Friar John Francis of France, Title page – Dedication
Fryer Iohn Frauncis of Nigeon in Fraunce.
A Replication to that lewde aunſwere, which Fryer Iohn Frauncis (of the Minimes Order in Nigeon nigh vntounto Paris in Fraunce) hath made to a Letter, that his Mother cauſed to be written, and ſent to him out of England, in August. 1585. Wherevnto is annexed an aunſwere, to that which the ſame Fryer hath written to his father and mother: in defence, and to the prayſe of that Religion, which he dooth nowe profeſſe: and to the diſprayſe and defacing of that Religion, which is nowe profeſſed in Englande. Whereof the Fryer himſelfe was a Scholler and profeſſor, vntill the yeere 1583. which was the 18. yeere of hys age. (⸪)
VVritten by Robert Crowley. Anno. 1586.
AT LONDON. Printed by John Charlewoode, dwelling in Barbican, at the ſigne of the halfe Eagle and the Key.
To all ſuch Gentlemen, as beeing Engliſh borne, hauehave Romyſh hartes, and doo fauoure the Romiſh Catholicke Religion: and eſpecially, ſuch amongſt them as doo inhabite in the Counties of Suſſex and Hampshyre, and about London.
WYſhing well to the Common weale of my nature Country, and to the Churche of Chriſt in this our Engliſh nation. I hauehave in my younger daies taken ſome paynes, & hauehave béene at ſome charges (and yet am) in the education of ſome ſuch young Schollers, as hauehave ſéemed to bée likely to prooue profitable members, in this Church, or Common weale of Englande. Amongſt whome, one Samuell Debnam was one. Hys Father and Mother are yet lyuing, and doo by theyr honeſt labor ſuſtayne theyr owne bodies, and according to theyr hability, they doo help to reléeue the impotent and néedy. This Samuell was theyr eldeſt and firſt borne Sonne, and their hope was that he ſhould hauehave béene the ſtaffe of their age. And becauſe the mother was my ſeruaunt in the time of her virginity, my wyfe became Godmother to that young babe, and (as the cuſtome of the Church is) vndertooke for him at the Fountaine of Regeneration: which mooued both her and mée to hauehave (together with his naturall Parents) an eſpeciall care for his good education. Hee proſpered in learning, and was like in time, to hauehave prooued a profitable member of the Engliſhe Common weale. Yea ſome gifts that he had receiued from God, ſéemed to be ſomewhat rare in one of hys yéeres: and that did puſ…e him vp and make him proude. I did then beginne to feare, that which is nowe come to paſſe. For (as Syrach hath written Chap. 10,) Initium ſuperbiae hominis, apoſtatare a Deo: quoniam ab eo qui fecit illum, receſſit cor eius. The beginning of mans pride, is to fall away from GOD: for his hart is departed from him that hath made him. This pryde was it that cauſed him to harken to ſuch amongſt you, as firſt enticed him to forſake his Parents, and other fréendes, in ſo vndutiful manner as he did, on Monday▪ which was the eyght day of Apryll. 1583. In aunſwering Letters that his Mother cauſed to bee written to him the 28. day of Auguſt, 1585. Hée wryteth that he was lodged not farre from London, the ſame night that he ſtept away from hys Father and her: and ſhortly after, hée was (as he ſayth) conueyghed by night, a myle of from London, where hée ſtayed thrée weekes. And on May day in the Morning, carely, hée was ſette on horſebacke, and conueighed into Suffer, and ſo into Hampſhyre, where he had maintenaunce tyll the Euen of S. James the Apoſtle. &c. At his departing from London, good Gentlemen (as he termeth them) gaue him money, to the value of forty or fyftie ſhillinges, to bring him ouer the Seas. By theſe thinges it appeareth manifeſtly, howe vnfréendly you popyſh Gentlemen are, to the Crowne and Common weale of Englande. Can you worke any greater diſpleaſure, to the Crowne & Common weale of England: then to robbe them both of the younge frye, that is likely to bée the continuance of this, and the beginning of the next generation? This youth, béeing about the age of eightéene yéeres, was meete to bée imployed to that kinde of life, wherin he might hauehave béene moſte like to doo beſt ſeruice to God, his Prince and his natiue Countrey. But ſée what you hauehave doone▪ you hauehave cauſed him to be reconciled to the Romiſh Catholicke Churche▪ which is to bée a ſworne enemy, to the Crowne and Common weale of thys his, and your natiue Country. You hauehave robbed our Prince of her Subiect, and ſeruice that ſhe might and ought to hauehave had of him, as