these remaine yet meere Ethnikes not knowing of Christ Iesus or Christianity much lesse the trinkets of spot ted Popery The who regiâ—… toward the North-pole as Groneland and Nova Zâ—…la and I cannot tell what besides remaine in the same taking The top of Scandinaviasas as Lâ—…ppia Bâ—…ia Seriefiâ—…ia and Finland are so meerely Gentiles as that x Olâ—…â—…agn lib. 3. 2. vide Dam. â—…goes de Lappijâ—… lately they adored for God whatsoever they did first see of any living thing at their comming forth of dore every day The mighty lande of Tartaria which containeth in it so many millions of men the dominion of Russia which extendeth in length aboue y Aeg. Fletche de â—…uss cap. 1. foure thousand miles as far as Astracâ—… and the Caspian sea haue nothing more to doe with the Romane religion then with that which is farthest from them Who ever did heare that the Great Cham one of the mightiest Princes on the Earth did admit ought of Popery As for China and divers portions of the East Indies â—…alfo the Southerne part of Persia and the maritime coasts of Africa and Aethiopia these haue indeede some Portingales in them here and there vpon the Sea cost but what haue the Princes of those countries or their whole states to doe with the Bishop of Rome And what Monarkes Prester Iohn the Sophy or Shaw of Persia be men of learning know well enough although you vnderstand it not To say no more what is there of the Romane religion received in all Turky vnlesse you will say that there be some few Venetian or French marchants in Constantineple A leppo Alexandria or such mart townes who vpon permission haue their Liturgy in some one set place or vnlesse you wil name those few Italian Friers who paying a tribute to the Turke for it doe lie at Hierusalem that there they may shew the counterfeite sepulchre of Christ to such superstitious Christian Pilgrimeâ—… as in their blind devotion travaile to the holy land Thus grossy absurdly and ignorantly and audaciously you write you knowe not what But if lying will prevaile you are resolved to haue it Miserable are out Papists who read such bookes as these be and esteeme them as Iewels and beleeue them and dare not looke on any mans writing which displayeth the falshood of them for feare least they shoulde learne the truthe or catch some goodnesse by them God open their blinded vnderstanding T. HILL NEither can the Protestantes sa it that the Church 〈◊〉 begins â—…th to flowrish and to dilate it selfe in the worlde after so manie ageâ—…t for that nowe it ss growne olde and aged as is most plâ—…e Colos. 〈◊〉 Ireneus l. 1. cap. 3. Tert. li. coÌ„t Iudens c. 4. Cypr. de vnitat Eccl. Athana lib. de humanit verb. Chris. Hier. in Mat. 24. Aug in Epist. 78. 80. ad He sychium Theod. lib. de legibus Leo Mâ—…g ser. 1. de S. Petro Paulo and to saie that shee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 her young yeares but now in her olde age it to make her a Monster Shee must therefore of necessitie haue gravvâ—… and increased and occupied if not all the worlde yet 〈◊〉 doubt the greatest part thereof and so hath the Catholike Romane Church and 〈◊〉 but shee done for in the Apostles time shee beganne to fractifie in all the vvorlde And in Saint Irenâ—… his time shee was spreade all ever the vvorlde then knownne as shee vvas afterwardes in Tertullian his time and 〈◊〉 the dayes of Saint Cyprian Athanasius Chrysostome Hierome Augustâ—… Theodoretus Leo the great and Prosper who in his looke De Ingratis hath these words Sedes Roma Petri quae pastoralis honoris Facta caput mundo quic quid non possidet armis Religione tenet Which thus may be Englished Rome Peters seate whose Bishop is of Prelates Peerelesse Lord Religion Lady makes of all which armes doe not afford G. ABBOT 4. The obiectioÌ„ which here you frame in our name is of your own inventioÌ„ shallow like your selfe so is your coÌ„parisoÌ„ that the Church â—…st not breed now at this time least she should be like a moÌ„st 〈◊〉 And yet you wil haue your Church now within these huÌ„dred years spread her selfe into the East West Indies where shee never was before I wil not here remeÌ„ber you that z Gen. 18. 11. Sata in her younger yeares did never conceine but in het old age â—…ote a sonne yet sheâ—… 〈◊〉 monster But howsoevâ—… ordinarily women in their younger yeares doe breed most children and it were a monstrous matter as you would insinuate vnto vs that in old age they shold haue many yet this maketh nothing for your purpose nether hath it any affinity with the spouse of Iesus Christ. For women til convenient age breede no childreÌ„ at al. And wil you thinke that the Church was ever at that passe And womeÌ„ after a time leaue bringing forth altogither wheras the age of some of theÌ„ hath extended to a huÌ„dred for the latter halfe therof they haue coÌ„tinued childles Will your wit serue you to think that so it is with Christs beloved Then the later generations of the world should be in a fearful state You may therfore vnderstand that the fruitfulnes of the Church is nether tied to the first age nor middle age nor the last age but to such times as the Lorde hath appointed who decreeth that at some times there should be balcyons daies but some other seasons great tempests in which the Church shal haue a being but yet be reduced to straights and to a smaller number Let any man look into this before the comming of Christ at which time the Church was in her youth for almost 2000. years being contained in the houses of a very few of the Patriarkes After a Exod. 1. 1. 7 Iacobs comming into Egypt the multiplying of the Israelits her braÌ„ches were spread wider And so did shee continue vpon reasonable tearmes vntill b 1. King 12 28. Ieroboams time But when the Princes of Israel vtterly forsook the Lord the kings of Iuda also many times turned from the way both theÌ„selues their people were not the good broght to a great paucity Yet when c 2 King 18 〈◊〉 Cap. 22. 2. Hezechias came they were more a sloat againe but after him they went as fast downe Then d Iosias once more very admirably did put life into theÌ„ againe yet when he was dead till the coÌ„ming of Christ which was well-neere fiue hundred years there was great scarsity of the faithfull saving about the time when the e â—…r 2. 1. temple was re-edified In that state did our Saviour finde it then nor many of the Iews were reduced to the faith but the maine harvest was of the Gentiles Now if any of the false Priests either in the daies of Iosias or of the Apostles would haue bin of your mind he might haue argued as you do that if the
blessed Saviour came first into the world for the ratifying of his dotrine which seemed strang for the testifying of his divine power he wrought many wonders And yet he sharpely t Matth. 12. 39. Ioh. 4 48 cap. â—…0 29. reproved those who would not beleeue without miraculous signes as intending that they should be but for a time then afterward little or no vse of them But for the planting of his Church at first he gaue also to the Apostles and some disciples that power that they might worke wonders adding concerning that time that these u Marc. 16. 17. tokens shall follow them that beleeve In my name they shall cast out Devils and shall speake with newe tongues and shall take away serpents and if they shall drinke any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay their handes on the sicke and they shall recover Yet that soone afterward the ordinary exercise of these was extinguished wee have verie ample testimonie u Eccle. hist. lib. 5. 3. 7. Eusebius sheweth that in the daies of Irenaeus which was soone after the Apostles there were yet done some miracles implying by many things in his Narration that very soone after that gifte did cease I noted before the words of S. Austen x De civit Dei l 22. 