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
Christ I hope Antichrist the head of that false Church is no member of the Church of Christ or belonging to his family Thus in these and diuers other such questions wherein we haue bin distracted our princely Ecclesiastes as another Constantine that decided the controuersies betweene the Christian Bishops hath taken vp the strife like as Archidamus being chosen an vmpire betweene two brought them to the temple charging them not to depart till they were agreed If there yet be remaining any question or controuersie in our Church let his Maiestie iudge betweene vs his Catholicke and Christian iudgement may reduce vs to vnitie and consent in religion I say then with S. Paul Let vs therefore as many as are perfect be thus minded and if we be otherwise minded God shal reueale the same vnto vs. Augustine saith wel to Hierome Quiescamus ab his cōtētionib nostre vitae salutique parcamus minus certè assequatur illa quae inflat dum nō offendatur illa quae aedificat Let vs cease from these contentions and fauour our life and health let that which puffeth vp be amended while that which edifieth be not offended Now to such as haue a long time stood out and refused to cōmunicate with the Church of England I would exhort them now at the length to be wiser and not to suffer themselues any longer to be abused by that Romish generation of whom that saying of the Prophet is true Qui ducunt seducunt vos They that guide you beguile you Isay. 3.12 The variance and enmity that hath bin of late between your false teachers the ignatian Friers and Seminary priests doth shew that they seeke not you but themselues you may say of them as Tully of Pompey and Caesar that were fallen out Nosse se quem fugere ignorare quem sequi debeat That he knew whom to shun but not whom to follow I would they did embrace Hieromes counsel In mentem tibi veniat tunicam Saluatoris non à militibus fuisse conscissam fratrum inter se cernis iurgia laetaris imitari Ionam dicito Si propter me ista est tēpestas tollite me c. Remember that our Sauiours coate was not rent of the souldiers but you see the falling out of brethrē reioyce at it imitate Ionas say If this tēpest be because of me take me and cast me into the sea I do not wish these seditious sect-masters of Rome to be cast into the sea but I wold haue them cast out of the land and sent ouer the sea that our Church be no more troubled with them England would do full well without them it hath no neede of their Phisicke as Pausanias answered a certaine Phisitian that sayd he ayled nothing Because sayth he I vse not you for my Phisitian Come then Gentlemen and louing countrimen let vs go vp to Gods house together beware hereafter of the Pharisies leauen Let them alone they be blind leaders of the blind Mat. 13.14 Why should you pin your faith vpon the Popes sleeue hath not the Apostle said Ye are bought with a price be not the seruants of men 1. Cor. 7.23 See you not how that Caiphas of Rome seeketh his owne glorie and dignitie and would make kings and Princes his vassails and subiects Hierome said well Si pacem habere non potest cum fratre nisi cum subdito ostendit se non tam pacem cupere quà m sub pacis conditione vindictam If he wil no peace with his brother but as with a subiect he sheweth that he desireth not peace but vnder the colour of peace reuenge this may better be pronounced of the proud Pope of Rome then of the ambitious Patriarke of Ierusalem of whom it was first vttered Thanke God which hath sent a Prince that wil reforme your error not nourish you in your superstitiō stil God be blessed that hath raised vs vp so Christian a king that is as able by reason to perswade to the truth as by law to enforce for his constant resolution for religion we can neuer sufficiently be thankeful He shall neuer need with Constantius that fauored the Arrians to repent fidem à se immutatā that he had changed his predecessors faith but as Ambrose saith of Valentinian A fratre nollet se pietate superari he would not be exceeded of his brother Gratian in pietie so his Maiesty is not inferior for care of religion to his late renoumed sister Q. Elizabeth God giue vnto his Christian Maiesty long continuance and strength to proceed in his happy course and constancy to hold out his godly purpose to the end that he may still come downe like the raine vpon the mowē grasse as the showers that water the earth to be a comfort to his subiects a refreshing to the Church that as we find him a carefull Gouernor a godly Prince a louing father an example of all vertue and goodnesse better then the rest as Leonidas king of Sparta said I had not bene your King if I had not bin better then you so we again may shew our selues obedient and dutiful subiects to pray for him continually and dayly blesse him Psal. 72.15 That we neuer be vnthankful to God or vndutiful to him nor vnmindful of these great blessings of peace continuance of religion