A Caveat for Parsons Howlet

A Caveat for Howlet, and the rest of his dark brood.

PARSONS HOWLET, I am much beholding to you for youre good remembrance, in your flattering, fraudulent & presumptuous epistle, dedicated to our moste gracious Soueraign, the Queens most excellent Majesty. Who would have thought, that after twenty three years, in the clear light of the gospel, such an obscure owl as yourself, whom all the kindly birds of the day must needs wonder at, durst ever have fluttered forth in the broad day and skriched out in her Majesty's ears, such notable untruths and wicked asseverations, complaining of the hard case and grievous persecutions, 〈◊〉 of youre Catholics (as you call them:) her highness being a prince of such knowledge, so settled and confirmed in the truth of Christ's 〈◊〉 , that all your devises, flattering & fawning speeches, conspiracies and traitorous attempts, shall never (I trust,) be able by God's grace, either to fear or remove, from that glorious truth, which shec hath professed to maintain and continue to the uttermost end of her life. The causes that moved youre dedication, (though the matter were not your own) was the composition and penning of it, being done (as you say) in great modestye and humilitye, with all 〈◊〉 full respect, 〈◊〉 to her Majesty, her Counsailors, and whole estate: 〈◊〉 (you say) to the proceeding of all Sectaries (his zeal & opinion in religiō only 〈◊〉 , erued:) the other, the weightiness of importing her 〈◊〉 soul-health, estate, and Realm, 〈◊〉 the salvation of many: thousands 〈◊〉 for 〈◊◊〉 , 〈◊〉 her confident Children, her highness their mother, and 〈◊〉 Princesse, before a 〈◊〉 they lay down their griefs, as before the Substitute and Angel of God, &c. If these causes were in deed as you pretend, you were the more to be borne with, but being subtle, slanderous and false, youre presumption is intolerable. For first, for the manner of conceiving & penning that treatise, if it had ben done with such modesty and humility you speak of, you would not so have betrayed her majesty with a Judas Kysse, crying All hail and yet putting her into her enemies hands. You would not bear the world in hand, as if of her self she 〈◊〉 youre Religion, and yet so slanderously charge her Majesty's Realm and government with such diuersitye of Sectes, contrary to the truth of God. you would not have charged the glorious religion of Christ, to be heresy, and the Church of God, & it to be the Synagogue of Antichrist from which upon pain of damnation, all your Cateline Catholics must 〈◊〉 , and not communicate, but must with all their powers resist and avoid. You would not have snared and entangled the consciences of the modester sort of your dissembling, timeseruing Hipocrites, even as yourself account them, (who are yet the bane of this lande, hated of you, and to us as pricks and thorns in our sides) charging thē to sin against the holy ghost, (wherein you bewray your slender divinity) you would not so have 〈◊〉 her Majesty for a Schismatike, her Nobles for heretics, her whole people for departers and sallers away from the faith and true religion. You kiss her, and yet you smite her. you faune upon her like gentle Spaniels, and 〈◊〉 most cruelly you bite her, ( tanquam canes clanculo 〈◊〉 , as the proverb is, like butchers cutres. you praise her clemency and mercy, and yet you charge her majesties government with unspeakable outrage and cruelty. And if you meant as you speak, calling her The Lord's 〈◊〉 , the Angel of God, the Lord's substitute your mother, 〈◊◊〉 you lay 〈◊〉 your 〈◊〉 concerning religion, and 〈◊◊〉 of her, Seeing in flattery you acknowledge this to do harm, why, do not you and the rest to do good, acknoweledge it in truth, and so deny the pope his foreign jurisdiction within this realm? And 〈◊〉 she be the Lord's Angel and substitute; what hath the Pope to do to entermeddle in her territories and kingdoms? Or have you M. Howlet any special privilege or commission to speak so directly against one of your own grounds, to charm the Prince withal, to the end she may lend a listening ear to youre unjust complaints? For that which you acknowledge in her, calling her the Lord's substitute, would be condemned as rank heresy in us, because it importeth that she hath authority to hear and determine in causes of religion (as in deed she hath) according to the word of God. Such as you call at unawares Sectaries, more favorably then you mean, thereby meaning the 〈◊〉 of the Gospel were never 〈◊〉 with such outrage and immodestye of Spirit to the dishonoure of their natural prince, to pronounce her a Schismatic and an heretic, laboring to discharge her subiectës from their dutiful obedience, too justle her out of her seat, and to pluck the Crown from her head, as you 〈◊〉 have done. If you think that I speak partially, let the Bull that Felton set up, sent from your abhominable Father of Rome, be remembered, and the issue that came of it, Let Sanders in his book of the visible monarchy of the church, be heard to speak, Let Harding Dorman and Bristow say for themselves. Let Ross Morgan Phillips, and such like traitors be examined, howe they have borne them selves together with this popeholy papiste of the 〈◊〉 sort of Papists, who can abide no communicating with us, nor our religion in any respect. And as for the weightiness of the matter being God's cause, importing her highness salvation, Estate, and Realm, with the safeguard of Thousandes, it is but a shameful asking of that which yet is in question betwixt us. This Owl and his Gentleman, should first have proved their particular church of Rome, to be the 〈◊〉 Church of Christ. They should first have set down wherein our Church hath departed from the doctrine of Christ and his 〈◊〉 , in what 〈◊〉 , 〈◊◊〉 , Nobles; and 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 set, and continue in Heresic and 〈◊◊〉 the word of God: and then the consequence had 〈◊〉 plain, that all Christians must separate them selves from us, so they had won their cause. For we agree with them, that there ought to be no dissimulation in the matters of God, that 〈◊〉 are to be 〈◊〉 , that their 〈◊〉 is to be avoided: but we affirm that they are those heretics in that Apostaticall 〈◊〉 fallen from that wholesome 〈◊〉 of Christ; and his Apostles: We affirm that 〈◊〉 and Lordship of Rome, and the tyrannous 〈◊〉 thereof over the 〈◊〉 , to be that Babylon, out of which we are commanded to depart, that we be not 〈◊〉 of the same destruction together with them. But alacke, this is your old 〈◊〉 , Howlet, when you cannot obtain youre purpose, 〈◊〉 by the Popes threatening thunderboltes of excommunication, or by your 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 books to stir up her 〈◊〉 to rebellion, then you fall to your 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 glossing. You file your tongues, and make them smoother then 〈◊〉 , they seem sweeter then honye, but the poison of Asps is under them: then your compassion 〈◊〉 out, her highness clemencye and mercy is praised in youre want of punishment, which yet in deed is her greatest danger, and then she is a mother, whom notwithstanding in deed you 〈◊〉 a stepdame: a sovereign princessc and yet no Queen of yours, neither her Tawes any 〈◊〉 , because she is not established by your popes authority, your God's vicar, of whom you would have her hold her crown in fee 〈◊〉 , either as tenant at will, or else as 〈◊〉 by youre treasons king 〈◊〉 was compelled to do, that he might take it again 〈◊〉 your Popc, & pay a 〈◊◊〉 for it, to he deposed or 〈◊〉 at his 〈◊〉 , whom you hold not to 〈◊〉 , when 〈◊〉 in his Chair, and advisedly he pronounceth any sentence. Now he hath advisedly and 〈◊〉 pronounced her Majesty a Schismatike and an here tique, therefore as in your opinion she ought to be deposed: so are all her subjects discharged of their duty and allegiance. And yet (good man,) besides your general and particular crosses lying so hard upon your pore backs, that you seldom or never, except in the time of your greatest ruffe, lay 〈◊〉 or fared better: example of your fellows at Wisbich, in the Marshalsey, and else where, who being idle and living in no calling, are bent to folly and filthiness, and yet the poorest of them, who might beg, if they were abroad, never had more plenty of money in their lives nor more ease and leisure to follow all delights, saving that they are restrained from a little liberty of going abroad: and yet her majesties gouernmente is accused, if not in respect of her self, yet of her counsellors, inferior officers and Magistrates, in executing of her unsupportable laws (as you 〈◊〉 call thē) through which there is such cruelty and souadge dealing as the like was never heard of before in any age. These things are grievous, yet they 〈◊〉 nothing in 〈◊〉 of that one 〈◊◊〉 in 〈◊〉 Epistle dedicatory of 〈◊◊〉 of book to the Earl of Leicester hath accused you 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 to God and to her royal 〈◊〉 . This crabbeth & nippeth you at the very heart root, And I think in deed not without 〈◊〉 . For the truth of the matter being so plainly and manifestly 〈◊〉 out, and proved in the learned works of, our time, it lieth more heavily upon you, then you are able to remove: and a man need not much to stand upon it. I will not speak 〈◊〉 the other points of your 〈◊〉 Epistle, nor of that book so highly commended by 〈◊〉 grave 〈◊〉 , wherewith you have taken your 〈◊〉 into the light, as with another man's wings, and 〈◊〉 yourself not as an Owl in this point, but as Aesop’s crowe with other 〈◊〉 feathers: 〈◊〉 forsooth with such modesty, that it is fit for none but a Queen: and yet the greatest part stolen either out of your fellow Gregery Martyns book of Schism, whom you 〈◊〉 not a little, robbing him of his glory, or 〈◊〉 out of a French book, wherein the protestants rendered reasons why they could not come to your 〈◊〉 mass, which you foolishly have turned and 〈◊〉 to your purpose, I leave that to be answered by one that will stand upon it, & do it more thronghly.

But because it hath pleased you to draw me in against my will, specifying my name, I will by the grace of God. undertake the proof of that which I have set down in that 〈◊〉 . But before I enter into it, I would have this diligently marked of all, that you on lie snatch at those bare words of mine, & never answer any jot of the matter: you mention nothing of those same more general and particular 〈◊〉 of treason & 〈◊〉 , plainly set down, in that Epistle, by express examples, which made me to call you papists by your right names, enemies to God & to her royal majesty: As for your aggravation & pelting chafe with that reverend Father & his officers, For letting pass the book to the print, for that this 〈◊〉 was not only uttered in speech, but also let it pass in print to the view of the world, and was dedicated to a noble man of her 〈◊〉 priuye counsel, (Whose honor like a Katife, you labor to blemish, whilste you insinuate, that I stir him up to cruelty against you) and by such a brar sick fellow, whom 〈◊〉 possessed a long time for his fantastical opimous, & yet I think, though he knew your nest and abiding also, with your, companion Carters, or whether it be Parsons, that hath put your name upon himself, for now you are become such honest mē that in an evil cause you have names at commandment: yet you scarcely know him by the face, & are not able for your life to name any of those opinions: to whom, you farther attribute such pregnancy (upon such honest men's report as yourself) of 〈◊〉 sing any new religion upon a weeks 〈◊〉 . &c. These circumstances I would a little consider, before I enter into my proof.

Concerning the uttering of this matter in speech, being the truth, and uttered by so many before, it should not so much grieve you, and specially for setting it out in print to the view of all mē, that it might come even to your own owlish sight, what proveth it else? but that it was done with confidēcie, & 〈◊〉 , not fearing the light? How would you have complained, if it had been uttered behind your backs in the dark, as such owlish Howlets as yourself are wont to do, who cannot abide the light? nether love to come to trial, what good face soever you set upon the matter but your common guise is to eat & drink men behind their backs, to slander the truth and as much as lieth in you, to deface it, to rage against it, & to persecute it. Whē such as cā answer you are driven away by your tyranny, and you 〈◊〉 the chairs alone: then you fright with youre own shadows, either having them in your hands & also both sword and fire at your commandment to maintain your chalenges: then you are strong enough to enter into disputations with them, or being abroad, by your truces and safe conductes. you can whope and provoke them by your sweet alluring 〈◊〉 , and fawning till you have them fast, whose 〈◊〉 you have burnt to ashes, when they have come to 〈◊〉 the cause of God, & to give a reason of their 〈◊〉 in your general Councils. Thus traitorously you hold thē in your limed spray, & as Mantuan pretily describeth. you bring them to the spit. John Hus, and Jerome of Prague shall witness this to be true to all posterities, to the perpetual shame of all such faithless traitors and trucebreakers. This the Concill of Constance shall witness during which there were sometimes at once three popes, sometimes two, one, and none: altogether by the ears, in which that goodly decree was ratified, that faith is not to be kept with here tikes, where in steed of the holy ghost, (whō they blasphemously said they looked sor,) an unlucky owl, ( 〈◊〉 ) that same monster of birds, portending some notable mischief, one of your great ancesters was president that so troubled the Pope and all the company, that two whole sessions were frustrate and without effect, saving that they murdered the pore owl, with 〈◊〉 and cudgels. Seeing therefore it is in printe, you may answer it, make what exceptions you can, & take your best advantages.

And as for being done to a noble man, a chief 〈◊〉 in our Land, what other thing can it argue. but that you are such dangerous enemies, as they have good cause under her majesty, chiefly to watch against, to have a diligent eye to the maintenance of the gospel, and to the preservation of her majesties royal person the defender of the same, to whom (as fair shows as you make) you wish no good.

Concerning that you attribute to my person calling me a brainsick fellow, and in your popish heat and burning charity, twite 〈◊〉 with mine imprisonment in Newgate, I will only say this unto it, the words of a brainsicke man should not so greatly have rent your catholic heart. But if you call me brainsick and mad, as the wicked have called the prophets, and the Jews have called Christ and his Apostles, because by the grace of God I have and do stand for the truth, against your Popish and Antichristian corruptions, I have to rejoice in it, and I consider you do but your kind: you could do little, if you could not rail, and thanks be to God, though you grenne, you cannot byte. As for my being in Newgate, the cause was not such, as should fasten upon me any such vile reproach as you object. And how standeth this rehearsal of my imprisonment with your complaint made before where you say, that no punishment in a manner is awarded those that offend against the book. As for my pregnancy upon report of sraning new religions: the veriest Owl in the world would not so publicly in print have charged a man with such a heinous crime upon the report of others. In deed this is common with the papists, whose religion being not grounded upon the Scriptures, they vary it as every man's brain and fancy leadeth him. Besides that, fame is an evil liar, especially when such are blowers of it, as can breath out nothing but slanders, and reproaches against the truth, and the true professors of it, yea it deserveth no more credit, then 〈◊〉 Howlet should 〈◊〉 and affirm, that the papists are no traitors. But hereby may plainly appear what light 〈◊〉 , rashness, uncharitableness and impudency there is in papists, that receive credit, blaze, and utter without all shame, whatsoever cometh into their brainsicke heads, against the true professors of Christ's gospel. A man would have thought that he who praised modesty and humility, in the author of this peking letter, would have put it in botter practice himself.

Whereas he 〈◊〉 me Puritan, and to require me, showeth the doctrine of two of my preachers ( 〈◊〉 , as pleaseth him to call them) who preached at an exercise of a fast at 〈◊〉 , and that against the B 〈◊〉 , &c. I will not say much in it in this place, because I have proved that, a loud and 〈◊◊〉 in the end, which as slanderous and 〈◊〉 as it is, is yet the principal and main ground work of his vile 〈◊〉 . This is 〈◊〉 , that whereas it was at first somewhat feared that it would not prove orderly enough: and by the intymation of some 〈◊〉 not best affected to such holy exercises, yet was it afterwards procured both by honorable and worshipful, and done by such consent and authority, and with so good 〈◊〉 , that the whole Church was comforted by it. The preachers were such, and so well known to be godly, learned and wise, as would not utter such positions as this Momus, and his reporter have spitefully patched together and blazed abroad. The collector therefore whom he nameth a minister, must needs either be some such nightebyrde as himself, not able to abide the light, or else 〈◊〉 carterly misreporter, who giving them some little ends, those Spiders have Wouen according to their own humor, to bring the truth of God into hatred (if they could) with her royal Maiestye. But thanks be to God her Majesty is wise, not to be carried away with such malicious parties. Her highness trusteth not; but with good trial: & where she trusteth, she will not be carried away by 〈◊〉 In hearing reports she reserveth an ear always sor the absent, she is experienced to know 〈◊〉 evil, things are made at the second hand, and specially when they are uttered of malice, by such as are not indifferent but partial, not sincere but spiteful. And thus much for the circumstances. Now to the proof of my matter that pincheth you so sore, to wit, first that you are enemies to God, and then I say not enemies only, but traitors to her royal Maiestye.

That you are enemies to God, the whole truth of God, against which, you papists do mischiuonslye set yourselves, doth manifestly prove. For whosoever is an enemy to his word, 〈◊〉 himself against his glory, wrestleth against his will & ordinance, corrupteth his religion, robbeth him of his greatest honor, & murdereth his people, he must needs be his enemy. That all the papists are such, holding of Anti christ, it shall appear more plainly hereafter. In the mean while, to prove the pope Antichrist, as the captain & head of all this band of enemies, although it be needles, considering howe it is a beaten argument in every book; yet to satisfy the Reader, I will in a few lines speak of it. He is the special Antichrist that directly 〈◊〉 him self against, Christ, both in doctrine and manners. And besides, that Daniel and John in the revelation hath huely paynred him out, Paul joineth with them, declaring by the effects, that it must needs be he; with whom the Church was threatened so long ago. I am not ignorant that every heretic, who setteth himself against the truth of Christ, is after a sort an Antichrist, but the pope is this great Antichrist, that must have his seat in the Church of God, must usurp his place, and must not be in the sty of the heathen, to be sought for among the Turks, Jews or Pagans of the world: but must spring and arise amongst his own, And this is not any one man of the 〈◊〉 of Dan, as the Papists would have us to dream: but a company and estate of men, and therefore it is further called an Apostasy, that is to say, a falling away from the Faith, And though he be called the man of sin, and the Son of perdition, yet this is not meant of any singular person, but of the effect or quality, that shall be in the whole state and company of that Apostasy, in the continual succession thereof, which is not only borne in sin, as all other men are, but even borne and made, to uphold and maintain sin A man of Belial, who will 〈◊〉 at liberty from all laws and subjection, who (as Job saith) hath drunk in ungodliness as the fish hath don water who hath sold himself to sin, & is the eldest son of the Devil, that as Christ the only son God, (who was freely given for the salvation of all that believe in him) is the head of thē to govern them, to give them laws, and to enriche them with the righteousness of faith revealed by the Gospel. So he might be the head of all the faithless, giving 〈◊〉 laws directly contrary against Christ, leading them all to spiritual whoredoms, corruptions and all abominations, to their utter 〈◊〉 , as that apostatical sea hath done.

