TEXEDA Retextus OR THE SPANISH MONKE His Bill of Diuorce against the Church of ROME Together with other remarkable Occurrances IMMOTA LONDON Printed by T.S. for Robert Mylbourne and are to be sold at his Shop at the great South dore of Pauls 1623. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND worthy Knight Sir Edward Conway one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuie Councell and his Maiesties SECRETARIE SIR THe sinne of Ingratitude hath euer beene ranked by men of ingenious and liberall education in the first place amongst the of-scouring and scum of vices whose iudgement and opinion herein I professe I alwaies approued To wipe off then and cleare my selfe from the aspersion of this foule enormitie I haue on aduised deliberation presumed to consecrate and offer vp vnto your memorie this small Treatise concerning my vnfained conuersion vnto Christ as a pledge and token of my thankefulnesse for many benefits and fauours plentifully conferred on me For your most eminent and conspicuous vertues whereof I oft haue had experience especially your wisedome bountifulnesse courtesie your feruent zeale to the reformed religion and pietie which so attend and guard your person that you can hardly be seuered or abstracted from them promise and assure me that this small Treatise giuen and consecrated on the Altar of an honest and sincere heart will be most gratefull and acceptable to your Honour Your Honours most humbly deuoted Ferdinando Texeda through the mercy of God a Conuerted Spaniard V.D.M. To the Christian Reader SAint Ierome relating Iacobs Vision Epist ad Ager 11. in which he saw Angels ascending and descending on a Ladder reaching from the earth to heauen gathers these profitable and comfortable lessons from thence That no man should despaire of grace to recouer him from sinne for Iacob saw Angels ascending nor yet any presume of his owne strength for Iacob saw Angels descending as well as ascending his owne words are Videbat scalam per quam ascendebant Angeli et descendebant vt nec peccator desperet salutem nec iustus de sua virtute fecurus sit The Church of Christ in this respect resembles the Sea which what it looseth in one place it alwaies gaines in another And therefore let no weake Christian be scandalized at the reuolt of so many now a dayes to Popish errors and superstitions For the spirit speaketh expresly That in the latter times 1 Tim. 4.1 some shall depart from the faith giuing heed to seducing Spirits and doctrines of Diuels yea that many shall follow their pernitious waies by reason of whom the way of truth shall be euill spoken of 2 Pet. 2.2 When therefore we see the truth of these Prophecies fulfilled in the falling away of many from the truth euen this their falling away from the truth ought to confirme vs in the truth the rather because wee finde by experience that the Apples that fall from the tree with the least shog De simplicitate praelatorum or smallest puffe of winde are rotten at the core This was Saint Cyprians obseruation long agoe Nemo aestimet bonos de Ecclesia posse discedere triticum non rapit ventus nec arborem solidâ radice fundatam procella subuertit inanes paleae tempestate iactantur inualidae arbores turbinis incursione euertuntur Let no man imagine that good men can depart from the Church The winde blowes not away the Corne neither doth a storme throw downe a tree that hath sure rooting in the earth it is but light chaffe which the winde scattereth abroad and they are but hollow and rotten trees which are ouerturned with a blustring winde And Saint Austen and Saint Gregory make good this obseruation of Saint Cyprian by excluding all those from the number of Christs Disciples and the true Sonnes of God whose reuolt and apostacie euidently proues their hypocrisie Saint Austen speakes definitiuely Decorrept et 〈◊〉 9. Qui non habent perseuerantiam sicut non verè discipuli Christi ita nec verè filij dei fuerunt etiam quando esse videbantur et ita vocabantur Those who perseuer not in the truth as they were neuer the true Disciples of Christ so neither were they euer truely the Children of God no not when they seemed so to be and were so called also And Saint Gregory is as peremptory It may trouble saith he a weake Christian Moralium in ob l. 34. cap. 13. that this Leuiathan hath such power vt aurum hoc est viros sanctitatis claritate fulgentes quasi lutum sibi vitijs inquinandum subijciat That he can trample Gold vnder his feete like dirt that is men shining with a bright lustre of sanctitie by defiling them with