of the Pontificians which reckon them in the second Classis of Authors prohibited which is the note of Papists bookes forbidden but whether they be or bee not the question is prooued without their testimonies which you may take or follow at pleasure 4. By those Authors that are vnquestionably theirs by them expunged by me vsed it appeareth euidently that the Church of Rome in point of Doctrine had need of reformation when they did so often and so many of them call for it before Martin Luther pressing and expressing it in their learned Writings which were printed at Rome Venice Madrill Paris and other Popish places 5. That their bookes were many of them examined before they came vnto the Presse and accordingly corrected in many places and afterwards printed permisses superiorum with these very notes which wee present vnto you 6. These Aduersaries of ours and Writers of theirs who write and speake many things in our behalfe forced by truth not inuited by charitie though their authoritie of it selfe were of small account yet they are to be esteemed and good reckoning is to be made of them when they speake in fauour of vs because their owne consciences freely and vncoactâ—dly induce them in such matters of weight to depose against themselues and against the oath of their owne confederacie and so rest condemned by their owne Records and guiltie of errour in themselues and iniquitie against God I. N. in his Preface to his learned Workes could any man if he had been hired haue spoken more properly and pertinently to our purpose I commend his iudgement and shall like it the better whilest I know him knowne him I haue and ere long we shall be better acquainted 7. The testimonie of these Writers by mee alleaged which vncoacted and forced by truth doe pleade for our Religion are pertinent and to the purpose for else what need had you to raze the Records and as it were to embezell their Writings 8. To say as some doe that our Mother the Church may correct her disobedient children and reduce them into the right way of truth when they reclaime or swarue from the truth may perhaps be true prouided that it bee knowne which is the true Church secondly that it haue a certaine infallible and inerrable rule whereby all doctrine must be squared and lastly that the Author bee sent for by himselfe or his friends his errour shewed and reasons conuicted But for the first you haue no Church if you haue lay the Pope aside whom you would faine make your inerrable Dictator and tell me where it is and who it is and wee shall haue some hope of agreement in this point Secondly as you haue no Church so you haue no certaine Rule to proceed by your doctrine is yet to seek your Religion to be made except transubstantiation your doctrine against Priests Marriage some few points more that are in some sort in some Councels concluded shew all points of your doctrine your additaments determined before the Councel of Trent you shal haue them for me As for the Councell of Trents determination it neither maketh our religion schismatical or heretical nor yours truly Catholike and Orthodoxe Lastly that which you practise vpon your owne Writers by way of expurgatioÌ„ is not done with their priritie but altogether against their wils and consents 9. It will not auaile the Papists to say that they purge not the words of the Text in any Romish-Catholike Author but some scattred Annotations in the Margent or Indices of some Writers I reply that the Indices and Margents speake nothing different from the text and whether the Text be not thorowly expunged and some whole sentences pages yea sixtie in follio together blotted out I referre my selfe to any indifferent Popish Arbiter to arbitrate and sentence this controuersie betweene vs for being reduced vnto a Controuersie of fact euery Lay Gentleman if his eyes be matches becommeth a fit Iudge of these Controuersies your owne Smith truly saith it and I beleeue it But you cry out still Shew vs the bookes printed accordingly as Auentinus Cranzius Ferus Espencaeus or Stella Let me see whether the sentences you speake of or those that you haue produced in this very booke be omitted or no I answere This obiection hath a good varnish or glasse set vpon it but glasse is brittle and varnish will not long hold to say the truth your men speak they know not what in defence of their Indices you haue their toungs and they haue your eares to pawne and which is more your soules and consciences What you heare your spirituall Gouernours say you beleeue assuredly what so you beleeue you are ready to depose if need be against your consciences For example If one of your spirituall fathers should tell you that the house at the Blacke-Friers fell vpon a Puritane Preacher and his Psalming Auditorie to bring Gods Iudgements vpon them would