes this worke hath beene interrupted one while with the danger of the Pestilence which of late hath beene so generally spreade another while with the publishing of divers other linal tracts which the present occasion did offer And this also may serue for Answer to another point wherin my charity presumed more quietnes in some men amōgst vs thē thēselues are willing to yeeld correspōdence vnto Nevertheles I trust that this is but a fit that time and experience will giue rest to the most vnquiet and restlesse soirits Lastly I earnestly intreate al Romishly affected English men women that they be not so ready to harken to Iesuits Seminary men as here-tofore they haue bin to follow their lures either in spirituall or temporall matters What they can say for their Idolatry superstitiō is long since known neither haue they yet brought ought of moment but hath received answer And for their other behaviour whither it be cōmēdable Christiā or no let their own books between the