and murder Christes lambes Our aduersary he passeth this ouer without touch and onely telleth vs That the popes power hath beene acknowledged in all Christendome for many yeeres and ages But he lyeth and forgeth in this also For the easterne churches neuer acknowledged this power nor could the pope euer sell his commodities in those countries for any mony The churches of Africke likewise resisted the popes vsurpations and forbad their people to runne to Rome eyther for fauour or iustice The Frenchmen neuer would receiue the sixt booke of decretalles His prouisions the kinges of England would neuer admitte his pilling legates were odious generally to all Christendome Finally albeit his tyranny preuailed much in latter times yet haue a Petr. de Alliac de refor eccl Conciâ— Basil grauam Gâ—â—man honest men declared the discontentement which they haue receiued by his burdensome lawes iniurious excommunications and most shameful exactions and pillages He telleth vs moreouer How Christ said to his Apostles Luk. 10. He that heareth you heareth me and he that contemneth you contemneth me But first he is mistaken in the persons to whome these wordes were spoken For these wordes were deliuered to the seuentie disciples and not to the twelue Beside were these wordes to be vnderstood of the apostles and their successors yet they concerne the pope nothing For he is no apostle béeing neither called immediately of God nor sent into al the world nor ledde into all truth nor being able to make his decretals of authenticall credite Hée is not the apostles successor for hée féedeth not nor preacheth nor doth anie part of apostolicall function Nay hee doth contrary to the apostles fashion murder Gods saints trouble Christian people and resist Christes doctrine The apostles taught such things as Christ gaue theÌ„ in instructions The popes publish nothing but fond decretals and strange doctrine not onely diuers but also in manie points contrarie to Christes Gospell and holy Scriptures But saith N. D. The bishops of Rome be successors in the apostle Saint Peters seat Which I do not altogether deny if he meane the first bishops of Rome which were indéede true bishops and succéeded Peter and other apostles teaching apostolicall doctrine So all other true and godly bishops also were successors of Peter albeit they claymed not this vniuersality and fulnesse of power which the pope pretendeth to belong to him But whatsoeuer the first bishops of Rome were yet this concerneth the pope nothing for he is no bishop nor teacher nor successor in Peters chaire but rather Simon Magus his successor buing and selling not onely sacraments and benefices but also mens soules He succéedeth also the Angelicks in worshipping angels the Carpocratians in dissolutenesse and worshipping images the Collyridians in worshipping the virgin Mary the Manichées in his halfe communions and forbidding of mariage to priests the Pelagians in extolling the force of nature and merit of works and infinite other heretickes in seuerall points of leud doctrine He succéedeth also Nero in the Empire of Rome rather then Peter that was subiect to Neroes gouernement He alleadgeth also the example of the scribes and pharisées and saith That Christ commaunded his disciples to obserue and do whatsoeuer the scribes and pharisees that sate in Moses chayre said to them And to speake truth he hath more reason to compare the pope to scribes and pharisers corrupters of the law then to the successors of Christes Apostles But yet will not this serue his purpose for our Sauiors meaning was to shew that such as sate in Moses seat and taught his law were to be heard albeit otherwise bad men But the popes do not sit in Peters seat nor in Moses chaire nor teach apostolicall or true doctrine Hée telleth vs further That railers shall not inherite Christes kingdome especially such as raile against Magistrates All which wee admitte For it is a sentence condemnatorie against the pope of Rome and his faction that of late time haue taken to themselues infinite libertie in all their writings to raile against christiaÌ„ princes and others not sparing any that is contrarie to their procéedings For witnesse proofe héereof I referre my selfe to the railing buls of Paule the third against Henrie the 8. of Pius quintus and Sixtus 5. against Elizabeth his daughter of Sixtus 5. and Gregorie the 14. against Henrie the third and fourth of France and of Sixtus 5. against the prince of Condey To Sanders Ribadineiraes Rishtons Anniball Scotus the author of the commentarie of the popes late constitutions and other most slanderous and railing libels against Quéene Elizabeth The wise fellow doth also condemne his owne scurrilous railing against sir Francis Hastings Against vs it maketh nothing that onely in plaine termes declare our aduersaries leud dealings sparing all euill termes as much as we can Neither doth this concerne the pope that is neither Magistrate nor good Christian For that which this Noddy writeth How the pope is a spirituall Magistrate and hath a higher degree of authoritie then temporall magistrates and that he doth represent immediately the person of Christ Iesus is nothing but a péece of his frierlike folly and ignorance in spirituall and temporall matters For if such high authoritie had béene giuen him no doubt but wée shoulde long ere this haue séene authenticall writings of this donation and haue heard of the particulars Now wée must take these words as procéeding from a writer of antichristes marke that for Christ woulde commend vnto vs antichrist He telleth vs That all ancient diuines and doctors for aboue a thousand yeeres togither haue taught that it is blasphemie to raile at the bishop of Rome appointed by Christ to gouerne in his place and damnation not to acknowledge his authoritie And yet he is not able to shew either one sound diuine or doctor that hath so taught Nay he is not able to name many canonistes no nor schoolemen that haue so written or spoken Thomas Aquinas a 2.2 q. 13. teacheth him That blasphemie is against God Syluester Prierius b Summa in verb. blasphemia saith Blasphemy is a sinne against God properly which he prooueth by the authoritie of Saint Ambrose and improperly against saints But the pope is neither God nor saint Nay if it bée blasphemy to attribute to man that which is proper to God as the foresaide schoolemen teach then do the papists blaspheme that giue to the pope Christs power to remit sins sticke not to call him a god on earth All ancient fathers of the church had the bishop of Rome in no other estéeme then they had other godlie bishops neither did euer any one suppose that it was damnation not to acknowledge his authoritie Nay his vniuersall authoritie ouer all the church and infinite power in deposing princes not Caluin and Luther but all ancient writers doe gainsay and denie So that vnlesse the Reader haue great patience in this place hée will hardly endure to read so shamelesse and
vniuersall church Saint c Lib. 4. de Symbol c. 10. Augustine saith that Euery congregation that is gathered in one corner is a concubine and not the spouse of Christ How then canne the papistes be catholikes that are gathered out of the society of the vniuersall church into the communion of the church of Rome Writing to Vincentius the Donatist he d Epist 48. concludeth that the Donatistes and Rogatians were not the catholike church for that they tooke their names of others then of the christian church Thirdly the faith of catholikes is e Ephes 2. built Vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Iesus Christ beeing the chiefe corner stone And this foundation is no where to be found but in the writings of the apostles and prophets which shew vnto vs the doctrine of Christ Iesus The apostle saint f Rom. 10. Paul doth teach vs That faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Which we may not séeke in decretales nor legendes but in the most holy scriptures endited by the holy ghost And so the fathers teach vs. g Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 1. Irenaeus doth say that the apostles First preached and afterward deliuered the gospell in Scriptures that they might be a foundation and piller of our faith Per apostolos euangelium peruenit ad nos saith he Quod quidem tunc praeconiauerunt postea verò per Dei voluntatem in scripturis tradiderunt fundamentum columnam fidei nostrae futurum Athanasius in Synopsi doth call The canonicall Scriptures the anchor and staie of our faith Hée woulde not haue any thing spoken or heard of christians in matters of faith and religion beside the holy Scriptures Si diuersa à scripturis fabulari vultis h De incarr â—t verb. saith he cur nobiscum concertatis qui nec loqui nec andire sustineâ—â—s quod extraneum sit ab illis The church saith a Homil. 6. in Matthaeum Chrysâ—stome is Hierusalem whose foundations are placed vpon the mountaines of the Scriptures Hierome calleth the Scriptures the limites or bounds of the catholike church Non est egressa de finâ—l us suis saith b In Mich. â—â— he id est de Scriptuâ—â— fancâ—â— Finallie the c â—rir Aquin. 2. 2 q. 1. art â— papists theÌ„selues confesse that the obiect or grounde of faith is The fâ—â—st truth or God himselfe And we doubt not but that al certaine knowledge of God is to bee found in his written word which therefore is called the rule of our faith But the papists speake euill of scriptures and either will not haue them to be the proper foundation of our faith or sorge to themselues diuers other foundations whereupon they builde their church and their faith in the d In c. 3. epist 2. ad Corinth annotations vpon the Rhemish testament they call them A killing letter as if God had deliuered his will in writing to the end to kill the Readers They write e Annot. Rh. in c. 5. Ioan. also That they are hard to be vnderstood and would bring them in disgrace by f Ibid. in c. 4. Matth. saying That the diuell and heretickes alleadge scriptures Some call them A nose of waxe without any certeine sence as the Iesuites of Collen in their censure others call them Inken diuinity and account them no better then Matter of strife and contention Generally they g Censur Colon f. esteeme the canon of scripture to be a rule vnperfect and a maymed and lame péece of doctrine and condemne the reeding of scriptures As pernitious and hurtfull Stapleton h In praefat ante relect princip doct plainely denieth the scriptures to be the foundation of religion Aliud hodie saith he Christianae religionis fundamentum habemus and afterward Ab ipsis literis euangelicis apostolicis aliud The same man speaking of diuers principles and groundes of Christian religion i In analysi ante râ—lect p incip doct doth leaue the scriptures quite out of the reckoning Others also make small reckoning of scriptures but where they canne by forced interpretations draw them to their purpose and such as deny not the scriptures to be a foundation of religion do notwithstanding adioyne diuers other foundations to the scriptures and build their faith vpon them as well as vpon the Scriptures Vnto the canon of the scriptures of the ould testament consisting of two and twentie books l they adde first the bookes of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus k Synod Trideniâ—sâ—ss 4. and the story of the Machabees and secondly certaine additions found in the latine translation ouer and aboue the originall bookes and this contrary to the iudgement of most ancient and catholike fathers Neither is it materiall that saint a Lib. 2. doct Christ c. 8. Augustine and a certaine councell of Carthage and two or thrée more following them do number these bookes among canonicall Scriptures For they by Canonicall vnderstande such bookes as by order of the church were read publikely and commonly bound togither and were rather a rule for manners then for faith Legi voluerunt in ecclesijs saith b In exposit Symbol Ruffin non tamen proferri ad authoritatem fidei ex his confirmandam The same is also the iudgement of c In Synopsi Athanasius d In prolog galeato Hierome e De ponder mensur Epiphanius and of the most sound and ancient fathers of the church And if wée shoulde otherwise interpret the wordes of those that reckon these bookes among canonicall Scriptures wée should also put the 3. and 4. of Esdras among the bookes canonicall For they are also by saint Augustine and f Sixtus Senensis biblioth sanct lib. 1. others after a sort iudged canonicall and Athanasius in Synopsi doth attribute no lesse authoritie to the thirde booke of Esdras then to the bookes of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus and the Machabees The Gréekes also place the thirde booke of Esdras first although the assemblie at Trent excluded the thirde and fourth booke of Esdras out of the canon and Sixtus quintus in his new edition of the Latine Bible hath excluded them out of their ancient place They adde also vnwritten traditions to the Scriptures and builde their faith equally on them two giuing vnto them both equall authoritie Libros veteris noui testamenti saith g Sess 4. the assemblie at Trent nec non traditiones ipsas c. pari pietatis affectu ac reuerentia suscipit ac veneratur synodus ista h Lib. 3. de verbo dei Bellarmine accounteth of these traditions as of the most certaine worde of God and calleth them The worde of God not written i De fid Symb. q. 22. op Catech. Canisius woulde haue vs to beléeue these traditions Most firmely as reuealed by the holy Ghost The which is not onely derogatory to the sufficiencie of Scriptures but also vtterly ouerthroweth the
