The Bee Hive of the Romish Church, Title page – Preface
The Bee hiue of the Romishe Church: A Cōmentarie vponupon the sixe principall pointes of Master Gentian Heruet, a Romish Catholike his booke, which is deuided into sixe partes, as in the Argument doth appeare. And an Epistle made by the Authour of this booke vntounto Franciscus Sonnius, late Bishop of Antwerpe.
Translated out of Dutch into English, by George Gylpen the elder.
Good Reader be so bountifull,
in reading this, to note and viewe,
The witte and wisedome wonderfull,
of the most learned Louen crewe.
2. Thess. 5.
Prooue all things, and keepe that which is good.
¶ Imprinted at London, at the three Cranes in the vinetree, by Thomas Dawson, for Iohn Stell, dwelling at the Dukes place, by Creechurch. 1579.
Academiae Cantabrigiensis Liber
To the right Worshipfull, wise, and vertuous Gentleman, Maister Philippe Sidney, Esquire, the abundance of Gods grace, and all spirituall blessinges.
IF notable knowelege (Right Worshipfull,) if perfect experience, if singular authoritie, if deserued dignitie, finallie, if anie excellent and spirituall ornament of Nature (or rather of God) be sufficient to winne credite, and to purchase praise: then must this be a necessarie consequent, that where many gifts of Gods grace do ioyntlie concurre and run together, there credite hath continuance, and praise possession. Such a one is he, who by no lesse labour then learning, and by no lesse learning then iudgement, not onlie attempted, but also finished (to his no small commendation, being a worthie Gentleman, & hauing enough in ciuill and politike affaires otherwise to bestowe his studie, & his time,) this most profitable and true christian worke: which, though by reason of the manifoldnesse of the matter it be wearisome to reade, yet with such weight of wisedome, diuerse waies declared, that tediousnesse is so attenuated & diminished: that (as a footeman, hauing farre to goe, maketh lesse accompt of his labour, if the way be pleasant: and by the present viewe of cōfortable obiectes, is so rauished with delight, that he thinketh not vponupon the length of his iournie:) in this booke, things are so tempered, that (as the best sawces being made of sweete and sowre, doe please the taste) the reader shall feele him selfe in such sorte affected, that albeit the perusing thereof shall seeme passing painfull, yet (circumstances accordinglie considered, and point by point precisely pondered) it shall prooue exceeding fruitefull. Againe (Right worshipfull) as in building, not he which seeketh rather to be sumptuous then substantiall, but hee which endeuoureth to be both substantiall and sumptuous, deserueth most commendation: so in writing, not he which hunteth after the finest phrase, & sweetest style, neglecting (in the meane time) sensible matter, sauouring of iudgement: but hee, which hath the capacitie, both pithilie like a Logician, and pleasantlie like a Rhetorician, to leaue some proofe to the worlde of his witte and knowledge, is to bee had in admiration. In which thing, because hee is excellent, by whome this booke was written, it importeth more then I am able to vtter: which, (whatsoeuer it be) I leaue to the cē sure of the wise. And nowe (Right worshipfull) somewhat superficiallie to touch the work it selfe: which I may well resemble to the Anatomie of mans bodie: wherein as wee may see the wonderfull wisdome of God, in the creation of mortall man, howe he hath powred life into the principall partes, as it were into certeine vesselles, and couered them with flesh, which I may boldly compare to clay, for the better preseruation and safe keeping of the same▪ howe cunninglie the whole body of man is builded and knitte together, with sinewes, veines, artires, ligatures, gristles, bones, muscles, & such like: so in this booke, beeing but a manuell, the verie secrets of the Romishe Church are so discouered, (which in the opinion of the Pope and his consistorie, is high treason, and vnpardonable,) that verie babes and sucklings may beholde their abhominations, and spitte at their villanous practises, to them selues aduantageable, to the church of Christ offensiue, and to the glorie of God nothing more derogatorie. This notable booke therefore (Right worshipfull) I hauehave presumed to publish abroade, vnderunder your patronage and protection, not doubting that it should want credite, if it were not ouershadowed with the countenance of some speciall personage: but for that your disposition being so vertuous, as that you are a mirrour amōg men, & your course of life so praiseworthie, as that you may bee well thought a blossome of true Nobilitie: your worshipfull mind also being beautified & inriched with such rare ornamentes, as that you among the rest, glister like a starre: therfore vntounto your woorships handes hauehave I bin encouraged to present this worthie booke, translated and printed at my proper costes and expenses, not in hope of anie extraordinarie profite, (which howe litle I thinke vppon, let him iudge that knoweth all thinges,) but that the Churche of Christ, being not yet growen to perfect age & strength, maie reape some speciall benefite by the same. And thus hauing laide open, verie bluntlie, but plainlie, my simple (but yet honest) meaning, I committe your worship to the grace of God, which as it hath hitherto (no doubt) beene your direction, so I hope it shall, & (God graunt) it may be your loadesman to life euerlasting. Amen.
