An ansvver to Pope Vrban his inurbanity, expressed in a breue sent to Lowis the French King, exasperating him against the Protestants in France. / VVritten in Latine by the Right Reverend Father in God, Ioseph Lord Bishop of Exeter. ; Translated into English by B.S.

TO POPE VR∣BANE THE EIGHT, BISHOP OF ROME, JOSEPH, Bishop of EXETER, wisheth Sober witts, and Christian Charity.

WHY may not the least Prelate make bolde to reprooue the High Priest? I ask no leaue, nor is there any need; I take the ancient li∣berty. There was not in olde time so much difference betweene Eugubium and Rome, nor betweene Exeters Ishe and Tyber. Hearken therefore now Pope Vrbane to that which ere long thou shalt heare of with heartlesse feare and trem∣bling, at the dreadfull Tribunall of Christ. Those blotts of blood are nothing well sui∣ting

a Pastor of the Christian Flocke. What, maist thou like a dreadfull King of He∣ralds proclaime warre? what meanest thou that so eagerly thou provokest Christian Princes, too too full of blood, to the extir∣pating and horrid massacring their owne subjects? was it for this, that the Keyes were delivered to thy trust, that thou migh∣test open the barrd vp from gates of warre, and the Yvory dores of infernall Pluto? Alas the shadow of Peter tooke these Prote∣stants of France for Malchus, whose eares while he went about to cut off, he com∣mitted but a light errour, and hit them on the throates: or perchance it hath beene said to him from heaven of late, concer∣ning these Animals stabling in France, KILL and EATE? What? art thou Pilot of the Churches peace, and talkest of shining helmets, speares and swords? What o∣ther houling could the She Wolfe, the Damme of thy Romulus haue yelled out, if this fierce roaring become the folde of Pe∣ter? Disgorge thy selfe as much as thou wilt, and stale vpon the ashes of vnhappy Rochell, and scatter with thy blustering

breath the most despised dust of that most miserable City; yet withall call to minde a little, how not many ages past the pre∣decessor of this Lowis, though thine owne Lowis now, broke open the gates of Rome, mouldred the walls, dispersed the Citizens, and condemned thy predecessour to a dark Dungeon, lading him with bitter scoffes and curses. Neither shall many years passe a∣gaine, (vnlesse my divining spirit be much mistaken) before Babylon fall, and the An∣gell shout, and the world congratulate with amazement: Rochells case shall be thine owne case ere long, thou most forlorne of all Cities. Happy he who shall render thee like for like; who also shall dash out the braines of thy children against the stones. In the meane time fraight thy selfe with our miseries, laugh at our teares, make merry at our last gaspes, sing to our sighes, and applaud our vexations. There is a iust Avenger who lookes downe from heaven, whose rod we kisse, and gaspe after his revenge on thee at once. Pleade thou our cause, nay thy cause ô God, J say thine alone. Why may not con∣fident innocency appeal to thee her judge?

If in the whole structure and fabrick of our most holy religion by vs hitherto pro∣fessed, there be any one thing which hath proceeded from the most impure fountain of mans invention, let it even perish, yea let it vtterly perish and bee banished to their Purgatory. But if wee haue not dared to profter any thing to the Christian world, except what thou hast inspired to thy Pro∣phets and Apostles, and by these thy pen∣men, which could not deceiue, wouldest haue delivered most faithfully to thy peo¦ple: surely then either most happily wee erre with thee, ô God of trueth; or thou wilt defend with vs this eternall and onely E∣vangelicall religion.

But thou wilt say that wee poore wret∣ches are deceived, that it is Piety (no doubt) which we accuse of Cruelty; that it is the zeale of the house of God, whereby good Bi∣shop thou art so set on fire, that thou hast so importunely wished and counselled the rooting out all at once of the heretickes a∣biding in France. O Brazen Brow, ô Ada∣mantine heart: We call God, the Angels, and Saints as witnesses of this so hainous re∣proach.