viciousnesse Sed citiùs respondemus quia aurum quod prauis Diaboli persuasionibus sterni sicut lutum potuerit aurum ante oculos dei nunquam fuit et qui seduci quandoque non reuersuri possunt quasi habitū sanctitatisante oculos hominū videantur amittere sed eam ante oculos dei nunquam habuerunt But we readily answere That that gold which by the wicked perswasions of the Diuell could be thus trodden vnder foot by him like dirt was neuer gold in the sight of God and whosoeuer may so be led away from the true Church that they neuer returne thither backe againe well they may seeme to lose an habit and shew of sanctitie before men but the truth is in the eyes of God they were neuer indued with any sanctitie at all If this suffice not to keepe the weake from stumbling at this rocke of offence I meane the Apostacie of seeming Saints and reuolt of outward professors of the truth let them consider in the last place that this losse of the Church if it be any is in some measure repaired by the daily accesse of new conuerts Not to goe farre for instances at this present for an Italian Apostata we haue a Spanish Conuert for a loose Bishop we haue a strict Augustine Monke the former lately left Christ to follow his preferments in the Court of Antichrist the latter hath left all his hope of preferments in this world and stript himselfe of all his temporall meanes to follow Christ naked whose solid motiues set downe in this short and pithy relation if thou weigh diligently thou canst not but afford this treatise a like commendation to that which Homer giues Diomedes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A little Man but a great Souldier For thou shalt finde in it arrowes taken out of the Romish Quiuer drawne to the head against the Romish faith besides diuers rarities touching the fopperies and ridiculous superstitions of that Church There are not many leaues in this Treatise but there is much fruit yet this is but a tast The Author hath furnished already a Table richly with such kinde of fruit to which he wil shortly inuite thee In the meane while let this stay thy stomacke and if any thing herein please thy appetite blesse God for the Author if
any thing distaste thee pardon the Author for Gods cause for which the more losse he hath and doth sustaine the more he deserues to gaine thy loue and charitable opinion of him Thine in Christ D.F. Ferdinand Texeda hath by his religious conference and carriage approued himselfe vnto vs to be sound in Faith and honest in Life and one that deserues respect amongst all good Christians Daniel Feately Doctor of Diuinity Richard Sibs Preacher at Grayes Inne William Crashaw Preacher at White-Chappell William Boswell Preacher at Saint Laurence Iewrie Iohn Squire Preacher at Leonard Shore-ditch Thomas Wood Preacher at Michaels Crooked-lane Timothy Suite Preacher at Andrew Hubbard Iohn Regius Pastors of the Dutch Church in London Ambrose Regemorterus Pastors of the Dutch Church in London Nathaniel Marius Pastors of the French Church in London Abraham Aurelius Pastors of the French Church in London THE SPANISH CONVERT OR FERDINANDVS TEXEDA his Conuersion to the Reformed Church with the cause mouing him thereunto IT will not seeme strange to those whose mindes God hath illightened with the knowledge of Christian truth that I a Spaniard and a Monke trained vp and grounded in the errours of Poperie and sometime a most sharpe and vehement prosecutor and maintainer of them should now imbrace and professe the true religion sith the sacred Scripture informes them that there is no respect of persons with God Acts 10. Notwithstanding it will be a very hard taske for any to vndertake to perswade such as are enemies to this truth that it was the finger of God that wrought this worke of my conuersion for sith they with the vttermost of their indeauour teach and maintaine that the reformed religion is most odious and execrable to his diuine Maiestie without all doubt they will neuer ascribe and giue vnto him the glory of my conuersion hereunto for God tempts not nor solicits any man to perpetrate any euill yet neuerthelesse to the intent that I may farther establish and build vp in Christ such Christians as are truely called and re-call such Catholikes falsly so called as wander from the truth I haue thought good to produce and publish some of the motiues and reasons that preuailed with me to the vtter abandoning and renouncing of Poperie which hee that shall but seriously and aduisedly weigh and consider vnlesse hee wilfully be blinder then a Mole I doubt