8. Why are not those miracles saie they now done which you report to haue beene done Hee answereth that they were necessary till the world beleeved but now faith being spred in the world hee himselfe is no better then a vvonder or a monster vvho vvill not beleeve vvithout seeing vvonders And in another y De vera Religion cap. 25. place thus Since the Catholike Church is diffused through the whole world and grounded neither are those miraculous thinges permitted to indure vntill our times least the mind should alwaies seeke visible things by the custom of theÌ„ mankind should waxe cold at the newe appeerance whereof it was all on fire c. Truth it is that in his z Lib. 1 10 Retractations he expoundeth himselfe what he meant by this passage It is true in deede for even vntill novve when the hand is laide on them vvhich are baptised they doe not so receive the holy Ghost that they speake vvith the tongues of all nations neither novve are the sicke bealed by the shadovve of the preachers of CHRIST passing by and if any other such thinges vvere then done vvhich it is manifest that aftervvardes they ceased But that vvhich I saide is not so to bee vnderstoode that novve no miracles shoulde bee beleeved to bee done in the name of CHRIST For hee saith that himselfe sawe a blinde man recover his sight at the bodyes of the Martyrs at Milaine and some other matters hee saith were done alluding of likelyhood to those many wonders spoken of by him in the a De civit Dei l 22 8. place formerly mentioned And whereas hee had saide else-where Why b De vtilitat credendi cap. 16 wilt thou say are not these things done now Because they would not move vnlesse they were wonderfull But if they were common they would not bee wonderfull he expoundeth that also in the same booke of Retractations thus c Lib 1 14 And this I saide because not so great ones nor all are done now not because that none are done even now 13 Saint Austen acknowledgeth both heere else-where that some strange things were done in his age but not such great ones as formerly not so often not by an ordinary operation but sometimes wheÌ„ God was pleased to permit it which is notwithstaÌ„ding so to be taken that the assured faith of no maÌ„ before haÌ„d could lead him vnto it And that such matters were done about that age or a little before we have more witnes Iustine d In quaest ad â—…thodox 28. Martyr saith of the time wherin he lived that the bodies of holy meÌ„ sepulchers of Martyrs did remoove away the intrappings of SathaÌ„ heale desperate diseases Basile somewhat neerer the dates of Austen 〈◊〉 saith that in battailes lately before fought God 〈◊〉 In Psal 18 with haile fire consumed the Northren Barbarians who overwhelmed them And by the same meanes he hindred the Persians who would haue taken their cities killing some and returning others home to carry newes of the destruction of their fellowes f Haeres 51 Epiphanius telleth of miracles which we dare not be too bold to beleeue as that there were divers places whom also he nameth where somtimes in the yeare the water in their wels and rivers was wonderfully turned into wine in remembraunce of that which Iesus had done at Cana in Galile May wee not by this example feare that diverse of the gravest fathers of the Church goe a little too farre in their reportes as g Eccl. Hist. Lib. 7. 14. Eusebius did also in telling of the image of the woman cured of an issue of bloud by CHRIST at the foote of which as he said grew three hundred yeares afterward an herbe which when it came vp so high as to the garment of the woman ' it vvas of force to cure any kinde of disease Which narration is shrewdly censured by h In metho Hist. cap. 4. Bodine as detracting credite from Eusebius in other matters But be it thus that rarely there were done some strang things for the space of some hundreds years after Christs ascension Yet this was no set certaine or ordinary vocation of vvorking miracles and therefore is very little to be accounted of for the purpose here in hand Heare Gregory on this point i Mor. li. 27. 11. What marveile is it if the faith being propagated miracles be not oft done since even the very Apostles in many which were already faithfull did not doe them This place being vndoubtedly Gregories may make the freer exception to be taken to the books surmised to be his Dialogues for here he telleth vs that miracles are not often done there if all should be true nothing can be more common Notwithstanding hence it is apparant that in his age there was a discontinuance of the practise of miracles no man was noted for a common doer of them none assumed that power vnto him and therefore since now a thousand yeares are passed from his time what vndoubted reckoning can at this time be made of them Nay what argument could be drawne from them in the daies of Saint Austen Might that which our adversaries vrge that those who did miracles had the Catholike faith How evidently how copiously how forcibly doth Saint Austen overthrow all that Reason There were Donatists other heretikes who did vrge miracles of their side Doth Saint Austen therefore yeeld therevpon that their doctrine was Orthodoxe No but thus he saith k De vnitatâ—… Ecclesie Let him shew it and not say therefore it is true because Dâ—…atus or Pontius or any other did those and thâ—…se miracles
meaning that of Saint Austen may be The Christiā faith i De moribus Eccles. Cathol lib. 1. 18. is not any where but in the Catholike discipline or instruction vnto which sence vse ordinary custome hath now brought the word Even so they are most farre from it For while they strive about the name they have lost the thing they keepe the shel but have parted with the kernel while they lay hould on the Candle-sticke some other is runne away with the light Their case is like that of the kings souldiours of k Socrat. l. 7. 20. Persia who keeping the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Immortales were wel proved to be otherwise whē by the Roman armies they were distressed slaine shewed to be mortal Let thē lay aside these verbal titulary gloses make plaine out of the Scripture that they maintaine the same faith which Christ and his Apostles taught then they do somewhat But they are fallen from it yea from the sound profession which was in the daies of the Fathers Doctors of the Primitive Church therfore that which was true of their times is not communicable now to Popery No not that of Saint Austen whervpon they have a maine desire to fastē The l De vera Religione cap 7. Christian Religiō is to be held by vs the cōmunion of that Church which is Catholike and is named Catholike not onely of her owne friends but also of all her enimies For wil or nil the very Heretikes favourers of schismes when they speake not with their owne but with strangers they cal the Catholik church nothing els but the Catholike church For they cannot be vnderstood vnlesse they distinguish her by that name wherby she is called of al the world This was spoken of the whole nūber of Christians in the world which embraced the right faith not of the Romane Church onely And those who nowe are devoted vnto Rome doe as much differ from the puritie and integrity of their olde predecessours as Babylon doth differ from Sion Then in oppositiō to Heretikes which were but in corners and fewe places the faith which either Rome or any right Christian citty helde might be called Catholike but nowe that which the Pope maintaineth may it selfe bee reckoned no better then Hereticall perfidiousnes which the farther it is spred the worse it is with Gods flocke 9 To set them therfore straight by bringing thē from such vizards painted shewes to the matter it is not any name wherevnto men are directed for finding out the truth but m Ioh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures saith Christ for in them you thinke to have eternall life and they are they which testifie of mee And as they testifie of Christ so do they also of his Spouse as we find in diverse of the ancient Fathers Cyprian saith n De Lapsis Hee is not ioyned to the Church vvho is separated frō the Gospell He who beareth the name of Origene on the Canticles o Homil. 3. A good purpose and the beleeving of right opinions doth make a soul to be in the house of the Church But S t. Chrysostome or the Auctor of the Imperfect worke vpon S t. Matthew doth yet speake more plainely p Homil. 49. He who will know what is or which is the true Church of Christ whēce should he know it but only by the Scriptures The Lord therfore knowing that in the last daies there vvould bee so great confusion of things doth therfore command that the Christians which are in Christianity being willing to receive the firmenes of a true faith should flie to no other thing but to the Scriptures Otherwise if they looke to other things they shall be scandalized and perish not vnderstanding vvhich is the true Church By which our Romanists may see that it is not a naked name nor any other matter of all that vncertaine rabble which the writer of this Pamphlet heereafter subioyneth that can bee our direction which is the Church or where is the truth but only the holy Scriptures And as Chrysostome hath q Homil. 33. in Act. If any agree to thē he is a Christian if any fight against them hee is farre from this rule The word of the Lord is the sure foundation he who buildeth on any thing besides this setteth his house but vpon the r Mat. 7. 26. sand and while he thinketh that he standeth for the Faith and for the Church he is enemie to both as those were to whom Leo sometimes Bishop of Rome wrote thus s Leo Epist. 