Against Ierome Osorius Byshopp of Siluane in Portingall and against his slaunderous inuectiues An aunswere apologeticall: for the necessary defence of the euangelicall doctrine and veritie. First taken in hand by M. Walter Haddon, then undertaken and continued by M. Iohn Foxe, and now Englished by Iames Bell.

¶ Lett vs pray.

OSorius.* 1.1 I do hartely pray, and beseech the hygh and eternall Lord Iesu Christ, for the loue of his most pre∣cious bloud which was shedd for the Saluation of all man∣kynde, for his woundes, for his bitter passion, for his death, wherewith he dyd vanquish death, for his victory wherein he triumphed ouer the kyngdome of Sathā, that he would vouchsafe to enlighten with the bright beames of his coū∣tenaunce

and deliuer frō all errours this kyngdome which was once a Receptacle of all vertue, Religiō, wisedome, and Iustice, disquieted now by the wicked practises of naugh∣ty packes: & woulde also vouchsafe to reclayme it to the Fayth and vniforme consent of most sacred Religiō, into the aūcient boundes of the Churche, & defend the same with the assistaūce of his holy Spirite, that whereas we are now disagreeyng in opinions, we may be conformed to∣gether at the length in vnitie of one Fayth, and one vni∣forme mynde of most vndoughted Religion, and may at∣tayne together that euerlastyng glory, to the vnspeakea∣ble ioy and Reioysing of all the holy Citizens in heauen. [At the Feast of Easter] Alleluya, Alleluya.

In recompence of this your solemne collect Right Reue∣rend Father? what remayneth at the length, but that we all and euery of vs doe with one mouth, one spirite, and one voyce sing as lowd as we can vnto you? Amen. which being but one word wanting onely to y^e knitting vpp of the prayer, I doe not a little maruaile, why was forgotten of you, vnlesse perhappes because it was skarse a good Latyne word, and neuer foūd in the bookes of Cicero, therefore it was vnworthy to be inserted in this place as not meéte for your fine phrase of Ciceroes Eloquence. Neuerthelesse it is right well yet, that making intercession for vs poore outcast Englishmen, you skippe ouer all other pelting and petty mediatours and aduocates, and haue thought good to call vpon y^e helpe of the most mightye & mercyfull Lord Iesus Christ, without calling for, or inuocating the helpe of any other Gods. Which deuise how well will agreé with the rest of your discourse, I can not well conceaue: for you seéme to pray one way, and to dispute an other way quite contrary: You doe pray as a Lutherane, but you dispute as a Papist. What a contra∣diction is this I pray you, where the Pyper playeth the horne∣pype, and you daunce the Antyck?* 1.2 For if this be true, as we are taught by your example, that we ought to fleé for succour to Christe onely as the most chiefe and highest Soueraigne: and in him onely & alone to repose all our whole shoote ancker of pray∣er & inuocation, without praying to all other perry Saincts, what neéde we then of any other Sollicitours, Patrones, and

Aduocates? But if the estate of our necessitye be such as may not want their ayde and assistaunce, how chaunceth it, that re∣nouncing the necessary helpes of pettygodds and pettygoodes∣ses, intercession is made here onely vnto Christ?

Afterwardes you doe proceade in your whott zealous prayer & doe make intercessiō For his bloods sake that was shed for the saluation of all mankynde, for his woundes sake, for his most bitter passion sake, for his death sake, wherewith he vanquished death, and for his conquest sake wherewith he did tryumph ouer the kingdome of Sathan. &c. In all this you both speake well, and doe well. Stand fast therefore, and be not remoued from your selfe if you can, and graunt that veritye may wringe that perforce from you in the matter, that you can not deny: If his blood were shedd for the saluation of all mankynde as you say: if that vnentreatable rygor of Gods wrath could no be pacyfied with any one thing els besides the blood of the Lambe: from whence then is saluation to be sought on our behalfe? or to whom ought we ascribe our sauetye, but vnto this one onely sacrifice? If we be healed by his woūdes and bitter bloodshedding, with what shamelessenesse dare your Romish pelting Potticaries presume to apply other rottē drug∣ges to our soares? to what purpose serue so many Rosaryes and garlandes of the blessed Uirgine Mary? so many inuoca∣tions of the dead? so many Suffrages of Saints? so many Sta∣tiōs? Iubiles? so many prauncing pilgrimages? so many peéuish pardons? so many Momish Mounckemerytes? so many ragged Churchrelliques? so many vayne vowes of votaryes? so many marketts of Masses? and so many Dolldreanches of dryueling Sacrifices? fynally to what end preuayleth all the pelting pylfe of Popish patcheryes? If it be true, as you doe beare vs in hand, that death is vanquished by the death of Christ, so that now it hath no more interest or tytle in them, or in their lyues which be engraffed in Christ Iesu: wherefore should we Christians be any more afrayd of death, that is swallowed vpp already, vn∣lesse paraduenture your popishe Archprelates with your outra∣gious Trūpetts doe think by blowing winde in his tayle to re∣store him to lyfe agayne, which you doe endeuor dayly & busily in deéde, but all in vayne notwithstāding. But now forasmuch as it is certaine, y^t there be two maner of deathes, thone of the

body,* 1.3 thother of the soule: & whereas also Christ did swallow thē vpp both, namely one by his resurrection, thother by faith: vayne therfore & fruitlesse be all your practises, dryftes, & turmoyles, wherein you promise a conquest of death, which is putt to flight already: Agayne if death be not vanquished, then doth Osor. lye.

