to his owne priuate deduction and deceitfull iudgement ibid. lin 27. If this fellow were not past all feare of God and shame of man he would haue trembled thus to haue blasphemed the seruants of God Paganish infidelitie Atheisme and Epicurisme we detest Iudaicall ceremonies and superstitions we haue renounced with popish trash No man is permitted of his owne head to coyne a new faith The word of God is a rule and direction to Protestants how to beleeue and how to liue These are but popish sclaunders and frierlike inuentions Where truth faileth you your vncharitable tongue helpeth out which was prowd Diotrephes practise against the Apostle pratling against vs saith S. Iohn with malicious words But as Hierome saith Scillaeos canes obdurata aure transibo I will stop mine eare against those backbiters as the Scillaean dogs and Sea-monsters he may for shame hold his peace for as Sophocles saith of the thiefe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is manifestly taken stealing had need hold his peace So he that is deprehended in a lie for shame may be silent 6. This Catholike Frier goeth about as well as he can to prooue the religion of Protestants to be the cause of Epicurisme Atheisme c. his confused prattle and disordred hudling vp of much homely stuffe I will reduce into some order if I can his simple reason if it be any at all standeth thus That religion wherein a man seeth so many diuisions and no agreement which is vncertaine and ineuident is a palpable prouocation and allurement to Atheisme Epicurisme infidelitie Apolog. p. 14. lin 3.4.16 But such is the religion of Protestants Ergo c. The proposition or first part of this reason being admitted the assumption that the religion of the Protestants is vncertaine full of diuisions hauing no agreement he laboureth diuersly to perswade The first Probation HE reasoneth thus from the lesse to the greater à minore ad mains as wee say in Schooles If in arts Alchymie be refused because of the vncertaintie if for matters of storie the diuersitie of opinions about the originall of the Britaines hath caused many to thinke there neuer was any Brute at all if because some writers as Hierome Orosius Fasciculus temporum differ about the comming of Peter to Rome some Protestants are not afraid to affirme he was neuer at Rome if for the same reason the Protestants denie the bookes of Macchabees Iudith Tobias to be Canonicall scripture p. 13. much more may that religion be doubted of which is so full of vncertainties c. The Solution HE had need be a good Alchymist that out of this leaden argument should draw anie sound or solide reason First where the foundation is false the building must needes be deceitfull this durtie dawber worketh with vntempered morter and patcheth vp his matter with false grounds 1. For neither doe the Protestants denie that Peter was at Rome but that he neither came thither so soone the 2. yeere of Claudius nor continued there so long namely 25. yeeres as the Popish Church holdeth He should haue named such Protestants whom he chargeth with this deniall of Peters being at Rome 2. These doubts and obiections moued by Protestants arise not onely now chiefly by reason of some difference in the historian writers but are grounded vpon certaine places of Scripture which they shall haue much adoe to answere as is elsewhere declared 3. The bookes of Tobie and the Macchabees are not refused onely for that cause for that they cannot be assigned to any certaine time but for other reasons both for the matter which is fabulous and erronious in many points and the manner diuers speeches and places being repugnant and contradictorie So then he hath rapped foorth three vntruths together such a plentifull forge this Frier hath to coyne his Alchymicall stuffe Secondly be it knowne vnto him that the Protestants faith relieth vpon a more sure ground then either Alchymie in Artes or in storie Brutes being in England or Peters comming to Rome the first is phantasticall the second coniecturall the third historicall the first but an inuention the second a tradition the third a collection or collation of times But the faith of the Gospell is grounded vpon the Scriptures not vpon mans vaine phantasie or blind traditions or vncertaine collections therefore this reason hath no shew of probabilitie nor force of consequence the argument is denied I thinke the Frier was telling ouer his beades or busie about his Memento when he thus argued somewhat he would say if he knew what Like as Hierome saith of one Pisoniano vitio laborat eum loqui nesciret tacere non posset He hath Piso his fault hee knoweth not how to speake and yet cannot hold his peace And as Diogenes compareth such which vnderstand not what they say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Like as Harpes making a great sound without any sense The second Probation THis Popish champion in the next place by way of comparison betweene the Pope-catholike Church and the Protestants endeuoureth to shew the vncertaintie of the one by the certaine