For those whom thou falsely bran∣dest with the markes of heresie, thou shalt heare at length, when the Church shall ac∣knowledge them for her Sonnes, and Christ for his Members. For what (I call God to record) doe wee teach, which the holy Scriptures, the Councils, the Fathers, the Churches, the Christian Chayres haue not with one consent alwayes held? For all those points which wee professe, the most approoved authors among you doe main∣taine them all. There are indeede certaine late superstructions and patches of opini∣ons which you would haue superadded to the ancient Faith. Those we most religiously reject, and do constantly ever refuse them: they are humane, they are yours. Lastly, they are either doubtfull, or impious. And must we therefore being Christian soules, needes bee cast out of the lap of the Church? Must we forthwith be delivered vp to bee devoured by fire and sword? Must we being throwne downe to hell by the thunderbolt of a curse, there burne for ever? Is this all the matter why the stall and shambles, are all the provision your Holinesse makes for

such Animals as vs? Good God! see the Pa∣pall iustice and mercy. This is the meer iniury of time. That was not heresie of olde, which is so now; if we had beene borne in the an∣cient times of the Church, before that Ro∣mane primacy, Image-worship, Transubstantia∣tion, the Sacrifice of the Masse, Purgatory, the private or halfe Communion, the selling of Pardons, and other like brood of this hatch was knowne to the Christian world, hea∣ven lay open truly to vs, no lesse then to o∣ther godly soules of that more simple age, who happily tooke flight from hence in the true falth of Christ. But now that wee haue beene reserved vnto the doting age of the world, in which a certaine new off∣spring of Articles haue begun to spring; it is capitall to vs, and to bee corrected with no lesse punishment then the continuall tor∣ments of hell. Consider this all ye Christi∣ans that liue in any place of the earth, how farre is it from all Justice and Piety, that a new faith can be created in after time by hu∣mane judgement vnheard of in antient ages, which may adjudge Posterity to hell, for not beleeving that which the first, Christi∣ans

never heard of, and yet went to hea∣ven? These greene fresh witts of a Politicke Religion, are in truth the men which most outragiously perplex the world, wherever the name of Christ is heard of. These are they who set at variance among them∣selues the Kings of the earth, who otherwise it is like would bee peaceable. These rent Kingdomes, distract people, dissolue societies, nourish seditions, lay waste the most flouri∣shing Countries, and lastly doe bring the richest Cities to ashes and confusion. But ought these things thus to be done? Doe wee thinke that this will bee found a just cause of deadly warre, or of a Massacre at the tribunall of the great Iudge? Awake oh ye Christian Princes, and thou especial∣ly King Lowis, into whose eares those mis∣chiefs are so vncivilly & cruelly whispered: awake at length and see how cursed fierce∣nesse deviseth to put it selfe vpon your Ma∣iestie after the most mischievous manner vnder a pretence of piety. They are your natiue subiects whom these forreiners re∣quire for the slaughter, yea they are Christs, and what? would you bath your

hand, or sword, in the blood of those for whom Christ shed his, who lavi∣shed most freely for you and your great Parent their owne? Heare SIR, I beseech you, whose stile is among your subjects, LEVVIS THE IVST. If we did wor∣ship any other God, any other Christ then yours, if we aspired to any other heaven, if we held any other Creed, or Baptisme, if in a word wee did make profession of a new Church, leaning vpon other foundations: there would be cause verily why you shold destinate such hereticks remaining in France to revengefull flames. If your people haue violated any thing established by the God of vs all, or lawfully appointed by your selfe, we verily craue no pardon; Let them smart who haue deserved stripes, it is just; But make not havocke of the servants of your owne God, and of your owne sub∣iects, whom Religion it selfe makes faithfull vnto you. Suffer not for a few yesterdayes and superfluous patches of humane invention, and will-worship, added to the Christian re∣ligion, that they perish who haue beene willing to redeeme your and your Fathers