83 ad Episcopos Palestinos you thinke that you deale for the faith and you goe against the faith You are armed in the name of the Church and you fight aganist the Church Let him who will farther be satisfied in this point reade what a learned man hath written vpon this Argument that s Ioh. Rainold Thes. 5. The Church of Rome is neither the Catholiks Church nor a sound member of the Catholike Church and if he bee not obdurate hee shall never neede to doubt farther in that behalfe t In praefat De triplici hominis officio UUeston a most vaine-glorious but shalowe fellow at Doway hath vaunted that if he had leysure he would beate that servant of God to dust I feare he wil never have leysure to grapple with him vnlesse it be heere and there to skulke out at some hole or corner and runne backe againe I meane heere and there snatch a saying of his falsely alleaged vnconscionably perverted as already he hath done But if hee bee the man that hee pretendeth to bee and I may request any thing of him let him first begin directly to answere the Thesis before named and we shall by his cariage therein iudge what is his true strength I woulde have VVeston fall about this worke for it is of too high a pitch for my good Doctour Hill THE THIRD REASON Vnitie and Consent T. HILL THe Catholike Romane Religion being received by so many Nations in Africa Asia Europa and in this last age in both the Indies hath notwithstanding such variety of wits such diversitie of māners such multitude of tōgues lāguages such distāce of places such nūbers of matters to be beleeved yet ever kept Vnity Concord in such peaceable consonāt māner as never any one in Englādor Irelād which are the vttermost parte of the VVest-world dissented or disagreed in anie point of doctrine cōcerning faith frō him which lived in the vtmost partes of the East But whosoever they be or in what place or Region soever they remaine in al the world if they be Catholikes or Papists if you wil cal thē so they all have one Faith one Beleefe one Service one number of Sacraments one Obedience one Iudgement in all with other like points of Vnion and Vnity which maketh a geuer all Vniformity also in the peace
manifest that all 〈◊〉 which ever beleeved in Christ were first converted to his 〈◊〉 by such 〈◊〉 either 〈◊〉 precisely sent or 〈◊〉 the least wise had their authority from the 〈◊〉 which lived in the time in which they were conâ—…rted 〈◊〉 thing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set dowâ—… in the History of the first convâ—…rsion of every countrey as no Protestâ—… vvere 〈◊〉 â—…ver so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 G. ABBOT 1 TO deale favourably with you and not to answere you as in this place you deserue is there any man of tolerable learning or any whit seene in the Ecclesiasticall story who doeth not heere thinke that you want some body who may not only exagitate you but excoâ—…te you also when as if you were become some Aquaviva or General of the Iesuits you so and aciously giue downe such generall propositions not onely farre from truth but much estraunged from the very shewe and semblance thereof I do lesse pity you because the farther I goe the more I perceiue you to be a sworne servant to Antichrist therfore there is nothing which may advance your masters credit but you aâ—… devoted to him must say it do it But in my very bowels I pity take compassioÌ„ of divers my bewitched couÌ„treymen sily women and young fondlings who receiving from you such stuffe so boldly asse verantly averred haue not the skill to discover you nor the grace to repaire vnto such as may lay open the Ambuscadoes and snares which you haue prepared for them Where there needeth no other proofe to descry this your dealing then to obserue that in this your so potent and puissant challenge you cite not one author you name not one particular you single not out the Pope you point not out the countrey you assigne not the preachers by whom it is done you mention not the time nor yeeld vs any reason wherefore you do say it but only this that you doe say it Wherein you over-lash beyond the most that ever wrote on your side for other assumed somewhat but you throw at all and losing haue nothing to pay The Iesuites whom afterward you commende in this Chapter doe not vse to extenuate their holy Fathers commendation but to set it as high as may be and a Controv. cap. 2. 〈◊〉 Wats Quodl 8. 4. Costerus among theÌ„ being one who had a 〈◊〉 deale more reading and learning and iudgment theÌ„ you seeme to haue pretermitting as he telleth vs the Churches of the East and of the South saith it is certaine that Germany and Fraunce were first converted by such as Peter sent And afterward he would bring in the kingdoms of England Scotland as brought to the faith by the successours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peter in the see of Rome and to those he addeth Africa meaning as 〈◊〉 should seeme some paâ—… thereof lying neere to Italy for hee himselfe alloâ—…h Aethiopia to Saint Matthew and Aegypt Libia the Africanes there about to Simon and Saint Marke the Evangelist But the conversion of Spaine he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S t. Iames of Thracia and Scythia Europâ—…â—…o Saint 〈◊〉 oâ—… Scythia Asiatica to Philip of Armenia and the hither part of India to Bartholomew of Parthia Media Persia 〈◊〉 the Brachâ—…ane Bactrians vnto Thomas as also the farther part of India which is yet beleeved in that couÌ„trey as b Osor. degest Eman. lib. 3. Maff Hist. Iudic. lib 2. appeareth by such as haue written the navigations of the Portingales into those partes And at these things are witnessed by some of the old writers so c Eccl Hist. lib. 3. 1. Eusebius hath this farther that Asia fel to Iohn the Evangelist meaning Asia the lesser or Natolis but that Peter as it seemeth did preach the word to the Iewes who were d 1. Pet. 1. 1. dispersed in Pontus Galâ—…tia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Asia 2 Thus in the time of the Apostles the greatest parte of the known world had heard of the faith of Christ in some good measure embraced it that being verified that e Rom. 10. 1â—… their sound that is the Apostles went out through all the earth and their wordes into the ends of the world and Christs Prophecie being fulfilled that f Mat. 24. 14 the Gospell of the kingdome should be preached through alâ—… 〈◊〉 world for a â—…nes vnto all nations and then should the end come which was done before the destruction of Hierusalem that g Vers 34. generatâ—… beeing not yet passed which lived in Christs time And this is so vndoubted a truth that Costerus saith The h Controv. cap 2. Catholike Church as first was propagated by the Apostles themselues almost through all knowne countreyes Now all this while there was no Pope and if it should bee obiected as no other shift there is in the world and that is but a simple one that Peter as Pope sent the rest of the Apostles some to this place some to that I require one text oâ—… scripture to bee shewed or one monument of antiquity to be produced which maye confirme so much It is not vnlikelye but that the Apostles in some assembly at Hierusalem did consent what regions each of them should betake themselues vnto but that any one did appoint to the rest their charges we no where find Nay plaine it is that Peter himselfe had his portion assigned him to preach to the i Gal. 2. 7. Iewes as Paule had to preach to the Gentiles which was the greater charge And whither this were appropriated to him by God as the text seemeth well to encline or whither by the consent also of the Apostles Paule had his Commission in the same manner which he so little thinketh inferiour to the others that he k Ibidem nameth it before Peters and standeth vpon l ver 8. 9. tearmes of equality in power and fellowship in action But that I may force the authour of this libell to say Penne thou writest vntruth Samaria received Christ by the preaching of m Act. 8. 5. 14. Philip before that Peter knew of it and the n 27. Eunuch of Aethiopia on the way was in like sort brought to religion by the same Philip and he went home immediately and planted the faith in his Countrey as o Eccl Hist. Lib. 2. 1. Eusebius sheweth which was done without Peters privity for a good space after that hee made doubt whither the Gentiles might haue the worde opened to them vntill that by a vision q Act. 10. 10. from heaven that scruple was removed And I pray you was there nothing done by Saint Paul whose authority was immediate from r Galat. 〈◊〉 1 God not froÌ„ man he beeing not set on worke from other but receiving his commission from Iesus Christ himselfe The history of whose labours in turning men to Christ although Saint Luke doth particularly relate in the Actes of the Apostles yet for brevity sake we will looke to one place only of his owne