principall rocke doth wholy rely vpon the popes of Rome men neither like to Christ nor like to Peter nor like to a rocke Vnlesse it be in that they deny Christ and are as hard harted against Christians as if they were rockes Secondly the faith of the true catholike church is built vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets and their canonicall doctrine The apostle c Ephes 2. saith That the houshold of God and citizens of saintes are built vpon the foundations of the apostles and prophets S. d Apocal. 25. Iohn sheweth That the wall of the city of God hath twelue foundations and in them the names of the twelue apostles The church is built not vpon Peter onely as saint e Lib. aduers â—â—in Hierome saith but vpon all the apostles At dicis super Petrum fundatur ecclesia licèt id ipsum in alio loco super omnes apostolos cuncti claues regni caelorum accipiant ex aequo super eos ecclesiae fortitudo solidetur The church of God saith f In Ephes 2. Theophylact is built vpon the apostles and prophets And all this is therefore affirmed of them because they preached not themselues but Christ Iesus and wrote the canonicall scriptures that they might be as g Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 1. Irenaeus saith The foundation of our faith Vnto this foundation the ancient fathers do all giue testimony But the faith of the Romish synagogue is built vpon the determinations decretals of popes They count their determinations to be infallible and make them souereine iudges of all controuersies in Christes stead Alij nunc à Christo missi saith h In praefat in relect in prinâ—ip doct Stapleton eorumue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locum habebunt He plainely i Ibidem confesseth that the papists haue another foundation of their faith besides the scriptures Christianae religionis fundamentum habemus saith he ab ipsis literis euangelicis apostolicis aliud And k Lib. 4. de verb. Dei c. 4. Bellarmine disputing of traditions calleth them the word of God not written and saith That the scriptures are neither necessary nor sufficient without them Demonstrare conabimur saith hée scripturas sine traditionibus nec fuisse simpliciter necessarias nec sufficientes Nowe if they cannot shewe that the church of God in times past did builde their faith vpon the popes decretals and traditions they must néeds confesse that they are not the true church Thirdly neuer did the church of Christ speake euill of Scriptures a Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 2. Irenaeus saith It is the propertie of heretikes when they are conuinced by Scriptures to fall into dislike of them and to accuse them The children of God certes cannot calumniate their heauenly fathers testament or refuse to heare his voice My sheepe saith our b Iâ—hn 10. Sauiour heare my voice But the papists say they are neither necessary nor sufficient as doth Bellarmine or no sufficient foundation of the church as doth Stapleton in the places aboue mentioned and speake euill of them as if they were c Annot. Rhem. in 2. Cor. 3. A killing letter and most pernicious or as if they were a nose of ware d Ceâ—sur Colon. or a matter of contention and will not suffer them to be publikely read in a toong that is vnderstood of the vulgar fort 4. The church of God doth keepe the doctrine of the apostles without addition and alteration auoiding all prophane nouelties The Gal. 1. apostle pronounceth him accursed That teacheth any other Gospell then that which he taught So f Aduers haeres c. 34. Vincentius Lâ—rinensis saith Catholicorum hoc ferè proprium deposita sanctorum patrum commissa seruare damnare prophanas nouitates sicut dixit iterum dixit apostolus si quis annuntiauerit praeterquam quod acceptum est anathematizare But the synagogue of Rome hath added vnto the doctrine of the apostles infinite nouelties as hath béene declared aboue in the second chapter Their doctrine concerning the grounds of faith concerning the law the Gospell and diuers points of Christian faith their worship of God their massing seruice and popish gouernment is newe as their newe decretals and late Tridentine doctrine the decrées of other late councels whereupon all their popish faith dependeth do plainly testifie 5. The true church cannot abide heretikes that teach doctrine contrary to that of the apostles Christ Iesus speaking of his shéepe g Iohn 10 saith They will not follow a stranger but flye from him for that they know not the voice of strangers that the apostles gaue the faithfull Christians in charge If there come any vnto you saith a 2. Iohn saint Iohn and bring not this doctrine receiue him not to house neither salute him Tantum apostoli horum discipuli saith b Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 3. Irenaeus habuerunt timorem vt neque verbotenus communicarent alicui eorum qui adulterauerant veritatem Let vs separate our selues saith c Lib. 1. ep 3. Cyprian as far from them as they separate themselues from the church Neither can the true church embrace erroneous doctrine For true Christians will not heare the voice of strangers Si haeretici sunt saith Tertullian d De praescrip aduers haeret Christiani esse non possunt But it is apparent that the popes of Rome are heretikes which are the great maisters and Rabbines of the Romish synagogue as may appeare by the examples of Liberius Felix Vigilius Honorius thâ— first Iohn the two twentith Eugenius the 4. and diuers others We haue also shewed that the synagogue of Rome hath embraced diuers heresies and doth wholy addict her selfe to embrace heretikes and to persecute true teachers 6. The church of God is the mistresse and teacher of truth and admitteth no falsehood nor vntruth The e 1. Tim. 3. apostle doth call her The piller and ground of truth Est fons veritatis faith f Instit diuin lib. 4. c. vlt. Lactantius hoc est domicilium fidei She is the fontaine of truth that is to say The house where true faith dwelleth but the synagogue of Rome is not onely a receptacle of leud opinions but also the mother and mistresse of lyes and vanities She not onely receiueth false traditions but also teacheth them She embraceth lying legends and old wiues fables and apocryphall deuises And this is the word of God not written which they so much commend and make equall to holy scriptures That church g In breuiar in festo Cathar beléeueth That saint Catharine was a maiden of Alexandria so well learned that at eighteene yeeres of age she passed the most learned and ouercame fiftie philosophers conuerted Faustina the empresse and Porphyrius a captaine of his to the faith and broke the tormenting wheele with her oraysons They say also that her body was buried by angels
as seeke her destruction and the desolation of this countrey for our selues that professe true religion and abhorre Romish idolatry superstition and heresie With Sir Francis you haue no reason to be offended if you be as you pretend a friend to her maiestie and the countrey Hee speaketh against the Spaniard and why should he not the Spanish king without all iust cause professing himselfe our enimie He weigheth little the popes authoritie And hath he not reason the pope in his tyrannie shewing himselfe not onely to be our enimie but also the enimie of Christian religion of Christs church He toucheth also the practises and treasons of g Gifford Worthington c. priestes and h Parsons oâ— Delman Hâ—it Walpooiâ— c. Iesuites and their adherents but not without iust cause seeing they haue shewed themselues not catholikes as you terme them for catholikes neuer held either any such religion as theirs is nor sought by violence to murder lawfull Princes and ruinate their natiue countrey but dangerous traytors and most malicious i Testified by Sixtus Qâ—intus declaratorie sentence against the Queene enimies of their countrey Likewise he commendeth her Maiesties clemencie and you haue no cause to dislike the same least percase it may please God to turne her hart through your vngratefulnesse and hatefull practises from her entended course of clemencie which is not well fitting for your sharpe humors into a course of iustice which your treacherous and most wicked practises doe drawe vpon you This is his course against enimies this is his dealing with his soueraigne He neither iniustly chargeth his enimies nor doth he basely or seruilely flatter his friends and superiors But admit your aduersarie had not vsed either that moderation in his stile or sinceritie in his dealing which might passe the iust censure of seuere iudges yet no man hath lesse cause to finde fault with these courses then your selfe and your consorts For in railing and calumniation no man may compare with you It is not one only biting libell and iniurious pamphlet which you haue set out but very many and diuers I will deale plainly with you for that I am well acquainted with your stile and know your lewde packing and practising and can conuince you if you haue your steele vizor on and shame not to denie so plaine matters I say then that you Robert Parsons falsly abusing the name of Iesus to ouerthowe the truth of Iesus haue published first certaine chartels against your friends in Oxford secondly one famous or rather infamous libell against the Earle of k Leicesters coÌ„mon-wealth Leicester thirdly another single l Entitled a confutation of pretended feares libell against the late Lord Treasurer fourthly another infamous m The words by no loyall subiect may be spoken libel against her Maiestie against all her chiefe counsellers vnder the name of Andreas Philopater Neither can you excuse your selfe that n A Iesuite residing in the court of Spaine and Parsons disciple and Agent Creswell was the man that made the Latine which you cannot doe when as you either made it first in English or else gaue him all his argument Fiftly you holpe Allen in his libell against the Queene and state anno 1588. and published diuers copies Sixtly you set out Dolmans treacherous discourse to shew your selfe not onely a libeller but a notorious traitor and sworne enemie to your countrie Albeit o The discouery of a countersect conference one of your friends doth only terme it a chartell or libell This wardword shal make vp the seuenth libell and the patched relation of the conference betwixt M. Plessis and Eureux sent vs lately from Rome the eight Beside these you haue published diuers base and paltrie pamphlets not woorthie to be mentioned and these be the flowers or rather furies of your writings and the fruites of your inuectiâ—e veine Neuer did any vse more lying forging false dealing scornfull gibing odious bragging then your selfe in all your writings Your owne p The priestes banded in England against the Iesuites friends accuse you of Machiuilian and Turkish practises and well doe your writings and doings deserue these titles The like also may be verified of Sanders Rishton Ribadineira Allen that hungrie cardinall other your friends Tisiphone and the furies of hell spoke with their toongs wrote with their pennes and wrought in their malicious harts It is your selfe therefore and your treacherous consorts vpon whom all the reproofes wherewith you load your aduersarie do light fitly and lye heauily And that you shall perceiue by