and infallible authoritie of the other The Cacolike or as he saith Catholike Church for whose election calling preseruing from error and consummation the whole mysterie of Christ was wrought hath condemned and vtterly extirped 400. heresies and by the same infallible authoritie and censure in diuers generall Councels where the whole Christian world was assembled reproued and anathematized those that raigne in Protestants pag. 14. and in this their Catholike Church there was neuer saith he or is any disagreement or contradiction in matter of beleeuing pag. 15. lin 17.18 The Solution FIrst in that he saith the mysterie of Christ was wrought for the Catholike Church where his meaning seemeth to be that Christ died onely for the Church as wee acknowledge this to bee an euident truth if by Catholike Church the true Church of Christ and not the Romane onely to be vnderstood so herein he contradicteth and gainsaith his fellow Friers for Bellarmine confesseth though now a Cardinall yet then an Ignatian Frier when he so writ that Christs blood was shed for Turkes Iewes Infidels quibuscunque impijs and all wicked men whatsoeuer Frier Feuardentius also prooueth that Christ suffered pro cunctis in vniuersum hominibus for all men vniuersallie 2. But where by the Catholike Church hee vnderstandeth the Romane Church that receiueth the B. of Rome as the head of Christs Church and to this Romane Church he applieth and appropriateth the mysterie of Christs worke in the redemption of the world What a grosse absurditie is here vttered and how inglorious to Christ that he died for none but for those which are vnder the Romane iurisdiction As though it were at the Popes deuotion who should be partakers of redemption in Christ the Scripture saith He that beleeueth in Christ shall not be condemned Ioh. 3.18 But now though a man beleeue
orphanes and defrauded widowes as the Gospell witnesseth of the Pharisees that they deuoured widowes houses vnder colour of long prayer Some are possessed with a spirit of phrenzie and deluded of Sathan as the Iewes perswaded by one Moyses did cast themselues headlong into the Sea The Donatists did throw themselues headlong into the fire and water and from the tops of hils Augustine sayth of them Diabolus vobis istum furorem inspirat Who els but the Deuill doth inspire this furious mind into you And hence it commeth that many are bewitched of Sathan and iustlie giuen ouer of God to be deceiued by him to beleeue lies because they receiued not the loue of the truth Secondly for the assumption 1. seeing this Ignatian brother confesseth he was very yong when first he forsooke the faith of the Gospell he had greater cause to suspect the rashnes of his shalow youth in receiuing then commend his stedfastnes in retayning his first error Hee should rather say with S. Paule When I was a child I spake as a child I vnderstood as a child I thought as a child Otherwise his stiffnes in continuing as he was may be rather imputed to an obstinate resolution then to a tender perswasion of his conscience Youth is soone infected and tender yeares easily tainted It seemeth to be true in him which Hierome sayth Difficulter eraditur quod rudes animi perbiberunt It is hardly recouered which simple minds haue once receiued And seeing he telleth vs he was borne of Protestant parents I would not haue him more wilfull then the heretike Eutyches who sayd Sicut accepi à progenitorib ita credidi in hac fide genitus sum c. in hac opto mori As I haue receiued of my progenitors so haue I beleeued in this faith I was borne in this faith I desire to die for seeing he was borne of right beleeuing parents and in the faith of the Gospell he can not pretend like cause of his persisting as obstinate Eutyches did I know not who his parents were but by his confession they were better resolued in religion then their sonne let him take heed then least Eudoxius speech inuerted be verified vpon him pater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a godlie father a godlesse sonne 2 But if it might be lawfull for me a little to sound this yong fathers mind I could gesse at an other cause of his reuolt then his pretended conscience for it is well knowne that the Ignatian fatherhood whose cognisance as I am informed this sect-maister beareth is an order peramount in the Romish corporation and a passing gainfull trade These new vpstart friers are notable catchpoles and cosening by their owne Masse-priests report cunni-catchers and such as angle with long rods and fish for their owne aduantage They can tell vs of Frier Gerards golden web who could weaue or rather waue to himselfe from diuers persons aboue sixe thousand pound of Frier Hawoods pomp in riding in a coach and of his lordlike traine of Frier Garnets expenses after fiue hundred pounds by the yeare of Frier Oldcornes stable of eight geldings all at one time of Frier Holts large offer of pensions of Frier Walpoles crownes of Frier Gerards Church-stuffe valued at two hundred marks of a vestment giuen him of needleworke