safety and renowne, vvith the greatest ha∣zard of their owne liues; suffer them to liue by you, by whom you now raigne. But if they were not yours, yet remember that they are Christians, (vvith vvhich title your subiects are vvont superlatiuely to honour you as most Christian) and that you are washed in the same Font, bought with the same blood, and renued by the same Spirit; and in a vvord (vvhatsoever vaine furie thundereth out to the contrarie) they are the Sonnes of the Spouse, and the Brothers of the heavenly Bridgegroome.* 1.1 But these doe erre from the faith. From vvhich faith I pray?* 1.2 Not from the Christian, but the Romish. Novv vvhat a prodigious thing is this? Christ con∣demnes not these, yet the Pope doth. If your great Chancellor of Paris vvere novv aliue, hee vvould freely teach his Sorbôna, (vvhich of olde he did) hovv that the Pope hath not power (that I may vse his ovvne vvord) to hereticate any Proposition. Yea,* 1.3 but an vniversall Councel hath condemned thē? Which Councell vvas that? The Trent.* 1.4 I am deceived if that Councell as yet hath beene received and approved in your Domini∣ons.

Consult vvith your antient Authors of best credit, they vvill tell you hovv vn∣iust a Councell it vvas, yea hovv it vvas No Councell at all; that vvhatsoever vvas done or established by that Company being en∣thralled to seven-headed Rome, vvas but the act of one Bishop. Lastly, consider I be∣seech Your Maiestie, hovv the Reformed are not in some kinde to the Papists, as the Pa∣pists are to the Reformed. Heresie is alike sharplie vpbraided on both sides. But doe vve deale so roughlie vvith the professours of the Romish Religion? Did vve ever rage vvith fire and sword against the Papall faith? See, vvas ever the crime of a conscience miserablie misled accounted capitall? It may be You may finde, (yet verie seldome) perchance some impudent Masse-priest, a de∣spiser of publick lawes, a sower of sedition, to haue received his condigne punishment. But no Papist, (I speake confidentlie) vvas ever put to death meerelie for the cause of Religion, or losse either of head or limbe. Why doest not thou then: oh sonne of most milde and clement HENRY, carrie thy selfe alike tovvard thy faithfull sub∣iects

vvho innocentlie professe the refor∣med religion? why doth not Your Maiesty, take order that it may be a trap for no man to haue worshipped God according to the Scriptures, and the practise of the antient Church, and that it may be lawfull for Your subjects to be trulie pious. And thou Pope Vrba••, at last come to thy selfe, and consi∣der how well this cruell sentence becomes thy Purple robes. It becomes not him to carrie a sheepe-crooke, but a sword, that will furrow vp that field. Nor is this net belong∣ing to fishing, but rather to the fencing schooles of the ancient Romish Gladiators. Beautifull are the fee••e of them that preach peace, saith the Prophet, we may say now of thee farr otherwise, Hatefull are the hands of them that preach warre. If thou hadst anie portion in the Gospell of Christ, thou migh∣test easilie judge that all things there sound peace, gentlenesse, meekenesse, concord. This revenging spirit was not sent but from hell. Not the least sound of an hammer is heard in Gods Temple; but You good man will haue the holie Church of God filled with the clangor of trumpetts, and the clashing of

semiters, and the groanes of men ready to dye. Therefore open thy eare at length ô thou who proudlie scornest the judgements of all mortall men. That which heretofore our holie and learned Robert Bishop of Lin∣colne is reported to haue done to thy Pre∣decessour, that doe I now to thee. Let it be lawfull for me now to summon thee to the fearefull tribunall of Almightie God, to which thy trembling and fearefull Ghost shall shortlie be brought to render accompt of that thy bloody advice. In the meane while, if thou hast anie care or thought to flie from the vvrath to come, and es∣cape eternall vengeance, REPENT.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Obiection.
• * 1.2

  Answere.
• * 1.3

  Obiection.
• * 1.4

  Answere.