administration of iustice nor weary of so happy a gouernment as is expected as the inconstant Athenians were of Themistocles to whom he well said Are you wearied in receiuing of so many benefits frō one man but that it may truly be said of vs and all the faithfull subiects of the land They shall feare thee as long as the Sunne and Moone endureth from generation to generation Pal. 72.5 That his Maiestie now and his royall posteritie ouer vs may raigne in all happinesse godlinesse and peace from generation to generation which God graunt THE ANSWERE TO THE FIRST SECTION OF the Apological Epistle Sect. 1. The frailtie and pronenes of man to sinne after the fall of Adam WE see here verified the saying of S. Paul That false Apostles are deceitfull workers and transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ 2. Cor. 11.14 and as Sathan doth transforme himselfe into an Angel of light so his ministers can transforme themselues as though they were the ministers of righteousnes so playeth this cunning epistler who deuoting himselfe in this Libell to the seruice of Sathan in defacing the truth and disgracing the true Church of Christ which professeth it yet maketh a colourable entrance and plausible beginning setting in the forefront of this beadrole of lies an euident knowne and confessed truth of the fall of Adam and the generall corruption and deprauation of nature from thence issuing But as Hierome saith Venenum sub melle latet There lieth poyson hid vnder hony and as Ambrose Quia sub nomine suo culturam suadere non potest sub alterius nomine
Christs natiuitie death and resurrection he knoweth and confesseth But the right Christian faith beside the illumination of the vnderstanding maketh an assured confidence of the heart and setleth the conscience and maketh vs at peace with God and by this faith euery one that vnfainedly seeketh God beleeueth that he will reward them as the Apostle saith He that commeth vnto God must beleeue that he is and that he will reward those that seeke him Here are two parts of faith expressed a knowledge that God is and a beleefe or assurance that God will reward his seekers and followers 4. The argument proposed concludeth well against Papists that he which is doubtfull of faith is much more doubtful to obtaine heauē for a man may haue their speculatiue faith yet be no whit neerer to heauen nor sure thereof But the right faith which Protestants professe doth put them euen while they liue in assurance and in some sort in possession of the kingdome of heauen as our Sauiour saith He that beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is escaped from death to life Wherefore it is an hard and difficult matter with Papists to obtaine heauen or to be assured thereof though they haue the Popish faith But with Protestants after they be endued with a liuely iustifying faith there is no doubt or difficultie in obtaining the reward for we are kept by the power of God through faith to saluation and the end of our faith is the saluation of our soules He therefore that is in the way of faith is sure to come vnto the end which is saluation I may therefore vse against this Romanist the words of Basile You are guiltie of that which you accuse in another It is an hard matter for your followers to obtaine or be sure of heauen and therfore you iudge so of the Protestants But as Augustine saith Quisquis adhuc malus non putet neminem bonum esse Let not him that is euill thinke no man good Because Popish religion is desperate and comfortlesse thinke not euery religion to be so The fourth Probation THe argument here vrged may be framed thus He whom all or most denie to haue title or interest to a kingdome will faintly take it in hand The Protestants make the kingdom of God vncertaine improbable impossible to be obtained and so denie men to haue interest to it Ergo they are the cause that few aduenture so certaine and painfull a worke for so vncertaine and doubtfull recompence The Solution 1. TO the proposition this may bee answered that although in terrene kingdoms where a title is denied of all there is small hope to obtaine because to a temporall inheritance admittance is by temporall meanes and entrance to kingdomes is made by the fauour and assistance of vnited friends yet moued by the iustnes of the title as the Wiseman saith In the multitude of the people is the honour of the King and for the want of people commeth the destruction of a Prince yet in the obtaining of the kingdome of heauen the case is farre diuers for the children of God haue good title vnto it and great interest in it and will earnestly contend and striue for it though all the world say nay as Elias was not dismaied in his course though he thought himselfe to be left alone and to be forsaken of all men 2. It is an impudent slaunder that the Protestants make the kingdome of God vncertaine improbable or impossible to be obtained these are the proper badges of the Popish