And though Sanders labor his heart out, to prove Antichrist to be some singular man, and no succession of men, and reckoneth up (as he saith) many 〈◊〉 that we hold, strengthening this fly light, as a hauk, (because of the old friendship between the Owl and the Hauk;) yet the apostle Paul shall convince him, who calleth it (as I have said) an Apostasy a mistery, that albeit it began to work even in his time, yet must be no otherwise utterly destroyed, thē by the coming of Jesus Christ: whose greatness must be built upon the ruins of the Roman empire and must give life to that wounded beast in the reedifying thereof: which thing besides that, the moste ancient writers do plainly confirm, the practice proveth. For the Romaine empire fell by little and little, and this was built up and erected. For at the first it was not so evident, it crept more closely like the yuy bush, till it had choked the one and gained the top of the other, which ever since it hath held and maintained. And though at the first Rome, was called the chief but of courtesy, because it was the seat of the Empire, yet afterwards by Antichrist, it obtained, to be chief by tyranny, and this by privilege thereof would also be universal bishop in despite of Christ and all his poverty, Fot look how God sent his son into the world, for the salvation of his, humbling himself even to the death of the cross, so is he sent into the world, for the destruction & condemnation of mankind,, advancing himself above all that is called God. These are such (as the Apostle saith) that withal other here 〈◊〉 turn 〈◊〉 grace of God into wantonness, & deny the Lord Jesus the only ruler. They are clouds without water, carried hither & thither by the wind, withered trees, vnfruiful, twice dead and plucked up by the roots: this whole body of Antichrist hath an iron forehead, & a brazen brow, a crooked & a poisoned tongue. To whom the definition of sin, John. 3. agreeth in every point both in false doctrine and corrupt manners; both being most contrary to the doctrine of Christ & his Apostles. For whereas all our actions that must stand acceptable before god, must flow from a true and lively faith, without which it was impossible to please God: these men hath overthrown the whole doctrine thereof, resisting that righteousnesle, that is made manifest by the gospel, and thrusting in a patched and weak righteousness, stilted not upon the law but upon their own devised works. And therefore they want that same principal effect of faith, which is true love, & have in the place of it most sauadge and beastly cruelty. whose chief head in his members, killeth, hangeth, burneth, drowneth, pineth and pincheth Christians with all kind of unwonted torments, more cruelly then ever did Phalaris or Nero, and that without all couler of Justice: which is a plain argument that Satan the great Belsire of the Roman Antichrist, whose lively image he bereth (for a goose can 〈◊〉 no Owls eggs) hath instructed him and 〈◊〉 him to this office. And therefore sundry of the Popes, in this seat have 〈◊〉 familiar conference with the devil their own damme, and by his means they have had their entrance, 〈◊〉 themselves in magical and devilish arts. For Martin the second in the year of Christ. 882. atteyned to his Popedom by 〈◊〉 , and Sergius, that 〈◊〉 devised candles to be born upon Candlemas day (as they call it,) and Agnus Dei to be sung twice at mass, after he had hegorten John the 12. of that name, of an harlot called Marozia, daughter also to a Harlot I 〈◊〉 , kept by John the 11.) he was so great with the devil, that by his power he 〈◊〉 great miracles, & at length by the help of this honest woman's husband; named Guido, her Son John was made pope, and the other pitifully smothered with a Cushin at Saint John's in the pal lace at Lateran. What should I speak of Octauian, called by the name of John. 13. who was the son of Albericus, the son of the foresaid whore 〈◊〉 , who kept such 〈◊〉 , that unless the Devil himself had been in his place, he could not lightly have gone beyond him; who was a commō dicer, a 〈◊〉 , a Thief, a whooremaster, whom their own authors call a 〈◊〉 of men, accursed man, that put out the eyes of some of his Cardinals, cut out their tongues, cut off their fingers hands and noses, lay with two systers one after another, who in playing at dice desired the devil to help him, deflowered Stephana his fathers concubine, a widow called Rainer, and another named Anne: who warred, burned, brake up doors and windows, drank drunk and pledged the devil. This was he that did homage unto Otto, and crouned him. but afterward played the Traitor with him: taking part with Albertus Berengatius his adversary. This was he that was in such a league with Negromancers, that Dunston that Familiar of the Devils in England, who could hold the devil by the nose with pinsons, was dear unto him, whom he made an Archbishop at length, & yet the devil in the ende gave this Pope his 〈◊〉 ? for being taken in bed with another man's wife he was by her husoāde thrust to the heart with a dagger. Of 〈◊◊〉 second who was a student of Negromancie, and fetched away by the Devil, I need not to speak, the story is more manifest, then that it can be denied. 〈◊〉 the 8. also appeared after his death on a black horse, (whether it were the devil or no that carried him? let Howlet and his companions judge) to a Bishop an acquaintance of his, to whom he said, he was that unhappy Benedict, being in great torment, & shown thē of an hidden treasure, which til it was found he could never be quiet (though he had been Pope) either in hell or in purgatory. Also Benedict the ninth gave himself wholly to this study, and wheresoerver he became, always he carried a book of 〈◊〉 about with him, he obtained his Popeship by this magical art, he sacrificed to devils, and made women to follow him into desert places by the help of the devil, who waited upon him in the likeness of a sparraw, Ther was nothing done in the world (as they said though they lied) that was hidden from him: & after he had sold his 〈◊〉 as he was conjuring in the woods, the devil whom he had served, strangled him for his good service: he was seen 〈◊〉 his death in the shape of a bear, saving that his head and 〈◊〉 were the head and tail of an asse, because (as 〈◊〉 yielded the reason) he lived without reason, without law, without God. What should I speak of Gregory the 7. of Gregory the 12. that bought his popedom (for at this time Benedict, Sylvester and Gregory were Popes all at once; and I wonder which 〈◊〉 the head of the church) of John. the 21. of Alexander the 6. of Paul the third, and of all the rest of them, it would make a whole book of a great volume, to set out all their villanyes & wickedness, whereby they bear the lively resemblance of their father, whom they serve in that 〈◊〉 See of desolation. For they were and so are their successors as proud as the ciuell, liars like himself, 〈◊〉 as he is filthy, cruel and tirannicall, enemies to the glorious truth of God, and to all righteousness.

And though this Antichrist come like an angel of light, that he may the rather deceive, & his brood in sheep's clothing, to the ende they may devour, that their deceit and illusion may be the stronger, putting on most beautiful titles and glistering vizards, calling themselves most holy, most godly, 〈◊〉 Lord's annointed, yet are they the filthiest of all others, vomiting out blasphemies against the most highest. Let their stories be read, published to the world by their own writers, that testefie their 〈◊〉 abominations. That this seat might fit Antichrist (as the Scripture 〈◊◊〉 ) an whore sitting upon a beast with seven heads and 〈◊〉 Homes, moste lively describing the See and place of Antichrist, which usually moste interpreters both old and new, expound of Rome having seven hills, howsoever that corrupter of the Rabbies commentaries, 〈◊〉 Aelianus the Italian hath with a kind of whiting, blotted such places quite out, in the last great Venice Bible: as that exposition of Ibn Ezra upon the eleventh of Daniel, verses 36. 37. 38: where Damel mentroning the false God, he 〈◊〉 it of the iniquity of Rome, and so in diverse other places: I say not whether it be so fitly expounded yea or no, but of the treachery of this falsifier, that will have nothing, to sound against Rome, and yet it is certain, that this state and city, is that beast, woman and whore, who comes in, with cruelty and ignorance, with deceaueable and enticing words, with pleasant sleights and alluring colors, drawing the world to her spiritual whoredoms and idolatries. In which seat that whore Pope John, as a 〈◊〉 testification thereof, who leyde her burden in the open street between the 〈◊〉 heater Collossae and S. Clements Church; which street their Popes shun ever since: although Harding and that 〈◊〉 Saunders deny it never so impudently against an whole cloud of their own Historiographers, and a monument of their own in Rome, that beareth 〈◊〉 of it, besides the, antiquity of their ten pees, and yet I say nothing of their Porphyry stone. This is therefore that whore sitting upon this beast, compassed with those hills, that by her whorish provocations must allure those blind princes of the world, who set them selves against Christ to drink of the cup of her abominations, who must be bewitched and ravished with 〈◊〉 braveries. 〈◊〉 lights, and pompous shows. This is that ionne of perdition, because he is a lost child and of such a cursed state as cannot be saved. For whom we must not pray, but ought to cry out against him, till our Savior destroy him by the breath of his mouth. Such a lost Judas as never returneth, that betraith Christ with a kiss, entereth by craft, not as an enemy, but as a friend, by counter set keys, or else secretly like a thief. He is said to be the son of perdition it self, from the nature of the 〈◊◊〉 begat him, not only because he is already damned, but because he shall draw all his members, of whom he is head, to the same damnation. How should it else ever have been said, that, albeit he draw an infinite number of souls into hell with him, yet must not he be 〈◊〉 of any. His place is not among Paynims and Ethniques, but he shall sit in the church of God: and albeit this mystery of iniquity began to work long before, even in the Apostles times, and fast after yet the time of his manifestation was, when Boniface the third obtained by the means of Phocas, (who had murdered his Master Maurice,) the seat and name of 〈◊〉 Bishop, which Gregory his predeessour had pronounced to belong only to the forerunner of Antichrist, the Father of the Son pride, and to be the name of a very Lucyser, refusing it him self, which yet this 〈◊〉 sought, kept and continued, and so did all his successors, to the ende they might make up that whole beast that 〈◊〉 to be thrown into that 〈◊◊〉 . And as before, this mystery of iniquirye wrought by little and little in the corruption of true Doctrine, in some pointes, so 〈◊〉 . from time 〈◊〉 time the contrariety, directly both against the Doctrine of Christ and his manners, shown it self, that the name might best fit him and agree unto him. And therefore he is rightly called Antichrist because he shall particularly oppose himself against Christ our only mediator and savior. And as 〈◊〉 in composition signifieth, For and against, as 〈◊〉 : 〈◊〉 is he which is in the Kings steed, or against the King, so both 〈◊〉 this agreeth of the pope For that 〈◊〉 is Christ's 〈◊〉 , and yet setteth him self 〈◊〉 Christ both in Doctrine, and manners. And though he do not this in plain words, because he hath two * horns like a Lamb, and yet a * dragons mouth: yet it is 〈◊〉 ; that he counterfayteth, 〈◊〉 the Gospel but a fable, and using only die name and letter of it. for his gain and advantage * Christ came to fulfill: the laws which were ordained of his Father, the pope violateth 〈◊〉 , dispenseth 〈◊〉 them, and altereth them at his pleasure. * 〈◊〉 submitted him self to the 〈◊〉 will of his father, * humbled him self to the death of the Cross, * declared his kingdom not to be of this world, * 〈◊〉 when they would have made him king, * refused the decyding of cruill causes, * rendered obedience to 〈◊〉 magistrates the Pope challengeth of right to be Christ's high and general vicar, 〈◊〉 him self 〈◊〉 all soueraigntye and power, 〈◊〉 against the very Angels, iustleth the woid of God, out of his Churches, & keepeth it locked in a strange 〈◊〉 from the understanding of the cōmō people, demeth all obedience, challengeth both the 〈◊〉 , and meddleth in all 〈◊〉 . All that hold of him must honor him, for Peters successor (though 〈◊〉 be a Judas and a these, yet he must be the head of Christ's Church, & without 〈◊〉 undergo the government of it, which only 〈◊〉 to Christ. Maruel it is, how contrary they be to thenselves in so substantial points of their religion. For at other times they affirm, that the spirit can never depart from him, and then howe can he be a thief and a Judas, and carry souls to hell? Whatsoever Christ requireth, it maketh no matrer, he admitteth nothing, neither must they, that is against his prerogative, against his idolatrous Mass, traditions ceremonies and customs. *Christ will have his children to beware of Idols: The Pope will have them placed & worshipped in every Church. *Christ saith, you err not knowing the scriptures: the pope & his adherents for him say, The scriptures breed errors, & that ignorance is the mother of devotion, that the people are swine and dogs, & holy things are not to be given unto them, they are dumb Judges, dead ynke, a black gospel, ynken divinity, & therefore the Church is the lively breast of Christ. The Church of Rome may give authority to writings, which neither have it of thenselves, nor of their Authors. The fables of Esope, & the comedies of Terence, may (if the Church will) be made Canonical scriptures. 〈◊〉 the Pope teacheth is the express word of God, & whosoever leaneth not to the doctrine of the 〈◊〉 and of the Bishop of Rome, as to the 〈◊〉 rule of God, of which the 〈◊〉 taketh force and 〈◊〉 , he is an Heretic, 〈◊〉 the authority of the Church is above the authority of the Gospel. The change of the Churches judgment changeth God's judgment, and God's commandment also. Who can without horror and trembling in all his joy nts, 〈◊〉 these blasphemies, which this man of sin 〈◊〉 himself & in his members, beleheth out against the majesty of the moste highest: I mean Andradius 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 , Pighius, 〈◊〉 , 〈◊◊〉 , Osorius, Melchior Cano, Harding, Sanders, and such other bottomless locusts. In deed our new Jesuits, M. Censurer and such like, who hath undertaken Campions defense, and the rest of this new brood, they seem to dislike this old rotten stuff. For they profess knowledge, they seem to take a course of Catechising, and laying forth the principles of Popish religion, avouching the necessity of being learned and taught, so that Hosius Collyers saith, to believe as the Church believeth is scarce sufficient with them And yet all this helpeth not their cause, for that they refuse, to be directed by the rule of faith, which is the only word of God.

* The doctrine of Christ acknowledgeth but one mediator, the Pope and papists an infinite number, Christ teacheth that his doctrine is profitable, full, and absolute, to make the man of God 〈◊〉 : The pope and his shauelinges say it is not so, and therefore we must receive unwritten verities, traditions, and whatsoever their idle brains will thrust out unto us. The scripture saith, * It is a more blessed thing to give then to take. The Pope sendeth out his infinite swarms of begging 〈◊〉 , the very Locusts that came out of the bottomless pit, that devour up all that groweth upon thearth, who take all and give nothing. The number of which Sectaries following sundry Sect masters and patrons, was long ago amounted to 94. sundry 〈◊〉 , beyond all which the Jesuits now go, who seeming to profess more learning, 〈◊〉 , and righteousness, are the greatest hypocrites, confirming their false doctrine with wonderful illusions, which they call miracles, who yet are as empty of truth, godliness and virtue, as any of their predecessors, S. Francis that in most things was preferred before Christ: with whom Augustine, S. Clare, and S. Bridget by their disciples were matched, are now put clean out of countenance, and their memories in a manner 〈◊〉 blotted out, by these new repairers of that 〈◊〉 church Christ taught that marriage was lawful, he confirmed it, both by doctrine & miracle with his own presence: the Pope and his greasy 〈◊〉 condemn it as unholy, and rather admitting whoredoome to their Clearks, and such as have received 〈◊〉 mark, then this 〈◊〉 remedy, they give thē a watch word to walk warily. 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 caute. And though they will needs have it a Sacrament, yet it defileth their Clergy as a profane thing, and is for them utterly unlawful. And as the Pope in 〈◊〉 , and in an infinite number of other pointes, the greatest and waightieste of 〈◊〉 religion, 〈◊〉 him self flatly against Christ, so do all they who hold of him, whom for that cause we justly call papists.

Such hold this Antichrist the pope to be their only God's vicar in earth, they depend upon him as head of the Church, in whom they acknowledge the only direction and ordering of all Church 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 throughout the world in all kingdoms and countries, and therefore 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 of God, and the wholesome laws provided in that behalf; they shut out all Princes and 〈◊◊〉 from having anything to do 〈◊〉 those cases, they bar them from the 〈◊〉 of their own kingdoms, and from the most principal charge *that God hath laid upon them 〈◊〉 I cannot but marvel at Howlets slyp mentioned before, where he acknowledgeth the prince to be God's 〈◊〉 . But slip I think it was not. For he spake the truth, with his tongue and lied in his 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 he singeth or rather whopeth in the ears of our gracious Nightingale, of obedience, and readiness in the papists, to lay down their 〈◊〉 in her 〈◊◊〉 , yet this unhappy owl meaneth nothing less. For it is to be thought, 〈◊◊〉 write, that they join with, 〈◊〉 Hauns, 〈◊〉 this other day, for his wicked treasons. The Lord give her highness more 〈◊〉 subjects to rejoice in, or else it were like to be wrong with her, and with us all, as it should quickly appear, I am afraid, if their power were to their hearts, but God hueth and blessed be his name for that holy persuasion he hath given us in his pro tection. And though he glaueringly calleth her the 〈◊〉 of God, yet the gentleman whom he extolleth for such rare modesty in the 42 leaf of his discourse, calleth this Antichrist the pope, Christ's substitute, without all warrant & ground from him or his word.