esteemed at an hundred marks May we not now say vnto them as Apollonius of Priscilla and Maximilla Dic mihi prophetae vestib gemmis ornantur propheta tabula ludit tesseris Do prophets glitter in rich vestures and pretious stones Do prophets play at tables and dice But such are these iollie fellowes ietting vp and downe in silks and veluets with iewels rings and chaines of gold and it is very like they do sport themselues also both aboue and vnder booâ—d at their pleasure And as they are nimble fingred gentlemen to tell money so they haue a speciall facultie in bestowing of Legacies Frier Gerard being put in trust for the disposing of 3000. pound and more could very handsomely coÌ„uey it into his owne purse An other lay brother of that order got from a rich man lying sicke at Valledolid in Spaine a great summe of gold which he had purposed to haue giuen to the poore Englishmen which liued there And herein they do well reuiue the memorie of the heretike Dioscorus of whom Ischyrion complayned that whereas the Emperor had decreed to send corne for the reliefe of the parts of Lybia he would not suffer it to be transported but sold it in time of dearth at great prices and how Peristeriae testamentum violauit he violated the testament of Peristeria and the legacies giuen to the Monasteries he bestowed vpon bawdes and harlots This great wealth pomp and credit of the Ignatians considered who are regarded as we were told before of the most rich and puissant princes of the world might it not be a great allurement to this aspiring springall to associate himselfe vnto that companie and to thrust his sickle into their haruest for if they that gleane after them which are but their factors and dispensators can fill their hands that they sticke not to hazard twentie nobles at once at play the reapers that go before them must needs make a better match they come to the golden haruest as Stratocles and Democlidas profanely called the iudgemeÌ„t seate And thus much also of this Section THE SEVENTH SECTION OF THE Authors particular defence to her Maiestie I Do not purpose to examine all the Libellers idle speeches vaine repetitions and vnsauerie words if I should make answere to euerie thing and spend time to note euery foolish pranke he playeth I should as the wise man sayth be like him I will therefore make choice of his principall stuffe and leaue the rest Not as Hierome sayth Quia difficile sit eum vincere sed ne respondendo dignus fieret qui vinceretur as though it were an hard matter for him euery where to be vanquished but least he should be thought worthie to be answered The first Apologie or defence 1 BEginning with my Catholike Christened annoynted and crowned Queene Elizabeth to whom I wish as much spirituall benediction and terrene honor as any subiect may to his temporall Soueraigne c. 2 Whereof she hath vowed defence by the vow of a Christian in baptisme c. by the oath and fidelitie of a Christian Catholike annointed at her coronation c. for defence whereof the glorie of the stile of her title was first graunted c. 3 Whereof she reteyneth in princely person some reuerent notes as the vsing of the signe of the crosse vpon sodaine and strange accidents c. not preuaricating in the maine point of the reall presence c. 4 I will teach nothing contrarie to her princely dignitie and prerogatiues nothing repugnant to her owne trulie interpreted proceedings The
many therefore of the renowned Kings and Queenes of this land are Saints in heauen is not by any Protestants denyed as he sayth by some it is confessed for they might be caryed away with some errors of the time then not reuealed yet holding the foundation thorough Gods mercie they might be saued It is a diuers case when a man sinneth of infirmitie or simplicitie and when he offendeth willinglie of obstinacie to stumble in the darke craueth pitie to grope at noone dayes is great follie I say therefore in this case as our Sauiour to the Pharisees If ye were blind ye should not haue sinne but now ye say we see therefore your sinne remayneth And as S. Paule sayth The time of ignorance God regarded not Act. 17.30 God therefore might shew mercie to them that erred of simplicitie which is no warrant for them that should now be seduced willinglie Cypriane to this purpose thus sayth as he is rehearsed by Augustine Ignosci potest simpliciter erranti c. He that erreth simplie may be pardoned as the Apostle Paule sayth of himselfe I was a blasphemer and a persecutor but I was receiued to mercie because I did it ignorantlie Then it followeth Post inspirationem verò reuelationem factam qui in eo quod errauerat perseuerat prudens sciens sine venia ignorantiae peccat But he which after the inspiration and reuelation of the truth should perseuere in error doth sinne wittinglie not ignorantlie and therefore must looke for no pardon or pitie This is then the different case betweene the parents erring in time of darknes and the sonnes stumbling in the day light Their saluation doth magnifie Gods mercie in pardoning their