this discourse ensuing Wherein if I reforme your error in many things whereof before you were ignorant you are to thanke me If you fee the hostile dealings of your friends the pope and Spaniard declared and auowed and your owne and your consorts treasons and a great masse of your hidden villenies discouered take it grieuously you may thank your selfe that gaue the occasion If any Papist finde himselfe agrieued with my plainenesse let him impute the fault to you also that first began to stir these coales and to the mysteries of popish religion that contain such deepe matters of rebellion and treason and not to me that being thus prouoked haue so plainely reuealed them Because vpon small aduantages you haue made great triumphes and called your aduersary forth to answere you as it were in eight encounters vanting and facing as if you were to play your maisters prises I haue taken vpon me to ioyne with you vpon your owne ground and to try with you at your owne weapons hoping to prooue you ignorant both of state matters wherein you pretend to know such secrets and also of sound diuinitie and other learning of which your friends and your selfe make such vants For matters concerning Sir Francis Hastings his owne person I refer you to his owne answere that may sufficiently satisfie you For the rest I thought it not amisse to discourse with you more at large And because you goe about to carie away matters with faire pretenses as if you papists the popes children were the only catholikes and did professe the ancient faith of the catholike church and as if all others were heretikes and wrong beleeuers I doe also vpon your lend glosses draw you out into fiue new encounters wherein if you ward not the better it shall be prooued First that you are no catholikes nor hold the catholike faith secondly that your religion is a new deuise and not the auncient religion of Christs church Thirdly that you are heretikes Fourthly that the Romish Church is the harlot of Babylon and not the true church of Christ And lastly that your consorts haue beene executed for treason most iustly and not for religion Which being prooued I trust your selfe will confesse that wee haue iust cause to maintaine that religion that we professe and to withstand antichrist the Spaniard and all their adherents that goe about both by force and treason to
and adhere to her enemies yet doe they enioy their landes and goodes and countrie and in effect their libertie and are onely subiect to pecuniarie punishments which either they escape not being endited through fauour or by sleightes auoyding the enditement or by conueyance of their landes frustrating the lawe or compounding for their punishment Compare her Maiesties actions with the cruell proceedings of papists and you shall soone see an exceeding great difference She This is prooâ—d in the end â—f our newe â—allenge executeth none for meere matter of religion vnlesse vnder colour of religion they be taken practising for her enemies authoritie and against her state and person they spare none She spareth notorious teachers of popish heresies and inflicteth only pecuniarie mulctes vpon malcontent recusants that plainly disallow her gouernment g The massacre of France and Flanders witnes this they kill man woman and childe that shall professe true religion She onely defendeth her selfe against those that are sent to perturbe the peace of her gouernment they by tormentes and rackes seeke out peacible persons and execute them to death most cruelly She proceedeth according to law these contrarie to all lawes h Hist. Natalis Comit. massacre men women and children whom they suspect to be contrarie to themselues in opinion Which clemencie of her Maiestie if it had either beene well accepted of forreine nations abroad or else had mollified the harts of disloyall papists at home all men would haue well liked and magnified But seeing this extraordinarie fauour or rather remissenesse of lawes and iustice towards them hath caused diuers rebellions both in England and Ireland and made them bold to attempt against her Maiesties life and gouernment and giuen some of them courage to conspire with forreine enemies and hardened the harts of our enemies against vs and weakened the hands of such as otherwise would haue beene forward inough to attempt against them and finally dissolued the sinewes of gouernment in suffering malcontents to practise and not maintaining the present state and executing lawes against offenders many doe thinke that against such persons that are so euill disposed and so firmly linked to forreine enemies good iustice is most necessarie and that it is farre more profitable and expedient to execute lawes then to pardon such offenders For while such vipers are suffered to gnawe the entrailes of their mother and yet are not punished and malcontents suffered to degorge their poyson against religion lawes gouernment magistrates ministers of the church and all honest men it is no maruell though the number of disloyall subiects encrease and though well affected and honest men withdrawe themselues and rest discouraged Now of late they i Aâ— appeareth by the multiplicitie of their libels diuersly mentioned in this treatise haue taken to themselues a presumptuous and audacious libertie not onely to speake their pleasure of her Maiestie and her lawes and good friends but also to aduance the cause of the publike enemies of the state Edward Rishton a Seminarie priest was no sooner by her Maiesties fauour k He set out Sanders booke De schismate and augmented it with infinite lies and reproches deliuered out of prison and from the danger of death which he had well deserued but he published against her and her Maiesties noble father and brother a most odious and railing libell deuoide of all truth and honestie and for more credit to it set it out vnder Nicholas Sanders his name and authoritie after his death This course was also taken by Nicholas Harpesfield who enioying libertie to doe what him listed abused his libertie to raile on his prince and countrie These are the men that goe about to make their nation and this gouernment infamous and odious to all posteritie And thus we giue life and libertie to those that seeke nothing more then to depriue vs of life and good name Nay they are lately growne so insolent that they dare not onely taxe and raile at religion and gouernment but also reuell at all those that once beginne to open their mouth in defence of the truth of her Maiestie of iustice and of their countrie and not onely that but also presume to offer their paltrie pamphlets to the view and consideration of the Lordes of her Maiesties counsell which are the chiefe maintainers of religion and iustice And that this is most true we neede no further proofe then a certaine treatise entituled a Wardeword and written in outward shew against Sir Francis Hastings but in very truth against religion and this gouernment This good Knight of a right zealous minde toward religion and a loyall and louing affection towardes her Maiestie and the state giueth the word to his countreymen and stirreth vp such as sleepe in too much securitie to consider the malice of the Pope the preparations of the Spanyards and the trecherie of Spaniolized papistes that either at home or abroade entertaine intelligence with them and seeing forreine enemies seeke by force to take the crowne from her Maiestie and to subuert the state and to plant not onely false religion but also an absolute tyrannie in this land he exhorteth all loyall subiects and true English willingly to aduenture their liues and to spend their goodes in defence of their religion prince and countrie He aduiseth also all true Christians diligently to watch and to beware of the trecherous practises of priestes Iesuites rinegued English and their consortes as meaning nothing else but the subuersion of religion and state In all which discourse what one sentence can be noted vnwoorthie either a true Christian or a loyall subiect or a woorthie knight Is it not lawfull to oppose himselfe against publike enemies and traitors and to shew his affection toward his prince and countrie Sure this our counterfeit N.D. whose name Parsons the Iesuite doth borrow as he doth the name of Dolman otherwhere is very much offended that either our knight should open his mouth in defence of the state or offer himselfe readie to resist the publike enemies thereof Nay further he aduanceth the Pope and Spaniard and maintaineth the cause of knowne traitors and raileth at all that dare speake any thing against them Wherein I neede not note vnto you either his notorious follie that shewing himselfe a professed enemie of his prince and countrie yet thinketh to obtaine fauour for his clientes the papistes at the princes handes or their boldnes that vaunt of this champion when no man can like him but must needes shew a dislike of his prince and countrie and bewray himselfe to be an enemie to the state But I doe the rather report vnto you the summe of this mans pleading that you may the better vnderstand the boldnesse and impudencie of this generation and how through our owne remissenesse wee haue suffered them to grow to this height of insolencie He appealeth to the Lordes of her Maiesties counsell and I hope they will censure such a rayling libeller
not with armes and to iustifie first our accusation against Romish religion then against the pope the Spaniard the Iesuites Cardinall Allen the recusantes and all enemies traytors and malcontentes whatsoeuer And forasmuch as vnder colour of religion our aduersary would slily defend all attemptes and practises against this state I haue with my answere vnto this Noddy conioyned a breife discourse and in certaine new encounters drawing him foorth into a new combat prooued that popish religion whereon he so much standeth as if it were catholike and the old religion of Christs church Is neither catholike nor ancient nor true religion and finally that neither the church of Rome is the true church of Christ nor the popes agents and adherents that haue beene executed for traytors true subiectes or martyrs Which treatise if it profit not obstinate papists yet shall it greatly strengthen the hands of good subiects and of all men well affected and stay others that they be not easily carried either into opinions sauoring of heresie or else tending to disloyalty and treachery I shall not neede to tell you what manner of man this N.D. is against whome we deale He declareth himselfe so plainely that I cannot more euidently prooue him either a malicious enemy or a disloyall traytor then he doth himselfe For what greater signe of an enemy then to pleade the cause of publike enemies and to enuy that any commendation should be giuen or any blessing happen to this state What more plaine conuiction of his trecherous intentions then that he extolleth the prayses of traytors and is very sory that forreine enemies and wicked rebells haue not preuailed against vs It is an old saying that eagles loue eagles and beares well sort with beares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as saith Theocritus There cannot be deuised any thing more malicious then the pope and Spaniard to the English nation neither can any speake more spitefully of his country of this state and of religion then this rinegued English and Hispaniolized fugitiue And doe wee maruell if they be friendes and ioyne together Onely this is much to be maruelled that any sober minded papist should allow such a proctor to speake for him or that this Noddy would be so presumptuous as to present his fooleries to the councell or so foolish to thinke that such notorious enemies and traytors can grace the cause of papists or procure them fauour whom his patronage maketh much more suspect then before This we may boldly conclude that whatsoeuer such enemies perswade or offer that it cannot be for the good of our state It is an old b Sophocles in Aâ—ace mastig saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The gifts of enemies tend not to our good The Greekes as is said in time past would present Minerua of Troy with a horse but in the bellie there lurked treason So this Sinon N. D. if such a Noddie may be compared to Sinon would perswade vs to receiue the horse-religion of papistes and horse-friendship of Spaniards But if he should preuaile then might we say of him as the olde man in c