Church For how doe not they make the kingdome of God vncertaine when they teach that the certitude of remission of sinnes is a vaine confidence and void of all godlines and others call it a faithlesse perswasion of saluation for a man to be assured by faith that hee shall be saued How is it not also improbable seeing if any among thē are likely to goe to heauen their Popes whom they call holy Fathers Christs Vicars hauing S. Peters keyes to whom the spirituall treasure of the Church is committed to whom it belongeth to canonize Saints who are priuiledged not to erre they in all reason and probabilitie should be most sure to goe to heauen Is it probable that they can open heauen to others and commaund the Angels to carrie other mens soules to heauen that they can canonize others and bee excluded heauen themselues And yet they dare pronounce of some of their Popes and those not the worst that they are damned as Bellarmine is reported to haue said to an English Doctor of Sixtus the last that descendit ad infernum that hee was gone to hell as farre as he could conceiue or vnderstand Yea by their doctrine the kingdome of heauen is impossible to bee had seeing they doe ascribe it to mens workes and merits for this I dare by warrant of the Scriptures affirme that he which maketh account to purchase heauen by his workes and not to obtaine it by faith is not like to come thither For by the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified This obiection then might well haue bin spared which reboundeth back vpō their own face Thus are they snared in their owne words and so it falleth out vnto this brabler as it is in Iob He that speaketh many words shall be answered againe If hee be loth to haue the nakednes of his mother discouered he should haue followed Hieromes saying Vis me tacere ne accuses depone gladium ego scutum abijciam Would you haue vs quiet you should not haue accused vs if you had laid downe your sword I should not haue needed to take vp a shield Clitarchus could haue told you Vtter not those things which you are loth to heare your selfe The fift Probation THe Mahometanes were neuer more wicked then after the Persian schisme and diuision amongst them Likewise the Iewes were diuided into many sects and religions at the comming of Christ Samaritanes Pharisies Sadduces Essenes c. whereby that nation c. was drowned and ouerwhelmed in such monstrous and erronious iniquities The conclusion must be Ergo Protestants being so diuided are most wicked c. The Solution FIrst this argument is denied for though among the Infidels and misbeleeuers such as the Turkes are and the Iewes were at the comming of Christ where none hold the truth but al are in error diuisions and sects make them worse yet is it not so among those which professe the trueth 1. For there the diuersitie of sects and the springing and publishing of heresies doth make the defence of the truth more glorious and the defenders therof more faithfull and constant as the Apostle saith There must be heresies euen among you that they which are approoued among you may be knowne 2. And yet in the meane time the authors of schisme
and hatchers of heresies are thereby giuen ouer to greater vngodlines as the Apostle againe saith But the euill men and deceiuers shall waxe worse and worse deceiuing and being deceiued 3. For if the Church of God were then at the worst when heresies and schismes are raised then should the state of the Primitiue Church bee condemned when so many wicked doctrines of Ebionites Basilidians Valentinians Marcionites Arrians Sabellians with the rest were stirred vp by the diuell 4. The reason of this difference is euident because that where the truth is professed the opposition of errors doth giue occasion that the same be more throughly sifted as the wheate is by winnowing made more pure and the light shineth brighter in darknes But where there is no truth or sound knowledge at all there diuisions doe but harden them the more in their error like as chaffe being winnowed is scattered and dispersed and as they which walke in darknes without light the further they goe the more they wander This is the very case of the vnbeleeuing Turkes and of the misbeleeuing Iewes Pharisies Sadduces Herodians they were all out of the way This point is well touched by Augustine Non ad diabolum pertinet quis isto vel illo modo erret omnes errantes vult quibuslibet erroribus It is nothing to the diuell whether a man erre this way or that way all that bee in error are his what error soeuer they hold No marueile then if both Iewes and Gentiles by their diuisions waxed worse and worse because they still were vnder the kingdome of Sathan howsoeuer diuided Secondly if this argument be admitted it would conclude strongly against the Papists whose diuisions are notoriously knowne both to haue been and at this present to be such betweene the Secular Priests and irregular Ignatians both at Rome in France and in England