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.

A knitting vp to the Reader.

NOw for as much as Osor. and I haue sufficiently deba∣ted our matters together: It remayneth that I vse some conference with the godly and Christian Reader herein: whom I would aduertize by the way in few wordes, to be well aduised of Osorius, not of any malice truely, nor of any vnhonest affec∣tion of disquieted minde, conceaued agaynst the man, but moued hereunto, by necessary instinct of well wishing harte, in respect of some young men, not altogether voyde of commēdable know∣ledge and learning, though perhappes otherwise not so well set∣led in Iudgement, who may be easily carryed away into vayne conceipt, allured with the outward glittering brauery of Oso∣rius minion Eloquence, as seély fishes caught with sugred hayte, vnlesse they flee the hidden hooke: whom for the same I thought good to admonish before hād: Not meaning to dissuade them from reading of Osorius bookes altogether, nor to defraud Osorius of any his prayseworthy grace of Eloquent style, or to extenuate his glory, if he haue deserued any therein. For as for me truely, as I am neither acquainted with y^e countenaunce of the man, so doe I not so much regard the outward foyle of his paynted speéch: howsoeuer any man shall streake himselfe with blazing the beauty of fyled tongue, concerneth me nothing at all, so also apperteigneth as little to the matter. There is an other thing that I requier more: namely in a Byshopp, a Priest, and a Deuine. Therfore if any man shall take pleasure in the floo∣rishing forme of Osorius phrase, and will not be remoued from the fragraunt flowers of Osorius speéch, lett him enioy his delight a gods name, and lett him read his bookes y^e will, yea I doe wishe hartely that all and euery person would reade and per∣use him, that so the more witnesses there be in the matter, the more directly men may determine of the creditt of the person. Therefore lett them reade him (I say) whosoeuer be so minded, and lett them not onely carry the booke dayly in their handes, but lull him also in their bosomes, I will not gaynesay them therein. This councell onely I geue, that they reade him with Iudgement neuerthelesse, and esteéme of him as a Rhethoriciā and an artificiall Orator, but take him for no Deuine: And that

they become not so rauished with the gorgeous gaze of this prancked Peacocke, nor fixed to faste in the fyne feature of his fawning feathers, but behold below his blacke feéte withall: lett thē be so enamored with the delicate deuises of their smoath Scholemaster, y^t they geue not in the meane tyme to creadulous an eare to the counterfaicte craft of his proper pack, but haue allwayes in minde the pythy sentence of Epicharmus the wise. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.* 1.1 And withall that they take especiall care, if they haue a desire to imitate his wryting, not to enure them∣selues in any wise to his sawcy malapertnes of slaundering or cursed speakyng. Then which kinde of contagion, as there can be no Canker more Pestilent, skattered abroad emongest y^e con∣uersations of christian men, so doe I more hartely wish that the vertuous witts of studious youth may not be polluted with this crawling skabbe. And I cann not wonder sufficiently, to thinke what frantique fury hath whirled this Prelate into such vnmea∣surable outrage of rayling penne.

But the matter goeth well enough on our side, namely, that his raunging speéch is agreable to his disordered profession, and his Lauish style is coupled with his lewd doctrine: for what could haue bene more fitt for this bloudy Religion then bootcher∣ly brawlyng, and currish cauilling, lyke vnto lyke? yet how much more commendable hadd it bene, and withall how much more sitting and seémely his personage and dignitye, if espying any blemish or wrinckle in mens maners or errors, that might haue bene offensiue: he hadd as a Priest, a Deuine, and a By∣shopp, with friendly and milde application of persuadible Scrip∣tures enduced the ignoraunt to better regard, by gentle enstruc∣tion rather then with rigorous rayling: and to haue geuen a simple demonstration of the soundnesse of his fayth rather, then haue bruted abroad the beastely botch of his shamelesse impu∣dencye: It is the propertye of vertuous literature and ciuill dis∣cipline, (so called of the ciuilytye thereof) to reclayme the raun∣ging riott of wandering wittes to mildenes of maners, and to a certein comely ciuilitye of meéke modestye. Certes this sa∣uadge sawcynesse & wayward wrangling whether may be found emongest tyranous Turkes I know not: surely is very vnseéme∣ly for learned men, much more vncomely for Deuines, but al∣together

blameworthy in Byshopps. Moreouer besides y^e rule of Christian Religion, surely reason it selfe would haue required this much at the least, y^t in reproching other mens faults, such as can not be mindefull of their owne, should reproue no more in o∣thers, then such as be faultes in deéde, & not causelesly condēne y^e innocent with forged crymes, and malicious cauillations.