you not beleeue him Doubtlesse he is a Iesuite ergo impeccable or a Father of the Societie and therfore to be beleeued chiefely in ordine ad Deum Or what if another of the same Societie should bring you a booke of my Lord of Londons Legacy a Legacy without a Will or a Will but neuer prooued how gladly would you reade and receiue hugge and embrace it as the words of a dying Saul so lately so miraculously conuerted to the Romane Faith Yet Preston that is said to be his conuerter denieth it saith plainly in Peters word but with more truth I know not the man his eldest son that was with him his Chaplains seruants that were about him know no such things Let other meÌ„ coniecture what they will of this rumour if I might freely deliuer vnto you my conceite this false report was hatched first in the Spanish Embassadours house by him is was rumoured abroad beyond the Seas and by him and his it was bruted here in England I haue my reasons to thinke it and thinke it againe for that about the same time there was a booke either going to the presse or newly printed wherein it was auouched that his most sacred and pious Maiestic was deposed by the Puritantes But I do but lightly passe ouer this as beeing a matter of State wherein it is not fit for Ministers to enterdeale I willingly forbeare But this story that followeth I cannot choose but relate it it lyeth aspersions on the late King scandalizeth the State pardon my iust indignation and true zeale that prickes me forward and maketh me for the good of the Kingdome and State to venture a chiding Thus then it is there is one D. B. Cleremond that hath made bold more bold then wise to make a most lewde and spightfull Commentarie vpon his Maiesties Lawes and Proclamations against Recusants vpon occasion of that about the powder raitours hee is bold not to deny the fact for then he must haue renounced his eyes or discredited the
and heresies haue been stirring amongst them and as before their hearts were without any honesty so here the Head of the Church may be found to want wit or braine to discerne betwixt truth and falshood the right faith and false heresies The Councell of Basill hath made a muster of their secessions Schismes and departures from the true faith which thing I find carefully set downe in one or two choyce Manuscripts in Magdalen Colledge in Oxford To come therefore to particulars Liberius was an hereticke his heresie was no lesse then the worst of all others that of the Arrians Leo succeeded him both in his Papall Sea and Arrian heresie Who is so little versed in the Stories of the Church but knoweth that Iohn the 22. his error de visione faciali was condemned by the Sorbons and blowne abroad by the sound of a Trumpet throughout all Paris But I will dwell no longer vpon this incongruous and vnpleasant subiect of banishing all forraine Iurisdiction of Popes out of this Kingdome and territories Wee say that his Maiestie may restraine with the Ciuill Sword the stubborne and euill doers which is my fourth and last proposition in this Article and commeth now to bee explained by the more temperate and moderate sort of Papists In the Chapter preceding we haue forced the Temporall Sword out of the Popes hands and that it may bee drawne forth against the stubborne and euill doers none but the franticke Anabaptist will dare to denie With them and their fantasticall propositions and delirations we will haue nothing to doe at this present wee will inquire only how farre forth this Sword is to bee drawne according vnto the Papists Tenet and the practise of these Kingdoms They make two sorts of hereticks some that erre of malice and trouble the State some that erre the errors of their Fathers and stand stiffe in that Religion which hath been taught them because they know no better these are to be reclaimed and informed by good and gentle meanes according to the example of the primitiue times when the ` Doctors and Pastors were readier to lay downe their liues then to take them away from illiterate and simple men and women they knew no other Sword then the Word no other fire then the Spirit Touching those that erre of malice they are to be dealt withall in sharper sort especially if their malice breake forth vnto the disturbance of the State either Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill and yet these are to be reclaimed also and purged of their malice if it may bee as well as of their errors or else preuented in time by the stroke of Iustice according to their demerits without effusion of blood but for blasphemous hereticks that impugne the Trinitie or wilfully trouble the vnitie and peace of this Kingdome bee they Schismaticks or Hereticks it now groweth to bee a matter of State rather then Religion I leaue them to those that know well how to rule them thinking