Plautus in Pseudolo Plautus said of Pseudolus Superauit dolum Troianum atque vicit Pseudolus But I hope I haue discouered all the trecherie of this Sinon or Pseudolus or false traitor or whatsoeuer his malice deserueth to be called It may be some will mislike that I should so roughly handle our countrie papistes and their religion But they must consider what rebellions haue beene raised arâ— what practises haue beene attempted against her Maiestie this state and all true Christians by this faction I doe not meddle with olde men that are abused with ancient errours and liue quietly but with factious papistes and such as aide them and receiue them and either haue correspondence with forreine enemies or receiue their agents Now what termes can be too bitter against these that seeke to bring in strangers to oppresse all honest men to ruinate their countrie to murder their prince and all that shall adhere to her As for the religion of papists whereby I vnderstand all those corruptions which vnder the popes authoritie they haue brought into the church of God and which the church of England refuseth it is nothing but a packe of nouelties superstitious vanities and heresies as we both haue and alwaies shall be readie to maintaine either against Parsons or the cardinall Iesuite Bellarmine or the proudest of that sect and faction This religion of poperie therefore being not that seede which Christ did sowe in his field the church but the cockle and weedes sowne and set by the malitious man while the gouernours of the church were asleepe what termes could I vse more gentle then I haue done This I may boldly say that I haue not followed the aduersaries veine in scurrilous scoffing nor his vanitie in ruffianlike bragging nor his sharpnesse in plaine rayling But why should I goe about to excuse my selfe before the faultes be prooued Percase it is no fault to write as I haue done And were it a fault yet I trust thou wilt beare with my weakenesse seeing as the d Iacob 3. apostle saith All of vs offend in many things This I speake in the presence of God that my intention was not to wrong any but onely to lay downe the truth plainly that we may knowe not onely who be friends who be traitors but also who they be that contend for religion and iustice and who not Reade with indifferencie and weigh my allegations and compare diligently my defence with the Noddies challenge and then vse thy libertie in iudgement and respect not me but the cause and the proofes CHAP. I. That God by meanes of her Maiesties gouernment hath bestowed many benefits vpon the realme of England as well in establishing true religion as otherwise and that our aduersarie in his first encounter sheweth himselfe both shamelesse in denying it and vngratefull in refusing and not acknowledging the same ALbeit the malice of papists is great in defacing her Maiesties actions and slandering her gouernment yet who so listeth to consider the same with indifferencie cannot choose but acknowledge her to bée an excellent and singular woman to bée parangoned with the famous women of ancient time if not preferred before them Osorius albeit for his religion opposite to her yet could not choose but highly commend her both for her manly constancy mature wisedome and singular modestie Quid admirabilius a In prafat ante lib. 3. de religione saith he quà m in foemina virilem constantiam in virgine senilem prudentiam in summa opum affluentia summam modestiae laudem eminere Hée praiseth also her witte her learning and her clemencie Es singulari ingenio praedita b Ibidem saith he magnarum artium disciplinis erudita laudibus mansuetudinis lenitatis quae cum istius formae venustate consentiunt excellis nec eas laudes quae ex
ensuing not for the testimonie of truth Euill therfore are those words of Iustine apolog 1. concerning the patient suffering of Christians applied to Iesuites that are neither martyrs nor good Christians nor suffer for other cause but their offences and that most vnwillingly and vnpatiently as by Campian and by diuers examples may bée prooued The comparison likewise betwixt the first Christians that were charged to be Syluestres and Syluicolae and the Iesuites is most improper For Iesuites neither liue in woodes nor holes as did the first Christians but in princely pallaces and kinges courts and in the presse of people Neither are they retired for meditation but runne disguised ouer the worlde and thrust themselues into all companies to practise them wicked treasons and to execute their holie fathers desseignements Hee braggeth very much of the Iesuites teaching and of their reading artes toongs and sciences As if artes toongs and sciences were not as well taught before the name of this sect was heard of and shall not bee so againe when the whole order of them shall be extinguished As for their teaching it should bée much more commendable if with truth and knowledge they did not mingle falshoode heresie and poison and their toongs were more to bée estéemed if they did not teach them to spread lies and slanders But whatsoeuer their teaching is they enter vpon the pastors office and intrude themselues into it without commission and authoritie Nay they enter by other waies then the dore and in the folde make hauocke of Christes lambes Hée compareth them also to saint b 1. Cor. 15. Paule that saith Abundantius omnibus laboraui and to the rest of the most holy apostles Nay in the end hée doubteth not to iustifie the turbulent procéedings of the Iesuites by the example of Christ Iesus who was charged with troubling the people and forbidding to pay tribute to Caesar as hée saith but the difference and oddes is so great as may make a man woonder why hée compared things so vnlike togither The apostles were makers of peace most humble and méeke men true disciples of Christ and most painfull laborers in planting true religion drawing men to Christ But these false apostles are sowers of sedition trumpets of warre proud braggers and boasters of their angelicall holinesse painfull labours and profound learning conterfect Christians and true disciples of Satan Painefull labourers but to ouerthrow rather then to build to drawe men to antichrist and not to Christ not séeking to win soules by teaching the meanes of saluation but to destroy soules by teaching false doctrine vaine traditions and by bringing men into the thraldome of antichrist Christ and his apostles were accused most vniustly These most iustly as hath béene verified Christ made a diuision in the world making good of bad and separating the good from the bad But the Iesuites make of good bad and set diuision where there was peace before as appéereth by their whole procéeding Yea and our aduersarie confesseth that of colde cacolikes they make hot recusants Therefore may they bée iustly called Rerump incendiarij that is burners of common-wealthes and fire-brands of Satan that of good subiects by their reconcilements make seditious leaguers desperate murtherers busie practisers and perturbers of states But a P. 69. saith he It appeareth not that the Iesuites haue sought her Maiesties bloud especially not Parsons that was neuer accused by Parry Sauage Ballard Babington Hesket Daniel Polwhele or others As if any thing could appeare more cleare then the murderous minde of Iesuites both against al princes excommunicate by the pope and namely against her Maiestie Do they not teach that the subiectes are to rise against their princes when the pope commaundeth Did not Ghineard resolue that it was lawfull to kill princes excommunicate by the pope And was not he therefore executed at Paris anno 1594. And haue not diuers Iesuites sent men ouer into England and perswaded them to murder her Maiestie And haue not diuers witnesses testified so much as before hath béene declared And hath not Ribadineira or rather a ribaldy lying frier a Portingale Iesuite by all meanes b This Ribald hath set out Sanders booke of schisme in Spanish with many additions and falsification◠sought to dishonour her Maiestie to stirre her subiectes to séeke her ouerthrow in his most slaunderous booke of schisme Finally we must not thinke that the Iesuites haue had eyther other purpose or desire this many yéeres then to stirre vp sedition and warres against her and to bring the realme vnder the pope and Spanyard whome they serue which cannot be done without the destruction of her person and the desolation of this realme Neither may we thinke that Parsons the Iesuite albeit for some purpose percase he hath kept himselfe from open managing of treasons is better disposed towardes her Maiestie and the state then the rest of his companions For all Iesuites allow the popes power in deposing princes which cannot be without their destruction Yea and Parsons himselfe hath not dealt so closely but that there are many great and euident proofes of his disloyalty and trechery For not onely the booke set out vnder the name of Dolman concerning the succession to the crowne of England is his but also diuers other a Andreas Philopater Leycesters common wealth a confutation of causes c. treasonable bookes and pamphlets whereby he goeth about not onely to stirre vp troubles in England but also to conuey the title of the crowne to the infant of Spaine and to bring in strangers for which he is reprooued by a certaine popish priest not altogether so leud as himselfe in a b Pag. 12. passim treatise printed at Collen anno 1600. and intituled A discouery of a counterfait conference c. Published by one Parson that dare not auow his name Yea and so farre hath he intricated himselfe in these matters that the generall of the Iesuites is ashamed of him and hath therefore called him out of Spaine and made him rector of boy-priests in the English colledge at Rome as being a person blotted with notorious treasons Secondly in this treatise which is either Parsons his deuise or at least allowed by Parsons not onely the cause of rebels and traitors that haue sought to destroy her Maiestie is pleaded but also the fact of Ghineard the Iesuite that expresty c His notes appeere in the registre of the court of parliament of Paris and in the sixt recueil of matters of the league determined That Henrie the third of France was iustly slaine and that tyrants in which degrée hée putteth all princes excommunicate by the pope may lawfully by any be slaine Thirdly he is a factor for the pope and Spaniard nowe professed enimies of her Maiestie and this kingdome And all the worlde knoweth that they haue nothing more in their vowes then her Maiesties ruine Fourthly hée is a Iesuite whose oath and profession is to do