This also should haue bene foreseéne as an especiall poynt of a graue Deuine, y^t he that of sett purpose will become a prow∣ling pickethanke of other mens eskapes, should first peruse their bookes with earnest bent heédefulnes, should aduisedly note the maner of the errors: and make faythfull report of the same ac∣cordingly: not foreiudging the thinges which he knoweth not: nor carping ouer greédely the thinges that he vnderstandeth not, nor corruptly deprauing the rest that is well spoken. But our Osorius here doth inueigh agaynst men, whom he neuer sawe: doth defame their lyfe whom he neuer knew: doth with his cur∣rishe Eloquence gnaw the bookes that he neuer handled: con∣demning the cause first before both partyes be heard: confuting first before he vnderstand what requireth refutation. Not much swaruing from the example of some in these dayes, Uenetians and Italians especially, who being enflamed with canckred ma∣lice agaynst the French Hugonoughtes whom they neuer sawe, being demaunded of their Paramoures, and other vnskilfull young headds concerning the qualyties and disposition of those Hugonoughts, doe aunswere y^t they be not men, but certein mō∣struous shapes of men, hauing Dogges faces, & glowing eyes, Boares Tuskes sprouting along their snoughtes, Dragons heads, fowle outstretched cheekes, lowling eares from the crowne of the headd to the bottome of the shoulders: Finally they doe describe them out in most vgly mishapen deformitye, not because they be such kinde of people in deéde: but because they may by this meanes, make them to be more enuyed, and more malitiously hated. Not much otherwise this good man Osorius here doth besturre himselfe agaynst the Lutherans. First wheresoeuer he may heare of any persons that be named Lutherans, though he know not the men themselues, yet doth he by & by conceaue in his brayne, & by the very name Imagine them to be such, as he hath paynted out here in his Bookes, to

witte: Outcastes, Churchrobbers, Traytours, Scorpions, Murtherers, Leacherous, the firebrandes and whirlewindes of all the world: Enemies of mankynde, Spoylers of Prin∣ces, Heretiques, Scismatickes, Botches of Religiō, Rooters out of all vertue: Finally skarsely men, but vnder mens counte∣naūces, nothing but hellhoundes, raysed vp of Sathā himselfe. Agayne wheresoeuer he doth heare of any mischieuous naugh∣ty packes, treacherous villanyes, common Barretours, or a∣ny infamed persons reproched for any corruption of opinions, errours, sectes, scysmaticall deuisions, heresies, or notorious for any other deteitable crime, or execrable mischiefe: he doth for forth∣with conclude all those whatsoeuer vnder the common name of Lutheranes, without exception: as it were within one predica∣mēt: euen as though there were no contradiction, contrariety, or diuersity of sectes, people, iudgemēts and factions, in the world but Lutheranes onely.

Furthermore, as though all this sufficed not to procure thē to be maligned enough, he hath forged hereunto opinions false, horrible, & blasphemous, which neither entred into their thought at any time, nor euer eskaped frō out their mouthes or writing, which although appeare manifestly in infinite places and mani∣fest tokens euery where: yet lett this one be admitted for exam∣ples sake.

What? (sayth he) shall I beleue that I shall recouer health,* 1.2 so long as I do not feele my selfe stricken, and pyn∣ched wyth any such gryefe of sicknesse, that I make no force whether any medicine be applied, so long as I nourish myne owne sicknesse? so long as mine owne wickednesse doth delight me? &c.

No in deéde I do not beleéue it, nor doe I thinke it worthy to be beleéued. And I pray you what one of all the Lutheranes did euer dreame of any such thing in his sleépe? or euer taught it being awake? when consciences are shakē with engines of distrust (as oftentimes happeneth amongst the faith∣full being in affliction) whereas the whole force of the mind doth imagine all possible wayes, by what meanes it may counter∣uayle the wrath and indignation of God: The Lutheranes here haue sett downe a plaister for this soare, taken out of the Phisick of Scripture: namely Fayth onely, and the merites of Christ Iesu: On the contrary part Osor. vrgeth very stoughtly, that we are

