we were captiues and that spirituall Egypt wherein we were formerly holden in miserable bondage But as there were some of the children of the captiuity that after long continuance abroad forgat Hierusalem and preferred Babylon before Sion neuer desiring to returne into their owne country any more And as many of the Israelites brought out of the house of Pharoahs bondage by God himselfe and conducted by Moses and Aaron to take possession of Canaan the land of promise a land that flowed with milke and honey in their hearts returned backe so are there many that would neuer be induced to come out of the spirituall Babylon and other that are easily perswaded to looke backe and in their hearts to returne into Egypt againe For the winning and gaining of the former and the staying of the latter I haue indeauoured by the true discription of them out of the Scripture the authenticall recordsof antiquity to make it appeare how farre Canaan exceedeth Egypt and Sion Babylon how different the gouernement of Christ is from that of Antichrist how happy the people are that liue vnder the one and how miserable their condition is that are subiect to the other Beseeching God for his mercies sake to enlighten them that sit in darkenes to bring backe them that are gone astray to raise vp them that are fallen to strengthen them that stand to confirme them that are doubtfull to rebuke Sathan to put an end to the manyfold vnhappy contentions of these times to make vp the breaches of Sion to build the walles of Hierusalem and to loue it still R. F. THE FIFT BOOKE OF THE DIVERSE DEGREES ORDERS AND CALLINGS OF THOSE men to vvhom the gouernement of the Church is committed CHAP. 1. Of the Primitiue and first Church of God in the house of Adam the Father of all the liuing and the gouernement of the same ALMIGHTIE GOD the fountaine of all being who to manifest the glory of his power and the riches of his goodnesse made all things of nothing disposed and sorted the things hee made into three seuerall rankes For to some hee gaue being without any apprehension or discerning of it Others hee made to feele and sensibly discerne that particular good hee was pleased to doe vnto them And to a third sort of a more eminent degree and qualitie made after his owne image hee gaue generality of knowledge of all things and extent of desire answerable thereunto causing them without all restraint or limitation to take view of all the variety of things that are in the world and neuer to rest satisfied till they come to see inioy and possesse him that made them all These hee seperated from the rest of his creatures causing them to approach and drawe neere vnto himselfe and to compasse about his sacred throne and called them forth to be a joyfull company of blessed ones praising and worshiping him in the glorious Temple of the world to bee vnto him an holy Church in the midst whereof his greatnesse should be knowne and his name called vpon These are of twoe sorts Angells dwelling in heauenly palaces and Men made out of the earth dwelling in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust The Angels are immortall immateriall and spirituall substances made all at once and immediately after their creation soe many as turned not from God their Creator corfirmed in grace and perfectly established in the full possession of their vttermest good soe that they neede noe guide to leade them to the attaining of the same howsoeuer in the degrees of their naturall or supernaturall perfections and in the actions of their ministery wherein GOD employeth them they are more great and excellent one then another and are not without their order and gouernement But concerning men made out of the earth and compounded of body and spirit it is farre otherwise For God did not create them all at one time but made onely one man and one woman immediatly with his owne hands appointing that the rest should descend and come of them by naturall generation Whereupon wee shall finde that as in the Creation the tree was first and then the seede but in the naturall propagation of things the seed is first and then the tree So the first man whom God made out of the earth and the first woman whom he made of man were perfect at the first as well in stature of body as in qualities of the minde both because whatsoeuer is immediatly from God is perfect as also for that the first things whence all other haue their being must be perfect but afterwards the beginnings of all the sonnes of men are weake and they grow by degrees to perfection of body and minde hauing need to receiue nourishment support guidance and direction from them from whom they receiue their being So that nothing is more naturall then for children to expect these things from their parents nor for parents then to nourish