subiect to lawes and not lawes to mens fancies as it is in the popes gouernement where all matters are referred to his determination Further he had dealt more wisely if he had passed ouer in silence this ordination by the holy ghost and succession from the apostles For if bishops appointed by the holy ghost and that haue right of succession from the apostles be to gouerne the church of God then must the popes of Rome lay handes off of this gouernement For neither can they shew commission from the holy ghost nor right of succession and truth of doctrine from the apostles Nay it appeareth they are rather wolues then true bishops and pastors and succéede Nero rather in killing and murdering then Peter in feeding and cherishing Christes lambes Neither is it sufficient for them to alledge that they sit at Rome For the Turkish priests sit at Hierusalem Antioche and Cesarea yet are they neither successors of Iames nor Peter that sometime taught in those places His third reason as he saith is drawne from the light of nature For because among the prelates of the church Christ would haue some subordination for auoyding schisme and confusion and because all philosophers held without controuersie that the monarchie was the best among all regiments he saith it is very probable euen by reason it selfe that Christ instituted a monarchicall gouernement in his church But first it is no small error in matters of spirituall gouernement to draw a patterne from humane reason that in spirituall matters is so blind and from philosophers that vnderstood nothing and to ground faith vpon probabilities and likelyhoods a Lib 2. de pontif Râ—m Bellarmine hath hitherto borne vs in hand that Christ instituted the papacy But this wise Noddy layeth the foundation of it vpon probability and humane reason Secondly it is absurd to thinke that the same gouernement is best both for church and common wealth For the church is Christes mysticall body and hath her head in heauen and is gouerned by diuine lawes The common wealth is a politicall body and hath her gouernors present with her here in earth and is gouerned by lawes of men There all commaund commeth from heauen here the most part commeth from men Thirdly albeit Christ would haue a subordination of officers in church gouernement yet maketh that nothing for the popes extrauagant power but rather against it For when Christ made his subordination b Ephes 4. 1. Cor. 12. set out the list of the officers of the church he gaue apostles prophets euangelistes pastors and doctors not so much as mentioning the popes holinesse which could not haue béene doone if the pope had bin constituted chiefe gouernor of Christ his church Lastly it is a bould and impudent vntruth to say that all philosophers held a monarchie to be the best forme of gouernment This simple hoddy Noddie hath neither read all nor many and therefore cannot tell But his fellowes could haue told him and their writings declare that Plato Cicero Philo Iosephus diuers others condemne monarchical gouernment and that Aristotle preferreth an aristocratical gouernment before a monarchicall Nay Bellarmine himselfe aboue all gouernments commendeth a forme mixed of diuers states and formes of common-welthes His fourth reason is very celestiall for Because God made Lucifer first head of the angels and afterward head of all diuels he beléeueth That one pope must necessarily be head of the catholike church So his first reason for the papacie was from man and humane reason the second is from the diuell of hell and his authoritie Is it not likely to prooue a braue gouernment that hath so strange a precedent Beside it is very vncertaine whether God established any such gouernment among angels as is supposed Nay it is not likely seeing Christ Iesus is head of angels and present with them that they haue any head but him In the 40. of Iob and 14. of Isay there is no such matter to bée founde as our aduersary pretendeth nor doth Saint Austin or any other father teach any such doctrine Mention is made of Michael and his angels Apocal. 12. But that hée is head of all angels cannot out of those words be prooued As for our aduersaries themselues it is very vnlikely they shoulde know the oeconomy and gouernment of angels in heauen that will not sée what God hath ordeined concerning his church on earth Fiftly he affirmeth That God established a monarchicall gouernment in the church of the Iewes giuing them a high priest to direct all other priests and al synagogues in the world Wherein he bewraieth his great ignorance in matters of the people of God For in that state the chéefe authoritie for matters both ecclesiasticall and ciuill was in the councell of state which they called Sanedrin which was appointed by God himselfe Deut. 17. and iudged all causes and persons yea the high priest himselfe Afterward the chéefe commaund was in princes both concerning priestes and other church matters Salomon deposed one high priest and placed another all which maketh against the supposed gouernment of the chéefe priest They that list to sée these matters prooued out of Scriptures writers of the histories of that people let them read M. Sutcliffes treatise De Pontifice Rom. lib. 1. c. 5. 6. 7. 8. His sixt reason is drawne from the similitude of riuers trées and all creatures But he is much deceiued if he thinke all creatures to haue liked of monarchicall gouernement All birdes haue not one head no nor all beasts nor all trées Could he shew me who is the head gouernour of all owles or woodcockes he should worke a wondrous feat for the establishing of his holy fathers monarchie If not then his similitudes will shew him to be a Noddy and a woodcocke Which also appeareth in this that there is great difference in things naturall and politicall and that the papall gouernement is not like to those naturall things which he mentioneth His seuenth reason standeth vpon this ground That without a monarchie in the church schisme and diuision cannot be auoyded But that is but a point of his folly and ignorance For no doubt but God prouided against schisme when he gaue chiefe authority to the councell of state Deut. 17. And Christ prouided for the same likewise when he chose not one but twelue apostles and sent them abroade into the world with one and the same commission As for the humane deuises of popes they were neuer so sufficient remedies against this supposed mischiefe of schisme but that there hath fallen out among the popes some 22. or more schismes and infinite sects and diuisions among the members of the Romish synagogue Last of all he saith The church is compared to a well ordered army that must necessarily haue a knowne generall likewise to a house a sheepefould a ship the arke of Noe all which things haue one head gouernour But nothing is more preiudiciall to so great a gouernment then that
consort of malicious traytors and an abbettor and nourisher of men euill affected in their malcontentment Nay albeit his colour were better cast yet were his pleading vnsufficient seeing true religion cannot stande with rebellion or disloyaltie nor may true catholikes be suffered to oppugne their prince and countrey to practise trecherie against the state and to nourish malcontent humours among subiects But if it appeere that the Romanistes are not the true church and that their religion is neither catholike nor ancient nor true then must it needes be granted that N. D. and his consorts are not onely malicious traytors but also impious heretikes It is also very plaine that all his wrangling encounters are built vpon fancies and supposals without grounde and foundation and are no better then malicious inuectiues degorged against good men and idle pretenses to colour the practises of enimies traytors and heretikes For euery traytor can pretend that he is a true patriot and Catiline and his consorts and all rebels vse to set a glosse of common good vpon their priuate wicked deseignements and treasons All societies also of heretikes will take vpon them as true Christians as saith a Lib. 4. institut cap. vlt. Lactantius and suppose themselues to be the catholike church Tertullian saith b Lib. 4. contr Marcion That as waspes make honycombes so the Marcionites pretend to make churches albeit indeed they were no true churches Nouatian like apes that counterfeit men saith c Epist 73. Cyprian woulde challenge to himselfe the authoritie and truth of the church albeit he be not of the church but a rebell and enimie set vp against the church Which fitteth our aduersary very well who if he had his yellow ierkin were a very ape or an apish Iebusite entitling himselfe and his companions with the name of the church But if he had beene a foxe as well as an ape and had but had a foxes wiles he would haue made bâ—tter proofe of his maine groundes which not being 〈◊〉 is a maine maime of his whole cause Now to the intent that thou maiest perceiue that all his building is either without foundation or vpon a marrish ground that will beare no such great worke I haue thought good for thy satisfaction to challenge him once more into the fielde and to make triall of his manhood in fiue new encounters which do much concerne his cause and credite For as before I haue shewed him and his consorts to be perfect traytors and Recusants and malcontent papists to be verie sorie and defectiue subiects so nowe God willing I purpose to shew first That papists are no true catholikes secondly That their religion as it differeth from that which we professe is a packe of nouelties thirdly That it is patched vp of many old heresies fourthly That the Romish church is not the true church and lastly that N. D. his consorts whether they were Iesuites or priests or their adhaerentes that haue beene executed to death according to the lawes of England are to be esteemed traytors and not martyrs And this in defence of her Maiesties iustice or rather clemencie For if she woulde do them iustice then woulde not she suffer them to liue as subiects that will not directly acknowledge her to be their Queene and lawfull souereigne especially where the pope saith contrarie If she did her-selfe right she woulde not tolerate a faction notoriously opposite to her gouernment If she did iustice she woulde not suffer such to enioy wealth and honors life that adhere to forreine enimies that seeke the destruction of the common-wealth the dishonour of this state the ruine and bloud of all that stande well affected to religion and the state And that Parsons and the priests that come out of Spaine and are sworne to maintaine the Infantaes title and are reconciled or adhering to the pope are all culpable of these treasons it is so cleered by the former discourse and by the last chapter of this that I thinke it may be felt of blinde men and not onelie discerned by those that haue eies to looke into the state The rest maketh for defence of our religion which no mâ—n can reprooue but such as haue drunke deepe of the cup of the purple harlot spoken of Apocalyp 17. and are sworne slaues to the pope and professed enimies not onely of religion and the state but also of their owne good in this worlde and of their eternall saluation in the worlde to come Beware therefore my good countryman for so I must account thee vntill I see thee declare thy selfe open friend to popish traytors and enimie to thy counrrey that harkening to the Sirens songs of Iebusites and priestes enimies to gods true religion not onely to their prince countrey thou be not swallowed vp in the gulfe of their heresies and treasons They lead thee not to the rocke Christ Iesus vpon which the church is built but to the a Bellar. praefat in lib. de pontif Rom. rocke the pope and the bankes of his sandie inuentions vpon which thou must needs wracke thy selfe if thou shun them not quickly True religion is grounded vpon Christs word reuealed to vs in the holy canonicall Scriptures all which we professe according to the rule of the true catholike church And for this truth we doubt not to giue our liues so assured we are of our profession where as thou as long as thou continuest a papist hast no warrant but the popes worde which to say no woorse is ignorant of true religion and apostolike faith and subiect to many errors and infirmities Read therefore indifferently and iudge syncerely and vprightly and the God of truth guide thee into the way of iustice and truth CHAP. I. That papists are no true Catholikes FRuitelesse it is and almost endlesse to contend much about names and titles but especially in causes of religion For as a In Apolog. Iustin Martyr saith b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true religion Consisteth in good workes rather then good termes and the c Ad Tit. 3. apostle exhorteth Titus and all true teachers to auoide contentions and quarrels about words of the lawe Yet forasmuch as manie simple people are abused by false teachers taking vpon them glorious names and titles and looke onely vpon the shéepes clothing that is outward and not on the wooluish nature of priestes and friers that is inward I thought it not amisse to shew what this name Catholike importeth and to whom the same truely belongeth and how dangerous it is to trust euery one that taketh to himselfe the name of a Catholike The Iewes d Ioan. 8. called themselues The children of Abraham and bragged much of the e Hierem. 7. Temple of God and of f Rom. 2. the lawe But the apostle teacheth vs that not euerie one that in name and outward shew was a Iew deserued so to be estéemed and taken g Epist 83. Leo speaking to certaine monkes saith Ecclesiae