imperfections it doth not iustifie their religion in commending their superstitions Our parents errings are our learnings their wants are not our warrants We must not imitate and follow them as Plato his schollers his crookednes Aristoteles his stammering Alexanders courtiers his stouping The Apologie 1 THe 2. proofe Because all states that liue in England are indebted to those Princes Clergie men for learning the Noble for nobilitie men of armes for heroicall acts c. her Maiestie hath receiued life being Crowne Kingdome and Diademe won and conuerted c. augmented and enlarged by so many Henries Edwards c. They builded Churches Monasteries common Schooles c. What donations and free gifts were graunted to the English Clergie c. 2 For the defence of this religion all those princely prerogatiues were graunted by the free subiects of England to their Kings her Catholike predecessors which she still enioyeth by that title as alienations aduousions citations corporations escheates fooles forfeitures franchises deodands c. 3 The nobilitie possesse their lands castles c. titles of honor by their ordinance And that miserable people of England that vntrulie challengeth the name of the Clergie among Protestants Bishoprickes Deaneries degrees and titles of Schooles Vniuersities Colledges c. was deriued from our Catholike Kings c. The Antilogie 1 IS not here now great adoe about nothing and is not this a goodlie argument The auncient Kings and Princes haue been great benefactors to all degrees and states in England Ergo we are bound to receiue their faith and religion Who denieth but that all sorts of men and degrees of callings amongst vs are to giue great thanks vnto God for such worthie instruments of our outward peace and prosperitie and yet who taketh himselfe in religion to be tied by this bond to the same conformitie thankfulnes for benefites temporall ought not to abridge vs of things spirituall neither ought our dutie to men make vs forget our seruice to God If this perswasion were sound Constantine and other Christian Emperors must not haue forsaken the idolatrie of their predecessors by whom the Empire had been much enlarged and the Citie of Rome with many costlie Temples and buildings other goodlie foundations beautified many excellent lawes also for administration of iustice published and to whom for the outward state of the common-wealth the Empire was as much bound as any Christian Kingdome at this day to their auncient Catholike Kings and founders That saying of Pericles that wheÌ„ his friend would haue had him take a false oath for him said he was a friend only so farre as the altare might easily haue dissolued this doubt our worthie founders haue an interest in vs for our houses Colledges lands c. but not for Gods altare or matters of religion 2 First all those priuiledges and immunities were granted to the King as belonging to his princely prerogatiue not for the defence of the Popish religion as it may appeare by those seuerall statutes which the Apologist citeth in the margin which shal be examined in their order 1 Forfeyture 4.5 ann Edward 2.17 c. 16. the escheates of felons lands are giuen to the King 2 Franchise 20. The auncient prerogatiues and authorities of iustice which had been seuered by the gifts of sundrie Kings are restored as the pardoning of treasons murders man-slaughters making and appointing of Iustices c. ann Henr. 8.27 c. 24. 3 Intrusion 1. The heire of him that holdeth of the King in chiefe if he enter before he haue receiued seisin of the King shall gaine no freehold thereby Edward 2. ann 17. c. 13. here is no mention made of any such regard for maintenance of Poperie 4 Mortdauncester 1. The King shall haue the seisin of their lands that hold of him in chiefe ann 52. Hen. 3. c. 16. 5 Partition 1. If lands holden of the King in chiefe descend to many partners all the heires shall do homage to the King Prerogatiu regis 5 Ed. 2. 6 Patents 1. Aduowsions of Churches and dowers do not passe in the Kings graunts vnlesse expresse mention be made Ed. 2. ann 17. prerogatiu regis c. 15. 7 Primer seyson 1. The King shall haue primer seisin after the death of them that held of him in chiefe Ed. 2. an 17. prerogatiu reg c. 3. here as in all the rest there is no consideration pretended for defence of religion 8 Prouision 21. All the Statutes made against prouisions purchased from Rome in the time of Ed. 3. Ric. 2. are confirmed And it is further enacted that elections of Archbishops Bishops Priors Deanes be not in any wise interrupted by the Pope Hen. 4. an 9. c. 8. This acte ouerthroweth the iurisdiction of the Pope so farre is it from graunting any thing to the King for the defence thereof Thus like an vnskilfull Apothecarie taking quid pro quo he hath tempered a contrarie drugge which as a dramme of collâ—quintida marreth the whole potion though it had bene otherwise medecinable 9 Tenure 2. They that hold of lands escheated to the King shall do the same seruice to the King which they did before Mag. chart c. 31. 10 Ward 3. The King