An antilogie or counterplea to An apologicall (he should haue said) apologeticall epistle published by a fauorite of the Romane separation, and (as is supposed) one of the Ignatian faction wherein two hundred vntruths and slaunders are discouered, and many politicke obiections of the Romaines answered. Dedicated to the Kings most excellent Maiestie by Andrevv Willet, Professor of Diuinitie.

The Defensatiue.

1. WE depend not for our faith vpon any Arch∣bishops, whether Papall or Protestants: we receiue not our faith of men, neither are pinned vpon their sleeues for our iudgement in Religion: the Apostle hath taught vs, that we should not haue the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons: Iam. 2.1. Yet the three Protestant Bishops rehearsed, prouing their faith by the Scriptures, are more to be credited, then all their pre∣decessors, grounding their beleefe vpon humane traditi∣ons: Neither did they vary, as is surmised, in the substan∣tiall and fundamental points of religion, or were therein of three diuerse, much lesse of seuen or eight sundry religions.

2. Though to be quartered for denying the suprema∣cy, and maintaining the forraine iurisdiction of the Pope, be a condigne punishment for trayterous Papists▪ and pro∣per vnto such rebellious and disloyall persons, as the Iuda∣sites and Baals Priests haue bene found to be: yet it is cer∣taine that blessed Cranmer was burned for Protestancie, as were learned Ridley, godly Latimer, zealous Hooper, con∣stant

Ferrar; all Protestant Bishops. Cranmers godly life and Episcopall vertues, his sobernesse, gentlenesse, cha∣ritie, humilitie, soundnesse of doctrine, diligence in his calling, are at large set forth by the graue pen of that faith∣full seruant of God maister Fox; such as in few of his pre∣decessors are to be found, neither his aduersaries are euer able to confound. His learning also was well knowne, as appeareth by his learned bookes: as that of the Sacra∣ment: which as he himselfe testified, was set foorth seuen yeares agoe then, and no man hath brought any authors a∣gainst it.

3. He was acquited and pardoned of high treason, and not thereof condemned, as he vntruly reporteth, & stood onely in the case of doctrine: he was not periured, hauing taken an oath to the Pope onely vnder protestation, as he himselfe confesseth. And if he had sworne obedience sim∣ply to the Pope, it was an vniust oath: like vnto Herods, and not to be kept. The law saith, Illicitum iuramentum non valet: an vnlawfull oath is of no force. And their owne Ca∣nons say: Iuramentum contra bonos mores non ligat: an oath against good manners bindeth not. So is the oath made to the Pope: it is vniust to Princes, to whom due obedi∣ence is denied; and against good manners, in that disloy∣altie to the Prince is thereby maintained. The Popish Bi∣shops rather were periured, that being sworne to the King first, tooke afterwards a contrarie oath to the Pope, as Bishop Cranmer obiecteth to Bishop Brooke; whereas their first oath was lawfull and iust, and therefore firmely to be holden. Those fifty Clergie mens hands were not counterfeited by Cranmer, but subscribed by themselues, for the abrogation of the Papall iurisdiction: Indeed Fisher charged Archbishop Warrham with counterfeiting of his hand in the sitting at Blacke-friers about the busi∣nesse of the kings mariage.

He recanted his errour, and executed iust reuenge vp∣pon his right hand, that was the instrument of his rash subscription; first consuming the same in the flames of the fire. This is no more disgrace vnto him then Peters teares

and repentance for denying of his Maister: neither was he by their law in case of relapse, when he was adiudged to the fire, hauing not as yet shewed his remorse of consci∣ence, and repentance for his vnaduised act of subscription. He was hissed indeed of the young headie schollers: but that argueth their temerity, not that reuerend fathers sim∣plicity. The Donatists serued the Catholike Bishops after the same maner, making such a noise, that they could not go on in their defence: say also, that Augustine & the other Catholikes were therfore disgraced and put to silence.

