To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
LOoking in this first article to haue found a syllo∣gisme, which this worthie writer vseth in some articles following, but heere for want of a good medium (as it may seeme) to frame one by, hath omitted, I found a false assertion, and a foolish probation. The asser∣tion,
that we haue no faith. Haue we no faith? The Deuils haue some faith: Saint Iames saith, The Deuils beleeue and tremble, and haue we no faith? we are much beholden vnto you for your charitable opinion of vs. You are by * 1.1 the doctrine of Saint Paule, not to thinke so euill, but to * 1.2 hope the best of them that professe Iesus Christ, and his holy Gospell. But to this your false and slaunderous asser∣tion, I will oppose a true affirmation and confession. We beleeue all that God hath deliuered to vs by Moses, the * 1.3 Prophets, and Apostles, in the old and new Testament: yea we beleeue the contents of the Creeds of the Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasius: and yet haue we no faith? We hope * 1.4 to passe hereafter from death vnto life, and to be parta∣kers of that kingdome of glory, which God hath promised, and Iesus Christ hath purchased for all those that truly be∣leeue in him. We trust that we haue charitie, and loue both towards God and man, although we confesse not in such * 1.5 full and perfect measure as we ought to haue: we with Saint Iohn say, He that loueth not his brother abideth in * 1.6 death. We acknowledge repentance to be one of those chiefe heads wherein the summe of Christianitie is com∣prised. * 1.7 Saint Marke setting forth the summe and substance of Christes doctrine, comprehendeth it in these two, Re∣pent and beleeue the Gospell: so did Saint Paule, witnes∣sing * 1.8 both to the Iewes, and to the Grecians the repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ. We beleeue to be iustified not by our owne works of righ∣teousnes (which we vnprofitable seruants, and prodigall children haue done) nor by the merits of any Saints in * 1.9 heauen or in earth, but by the mercies of God, purchased * 1.10 vnto vs by the blessed and bloudy merits of Iesus Christ, and applied vnto our soules by the hand of faith, by the * 1.11 which Christ doth dwell in our harts, and is made ours. We beleeue that we are true members of that holy Ca∣tholike * 1.12 Church, which is Christes mysticall body, and * 1.13 whereof he is the head: which is his spouse, and he the bridegroome: which is his flock, and he the shepheard: which is the heauenly Hierusalem the Mother of vs all: * 1.14
finally, which is the number of Gods elect and chosen peo∣ple, that shall rest with Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, in the Kingdome of Heauen. And we know that we haue per∣ticular * 1.15 and visible Churches, wherein Gods word is more truly preached, the Sacraments seales of the word, are more purely ministred, and Gods name more faithfully inuocated and called vpon, then in any or all the Romish Synagogues. Indeede we haue no Idolatrous altars, to offer either carnall or externall sacrifices vpon, as though * 1.16 Christs sweete smelling sacrifice were not yet offered: but we haue Mensam Domini the Lords Table, whereupon we minister the Supper of Christ, which is a holy Sacra∣ment * 1.17 of Christs body and bloud giuen for vs, a memoriall of his death and passion, and a pledge of our redemption and saluation purchased thereby. We haue that sweete smelling and sufficient sacrifice, which Iesus Christ by his * 1.18 eternall spirit offered without fault vnto God, to purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God. As for the sacrifice of the masse, as being iniurious to the said sacrifice of Iesus Christ, which he once, for all, and for euer offered vpon the Altar of the Crosse, we deny, and defie. We haue no thauen nor greased priests to offer the said false and forged sacrifice of the Masse: but we haue * 1.19 priests, pastours, or ministers, howsoeuer we terme them, according to the ordinance of Christ, to preach his holy Gospell, and to administer his sacraments to his Church. We haue and vse that religion which hath the testimonie * 1.20 of the law & prophets, and wherein the true worship and seruice of God, according to his will reuealed in his ho∣ly word is contained: your 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and superstition we flee and forsake. Finally, we haue that Christ, which came into this world to saue sinners, and which is that Lambe * 1.21 of God, that taketh away the sinne of the world, whom we acknowledge more soundly to be our onely high prophet, * 1.22 to instruct vs in the will of his father, whose onely voyce we must heare; our onely high priest, with the sacrifice of his body and bloud once offered to redeeme vs, and re∣concile vs vnto God; our onely mediator and intercessorto