These are such deadly enemies to God, that maliciously they withstand that doctrine of faith and uation, which the eternal son of God taught here upon earth, inseparably cleaving to that vile Idol of the Mass moste derogatory to his dignity. For whereas he is our only high and everlasting bishop ordained of God, who hath not spared 〈◊〉 pour out his life and blood for our santisication, by offering up one 〈◊〉 sacrifice once for all. These enemies make it insufficient, without effect and imperfect, and plead another righteousness to satisfy the wrath of God, They pester the earth with many Sacrificers and priests, matching them with our savior Christ? They make them Peers and companions with him, to offer up sacrifices acceptable unto him, as well for the sins of the living as the dead, making the Apostles and 〈◊〉 liars, and yet they confess with David, that Jesus Christ is an everlasting Priest, according to the order of Melchizedek. Wherein they wholly disadvantage them selves, seeing they must be Priests either according to the order Aaron and Levi, or according to thorder of Melchizedek. The order of Aaron and Levi had an ende with the ceremonial 〈◊〉 and sacrifices thereof. And Christ was only that high Priest who was everlasting, offered up a perfect sacrifice, stood not at the altar, but having offered up his own body, being both the priest and Sacrifice, offering not for his own sins, but for ours, hath entered into Heaven, and is set down at the righte hand of the Father forever, having finished a perfect voorke of this Priesthood for our full satisfaction and atonement. This whole crowd therefore, The Pope, Cardinals, Friars, Priests, Jesuits, Massesayers, and 〈◊〉 , and all that delight in them, & consent unto them: they are horrible enemies of God, 〈◊〉 Prophets, wicked 〈◊〉 , Apostates, Wolves, false pastors, Idolaters, 〈◊〉 , & execrable 〈◊〉 , murderers of souls, renouncers of Jesus Christ, and his death and passion, false witnesses, traitors, the 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 , and robbers of God's honor, and most detestable. For by this * sacrifice of Jesus Christ, all outward and visible sacrifices of any other priesthood before or after are abolished and made of no effect, except these sacrifices of * praise & thanksgiving, of alms containing the spiritual worship of the kingly priesthood which are perpetual amongst all Christians. In deed we must have a hie * Priest, who must be holy, innocente, and without spot, who needed not to offer up daily sacrifices, first for his own sins, and after for the sins of the people, but 〈◊〉 performed this * in offering up himself 〈◊〉 for all. He saith once for 〈◊〉 , because neither it 〈◊〉 the like should or could be reiterated. And therefore he is called the * 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 things to come, 〈◊〉 into the holy place, by his own blood once for all, where through was wrought everlasting redemption & 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 of sins. Wherefore unless we will renounce Jesus Christ, we have no need of such sacrifices. * Behold I come, to the end to do thy will O God, by the which will we are 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 the offering up of the body of Christ once for all. The holy ghost witnesseth that in this new covenant, sealed and perfected in this one only Sacrifice of Christ, that he will no more remember 〈◊〉 iniquities: and where there is remission of them, there remaineth no more oblation for sin, The sacrifices of the old 〈◊〉 by reason of their imperfection must be continued & daily renewed, but Christ's offering ces of the old law by reason of their imperfection must be continued and daily renewed, but Christ's offering up himself, finished a perfect work, & his sacrifice was perfect. As for their sacrifices, they are imperfect, & therefore they continue & renew a sacri fice & oblation derogatory to that of Christ's, robing God of his glory, & the people of their greatest comfort in this world. They are such enemies to God, that they overthrow the truth of all religion and draw us to execrable idolatry, teaching us under bread & wine to worship whole Christ whō they affirm in a 〈◊〉 presence most grossly & contrary to all the scriptures to be there present, against the truth of a body & notwithstanding his resurrectiō & assension they say, that such a transubstantiation is made, as there remaineth no substance of bread & wine, most contrary to the nature of a Sacrament, though the accidents remain: & as they are enemies to him in these gross & monstrous doctrines, so their 〈◊〉 hath another ende then the supper hath. For in the supper the seruanes of Christ * make public profession of their faith, they hear the word preached, they witness their faithful persuasion, & 〈◊〉 of salvation, keeping an actual memory of the death and passion of Jesus Christ, & 〈◊〉 to remē brance his wonderful and unspeakable love, who hath given his life & shed his blood freely for them, and all eating of one bread, and drinking of one cup; are admonished of that brotherly love and great unity whereby they are knit together, & live and die to Jesus Christ, as one body in one and the same spirit: whereas in the mass the knowledge of Christ is defaced, the preaching of the gospel is rejected, & the time is altogether spent in mockinges and mowings, turnings, and remouinges from one place to another, with an infinite number of fruitless superstitions and wicked ceremonies, worse then ever those were that were invented by Numa Pompilius, and drawn from the Pagans. I could wish in my heart that some young scholar would take the pains to translate their Pontifical into English, that all our countrymen might see their more then hethenish and mad customs and abominations, The making of their holiwater, without doubt, they learned of Ovid, as they did purgatory of Virgil, & other their mysteries frō other profane Pagans and writers.

Suche enemies to God they are, that with the gentiles they have forsaken the living God, & chosen to themselves other foreign God's, made of metal, wood, & stone, potearth & bread, before whom they have 〈◊〉 ; to which they have prayed, which they have adored & worshipped, kissed, crept to, & embraced, making their vile priests creators of their Creator. For if he be greater that maketh and createth, then that which is made and created, it must follow that their dignity must needs be more then God's, that that place of Scripture may justly fit them, which saith: That that man of sin, 〈◊◊〉 himself 〈◊〉 all that is called God. And if every priest be greater then God, what is he that createth such creatures, as can make God? In deed, if this were true, they are far above the virgin Mary, who bore him but once, and they make him often. She was his mother as he was man, but they make him as he is both God and man. which is horrible blasphemy: And therefore their own massebooke saith that the priest is the creator of his creator, And he that made me with out me is now made by the means of me.

Such wretched enemies to God they are, that their saith hangeth altogether upon Antichrist their God, whom they make not only a God of the hills, but also of the valleys. They believe nothing but that which he alloweth, as for Christ his Evangelists, Apostles, and teachers, they make no reckoning of them in respect of their Popes laws and constitutions: he that can dispence with them & against them, must needs be above them. And therefore their doctors teach that to cleave to the scriptures is to be an heretic. Suche enemies to God they are, as are marked with Caynes lying, crucltye and murder, both against the Law of GOD and man, For they have murdered Christians, without all compassion, they keep no faith nor promise. No nature or kindness maketh them spare where hatred is 〈◊〉 against the truth, no age sex or condition, draweth any pittye, be they old or young; halte or blind; with child or without, brother or father, sister or mother, wife or kinsewoman, husband or friend, at home or abroad, Son or servant, but they shall be sure to die a cruel death for it. Al stories are full of examples of their savage and outrageous cruelty, not only against the professors of the truth, but even one of them against another, example is yet fresh in memory of Sherwoodes 〈◊〉 against Hobson; one of his deareste friends: much like the wicked Treason of Alphonsus against John Diazius his own natural brother, besides infinite examples in these murders in France, in the inquisition of Spain full of hideons torments, which shall witness the truth hereof to all posterities. This howling owl notwithstanding (by his bold flight prognosticating some mischief) scricheth in her majesties ears, of the hard handling of Catholics, how they are tossed and tumbled, opmrisoned and pined, husbands separated from their wives, wives from their husbands, their houskeeping broken up, & by name, M. Dimock killed in prison, & one mystresse. Tomson a virgin sent for religion to 〈◊〉 : 〈◊〉 what shall I say, In imbre garrula est noctua. This foolish owl complaineth of case, slandering her majesty, to whom he would seem so dutiful: and her whole government and state, of barbarous cruelty: when the trespass in deed is only herein, that they are dealt with but to gently, considering their continual attempts against her highness estate, crounc, and dignity. Concerning M. Dimock of whom he speaketh he had the choosing of his own prison (which was no choking dungeon, no Colehouse or 〈◊〉 tower, (such as they were wont to stifle men up in) but a friends house, to whom his wife (if he had any) friends, and other acquaintance repaired, whose death was by God's hand and by no procurement of those magistrates, that sought his reformation as his own friends can witness. As for the young womā whō he complaineth to be committed to bridewel for her conscience forsooth, if conscience may be without knowledge she was committed by her highness high comissioners to a place, both for air & expēce, that was thought 〈◊〉 for her person, & 〈◊〉 , having behaved her self, over obstinately and immodestly 〈◊〉 a sober 〈◊〉 , howsoever worthy her religion, before them. And yet this perking Parsons or owlishe 〈◊〉 needs be so, out of his yuie bush might have learned, that honester then she and all the pack of them will ever be, except they amend & hie them apace, have been committed to that place, both for religiō & other causes, as some others have been for dishonesty & an il life. Ther have been such cōitted thither, as he complained of before, that they escaped with little or no punishment for breaking the book. It is not the place but the cause that putteth off or draweth on an infamy. But her maiesti may see, & so may all the honorable, the malepertnes of this ugly owl, that is so curious in cōmonwealth matters, that he prierh into her highness officers doings, & having so slāderous a tongue, pretendeth not withstanding such loyalty and duty towards her highness. But if we had been in their handling, we should have had little leisure and less opportunity to have opened our griefs before any Soueraignty in authority. For besides that they were in truth the practicers of tyranny and cruelty in all other doings, they would have dried up the best blood in our bodies, and sent us to heaven in fierye chariots: after unspeakable torments, to have put an ende to our wretched lives. Their consciences forsooth may not be urged, nor their catholics may not be allowed to obey their prince in coming to the Church, to hear the word of God preached, the only ordinary way to reform them, and to bring them to salvation: tender regard must be had of the sex and birth of their offenders, (& yet this woman whom he will needs make a great gentlewoman is but a francklins daughter) though they offend obstinately both against God and their Sovereign, whom they ought to obey in and for the Lord, and that when they offend against the word of God, the peace of the church, and the good laws of this Realm. Not so much as a little imprisonment (in steed of death, being found obstinate and vncorrigible, and lightly joined with treason against the state) but it must be exclaimed against, as if they had endured the greatest wrongs in the world: when it is plain, and yet fresh in memory, what havoc they made of the lives of noble and unnoble, of blind and lame, of boies & gitles, even before their counterseite sentence of condemnation were past, and yet it was for true religion in deed, and but for standing against their blasphemies and cursed idolatries. your opinion and religion (Howlet) must be reserved, but to them that did with a true knowledge allege that plea of conscience, you were and are continually ready to abuse that place of Scripture: Let every soul be subject to the higher powers, &c. yea, you would urge it in all things with all extremitye and without all condition in respect of yourselves when yet it might not bind you nor any of your greasy generation, & this may appear by the cold expositiō found of late by search in a gentlemans house, in Buckinghamshire, upon this very place, together with another slanderous, lying, and seditious libel against those godly learned men, M. Doctor Fulke and M. Charke.

Suche enemies they are to God, that they will bring the word of God into doubt, affirming the Church to be more ancient then the word. They will ask howe 〈◊〉 know the word of God to be the word of God. And albeit (God be thanked for it) concerning the knowledge of those tongs the Hebrew, Chaldey, Syriac, and Greek, in which the Scriptures were first delivered, frō which they would fain beat us, if they have gained anything, they have had it at our hands, 〈◊〉 their light from ours, yet they will swear that our 〈◊〉 are false, & lead us to a translation fathered upon Jerome, which we must receive evē as it is, that yet in deed they can never prove to have been any of his, seeing in his own works, the difference is plain in many places, from that of 〈◊〉 , which is full of Solicismes & imperfect speeches; Notwithstanding even by this, when we have accepted of it, and have fought with them, their own throats have been cut, as with their own sword, and the errors which they maintain have ben confuted, whē they hane admitted it. I think they will ask shortly, howe we know there is a God, as the prophet hath said of the wicked, who though they were ashamed to utter it, yet * thought they in their harts that there was no God. But that you may consider further of the translation, to which that conspiracy of Trent hath taken upon them to bind all the world, upon pain of their black 〈◊〉 , with what good reason, I will set down a few testimonies and places. There was a very ancient book in Hebrew, which is entitled without the authors name, Nizahon, who upon that psalm. The heavens declare the glory 〈◊〉 God. witnesseth that when Jerome did 〈◊〉 that psalm at Rome he said that he had turned the Bible with great travel out of the 〈◊〉 tongue into latin, neither did I alter anything (saith he) but there arose after him (as the author saith) such as with writing it out, 〈◊〉 all And in Reuclines library also, being a great learned man in that tongue, there was found in a very ancient Hebrew coppy written, which had these words, Loe Jerome the elder knew our whole 〈◊〉 , the whole 〈◊〉 &c. What likelihood is there, that 〈◊〉 being so learned a man in all the tongues, his own translations being so far different from that common translation, that a little after carried his name, which himself oftentimes taxeth and findeth fault with in his works, that ever 〈◊〉 should be his, where a man for his life in sundry places can make neither rime nor reason? as far from the tongue wherein it was written, as might be. And this 〈◊〉 diverse of the Doctors many times into such 〈◊〉 , who wer either altogether ignorant, or but meanly seen in the tongs, that they knew not which way to turn them, as namely Augustine: who doubted whether it were within the space of forty days, according to the Hebrew, that the Ninevites should be destroyed or within three days, as that translation fathered upon the Septuaginta had rendered. And yet, he saith, if his opinion should be asked: he rather thinketh it to be forty, as is in the Hebrew. So Jerome in his Epistle to Damasus, justly taxeth Hilarius for interpreting that word Hosianna, which he rendereth the redemption of the house of 〈◊〉 . And Ambrose almost after the same manner. In 〈◊〉 in the primative Church, the Greek tongue so flourished that it was the moste common tongue thorough out the world, howsoever the Romanists boast of the latin, whereupon it came to pass that even the Evangelists and other ecclesiastical writers, living both at Jerusalem and Rome, in the writings of the old testament rather used the Greek interpretation, then the Hebrew founteynes themselves. And it cannot be denied howsoever there may be defense made for that interpretation that goeth vn der the name of these 70. both for the antiquitye of it & for their wonderful pains, who labored in it, yet that it is far more safe to have recourse to the founteines themselves, whoever denied but such obstinate enemies? Is it not ever safer for men to look with their own eyes, and to go with their own feet then with other men's? And if any man shall object that they might change many things by the spirit of prophesy, besides that it was long ago confuted by Jerome, who affirmed that it was one thing to do the duty of an enterpreter, another of a prophet; this also is to be considered, that we must not be over bold with the word of the almighty. For albeit we may & ought to labor precisely to interpret it, yet it becometh no mortal mā to take upon him, to alter, ad, or diminish anything in that everlasting word of God. And if they bear no excuse that drawn with an excessive love of the greek that then most flourished, & was most generally received, faulted: howe shall they be excused that thrust a Latin translation upon us that hath a number of wants, which having been often shown them, yet they would never vouchsafe to amend any, and is full of imperfections, yea contrary to their own Canons, which show us that the credit of the ancient books is to be examined from the Hebrew volumes, and the new from the Greek. And therefore Pagnine a learned Hebritian wisheth that they could show him Jerome's translation. For that saith he, which is read everywhere in his name, is non of that incorrupt translation, & that he hath proved by many unanswerable arguments in his Epistle to Pope Clement himself. And therefore another grave man saith, that it cannot be proved that ever the church of God ought to be bound to any certain translation. But as the Lord in mercy shall increase and continue that necessary gift of the knowledge of tongues in his Church, and shall give light and understanding, so we ought evermore to repair to the founteines, & that we may be fit for so excellent a work of the ministry of the word it is a necessary labor to learn to understand it, in it own language, which whilst men have neglected, we see how by the 〈◊〉 indgement of God, they have 〈◊〉 into palpable darkness. I will omit the Psalms as they are sung in the popish churches, & diverse other places in sundry lessons moste absurd, in every popish pie and ser uice book of theirs yet extant. For to reckon them all, would make a just volume, and weary a man. Only let this be marked, that as Jerome noteth the corruption of the Greek interpretation of the seventy interpretors, which either came through ignorance, or negligence, or both, so the common translation, done by an vn known aucthor, drawn from them, strayeth further. The Greek I will pass over, and only note some few places out of the lattin, sufficiently cōuincing the translatiō that is, to be none of Jerome's, because it differeth so much both from the Hebrew & the Greek, as in the 65 Psal. ver. 11. where he saith thou shalt water the rivers, in stead of the furrows. & in 68. Psalm verse 19 day and daily, in steed of daily, and in the 87. 〈◊〉 verse. 6. there is read, Nunquid de Zion, whereas 〈◊〉 is neither in the Hebrew not Greek, and so there he saith Many were, For many were borne in her, and in the 88, Psalm verse. 14. Lord why doest thou reject my prayer, for my soul. The places are infinite and have been found fault with by many, and yet never mended by any, only sometimes, they set the truth in the margent, but they keep the errors still in the text which showeth their malic, as in the article referred to the seed, and which is masculine, yet that they may maintain their error, they keep the article feminine and would have it understood of the virgins. So for 〈◊〉 domum she swepte the house, they keep euertit domum, she overthrew the house, & 1. Pet. 4. 23. He committed himself to him that judgeth unjustly, referring that unto Pilate, if it have any sense, which the Apostle meaneth to god For it is contrary. He committed him self or his cause to, God to him that judgeth justly. These & a mumber of such absurdities there are, some noted also by diverse great learned men, whereof I make no mention, & yet forsooth they will have us only bound to this common translation and no other. We say notwithstanding, that we are so far from condemning the labors of those 70. interpreters, wosocuer they were, that 〈◊〉 thank God for them: wherein they have done well, we praise their industry, and so do we, the labors of him that did that common translation, and theirs also that since 〈◊〉 rendered anything either out of the Hebrew or Greek, but therwithall we affirm with Jerome, that if any question arise amongst the lattines concerning the new 〈◊〉 , or if the copies vary, we must go to the 〈◊〉 of the Greek, or if any doubt occure with the Greeks, we must to the Hebrew, read Augustine's council in his book de doctrina Chr 〈◊〉 . lib. 1. If this course had ben held, since God gave increase of knowledge from the beginning, many 〈◊〉 had been amended, and the papists would not have ben so obstinate in that which they cannot defend, but it is the proper nature of these 〈◊〉 of God, still to uphold errors, never to acknowledge their 〈◊〉 and faults, 〈◊〉 the children of God are 〈◊〉 ready to amend that which is amisle, and to be thankful to them that admonish them.