nomine armamini contra ecclesiam dimicatis and our sauiour founde no greater enimies then the Priests Scribes and Pharisies which stoode most vpon the succession of Moses and title of Gods people The diuell h 2. Cor. 11. Transformeth himselfe into an angell of light and brasse is often set out with a glorious lustre as if it were golde But nothing can be deuised more counterfait then the papist who albeit hée maintaine a religion full of nouelties and improbable fantasies yet taketh on him as if hée were the onely catholike christian and ietteth vp and downe with a maske of catholike religion So apes clad with purple iackets beare themselues verie proudly among other beasts and all for their gaie apparell But as apes by their apish trickes bewray themselues to bée apes so papists by their apish popish and fonde deuises shewe themselues to be factious heretikes and no true catholikes That they are no true catholikes the very name of catholike and true signification of this worde declareth For Catholike doth signifie that which is vniuersall or generall And the church is called catholike bicause it conteineth all the people of God and all Christians whether of time past or time to come or time present and in what place soeuer they remaine dispersed The christian faith likewise is called catholike for that it is and euer was and euer shall bée generallie taught and receiued of faithfull christians In time past God was peculiarly knowne of the people of Israell and to them was the law giuen and prophets were sent But our Sauiour Christ sent his apostles into all the world a Matth. 28. Docete saith he omnes gentes Hée also tolde them they shoulde witnesse his truth to al nations of the earth Eritis mihi testes saith b Act. 1. he in Hierusalem totaÌ„ Iudaeam Samariam vsque in totam terram So that we are to vnderstand that there is but one catholike church into which al true catholikes are to be gathered This Catholike Church c In Psal 56. saith Saint d In Psal 44. Augustine is spred throughout the world and conteineth not onely those that are present but those also that are past and are yet to come And Saint d In Psal 44. Hierome saith That this church is one and is founded by the apostles doctrine and conuerteth men to Christ Wée belée also that there is but one apostolike and catholike faith which all true catholikes both haue holden do holde and must holde vnto the worlds end In this catholike church saith e De haeres c. 3. Vincentius Lirinensis wee are to holde that which alwaies hath beene beleeued of all christians for that is truely and properly catholike Hée f Ibid. c. 34. teacheth vs also That the propertie of catholikes is to keepe the doctrine committed to them and left with them by the ancient fathers and to auoide prophane nouelties Further hée g Ibid. c. 25. determineth That those onely are truely and rightly called catholikes which onely holde and beleeue that which the catholike church in olde time did vniuersally holde With him also doth Leo sometimes bishop of Rome agrée Vna est vera singularis perfecta inuiolabilis catholica fides h Epist 81. ad Mâ—â—naâ—h paâ—aest epist 95. saith hée cui nihil addi nihil minui potest That is there is one true singular perfect inuiolable catholike faith whereunto nothing can be added and from whence nothing is to be diminished This grounde then being laide and I thinke confessed by the aduersaries themselues that those onely are catholikes that holde the catholike faith receiued vniuersally of all true christians of all times and all places and that the catholike faith is that which Christ commaunded vniuersally to bée taught and which of all the catholike church hath béene generally receiued and which is most perfect and absolute and admitteth no additions alterations nor innouations it may easily bee prooued that the papists are neither catholikes nor hold the catholike faith of Christ Iesus For first they do not beleeue that which the catholike church euer beleeued but that which the church of Rome beleeueth Pius quartus a In constit Pij 4. ordeineth that all that are preferred in schooles shall openly professe That they beleeue all things conteined in that creede which the church of Rome vseth The forme of their profession is this Ego N. firma fide credo profiteor omnia quae continentur in symbolo fidei quo sancta Romana ecclesia vtitur Likewise are they bound to condemne all doctrines which that church condemneth and anathematizeth In the Spanish b Manual de oraciones por Hieron Campos catechisme set out vnder the name of Canisius he is termed a true Christian That holdeth nothing but that which the church of Rome holdeth Y no tiene cosa fuera de lo que tiene la yglesia Romana Finally the papistes c C. ad abolendam de haeret condemne all for heretikes That either teache or thinke otherwise of the sacrament of the altar or of confession of sinnes or other Romish sacramentes then the church of Rome How then can we estéeme them catholikes that for a generall and catholike faith embrace a particular or peculiar faith of the church of Rome and openly professe so much Secondly they do not beléeue the catholike church but the Romish church nor do they make themselues members of the catholike church but of the church of Rome subiect to the pope whome they beléeue to be their head d De eccles militant c. 2. Bellarmine doth define That to be the true church which is vnited in confession of faith and communion of sacraments and obedience to the pope of Rome e C. vnam ext de maior obed Boniface the eight determineth That all that will be saued must of necessity be subiect to the bishop of Rome In the f Manual de Hieron Campoâ— catechisme published vnder the name of Canisius the church is defined A congregation gouerned vpon earth by the pope the onely head of the same Vna congregacion regida en la tierra por el papa vnica cabeza de toda ella Finally the a Confessio Burdegalens Iesuites of Bourdeaux do professe That to be the church onely which hath communion with the church of Rome whereof the pope is the chiefe gouernor But the auncient fathers teach vs that the catholike church is not tyed to one city or one country or one pope or bishop but vniuersally spredde ouer the whole earth as hath in part béene declared Si dei est ecclesia saith a Chrysostome b In homil 1. in epist 1. ad Corinth vna est non Corinthi solum sed vniuersi orbis So I may say if the Romanists were the catholike church then should not their vniuersall church be termed by the name of the church of Rome but of Gods
e Matth. 28. gaue them in charge To teach what he had commaunded them The f Gal. 1. apostle pronounceth him Accursed that should teach otherwise then the Galatians had receiued By the law of Moses the Sanedrin or chiefe tribunal in Hierusalem had soueraigne authority in iudgement yet might not those iudges pronounce sentence g Deut. 17. But according to the law of God The which doth argue that popish religion is built vpon groundes most absurd and contrarie to religion Finally some do stand much vpon ancient fathers and councelles and the first churches practise and haue not doubted to attribute much vnto them But now finding by experience that these do not much make for them and that the fathers themselues do wholy relie vpon the scriptures they flie wholie to the authority of the pope and to the late church of Rome and perceiue that vnlesse they may sit iudges in their owne cause the same cannot stand But héerein it may plainly appeare that they are no catholikes For ancient catholikes attributed most to scriptures and vsed the testimony of fathers and of the ancient church to declare the true sence and meaning of scriptures But a Sâ—ss 4. conciâ— Trâ—d these admit no sence But that of holy church as they call it which is nothing but the priuate fancy of soâ—e foolish pope Fourthly as in the foundations of Christian religion so likewise in diuers points of faith the papists do plainly declare themselues to bée no catholikes For first in the obiect of faith they mainly differ true catholikes beléeue in God onely Faith saith the b Rom. 10. apostle is by hearing and hearing by the worde of God c De diuin nomin c. 7. Dionyse saith That faith hath for his obiect the most pure and alwaies being truth that is God And euery Christian rehearsing his faith confesseth That he beleeueth in God the father the sonne and the holy ghost and in no creature But the papists beléeue in angels and in saints and call vpon them For as the d Rom. 10. apostle saith How shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued To them also they make confession of their sinnes and from them they looke for helpe and all things necessary as may bée shewed by infinite particulars Further they beléeue the determinations of the pope to be true and trust in him as in the rocke of the church e In opusc contra error Graecor Thomas Aquinas saith that it is a matter of faith to beleeue the determination of the pope Ad fidem pertinet saith he inhaerere determinationi pontificis summi in his quae sunt fidei imò in his quae spectant ad bonos more 's And this is also the opinion of f Summa Siluest in verb. fides Siluester Prierius They beléeue also whatsoeuer is taught by the church of Rome Ad fidem pertinent omnia quae sunt in doctrina ecclesiae saith g Ibidem Siluester Prierius and hée gathereth the same out of h 2.2 q. 5. art 3. Thomas Aquinas and that is their common opinion holding the traditions of the church in equal estimation with the worde of God all which can neuer bée prooued to haue béene beléeued by true catholikes For neither can it bée shewed that in publike liturgies they haue called on saints and on angels as the church of Rome teacheth or confessed their sinnes to them or beléeued in the pope or church of Rome Againe true catholikes beléeue that Christ Iesus was true man and had a body like to ours in height bredth thicknesse and that he filled the place where hée was as do our bodies We must beleeue saith a De essentia diuinitatis Augustine that the sonne of God according to his deitie is inuisible incorporeall and incircumscriptible but according to his humane nature that he is visible corporeall and locall b Contra Eutych lib. 4. c. 4. Vigilius saith That Christ is contained in a place according to his humane nature and that this is the catholike faith Illud corpus saith c Dialog 2. Theodoret habet priorem formaÌ„ figuram circumscriptioneÌ„ vt semel dicam corporis substantiam So likewise saith d Ad Thrasimund li. 2. c. 5. Fulgentius SiveruÌ„ est corpus Christi loco potest vtique contineri But the papists do assigne him a body inuisible impalpable and such a one as is incircum scriptible and without the dimensions of height bredth depth A bodie that may be conteined in infinite places at once yet not continued to it selfe as is the nature of Continua quantitas Finally a mans whole body that is without all qualities of a body may be contained in euery little part of a consecrate hoste increasing and diminishing at the priestes pleasure Further euery catholike Christian beléeueth that our Sauiour Christes true body is ascended into heauen and there remaineth e Ioan. 16. Hée tolde his disciples before his passion That he must leaue the worlde and go to the father And in another place f Iohn 12. That they should not alwaies haue him with theÌ„ In the first of the Acts we learne That hee is taken vp from vs into heauen And the apostle S. g Act. 3. Peter doth plainely declare That the heauens must conteine him vntill the time that all things be restored And this also the fathers plainely teach vs According to his diuine nature saith h In Matth. tractat 33. Origen he is not absent froÌ„ vs but he is absent according to the dispensatioÌ„ of his body which he tooke i Lib. 10. super Luc. 24. S. Ambrose saith That neither on the earth nor in the earth nor after the flesh we ought to seeke Christ if we will finde him Saint Augustine saith k Tractat. 50. in Ioan. Hee hath caried his bodie into heauen although he hath not withdawne his maiestie from the worlde l Homil. 21. in euangel Gregory the first doth plainly affirme That Christ is not heere by the presence of his flesh The flesh of Christ saith Vigilius writing against Eutyches lib. 4. c. 4. when it was in earth surely was not in heauen and now because it is in heauen certainly it is not in earth Neither did euer any ancient father teach otherwise But the papists do teach that Christes true body and flesh is both in heauen and earth and vpon euery altar at one time and that hee is touched and receiued not of men onely but also of mise and dogs and other beasts which to true catholikes séemeth not onely absurd but also abominable All true catholikes firmely beléeue that thâ—â—r sinnes are forgiuen them for Christ his sake and that they shall atteine eternall life according to these two articles of the créed which euery one professeth saying Credo remissionem peccatorum vitam aeternam God he Hath promised and sworne as the a Heb. 6.