sit for euer at the right hand of God to make interces∣sion for vs; and our onely high king, to deliuer vs out of the hands of our enemies, to giue lawes vnto our consci∣ences, and to rule vs with the scepter of his holy word, then the Pope, and all his adherents doe. This our true confession whereunto God and our consciences be wit∣nesses, we oppose to your false and slaunderous obtrecta∣tion and accusation, saying with Saint Paul, We passe very * 1.23 little to be iudged of you, or of mans iudgement: and with him also exhort you not to iudge before the time, vntill the Lord come, who will lighten things that are hid in darkenes, and make the counsels of the harts manifest, and then shall euery man haue praise of God. Further I doe exhort you that take vpon you so seuerely to censure and iudge others, carefully to take heede to your selues, that you haue not a false faith grounded not vpon Gods promises, contained in his word; but vpon mans deuises and traditions, which as Epiphanius saith, as worse then no * 1.24 faith. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: and that you be not voyde of true hope, by teaching the doctrine of doubting (where∣of I shall speake hereafter) and by fearing to be after death throwne into the firie torments of purgatorie: and that you want not true charitie, in iudging so falsely and ma∣liciously, and persecuting vs so cruelly, as you vse to doe, when time and power serueth you: and that you haue no true repentance, nor remorse of conscience for sinne, in persisting so, obstinately in damnable doctrine, and abo∣minable idolatrie: and that by leaning to your owne righteousnes, and the merites of other men, which were sinners themselues, you lose not that true iustification which is the righteousnes of God, by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleeue, which is onely able to stand and discharge vs, before the iudgement seate * 1.25 of Iesus Christ, and is the onely strong staffe to leane vp∣on, to leap ouer the ditch of damnation, and beware (I say) that you leaning vpon the weake reede of your owne merites and others, fall not into the middest thereof, from which there is norising: take heede you be not of the ma∣lignant
Church, which heareth not the voyce of Christ, and wherein that man of sinne, and sonne of perdition sitteth and raigneth: and that you haue not such Idola∣trous altars, as Ieneboam had, against which the man of God cried, and vpon which the like iudgement of God fell, * 1.26 as hath done vpon yours now: And that you haue not a false forged sacrifice, which appeaseth not, but daily pro∣uoketh Gods wrath against you, and that you be not without priests to teach the law of God truely, but haue swarmes of such priests, as say not where is the Lord, and * 1.27 know not God, but prophesie in Baal, which haue gone * 1.28 out of the way, and haue caused many to fall by the law, &c. Beware that you be not without religion, remem∣bring the saying of Lactantius: Quare non est dubium, quin * 1.29 veligio nulla, sit, vbicunque simulachrum est: that is, wherefore there is no doubt, but that there is no religion, whereso∣euer an Image is. Finally, I say againe and againe, beware that you forsake not the true Christ, and worship Anti∣christ, sitting in the westerne Babylon built vpon seuen * 1.30 hilles, which in the dayes of Saint Iohn raigned ouer the Kings of the earth: wherefore be not so rash in iudging * 1.31 so hardly and vncharitably of others, but examine and iudge your selues, that you be not iudged of the Lord. But I now come to your pithie probation of this your vn∣charitable * 1.32 and shameles assertion. The reason you say is: For if they haue, then the world was without them for a thousand yeares (as they themselues must needes confesse, videl. all the time their Church was eclipsed) and for 1500. as we will proue by the testimonie of all records of an∣tiquitie, &c. Whereunto I answere, that if we take the world in that sense, which the scripture sometimes doth, for the multitude and societie of them, whereof the Diuell is prince: which hateth Christ and his true disciples, which * 1.33 is set vpon wickednes: for the which our Sauiour Christ * 1.34 refused to pray saying, I pray not for the world: and * 1.35 where of Iudas (not Iscariot) did say, what is the cause, that * 1.36 thou wilt shew thy selfe to vs, and not vnto the world? In * 1.37 this sense I may grant that the world hath not had these * 1.38