guide and direct their children This care pertaineth as well to the mother that bare them in whose wombe they were conceiued as to the father that begate them and out of whose loynes they came Yet because the man was not of the woman but the woman of the man the man was not created for the woman but the woman for the man the originall disposition and soveraigne direction of all doth naturally rest in the man who is the glory of God the womans head and euery way fittest to be chiefe commaunder in the whole Family and houshold Heereupon Adam the father of all the liuing was appointed by that God that made him to instruct guide and direct those that should come of him euen in the state of natures integritie though without any forcing with terrours or recalling with punishments while there was yet no pronenesse to euill nor difficultie to doe good And when he had broken the Law of his Creator was called to an account made know his sinne and recomforted with the promise that the seede of the woman should breake the Serpents head he was to teach his children the same things sanctified to be both a King to rule in the litle World of his owne Family and a Priest as well to manifest the will of God to them of the same as to present their desires vowes and sacrifices vnto him then which course what could be devised more fitting For when there were no more in the World but the first man whom GOD made out of the earth the first woman that was made of man and the children which GOD had giuen them who could bee fitter to rule and direct then the man for whose sake the woman was created and out of whose loynes the children came CHAP. 2. Of the dignity of the first-borne amongst the sonnes of Adam and their Kingly and Priestly direction of the rest AND seeing nothing is more naturall then that as the Father is to instruct direct and set forward the children that GOD hath giuen
Oracles of GOD to them pertained the adoption and glory and the covenants and the giuing of the Law and the seruice of GOD and the promises of whom were the fathers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came who is God ouer all blessed for euer the propitiation for sinnes the merite of reconciliation the glory of Israel and the light of the Genâ—…iles to whom God gaue a name aboue all names that at the naming thereof all knees doe bow both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth in whom all things appeare full of mercie and full of marueile God before all eternities yet made man in time begotten before all times yet borne in time borne of a woman yet a Virgine inclosed in the wombe of Mary his Mother yet euen then knowne of Iohn his fore-runner yet in the wombe of Elizabeth his Mother likewise who sprang for joy at the presence of the Eternall Word He was borne in Bethlehem the meanest of the cities of Iudah wrapped in swadling bands and laid in a manger yet glorified by the Angels pointed to by a starre and adored by the Sages that came from farre He was no sooner borne into the World but Herod sought his life so that he was forced to flye into Egypt whilest he did yet hang on his mothers brests but he ouer-threw brake in pieces all the Idoles of Egypt The Iewes saw no beauty in his face nor glory in his countenance yet Dauid in spirit long before pronounced that hee was fairer than the sonnes of men and being transfigured in the mount his face did shine like the Sunne and gaue a taste of that glory wherein hee will returne to judge the quicke and dead he was baptized as a man but forgaue sinnes as God not washed by those waters but purifying them rather and filling them with sanctifying force and power he was tempted as a man but ouer-comming as GOD maketh vs confident because he hath ouercome the world he was hungry but fed many thousands and was the true Bread that came downe from Heauen he thirsted but cryed aloude If any man thirst let him come vnto me and promiseth to euery one that beleeueth in him that riuers of waters shall flow out of his belly He was weary but promised rest to all them that are weary and come vnto him he slept but waking stilled the tempest and commaunded the winde and the sea he payed tribute but out of the mouth of a fish taken in the sea hee prayed but heareth our prayers he wept but wipeth all teares from our eyes hee was sold for thirty pence but redeemed the World with a great and inestimable price hee was ledde as a sheepe to the slaughter but he is the great shepheard that feedeth the Israel of God hee was beaten and wounded but cureth all our weakenesse and healeth all our sicknesse hee died was buried and descended into hell but he rose againe and ascended into heauen where he sitteth on the right hand of the highest Majestie till all his enemies be made his foot stoole This was