not reconciled vnto God by fayth in Christ onely, but by onely righteousnes of workes, wherein we doe exercise our selues tho∣rough the ayde & assistaūce of grace: how true this assertiō of his is, I do appeale herein to the secret iudgementes of the learned. In the meane space, lett the godly Reader consider well, w^t what slaunders, and iniurious accusations he doth reproch godly and vertuous personages, for whereas they do treate of the greéuous assaultes & combates of tormented consciences properly, and of sinners stricken downe, and confounded with the remembraunce of theyr owne sinnes, vnto whom chiefly appertayneth the com∣fortable promise of fayth: how can it be possible, that this serious and earnest repentaunce cann conceiue any pleasure or delight in horrible wickednesse? And yet out of this so manifestly false forged slaunder, Osorius hath clowted vpp the remnaunt of all his patcheryes. And from hence forsooth are all those so manye huge Tempestes, Lightenynges and Thunderboltes, so many outragious exclamations, tragedies, and earthquakes raysed vpp agaynst the poore abiect Lutheranes no lesse vnsauory, then shamelesse. Wherefore I was so much the more desirous to ad∣uertyze the godly zealous youth, that they would not suffer them selues to be entangled by any meanes with the flattering faw∣ning of Osorius bookes: and that they behaue themselues with discrete moderation in y^e reading of them, least as y^e Serpēt did once beguyle Eue, they also may be carryed away from the pure simplicity which is in Christ Iesu. God did not in vayne send his sonne into the world, nor in vayne did he geue that especiall commaundement, that we should harken vnto him: Moreouer not in vayne lykewise dyd the Sonne himselfe descending from out the bosome of his Father take vpon him to proclaime the fa∣thers will out of heauen. If petitions proceéding from harty, in∣ward, and most pure lo••e, if most excellent and vndefiled pray∣ers, if most commendable conuersation of life, in all kinde of vertue, might haue auayled to the attaynment of perfection of saluation: I seé no cause to the cōtrary, why the heauenly Father might haue taken away that bitter Cupp of heauy displeasure, out of the hād of this Sonne. But our woundes could not other∣wise be healed, but by the death, & deadly woūdes of the Sonne. The wound was farr more deépe and deadly? then could be cura∣ble,

by any pollicy, power, treasure, workes or actions of men. Briefly when Osorius hath spoken of and aduaunced iustice, and most excellēt integrity of life with all the skill that he cann: Yet shall he neuer be able to bring to passe the contrary, but that the song which we dayly sing vnto Christ shalbe an vnuanquishable trueth Thou onely art holy.* 1.3 Out of y^e which what thinke you may be gathered els, but that all other creatures whatsoeuer, adorned with neuer so plausible opinion of holynes, be neuerthe∣lesse vncleane and defiled in the sight of God? And yet do we not hereby derogate one hearebredth so much from y^e grace of God, whose riches and treasure we do confesse to be vnspeakeable, and dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth. Notwithstanding we do also as boldly professe, that this grace wherein doth cōsist the highest honour of most perfect obedience, did neuer happen to a∣ny, nor was euer geuen to any, but vnto Christ alone. But what neéde any more Circumstaūce? I will vrge one Reason agaynst Osorius and so make an end. What one prayer can be more ho∣ly? or knitt vpp in fewer wordes, then the Lordes prayer? Herein I do appeale to his conscience: Let him pronounce the same one prayer vnto God in such sort, that he be not faulty in some re∣spect, nor swarue in thought any where frō that absolute perfec∣tion of righteousnesse, whereupon he doth bragg so much, with such an vnremoueable conuersion of mynde to Godward, and in so humble an abacement of himselfe, and with so dutyfull a reue∣rence, as is beseémyng so vnspeakeable a Maiesty. And I wyll yeld him the victory.

I do most hartely desire and wish vnto the learned Reader and to all other the elect Saynctes of God, whosoeuer do pro∣fesse the name, and weare the badge of Christ Iesu, that depar∣ting from iniquity, and gathering all together into one vniforme agreément of sincere doctrine, by thenlightening and inspiratiō of the holyghost, we may be all together receiued into that heauenly Ierusalem and into that kingdome of immortall glory, and eternall felicity, which shall neuer haue end: not for the workes of righteousnesse, which we haue done, but for the loue of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ, who suffered death for our sinnes, and rose agayne for our Iustification.

Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Be not light of beliefe.
• * 1.2

  Osor. lib. 2. de iustitia. Pag. 31.
• * 1.3

  Thou one∣ly art holy.