gifts of Gods grace these thousand yeares, and put another thousand and more vnto them. But if we take the world more generally for this great globe, and all the inhabi∣tants thereof, then proue by the testimonie of all antiqui∣tie that the doctrine which we teach and professe hath not been these 1500. yeares in the world, and we will yeeld, and you shall winne the victorie. But it is vsuall with you and your fellowes to make great and braue bragges to amaze the simple and ignorant; and to bring small and poore proofes (as you doe here none at all) to perswade the wise and learned: great braggers are no great doers. In deede we confesse that the Church is well compared by Saint Augustine to the Moone. For as the * 1.39 Moone receiueth her light from the Sunne: so doth the true Church receiue her light from Iesus Christ the sunne of righteousnes. And as the Moone is sometimes in the * 1.40 full, and shineth in full brightnes, and sometimes is in the waine, and sometimes is eclipsed, and doth little appeare: euen so the Church is sometimes in the full, and shineth in full brightnes and glorie as in the Apostles times, and diuers hundreth yeares after it did: sometimes it is in the waine and eclipsed, as for many hundred yeares last past it hath been, in which that Apostasie from the faith is come, which Saint Paul by the spirit of God foreshewed, and the euent hath proued by Mahometisme in the East, * 1.41 and Papisme in the West. During which time although the Church hath been driuen into the wildernes, and the * 1.42 light of true doctrine (which is the soule of the Church) hath been eclipsed, yet they haue neuer vtterly perished. For in all ages God in mercie hath reserued a remnant ac∣cording to the election of grace, by whom the light of his * 1.43 truth hath been preserued, and in whom those admirable promises of his mercie haue been performed. These haue been, not proude Popes treading vpon Emperours neckes, deposing them from their Crownes and Kingdomes, ray∣sing bloudie battels, and pouling and spoyling Christian countries with greeuous and horrible exactions and de∣uises, as might be shewed: not carnall Cardinals Princes
peeres, hauing 200. and 300. benefices apeece, as Gerson * 1.44 and Clamangis Parisian Doctors before named doe af∣firme, not popish blinde prelates, Abbats, Monkes, priests, &c. wallowing in all worldly wealth, and for the most part in great filthines of life, as hereafter I will shew: but such as the Apostle speaketh of, that haue been tried by * 1.45 mockings and scourginges, yea by bondes & prisonment, which were stoned, hewen asunder, tempted, slaine with the sworde, wandred vp and downe in sheepe-skinnes, and in goates skinnes, destituted, afflicted and tormented, whom the world was not worthie of, which wandred in wildernesses and mountaines, and dennes, and caues of the earth. Such were those good people (in the time of the foresaid apostacie) the Waldenses and Pauperes de Lugduno dispersed in diuers countries, as namely Calabria, Sauoye, Prouence in Fraunce, of whom many both long agoe in sundrie places and diuers times were burned, as it is writ∣ten in the old booke called Fasciculus Temporum: and also * 1.46 of late yeares were most cruelly and vnmercifully perse cuted in Merindoll, the valley of Angrone, Luserne, and * 1.47 Saint Martin: Such were they that were called Begardi, of whom to the number of 114. were burnt at Paris, as the foresaid booke Fasciculus Tempo. sheweth. Such were * 1.48 they that were called Albingenses inhabiting especially about Tholossa in Fraunce, of whom by the procurement of that false Frier, and superstitious Hypocrite Dominicus * 1.49 an hundreth thousand were destroyed, as writeth Ber∣nardus Lutzenburgus, and an 180. were together burned, * 1.50 as both Antoninus the Arch-bishop of Florence writeth, and Bellarmine himselfe confesseth. Such were they of * 1.51 whom Albertus Crantius writeth, which in Sueuia pub∣likly * 1.52 preached, that the Pope, Bishops and prelaces were heretikes and Simoniakes; that the begging Friers did peruert the Church with their false preachings, for the which they were persecuted and some burned. Such were they in Bohemia and Morauia in great number, with whom Aeneas Syluius (who was Pope called Pius the se∣cond) hauing had conference, writeth thus of one of them.