of one borne with in her dominions. You hauehave robbed a poore father and mother of theyr ſonne and onelyonly childe: the ſtaffe of theyr age, theyr greateſt treaſure in this world, theyr onelyonly hope of poſterity, and of that gyft of God, which by natural Order hath béene moſt pleaſaunt and delectable to them, and ſhould hauehave béene moſt profitable, you hauehave robbed mée, and the reſt that hauehave taken paynes, and hauehave beſtowed of our goods vponupon him▪ in the nouriſhing and bringing of him vp, to that eſtate wherein you found him: and in making him able to doo ſome ſeruice in the Common weale of our Country: you hauehave (I ſay) robbed vsus of all this, & of that hope which wée had to ſée him a profitable member of the Church of Chriſt in England. you hauehave robbed hym of that benefit, which a naturall Engliſh man, may▪ and ought to enioye within the Engliſh dominions. yea, & as much as in you may bée: you hauehave robbed him of that inheritaunce, which Chriſt Jeſus hath bought for him, for you hauehave perſwaded him, that not Chriſt Jeſus, but the Romiſh Antichriſt, is the way that leadeth into that inheritance. you hauehave taught him to leaue the ſtudy of the ſcriptures, and not to looke vppon. or to giuegive credite vntounto thoſe wrytinges, that men of ſounde iudgement hauehave left behinde them, concerning the true interpretation of the ſcriptures, but to beléeue all that the Romyſh Catholicke Church beléeueth▪ holdeth, and teacheth: although he doo neither knowe what the beléefe of that Church is, neither howe it may bée warrented or defended by the ſcriptures, when it is knowne yea, although it doo ſurpaſſe and excell mans vnderſtanding: yet it muſte be beléeued, onelyonly becauſe the Romyſh Catholicke Church dooth beléeue it. S…ynt Peter was of an other minde, when he wrote thus: Dominum Chriſtū ſanctificate in cordibus veſtris, parati ſemper ad ſatiſfactionem omni poſcenti vos rationem, de ea quae in vobis eſt ſpe. Sanctiſy the Lord Chriſt in your harts béeing alwayes prepared, to ſatiſfy eueryevery one that ſhall aſke you a reaſon of that hope that is in you. 1. Pet. 3.
Our ſauiour Chriſt ſayde, Scrutamini Scripturas, Search the ſcriptures, Iohn. 5. yea, and talking with two of his Diſciples in the way toward Emaus He prooued the neceſſity of his death and reſurrection, by the ſcriptures. Luk. 24. The Jewes which dwelt in B…rrhaea, ſearched the ſcriptures dayly, to ſée if that were true that the Apoſtles preached. Acts. 17. But you hauehave taught, this proſelite of yours, to beléeue all that the Romiſhe Catholicke Church teacheth: although the ſame bée directly contrary to the ſcriptures. As to make and worſhip Images, to call vppon Angels and ſaints, to repoſe truſt in the worthines of his owne workes, to make himſelfe a Mediator in ſuffering for the ſinnes of his Parents and Country men, to hauehave an opinion of holines, in refrayning the vſe of Gods good creatures, which are all holy, and to be receiued with thankes to God for the vſe of them, to kiſſe and worſhippe the Reliques of ſaynts, to beléeue the reall preſence of Chriſtes bodie in the Sacrament of the Altare, to make that Sacrament a ſacrifice propi…iatorie for the ſinnes of the quicke and the deade. &c. To conclude, if the Romyſh Catholicke Church doo teach it, he muſt beléeue it, although both reaſon and ſcripture doo denye it. Into this miſerable blindnes▪ you hauehave (by your allurements and perſwaſions) brought many youthes, that myght, and were like to hauehave doone, good ſeruice to God and theyr Prince, in theyr natiue Countrey. you hauehave cauſed them to ſhake of, all duetifull obedience to God, to theyr Country, to theyr Prince, to theyr parents, and to all that hauehave béene theyr foſterers and bringers vp, in learning, and in religious exerciſes. you hauehave plunged them into the puddle of all popyſh ſuperſtition, and counterfayted religion. you hauehave ſtolen them from our Captaine Chriſt, and made them ſouldiours to fyght againſt Chriſt, vnderunder the banner of that Antichriſt of Rome. Thus your proſelite hath reported, in the diſcourſe of hys peregrination: that he was in Rhemes in Fraunce, 17. monthes together in company with two hundreth Engliſh men (almoſt) & lacked nothing: which argueth, that ſome good portion of your patrimony, is ſpent in the maintenaunce of ſuch Engliſh youthes, as you hauehave conueighed thether, and to other places beyond the Seas.