Your worships at commandement Iohn Stell.
To the Reader.
GOod Christian Reader, thinke it not lost labour to reade this little booke, which as it beareth the name of a Bee hiue, so it conteineth good stoare of holesome honie. Neuertheles, take this short admonition by the way, that in reading the same, thou plaie not the parte of a Spider, which out of sweete and odoriferous floures sucketh deadlie poyson: for what is that else but to abuse a benefite, and to make that euill to thy selfe, which by nature is good? I knowe it spites the Papistes, that their iuglings are espied: and I beleeue they will be so farre from singing a Requiem for his soule, by whome it was compiled, or from pitie to purchase him a pardon from the Popes good grace, that they coulde finde in their heartes, to appeale to the Spanishe inquisition, and by their tormentes farre passing the paines of Purgatorie, to constraine both him, and them that shall reade it, to crie Peccaui. O charitable Catholikes. Be they such curst cattel in deede? Alas for pitie: God keepe vsus out of their clawes. Will not Peter pence salue vp the sore? O, yes marie, that is meate for their mouthes. But will they frette and storme in suche sorte? Tut a pointe, they hauehave had the raine too long, it is time that they bite on the bridle. But farewell Papist: R▪ this pill, ô it will scowre and purge. Thus Gentle Reader (to conclude) thou hast such a booke, as will make thee priuie to all the practises of the Babylonicall beast, (Rome I meane) the denne of Dragons and diuels: which if it were translated into other tongues, by the industrie of the learned, as it is in none, but in Dutch and English, it would increase choler so abundantly in the Pope, the Colledge of Cardinals, Monasteries of Monkes, Fraternities of Friers, Nestes of Nonnes, and the rest of the Pharisaical Frie, as whole handfuls of Helleborus, or pounds of Colloquintida can neuer auoide: & (wote you what?) that will pull downe their mother the holie Churche vppon her knees, with thought and sorowe. Well, I leaue the benefite of this booke to thy diligence in reading. And thus farewell.
Thine in Christ, Iohn Stell.
This is a cleare and perfect interpretation of the Epistle of Maister Gentian Haruet, nowe latelie set foorth in French, and in Dutch, and directed to those, that are fallen from the true Christian beliefe.
WHerein the full foundation, and profounde establishing of the holie Romishe beliefe is declared: all newe heresies confounded: the might, authoritie, and worthines of the Church of Rome, expounded, and by Scriptures confirmed: all dissentious articles put to silence, and a plaine demonstration, where the right Church is to bee founde. In summe, all the articles of the holie Catholike Romishe beliefe, are here drawne out of all sortes of flowres in the holie Scripture, olde Fathers, Councelles, Decrees, and Canons, gathered together, and as in a sweete Bee hiue, brought all in one: and in the last is set forth, the manners, conditions, nature, and essence of Bees, the honie and honiecombe of this Bee hiue, collected out of the best olde writers, as well Grecians as Latinistes.
Made and brought togither by Isaac Rabbotenu of Louen, Licentiate in the Popishe lawes.