no punishment too sharpe for them But for your sanguinarie punishments and bloody Inquisitions as our State vseth them not nor our Religion doth warrant them so your owne Writers doe inueighing against them as eagerly as we can or do supposing that the Church of Rome hath profited little since it first vsed these vnwonted and vnwarranted courses to turne all into fire and sword vpon small occasions God he knoweth for denying the Popes power in deliuering soules out of Purgatory for speaking against the Canons of the Church the opinions of their Schooles sometimes for crossing their positions though it bee but in Grammar notantur Articuli parantur fascculi away with them to the fire they may no longer liue one or two of their illiterate Friars shall accuse them some others shall beare witnesse the spirituall Magistrate shall condemne them the Temporall shall execute the sentence to the vtter destruction both of soule and body as you are perswaded If your men were as ready to teach as to burne and dealt by Colloquies and not by the Sword by the Gospell and not by Armes we would thinke that your Religion had some shew of truth and the Christian World some likelihood of Peace to the which in Christ I commend the cause of Gods Church and it a period to this long Article much the longer because it treateth of two the greatest powers vpon Earth the one lawfully challenged by his Maiestie the other vnlawfully pretended and vsurped by his Holinesse such as it is as I haue shewed heretofore Of the 22. Article Of Purgatorie THE Romish doctrine concerning Purgatorie Prayers worshipping and adoration as well of Images as of Reliques and also inuocation of Saints is a fond thing vainely inuented and grounded vpon no warrant of Scripture but rather repugnant to the Word of God This 22. Article explained and maintained by Papists HEre we are to runne through Purgatorie or rather through a Hell of deuilish inuentions but I will contract my selfe and it The Church of England giues no definition of it in this Article neither can it be defined because non entis nullae sunt qualitates but out of the writings of moderate Papists it may be described briefly thus Purgatory is a prety slight to picke mens purses Largely thus PVrgatorie is an excellent inuention of fiction of some Cacologus Schoolemen or Legendaries founded vpon dreames and reuelations to certaine politick ends partly vnknowne partly knowne to picke mens purses and fill the Popes cofers to defeate men of their lands and rob their soules of true comfort leauing nothing in mens consciences but scruples and terrors to thinke when it began what it is how long it shall continue for yeares dayes moneths or till the day of iudgement This awing the people by it more then by any thing and causing them to reuerence their persons more then any men that can by their Prayers mages Inuocations and Reliques of Saints Indulgences Funerals and Diriges being well hired vnto the same quench this fire deliuer these soules out of Purgatori and free them a poena and send them straight into Paradise to their endlesse ioy and comfort as they thinke and are perswaded by their ignorant guides To course ouer the parts of this description It is a meere fiction not of their Theologus but of their Cacologus founded vpon dreames and reuelations of men that appeared to them from the dead Habent Moysen Prophetas could not content them pickes mens purses and robs men of their lands to inrich the Popâ—s cofers What scruples it leaueth in the conscience I leaue to your considerations when you shall perfectly vnderstand that either there was no mention of it in the primitiue times or very little that the Graecians beleeue it not neither are the learnedst of the Papists able to define the place qualitie duration and extention of it vnto this
A MANVDVCTION OR INTRODVCTION VNTO DIVINITIE CONTAINING A Confutation of Papists by Papists throughout the important Articles of our Religion their testimonies taken either out of the Indices Expurgatorii or out of the Fathers and ancient Records But especially the Manuscripts By THO. IAMES Doctor of Diuinitie late Fellow of New-Colledge in Oxford and Sub-Deane of the Cathedrall Church of Welles This marke †noteth the places that are taken out of the Indices Expurgatorij And this ☞ a note of the places in the Parchments Imprinted for Henry Cripps and Henry Curteyne at â—â—â—ord 1625. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND RIGHT REVEREND Father in God John Bishop of Lincolne Lord Keeper of the Great Seale and one of his Maiesties most Honourable priuy Councell Right Honourable my very singular good Lord BEing incouraged by your Lordships fauorable acceptation of some small Labours of mine heretofore presented vnto your Honour I presume to offer vp these few but important and chiefe Articles of our Religion vnto your Lordships farther consideration as they are maintained and explained by Primitiue Fathers knowne Papists and ancient Manuscripts a threefold corde which in my coniecture cannot easily be broken As concerning the Manuscripts they are ancient but not many innominable as yet but not long so to continue if their names can bee redeemed by any meanes and y t they cannot well be excepted against by the common Aduersarie being written long before Luther Hus VVicklife or VValâ—o as the Character plainely sheweth And if they were not old enough it would be easie for me to euicl the true Antiquitie of our Religion â—ut of that great Treasure of Bookes amassed together by that iudicious Knight Sir Robert Cotton the truest Philobiblos of our Age in his kind For the Papists whose words and workes are often cited by me though the Papists would seeme to elude their testimonies or expunge their Sentences in thâ—â—r vnsufferable and vnwarrantable thrise-accursed Indices Expurgatorij yet they speake fully and home for the truth of ours and the falshood and nouellisme of their Religion and doe the Papists what they can as what hath not been done by their close Indices Yet all the water in the maine Ocean will neuer be able to wish their testimonies out of our Bookes Ours I call them because though bred and brought vp in the bosome of their Romane Church they are but seeming Papists so called as Montes are a non mouendo or Paâ—cae a non pâ—rcendo being easily mooued to take part with vs and if need were to defend and subscribe vnto the Articles of our Religion so vniformely so Catholikely agreed vpon by the Prelates of our Religion in the yeare 1562. Lastly for the Fathers whom they would faine make Partiaries and defenders of their new and vpstart opinions it is not to bee marueiled when they haue squeazed out the iuyce of their Bookes Text or Glosse pared them to their purposes and purged them to their minds or fancies rather For if they also chance to erre or mis speake in their iudgements as the best haue failed sometimes and in some things they haue a delâ—antur for them also they shall be no longer Fathers but Sonnes and therefore subiect to their censures and in plaine tearmes purgeable as Gretser the Iesuite hath long since from Ingolstad aduertised vs. But let them leaue the Fathers of the purer Ages in puris naturalibus without mixture or mutation of theirs pure and sincere and wee doubt not but the truth of our Religion will as clearely appeare as the Sunne shine at mid-day which I shall beleeue till I shall see a round and plenarie Refutation of the defence of â—ewels Apologie which was threatned to be answered in the late Councell of Trent and our Countriman Master Harding hath challenged it here and there of some mis-quotations which the learned Bishop doth confesse most ingenuously and retort the like and greater escapes vpon the Challenger but wilfull or purposed corruptions idque cum authoritate such as theirs are he cannot he shall not find in him nor any of his supposts This small Worke of mine Right Honourable such as it is and better it had been if due encouragement health and meanes had not fayled me I willingly submit vnto your iudicious Fatherhood and graue wisdome hoping some small good may accrew thereby vnto my deere Mother the Church of England a sound member and obedient child whereof I professe my selfe to be farre from Poperie and farther distant if farther may be from all itching vpstart Schismaticall humor going the Kings High-way and fighting as others haue done before me contra Dextrarios sinistrarios I haue better learned my Religion out of Tertullian and others that the first Religion is the best and that the higher we steppe the neerer we approach vnto the truth And if this small attempt of mine graced by your Honourable Patronage shall but worke in my poore seduced Countrymen and Compatriots a true loue of Antiquitie and detestation of all Popish corruptions in defacing and dâ—sgracing of all manner of good Bookes to God onely be the glorie I haue my desire Resteth nothing but to shew my willing readinesse and ready willingnesse to be imployed by your Honourable Lordship in any seruice that commeth within the compasse and spheâ—re of my small knowledge and poore abilitie and so I rest Lond. 26. April 1625. Your Honourable Lordships in all dutie to command Tho. Iames. The points that are briefly handled in this Booke OF the sufficiencie of holy Scripture for saluation c. 1 2. Of the iustification of Man 14 3. Of good Workes 19 4. Of Priests Marriage 23 5. Of the authoritie of generall Councels 27 7. Of the Ciuill Magistrate 29 7. Of Purgatorie 57 8. Of Indulgences 61 8. Of Prayers for the Dead 67 9. Of Reliques and Pilgrimages 67 