Such enemies they are to God, that they join and participate withal the heretics that ever were in one pointe of heresy or other. They have nothing sound in the whole mass and body of their religion. From Satan the subtle serpent, whose eldest son this Antichrist is, he carrieth his fathers resemblance in all things. The Adamites were beastly, against marriage went naked, used all kinds & Sexes in common and 〈◊〉 , as we read the frantique Annabapristes did likewise, and how 〈◊〉 off are they from these villainies? Pope Leo the 9. and Paschal, the one in the year 1150. the other 1100. join both together in the condemnation of marriage. Their own divines teach their priesthood to be defiled with marriage, but not with harlots, yea, that it is 〈◊◊〉 to play the 〈◊〉 then to marry: It is 〈◊〉 for a Christian man, who hath not a wise, to have a concubine, Neither do 〈◊〉 forswear incontinency but matrimony. This is the cause that the Pope taketh a 〈◊◊〉 of his Priests for their concubines, and in 〈◊◊〉 they have any or no, they pay their 〈◊〉 for it. And 〈◊〉 Syxtus builded Stews for both kinds, like an horrible monster, in the year of Christ 1474. Herein they likewise join with Tatianus, Montanus, and Carpocrates, for they maintain the 〈◊〉 , tolerate whoredom by bulls and licences, yea they prefer Sodomitry and filthy buggery, before that holy remedy of marriage in their priests, which God hath appointed sor a remedy to all that have not the gift of 〈◊〉 : and therefore Paul the third, besides, his common reuenewe sor forty five thousand whores, 〈◊〉 paying forty thousand duckets in Rome, he had also as some report; forty thousand ruffians kept upon their charges at an hours warning, to do him any kind of service. For everyone of these harlots had a champion to keep her house, & to be her special desendant, whatsoever other incōmers there were besides. And though Parsons, Nichols discouerer defends both the stews and the stipends arising to his unholy holiness for them, under the name of a punishment, yet who seeth not that it is tolerated upon this condition, and matrimony cannot be tolerated in priests, upon any condition. The 〈◊〉 taught the putting away of men's wives for any cause, and so in a manner do they. For the pope will dispence with any, and there are twelve 〈◊〉 alleged, such as the scripture 〈◊〉 aproued off, why mē may put away their wives. The 〈◊〉 would have the use of oath men's wives, adultery and sornication to be an indifferent thing, and so will they, For they teache that simple fornication is no sin, and though M. 〈◊〉 slander Luther for pleading the 〈◊〉 of marriage, as much as of eating and drinking, yet they say in deed; it is lawful to have a woman once in a month, ad de 〈◊〉 renes, to purge the reins. I would have seen lusty, Campion to have been as diligent in 〈◊〉 the manifest abominations of their 〈◊〉 and Canonistes, as he is to corrupt Luther's sayings, and to dub that which before was dispr oued, and neither coldly nor fearfully defended. But they and their complices have 〈◊〉 whole books de ration 〈◊〉 liberos: de 〈◊◊〉 concubandi, and Johannes a Casa an Archbishop, hath written a book in the praise of filthy Sodomitry, calling it a diuiue work. Horrible were it to read the books of these lecherous Locusts, to see what questions and cases of plexitie they put and take upon them to handle concerning these things, were it not the just judgment of God, that they should bewray their filthy hearts, and leave such dung behind them to infect the world, which is to be cast in their own faces to choke them, seeing without shame they will dare to open their mouths against the everlasting truth of God. It were an infinite work to reckon up all their heresies, but this is certain that the whole lump of popery is compact of heresy. They are Judases with Judas, whom they worship for betraying Christ. They are Jews with the Jews, whom they justify for killing Christ, and they plead that they had sinned deadly, if they had not done it. They worship the 〈◊〉 upon which 〈◊〉 died, the nails, thorns, 〈◊〉 and instruments where with he was executed, of which they make as sundry Idols, as they have increased the number of such 〈◊〉 relics in sundry countries. And to the cross they have dcdicated a day, 〈◊〉 it holy rood day, which they worship 〈◊◊〉 , the 〈◊〉 worship which belongeth to 〈◊〉 . With the 〈◊〉 they agree almost in all things in 〈◊〉 separation, apparel, pride, & 〈◊〉 wishings, observations, & ceremonies, doing 〈◊〉 things like 〈◊〉 , to be seen of men, & 〈◊〉 for 〈◊◊〉 then to be 〈◊〉 & justified of 〈◊〉 . With the Sadducees some of them have 〈◊〉 the 〈◊◊〉 of the soul and the life to come, 〈◊〉 did John the 23. and Pope Leo the tenth, and as they said, that it was in our will to do good 〈◊◊〉 . so do they 〈◊〉 , that a man needeth not the grace of God to be good. The Essees, the 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 , Melitans, Donatists, 〈◊〉 , 〈◊◊〉 and Iusticiaries, would be saved by their own works, and so will they. Simon Magus as they them selves take him, was one of their first founders, for besides that he was a sorcerer, he would have bought the gifts of the holy ghost, and so would they of whomsoever they learned it. For as Sylvester the second, John. the 19 John the 20. 〈◊〉 the 4. 〈◊〉 the 8. John. 21. 〈◊〉 . 9. 〈◊〉 the 3. Gregory the 6. & 〈◊〉 the 7. were sorcerers & cō 〈◊〉 . so they make no conscience to buy and sell their orders, and 〈◊〉 all their places by money from the 〈◊◊〉 to the lowest hedge priest. With 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 a new 〈◊〉 , and as 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 and Tatians ho'd that Christ was 〈◊◊〉 the virgin Mary: So they hold that all 〈…〉 took flesh of the virgins Mary, and came and 〈◊〉 Hel. With 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 water, wax, Palms, bread, wine, and many other things, as may appear by their own Pōtificall, with the Gnostics they maintain images, with Montanus they comād superstious fastings, & forbid meats that God hath commanded to be received with thanksgiving, with Cerinthus they corrupt the scriptures, with Marciō & apelles they urge vncōmanded ceremonies, with the Ande ans, & Anthropomorphits, they make God like an old man, & with the gentiles they make images of all sorts, of foursooted beasts & creping worms, with Donatists, thei tie the universal church not to a part of the world, as they did to afftick, but to a less place, even to a city, & both with thē, with the Anabaptists & Pelagians, they maintain free will. They offer to the virgin Mary & cal her the Queen of heaven, as did the Colliridians, with the Cataphrigians and others who held that Christ ascended without a body, they hold that, that body is still in their rouud cake, and in infinite places at once. And as Seuerus said that a woman was the Devils workmanship, and man also from the nauill downward. So Pope Innocent the 8. avouched that they that were married could not please God, aleadging that place Qui in c 〈◊◊〉 Deo placere non possunt. With Manes they make them selves Christ and above him. With the Catharists they boast of a perfection in this life, & of such worthincsse as deserveth heaven both for them selves and others, agreeing with Henry Nicholas that Arch-heritique, that monstrous head of the frantic Family of Love, who perverteth all the scriptures, and glorieth of an essential righteousness. With the Anabaptists, they deny maiestrates, by cutting thē of from the principal part of their office, & government in their own 〈◊〉 , & countries, making thē hogs & swine in comparison of their Pope, and his anointed ones, to whom no knowledge of god, nor duty in advancing Christian religion doth belong.

Such enemies they are to God, as directly set themselves against all the commandments of God not only breaking them, as all other men do, when they say notwithstanding they can fulfill them (as other 〈◊〉 have done) but in the whole course of their doctrine quite thwart and ourthrow them.

In steed of one God the sovereign & only Lord, who is only to be worshipped, called upon, trusted in & praised for all his benefits, they set up a number of gods exceeding the 〈◊〉 gentiles, robbing God of his glory, Every disease must have a several God both in men & in beasts, & must be called vpō with a paternoster for the cure thereof, beside the abo minable 〈◊〉 , that was made a salve for all soars, that being first had, must prosper all the seers, help hūters, purge pigges and preserve hogs, cause rain & fair wether, deliver out of purgatory & direct gene rall councils. What was it the mass could not do. And yet least there should be lack for anything, not so much as the toothake, but it had a saint Apolinari & Valentin was for lovers, S. Loe for smithes: Chrispiā & Martin, sor shomakers, Nicholas & Cletus for clearks, George for warriors & for England, Andrew for Scotland, Denis sor France. James or Iac ques, for Spain, & Patrick for Ireland. There was no town, 〈◊〉 , private house or country, but they had a sundry saint patrō or God, vpō whō they chiefly depēded. Every church and church stepeple must bear the name of one S. or other, or of all Saints that they might match the old idolaters, who had their Pantheō at Rome, & which was more gross, their stinking relics must be sought to, not so much as Huberts key, but must have the virtue to heal the biting of a mad dog, & vpō relique sunday the Parsōs brich must be hanged out at the top of the steeple. These detestable idolatries buried in the dark, & scatrered amongst all Christians by the light of the gospel, this horsce owl that seemeth to the birds another won der, & certain other impudent Jesuits from Rome, that they may entangle many in the lime twigges, and bring them to the spitte of utter destruction, labor to revive, & bring again from hell, amongst us. 〈◊〉 it cannot be, but portende some notable mischief, that this Parsons Owl, or rather wolf should thus 〈◊〉 into Jupiter's Cell, and into our highest Capitolium to schriche and howl so ylfauouredly in the ears of our Prince for the maintenance of cursed Idolatry against the truth of God. But I trust, though we have not that old sacrifice of the Romans, neither use brimstone or holywater from whom those Popish Apes learned such toys, to purge our cities and temple, yet we shall cleanse it by a better purgation.

Thongh God have forbidden Images to be set in the temple, that Idolatry might be avoided that they might not be as snares to corrupt men, who are prone and apt unto it, as being too vile and insufficient to set him out by: who is a spirit, almighty, incomprehensible, full of all majesty and glory: yea, though Christ be God and man, and must have a spiritual worship, so that no Image can set him out and bear his resemblance, yet rather then they will not have *God the father like an old man, decaying in nature with a white bearde, and a balde head, and have a Rood of six foot long in every church, they will quite leave out this second commandment, and because they would not be taken with the manner, all the world knowing that there be ten commandments, they are fain to use this bad shift, to chop and slice the last into two, God having made it but one, yea howsoever the heaven of heavens cannot contain him, neither dwelleth he in temples made with hands, yet these enemies of his, will bring him into the compass of the earth, they will dream of a breaden God, wherein when worms breed, they will cruelly burn him with fire: in despite of God 〈◊〉 will worship these images, with the same worship that belongeth to the holy trinity, whom they feign to speak, to sweat, and to do great 〈◊〉 . Though the name of God be precious, and to be honored of all his children, yet these enemies will swear in vain by him, and because all their religion is carnal, & they imagine of God, as they paint him, & set him out in all respects like a man, so they profane his name in all their idolatrous worship, they swear also horribly, by soul, body, blood, heart, in their common talk. For from them not only sprang the dishonor of his name by their idolatries, Masses, Dirges, Trentals, will woorshippes, devised religion, charmings, 〈◊〉 of creatures, magical abusing the scriptures, but also that horrible swearing by all the partes of a body, as if he were a man, which is used of villains and Ruffianes who are wont to leave no part of a body 〈◊〉 . And when they have done with him, then they run to their mass, other idols and creatures, both of 〈◊〉 own making, & otherwise flatly *against the scriptures. This is common I say amongst papists. not only in their accustomed speeches, but in their solemn assemblies and places 〈◊〉 judgment, and where they should show greatest faith and truth: which are the very seed of fearful perjuries. And in all these cases their consciences 〈◊〉 without all touch, because they make account of some three halpeny satisfaction, which they may obtrude to God, and he shall not refuse it, as they say, for a just recompense. If they will charge us with the like, they cannot, and their own mouths shall witness for us, because, they make it a mark of an heretic as they account us, if he swear not 〈◊〉 .

As for the 〈◊〉 , they neither know what it is, nor how to keep it by any virtuous or godly exercises, seeing they have none amongst them. And therefore all the abuses that have pestered the 〈◊〉 this long time, have sprong from their idolatries. Besides: they defiled it with abhominable stageplaies and interludes, with baiting and tearing, of Bulls, Bears, & other beasts, with revelling & roving like mad dogs. They cared not what devise took place, what pastime were used, though therein the devil himself were served, so they might keep the people quiet and occupied in ignorance, holding them from the light of God's word: And therefore their 〈◊〉 upon these holiest days, were filthy whoredom, drunkenness, misrule and dissolute dealing. Nothing was unlawful if once they heard their abhominable mass, wherein their opinion in that point was not so much to be blamed. For having committed the most horrible sacrilege in the world, why should they make bones at any other sin whatsoever? True it is, that they blaspemously charge the gospel with these abuses and corruptions but how unjustly, all the world may judge, and their own consciences shall convince them, since they 〈◊〉 hatched under their own wings, and the Gospel doth from time to time disprove them, reform them and hath gained against them. And even as the 〈◊◊〉 , and ill favored face of an Owl doth bewray his kind, and all the birds of the field know him, as soon as they see him, follow him and wonder at him: So these foul abuses bewray by their fether, that 〈◊〉 & idolatry hatched them first forth into the world, which banished the doctrine of faith and repentance, from amongst the Sons of men, and lulled them 〈◊〉 in deep security, so as they were careless how they lived: seeing also that 〈◊〉 their death, they might buy out their sins for so small a value. 〈◊〉 they deny these things, a day will come whē the *judgment of God, which is according to truth shall convince them of them, and they shall feel the weight of them.

As for the second table, they who are found such rebels to God, howe can they yield the duties that are due to men? As therefore they 〈◊〉 God, so they yield no honor to those chief instruments & preseruers of their life. Their princes, and Magistrates, whom God hath 〈◊〉 in the highest place that under the shadow of their wings, they might enjoy their wives, children, goods and lands, might have peace: and be shadowed from 〈◊〉 and oppressors, from foreign power and usurpers; they never regarded. Always they bedaubed them with terms of reproach: And though God, to put both them in mind of their duties, and us of that reverence we should yield him, vouchsafeth to communicate his own names with them, and *they are called God's, fathers, his ministers & substitutes, yet they called them the secular power; layety none of the clergy; which term 〈◊〉 they understand, chargeth maiestrats to be none of the Lord's inheritance As for spiritual fathers and pastors, that brake the bread of life sincerely and truly unto them; they evermore rewarded them with fire and sword, for their labors. Their natural parents they brake from, not to follow the truth; but to be votaries & followers 〈◊〉 sectmasters, such as Benedict, Bernard, Bruno, Augustine, Albert, Francis, Dominic, and such like, and if they married; they bestowed themselves most commonly as pleased themselves. And now, so newfangled they are, & 〈◊〉 in their professions; of Jesus they will be called 〈◊〉 , or of the 〈◊◊〉 Jesus; as though the ancient name of Christians were not holy enough to serve their turn wherein they jump with such as will he of the Family of Love; 〈◊〉 to be of the household of 〈◊〉 , as to 〈◊〉 a name for their 〈◊〉 estate. And though that 〈◊〉 unlawful Chapiter of Trent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this new devised order, yer that it may 〈◊〉 an evident argument of the constancy of their Councelles, it is against their own Constitutions that ordered long before their 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 there 〈◊〉 be no more such 〈◊◊〉 they found themselves pestered with For they were weary of the infinite swarm they had already, and therefore one of their own Cardinals 24. years before this blasphemous sect 〈◊〉 out of the bottomless pit, having a charge committed unto him, to give notice of things that were to be reformed, saith plainly, that if such beggarly orders were suffered to increase as they began, it would overthrow all. And in this I hope he shall prove a true Prophet, And the name of Jesus, being of his office, this new brood, by taking it upon them, what do they else but avow themselves members of Antichrist

Of the price of man's blood, which ought to be precisely kept, and preserved, they have no regard. They pour it out as water, & the *earth crieth for vengeance, for that she hath drunk up from their hands, such aboundāce in all places, filling the world full of widows, and pore Orphans, They are so far off: from preserving life upon which God the author of life, hath given such special charge, that they will pick occasions and take the least, forcibly to bereue men of them. And this they will do, not to execute justice, but for hatred of righteousness, and for professing the truth, without all color of justice devising all kind of torments, least they should die to easily, worse thē ever did Nero, Dionisius, Dioclesiā or the rest of such like tyrants. They cōplain of hard dealing, but he that shall enter into their tragical stories & see their practices in all countries, their proceedings and executions, shall see plainly, whose children they are, by their bloody murders, and merciless slaughters. But as this is a note that 〈◊〉 and his members, whose kingdom stands by blood, shall have * feet 〈◊〉 to shed blood, so is it a note of Christ and his kingdom, to be pursued of these, to be killed and put to death, 〈◊〉 we lie before them as sheep, not before the sherers, but as before butchers, and yet open not our mouths and are led to the slaughter, not for our evil and unrighteousness but because we reprove them of sin, hold out the glory of our Christ, and renounce their false doctrine. Who knoweth not that they must needs confess, that they are unable to keep this sixth commandment, if they did understand that which Christ delivereth Math. 5. that collorique passions and reproachful taunts, undeservedly bestowed, were branches of murder, but 〈◊〉 Pharasaicall & loose interpretations of the cōmandments of God, both deceived themselves, and infected the world with this contagion, that man being able to fulfill the will of god needeth not much to be beholding to Christ but of this I have said afore.

As for adultery, where reigned it more, then amongst those contemners of marriage, where were the heads of 6000. children and their bones found in a ponde, and under alters, in caves and dry trenches, in their abhominable houses, but amongst them Were not all their Cloisters, Abbeys, and Nunneries, very stews and brothelhouses? Despising God's ordinance it was his just judgment to give them up as he did the Genriles, not only to spiritual whoredom, but to bodily, that they should follow the lusts of their own hearts, and defile themselves one with another through most beastly filthiness, that their Colleges, Abbeys, Nunneries, and religious houses, should be infected 〈◊〉 with unnatural and untimely murders, or with living bastards and dead bones, or else that they should be filthy Gomorians and sodomites, that *leaving the natural use they should commit unspeakable wickedness, which contrary to this commandment they nonrished with all kind of pleasant delights, idleness, pampering of the flesh in their greatest and most solemn fasts, they made their choicest feasts, with all kind of dainties & finest 〈◊〉 , drinking all kind of sweet wines, that they might fully feed upon the pride & lust of the eye, this is so cōmō in Rome as I have partly said before, and smelleth so strong throughout all Christendom, that it hath turned many, that are even but natural men, who otherwise could have favored their religion, from them: and beeinge won by the Gospel, presently love the truth, and a great number of others stumbling thereat, have fallen to irreligion and flat Atheism. Herein also they show themselves most unskillful of that sincerity Christ speaketh of, when he forbiddeth the raunging of the eye, when by no means they will acknowledge concupiscence to be sin, and in respect of their false doctrine are fain to deny the definition of sin, to wit, that sin is the transgression of the law of God, yet because it is reproved by Christ himself, they are fain to yield a little, that it is the 〈◊〉 of sin, and not sin it self.

