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.

To the godly Reader Walter Haddon sendeth greetyng in our Lord Iesu Christ

A Few yeares past a certeine Portingall named Ierome Osorius wrate a tedious Epistle to the Queenes Maiestic: In the which he imagined many monstru∣ous errours to bee frequented in our church, & with reprochful rayling most vnreuerently depraued the professours of the Gospel. This publicke quarell a∣gainst my nature countrey troubled me not a litle: To some particular pointes wherof I thought good to aunswere, although not to all in ge∣nerall. Partly, bycause I wated tyme thereunto, & partly bycause I supposed, that Osorius was deluded by some malicious report of our aduersaries: & therefore I hoped, the man would haue bene somewhat satisfied with myne aunswere. There passed ouer one year•• or two, and I in the meane tyme appointed the Queenes highnes Agent in Flaunders, was lydgear in Bruges. At what tyme one Emanuell Dalmada a Portingall borne,* 1.1 Byshop of An∣grence sodenly sprang vp in Bruxelles. This worshypfull Pre∣late vndertaking the defēce of his frend Ierome Osorius did stuffe a great Uolume full of wounders & brabbles, & in the ende of his booke, caused certein ougly pictures to be portrayde, thereby to deface my personage as much as he might. I perused this Apo∣logie (for to be entituled that cōfused llipe) I neuer saw so foolish & vnsauery a writing, full ofskoffes & absurdities, which two be∣yng taken away, there remained els nothyng besides. Whereu∣pon I debated with my selfe a whiles, whether I might aun∣swere the doltish Asse: But at the last I determined to despise the scely wretched dottarde, as one not onely altogether vnlettered, but also so dull and blockysh by nature, & many tymes so voyde of common sence, that he became a iestyng stocke among the wi∣ser sorte of his owne fraternitie. About two yeares sithence my familiar frend Thomas Wilson returnyng from Portingall into Englād,* 1.2 brought ouer from thence at the request of Osorius, cer∣tein Volumes of Osorius framed into three bookes: wherof one he deliuered seuerally vnto me. I receiued it gladly, and perused the same ouer once or twise, trustyng that Osorius beyng now enstalled a Byshop would be much more modest thē before. But the matter fell quite contrary. For in steede of a Liuill and sober person, I finde him a most friuolous Sophister, for a graue Di∣uine 〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

nine, a childish counterfaite: and for a discrete byshop, a most im∣pudent rayler. Hereunto was added such store of vanitie, and proude hawtynes, that in respect of him, Thraso might be well adiudged a very discret person. I sorrow to speake so much, for it had bene more acceptable to me, and more honesty for him (ac∣cording to the ordinary course of commō conference) to haue de∣bated our matters frendly, and quietly, rather then to cōbat to∣gether with such tauntyng and snatchyng. But sithence Osorius disputeth not as a Byshop, neither will I argue to him as to a Byshop. Neither is it requisite, that I should be myndefull of Osorius estate, sithence he forgetteth his owne & myne also. And it standeth with good reason, that if he haue takē any pleasure in euill speakyng, he loase the same in euill hearyng. Here of (gentle Reader) I thought good to premonishe the: partly, that thou mayest perceaue the, course and processe of our writyng: partly, that if I shall seeme sometymes somewhat to sharpe in myne aunswere, thou mayest impute it to the enforcement of myne ad∣uersarie, rather then to the bitternesse of my nature. Now I will request two thynges of thee. The first is: that as I shall haue briefly and throughly confuted the most foolish and spitefull braules of Osorius, so thou wilt be cōtēt therewith, not requiring many woordes in matters of so small substaunce. For albeit O∣sorius can lunite to him selfe no measure nor ende of pratlyng, yet will I so temper my talke, that I neither abuse thy leysure, nor myne owne. Not bycause it is a hard thyng, but a matter rather of no difficultie to fill whole Uolumes with scribling and toyes: But that it is odious to be accused of y^t selfe same faulte, wher∣of a man doth condemne an other. My last request is, That thou yeld thyne attentiue mynde voyde of parcialitie in opinions: which two if thou graūt vnto me. It shall easely appeare (I trust) both that I haue no lesse godly, then necessarily entred into the honest defence of my countrey. And thou also as playnely perceaue, how malici∣ously and wickedly England hath bene accused and de∣praued by her cursed enemy Osorius.

Farewell.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Emanuell Dalmada a Portingall, Byshop of Angrence.
• * 1.2

  Thom•• Wilson.