hee whom all the Fathers looked for all the Prophets prophesied of whom all the Ceremonies Sacrifices and Iewish obseruations led vnto in whom that which was foretold was fulfilled that which was imperfect supplied and all things changed into a better estate so that by his comming all things are become new a new Priesthood a new Law a new Couenant new Sacraments and a new people that worship not at Ierusalem or in the Temple alone but without respect of place worship God in spirit and trueth CHAP. 5. Of the Christian Church THE societie of this new blessed people began in the Apostles whom Christ the anointed Sauiour of the World did chose to be his followers to be witnesses of all the things he did suffered among sinfull men To these our Sauiour Christ after his resurrection gaue most ample Commission to teach the Nations and people of the world and to preach repentance and remission of sinnes in his Name opening their vnderstandings that they might vnderstand the Scripturâ—… that so it beâ—…oued him to suffer and to rise againe the third day whereof they were witnesses Yet commaunded he them to tarry in Ierusalem till they were indued with power from aboue which was performed vnto them in the feast of Pentecost when all they that looked for the redemption of Israel by this anointed Sauiour and had beene his followers after his departure from them and returning to the heauens were assembled into one place and suddainly heard as it were the noyse of a mighty and rushing winde and there appeared vnto them clouen tongues like fire and sate vpon euery of them and they were all filled with the holy Ghost and began to speake with other tongues as the spirit gaue them vtterance so that though there were dwelling at Ierusalem men that feared God of euery nation vnder heauen yet they all heard them speake in their owne tongues the wonderfull workes of God Heere was the beginning of that blessed company which for distinctions sake wee call the Christian Church as consisting of them that beleeue in Christ now alreadie come in the flesh And though the Church of the Olde and New Testament be in essence the same yet for that the state of the Church of the New Testament is in many respects farre more glorious and excellent the Fathers and Ecclesiasticall Writers forthe mostpart appropriate the name of the Church to the multitude of beleeuers sincethe comming of Christ call the faithfull people that were before by the name of the Synagogue If this difference of names be retained onely for distinction sake that men may know when we speake of that moity of the people of God that was before and when of that other that is and hath beene since the comming of Christ we dislike it not The Greeke words which we turne Church and Synagogue the one originally and properly signifieth a multitude called out or called together which is proper to men the other a multitude congregated and gathered together which is common to men with brute beasts If any man hauing an eye to the different originall significations of these words doe therevpon inferre that the people of GOD before the comming of Christ did seeke nothing but earthly outward and transitory things and so were gathered together like brute beasts and like oxen fatted to the day of slaughter we detest and accurse so wicked and damnable a construction And herein surely the Catechisme of Trent cannot well be excused which abusing the authority of Augustine vpon the Psalme 77 and 81. affirmeth that the name of Synagogue is therefore applyed to the peâ—… that were vnder the Law because like brute beasts which most properly are said to be congregated or gathered together they respected intended and sought nothing but onely outward sensible earthly and
the time of Tho Aquinas for he saith they did eat nothing in his time on their fasting daies till the 9th houre in which houre Christ gaue vp the ghost 14 they think it not lawfull to carry the Eucharist to them that are sicke 15 Touching marriage they haue these opinions 1 they think the state of marriage is not inferiour to virginity 2 they thinke if the son contract without consent of the father the father may voide the marriage so likewise the father of the wife 3 they think the bond of marriage is dissolued by adulterie that the parties separated may marry again 4 they permit not the father the son to marry with the mother the daughter nor 2 bretheren with 2 sisters 5 they dislike the marriage of widdowes of 60 yeares of age 6 they allow not the 4th marriage whereas Hierom saith non damno bigamos imò nec trigamos ac si dici potest octogamos that is I dare not condemne theÌ„ that marry the 2d 3d or 8th time 16 touching orders 1 they ordain children of 5 or 6 years of age deacons 2 no man is ordained a Priest or deacon amongst