As for temporal things, though they be of lease account, yet they steal them both from Princes, and all sortes of people. Neither will their pretenced title of right help, though it be confirmed by old and worm 〈◊〉 prescription, to ouerway the commandment of GOD, who 〈◊〉 not have one man to encroch upon another man's possession, and yet they have made a spoil of all callings, getting into their hands the 〈◊〉 of the whole world. That they rob fatherless children and widows, under the 〈◊〉 of long prayer, by their 〈◊〉 and trentals, and such paltrye robbing devises, yea that they maintain 〈◊〉 committed in time of 〈◊〉 , it is more then apparent

For bearing false witness the false papist will not stick to bely the moste blameless Christians in the world, and to charge them, though with no color, with moste palpable untruths, either to bring the truth into hatred, or them to the fire. They will make no conscience falsely to accufe the notablest men, & most singular instruments that ever have been in the church of God, the dust of whose shoes they are not worthy to lick up. And herein they show themselves like their father the 〈◊〉 , who was a liar from the beginning, an accuser of the brethren, malicious and full of poison. And most 〈◊〉 amongst the rest, hath that notable Apostate Hieronim Bolsek expressed the image of his father, in that filthy & slanderous book that he hath written of the life of that excellent man of God John Calvin, whom without all shame being laid up 〈◊〉 peace, a great while since, and buried with Honor, he taketh out of his grave, and gnaweth upon his 〈◊〉 carcass and bones, more barbarously then any tygre or carian Crowe, the envy of whose honor and 〈◊〉 of God's 〈◊〉 , though it have 〈◊〉 his serpentine tongue, and 〈◊◊〉 , eythere upon 〈◊〉 or slanderous reports, yet his 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 confirmed, by so many rare monuments of learned works, and grave testimonies of those that lamente his lack in the Church of God, that though he swelt his heart, and burst for anger, he shall never be able amongst the godly to impair his credit, the value of the paring of a nail or one hair, much less hurt the truth of God, which dependeth upon no man's person, but have credit and authority from God the only author thereof. Let the whole army of these slanderers, that lie by tradition one from the credit of another, do what they can, the truth shall stand inviolable. Howsoever men have their faults, who as they are men have the infirmities of men, and must plead mercy before that sincere seat, yet this false witness bearing, reacheth not to men, but to the dishonor of God him self, and thetefore that railing Staphilus, Lindane, Wicellus, Vaquerius, Cocleus, Frarin, and others, that belche out their malice against Luther, Beza, and such like instruments of God, do but bark in vain, like dogs against the Moon, that is far from them & without their reach. Their lies are so notorious, as that of Luther's and Calvin's death, that whole countries can and are ready to testify the contrary. But admit that some of these things were to be credited, reported by indifferent men: yet considering these wretches to be shameless and 〈◊〉 enemies, how unequal a thing were it to accept them for witnesses, being of a false and contrary Religion, being even 〈◊〉 with malice and 〈◊〉 against them, whose learning and rare 〈◊〉 they could never attain to: and having no conscience in greater matters, will make no conscience to bely them, being adversaries to their falsehood and superstition, whom they labor to bring into hatred, that they may win some credit to them selves, being in deed but monsters in the shape of men, such liars and slanderers, backbyters and railers, as are more fit, I am sory to speak it, to 〈◊〉 against Wispes, and to be set upon Cuckingstooles with scoldes, then to be admitted to give evidence against such godly, grave, and learned fathers. But this hath always been the propertye of the kingdom of darkness, to slander the truth, and the true professors thereof. They have not* spared the Prophets, Christ himself, nor his Apostles, and therefore we must not look that they will spare us. Truth was always hated of liars, and none find greater friendship in the world then the children thereof. He can say little, that being corrupt of nature, cannot speak ill: but he that speaketh the truth, is of God. This hath hene the practice of popish heretics, when they find themselves too weak to maintain their willfulness, then they fall to plain railing and lying. Then have at Beza, at Calvin, at Luther the dutch Bear, whose Mother was a whore and slept by the Devil. Then Calvin to get credit to his doctrine, must be made a miracle worker (will he nil he:) though the miracle in deed (if any such were) be set out to have been attempted by one of their own Jesuits, who in steed of raysinge a man from death, killed him, and was fain to entreat the Woman to be contented, and so persuade the people, because he could not effect it, that it was long of their unbelief. This goodly tale is set out by Surius, and dubbed since forsooth by that Apostate Bolsecke. But the children of God, they deal by truth, they take no advantage of any envious accusation, nor stand upon vain conjectures, and ghesses, as they are wont to do: what papist hath 〈◊〉 taught, in expoun ding this ninth commandment to refrain frō vnsea sonable and uncharitable report of their neighbors faults, 〈◊〉 or credit? and yet the truth is, and known to them that scan this commandment 〈◊〉 , that the same God which forbiddeth us to defame our brother; doth therwithal enjoin us to be as careful over his credit, as over our own, and not to speak of our neighbors faults, but to the ende that they may be amended, and other warned to take heed of the like, which is well known to be only practiced amongst the professors of the Gospel, and not amongst them.

Lastly concerning coveting our neighbors house, 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 , maid, Ox, Ass, or any other thing, they think this lust (as before I have partly mentioned) to be so far from sin, that they will not only possess whatsoever a Christian man hath, but they will never be satisfied, till they have his life also, 〈◊〉 his religion please them not. As for concupiscence it self, flying thoughts and desires, which the * law condemneth, they make no account of them, though by them it be manifest, that we are in that respect not fully replenished with the spirit of GOD, nor free from that corruption, which we ought daily by newness of life to grow unto.

Such enemies to God are these papists, that they subvert all religion, teaching for doctrine the unsavory * precepts & traditions of men, they mingle their lead with the Lord's gold, and * fill his harvest full of darnel They break, as you have heard, all the commandments of God, to maintain their own ways, and stop from us the springes of the water of life, that we might drink of their puddles. For their own dreams they make us forget the name of our God, and lead us from that simplicitye that is in Christ Jesus, They are unthankful wretches for all God's benefits, and to say grace with them, unless it be after some mumbling sort in an unknown tongue, either before meat or after, is a note of a rank Heretic.

At their tables they neither love to talk, nor to hear anything of God, of his word, religion or any godliness, but all their delight is in idle talk, jesting, scoffing, taunting, mocking and nipping at them that be absent, or being present be better disposed then themselves. They will talk also filthily and vnshamefastlye, to recreate both them selves, and such fleshly familiars as themselves be. They naturally hate the word of God, and sit upon thorns, where the exercises of it are used. And if they lay just accusations and execute judgments upon 〈◊〉 offenses, yet they do it not in love, but devise things that were never heard, nor thought of. If they be of Parsons Howlets hypocrites, and come of purpose to church to deceive the prince, and delude the 〈◊〉 , and most of all themselves, they are there without all reverence, either nodding and sleeping in the time of the exercise, or else walking and jangling, or carried away with idle and unprofitable imaginations, or else occupied in some popish paltry book either printed at home or brought from beyond the seas, or else they are watching for some advantage, against the painful and godly minister, evermore lying in wait, to stir up strife, and to disquiet the Church. They are never merry, when there is any communication of goodness, then you trouble them, they come to be merrye, they sweat for anger, when they cannot supresse it. Of devilish malice and sp ite they hate God, detest their neighbors, and their own souls 〈◊〉 all god ines and honesty, to * whom stolen waters are sweet, and a whore is more amiable then a spoused wife. Pighius is commended in an oration for it, & one Girādus against Bucer, a Colen divine, saith, it is better for a priest to have an hundred whores then one wife. Aquinas saith, that marriage is to be avoided of them that tend to per fection: Durand saith it is not expedient. Lighttly they will never marry, they will oftentimes be well whitled, & then they can rail roundly, then we are heretics, Puritans, & what not? & a golden day will once come, when we shall burn sor it, or else they will not bestow so much cost on us, a thrust with a sword, a knock with a halbert, a pot with a gun or a halfepeny halter shall serve for all. They will whisper from place to place, and from one to another and upon their ale-bench, what days are these, what wickedness is in the world, See the lives of these Gospellers, was there ever such covetousness, now all for their women, whores and bastards. O the golden world is gone, when we had 24 eggs for a penny, when we might go to this religious house and that, and have good chere our bellies full, and no man can say, black is your eye, or from whence come you. They say the Mass is naught, but I cannot tell, then we had a merry world, and all things plenty, O since I can remember, what mirth was there in all towns, in our villages and wakes, what good fellowship: when no man's wife was in 〈◊〉 , when few men's daughters were married vyrgins: and as for men's servants, they had more mirth then in a day, then they have now in a hundredth. Then they sang and sponne, they meddled with their 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 by the faith of others: Now they are so bookishe, become so wise and learned, that they will meddle with the scriptures. It was never merry world since there was so much talk of 〈◊◊〉 , since every cobler and Tinker 〈◊◊〉 with it, and a byble must stand in every window. Well, the Queen cannot live always, and when our day cometh, we will be even with them, they shall stand at our receipt and 〈◊〉 , and then our arguments shall make them to stowpe, or else 〈◊◊〉 us a 〈◊〉 pair of heels: When they 〈◊〉 of any overthrow, murder, or cruelty against the professorus of the Gospel, or that some noble captain that goeth with them is 〈◊〉 , then they banquet one another, they 〈◊〉 and laugh together, and look as big upon us as if 〈◊〉 day were 〈◊〉 ady come, & they were already become Lord's over us. But he 〈◊〉 sitteth in the 〈◊〉 shall 〈◊◊〉 to 〈◊〉 , for be seeth that their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . The 〈◊〉 that they have whetted and drawn against us, shall enter into their own 〈◊〉 , & their bows shall be broken. The Lord 〈◊◊〉 the arms of these wicked ones, and 〈◊◊〉 up with his own hand against them. For they are those false woorshippers who worship (as Christ said to the Woman of Samaria) they wot not what Deceitfull prophets they are, that tell us here is Christ, there is Christ. The cake over the altar, the rood in the rood 〈◊〉 , the image upon the cross, and such like stuff, but we are commanded, not to 〈◊〉 them. They are such (besides that general condemnation, that is in Adam upon all flesh) upon whom the wrath of God is specially declared frō heaven, for their ungodliness and unrighteousness, for they suppress the truth, & hold it unrighteously by an unjust possession. They * are without excuse, because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, but became vain in their reasonings, having their foolish harts blinded, thinking them selves to be wise & learned, they became fools, & turned the glory of the 〈◊〉 God into the framed image of a mortal mā, of birds, 〈◊〉 footed beasts & creping worms For they worship a man for S. Matthew, a byrd for S. John. a calf for S. Luke, and a Lyon for S. Mark. This is the cause (as I have said before) that they are given up to the lusts of their own hearts (as the Gentiles were;) that they should from spiritual whoredom fall to carnal, & commit unspeakable evils, defiling their own bodies amongst thenselves. For they have 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of God into a lie, and therefore it is his righteous judgment, that they should be given up to believe & delight in lies, that passing over the Creator, who is blessed forever, they should worship creatures. All the vices where with the Apostle chargeth the Gentiles in the first to the Romans, and the root whereof he proveth to be in all flesh, are apparently in them, not only by nature, but in a full practice & execution. For they are wholly given up to follow them with a full foot. They are full of * vnrigteousnes, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, lasciviousness, envy, murder, debate, deceit, evil cōditioned; they are, whisperers, backbiters, haters of god, doers of wrong, proud, bosters. They are false * teachers which bring in damnable sects, denying the Lord that hath bought thē, & through whō the way of truth is evil spoken of. Presumptuous they are and stubborn, fearing not to speak evil of thē that are in autho rity. They count it a pleasure to live here deliciously for a time, & to follow their own deceivable ways, fearing one another: amongst thenselves & backbiting the truth. Read that lively description of all the Popish clergy, in that 2. epistle of Peter and the 2. chapter. They have eyes 〈◊〉 of adultery, and cannot cease to sin: they lay baits for instable minds, having harts exercised to covetousness: they are the cursed children of Cain, & have forsaken the right way: they are gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Boser, who loved the reward of iniquity. They are welles without water, and clouds carried about with a tempest, to whom the thickness and mist of darkness is reserved forever.

Such enemies of God they are, as exalt the son of perdition above all that is called god, or worshipped for God. They allow his dispensations against God and his laws, and as for his sake (such beasts they are) they set them selves against God. So do they not care in regard of him, and in respect of that idol the mass, to betray their own country, Prince, Parents, kins folks and friends to the veriest strangers and enemies in the world, yea and to lay down their own lives, Let any come forth & deny this, if they can with any color of truth. Our country hath found it too true, and there is none that have had any dealing in any place of 〈◊〉 under her Majesty, but can confirm it by particulars in their continual practice, not only for casting abroad their 〈◊〉 lil elles, but also for sending into this realm their pestiferous and traiterous books, and bulls against the Queens majesty, & her honorable council, state and peace, that have been the very sparks and firebrands of rebellion, & would have been of further flame and greater destruction, had not God in his great mercy, by the light of the gospel, taught and instructed men, how they should hold themselves in dutiful loyalty, and true obedience, Put of this a little more afterwards.

Such enemies to God they are, as devour pore widows houses under color of long prayers, & stick not to compass sea & land, to bring men to their false faith, or else to death, as Alphonsus did by his own brother John. 〈◊〉 * Blind guides they are, wicked fools, tithers of mint, Anise & cumin, omitting faith, judgment & 〈◊〉 . Hipocrites they are that make clean the outside of the cup & platter, but within they are full of rauen and * 〈◊〉 . They are with the 〈◊〉 ; Wolves in sheep's clothing, painted sepulchers, outwardly glorious, but within full of rotten and dead bones. They bear a show of Christianity, and yet are full of 〈◊〉 and murder: they * say, if they had ben in their fathers days: they would not have slain the 〈◊〉 and apostles: and yet mark what they 〈◊〉 in all Countries against the Christians. Let Queen Mary's time, the continual murders and 〈◊〉 that have 〈◊〉 in France, Flaunders, Spain, Scotland, Ireland, at home amongst our 〈◊〉 , & abroad, wheresoever 〈◊〉 hath gotten in a foot, beat witness. Are not these therefore enemies to God? Is not Antichrist the Pope, of whom all this hellishe rowt hold, an enemy to God? 〈◊〉 not his seat where he 〈◊〉 , the doctrine he tea heth, the manners that he 〈◊〉 , quite contrary to Christ, and plain marks of his Apostasy? Is not Rome (as Franciscus Petrarcha calleth it) the whore of Babylon, the mother 〈◊〉 : 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 , from whence all shame and 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 ? Doth not Peter in the first epistle under the name of Babylon name Rome, by their own confession, and by Jerome's own interpretation, and as Campion him self granteth? And herefore, as John * describeth it, it is that Roman whore that sitteth in her Scarlet robe, full of names of blaphemy, the habitation of devils, the hold of all soul spirits, the cage of all unclean & hateful birds: out of whose cup, all the nations in the world have drawn the draught of the wine of the wrath of her whoredom.

Such enemies they are, as through the * effectual wor king of 〈◊◊〉 all 〈◊◊〉 the word of 〈◊〉 , to whom God 〈◊〉 sent 〈◊◊〉 , that they should believe lies, and prefer the 〈◊〉 fables of a lying legend, before the blessed byble, receiving as a just recompense, the fruits of their 〈◊〉 rebellion, to wit, ignorance, blindness, a lewd understanding, and in the ende just damnation.

Suche enemies they are, as give heed to spirits * of error, to the devilish doctrine of such as spea false things through hypocrisy, having their conciences branded with an hot iron, are * grievous wolves, making no conscience to tear and devour the flock, * concealers of God's counsayles, speakers of perverse things, and drawing disciples after them. For they would have all the world to follow them without any examination. They shut up the kingdom of heaven, and will neither enter themselves, nor suffer others to enter. They are Hipocrites and Gomorrians in deed, of the seed of Cain, children of the devil, blasphemers & bloody persecutors. They hedge in the Catholic Church, like the Donatists, into a little corner of the world: They cry, they are the catholic church, and yet would draw us to one that is more particu lar then many others of the Greek, that were never joined and continued with them. And none must be of their Catholic church, but such forsooth as subscribe to their synagogue, much like as if they should affirm, that all Christendom were to be included in Kent. They confound the humanity of Christ, making I cannot tell how many thousand bodies, turning the Godhead into the manhood, & the manhood into the Godhead, agreeing with all the ancient heretics that erred about his divinity and humanity: for with the Futichians & Monothelits, they make him to consist of two natures, but not to have two natures, neither two willes: or else they make him to have a fantastical body, as Marcion Cerdon, and Manes did: to be, in infinite places at once, in heaven and in earth, denying the truth of the humanity: as Valentinus, they make him to have a body of an airy, insensible, and invisible substance, as also Apelles did: whereas his * own word teacheth us, that we should not believe him to be present in body, except by our senses we could perceive a difference betwixt him & a spirit.

Such enemies they are, as believe they cannot be saved, unless they be subject to the Pope, unless they acknowledge him to have all authority in heaven, earth, hell, purgatory, and wheresoever. Do not they herein plainly deny God, from whom alone is all salvation, as did Hebion, Cerinthus, Basilides, Carpocares, Photinus, Artemon, Paulus Samosetanus, Ennomius, AEtius, & Theodotinus, whē they undoubtedly believe that the Pope can forgive sin? A grosser heresy, then ever the * Scribes and Pharisees were infected with, who deeminge Christ to be only man, thought it extreme blasphemic for him to take upon him to forgive sin. They are persuaded that the Pope by his Benediction can make things more holy then cuer God made them in their creation? that he can dispence with Christ, Peter, Paul, Moses, and all laws both of God and man? Whosoever kisseth his shoe, though he were excommunicated, yet for so doing he hath clean remission a poena & culpa;, both from the punishment and fault. What shall I say they are such enemies to God, that they believe undoubtedly, that if a priest or one in holy orders know an harlot carnally, he sanctifieth and blesseth her in so doing, & as Petrus Rauennus saith, Though handling & kissing be occasions of inconstancy and unchastity in lay persons, yet in priests and those that are in holy orders, it is far otherwise: a wife he must disauow & forswear, but not a whore. It is not good to touch a woman, therefore it is evil.