heresie therefore concerning the purgation of sinnes after this life and the satisfaction for the penaltie of mortall sinnes the papists sauour of Origens heresie They fauour his heresie also in this that they do say there is fower sences of Scriptures and draw the same by their allegoricall interpretations to their owne most peruerse purposes Eunomius taught that so a man were of his religion it skilled not greatly what sinnes he committed Asseuerebat saith a Augustin de haeres c. 54. Augustine quod nihil cuiquam obesset quorumlibet perpetratio ac perseuerantia peccatorum si huius quae ab ipso docebatur fidei particeps esset Vnto which heresie the papists come very néere For so a man professe the Romish faith and communicate with the Romanists in their sacraments and bée obedient to the pope they b Bellar. de eccles milit c. 2. say he is a good catholike and a true member of the church although he haue no inward vertue And so facile they are in this pointe that they absolue murderers and incestuous persons and most wicked rebels yea Marans and apostataes so they will professe their Romish religion In Ireland the White knight and Piers Lacy haue had children by their owne daughters and others that I coulde name by their sisters and néere kinsewomen And infinite outrages haue they committed not oneâ—â— against their lawfull prince but also against their owne people and kinred and so continue liuing almost without law yet do the priests and friers and popes agents absolue them and count them good catholiks Nay these are the pillers of the Romish church and the chéefe maintainers of the popish sect there The papists also where they by their lawes forbid priests and monkes to marry and to absteine from certaine meates do plainely embrace the heresie of the Tatians Seuerians and Manichées and are of the number of a 1. Tim. 4. those That teach the doctrine of diuels forbidding to marry and willing men to absteine from meates which God hath created Rectè posuit illud saith d In 1. Tim. 4. Theodoret prohibentium contrahere matrimonium Neque enim caelibatum aut continentiam vituperat sed eos accusat qui lege lata ea sequi compellunt He noteth those saith Theodoret that by their lawes compell men to absteine from marriage and certaine meates So that by his censure the papists are within the compasse of these false teachers of whome the apostle speaketh The heretikes called Anoâ—ni either corrupted or contemned the law of God which heresie is also by right of enheritance descended to the papists For first they deny the law of God to be perfect and therefore adde vnto it their owne traditions and the customes and precepts of the Romish church Secondly they haue c In offic beat Mariae Manual de Geronymo Campos cut out the commaundement of worshipping of images as directly opposite to their idolatry Thirdly they deny concupiscence after baptisme to be sinne contrary to the tenth commaundement Lastly they haue chosen to themselues a new a C. translato de constitutionibus lawgiuer that taketh on him to giue law to mens consciences and receiued a new decretaline law wherein they walke more curiously then in the law of God Nay for the true and euer liuing God they worship this their Terrestriall God as b In epist dedic ante princip doctrin Stapleton doth call him and diligently harken to the popes statutes and commandements Irenaeus and Tertullian doth range those among heretikes that flye from the scriptures and accuse them and affirme that the apostles did not commit all thinges necessary to writing Cum ex scripturis arguuntur saith c Aduers haeres lib. 3. c. 2. Irenaeus in accusationem coÌ„uertuntur scripturarum quasi non rectè habeant neque sint ex authoritate quia variè sunt dictae quia non possit ex his inueniri veritas ab his qui nesciant traditionem Non enim per literas traditam illam sed per vâ—uam vocem ob quam causam Paulum dixisse sapientiam loquimur inter perfectos He d Aduers haeres lib. 3. c. 1. saith also That the apostles first preached the gospell and afterward by the will of God brought the same into writing that it might be a piller and foundation of our faith Alius manu scripturas saith e De praescrip aduers haerec Tertullian alius sensu expositiones interuertit That is some heretikes plainely blot and corrupt the scriptures others peruert them by false expositions But he maketh the catholike to say thus Ego sum haeres apostoloruÌ„ sicut cauerunt testamento sicut fidei commiserunt sicut adiurauerunt ita teneo He saith they are true catholikes and successors of the apostles that continue in the doctrine deliuered in their testament And afterward speaking of scriptures he f Ibidem saith Quod sumus hoc sunt That is that we beléeue and teach that is there to be found But speaking of heretikes he g De resurrect carnis saith Aufer haereticis quaecunque ethnici sapiunt vt de scripturis solis quaestiones suas sistant stare non poterunt That is bring heretikes from that opinion that is common to them with ethnikes and cause them to be iudged in these questions by scriptures and they cannot stand In describing the qualities of these heretikes these two ancient fathers séeme to haue prophesied of the conditions of the papists For they will not allow as saith Irenaeus that the apostles haue comprehended all their doctrine necessary to saluation in the scriptures Neither will they confesse that out of holy writ we can learne the truth without tradition But contrariwise being conuinced by Scriptures they accuse the Scriptures and speake euill of them and say that they in respect of vs receiue authoritie from the pope they affirme that they Are subiect to diuers vnderstandings a Aduers Sadeel lib. 1. p. 99. Turrian calleth them Delphicum gladium others A nose of waxe they stande vpon the liuely teaching of their priests and friers and b Censur Colon. say That the wisedome of the church is apparent in vnwritten traditions They peruert the Scriptures by their wicked interpretations c Concil Trid. Sess 4. allowing no sence but that which the pope and church of Rome giueth They flie from the iudgement of apostolicall writings and will not haue the Scriptures to bée the rule whereby all controuersies are to bée ended and therefore plainly declare themselues to bée descended from heretikes and to bée very well like their parents d Lib. 8. Orig. c. de haeresibus Isidore doth declare them to bée heretikes that do otherwise vnderstande the Scriptures then the meaning of the holy Ghost requireth Quicunque saith hée aliter Scripturam sacram intelligit quà m sensus Spiritus sancti flagitat à quo conscripta est licèt de ecclesia non recesserit
now there is but one faith as there is but one baptisme and one God as the c Ephes 4. apostle teacheth vs. And this is the faith which the apostles and prophets haue taught and which wée in the church of England do professe Remember I say that true faith is Christes faith and apostolike faith It is not the popes faith nor his determinations nor vncertaine traditions It hath no other foundation but the doctrine of Christ and his apostles and holy prophets Beware therefore of the pretended cacolike Romish faith that hath no grounde but in the popes determinations nor support but lies fraude and violence If the doctrine and traditions of popish priests come not from Christ Iesus which is the foundation of our religion but is drawne out of vncertaine legendes and resteth on the popes determination remember what the apostle teacheth in this point If any man saith a Galat. 1. hée preach vnto you otherwise then that you haue receiued let him bee accursed Beléeue not euery spirite For many deceiuers are gone out into the worlde If any bring any doctrine not deduced out of holy Scripture suspect him and examine him and thou shalt finde him faultie And aboue all thinges beware of new doctrines For wée haue but one faith which hath his originall from Christ the fountaine of truth life Profanas vocum nouitates saith the b 1. Tim. 6. apostle deuita And if wée may not vse new termes or words in matters of faith then may we not receiue any newe articles of religion It is the part of true catholikes to adhere to holy fathers and to auoide nouelties as saith c Aduers haeres c. 36. Vincentius Lirinensis Nowe what fathers more holy then the prophets and apostles that are the fathers of fathers and the foundation of the church If the doctrine of poperie be for the most part a packe of old and newe heresies as hath bin shewed thée why shouldst thou bée abused by false teachers Why shouldst thou bée desirous as distempered stomackes are to feed vpon vnholesome doctrine Graues sunt haereticorum morsus saith Saint d In Euangel Luc. lib. 7. c. 10. Ambrose qui ipsis grauiores rapaciores bestijs nullum abaritiae finem impietatÃsque nouerunt They looke faire vpon thée but bite déepely They promise true religion and catholike faith but teach heresies and damnable opinions They come vnto thée with shéepes clothing and pretend sauing of soules but inwardly they are rauening woolues and séeke to destroie both thy body soule They giue thée honie but it is deliuered thée vpon a swordes point that when thou thinkest to licke honie thy hart may bée pearced with a sharpe pointed sword If the synagogue of Romanistes bée not the true church why takest thou delight to heare her teachers or to embrace her erronious doctrine Why doest thou not come out of Babylon Wilt thou remaine in her confusion and be partaker of her plagues Why shouldest thou go vp to Bethauen or delight in the congregation of wicked idolaters e Hoseae 4. Go not vp I say to Bethauen f 1. Cor. 10. flie Idolatrie g Apocal. 