A replie to Iesuit Fishers answere to certain questions propou[n]ded by his most gratious Matie: King Iames By Francis White D: of Div· deane of Carlile, chaplaine to his Matie. Hereunto is annexed, a conference of the right: R:B: of St Dauids wth the same Iesuit*

ANSWER.

The Church is euer visible, according to some degree of

visibilitie: but this Scripture teacheth not, that the true [ A] Church is alwayes largely and gloriously visible. The same doth not actually in euerie Age teach and christen all Nati∣ons; and the Roman Church for sundrie Ages past, teacheth and christeneth few or none within Natolia, and other large Prouinces, liuing in subiection to the Grand Seignior, or Em∣perour of Constantinople. And as Christ doth not say ver∣bally in this Text, I am alwayes with you, sitting in corners, so he doth not say, I am alwayes with you, when you are carryed vpon mens shoulders, and tread vpon Emperours neckes, and diuide and share the Kingdomes of the World, and gather [ B] endlesse Riches, by selling Pardons, and preaching Pur∣gatorie.

But yet of the two, it is farre more agreeable to the Diuine Goodnesse (who is a Father of the poore and oppressed) to be present to his little flocke in persecution, and when it flyeth as a Lambe from the Wolfe, and hideth it selfe from the Op∣pressor, Apoc. 12. 14, than that hee hath entayled his perpe∣tuall presence vpon ambitious and oppressing Tyrants, which stiled themselues Pastors, and were rauening Wolues, Scribes and Pharisees, imposing insupportable burthens vpon others, [ C] and not moouing them with one of their owne a fingers. And there is no cause, why the good God, which was pre∣sent with Daniel in the Lyons Denne, and with Ionas in the Whales Belly, and with Ioseph in the Dungeon, and with Iob vpon the Dunghill, should in the dayes of the oppres∣sing Antichrist, withdraw his presence and assistance from his poore flocke, yea, although it were sitting in corners, and hidden vnder ground.

Notes

• a

  Ioh. Sarisbur. Policrat. lib. 6. ca. 24. Romana Ec∣clesia quae mater omnium Ecclesia∣rum est, se non tam matrem exhi∣bet quam nouer∣ram. Sedent in ea Scribae & Phara∣saei, ponentes one∣ra importabilia, in humeris hominum: quae digito non contingunt. Dominantur in Clero, nec forma sunt 〈◊〉〈◊〉, &c. Con∣cutiunt [ D] Ecclesias, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 excitant, collidunt Clericos, & popularium laboribus, & miserijs afflictorum nequa∣quam compatiuntur: Ecclesiarum laetantur spolijs, & quaestum reputant pietatem, iustitiam, non tam veri∣tate quam pretio redimunt. Nocent saepius & eo Daemonas imitantur, tunc prodesse putantur cum no∣cere desistunt. Ipse Romanus Pontifex omnibus grauis & intolerabilis est. Iacob. Almain. Quaest. Vesp. Vtinam Zelus Domus Dei, nostri temporis Praelatos comederet, & Zelarent salutem Christi fidelium plus∣quam pecuniam? Ibid. Cum caput ac si esset in destructionem, sibi potestas data, & non in aedificatio∣nem, in eos qui salutem corpotis intendunt saeuire videatur, & pro eo quod bene arguunt plectere paena. Sext. Decretal. c. Fundamenta. Gloss. Roma fundata a praedonibus, adhuc de primordijs retinet, dicta Roma quasi rodens manus. Roma manus rodit, quod rodere non valet odit. Auentin. Annal. Boior. lib. 4. pag. 322. Faxit Deus Opt. Max. & meliorem mentem det Pontif. nostris, vti omisso luxu fastuque diuitem Princi∣pem 〈◊〉〈◊〉, sequi desinant, fallacissimi mundi huius caduca atque fragilia bona fastidiant. Christum pauperem 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 bibere, & eius crucem humeris portare, tandem discant. Ita fiet, vt vulgo male vltra non audiant, atque castigentur, quod gregem Christianum populum Dei peculiarem [ E] compilent, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, & tanquam escam 〈◊〉〈◊〉 denorent, adeo vt tolerabilior miseris foret con∣ditio sub Imperio Turcarum.