not but hee will freely and ingeniously acknowledge this truth that it was onely a tender regard of my soules health that induced me to shake hands with Poperie But omitting these circumstances as not so pertinent I le now buckle my selfe to the matter in hand A Principle and an especiall motiue exciting mee to abandon Poperie was their celebrating of diuine seruice in an vnknowne tongue For as Saint Paul teacheth vs hee that speakes in an vnknowne tongue speakes not vnto men but vnto God 1 Cor. 14. Therefore when we speake vnto men it is requisite and necessary wee expresse our conceits in such notions and language as they best vnderstand vnto whom we speake But the Papists setting light by Saint Pauls Doctrine teach and exhort the rude and barbarous people in Lattine which tongue they vnderstand not as it is apparant to any that shall be pleased to peruse their Masse for the dead where the sub-Deacon sings after this manner Fratres ecce mysterium vobis dico Brethren behold I tell you a mysterie hee pretends he speakes vnto his Brethren but he speakes a notorious vntruth because according to the determination of the Apostle in the place before cited hee that speakes in an vnknowne tongue speakes not vnto men but vnto God I may presse this reason yet further because the Priest before the preface saith orate me fratres Brethren pray for me the Papists themselues will not denie that these words are directed to the common people and therefore neither can they gaine-say that they most shamefully oppugne the Apostles Cannon in the rpractise for intending directing their speech vnto their Brethren they speake vnto them in an vnknowne tongue but the very simple and illiterate people daily reproues and sufficiently discouers this their grosse errour in that immediately after the deliuery of these words orate me fratres all of them in their assemblies for Masse irreuerently sit still and chat vntill the Priest begins seruice as if in stead of Brethren pray for me hee had said vnto them Brethren sit ye still and discourse together And it is worth the noting that whilst they thus talke the Priest mumbles to himselfe certaine short Orisons which they tearme secret prayers with a very soft and low voyce and afterwards lifts vp his voyce and saies per omnia saecula saeculorum from generation to generation and the common people they answere Amen Now if it should so happen as it is very credible it hath especially when as the Moores inhabited Spaine amongst whom there were very many Priests that in outward shew seemed to professe and countenance Poperie but indeed were Mahumitans in heart if I say it should so fall out which God forbid that one of these saying Masse instead of these short Orisons should in his prayers vtter blasphemy against Christ and afterwards should say aloud per omnia saecula saeculorum should not the vulgar people in replying Amen euen ioyne with him in that his most execrable prayer Wherefore it behoues them to remember that of the Apostle to him that blesseth onely with the spirit How shall hee that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen at the giuing of thankes sith he vnderstands not what thou sayest This their absurd errour is yet more apparant in their Nunnes whilst they both at Mattens and Euensong sing and rehearse certaine Homilies of Pope Gregories venerable Beades of Thomas Aquinas in Latine whereof they vnderstand no not a syllable I would faine know of them to whom those excellent Sermons are rehearsed to God hee needs them not to the people they are aboue their spheare and capacitie What will the Papists reply hereunto or what can they say to this ensuing argument All those that deliuer words that are not intelligible doe but beate the ayre All the Prayers and Sermons of the whole Corabble of Romish Priests are of this nature So the whole rabble of Romish Priests in their Prayers and Sermons doe but as it were beate the ayre The proposition is Saint Pauls experience proues the assumption therefore certainely no man will except against the conclusion vnlesse some barbarous and illiterate rusticke not versed in his Moodes and Figures A second motiue inforcing me to forsake Poperie was their doctrine of humane satisfactions because it is most iniurious and derogatorie to the meritorious and al-sufficient sufferings satisfactions of our blessed Lord and Sauiour and directly thwarts and crosseth the whole streame and current of the sacred Scriptures By that one oblation of himselfe once offered Heb. 10. as the Author to the Hebrewes hath