approved the doctrin of the Papacy acknowledged the Pope to be the Vicar of Christ. This was about the yeer 1439. And to shew his facility in this kind of invention the same Eugenius provided some to come not into the couÌ„cel for feare of the pack being discovered but about the ending of it who said that they were the Legats of the Patriark of Armeniâ—… who also professed to allow the faith of the Pope to approue that which was concluded in the CoÌ„veÌ„ticle of FloreÌ„ce And because such fine trickes as these shold not grow cleane out of vse at the last meeting at TreÌ„t t Idem in Session 21. Pope Pius the 4. had such a PageaÌ„t For he caused Amulius the Cardinal theÌ„ abiding at Rome with him to write a solemne letter to the Fathers at TreÌ„t that one Abdisu the Patriarke of the AssiriaÌ„s in the East dwelling neere the river Tigris was by the advise of his people come to Rome the yeare before accoÌ„panied with some Priests a Deacon That the Pope in a full consistory of his Cardinals had pronounced him to be the Patriarke Pastour of that people yet not so but that first he did heare him make the coÌ„fession of his faith and tooke an othe of him to keepe obedience to the See Apostolike That departing away hee desired to have sent him a copy of the Decrees of the Tridentine couÌ„cel wheÌ„ all there shold be accoÌ„plished But in the meane while he did testify that the same faith which is nowe helde in the Church of Rome had without any variatioÌ„ bin among theÌ„ since the daies of the Apostles All this was divulged after that Abdisu was gone from Rome to the end that no maÌ„ might disprove it What a wroÌ„g did you to your cause that you did not put these in especially since the Iurisdiction of this Patriarke was so large that hee had vnder him in the Great Turkes dominion seaven Archbishoprickes all Metropolitans thirteene Bishoprickes vnder the Sophy of of Persia five Arch-bishoprickes Metropolitane thirteene Bishoprickes â—…yea vnder the dominion of the Portingals in India three Arch-bishoprickes one Bishopricke VVould not this have made a faire shewe when your troupes vvere in the fielde you have done your Lord and Maister the Pope wronge so to oover-skippe these in such a fashion For our part we must winke at such simple trickes as these bee Yet these will serve to abuse the children of vnbeleefe and to gulle many a good silye Papist 11 Some kind harted man wil pity me that wheÌ„ you leade me such a daunce over all the world as you doe I must bee bound to follow you But let my friends take no care for if you make not very good hast I shall bee in some of the places as soone as you Now we come to the new worlds whereof our great Grand-fathers never heard and there we must thinke that Popery springeth by thousands In what countrey are you Sir when to make vp your foure quarters you put Iaponia in the North It is within lesse then ten degrees of the Tropicke and more Southward then Spaine yet with you it must bee North. So Brasilia is South-ward when yet the vpper parte thereof is verie neere to the line If you had named the South Continent for South and the Iles tovvard the Northerne Pole for North or else Cathay vvee had better allovved thereof But vvee must take what you give vs and you must give vvhat you gette VVee vvill for the while doe you the favour as to imagine you to stand iust vnder the Aequinoctial But the coÌ„mon bragge which is agreed vpoÌ„ amoÌ„g you is that you have large harvests in the new world Bristowe u Motiv 2â—… saith that the Church hath in those partes vvonne more incomparably then iâ—… hath lost by Heretikes in these our partes Stapleton goeth as farre beyond him as hee goeth beyond the truth Thus then hee talketh 〈◊〉 Though in very deede through the A Discourse vpoÌ„ the doctrin of the Protestantes pernicious persuasions of that wedded Frier certaine places and couers of Christendome have svvarved from the Catholike Church and authority of the Apostolike Seâ—… in these North partes of the world yet it hath thousands folde more beene enlarged in the West parts and the new lands found out by Spanyards and Portingales in these late yeeres as the letters of the Iesuites directed from those countries into these partes doe evidently and Miraculouslie declare Hee who wrote the Apologie of the Seminaries harpeth vpon this string but with a lower tone z Chap. 6. The Iesuites in the East Indies have brought countries which were very barbarous and the most potent Princes of them togither vvith the provinces and people subiect vnto them to the Catholike Romans faith y Con. Davidem Chytraeum Possevinus your great States-man proclaimeth that in these laÌ„ds lately discovered it is a miracle of al miracles to see how many be coÌ„ verted meÌ„ going through so many seas to do it then without weapoÌ„ or force alluring theÌ„ to Christ. But al these great clamors not withstanding they who will read either your own writers or other know how it standeth wel enough Then briefly to open the truth In the yeare Pet. Mar. Decad. 1. 1. 1492 ColuÌ„bus the Genoway with some Spanyards at the charge of Ferdinandus Elizabeth king and Queene of Castile did faile so far to the West that he came to the Ilands since called Cuba Hispaniola The matter vvhich there they aimed at was store of gold and silver which the couÌ„try did yeeld afterward they did light also there-about on aboundance of pearle all which were sweet baites for the greedy needy Spanyards The fame of this stirred vp both the Princes to send the subiects to goe in huge numbers thither when not longâ—… after the maine lande of America was descryed and after that Peru the South sea the kingdome of Mexico a Benzo in nova novi orbis hâ—stâ—ria li. 1 2. In all these rich Provinces did these Spanyards set footing and finding them litle better then naked men without armour yron or steele having only for their weapons clubs and simple bowes arrowes they without leaue or liking of the inhabitants built at first Castles in divers places afterward at their pleasure townes citties Some of the ancient people there they slew downe in warâ—some other of them they caused to destroy one another either raysing new discords among them or cunningly perpetuating their olde thousands of them did these new commers slay taking them single and alone such as lived they inforced to bee their slaues causing theÌ„ to worke like brute beasts in their mines without any compassion of them where if they were slacke they were chastised with intolerable torture which made many of theÌ„ drown theÌ„selus some others throw theÌ„selus froÌ„ rocks or into the mines yea generally they so
Christians was tearmed 〈◊〉 Theotecâ—… the child of God 〈◊〉 Euseb. Eccl Histor. 9. 9. And as it fell out that Hierusalem which once was x Isai. 1. 21. the faithfull cittie afterward became an harlot so it commeth too oft to passe that such as whose Auncesters have had a good name that not vndeservedly do theÌ„selves decline from the vertue of their predecessors yet wil strive for the name still Beth-el in y 〈◊〉 Reg. 12. 32. Ieroboams time was vnwilling to parte with the name of Beth-el the house of God but it rather deserved to be called Beth-aven the house of vanity The Priests Levites as may be gathered by the consequeÌ„ce of the text in Malachy by the Lords answere there did beare themselves bolde that they were Gods Priests and other there were none they were of the seede of Levi which Tribe the Lord had separated to be his chosen inheritance they were the onely Levites but heare what God said to it 〈◊〉 But 〈◊〉 are gone out of the 〈◊〉 Malach. 〈◊〉 8. way yee have caused many to fall by the lawe yee have broken the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of hostes Hee reputed that but a painted sheath with a woodden weapon in it How did the a Ioh. 8. 39. Iewes boast that they were Abrahams seede Israelites sonnes of Iuda the â—…nant of the posterity of the Patriarkes but Christ telleth them If yee were Abrahams children yee would doe the workes of Abraham Our Saviour in the RevelatioÌ„ doth meete with such marchants who being in truth of the Synagogue b Apoc. 3. 9. of SataÌ„ did call theÌ„selves Iewes and were not but did lye And among the Christians there have bin men desirous of names which were not fit for theÌ„ or else the Apostle would not have said c 1. Cor. 5. 11 If any that is called a brother bee a fornicatour or covetous or an Idolater or a railer or a druÌ„kard or an extortioner with such a one eate not The name of a brother in Christianity is much as presupposing to have God a father to him who is indeede the father of all the faithfull yet there bee brethren in name who are farre inough from God goodnes d Hist Eccl. 3. 18. Evil names as we find in Theodoret being set on good men do nothing obscure them The Christians were not hurte when Iulian in a scorne to our Saviour Iesus alwaies tearmed them Galileans and if Socrates saith Theodoret had beene called Critias or Pythagoras Phalaris or faire Nireus foule Thersites it had nothing impayred their true reputatioÌ„ So it is in applying good titles to bad persons they are not for the same in any more estimatioÌ„ with such as be of vnderstaÌ„ding WheÌ„ theeves by a common phrase are tearmed good-fellows light huswives are called honest women neither the one nor the other are the honester for that nominatioÌ„ Those who are ordinarily called by the name of Iesuits do little that may savor of the spi rit of Iesus vnles to seduce youth to inveigle beguile the wealthy to play al trickes of Machiavel to coÌ„spire the death of Princes to plot how to set kingdomes in coÌ„bustioÌ„ cuÌ„ningly to sow secret discord sedition be the imitatioÌ„ of our blessed Redeemer which no man but one inspired by the Devil may acknowledge What maÌ„ of learning is ignoraÌ„t that the Saracens are descended froÌ„ Hagar from her sonne Ismael and therefore should be called properly Hagarens or Ismalites as the e Psal. 83. 