which were happy if it were rid of them both and so hotly pursued on both sides with all reprochfull termes of knaues heretikes diabolicall Machiauels diuels incarnate and such like as they are not able to shew euer to haue been among Protestants And these diuisions not onely to consist in verball differences or repugnance in externall rites and liberties but in materiall points of doctrine as hath been before shewed Therefore among Papists where neither sect holdeth the truth this argument may well hold by this their erronious dissentions and diuersities to conuince them of monstrous and grosse iniquities Thirdly against English Protestants whom this Libeller chiefly impugneth this engine of his hath no force for to Gods glorie be it spoken fewer diuisions haue not been seene in the Church of England excepting some few nouelties of certaine new fangled teachers who in time I doubt not but will waxe wiser then at this present And I trust our domesticall heates shal euery day abate and slake and our contentions at home decrease that wee may with one ioynt force oppose our selues to the common aduersarie like as Abraham rescued Lot from the Gentiles though some priuate iarres betweene their families had broken out before The Grecians are said that when their enemies approched though they had been at ciuill discord before would compound their quarrels to resist their forraine foes And it is written of Themistocles and Aristides two famous Captaines of the Athenians that when they went on embassage together or to conduct an armie Inimicitiam in finibus patriae deposuerunt They laid downe their enmitie in the borders of their countrie It should be a shame for Christians not to be so wise for the defence of the common cause as the Heathen were That saying of Augustine to Hierome is to be embraced Fieri potest vt tibi videatur aliud quam veritas habet dum aliud à te non fiat quam charitas habet You may so long think otherwise then the veritie so that you doe nothing beside charitie If men will needes retaine some priuate opinions yet let them refraine publike dissensions And here an end also of this section THE FOVRTH SECTION THAT THE Authors intent and scope is nothing lesse then to teach a most vndoubted certaintie and vnitie in Popish religion THis section hath nothing worth the answering neither containeth any thing beside slaunders bragges facings and bold assertions 1. He impudently saith and with a brasen face that Protestants may be had in iust suspition that many doubters or deniers at least in affection of all worship are entred in among them Whereas it is out of all doubt that many such Atheists are fostered in Rome Italie Spaine where the name Christian is vsed as a word of derision as is rehearsed before 2. He telleth vs of an ample confutation which he hath written against all Atheists and enemies to religion which he calleth a Resolution of Religion wherein hee hath resolued all doubts that may bee imagined This sure is a worke indeede that can meete with mens thoughts and imaginations This booke we would gladly see which he so often maketh mention of some such thing I haue heard intended but it should seeme the author like to the Beare hath not yet licked this deformed lumpe to perfection If it were ripe it would be a good present for their mother of fornications and her children at Rome to perswade them from Atheisme and Epicurisme And yet considering this yonkers spirituall father graund prouinciall Frier Robert Parsons hath written of this argument before in his Resolution this punie father might haue spared this labour and confessed modestly with Hierome Supersedendum huic labori sentio ne mihi dicatur illud Horatij In syluam ne ligna feras c. I thinke to giue ouer this labour least that of Horace be said vnto me Carrie not sticks into the wood video enim ◠clarissimo ingenio occupata esse meliora For I see a riper head hath brought better stuffe 3. Where he saith that their religion which hee calleth most holie and approued most vnholie and reproued rather is resolued to the most assured and infallible word and reuelation of God This speech it is hard to say whether it hath more subtiltie or lesse honestie For if by the word and reuelation of God he vnderstand not the word written onely but their blind traditions which they vsually call Verbum Dei non scriptum The word of God vnwritten he speaketh craftily for this their Anabaptistical reuelation is not assured or infallible but most vncertaine and deceitfull If hee meane hereby onely the Scriptures of God it is an vnhonest bragge of him for Poperie differeth as much from the word written as darknes from light if it were not so why doe they not stand to their tackle and cleaue onely to the Scriptures why doe they make their traditions vnwritten of equall authoritie with the word written what need had they to denie the scriptures to containe all things necessarie to saluation These grosse positions