And seeing every priest maketh a God every day, or as often as he consecrateth, and therefore excelleth the virgins Mary, that did bear him but once, and from whom he only took flesh and blood: It cannot be that they can intend, commit, or perform any such great evil. And if they do, what great matter is it, seeing Christ redeemed the whole world with one drop of his blood, and left the rest to the pope, his vicar general at Rome, and from him to all the other priests, that they might have the overplus to make pardons withal, for these, either waightye, or petty offenders. It would weary a man to reckon up all their abominations. The Pope and his generation are as like unto Christ, as light is unto darkness, and as Parsons Owl is to a Nightingale: For Christ being God, became very man, the pope being an abhominable man, taketh upon him the office of God, yea and to be above him and his word, Christ humbled himself, and put him self as it were out of himself: the pope maketh himself equal with God, & not without rob bery, more then God, Christ never came amongst the multitude vpō a barred horse, both with swords & keys, like a Prince and a Prieste, though in deed he were both. But the pope that will needs be his Vicar, he hath done it. The two swords with Christ, are both jurisdictions civil & ecclesiastical, a Pope in the forenoon, a warier in the after, yea Emperors, kings, princes & dukes serve him wait upon his styrrup, lead his horse, hold basen and to well, carry in his service, wait upon his cup kneeling, and all the rest kneeling while this is a doing. They bear his Canopy over his head, they kiss his foot and whom the Lord hath anointed to bear his image amongst men, they abase themselves and become slaves to this prond beast of abomination. Christ had conversation with the poor, the pope looketh at leisure upon the mighty, and he scarcely vouchsafeth them his presence: Christ lived sparing lie and porely, they deliciously and wantonly, Pope July notwithstanding his goute, would have his porke in despite of God, and was in such a rage, also for his pecocke, that he blasphemed God, alleging that if God were angry 〈◊〉 an apple he had greater cause to be angry for his pecocke, Christ washed his disciples 〈◊〉 , the pope treadeth upon the Lord's anointed with his feet. He crouned Henry the sixth with his foot, and with his foot vncrowned him again. Christ 〈◊〉 to be made a king, the pope giveth, disposeth, and transposeth kingdoms at his pleasure and appoyntmente. He setteth princes and Subiectes together by the ears, and maynteineth factions on all sides, to uphold his proud Hierarchy, 〈◊〉 Gregory the second did irritate the subjects of Leo the Emperor against him. As 〈◊〉 assoiled Pypin and the rest of the French, from their oath and allegiance to Childericke, whom he made to trotte at his horse hecles three miles together. Phocas 〈◊◊〉 and a murderer is by him lifted up to an Empire, & he again for recompense advanceth him to be Antichrist, by giving him that which the other sought for to wit to be the universal Bishop, which his predecessors condemned. Hildebrand that firebrand of hell, of whom all stories write shame, made Henry the fourth with his wife & Sun to cool his feet, the space of three days at his gate, before he would admit him to his presence, and yet that was by the 〈◊〉 of his whore. And Clement the 〈◊〉 , who pronounced the empire to belong to him, made Dan dalus a noble man, & an Embassador from the vene tiās, in chains like a dog to lie under his table. The Pope is the Sun, The Emperor is but the moon. Emperors & princes be his Vassalles & feodaries, & receive their crowns & dignities frō him. They become his men. Every hedge priest is before a prince, because Priests make God, but all his Princes are the Popes creatures. Christ * sent his disciples to preach the Gospel. The pope & his Cardinals persecute & stop the preaching of the gospel, & their chiefest business is to practice 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 , that his Soueraignty may be maintained in all dominions. Christ himself taught the gospel, The pope can fly as well as preach. * Christ being both poor & weak was compelled to bear his own cross: the pope being fat & strong is born of others. * Christ wore a crown of thorns, the Pope weareth a triple crown of gold, 〈◊〉 with precius stons. * Christ would not take vpō him the deciding a ciuel cause, when two brethren strove for land: The pope will meddle with all causes & deal with all persons in heaven, earth and hell. Christ died to save us & bring us to heaven: the Pope liveth to kill us, and lead us to hell. Christ thorough his death reconciled us to his father the Pope continually killeth us and draweth us to his father the devil. Fire & water are not so 〈◊〉 as Christ and the pope. Christ was true and sincere, he is falls and counterfeit and notwithstanding all the perogatives of his chair, (as hath been partly touched before) which as Cusan saith, hath the truth cleaving unto it, yet it is evident, that Leo, Liberius, & Anastasius were Arians. Celestinus and Marcellinus, Nestorians, Honorius was a Monotholite. John. 13. a cruel villain, the 14, a tyrant, Hildebrand an helhounde, a conjurer, an incestuous wretch. Read his life set out by one of his own Cardinals. Boniface the 8. who entered as a Wolf, reigned like a Lyon; and died like a dog, was so far from not erring, that he is tainted with all kind of villainies, and is accused to have affirmed whoredom to be no more sin, then the chaffing of two hands together. No more was Pope Paschal, who set the son of Henry the fifth against his own father. And made Pope Calixte to ride through Rome upon a Camill, with his face toward the tail, and to hold the 〈◊〉 tail in his hand, in steed of a bridle, which doeth no more commend his innocenice then this doeth Pope Innocentes, who armed Philippe of France against King John sometime our sovereign Prince, to the disturbance, vndooing, and spoil of this Realm. Think you not that Pope 〈◊〉 the fourth also, was a holy Father, who not only himself was given to that sylthie sin of Sodomitrye, but also dispensed with Peter 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 Hicrome for it, during those three hot months of the year; June, July, and August. I am weary of speaking of all, the stories are plain, that from that same first Apostate Boniface, to him that now usurpeth that seat, they have been all taynted and infected both with corruption of doctrine, & lewdness of life, What should I speak of their cruelty, dissention. lives, and death. John the 〈◊〉 . was begotten in adultery. John the 12. 〈◊〉 in it. The 13. was slain as he was committing it, the 18. was put to death, and both his eyes put out, by the means and procurement of Gregory, about it, Pope Clement poisoned Lodouik Sylvester the 2. was a notable 〈◊〉 , Gregory the iuuēter of images was given over to all kind of wickedness. Benedict is said to be the corrupter of Rome with all filthiness, who sold his popedom for a great sum of money. Stephan so raged against Formosus being dead long before, that he disanulled his decrees, took up his dead carcase, threw it into Tiber, chopped of 3. of his fingers, and cut of his nose Urbanus dround five of his dearest 〈◊〉 in sacks. If this be not enough to prove all these Popes, and those that hold of them, and 〈◊〉 them, such wicked ones (which is * alike wickedness) to be 〈◊〉 to god; let their own 〈◊〉 , I say, 〈◊〉 further searched. Ia all things they are moste contrary to Christ. The whole description of Paul agreeth to them in all points.

Whereas it is further said, that he shall 〈◊〉 up 〈◊〉 ab ue 〈◊〉 that is called God. It is moste evident, he contenteth not himself, with the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 that belong to Angels and men, but wilhaue those that belong to God himself. And his clawbakes and flatrerers, not the grossest but the finest and wittiest, not of those old flattering Ciuilians, but our new oilemouthed divines, M Harding and such like hold, that after a 〈◊〉 he may be called God. Even 〈◊〉 Antiochus, Domitian, & Caligula arrogated those names, so do they, & therefore they make no bones to take it thus Thou art another God on earth. And Cardillus a spaniard writing in defense of that late cōspiracy of Trent, often times calleth the Pope an earthly God. And Cardinal Hostensis saith that except sin, the Pope hath power to do 〈◊〉 soever God himself can do. Christ & the Pope make but one cōsistory, & Christ hath receiucd Peter into the fellowship of the indivisible unity. And theresore the Canonists have 〈◊〉 whole disputations, whether the Pope be God or no: whether he cannot do 〈◊〉 God may do: That no appeal can be made from the Popes consistory to God, because ab uno 〈◊〉 non 〈◊◊〉 . And they confess plainly to all the worl de that he is Dominus 〈◊〉 noster 〈◊〉 our Lord God the Pope. And albeit the late qualifiers say, that he is 〈◊〉 God nor man, but a thing between both, yet they affirm, that kings reign by him, which is spoken only of God that he hath all power in himself, above all powers as well of heaven as of earth, therefore he doth what himself 〈◊〉 , yea vnlawsull things, and he is more then God. Shall any man check him? are not the scriptures subject unto him, being God, do they not say truly? that the pope can dispēce against the law of nature? against the Cannons of the apostles, against the new testament, against all the commandments, against Paul's Epistles, In Baptism he may alter the form, In marriage he dispēseth with all persons, saving only with father and mother. A man may marry his own sister, and here of Pope Martin the fist hath left us an example. Nay one saith, that the Pope may dispense supra 〈◊〉 & of unrighteousness he can make lighteousnes, and of no sentence, he can make a sentence, and of nothing, he can make something. He challengeth such authority to expound and declare the scriptures, as it is not lawsull for any man to hold or think the contrary. Of the fullness of his power he can do all things. If this be not the * mouth that Daniel spake of that uttered presumptuous things, let themselves judge if they have any shamefastness in them. If this be not that beast, before whom the kings and princes of the earth have fallen down and worshipped: Let master Censurer or Parsons Howlet together with all that dark brood tell me. But this is that * Beast, to whom they have yielded their power, & the woman that sitteth upon this beast, is that filthy 〈◊〉 of the world, (as they speak of their stews which they tolerate) I mean the city of Rome, to which power is given over every tribe, language & nation: which all the inhabitants of the earth shall worship, whose names are not written in the book of life. And howsoever this mōster come under the pretence of 〈◊〉 , & will have these 〈◊〉 & presumptuous titles of most blessed and holy father, yea, will be called 〈◊〉 it self, and will be placed in such absolute and spiritual estate of holiness as none can be in, but him self, and therefore must not be 〈◊〉 of any fault whatsoever without sacrilege, yet herein also he is plainly proved to be that Antichrist, that being a damnable man and no spirit, by lying he feigneth himself to be God, and therefore feigneth himself to be religious; that under the couler of godliness he may deceive, yea he calleth himself God, and causeth himself to be worshipped. There is nothing belonging to Christ and to his special office, that he doth not take upon him: he forgiveth sins, changeth the nature of things, will be head of the Church, an universal by shop, Lord of the world, a commander of Angels, without error, and what not? This is a plain token that he hateth God, seeing he will be called by the name of God And being a thief, an Apostate, and a slave will yet be worshipped as God, and proclaimed as a king. This is he, 〈◊〉 holdeth that his decrees, must be esteemed as spoken by the instincte of the holy Ghost from Peter himself, who having full authority must conclude, decide and define all things, who is the wonder of the world, and therefore of Papa is called Pope, before whom not only all creatures but the greatest princes of the world must do homage. God the judge of the whole world vouchsafeth oftentimes to communicate to us miserable 〈◊〉 a reason of his doings, but this monster must yield no reason: No man whatsoever he 〈◊〉 , must ask him why he doeth it. The very heavens sweat at his abominations. And therefore I conclude this first part, that this is the very Antichrist, that sitteth in men's consciences: And that whole body the head and members is that Babylon, Egypt and Sodom, enemies to Jesus Christ, the true and only head of his Church, and to all his members.