6. 1. Chr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scripture doth warraÌ„t And yet as it was observed by Sozomen more theÌ„ a thousaÌ„d yeeres agone to the end that they may avoid the imputatioÌ„ of bastardy by Ismael and of basenes by Hagar who was but a bond-woman they take f Sozom. Eccl. Hist. 6. 38. to theÌ„ the name of Saracens as if they were derived from Sara the right wife of Abraham Neither can there ought bee saide why the Romanists should bee the true Church because they are called Catholikes but the same may be said for these MahumetaÌ„s why they should be the sons of the free womaÌ„ not of the bond For the name is most ancient and they are every where knowne by it if SaraceÌ„s be but spoken ech-one that hath ever heard of theÌ„ vnderstaÌ„deth that they and they alone are meaÌ„t by it in Asia Europe Africa yea in America also this by custome ruÌ„neth curraÌ„t without coÌ„trolemeÌ„t yet wee know that it is neither so nor so I might adde more exaÌ„ples as of those who are coÌ„moÌ„ly not only in EnglaÌ„d but in other parts of Europe called Aegyptiaus and yet neither they nor their fore-fathers ever came neere to Aegypt 8 Our Seminary men therefore doe seede their followers ' but with draffe huskes in steed of corne wheÌ„ they lay before them such meate as this is they who live by such diet are not fedde but corrupted poisoned by it Let matters be wel wayed and there is nothing farther froÌ„ Catholicisme theÌ„ Popery is For shall wetake the word as it signifieth The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Vniversally or generally Augustin lib. 3. contra â—…audeÌ„t and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth import vniversal and so the Catholike Church in our Creede or else-where doth signify the Church vniversally diffused That of the Romanists may not truly be reported to be so For as the Congregations in Asia those vnder Prester-Iohn do no way admit therof so those of Greece with many thousands in Europe do not coÌ„sort with it yet are Christians too howsoever the Pope doth repudiate theÌ„ as Schismatiks because they wil not kisse his feete How the Vniversal should in this case be so limited as to exteÌ„d no farther then one Particular our Logicke caÌ„not find g Contra haeres c. 3. VinceÌ„tiâ—… Lirâ—…s doth define that to be Catholike which is beleeved every where at all times and of all The Papists cannot truly avere that this agreeth to their Profession Or shal we take Catholike in that sence as our Iesuits seeme to take it when they as the secular h Sparing Discoveriâ—… of English Iesuites Priests report of them would appropriate the faith Catholike to the temporall government of the king Catholike as if it vvere a principle that al of thaâ—… Beleefe must for their bodies bee vnder his Regiment as for their soules vnder the Roman Bishop yet they wil not be in the right since many of our English Recusants make the worlde beleeve that they have no great minde to beare a Spanish yoke howsoever some other secretly Hispaniolized little lesse then dis-Englished or traitorified by the Iesuits do earnestly but most foolishly and vnadvisedly thrist after it But a great number also in France Italy other Popish parts of Christendome would for themselves forbid those banes Or must we expound Catholike for Orthodoxe true in which
Church theÌ„ should be said to bring out more children theÌ„ formerly shee had done shee must haue gone for a moÌ„ster So it is since the time of Christ. God hath his appointed seasons which himselfe hath fore-told somtimes promising that his spouse should flourish and some other times be obscured So in the daies of Constantine the hew of her not for purity but for extent was more glorious then vnder all the former Emperours Vnder Constantius Iulian her territory was abridged yet vnder the Theodosij and some other blessed Emperours shee grew againe notwithstaÌ„ding was no monster After ward her beauty was dimmed the authority of Antichrist spreading it selfe in the worlde as it was before hand f Apo. 13. 14 prophecied that it should bee But God at last did determine that wheÌ„ other things should be accomplished the g 2. Thes. 2. 8. wicked man should be reveiled as all the worlde may see that in our time he is whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth that is with the preaching of the word vvhich who doth not se to haue diminished the kingdome of the Pope and shall abolish with the brightnes of his comming so that Antichrist albeit much maimed shal be til the last day of iudgment therfore his Ministers must striue to keep his kingdoÌ„e vpright as our Iesuits Seminary Priests do But his Babylon in part by degrees must fall so it is already The Church was ever somwhat but of late shee is more glorious then in some ages before What will you therfore say farther 5. Shee began in the Apostles time to fructifie in all the world That we do not deny but the questioÌ„ is whither the Gospell did spread otherwise then every way towarde all the coasts of the world in such sence as formerly I haue shewed It was towarde the East and West and North and South but not in every particular province vnder heaven The words of h Lib. 1. 3. Ireneus are The Church having gotten this faith although shee be dispersed through the whole world doth diligently keepe it Wherout if you wil gather that in his time the Church was in all the knowne worlde you will make vs of Britaine very ancient partakers of the faith since i Euse. Eccl. Histor. 5. 19 Ireneus was the scholler of Polycarpus whose Maister was Iohn the Evangelist And this excellentlie fitteth your report of king Lucius Pope Eleutherius Tertullian saith thus k Contra Iudaeos c. 4. The kingdome name of Christ is every whither extended is every where beleeved is embraced by all the nations aboue named raigneth every where is every where adored The countries before named are from India to Aethiopiâ—… Germany Britaine Mauritania and some few other Cyprian saith l De simplicit prelato vel de vnirat Eccles. The Church with store of fruitfulnesse doth stretch foorth her bowes into the whole world The speech of Athanasius is m De incar nat verbi As many nations as bee any where abiuring thâ—…r countries rites the wickednesse of their Idols doe now place their hope on Christ and doe give their names vnto him as even by the verie eyes a man may deprehend Chrysostome writeth thus n In Mat 24 That before the overthrovve of the Cittie of Hierusalem the Gospell vvas spreade through the vvorlde heare Paule Their sounde is gone out into all landes And Hierome commenting on the same texte o Hier in Matth 24 A signe of the Lordes comming is that the Gospell should bee preached in all the vvorld that no man may bee excusable vvhichwe see already fulfilled or shortlee to bee completed For I do not thinke that there is any nation remaining which is ignorant of the name of Christ. And although it hath not had a Preacher yet by the bordering nations it cannot be ignorant of an opinion of the faith S t Austen being enquired of concerning the end of the world saith that before it come the Gospel must be preached to al nations which in as much as he supposed not to be done in his time he resolveth that the day of iudgment was not presently to follow Heare himselfe p Epist. 78 But if by reason of certaine places vvhich are inaccessible and in hospitall it is not beleeved to be possible that the vvorlde should bee traveiled over by the servaunts of GOD and it shoulde bee faithfullie reported how many and how great nations there bee yet without the Gospell of Christ muchlesse doe I suppose that by the Scriptures it may be comprehended how longe times there shall be vnto the ende in as much as in them we doe reade No man can knowe the times vvhich the Father hath put in his own power In the second Epistle which you cite out of Saint Austen the best words that I can finde for your purpose are these q Epist 80. The Prophet sheweth hâ—…vve there is no parte of the vvorlde lefte vvhere the Church is not since there is 〈◊〉 of the Ilands left but that it doth adore him VVhat more is in this place you shall heare by and by Theodoret hath thus much speaking of Antichrist r In divino decretor Epitome by the prediction of God the Gospell must bee preached amonge all Nations and then hee that is Antichrist must bee so seene The words of Leo are s Leo serm 〈◊〉 in Nat iv Petr. Paul To the ende that the effect of this vnspeakeable grace of CHRISTS taking flesh vpon him might be spreade through all the vvorld the providence of God did prepare the kingdome of the Romanes Prosper writeth howe Pelagius the heretike beeing sprung vp in Britaine was oppugned s Prosper do Ingratis Talia cum demens latè diffunderet error Commentisque rudes traheret let halibus aures Adfuit exhortante Deo provisa per orbem Sanctorum pia cura patrum non dispare â—…otu Conficiens diros taculis coelestibâ—… hostes Hisdem namque simul decretis spiritus vnus Intonuit pestem subeuntem prima recidit Sedes Roma Petri quae Pastorales honoris Facta caput mundo quicquid non possidet armis Relligione tenet non segnior inde Orientis Rectorum cura emicuit 6 These wordes if you wil vrge for the Primacy of Rome they doe in substaunce import no more then that which was decreed in the first Nicene Councell where the Bishop of Rome was termed t Vide Gratian part 1 Distinct 99. 3 Primae sedis Episcopus and the vvordes poetically serte out by caput pastoralis honoris doe signifie no more Therefore you goe to farre vvhen you saye the Bishop of Rome is of Prelates peerelesse Lord which your selfe may see since Prosper in coÌ„futing Pelagius ioyneth many other Bishops as equals in care with the Pope But then he reckoneth him vp first secoÌ„dly the Bishops of the East afterward Hierome And wheras he termeth Rome the seate of