theÌ„ except he haue first contracted matrimony that with a virgin not with a widow or woman dishonoured but neither of these is permitted to marry a 2d wife 17 they think it vnlawfull to eat of things strangled or bloud 18 they judge it vnlawfull to fast Saturday or Sunday Lastly they teach that no man entreth into the kingdome of heauen vntill the generall judgement These Maronites are now said to bee joyned in Communion with the Church of Rome since the time of Clemens the eight but how far forth they haue changed either their opinions or their rites and ceremonies it doth not appeare These onely and the Indians of all the Christians of the Orient hold Communion with the Church of Rome Out of all that which hath beene said two things are obseruable First that by the mercifull goodnes of God all these different sortes of Christians though distracted and dissevered by reason of diuersity of ceremonies and outward obseruations different manner of deliuering certaine poynts of faith mistaking one another or variety in opinion touching things not fundamentall doe yet agree in one substance of faith and are so far forth orthodox that they retaine a sauing profession of all diuine verities absolutely necessary to saluation and are all members of the true Catholicke Church of Christ. The second that in all the principall controuersies touching matters of religion betweene the Papists and those of the reformed Churches they giue testimony of the trueth of that wee professe For first they all deny and impugne that supreame vniuersality of ecclesiasticall jurisdiction which the Bishop of Rome claimeth Secondly they thinke him subject to errour as all other Bishops are Thirdly they deny that hee hath any power to dispose the principalities and kingdomes of the world or depose kings Fourthly they acknowledge all our righteousnesse to be imperfect and that it is not safe to trust therevnto but to the meere mercy and goodnesse of God Fiftly they admit not the merit of congruence condignitie nor works of supererogation Sixtly they teach not the doctrine of satisfactions as the Romanists do 7 They beleeue not Purgatorie neither pray to deliuer men out of temporall punishments after this life 8 They reject the doctrine of the Romanists touching indulgences and pardons 9 They beleeue not there are seaven Sacraments 10 They omit many ceremonies in baptisme which the Roman Church vseth as spittle c. 11. They haue no priuate masses 12 They minister the communion in both kindes to all communicants 13 They beleeue not transubstantiation nor the new reall sacrificing of Christ. 14 They haue the diuine service in the vulgar tongue 15 Their priests are married and though they permit them not to marry a second wife without speciall dispensation yet if any doe they doe not voyde nor dissolue the marriage 16 They make no image of God 17 They haue no massie images but pictures onely 18 They thinke that properly God onely is to be invocated and howsoeuer they haue a kinde of invocation of Saints yet they thinke that God only heareth them and not the Saints CHAP. 2. Of the harsh and vnaduised censure of the Romanistes condemning all these Churches as Schismaticall and hereticall ALL these Churches societies of Christians in number many in extent large in multitudes of men and people huge and great in continuance most auncient in defence of the Christian faith constant and vndaunted though enduring the malice and force of cruell bloody potent enemies the Bishop of Rome with his adherents judgeth to be hereticks or at least Schismaticks consequently to haue no hope of eternall saluation for that it is on the perill of euerlasting damnation imposed vpon euery soule to bow do reuerence at the sight of his triple crowne to kisse his sacred feet to beleeue nothing more nor longer then his holinesse shall decree define And therefore the most part of the Christian world is plunged into hell abandoned into vtter darkenes reserued in chaines vnto the judgment of the last day euer since that schismaticall acte of the base ignoble contemptible Councel of 600 Bishops assembled at Chalcedon who forgetting themselues presumed to equall another B. to the peerelesse and incomparable Vicar of Christ his Vicegerent generall on earth in comparison of whose greatnesse all other Episcopall and Patriarchicall dignity regall or Imperiall maiestie is no more then the light of a candle at midday when the sunne shineth in strength But because wee haue not receiued the marke of this Antichrist and child of perdition in our foreheades nor sworne to take the foame of his impure mouth and froath of his words of blasphemie wherein hee extolleth himselfe aboue all that is named God for oracles and infallible certainty and the rule of our faith Let vs therefore see