Now it followeth to prove that they are enemies to Christian princes, and namely the moste dangerous and greatest enemies, that our Souereigne, the Queens Majesty that now by the grace of god reigneth over us, hath. Being proved (as they are) 〈◊〉 to God, how can they be friends to his ministers & magistrates whom he hath appointed under him? If true christiā obedience to princes must necessarily flow from dutiful obedience to God, how can they obey christiā mē, that have no fear of God: well they may couch and crouch for fear of the whip, yield an outward & civil reverence, such as M. 〈◊〉 speaketh of, but they can never love truly as children, but fear as slaves, whom true knowledge hath not framed, for in respect of God, to 〈◊〉 obedience and duty. That this true obedience hath been taught, advanced and established in the hearts of men by the gospel, it is apparent to 〈◊〉 men that will not be willfully blind, and of malice kick against the prick. For where hath there been greater and more godly 〈◊〉 , humble, lowely and faithful loyalty in the hearts of subjects towards their princes, with the willing bearing of all burdens & paying of all taxes, impositions, and such like civil duties, but where the gospel hath moste flourished? let all the countries in the world, where it hath been received, speak the truth thereof. Contrari wise, the troubles that have arisen (as it cannot be denied, but that there have been great troubles by occasion thereof, in many places of the world) yet they have all sprong from the unquiet and hammering heads of faythlesse and traiterous Papists, who in favor of their idolatry have always with a deadly hatred persecuted the truth, and the true professors of it, And be they what they might be, of what estate or condition so ever, superiors or equals, Magistrates or vassals, Princes or subjects, they have always been set against, undermined and overthrown without all respect, if once they have made but show to embrace the Gospel. And hereof have Christian princes found their troubles, common, weals their wastinges and ouerthowes; Christian people pitiful effusion of blood, joined with hideous cruelty, such as was never exercised amongst heathen Tyrantes. And though all the simpler sort of papists amongst the common people be not to be drawn into this company of 〈◊〉 conspiratoures, 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 , but rather are to be deemed as ignorant deceived, and reduced by the finer sort of heads, yet these greatest and 〈◊〉 , their captains, and 〈◊〉 being politiques, have offended of knowledge: and making that reckoning of the pope that they do, they must needs be enemies and traitorus to our sovereign prince the Queen, even such as they are to God. For they being fully persua ded in conscience & in deed, that the pope is Christ's vicar, that princes must reign by him, must needs deny that those princes who allow not his 〈◊〉 and are so 〈◊〉 , off from being 〈◊〉 by him, that they are excommunicated and deposed (as much as 〈◊〉 in him) from their crowns and dignity; they must deny, I say, as in deed they do, that such at 〈◊〉 princes, & therefore deny them all obedience. And hence it is, that popery is always accompanied 〈◊〉 treason, rebellion and consparacye, whereof, as our 〈◊〉 Lad hath 〈◊〉 more then her highness noble progenitors, in regard that she hath more advanced the gospel, & yet God be praised, hath been delivered frō thē, so they making but the least show that could be, of fauoring the 〈◊〉 religiō (such as those dark times cold afford thē) which 〈◊〉 very dim; have yet had their hands full, being many times put to their shifts, & hardly escaping the loss both of their crowns & lives. So was Henry 〈◊〉 2. dealt withal whē his crown was plucked frō his head & he compelled like a private man; to the no small disgrace of the majesty of a Prince. to creep to the 〈◊〉 legat, to be restored again, So was king John dealt withal, whē frō the pope; by the means of the 〈◊〉 & monks, he was discharged frō his govern ment, his subjects released frō their alleageāce; his no 〈◊〉 in arms & in field against him, & at length finished his miserable life, by the treasō of a monk that poisoned him & himself with him, as their own stories have delivered unto us. So dealt they with Henry the 8. a famous prince, stirring up the emperor against him, the french king & others, wherein those same notable traitors, the one a negromācer Cardinal Wolsey & Cardinal Poole, both special dealers; doing as much as lay in them to deprive him of his kingdome. As for that blessed 〈◊〉 king Edward, all the cōmotions & treasons that were stirred up & practiced against him. both at home & abroad came from the pope & papists at Rome. Let the stories be searched I speak not so much of those former times, I could show how king Harrold lost his kingdom, for banishing one Robert, 〈◊〉 of Canterbury, who flying to the duke of Normandy, was not only resto 〈◊〉 to his Archbishopric again, whether the king would or no, but the said duke being 〈◊〉 by the pope, got the whole kingdō. So did Anselmus a traitor trouble Williā the 2. about the election of bishops, which was by his own right, that in spite of the kings teeth, he brought it to the pope that 〈◊〉 christ. I could also show how one Raphe; a pilde & shorn bishop of Chester, did so justle with the king, about a tribute for whores, that he suspended the churches, stopped up the doors with thorns, & come pelled the king to yield unto him, which he could never have done, had not the pope & diverse of that traitorous ciue assisted him. So one Stephan Langtō an archbishop caused the realm to be enterdited, stirred up rebellion in Ireland, & provoked the pope to cōquer it, til the king became the popes tenant, & received the crown at his hands; So Thomas Arundell, being also Archbishop of Canterbury and chauncellor (for then all offices might 〈◊〉 in any of their men) in the time of king Henry the second, being exiled with the earle of Darbye, belike for some treason, when the king was abient, they deposed him, & afterwards put him to death. So raged they also against good duke Hūfrey, the stories show ing that he began to see, and smell out their knavery the bishop of Winchester set first upon him at London and afterwards in a parliament time, not 〈◊〉 from Bury they murdered him. What should I speak of Richard Scrowpe Archbyshoppe of 〈◊〉 in the time of Henry the fouth, who was in the field against the king, and had the reward of a Traitor. And hence was it that they made such laws against the procuring of excommunications, Bulls, or ecclesiastical censures, from the pope or See of Rome, against the king or any of his 〈◊〉 in those days, when popery moste flourished 〈◊〉 the time of Edward the first, one for 〈◊〉 an excommunication from Rome, against one of the 〈◊〉 subjects, was 〈◊〉 the realm, and had suffered, as in case of high 〈◊〉 , had not the Chan cellor and treasurer of England made special suite for him. Theresore also it was enacted that no foreign power, should hold any plea without the kings protection within this realm or take any without. The pope should give no benefices, nor bishop rickes here. They that procured cytations or procurations from Rome, fell into a Premunire, So did they that took letters of Attorney, lormes or administrations for benefices, without the kings special license. It was made death, to 〈◊〉 , procure or cause to be procured any Summons, excommunications or 〈◊〉 from Rome. If any took upon them the 〈◊〉 of any bishop, sued any process or sentence, excommunication, Bull or 〈◊〉 , touching the kings crown or regality, brought them in, or received them, notified them, or made execution of them, within the Realm or without, both the offenders and mainteiners were out of the kings protection, their Lands and goods were con fiscate, and Bulls from Rome for 〈◊〉 was a 〈◊〉 . I speak not of our late parliamentes and laws, because they will hold they are 〈◊〉 , as not being ratified by their Pope and themselves. This being so manifest & plain, I marvel at Campions impudencye that will avouch the Romish religion, not only by 〈◊〉 , and philosophy, but also by law both civil & temporal yet in force; and yet herein I 〈◊〉 appeal to those lawyers that are his best friends & 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 moste, (the laws standing as they do) if they would plainly show their judgment. 〈◊〉 must the trial of God's religiō, that is always one & perfect, be subject now to the changeable 〈◊〉 of men? and yet it may appear in all ages and times, since Antichrist displayed himself, that he and his members have been the 〈◊〉 practicers of treasons that ever 〈◊〉 , and being such evil men have brought forth those good 〈◊〉 , that hath ben made against such usurpation, and unnatural treachery against God, 〈◊〉 natural prince, state and country. I could 〈◊〉 that 〈◊◊◊〉 from their practice, specially when princes began to see some 〈◊〉 of the truth, And this was the cause that when king Henry began to banishe the Popes aúthority, he and his land were interdicted And did not Cardinal Poole 〈◊〉 Charles the 〈◊〉 in an oration, being bent against the 〈◊〉 , to leave all that business, & to bend his 〈◊〉 against 〈◊〉 , encouraging the subjects of the 〈◊〉 against their sovereign Lord? The gospel and the 〈◊〉 thereof, howsoever 〈◊〉 be charged by viperous, & 〈◊〉 tongues, such 〈◊〉 as Surius, Wicellus, 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 and the rest, (who seem to have 〈◊〉 that faculty above the rest) that from it and the preachers thereof, hath sprung 〈◊〉 , blodshed, disobedience, contention, and 〈◊〉 in france, Germany and other countries: The truth is, that from themselves and under their own wings these 〈◊◊〉 of treason and rebellion have evermore been hatched, or else from such 〈◊◊〉 as 〈◊〉 . I mean the 〈◊〉 , who, howsoever they differ in some heads, yet they are fast tied together by the 〈◊〉 . For Calvin, Beza, Luther and such other excellent instruments have been from time to time, the only oppugners and resisters of these heretics, and their rebellious proceedings: when papists have clapped their hands and laughed in 〈◊〉 sleeves at them, because hereby truth was brought into hatred with Christian princes, & they 〈◊〉 the advantage to set up their 〈◊〉 I dolatry and heresy: And therefore I wonder not a little at this platterfaced owl of Parsons, that with his staring and shameless countenance, dareth even to the majesty of a prince, whom the Pope his master and all the right Papists, such as he calleth the hotter sort of Catholics, condemn as a Schismatic & heretic, and therefore think themselves discharged of all obedience, and her highness to have no 〈◊〉 : of government over them, that he should thus sawn upon her whō he condemneth, and loveth as well as the light of the gospel, which neither he, nor any of that dark brood could ever abide, yet I say, that he dareth thus shamlesly to flatter, as though she were so simple to be carried away with words, when she seeth & understandeth their deeds, hath selt their practices, and (if God of his wonderful mercy had not kept her highness) had tasted of their cruelty, as other Princes & noble gentlemē have done before her & round about her. What should I blot paper, in setting down such things as every book soundeth forth only let us hear out of the mouth of the papaists on of their own doctors, how they 〈◊〉 of her 〈◊〉 . I mean not to set down, that might yield me some advantage against them, as neither standing with my 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 it, 〈◊〉 spoken to the dishonoure of her majesties person, not being fit to be noted by writing in the face of the world, but rather to receive, a punishment due for such presumptuous 〈◊〉 : only I will mention, howe he maketh Story, Felton & others, that were condemned not in any cause of religion, but for high treason, 〈◊〉 he maketh them Martyrs. The moste 〈◊〉 , that refuse without all reason the means of 〈◊◊〉 , and have been for 〈◊〉 & just 〈◊◊〉 yet 〈◊〉 , he calleth constant 〈◊〉 , but I hope, some of thē are ashamed (I know whatsoever they ar, they may be) to have their names in such a kalēder. Of those same rebels, in the north, that appeared in actual rebelliō against her highness, he maketh a solemn kalēder, he putteth in a Catalogue their names & conditions giving it this 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 qu: 〈◊〉 fidem 〈◊〉 , & 〈◊◊〉 〈◊〉 , arma 〈◊〉 , & 〈◊◊◊〉 & 〈◊〉 . The names & conditions of those englishmen which took arms, & are yet in exile for the Catholic 〈◊〉 , & for the primacy of the church of Rome. He reherseth the Bull of 〈◊〉 Quintus against her highness, & plainly asseuereth, that it was for just causes declared & published. He calleth her majesty the pretended Queen, and showeth howe Doctor Morton was sent into England to admonish 〈◊〉 catholic noble mē, that Elizabeth that then governed was an 〈◊〉 , & that for that cause she was by very right fallen from all government & power, which she usurped over the catholiques, & that she might be 〈◊〉 of them without any danger, 〈◊〉 an heathen & publicane, neither that they were frō 〈◊〉 , bound to obey her laws & 〈◊◊〉 he showeth, that 〈◊〉 noble men 〈◊〉 to deliver their brethren ab 〈◊◊〉 de from the tyranny of heretics, and albeit things fell not out to 〈◊〉 expectation, yet he 〈◊〉 their attempt. In another place he affirmeth that 〈◊〉 in some cases, kings and Emperors that govern Christian people be not subject to Christ's 〈◊〉 , yet by the virtue of the keys of the kingdom of heaven, when their governments hurt the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 , and the salvation of souls, they are to be deposed. Did 〈◊〉 any professor of the 〈◊◊◊〉 a sentence? Alack, they 〈◊〉 out of 〈◊◊〉 , for an 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 gathered and forged many years after his death, that princes being in deadly sin are no longer princes, nor 〈◊〉 are to yield thē any longer obedience, which yet the article (as it was first set down in the Council of Constance) speaketh of Priests and 〈◊〉 . This Owl a so whopeth against us of obedience, that we break the book, that we despise authority, that we do this and that, but look vpō the face of this babe, mark the fea ture of this cub, view his claw, and tell me who is his damme & 〈◊〉 we or these 〈◊〉 papists? 〈◊◊〉 , 〈◊◊〉 first a 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊◊◊〉 an 〈◊〉 , or an 〈◊〉 amongst Catholic pe ple 〈◊◊〉 be 〈◊◊◊◊〉 of 〈◊〉 kingdom And a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , If 〈◊〉 A 〈◊◊◊◊〉 〈◊〉 , that Christians being 〈…〉 common 〈…〉 under them, 〈◊〉 esse 〈◊◊◊〉 born that 〈◊◊◊〉 should of their 〈◊◊◊〉 set 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 . d. 〈◊〉 suffered an 〈◊◊〉 : que 〈◊◊◊〉 them? 〈◊◊〉 〈◊◊〉 thou must not say 〈◊◊◊〉 Ave, 〈◊◊〉 of 〈◊◊◊〉 their 〈◊◊◊〉 . 〈◊◊〉 they serve 〈…〉 or 〈◊◊〉 not more to obey 〈◊◊〉 : 〈◊〉 to 〈◊◊〉 ? Do you think the Queen is not like to have good 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 as may not 〈◊〉 to salute 〈◊〉 ? do not they cal her their mother, God's substitute, and their 〈◊〉 Queen, in mockage, when they cry thus all 〈◊〉 , and yet buffet her, breking the very neck of her 〈◊〉 . The same Sanders 〈◊◊〉 , that it is the special 〈◊〉 of bishops, 〈◊◊〉 their 〈◊◊◊〉 or an 〈◊〉 , 〈◊◊〉 they 〈◊◊〉 the 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 , as that 〈…〉 as may 〈◊〉 , may 〈…〉 , 〈…〉 in 〈◊◊〉 non 〈◊◊◊〉 , It is the 〈◊◊◊◊〉 , by 〈◊〉 soever 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 , that 〈◊◊◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊◊〉 not in the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 . This traitor throughout that whole chapter laboreth to prove, that 〈◊◊〉 del ought not to 〈◊◊◊〉 the faithful, 〈◊〉 he asketh whether he be 〈◊〉 the name of 〈◊〉 man, 〈◊〉 shall 〈◊〉 that 〈◊◊◊◊〉 not 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 to 〈◊◊◊◊〉 , 〈◊◊〉 , 〈◊〉 after one 〈◊◊◊〉 , if 〈◊◊◊〉 , ob 〈◊◊〉 a 〈◊◊〉 , 〈◊◊◊〉 , per 〈◊◊◊◊〉 & 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 : For the same 〈◊〉 they may 〈◊〉 ought 〈◊◊◊〉 of 〈◊◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 from i 〈◊◊◊〉 they holds 〈◊◊〉 . After a long 〈◊〉 he 〈◊◊〉 conclusion, Pronus 〈◊◊◊〉 , 〈◊◊〉 , 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 , eum 〈◊◊◊〉 non vult, 〈◊◊〉 , & 〈◊◊◊◊◊◊〉 It is 〈◊◊〉 for the Church of Christ, to remove a king that is 〈◊◊〉 , 〈◊〉 , 〈◊◊〉 and 〈◊◊〉 , 〈◊〉 a 〈◊◊◊〉 not 〈◊〉 , from his 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊◊◊◊〉 place. It amongst a multitude one 〈◊〉 man or two, have 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 opinions, not in cō mon, but 〈◊◊〉 , not by 〈◊〉 , against such as they 〈◊◊〉 , but tyrants in deed, O how they yelpe, 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 , crow and whoope, to bring all the 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 , and yet these are their 〈◊〉 : in them forsooth catholic and religious, 〈◊〉 in us 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 . This made Bishop Fysher and Syr. Thomas Moore with 〈◊〉 others, to loose their heads. supposing to die Catholics, they had in deed as they were and deserved, the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 The pope that then was, I mean Pope Clemente that was the son of a Curtesan, This was Leo the tenths bastard also, as some think, sent out 〈◊〉 Bull against king Henry the eyghte, but thanks be to God, it neither shook his seat, as he had thought it should 〈◊〉 deprived him of his kingdoms, as he undoubtedly looked 〈◊〉 ; but it was a means to bring many of those Romish calves to a just 〈◊〉 , though many ventured but to late upon his absolution, 〈◊〉 they took it after his life in purgatory.

Of this wholesome doctrine confirmed by the popes practice, have sprong all rebellions, Treasons 〈◊〉 , tumults, 〈◊〉 , and uproars, in all come mon wealths and 〈◊〉 , where the pope hath had anything ado, not of any right, but by usurpation. For Emperors were wont 〈◊〉 depose evil popes, now evil popes despose good kings. So was the government of France once by such a deposing, transposed from the right heirs forever. When 〈◊〉 deposed Chilperick, & Pipin his Marshal became, king, so did Urban depose Perse the king of Spain, setting in 〈◊◊〉 Henry a 〈◊〉 . I 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 Henry the fourth, because I have mentioned them before. So would Pope Pius impiously have done, 〈◊〉 his power had 〈◊〉 , to our gracious Queen, whom the Lord long preserve, to hold up his icepter among us Neither say we as Parsons 〈◊〉 would 〈◊〉 us speak, that every contrary profession 〈◊〉 in any state or 〈◊〉 is by and by treason, or that they 〈◊◊◊〉 any contrary religion 〈◊〉 by and by traitors. For falsehood is many times defended and perketh up, when truth is in 〈◊〉 and hardly 〈◊◊〉 face. The world loveth her own, & all princes be not true professors and 〈◊〉 of Prophets: But this 〈◊〉 say, that 〈◊〉 and treason are commonly inseparable 〈◊〉 and 〈◊◊〉 . The foundation and whole building is naught 〈◊〉 but treason and treachery. Christ and his 〈◊◊〉 the truth, taught true obedience, gave to Caesar that which was Caesar's, and to God that which was God's, Christ 〈◊〉 tribute 〈◊◊〉 and for Peter: and though 〈◊〉 be contrary to falsehood, yet there is no 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 against falsehood, but in 〈◊〉 against truth Our gracious 〈◊〉 therefore by the grace of God maintaining truth 〈◊◊〉 , true religion against 〈◊〉 , upholding the Gospel of righteousness, and reigning by Christ, they that shall 〈◊〉 it, seeking together her 〈◊〉 with it, from a foreign Italian usurper are not only traitors against her, but against God. They that shall pinche her 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 it, 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 power, 〈◊◊〉 her 〈◊〉 , 〈◊◊〉 against her, 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of obedience, 〈◊〉 in Bulls to roar out her 〈◊〉 , discharge her 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 , hold her as an 〈◊〉 and labor to withdraw the loving 〈◊〉 of her subjects by any new pardons or 〈◊〉 , all which the papists have done, and do 〈◊◊〉 ? they are enemies to God, to her Highnes, to the whole state, and to them selves: and except they 〈◊◊〉 , God in 〈◊〉 when they think least of it, will find out their wickedness, and as he did unto Story make thē feel the punishment of their wicked treason? If this be not their dealing, let me be reproved. If their rebellion in the North, their conspiracy in Norffolke, their calculating her birth, their practices by Sorcerye, by imagery, and such trumpery, their libelling 〈◊〉 slandering, their threatening and monstrous flattering, their 〈◊〉 invading of her highness territories and dominions, with giving placards to the meanest of her subjects to shed her blood, that hath been alleged before, be not enough to convince them to be 〈◊〉 , let me bear the shame of it. I could set down the particulars, but that the same are handled, and it may please God, one day, besides that which is already declared, that a just 〈◊〉 will be published of it. I refer the reader for further satisfaction herein to the worthy works of M. Norton published at that time, when the Bull roared so 〈◊〉 in our ears, and to his warning given to our Northen rebels. I refer them also to Howlets check now in publishing. Who did these things but papists? who procured the Bull, brought it into the Realm, set it up, and published it? And what was the matter, against whom, for what, and to what purpose? What were 〈◊〉 ? who platted the deposing of the Queen, and 〈◊〉 up of another Mary amongst us? Who conferred with the Devil? sowed 〈◊〉 reports and 〈◊〉 to effect their mali ious purposes? Who had their 〈◊〉 , their Seminaristes and landleapers to gadde from place to place, and from country to counrrye, and from gentlemans house to gentlemans house to shed the seed of 〈◊〉 , but rank and 〈◊〉 papists? 〈◊〉 that are in high places, know to whom the knowledge of these things specially belong, that 〈◊〉 conspiracies, treasons, practice of her majesties death, hath been found in that nest, For 〈◊〉 they glauer, their minds are known, and their 〈◊〉 are seen, and to the discomfort of all 〈◊〉 be it spoken, God of his goodness hath from time to 〈◊〉 brought their secretest 〈◊〉 and attempts done in the dark to light; he hath thrown their ladden treasons into our lappes, unfolding thē & laying them open; in tender regard of his church, and to the ende her highness taking good heed might more & more be confirmed in the truth & learn to rest in the assurance of his protection, that hath been her mighry 〈◊〉 , in all her greatest dangers, And thanks be to his goodness, he hath done it 〈◊〉 any great blodshed or hard dealing, either of rack, or of any other torturs, and though it please 〈◊〉 M. Censurer to utter his malapertnesse, 〈◊〉 into the judgment of her 〈◊〉 dealings concerning the racking of those lately in the tower, 〈◊〉 the world in hand, that it was for religion, yet he might have considered, that it is much better for one or two bodies to be scaired and feared, then that a whole country should be betrayed; that one member should be cut off, then all the rest should 〈◊〉 , and had he been so 〈◊〉 seen, as he would seem to be, he had had sufficient 〈◊〉 to consider, that they coming over at such 〈◊〉 as they did, their complices the Popes soldiers appearing in actual rebellion in 〈◊〉 , and diverse commnig over in companies and troupes, to scatter (were it) but their errors, their Honors had good cause finding them obstinate against religion & her highness Iawes, to distrust their sidelity, and to regard 〈◊◊〉 safety, rather to 〈◊〉 them with the rack, then we should be seared with the overthrow of our flourishing peace and country, wihch God in mercy turn from us. This also hath God done for her, that her highness may carry always a thankful heart towards him, when she shall have such experience of his mercy in preserving her, whē she shall be established in judgment, not to be affected with every Sirens voice that seemeth very sweet, but yet bringeth a sharp destruction, as this Howlet, that with his yuybushe at the first is very humble, lowely and low, but resteth not there. For as it groweth and getteth strength, it claspeth and girdeth so hard, that within a little time it will kill the heart of the greatest oak. and get above it; to be an haborowe for such owls and unclean birds as himself is. And even so did the first pope deal with the Emperor, he crept alow, till 〈◊〉 aurhotity bare him up, & so he crept up by little & little, 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 decayed; was removed and overthrown, and now he is become the 〈◊〉 for all the filthy byrds in the world. I will make on farther application, the wise I hope will see light at a little hole.