Peter that was according to atradition much received among the Anciēt but for the māner therof much differed vpō by all Besides Prosper lived in the daies of Pope Leo the first with In vita Leonis Mapni whō he was very familiar with u In vita Prosp. Aquitan whō he was at Rome receiving many favours from Leo and therefore might more easily incline to the opinion of that Pope who began to arrogate too much to his See and to magnify it so farre as that his Successours but especially x Lib. 3. Epist. 76. Gregory woulde not stande to it This doth often appeare in the vvorkes of Leo but I vvill cite by name one place whence Prosper might have the prose of that which heeturned into verse Speaking vnto Rome as concerning Peter Paule hee saith thus y Leo Serm. 1. in Nativit Petr. Pauli These are they who brought thee to this glory that thou shouldest be a holy natiō a chose people a citie of Priests Kinges and that by the holie seate of Saint Peter thou beeing made the head of the worlde shouldst more largely rule by divine religion then by earthly dominion Whē Prosper heard this from Leo as an Orator he might set it a strain higher as a Poet who in his amplification would leaue out no word which might grace the place whō hee would honour And then he could not see the inconvenience that afterward did arise by too much magnifying that Episcopal or Patriarchical city And these things are especially to bee remēbred if you would vrge his words to that purpose which in this place principally cōcerneth you that is to say that the faith was spread over al the world Truth it is that much of the world ioyned in the same beliefe with the Clergy city of Rome from thence as being one of the Imperiall residences they had great light many also repaired to the Bishops there as being for a long time eminent persons in respect of their holines of life but if we wil speak exactly neither did they take their religiō from thence more then frō Hierusalē Alexandria Antioch neither did I wil not say the fai◅h of Rome but that faith which vvas in Rome as wel as in other places possesse the whol world For first the z Loco cita◅o words of Leo himselfe do signifie the Christian Religion to be no farther spread over the earth then the Roman Empire had bin or little more we know that albeit vnder that Empire was much of the old knowne world yet there was also a very greate deale which never came vnder their subiection And secondly even at that time being about 450. years after Christ neither by the Apostles nor by their successours had the Gospel bin mēcioned in many parts of the old world which is it that seemeth here to ly on you to proue And for this we neede no better testimony then his whom before you cited S. Austen I meane who was an old mā living when Prosper was younge Besides I wil choose no other place but one of those whom yourselfe cite which being throughly scanned by the Reader will evidently shew that you D Hill do take vp your wares at trust Or else had you looked and knowne the place your selfe you would never haue cited that which so expresly confirmeth the point by mee taught and over-turneth your assertion of the Gospell being spreade in all countries of the world taking countries and Nations particularly and specially and strictly as you doe in your discourse 7 Saint a Epist 78 Austen then being asked by Hesychius concerning the n◅enesse of the day of iudgment had in a former Epistle given reasons out of the holy Scriptures why that time was not likely to be very shortly and among other that was one that the b Mat. 24. 14 Gospel of the kingdome had not yet bin preached throughout the whol world Hesychius is not yet throughly satisfied thervpon S. Austen so advertised setteth to him againe in a second Epistle and farther prosecuting that point of the faith not yet received every where he vttereth these words c Epistol 80. Whereas your Reverence doth thinke that this is already done by the Apostles themselues I haue proved by certaine arguments that it is not so For there are with vs that is to say in Africa innumerable barbarous nations among whom that the Gospell is not yet preached we may everie daie read◅ learne by those who are brought captiues from thence are now mingled with the servants of the Romanes Then he addeth that some of the African people being lately subiected to the Romanes had given their names to Christ But those more inward who are vnder no power of the Romanes are not at al possessed with the Christiā religion in any of theirs Yet he saith it was not to be doubted but that more and more woulde come in that the Prophecies of the Scripture might bee fulfilled But that the Western part of the world had the Church thē already Afterward looke in what natiōs therfore the Church yet is not it must be not that atwhich shal be there must beleeue for al natiōs are promised but not all men of all nations And yet againe Howe then was this preaching fulfilled by the Apostles in as much as yet there be nations which is vnto vs most assured in whom it lately began and in whom not as yet it is begun to be fulfilled Hee sheweth that it was and must be performed in the Apostles and their successours to the end of the world And to that purpose hee expoundeth that speech d Psal. 19. 4. Their sound is gone out into all lands by the future tense as well as by the time past He shutteth it vp thus It is fructifying and growing in all the world although the Gospell did not yet possesse the whole but hee did say that it did fructifie in the whole world increase that so he might signifie how farre it should come by fructifying and increasing Novve who doeth not see that the same which this vvorthy Father said in his time of innumerable nations in Africa not yet called to the faith might then many hundreds of years afterwarde yea in some till our time be verified of the Northren partes of Europe and of the North and East countries of Asia to say nothing of all the new-discovered lands toward the North South West of which before I haue spoken And this togither with Hieroms owne words before mentioned Or else we see shortly to be fulfilled In Mat. 24 doeth shew that the speeches of the auncient Fathers aboue named are not strictly and precisely to be taken but that all is to be vnderstoode for much and many and for all the generall coasts lying to the East and West and North and South not including each speciall And so consequently such a multitude of authorities is but very idly
care is to instruct their pretended coÌ„verts in those far distant regions may well be coÌ„ceived by that which they informe to their own countrymen living there-about who are much more furnished with wicked devises leading them the ready high way to daÌ„nation then with ought which belongeth to true Christianity For example sake within these three or four yeares s Ibid. p. 75. some HollaÌ„ders passing the South sea came neere to the Iland Manilla where certaine Spaniards then inhabiting would needs entertaine them with an eager fight at sea Divers of these warriours entring the Hollanders ship were slaine among theÌ„ there were fiue found who had about them certain boxes of silver Which being opened there were in theÌ„ little rowles or schedules beset with charmes or diabolicall consecrations whereby they supposed themselues safe froÌ„ all weapons For saith the Author they are oftentimes instructed by their Priests concerning suchingâ—…ing trickes whereby it commeth to passe that by their divelish superstitions such as haue sworne faith to the Pope in these places are much more defiled then very they who line in the middle of Rome or Spaine With what acornes are these Nuoves Christianes fedde when in these remote regions Spanyards theÌ„selues are dieted with such husks This is the propagation of Christianity whereof you speake the abusing and profaning of the Sacrament of Baptisme by communicating it to them whose best profession is ignorance superstition idolatry wilfull obstinacy against the truth if it should be reveiled vnto them T. HILL ANd to name somewhat more in