what that heresie schisme is that cutteth of from the company of right beleeuers in such sort that whosoever is convinced of it is thereby clearely without all hope of eternall life CHAP. 3. Of the nature of heresie of the diuerse kinds of things wherein men erre and what pertinacie it is that maketh an heritique HEresie is not every errour but errour in matter of faith nor every eâ—…ror in matter of faith For neither Iewes nor Pagans are said to bee heritickes though they erre most damnably in those things which every one that will be saued must beleeue and with all the malice fury and rage that can be imagined impugne the Christian faith and verity but it is the errour of such as by some kind of profession haue beene Christians so that only such as by profession being Christians depart from the trueth of Christian religion are named heritickes These are of two sorts For there are haeretici scientes and there are haeretici
diuided into these two factions the nobles and great ones enclining for the most part to the Sadduces and the common people to the Pharisees whereupon wee reade in the acts of the Apostles that Paul standing before Ananias the high Priest and the rest of the chiefe Priests and Rulers of the people to be judged knowing that the one part of them were Sadduces and the other part Pharisees cried aloud I am a Pharisee and the sonne of a Pharisee I am accused of the hope and resurrection of the dead and that vpon the hearing of these words there was a dissention betweene the Pharisees and Sadduces so that the whole multitude was diuided that there was a great cry and that the Scribes of the Pharisees part arose vp and stroue saying Wee finde no euill in the man But if a Spirit or an Angell hath spoken vnto him let vs not fight against God CHAP. 8. Of Prophets and Nazarites BEsides the Priests and Levites whom God chose to attend his Seruice Sanctuary rent and divided in latter times into the manifold factions and Heresies aboue-mentioned there were other who medled not with the Ministery of holy things and yet were specially dedicated and sanctified vnto God These were either such as dedicated their bodies and persons vnto God as the Nazarites or such as God raised vp extraordinarily to fore-shew future things and to reforme abuses and errours as were the Prophets The vow of the Nazarits is described in the book of Numbers where the Lord God spake vnto Moses saying Speake vnto the children of Israel and say vnto them When a man or woman doth separate themselues to vow a vow of a Nazarite to separate himselfe vnto the Lord he shall abstaine from wine and strong drinke no razorshall come vpon his head but he shall let the lockes of the haire of hishead to grow during the time that he separateth himselfe vnto the Lord He shall come at no dead body hee shall not make himselfe vncleane at the death of his father or mother brother or sister for the consecration of the Lord is vpon his head The Nazarites were of two sorts for some did separate themselues vnto the Lord but for a time and others perpetually Nazarites of the former sort they were of whō Iames and the Elders doe speake in the Acts saying vnto Paul Wee haue foure men which haue made a vow them take and purifie thy selfe with them and contribute with them that they may shaue their heads and all shall know that those things whereof they haue beene informed concerning thee are nothing but that thou thy selfe also walkest and keepest the Law Of the latter sort the Scripture mentioneth onely two Sampson and Samuel Concerning Sampson we reade that the Angell of God appeared vnto the wife of Manoah his mother and said vnto her Behold now thou art barren and bearest not but thou shalt conceiue and beare a sonne and now therefore beware that thou drinke no wine nor strong drinke neither eate any vncleane thing For loe thou shalt conceiue and beare a sonne and no razor shall come on his head For the Childe shall be a Nazarite vnto God from his birth and he shall begin to saue Israel out of the hands of the Philistines And of Samuel his mother sayd before he was borne I will giue him to the Lord all the dayes of his life and no razor shall come vpon his head To these Hierome addeth out of Egesippus Iames the just the brother of our Lord. Prophets properly are such as fore-know and fore-tell things that are to come but because as Gregory fitly noteth it is as hard to know the things that are past whereof there is no report and the things that are done a farre off or in secret or that are but contriued and resolued on in the purposes of the heart as to fore-see what shall come to passe hereafter the knowledge of all these things pertaineth to propheticall grace and illumination and it was no lesse a propheticall spirit that directed Moses in