Who have been those traitors that have stirred, up other princes against the Quecne? who have procured their forces, and labored for an alteration by colorable practices, but papists? Who have been such trayterly fugitiues as them selves? who are the authors of erroneous & traitorous books, 〈◊〉 forth as wildfyre, & thrown as fyr: 〈◊〉 into our church & common wealth, to kindle the sire 〈◊〉 rebellion, but papists? For who hath written against her highness by name, against her trusty 〈◊〉 but you Papists? against such as you moste hated, because their wisdom and care in the Lord was against you, foam being 〈◊〉 frō your malice, & 〈◊〉 yet living maugre your heads, to help (as long as it shall please God) with their faithful 〈◊〉 against you? who 〈◊〉 taken upon 〈◊〉 to decide 〈◊〉 to discover, as they say, privy treasons to debate of state matters, and to make heirs apparent, but papists? Was there any one protestant that can be named that did these things. No goodman How let, howsoever Surius, Frarin, & such scurrilous railers charge the gospel and the profestors of it, it is with the same truth that the 〈◊〉 their master is wont to speak against the truth, & no otherwise. It is as fit 〈◊〉 a papist to speak of obecience, and as ill it be cometh him, as when an Owl counterfaiteth to become an Eagle, or when he will take upon him to sing like an Nightingale. You must bear with me, the name you have chosen, whether truly or like a counterseite, maketh some prouerbs to fit my porpose. Is not true obedience to God in his true religion and worship, the mother of all true obedience and duty to princes and peers? And howe then can a 〈◊〉 , that is a traitor to God in his worship, be saythful & true to princes? What conscience is there, where there is no knowledge? & what knowledge can there be without his word. & without the gospel, to teach either obedience to God, or duty to Princes? The subject that feareth God, the instructed Christian, he only knoweth how to obey in and for God. He 〈◊〉 knoweth what duty is to be rendered to God's Liuetenants. They are not the best 〈◊〉 , that are readiest to fulfill all Princes commandments and pleasures, but they are 〈◊〉 subjects, that love and honor their Princes in the Lord, not of custom but of conscience, yea for conscience sake, though they be evil, both to pray for them and to 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 duty 〈◊〉 their conversion unto God; and if they cannot be won, patiently to bear 〈◊〉 is laid upon them. The other are servants and 〈◊〉 , these are children. The one obey of fear, the other of love. Those fulfill their willes with the breach of God's. These submit themselves to suffer, and pray the changing of their minds, that they may enjoy a kingdom, where there shall be no respect of 〈◊〉 .

If any 〈◊〉 object the troubles of France, and Flaunders, and 〈◊〉 countries, where they 〈◊〉 to have color of charging the professors of the Gospel to have taken arms against their princes, as I have said 〈◊〉 , to I say again, they 〈◊〉 arisen by occasion from 〈◊〉 own wicked and wretched 〈◊〉 , for that through treason and 〈◊◊〉 have 〈◊〉 drawn moste dishonorably to break 〈◊〉 own faith and 〈◊〉 , to go 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 laws and 〈◊〉 , which armed subjects, 〈◊〉 against their Princes, but with and 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of them, against the 〈◊〉 & heady 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 singular persons And therefore they have evermore been 〈◊〉 by their 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 discharged from all disloyalty by their public instruments and writings, their soldiers have been paid from their Princes pay, and so have been discharged. As for rebellion and the scholars thereof, have always sprong out of the Schole of Popery, it is a whelp of your own litter, and an egg of your own nest. Macke Morris was a Papist, so is Saunders (if he be yet 〈◊〉 ) that set in of late for Ireland, & brought a company thither, out of Italy to get a kingdom, to 〈◊〉 a place wherein to lay their dead 〈◊〉 , and to bury their bones. It is your doctrine, Howlet, and those of your fether, that hold that 〈◊〉 be duly discharged from subjection, and 〈◊〉 Prince from dominion, by the 〈◊〉 authority of the common Pastor of 〈◊〉 . We have and do acknowledge our selves subject of duty, by the institution of God, we confess her Hyghnes lawful authority to extend to and over all sortes, and no man's profession to exempt him from obedience & fealty, which you do not: for if you yield any, you say, It is but 〈◊〉 common 〈◊〉 sake, 〈◊◊〉 , and so far 〈◊〉 as 〈◊◊〉 for the accustomed use of a natural 〈◊〉 . and only in temporal things. You have no cause therefore, to storm in such 〈◊〉 , nor to take it in such dudgeon, for being said to be enemies to God, and to her royal Majesty. And it is a lewd lie that this broadefaced owl would face down that Papists set her 〈◊〉 into her government, and will likewise be ready to maintain her in it, when all the 〈◊〉 knoweth, and every Court upon record soundeth, that they have shaken her seat, and endeavored from time to time, as much as lay in them to depose her from her peaceable and rightful Scepter. To conclude therefore, The Papists erring in doctrine, and being members to 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 of sin, adversary to 〈◊〉 Christ, and being the most 〈◊〉 livers that ever were, setting them selves 〈◊〉 against the righteousness of the Gospel, and being plainly proved to be deadly enemies against all government, the 〈◊〉 of treasons, the styrrers up of strife and rebellion, in all 〈◊〉 wheresoever they become, being persuaded that the Pope cannot err, who hath pronounced our Sovereign to be a Schismatic, and hath 〈◊〉 his Bull to deprive her of 〈◊〉 royal 〈◊〉 and dignity, and to discharge her Subiectes of all loyalty and duty, reconciling, persuading, and withdrawing her subjects to the pretended authority of Rome: I conclude that they are enimiesto God, to their own Realm and country, to their natural Prince, and to them 〈◊〉 : and I beseech God, either to turn their hearts, or else to give them the 〈◊〉 of traitors. And thus much to require this Papist in asseuering that which I set down in my dedicatory Epistle.

Now a word or two concerning the Fast at Stamford, and so an ende. Whereas this 〈◊〉 Owl, to bring the truth into hatred with her Majesty, by way of comparison, setting his quiet Catholics, and their doctrine of obedience, against us and 〈◊◊〉 of the same matter, to 〈◊〉 me, who have (as he said) so falsely infamed them, promising to set down certain propositions 〈◊〉 out of two 〈◊〉 of my Preachers. &c. I 〈◊〉 no farther credit of the whole Church of God, of her 〈◊〉 , & of all indifferent men, then I shall be able to prove the same by sufficient testimonies to be most shameful and 〈◊〉 . And first, before I enter into it, what color of 〈◊〉 can it have, that those propositions out of their Sermons should be gathered by a Minister, unless it were some such 〈◊〉 as Everard Hans was, alias Ducket, who 〈◊◊〉 thereabouts before his going over? Think you there was any Minister so familiar with this Owl being of the dark brood of Papists? If he were a Minister, either he must be some such hypocritical liar and an accuser & 〈◊〉 of his b. 〈◊〉 , or else this ugly owl hath out of his own head to declare himself a 〈◊〉 like his father, 〈◊〉 these shameful untruths. He 〈◊〉 that this 〈◊〉 was forbidden, by the L. Superintendent of Lincoln, by his letters bearing date the fifth of Septēber, & yet that these Preachers would not 〈◊〉 , that the letters were directed to the 〈◊〉 & Comburgesses there. In deed it is true, that after the allowance of this Fast, by former letters 〈◊〉 the Bishop, and at the request of others, all which 〈◊〉 are set down, that the Bishop sent some such restraynt, 〈◊〉 by some rumor 〈◊◊〉 , that his appointed order should not 〈◊◊〉 observed, both as touching the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 , & also 〈◊〉 bringing in some 〈◊◊〉 , for whose doings he could not answer: but M. 〈◊〉 & his brethren very wisely considering that the 〈◊◊〉 now already appointed and warranted, and being clear in their 〈◊〉 knowledge from any 〈◊〉 of altering that which was prescribed and 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 they should seem to yield to such suppositions as they 〈◊〉 dreamed of, & so show them selves 〈◊〉 : they kept their determinatiō according to thorder which was prescribed. And therefore, though Parsons Howlet by some of his inteligencers gat notice of such a letter, yet he was not acquainted with the premisses, nor with all that belonged to this matter. And it might well be, that by practice of some enemy giving false insormation (as lightly there lacks none to hinder good things) when the fast had been in diverse places of the Realm else where, 〈◊〉 the fearful earthquake, a token of God's anger, and was ordinarily sought for, by the Alderman and Comburgesses there, to the ende they might show their forwardness, to humble them selves beforc the Lord, as 〈◊〉 had done, it may be, I say, that that exercise was then sought to be stayed, as the first was, but thanks be to God it was both orderly kept, and well obtained. For upon better information given to the Right Honorable the Lord Burleigh, Lord high 〈◊〉 of England, who by reason that his Honor is Lord of that town of Stamford, and for that also his Lordships house of Burleigh is hard adjoining 〈◊〉 , and being otherwise very good Lord unto the town, he was the rather made acquainted with their good desire and proceeding, and by the letters of M. Robert Johnson also satisfied. To which letter his Honor vouchsafed to give an honorable and favorable answer, returned to the said M. Robert Johnson from the Court then being at Otelandes, bearing date the 25. day of July 1580. wherein his Lordship showeth his good contentment and forwardness to so holy an exercise testifying that for the said M. Johnson's readiness and pains in preaching, in teaching and reading in those partes thereabout, he hath cause both to esteem and love him. His Lorship exhorteth him to continue in his vocation. I set not down his Honors letters in respect of duty, not having communicated my purpose with his Honor, trusting of his Honors favor in this behalf, seeing it is against an enemy of God, and in maintenance of the truth. But this is true, that therwithall his Lordship wrote also a loving letter to the Alderman and Burgesses of the said town of Stamford, bearing the same date, approving anything, that the Bishop should direct or order in that behalf, & another also he wrote to the Bishop of the Diocese which they forthwith sent by a special messenger & a letter frō themselves: and this was the copy of the letters sent from the town.

To these letters and by occasion of the others the Bishop gave his consent, and returned in effect this answer, gathered out of his letters by M. Francis Harington Recorder there.

Hereby may plainly appear the shameless lie of this staring Owl, that blushed not in the ears of her 〈◊〉 to whoope, that this exercise was kept 〈◊〉 against the Bishops will, that the preachers disobediently stepte up in the pulpit, and uttered such seditious 〈◊〉 , as he and his informing scribe have patched together, as far from all color of truth, as any of the rest, to the slander, not only of those godly and learned preachers, but also of the magistrates, and whole corporation of that town, who did nothing, but according as they were directed by authority, saving only that M. Johnson preached in the second place, in steed of him that was appointed by the bishop, he upon some occasion failing (as there may 〈◊〉 out in such a case many 〈◊〉 ) M Johnson being notwithstanding requested of the magistrates there: both by letters at the first & at that instant, & that after the viewing of his 〈◊〉 : and as for M. Lively the first preacher, let him be heard, as able to speak for himself in this matter.

By these testimonies alleged by me, concerning the Fast of 〈◊〉 , it appeareth (I 〈◊〉 ) 〈◊〉 how vain the accusation is, that these enemies of God, and of her highness, have made against those Godly and learned men the Preachers that preached there, against the whole Borough & Magistrates thereof, and against myself who never was acquainted with the matter, neither had any dealing at that time or at any other 〈◊〉 any such thing. And now because I have sufficiently discovered this whole trowp of papists under Antichrist the Pope, to be enemies to our Lord & Captain Jesus Christ, to his religion, to our gracious Sovereign for professing it, and to us, as 〈◊〉 as under her highness gracious government heartily embrace it: 〈◊〉 that he hath severed us from them, to the ende we should hold out his glory against them, and not be ashamed of his Cross in the groatest 〈◊〉 they shall be able to lay upon us, and, that 〈◊〉 should have no fellowship with them. And therefore I moste humbly befeech her Majesty upon the 〈◊〉 of my heart; whom God hath 〈◊〉 to that high top of honor, to honor him, & to hold us 〈◊〉 in all obedience under his septer and government (which these enemies 〈◊〉 , 〈◊◊〉 their 〈◊〉 both against God 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 , and against her 〈◊◊〉 of it:) that she will (in that 〈◊〉 knowledge of the truth, whereof by the singular 〈◊〉 of God she is made 〈◊◊◊◊◊〉 measure, and in that 〈◊〉 , the Lord in mercy hath 〈◊〉 in her gracious heart, against 〈◊◊◊〉 ) 〈◊◊◊〉 without famting, to the 〈◊〉 on of all 〈◊〉 , her most 〈◊〉 and loving 〈◊〉 : wherein as 〈◊〉 have by God's: assistance pitched our staves to stand fast, so 〈◊〉 fully 〈◊〉 our selves of her gracious defense even to the ende. It is no time 〈◊〉 for us to look back: All the boastinges land proud challenges in the world, of 〈◊〉 and new 〈◊〉 , cannot 〈◊◊〉 to any suspense of the truth. We are not ignorant of their great speech & proud words: we know that Antichrist shall come with power, yea with lying signs & wonders: his bulk shall be big, & his men shall appear as 〈◊〉 as great as ever were the Anakims and Goliath: yet we are not by the grace of God, afraid of thē. We have had suf ficient trial of their weapons & armor, we know their standings & their studies, and evermore when we have crapled with them, by the 〈◊〉 of God, we 〈◊〉 ben to hard for thē. A taste was given in the beginning of her majesties most 〈◊〉 , & since at sundry times, at Wifbich of late: & this other day at the Tower. And as evermore God hath knit victory with his truth, so he gives shame and confusion to salsehood, with what wisdom of man soever, with what learning or policy it be maintained. And therefore having by the grace of God found the truth, we are fully determined to live and die in it. And it is 〈◊〉 , that as God and Satan cannot be served together, so we cannot be faithful Subjects to Elizabeth our Queen maintaining 〈◊〉 , if we serve Antichrist. We cannot be 〈◊〉 to her, if we yield 〈◊〉 to her enemy, and a 〈◊〉 usurper. And 〈◊〉 as we are made one with Christ our head, & are sorted and 〈◊〉 into his fold, as his Confederates, under the leading of our Christian Prince on earth: we meame by his assistance faithfully to fright his battles. Neither can they 〈◊〉 us, though they shoue in amongst us, as long as they come in, under this Antichrists standard and 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 the Markes both of false 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 . Tyranny and wicked life. 〈◊◊〉 if they 〈◊〉 to be with us as friends, and yet craftily undermine us to cool us and hinder us, we may for a time be deceived, but our 〈◊〉 will at the length discover them, and when they are found out, our eyes shall not 〈◊〉 them. They shall be used not as confederates to him, which only the fathfull are: but as enemies, whom we being commanded to strike, we dare not spare, neither reserve: howe goodly and fat Oxen soever they be, and what good shows soever they have. We dare not trust neither the 〈◊〉 & whining of these Curres in this time of their bondage & tying up. The time was when they were lose, and then they played their partes, they shown their kind; and we know that there is no change, but by regeneratiō. Their snarling, their barking against the truth, their lying in wait, and continual looking for advantage, when they may crush us, even in this time, testifieth what we were like to find, if they had any power over us. And though in this 〈◊〉 of them up, as Wolves they have licked out hands whilst we sed them to train thē to humanity, yet lying lose, they will be the more 〈◊〉 against us: God of his gracious goodness keep us out of their hands. And we give him most humble & hearty thanks, who in so exceeding mercy & wonderful patience, waiteth for our conversion, even overcoming our sin with his goodness, in protecting and defending us against the madness and 〈◊〉 of these open and deadly enemies. We humbly thank him for defending this Realm, our Queen, her Counsailours, and all her people. For it is well known, and we 〈◊〉 it, that if he had looked upon our unthankfulness, we should have been as a pray unto them and they would have eaten us up alive: he hath done it: not unto us, that is, not for our sakes, but unto his own name, that he may have the glory of it. And surely, if we faint not, but go cheerfully sorward in that glorious truth, in 〈◊◊〉 he hath called us unto, if we labor to approve our selves to him, giving him a pure worship & service according to his own appointment & will, striving to sincerity and cleansiug our churches from that popish filth, this man of sin hath left behind him in thē, if we give him the honor of leading us, & will be ruled by his word, renouncing man's wisdom, policy, and strength in the work of our salvation, then shall we not need to fear, though these enemies be never so many or mighty: If God be with us who can be against us? Though their Parsons be taule and terrible, their furniture well appointed, their strength in the judgment of men invincible, their knowledge in martial affairs equal with ours, their learniug, wealth, riches, and policy above ours, yet in the name of the Lord of hoastes we will not fear them: if God be in the midst of us, compass us about & fight for us, if we be under his leading howe can they prevail against us? And surely comfortable experience we have had of his good nesse these many late years in protecting this realm, so beset with enemies, our gracious prince by nature a weak woman, and subject to many infirmities, her counsellors exercised with many difficulties & hard tentarions, her people given up in peace, as commonly common people are in such times, to 〈◊〉 their profits and pleasures: that God, I say, hath yet so mightily defended them, and enriched us all, with so many blessings both of this life, and of the life to come which are moste precious, what other argument can it yield unto us, then of great encouragement? This should even increase our hope, and add new strength unto us, to make us stand fast to our God: The truth is, that our policy and arm hath not wrought it, but our 〈◊〉 God who hath kept continual watch over us, to the end we should walk in holy and 〈◊〉 obedience, in fear and trembling as in his presence: not that we should be secure and careless, arming these enemies of ours, with our sins and transgressions against us, but that we should fear before his 〈◊〉 , & trust in him, being armed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ our head, which shall not only shroud us from their fury, but from his own wrath and 〈◊〉 damnation.

Thus much I thought good, being specially drawn in by the adversary to speak in the defense of God's everlasting truth. If I give any just offense to the godly, by any slip of human infirmity, I crave pardon for it: but I protest before him, that knoweth the secretes of all hearts, that I have not of any malice, sinister affection or desire of revenge, written anything, but for & in the simple desēce & maintenance of the truth and to the end to discredit error and 〈◊〉 . And concerning one Howlet, whom I 〈◊〉 in my Epistle dedicatory to aim at, and since have understood that the name by all likelihood should be counterfeit, and taken upon, by one 〈◊〉 a runagate Jesuit: I am very sory for the wrong (if any be) that I have done to Howlet, whom I supposed it to be. And I would the willingliar cry him mercy for it, 〈◊〉 the Lord would vouchsafe him an happy conversion, from that false religion of popery, which I will undoubtedly pray for, with all my heart. The Lord God of all glory, who is king of kings, and Lord of Lord's, preserve our gracious Soueraine Queen Elizabeth, and all her honorable counsellors, 〈◊〉 , inferior officers and people, and so strengthen them in the truth, as all may have judgment to discern those things that differ, and in their several callings know what belongeth unto their special duties, that they may all detest popery, false doctrine and heresy, and with the glorious profession of the truth, join a sincere and godly conversation in life, & so hold out the glory of Christ their head, through the sanctification of his blessed spirit, till they be gathered the way of all flesh, and arrived at that happy Hǎuen of 〈◊〉 rest, which he hath purchased.