particular some Countries in which it is happily received of many of not vniversally of all but yet in many lands it is received of the greatest part of the inhabitants in Goa in Malabar in Cochin in Bazain in ColaÌ„ in Tana in DamaÌ„ in Ciaul in Coran in Salsetta in Pescaria in Manar in TravaÌ„cor in Cogiro in Bugen in Cicungo in Cicugne in Oian in Gomotto in Gensura in Xichi in Ormuz in Ternate in Momoia in Ambonio in Macazar in Cerignano in Siligan in Butuan in PimiliraÌ„ in Camigu in Supa in Stan in Bacian in Solar in Malacca in Tidor in Selebi and in the Ilands of S. Thomazo S. Domingo Madera in al those innumerable Islands which the king of Spaine there possesseth So that the Catholike Romane religion hath had and hath yet a far greater sway in the world then any othar religion ever had or hath G. ABBOT 15 Our Papists do imagine that they haue to do with none but fools therfore they think to serue theÌ„ therafter They beleeue that if we heare a few great words lustily buÌ„basted we wil stoope saile 〈◊〉 sently come in as ships vnder a Castle for fear of a peale of ordinance Such a devise was that when to credit Abdisu the Patriarke before named and in him the Popes prerogatiue s Gentill in exam Concil Tâ—…deÌ„t Sess 21. they gaue strange formidable names to the Bishopricks Arch-bishopricks fained to be vnder him as Sirava Hancava Meschiara Chiarucbia Cuchia Durra Goa Salamas Baumar Schiabathan Vastan Calicuth Macâ—…hazin Carangol and other such braue appellations which being like coniuring words when any one should heare he durst not for one daies space come with in forty foote of the stake Is not this somewhat like that of the bragging souldiour t Plautus in Milite glorioso in campis Gurgustidonijs Vbi Bombomachides Cluninstaredysarchides Erat Imperator summus Neptune nepos I tel you D. Hil such devises as this of yours is but for children when out of some Portingale merchants remembrances or from the Index of some writer or some such other mocke matter you tel vs what towns or angels of the maine or what litle Ilands the Portingales haue theÌ„selues in the East Indies â—…or some of the Iesuits haue gone thither or some pedlers haue bin in the markets there A towne with you is a city a city a couÌ„try a skirt of some li. tle province is a land or a kingdome an Ilande like Garnesey or Gersey is a matter as much as Sicely or great Britaine one in the quality of a gentlemaÌ„ is a Prince a pety coÌ„mander like a meane West-Indian Cacike is a potent king or Emperour You begin with Goa as if it were some huge region wheras it is but a u Maffcus Hist. Indic li. 4. city appointed indeed by Albuquercius to be the Impettall chaÌ„ber for the dominion of the Portingales in the East Indies It standeth on the hither side of India some thing North froÌ„ Calicut on the Westerne side of that great Promontory which is neerest of al India to Ormus and to the Persian bay or Gulfe u Idem lib. 1 Osor. lib. 2. Malabar is the general name of the CouÌ„try toward the bottome of the Promontory before meÌ„cioned the chiefe city wherof is Calecut x Maf lib 1. Cochin is the city of a poore Prince by Calecut y Li. 9. Bazain a towne of Cambaia 5 or 6. daies iourny Nothward froÌ„ Goa z Lib. 2. Coian a city distant froÌ„ Cochin 24. leagues toward the South a Lib. 9. Tana or Tanaba a litle towne nere Bazain b Lib. 11. Daman another town nere it being on the coast of CaÌ„baia c Lib. 4. Ciual or Chanla a city fast by those last spokeÌ„ of d Lib. 14. CoraÌ„ is the temple of Maâ—…met at Ormus but you mean e Lib. 2. Coromandel in India where it is said that S. Thomas the Apostle did long agoe preach f Lib 11. Salsetta is a little Iland lying neere Bazain It should seeme that there is more then one of theÌ„ g Lib 3. 12 Pescaria or Piscaria is a little sea coast about the bottome of Malaca lyeth more toward the East h Lib. 12. Manar a little Iland nere therevnto i Lib. 12. TravaÌ„cor a small kingdome on the west side of the lowest part of Malaca Of Cogiro Bugen vnlesse you meane k Lib. 12. Bunge a pety kingdome in Iapan Cicungo Cieâ—…gne I finde no mention euhere there be no such places or they be so base that no good Auâ—…hour doth mention them or els you haue mis-written them l Lib. 3. Oia or Oian is a meane city neere Melinde in Africke Your Gomotto perhaps is put for m Lib. 12. Goto or Gotum a small Ilande nere Iapan So I take your Gensura to bee and the rather because it is put nexte Xichâ—… or n Ibidem Xichâ—…cum one of the three chiefe parts of Iapan o Lib. 3. Ormuz we know to be an iland and city neere the entrance into the gulfe of Persia. p Lib. 5. Ternate is one of the fiue Molucco Ilands and so is q Lib. 10. Tidor also which anone followeth Momoia is a towne in a little Ile called Morum Ambonio or rather r Lib. 5. Amboinus is a small I le neere the Moluccos So it
Catholikes ever sought the death of their Soveraigne though of a different religion from thē the conquest of their natiue land the subversion of the state the depopulation of the weale publike the alteration and change of all lawes customes and orders and in few the vtter devastation desolation and destruction of all the ancient inhabitants of their land c. Now if this may be saide of the laity of the English Papists what censure may bee given of the Priests the vrgers and instigatours of all these things He speaketh elsewhere more particularly of the Seminary Priests y Quod. 9. 4 Howe can they expect any favor when they are taken none can deny that their comming over is to increase the number of Catholikes and that Fa. Persons raigneth and hath the whole direction at this day for all the missions that are for England How then alas how may her Maiestie and the state conclude against them What lawes can bee too extreame to keepe them out of the land Or if they will needes come in what severity for the execution of lawes against them can bee more then sufficient Into what gulfe are we plunged Nay into what an obloquy are we plunged Nay into what an obliquie must the Catholike Church of Rome grow in that the execution of Priesthood and treason are now so linked together by the Iesuits in England as we cannot exhort any to the Catholike faith but dogmatizando in so doing we draw him in effect to rebellion You see that this writer doth not sumble nor doubly budgen but delivereth his opiniō roundly And if any one should except that these be the assertions of private and single men hee may see a treatise put out by ioint consent of divers Seculars and written of purpose to cleere the proceedings of the State in England from bloudy cruelty or vn-advised rigorousnes in cutting of such rotten members You may iudge the contentes thereof by the Title which is this z Edit An. 1601. Important considerations which ought to mooue all true and sounde Catholikes who are not wholy Iesuited to acknowledge without all equivocations ambiguities or shiftings that the proceedings of her Maiestie and of the State with them since the beginning of her Highnesse raigne haue beene both milde and mercifull By this time if there bee any wit or sence left in you you may put vp your pipes for complaining of the hard vsage of Priests sent hither from the Seminaries I haue beene the more large in this argument partly to stop your clamorous mouth and partelye to satisfie weake persons either on our or your side and not least of all to free the honorable Parliamentes and Magistrates taking order against such venimous vermine from the forged imputations and scandalous defamations in this particular laid against them by name of him a Supposed to bee D. Worthington who falsly reporteth the suffering of sixteene pretended martyrs in one yeere that is the yeere of Iubily 1600. Now I follow your steps againe where I left 21. When you fall to daring you shewe your selfe but a simple man There is one by whose helpe David did dare leape b Psa. 18. 29 34. over a wall and to attempt with his armes to breake a bow of brasse by whose protection in a righteous cause that England which by a diminution you call litle doth dare to stand against the strongest enemy that it hath What should hinder it good Sir to cut of lewde persons wherewithall God is well pleased when the late Queene thereof at her entrance to the Crowne did not feare all the Potentates in the world nor the backwardnesse of many of her owne subiectes nor the combining almost of all her owne Cleargy but that in the name of God and in the vndanted confidence of his maintaining of his owne truth shee did spread the banner of the Gospell and without discouragement did persist in that resolution till the day of her death the English fugitiues and the Irish Male-contents yea the Pope and Spaniard contriving to the vttermost to impeach it Why shoulde not this our country dare to doe well when by the singular favour of God blessing his true religion in it it hath beene able to repel that invincible Navy to sacke many of the kings townes in the West Indies to batter his Groine in Galitia to march with ensigne displayed almost an hundred miles in the heart of his countrey to knocke at his gates of Lisbone to sinke his fleete at Cales and to burne that towne at pleasure the Spanyards looking on scant offering to strike one blow The time hath beene that this England which is such a little more in your eie hath sent c Holinshed in Rich. 1 Edw. 3. Hen. 5. 