4. Cōcerning the Popish Archbishops: 1. if nūber might preuaile, the high priests by a greater proportion exceeded our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles, and the pagan sacri∣ficers the Christian Bishops and preachers. 2. Many of them were not very holy men: whereof some were dis∣loyall to their princes, as Thomas Becket to Henry the se∣cond, Robert Winchelsey to Edward the first, Thomas Arundell to Richard the second, who was by Parlia∣ment adiudged a traytor. Diuerse of them were busie, ma∣litious, vncharitable, contentious, as Baldwine, Stephen Laughton: Richardus Magnus had great strife with the Monkes of Canterbury: Boniface, Kilwaruy with the Arch∣bishops of Yorke, for bearing vp of their Masse in London and Kent: Iohn Peccham with Thomas Bishop of Hereford: such was the holinesse and meeknesse of these proud papal Archbishops. 3. For their miracles, they were meere forge∣ries: such as are reported of Dunstane, that he caused an Harpe to sing and play alone hanging on the wall, how he held the diuel by the nose with a paire of tonges, tempting him with women: such were the fained miracles of Thomas Becket, which were condemned by the great men of the land as fables: Magnates interdixerunt, ne quis martyrem Thomā nominaret, ne quis miracula eius praedicaret: the great men forbad, that no man should call Thomas a martyr, or speake of his miracles.

4. Neither were many of them such learned Clarkes: though some of them, I confesse, had more learning then true pietie or honestie, as Lanfranke, Anselme;

yet for the rest, what were they? Was not Augustine the founder of that Sea, a great Diuine, that must needs send to Gregory for resolution in these profound questions: Whether a woman great with child may be baptized: after how many dayes the infant ought to be receiued to baptizme, and such like? And it should seeme that learning in their Archbishops was not greatly requisite: when Robert Bur∣nell Bishop of Bath, and Thomas Cobham, two reuerend and learned men being elected were refused; and Peccham a gray Frier, and Reinald Bishop of Winchester, an ambi∣tious man, better acquainted with suites of law (being Chancellor) then questions of Diuinity, were appointed in their stead.

5. But as I hold Bishop Cranmer in true learning and sound Diuinity, to be equall to any his prodecessours; so in godly constancie to go before them: for he was the first and onely Martyr of that Sea, that died for the truth. Elphegus the 26. Archbishop was stoned to death for de∣nying tribute to the Danes: Simon Sudbury was beheaded of the rebels, because he gaue counsell that the king should not come at them to heare their complaints: But neither of these died in the cause of religion.

6. Neither did the truth want witnesses from among these auncient Archbishops: Cuthbertus the 11. Archbi∣shop, forbad all funerall exequies to be made for him after he was dead: Elfricus the 26. did write certaine Sermons against transubstantiation, the authenticals thereof are yet extant in the libraries of Exceter and Worcester: Simon Islip forbad vpon paine of excommunication, that no man should abstaine from bodily labours vpon certaine Saints dayes. Therefore euen amongst them, the Lord left not himselfe altogether 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, without witnesse, as the Apostle sayth. Wherefore he hath gained nothing, by this mustering of his Popish Archbishops: of whō we may say, as our Sauiour of the Pharises, They are blind lea∣ders of the blind: Math. 13.14. Hierome sayth well of such: Quòd me damnant episcopi, nō est ratio, sed conspiratio; quorum authoritas me opprimere potest, docere non potest: In that the

Bishops condemne vs, it is no reason, but treason; their autho∣rity may impeach me, but not teach me. Metellus, because he was blind, was forbidden among the Romaines to ex∣ercise his Priesthood: and they had a law, that no Augurs, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, hauing any soare or disease, should execute their office: As litle regard is to be had to these blind prelates, lame and diseased in iudgement; as in the same place it is expounded: that it is not fit for them that are corrupted and diseased in their soules, to handle Diuine things.

Notes

• Fox p. 1865.
• Fox p. 1874.
• Fox p. 1418. col. 1.
• Fox p. 1575. col. 1.
• Stow.
• Augustin. breuiat. collation. 3.
• Fox. p. 395. A••n. 21. Ric. 2. titul. 16.
• Fox. p. 394. p. 395.
• Fox. p. 156. col. 2.
• Ex Hector. Crikeladens.
• Fox p. 117.
• Fox. p. 395.
• Fox. p. 120.
• Stow in Richard. 2.
• Wil. Malmes∣bury de viti••. lib. 1.
• Fox. p. 1139.
• Fo. 396. col. 1.
• Act. 14.17.
• Senec. de∣clamat. 2.
• Plutarch. quaest. Rom. q. 73. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.