Finitis sermonibus istis assurrexit vnus de primoribus Thabo∣ritarum, & animo satis inflato, quid tu nobis, inquit, apostoli∣cam * 1.53 sedem tot verbis amplificas? Nos Papam & Cardinales anaritiae seruos nouimus, impatientes, inflatos, tumidos, ven∣tri ac libidini deditos, ministros scelerum, diaboli sacerdotes, & Antichristi praecursores, quorum deus venter est, pecunia caelum. That is, when these speeches were ended, there did rise vp one of the chiefe of the Thaborites, and with an hautie minde said, What dost thou amplifie to vs in so ma∣ny wordes the Apostolicall seate? we know that the Pope and the Cardinals be slaues to couetousnes, imputient, proud, arrogant, giuen to the bellie, and filthie lust; the ministers of wickednes, the priests of the diuell, and the forerunners of Antichrist, whose God is their bellie, and whose heauen is money. Such also was Arnoldus Brixianus, persecuted by that proud English Pope Adrian the fourth, anno 1155. Iohn Rochetailada burnt at Auinion by Pope * 1.54 Clement the sixt 1345. Michael Cesenas burnt 1322. Iohn Wickliffe, who died 1387. and after his death his body was burnt. Two Franciscan Friers burnt at Auinion by Pope * 1.55 Innocent the sixt 1354. Two others burnt at London 1357. William Swinderby burnt 1401. William White burnt 1428. * 1.56 Peter Clarke, and Peter Paine 1433. persecuted and forced to flee into Bohemia. Thomas Rhedonensis burnt at Rome 1430. Mattheus Palmerius burnt at Florence, as witnes∣seth * 1.57 Sabellicus. Dulcinus of Nouaria and Margaret his wife burnt about the yeare of our Lord 1304. Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage burnt at Constance 1415. 1416. Hie∣romus * 1.58 Sauonarola burnt at Florence 1499. These and many such other that might be produced with their faith∣full fauourers and followers, were the true Church of God, in whom his mercifull promises were performed. These are they that haue mourned in Zion, that haue la∣mented and cryed for all the abominations that haue * 1.59 been don in Ierusalem, or rather in Rome, that were killed * 1.60 for the word of God, and for the testimonie which they * 1.61 maintained, and which came out of great tribulation, and haue washed their robes in the bloud of the Lamb. But * 1.62
these now haue beautie for ashes, the oyle of ioy for mour∣ning, * 1.63 the garment of gladnes for the spirit of heauines, and are trees of righteousnes, the planting of the Lord, in whom he is glorified, they be now vnder the altar, and * 1.64 are in the presence of the throne of God, and serue him day and night in his temple, and he that sitteth on the throne doth dwell among them, neither doth the sunne light on them, neither any heate. But this man will say, * 1.65 that these were condemned and punished by the Church for heretikes. I confesse they were so, euen as the Prophets of God, Christ our Sauiour, and his holy Apostles were before them condemned by the prelates and priests of the Church of Israel, which caried the countenance of the Church of God, as much and more rightly then the Pope and his prelates now doe. Neither were these so few in number, but that by confession of some popish writers, the Romish false faith was sometimes in danger to haue been subuerted by them. Wernerus a Charterhouse Monke of Colen in his foresaid booke called Fasciculus temporum * 1.66 writeth thus: Fuerunt nihilominus postea quidam subtilissi∣mi haeretici, qui istam haeresim Waldensium defendere cona∣bantur, & plura regna & populos deceperunt: that is, notwith∣standing there were afterwards some most subtill here∣tikes, which went about to defend this heresie of the Wal∣denses, and deceiued (or rather truely instructed) many kingdomes and nations. And againe, hauing made men∣tion * 1.67 of certaine popish doctors in those dayes, as Hugo Cardinalis, &c. he hath these words: Quos diuina bonitas * 1.68 misit pro fidei defensione, alioquin tota pene fides perijsset prop∣ter haereticorum multiplicitatem, & subtilitatem simul & potentiam: that is, whom God sent for the defence of the faith, for otherwaies it had like wholy to haue perished by reason of the multitude, subtiltie and power of here∣tikes. It appeareth by the testimonie of this popish Monke, that in those dayes there were verie many of them whom he falsely calleth heretikes. And whereas these de∣tested the enormities and abominations of the Church of Rome, and maintained the same substantiall and fun∣damentall