6. a mightie army as farre as to Palestina hath had two kings prisoners in it at once and two of her owne Kinges crowned in Paris And hee is blind who seeth not that at this time it hath decayed no part of her ancient valure or worth Then do you never feare but it may dare to execute such companions of yours as will heere disturbe the peace of the Church Common-wealth Now that it grieveth your pretty heart that you haue not your will among vs I doe verily beleeue and do not you thinke that wolues beares doe much grieue that they cannot come at the sheep-folds but the shepheards will meets with them As our d Luk. 23. 28 Saviour somtime said to the women of Hierusalem that they should not weep for him but for themselues and their children so wee may bid you not to grieue for the evil case of England but to be sory weep for your sinnes and most malicious blindnesse that God without his more future mercy should giue you over to a reprobate sence so as to fly truth and to hate it to barke against the light to cary vndutifull thoughts to your Superiours and vn-natural to your countrey where the Lord be praised for it there is nothing vnhappy vnlesse it bee that it hath hatched into the world such vipers such monsters who care not what become of her so that Sathā may be king Antichrist may be general How your brethrē are persecuted with plenty ease aboūdance not lōg since I told you The wiser sort of thē cannot but acknowledge as evē now you heard that no Prince vnder the heavē being so zealous in Gods cause having sustained such indignities at the hands of many of that factiō as our late most Christiā Queen had done would haue proceeded with that mildnes For the māner of your speech you are now returned to your old custome again Here is nothing but all'all How al the world hath embraced your profession I haue shewed you before The ancienter part of the Primitiue Church knew almost nothing of it the latter part of the first 600. years had some weeds cōming vp in it but the good corn over-topped
religion or retaine not the same doctrine Even so it is touching the beleefe of the Protestantes in England of those which you in spite call Puritaines in Scotland and of them whome you tearme maliciously Libertines in Holland and Zeland They teach no other libertie then what the r Galat. 5. 1. Apostle teacheth and biddeth vs to stande fast in it For the shewing of your skill I entreate you to let your scholers heare one pointe of moment or materiall vvherein all those Churches which before I named doe differ Speake it out if you can tell what Touching the Lutheranes in Denmarke and many places of Germany I haue toulde you before that in one pointe of the Eucharist they disagree from the rest of the Churches which the LORD in time may sende to bee reconciled and wee pray vnto him for the same But your comfort vppon that discorde is small For as Anthonie sometimes Kinge of Navatre and father to the most Christian Kinge of Fraunce now raigning s Commentaâ—… Relig. Reip. in Gall. lib. saide to the Embassadour of the Kinge of Denmarke exhorting the reformed French to bee of Luthers doctrine There bee fortie points wherein Luther and Calvine doe differ from the Pope and in nine and thirty of them they agree betweene themselues and in that single one they dissent Their followers therefore should do well to ioyne in the greater number against the Pope till they had ruinated him and vvhen his heart is broken they should fall to compound that last single difference God in his good time may graunt this to bee done although in the meane while hee doe exercise his spouse asseemeth good to himselfe T. HILL LAstly I doe bore consider with my selfe if I should refuse the Catholike Romans religion so vniversally taught ' received and professed throughout all the world so many ages togither and embrace any of these new sillie sects adventuring my soule there-vpon what all my progenitours auncesters of they were here againe and sawe mee die so would say vnto mee I gesse they woulde vse such speeches as thâ—se vvhat doest then condemne all our iudgementes and doings Doest thou maligne that Religion which we so highly esteemed and sought to advance Doest then sende vs all to hell and damnation Wilt thou iudge thy selfe vviser and more in Gods favour then any of vs were And many such like speeches I thinke they would vse G. ABBOT 27 I doubte not but in this Reason you haue borrowed of your neighbours as well as you did in others before although it be not my hap to trace you heere as formerly I haue done But the reckoning vp of those your places in the Easterne parts of the world are by me certainly held not to be your own which I conceiue by the complexion of all the rest of your book For your phrases and appellations bestowed on Luther and Calvin Father Persons is your schoole-master But because you are devoted vnto blinde Bristowes Motiues if you haue beene sparingly with him in all this Chapter before yet heere you conclude with s Motiv 36. him about our Predecessours VVhere you might haue remeÌ„bred that to speake properly neither our auncesters shall iudge vs neither shall we iudge our auncesters but Iesus Christ shall iudge both and hee will not take for good payment that which we follow by imitation of our parents but what wee doe or haue done after his owne commandements How often in the Scripture are men blamed for walking in the waies of t 1. King 15 34. cap. 16. 19. 26. Ieroboam of other their Auncesters How often do the u Psa 106. 6 Dan. 9. 6. 16 godly confesse and deplore their fathers sinnes before God What precepts be there to that purpose as that Salomons wife vvho representeth the spouse of Christ should u Psal 45 â—…1 forgot her owne people and her fathers house What a praise is it to x a Kinâ—… 8â—… 〈◊〉 Hezekiah to y Cap. 21 24 Iosiah and divers other that having idolatrous parents they did rather looke to their father which is in heaven then to flesh and bloud vpon earth If this instruction of yours should haue gone for currant the Iewes should scant haue received the doctrine of Christ but the Gentiles without all question shoulde haue kept them to Iupiter to Apollo to Aesculapius because if they had done otherwise they had condemned the way of their forefathers By this rule our auncesters heere in Englande should not haue received baptisme and the Indians and Iaponians whome you say so fast without booke should haue worshipped their old Idoles The complaint which you here make in the person of our predecessours was made before by Symmachus to the Emperour Valentinian in the daies of Saint Ambrose speaking thus in the name of the city Rome z Ambro Epist lib 5 Most noble Princes you fathers of the Countrey reverence yet my yeares vnto which my rootes of devotion haue brought me I will vse my ceremonies which I received from my grandfathers for I repent not my selfe of them I will liue after mine 〈◊〉 fashion for I am free But Saint a Ibidem Ambrose comming afterward to answere all these obiections teacheth that there is one who in matters of religion is rather to be beleeued then all the world besides Concerning God whom should I rather beleeue then God himselfe But of this argument I may haue occasion to speake more at large 28 Onely now thus much I adde that if any of our parents offended God and dyed in damnable ignorance who woulde say that for their sakes and company we should thrust our selues into hell ' If any of them were right they will not grudge that wee should haue more light opened vnto vs then they in their time saw even as those holy Iewes vnder the law fore-seeing what would be vnder the Messias envyed not to the Apostles and other of that age the more perfect liuely knowledge of Christ. But leaving the definition and determining sentence of all vnto the Lords secret iudgement into which we must not ofter to prease or intrude we do hope that many of those who lived in the time of darkenesse had that mercy shewed vnto them that their soules doe rest in peace Such is Saint Cyprians opinion in the like case b De sacrâ—…mento dominici caliâ—… Epist 68 And see most deare brother if any of our Predecessours either ignorantly or simply did not obserue and holde this which the Lorde taught vs to doe by his owne example and ministery by the favour of the Lorde there may bee pardon given to his simplicitie If any of them did holde the foundation concerning their being iustified by the bloud of Christ alone and besides that did repent of all their errours knowne and vnknown committed by ignorance or wilfulnesse we feare not but that the same God who gaue vnto them some measure of knowledge and would require of theÌ„