10. Of Funerals and Diriges 72 11. Of Adoration of Images 73 12. Of the Inuocation of Saints 81 13. Of the Sacrament of Penance 83 14. Of Auricular Confession 85 15. Of Satisfaction and Contrition 88 16. Of the authoritie of the Church 90 17. Of the Lords Supper 95 18. Of the certaintie of Saluation 97 19. Of Rome 98 20. Of Cardinals and Bishops 101 21. Of Popish Priests 103 22. Of Popish Monkes and Friars 109 23. Of Miracles 114 Errata Pag 3. b â—â—milio reade â—unilio p 4. c pretera r preterea ib. l. 2 collected summed vp r. collected and summed vp ib. esta perfecta r. esca perfecta p 6. c. Iud r. â—nd ib. â— confugium r. confugimus p. 7. p poâ—iendâ— r. ponenda ib. x Val r. Vat. p 8. z Luic in ex r. Lincoln in ep ib. b scita decretas r sciâ—a decretaque ib. c disputandi r disputanda ib. f curiosaâ— r. curiosae ib g Quaedam esca est praelator est perfect r quaedam esca est praeâ—atorum perfect p 8 It s common r Its commones ib i qui nouit r. quod nouit ib. k coarctatuu
the Septuagint OMitting the curiositie and speculatiue knowledge of those hidden questions whether the â—2 Translators were shut vp in 72. diuers Celles or being all together did so vnanimously agree vpon one Translation most certaine it is that as it is be it more or lesse corrupted it was and accordingly and frequently cited and vrged by the Apostles who being to plant the primitiue faith in mens hearts thought it not best to put such seruples of reading and diuers lections into their heades and it was no fit time then to mooue or dispute this question whether the Hebrew originals were to bee preferred before the Septuagint translation the fountaine before riuelets They were otherwise occupied about preaching the word conuerting of Nations there was a constaâ— for the truth of that they taught further then that which tended to edification they sought not but to prouide honest things for them before God and before men The fourth Corollary Of the Hebrew Canon shewing that it ought to be the Canon and rule of all other Translations IF the rule swarue or decline it cannot direct if the fountaine bee myrie and tainted the water that issueth from it cannot bee stanch that which directeth others must bee infallible in and of it selfe so fareth it with the Hebrew Bibles say our obiectors what they will they are incorrupt and not onely the vulgar but all other translations must bee reduced vnto it as riuers vnto their Fountaine This hath beene hitherto the practise of the best learned of the Romish Church Aug. Steuchus Arias Montanus Isidorus Clarius Iac. Faber we are able to produce cloudes of witnesses to manifest the clearnesse of this truth and therefore taking it as granted we will with Roger Bacon and others bemoane the want of men expert and learned in the tongues of former ages and with thankfulnes to the Almighty reioyce for the light of the Gospell in this golden age which hath brought with it so much knowledge of the tongues and shineth so brightly amongst vs that none but men that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death will dare to oppose against this truth and defend the contrary The Eleuenth Article Of the Iustification of Man WEe are accounted righteous before God onely for the merit of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus by faith and not for our owne workes or deseruings Wherefore that wee are iustified by faith onely is a most wholesome doctrine and full of comfort This eleuenth Article explained and maintained by Papists BEcause Iustification by sole faith is the soule life and definition and all in a Protestant first deuised by Luther inpugned by the Fathers neuer beleeued of the Waldenses nor to be gathered out of their owne opinions or out of the writings of Catholickes no signes or traâ—â—s of onely iustifying faith but onely such which doth separate them farre from the Protestant cape and lead them vnto loosenesse wee will make bold to scan this Article more narrowly and resoluing the whole into it's parts wee will diligently inquire 1. About the name nature parts and effects of Iustification 2. Affirmatiuely that it is onely for the merits of Christ by faith 3. Negatiuely not for our owne workes or deseruings 4. Wee will endeauour to make good this proposition which is as it were an Eleophuga or scar-crow to the Papists that we are iustified by faith onely is a most wholesome doctrine and very full of comfort and all this according to the doctrine of the most renowned and best learned Papists The first Proposition About the Name Nature Parts and Effects of Iustification IVstification is when the faithfull and chosen seruants of God which were preordained vnto saluation in Gods secret wisedome being sinners by nature in Adam guilty of eternall damnation are accounted righteous and pronounced