I wyll charge you no furder. Take héede to your ſelues in time. Conſider that there is a God, that ſéeth your dooinges, and knoweth your intents. He wil not ſuffer ſuch dooings vnpuniſhed for euer. If you think that the religion that is now allowed of in this Realme, by law, be not Catholicke, ſéeke your reſolution at the hands of ſuch as are learned in the tongues, in the liberal artes, in the writings of auncient fathers, and in the ſcriptures, and are your Countrymen, & occupied in the ſeruice of God, & this our cōmon country. Such are able, and wil be ready to conferre with you, and by their knowledge in the ſcriptures, Doctors, artes and tongues, to ſatiſfy you: and vndoubtedly, if you wyll humbly craue it of God, ye ſhall bee ſatiſfyed. Remember your duetye towardes GOD, your duety towardes your prince, your duety towardes your Country and Countrymen.
Repent purpoſe and endeuoure to amend that which you hauehave doone amiſſe. Helpe to bring home againe ſuch as by your meanes hauehave béene occaſioned to ſtray from Chriſtes fold in this our natiue ſoyle. As you hauehave béene meanes to drawe them from Chriſt: ſo vſe what meanes you can, to bring thē backe againe to Chriſtes folde in Englande. If they ſhall perriſh in that ſchiſme, whereinto you hauehave brought them (as vndoubtedly they ſhall, if they ſhall ende in it,) theyr blou… ſhalbe required at your handes. When your Seminary men tell you, that we are the Sci…ſmaticks, and they the Catholicks, beleeue them not, except they prooue it, by Scriptures and probable reaſons. If wée doo proue, both by the Scriptures and by probable reaſons, that the Church of England is Catholick, and the Romyſh Church ſchiſu…ticall: why ſhould not you beleeue vsus? Becauſe they doo knowe, that if you ſhall reade our wrytinges, you muſt néedes yéelde to the truth, which you ſhal ſée ſubſtantially prooued by vsus: they put you in feare of curſſing or excommunication, if you ſhall reade any thing that is written by any of vsus, or if you ſhall giuegive attentiue héede to any Sermons made by vsus, which argueth that themſelues doo knowe, that the trueth is on our ſides. You are Gentlemen, and by naturall and ciuile order, you are Frée men: ſuffer not your ſelues to be ledde and commaunded (as blinde and bonde men) by theſe dol…yſh hypocrites, which teach you to ſubmit your ſelues to the decrées, precepts, and doctrines of men (which hauehave but a vaine ſhewe of wyſedome) and not to regarde the wiſedome of God, contained and taught in the holye Scriptures Colloſ. 2. Your calling and eſtate in the Common weale of this Realme is worſhipfull▪ and your duety is to be ayding to your Prince, in the execution of the Lawes made for the preſeruation of the ſtate, and defence of the liberty of this Engliſh nation: and wyll you bée the ring leaders in the violating of thoſe good Lawes, in ſub…erting the ſtate, and in turning the liberty into thraldome and bondage? God forbidde. Our good God in hys good time, vſed our noble King Henry the eyght (as his meane) by whome hée deliuered this noble and free kingdom, from the Babilo…icall bondage of Rome: and wyll you bring your ſelues and the whole Engliſh nation, into the like bondage againe? The ſame our mercif…ll GOD, hath by the ſame Noble Prince, and by his Sonne Edwarde and Elizabeth his daughter, reſtored to this Engliſh