and Monkes bellies they offer liberally to her with a full hand Verily sith the truth of these things haue beene ratified and confirmed by long experience when I my selfe haue beene an eye witnesse none can deny that such as doe such things as these are strucken both with blindnesse and madnesse for mine owne particular I freely confesse that this absurde error of theirs amongst others of the like nature was my first motiue to the abiuring and abandoning of Popery and were the Church of Rome in all other articles of beleife orthodoxall and conformable to the Christian truth yet this onely rocke in my way would vtterly haue driuen me from the profession thereof But it is to be lamented with teares that as in part I haue euidently and clearely shewed vnto you the Church of Rome hath swarued from the rules of the Apostles in many tenents of faith and haue brought in an innumerable company of Pestilent errours and diabolicall superstitions therefore let no man maruell that I haue vtterly forsaken and a-abandoned Popery I heard the voyce of the Lord calling me and not willing to harden my heart I came forth of Babylon lest pertaking longer with her in her sinnes I might also pertake in her punishments Although these things were so as hath been related for which I blesse and praise God yet there were many Remoraes or hinderances that detained me in Spaine and diuerted my minde from seeking the meanes of my saluation by Christ insomuch that almost for the space of two yeares my conscience struggled with mee and endured many a bitter conflict For first the world and the flesh obiected vnto my eyes and whispered in my eares that if I forsake Babylon and cleaue to Christ I must make account to take my farewell of all the pleasures and allurements of this life of my noble Parents of my Riches Brethren and Sisters of my Friends Country Patrimonie and Pleasures which here I inioyed together with Honours and promotions for I was a Monke of the famous Order of Saint Augustine a Priest a Preacher a Professor of Philosophie and Batchelor in Diuinitie all which assuredly promised as yeares increased to aduance and raise mee to higher dignitie and preferment Againe I seriously and aduisedly pondered with my selfe that hitherto I was both an honour and a comfort to my Parents that hereafter the newes of this my conuersion would set a publike and eternall marke of infamie on them I cast also daily in my minde the pouertie nakednesse perpetuall exile hatred of Parents Countrie Friends and in briefe the want and depriuation of all necessarie things towards the preseruation of this life which I must needes indure if I quite my former religion but all these carnall respects I slightly regarded and past-by when I seriously considered That wee must through many tribulations Acts 14. enter into the Kingdome of God 2 Tim. 2. And that all that desire to liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution and therefore about some two yeares and a halfe since I left Spaine that I might settle my selfe in this flourishing Kingdome where euery man praiseth God in the Sunne-shine of the Gospell It is neere about two yeares since I first made my abode in this Citie wherein by the meanes and fauour of God I haue professed publikely the reformed Christian Religion and haue vowed and sworne solemnely to continue in it to my liues end Neither shall my great want wherewithall I am much perplexed I trust in God euer alter my purpose and resolution but that God that hath begun this good worke in mee will perfect it to the praise of his blessed and glorious name to my eternall saluation to the edification of all my Brethren and to the confusion of the aduersarie for which I bow my knees to Almighty God the Fountaine of all goodnesse with my whole heart beseeching him to establish and confirme mee more and more in his truth Laus Deo Amen Errata PAge 3. l. 8. lege pro ibid. l. 18. lege pro p. 4. l. 25. lege rabble ibid. l. 27. lege Ergo p. 6. l. 21. dele at p. 7. l. 2. dele euer ibid. l. 3. adde according ibid. l. 13 adde be that p. 8. l. 4. adde with ibid. l. 12. lege Occamus ibid. l. 14. lege Penitentiarie ibid. l. 32. lege this p. 10. l. 15. lege vbieties ibid. l. lege beings ibid. l. 17. lege this ibid. l. 27. lege vbieties ibid. l. dele a. ibid. l. lege beings p. 11. l. 3. dele it is ibid. l. 5. lege presens ibid. l. 11. lege presens ibid. l. 28. lege its p. 12. l. 4. lege true p. 13. l. 25. dele onely p. 17. l. 25. lege Iudges p. 18. l. 12. lege with ibid. l. lege wounds p. 21. l. 14. lege Iesu FINIS