The very same may be verified of the kingdome of Sathan, whose whole force sithence is conteyned in the obligation and handwryting of Sinne: sithence also Christ hath victoriously tryumphed allready, both ouer the whole Empyre of Sathan, & ouer all the power of Sinne, as your selfe doe confesse: Why doe you so frett and fume then agaynst Luther and agaynst vs,* 1.4 who doe affirme nothing els then you doe, and who doe call back all thinges to the onely victory and Tryumph of Christ?

Therefore, whereas abandonyng all other intercessors you dyrect your prayer to Christ onely: whereas you doe so highly aduaunce and magnifye the death and conquest of Christ, here∣in hitherto you denounce your selfe a notable Lutherane: Now therefore from henceforth lett vs as briefly consider of what the very thing is in deéde, which you begg so earnestly of Christ: theffect of your request is, that he would vouchsafe to helpe vs wicked English outcastes. And why doe you not craue his ayde as well for your selfe, and for your natiue Countrey of Portin∣gall? what moueth you to pray so deuoutly for England perti∣cularly by name without any mentiō made of your owne Coun∣trey men? I doe suppose veryly, because there is no wicked∣nesse practyzed in that Countrey: there is no sheépe there either infected w^t noysome murrayne, or so tyed by the buttock in bram∣bles and bryars of errors, that it neédeth any ayd of the Shep∣heard. In Portingall groweth no Bruske neither Bryar, no furse, no baggadge, no fearne meéte for fier. Why then reioyce with the holy Phariseé Osorius, and geue harty thankes vnto Almighty God, both for your selfe and for your Countrey, that you be not lyke vnto other men, and especially to that most pesti∣ferous and abiect Nation of England:

Wherein was some∣tyme (as you say) the Princely pallace of vertue, of Religi∣on, of wisedome and of Iustice, but now is tourned vpsi∣downe by the wickednesse of desperate castawayes and is defiled with abhominable errours.

Go to, what be these so foule enormities and so haynous er∣rours for which you keépe so great a coyle? what men be these whom you call desperate abiectes? what Fayth and what kynde of Church is it, whose boundes and limittes we haue raunged ouer? you were now to be demaūded to render a reckonyng of all that your accusatiō particularly & orderly. What neéde that say you? I haue done this sufficiently allready in my former bookes. In deéde so haue you done & I trust you be sufficiētly aunswered also to euery of y^e former forged & false accusations. And so haue we hearde more then enough by you of the outragious haynous∣nesse of our execrable castawayes in our Realme at this present. But in the meane space this notable Rhetorician hath not all this whiles vttered one word so much of the hurly burly that this Childe of perdition hath kept,* 1.5 not in one kyngdome one∣ly, but through the whole state of Christendome, nor telleth vs what a coyle he keépeth dayly: what troubles he procureth, what warres he practizeth, what discorde he scattereth, in what con∣tinuall broyles he hath wallowed these many yeares agaynst the chief Princes & Potētates of y^e world: what monstruous poyson and Botches of erronious doctrine he hath vomited out agaynst the Church, what a floudd of Christian bloud he hath spilte: how many thousand soules he hath bereft of life, for whom Christ suf∣fred his bitter Passion: Finally how he hath tourned all thyngs typsy tyruye: of all these I say, mumme budgett alltogether. For this is a speciall principle of Rhetoricke wherein he is well-beseéne, that if he espye neuer so litle a scabbe in his aduersaries visadge, there shall his nayles be allwayes rakyng: on the other side, if there be neuer so mōstruous a Carbunckle on their owne behalfe whereat the aduersary may take some aduauntage, ei∣ther will him selfe not take any notice of it, or els will he collour it with some prety shift, or wype it away with some crafty con∣ueyaunce and dissimulation.