iust before God by his imputed and free righteousnesse and not onely for the merits of Christ acquited from the guilt and punishment of hell fire but made partakers of eternall life to their assured comfort in this and certaine fruition in that better life which is to come Let vs take a better view of all the parts of this definition Iustification appertaines onely to the faithfull Beleeuers and none but they are preordained to life in Christ these are a certaine number not all chosen out of the masse and elected to saluation and yet for all this they are called sinners and are all sinners by nature as we are men there is no manner of righteousnesse remaining in vs all that we doe or is done vpon vs is accursed accursed are the very thoughts of our hearts vnderstandings the members of our bodies hands mouthes and feet and the very contingent things of this world whether of ioy or sorrow are all accursed so that the best deeds of the best men are no better then sinnes In our Good-workes there is some medley of euill not imputed to vs thorough Gods free mercie and albeit we do neuer so much good still we sinne and summing vp our good deeds and bad the bad will be the greater number and the more ponderous To conclude this point all that wee caâ— challenge to our selues is nothing but sinne and a freâ— acknowledgement that of our selues we deserue to be thrownâ— into vtter darkenesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth In this deplored estate of ours what remedy What helpe is there for a distressed conscience The selfe same that was last mentioned let vs ascend by an humble and lowly confession of our sinnes which is the first step to saluation then by degrees acknowledging our sinnes let vs call vpon God for mercy in feruerous prayer liuely faith and assured confidence and then lay sure hold vpon the throne of Grace and the Mercy seat thus appearing and appealing to Gods mercy from his iustice though we bee sicke he will cure vs though we be foule he will cleanse vs though we be naked â—e will couer vs with our elder Brothers garment and Iosephs party-coloured ceate died red with his passion shall bee acknowledged yea though we be dead in sinnes and trespasses we know that our liues are hid in him and that he is able to raise vs vp from the death of finne to the life of righteousnesse such seekers finde so they seeke in Faith such Debtois are able to satisfie the Law by their suretie Christ are made of Seruants Gods Schollers of Schollers Children and of Children heyres vnto Eternall saluation and this not for any worth of ours but of his free gift So that to descend this Iacobs Ladder as we before ascended it The gift of Faith is infused into our hearts this Faith bringeth vs vnto Christ Christ vnto his Father God seeing vs in Christ acknowledgeth vs to be his accepts his righteousnesse for ours
forced through it owne pouertie to sustentate and support it selfe for the time by maintaining assertions repugnant to the prouidence and charitie of God towards Man and to all light of naturall reason So that we must as my Lord of London did if they could tell the time when beleeue that doctrine which is accompanied with so many true and celebrious Miracles wrought by God alone without any secondary humane meanes whatsoeuer Master Io. Brereley hath likewise in his of S. Aug. religion spent his 18. Chapter and all his Sections vpon this matter so that now the matter is made cock-sure Against all which is brought by him and his fellow Musket whosoeuer shall oppose his owne bare vnwarranted deniall we leaue saith hee that man as much more worthy of contempt then farther reply But stay now you Master Musket haue spent all your powder or if you did shoote bullets you haue wounded or killed none but your owne men as may appeare Not to speake of the Auctour vpon the vnperfect worke vpon Mathew very ancient although not Chrysostomes whose words are so plaine for vs both in the affirmatiue that there is no note note-worthy or proofe of the true Church nisi tantummodo per Scripturas spoken more then once or twice in the same place and in the negatiue that miracles may proue a false Church and be done by Heretickes which your Inquisitors haue purged out of the Auctour That miracles stupendious miracles such as your Historians doe swarme with namely Antoninus Aido Saxo Grammaticus Sigebertus Phreculphus Nauclerus Marianus Vrspergensis Ammonus Turpinus Guaguinus and all your old Annalists aske your owne Bodin and he will tell you so much they were done and not done made or rather feined by helpe of Deuils or of the black Art by your false Prophets to draw men to superstition from the reading of Gods word Such were those that Gregory the seuenth vsed against Henry the fourth Foure Monkes that at Berke would needes