writing the storie of the Creation fall and propagation of mankind nor no lesse a Propheticall illumination that made Elizeus know what was done in the King of Arams privie chamber then it was in Esay and the rest that enabled them to foretell and fore-shew the things that were to come And therefore the Diuines make diuerse sorts of Prophets some to whom principally things past were reuealed or hidden things then being and some to whom things that were after to come to passe were more specially manifested or made knowne Some that were Prophets both in grace and mission some in grace onely In grace and mission as they that were specially sent to foreshew the people of God what was to come to passe to tell them of their transgressions and the judgments that were to follow In grace onely as were all such as were not specially imployed to this purpose and yet had the knowledge of secret things as Daniel and some other CHAP. 9. Of Assemblies vpon extraordinary occasions THVS hauing spoken sufficiently of the persons that God sanctified to serue him in the Temple and to teach direct and instruct his people as also of such as voluntarily dedicated themselues vnto him or were extraordinarily raised vp by him Let us see what the gouernement of the Church and people of God was vnder them during the time of the law vntill the comming of Christ. The Scriptures shew vs that God appointed for the gouernement of his people extraordinary Assemblies and set judgments Whereunto the Prophet Dauid seemeth to allude when he sayth The wicked shall not rise vp in judgment nor Sinners in the assembly of the righteous In assemblies were handled things concerning the state of the whole common-wealth In the set Courts things concerning particular parts of it Assemblies were of two sorts either of the whole people or of the Elders and Rulers only Assemblies of the whole people were gathered together to heare the commandements of God to make publike praiers vnto him or to performe and doe some extraordinary thing as to appoint a King a Iudge or a Prince to proclaime or wage warre or the like These Assemblies were either of the whole people of Israel or onely of the whole people of one tribe or citie For the calling of these assemblies God commanded two trumpets of siluer to be made and to be in the custodie of Moses and his successours with this direction that when they blowed with them both all the congregation should assemble vnto them but when they blowed but with one the Princes or Heads ouer the thousands of Israel onely should come The set Courts and Tribunals were of two sorts the one in the gates of euery Citty called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudgment the other at Hierusalem called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Councell wherevnto Christ seemeth to haue alluded when he sayd
fitte to expose such a Father to detractions and wrongs but to hide his turpitude as much as may bee Notwithstanding in the third place I deliuer vnto thee that if this Vicegerent thorough frigiditie or other impediment become vnfitte for the spirituall generation of children hee may not bee esteemed a fitte husband for the Church nor Vicegerent for her husband Now the seede of this generation is the holy word of God and not the variable traditions of the sonnes of this world Againe I deliuer that the Church if this Vicegerent of her husband become a Fornicator or Adulterer marrying a widdow a woman put away from her husband a woman of vile and base condition and a Harlotte contrary to the commaundement of Almighty God in Leviticus If hee hardly intreat the Church if hee spoyle and robbe her of her Roabes by Dilapidation or goe about to abuse her by Symonie if hee smother her children either in the wombe or after they are come out of the wombe by ill example if hee slay them with the sword of scandalous Doctrine and such as killeth the soule or pestiferous wicked courses of life or hurtfull dissembling and winking at faults and heresies that should be suppressed that the Church I say in these cases may giue him a bill of Diuorce especially if hee adde incorrigibility to his fault least the keeping of him still turne to the disgrace and dishonour of her husband and the hurt of her children If it had pleased Maister Higgons to suffer Iohn Gerson thus fully to vtter his minde his Superiours I thinke would neuer haue permitted him to produce a witnesse to depose soe directly against them in Print for what could Luther say more then Gerson doth if the Pope who is the chiefe Bishop of the world will doe his duty hee is to be honoured as chiefe of all Bishops but if hee become scandalous if he be vnable to performe the dutie of teaching the people of God if hee teach false doctrine or wilfully neglect to reforme things