points of doctrine that we doe, (as it appeareth by the articles obiected vnto them that they did) how doth this man say that our religion was not these 1500. yeares in the world? It was in the world, but hated of the world, which hated Christ: yet was it constantly confessed * 1.69 euen to death of them whom God the Father hath giuen to Christ out of the world. Hereby it may sufficiently ap∣peare, * 1.70 that the Synagogue of the Iewes hath not bin more constant in continuance, nor more ample in place, then the true Church of Christ hath been. In deede it may be, that the Synagogues of the Iewes haue continued in some certaine places more constantly, then the true Churches of Iesus Christ haue done: Yet hereupon it doth not follow, that either Gods admirable promises haue not bin perfor∣med, or that the true Church hath perished. It is not the Synagogue of the Iewes, but the true Church of God, that is clothed with Christ the sun of righteousnes, treadeth vn∣der * 1.71 her feete earthly things, which be mutable as ye moone, and is adorned with the Doctrine of Christs twelue Apo∣stles, which is forced to flee into the wildernes. Chrysostome * 1.72 saith well: Ecclesia est tabernaculū à deo fixum non ab homine: ab vno loco in alium fugit, sed non à pietate ad impietatem fugit. that is. The Church is the tabernacle which God hath pight and not man, she fleeth from one place to another, but she neuer fleeth from godlines to impietie and wickednes. As Barrabas found here more fauour with the prelates and priests of Iudah and Ierusalem, then Iesus Christ the son of God did: So the Popes and Iewes Synagogues haue found more fauour, and more quietly rested in this wicked world, then the true Church of Iesus Christ hath done. As euen in Rome the Iewes, professed and open enemies of our Sa∣uiour Christ, haue had and yet haue their Synagogues, and liue (paying their tributes) in as great quietnes and safetie, as the Curtizans & Whores of Rome do, which pay yearely * 1.73 to the Pope twentie thousand duckates. It is written in the pontificall, that at the coronation of the Pope, and in his procession to ye Church of Laterane, the Iewes vse to meete him, and making curtesie do offer the law to him, to whom
he giueth a gentle answere. But whereas the foresaid Arnol∣dus Brixianus a great learned man reproued the errors and enormities of the Church of Rome, Adrian the foure our * 1.74 proud countriman (who rebuked the Emperor for holding his wrong stirrop) would not go vp to the Church of Late∣rane to be consecrate, vntill he were driuen but of Rome. * 1.75 There was also one Arnulphus in Rome a godly mā, whom many of the inhabitants thereof acknowledged for a true disciple of Christ, that was there murthered by the priests for inueighing against their wickednesse. Also in a towne * 1.76 neere Rome called Pole, the lord thereof with many others * 1.77 were counted heretikes, for saying that none of them which followed Peter were ye true vicars of Christ, but such as fol∣lowed the pouerty of Christ. These Pope Paulus the second persecuted and contumeliously intreated, as Platina and Sabellicus doe write. Hereby we see that it is a thing more allowable in Rome, to denie Christ as the Iewes doe, then to meddle with the Popes triple crowne, or to reproue his pride, and enormities.