In the foote of your Orison, you do annex afterwardes, that Christ would vouchsafe with the assistaunce of his Spirite to gather together agayne vs which be now scatteryng and disagreeyng in opiniō, into one vniforme agreemēt of fayth, and within the boundes and limittes of his Church whereby we alltogether may attayne euerlastyng glory to

the singuler ioye and reioysing of all the holy company of heauen. To aunswere this your petition briefly: Doe you bryng to passe accordyng to your dutie first, that it may be law∣full for vs to be associated in your felowshipp with safe cōscience, with sounde Fayth, without manifest impietie and Idolatry, without most haynous blasphemy agaynst the liuyng God, and without present perill of euerlastyng damnation: and beleéue me we are not more willyng to doe any thyng in the world more readyly, then to ioyne with you. What can you craue more Oso∣rius? But if this request can not be brought to passe, nor obtey∣ned of you, to witte, that you abandonne out of your Church I∣dolles and prophane worshyppynges: nor will yeld to a refor∣mation of your filthy errours, and corruptions of Religion, ac∣cordyng to the true touchestone of sacred Scripture: that the same confuse licentiousnesse of vncleane single lyfe, croochyng and kneélyng to Images, and greédy gaddyng to the Reliques of the deadd more then Heathenish may be vtterly banished: that your breadworshypp & Imageworshypp, your prophane abuse of the Lordes Supper, your false packettes of Pardons, eare whisperyngs, satisfactions, & merite meritorious, and other vn∣measurable monsters of your ragged Religion may be altoge∣ther abrogated: If these (I say) so many so horrible botches, and cankers of superstitiō, disceiptes, vntruthes, patcheries and im∣pieties propped vppe in the Church by your filthy ignoraunce, you will not raze and scrape cleane out of the Church of Christ, but haue determined rather to mainteyne and vphold the same more then barbarously with slaughter, bloud, and all maner of sauadge cruelty: nor will as yet yeld to be tryed by any lawfull aucthoritie: but continue vnappeasable agaynst the manifest trueth, and persist vnremoueable in the supportation of your blasphemous Idolatry with vnmercyfull greédynesse: Briefly if you call vs to such a Churche, and to the embracying of such a Fayth, as no Christian faythfull man may by any meanes pro∣fesse, except he will renounce the true Churche of Christ, vn∣lesse he will vtterly denye Christ him selfe and his Fayth, here∣in neither shall it be conuenient for vs to agreé with you, and become partakers of this your horrible bootchery: nor shall it become you to require vs thereunto: moreouer we assuredly

trust that Christ will neuer permitt vs so to do.

I haue aunswered you now as briefly as I could: yet will I speake it somewhat more briefly. If any man dare be so har∣dy to chaunge, to counterfei••t, to peruert the Lawes, Statutes and autentique Monumentes of any earthly Prince, or the Te∣stament of any deadd person, after this sort, as you do Can∣uasse the word of God, no Prince would permitt such a trea∣chery in his Realme, and an hundred Gallowes and Tortures would seéme to litle for so haynous an offence. And what shalbe sayd then to them, who hauyng mangled and made hauocke of the euerlastyng Testament of GOD, whereunto to adde, or to diminishe therefrom any title is not lawfull vpon payne of damnation: who treadyng vnder foote the ordinaunces of the the Lord of Lordes, who hauyng chaunged and counterfayted the fine and pure gold of the sacred Scripture, and coyned vn∣to vs such drosse and ofscombe of Religion, wherein we must be forced to lyue now, not after the Lawes and Ordinaunces of Christ, but after their Decreés and Decretalles: I beseéch you shall it be reasonable for Osorius to allure vs to such a kynde of conformitie? and then after this lyfe to promise vs euerla∣styng glory, to the ioye of all the Company in heauen?

Wherein Osorius doth expresse in deéde a certein glorious presumption, of a courage wonderfully fawnyng vpon his owne dexteritie. Howbeit whatsoeuer sounde this shrill Trum∣pett of Osorius shall noyse forth from out of Portingall, we must neuerthelesse geue our attentyue eare rather to the Trumpett of GOD, and marke diligently whereunto it calleth vs, as the which soundyng vnto vs a farre vnlyke marche, commaundeth vs in any wise not to goe out of Raye, nor to depart from our Auncient and Standarde, vpon a greéuous payne: least we be partakers of their Treason, and be punished with their pla∣gues:* 1.6 And agayne with most cruell manaces threatenyng all such as shall receaue the marke of the Beast, either on the fore∣head or on the hand: to whom he doth promise not euerlastyng glory to the reioysing of all the company of heauen,* 1.7 but the bit∣ter cuppe of Gods euerlastyng wrathe, which is myngled with wyne in the Cuppe of Gods vengeaunce.

And they shalbe tormented (sayth he) with fire and Brimstone in the sight of the

holy Angelles before the face of the Lambe: and the smoake of their Tormentes shall ascende world without ende.

Apocal. 14. Which I doe most humbly and hartely beseéche the most mercyfull Lord that he will tourne farre away from you, and from vs all. And so is both your prayer come to an ende, and our Apologye finished. And so an ende.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A Collect. for the king¦dome of England.
• * 1.2

  Onely Christ is to be called vpon as a Mediatour.
• * 1.3

  The death of the body & the soule swallowed by Christ onely.
• * 1.4

  The Con∣quest ouer the Empire of Sathan.
• * 1.5

  2. Thes. 2. The Childe of Perditiō.
• * 1.6

  Apoc. 18.
• * 1.7

  Apocal. 14.