amisse and shew himselfe incorrigible he may nay he must be reiected by the Church and a bill of Diuorce must be giuen vnto him This I thinke will be censured as hereticall by our Romanistes But howsoeuer Maister Higgons had no cause to exclaime as hee doth that Luther whom hee calleth the Cham of Saxonie did not demeane him-selfe towards the Pope as hee ought to haue done and thereupon to compare him to furious Aerius and to say that I likewise approximate to them both when I say we haue not receiued the marke of the Antichrist childe of perdition in our fore-heads nor sworne to take the foame of his impure mouth and the froath of his wordes of blasphemy for infallible Oracles of heauenly trueth For Luther did hide the the turpitude and shame of this holy Father as long as it was lawfull so to doe but when the turpitude of this Noah neither could nor would bee hidde any longer when he became vnfit to beget sonnes vnto God when he became a Fornicatour and an adulterer when he married a woman refused by her husband a base woman nay a harlotte when hee choaked and smothered the children of the Church before and after they came out of her wombe when hee slew them with the sword of scandalous doctrine and such as killeth the soule when hee spoyled the Church and stript her out of all her Roabes when hee abused and wronged her in most shamefull and vile manner to the dishonour of Christ her husband what remained for Luther and such other sonnes of the Church as had any care of their Mothers well-fare to doe but to cast him off with disgrace that in so shamefull manner dishonoured the sonne of God their Father and wronged the Church their Mother But if this testimonie of Gerson serue not the turne Master Higgons produceth another that will better satisfie vs touching the opinion hee held of the Pope his wordes are these Nolo de sanctissimo Domino nostro Christo Domini velut os in coelum ponendo loqui that is I will not speake of our most holy Lord and the Lords anointed as it were setting my face against heauen These words follow not in the same place where the other are found And Master Higgons directeth vs to no other pla◅ as if they were found there who yet is wont to complaine against mee for that I cite in thē same page thinges found in diuerse parts of Gersons workes and not all together the Reader may finde them in the third part of his workes in his Apologeticall Dialogue The occasion of these his wordes is this hee complaineth in that Apologie of the partialities and sinister courses hee saw to be holden in the Councell of Constance by reason whereofthe French King and other Christian Princes with their Bishops and Diuines could not obtaine nor procure the condemning of certaine wicked and scandalous assertions of Iohannes Paruus and some other preiudiciall to the state of Princes and more pestilent and dangerous as he sayth whether we respect the prosperity of the Kingdomes of the world or the good manners and honest conuersation of men then those of Wickliffe and the Bohemians that were condemned in that Councell After this complaint one of the speakers in that Apologeticall Dialogue asketh if things went not better in that Councell after a Pope was chosen and the Schisme ended then before whereunto the other speaker answereth in this sort I I will not speake of our most holy Lord and the Lords annointed as it were setting my face against Heauen not-withstanding hee had some sitting by his side who some say proceeded not with that due care and diligence which they should haue vsed in the matter concerning the state of Princes and the things concerning the Lordsof Polonia these men feare not to say that they were so backward that they could not be stirred vp sufficiently to the zeale fauouring of Catholike verity nor bee moued either by words of exhortation or writing to determine such things as were proposed vnto them Thus doth hee in mannerly sort decline the direct taxing of the Pope which might haue bin some-thing offensiue to some at that time and yet spareth him not but condemneth his negligence and want of zeale in suppressing heresie and defending and maintaining Catholique veritie and addeth that hee would haue them that are zealous of Christian Religion the honour of the Pope and the holy Councell to consider whether if care be not had for the extirpation of heresies especially in matters solemnely denounced prosecuted and handled some will not impute it to negligence other to ignorance other to a direct refusall to doe right other to the couetousnesse of Prelates seeking their own things not those of Christ other to the contempt of the Princes and Vniversities that sought the condemnation of such errours others to the weakenesse of the Ecclesiasticall power in rooting out heresies and