This our doctrine of performing Gods admirable pro∣mises not in proud Popes, and wicked worldlings, but in the faithfull which feare God, tremble at his word, and are for the most part hated and persecuted in the world, doth neither shew the path to Atheisme, nor open the gap to Machiuilian deuises, which by the testimonie of some papists themselues are no where sooner learned then in that schoole, wherein T. W. the author of this slanderous li∣bell, hath bin (as I suppose) too much and too long trained. I meane the schoole of Iesuites, of whom William Watson a popish secular priest in his booke of Quodlibets lately pub∣lished doth thus write; Many Atheal paradoxes be taught in * 1.78 the Iesuites conclaue, or close conuenticles. Aga. Questionles the Iesuits want neither art nor euill will, nor yet malitious meanes to effect it, as hauing vsed from the beginning more Macha∣uilian deuises, and Atheal practises in secret conference by their inferior agents with schismatikes, yea and with our common aduersaries, then with catholikes. Againe: It must needes fol∣low, * 1.79 that there is not a Iesuite in all England this day, but
hath a bitter smack of father Parsons impiety, irreligiosity, treachery, treason, & Machiuilian Atheisme. Again neither Machiuel, nor any that euer yet was in Europe came neere * 1.80 vnto the Iesuites for Atheal deuises to preuent the stopples of their stratagems, and to further their proceedings. Againe: But I call them Iesuiticall (that is, the faction of * 1.81 the Iesuites) by abbreuiation to auoyde circumlocution, in one word expressing them to be a factious, seditious, ambitious, auaritious, treacherous, traiterous, Machiui∣lian, Atheall consort, that abusing the rules of their socie∣tie, &c. By the iudgement of this popish priest, let the good reader consider who they be, that shew the path to Athe∣isme, and open the gap to Machiuilian deuises.
Iam. 2. 19.
1. Cor. 13. 7.
Faith.
Hope.
Charitie.
1. Iohn 3. 14.
Repentance.
Marke 1. 16. Acts 20. 21.
Iustification.
Luke 17. 10. & 15. 21.
Iohn 3. 36. Rom. 3. 25. & 4. 5.
Ephes 2. 8.
Ephes. 3. 17. Church.
Galath. 4. 26.
Matth. 8. 11.
Altas.
1. Cor. 10. 21.
Sacrifice. Heber. 9. 14.
Priests.
Religion. Rom. 3.
Christ. 1. Tim. 1. 15. Ioh. 1. 29.
Matth. 17. 5.
1. Cor. 4. 3.
Epipha. in An∣corato.
Rom. 3. 22.
1. King. 13. 2.
Ierem. 2. 8.
Malach. 2. 8.
Lactant. de ori∣gi. erroris lib. 2. cap. 19.
August. de ciui∣tate dei lib. 18. cap. 2.
Apoc. 17. 9. 18.
1. Cor. 11. 31.
Ioh. 14. 30.
2. Cor. 4. 4.
Ioh. 15. 18 19.
1. Ioh. 5. 19.
Ioh 17. 9.
Ioh. 14. 22.
August. in Psal. 10.
Malach. 4. 2.
2. Thes. 2. 3. 1. Tim. 4. 1.
Apoca. 12.
Rom. 11. 5.
Gerson tom. x. de defect. Viro∣rum ecclesiast. Nicol. Clama. de corrupto sta∣tu ecclesiae.
Heber. 11. 36.
Aetate 6. fol. 84
See Acts and monuments tom. 2.
Ibidem fascicul. temporum.
Vincent. Bella. Specu. Histor.
lib. 29. cap. 103 Anton. hist.
part. 3. titul. 19. cap. 1. §. 4.
Crant. in Me∣tropo lib. 8. cap. 18 & lib. 10. cap 9.
Aeneas Syluins epist. 130. pag. 677.
Frosard fol. 54.
Polychron. lib. 6.
Polidor Virg. lib. 19.
Anton. part. 3. titul. 22. cap. 10.
Sabel. Enne. 10. lib. 4.
Isa. 61. 3.
Ezech 9. 5.
Apoc. 6. 9. 19.
Apoca 7. 14.
Isa. 61. 3.
Apoc. 6. 9.
7. 15.
Fascicu. Temps. aetat. 6. fol. 78.
1233.
Fol. 80.
Ioh. 15. 18. 19.
Ioh. 17. 6. 9.
Apoca. 12. 1.
Chrysostom in psal. 114.
Cornel. Agrip. de Vanitate Scient. cap. 64.
Platina in Adriano. 4.
Platina in Ho∣norio. 2.
Platina in Pau∣lo. 2.
Sabellicus En∣nead. 10. lib. 7.
Quedlib. 1. art. 9. pag. 21. Ibidem.
Quodlib 4. art. 4. pag. 112.
Quodli. 9. art. 7 pag. 314.
In the appen∣dix to the Quodli. pag. 346.