18. Come out of Babylon It is not I onely but Christ Iesus that calleth thée out of this confusion If thou wilt not heare him nor know him bée assured hée will not knowe thée nor heare thée It is not the pope that can saue thée nor his decretals that can warrant thee Leaue therefore the synagogue of satan and resort to Gods true church Forsake antichrist and adhere to Christ Quisquis saith Saint h Epist 152. Augustine ab ecclesia catholica abfuerit quantumuis laudabiliter se viuere existimet hoc solo scelere quòd à Christi vnitate disiunctus est non habebit vitam sed ira Dei manet super eum As without Noes arke in time past all flesh was drowned so there is no safetie out of Christes church And bée not lightly deceiued with the name of the church For antichrist as the i 2. Thes 2. apostle telleth vs shall sit in Christes church And with his followers as Saint Augustine teacheth vs shall bée accounted to bée the true church viz. by such as are abused The synagogue of satan in time past did take on them the name of Iewes and falshood is often set out with a faire lustre and shew of truth All Christians haue an interest in true religion Why then shoulde any suffer the damnable doctrine of poperie that is so full of heresies and erronious opinions Why shoulde any suffer the Scriptures to bée taken from the people of God so that they shall no more bée suffered to read them and in lieu thereof receiue the popes determinations and the synagogues of Romes traditions Can any true Christian indure the abominable idole of the masse where the bread and cup is adored for God or the idolatrous worship of Romish Babylon Those that honour God those hée will honour and such as are luke-warme and care not what religion they haue those God will cast out of his mouth as a lothsome race of atheistes and wicked men If religion mooue not euerie man yet if hée remember the slauerie of popish gouernment and how preiudiciall it is to princes to the nobilitie to the commons and all sortes of people hée will not much bée enamored of it The magistrate may not suffer either his authoritie to bée disputed of or doubted of or denied And yet the Iesuites and priestes and their adherents are suffred to teach and to do all this as appéereth by their answeres to the sixe Interrogatories by their cases of conscience and by their doctrine and actions Nay most boldly albeit secretly they practise against the life and state of her Maiestie as many particulars do shewe Happie are they that they haue encountred with such a prince and yet let them beware they abuse not her clemencie too farre For no state can stande where such contumacious and rebellious mates liue in open contempt of authoritie and lawes It behooueth also all them that carrie the sworde to looke that not onely Christ his shéepe bée defended from woolues but also that the state bée defended and maintained against professed traytors and rebels that lurke in all corners They haue not a sworde committed to them for naught But to the ende they may defende the quiet and peaceable subiect and roote out the wicked rebellious traytor Treason and notorious coÌ„tumacie against lawes cannot long be endured in any common-wealth Neither can magistrates in this case bée too watchfull God hath detected many secret conspiracies and attempts against her Maiestie and the state yet let vs not presume too farre vpon his goodnesse The way to settle peace to confirme the state to preuent all such trecherous attempts is to stop the head of rebellion and treason and to roote out all seditious priestes and Iebusites from whence all our troubles for this 43. yéeres
put foorth the constitutions of the apostles vnder the name of Clement which sauour nothing of the apostles diuine spirite and are likely to be the deuises of heretikes Thirdly they haue most shamefully corrupted the councels and haue not onely forged diuers new actes and péeces of actes but also newe councels In the sixt councell of Carthage the popes agents exhibited a counterfeit canon of the councell of Nice and were conuicted k Acta synodi Carth. 6. of that falshoode by authenticall copies sent from other churches Pius Quintuâ— when the emperour repined for that hée had made Cosmus of Florence duke of Tuscane alleaged for himselfe a forged canon of the councell of Nice E sentenza saith he l Girol Caten in literis Pij quinti. di tutti theologi è canonisti determinatione di concilij massimamente del Niceno che ' l successor di San Pietro sia signore rettore di tutti i principi del nome Christiano de tutte le prouincie tutte le genti anathematizando chiunque cio ardisse contradire Parsons may do well to exhibite this canon where the pope is made Lorde of all princes and prouinces and all excommunicated that dare say contrarie vnlesse hée will haue his holy father condemned of impious forgerie Ruffine and other authors say there were but twentie canons made in that councel But these good fellowes by a counterfeit letter of Athanasius woulde bring in a great number more Carranza saith many more canons were there established Where the second councell of Constantinople a C. 36. decréed that the sea of Constantinople shoulde bée equall to the sea of old Rome as appeereth by the actes both in Greeke and Latine in their b C. Renouantes dist 22. c. antiqua extr de priuileg decrées the popes haue turned this canon quite contrarie as if that councell had decréed that the sea of Constantinople shoulde not bée equall to old Rome The councell of c Carthag 6. c. 105. Carthage decréed against the church of Rome Vt qui ad transmarma putauerit appellandum à nullo ad communionem intra Africam reciperetur But Gratian in the chap. Placuit 2. q. 6. addeth these wordes Nisi fortè Romanam sedem appellauerit out of a certaine councell of Carthage that woulde haue priestes to abstaine from their wiues in proprijs terminis in the chap. Placuit dist 32. they haue put out proprijs terminis In the d Can. 35. councell of Laodicea where the worship of angels is forbidden they haue turned angelos into angulos and so marred the whole sence To end this point vnder the name of Syluester Syricius Gelasius and other popes they haue forged whole councels whereof in authenticall writings there is neither prooâ—e nor memoriall to bée found Fourthly their manifolde corruptions of the writings of the fathers cannot in fewe wordes bée described First vnder the names of fathers they haue published most childish toies vaine fables and vnlearned patcheries as by their additions to the works of Cyprian Origen Athanasius Basill Ambrose Hierome Augustine Chrysostome Gregorie and diuers others is euidently testified For Caesar Baronius Bellarmine and others do in part confesse so much and if they shoulde not yet woulde the stile and doctrine diuers from that of the fathers to whom they are ascribed conuince these treatises to bee misbegotten and not to belong to the fathers whose name they beare yet are they offended with those that censure these counterfeit sermons orations and treatises and cease not to vse them Next they haue taken diuers wordes lines and sometimes whole chapters out of the fathers writings and vnder colour of correcting haue quite corrupted the fathers As appéereth by their Rubarbatif or as they cal them expurgatorie indexes that are daily increased and may bée prooued further by comparing the old bookes with the newe editions approoued by the Cananites and Iebusites that cannot endure either truth or the professors thereof Another practise also they haue to abuse and disgrace the fathers of the church that they adde wordes now and then and alter the text of their true writings as also comparison of bookes will â—asily shew Fiftly vnder the names of the ancient bishops of Rome they haue published méere fooleries and false constitutions refuted plainly by the stories of the times wherein they liued by the estate of that church in time of persecution and by the barbarousnesse of the Gothike language wherein they are written sauoring of otherages and authors then those whose names they beare Of this stampe are the epistles that carrie the names of Clement Anacletus Euaristus Alexander Telesphorus Hyginius Pius and such like Sixtly for the enlarging of their dominion and authoritie the popes haue set out l C. Constantinus dist 96. first a false donation surmised to bée made by Constantine and therein they say hée gaue them Rome Italy France Germany and all the west empire and also most ample priuileges authoritie A matter so false and vaine as it may bée woondred with what saâ—e the popes can alleage so manifest a forgery being contradicted by the m Socrat. hist lib. 3. c. vlt. Sâ—xt Aurel. Victor Zosimus emperour Constantines testament and by ancient histories by the state of the Romaine bishops for many yéeres after and by the brutish and barbarous fashion and frame of the instrument and therfore disallowed euen by the n Antonin 1. part hist tit 8. c. 1. Cusanus de concord cathol 3. aduersaries themselues that haue either modesty or learning They haue also set out another donation vnder the name of o Ego Ludouicus dist Ludouicus almost to the same purpose but yet not so large as the other That the same is forged it may appéere both for that it contradicteth Constantines donation and for that the two diuers copies that are p Volater Geograph lib. 3. extant do contradict one another For writings that are diuers and derogatorie one to another make no strong proofe Scripturae diuersae fidem sibi inuicem derogantes nihil habere firmitatis possunt as saith the q L. scripturae Cod. de fid instrument emperour Neither can two contrarie propositions bée taken for true as lawyers holde l. sâ—is qui. § vtrum ff de reb dub l. vbi pugnantia ff de regulis iuris To giue colour also to the counterfect clayme made by the popes of Rome for their vniuersall power euer the whole Church they haue r Cod. de sum trinit fide cath l. inter claras thrust a counterfect epistle of Iustinian the Emperour and an epistle of Iohn bishop of Rome among the imperiall lawes of the Code whereby they would prooue that the Emperour here did subiect himselfe and the church of Constantinople to the bishop of Rome and made him head of the church That these letters are forged it may appéere First for that they are not found in