nation, the bright ſhyning light of the Goſpell, and wyll you bring vppon your ſelues and vponupon vsus, and vponupon all our poſterity, the palpable Egyptian darknes of Ignoraunce, the mother, nurſſe, and continuall foſterer of all errour and wiched life? God forbidde. You are Engliſh men, God giuegive you Engliſh harts, that may neuer yéelde to bee gouerned by forraine power. You be chriſtian men: God giuegive you chriſtian hartes, that may neuer yéelde to profeſſe Antichriſtian Religion. Suffer not your ſelfe to be blinded by their colours of antiquity, vniuerſality, and vniformity. For when theyr antiquity is compared with ours, it is found to be but of yeſterdayes hatching: where ours is prooued to hauehave had continuaunce from the time of the firſt man. Their vniuerſalitye was neuer ſo large as the Romaine Monarchie: but ours, hath alwayes béene, and ſtyll is, and euer ſhalbe, as large as the whole worlde. Theyr vniformity, is deuided, themſelues doo ſcarſly knowe into howe many ſeuerall ſects, whereof not any two can be founde that doo agrée in all poynts: but we béeing but one body and one ſpirit▪ are called in one hope of our calling, one Lorde, one fayth, one Baptiſme: One God and father of all, which is aboue all, throughout all thinges, and in vsus all. …phe. 4. I pray you vouchſafe to reade with indifferent iudgment, that which I hauehave written in my Replication and anſwere, to that which Fryer John Fra…ncis of Nigeon in Fraunce, hath written to hys Father and Mother. And as he hath admoniſhed in the margine of his letter, no leſſe then ſeauentéene tunes, Reade it thorough, or beginne it not: euen ſo hauehave I ſette at the heade of eueryevery page, Reade all: or reade nothing. I hauehave ſet down the Fryers wordes euen as he wrote them, and as I hauehave them to ſhewe, in that Letter which he wrote with his owne hand, not altering or leauing out, or adding (to my knowledge) one worde, ſillable or letter. If any amongſt the learned Romiſh Catholickes, ſhall vouchſafe to reade that which I hauehave written: and ſhall thinke himſelfe able to diſproue that which I hauehave doone: let the ſame deale with me as I hauehave dealt with Fryer John, and I hope I ſhalbe able ſo to reprooue his diſproofe ſo, yt he ſhall (in the end) wyſh hée had let my wrytings paſſe without diſproofe. For Fryer John hath ſo quickened mine aged ſpirits, that I ſéeme to my ſelfe, able to trye thys matter by wryting, euen with the ſtouteſt Champion that the Pope hath. And if Fryer John, or any of his Fraternitie, (yea if it bee the Pope Sixtus quintus himſelfe, which as I heare, was a Franciſcane Fryer) ſhalbe able to prooue by Scriptures and probable reaſons, that the Romyſh Relygion (which nowe is profeſſed in Rome) is Catholicke, and that the Religion nowe profeſſed in Englande is ſchiſmaticall: then wyll I créepe into a Minimes wéede in Nigeon, and whyppe my ſelfe with a diſcipline, as Fryer John doth nowe whyppe himſelfe there. Otherwiſe, if any ſhall enterpriſe to diſprooue my wrytinges, and ſhall not doo it ſubſtantially, to my diſproofe indéede: I wyll doo what I ſhall be able to doo, in helping him to ſome whipping chéere in our Bridewell, if euer hee may be caught in Englande. Fare you well, from my houſe without Creplegate of London, the ſyxt of Auguſt. Anno Domini. 1586.
Your welwiller, Robert Crowley, Clarke.