counterfeite the fiue wounds of Christ your Tablets of the virgin Mary that fell from heauen or of gallant virgin Mary either at Reginoburg or Lisbon or of Oeting of your miracles of old of Transubstantiation or of late within these one hundred yeeres wherewith you haue blinded the simple people and cast a mist before there eies they are infinite in number that haue beene wrought by Xauier and his fellow cheaters and so shall those bee that Antichrist shall bring to passe in the latter end of the world to the seducing of the very elect of God if it were possible and therefore I cannot be perswaded that there are any true miracles wrought amongst you they were needefull in the infancy but not in the groweth of the Church and aske not mee but S. Austine a reason why miracles doe now cease in these times of the Gospell or rather your owne Geo Venetus to come neerer home and they will bee able well to ensorme you in this point and therefore ring your belles preach your miracles and make no small gaine of them before them simple people or poore Indians Let your men vrge them and presse them and make their station in them taking them vp of trust one from the other as Bede from S. Gregory and S. Gregory from others I am fully resolued by your owne men that miracles without faith can neuer be effectuall but true faith without miracles may bee acceptable both to God and men as I haue formerly shewed As concerning Master Brerelies fond obiection because I perceiue by the casting away of his bookes that hee is weary or ashamed of them and is now casting about how he may frame a conuenient answer though it bee but in shew to him that wrote against him I will not trouble his patience at this time but stay till hee reioyne and then I doe binde my selfe by promise to ioyne issue with him and to answer whatsoeuer hee shall obiect either about miracles or any thing else that shall concerne the substance of our religion Whilst hee vrgeth Protestants and Papists I will assure him that I will vrge none but Papists and especially those that are marked with a black Theca in their Indices expurgatorij And for a conclusion to all seeing they vrge vs so farre vpon the point of miracles I will commend these few miracles that follow to their most Christian consideration If they proue not miracles yet I beleeue they will proue miraculous and stupendious actions and such as doe note forth vnto vs the great prouidence of God in preseruing his little flocke his true Church amidst the furie and fierie assaults of his and their great enemies beyond the degree of admirations First when the deluge of superstition had wel-nigh ouer whelmed the arke of the Church when that abomination of desolation foretold by Daniel and forespoken by S. Paul began to sit in the Church and to exalt himselfe against God or all that is called God God had his Waldo in France and Wickleph here in England and Hus a little after in Behemia that did preserue the truth of religion intire and vncorrupted and themselues except Iohn Hus vntoucht and vnhurt being but a handfull of men against so many and potent Aduersaries Secondly how their followers beeing persecuted with bell booke and candle with fire and sword multiplied whilst they groaned like the Children of Israel vnder Pharaoh into thousands and stood out against the Pope and his Croisadoes and some of them to this present day in the Conualles remaine that neuer yet bowed the knees to Baal nor receiued the marke of the Beast in their fore-heads Thirdly that blinde Ziska and his poore Thaborits should conquer three hosts of the Pontificians that were thought to be iuincible and to haue beene an armie sufficient to haue encountred the great Turke and to haue beaten him out of all Natolia Fourthly that the slaughtering and murdering of men and women in their bloody vnholy Inquifition hath bene a speciall cause of the encrease of the Church and the conuersion of diuers Sauls into Pauls which of bloody Inquisitors became afterwards patient Martyrs to the astonishment of most men who wondered not a little that so many of both sexes especially of the simpler sort should lay down their liues so readily for the testimony of the Gospel it made them as I say wonder what that religion should bee Fistly their Inquisition of bookes aswell as of men the especiall Ramme found out in the Councell of Trent by the instigation of the Diuell as the chiefe meanes to establish their new and vnheard of religion partly by prohibiting of whole bookes partly by purging of some Tracts in some bookes hath proued beeing discouered vnto vs by the finger of God the chiefest instrument of Gods glory whereby so many witnesses of the truth are knowne now vnto vs to speake wholly and often and earnestly for the reformation which was made by Luther in these